四教義 1.18

1.18

第五明經論用四教多少不同。若《華嚴》頓教，用別、圓兩教。若漸教之初，小乘經但用三藏教。若《大乘方等》，則具有四教。若《摩訶般若》，用通、別、圓三教。《妙法蓮華經》但用圓教。《大涅槃》名諸佛法界，四教皆入佛性涅槃。諸論隨經用教多少，義類可解。問曰：四教遍通眾經，何故偏於此經文前廣辯？答曰：一切漸、頓諸經未必皆明四教，唯《方等》、《大集》及此經典具有四教之文，故約此經意略明四教義也。但每嗟末代弘經之人，採眾經義用通一論，遂致使後生皆謂「論富經貧」，輕經重論。今採眾經、論立四教義以通諸大小乘經者，意望後賢敬重佛言，棄其枝末。若能專心《大乘方等》，聽說、受持、讀誦、書寫、如說修行，非但功不唐捐，亦能契理之要也。

Fifth, explaining the varying amounts of the four teachings used in the sūtras and treatises. If it is the sudden teaching of the Avataṃsaka, it uses the two teachings: the distinctive and the perfect. If it is the beginning of the gradual teaching, the Hīnayāna sūtras use only the Tripiṭaka teaching. If it is the Mahāyāna Vaipulya, then it possesses all four teachings. If it is the Mahāprajñā, it uses the three teachings: the shared, the distinctive, and the perfect. The Lotus Sūtra uses only the perfect teaching. The Mahāparinirvāṇa is named the dharmadhātu of all Buddhas, where all four teachings enter the Buddha-nature and nirvāṇa. The various amounts of teachings used across the treatises according to the sūtras can be understood along similar lines. Question: The four teachings pervade all the sūtras; why then are they extensively discriminated specifically in front of the text of this sūtra? Answer: It is not necessarily the case that all gradual and sudden sūtras explain the four teachings; it is only the Vaipulya, the Mahāsaṃnipāta, and this canonical text that fully possess passages on the four teachings; therefore, based on the meaning of this sūtra, we briefly explain the meaning of the four teachings. However, one constantly laments that propagators of the sūtras in the degenerate age gather the meanings of numerous sūtras to explain a single treatise, thereby causing later generations all to say that 'treatises are rich and sūtras are poor,' disparaging sūtras and esteeming treatises. Now, in gathering numerous sūtras and treatises to establish the meaning of the four teachings in order to penetrate the various Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna sūtras, my intention is that future worthy ones will revere the Buddha's words and discard the branches and tips. If one can focus one's mind on the Mahāyāna Vaipulya, listening to, preaching, receiving, upholding, reading, reciting, copying, and practicing it in accordance with what is taught, not only will the effort not be in vain, but one will also be able to tally with the essentials of principle.