妙法蓮華經玄贊 1.24

1.24

宗有八者：一我法俱有，犢子部等。二有法無我，薩婆多等。三法無去來，大眾部等。四現通假實，說假部等。五俗妄真實，說出世部等。六諸法但名，說一部等。七勝義皆空，《般若》等經，龍樹等說《中》、《百》論等。八應理圓實，此《法華》等、無著等說中道教也。《成實論》義、經部師宗，即當第四現通假實，雖差別義合二十二，據理全差莫過此八。然《華嚴》云：「如來以一語言中演說無邊契經海。」《無垢稱經》言：「佛以一音演說法，眾生隨類各得解。」《無量義經》言：「我成道來四十餘年，常說諸法不生不滅不去不來、無此無彼無得無失，一切無相，但由眾生悟解不同得諸果異。」《法華》亦言：「一雨普潤，三草二木生長不同。」《優婆塞戒經》言：「三獸渡河，得淺深別。」《攝論》亦言：「如末尼天鼓，無思成自事。」故知諸教本無差別，由機不同遂分大小頓漸之教。此經且當大漸之教，此依化誘聲聞以歸於大，名之為漸。〈妙莊嚴王本事品〉中，八萬四千人遠塵離垢得法眼淨，即初果等。〈壽量品〉中，八世界微塵數眾生發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。〈普門品〉中，八萬四千眾生皆發無等等阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，可成頓教。故知頓、漸無別教門，隨機以分，故此通也。半、滿二教，滿宗所收，生、法二空通二教攝，有作、無作可貫兩門，世俗、勝義隨應分二。雖知通旨宗義若斯，隨別所明一乘正為宗也。故下文言：「今此經中唯說一乘，而昔於菩薩前毀訾聲聞樂小法者，然佛實以大乘教化」，故此定以一乘為宗。一乘之義，至〈方便品〉「一大事因緣」中當廣分別。

As for the eight tenets: First, both self and dharmas exist, as in the Vātsīputrīya and others. Second, dharmas exist but there is no self, as in the Sarvāstivāda and others. Third, dharmas lack past and future [existence], as in the Mahāsāṃghika and others. Fourth, the present pervades both conventional and real, as in the Prajñaptivāda and others. Fifth, the conventional is false while the real is true, as in the Lokottaravāda and others. Sixth, all dharmas are nominal only, as in the Ekavyāvahārika and others. Seventh, ultimate truth is entirely empty, as in the Prajñāpāramitā and other sūtras, and the Madhyamaka-śāstra, Śata-śāstra, and others taught by Nāgārjuna and others. Eighth, the consummate reality conforming to reason, which is this Lotus Sūtra and others, and the Middle Way teachings taught by Asaṅga and others. The doctrine of the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra and the tenets of the Sautrāntika master correspond to the fourth, 'the present pervades both conventional and real'. Although the distinct positions total twenty-two, when evaluated according to principle their fundamental divisions do not exceed these eight. However, the Avataṃsaka states: 'Within a single utterance, the Tathāgata expounds a boundless sea of sūtras.' The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa states: 'The Buddha expounds the Dharma with a single voice, and sentient beings each obtain understanding according to their kind.' The Anantanirdeśa-sūtra states: 'In the forty-odd years since I attained the Way, I have always taught that all dharmas are unarisen and unceasing, do not depart and do not arrive, are neither this nor that, have neither gain nor loss, and are completely devoid of characteristics; it is merely owing to sentient beings' differences in awakening and understanding that the fruits they attain are different.' The Lotus Sūtra also states: 'A single rain universally nourishes, but the three herbs and two trees grow and develop differently.' The Upāsakaśīla-sūtra states: 'Three beasts cross a river, yet their [contact with] the shallow and deep differs.' The Mahāyānasaṃgraha also states: 'Like a mani jewel or a celestial drum, without deliberation it accomplishes its own deeds.' Therefore we know that the various teachings fundamentally have no distinctions; it is due to differences in capacity that they are subsequently divided into the teachings of the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna, the sudden and the gradual. This sūtra corresponds provisionally to the gradual Mahāyāna teaching; because it transforms and guides the śrāvakas to return to the Mahāyāna, it is called 'gradual'. In the 'Ancient Accounts of King Śubhavyūha Chapter', eighty-four thousand people parted from dust and were cleansed of defilement, attaining the purity of the Dharma-eye, which refers to the first fruit and so forth. In the 'Span of Life Chapter', sentient beings as numerous as the dust motes of eight worlds generated the mind set on anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. In the 'Universal Gate Chapter', eighty-four thousand sentient beings all generated the mind set on unequalled anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, which may constitute the sudden teaching. Therefore we know that the sudden and the gradual are not distinct teaching frameworks, but are distinguished in accordance with capacity; thus this [sūtra] encompasses both. Between the two teachings of the incomplete and the complete, it is subsumed under the complete tenet; the two emptinesses of persons and dharmas are encompassed by both teachings; the constructed and unconstructed may run through both gateways; conventional and ultimate truth are divided into two according to what is appropriate. Although we know that its general intent and doctrinal tenets are like this, in terms of what is specifically elucidated, the Single Vehicle is properly its main theme. Therefore the text below states: 'Now in this sūtra only the Single Vehicle is taught; whereas formerly before the bodhisattvas he disparaged śrāvakas who delighted in lesser dharmas, yet the Buddha truly taught and transformed them by means of the Great Vehicle.' Therefore this [sūtra] definitely takes the Single Vehicle as its main theme. The meaning of the Single Vehicle will be distinguished in detail below in the Expedient Means Chapter under 'the causes and conditions of the one great matter'.