法華義疏 9.40

9.40

「爾時五百」下，第二、自敘領解。就文為二：一長行，二偈頌。長行為四：一、法；二、譬；三、合；四、結歡喜。初法說又四：一、標領解之緣，得記即是領解緣也。「歡喜踊躍」下，第二、內心歡喜。「即從坐起」下，第三、外形致敬。「悔過自責」下，第四、發言自敘領解。又開為四：一、悔過自責；二、述於昔迷；三、敘今悟；四者、解釋。悔過自責者，懺悔小乘有所得罪，令未改二乘執者因此而改，已發大乘心者牢固不退。然此經始終寄千二百人破十方三世一切諸小乘人，令其捨有所得悟入平等正觀，乃至寄三根人破斥十方三世封執大小乘二見菩薩，亦令悟入非大非小不一不三無依無得妙悟，是以此經始終皆用千二百人為言端耳。寄此人執迷以顯大小有所得迷，託此人悟引一切有所得大小迷心悉令得悟也。

From "At that time the five hundred..." downward is the second main part: recounting their own receipt and understanding. In the text there are two sections: first, prose; second, verses. The prose has four parts: first, the Dharma; second, the parable; third, the application; fourth, the concluding rejoicing. The first, the Dharma explanation, also has four parts: first, indicating the conditions for their receipt and understanding—receiving the prophecy is precisely the condition for receipt and understanding. From "leaping with joy..." downward is the second part: internal joy in their minds. From "immediately arose from their seats..." downward is the third part: paying homage with their external comportment. From "repenting their errors and reproaching themselves..." downward is the fourth part: uttering words to recount their own receipt and understanding. This is further divided into four: first, repenting their errors and reproaching themselves; second, recounting their past delusion; third, recounting their present awakening; fourth, the explanation. Repenting their errors and reproaching themselves means repenting the sin of having an object of attainment in the Hīnayāna, so as to lead those who have not yet altered their attachment to the two vehicles to alter it on this account, and to make those who have already generated the mind set on the Mahāyāna firm and non-retrogressing. However, from beginning to end this sūtra employs the twelve hundred persons to refute all Hīnayāna practitioners throughout the ten directions and the three times, causing them to renounce having an object of attainment and to awaken to and enter the equal, correct contemplation; and furthermore, it employs the persons of the three capacities to refute the bodhisattvas of the ten directions and the three times who cling rigidly to the two views of the Mahāyāna and the Hīnayāna, likewise causing them to awaken to and enter the wondrous realization of neither great nor small, neither one nor three, without reliance and without attainment. Therefore, from beginning to end, this sūtra takes the twelve hundred persons as its starting point. It uses these persons' clingings and delusions to reveal the delusions of having an object of attainment regarding the great and the small, and relies on these persons' awakening to guide all minds deluded by having an object of attainment regarding the great and the small, causing them all to attain awakening.