法苑珠林 25.17

25.17

第十論云。所以稱婆陀比丘解人疑滯第一者。三世諸佛皆共八萬四千以為行法。眾生得道不必遍行眾行。隨其所悟處以為宗趣。何者眾生結使不同。病有多少。垢有厚薄。是故如來設教若干。或有一藥治眾病。或有眾藥治一病。猶六度相統。一行為主眾行悉從。一行不專眾病隨起。隨病所起對藥應之。若計常起以無常對之。若計有心起以空心對之。當其無常領行。萬行皆無常也。猶施造八萬。八萬皆為施所造也。亦猶如來八音中一音統八響。一響統百教。一教統百義。一一相領至千萬億。一音報萬億。其變如是。略說統行其喻亦爾。此比丘專以略說為主。故稱第一也。

The tenth treatise states: Why the monk Vāda is called foremost in resolving people's doubts and hesitations: The buddhas of the three periods of time together possess eighty-four thousand practices as the Dharma of practice. When sentient beings attain the Way, they need not practice all these practices comprehensively; they take as their main focus wherever they attain awakening. Why is this? Sentient beings have different fetters, ailments of greater or lesser degree, and defilements of varying thickness. Therefore the Tathāgata established diverse teachings. In some cases, a single medicine treats many illnesses; in other cases, many medicines treat a single illness. Just as the six perfections unite one another, when one practice serves as the master, all practices follow it; if one practice is not focused upon, all illnesses arise accordingly. Conforming to the illness that arises, a medicine is applied in response: if a grasp of permanence arises, one counters it with impermanence; if a grasp of existence arises, one counters it with emptiness. When impermanence directs practice, the ten thousand practices are all impermanent. Just as dāna constitutes the eighty-four thousand, the eighty-four thousand are all constituted by dāna. It is also like the Buddha's eight sounds, in which a single sound commands eight tones, a single tone commands a hundred teachings, and a single teaching commands a hundred principles, mutually governing one another up to thousands of millions. A single sound answers ten thousand millions; such is its transformation. The analogy of an abridged explanation commanding practice is also like this. Because this monk focused on abridged explanations as his principal method, he is called foremost.