妙法蓮華經玄贊 8.393

8.393

來意有四。一者論云「為除三種無煩惱人染慢說三平等。三慢者：一信種種乘異，二信生死、涅槃異，三信彼、此身異。三平等者：一乘平等如前已說；二為除信生死、涅槃異，故現多寶如來塔，入涅槃已後現身故；三為破彼此身異，顯多寶佛攝一切佛身。」論云略者，多寶如來身一體示現攝取一切佛身故。由身平等，但說一身攝諸佛身。又顯自他身無差別故，十方分身佛集身無異故，彼身即我身。由後二義故此品來。二者論云「十無上中第五示現清淨國土無上，示現多寶如來塔。多寶塔涌分身佛集，佛放一光，見於東方五百萬億那由他恒河沙等國土頗梨為地，又佛變八方各四百萬億那由他國土為淨，示佛國淨。顯今法勝，不唯穢土以化生，亦於淨佛國土以施化。」佛國由來清淨，故此品來。此為義殘。三者初四品明讚重流通，上〈法師品〉顯於此經若人若法皆可尊重，今此一品顯法可尊，但說經處多寶必聽，以為靈證、勸發信心，故此品來。四者《智度論》云：「有佛出世，無人請說便入涅槃者，如《法華經》多寶世尊，無人請故便入涅槃。」後佛化身及七寶塔，證《法華》故一時出現。阿難傳經以同聞為證，佛說此經以佛為證，故此品來。雖傳此解，意旨難知。多寶既滅，作塔無請，如何有眾？

There are four purposes for its occurrence. First, the Treatise says: "In order to eliminate the defiled conceits of three kinds of people free from afflictions, the three equalities are expounded. The three conceits are: first, believing that the various vehicles are different; second, believing that saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are different; third, believing that other and own bodies are different. The three equalities are: the equality of the Single Vehicle, as explained before; second, to eliminate the belief that saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are different, the stūpa of Prabhūtaratna Tathāgata is manifested, because his body is manifested after he has entered nirvāṇa; third, to break the belief that other and own bodies are different, revealing that Prabhūtaratna Buddha gathers all buddha-bodies." The Treatise's statement that it is "abbreviated" means that because the body of Prabhūtaratna Tathāgata manifests as a single entity, it gathers and encompasses all buddha-bodies. Because of the equality of bodies, only one body is spoken of to gather the bodies of all buddhas. Furthermore, to reveal that there is no distinction between one's own and others' bodies, and because the bodies of the divided bodies of buddhas gathered from the ten directions are not different, that body is precisely my body. Due to these latter two meanings, this chapter comes next. Second, the Treatise says: "Among the ten unsurpassables, the fifth is the manifestation of the unsurpassable pure land, manifesting the stūpa of Prabhūtaratna Tathāgata. When the stūpa of Prabhūtaratna welled up and the divided-body buddhas assembled, the Buddha emitted a single ray of light, and to the east lands as numerous as five hundred myriad nayutas of Gaṅgā sands were seen, with crystal for ground; furthermore, the Buddha transformed lands in the eight directions, four hundred myriad nayutas of lands in each, into pure lands, showing the purity of the buddha-lands. This reveals the superiority of the present Dharma: it is not only in defiled lands that he transforms beings, but he also exercises transformation in pure buddha-lands." Buddha-lands have always been pure, and therefore this chapter comes next. This is the remaining meaning. Third, the first four chapters clarified praising, valuing, and circulating [the sūtra]; the preceding "Dharma Master Chapter" revealed that both persons and teachings regarding this sūtra are worthy of reverence; now, this single chapter reveals that the Dharma is worthy of reverence: wherever the sūtra is expounded, Prabhūtaratna must listen to it to serve as a miraculous witness and to inspire faith; therefore this chapter comes next. Fourth, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra says: "There are buddhas who appear in the world, and with no one requesting them to speak, they immediately enter nirvāṇa, such as Prabhūtaratna the World-Honoured One in the Lotus Sūtra, who entered nirvāṇa because no one requested him to speak." Later, the Buddha's transformation body and the stūpa of seven jewels appeared simultaneously to bear witness to the Lotus Sūtra. Ānanda transmitted the sūtra using having heard it together as witness; the Buddha expounds this sūtra using a buddha as witness; therefore this chapter comes next. Although this explanation is transmitted, the underlying meaning is difficult to know. If Prabhūtaratna had already entered extinction, and a stūpa was made without a request, how could there be an assembly?