法華義疏 8.5

8.5

次依述成意生起此品者，〈譬喻〉一品正明說教，〈信解品〉明中根領解，今此一品如來述成，述成者據譬而言。一切草木凡有二義：一、不知同；二、不知異。不知同者，不知一地所生、一雨所潤也。不知異者，不知草木自有差別也。假設如有一瑞草能知同異，即是奇特。稟教之人亦有二迷：一、不知理同；二、不知於緣有異。而迦葉一人能知理同、能知教異，乃名奇特。故下文云「如彼草木而不自知上中下性，汝等迦葉甚為希有，能知如來隨宜說法能信能受」，故舉雲雨藥草述成迦葉領解。若望迦葉，於〈信解品〉十譬十恩嘆佛功德猶自未盡，故更說雲雨草木之譬，廣嘆如來無方大用普益眾生，嘆不能盡，故說此品也。若為釋成〈信解品〉者，上明十譬十恩，無漏無為諸法之王，能為下劣忍于斯事，即時眾謂佛過去之始、今會之終屈曲崎岴難心苦心，是故今明如來雖復府仰順從而無心屈曲。故《華嚴》云「無心於彼此而能應一切」，故舉雲雨無心之譬釋成〈信解品〉也。

Next, explaining the arising of this chapter according to the intention of confirming [the disciples' understanding]: The "Parable Chapter" directly sets forth the exposition of the teaching; the "Belief and Understanding Chapter" explains the intermediate faculties' grasping and comprehension; and now this chapter is the Tathāgata's confirmation. This confirmation is stated in terms of a parable. All grasses and trees have two meanings: first, they do not know their sameness; second, they do not know their difference. Not knowing their sameness means not knowing that they are produced from one soil and moistened by one rain. Not knowing their difference means not knowing that grasses and trees inherently have distinctions among themselves. If there were a miraculous plant that could know both sameness and difference, it would be extraordinary. Those who receive the teaching also have two delusions: first, not knowing the sameness of the principle; second, not knowing the difference among conditions. Yet Kāśyapa alone could know the sameness of the principle and know the difference of the teachings, and thus he is called extraordinary. Therefore, the subsequent text states: 'Just as those grasses and trees do not themselves know their superior, middling, and inferior natures, so are you, Kāśyapa, exceedingly rare, able to know the Tathāgata’s preaching of the Dharma in accordance with what is fitting, and able to believe and receive it.' Hence, the parable of the clouds, rain, and medicinal herbs is introduced to confirm Kāśyapa's comprehension. From the perspective of Kāśyapa, in the 'Belief and Understanding Chapter' the ten parables and ten benevolences still fell short of exhausting the praise of the Buddha's virtues; therefore, the Buddha further expounded the parable of the clouds, rain, grasses, and trees to broadly praise the Tathāgata's boundless great function of universally benefiting sentient beings. Because his praise could not be exhausted, this chapter was spoken. If explained as elucidating the 'Belief and Understanding Chapter': above, the ten parables and ten benevolences were set forth; when the King of all dharmas, unconditioned and free of outflows, was able to humble himself for the sake of the base and endure such deeds, the assembly at that time thought that the Buddha, from the beginning of his past practices down to the end of the present assembly, had undergone tortuous, difficult, arduous, and painstaking labor. Therefore, it is now clarified that although the Tathāgata accommodated and complied, he harbored no contorted mind. Thus the Huayan [Sūtra] says: 'Having no mind regarding this or that, yet able to respond to everything.' Hence, the parable of the mindless clouds and rain is adduced to elucidate the 'Belief and Understanding Chapter.'