法華義疏 12.232

12.232

自去永仁元至同三年送首尾三箇年之星霜，開《義疏》十二卷之印板訖，即就澄禪宗師之講肆事討論，因聚南都北嶺之舊疏，加刊定加以擇統略新選之相亂，紏文字點畫之紕繆，儻有宋本豈加旃新雕木聯爾哉！尚恐庸愚揆文，英賢察是。風聞馬鳴、龍樹負貝葉於五天也，八不正觀之月獨輝震嶺，提婆羅睺灑法雨於三國也，絁待妙法之華盛薰金陵，從爾以降漢家本朝專弘此宗，異鄉邊方雖翫斯教，代屬末法鑽仰無人，時覃季澆書寫莫處。嗚呼從推古天皇御宇至當代七百餘年，相承僅傳、宗綱將亂，三論章疏一無印板。爰素慶幸逢難逢大乘、忝聞難聞宏宗，宛似雪山上士為半偈兮投身，相同香城薩埵求般若兮灑血，冀結緣緇素同志兄弟早駕非三非一之妙乘、速到非近非遠之寶所。殊當卷檀那清原氏女擬七，又逆修顯如，又妙理七世恩，所通自他三界群生豈差別，然則發破邪顯正之覺、成革凡入聖之粧也。

From the first year of the past Einin [1293] to the third year of the same era [1295], spanning the passing of three years from beginning to end, the printing blocks for the twelve fascicles of the Commentary on the Meaning were completed. Immediately, we proceeded to the lecture hall of Chō Zen master to engage in discussion; gathering the old commentaries of the Southern Capital [Nara] and the Northern Peak [Hiei], we emended and revised them, sorting through the confusions of the new selections of the Tonglüe, and rectifying errors in characters and strokes. If a Song edition had been available, would we have needed to add newly carved wooden blocks? Yet we still fear that our mediocrity and ignorance have misjudged the text, and hope that the eminent and wise will examine this. We have heard of Aśvaghoṣa and Nāgārjuna carrying palm leaves across the Five Indias, the moon of the eightfold non-perverted contemplation shining alone over the peaks of China; Āryadeva and Rāhulabhadra showered the Dharma rain upon the three countries, and awaiting the flower of the Wonderful Dharma, it richly perfumed Jinling. From then onward, both China and our court exclusively propagated this school. Although distant lands and border regions cherished this teaching, the age has come to the final Dharma period, and there is no one who delves into and venerates it; the times have reached an end-stage corruption, and nowhere is it copied. Alas, from the reign of Empress Suiko down to the present generation of more than seven hundred years, the lineage succession has been barely transmitted, the tenets of the school were about to fall into disarray, and of the Sanlun treatises and commentaries there was not a single printing block! Hereupon, Sōkei has been fortunate to encounter the difficult-to-encounter Mahāyāna, and privileged to hear the difficult-to-hear profound school—truly like the Great Being on the Snowy Mountains casting down his body for half a verse, or the Sattva in the Fragrant City shedding blood to seek prajñā. It is hoped that the monastic and lay comrades and brethren who form this karmic connection will swiftly mount the wondrous vehicle that is neither three nor one, and quickly reach the treasure abode that is neither near nor far. In particular, for the patron of this fascicle, the daughter of the Kiyohara clan, in memory of the deceased; and for the anticipatory cultivation of Kennyo; and also for the grace of seven lifetimes of the wondrous principle—which extends without distinction to self and others, to the multitude of beings in the three realms: may they generate the awakening that refutes the false and illuminates the true, and accomplish the transformation of turning from ordinary being to enter sagehood.