妙法蓮華經玄贊 4.19

4.19

Explaining the intention behind teaching it: the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: "To guide and gather in one class, / and to sustain the rest; / because of the indeterminate lineage, / the buddhas teach the Single Vehicle. / Dharma, egolessness, and liberation / are equal, yet lineages differ; / attaining two [types of] aspiration, and manifestations— / because of [these, and] ultimate reality, the Single Vehicle is taught." Herein there are ten causes: First, to guide and gather in that class of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas of indeterminate lineage, causing them to attain parinirvāṇa relying on the Great Vehicle; therefore, the Single Vehicle is taught primarily for this class in this assembly of the Lotus. The Treatise on the Lotus Sūtra calls this "having regressed, they re-engender the great bodhicitta." Because Śāriputra and others in the past all sought the Great, regressed to cultivate lesser fruits, it is called "having regressed, they re-engender"; it is not that all indeterminate lineages regressed and re-engendered their resolve, but rather this should be called the indeterminate lineage. Second, to sustain the rest: bodhisattvas of indeterminate lineage prior to the bhūmis, who before the sixth abidance are still in regressive stages; out of fear that their vigor toward the Great Vehicle might break down and they would regress to enter parinirvāṇa relying on the two vehicles, therefore this sūtra says: "When the bodhisattvas hear this Dharma, their nets of doubt are all eliminated." The root treatise also says: "The Tathāgata rightly provides explanation for two types of persons." Both of these are of the indeterminate lineage; it is for these two types that the Single Vehicle is taught. Third, because the Dharma is equal: although the vehicles of practice differ, the tathatā toward which they proceed is without differentiation; hence the explanation in the Treatise on the Lotus Sūtra is mostly the same as this. Fourth, because egolessness is equal: if there were a real pudgala, there could be differences among vehicles; since self is without difference, the Single Vehicle is taught. Fifth, because liberation is equal: the three vehicles are alike liberated from the afflictive hindrances; because liberation is without differentiation. Sixth, because lineages differ: within the two vehicles, indeterminate lineages have differences; this śrāvaka body possesses both the śrāvaka lineage and the buddha lineage, and because they possess this lineage, the Single Vehicle is taught. Seventh, the Buddha attains the aspiration of having an identical own-nature with sentient beings; therefore he says, "I am they, and they are I; since I have become a buddha, they will also become buddhas." Eighth, the two vehicles attain the aspiration of having an identical own-nature with the Buddha, because they share the name of bodhisattva and receive prophecies; that is, in this assembly the Buddha confers the prophecy of buddhahood upon the two vehicles in order to cause them to grasp and attain such an aspiration: "We and the Buddha are equal and non-dual." Furthermore, in this assembly there are bodhisattvas of the same name as them who thereby receive prophecies. A single word of the Buddha contains two kinds of benefit: namely, that those of the two vehicles attain the aspiration of having an identical own-nature with the Buddha, and that the bodhisattvas receive prophecies. Ninth, because of manifestations: as the Bhagavat said, "You bhikṣus! I recall in the past having entered parinirvāṇa hundreds of times relying on the śrāvaka vehicle." How could one who had already become a buddha later enter parinirvāṇa relying on the two vehicles? This is done to tame the śrāvakas who are to be transformed. Buddhas and bodhisattvas manifest their own bodies as beings of the same class as them, appearing to enter parinirvāṇa in the [nirvāṇa] without remainder; for hundreds of thousands of kalpas they indulge in the wine of quiescence, lying asleep in intoxication, and later arise from it to manifest receiving the prophecy of buddhahood, causing all those of the two vehicles of indeterminate lineage to think: "If those venerable elders of old who entered nirvāṇa now all rise again to manifest receiving prophecies of buddhahood, how much less should I now fail to aspire to become a buddha and instead enter nirvāṇa?" In the present assembly, Pūrṇa and others are of this category. In the Treatise on the Lotus Sūtra, conferring prophecies to transformed śrāvakas refers to this; therefore it is also to subdue the arrogance of those of the two vehicles, [showing that] "I too attained your nirvāṇa." As extensively taught in the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra, arhats who enter the nirvāṇa without remainder for hundreds of thousands of kalpas indulge in the wine of samādhi, lying asleep in intoxication, and only later arise from it to engender the great resolve—all are manifestations created by buddhas and bodhisattvas. Were it not so, if their bodies and consciousness were entirely annihilated upon genuinely entering the nirvāṇa without remainder, when they later arose from it, from what would phenomena arise? Hence one knows it is a manifestation. Tenth, because it is ultimate: because beyond this there is no other superior vehicle, it is ultimate and most supreme in accordance with principle; therefore it is taught to be one. Now in this assembly, according to the treatise, prophecy is given to only two kinds of persons: first, those of indeterminate lineage; second, those who are manifestations. For those of indeterminate lineage, it refers to the first, second, and a small part of the eighth [causes]; for those who are manifestations, it refers to the ninth meaning and a small part of the rest; for these the Single Vehicle is taught, not that the absence of a fixed lineage is completely denied. Therefore this Single Vehicle is taught with esoteric intent. The Sandhinirmocana-sūtra says: "The lack of own-nature regarding characteristics, arising, and the ultimate— / all these I have already revealed. / If one does not understand this esoteric intent of the Buddha, / one will lose the correct path and be unable to proceed. / Relying on the purification of all pure paths, / one relies solely on this one without a second; / therefore, among them I establish the Single Vehicle, / not that there is no differentiation among the lineages of sentient beings." It teaches "one" collectively for the determinate, indeterminate, those with lineage, and those without lineage. Therefore the Nirvāṇa-sūtra also says: "Through the Single Vehicle and the single path, the noble ones of the four fruits can all become buddhas; because they did not understand my intention, [I said] only that which is spoken in this manner is good." These ten meanings now explain the Single Vehicle; they are not fully present in the Treatise on the Lotus Sūtra. The Prakaraṇāryavācā explains six causes, and the Mahāyānasūtrālaṅkāra explains eight meanings for teaching the Single Vehicle, but they do not exceed these ten; hence they are not cited here.