[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [法華義疏](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721) › 3.282 # 法華義疏 3.282 法華義疏 3.282 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [3.282](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721.3.282) 就一乘真實門又開三別：一、釋迦自說一乘真實門，亦云自開宗門；二、引諸佛證釋門；三、明釋迦順同門。所以有此三門者，釋迦當今教主故前自開宗，恐物不信故引諸佛為證，證明事竟然後始得順同也。就初章之內又開三門：一、讚歎門；二、不虛門；三、顯教意門。所以有此三門者，讚歎令生信解，不虛抑其誹謗，開解杜惑。緣由既竟，故正明顯教意也。初文二句，一法、二譬。「如是妙法」者，此顯一部之旨歸，則是先明一乘真實，題以示之也。妙有二種：一者、體妙，謂非一非三言忘慮絕。二者、用妙，非三非一，不知何以美之，為對昔三強歎為一。故《注法華經》云「非三非一盡相為妙，非大非小通物為法」也。蓋是什肇舊宗，非今新釋也。「時乃說之」者，歎法希逢，增敬信之情也。遠而言之，如後文說億億萬劫至不可議諸佛世尊時說是經，近而言之，釋迦一化四十餘年之所未說今始說之，故知希有。「如優曇鉢華時一現耳」者，此譬上時乃說之言也。河西道朗云：「此言靈瑞華，又云空起華。天竺有樹而無其華，若輪王出世此華則現。」明眾生若應聞一乘教成法輪王者，諸佛世尊乃說是經，故靈瑞華為輪王之相，《法華》為成佛之徵。「舍利弗！汝等當信」下，第二、明不虛門。將明昔三今一則言似相違，恐物不信，是故今明佛語不虛，勸物信受。「舍利弗！諸佛隨宜」下，第三、明顯教意門。上之二句乃是緣由，今此一章始明正說。就顯教意復開二別：一、明眾生不解教意門；二、明唯佛能解教意門。「隨宜所說意趣難解」者，此標二章門也：初、標隨宜所說門；次、標意趣難解門。諸佛說法隨二種說：一、隨現實說；二、隨機宜說。說一乘者，謂隨理實說也。說三乘者，謂隨機宜說也。理實無三而說三者，隨機宜說也。「意趣難解」者，上明隨宜所說教，今明教所表理也。言三意若三，斯不名難解，良由言三意不三，言近而意遠，是故意趣難解。又意若住不三，亦不名難解，今言不三者，明其非是三，非謂是非三，斯則心無所寄乃契玄宗，故名難解。「所以者何」下，釋上二門也。初、釋隨宜門；次、釋意趣難解門也。「我以無數方便」者，或邪或正、或順或違，悉是善巧故名方便。又悉令悟入一道清淨示種種化，為一道作緣由階漸，故名方便。「種種因緣」者，所以示邪正不同、違順等化者，是良由眾生根性非一、入道各有由籍故也，故云「種種因緣」也。「譬喻言辭演說諸法」者，上明無數方便總明八相成道之正，及示九十六術之邪，或作調達、善星之違，或示阿難、羅云之順，故總明一切善巧。今別明說法一事。說法之內不出二門：一者、種種譬喻；二者、種種言辭。從「無數方便」至「種種說法」，總攝釋迦一切教也。「是法非思量分別之所能解」者，此釋意趣難解章門也。如來說一切教，為令眾生悟入一道。故下文云「於一切法以智方便而演說之」，其所說法皆悉到於一切智地，稟三乘教者思量分別於三，終不解三教意也。又五乘以五心分別，終不解言五意不五，故言非思量分別之所能解。又有所得心名思量分別，故《攝大乘論》云「分別是菩薩煩惱也」。 > Regarding the section on the reality of the ekayāna, it is further divided into three distinctions: first, the section on Śākyamuni personally explaining the reality of the ekayāna, also called the section on personally disclosing the tenet; second, the section on citing all Buddhas as verifying witnesses; third, the section explaining Śākyamuni's conforming and harmonizing \[with them\]. The reason these three sections are present is that Śākyamuni is the present lord of teachings and therefore first personally discloses the tenet; fearing that living beings will not believe, he then cites all Buddhas as witnesses; and only after the matter of testifying has concluded can he finally conform and harmonize \[with them\]. Within the first chapter, three more sections are opened: first, the section on praise; second, the section on \[his words\] not being false; third, the section on revealing the intent of the teaching. The reason these three sections are present is that praising inspires faith and understanding, \[affirming that words are\] not false suppresses slander, and \[thus\] understanding is opened and doubts are blocked. The preparatory causes having concluded, he then directly reveals the intent of the teaching. In the initial passage there are two lines: the first is the phenomenon (dharma), and the second is the parable. "Such wonderful Dharma": this reveals the fundamental import of the entire scripture; that is, it first clarifies the reality of the ekayāna and presents it by way of the title. The "wonderful" (subtle) is of two kinds: first, wonder of essence, meaning neither one nor three, where speech is forgotten and deliberate thought is severed. Second, wonder of function, neither three nor one, of which one knows not how to praise it, yet in contrast to the former three it is forcibly praised as one. Therefore the Zhu Fahua jing says: "Neither three nor one, exhausting all marks, is the wonderful; neither great nor small, accommodating all beings, is the Dharma." This is indeed the old tradition of \[Kumāra\]jīva and Sengzhao, not a new explanation of today. "Only at certain times is it spoken": this praises the rarity of encountering the Dharma, increasing feelings of reverence and faith. Speaking from afar, as a later passage says, only after myriads of koṭis of kalpas, up to inconceivable numbers, do the Buddhas, the World-Honoured Ones, at certain times expound this sūtra. Speaking from nearby, during more than forty years of Śākyamuni's single lifetime of teaching it had not yet been preached and is only now being preached; thus we know it is rare. "Like the udumbara flower, which appears only once in a while": this is a parable for the preceding words "only at certain times is it spoken." Dao Lang of Hexi said: "This is called the marvelous auspicious flower, and also called the flower that arises in space. India has the tree but not its flowers; if a wheel-turning sage king appears in the world, this flower then appears." This shows that if living beings are receptive to hearing the teaching of the ekayāna and becoming kings of the Dharma wheel, the Buddhas, the World-Honoured Ones, will only then expound this sūtra; thus the marvelous auspicious flower is the sign of a wheel-turning king, and the Lotus Sūtra is the proof of attaining Buddhahood. From "Śāriputra! You all should believe" onward is the second: the section explaining that \[the Buddha's words\] are not false. When about to explain the past three and the present one, the words appear contradictory, and fearing beings will not believe, he now clarifies that the Buddha's words are not false, encouraging beings to faithfully accept them. From "Śāriputra! What the Buddhas preach according to suitability" onward is the third: the section revealing the intent of the teaching. The preceding two lines were preparatory causes; now this single section begins the direct exposition. Regarding the revealing of the intent of the teaching, it is again divided into two: first, the section showing that living beings do not understand the intent of the teaching; second, the section showing that only Buddhas can understand the intent of the teaching. "What is preached according to suitability has an underlying intent that is difficult to understand": this marks two chapter rubrics: first, the rubric marking what is preached according to suitability; next, the rubric marking that the underlying intent is difficult to understand. When Buddhas preach the Dharma, they preach according to two modes: first, preaching according to actual reality; second, preaching according to the suitability of the capacities. Preaching the ekayāna is preaching according to the reality of principle. Preaching the triyāna is preaching according to the suitability of capacities. That in the reality of principle there are no three, yet three are preached, is preaching according to the suitability of capacities. "The underlying intent is difficult to understand": the above explained the teaching preached according to suitability, and now this clarifies the principle expressed by the teaching. If words speak of three and the intent were also three, this would not be called difficult to understand; it is truly because the words speak of three while the intent is not three—the words being near while the intent is far—that the underlying intent is difficult to understand. Moreover, if the intent rested on "not three," it would also not be called difficult to understand; now saying "not three" clarifies that it is not three, but not that it is "non-three." Thus, when the mind has nowhere to alight, it accords with the profound tenet; therefore it is called difficult to understand. From "Why is this?" onward explains the above two sections: first, explaining the section on suitability; next, explaining the section on the underlying intent being difficult to understand. "I, through countless expedient means (upāya)": whether wrong or right, whether agreeable or adverse, all are skillful methods, hence called upāya. Furthermore, to cause all to awaken and enter the single path of purity, he manifests various transformations, making them the preliminary steps and gradations for the single path; hence they are called upāya. "Various causes and conditions": the reason for manifesting differences between wrong and right, transformations agreeable and adverse, is truly because the capacities and natures of living beings are not singular and their entry into the path each depends on different grounds; hence it is said "various causes and conditions." "Parables and expressions to expound various dharmas": the above "countless upāya" comprehensively explained the right of the eight phases of attaining the path, and the manifestation of the wrong of the ninety-six heterodox arts; or enacting the defiance of Devadatta and Sunakṣatra, or manifesting the compliance of Ānanda and Rāhula; thus comprehensively explaining all skillful means. Now it specifically clarifies the single matter of preaching the Dharma. Within preaching the Dharma, it does not exceed two aspects: first, various parables; second, various expressions. From "countless upāya" to "various preachings of the Dharma," it comprehensively subsumes all of Śākyamuni's teachings. "This Dharma cannot be understood through deliberate thought and discrimination": this explains the chapter rubric that the underlying intent is difficult to understand. The Tathāgata preaches all teachings in order to cause living beings to awaken and enter the single path. Therefore a later passage says: "With respect to all dharmas, he expounds them with wisdom and expedient means," and all the dharmas he preaches reach the stage of all-knowledge. Those who receive the teaching of the triyāna deliberately think and discriminate about the three, and in the end never understand the intent of the teaching of the three. Furthermore, using five minds to discriminate the five vehicles, they in the end never understand that the words speak of five while the intent is not five; hence it is said that it cannot be understood through deliberate thought and discrimination. Moreover, a mind with grasping (prāptilakṣaṇa) is called deliberate thought and discrimination; therefore the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: "Discrimination is the affliction of bodhisattvas." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 3.281](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721.3.281) - [Next: 3.283](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721.3.283) - [Up: 3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721.3) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721~en-mt.3.282) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [法華遊意](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1722.1.204) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721.3.282](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1721.3.282) · Pramāṇa