法華玄論 9.69

9.69

Some suspect that this chapter is entirely out of sequence, or that it was not spoken by the Buddha. We now explain that this is not so: it is definitely in sequence and is also spoken by the Buddha. Later I saw a treatise stating: "Conferring prophecy on Devadatta reveals that the Tathāgata has no mind of enmity." Hence one should know that it was spoken by the Buddha. Its placement after the "Chapter on the Jewelled Stūpa" is because the esoteric opening of the origin and trace is of two kinds: first, opening the origin and trace with respect to the Buddha's deeds, which is the manifestation of the jewelled stūpa and the assembly of the divided bodies; second, citing an analogue to esoterically open the origin and trace, which is this chapter. Devadatta's trace body is evil, but his origin is not evil; Śākyamuni's trace demonstrates production and cessation, while his origin in reality has no production or cessation. Furthermore, this sūtra says: "Opening the gate of skillful means and demonstrating the real meaning." This is not merely opening one kind of gate of skillful means, but universally opening all gates of skillful means and demonstrating all real meanings. From the beginning of the sūtra up to the "Chapter on the Jewelled Stūpa," it clarifies the opening of the gate of skillful means to reveal the real meaning in terms of the good; now, it clarifies opening the gate of skillful means and stating the real meaning in terms of the evil. All buddhas and bodhisattvas of the three times and ten directions do not go beyond the two skillful means of good and evil, opposing and conforming—just as Śākyamuni and others serve as the function of the good skillful means, while Devadatta serves as the function of the evil skillful means. Not saying that the past was skillful means is why the gate of skillful means was closed; now opening it as the gate of skillful means is why the gate of skillful means is open: since evil is a skillful means, good is the real. In this way, both good and evil are intended to lead sentient beings to return to the good; therefore, whether opposing or conforming, both are conformable. Furthermore, the *Pañcaviṃśati* says: "Possessing deportment and lacking deportment"; lacking deportment is precisely departing from the ordinary to accord with the Path. The *Mahāyānasaṃgraha* explains that bodhisattvas commit all ten evil deeds and five deadly sins.