妙法蓮華經玄贊 9.534

9.534

來意有三：一者二品傍釋〈涌出〉疑中前說權實兩佛、理智二身，總萬德之鴻基、綰三明之極體，窮神盡妙，聞之者悟心、契智、符真，融之者道證。今明階位，故此品來。二者果五品分二中，初二品明已滿果，因前品正明已滿果，此品辨時眾因此證獲不同，故此品來。三者論解十無上中第十勝妙力無上，餘殘脩多羅說。論復自云「自此以下示現法力及修行力。法力即經之威神，修行力即能所行之勝德。法力者有五門：一證，二信，三供養，四聞法，五讀誦持說。」證謂諸菩薩中聞〈壽量〉者有十一位證聖。信謂八世界微塵數菩薩發心信解。供養謂天雨華等。此上三門皆在此品初。聞法謂此品中後二長行偈，並〈隨喜品〉中聞法隨喜者。讀誦持說謂〈法師功德品〉明讀誦持說等人所獲功德。至文當解。論自解云：「初四門〈彌勒品〉示現，皆告彌勒故。後一〈常精進品〉示現，唯告常精進故。由此法力唯攝三品。其修行力攝十一品：一〈法師〉，二〈安樂行〉，三〈持〉，四〈神力〉，五〈藥王〉，六〈妙音〉，七〈觀音〉，八〈陀羅尼〉，九〈妙莊嚴〉，十〈普賢〉，十一〈囑累〉，合十四品，皆是第十勝妙力無上。」由明證、信、供養三種，故〈壽量〉後有此品來。

The reasons for the advent [of this chapter] are three: First, in the incidental explanation of doubts concerning the 'Springing Forth' across the two chapters, the former [chapter] expounded the two buddhas, the provisional and the real, and the two bodies, the principle and the cognition. These gather the grand foundation of myriad virtues and bind together the ultimate essence of the three knowledges, exhausting the divine and fully realizing the wondrous. Those who heard it awakened their minds, tallied with cognition, and accorded with truth; those who blended with it realized the path. Now, in order to elucidate the stages and ranks, this chapter has come forth. Second, among the division into two of the five chapters on fruition, the first two chapters elucidate the fruition that is already fulfilled. Because the preceding chapter directly elucidated the fruition that is already fulfilled, this chapter distinguishes the diverse realizations and attainments achieved by the assembly present at that time on its account; thus this chapter has come forth. Third, regarding the tenth, the unsurpassed supreme and wondrous power, among the ten unsurpassed things explained in the Treatise, it is spoken of in the remaining sūtras. The Treatise further states itself: 'From this point onward, it demonstrates the power of the Dharma and the power of practice. The power of the Dharma is the awesome spiritual potency of the sūtra; the power of practice is the supreme virtue that can be practiced and is practiced. The power of the Dharma has five gates: first, realization; second, faith; third, making offerings; fourth, hearing the Dharma; fifth, reading, reciting, upholding, and expounding.' 'Realization' refers to the eleven stages of realizing sainthood among the bodhisattvas who heard the 'Span of Life'. 'Faith' refers to the bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust-motes of eight worlds who generated the mind of faith and understanding. 'Making offerings' refers to devas raining flowers and so forth. These three gates above are all at the beginning of this chapter. 'Hearing the Dharma' refers to the latter two prose and verse sections in this chapter, as well as those who hear the Dharma and rejoice with compliance in the 'Rejoicing with Compliance Chapter'. 'Reading, reciting, upholding, and expounding' refers to the merits obtained by those who read, recite, uphold, and expound, as elucidated in the 'Merits of the Dharma Master Chapter'. They will be explained when reaching their passages. The Treatise itself explains: 'The first four gates are demonstrated in the "Maitreya Chapter" because they are all addressed to Maitreya. The last one is demonstrated in the "Constantly Energetic Chapter" because it is addressed only to Constantly Energetic. Consequently, the power of the Dharma subsumes only three chapters. Its power of practice subsumes eleven chapters: first, "Dharma Master"; second, "Comfortable Practices"; third, "Upholding"; fourth, "Spiritual Powers"; fifth, "Medicine King"; sixth, "Wondrous Sound"; seventh, "Avalokiteśvara"; eighth, "Dhāraṇī"; ninth, "Wondrous Adornment"; tenth, "Samantabhadra"; and eleventh, "Entrustment"—together making fourteen chapters, all of which constitute the tenth, the unsurpassed supreme and wondrous power.' Because it elucidates the three kinds—realization, faith, and making offerings—this chapter has come forth following the 'Span of Life'.