妙法蓮華經玄贊 3.93

3.93

贊曰：十一行頌中分四：初三頌半頌前問中稱歎諸佛第一方便，甚深微妙難解之法；三頌頌前四眾咸皆有疑；一頌半頌我自昔來未聞自疑；三頌頌請唯願世尊敷演斯事。初中分三：一頌半頌前佛自告申，如來知見廣大、深遠、無量、無礙等法師妙；一頌頌前所得難解所說難知法妙也；一頌合頌歎法及法師妙，無問而自說。此初也。「慧日大聖尊」者，以佛智慧猶如日故。《涅槃經》言：「譬如日初出，光明甚暉炎，既能還自照，亦滅一切暗。」佛之二利亦復如是，《增一阿含經》說：「日出有四事：一者日出之時眾暝皆除，二農夫作務，三百鳥悉鳴，四嬰兒啼哭。佛告諸比丘：若日出時眾暝除者，喻佛出世除去癡暝靡不照明。農夫作務者，人民之類普共田作，此譬檀越施主隨時，供給衣服飲食床廗臥具病緣醫藥。百鳥鳴者，譬如高德諸法師等能為四眾說微妙法。嬰兒啼哭者，此喻弊魔見佛出世心大愁惱。」亦如經中讚佛偈言「如來金色如山王，亦如日出照世間，能拔眾生長夜苦，故我頂禮三界王」，故今讚佛云慧日也。「久乃說是法」者，成道多年不曾顯說，今方說之，故云久也。此上二句標，下一頌頌佛前說種種念觀。

The Commentary says: In the eleven lines of verse, there are four divisions: First, three and a half verses versify the preceding question's praise of the buddhas' supreme expedient means, the profound, subtle, and difficult-to-understand dharmas; three verses versify the preceding doubt shared by all four assemblies; one and a half verses versify [Śāriputra's] own doubt that he had not heard this from the past until now; three verses versify the request, 'We only wish the Bhagavat will expound this matter.' In the first [division], there are three parts: one and a half verses versify the preceding Buddha's own announcement that the Tathāgata's vision and knowledge are vast, deep, far-reaching, immeasurable, and unimpeded, which is the excellence of the master of the Dharma; one verse versifies that what was attained before is difficult to understand and what was proclaimed is difficult to comprehend, which is the excellence of the Dharma; one verse combines the praise of the excellence of both the Dharma and the master of the Dharma, speaking spontaneously without being asked. This is the first [part]. 'The Great Holy Lord, the Sun of Wisdom': because the Buddha's wisdom is like the sun. The Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'Just as when the sun first rises its light is exceedingly bright and blazing, being able both to illuminate itself and to extinguish all darkness.' The Buddha's two benefits are also like this. The Ekottarika Āgama says: 'The rising of the sun has four events: first, when the sun rises, all darkness is dispelled; second, farmers go to work; third, a hundred birds all sing; fourth, infants weep. The Buddha told the monks: The darkness being dispelled when the sun rises is an analogy for the Buddha appearing in the world and dispelling the darkness of ignorance, illuminating everything without exception. The farmers working is an analogy for the people cultivating the fields together, which represents dānapatis and donors providing clothing, food and drink, bedding, and medicine for illness in accordance with the time. The singing of a hundred birds is an analogy for highly virtuous Dharma masters being able to preach the subtle Dharma to the four assemblies. The infants weeping is an analogy for the evil Māra seeing the Buddha appear in the world and feeling great sorrow and distress.' Also, as the verse praising the Buddha in the sūtra says, 'The Tathāgata's golden color is like the King of Mountains, / And like the rising sun illuminating the world, / Able to pull sentient beings from the suffering of the long night; / Therefore, I bow my head to the King of the Three Realms.' Therefore, he is now praised as the Sun of Wisdom. 'Only after a long time speaking this Dharma': having attained the Way for many years without ever explicitly preaching it, he only now preaches it; hence it says 'after a long time.' These upper two lines introduce it; the following verse versifies the Buddha's preceding contemplation of various thoughts.