法華義疏 4.141

4.141

「未來世諸佛」下，第二、頌上未來世諸佛。就文凡有二周：第一、略頌上三事，第二、廣釋未來諸佛教意。二門各三。初門三者：半行頌化主，一行半頌教意，半行頌稟教得益也。「諸佛本誓願」下，第二、廣頌未來教意，亦開三門：初一行，辨本願願為明一；次一行，辨說法為明一；次兩行，就諸佛所證為明一。初二偈，如文也。「諸佛兩足尊」者，第三、舉所證明一。上過去佛門通說有得無得一切諸善並皆趣成佛，今文但示根本無所得善方乃成佛，則釋成上義也。兩足尊者，或以戒定為二足，或以權實為二足，或以福慧為二足，或以解行為二足，此皆內德之二足也。外形以天人為二足，佛是天人二足之尊也。「知法常無性」者，知一切法無自性也。而言常者，非是破性故言無性，性本常無故云常無性也。「佛種從緣起」者，種子有三：一、以一乘教為種子，故〈譬喻品〉云「斷佛種故」，則是破教也。二、以菩提心為種子，故《華嚴》云「下佛種子於眾生田生正覺牙」。三、以如來藏佛性為種子。今初偈正以菩提心為種子。上明無性，今辨因緣。佛種者，則是無所得菩提心為佛種子也。此菩提心假緣而起，起則發也。「是故說一乘」者，以菩提心假緣而起，故佛為說一乘令發菩提心，一乘教則是發菩提心緣也。又明唯有一乘無有二乘，則菩提心唯有進無有退路也。「是法住法位」者，上明菩提心為種子，今明本有佛性以為佛種。若無佛性，雖說一乘教及發菩提心，終不得成佛，是故須明佛性也。凡有三句：初半偈正敘佛性，謂法住法位，法住法位是佛性異名，亦是一乘別稱也。「世間相常住」者，世間眾生本有佛性，故佛性常住。故〈壽量品〉云「如來如實知見三界之相，無有生死乃至非實非虛」，則是如來藏法身常住也。「於道場知已」者，第二句，明知佛性。謂坐道場時始見佛性也。「導師方便說」者，第三句，明說佛性。然佛性絕四句超百非實不可說，但無名相中為眾生故假名相說，故云方便。此異上三乘方便，亦異神通方便，故此經有多種方便也。

From 'The buddhas of future ages' downward is the second section, versifying the buddhas of future ages mentioned above. In terms of the text, there are broadly two cycles: first, a brief versification of the three matters above; second, a detailed exposition of the intention behind the teachings of future buddhas. Each of the two sections has three parts. The three parts of the first section are: half a line versifying the teaching master; one and a half lines versifying the intention of the teaching; and half a line versifying receiving the teaching and gaining benefit. From 'The fundamental vow of the buddhas' downward is the second part, versifying in detail the intention of future teachings, which also opens into three gates: first, one line explaining the fundamental vow to clarify unity; next, one line explaining the preaching of the Dharma to clarify unity; next, two lines clarifying unity in terms of what the buddhas have realized. The first two verses are as in the text. 'The buddhas, the most honored among two-legged beings' is the third, citing what is realized to clarify unity. Above, in the section on past buddhas, it was stated comprehensively that all good deeds, whether with apprehension or without apprehension, all lead toward attaining buddhahood; the present text merely indicates that only the fundamental goodness without apprehension actually attains buddhahood, thereby explaining and completing the above meaning. 'Most honored among two-legged beings': some take morality and concentration as the two legs, some take the expedient and the real as the two legs, some take merit and wisdom as the two legs, or some take understanding and practice as the two legs—these are all the two legs of internal virtue. In terms of external form, gods and humans have two legs, and the Buddha is the most honored among these two-legged beings, gods and humans. 'Knowing that dharmas are ever devoid of nature' means knowing that all dharmas have no inherent nature. To speak of 'ever' does not mean that inherent nature is negated and therefore called devoid of nature; rather, since nature is originally and ever non-existent, it is said to be 'ever devoid of nature.' 'The buddha-seed arises from conditions': there are three kinds of seeds: first, taking the ekayāna teaching as the seed—hence the 'Parable Chapter' says 'because it severs the buddha-seed,' which means destroying the teaching; second, taking the bodhicitta as the seed—hence the *Avataṃsaka* says, 'Sowing the buddha-seed in the field of sentient beings gives rise to the sprout of right awakening'; third, taking the tathāgatagarbha or buddha-nature as the seed. Now, this first verse specifically takes the bodhicitta as the seed. Above, the lack of nature was clarified; now, causes and conditions are explained. As for the buddha-seed, it is the bodhicitta without apprehension that serves as the buddha-seed. This bodhicitta arises conditionally upon causes and conditions, and its arising is its generation. 'Therefore they speak of the One Vehicle': because the bodhicitta arises conditionally, the Buddha preaches the One Vehicle for their sake to cause them to give rise to the bodhicitta; the One Vehicle teaching is precisely the condition for generating the bodhicitta. Furthermore, it clarifies that there is only the One Vehicle and no two vehicles; thus for the bodhicitta there is only progress and no path of regression. 'These dharmas abide in their dharma-positions': above it was clarified that the bodhicitta is the seed; now it is clarified that the originally existing buddha-nature serves as the buddha-seed. If there were no buddha-nature, even if the One Vehicle teaching were preached and the bodhicitta generated, one would ultimately never attain buddhahood; therefore, buddha-nature must be clarified. There are three lines in all: the first half-verse directly describes buddha-nature, saying that dharmas abide in their dharma-positions; 'dharmas abide in their dharma-positions' is an alternative name for buddha-nature, and also a different designation for the One Vehicle. 'The marks of the world are ever-abiding': sentient beings in the world originally possess buddha-nature; therefore, buddha-nature is ever-abiding. Hence the 'Lifespan Chapter' says: 'The Tathāgata truly sees and knows the marks of the three realms, that there is neither life nor death... up to neither real nor false'—which is the ever-abiding nature of the tathāgatagarbha and dharmakāya. 'Having known this at the place of the path' is the second line, clarifying the knowledge of buddha-nature: it means that only when sitting at the place of the path does one first see buddha-nature. 'The Guide preaches it by expedient means' is the third line, clarifying the preaching of buddha-nature. However, buddha-nature cuts off the four propositions and transcends the hundred negations, so it is truly beyond words; yet within what is devoid of name and mark, for the sake of sentient beings, it is spoken of through provisional names and marks—hence it is called an expedient means. This is distinct from the expedients of the three vehicles above, and also distinct from supernatural expedients; thus this sūtra contains many kinds of expedient means.