妙法蓮華經玄贊 2.218

2.218

義者義理，成於八種大義理之所由，所由因也。八大義者，經有五句，論有八句，應言欲說大法，雨大法雨，擊大法鼓，不斷大法鼓，建大法幢，燃大法炬，吹大法螺，演大法義。論中第七方說不斷大法鼓，今以義推故第四說亦不相違。雨大法雨，二皆宇音，或初芋音。吹有二音，昌為尺偽二反，今從初反。「螺」音落過反，水蟲也，或作蠃字。論云：「疑者斷疑，即欲說大法欲破先疑住外凡位令進修故，已斷疑者增長淳熟彼智身故。即雨大法雨，先住內凡而無疑者，滋善萌芽令入聖位欲增善故。」此本論意上下相連鉤鎖相起以釋經文，下皆准知。論云：「根熟者，為說二種密境界，謂聲聞菩薩二密境界，二句示現，即擊大法鼓、不斷大法鼓，以遠聞故次第配之。」即明今者開往聲聞乘為權密境界，顯今所說菩薩乘為實密境界，名二密境界，令根熟者捨權取實，故論云：「入密境界者，令進取上上清淨義故，即建大法幢，建立菩提妙智極高顯故。猶如於幢由知權實有捨有取，行大乘行得菩提智離障淨故。」論云：「進取上上清淨義者，進取一切智現見故，即然大法炬。」既得真智建立菩提，照於真境證涅槃故，如炬照物。論云：「取一切智現見者，為一切法建立名字章句義故，即吹大法䗍，既得真境必須說教義，教詮一切法故，名為一切法建立名字等，如俗作樂，曲終滿位吹大螺吼。今既得果事圓滿位，為他說法亦復如是。」故《涅槃》說「吹貝知時」。論云：「建立名字章句義者，令入不可說證智轉法輪故，即演大法義，說於教者，令所應度入於證智，成轉法輪摧於煩惱。」此八句中分為四對：一破惡進善對，二開權顯實對，三得智證真對，四說法利生對。如是循環名為法輪。自既得果，欲令有情證聖真智破滅煩惱。論既鉤鎖解經，故此相乘為對可披解意。尋釋來由，經有五句唯二對半，有破惡進善、說法利生、開權一門；自餘顯實、得智證真，文對皆闕，仍不次第，讀者應知。

“Meanings” refers to doctrinal principles, [indicating] that which brings about the eight kinds of great doctrinal principles; “reasons” refers to causes. Regarding the eight great principles, the sūtra has five phrases and the treatise has eight phrases, which should state: wishing to speak the Great Dharma, showering the great Dharma-rain, beating the great Dharma-drum, ceaselessly beating the great Dharma-drum, erecting the great Dharma-banner, kindling the great Dharma-torch, blowing the great Dharma-conch, and expounding the great Dharma's meaning. In the treatise, it only mentions ceaselessly beating the great Dharma-drum in the seventh place, but now, deducing by principle, stating it in the fourth place also does not contradict. For “showering the great Dharma-rain” (雨大法雨), both [characters] may be pronounced yǔ, or the first may be pronounced yù. For “blowing” (吹), there are two pronunciations, the fanqie being ch- / -ang / -wei or ch- / -i / -wei; here it follows the former. “Conch” (螺) has the fanqie luò-guò; it is an aquatic creature, sometimes written with the character 蠃. The treatise states: “Severing doubts for the doubtful means wishing to speak the Great Dharma; wishing to shatter earlier doubts, to cause those dwelling in the rank of external worldlings to advance in practice, and to increase and mature the body of wisdom of those who have already severed doubts. Showering the great Dharma-rain means nourishing the sprouts of goodness of those previously dwelling as internal worldlings without doubts, in order to cause them to enter the holy rank and to increase their goodness.” The intent of this root treatise is to connect above and below, interlocking like a chain to explain the sūtra text; the rest below should be understood accordingly. The treatise states: “For those whose faculties are ripe, two kinds of esoteric spheres are taught—namely, the two esoteric spheres of the śrāvaka and the bodhisattva—manifested by two phrases, namely, beating the great Dharma-drum and ceaselessly beating the great Dharma-drum, which are matched in order because they are heard far and wide.” This clarifies that opening the past śrāvaka vehicle is the provisional esoteric sphere, while revealing the presently taught bodhisattva vehicle is the real esoteric sphere; these are called the two esoteric spheres, causing those whose faculties are ripe to abandon the provisional and take up the real. Therefore, the treatise states: “Causing those who enter the esoteric sphere to advance and grasp the uppermost pure meaning means erecting the great Dharma-banner, because the wondrous wisdom of bodhi is established exceedingly lofty and manifest. Just like a banner, by knowing the provisional and real, there is abandoning and taking up; practicing the Mahāyāna practice, one attains bodhi-wisdom, purified and free from hindrances.” The treatise states: “Those who advance and grasp the uppermost pure meaning advance and grasp the direct perception of omniscience; that is kindling the great Dharma-torch.” Having attained true wisdom to establish bodhi, it illuminates the true sphere to realize nirvāṇa, just as a torch illuminates objects. The treatise states: “Grasping the direct perception of omniscience means establishing the meanings of names, words, and phrases for all phenomena; that is blowing the great Dharma-conch. Having attained the true sphere, one must speak the doctrinal teaching, for the teaching explains all phenomena; this is called establishing names and so forth for all phenomena. Just as worldly music blows the great conch's roar at the completion of a tune, now, having attained the stage where the matter of fruition is complete, preaching the Dharma for others is also like this.” Therefore, the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] says: “Blowing the conch to know the time.” The treatise states: “Establishing the meanings of names, words, and phrases causes them to enter the unexplainable realized wisdom and turn the wheel of Dharma; that is expounding the great Dharma's meaning. Preaching the doctrine causes those who should be saved to enter realized wisdom, accomplishing the turning of the wheel of Dharma and shattering afflictions.” Within these eight phrases, they are divided into four pairs: first, the pair of destroying evil and advancing in goodness; second, the pair of opening the provisional and revealing the real; third, the pair of attaining wisdom and realizing the truth; fourth, the pair of preaching the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings. Cycling like this is called the wheel of Dharma. Having oneself attained the fruit, one wishes to cause sentient beings to realize holy, true wisdom and eradicate afflictions. Since the treatise uses interlocking links to explain the sūtra, these correspond as pairs whose meaning may be unfolded and understood. Investigating the source of the explanation: the sūtra has five phrases, which constitute only two and a half pairs, having [the gates of] destroying evil and advancing in goodness, preaching the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings, and the single gate of opening the provisional; as for the rest—revealing the real, and attaining wisdom and realizing the truth—the textual correspondences are all lacking and not in sequence, as the reader should know.