法華義疏 1.407

1.407

「阿闍世」者，此云未生怨。以母標之者，爾時以害父竟，故不標父也。又言擲之於地遂折其指，故名折指。《阿含經》云「世王懺悔竟，猶墮拍掬地獄，後從地獄出成辟支佛」。《涅槃經》云「阿闍世王不值耆婆，來月七日當墮地獄，而懺悔竟不復墮」。又經云「懺悔竟得柔順忍」。所以大小乘經不同者，以小乘經力劣，故重罪微薄猶墮輕地獄；大乘經力勝，重罪都滅所以不墮。又闍王害父身瘡未發，故來聽《法華》，至涅槃時身瘡發者，《涅槃經》既唱當滅五逆之罪，闍王是權行，欲顯正教能滅罪、邪教不能滅罪，為眾生作滅罪良伴，故至彼發也。此經不明滅罪用故身瘡不發，而明功德勝用，一毫之善皆得成佛，世王雖作五逆不斷善根亦當成佛，為眾生作成佛良伴，為此義故來聽法。

"Ajātaśatru": here translated as "born with enmity". Indicating him by his mother is because at that time he had already killed his father, so his father is not indicated. It is also said that when thrown to the ground his finger was broken, hence he was named "Broken Finger". The Āgama Sūtras say: "After King Ajātaśatru repented, he still fell into the Paṭu hell, and later emerged from hell to become a pratyekabuddha." The Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: "If King Ajātaśatru had not met Jīvaka, on the seventh day of the coming month he would have fallen into hell; but having repented, he did not fall after all." Another sūtra says: "Having repented, he attained compliant tolerance." The reason the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna sūtras differ is that the power of Hīnayāna sūtras is weak, so that though his heavy sins were diminished, he still fell into a light hell; the power of Mahāyāna sūtras is superior, so that his heavy sins were entirely eradicated and therefore he did not fall. Furthermore, when King Ajātaśatru killed his father, sores had not yet broken out on his body, so he came to hear the Lotus Sūtra; by the time of the Nirvāṇa, when sores broke out on his body, the Nirvāṇa Sūtra had already proclaimed the eradication of the sins of the five heinous deeds; King Ajātaśatru, acting as an expedient manifestation, wished to reveal that the correct teaching can eradicate sins whereas heterodox teachings cannot eradicate sins, acting as a good companion in eradicating sins for sentient beings, and therefore they broke out when he reached that [assembly]. This sūtra does not explain the function of eradicating sins, so sores did not break out on his body; rather, it explains the superior function of merit, that even the slightest good leads to becoming a buddha; though the king committed the five heinous deeds, he did not sever his wholesome roots and will also become a buddha, acting as a good companion in becoming a buddha for sentient beings; for this reason he came to hear the Dharma.