[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [妙法蓮華經玄贊](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723) › 1.3 # 妙法蓮華經玄贊 1.3 妙法蓮華經玄贊 1.3 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723.1.3) 首稱「妙法蓮華經」者，藻宏綱之極唱，旌一部之都名。「序品第一」者，鏡義類之鴻標，顯異筌之別目。法含持軌，綰群祥以稱妙；華兼秀發，總眾美而彰蓮；體、業俱陳，法、喻雙舉，半、滿之途已曉、取捨之路方著。經者為常為法，是攝是貫，常則道軌百王，法乃德摸千葉，攝則集斯妙理，貫又御彼庸生，庶令畢離苦津，終登覺岸。序者，由也始也，陳教起之因由，作法興之漸始。品者，類也別也，區玄旨而異類，派幽筌而彙別。第者，次也居也。一者，極也首也。經有二十八類條貫真宗，此品次居極首，故名第一。 > First, the title "Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra" gives expression to the ultimate declaration of the great framework and marks the general name of the entire work. "Introductory Chapter, Chapter One" provides a grand indication mirroring the categories of meanings, revealing the specific rubric of this particular teaching. "Dharma" implies upholding and serving as a model; uniting all auspicious qualities, it is called "marvelous." "Lotus" implies blooming with excellence; gathering all splendors, it manifests the lotus. Both the essence and its function are stated; both the doctrine and the metaphor are presented. The paths of the half-letter and full-letter teachings are now understood, and the course of what to accept and what to reject is now clear. "Sūtra" means constant and means law; it integrates and it strings together. Constant, it serves as a path and guide for hundreds of kings; law, it serves as a moral exemplar for countless generations. Integrating, it collects these marvelous principles; stringing together, it guides those ordinary beings, aspiring to lead them completely away from the ford of suffering and ultimately mount the shore of awakening. "Introduction" (xu) means cause and origin, setting forth the reasons for the arising of the teaching and serving as the gradual beginning for the flourishing of the Dharma. "Chapter" (pin) means category and division, distinguishing the profound tenets into different classes and branching the subtle teachings into diverse categories. "Di" means sequence and position. "First" (yi) means the ultimate and the foremost. The sūtra contains twenty-eight categories that systematically run through the true doctrine; this chapter is situated at the very forefront, hence it is called "Chapter One." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723.1.2) - [Next: 1.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723.1.4) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723~en-mt.1.3) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723.1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723.1.3) · Pramāṇa