妙法蓮華經玄贊 5.9

5.9

The commentary: In this chapter, the major text is divided into two parts: first, Śāriputra, having heard the Dharma, understands with joy, narrates his realization, and receives his prophecy; afterwards, the Buddha extensively uses parables to transform those of medium faculties. The first text belongs to the first cycle above, the exposition of the Single Vehicle by Dharma. The first cycle has four parts: the teaching of the Dharma above is concluded; next is the second part, Śāriputra hears the Dharma and understands, reproaches himself, and gives rise to joy. In this there are two: first, prose; second, verse. The prose has two parts: first, marking that hearing the Dharma gives rise to joy; second, explaining the reason for his joy. This is the first. According to mundane explanation, "yǒng" (踊) means to jump, and "yuè" (躍) means to leap; jumping on one foot and leaping expresses the peak of joy. He leaps because hearing the true path gave rise to the provisional; he rejoices because it corresponds with what he had hoped for; he rises immediately to display the arousal of the great mind; he joins his palms because his mind tallies with what was spoken; with a focused mind he requests further instruction, gazes up at the Venerable Face, and expresses his original feelings, hence it says "he addressed the Buddha." "Sound of the Dharma" refers to the verbal teaching of the Mahāyāna. Having never heard it before, he attained what had never been before. Furthermore, he rejoiced due to three reasons: first, hearing the Buddha preach the Dharma, his mind became as tranquil as the ocean, and knowing that the Buddha was not Māra, he therefore rejoiced; second, hearing the single reality of now, he understood the three provisional [vehicles] of the past, and that the three serve as the cause for the one, so he rejoiced; third, hearing the Buddha say that the one thousand two hundred arhats would all also become buddhas, he therefore rejoiced.