法華論疏 1.302

1.302

謂有疑者為斷疑故者，此釋第一欲論大法。則是無論經欲說大法。自古至今不依論釋經者，但案文前後意釋此一章經；依天親釋意者，就位從淺至深釋也。自四十餘年舊疑及聞法華新生疑等，欲說大法斷此新舊二疑也。故下文殊偈末云「諸求三乘人，若有疑悔者，佛當為除斷，令盡無有餘」也。已斷疑者增長淳熟彼智身故者，釋第二雨大法雨。世間之雨能令物增長成就，一乘法雨令三乘人竝入平等大慧。如身子領解中云「疑悔永已斷，安住實智中」。根淳熟者為說二種微密境界，釋第三欲擊大法鼓及第七不斷大法鼓也。前已明三乘人智身淳熟，今次授三乘人作佛，名記密境界。《智度論》云「法華經令二乘作佛，名祕密法。祕密法者，甚深難解故也。」又四十餘年不明此事，故稱密。大法鼓者二句示現者，一是擊大法鼓、二是不斷大法鼓也。以遠聞故者，正釋法鼓之名。夫擊大法鼓令人遠聞，今就大法竝授三乘人記，令十方遠聞。問：何故云不斷法鼓？答：夫二乘獨善，竟無傳化；若得受記成佛竟，更傳化餘人亦令成佛，故云不斷法鼓也。入密境界者令進取上上清淨義故者，釋第四欲建大法幢。三乘已得受記，然後行菩薩行。菩薩行遠離二邊，是中道行，故稱上上清淨。在幢已二門高，故稱上上清淨義。取清淨義者令進取一切種智得現見故者，釋第五欲燃大法燈。夫燈有二義，一者破闇、二者顯物，令三乘人行行已滿，破無明闇，得一切種智，故能見佛性等法。前之四句令三乘人因行成，今此一句令三乘人果德滿。取一切智見者，釋第六句欲吹大法蠡。夫吹蠡出語言音聲，三乘人得佛果竟更為眾生說一切教，故云為一切法建立名字章句也。建立名字章句義者，釋第八欲說大法。前第七成佛竟為物演教，今第八說教令悟理，入於理亦得成佛。問：何故云入不可說證智轉法輪？答曰：令物得證真實智時，則內外竝冥、緣觀俱寂、名不可說。則此智體名為法輪，從彼至此故稱為轉。今更總釋八句，佛說法華凡有二意：一令眾生自得作佛、二令眾生化他亦使成佛。前六句則是自行，後二句名為化他。此二各兩：自行中五句辨因、一句論果；化他中初句為物演教、次句令物證入。問：何故說法令自行化他？答：二乘之人唯能獨善，今已成佛竟，化眾生亦令成佛也。就五句為二：初句斷疑令其惑滅、次四句令其解生。開二：初句十信至十解成就、次句解行純熟入密境界，故得受記從十行至十迴向。上上清淨義，從初地乃至十地。

"That which says, 'for the sake of severing the doubts of those who have doubts'" explains the first [phrase, "wishing] to discourse on the Great Dharma." This corresponds to the sūtra text lacking [this specific] line while meaning to speak of the Great Dharma. From antiquity to the present, those who do not rely on the treatise to interpret the sūtra merely interpret this single section of the sūtra based on the preceding and following context of the text; those who rely on Tianqin's interpretive intent explain it according to spiritual stages, moving from the shallow to the deep. From old doubts persisting over forty years and newly arisen doubts upon hearing the Lotus Sūtra, he wishes to speak the Great Dharma to sever these two kinds of doubt, new and old. Therefore, the end of Mañjuśrī's verse below states: "All people seeking the three vehicles, / If they have doubts or regrets, / The Buddha will eradicate and sever them, / Leaving none remaining." "Because for those who have already severed doubts, it causes their body of wisdom to increase, mature, and ripen" explains the second, "raining the great rain of Dharma." Worldly rain can cause things to grow and achieve completion; the Dharma rain of the One Vehicle causes people of the three vehicles to enter into the equal great wisdom together. As Śāriputra states in his understanding: "Doubts and regrets have forever been severed, / I abide peacefully in real wisdom." "For those whose faculties are matured and ripened, preaching the two kinds of profound and esoteric realms" explains the third, "wishing to strike the great Dharma drum," and the seventh, "incessantly [striking] the great Dharma drum." Previously, it was explained that the bodies of wisdom of the people of the three vehicles have matured and ripened; now next, he confers vyākaraṇa on the people of the three vehicles to become buddhas, which is called the esoteric realm of vyākaraṇa. The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom states: "The Lotus Sūtra causing [practitioners of] the two vehicles to become buddhas is called the secret Dharma. The secret Dharma is profound and difficult to understand." Furthermore, for forty-odd years this matter was not clarified; hence it is called "secret." The two lines "manifested by the great Dharma drum" are: first, striking the great Dharma drum; second, incessantly [striking] the great Dharma drum. "Because of being heard from afar" directly explains the name "Dharma drum." Striking a great Dharma drum causes people to hear it from afar; now, regarding the Great Dharma, vyākaraṇa is conferred upon the people of the three vehicles together, causing it to be heard far away in the ten directions. Question: Why is it called the "incessant Dharma drum"? Answer: Practitioners of the two vehicles only seek self-benefit, ultimately lacking transmission and conversion; if, having received vyākaraṇa and completed the realization of buddhahood, they further transmit and convert other persons, likewise causing them to become buddhas, it is therefore called the "incessant Dharma drum." "Because for those who enter the esoteric realm, it causes them to advance and take up the highest, supremely pure meaning" explains the fourth, "wishing to establish the great banner of Dharma." After the three vehicles have received vyākaraṇa, they subsequently practice the bodhisattva path. Bodhisattva practice stays far away from the two extremes and is the Middle Way practice; hence it is called "supremely pure." Since the banner is lofty at the two gates, it is therefore called the "highest, supremely pure meaning." "Taking up the pure meaning, causing them to advance and take up knowledge of all modes so as to gain direct perception" explains the fifth, "wishing to kindle the great Dharma torch." A torch has two meanings: first, dispelling darkness; second, revealing things. Causing the people of the three vehicles, whose practice is complete, to shatter the darkness of ignorance and attain knowledge of all modes, they are thus able to perceive dharmas such as the Buddha-nature. The previous four lines cause the causal practice of the people of the three vehicles to be accomplished; this single line causes their fruition-virtue to be fulfilled. "Taking up all knowledge and perceiving" explains the sixth line, "wishing to blow the great Dharma conch." Blowing a conch produces speech and sound; after people of the three vehicles attain the fruit of buddhahood, they further expound all teachings for sentient beings; hence it says "establishing the names, phrases, and sentences of all dharmas." "Establishing the meaning of names, phrases, and sentences" explains the eighth, "wishing to speak the Great Dharma." The previous seventh [stage] having attained buddhahood expounds the teaching for beings; now the eighth preaches the teaching to cause them to awaken to the principle, and entering into the principle they likewise attain buddhahood. Question: Why does it say "entering the ineffable wisdom of realization and turning the wheel of Dharma"? Answer: When beings are caused to realize the true wisdom, inner and outer are both obscured, conditions and contemplation are both tranquil, which is called ineffable. This body of wisdom itself is called the wheel of Dharma; moving from that to this, it is therefore termed "turning." Now, further summarizing and explaining the eight lines: the Buddha's preaching of the Lotus Sūtra has two overarching intentions: first, to cause sentient beings themselves to become buddhas; second, to cause sentient beings to transform others, likewise causing them to become buddhas. The first six lines are one's own practice, and the latter two lines are called transforming others. These two each have two aspects: within one's own practice, five lines distinguish the cause and one line discusses the fruit; within transforming others, the first line expounds the teaching for beings, and the next line causes beings to realize and enter. Question: Why is the Dharma taught to make them practice for themselves and transform others? Answer: Persons of the two vehicles are only capable of self-benefit; now, having already become buddhas, they transform sentient beings, likewise causing them to become buddhas. Within the five lines, there are two parts: the first line severs doubts to cause their delusions to be extinguished; the next four lines cause their understanding to arise. Opening into two: the first line is the accomplishment from the ten faiths to the ten understandings; the next line is the ripening of understanding and practice to enter the esoteric realm, thereby receiving vyākaraṇa from the ten practices to the ten dedications. The "highest, supremely pure meaning" spans from the first bhūmi up to the tenth bhūmi.