英語訳
【Right Page】
[Buddha]hood. Because they lack bodhisattva nature. In relation to Mahāyāna, they can be called determined-nature two-vehicle practitioners. Because they transfer within the small vehicle, they are called undetermined nature.
Question: What kind of people have all three vehicle natures? Answer: Mahākāśyapa. Kāśyapa was originally a person of pratyekabuddha seed-nature. When he encountered the Buddha's appearance in the world, he attained śrāvaka fruit and immediately turned his mind to receive the Buddha's prediction. Therefore Śāriputra and others are people who have śrāvaka-bodhisattva nature. People who have pratyekabuddha-bodhisattva nature are not currently visible, but in principle they must exist.
Question: The treatise states: "Therefore this sūtra says: 'When bodhisattvas heard this dharma, their nets of doubt were all removed.'" What does this mean? Answer: This uses the second cause from the Compendium Treatise to explain the undetermined seed-nature lesser bodhisattvas of this sūtra. Therefore the Xuanzan explains this sūtra passage: "Undetermined seed-nature bodhisattvas doubt that they also have no portion in Buddha-fruit and wish to regress toward the small. Therefore now hearing the dharma, these doubts are all removed."
Also, Xuanzan's first volume states: "Gradual-awakening bodhisattvas grasp that Buddha's bodhi has no portion for themselves and wish to generate regression and defeat, returning to abide in the two vehicles. This is to sustain them and not let them regress." This explains this passage. This sūtra passage is text used throughout breaking doubts and breaking attachments.
Question: The treatise states: "The root treatise also says: The Tathāgata provides correct explanations for two types of people. These two are both undetermined seed-nature. For these two types, therefore One Vehicle is taught." What does this mean? Answer: This uses the Lotus Treatise to accord with the Compendium Treatise, correctly explaining this second cause while also explaining the previous first cause.
Question: Who are these two types of people? Answer: Among the five fears described in the Lotus Treatise, they are the second "fear of many affairs" person and the fourth "regret fear" person.
Question: What kind of people are so named? Answer: Fear of many affairs means:
【Lower Section】
The treatise states: "This refers to Mahāyāna beings generating such thoughts: 'I have practiced bodhisattva practices for immeasurable, boundless kalpas, long enduring diligent suffering.' Due to such thoughts, they generate fearful minds and arise minds grasping different vehicles." The Xuanzan states: "Undetermined-nature ground-stage bodhisattvas abiding in Mahāyāna, having already passed through many kalpas practicing bodhisattva practices, are called 'many affairs.' Fearing they might generate minds regressing toward different vehicles, therefore now teaching for them to not regress."
Regret fear means the treatise states: "This refers to Great Virtue Śāriputra and others generating such thoughts, saying: 'I should not have realized such small vehicle dharmas.' Having regretted thus, the mind immediately stops itself. This regretful mind is called fear." The Xuanzan states: "If teaching for Great Virtue Śāriputra: 'I should not be alarmed by such small vehicle dharmas,' stopping small vehicle fruits themselves and turning toward Mahāyāna. Using the regretful mind is called fear."
Question: Regarding the five fears, do they become fearful because sūtras are taught, or because they are not taught? Answer: The Xuanzan states: "The one type of many affairs: if not taught there is alarm, if taught there is immediately no alarm. The remaining four types: if taught there is immediately alarm, if not taught there is no alarm."
Question: If so, why does the treatise say: "How does the determined mind cause those who have already generated fear to sever fear?" Therefore we know that if taught, all immediately have no alarm. Yet why say only that the one type of many affairs, if taught, immediately has no alarm? Answer: The treatise's next passage states: "To benefit two types of people, therefore the Tathāgata has determined mind." However, among those two people, many affairs fear: if taught, immediately no alarm. The treatise points to this one person saying to sever fear. The regret fear: if taught, immediately there is alarm. One cannot say if taught there is immediately no alarm.
【Left Page】
Because having previously realized small fruit, now regretting the previous mind is called fear. Moreover, the remaining three people all have alarm when taught. The treatise raises five types regarding those with alarm whether taught or not taught. However, the mind that severs fear lies in the one type of many affairs, while the mind of benefit lies in both the many affairs and regret types. Therefore there is no contradiction.
Question: What does the treatise text mean by "these two are both undetermined nature"? Answer: This uses the Lotus Treatise to reconcile and explain the Compendium Treatise's passage saying "due to undetermined seed-nature." Many affairs fear are gradual-awakening lesser bodhisattvas, directly corresponding to this second cause. Regret fear undetermined-nature śrāvakas also correspond to the previous first cause. Therefore it says "these two are both undetermined nature."
Question: The treatise states: "Third, because dharmas are equal. Though practices and vehicles differ, the tathatā they proceed toward has no distinctions." What does this mean? Answer: This explains the third cause. The Compendium Treatise states: "Dharma means tathatā. Though various śrāvakas etc. have distinctions, they equally proceed toward tathatā. The tathatā they proceed toward has no distinctions. Therefore One Vehicle is taught."
Question: What does "though practices and vehicles differ, etc." mean? Answer: Practices are three-vehicle practices. Each following their root-nature cultivates their own vehicle's practices, each separate and not the same. Namely śrāvakas cultivate four noble truths practices, pratyekabuddhas cultivate dependent origination practices, bodhisattvas cultivate six perfections practices. Therefore it says "practices differ." Vehicles are the three vehicles, with differences as usual. However, the tathatā they proceed toward is equal without duality. Because there is no meaning of two, One Vehicle is taught.
The Water Commentary states: "Tathatā has no distinctions. All sentient beings equally and commonly possess it. If speaking of conditioned vehicles, there are distinctions, but unconditioned vehicles have no distinctions. Like milk cows having various colors. The three vehicles' dharmakāya are originally equal. Therefore for undetermined-nature śrāvakas, the Lotus Sūtra is taught."
【Lower Section】
Question: The transformed city parable shows that the two vehicles have no real nirvāṇa, so why now say tathatā has no distinctions? Answer: The Water Commentary states: "Previously it spoke of their realized cessation through selection being unconditioned and not ultimate. Now it speaks of tathāgatagarbha-nature tathatā having no distinctions."
Question: If three-vehicle dharmakāya are equal, why is there no ultimate principle in two-vehicle teachings? Answer: The Water Commentary states: "Three-vehicle dharmakāya are originally equally and commonly possessed, but if speaking of the ultimate place, it exists only in Mahāyāna teachings. Therefore it says there is no ultimate principle in two-vehicle teachings."
Question: The treatise states: "The Lotus Treatise's teaching is mostly the same as this." What does this mean? Answer: This uses the Lotus Treatise to accord with the Compendium Treatise in explaining this third cause.
Question: How does that Lotus Treatise teaching explain? Answer: It is the treatise's explanation of the second "showing" meaning within opening, showing, awakening, and entering. Therefore that treatise states: "Showing means sameness. Using the equality of the three vehicles' dharmakāya of śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and Buddhas. Dharmakāya equality means buddha-nature dharmakāya has no distinctions." Also in the sixth negation: "What is embodying dharma? Because there is only One Vehicle essence. One Vehicle essence refers to the equal dharmakāya of all tathāgatas. Those various śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha vehicles are not the essence of that equal dharmakāya. Because their causes, fruits, practices, and contemplations differ."
The Xuanzan states: "What embodying dharma refers to the sixth negation. Negating there being no two essences, because there is only One Vehicle essence. This is precisely the equal dharmakāya of all buddha-tathāgatas. Because the three vehicles' causes and fruits, contemplative practices differ, there can be distinctions. This is not what is negated. What is now negated is negating there being no essence of two types of dharmakāya. Because the three vehicles' tathatā dharmakāya are the same." These are such passages.
Question: Why point to these two passages? Answer: The first passage explains the third among the six records...