廬山蓮宗寶鑑 10.22

10.22

《法華經．譬喻品》云「若有眾生，從佛世尊聞法信受，慇懃精進求一切智、佛智、自然智、無師智，如彼諸子為求牛車出於火宅。」故知眾生喻諸子，三界喻火宅，三乘喻三車。如來見眾生在三界中不得出離，說三乘法引令離苦。譬如諸子在火宅中嬉戲，長者以三車引之令出也。有等愚人假說文殊問佛，妄稱性是牛車、心是羊車、意是鹿車。又云牛車載妙法、羊車載蓮花、鹿車載經。所謂醍醐上味為世所珍，遇斯人等翻成毒藥。夫法華經者，諸法之王，佛所護念，其可妄議哉？何期邪師謬見，以非為是、以是為非，法說非法、非法說法，誑於人、謗於佛、毀於法，豈非負五逆之大罪乎？經云「若有誹謗是經典者，當知是人入阿鼻獄具足一劫，劫盡更生。好是展轉至無數劫，從地獄出當墮畜生，謗斯經故獲罪如是。」細思此等，哀哉切心。敢以忠言痛告道友，於自己心中開示悟入佛之知見，則此心清淨如蓮華開，是謂之法華三昧。悟斯理者，是乘白牛車出三界火宅也。又不見法達禪師見六祖大師呈偈云「誦經三千部，曹溪一句亡。未明出世旨，寧歇累生狂。羊麁牛權設，初中後善揚。誰知火宅內，元是法中王。」於是曹溪六祖大師乃說偈以證之云「心迷法華轉，心悟轉法華。誦久不明己，與義作讎家。無念念即正，有念念成邪。若能如是解，長駕白牛車。」是也。若有執迷不省、自取沈淪者，吾末如之何也已矣。

The "Parable" chapter of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra says: "If there are sentient beings who hear the Dharma from the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, accept it in faith, and diligently and vigorously seek all-knowledge, Buddha-knowledge, spontaneous knowledge, and unmastered knowledge, they are like those children who, to seek the ox-carts, came out of the burning house." Thus we know that sentient beings are likened to the children, the three realms are likened to the burning house, and the triyāna is likened to the three carts. The Tathāgata, seeing that sentient beings in the three realms could not escape, expounded the teachings of the triyāna to lead them away from suffering. This is like the children playing in the burning house, whom the elder led out by means of the three carts. There are some foolish people who falsely invent a dialogue where Mañjuśrī asks the Buddha, claiming that nature is the ox-cart, mind is the sheep-cart, and thought is the deer-cart. They also say that the ox-cart carries the wondrous Dharma, the sheep-cart carries the lotus flower, and the deer-cart carries the sūtras. What is called the supreme taste of clarified butter, cherished by the world, turns into poison when encountered by such people! Now, the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra is the king of all dharmas, protected and kept in mind by the Buddhas; how could it be discussed so recklessly? Who would have thought that heterodox teachers with errant views would take the false as true and the true as false, proclaim the Dharma as non-Dharma and non-Dharma as the Dharma, deceiving people, slandering the Buddha, and defaming the Dharma? Do they not incur the great crime of the five heinous deeds? The sūtra says: "If anyone slanders this scripture, know that this person will enter the Avīci Hell for a full kalpa; when the kalpa ends, they will be reborn there again. Thus they will cycle on for countless kalpas; emerging from hell, they will fall into the animal realm. Such is the retribution incurred for slandering this scripture." Pondering this carefully, how deeply grievous it is! I dare to address my companions of the Way with sincere and earnest words: if you open, display, awaken to, and enter the Buddha's knowledge and vision within your own mind, this mind will be pure like a blossoming lotus flower—this is called the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-samādhi. Those who awaken to this principle ride the great white ox-cart out of the burning house of the three realms. Moreover, have you not seen Chan Master Fada presenting a verse upon seeing the Great Master, the Sixth Patriarch: "I recited three thousand rolls of the sūtra, / But at Caoxi, a single phrase extinguished them all. / Not having understood the world-transcending aim, / How could the madness of repeated lives cease? / Sheep, deer, and oxen are provisionally set up; / The beginning, middle, and end are well proclaimed. / Who knew that within the burning house / It was originally the king among teachings?" Thereupon, the Great Master, the Sixth Patriarch of Caoxi, spoke a verse to verify it, saying: "When the mind is deluded, it is turned by the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka; / When the mind is awakened, it turns the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka. / Reciting it long without understanding oneself / Makes one an enemy of the meaning. / With no thought, thought is right; / With thought, thought becomes wrong. / If one can understand like this, / One constantly rides the white ox-cart." This is it. If there are those who cling to delusion and do not awaken, bringing about their own ruin, there is nothing I can do for them.