法華義疏 1.16

1.16

事又難明，今且以三義往釋：一者、外國傳云「流沙以西多有此品，流沙以東多無此品。所以然者，小乘之流皆謂諸方等經並是調達所作，是以諸國或有闕之。」羅什既在龜茲國，不見此品故不翻之。二者、羅什譯經觀察機情每多存略，若具翻《智度論》則十倍於此，恐難尋求，故略為百卷也。如翻《百論》，無益此土，故但存略，有五十偈。故《正法華經》凡有十卷，刪彼煩文略為七軸。三者、〈見寶塔品〉命持而〈持品〉應命，言勢相接，而忽間以〈提婆達多〉則文似非，次恐末世多惑，所以刪之也。

This matter is also difficult to clarify; now let us briefly explain it with three meanings: First, traditions from foreign lands state: "West of the Flowing Sands, this chapter mostly exists; east of the Flowing Sands, this chapter mostly does not exist. Why is this? The followers of the Hīnayāna all claim that the various Vaipulya sūtras were all composed by Devadatta; therefore, various countries occasionally lacked it." Kumārajīva, being in the Kingdom of Kucha, did not see this chapter and therefore did not translate it. Second, when Kumārajīva translated sūtras, he observed the capacities and inclinations, and often preserved an abridgment; if he had translated the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa in full, it would be ten times this size, and fearing it would be difficult to consult, he abridged it to one hundred fascicles. As when translating the Śata Śāstra, [parts] without benefit to this land were merely abridged, having fifty verses. Therefore, the Zheng fahua jing has ten fascicles in all, but he excised its verbose phrasing and abridged it to seven fascicles. Third, the "Apparition of the Jeweled Stūpa Chapter" enjoins upholding, and the "Encouraging Upholding Chapter" responds to the injunction, the momentum of words being mutually continuous; to suddenly interpose "Devadatta" would make the text appear discordant, and fearing that the later age would be greatly confused, he therefore excised it.