大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 48.15

48.15

疏「大品隨喜」下，重示隨喜成益，釋上平等善根功德。初引《大品》，即第十七。次引《法華》，即第六經〈隨喜功德品〉第十八「爾時彌勒菩薩白佛言：『世尊！若有聞是法華經隨喜者，為得幾所福？』而說偈言：『世尊滅度後，其有聞是經，若能隨喜者，為得幾所福？』」經答文廣，今當略引。謂有人於會中聞是《法華經》隨喜已，從法會出，至於餘處轉為人說。是第二人聞已，復轉為第三人說。如是展轉至第五十，其第五十善男子善女人所得功德，今當說之。若四百萬億阿僧祇世界，六趣四生充滿其中。有人求福，一一眾生與滿閻浮金銀瑠璃、𤥭璖碼碯、珊瑚琥珀，乃至象馬車乘、奴婢人民、七寶樓閣。比第五十人聞《法華經》隨喜功德，百分不及一，乃至算數譬喻所不能知。下結云「何況最初於會中聞而隨喜者。」釋曰：此顯功德多。從「此據隨喜如來權實功德」者，疏出得多所以。《大品》但通明隨喜之福，今就所隨喜中分其勝劣，勝境隨喜其福更多。言「權實功德」者，即是《法華經》。故經云「此法華經開方便門（也），示真實相（實也）。如來智慧甚深無量（實也），其智慧門難解難入（權也）。」「於一佛乘，分別說三」，從實開權也。「十方佛土中，唯有一乘法，無二亦無三」，會三歸一、會權歸實也。「世尊法久後，要當說真實」，實也。「佛以方便力，示以三乘教」，權也。二十八品三周之文，但顯如來權實知見。昔人云：「此華不有則已，有則華實雙含。此經不說則已，說則權實雙辨。」明知《法華》不出權實功德耳。既窮終極唱難信難解，今能隨喜，故德難量。最初聞人，近獲六根清淨，遠則速成佛果，故云其福更多。

As for the commentary's phrase "Rejoicing in the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā" downward: this re-illustrates the accomplished benefits of rejoicing, explaining the above "merit of equal wholesome roots". First, it cites the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā, which is the seventeenth [chapter]. Next, it cites the Lotus Sūtra, which is the eighteenth chapter in the sixth fascicle, "Chapter on the Merit of Rejoicing": "At that time, the Bodhisattva Maitreya addressed the Buddha, saying: 'World-Honoured One! If there is someone who hears this Lotus Sūtra and rejoices, how much blessing does that person obtain?' and spoke in verse: 'After the World-Honoured One's parinirvāṇa, / if there is someone who hears this sūtra, / if they can rejoice, / how much blessing do they obtain?'" The sūtra's answer is extensive; here it will be briefly cited. It means that there is a person who, having heard this Lotus Sūtra in the assembly and rejoiced, leaves the Dharma assembly and goes to another place to expound it for others. This second person, having heard it, expounds it in turn for a third person. In this manner it is passed on sequentially up to the fiftieth person; the merit obtained by that fiftieth good son or good daughter shall now be spoken of. Suppose that in four hundred myriad koṭis of asaṃkhyeya worlds, the six destinies and four modes of birth fill them entirely. A person seeking blessings gives to each and every sentient being enough gold, silver, lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl, agate, coral, and amber to fill Jambudvīpa, up to and including elephants, horses, carriages, male and female servants, people, and seven-jeweled pavilions. Compared to the merit of the fiftieth person hearing the Lotus Sūtra and rejoicing, it does not amount to a hundredth part, up to being beyond what reckoning or metaphor can know. Below it concludes: "How much more so for the one who initially heard it in the assembly and rejoiced!" Explanation: this reveals the greatness of the merit. From the phrase "This is based on rejoicing in the Tathāgata's expedient and ultimate merit": the commentary sets forth the reason why so much is obtained. The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā merely explains the blessings of rejoicing in a general way; here, within the objects of rejoicing, superior and inferior are differentiated: rejoicing in a superior object yields still greater blessings. The words "expedient and ultimate merit" refer to the Lotus Sūtra. Therefore, the sūtra says: "This Lotus Sūtra opens the gate of expedient means (expedient) and reveals the characteristic of reality (ultimate). The Tathāgata's wisdom is profound and immeasurable (ultimate); the gate to that wisdom is difficult to understand and difficult to enter (expedient)." "Within the one Buddha vehicle, he discriminates and preaches three"—this is opening the expedient from the ultimate. "In the buddha lands of the ten directions, there is only the Dharma of the One Vehicle, there is neither a second nor a third"—this is gathering the three back to the one, gathering the expedient back into the ultimate. "The World-Honoured One's Dharma having lasted long, he must at last preach the real"—this is the ultimate. "The Buddha, through the power of expedient means, reveals the teaching of the three vehicles"—this is the expedient. The text of the three cycles across the twenty-eight chapters merely reveals the Tathāgata's expedient and ultimate knowledge and vision. The ancients said: "If this flower does not exist, that is all; if it exists, flower and fruit are both contained. If this sūtra is not preached, that is all; if it is preached, expedient and ultimate are both distinguished." One clearly knows that the Lotus Sūtra does not go beyond expedient and ultimate merit. Since it reaches the ultimate and proclaims what is difficult to believe and difficult to comprehend, if one can now rejoice in it, one's virtue is immeasurable. The person who initially hears it will in the near term obtain purification of the six faculties, and in the long term swiftly accomplish the fruit of buddhahood; therefore it is said that their blessings are still greater.