法華義疏 7.100

7.100

序所見文凡有六事，而初五別明所見，但所見既多不可具序，後一句總而結之。初五句者，一、見父踞師子床寶机承足，二、眷屬圍遶，三、莊嚴其身，四、左右侍立，五、覆以寶帳乃至出內取與。此五皆是歎父之富貴，如歎佛住大乘無德不圓、無累不盡，以對小乘貧賤，令時眾起欣厭二心也。「踞師子床寶机承足」者，宜就佛內外二德釋之。外德者，《華嚴經》云「處蓮華藏師子之坐」，如踞師子床也，「其地金剛」，謂寶机承足也。內德者，一乘以中道正觀為體，不受斷常故云無畏，中道正觀必履實相之境，如寶机承足也。「諸婆羅門剎利居士皆恭敬圍遶」者，上歎能化，今美所化也。又上嘆富，今嘆貴。又八地已上法身清淨如波羅門；七地得無生忍名入佛眼地，即是王種義同剎利；初地以上檀行滿足，義同大富譬居士也；皆翊讚如來助佛揚化，故云「恭敬圍繞」也，如《華嚴》十世界微塵數菩薩也。「以真珠瓔珞價直千萬莊嚴其身」者，重歎能化也。形無非法則是法寶莊嚴，法寶莊嚴有其二種：一者、外具相好；二者、內備眾德。皆廣劫所修世間無比，故云「價直千萬」也。「吏民僮僕手執白拂侍立左右」者，此重序所化也。「吏民」者，內凡也。「僮僕」者，外凡也。前辨登地以上菩薩從高位以至下，今序地前人亦從內以至外，此是說門次第非修行階漸。亦得吏民僮僕四種擬宜地前四十心也。俱稟大化皆修除垢之法，如手執白拂也。實是眾生除垢，言為長者拂塵者，以眾生病故菩薩病，眾生除故菩薩亦除也。悟淺如左、照深如右，隨行所取故云「侍立」也。

The text introducing what was seen has six items in total. The first five separately explain what was seen; however, since what was seen is extensive and cannot be fully described, the final phrase summarizes and concludes it. Regarding the first five phrases: first, seeing the father sitting on a lion throne with a jeweled stool supporting his feet; second, being surrounded by retinues; third, adorning his body; fourth, attendants standing at the left and right; fifth, covered by a jeweled canopy, down to taking in and giving out. These five all praise the father's wealth and nobility, just as they praise the Buddha dwelling in the Mahāyāna, with no virtue not perfected and no defilement not exhausted, in contrast to the poverty and lowliness of the Hīnayāna, causing the assembly at that time to give rise to both minds of yearning and revulsion. As for "sitting on a lion throne with a jeweled stool supporting his feet," it should be explained in terms of the Buddha's inner and outer virtues. Regarding the outer virtue, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra states: "Dwelling on the lion seat of the lotus treasury," which corresponds to sitting on a lion throne; and "its ground is adamantine," which refers to the jeweled stool supporting the feet. Regarding the inner virtue, the ekayāna takes the right contemplation of the Middle Way as its essence; because it does not accept annihilation or permanence, it is called fearless, and the right contemplation of the Middle Way necessarily treads upon the realm of true reality, just as the jeweled stool supports the feet. As for "all the brahmins, kṣatriyas, and householders respectfully surrounding him," the preceding praised the agent of conversion, whereas this now praises those who are converted. Furthermore, the preceding praised wealth, while this now praises nobility. Again, from the eighth bhūmi and above, the dharmakāya is pure, like brahmins; on the seventh bhūmi, attaining the forbearance of non-arising of dharmas is called entering the stage of the Buddha's eye, which is of royal lineage and equivalent in meaning to kṣatriyas; from the first bhūmi and above, the practice of dāna is fulfilled, which is equivalent in meaning to great wealth and parabled by householders; they all assist and praise the Tathāgata, helping the Buddha proclaim the conversion, hence it says "respectfully surrounding," just like the bodhisattvas numerous as the dust motes of ten worlds in the Avataṃsaka. As for "adorning his body with strings of real pearls and necklaces worth millions," it again praises the agent of conversion. When bodily form is nothing other than Dharma, it is the adornment of Dharma-jewels. The adornment of Dharma-jewels has two kinds: first, externally endowed with marks and signs; second, internally equipped with all virtues. Both are cultivated through vast kalpas and are matchless in the world; hence it says "worth millions." As for "officials, commoners, boys, and servants holding white whisks in their hands, standing in attendance at the left and right," this again introduces those who are converted. "Officials and commoners" are the inner worldlings. "Boys and servants" are the outer worldlings. Previously, the bodhisattvas who have ascended the bhūmis were distinguished from the higher ranks down to the lower; now, the persons prior to the bhūmis are introduced, likewise from the inner to the outer. This is the order of the teaching-gate, not the stages of cultivation. One may also take the four kinds—officials, commoners, boys, and servants—as corresponding to the forty minds prior to the bhūmis. All receiving the great conversion, they all cultivate the dharma of removing defilements, like holding white whisks in their hands. In reality, it is sentient beings who remove defilements; stating that they brush away dust for the elder is because sentient beings are ill, and therefore the bodhisattva is ill; when sentient beings remove [their illness], the bodhisattva also removes it. Shallow awakening is like the left, and deep illumination is like the right; depending on what their practice grasps, it therefore says "standing in attendance."