妙法蓮華經玄贊 2.87

2.87

十六妙法蓮華，論有二釋：一出水義，以所詮義名華；二華開義，以能詮教名華，即證智甚深、阿含甚深也。出水有二義：一出水義，不可盡出離小乘濁泥水故，此談華體；頓悟菩薩性離泥水，法體性常故不可盡，此談一乘理性，出二乘故名出水。二復有義，蓮華出泥水喻諸聲聞入如來大眾中坐，如諸菩薩坐蓮華上聞說無上智慧、清淨境界證如來密藏，此意說言，菩薩坐蓮華上聞說無上智慧、境界，能證如來甚深密藏，聲聞迴心已去得入大眾中坐，亦如菩薩坐於蓮華聞說慧、境亦證密藏。前解菩薩頓悟體出，此解漸悟後時用出，正以教理化諸菩薩，傍化二乘故作此說。華開義者，眾生於大乘中起懸崖想，心怯弱故不能生信，開示如來淨妙法身令生淨信。

Sixteenth, "the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma": the commentary provides two explanations: (1) The meaning of emerging from water, where the flower designates the expressed meaning; (2) The meaning of the blooming of the flower, where the flower designates the expressing teaching—that is, the profundity of realized wisdom and the profundity of the scriptures. Emerging from water has two senses: (1) The sense of emerging from water: because it cannot be exhausted in transcending the muddy water of the Hinayāna; this discusses the substance of the flower. Bodhisattvas of sudden awakening are by nature free from muddy water, and because the substance of the Dharma is eternal in nature, it cannot be exhausted; this discusses the rational nature of the Single Vehicle, which is named "emerging from water" because it surpasses the two vehicles. (2) There is another sense: the lotus emerging from muddy water is a metaphor for the śrāvakas entering the Tathāgata's great assembly and sitting there, just like the bodhisattvas who sit upon lotus flowers hearing the preaching of unexcelled wisdom and the pure realm, realizing the Tathāgata's esoteric treasury. The idea here is that bodhisattvas sit upon lotus flowers hearing the preaching of unexcelled wisdom and its realm, and are able to realize the Tathāgata's profound esoteric treasury; when the śrāvakas turn their minds, they can enter the great assembly and sit there, also like bodhisattvas sitting upon lotus flowers hearing the preaching of wisdom and its realm, likewise realizing the esoteric treasury. The former explanation pertains to the emergence of the substance of bodhisattvas of sudden awakening; this explanation pertains to the later emergence in function of those of gradual awakening. It is properly said that he transforms the bodhisattvas by teaching and principle, and incidentally transforms [the followers of] the two vehicles. Regarding the meaning of the blooming of the flower: sentient beings conceive the notion of a precipice regarding the Great Vehicle, and because their minds are timid and weak, they cannot generate faith; [the Buddha] discloses the pure, sublime dharmakāya of the Tathāgata to cause them to generate pure faith.