妙法蓮華經玄贊 8.397

8.397

Eulogy: In the initial prose passage below, there are two parts: first, the stūpa wells up, and hearing the Dharma testifies to the sūtra's supreme marvel; thereafter, coming to the point below the verse stating, "At that time Prabhūtaratna Buddha divided half his seat in the jeweled stūpa," beings are solicited to expound the sūtra, and only then is the entrustment set forth. The first text again has two parts: first, the stūpa wells up, sealing the teaching and witnessing that the sūtra is worthy of trust, hence before the stūpa has opened, Prabhūtaratna immediately praises it, because what was previously expounded is all true; thereafter, the stūpa opens to listen to the teaching, witnessing that the sūtra is worthy of reverence, which is the passage below: "At that time the four assemblies saw the great jeweled stūpa suspended in empty space, and also heard from within the stūpa..." First the stūpa serves as witness, and thereafter the body serves as witness, sequentially witnessing the teaching and witnessing the principle. The first text has three parts: first, the caitya manifests in response; second, the spiritual deities pay respectful homage; third, praising the Buddha's spiritual power and sealing the wondrous virtue of the sūtra, which is the passage below: "At that time a great sound issued from within the jeweled stūpa...". The first text has five parts: first, designating the existence of the stūpa; second, clarifying its dimensions; third, its welling up and dwelling; fourth, its adornments; fifth, where it reaches. Here we have the first three. However, the Treatise explains the fifth among the ten unsurpassables, the unsurpassable manifestation of a pure land, and therefore the stūpa of Prabhūtaratna Tathāgata is manifested. Within this there are nine items: first, all buddha-lands being pure; second, the stūpa; third, the dimensions; fourth, abbreviation; fifth, sustaining power (adhiṣṭhāna); sixth, manifesting immeasurable buddhas; seventh, distancing from defilement and impurity; eighth, Prabhūtaratna; ninth, sitting together. This explains that the nine reasons within the "Prabhūtaratna Chapter" each have their symbolic representation. First, buddha-lands being pure explains the pure lands below illuminated by the light, seeing buddha-lands in the ten directions each as numerous as five hundred myriad nayutas of Gaṅgā sands, with crystal for ground, and so forth. Second, the stūpa explains the reason for the manifestation of this stūpa. Third, the dimensions explain the height, depth, and breadth of this stūpa, or the dimensions of the seen pure lands and the dimensions transformed in each of the ten directions. Fourth, abbreviation explains why it is abbreviated, with only the single Prabhūtaratna Buddha as witness, and no other buddhas as witnesses. Fifth, sustaining power explains what follows where the Buddha answers Mahāpratibhāna about the reason why this stūpa has the whole-body relic of Prabhūtaratna sustained by his vow. Sixth, immeasurable buddhas explains what follows where Śākyamuni gathers immeasurable divided-body buddhas from each of the ten directions. Seventh, distancing from defilement and impurity explains what follows where Śākyamuni transforms this Sahā world into a pure land, and further twice transforms two hundred myriad nayutas of lands in the eight directions into pure lands, also free of great oceans, rivers, and mountains. Eighth, Prabhūtaratna explains the reason for the Buddha being named Ratna (Treasure). Ninth, sitting together explains the reason why the two buddhas, Śākyamuni and Prabhūtaratna, sit together below. Showing that each has a symbolic representation, the Treatise's presentation does not follow the sequence of the sūtra, but provides a general explanation according to the meaning. The Treatise says: "'The stūpa' is to manifest the sustaining power of the Tathāgata's relics," meaning that the Buddha's relics are wholly within the stūpa, symbolizing that the Buddha's Dharmakāya is wholly within this sūtra; therefore the stūpa had to well up. Otherwise, if only the Buddha manifested, why would the stūpa need to well up? As for "five hundred yojanas high," the Treatise says: "'The dimensions' manifest that all buddha-lands are pure, produced from superior supramundane roots of goodness, and hence are vast and pure; those produced from mundane roots of goodness are neither pure and are small." Therefore the Buddhabhūmi-sūtra says: "Arising from superior supramundane roots of goodness; 'five' represents the five faculties, 'hundred' represents the hundred practices, each of the hundred courses of action aiding the five faculties before it can be attained, and towering above the five destinies." "Two hundred and fifty yojanas in breadth and depth" represents transcending the twenty-five states of existence. "Welling up from the earth and suspended in empty space": the stūpa was in the east; speaking of welling up and dwelling in space symbolizes that the Buddha in nirvāṇa has transcended saṃsāra, yet now returns to abide in the world to deliver sentient beings, because saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are not two different things. Furthermore, "welling up" symbolizes expounding the Single Vehicle transcending the two vehicles. "Dwelling in empty space" symbolizes that the teaching expresses the emptiness of the true reality.