觀音義疏記 4.13

4.13

第二重頌，是隋煬大業中智者滅後笈多所譯，方入大部，故疏闕釋。《靈感傳》天人語南山云：「什師八地菩薩，譯《法華》闕觀音重頌。」既涉冥報，信有此文。今扶上二番問答，隨文略釋固難盡理。講者但令不失上文，大途梗概何必騁異。此頌二十六行為二：初一偈雙問二章，次二十五偈雙答二問。初問中一句歎德，三句正問。一句之內名體合歎世尊名也，所以略舉尊號，則知上九並為三世中尊歎之要也，具相質也。相妙而具，妙是歎辭，具謂三十二滿足。又可妙即是好，以八十種好嚴其相令妙好也。復次名實俱歎法身。名是妙名，相為妙相。上文云「具相三十二，以八十種好，用莊嚴法身。」即此意也。具此相好者，即具二嚴能答我問，故舉而歎也。正問中，初句兼於二問，文云重問，即重問上二段之事。孰謂不然？次二句別問觀音，欲佛先答。初章就近更徵故也。亦可三句併問初章，自招後答。既有真身冥益，豈無應像顯赴耶？故許說中雙許二番，謂聞名及見身是也。

The second part, the repeated verses, was translated by Jñānagupta during the Daye era of Emperor Yang of the Sui, after Master Zhiyi had passed away, and only then incorporated into the great text; hence the commentary lacks an explanation of them. In the Linggan zhuan, a celestial being said to Daoxuan of Nanshan: "Master Kumārajīva was an eighth-stage bodhisattva; his translation of the Lotus Sūtra lacked the repeated verses of Avalokiteśvara." Since this pertains to unseen retribution, we may believe this text exists. Now, supporting the above two rounds of questions and answers, I briefly explain according to the text, though it is certainly difficult to exhaust the principle. Lecturers need only ensure they do not lose the above text; why must they run after novelties when grasping the general outline? These twenty-six lines of verse form two parts: first, one gāthā jointly asks about the two sections; next, twenty-five gāthās jointly answer the two questions. In the first question, one line praises virtues, and three lines form the actual question. Within the single line, name and substance are jointly praised: "World-Honoured One" is the name; by briefly mentioning the venerable title, one knows that the preceding nine are together the essentials for praising the most venerable among the three periods of time; "endowed with marks" is the physical substance. The marks are wondrous and complete: "wondrous" is a word of praise; "complete" means the thirty-two are fully satisfied. Alternatively, "wondrous" is just "fine," adorning his marks with the eighty minor marks to make them wondrous and fine. Furthermore, name and reality both praise the dharmakāya: the name is a wondrous name, and the marks are wondrous marks. The text above says: "Endowed with the thirty-two marks, adorning the dharmakāya with the eighty minor marks"—this is precisely the meaning. One who is endowed with these marks and signs possesses the two adornments and is able to answer my question; therefore they are brought up and praised. In the actual question, the first line encompasses both questions: the text says "asks again," which means asking again about the matters of the two sections above. Who would say otherwise? The next two lines specifically ask about Avalokiteśvara, wishing for the Buddha to answer first, because the first section is closer at hand and is further inquired into. Alternatively, all three lines jointly ask about the first section, which naturally brings about the subsequent answer. Since there is the unseen benefit of the true body, how could there not be the manifest response of the responsive image? Therefore, in promising to speak, both rounds are jointly promised, namely "hearing the name" and "seeing the body."