法華遊意 1.238

1.238

第四辨教意門，南方五時說、北土四宗論，無文傷義，昔已詳之，今略而不述也。夫論四生擾擾，為失虛懷，六趣紛紛，寔由封滯，故知迴流苦海以住著為源，超然彼岸用無得為本，但累果非一故息倒多門，或始終俱大，或初後並小，或始小終大，或始大終小，或一時之內大小俱明，或無量時唯辨一法，或說異法而前後不同，或明同法而初後為異，良由機悟不一故適化無方，不可局以五時、限於四教也。所言始終俱大者，如《涅槃》云「我初成道已有菩薩曾問是義，與汝所問等無差別」，故知後辨涅槃、初亦辨斯教。初後俱小者，如《智度論》云「從初轉法輪至大涅槃集作四阿含」，即其事也。初小後大者，鹿園初說小乘，鷲山已去明於大法。初大後小者，菩提樹下初說《花嚴》，後趣鹿薗方明小教。一時之內大小俱明者，如《智度論》云「顯示教門即波羅捺薗說大小，祕密之法則雙林明大小」。或無量時明一法者，如《智度論》云「波若非一坐一時說也」。或說異法前後不同者，如《智度論》云「須菩提聞《法花經》辨一切成佛，復聞《波若》明菩薩有退，故今問此菩薩為畢定為不畢定？」《法花》、《波若》名為異法，而《波若》或在《法華》之前或在《法華》之後，故前後不同。

Fourth is the section discerning the intent of the teaching. The five periods expounded in the south and the four tenets debated in the north lack scriptural basis and violate the meaning; this has already been examined in detail in the past, so it is briefly omitted here without recounting. Now, the turmoil of the four modes of birth stems from losing an open heart, and the flurry of the six destinies is truly due to clinging attachments; hence we know that drifting back into the ocean of suffering takes clinging attachment as its source, while soaring aloft to the other shore takes non-attainment as its root. But because defiled fruits are not uniform, the ways of putting an end to delusion are multiple: sometimes from beginning to end it is entirely great; sometimes initial and later are both small; sometimes initial is small and the end is great; sometimes initial is great and the end is small; sometimes within a single time both great and small are clarified; sometimes throughout immeasurable time only one teaching is discerned; sometimes different teachings are spoken, differing from earlier to later; sometimes the same teaching is clarified, yet differing between initial and later. Truly because capacities and awakenings are not uniform, adapting the transformation is without fixed pattern; it cannot be restricted by five periods or limited to four teachings. As for what is called "from beginning to end entirely great": as the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] says, "When I first realised the way, there was already a bodhisattva who asked this meaning, which was identical without distinction to what you have asked." Thus we know that while nirvāṇa was discerned at the end, this teaching was also discerned at the beginning. As for "initial and later both small": as the Dàzhìdù lùn says, "From the first turning of the Dharma wheel to the Great Nirvāṇa, the four āgamas were compiled"—this is precisely that case. As for "initial small and later great": at the Deer Park he initially taught the Small Vehicle; from Vulture Peak onward he clarified the Great Dharma. As for "initial great and later small": beneath the bodhi tree he initially spoke the Avataṃsaka, and only after heading to the Deer Park did he clarify the small teaching. As for "within a single time clarifying both great and small": as the Dàzhìdù lùn says, "In the revealed gate of teaching, both great and small were spoken at the Vārāṇasī park; in the secret Dharma, both great and small were clarified at the Pair of Sāla Trees." As for "clarifying one teaching throughout immeasurable time": as the Dàzhìdù lùn says, "Prajñā was not spoken in a single sitting or at a single time." As for "speaking different teachings differing from earlier to later": as the Dàzhìdù lùn says, "Subhūti heard the Lotus Sūtra discern that all attain buddhahood, and heard prajñā clarify that bodhisattvas may regress; therefore he now asks whether this bodhisattva is definitively fixed or not definitively fixed." The Lotus Sūtra and prajñā are called different teachings, yet prajñā was taught sometimes before the Lotus Sūtra and sometimes after the Lotus Sūtra; hence earlier and later differ.