法華玄論 9.71

9.71

Answer: They possess both kinds of action. First, magically transformed killing, as when the Vajra deity kills a youth. Second, actual killing, as in killing five hundred brāhmaṇas. As for why actual killing is required, the *Mahāyānasaṃgraha* states: "The bodhisattva had no other skillful means to deliver them, and only killing could deliver them; therefore, he carried out killing and so forth." Furthermore, binding these two skillful means together, they reduce to being neither good nor evil and cannot be demonstrated, yet being able to be good and able to be evil is precisely the function of the wonderful Lotus. Furthermore, there are three kinds of skillful means: first, the skillful means of ordinary beings; second, the skillful means of the two vehicles; third, the skillful means of the Great Vehicle. Devadatta's committing grave evil is called the skillful means of ordinary beings. Pūrṇa and others manifesting as śrāvakas is the skillful means of the two vehicles. Śākyamuni is the skillful means of buddhas. Above, two gates of skillful means have already been opened; now next, the gate of skillful means of ordinary beings is opened, and therefore this chapter is spoken. Furthermore, three traces are disclosed: first, disclosing Prabhūtaratna's trace of extinction to clarify non-extinction; next, disclosing Śākyamuni's trace of birth to clarify non-arising; finally, disclosing Devadatta's trace of evil to clarify non-evil. Furthermore, one may object: "If one says Śākyamuni was formerly impermanent and is now impermanent, then Devadatta should also have been evil in the past and still evil now. If Devadatta was formerly said to be evil, but now that his trace is disclosed he is clarified as not evil, then the same holds for Śākyamuni." Furthermore, formerly Devadatta was prophesied to become a pratyekabuddha; now it is disclosed that Devadatta has long engaged in the great practice. Thus, formerly he provisionally manifested the small while in reality being great; one should know that Śākyamuni is in reality permanent while manifesting impermanence. Furthermore, this chapter is spoken in order to complete praise of the sūtra and encourage people to propagate it; hence it comes here. The previous chapter already explained that in ancient times Prabhūtaratna Buddha personally came to expound the *Lotus Sūtra* together [with Śākyamuni], making clear that the merit is profound and the efficacy weighty to encourage people to propagate it. Now Śākyamuni further cites Devadatta as evidence, clarifying that Devadatta expounded the *Lotus Sūtra* for him in a past life, and therefore he has now attained buddhahood. For this reason, the efficacy and function of the *Lotus Sūtra* are inconceivable, and one must accept and uphold it. Devadatta here means "heavenly heat": *deva* means "heaven," and *datta* means "heat." When he was first born, the minds of gods and humans became heated because he was going to commit deadly offenses. He was the son of King Droṇodana and the elder brother of Ānanda. The chapter is titled after the person expounded; therefore, it takes this as its title.