妙法蓮華經玄贊 9.106

9.106

贊曰：此八千請。初標、後釋。此國有八惡，願於餘國持經。一處惡。二人惡。「弊」困極也。又作「嫳」音扶列反，輕薄易怒貌。「弊」姎也，「姎」音於悅反。三慢惡。四德惡。五瞋惡。六濁惡，近外道故起諸見也。七諂惡，「諂」諛也佞也，傾身似有下也，睎意噵言謂之諂，身語諂也。八心不實，口有心無。《智度論》云：「世間眾生善好者小、弊惡者多，或雖行善貧賤鄙陋；或雖富貴端正而行不善；或樂布施而乏資財；或富有財慳貪自弊；或見𡩷默無說，便謂憍高不為卑下接物；或見卑下引接恩慧普滋，便謂欺誑諂曲；或見能善言論，便謂恃此小智憍慢；或見質直無偽，便共欺誑調挵，將為癡鈍陵辱；或見調善柔軟，便共蹴踏罵毀；若見持戒修行，便謂所行矯異輕賤不敬。如是十種弊惡眾生實難教化。」為此等輩難可教化，願他國持。《法鼓經》中「迦葉白言：世尊！我終不能攝受惡人，寧以兩肩荷負須彌至百千劫，不能堪忍聽彼惡人犯戒滅法、謗法污法非法音聲。世尊！我寧屬他為他僕使，不能堪忍聽彼惡人犯戒背法、違法壞法非法音聲。世尊！我寧頂戴大地山海經百千劫，不能堪忍聽彼惡人犯戒滅法、自高毀他非法音聲。世尊！我寧恒受聾盲瘖瘂，不能堪忍聽彼惡人毀犯淨戒、為利出家受他信施非法音聲。世尊！我寧捨身疾般涅槃，不能堪忍聽彼惡人毀犯淨戒螺聲之行，而身行諂曲口言虛妄，如是諸惡非法音聲。」故此聲聞不願於此持《法華經》。

The Eulogy says: This is the request of the eight thousand. First stating, then explaining. This land has eight evils, so they vow to uphold the sūtra in other lands: 1. evil of place; 2. evil of people: *bi* (弊) means extreme distress; it is also written as *bi* (嫳), pronounced *fu-lie* in fanqie, an appearance of flippancy and quickness to anger; *bi* is also *yang* (姎), pronounced *yu-yue* in fanqie; 3. evil of arrogance; 4. evil of virtue [i.e., lacking virtue]; 5. evil of anger; 6. evil of turbidity, arising from associating with non-Buddhists and giving rise to various views; 7. evil of flattery: flattery means adulation and servility, bowing the body as if deferential, seeking to divine intentions and speaking words to please, which is bodily and verbal flattery; 8. unfaithful minds, having it in speech but not in the mind. The *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra* states: "Among worldly sentient beings, those who are good are few, while those who are vile and evil are many. Some, though practicing good, are poor, lowly, base, and ugly; some, though wealthy and noble, handsome and upright, practice non-virtue; some delight in giving but lack material wealth; some are wealthy in goods but stingy and greedy, degrading themselves. Some, seeing silence and lack of talk, say one is haughty and does not humble oneself to receive others; some, seeing one humble oneself to receive others with grace and broad kindness, say it is deception and crooked flattery; some, seeing one skilled in speech, say one relies on this petty wisdom with arrogance; some, seeing straightforwardness without deceit, conspire to cheat, tease, and insult one as foolish and dull; some, seeing gentleness and pliability, trample, scold, and slander; if they see one upholding the precepts and practicing, they say one's conduct is bizarre and deceitful, disparaging and disrespecting it. Such ten kinds of vile and evil sentient beings are truly difficult to transform." Because such people are difficult to transform, they vow to uphold it in other lands. In the *Mahābherīhāraka-sūtra*, "Kāśyapa addressed [the Buddha], saying: 'Bhagavat! I will never gather in evil people. I would rather bear Mount Sumeru upon both shoulders for hundreds of thousands of kalpas than endure hearing the non-Dharmic sounds of those evil people violating precepts, destroying the Dharma, slandering the Dharma, defiling the Dharma. Bhagavat! I would rather belong to another as their servant than endure hearing the non-Dharmic sounds of those evil people violating precepts, turning their backs on the Dharma, opposing the Dharma, ruining the Dharma. Bhagavat! I would rather bear the great earth, mountains, and seas on my head for hundreds of thousands of kalpas than endure hearing the non-Dharmic sounds of those evil people violating precepts, destroying the Dharma, exalting themselves, and defaming others. Bhagavat! I would rather constantly suffer deafness, blindness, and muteness than endure hearing the non-Dharmic sounds of those evil people violating pure precepts, renouncing the household for profit, and receiving the faithful offerings of others. Bhagavat! I would rather relinquish my body and quickly enter parinirvāṇa than endure hearing the non-Dharmic sounds of the conch-sounding conduct of those evil people who violate pure precepts, while bodily engaging in crooked flattery and verbally uttering falsehood—such various evil, non-Dharmic sounds.'" Therefore, these śrāvakas do not wish to uphold the *Lotus Sūtra* here.