英語訳
【Right Page】
The meaning follows the self and is correct doctrine.
Question: Why are the first four meanings considered incorrect?
Answer: The first and third have the fault of being called vehicle without self-transportation. The second and fourth meanings have the fault of being called vehicle without actual function. Therefore they are incorrect. Having two transportations and actual function to be called vehicle is the correct intention (following others means following the words of masters like Huayan and Sanlun schools).
Question: How do we know the fifth meaning is correct?
Answer: The treatise next cites the Abhidharma to establish its own position, saying: "According to the Abhidharma treatise, it states 'the foundation of self, others, and mutual benefit.'"
Question: Using this text, how does it establish its own position?
Answer: This text appears in the first part of that treatise, which begins with verses of homage in seven words and six lines. The sixth line among them immediately reveals the meaning of the distinction between the three bodies. Therefore the commentary states: "'Foundation of self, others, and mutual benefit' reveals the meaning of distinction. Namely, the Tathāgata's sambhoga, nirmāṇa, and svabhāva bodies, in that order, are the foundation of self, others, and mutual benefit. 'Foundation' means body-meaning and substance-meaning without distinction. 'Foundation of self, others, and mutual benefit' is explained in terms of excellence. The sambhoga body has supreme self-benefit, dwelling in the great assembly, able to receive the first vast and profound dharma-treasure. The nirmāṇa body has the most universal other-benefit throughout all worlds in the ten directions, able to arise without interruption, like various transformation activities such as crafts, establishing what sentient beings should do. The svabhāva body refers to the dharma-body shared by all sugatas, extremely subtle, having true suchness of the transformation of all obstructions as its essence. Therefore, in self-benefit and other-benefit, both become supreme. By realizing this body, the other bodies are attained. Therefore these three Buddha bodies constitute the meaning of distinction." Among these three bodies, taking the self-benefit meaning of the self-enjoyment body as the meaning of self-transportation in the fruition stage. Therefore this text can establish its own position.
Question: The self-enjoyment body is only self-benefit, and in the fruition stage it uses two transportations to be called vehicle.
【Lower Section】
Yet why use the meaning of only self-benefit of the self-enjoyment body to establish the meaning that two transportations are called vehicle?
Answer: That self-enjoyment is only self-benefit and the transformation body is only other-benefit is the intention of the approach that discusses nature and function separately. However, the self-enjoyment body can know the transformation body, and that transformation body takes the self-enjoyment body as its essence. Therefore, according to the approach of subsuming the provisional under the real, the self-enjoyment body also has the meaning of other-benefit. This is precisely the vow to benefit and delight others from former times still present in the fruition stage. As the Lotus Sutra states: "I constantly think thus: How can I cause sentient beings to enter the unsurpassed way and quickly accomplish Buddhahood?" Moreover, since the svabhāva body upon which the sambhoga body depends immediately penetrates both benefits, in the approach of subsuming characteristics under nature, the sambhoga body also penetrates both benefits. However, what is now discussed does not prevent the fruition stage from having the meaning of other-transportation being called vehicle. What the question raises is simply the meaning of self-transportation in the fruition stage. Therefore, using the meaning of self-transportation whereby the self-enjoyment body extends through future time and receives dharma-bliss, it establishes the meaning that the fruition stage is called vehicle.
Question: The treatise states "One has three meanings." What does this mean?
Answer: In explaining the name "One Vehicle," first the meaning of vehicle was explained, and now the meaning of "one" is explained. Therefore it says so.
Question: If explaining the name "One Vehicle," first the meaning of "one" should be explained, then the meaning of vehicle. Yet why first explain vehicle and then explain one?
Answer: "Vehicle" is in the first case as subject, "one" is in the second case as object. The principle of explaining names is to first present the substance and then present the function. Because the substance of vehicle has the function of the meaning of one, vehicle being immediately one is therefore called One Vehicle. Like consciousness being immediately only is therefore called consciousness-only. This is also like this. Therefore first vehicle is explained, then one. This is the karmadhāraya compound interpretation. If according to the numerical compound interpretation, vehicle carries
【Left Page】
the number one. Therefore it is called One Vehicle. Substance and function can be known according to the foregoing.
Question: What are those three meanings?
Answer: The treatise states: "First, called one because of discrimination. Second, called one because of breaking distinctions. Third, called one because of gathering distinctions." The Water Commentary states: "Discrimination means discriminating the provisional. Breaking means breaking attachments. Gathering means gathering their dharma-essence. These are three kinds of different operational characteristics."
Question: How is it called one because of discrimination?
Answer: The treatise states: "Called one because of discrimination means: formerly three were taught, now one is taught. Therefore know that the principle being explained is ultimate - one is real. The teachings that explain - two are called provisional. There is no separate second principle as ultimate." The Compendium Commentary states: "The teachings that explain - two are called provisional means: the teachings speak of the wisdom of those two vehicles, but there is no such essence. Because they are provisionally taught, they are therefore called provisional." The Water Commentary states: "In the forty years before, there were three-vehicle capacities. Discussing teachings according to capacities, if capacities are three then teachings are also three. Only corresponding to capacities, not corresponding to principle. At the Lotus assembly, Mahāyāna capacities matured, having only one Mahāyāna capacity. Conversely discussing teachings in relation to principle, because principle is one, teachings are also one. Up to now discriminating the two provisional, therefore retaining the one real. Formerly teaching three corresponded to provisional capacities; today teaching one corresponds to real principle." Next there are questions and answers, but because they are easy I do not record them.
Generally the meaning is: formerly the three vehicles were taught provisionally, now the One Vehicle is taught really. Though the capable teachings have two vehicles, the principle being explained is one. Therefore now discriminating that there are no separate second principles as ultimate. This is called one because of discrimination. Therefore the Water Commentary states: "Under Mahāyāna teachings there is real ultimate principle. Under Two Vehicle teachings there is only provisional principle. Now discriminating those Two Vehicle provisional principles and not taking them, only taking real principle and calling it One Vehicle. Like three pearls, two are small and not round, one is completely genuine, large and round. If discussing large and small together, there are three pearls,
【Lower Section】
generally gaining the name pearl. Discriminating and taking one, not taking the other two." This means the dharma-essences all exist without mutual interpenetration. The meaning is that under Two Vehicle teachings there are those provisional principles - they are not totally absent. Only because there is no ultimate principle, their foundation is not taken. This discrimination is therefore called one (next below there are also questions and answers, but because there are no special matters I do not take them).
Question: The treatise states: "Though selflessness and liberation are all equal, yet reaching Buddha fruition is called ultimate. Therefore the principle being explained - Buddha wisdom is called one. Not separately discriminating three, only without two ultimates." What does this mean?
Answer: This addresses implicit objections and refutes ancient masters to establish its own position. The implicit objection is stated in the Water Commentary: "Question: If Two Vehicle teachings are provisional and principle is not ultimate, how can it be said that 'three people sit on the same liberation seat' and among the ten meanings, because dharma-selflessness, liberation, etc. are equal, One Vehicle is taught? How can it be said there is no Two Vehicle real principle?" Therefore now it responds: Though the meaning of personal selflessness and liberation from afflictive obstructions are the same for the three vehicles, yet reaching Buddha fruition becomes ultimate principle. Like the water of a hundred rivers - the water nature is one, but it must reach the great ocean before being called sea water. Next, refuting ancient masters to establish its own position: ancient masters said "teaching one to break three," so now refuting them saying: not separately discriminating three. "Only without two ultimates" establishes its own position. The Compendium Commentary states: "Not separately discriminating three, etc. means: not saying one therefore completely discriminating away the existence of three vehicles. But only discriminating away the ultimacy of the two vehicles - the great is not absent."
Question: The treatise states: "Therefore the treatise explains the negation saying: 'without two vehicles' means without the essence of Two Vehicle nirvana." What does this mean?
Answer: This cites evidence to establish its own position. There are four citations of evidence. This is the first citation of the Lotus treatise's explanation of the sixth negation among the six records.