法華義疏 8.262

8.262

As for the three parts of the first section: first, explaining the acceptance of the request; second, explaining the preaching of the Dharma at a single assembly; third, preaching the Dharma at multiple assemblies. In the first passage, listing the Brahmā gods of the ten directions first and the sixteen princes later is because the preceding passage proceeded from the proximate to the distant, hence from humans to gods, whereas now it proceeds from gods to humans, from the distant to the proximate. Moreover, following the momentum of the text, it naturally connects to the heavenly assembly above; thus it lists the devas first and humans later. From 'Immediately [turning] the three turns...' onward is the second part, properly explaining the preaching of the Dharma. Within the text there are two parts: first, explaining the preaching of the Dharma; second, the assembly at that time awakening to the Way. Within the first there are again two: first, preaching the four truths; next, preaching the twelve links of dependent origination. Within the preaching of the four truths there are three: first, indicating the three turns and twelve aspects; next, explaining that other people are incapable of turning [it]; last, properly explaining the three turns. As for the 'three turns': 1. The turn of indication: saying 'this is suffering, this is accumulation, this is cessation, this is the path'. 2. The turn of exhortation: 'suffering should be known, accumulation should be abandoned, cessation should be realized, the path should be cultivated'. 3. The turn of verification: 'suffering I have already known, accumulation I have already abandoned, cessation I have already realized, the path I have already cultivated'—adducing the Buddha as verification of the turn. Furthermore, there is the three turns for a single truth: saying 'this is suffering', 'suffering should be known', 'suffering I have already known'; the remaining three are also like this. As for the 'twelve aspects' (dvādaśākāra): if one takes the teaching as the Dharma wheel, preaching these twelve kinds of teachings gives rise to understanding in sentient beings; because understanding operates (xing) upon the object, it is called an 'aspect' (xing). Furthermore, the Buddha preaches in accordance with practice (xing), and sentient beings practice in accordance with the preaching; hence they are called the twelve aspects. If one takes understanding as the essence of the Dharma wheel, one turn gives rise to four aspects, namely, vision (cakṣus), knowledge (jñāna), clarity (vidyā), and awakening (buddhi): vision means the patience with phenomena (dharma-kṣānti), knowledge means the knowledge of phenomena (dharma-jñāna), clarity means the subsequent patience (anvaya-kṣānti), and awakening means the subsequent knowledge (anvaya-jñāna). One turn gives rise to four aspects; hence they are called twelve.