法華義疏 9.181

9.181

釋此品不同，凡有三說：第一、河西道朗等云：「從此文去是第二大段明一乘果」。次、光宅法師云：「此品猶屬前章，為證上所說不虛故來」。次、印法師，明此品具兼二義：一者、證上所說不虛，二、為開後壽量之義。今同第三證前開後，而以開後為正。所言證前者，證上開權顯實不虛義也。所以須證者：一、為斷疑心，眾中猶有疑心，如聞大通智勝佛說時亦有生疑者，是故今須證說斷彼疑心。二者：為已信之人增長善根令不退轉，如《華嚴》中七處八會說法既竟，十方菩薩來為作證，彼以菩薩說故菩薩來證，今以佛說故佛來證也。言開後者，此經初後二分略有十事不同：一者、化主不同。說初分經但以釋迦一佛為化主，說後分經則有多佛，謂十方分身及過去多寶。所以然者，說初分經但明所乘之法、未論能乘之人，故不須多佛；說後分經正論能乘之人，故須明多佛。集十方分身欲顯本一迹多，開於寶塔示真實應滅，是故初分經但明一佛，後分經辨多佛也。二者、說處淨穢異。說初分經在穢土中，明後分經居淨土中說。故《法華論》云「示現國土無上故現多寶塔」。所以然者，說初分經未集分身故不變淨；說後分經普集分身所以變淨。又說前分經雖開乘權乘實猶覆身權身實，眾生心垢一半猶自未淨，故土猶穢也；至後分經俱弊二權、雙開兩實，則心垢悉除，故國土清淨也。三者、說處空有異。說初分經在於靈山有處，說後分經能化所化並昇虛空。所以然者，說初分經寶塔未現故在地說法，後分經寶塔昇空故處空說法。又說初分經未辨佛身無生滅，由明有生滅故在有處；說後分經顯法身如虛空、方便有生滅，故昇空說法也。四者、徒眾異。說初分經菩薩眾少，說後分經受道眾多。所以然者，說初分經但為三根聲聞、未正為菩薩，故菩薩眾少；說後分經欲顯釋迦成佛已久，故明涌出菩薩眾多，顯釋迦成佛已久。又明法身果德，令菩薩修習取證，故辨菩薩眾多。又說初分經有三乘雜眾，說後分經但有菩薩眾。所以然者，說初分經正會三歸一故列三乘眾；說後分經會三已竟，故但令菩薩修因證於佛果，故但有菩薩眾也。五者、時節異，說初分經時節即短，說後分經時節即長。所以然者，說初分經未明涌出菩薩問訊於佛故時節即短，後分經明涌出眾多故問訊時久。又明問訊時久顯涌出眾多，以涌出眾多顯釋迦成佛來久，初分未辨斯義，故不辨時長也。六者、請主異。說初分經聲聞為請主，說後分經彌勒為請主。所以然者，說乘權乘實正會三歸一，令聲聞人迴小入大，故聲聞為請主；說後分經明身權身實，使窮學菩薩得證如來無生法身，故彌勒為請主也。七者、說法異。上說所乘之法，今說能乘之人。說所乘之法，但明釋迦一期始終教門，說法則略；能乘之人，自從過去得道之初乃至窮未來劫一切諸教，故說法則廣。八者、利益異。說乘權乘實但令聲聞迴小趣大入於十信，謂淺益也，又得益則少；說身權身實令無數菩薩得十二種甚深之利，又得益則多。所以然者，說初分經但開乘權乘實猶覆身權身實，故利益則少；說後分經俱廢二權、雙顯兩實，故教不纖隱、理無毫翳，故應得道者皆並領悟，是故得益者多也。九者、瑞相異。是前分略明三瑞，但至萬八千土；後分廣明八瑞，現瑞處廣，一一方四百萬億那由他國。十者、功德異。前略歎持經之善，後廣辨格量之福也。

In explaining this chapter, interpretations differ; altogether there are three theories: First, Daolang of Hexi and others say: "From this text onward is the second major section, explaining the fruit of the ekayāna." Next, Dharma Master Guangzhai says: "This chapter still belongs to the preceding section; it comes in order to verify that what was spoken above is not false." Next, Dharma Master Yin explains that this chapter possesses both meanings: first, verifying that what was spoken above is not false; second, serving to open up the subsequent meaning of the lifespan. Now we agree with the third, verifying what precedes and opening up what succeeds, yet take opening up what succeeds as the primary purpose. As for what is called verifying what precedes, it verifies the meaning that opening the expedient and revealing the real above is not false. Why is verification necessary? First, to sever doubts: there were still doubting minds among the assembly, just as when hearing Great Penetrating Wisdom Excellence Buddha speak there were also those who gave rise to doubts; therefore verification of what was spoken is now necessary to sever their doubts. Second, for those who already have faith, to increase their good roots and cause them not to regress, just as in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, after the preaching of the Dharma across the seven places and eight assemblies was finished, the bodhisattvas of the ten directions came to bear witness; there, because it was spoken by bodhisattvas, bodhisattvas came to verify it, whereas here, because it was spoken by a Buddha, a Buddha comes to verify it. As for opening up what succeeds, the earlier and later divisions of this sūtra briefly have ten points of difference: First, the difference in the teaching host. The preaching of the earlier division of the sūtra takes only the single Buddha Śākyamuni as the teaching host; the preaching of the later division of the sūtra, however, has many Buddhas, namely the emanated bodies of the ten directions and the past Prabhūtaratna. Why is this so? The preaching of the earlier division of the sūtra explains only the Dharma of that which is ridden upon, without yet discussing the person who is able to ride; hence it does not require many Buddhas. The preaching of the later division of the sūtra primarily discusses the person who is able to ride; hence it must explain many Buddhas. Gathering the emanated bodies of the ten directions is intended to reveal that the fundamental is one while the traces are many; opening the jeweled stūpa demonstrates that the real and the responsive undergo extinction. Therefore, the earlier division of the sūtra explains only one Buddha, while the later division of the sūtra distinguishes many Buddhas. Second, the difference in the purity or defilement of the place of preaching. The preaching of the earlier division of the sūtra was in an impure land; the preaching of the later division of the sūtra was delivered residing in a pure land. Therefore the Fahua lun says: "The manifestation of the supreme realm is why the stūpa of Prabhūtaratna appears." Why is this so? In preaching the earlier division of the sūtra, the emanated bodies were not yet gathered, so it was not transformed into purity; in preaching the later division of the sūtra, the emanated bodies were universally gathered, so it was transformed into purity. Furthermore, although the preaching of the earlier division of the sūtra opened the vehicle's expedient and the vehicle's real, it still concealed the body's expedient and the body's real; half of the mental defilement of sentient beings was still not yet purified, so the land was still impure; arriving at the later division of the sūtra, both expedients are dismissed and both realities are doubly opened, so mental defilements are completely removed, and therefore the realm is pure. Third, the difference in the emptiness or existence of the place of preaching. The preaching of the earlier division of the sūtra was at the existent place on Gṛdhrakūṭa; in the preaching of the later division of the sūtra, both the transformer and those transformed ascended into empty space. Why is this so? In preaching the earlier division of the sūtra, the jeweled stūpa had not yet appeared, so the Dharma was preached on the earth; in the later division of the sūtra, the jeweled stūpa ascended into the air, so the Dharma was preached residing in empty space. Furthermore, the preaching of the earlier division of the sūtra had not yet distinguished that the Buddha's body has no arising and ceasing; because it still explained that there is arising and ceasing, it was in an existent place. The preaching of the later division of the sūtra reveals that the dharmakāya is like empty space, while expedient means have arising and ceasing; hence he ascended into empty space to preach the Dharma. Fourth, the difference in the assembly of disciples. In the preaching of the earlier division of the sūtra, the bodhisattva assembly was small; in the preaching of the later division of the sūtra, the assembly receiving the Path was vast. Why is this so? The preaching of the earlier division of the sūtra was only for the śrāvakas of three faculties and not yet primarily for bodhisattvas; hence the bodhisattva assembly was small. The preaching of the later division of the sūtra intended to reveal that Śākyamuni achieved buddhahood long ago; hence it explains that the bodhisattvas emerging from the earth were vast in number, revealing that Śākyamuni achieved buddhahood long ago. Furthermore, it explains the virtues of the fruit of the dharmakāya, causing the bodhisattvas to cultivate and attain realization; hence it distinguishes a vast number of bodhisattvas. Furthermore, the preaching of the earlier division of the sūtra had a mixed assembly of the triyāna; the preaching of the later division of the sūtra had only an assembly of bodhisattvas. Why is this so? The preaching of the earlier division of the sūtra was precisely converging the three into the one, hence it listed the assembly of the triyāna; in the preaching of the later division of the sūtra, the convergence of the three was already completed, so it only causes the bodhisattvas to cultivate the causes to realize the Buddha fruit, and therefore it has only an assembly of bodhisattvas. Fifth, the difference in the duration of time. The preaching of the earlier division of the sūtra was short in duration; the preaching of the later division of the sūtra was long in duration. Why is this so? The preaching of the earlier division of the sūtra did not yet explain the bodhisattvas emerging from the earth inquiring after the Buddha's welfare, so the duration was short; the later division of the sūtra explains that those who emerged were vast in number, so the inquiry lasted a long time. Furthermore, explaining that the inquiry lasted a long time reveals that those who emerged were vast in number, and using the vast number of those who emerged reveals that Śākyamuni achieved buddhahood long ago; the earlier division did not yet distinguish this meaning, so it did not distinguish a long duration. Sixth, the difference in the requester. In the preaching of the earlier division of the sūtra, śrāvakas were the requesters; in the preaching of the later division of the sūtra, Maitreya was the requester. Why is this so? Preaching the vehicle's expedient and the vehicle's real is precisely converging the three into the one, causing the śrāvakas to turn from the small and enter the great; hence śrāvakas were the requesters. Preaching the later division of the sūtra explains the body's expedient and the body's real, causing bodhisattvas at the culmination of training to realize the Tathāgata's unarisen dharmakāya; hence Maitreya was the requester. Seventh, the difference in the Dharma preached. What was preached above was the Dharma of that which is ridden upon; what is preached now is the person who is able to ride. Preaching the Dharma of that which is ridden upon explained only the doctrinal gate of Śākyamuni's single period from beginning to end, so the Dharma preached was brief; the person who is able to ride spans from the initial attainment of the Path in the past down to all doctrines through the exhausting of future kalpas, so the Dharma preached is extensive. Eighth, the difference in benefit. Preaching the vehicle's expedient and the vehicle's real only caused the śrāvakas to turn from the small toward the great and enter the ten faiths, which is called a shallow benefit, and moreover the benefit attained was small; preaching the body's expedient and the body's real caused countless bodhisattvas to obtain twelve kinds of profound benefits, and moreover the benefit attained was great. Why is this so? The preaching of the earlier division of the sūtra only opened the vehicle's expedient and the vehicle's real while still concealing the body's expedient and the body's real; hence the benefit was small. The preaching of the later division of the sūtra dismissed both expedients and doubly revealed both realities; hence the teaching is without the slightest obscurity, and the principle is without a hair's breadth of hindrance, so that all who ought to attain the Path fully understood, and therefore those who obtained benefit were many. Ninth, the difference in auspicious portents. The earlier division briefly explained three portents, reaching only eighteen thousand lands; the later division extensively explained eight portents, and the places where portents were manifested were broad, each direction encompassing four million koṭis of nayutas of countries. Tenth, the difference in merit. The earlier division briefly praised the good of upholding the sūtra; the later division extensively distinguished the blessings through comparative measurement.