法華義疏 1.159

1.159

第三權實門者，有人言：「同聞眾皆是實行聽經之眾。」有人言：「皆是權行影嚮證經之人。」今明此事難知，若皆是實行則失影嚮之人，若皆是影嚮則無稟教之眾，故須兩義雙辨，以其為王為主多是權行，若是眷屬多是實行，故非小非大作小方便引小眷屬令同歸一乘，乃至非聖非凡作凡方便引凡眷屬令共入不二。故《華嚴》云「諸菩薩等皆是盧舍那佛宿世善友」，《涅槃論》云「明大眾雲集多是不思議神通變示分」，即其事也。《法華論》釋眾有四行：一、聲聞行，即如此品列諸聲聞等。二、菩薩行，又如此品列諸菩薩等。三、不定行，如善守菩薩示現作四眾八部等。四、定行，出家人形儀一向定。以此推之，知大眾具有權實也。

Third, concerning the gate of provisional and real: some say, 'The assembly who heard [the teaching] together are all an assembly of real practice listening to the sūtra.' Some say, 'They are all persons of provisional practice who act as shadows and echoes to testify to the sūtra.' Now, I explain that this matter is difficult to fathom: if all were of real practice, one would lose the persons acting as shadows and echoes; if all were shadows and echoes, there would be no assembly receiving the teaching. Therefore, one must explain both senses together: those who act as kings and leaders are mostly of provisional practice, while those who are retinues are mostly of real practice. Hence, being neither small nor great, they manifest small expedient means to lead their small retinues to return together to the ekayāna; and further, being neither noble nor ordinary, they manifest ordinary expedient means to lead their ordinary retinues to enter non-duality together. Thus the *Avataṃsaka* states: 'All the bodhisattvas are good spiritual friends of Vairocana Buddha from past lifetimes'; and the *Nirvāṇa-śāstra* states: 'It is clear that the cloud-like gathering of the great assembly is mostly manifestations produced by inconceivable supernatural powers.' This is precisely that matter. The *Fahua lun* explains that the assembly has four practices: first, the śrāvaka practice, which is just as this chapter lists the various śrāvakas; second, the bodhisattva practice, which is also as this chapter lists the various bodhisattvas; third, the indeterminate practice, such as Bodhisattva Supratiṣṭhita manifesting as the fourfold assembly and the eight classes of beings; fourth, the determinate practice, where the appearance and deportment of renunciants are definitively settled. Deducing from this, we know that the great assembly possesses both provisional and real.