法華義疏 4.260

4.260

「菩薩聞是法」下，第三、聞一乘悟解也。菩薩稱疑除、羅漢云作佛者，互現文。又昔不明羅漢作佛，故今明羅漢作佛；昔已說菩薩作佛，故今不明作佛。但菩薩昔謂有三，今聞無三所以生疑，今知昔說三是方便，今說一是真實，故二說不相違，故疑除。又菩薩昔有舊疑，未知為進成佛道、為退作二乘？今知有一無二，故但進不退，故舊疑除也。「如三世諸佛」下，第三大段次明讚歎法。初段頌一乘真實門，次頌三乘方便門。於三乘方便門內廣序釋迦一期出世始終之事既已顯然，顯實開權皆《法華》經內之說。歎法，令物信受故須稱歎，凡有六歎：初一行，作合諸佛儀式，歎諸佛皆先三後，一釋迦亦爾。又諸佛皆有根本、枝末、收末歸本，釋迦亦爾。故名「如諸佛儀式」也。次半行，歎佛難值。俗聖易逢故云千年一聖，諸佛難值故劫數遙永。所以然者，眾生福少罪多故不見佛，設有餘功德多，無見佛善根，故佛於其人為難值也。下半明佛則易值，歎《法華《難說。所以然者，有人值佛四十餘年而不聞說一乘，則知一乘難聞、佛易值。所以然者，眾生多有凡夫二乘善根，少修中道正觀種子，故不感佛說一乘也。次半行，明汝等無量劫來聞之則難，如從大通智勝佛所至今方能得聞。次半行，明聞之則易，專心聽受生信為難。「譬如優曇華」下，明聽之則易，聞解歡喜此則為難。「聞解歡喜」者，以聞法悟解，內心歡喜、外發言稱歎，三世諸佛同行此道，今歡喜稱歎，稱合聖心，即是法供養三世佛，如此之人過優曇華也。輪王出世有優曇華，而聞《法華》作法輪王，故云過也。長行舉此華歎法，今舉此華歎人也。

From "When the bodhisattvas hear this Dharma" onward is the third [part], awakening and understanding upon hearing the single vehicle. That the bodhisattvas are stated to have their doubts removed and the arhats are said to become buddhas is a mutual presentation in the text. Furthermore, formerly it was not clarified that arhats become buddhas; hence now it clarifies that arhats become buddhas. Formerly it had already been preached that bodhisattvas become buddhas; hence now it does not clarify their becoming buddhas. However, the bodhisattvas formerly thought there were three [vehicles]; now hearing that there are not three, doubt arose. Now they know that formerly preaching three was an expedient means and now preaching one is real, so the two preachings do not contradict each other; hence their doubts are removed. Furthermore, the bodhisattvas formerly had an old doubt, not knowing whether they would advance to accomplish the Buddha path or retreat to become [followers of] the two vehicles; now they know there is one and no two, so they only advance and do not retreat; hence their old doubts are removed. From "Just as all the Buddhas of the three periods of time" onward is the third major section, next explaining the praise of the Dharma. The first section praises the gate of the real of the single vehicle; the next praises the gate of expedient means of the triyāna. Within the gate of expedient means of the triyāna, it broadly recounts the matters of Śākyamuni's single period of appearance in the world from beginning to end; since this has already been made clear, revealing the real and opening the provisional are both preachings within the Lotus Sūtra. In praising the Dharma, it is necessary to extol it in order to cause beings to faithfully accept it. In all there are six praises: The first single line conforms to the conduct of all buddhas, praising that all buddhas first [preach] the three and later the one; Śākyamuni is also like this. Furthermore, all buddhas have the root, the branches, and the gathering of the branches back to the root; Śākyamuni is also like this. Hence it is called "just as the conduct of all buddhas." The next half line praises the Buddha as difficult to encounter. Worldly sages are easy to meet, so it is said that "a sage [appears] once every thousand years"; all buddhas are difficult to encounter, so the number of kalpas is vast and distant. Why is this? Because sentient beings have few merits and many transgressions, they do not see the Buddha; even if they have many other merits, they lack the good roots to see the Buddha; hence the Buddha is difficult for such persons to encounter. The lower half clarifies that the Buddha is easily encountered, praising the Lotus Sūtra as difficult to preach. Why is this? There are persons who encountered the Buddha for over forty years yet did not hear the preaching of the single vehicle; thus we know that the single vehicle is difficult to hear, while the Buddha is easy to encounter. Why is this? Sentient beings mostly have the good roots of ordinary beings and the two vehicles, and have rarely cultivated the seeds of the correct contemplation of the Middle Way; hence they do not evoke the Buddha's preaching of the single vehicle. The next half line clarifies that for you, hearing it over immeasurable kalpas has been difficult, just as from the place of the Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū until now you have only just been able to hear it. The next half line clarifies that hearing it is easy, but listening with a single mind, accepting it, and giving rise to faith is difficult. From "Just like the udumbara flower" onward, it clarifies that hearing it is easy, but hearing and understanding with joy is difficult. As for "Hearing and understanding with joy," through hearing the Dharma and gaining awakening and understanding, rejoicing inwardly and uttering praise outwardly, all buddhas of the three periods of time practice this path together; now rejoicing and praising conforms to the sage's mind, which is the Dharma offering to the buddhas of the three periods of time; such a person surpasses the udumbara flower. When a wheel-turning king appears in the world, there is an udumbara flower, but hearing the Lotus Sūtra makes one a Dharma wheel-turning king; hence it says "surpasses." The prose text adduced this flower to praise the Dharma; now it adduces this flower to praise the person.