英語訳
【Right Page】
"principle, etc." is to address underlying objections. The objection states: "The principle in teaching-principle is already true principle. Why is the ox-cart also called principle?" Now responding: as the text states. The Compendium Commentary says: "The meaning clarifies that ox-cart is also called principle." The Water Commentary states: "If principle is opposed to signifying teaching, then logical principle is also called principle, and true principle is also called principle."
Question: The treatise states: "Wishing to reveal that what was attained is profound and difficult to understand, that the intent of verbal expressions is difficult to know, that for the dharma attained at the place of enlightenment there are none able to raise questions, that my intention is difficult to fathom, and there are none able to question." What does this mean?
Answer: This cites text to explain the reason for unifying teaching and principle.
Question: How does it explain that reason?
Answer: This text is from the doubt-settling section, where Śāriputra and others quote the statement from the beginning of the chapter: "The wisdom of all Buddhas is profound and immeasurable; their wisdom-gates are difficult to understand and difficult to enter." The initial "profound attainment" etc. is prose text, while the following "attained at the place of enlightenment" etc. is verse text. The Xuanzan states: "That the dharma attained by Buddha is profound and difficult to understand quotes the Buddha's previous statement 'the wisdom of all Buddhas is profound and immeasurable'; that the intent of verbal expressions is difficult to know quotes what Buddha previously said 'their wisdom-gates are difficult to understand and difficult to enter'. Because these two are profound, the two vehicles do not know them." Next, explaining the verse text, the Xuanzan states: "The first half verses the previous 'attainment difficult to understand' - the wisdom of bodhi and nirvana being profound; the second half verses the previous 'teaching difficult to know' - wisdom-gates being profound. Because the two vehicles do not know, there are none to question." The general meaning is: To reveal that provisionally teaching two-vehicle bodhi and nirvana and two-vehicle provisional teachings, while the real bodhi and nirvana I attained and the real One Vehicle teaching I expounded are not known by the two vehicles, now we unify that teaching and principle - in reality there is only one.
【Lower Section】
Question: The treatise states: "It also reveals that the Lotus opens the gate of expedient means and manifests true reality. This is precisely the Lotus's opening, blooming, and excellent emergence." What does this mean?
Answer: In explaining the reason for unifying teaching and principle, there are two more meanings. Above it explained that because the two vehicles do not know Buddha's attained wisdom and expounded teaching-gates, expedient means are used to teach two-vehicle teaching and principle, but in reality there is only One Vehicle teaching and principle - this sūtra manifestly unifies teaching and principle. This is one meaning. Now this text also explains that to reveal the Lotus opening the gate of expedient means and showing true reality, this sūtra manifestly unifies teaching and principle. This is the latter meaning.
Question: How does this text explain the reason for unifying teaching and principle?
Answer: "Opening the gate of expedient means" clarifies unifying teaching - because it opens former provisional teaching. "Showing true reality" clarifies unifying principle - because it shows present real principle. This is precisely what the treatise explains: lotus has two meanings of opening-blooming and emerging from water, explaining the doctrines of teaching-excellence and principle-excellence.
Question: If this text only clarifies unifying teaching and principle, why does the Xuanzan state: "Opening the gate of expedient means immediately encompasses the distant and peripheral - formerly teaching two-vehicle teaching, principle, practice and fruit; manifesting true reality immediately encompasses the near and direct - now teaching One Vehicle teaching, principle, practice and fruit"? Therefore we know this text clarifies unifying the four dharmas of teaching etc., so why only speak of clarifying unification of the two of teaching and principle?
Answer: That is correct. Indeed this text should be said to open former provisional teaching, principle, practice and fruit, and show present real teaching, principle, practice and fruit. However, this is when not distinguishing manifest and secret. Now hiding practice and fruit that are secretly clarified, and highlighting teaching and principle that are manifestly clarified, therefore only speaking of clarifying unification of teaching and principle.
Question: How does this text manifestly clarify teaching and principle while secretly clarifying practice and fruit?
Answer: "Opening the gate of expedient means" means opening former provisional teaching - this is manifestly clarifying teaching. Under this teaching there must be the dharmas of principle, practice and fruit.
【Left Page】
Therefore it is said to secretly clarify principle, practice and fruit. "Showing true reality" means showing present real principle - this is manifestly clarifying principle. Under this principle there must be teaching, practice and fruit. Therefore it is said to secretly clarify teaching, practice and fruit. Thus when mutually including manifest and secret, it generally clarifies the four dharmas; when highlighting manifest and hiding secret, it only clarifies the two of teaching and principle.
Question: If it is to reveal this sūtra's opening the gate of expedient means and showing true reality, manifestly unifying teaching and principle, why in the Various Vehicles Chapter is this sūtra judged as provisional teaching?
Answer: The intent differs. It is provisional in relation to the Śrīmālā One Vehicle.
Question: The treatise states: "Secretly it also comprehensively unifies the two of practice and fruit. 'I established these expedient means' to 'enable entry into Buddha wisdom', 'riding this treasure vehicle' to 'go directly to the place of enlightenment' - this unifies practice. Setting up a 'provisional city in the middle' to 'reach the treasure location' - this unifies fruit." What does this mean?
Answer: This clarifies the text that secretly unifies practice and fruit.
Question: How do these texts clarify secretly unifying practice and fruit?
Answer: Establishing two-vehicle practice is called expedient means. Two-vehicle people cultivate this expedient practice and eventually enter Buddha wisdom. Therefore we know practice is the same, so this text is for secretly unifying practice. Also śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas and bodhisattvas ride the One Vehicle cart and go directly to Buddha-fruit. Therefore we know practice is the same, so this text also secretly unifies practice. The Compendium Commentary states: "It unifies the three vehicle practices to make them the same." Also teaching provisional two-vehicle nirvana is to enable realization of real great nirvana of Buddha-fruit. Clearly we know fruit is one. Therefore the text here about establishing provisional cities etc. secretly unifies fruit. The Compendium Commentary states: "It unifies the three vehicle fruits to make them the same."
Question: The treatise states: "In the Śrīmālā Sūtra, practice and fruit are manifestly unified. 'The six places are correctly taught for the sake of Mahāyāna' - this correctly unifies practice. 'Two-vehicle wisdom is not ultimate, called approaching the nirvana realm' - this unifies fruit." What does this mean?
Answer: Above, within this sūtra, through manifest-secret correlation, it clarified unifying the four dharmas of teaching etc. Now within the Śrīmālā Sūtra, also through manifest-secret correlation, it clarifies the text unifying teaching, principle, practice and fruit.
Question: How do these clarify manifestly unifying practice and fruit?
Answer: The six places of true dharma abiding etc. are Hīnayāna practices. Yet already stating "taught for the sake of Mahāyāna," clearly we know practice is one. Therefore this text manifestly unifies practice. Also the two vehicles themselves claim to have "attained the four wisdoms of 'my births are finished' etc. and realized nirvana," yet already stating "the four wisdoms are not ultimate, called approaching the nirvana realm" - this means eventually reaching Buddha-fruit where the four wisdoms become ultimate and great nirvana fruit can be realized. Clearly we know fruit is one. Therefore this text manifestly unifies fruit.
Question: Why not cite text that secretly unifies teaching and principle?
Answer: Clarifying manifest unification of practice and fruit while secret unification of teaching and principle can be understood according to principle. Also because it is not clearly stated, that text is not cited.
Question: The treatise states: "Śrīmālā correctly teaches One Vehicle cause and fruit, therefore manifestly unifies practice and fruit while secretly unifying teaching and principle. The Lotus correctly reveals former provisional and present real, therefore manifestly unifies teaching and principle, and through their cultivation and realization, secretly unifies practice and fruit." What does this mean?
Answer: Above, regarding the Lotus and Śrīmālā, within each individual sūtra, through manifest-secret correlation, it clarified unifying teaching, principle, practice and fruit. Now correlating the two sūtras of Śrīmālā and Lotus, it explains manifest-secret distinctions and clarifies the reason for unifying teaching, principle, practice and fruit. The Water Commentary states: "Question: Why does the Śrīmālā Sūtra clearly teach practice and fruit? Answer: The Śrīmālā Sūtra manifestly unifying practice and fruit is to transform determined-nature bodhisattvas. There is no provisional to abandon. Therefore there is no need to teach teaching and principle. It directly teaches practice and fruit. Lesser bodhisattvas cling to the two vehicles as ultimate and wish to regress and abide in