法華義疏 4.43

4.43

就此文為二：第一、歎菩薩福德利根有七種早義，即顯聲聞薄福鈍根有七種晚義。第二、結昔說大乘意。「有佛子心淨」，第一嘆菩薩現在早有堪聞之德，則顯聲聞晚有堪聞之義。離凡夫二乘有所得心故稱淨也。「柔軟」者，有無所得信心，順從諸佛不違大乘，如濕牛皮易可屈折。「利根」者，信為其始、慧為其終，略舉五根之初後。又是大乘法海信為能入、智為能度，故舉此二也。「無量諸佛所」下，第二、歎菩薩早習大因，值佛既多修行亦積，則顯聲聞修大乘因晚也。「為是諸佛子」下，第三、歎早為菩薩說大乘，即顯晚為聲聞說大乘也。而云「說是大乘經」者，是大乘經即《法華》也。昔為直往菩薩早說《法華》竟。故〈湧出品〉云「是諸眾生始見我身聞我所說即入佛慧」，佛慧則《法華》平等大慧，但昔作《華嚴》、《波若》之名耳。今為迴小入大之人作《法華》之說，故知大乘顯道義同，故云「波若是一法佛說種種名，隨諸眾生力為之立異字」。《智度論》又云「《法華經》者是《波若》異名」，則明證也。「我記如是人來世成佛道」者，第四、歎早與菩薩授記，即顯聲聞晚得記也。「以深心念佛」，第五、歎菩薩早修正解故早得佛記，則顯二乘之晚修正解故晚得佛記。「以深心念佛」者，了悟如來無生滅身也。如《華嚴經》云「一切法不生一切法不滅，若能如是解諸佛常現前」。又《大品》云「云何名念佛？謂無憶故是為念佛」，此則內外並冥、緣觀俱寂，為真念佛也。「修持淨戒故」者，第六、嘆菩薩早修正行故早得佛記，不持不犯離凡夫二乘有所得戒故名淨戒，然行解更無二體，則一正觀義分，離惑為解，離過為行。「此等聞得佛」下，第七、嘆菩薩早生歡喜，用斥聲聞後得記方喜。世間三禪之樂名遍身樂，猶是小喜。今蒙佛記即得佛樂故名「大喜」，悟此身心本性寂滅名為「遍身」。

Regarding this text, there are two parts: First, praising the bodhisattvas' merit and sharp faculties as possessing seven kinds of earliness, which thereby reveals that the śrāvakas' meager merit and dull faculties possess seven kinds of lateness. Second, concluding with the intention of expounding the Mahāyāna in the past. "There are Buddha-sons whose minds are pure" is the first, praising the bodhisattvas' having the virtue of being fit to hear early in the present, which thereby reveals the śrāvakas' condition of being fit to hear late. Because they are free from the grasping minds of ordinary persons and the two yānas, they are called "pure". "Supple" means having the faithful mind of nongrasping, complying with the Buddhas and not going against the Mahāyāna, like moist cowhide that is easily bent and folded. "Sharp faculties": faith is their beginning and wisdom is their end, summarily citing the first and last of the five faculties. Furthermore, in the great ocean of the Mahāyāna Dharma, faith is what enables entry and wisdom is what enables crossing; hence these two are cited. From "In the presence of immeasurable Buddhas" downward is the second, praising the bodhisattvas' early cultivation of the great cause; since they met many Buddhas and accumulated much practice, this thereby reveals that the śrāvakas' cultivation of the Mahāyāna cause was late. From "For the sake of these Buddha-sons" downward is the third, praising expounding the Mahāyāna for bodhisattvas early, which thereby reveals expounding the Mahāyāna for śrāvakas late. As for the statement "I preached this Mahāyāna sūtra," "this Mahāyāna sūtra" is the Lotus [Sūtra]. In the past, he had already expounded the Lotus [Sūtra] early for the direct-progress bodhisattvas. Therefore, the "Emerging from the Earth Chapter" states: "When these sentient beings first saw my body and heard what I preached, they immediately entered into the Buddha's wisdom." The Buddha's wisdom is the Lotus [Sūtra]'s equal, great wisdom; it merely took the names of Avataṃsaka and Prajñā[pāramitā] in the past. Now, for the sake of those who turn from the small to enter the great, he delivers the Lotus discourse; hence we know that the Mahāyāna's illumination of the Path is identical in meaning. Thus it is said: "Prajñā is one single Dharma; the Buddha expounds it under various names, establishing different terms for it in accordance with the capacities of sentient beings." The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa also states: "The Lotus Sūtra is another name for the Prajñā[pāramitā]," which is clear proof. "I prophesied that such persons as these would in future worlds achieve the Buddha Path" is the fourth, praising conferring prophecies on bodhisattvas early, which thereby reveals that the śrāvakas attained prophecies late. "Because with deep minds they are mindful of the Buddha" is the fifth, praising the bodhisattvas' early cultivation of correct understanding and therefore early attainment of the Buddha's prophecy, which reveals the two yānas' late cultivation of correct understanding and therefore late attainment of the Buddha's prophecy. "With deep minds they are mindful of the Buddha" means thoroughly awakening to the Tathāgata's body of no-arising and no-ceasing. As the Avataṃsaka Sūtra states: "All dharmas do not arise and all dharmas do not cease; if one can understand in this way, all Buddhas will constantly manifest before them." Furthermore, the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra states: "What is meant by mindfulness of the Buddha? It means that having no recollection is mindfulness of the Buddha." Here, internal and external are both extinguished, and object and contemplation are both tranquil; this is true mindfulness of the Buddha. "Because they cultivate and uphold pure precepts" is the sixth, praising the bodhisattvas' early cultivation of correct practice and therefore early attainment of the Buddha's prophecy; neither upholding nor violating, and free from the precepts of grasping found among ordinary persons and the two yānas, they are therefore called "pure precepts." However, practice and understanding have no distinct substances; they are distinct aspects of a single correct contemplation: freedom from delusion is understanding, and freedom from fault is practice. From "These, upon hearing that they will attain Buddhahood" downward is the seventh, praising the bodhisattvas' giving rise to joy early, used to criticize the śrāvakas' being joyful only after attaining prophecies later. The bliss of the third dhyāna in the mundane world is called bliss that permeates the body, yet it is still a small joy. Now, receiving the Buddha's prophecy, they immediately attain the Buddha's bliss; hence it is called "great joy." Awakening to the intrinsic cessation of this body and mind is called "permeating the body."