法華義疏 12.56

12.56

就釋觀世音名中又開為二：一者、略答；二者、廣答。初略後廣為解義故。又前名總答，後名別答。前總答即名遍拔三界六道眾生之苦，後別答中但拔欲界，於欲界中多拔人中苦，於人中多拔閻浮苦，餘方不必有王賊等難。前總後別欲顯感應義周，故開為二也。「善男子」者，《華嚴經》稱為佛子，餘經多云善男子，有紹繼義故名為子，綱幹之能故稱為男，所行有利他符理清昇感樂之義目之為善。「若有無量」下，正答其問。凡有四句，束為兩雙：一者、眾生受苦，此是感緣，即是稱名之意。二者、稱名，正是感體。三、菩薩觀機，四、皆得解脫，即辨應義。束為兩雙者，前兩為感、後二為應，應感為一雙也。又前兩為感，即是世音；後二為應，釋於觀義。具此二雙名觀世音，以答無盡意問也。初有二句，「若有無量百千萬億眾生」，此明受苦眾生多也。所言億者，此土云萬萬為一億，《智度論》云千萬為一億，蓋是風俗不同也。「受諸苦惱」，第二句，明受苦非一。苦為八苦，亦有無量苦；惱謂九惱，亦有無量惱。「聞是觀世音菩薩」下，第二、稱名，即是感體。亦有二句：前明聞是觀世音菩薩名者，謂未受苦時曾聞菩薩名，或從經卷中聞，或從人傳聞也。「一心稱名」下，第二句，今日受苦時求救稱名也。言一心者，為釋疑故來，自有稱名不得解脫，蓋是不一心故也。「觀世音菩薩即時觀其音聲」下，第三、觀機，即為應緣。自有人執此文屬上，而興皇法師更足一觀世音菩薩字，今謂足亦無失，但此文屬下。何以知之？上既云「聞是觀世音名」，又云「一心稱名」，已再言名畢，是故屬下明觀音應也。「皆得解脫」者，第二、正明應，即是脫苦也。

Within the explanation of the name Avalokiteśvara, it is further divided into two: first, a brief answer; second, an expansive answer. The brief comes first and the expansive later in order to elucidate the meaning. Furthermore, the former is called the general answer, and the latter is called the particular answer. The former general answer is called universally uprooting the suffering of sentient beings in the three realms and six destinies; in the latter particular answer, it only uproots [suffering] in the desire realm, and within the desire realm it mostly uproots suffering among humans, and among humans it mostly uproots the suffering in Jambudvīpa, for other regions do not necessarily have calamities such as kings and bandits. The general precedes the particular because [the Buddha] wishes to reveal that the meaning of resonance and response is comprehensive; therefore, it is divided into two.
As for "good man," the Avataṃsaka Sūtra calls them "sons of the Buddha," while other sūtras mostly say "good man." Because there is the meaning of succession, one is called a "son"; because of having the capacity of a mainstay, one is called a "man"; and because what one practices has the meanings of benefiting others, conforming with principle, ascending in purity, and evoking bliss, one is designated "good."
From "If there are immeasurable" downward, it directly answers his question. There are altogether four clauses, grouped into two pairs: first, sentient beings suffering afflictions, which is the evoking condition, namely the intention to recite the name; second, reciting the name, which is precisely the evoking substance; third, the bodhisattva discerning the capacity; and fourth, all obtaining liberation, which explains the meaning of response. As for grouping them into two pairs, the first two are the evoke and the latter two are the response, evoke and response forming one pair. Furthermore, the first two are the evoke, which is precisely "the sounds of the world"; the latter two are the response, explaining the meaning of "observing." Possessing these two pairs, he is called Avalokiteśvara ("Observer of the Sounds of the World"), answering Akṣayamati's question.
First, there are two clauses. "If there are immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of sentient beings": this clarifies that the sentient beings who suffer are numerous. As for what is called a koṭi (yi), in this land they say that ten thousand ten-thousands make one yi, whereas the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says that ten millions make one yi; this is simply due to differences in local custom.
"Suffering all kinds of bitterness and affliction" is the second clause, clarifying that the suffering undergone is not of one kind. "Bitterness" refers to the eight sufferings, and also immeasurable sufferings; "affliction" refers to the nine afflictions, and also immeasurable afflictions.
From "Hear of this Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara" downward is the second, reciting the name, which is precisely the evoking substance. It also has two clauses: the former, clarifying hearing the name of this Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, means that when one had not yet suffered, one previously heard the bodhisattva's name, either hearing it from the scripture scrolls or hearing it transmitted from other people. From "Single-mindedly recite the name" downward is the second clause, seeking rescue and reciting the name when suffering today. The mention of "single-mindedly" comes in order to resolve doubt; for there are those who recite the name yet do not attain liberation, which is simply because they are not single-minded.
From "Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara immediately observes their sound" downward is the third, discerning the capacity, which constitutes the responding condition. There have been those who insist on attaching this passage to what precedes it, and Dharma Master Xinghuang added another word "Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara"; now we consider that adding it is also without error, but this passage belongs to what follows. How is this known? Above it already said "hearing the name of this Avalokiteśvara" and also said "single-mindedly reciting the name"; the mention of "name" having already been concluded twice, this is why it belongs to what follows to clarify Avalokiteśvara's response. "All obtain liberation" is the second, directly clarifying the response, which is precisely escaping suffering.