法華論疏 1.302

1.302

"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.