英語訳
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Answer: The Water Commentary contains this question and answer. It asks: "Why is it necessary to unify the teaching, principle, practice and fruit of Mahāyāna?" This is the meaning of this question. It immediately answers: "The profound intention of the commentary master is that in the previous Lotus Treatise, while it takes up the non-regressing pure practices realized at the first bhūmi, it is not yet known whether the causal practices cultivated before the path of seeing are One Vehicle or not One Vehicle. Therefore here it makes this distinction. The causal practices cultivated before the path of seeing, because they serve as causes for that path of seeing, are also One Vehicle."
Question: If so, can the doctrine of unifying the separate be said to extend to the three vehicles?
Answer: Not so. The fundamental intention of unifying the separate has as its principle the unification of two-vehicle teachings etc. and calling them One Vehicle. However, what is clarified by the Lotus Treatise text is to bring forth the categories of fundamental and expedient. It does not mean unifying bodhisattva pre-bhūmi teachings etc. and also returning them to One Vehicle. This is because they are originally One Vehicle. Otherwise one's own doctrine would again become contradictory. One should deeply understand this meaning.
Question: There is still doubt. If pre-bhūmi teachings etc. are not unified, why are they added and clarified within the doctrine of unifying the separate?
Answer: The purpose of unifying the separate is to distinguish expedient and fundamental, unify expedient teachings etc., and make them return to fundamental teachings etc. Because this expedient and fundamental is broad, correlating two vehicles and Mahāyāna, they are called expedient and fundamental, and also correlating pre-bhūmi and bhūmi levels, they are called expedient and fundamental. Because these categories are brought forth, there is the latter correlation. Nevertheless, what is properly called "unifying the separate" is the doctrine of unifying two-vehicle expedient teachings etc. and making them return to One Vehicle fundamental teachings etc. However, in the Lotus Treatise etc., only bhūmi-level pure practices are taken as the proper One Vehicle essence, and it does not clarify that pre-bhūmi contaminated practices assist the One Vehicle essence. Therefore, the treatise master adds clarification here in order to explain that pre-bhūmi contaminated practices are also assistive essence of One Vehicle, serving as expedient means for the fundamental proper One Vehicle of bhūmi levels. It is not that therefore, just as two-vehicle teachings etc. are unified and made to return to One Vehicle, bodhisattva pre-bhūmi teachings etc. are also unified and made to return to bhūmi-level One Vehicle, completely lacking the doctrine of unifying the separate.
Question: Why do pre-bhūmi teachings etc. lack the doctrine of unifying the separate?
Answer: "Separate" is a name that distinguishes from one, namely the meaning of two. Two-vehicle teachings etc. have this meaning of separate, so the separate is unified and made to return to one. Therefore it is called "unifying the separate." Bodhisattva pre-bhūmi teachings etc. are originally One Vehicle and cannot be called "separate." Because they lack the meaning of two. Why would unifying these pre-bhūmi practices and returning them to bhūmi-level practices be called "unifying the separate"? Therefore it is said that they completely lack the doctrine of unifying the separate.
Question: The treatise states: "In sum, depending on various texts, there are four aspects of unifying with one." What does this mean?
Answer: Having finished presenting the doctrine of unifying the separate above, now properly using various texts as proof, about to clarify the doctrine of unifying with one, therefore it says so.
Question: Above it spoke of "unifying the separate," here it speaks of "unifying with one." How do they differ?
Answer: Above it first clarifies unifying the separate two-vehicle teachings etc., therefore it says "unifying the separate." Now it properly clarifies the reason for therefore teaching one, therefore it says "unifying with one." The meaning is: unifying the teachings etc. of two vehicles and making them return to one is because they are originally one. Now clarifying the unification of those teachings etc., the four are originally one. Therefore it says "there are four aspects of unifying with one." Ten thousand fires do not return to one water because their natures are different. A thousand streams return to one sea because their nature is one. The meaning of unifying with one is probably like this.
Question: The treatise states: "First, unifying teaching. The Vimalakīrti states: 'The Buddha with one voice expounds the dharma, and sentient beings each follow what they understand.'" What does this mean?
Answer: "There are four aspects of unifying with one" takes teaching, principle, practice and fruit as the four. Among these, this is the first, first unifying teaching. That is, using the Vimalakīrti Sūtra as proof to unify this. In citing proof there are two; this is the first proof.
Question: How does this text establish the doctrine of unifying teaching?
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Answer: That sūtra's verse states: "The Buddha with one voice expounds the dharma, and sentient beings each according to their understanding universally receive and practice it and gain its benefit. This is the Tathāgata's distinctive characteristic." The commentary states: "This praises the unimpeded understanding of dharma. The Buddha's one voice means what is called one momentary sound, one regional vocal sound, one substantial sound, one dharma-teaching sound. Expounding dharma to meet capacities, responding to roots, responding to superior understanding, responding to realm-natures differently. Therefore it says 'each according to their understanding.' Those who listen hear the dharma, according to their root nature, universally gain reception and practice, and accordingly gain those fruits. Therefore it is distinctive. One rain universally moistens, but what is received differs."
Therefore we know that teaching is one, but capacities differ. Therefore this establishes the proof.
The Water Commentary states: "The Buddha originally expounds dharma with one voice, and also does not expound two-vehicle and human-heavenly dharmas. This is just one great vehicle teaching. When unified, below there are three vehicles and five natures with different root capacities. Following those root vessels, when two-vehicle root natures receive and grasp it, it becomes two-vehicle teaching. When not yet unified, then there are three vehicles. When unified and entered into Mahāyāna, there is only great vehicle teaching."
Question: The treatise states: "Below in this sūtra it says 'one rain universally moistens, three herbs and two trees grow differently.'" What does this mean?
Answer: This is the second proof.
Question: How does this text prove it?
Answer: This is from the Medicinal Herbs Parable chapter, text that unifies the profound wisdom gate of the Āgamas. The sūtra text is extremely extensive, so the essential parts are selected and cited. That is, using this text to counteract the pride of those exclusively Mahāyāna people who say "there are no separate two vehicles, there is only One Vehicle." Therefore the treatise states: "The third type of person is made to know the differences among various vehicles. The buddhas and tathāgatas expound dharma equally, but according to sentient beings' good root seeds, sprouts are produced."
The Xuanzan Seven states: "The meaning shows that although one rain is the same, three herbs and two trees grow differently. Although Buddha's teaching is the same, the three vehicles and two sages develop and cultivate differently. This is because conditioned capacities and vessels differ. Also because there are those of determinate two vehicles. Therefore, because capacities and natures differ, what they receive and are moistened by differs."
The meaning shows that although rain is of one type, according to herbs and trees being large, medium and small, receiving moisture and growing each differs. Although teaching is of one type, according to sentient beings having superior, medium and inferior roots, what they hear differs and the benefits gained each differ. Therefore it can establish proof for unifying teaching as one.
Question: If so, how does the sūtra say "for śrāvakas expound the four noble truths dharma, for pratyekabuddhas expound dependent origination dharma, for bodhisattvas expound the six perfections etc." and also say "according to sentient beings' desires, expound dharma variously"?
Answer: All of these are spoken according to the capacities and natures of those being taught, what they hear and what they receive. It does not mean the expounded teachings are various. Therefore there is no contradiction.
Incidentally discussing this:
Question: First, what is the dharma essence of the three herbs and two trees?
Answer: The three herbs are small, medium and large herbs. Among these, small herbs represent sentient beings of human-heavenly vehicles with no nature; medium herbs represent the two vehicles of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas; large herbs represent the bodhisattva vehicle. The two trees divide the large herbs into large and small trees. There are two interpretations of this. One says: before the seventh bhūmi is called small trees, eighth bhūmi and above is called large trees. Two says: before the first bhūmi is called small trees, first bhūmi and above is called large trees. Regarding these three herbs and two trees, they each have superior, medium and inferior levels.
Question: The treatise states: "This unifies teaching as the same while capacities differ. The three vehicles take teaching with partiality and universality." What does this mean?
Answer: