法華論疏 1.42

1.42

「經曰如是我聞」，此是第二正明論體。但論略難明，今引二門敘其體例。一辨二經同異、二敘斯論製作之方。二經同異者，即羅什所譯經及留支所出帶論之經，其文不同凡有五種：一者舊經略、論經廣，如舊經歎羅漢德唯有五句、論經有十六句，或可梵本廣略不同，或可聲聞常眾無會不集處處歎之，故羅什略歎其德也。天親欲示解一經歎德，令譏眾經歎德之意，故廣說也。二舊經廣而論經略，如〈方便品〉，舊經為十句，謂如是相如是性等。論經唯有五門，當是天親以略攝廣故也。三二經同無廣略，如歎菩薩德。四品次前後，舊經〈屬累〉在〈藥王〉之前。論經在〈普賢〉之後。羅什依於義意，是故在前；天親同經常法，所以在後。五名義不同，舊經稱六十二億恒河沙菩薩、論經稱六十二億恒河沙佛。羅什依經文譯之，故云菩薩；論取義意歎釋其福正等，顯初地菩薩得真如法身故即是佛，以觀音與六十二億法身不二，故言福平等，所以稱佛。次明論製作不同者，如龍樹釋經，不預開章門，至後追詺於前。天親釋此經凡有二意：一者預開起盡，如初品七分；二至後方陳，如論末云「方便品凡有五門」，蓋是聖人適時而用也。天親大開此經凡有三十二章，所言三十二者，即〈序品〉七分、〈方便品〉五門，謂十二也；從〈譬喻品〉竟〈寶塔品〉，破十種病、利益十人，即十段也；從〈藥草〉竟一經，明十無上，又有十章。故合成三十二也。問：初從〈火宅〉竟於〈寶塔〉所破十病，云何更從〈藥草〉竟一經明十無上耶？答：《付法藏經》云「婆藪槃陀善解一切修多羅義」。修多羅者凡有五義：一者顯示，謂顯示諸義故，如〈序品〉七段、〈方便〉五門，即顯示十二種義也。二涌泉，謂義味無盡故，如解〈譬喻〉竟於〈寶塔〉，更從〈藥草〉竟於一經，釋於後竟而追解於前，示義味無盡，即涌泉義也。三出生，諸義出生故，如解第十無上勝功德力，歎經廣生功德無盡，即出生義也。四者繩墨，裁諸邪顯正故，破十病名曰裁邪，顯十種義所謂顯正。五者結鬘，貫穿諸佛法，則三十二章同為顯一道、唯教一人，如結華鬘令身首嚴飾也。又釋後竟而更追解前者，聖人內有無礙之智、外有無方之辨，故能自在而譯。又從前譯向後，示鳥目疾轉；從後向前，如師子返擲。又前譯經竟，有疑者重問之，故後更釋之。如今人義深，後章別有料簡重也。蓋是外國聖人制論之大體也。

Regarding 'The sūtra states: Thus have I heard': this is the second part, which properly elucidates the substance of the treatise. However, because the treatise is brief and difficult to understand, I will now introduce two headings to outline its stylistic norms. The first is distinguishing the agreements and differences between the two versions of the sūtra, and the second is outlining the method by which this treatise was composed. Regarding the agreements and differences between the two versions of the sūtra—that is, the sūtra translated by Kumārajīva and the sūtra accompanied by the treatise brought out by Bodhiruci—their texts differ in altogether five ways: First, the old sūtra is brief, whereas the treatise's sūtra is extensive. For instance, in praising the virtues of the arhats, the old sūtra has only five phrases, whereas the treatise's sūtra has sixteen phrases. Perhaps their Sanskrit originals differed in brevity and extensiveness; or perhaps because the śrāvaka assembly is constant, never absent from any gathering, and praised in every passage, Kumārajīva therefore praised their virtues briefly. Tianqin, wishing to demonstrate the understanding of the praised virtues in one sūtra so as to spur awareness of the meaning of the praised virtues across all sūtras, therefore expounded them extensively. Second, the old sūtra is extensive while the treatise's sūtra is brief. For example, in the 'Skillful Means Chapter', the old sūtra has ten phrases, namely 'such characteristics, such natures,' and so forth; the treatise's sūtra has only five headings, which must be because Tianqin subsumed the extensive within the brief. Third, the two sūtras agree without divergence in brevity or extensiveness, as in the praise of the bodhisattvas' virtues. Fourth, the sequence of chapters differs: in the old sūtra, 'Entrustment' comes before 'Medicine King', whereas in the treatise's sūtra it comes after 'Samantabhadra'. Kumārajīva followed the conceptual meaning, and therefore placed it before; Tianqin conformed to the standard practice of sūtras, and therefore placed it after. Fifth, terms and meanings differ: the old sūtra speaks of 'bodhisattvas [as numerous as] the sands of sixty-two koṭīs of Ganges Rivers', while the treatise's sūtra speaks of 'buddhas [as numerous as] the sands of sixty-two koṭīs of Ganges Rivers'. Kumārajīva translated following the sūtra text, and so says 'bodhisattvas'; the treatise takes the conceptual meaning praising and explaining their equal merit, revealing that a bodhisattva of the first bhūmi, having attained the dharmakāya of thusness, is identical to a buddha. Because Avalokiteśvara is non-dual with the sixty-two koṭīs of dharmakāyas, their merit is said to be equal, and so they are termed 'buddhas'. Next, in clarifying the difference in the treatise's method of composition: when Nāgārjuna comments on sūtras, he does not lay out section headings in advance, but names earlier portions retrospectively later on. Tianqin had altogether two intentions in commenting on this sūtra: first, to establish the beginnings and endings in advance, as with the seven sections in the first chapter; second, to set them forth only later, as when the end of the treatise states that 'the Skillful Means Chapter has altogether five headings'—this is simply the sage adapting to the occasion. Tianqin broadly divides this sūtra into altogether thirty-two sections. As for these thirty-two: the seven sections of the 'Introductory Chapter' and the five headings of the 'Skillful Means Chapter' constitute twelve; from the 'Parable Chapter' through the 'Apparition of the Jeweled Stūpa Chapter', refuting ten types of sickness and benefiting ten kinds of persons, constitutes ten passages; and from the 'Medicinal Herbs Chapter' through the end of the sūtra, elucidating the ten unsurpassables, there are another ten chapters. Thus together they make thirty-two. Question: Having initially refuted the ten sicknesses from the 'Burning House' through the 'Jeweled Stūpa', why does he again elucidate the ten unsurpassables from the 'Medicinal Herbs' through the end of the sūtra? Answer: The Fu fazang jing states, 'Vasubandhu was adept at understanding the meaning of all sūtras.' Sūtra has altogether five meanings: First, revealing—meaning that it reveals various doctrines; just as the seven passages of the 'Introductory Chapter' and the five headings of the 'Skillful Means' reveal twelve kinds of doctrines. Second, a gushing spring—meaning that its doctrinal flavor is inexhaustible; just as after explaining from 'Parable' through 'Jeweled Stūpa', he turns back to explain from 'Medicinal Herbs' through the end of the sūtra, retrospectively explaining the earlier part after explaining the later part to show the inexhaustibility of its doctrinal flavor, which is the meaning of a gushing spring. Third, generating—because various meanings are generated; just as in explaining the tenth unsurpassable power of supreme merit, he praises the sūtra's vast generation of inexhaustible merit, which is the meaning of generating. Fourth, the carpenter's line—because it corrects the heterodox and reveals the orthodox; refuting the ten sicknesses is called correcting the heterodox, and revealing the ten kinds of doctrines is called revealing the orthodox. Fifth, stringing a garland—threading together all the Buddha's teachings; thus the thirty-two sections together reveal the one path and teach only one person, just as tying a flower garland adorns the body and head. Furthermore, in retrospectively explaining the earlier after completing the later: internally the sage possessed unobstructed wisdom, and externally he possessed unconstrained eloquence, and thus was able to interpret freely. Moreover, moving from front to back displays the swift turn of a bird's eye; moving from back to front is like a lion turning back to pounce. Furthermore, when the earlier translation of the sūtra was finished, there were doubters who questioned it again, and so he explained it further later. Just as among people today when the meaning is profound, a later section provides separate, careful discrimination; this is the general style of the foreign sages in composing treatises.