金光明最勝王經疏 4.244

4.244

釋名者，蓮華是喻，讚歎是法。蓮華者，通名芙蕖亦名芙蓉，華名菡萏，其實名蓮。蓮謂房也，應即蓮臺。蓮中子曰菂，菂中曰薏。此意華即喻因，蓮即喻果。喻在因中，前後相望雙含因果。又蓮華出於泥水不為泥水所污，喻修行雖在染位必能出離惑泥。敷榮起乎水中亦不為泥水所污，喻勝因果俱能離染。此蓮華喻，通能所讚。讚歎喻似蓮華，非染污心讚故。讚體是智，讚用是言，以淨心起言亦似蓮華。然今意取讚佛妙德如似蓮華，故此品云「常以蓮華喻讚稱歎十方佛」，又頌云「讚佛功德喻蓮華」。以由，用也。常用蓮華喻而讚歎佛。或此讚詞名蓮華喻，用此蓮華喻讚歎讚歎諸佛，故言常以蓮華喻讚。此品明彼，故以為名。

As for explaining the title: the lotus is the simile; praising is the phenomenon (dharma). As for 'lotus' (蓮華), the general term is fuqu (芙蕖) or furong (芙蓉); the blossom is called handan (菡萏), and its fruit is called lian (蓮). Lian refers to the receptacle (蓮房), which corresponds to the lotus platform. The seed inside the lotus is called di (菂), and the plumule inside the seed is called yi (薏). The meaning is that the flower similes the cause, and the lotus [fruit] similes the fruit. The simile is set within the cause, looking back and forth to encompass both cause and fruit. Furthermore, the lotus grows out of muddy water without being defiled by muddy water, which similes how practice, though in a defiled stage, can surely emerge from the mud of afflictions. Flourishing and rising out of the water, it is also not defiled by muddy water, which similes how supreme causes and fruits can both transcend defilement. This lotus simile applies to both the one who praises and what is praised. Praising is similed to a lotus because it praises with an undefiled mind. The essence of praise is wisdom; the function of praise is words: arising from a pure mind, speech is also like a lotus. However, the present intent primarily takes praising the Buddha's wondrous virtues as being like a lotus. Thus this chapter says, 'Constantly praised and extolled the Buddhas of the ten directions with the simile of the lotus,' and the verse also says, 'Praised the Buddha's merits with the simile of the lotus.' 'With' (以) means 'by means of' (用): constantly using the simile of the lotus to praise the Buddha. Alternatively, this laudatory text is named 'Simile of the Lotus'; one uses this simile of the lotus to praise and extol the Buddhas, hence it says 'constantly praised with the simile of the lotus.' This chapter explains this matter, so it is taken as its title.