法華義疏 10.139

10.139

如前品釋之。過去佛為開法身無生滅、應身有生滅故現出也。現在佛為開法身不二、應身不一故普集。當來佛為顯釋迦久證法身明法身無始終、方便示始終故現也。三世佛為三事故集也。又變淨土為開壽量者，由依果既其異昔，即知遠壽亦復不同，具如上釋也。今言開權顯實者，開短為權、顯長為實也。然如來之壽實無長短，所以然者，既稱法身則以正法為身，正法豈是短之與長常、無常乃至五句可取耶？但隨所宜故有長短方便。昔非短說短，今非長說長。非短說短欲令識短是長短，非長說長欲令悟長是短長，若聞短不識長則不成於短，聞長不識短則亦不成長，如此障礙行心，失佛方便意也。又所以昔說短今明長者，欲令眾生因此長短悟不長不短正法耳。以悟不長不短，故有長短方便用。若言昔短既非、今長亦非，今長既是、昔短亦是，但非長非短，今因機緣宜歎為長，明今長為是、昔短則非。如《涅槃經》云「不可言佛定是有為、定是無為」。若正見者應說如來定是無為。何以故？能生眾生諸善根故也。此品望〈涌出品〉六雙辨之，一者、上為序說；今是正說。二者、上以所化菩薩開能化佛壽；今能化自開能化也。三者、上以神通門開能化，如千世界微塵數菩薩從地涌出，顯釋迦成佛已久謂神通門也；此品對彌勒釋佛壽量，謂說法輪開壽量也。此二則是衣裓、机案二物出子也。四者、上密開成佛久；今顯開於壽量。以執近情難傾、遠壽難信，示悟物以漸，故前密後顯。五者、上品略說動執生疑；今廣說破執除疑。六者、上明所化不思議；今明能化不思議，故《法華論》有十種無上。第七、示現教化眾生無上，故地中涌出無量菩薩。八者、示現成大菩提無上，故有〈壽量品〉，即其證也。

Second, concerning the section on merits and defects: there are generally three masters who interpret the lifespan in this sūtra.
First, those who use the five-period teaching say: 'Passing sand-grains and dust particles in the past, and doubling that number in the future, it is still impermanent and will ultimately return to extinction; hence it was previously said that it ultimately returns to emptiness, and therefore the Tathāgata's lifespan has a limit.'
Second, those who hold to the four-period teaching say: 'This sūtra explains permanence through covered marks, and therefore it clarifies the immeasurability of the lifespan through covered marks.'
Third, those of the half-and-full meaning say: 'All Mahāyāna sūtras clarify the Buddha’s permanence, meaning that they explicitly clarify the immeasurability of the Buddha's lifespan.'

We now state: The first commits a heavy transgression by slandering the sūtra; this is for people of lower faculties. The next commits a slight fault; this is for people of middling faculties. The last grasps the function of the sūtra but does not yet know the essence of the sūtra; among the three kinds, this is for people of higher faculties.
Now we clarify: One must understand both the essence and the function of the sūtra in order to see the intent of this chapter. As for what is called 'essence': the dharmakāya transcends the four propositions and cuts off the hundred negations; it cannot be called permanent or impermanent, etc., and therefore it is neither measurable nor immeasurable. As the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: 'The dharma-realm is neither measurable nor immeasurable; the Sage entirely transcends the measurable and the immeasurable'—the dharma-realm is the dharmakāya. Furthermore, the text below states: 'Neither real nor false, neither thus nor different.' Chapter [22], 'Examination of the Tathāgata', of the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā states: 'In the mark of quiescent extinction, the four propositions of permanence, impermanence, etc., do not exist.'

As for what is called 'function': it is neither permanent nor impermanent, but formerly, for the sake of sentient beings, he spoke of it as impermanent; hence it says: 'The assembly of the buddhas' disciples even relinquish their impermanent bodies', making clear that the Buddha's lifespan has a limit. Now, in order to shatter the clinging of ordinary beings and [followers of] the two vehicles that the Buddha was truly born in the royal palace and truly became extinct in the Twin Trees, he praises it as permanent though it is neither permanent nor impermanent, revealing the immeasurability of the Buddha's lifespan. If one does not recognize this essence and function, there would not be the twelve kinds of people who awaken to the Path. Why is this so? Merely conceiving of permanence and impermanence turns into the two views; how could one attain awakening to the Path?