妙法蓮華經玄贊 4.11

4.11

三真實體者，根本大乘教、理、行、果，及能入大乘方便四法，皆名一乘，咸有運載之功能故。根本教者，此品初云「其智慧門難解難入」，本論釋言「阿含甚深」。華開敷義以喻妙法，下文亦言「法華經藏深固幽遠」等，《攝大乘》云「阿毘達磨大乘經」等。方便教者，此品下云「或說修多羅、伽陀，及本事、本生、未曾有，亦說於因緣、譬喻，並祇夜、優婆提舍經，我此九部法入大乘為本，隨順眾生說，以故說是經。」《勝鬘》亦云「正法住等為大乘故說此六處」，故小三藏皆大方便。根本理者，謂法性真如，六度等行乘此真理能有所往，故名大乘。此經上云「諸佛智慧甚深無量」，下文亦云「是法住、法位，世間相常住，於道場知已，導師方便說」，本論亦云「念觀者，謂大乘人觀法無我真如法界等故無性，亦云或乘大性故名大乘」，《辨中邊》說真如法界名所緣無上。方便理者，謂四諦理，二乘所觀皆方便理，故《勝鬘》云「聲聞知有作四聖諦，佛知無作四聖諦」，《涅槃》亦言「聲聞有苦有諦而無有實，菩薩具有」，本論亦云「念觀者，聲聞觀人無我等，由此二理皆理一乘」。根本行者，謂六度等菩薩萬行，〈菩薩地〉說七地所修四菩薩行，安樂行品皆菩薩行。又云乘此寶乘直至道場，即行大乘。《攝大乘》云「亦乘亦大故名大乘」。《辨中邊》說十波羅蜜名正行無上。方便行者，《勝鬘》亦云「正法住等為大乘說」，依三藏教進善滅惡修無漏行，皆行大乘。《法花論》云「方便者，聲聞觀蔭、界、入，厭苦離苦。菩薩修六度、四攝、二利行，由此二行皆一乘故。」根本果者，佛身所有菩提、涅槃，即前所說法報二身、理智二見故。下經云「說佛智慧故，諸佛出於世，唯此一事實，餘二則非真」，又云「是法住、法位，世間相常住，於道場知已，導師方便說」。又〈壽量品〉所說法、報、化身皆果一乘。《辨中邊》說十修證中，第七淨土、第九佛地、第十示現菩提，方便果者，二乘所有菩提、涅槃。此經下言「汝等所行是菩薩道」，羊車、鹿車為求牛車，出於火宅方便施設，中路化城為至寶所息處故說二，唯有一非餘。《勝鬘》亦云「聲聞緣覺四智不究竟，名向涅槃界」。言得蘇息處，四智究竟得涅槃者，是佛方便，故二乘果亦是一乘。由頓悟者正學根本教理行果，兼為伏化二乘者故亦學方便教、理、行、果；其漸悟者初學方便，後迴心已方學根本，所學法同初後全別，故知但有二種佛性、理智二因，無漏現、種，有為、無為，根本、方便所有教、理、行、果能成佛者，皆一乘體。兼取有漏地前功德及十地者，助為一乘，未乖正理。《法華經論》及餘教中，隨依於此三種體中一門出體，未必攝盡，若依此解，總含諸文無不盡矣。

Third, regarding the real essence: the fundamental Mahāyāna teaching, principle, practice, and fruition, as well as the four expedient dharmas capable of entering the Mahāyāna, are all named the Single Vehicle, because they all possess the function of conveying. As for the fundamental teaching, the beginning of this chapter says: "Its gate of wisdom is difficult to understand and difficult to enter." The root treatise explains: "The Āgama is profound." The meaning of the flower blossoming serves as an analogy for the sublime Dharma. The text below also says: "The storehouse of the Lotus Sūtra is deep, solid, and unfathomably remote," and so forth; the Mahāyānasaṃgraha speaks of the "Abhidharma Mahāyāna Sūtra," and so forth. As for the expedient teaching, the text below in this chapter says: "Or I teach sūtras, gāthās, and itivṛttakas, jātakas, and adbhutadharmas; I also teach nidānas, avadānas, and geyas and upadeśa sūtras. These nine divisions of my Dharma take entering the Great Vehicle as their basis; spoken in accord with sentient beings, for this reason I preach this sūtra." The Śrīmālādevī-sūtra also says: "The abide of the True Dharma and so forth were spoken of these six topics for the sake of the Great Vehicle." Therefore the lesser Tripiṭaka are all great expedients. As for the fundamental principle, it refers to the dharma-nature, tathatā. Practices such as the six pāramitās ride this real principle to be able to reach somewhere, hence it is called the Great Vehicle. Earlier in this sūtra it says: "The wisdom of the buddhas is profound and immeasurable." The text below also says: "This dharma abides in its dharma-status; the aspects of the world abide constantly; having known this at the place of awakening, the Guide taught it by expedient means." The root treatise also says: "Mindful observation means that persons of the Great Vehicle observe that because of the dharma-selflessness, the tathatā, the dharmadhātu, and so on, there is no self-nature; it is also said that because they ride upon the great nature, it is called the Great Vehicle." The Madhyāntavibhāga says that the tathatā dharmadhātu is called the unsurpassed focal object. As for the expedient principle, it refers to the principle of the four truths; what the two vehicles contemplate are all expedient principles. Therefore the Śrīmālādevī-sūtra says: "Śrāvakas know the four noble truths of constructed action; buddhas know the four noble truths of unconstructed action." The Nirvāṇa Sūtra also says: "Śrāvakas have suffering and have truth, yet lack reality; bodhisattvas possess them completely." The root treatise also says: "Mindful observation: śrāvakas observe person-selflessness and so on; on this account, both principles are the Single Vehicle of principle." As for the fundamental practice, it refers to the myriad bodhisattva practices such as the six pāramitās. The Bodhisattvabhūmi speaks of the four bodhisattva practices cultivated on the seven stages; the "Chapter on Practices of Ease" is entirely bodhisattva practice. It also says that riding this jewel carriage straight to the place of awakening is precisely the practice of the Great Vehicle. The Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: "It is both a vehicle and great, hence it is called the Great Vehicle." The Madhyāntavibhāga speaks of the ten pāramitās as the unsurpassed right practice. As for expedient practice, the Śrīmālādevī-sūtra also says: "The abiding of the True Dharma and so forth are spoken for the Great Vehicle." Advancing in good and extinguishing evil by relying on the teaching of the Tripiṭaka to cultivate uncontaminated practices are all the practice of the Great Vehicle. The Saddharmapuṇḍarīkôpadeśa says: "As for the expedient: śrāvakas contemplate the aggregates, realms, and sense fields, disliking suffering and departing from suffering. Bodhisattvas cultivate the six pāramitās, the four means of attraction, and the practices of the two benefits; on account of these two practices, both are the Single Vehicle." As for the fundamental fruition, it is the bodhi and nirvāṇa possessed by the buddha body, which are precisely the previously explained two bodies of dharma and reward, and the two visions of principle and wisdom. The text below says: "Because of explaining the wisdom of the buddhas, the buddhas appear in the world; only this one matter is real, the other two are not true." It also says: "This dharma abides in its dharma-status; the aspects of the world abide constantly; having known this at the place of awakening, the Guide taught it by expedient means." Furthermore, the dharma, reward, and transformation bodies taught in the "Span of Life Chapter" are all the Single Vehicle of fruition. The Madhyāntavibhāga speaks among the ten cultivations and realizations of the seventh as the pure land, the ninth as the buddha stage, and the tenth as manifesting awakening. As for the expedient fruition, it is the bodhi and nirvāṇa possessed by the two vehicles. Below in this sūtra it says: "What you are practicing is the bodhisattva path." The goat cart and deer cart are expedient provisions to seek the ox cart and escape the burning house; the conjured city midway is an expedient rest stop spoken of to reach the treasure trove, so two are spoken of, but there is only one, not another. The Śrīmālādevī-sūtra also says: "The four knowledges of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are not ultimate; they are called turning toward the realm of nirvāṇa." The statement that they obtain a resting place, and that with the four knowledges ultimate they obtain nirvāṇa, is the Buddha's expedient means; hence the fruition of the two vehicles is also the Single Vehicle. Because those of sudden awakening primarily study the fundamental teaching, principle, practice, and fruition, and concurrently study the expedient teaching, principle, practice, and fruition to subdue and transform those of the two vehicles; whereas those of gradual awakening initially study the expedient, and only after turning their minds do they study the fundamental, the dharmas they study are the same, yet the initial and the subsequent are completely distinct. Therefore we know that whenever there are the two kinds of buddha-nature, the two causes of principle and wisdom, uncontaminated actualities and seeds, the conditioned and the unconditioned, and all fundamental and expedient teachings, principles, practices, and fruitions that can accomplish buddhahood, all are the essence of the Single Vehicle. Concurrently taking the defiled merits prior to the stages and those of the ten stages to aid the Single Vehicle does not contradict the correct principle. When the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkôpadeśa and other teachings establish the essence in accordance with one gate among these three kinds of essences, they do not necessarily encompass them completely; if one relies on this explanation, all texts are comprehensively embraced without exception.