大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 8.25

8.25

疏「法華云此經難信難解」下，第十結成破立。意云：以四十餘年皆說三乘，唯至《法華》獨說一乘，故難信解。此即〈法師品〉文。文云「佛告藥王：『我所說經典無量千萬億，已說今說當說。而於其中此法華經，最為難信難解。藥王？此經是諸佛祕要之藏，不可分布妄授與人。諸佛世尊之所守護，從昔已來未曾顯說。而此經者，如來現在，猶多怨嫉，況滅度後。』」今疏略引。言已說者，《法華》之前謂《般若》等。言今說者，即《無量義經》。言當說者，即《涅槃》等。所以方知諸經不及《法華》難信解者，以《法華》是會三之始、歸一之初，信解者難耳。昔經雖妙，猶帶三乘，曾未明言說唯一實。《涅槃》之中雖明一極，《法華》在前已破三乘，後說一極便易信受。《法華》猶如先鋒，《涅槃》如於大軍，先鋒已破於賊，後軍用力不多耳。又破三顯一，《法華》如收穫，《涅槃》如拾穗。故《涅槃》三十六云「昔於靈山說法華，八千聲聞得受記別，如秋收冬藏更無所為。」即其義耳。若依難信之義，設將已說該著《華嚴》，若比《法華》亦為易信。始成正覺便說一極，上根所受，不對昔權，故比《法華》誠易信耳。疏「誠哉斯言」者，結定前經。「若信執」下，結成破立。三乘五性即是所破，一乘一性以為所立。疏「百喻經」下，更引他經證成一義。彼經第二云「昔有一聚落，去王城五由旬，村中有好美水。王勅村人，常使日日進其美水。村人疲苦，悉欲遠移避此村去。時彼村主語諸人言：『汝等莫去。我當為汝白王，改五由旬作三由旬，使汝得近，往來不疲。』即往白王，王為改之作三由旬，眾人聞已便大歡喜。有人語言：『今三由旬，與彼本來五由旬量更無有異。』雖聞此言，信王語故，終不肯捨。世間之人亦復如是，修行正法，超度五道向涅槃城，心生疲倦便欲捨離，頓駕生死不能復進。如來法王有大方便，於一乘法分別說三，小乘之人聞之歡喜以為易行，修善進德求度生死。後聞人說，無有三乘但是一道。以信佛語，終不肯捨。當知彼人亦復如是。」此經即是金口良斷，權實顯然，可息諸說耳。

Regarding the commentary's passage beginning with "The Lotus Sūtra says that this sūtra is difficult to believe and difficult to understand," this is the tenth part, concluding the refutation and establishment. The meaning is: because for more than forty years the triyāna had always been taught, and only upon arriving at the Lotus Sūtra was the ekayāna exclusively taught, it was therefore difficult to believe and understand. This is the text of the "Dharmabhāṇaka" chapter. The text says: "The Buddha addressed Bhaiṣajyarāja: 'The scriptural texts I have spoken are immeasurable thousands of myriads of koṭis; [some] already spoken, [some] now being spoken, and [some] yet to be spoken. Yet among these, this Lotus Sūtra is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand. Bhaiṣajyarāja, this sūtra is the secret and essential treasury of the Buddhas, which must not be distributed or recklessly conferred upon people. It is that which has been guarded by the Buddhas, the World-Honoured Ones; from the past up to the present, it has never been openly expounded. Yet regarding this sūtra, even while the Tathāgata is present in the world, there are still many instances of hostility and jealousy; how much more so after his extinction!'" The commentary here cites this in brief. What has "already spoken" refers to [the texts] prior to the Lotus Sūtra, namely the Prajñāpāramitā and others. What is "now being spoken" refers to the Amitārtha-sūtra. What is "yet to be spoken" refers to the Nirvāṇa[-sūtra] and others. The reason one only then knows that the various sūtras do not match the Lotus Sūtra in being difficult to believe and understand is that the Lotus Sūtra marks the beginning of converging the three and the initial reversion to the one; hence those who believe and understand it are few. Though past sūtras were sublime, they still carried the triyāna, and never explicitly declared that there is only the one real [vehicle]. In the Nirvāṇa, although the single culmination is clarified, the Lotus Sūtra had already refuted the triyāna beforehand; so teaching the single culmination later makes it easy to accept with faith. The Lotus Sūtra is like the vanguard, and the Nirvāṇa is like the main army; once the vanguard has crushed the enemy, the rear army does not expend much effort. Furthermore, in refuting the three and revealing the one, the Lotus Sūtra is like the harvest, and the Nirvāṇa is like gleaning the ears of grain. Thus, the thirty-sixth [fascicle of the] Nirvāṇa says: "Formerly, when preaching the Lotus Sūtra on Gṛdhrakūṭa, eight thousand śrāvakas received predictions, like an autumn harvest and winter storage with nothing further to be done." This is precisely its meaning. If we go by the meaning of "difficult to believe," even if we include the Avataṃsaka under what had already been spoken, in comparison to the Lotus Sūtra it is still easy to believe. Upon first attaining right awakening, [the Buddha] immediately taught the single culmination, received by those of superior capacities without confronting the provisional teachings of the past; hence, compared to the Lotus Sūtra, it is truly easy to believe. As for the commentary saying "True indeed are these words," this confirms and settles the preceding sūtra text. From "If one faithfully clings" onward, it concludes the refutation and establishment. The triyāna and five natures constitute what is refuted; the ekayāna and one nature constitute what is established. Regarding the commentary's passage beginning with "The Sūtra of One Hundred Parables," it further cites another sūtra to corroborate and establish the single meaning. The second fascicle of that sūtra states: "Formerly, there was a settlement five yojanas away from the royal city. In the village there was delicious, fine water. The king commanded the villagers to constantly send this fine water every single day. The villagers, wearied and suffering, all wished to move far away and abandon this village. At that time, the village headman said to the people: 'Do not leave! I shall speak to the king on your behalf, so that he changes the five yojanas into three yojanas, making it closer for you so that you will not be weary travelling back and forth.' He then went to petition the king, and the king changed it to three yojanas for them. When the people heard this, they were greatly rejoiced. Someone said to them: 'These three yojanas now are no different at all from the measure of the original five yojanas.' Even though they heard this, because they believed the king's words, they refused to abandon it to the very end. Worldly beings are also like this: cultivating the right Dharma, they cross over the five destinies toward the city of nirvāṇa; but when fatigue arises in their minds, they wish to abandon it, pausing their carriage in saṃsāra, unable to advance further. The Tathāgata, the Dharma King, possessing great upāya, discriminately spoke of three within the one vehicle Dharma. Hearing this, people of the lesser vehicle rejoiced, thinking it easy to practice, and cultivated goodness and advanced in virtue, seeking to cross over saṃsāra. Later, hearing people say that there is no triyāna, but only a single path, because they believe the Buddha's words, they refuse to abandon [their practice] to the very end. One should know that those people are also like this." This sūtra is an excellent judgment from the golden mouth [of the Buddha]; provisional and real are patent, which ought to lay to rest all disputes.