妙法蓮華經玄贊 1.20

1.20

現證利者，復有多種，如〈提婆達多品〉雖龍宮涌出龍女道成皆由法華，非靈山會益，略而不說。唯有龍女成道演說法時，娑婆世界菩薩、聲聞、天龍八部、人與非人皆遙見彼龍女成佛，普為時會人天說法，心大歡喜悉遙敬禮。無量眾生聞法悟解得不退轉，無量眾生得受道記，無垢世界六返震動，娑婆世界三千眾生住不退地，三千眾生發菩提心而得受記，合四位益。〈分別功德品〉有十一位得證，一位發心。佛說是如來壽量長遠時，六百八十萬億那由他恒河沙眾生得無生法忍，千億菩薩摩訶薩得聞持陀羅尼門；復一世界微塵數菩薩摩訶薩得樂說辨才，一世界微塵數菩薩摩訶薩得百千萬億無量旋陀羅尼，三千大千世界微塵數菩薩摩訶薩能轉不退轉法輪，二千國土微塵數菩薩摩訶薩能轉清淨法輪，小千國土微塵數菩薩摩訶薩八生當得，四四天下四生當得，三四天下三生當得，二四天下二生當得，一四天下微塵數菩薩摩訶薩一生當得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；復有八世界微塵數眾生皆發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。如說〈藥王品〉，八萬四千菩薩得解一切眾生語言陀羅尼。說〈妙音品〉，八萬四千人得現一切色身三昧，四萬二千天子得無生法忍，華德菩薩得法華三昧。說〈觀音品〉，八萬四千眾生皆發無等等阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。說〈陀羅尼品〉，六萬八千人得無生法忍。說〈妙莊嚴王本事品〉，八萬四千人遠塵離垢得法眼淨。說〈普賢勸發品〉，恒河沙等無量無邊菩薩得百萬旋陀羅尼，三千大千世界微塵等菩薩行普賢道。前之五記記當得佛，此二十五類現證因位，並是利今，故說法華後利後者，散席以後因《法華經》所獲功德皆是利後。〈隨喜功德品〉說第五十人一聞《法華經》能隨喜者功德，過於布施四百萬億那由他三千大千世界眾生金銀七寶，又勝令得阿羅漢果。若往僧房須臾聽《法華經》者，生生常乘象馬車乘七寶輦輿及乘天宮；若復分坐令他聽者，生生常得帝釋坐處梵王坐處；若復勸人往聽法華，生生常與陀羅尼菩薩共生一處終不瘖瘂，乃至當來見佛聞法信受教誨。〈法師功德品〉說若善男子、善女人受持是法華經，若讀、若誦、若解說、若書寫，是人當得八百眼功德，千二百耳功德，八百鼻功德，千二百舌功德，八百身功德，千二百意功德，以是功德莊嚴六根皆令清淨。乃至〈普賢品〉云：「若有後世受持讀誦是經典者，是人不復貪著衣服、臥具、飲食、資生之物，所願不虛，亦於現世得其福報。」是以《遺教經》言：「所應度者皆已度訖，其未度者皆亦已作得度因緣。」故由說此而與未來作大利益，是名利後故說是經。

Regarding the benefit of present realization, there are again many kinds. For example, in the 'Devadatta Chapter', although the dragon maiden's emergence from the dragon palace and her attainment of the path both stemmed from the Lotus [Sūtra], because they were not benefits [experienced directly within] the assembly at Vulture Peak, they are omitted and not expounded. Only when the dragon maiden attained the path and expounded the Dharma, the bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, devas, nāgas, the rest of the eight classes, humans, and non-humans of the sahā world all beheld from afar that dragon maiden becoming a buddha, universally expounding the Dharma for the humans and devas gathered at that time, and with great rejoicing in their hearts, they all paid homage from afar. Immeasurable sentient beings heard the Dharma, gained awakening and understanding, and attained non-retrogression; immeasurable sentient beings received prophecies of the path; the Immaculate World quaked in six ways; three thousand sentient beings of the sahā world abided on the stage of non-retrogression; and three thousand sentient beings generated the bodhicitta and received prophecies—combining four levels of benefit. In the 'Discrimination of Merits Chapter', there are eleven levels of attaining realization and one level of generating the aspiration [for awakening]. When the Buddha spoke of this long lifespan of the Tathāgata, sentient beings as numerous as the sands of six million eight hundred thousand nayutas of Ganges rivers attained the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas, and a thousand kotis of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas attained the dhāraṇī-entrance of retaining what is heard; further, bodhisattva-mahāsattvas as numerous as the dust motes of one world attained the eloquence of delightful discourse; bodhisattva-mahāsattvas as numerous as the dust motes of one world attained hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of immeasurable dhāraṇīs of revolution; bodhisattva-mahāsattvas as numerous as the dust motes of a trichiliocosm became capable of turning the irreversible wheel of the Dharma; bodhisattva-mahāsattvas as numerous as the dust motes of two thousand lands became capable of turning the pure wheel of the Dharma; bodhisattva-mahāsattvas as numerous as the dust motes of a small chiliocosm would attain [anuttarā samyaksambodhi] in eight births; those as numerous as four sets of four continents would attain it in four births; those as numerous as three sets of four continents would attain it in three births; those as numerous as two sets of four continents would attain it in two births; and bodhisattva-mahāsattvas as numerous as the dust motes of one set of four continents would attain anuttarā samyaksambodhi in a single birth; further, sentient beings as numerous as the dust motes of eight worlds all generated the mind of anuttarā samyaksambodhi. As when the 'Bhaiṣajyarāja Chapter' was expounded, eighty-four thousand bodhisattvas attained the dhāraṇī of understanding the speech of all sentient beings. When the 'Gadgadasvara Chapter' was expounded, eighty-four thousand people attained the samādhi of manifesting all physical forms, forty-two thousand devaputras attained the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas, and Padmaśrī Bodhisattva attained the lotus samādhi. When the 'Avalokiteśvara Chapter' was expounded, eighty-four thousand sentient beings all generated the unexcelled mind of anuttarā samyaksambodhi. When the 'Dhāraṇī Chapter' was expounded, sixty-eight thousand people attained the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas. When the 'Former Affairs of King Śubhavyūha Chapter' was expounded, eighty-four thousand people parted from defilement and removed impurity, attaining the purification of the Dharma-eye. When the 'Encouragement of Samantabhadra Chapter' was expounded, immeasurable and boundless bodhisattvas equal to the sands of the Ganges attained one million dhāraṇīs of revolution, and bodhisattvas equal to the dust motes of a trichiliocosm practiced the path of Samantabhadra. The former five prophecies are prophecies of attaining buddhahood in the future; these twenty-five categories are present realizations on the causal stages, and both are benefiting the present. Therefore, as for benefiting the future after the exposition of the Lotus [Sūtra], all merits obtained on account of the Lotus Sūtra after the dispersion of the assembly are benefiting the future. The 'Merit of Rejoicing Chapter' speaks of the merit of the fiftieth person who, upon hearing the Lotus Sūtra once, is able to rejoice accordingly: it exceeds giving away gold, silver, and the seven jewels to sentient beings of four million kotis of nayutas of trichiliocosms, and furthermore surpasses causing them to attain the fruit of an arhat. If one goes to a saṅgha dwelling and listens to the Lotus Sūtra for even a moment, in life after life one will always ride upon elephant carriages, horse carriages, and litters of the seven jewels, and ride upon celestial palaces; if one further shares one's seat to cause another to listen, in life after life one will always obtain the seat of Śakra or the seat of Brahmā; if one further encourages another to go listen to the Lotus [Sūtra], in life after life one will always be born in the same place as dhāraṇī-bodhisattvas, never being mute, down to beholding the Buddha, hearing the Dharma, and faithfully accepting instruction in the future. The 'Merits of the Dharma Preacher Chapter' says that if good men or good women uphold this Lotus Sūtra, whether reading it, reciting it, explaining it, or copying it, these persons will obtain eight hundred merits of the eyes, twelve hundred merits of the ears, eight hundred merits of the nose, twelve hundred merits of the tongue, eight hundred merits of the body, and twelve hundred merits of the mind, and with these merits they will adorn their six sense faculties, making them all pure. Down to the 'Samantabhadra Chapter', which says: 'If there are those in future ages who uphold, read, and recite this classic, these persons will no longer be greedily attached to clothing, bedding, food, drink, or the necessities of life; their aspirations will not be in vain, and they will also receive their karmic recompense in the present life.' Therefore the Teaching Bequeathed Sūtra says: 'Those who should be saved have all already been saved, and for those who have not yet been saved, the causes and conditions for attaining salvation have also all been created.' Hence, by expounding this, great benefit is conferred upon the future; this is named benefiting the future, and therefore this sūtra was expounded.