妙法蓮華經玄贊 2.113

2.113

Eulogy: The second is illuminating the realms. One world means one three-thousandfold world; that it illuminates eighteen thousand buddha-worlds only in the east is because in the Western Regions the east is regarded as superior, representing that the Lotus Sūtra only caters to the capacity of the Great Vehicle of buddha-nature and does not cater to other natures; hence it does not illuminate the others. Just as the rising sun first illuminates the high plains, the Buddha sun is also like this: first illuminating those whose faculties are ripe, he indicates the east; this has a symbolic meaning. In the Zheng fahua [jing] it also illuminates the east, without any text about illuminating other directions. "Ten thousand" is a full number; "eight" is a deficient number; this represents that this preaching of the Single Vehicle's reality is full, revealing that the provisional traces of those two vehicles are deficient. Furthermore, "ten thousand" represents the myriad virtues of the treasure place of nirvāṇa; "eight" represents the eightfold noble [path] of the ox cart of bodhi; because the substances of these two are both the Single Vehicle. This sūtra is about to be expounded, this sūtra is able to reach it, and those who hear it will be fully perfected; therefore, it only illuminates this much, neither increasing nor decreasing. Shining downward to the hells represents that where there is suffering, it is all eradicated; reaching upward to the heavens exhorts those who have joy to seek the Single Vehicle. His great compassion is universal and broad, illuminating all who have affinity; even though sentient beings in the hells do not arrive at the assembly and do not have an open mind, it also illuminates them to cause their suffering to cease. The Sanskrit avīci means "uninterrupted." The Uninterrupted Hell is the lowest among the eight hells; because suffering is endured without cessation, it is called uninterrupted. The Sanskrit naraka means "vessel of suffering," also called "disagreeable," and also called "place of unrighteous conduct," a place where unrighteous conduct is performed. They exist in various places; calling them "earthly prisons" (hells) now is spoken from the primary great places. The Sanskrit akaniṣṭha means "culmination of obstruction"; aka means obstruction, and niṣṭha means culmination; "ajiani" is corrupt. The Akaniṣṭha Heaven is the peak of the material realm and the place where light can reach; it does not illuminate the formless realm, as that has no spatial location. "Mi" means none. Laterally illuminating eighteen thousand [worlds], vertically encompassing the five destinies, there is nowhere it does not pervade. The shaking was only in this realm, specifically alerting those with affinity; the emission of light reached eighteen thousand [worlds], in order to make clear the provisional and the real. It is also like the light shining so that all five destinies receive it, whereas those who gather by affinity to hear the sūtra are only in four destinies.