妙法蓮華經玄贊 3.11

3.11

The eulogy states: The two profundities are first proclaimed to alert the minds of all beings. In the text there are two parts: first the prose, and later the verses. The prose has two parts: first, praising the marvel of the Dharma realized and expounded; from "Ever since I attained buddhahood" onward, praising the supreme marvel of the Tathāgata's person as the Dharma master who can realize and expound. The first part contains two aspects: first, generally marking its supreme excellence; later, from "Why is this?" onward, explaining this supreme excellence. Within the first aspect there are again two: first, revealing his sovereign rising from samādhi; later, addressing Śāriputra to formally present what is spoken. "An" means slowly; "xiang" means carefully. The treatise states: "Rising with ease and mindfulness from samādhi with real wisdom-contemplation, and having arisen, addressing Śāriputra, is to demonstrate that the Tathāgata has attained sovereign power, because when the Tathāgata enters samādhi, none can startle or awaken him." The contemplation of the samādhi of the station of immeasurable meanings is called real wisdom-contemplation; the Buddha's samādhi is exceedingly supreme, and once he enters it, other people cannot startle the Buddha to make him arise from samādhi; unless the Buddha emerges on his own, others cannot cause him to emerge, so he arises from samādhi on his own. Furthermore, it reveals that in samādhi he attains sovereignty in entering and emerging at will; that is, due to these two meanings, he arises from samādhi. Although it is the anantanirdeśapratiṣṭhāna-samādhi, it is mostly the fourth dhyāna, because its virtues are supreme. Not addressing others but exclusively addressing Śāriputra is because his profound wisdom corresponds with that of the Tathāgata; that is, Śāriputra is the highest among the śrāvakas, of sharp wisdom and keen faculties, who understands upon a single hearing and is the very first to awaken and enter. Whenever the Buddha expounds the Dharma, he must accord with capacities and faculties; because his wisdom is foremost, the faculties and the Dharma match, which is called "corresponding". "Corresponding" has the meaning of according with; it does not mean that having similar wisdom is called corresponding; when faculties harmonize with the Buddha's Dharma, it is called corresponding, which is why he did not address the bodhisattvas. The treatise gives five reasons: First, because of the task to be done for the śrāvakas: the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka is preached for the śrāvakas, and the task of the śrāvakas is to abandon the provisional vehicle, not so for the bodhisattvas. Second, to cause the śrāvakas to dedicate themselves toward great bodhi: to cause them to generate the mind [of bodhi] and head toward the great fruit. Third, to protect the śrāvakas for fear of their faintheartedness: if he had addressed the bodhisattvas, the śrāvakas would have thought that this Single Vehicle was not their lot, and generating faintheartedness in their minds, would be unable to advance in practice; now addressing the śrāvakas causes them to eliminate this thought, showing it is their lot, and dispelling their faintheartedness. Fourth, to cause other people to reflect well: causing other śrāvakas to reflect well upon it, thinking, "Śāriputra has already received the Buddha's address; I am of his class and should also be addressed," thus deeply generating faith and giving rise to the mind to cultivate and learn. Fifth, to prevent the śrāvakas from conceiving the thought that "what was to be done has already been accomplished": formerly, the śrāvakas thought that the cessation they attained had perfected the fruit and fully realized the goal, and that what was to be done had been accomplished; now praising the marvel of the Dharma and addressing them that they do not know it causes them to abandon their small mind. The bodhisattvas do not correspond to these five matters at all; therefore, although they possess keen faculties, the Buddha did not address them primarily. Addressing them secondarily causes no flaw, for he causes those among the practitioners of the three vehicles who have doubts and regrets to sever them all; he addressed [Śāriputra] primarily because his indeterminate nature additionally sustains the rest.