妙法蓮華經玄贊 8.397

8.397

贊曰：下文初長行中有二：初塔湧，聞法證經勝妙；後將至，「頌云爾時多寶佛於寶塔中分半座」下，募眾說經方陳付囑。初文復二：初塔湧，印說證經之可信，故塔未開。多寶便歎，如前所說者皆真實故；後塔開聽說，證經之可重，「爾時四眾見大寶塔住在空中，又聞塔中」下是。初塔為證，後身為證，證教、證理次第證故。初文有三：一支提應現，二靈祇敬奉，三歎佛神功、印經妙德，「爾時寶塔中出大音聲」下是。初文有五：一標有塔，二明分量，三涌住，四嚴相，五所至。今此有初三。然論解十無上中第五示現清淨國土無上，故示現多寶如來塔。中有九：一一切佛土清淨，二塔，三量，四略，五住持，六示現無量佛，七遠離穢不淨，八多寶，九同坐。此說〈多寶品〉中九種所由各有表故。一佛土清淨者，解下光照見於十方，各五百萬億那由他恒河沙等佛國，頗梨為地等清淨土。二塔者，解此塔現所由。三量者，解此塔高下縱廣量，或所見淨土量，及十方各變量。四略者，此釋何故略，唯一多寶佛證，更無餘佛證耶。五住持者，解下佛答大樂說，此塔有多寶全身舍利住持所由。六無量佛者，解下釋迦十方各無量分身佛集所由。七遠離穢不淨者，解下釋迦變此娑婆世界為清淨，復更兩重八方各變二百萬億那由他國為清淨，亦無大海江河山等所由。八多寶者，解佛名寶所由。九同坐者，解下釋迦、多寶二佛同坐所以。顯各有表，論陳不依經之次第，隨義總釋。論云「塔者示現如來舍利住持故」，謂佛舍利全在塔中，表佛法身全在此經，故須塔涌。不爾，但佛現，何須塔涌耶。「高五百由旬」者，論云「量者示現一切佛土清淨，勝出世間善根所生，故大而且淨；世間善根生，非淨而小」。故《佛地經》云：「勝出世間善根所起，五者五根，百者百行，百行業道各資五根，方始得故、高五趣故」。「縱廣二百五十由旬」者，出二十五有故。「從地涌出住虛空中」者，塔在東方，言涌出住空者，表佛涅槃已出生死，今還處世以濟眾生，生死、涅槃二無異故。又「涌出」者表說一乘超二乘故。「住虛空」者，表教詮於真理空故。

Eulogy: In the initial prose passage below, there are two parts: first, the stūpa wells up, and hearing the Dharma testifies to the sūtra's supreme marvel; thereafter, coming to the point below the verse stating, "At that time Prabhūtaratna Buddha divided half his seat in the jeweled stūpa," beings are solicited to expound the sūtra, and only then is the entrustment set forth. The first text again has two parts: first, the stūpa wells up, sealing the teaching and witnessing that the sūtra is worthy of trust, hence before the stūpa has opened, Prabhūtaratna immediately praises it, because what was previously expounded is all true; thereafter, the stūpa opens to listen to the teaching, witnessing that the sūtra is worthy of reverence, which is the passage below: "At that time the four assemblies saw the great jeweled stūpa suspended in empty space, and also heard from within the stūpa..." First the stūpa serves as witness, and thereafter the body serves as witness, sequentially witnessing the teaching and witnessing the principle. The first text has three parts: first, the caitya manifests in response; second, the spiritual deities pay respectful homage; third, praising the Buddha's spiritual power and sealing the wondrous virtue of the sūtra, which is the passage below: "At that time a great sound issued from within the jeweled stūpa...". The first text has five parts: first, designating the existence of the stūpa; second, clarifying its dimensions; third, its welling up and dwelling; fourth, its adornments; fifth, where it reaches. Here we have the first three. However, the Treatise explains the fifth among the ten unsurpassables, the unsurpassable manifestation of a pure land, and therefore the stūpa of Prabhūtaratna Tathāgata is manifested. Within this there are nine items: first, all buddha-lands being pure; second, the stūpa; third, the dimensions; fourth, abbreviation; fifth, sustaining power (adhiṣṭhāna); sixth, manifesting immeasurable buddhas; seventh, distancing from defilement and impurity; eighth, Prabhūtaratna; ninth, sitting together. This explains that the nine reasons within the "Prabhūtaratna Chapter" each have their symbolic representation. First, buddha-lands being pure explains the pure lands below illuminated by the light, seeing buddha-lands in the ten directions each as numerous as five hundred myriad nayutas of Gaṅgā sands, with crystal for ground, and so forth. Second, the stūpa explains the reason for the manifestation of this stūpa. Third, the dimensions explain the height, depth, and breadth of this stūpa, or the dimensions of the seen pure lands and the dimensions transformed in each of the ten directions. Fourth, abbreviation explains why it is abbreviated, with only the single Prabhūtaratna Buddha as witness, and no other buddhas as witnesses. Fifth, sustaining power explains what follows where the Buddha answers Mahāpratibhāna about the reason why this stūpa has the whole-body relic of Prabhūtaratna sustained by his vow. Sixth, immeasurable buddhas explains what follows where Śākyamuni gathers immeasurable divided-body buddhas from each of the ten directions. Seventh, distancing from defilement and impurity explains what follows where Śākyamuni transforms this Sahā world into a pure land, and further twice transforms two hundred myriad nayutas of lands in the eight directions into pure lands, also free of great oceans, rivers, and mountains. Eighth, Prabhūtaratna explains the reason for the Buddha being named Ratna (Treasure). Ninth, sitting together explains the reason why the two buddhas, Śākyamuni and Prabhūtaratna, sit together below. Showing that each has a symbolic representation, the Treatise's presentation does not follow the sequence of the sūtra, but provides a general explanation according to the meaning. The Treatise says: "'The stūpa' is to manifest the sustaining power of the Tathāgata's relics," meaning that the Buddha's relics are wholly within the stūpa, symbolizing that the Buddha's Dharmakāya is wholly within this sūtra; therefore the stūpa had to well up. Otherwise, if only the Buddha manifested, why would the stūpa need to well up? As for "five hundred yojanas high," the Treatise says: "'The dimensions' manifest that all buddha-lands are pure, produced from superior supramundane roots of goodness, and hence are vast and pure; those produced from mundane roots of goodness are neither pure and are small." Therefore the Buddhabhūmi-sūtra says: "Arising from superior supramundane roots of goodness; 'five' represents the five faculties, 'hundred' represents the hundred practices, each of the hundred courses of action aiding the five faculties before it can be attained, and towering above the five destinies." "Two hundred and fifty yojanas in breadth and depth" represents transcending the twenty-five states of existence. "Welling up from the earth and suspended in empty space": the stūpa was in the east; speaking of welling up and dwelling in space symbolizes that the Buddha in nirvāṇa has transcended saṃsāra, yet now returns to abide in the world to deliver sentient beings, because saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are not two different things. Furthermore, "welling up" symbolizes expounding the Single Vehicle transcending the two vehicles. "Dwelling in empty space" symbolizes that the teaching expresses the emptiness of the true reality.