妙法蓮華經玄贊 2.113

2.113

贊曰：第二照境也。一世界者一三千界，照萬八千佛之世界唯照東方者，西域以東為上，表《法華經》唯被佛性大乘機根不被餘性，故不照餘。譬如日出先照高原，佛日亦爾，先照根熟故舉東方，有所表矣。《正法華》中亦照東方，殊無照彼餘方之文。「萬」者數盈滿，「八」者數不足，表此說一乘真實之盈滿，顯彼二乘權迹之不足。又「萬」表涅槃寶所萬德，「八」表菩提牛車八正，由此二體皆一乘故。此經將演此經能至，聞者圓成，故唯照爾不增不減。下照地獄者，表有苦而皆拔；上至天者，勸有樂者而求一乘。慈悲普廣有緣皆照，地獄眾生雖不至會、雖無容預之心，亦照令其苦息。梵云阿鼻至，此云無間。無間地獄，八地獄中此最下故，受苦不輟故名無間。梵云捺落迦，此云苦器，亦云不可樂，亦云非法行處，造非法行處也。在於處處，今言地獄，從本大處以為言耳。梵云阿迦抳瑟揥，此云質礙究竟，阿迦質礙義，抳瑟揥究竟義，阿迦尼訛也。色究竟天有形之頂、光可至處，不照無色彼無處故。「靡」者無也。傍照一萬八千，上下括於五趣無不周遍；振動唯在此界，偏警有緣；放光遂至一萬八千，顯明權實故也。亦如光照五趣皆蒙，緣集聞經唯在四趣。

Eulogy: The second is illuminating the realms. One world means one three-thousandfold world; that it illuminates eighteen thousand buddha-worlds only in the east is because in the Western Regions the east is regarded as superior, representing that the Lotus Sūtra only caters to the capacity of the Great Vehicle of buddha-nature and does not cater to other natures; hence it does not illuminate the others. Just as the rising sun first illuminates the high plains, the Buddha sun is also like this: first illuminating those whose faculties are ripe, he indicates the east; this has a symbolic meaning. In the Zheng fahua [jing] it also illuminates the east, without any text about illuminating other directions. "Ten thousand" is a full number; "eight" is a deficient number; this represents that this preaching of the Single Vehicle's reality is full, revealing that the provisional traces of those two vehicles are deficient. Furthermore, "ten thousand" represents the myriad virtues of the treasure place of nirvāṇa; "eight" represents the eightfold noble [path] of the ox cart of bodhi; because the substances of these two are both the Single Vehicle. This sūtra is about to be expounded, this sūtra is able to reach it, and those who hear it will be fully perfected; therefore, it only illuminates this much, neither increasing nor decreasing. Shining downward to the hells represents that where there is suffering, it is all eradicated; reaching upward to the heavens exhorts those who have joy to seek the Single Vehicle. His great compassion is universal and broad, illuminating all who have affinity; even though sentient beings in the hells do not arrive at the assembly and do not have an open mind, it also illuminates them to cause their suffering to cease. The Sanskrit avīci means "uninterrupted." The Uninterrupted Hell is the lowest among the eight hells; because suffering is endured without cessation, it is called uninterrupted. The Sanskrit naraka means "vessel of suffering," also called "disagreeable," and also called "place of unrighteous conduct," a place where unrighteous conduct is performed. They exist in various places; calling them "earthly prisons" (hells) now is spoken from the primary great places. The Sanskrit akaniṣṭha means "culmination of obstruction"; aka means obstruction, and niṣṭha means culmination; "ajiani" is corrupt. The Akaniṣṭha Heaven is the peak of the material realm and the place where light can reach; it does not illuminate the formless realm, as that has no spatial location. "Mi" means none. Laterally illuminating eighteen thousand [worlds], vertically encompassing the five destinies, there is nowhere it does not pervade. The shaking was only in this realm, specifically alerting those with affinity; the emission of light reached eighteen thousand [worlds], in order to make clear the provisional and the real. It is also like the light shining so that all five destinies receive it, whereas those who gather by affinity to hear the sūtra are only in four destinies.