法華義疏 9.158

9.158

初門有五：一、約法歎；二、就人歎；三、約處歎；四、約行歎；五、明得失顯成歎義也。「我所說經典無量千億」者，謂《華嚴》已後、靈山之前諸教非一也。「已說今說當說」者，略舉三說攝一切教也。已說者，《法華》之前一切大小教也。今說者，謂《法華》也。當說者，謂《法華》已後《涅槃》之流也。「而於其中此法華經最為難信難解」者，《法華》之前大小分流其言易信，《法華》之後三一已會亦非難解，此經開方便門顯真實義，反三之始歸一之初，於昔執異之人故成難信難解也。始不受為難信，終不悟為難解。又破三歸一斥短明長名為難信，非三非一不短不長目為難解也。「此經是諸佛祕要之藏不可分布妄授與人」者，此經明二權二實，言約理周故稱為要，昔來隱而不傳目之為祕，如人妙寶蘊在於內故名為藏，既稱祕要之藏故不可妄授與人也。「諸佛世尊之所守護乃至未曾顯說」者，釋上祕要之藏也。所言守護者，然法相寂然不須守護，非器妄傳則便破法，以防於破法之情故言守護。「而此經者如來現在猶多怨嫉」者，釋上不可分布妄授與人也。一切群生處處染著，大乘處處破之，與世相違故稱怨也。「況滅度後」者，佛在世時眾生煩惱猶薄尚不信受，況滅度後顛倒厚重而能解也。

The first gate has five parts: first, praising with respect to the Dharma; second, praising with respect to the person; third, praising with respect to the place; fourth, praising with respect to practice; fifth, clarifying gain and loss to reveal and accomplish the praise. Regarding “The sūtras I have preached are immeasurable thousands of myriads of koṭis”: this refers to the various teachings after the Avataṃsaka and prior to Gṛdhrakūṭa, which are not just one. “Already preached, now being preached, and will be preached”: this briefly cites three preachings to subsume all teachings. “Already preached” refers to all teachings, Great and Small, prior to the Lotus Sūtra. “Now being preached” refers to the Lotus Sūtra. “Will be preached” refers to those after the Lotus Sūtra, such as the Nirvāṇa Sūtra. Regarding “and among them, this Lotus Sūtra is the most difficult to believe and difficult to understand”: prior to the Lotus Sūtra, the Great and Small flowed separately, and their words were easy to believe; after the Lotus Sūtra, the three and the one were already unified, and it was also not difficult to understand. This sūtra opens the gate of expedient means and reveals the real meaning, turning back from the beginning of the three to return to the origin of the one; for those who previously clung to differences, it is therefore difficult to believe and difficult to understand. At the outset not accepting it makes it difficult to believe; in the end not awakening to it makes it difficult to understand. Furthermore, shattering the three to return to the one and rebuking the short to illuminate the long is called “difficult to believe”; neither three nor one, neither short nor long, is designated as “difficult to understand.” Regarding “This sūtra is the secret, essential treasury of the Buddhas, which must not be distributed or rashly conferred upon people”: this sūtra illuminates the two provisionals and two reals; its words are concise and its principle is comprehensive, so it is called “essential.” Formerly hidden and not transmitted, it is designated as “secret.” Like an exquisite jewel stored within a person, it is called a “treasury.” Since it is called the “secret, essential treasury,” it must not be rashly conferred upon people. “Guarded and protected by the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, and never openly expounded”: this explains the “secret, essential treasury” above. As for “guarded and protected”: the nature of phenomena is fundamentally tranquil and does not require guarding and protection; but if it is rashly transmitted to an unsuitable vessel, it destroys the Dharma. To prevent the disposition to destroy the Dharma, it is said to be “guarded and protected.” Regarding “Yet even while the Tathāgata is present, this sūtra arouses much hostility and jealousy”: this explains the above statement that it “must not be distributed or rashly conferred upon people.” All living beings are attached to things everywhere; the Mahāyāna shatters these everywhere. Contradicting worldly views, it is called “hostility.” “How much more so after his parinirvāṇa?”: when the Buddha was in the world, sentient beings’ afflictions were still slight, yet they still did not believe and accept it; how much more after his parinirvāṇa, when perversions are thick and heavy, could they understand it?