英語訳
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types'?" The meaning is that emerging from water has two meanings. The ancient masters know one meaning of principle but do not know that there is a meaning of fruition. Therefore, to make them know that there is also a meaning of fruition, it was added saying "why only two types?"
Now I think this answer is quite laborious. One should say that based on the ancient masters "only gaining the meaning of emerging from water and losing the meaning of blooming," the force of the challenging words should say "why only two types?" In reality, one should simply say "why only one type?" (This should be further considered. The ancient masters refer to Master Ky?goku Eshin.)
Question: What are the four meanings of the Lotus?
Answer: The Profound Praise states: "The four meanings of dharma are: according with the subtle guide of secret essence (teaching), conforming to the intent of hidden faculties (principle), mastering the profound work of the supreme vehicle (practice), and perfecting the true doctrine of ultimate enlightenment (fruition). There is nothing that is not beautiful, hence called wonderful. The four meanings of flower are: the lotus bud opening and spreading to reveal the lotus is analogous to teaching's exposition causing realization of the intent; the lotus emerging prominently from the sacred pond is analogous to principle's excellence transcending the Lesser Vehicle; raising the bud and opening to obtain the fruit is analogous to cause being adorned and fruition being fulfilled; designating the white flower as the source of color manifests Buddha wisdom as the source of vehicles. Therefore borrowing the analogy of the lotus flower has good reason." See the Profound Praise volume one for details.
The above completes the second body of predominant characteristics.
Question: What is the meaning of the third, the true reality body?
Answer: The teaching, principle, practice, and fruition of both Great Vehicle and Lesser Vehicle are all called the One Vehicle. This is the meaning of this body. Therefore the treatise states: "The true reality body means the teaching, principle, practice, and fruition of the fundamental Great Vehicle, and the four dharmas that are skillful means for entering the Great Vehicle, are all called the One Vehicle, because they all possess the function of carrying and conveying."
Question: Why is this called the true reality body?
Answer: Because the s?tra states "In the buddha-lands of the ten directions, there is only One Vehicle dharma," etc. Therefore in the pre-Lotus teachings, although Two Vehicle teaching is expounded, this
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is expounding the Three Vehicles through skillful means based on One Vehicle teaching. When we examine the principle, it is actually the One Vehicle. Therefore comprehensively including the fundamental and expedient teaching, principle, practice, and fruition as the One Vehicle, this is called the true reality body. Therefore the Water Commentary states: "In this true reality, there is no discrimination of conditioned-unconditioned, fundamental-expedient teaching, principle, practice, and fruition; all are comprehensively taken and called true reality."
Question: If so, what difference is there from the first comprehensive body?
Answer: The Water Commentary states: "This is broad, that is narrow. This extends to principle and teaching, as well as to the conditioned. That is limited to practice and fruition and only the unconditioned." (There is another interpretation, but as it is incorrect, I do not record it.)
Question: The treatise states: "Fundamental teaching refers to what this chapter initially calls 'those wisdom gates are difficult to understand and enter.' The root treatise explains this as 'scriptural profundity.' The meaning of flower blooming is used to analogize wonderful dharma." What does this mean?
Answer: Teaching, principle, practice, and fruition each have fundamental and expedient aspects. Each produces its evidence texts. This first produces the fundamental teaching evidence, of which there are three. This is the first.
Question: How does this text prove the doctrine that fundamental teaching is called the One Vehicle?
Answer: The beginning of the Expedient Means chapter states: "The wisdom of all buddhas is extremely deep and immeasurable. Those wisdom gates are difficult to understand and enter." Explaining "wisdom gates," the treatise calls it "scriptural profundity." (Āgama is properly called Āgama. This means teaching and also transmission.) Among the two meanings of lotus, the second meaning of flower opening takes the explicating teaching as flower, immediately analogizing wonderful dharma. Wonderful dharma is precisely the One Vehicle. Therefore this text serves as evidence for calling fundamental teaching the One Vehicle. (The textual meaning is all as recorded above.)
Question: The Water Commentary asks: "How can one cite scriptural profundity of the Three Vehicle provisional teaching to prove the fundamental teaching One Vehicle here?" How should this be answered?
Answer: The following text states: "Simply speaking: among the three, Great Vehicle teaching that is taught to sudden-awakening bodhisattvas is also called fundamental teaching. Also taking one portion of the Great Vehicle among the three as
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fundamental teaching. The remaining Two Vehicle one-portion provisional teaching will be directed below to prove expedient teaching."
Examining this now, this doctrine is difficult to believe. Saying "scriptural profundity manifests Three Vehicle provisional teaching" means clarifying the doctrine that although teaching uses expediency to expound three, in reality there is only one. The Two Vehicles do not know this intent, hence it is called "profound." The treatise master's intent is not to take "expounding three through expediency" as evidence for fundamental teaching, but only to take clarifying "in reality there is only one" as evidence for fundamental teaching. Therefore it says "explaining scriptural profundity uses the meaning of flower opening to analogize wonderful dharma." Since it says "the meaning of flower opening analogizes wonderful dharma," does this only clarify Three Vehicle provisional teaching? Therefore the treatise's explanation of the flower opening meaning states: because "various sentient beings have timid and weak minds toward the Great Vehicle" and cannot generate faith, "therefore the pure subtle dharma-body of all buddhas and tathāgatas is opened and shown to generate faithful mind." Since it says "toward the Great Vehicle," how can one say "only provisional teaching"? The Profound Praise states: "The intent of the beginning of the Expedient Means chapter clarifies that in the past expediency was used to expound three; in this present assembly, the principle is actually only one." This is the correct meaning of scriptural profundity. Now taking "the principle is actually only one" as evidence for fundamental teaching.
Also the Profound Praise states: "Previously praising wisdom and wisdom gates is precisely One Vehicle teaching and principle; now expounding practice and fruition." Therefore know that comprehensively expounding the four dharmas of the One Vehicle is called Lotus. Since it says "wisdom gates are One Vehicle teaching," is this (考: one text reads "how could this merely be") Three Vehicle teaching? This doctrine should be kept secret. Later people should understand this.
Question: The treatise states: "The text below also says 'Lotus S?tra treasury firm and deep'" etc. What does this mean?
Answer: This is the second evidence.
Question: How does this text prove fundamental teaching?
Answer: The correct text of the Dharma Teacher chapter states: "This Lotus S?tra treasury is deep, firm, remote, and profound; no person can reach it."
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That "treasury" refers to teaching, therefore the commentary states: "Teaching contains principle, hence called treasury." The Profound Praise states: "Deep and firm: deep means wonderful and difficult to fathom; firm means indestructible. What the Buddha receives and protects, what the Buddha treasures and keeps secret, like the king's seal, not belonging to others. Therefore remote and profound: because causes are cultivated through great kalpas and证 through wonderful wisdom. None but buddhas can master it; no person can reach and exhaust the true fundamental source. Now transforming bodhisattvas, therefore opening and showing." Taking the text of "Lotus S?tra treasury" as evidence for fundamental teaching.
Question: The immediately preceding text of the s?tra states: "This Lotus S?tra opens expedient gates and shows true characteristics" etc., and then there is this text. The Profound Praise combines them as one section of text and explains the above text: "Opening expedient gates means comprehensively gathering the distant and secondary formerly expounded Two Vehicle teaching, principle, practice, and fruition; manifesting true characteristics means comprehensively gathering the near and primary presently expounded One Vehicle teaching, principle, practice, and fruition." Therefore one should say it proves fundamental and expedient teaching, principle, practice, and fruition. Why then make it only evidence for fundamental teaching?
Answer: Though it is one section of text, the upper and lower portions are quite different. The upper text is actually text manifesting the formerly expedient and presently true teaching, principle, practice, and fruition. The lower text only manifests the present fundamental teaching. Therefore the treatise master does not quote the upper text but only quotes the lower text.
Question: The treatise states: "The Compendium of the Great Vehicle says 'Abhidharma Great Vehicle S?tra'" etc. What does this mean?
Answer: This is the third evidence.
Question: How does this text serve as evidence?
Answer: The complete text of that treatise states: "In the Abhidharma Great Vehicle S?tra, a bodhisattva who has already been able to enter well into the Great Vehicle expounds before the Bhagavat in order to manifest the greatness of the Great Vehicle essence." Now taking the text of that "Great Vehicle S?tra" as evidence for fundamental teaching. Therefore the Treatise on Various Vehicles states: "Abhidharma Great Vehicle S?tra etc. This is precisely the fundamental teaching Great Vehicle."
Question: Why does that