英語訳
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"Therefore it is the One Vehicle"—what does this mean?
Answer: This is the conclusion. The Water Commentary states: "This concludes the previous two practices of expedient means and fundamental [practice]."
Question: The treatise states: "Fundamental fruition refers to the enlightenment and nirvana possessed by the Buddha-body—namely the Dharma and Reward bodies, the two insights of principle and wisdom as previously explained." What does this mean?
Answer: This clarifies the fundamental fruition.
Question: How does it clarify this?
Answer: Enlightenment takes the four wisdom mind-groups as its essence—namely the wisdom virtue of the Reward Body, meaning the realization of Buddha-knowledge and Buddha-vision. Nirvana takes eternal bliss, self, and purity as its essence—namely the elimination virtue of the Dharma Body, meaning the demonstration of Buddha-wisdom and Buddha-vision. Therefore it can clarify the fundamental fruition. (The "previous" refers to the passages on opening, demonstrating, realizing, and entering above. The brief record is already completed.)
Question: The treatise states: "Therefore the sutra below says: 'Because [the Buddha] explains Buddha-wisdom, all Buddhas appear in the world. Only this one matter truly exists; the other two are not real.'" What does this mean?
Answer: This cites evidence. There are four [pieces of evidence]. This is the first evidence.
Question: How does this text serve as proof?
Answer: This verse indicates the one great matter. "Buddha-wisdom" refers to the two dharmas of Buddha-fruition: enlightenment and nirvana. The nature of wisdom and the function of insight are combined and called "wisdom." Therefore it can constitute proof of fundamental fruition.
Question: What are "this one" and "the other two"?
Answer: "This one" is the present One Buddha Vehicle. "The other two" are the previous Two Vehicles.
Question: The Profound Praise states: "Since it says 'the other two are not real,' we know this is not destroying the three but gathering the three to return to the one." What does this mean?
Answer: This refutes schools like Huayan and Tiantai. (When we reach below, this can be understood in detail.)
Question: The treatise states: "It also says: 'This dharma abides in the dharma-position. The characteristics of the world are eternally abiding. Having realized this at the place of enlightenment, the guide explains through expedient means.'" What does this mean?
Answer: This is the second evidence.
Question: How does it prove this?
Answer: "Dharma abiding in dharma-position"—its essence is the fruition of the Tathagata Dharma Body. "Having realized this at the place of enlightenment"—this
【Lower Section】
reveals the Reward Body fruition. Therefore this text is cited to prove fundamental fruition.
Question: Why is the Tathagata called "world characteristics"?
Answer: The Water Commentary states: "The Tathagata serves as the basis for both sentient and insentient [beings] of the world, for both defiled and pure [states]. Being in defilement yet undefiled, being in birth-and-death yet originally separate from birth-and-death." This meaning explains "world characteristics eternally abiding." By this one can understand it.
Question: Since the Tathagata already pervades all places, how can it be known?
Answer: The Water Commentary states: "It is revealed through positions. Abiding within all dharmas is called 'dharma-abiding'; abiding within the positions of the three worthy [stages] and ten noble [stages] is called 'dharma-position.'" (As recorded in detail above.)
Question: The treatise states: "Also, the Dharma, Reward, and Transformation Bodies explained in the Chapter on Lifespan are all fruition of the One Vehicle." What does this mean?
Answer: This is the third evidence.
Question: How does it prove this?
Answer: This is easy to understand.
Question: What are the texts explaining these three bodies?
Answer: The sutra states: "All beings in the world—gods, humans, and asuras—all think: 'Now Shakyamuni Buddha left the palace of the Shakya clan, went not far from Gaya city, sat at the place of enlightenment, and attained supreme perfect enlightenment.'" This is the responsive transformation [body]. Because it manifests according to what should be seen. It also says: "However, good sons, I actually achieved Buddhahood countless, boundless hundreds of thousands of billions of nayutas of kalpas ago." This is the Reward Buddha's enlightenment. Because the practices of the ten grounds are fulfilled and eternal nirvana is attained. It also says: "Not like the three realms seeing the three realms as such matters. The Tathagata sees clearly without error." (In one text, "seeing" is written as "being.") This is the Dharma Buddha's enlightenment. Because the Tathagata-garbha pure nirvana is eternal, constant, pure, and unchanging. The Profound Praise states: "The Tathagata's correct wisdom can see clearly—not like the false characteristics of the three realms, but able to realize and see the essential nature of the three realms, the Tathagata Dharma Body. Therefore it says 'the Tathagata sees clearly without error.'"
Question: Regarding the Reward Body Buddha, was Shakyamuni's attainment of Buddhahood truly in the distant past, or was it explained through expedient means?
Answer: The Profound Praise has two explanations. The first says: "Not abandoning Shakyamuni's actual attainment of the Way, [he] long manifested new attainment through transformation." The second says: "Why abandon [the interpretation that] within the four intentions of the intention of equality, and within the four secrets of the antidote secret, removes obstacles of belittling the Buddha-dharma, destroys arrogant conduct, speaks of others as self, and praises all Buddhas? Perhaps there are superior [cases]? If not, then before Dipankara Buddha, who received the prediction?"
Question: Among these two explanations, which should be considered correct?
Answer: Ancient worthies mostly used the explanation of equal intention. I think this is not so. The first explanation is correct. Therefore the Profound Praise addresses the difficulty in the second explanation that challenges the first explanation, saying: "This is also a transformative manifestation. What contradiction is there?" The meaning is: Shakyamuni Bodhisattva receiving the prediction before Dipankara Buddha was also a transformative manifestation. In reality, he had already achieved Buddhahood long ago in the distant past. Moreover, examining texts from the Nirvana Sutra and other places, the first explanation is correct.
Question: If so, why does the Profound Praise, when explaining the passage about the Great Universal Wisdom Excellence Buddha and the sixteen princes, also use the explanation of equal intention?
Answer: (This should be received through oral transmission.)
Question: The treatise states: "The Discrimination of the Middle and Extremes explains the ten cultivation-realizations: the seventh is pure land, the ninth is Buddha-ground, the tenth is manifesting enlightenment." What does this mean?
Answer: This is the fourth evidence.
Question: How does it prove this?
Answer: That treatise explains that there are ten kinds of supreme cultivation-realization. Among these, the seventh pure land cultivation-realization refers to the pure lands upon which the three bodies depend in fruition—this is the external superior fruition. The ninth Buddha-ground cultivation-realization refers to the fruition of the Dharma Body and Self-Enjoyment Body. The tenth manifesting enlightenment cultivation-realization refers to the fruition of the Other-Enjoyment Body and Transformation Body. Therefore citing this text can prove fundamental fruition.
Question: Regarding pure land cultivation-realization, the land is the support, not the supported body. Why is it called fundamental fruition?
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Answer: Body and land are not separate. There is no land outside the body. Therefore the Consciousness-Only Treatise states: "Although these body and land have no difference in essence, because they belong to Buddha-dharma, their characteristics and natures differ." Therefore calling pure land "fundamental fruition" has no fault. (Characteristics refer to Buddha; nature refers to Dharma—namely, essence as land, meaning as body.)
Question: The treatise states: "Expedient fruition refers to the enlightenment and nirvana possessed by the Two Vehicles." What does this mean?
Answer: This clarifies expedient fruition. Enlightenment refers to the wisdom of emptiness of persons. Nirvana refers to the principle of emptiness of persons, cessation through analysis nirvana, etc.
Question: The treatise states: "Below in this sutra it says: 'What you practice is the bodhisattva path.'" What does this mean?
Answer: This cites evidence. There are four [pieces]. This is the first evidence.
Question: How does this text prove expedient fruition?
Answer: The Lotus Treatise explains this text saying: "Those who generate the bodhisattva-mind, retreat and then generate it again—the good roots of their previous cultivation do not perish, being the same as the fruits obtained later." The Profound Praise states: "What the sravakas practice are distant causes for achieving Buddhahood. Therefore these are what bodhisattvas practice, the expedient path." The meaning is: because the practices cultivated and fruits attained by the Two Vehicles are distant expedient causes of the Great Vehicle, it says "what you practice is the bodhisattva path." Therefore this can constitute proof.
Question: The treatise states: "The sheep cart and deer cart seek the ox cart to exit the burning house." What does this mean?
Answer: This is the second evidence.
Question: How does this prove it?
Answer: The two carts of sheep and deer metaphorically represent the fruitions of the Two Vehicles. The ox cart metaphorically represents the Buddha's and bodhisattvas' omniscience. The burning house metaphorically represents the birth-and-death of the three realms with its divisions and limitations. Those two carts of sheep and deer were established through expedient means and have no real substance. This metaphorically represents the expedient fruitions attained by the Two Vehicles. Therefore citing this text can prove expedient fruition.
Question: How do we know that the two carts of sheep and deer are expedient provisions?
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