英語訳
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This clarifies the sequence. This is the second significance of the present chapter. Also, according to the treatise, it makes this the final chapter. In our school, this is necessarily the true meaning.
Question: In the sūtra, Śākyamuni extends his right hand and touches the heads of countless bodhisattvas. Does he touch the heads of many bodhisattvas with one hand, or does he manifest multiple hands to touch their heads? There are arguments on both sides. If it's one hand, even though the Tathāgata's supernatural power is inconceivable, how can one hand simultaneously touch the heads of countless bodhisattvas? According to this, the Xuanzan states "because the wonderful function of each hand touching spreads everywhere." If not so, the sūtra text says "with his right hand he touched the heads of countless bodhisattva-mahāsattvas," showing one right hand extended to touch heads. According to this, a Chinese master (Jiaxiang) explains: "With one hand simultaneously touching the heads of bodhisattvas numerous as dust particles in a thousand worlds."
Response: The Xuanzan provides questions from both perspectives. The first answer, "because one hand simultaneously has great supernatural power," means using one hand to touch all heads. The next, "because the wonderful function of each hand touching spreads everywhere," means manifesting many hands, each touching. The first "because" says "because supernatural power is great." "Great" means vast and extensive. The next "because" says "because wonderful function spreads everywhere." "Spreads" also means universally responding to each separately.
The Xuanzan states: "To resolve the difficulty: does he use one hand to touch the heads of bodhisattvas, or does he touch each bodhisattva with one hand each? Answer: One hand simultaneously, because supernatural power is great. Each hand touches because wonderful function spreads everywhere. However, each bodhisattva sees being touched alone. By this, with deep mind they receive according to the words."
The Suichō states: "Saying 'touching with one hand, etc.' means asking: the number of emerging bodhisattvas is like river sand. Does he touch with one hand simultaneously, or with each hand separately? Answer: Touch with one hand simultaneously. Neither before nor after. To express the Buddha's supernatural power. Second, each bodhisattva is touched by one hand each. To express the Buddha's wonderful function spreading everywhere. That each bodhisattva sees being touched alone means each sees the World-Honored One touching their own body, not seeing the touching of other bodhisattvas. Also, one hand means the hand is like the teaching, to make known the sole vehicle teaching. Also it says: regarding 'initially with the right hand, etc.,' Jiaxiang says: one hand simultaneously touching the heads of bodhisattvas numerous as dust particles in a thousand worlds is called manifesting great supernatural power."
Question: Should this sūtra be entrusted to śrāvakas? Answer: It advances saying it is not entrusted to the śrāvaka assembly. Regarding this, since the buddhahood of two vehicles is the main teaching of this sūtra, why not entrust it to śrāvakas like Śāriputra? Moreover, the Prajñāpāramitā sūtra even entrusts to Ānanda and others. Shouldn't this follow that example?
Response: The World-Honored One entrusted this sūtra to countless bodhisattvas, with no text of entrusting to śrāvakas. Therefore this chapter states: "Then Śākyamuni Buddha rose from the Dharma seat, manifested great supernatural power, touched the heads of countless bodhisattva-mahāsattvas with his right hand, and spoke thus: 'Throughout countless hundreds of thousands of myriads of billions of asaṃkhyeya kalpas, I have cultivated this difficult-to-obtain anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi Dharma. Now I entrust it to you all.'" The Xuanzan explains the reason: "Nāgārjuna's explanation states: Other sūtras are not secret. Only the Lotus secretly teaches the buddhahood of two vehicles. Only great bodhisattvas can use and practice this. Like a great physician who can use poison."
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The Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra is the Prajñāpāramitā commentary. Even that treatise, compared to the Lotus, says other sūtras are not secret. Therefore we know analogical criticism is inappropriate.
Inquiry: What does it mean that only the Lotus is secret? Does it name the incomplete meaning as secret? If so, it wouldn't be a meaning of praise. Even so, the Lotus is esoteric within the third period. Prajñāpāramitā is esoteric of the second period. Since Prajñāpāramitā already has heavy secret characteristics, why use this reason? If secret means supremely profound meaning, how could there be no most complete definitive teaching among other sūtras? Why does Nāgārjuna alone praise the Lotus? Moreover, that treatise takes Prajñāpāramitā as supreme. How could it regard the Lotus as shallow and close?
Answer: The Xuanzan commentary on the Lifespan chapter, explaining the text about the Tathāgata's secret supernatural power, states: "Secret means the profound and wonderful substance of the Dharma and reward bodies. [...] What the Buddha protects and stores is called secret; meaning so deep it's difficult to understand is called esoteric. [...] Also, the Abhidharma and others speak of four secrets, etc." Are these two explanations? First, "what the Buddha protects and stores" is called secret - this is the ultimate principle of the wonderful substance and fruit of the three bodies. The bright jewel in the topknot is not carelessly bestowed. This is the meaning of secret protection and storage. The latter explanation: the four secrets are incomplete, so hiddenness is called secret. This means the meanings of remedial secrecy, equal intent, etc. Calling the one vehicle secret. These two approaches can also exist. Nāgārjuna's explanation can generally be assigned to the first meaning. That treatise praises the Lotus extensively. Following this approach, no sūtras surpass the Lotus. Or it's also the latter approach. The real intent of the four reliance treatise masters is all the same. This intent can be known through the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra and others. However, complete and incomplete meanings also have many levels. Now, specifically addressing indeterminate two-vehicle practitioners, it teaches the principle that all achieve buddhahood. This is the meaning of inclusion. Those who are not advanced bodhisattvas cannot know this secret intent. Therefore it is specifically entrusted to bodhisattvas. Though śrāvakas are the proper recipients of the one vehicle, they conversely don't know the secret intent, so entrustment is not possible.
The Xuanzan states: "Nāgārjuna's explanation states: Other sūtras are not secret. Only the Lotus secretly teaches the buddhahood of two vehicles. Only great bodhisattvas can use and practice this. Like a great physician who can use poison."
The Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra, fascicle 100, states:
Question: The sūtra text mentions "Buddha's wisdom, Tathāgata's wisdom, natural wisdom." How does the great master explain this? Answer: The commentary has two explanations. First: Buddha's wisdom is omniscient wisdom. Tathāgata's wisdom is all-knowledge. These two don't depend on teachers and friends, being naturally obtained, so they're called natural wisdom. Second: The first two are conditioned wisdom. The latter one is unconditioned wisdom. Therefore it's called natural. Regarding the first explanation: listing three wisdoms separately, why say the third natural wisdom is identical to the first two? Next, the Buddha's fruition wisdom is obtained through cultivating myriad practices as causes. How can it be called naturally obtained? Also, the four reliances all encountered buddhas of twenty-six kalpas. How can one say they don't depend on teachers and friends? Regarding the second explanation: already calling it wisdom, it should be conditioned wisdom. By what do we know its essence is unconditioned? Therefore, other Tiantai masters say these three wisdoms are, in order: all-knowledge, knowledge of paths, all-seed knowledge. How about this?