English
English version: Sa Xing said: 'Except for those who previously studied and practiced the Small Vehicle (Hīnayāna),' then it is known that you have not previously spoken of the Bodhisattva path for the Two Vehicles (Śrāvakayāna and Pratyekabuddhayāna). 'I will now also cause such people to hear this sutra and enter the wisdom of the Buddha,' then it is known that it is now for those who turn from the Small to the Great Vehicle that the Bodhisattva path is spoken. Question: Why does the sutra text only refer to these two types of people? Answer: The initial mention is for those who begin to practice the Great Vehicle, and the later indication is to teach those who ultimately practice the Small Vehicle, so the teaching in between can be understood. Question: Why are those who directly go towards the Bodhisattva path mentioned first, and those who turn from the Small to the Great Vehicle mentioned later? Answer: Those who directly go towards the Bodhisattva path have long practiced the Buddha-path, have deep merit and sharp faculties, so they are mentioned first; those who turn from the Small to the Great Vehicle have not practiced the Buddha-path, have shallow merit and dull faculties, so they are mentioned later. Therefore, the 'Expedient Means' (Upāya) chapter says: 'Some Buddha-sons have pure and gentle minds and sharp faculties, and practice the profound and subtle path in the presence of immeasurable Buddhas, for these Buddha-sons this Great Vehicle sutra is spoken'; 'Those with dull faculties who delight in the Small Vehicle Dharma, and are attached to birth and death, do not practice the profound and subtle path in the presence of immeasurable Buddhas, and are troubled by various sufferings, for them Nirvana is spoken,' and even 'Now is the right time to definitely speak of the Great Vehicle.' Therefore, it is known that Bodhisattvas with sharp faculties first hear the Great Path, while Śrāvakas (Voice-hearers) are shallow and inferior and later enter the Buddha's wisdom, which is clearly proven. Secondly, this sutra is spoken because it is desired to accept the request of Brahmā (梵王). Question: In the past, sutras such as the Prajñā (般若) have already explained that they were spoken because of accepting the request of Brahmā, so how is this different from now? Answer: There are two times for the request, and two kinds of repayment. The two times for the request are: the initial request to speak the fundamental Dharma-wheel (Dharmacakra) of the One Vehicle (Ekayāna), and the later request to speak the branch and end teachings of the Three Vehicles (Triyāna). The two times for the repayment are: from the past until now, the request has been accepted to speak the teachings of the Three Vehicles, and now it is only possible to repay his request by speaking the fundamental Dharma-wheel of the One Vehicle. Therefore, it is now clear that accepting the request is different from the past, as explained in detail in the 'Expedient Means' chapter and the first volume of the Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (智度论). Thirdly, this sutra is spoken because it is desired to clarify that the expedient wisdom (upāya-jñāna) and the real wisdom (tathatā-jñāna) of all Buddhas in the ten directions and three times mutually support and accomplish each other. However, the minds of all Buddhas... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
未曾权之与实，岂是一之与三？故内外并冥、缘观俱寂，但于无名相中假名相说，欲出处众生故，强称权实。则于互有相资成故，非实无以辨权、非权无以辨实，实有起权之功、权有资实之用，是以文云“于一佛乘分别说三”，谓从实起权；“我设是方便令得入佛慧”则以权通实。但禀教之徒或执权丧实、或执实丧权。执权丧实者，自昔已来执三乘教人不能悟入一实者也。执实丧权者，谓禀《法花》一乘菩萨既闻道理唯一无有三乘，遂守其理一失于三用。如《法花论》释〈药草喻品〉“为破菩萨病故来，虽一地所生、一雨所润，而诸草木各有差别”。此明理虽是一随缘有三，岂可守一而失三用耶？然昔禀三乘教人既丧于实亦复失权，执一乘教人既其失权亦复丧实，故此二人皆失如来权实二智，并住颠倒虚妄断常。欲破今昔互失之缘，令识如来权实二智互相资成；既识二智便入佛慧同归一道，故说此经也。 四者、欲说三净法门故说此经。然众生本性寂灭未曾垢净，虽非垢净，于众生颠倒是故成垢，但此垢重众生不可顿拔，故诸佛菩萨渐渐出之，所以开三净之教：一者以五戒十善净于三涂；次说二乘以净三界；后明一道以净二乘。以三涂为重苦，三界为中苦，变易为下苦，故说三门以净其三垢。三垢既灭则三净亦 现代汉语译本： 如果不是为了权巧（upaya，方便）和真实（satya，究竟），怎么会有一和三的区别呢？所以，内外融为一体，缘起性空的观照也归于寂静，只是在没有名相的状态下，为了引导众生脱离困境，才假借名相进行解说，勉强称之为权巧和真实。因此，权巧和真实是互相依存、互相成就的，没有真实就无法辨别权巧，没有权巧也无法辨别真实，真实具有产生权巧的作用，权巧具有辅助真实的功用。所以经文说‘于一佛乘分别说三’，意思是说从真实出发而设立权巧；‘我设是方便令得入佛慧’，则是用权巧来通达真实。但是，接受教导的人，有的执着于权巧而丧失真实，有的执着于真实而丧失权巧。执着于权巧而丧失真实的人，就是从过去以来执着于三乘教法而不能领悟一实相的人。执着于真实而丧失权巧的人，是指接受《法华经》一乘教法的菩萨，既然听闻道理是唯一而没有三乘，就固守其理一，而丧失了三乘的妙用。例如，《法华论》解释〈药草喻品〉时说：‘为了破除菩萨的病而来，虽然生长在同一土地，受到同一雨水的滋润，但是各种草木各有差别。’这说明道理虽然是唯一的，但是随着因缘而有三乘的差别，怎么可以固守唯一而丧失三乘的妙用呢？然而，过去接受三乘教法的人，既然丧失了真实，也同样丧失了权巧；执着于一乘教法的人，既然丧失了权巧，也同样丧失了真实。所以这两种人都丧失了如来的权巧和真实二智，并且安住在颠倒虚妄的断灭和常恒的见解中。为了破除现在和过去互相丧失的因缘，使人认识到如来的权巧和真实二智是互相依存、互相成就的；既然认识了二智，就进入佛的智慧，共同归于唯一的道路，所以才宣说这部经。 第四，为了宣说三净法门，所以宣说这部经。然而，众生的本性是寂灭的，本来就没有垢染和清净。虽然没有垢染和清净，但是由于众生的颠倒，所以才形成垢染。只是这种垢染很重，众生无法立刻拔除，所以诸佛菩萨才逐渐地引导他们去除垢染，因此开示了三净的教法：第一，用五戒十善来清净三涂（trayo gati，三恶道）；其次，宣说二乘（sravaka-yana and pratyeka-buddha-yana，声闻乘和缘觉乘）来清净三界（trayo dhatavah，欲界、色界、无色界）；最后，阐明一乘（eka-yana，唯一佛乘）来清净二乘。因为三涂是最重的苦，三界是中等的苦，变易生死是下等的苦，所以宣说三种法门来清净这三种垢染。三种垢染既然灭除，那么三种清净也...
English
English version: If it were not for upaya (skillful means) and satya (truth), how could there be a distinction between one and three? Therefore, when inner and outer merge into one, and the contemplation of dependent origination becomes still, it is only in the absence of names and forms that we provisionally use names and forms to speak, striving to guide beings out of their predicament, and forcibly calling them upaya and satya. Thus, upaya and satya are mutually dependent and mutually fulfilling. Without satya, upaya cannot be distinguished; without upaya, satya cannot be distinguished. Satya has the function of generating upaya, and upaya has the use of assisting satya. Therefore, the text says, 'In the one Buddha vehicle, I distinguish and speak of three,' meaning that upaya is established from satya; 'I establish these expedient means to enable beings to enter the Buddha's wisdom,' meaning that upaya leads to satya. However, those who receive the teachings either cling to upaya and lose satya, or cling to satya and lose upaya. Those who cling to upaya and lose satya are those who, from the past, have clung to the teachings of the Three Vehicles and have been unable to awaken to the One Reality. Those who cling to satya and lose upaya are those Bodhisattvas who receive the teachings of the One Vehicle of the Lotus Sutra, and having heard that the principle is one and there are no Three Vehicles, they cling to the oneness of the principle and lose the threefold function. For example, the *Lotus Sutra Treatise* explains the 'Parable of the Medicinal Herbs' by saying, 'They come to cure the diseases of the Bodhisattvas; although they grow in the same soil and are nourished by the same rain, the various herbs and trees are different.' This explains that although the principle is one, it has three aspects according to conditions. How can one cling to the one and lose the threefold function? However, those who in the past received the teachings of the Three Vehicles have lost both satya and upaya; those who cling to the teachings of the One Vehicle have lost upaya and also lost satya. Therefore, both of these people have lost the two wisdoms of the Tathagata, upaya and satya, and dwell in inverted, false, nihilistic, and eternal views. In order to break the causes of mutual loss in the present and the past, and to enable people to recognize that the two wisdoms of the Tathagata, upaya and satya, are mutually dependent and mutually fulfilling; once they recognize the two wisdoms, they enter the Buddha's wisdom and together return to the one path, therefore this sutra is spoken. Fourth, this sutra is spoken in order to expound the Three Pure Dharmas. However, the fundamental nature of beings is quiescent and has never been defiled or pure. Although it is neither defiled nor pure, defilement arises due to the inversion of beings. However, this defilement is heavy, and beings cannot be instantly freed from it. Therefore, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas gradually guide them to remove defilement, and thus open up the teachings of the Three Purifications: First, using the Five Precepts and Ten Virtues to purify the three evil destinies (trayo gati); second, expounding the Two Vehicles (sravaka-yana and pratyeka-buddha-yana) to purify the Three Realms (trayo dhatavah); and finally, clarifying the One Vehicle (eka-yana) to purify the Two Vehicles. Because the three evil destinies are the heaviest suffering, the Three Realms are medium suffering, and the suffering of change is the lowest suffering, therefore three methods are taught to purify these three defilements. Once the three defilements are extinguished, then the three purities also... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
忘，故说此经也。然说三净为止三垢，垢若不留净亦便息，了悟诸法本性寂然未曾垢净，乃入于佛慧直至道场也。 五者、欲说三摄法门故说此经也。总谈群圣垂教凡有三门：一、摄邪归正门，二、摄异归同门，三、摄因归果门。摄邪归正门者，释迦未出之前凡有二邪：一、在家起爱众生，二、出家诸见外道；此二并乖正道故称为邪。故〈方便品〉云“以诸欲因缘备受诸苦毒”，即起爱之流也；“入邪见稠林若有若无等”，谓诸外道也。乃至〈譬喻品〉云起爱譬彼毒虫，诸见喻同恶鬼，如来出世摄彼二邪归五乘之正。此二人中有无闻非法者，以人天善根而成就之；有三乘根性者，以三乘法而摄取之。故摄彼二邪归五乘正也。二、摄异归同门者，若禀教之徒闻昔三乘而顿悟一道者，不须复更说法花之教；但钝根之流虽舍二邪更对执五异，今欲摄兹五异同归一乘，谓摄异归同门也。三、摄因归果门者，摄前五异同归一乘但是因行，今为欲令修因证果故说如来真应两身，谓摄因归果门。《法花》之前但有初门，斯经既融会一化则具足三门。然明此三门，意欲为通寂灭无言之道，令玄悟之宾体斯妙极未曾邪正，乃至岂是因果耶？故此三门无教不收、无理不摄、如空之含万像、若海之纳百川。 六者、欲说三种法轮 现代汉语译本：因为遗忘，所以宣说此经。然而，宣说三净是为了止息三种垢染，如果垢染不存留，清净也便止息。了悟诸法本性寂然，未曾有垢染和清净，才能进入佛的智慧，直至菩提道场。 五者，想要宣说三种摄法门，所以宣说此经。总的来说，诸位圣人垂示教诲，大致有三个方面：一、摄邪归正门，二、摄异归同门，三、摄因归果门。摄邪归正门是指，释迦牟尼佛未出世之前，大致有两种邪见：一、在家众生生起贪爱，二、出家众生的各种外道见解；这两种都违背正道，所以称为邪。所以《方便品》中说：‘以各种欲望因缘，备受各种痛苦’，就是生起贪爱的一类；‘进入邪见稠林，若有若无等’，说的是各种外道。乃至《譬喻品》中说，生起贪爱譬如毒虫，各种见解比作恶鬼，如来出世，摄取这两种邪见，归于五乘（人乘、天乘、声闻乘、缘觉乘、菩萨乘）之正。这两种人中，有未曾听闻非法的人，用人天善根来成就他们；有三乘根性的人，用三乘法来摄取他们。所以说摄取这两种邪见，归于五乘之正。二、摄异归同门是指，如果接受教诲的人，听闻过去的三乘法（声闻乘、缘觉乘、菩萨乘）而顿悟唯一佛乘，就不需要再宣说《法华经》的教义；但是钝根之人，虽然舍弃了两种邪见，却又执着于五乘的差异，现在想要摄取这五种差异，共同归于一乘，这就是摄异归同门。三、摄因归果门是指，摄取前面的五种差异，共同归于一乘，这只是因地的修行，现在为了让修行因地的人证得果地，所以宣说如来的真身和应身两种身，这就是摄因归果门。《法华经》之前只有第一种门，这部经既然融会贯通了一切教化，就具备了这三种门。然而，阐明这三种门，意在贯通寂灭无言之道，让玄妙领悟的宾客体会到这种妙到极致的境界，未曾有邪正，乃至哪里有什么因果呢？所以这三种门，没有哪种教义不收纳，没有哪种道理不摄取，如同天空包含万象，好比大海容纳百川。 六者，想要宣说三种法轮（转法轮，劝法轮，证法轮）