法華遊意 1.34

1.34

Fifth, desiring to preach the Dharma gate of the three gatherings, he therefore preached this sūtra. Generally speaking of all sages providing teachings, there are altogether three gates: 1. the gate of gathering the deviant and returning to the correct; 2. the gate of gathering the different and returning to the identical; 3. the gate of gathering the cause and returning to the fruit. As for the gate of gathering the deviant and returning to the correct: before Śākya appeared in the world, there were generally two kinds of deviants: first, householders who gave rise to desire; second, renunciants of various views who were non-Buddhists. Both of these went against the correct Way, and therefore are termed deviant. Thus the "Chapter on Upāya" states: "By reason of desires, they undergo all manners of bitter suffering"—this refers to those who give rise to desire; "Entering the dense forest of wrong views, such as existence and nonexistence"—this refers to the various non-Buddhists. Down to the "Chapter on Parables," which states that giving rise to desire is likened to poisonous worms, and the various views are compared to evil spirits. The Tathāgata appeared in the world and gathered those two deviants, returning them to the correctness of the five vehicles. Among these two types of persons, those who had not heard the Dharma were brought to completion through the wholesome roots of humans and gods; those with the capacity of the three vehicles were gathered in through the Dharma of the three vehicles. Therefore he gathered those two deviants, returning them to the correctness of the five vehicles. As for the second, the gate of gathering the different and returning to the identical: if those who received the teaching, upon hearing the triyāna of the past, had suddenly awakened to the single Way, it would not have been necessary to preach the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra again. But those of dull faculties, though abandoning the two deviants, further clung to the five differences; now, desiring to gather these five differences together into the ekayāna, this is called the gate of gathering the different and returning to the identical. As for the third, the gate of gathering the cause and returning to the fruit: gathering the aforementioned five differences together into the ekayāna is merely the causal practice; now, desiring to have them cultivate the cause and realize the fruit, he preached the Tathāgata's two bodies, the true and the responsive: this is called the gate of gathering the cause and returning to the fruit. Prior to the Lotus Sūtra, there was only the first gate; since this sūtra harmonizes and unites the entirety of the teaching career, it fully possesses the three gates. However, clarifying these three gates is intended to provide access to the tranquil, wordless Way, enabling visitors of profound awakening to realize that this subtle extremity has never been deviant or correct—down to: how could it be cause and fruit? Therefore, of these three gates, there is no teaching they do not embrace, no principle they do not gather in; like space containing the ten thousand forms, like the ocean receiving the hundred rivers.