大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 8.25

8.25

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.