妙法蓮華經玄贊 9.427

9.427

來意有五：一者七品學行流通中，〈踴出〉下六品能學行人中分四，第二段〈壽量〉及〈分別功德〉，因釋前疑展轉生起。前明踴出皆言佛化，位高眾大時會生疑；今辨法身本無起滅，化佛近成、報身久證，化於此眾何所疑哉。故從〈踴出〉後明〈壽量品〉。二者十九品為正宗中，下之五品明一乘果。中分二：初二品明已滿果，後三品明未滿果。初中又二：初正明已滿果，後辨時眾因此證獲不同。故此品來。三者論說對治七慢之中第七無功德人，於第一乘不集善根而不取，為第一增上慢。為對治此，說醫師喻。論又云第七人者根未熟，為令熟故示現涅槃量。現在未集善根者名根未熟，令集諸善根希取第一乘，示現佛入涅槃分限名量，令集善根後方調化。醫師既在此品，故此品來。四者論云八者示現成大菩提無上故，示現三種佛菩提。三身在此，故此品來。此為文殘，七喻之中唯說後文醫師，不說初文三佛故。五者第九示現涅槃無上故，說醫師喻。除七慢中說醫師者，化根未熟示現入滅令其根熟；今說醫師現佛入涅槃，化滅實不滅，非如二乘滅而為滅，故名無上，此乃七喻之中義殘也。

Regarding the purpose of its appearance, there are five: First, within the propagation through practice and learning of the seven chapters, in the six chapters from "Emerging from the Earth" onward concerning the practitioners capable of learning, divided into four sections, the second section—the "Span of Life" and the "Discrimination of Merits" [chapters]—arises in turn as a result of resolving the preceding doubt. Previously, when explaining the emergence [of the bodhisattvas], all were said to be transformed by the Buddha; because their stations were exalted and their assembly immense, the contemporaneous assembly gave rise to doubt. Now it is discerned that the Dharmakāya fundamentally has no arising or ceasing: the transformation buddha was recently accomplished, while the reward body was realized long ago; what doubt could there be in his transforming this assembly? Therefore, the "Span of Life Chapter" is explained following "Emerging from the Earth." Second, within the nineteen chapters serving as the main doctrinal body, the lower five chapters clarify the fruition of the Single Vehicle. Divided into two: the first two chapters clarify the already perfected fruition, and the latter three chapters clarify the fruition not yet perfected. The first also has two parts: first, directly clarifying the already perfected fruition; later, discerning the differences in what the contemporaneous assembly realized and obtained based on this. Hence this chapter appears. Third, the Treatise states that among the antidotes to the seven conceits, the seventh is for persons of no merit, who do not gather wholesome roots regarding the foremost vehicle and do not grasp it, which is the foremost excessive conceit. To counter this, the parable of the physician is taught. The Treatise also states that the seventh type of person has unripened faculties, and in order to ripen them, the measure of nirvāṇa is manifested. Those who presently have not gathered wholesome roots are called having unripened faculties; to cause them to gather all wholesome roots and aspire to grasp the foremost vehicle, the manifestation of the limits of the Buddha's entry into nirvāṇa is called the measure, causing them to gather wholesome roots after which they are disciplined and transformed. Since the physician is found in this chapter, this chapter therefore appears. Fourth, the Treatise states that the eighth is because of manifesting the unexcelled attainment of great bodhi, manifesting three kinds of buddhahood bodhi. Because the three bodies are present here, this chapter therefore appears. This is because the text [of the Treatise] is incomplete, in that among the seven parables it only mentions the subsequent text of the physician, and does not mention the three buddhas of the opening text. Fifth, the ninth is because of manifesting unexcelled nirvāṇa, for which the parable of the physician is spoken. That the physician is spoken of among the removal of the seven conceits is to transform those of unripened faculties by manifesting entry into extinction to ripen their faculties; here, speaking of the physician manifests the Buddha entering nirvāṇa, where transformationally extinct he is truly not extinct, not like the extinction of the two vehicles being an actual extinction, and hence it is called unexcelled. This is an omission of meaning among the seven parables.