妙法蓮華經玄贊 1.65

1.65

The commentary states: The third is the Lord of the Teaching. In Sanskrit it is called buddha, which is here abbreviated as fo; it means the 'Master of Wisdom,' rendered in Chinese as the 'Awakened One.' Awakening has three senses: First, self-awakening, excelling ordinary beings, because ordinary beings are not self-awakened. Second, awakening others, excelling the two vehicles, because they do not awaken others. Third, perfection of awakening and practice, excelling the bodhisattvas, because although bodhisattvas cultivate both awakenings, their practice is not yet complete. The Buddhabhūmi-śāstra states: 'Possessing all-knowledge and omniscience (sarvākārajñatā), able to awaken oneself and also able to awaken all sentient beings, like waking from a dream, like a lotus flower opening—hence named Buddha.' All-knowledge is the wisdom able to awaken oneself, the wisdom like waking from a dream. It is the wisdom that contemplates emptiness, the wisdom of principle, the true wisdom, the non-conceptual wisdom, knowing things as they are. In general terms, it is attained by severing the affliction-hindrance. Omniscience is the wisdom that awakens sentient beings, the wisdom like a lotus flower opening. It is the wisdom that contemplates existence, the wisdom of phenomena, the conventional wisdom, the subsequently attained wisdom, knowing the full extent of things. In general terms, it is attained by severing the cognitive hindrance. According to the Sanskrit texts of the various sūtras, the fundamental teacher is consistently named 'Bhagavat,' for in the Buddha's teaching this single term was established because it encompasses all virtues; the masters of translation, wishing to be concise and to foster wholesome roots in accordance with local customs, therefore called him by the name 'Buddha.'