English
English version: Question: The 100th fascicle says, 'The 《Prajna》 (Wisdom) is not a secret Dharma, therefore it is entrusted to the Sravakas (Listeners of the Dharma); the 《Lotus Sutra》 is a secret Dharma, therefore it is entrusted to the Bodhisattvas (Enlightened beings).' Why are they called secret and non-secret respectively? Answer: There are two aspects to secret and non-secret: First, the Mahayana (Great Vehicle, a major branch of Buddhism) is considered secret, while the Hinayana (Smaller Vehicle, another major branch of Buddhism) is considered non-secret. The Mahayana is very profound and not casually transmitted, hence it is called secret; the Hinayana is shallow and easy to understand, and can be explained according to circumstances, hence it is not secret. As the 《Mahaprajnaparamitopadesa Sastra》 (Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom) says, 'In the explicit teachings, it is said that Arhats (Enlightened disciples) have cut off afflictions and are pure, while Bodhisattvas have not cut off afflictions and are therefore not pure; in the secret Dharma, it is said that Bodhisattvas have attained Anutpattika-dharma-ksanti (the patient acceptance of the non-arising of all dharmas), possess the six superknowledges (Sadabhijna, supernatural powers), and surpass the Two Vehicles (Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas), therefore Bodhisattvas are pure.' This is because the Hinayana is shallow and easy to understand, hence it is not secret, while the Mahayana is very profound, hence it is called secret. Second, within the Mahayana itself, there are secret and non-secret aspects. As the 100th fascicle of the 《Mahaprajnaparamitopadesa Sastra》 says, 'The 《Prajna》 does not explicitly state that Arhats can become Buddhas, therefore it is not secret; the 《Lotus Sutra》 explicitly states that Arhats can become Buddhas, therefore it is secret.' Question: The 《Lotus Sutra》 explains that Arhats (Enlightened disciples) can become Buddhas, why is it secret? The 《Prajna》 does not explicitly state that Arhats can become Buddhas, why is it not secret? Answer: The 《Lotus Sutra》 explains that Arhats (Enlightened disciples) can become Buddhas, which is very profound and difficult to understand, therefore it is secret; the 《Prajna》 explains that Bodhisattvas (Enlightened beings) can become Buddhas, the meaning of which is easy to understand, therefore it is not secret. Therefore, the 《Mahaprajnaparamitopadesa Sastra》 says, 'Arhats (Enlightened disciples) becoming Buddhas, it is only understood when one becomes a Buddha; to discuss very profound principles, one should discuss other matters.' Since Nagarjuna (a famous Buddhist philosopher) said that it is not understood and will only be known when one becomes a Buddha, therefore Arhats becoming Buddhas is very profound and difficult to understand. The verse in the 《Nirvana Sutra, Chapter on Manifesting Illness》 says, 'As the Buddha said, Arhats will all attain Nirvana; such a profound place of the Buddha's practice, ordinary and foolish people cannot know.' Therefore, it is known that Arhats becoming Buddhas is difficult to understand. Question: Why is it difficult to understand that Arhats (Enlightened disciples) can become Buddhas? Answer: This is in relation to the past teachings, hence it is called difficult to understand. Because the past teachings explain that the afflictions of Arhats have been exhausted and will no longer arise, such as... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
无明糠脱，故后世因中不复更生；今教遂明罗汉作佛，故于昔教为难解。 问： 昔教于谁为难解耶？ 答： 正于声闻人为难解，故《论》云“大药师能用毒为药，小药师不能用毒为药”。菩萨能解二乘作佛，如解毒为药，故《法花》付属菩萨；声闻但解菩萨作佛，如解用药为药，故《波若》付属声闻。不解二乘作佛，如不解用毒为药，故《法华》不付声闻，所以《法华》于声闻人为难解。 问： 若《波若》但明菩萨作佛、未明二乘作佛，则波若教劣；《法华》明菩萨作、佛复明二乘作佛，则法华为胜。何以得知然？《智度论》释〈问乘品〉列十种大经，《法云经》、《大云经》、《法华经》，如是等经中而《波若》最大。既称最大，则《法华》为劣。前后相违，云何会通？ 答： 《法华》、《波若》互有胜劣。若为声闻人明二乘作佛，则《法花》胜、《波若》为劣；若为菩萨明实惠方便，则《波若》胜、《法华》劣。所以然者，《波若》六十六品辨于实惠，〈无尽品〉已去二十四品明方便惠，此二惠是为十方三世诸佛法身父母，故《净名经》云“智度菩萨为母，方便以为父，一切诸导师，无不由是生”。既广明法身父母，故于一切方等经中最为深大。余经 现代汉语译本： 当无明（avidyā）的糠秕脱落，那么在后世的因缘中就不会再次产生；现在教导声闻阿罗汉（arhat）成佛，所以在过去的教法中是难以理解的。 问： 过去的教法对于谁来说难以理解呢？ 答： 正是对于声闻乘（Śrāvakayāna）的人来说难以理解，所以《论》（指《大智度论》）中说：‘高明的药师能够用毒药来作为药物，低下的药师不能用毒药来作为药物。’菩萨（bodhisattva）能够理解二乘（Śrāvakayāna和Pratyekabuddhayāna）成佛，就像理解用毒药作为药物一样，所以《法华经》（Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra）咐嘱菩萨；声闻只能理解菩萨成佛，就像理解用药物作为药物一样，所以《般若经》（Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra）咐嘱声闻。不理解二乘成佛，就像不理解用毒药作为药物一样，所以《法华经》不咐嘱声闻，所以《法华经》对于声闻乘的人来说难以理解。 问： 如果《般若经》只阐明菩萨成佛、没有阐明二乘成佛，那么般若教法就显得低劣；《法华经》阐明菩萨成佛、又阐明二乘成佛，那么法华教法就显得殊胜。凭什么可以得知是这样呢？《智度论》（Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa）解释〈问乘品〉时，列举了十种大经，《法云经》（Dharmamegha Sūtra）、《大云经》（Mahāmegha Sūtra）、《法华经》，像这些经典中而《般若经》最大。既然称作最大，那么《法华经》就显得低劣。前后互相矛盾，要如何会通呢？ 答： 《法华经》和《般若经》互相之间有殊胜和低劣之处。如果为声闻乘的人阐明二乘成佛，那么《法华经》殊胜，《般若经》低劣；如果为菩萨阐明实慧和方便，那么《般若经》殊胜，《法华经》低劣。之所以这样，是因为《般若经》六十六品辨析实慧，〈无尽品〉之后二十四品阐明方便慧，这两种智慧是十方三世诸佛的法身父母，所以《维摩诘经》（Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra）说：‘智慧度（Prajñāpāramitā）菩萨是母亲，方便是父亲，一切诸导师，没有不是从这里出生的。’既然广泛地阐明了法身父母，所以在一切方等经（Vaipulya Sūtra）中最为深大。其余的经典
English
English version: When the husk of ignorance (avidyā) is shed, it will not be reborn in the causes of future lives; now teaching the Śrāvakayāna arhats (arhat) to become Buddhas, it is therefore difficult to understand in the past teachings. Question: For whom is the past teaching difficult to understand? Answer: It is precisely difficult to understand for those of the Śrāvakayāna (Śrāvakayāna), hence the Treatise (referring to the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa) says: 'A skilled physician can use poison as medicine, while an unskilled physician cannot use poison as medicine.' Bodhisattvas (bodhisattva) can understand the Two Vehicles (Śrāvakayāna and Pratyekabuddhayāna) becoming Buddhas, just as understanding the use of poison as medicine, therefore the Lotus Sūtra (Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra) is entrusted to Bodhisattvas; Śrāvakas can only understand Bodhisattvas becoming Buddhas, just as understanding the use of medicine as medicine, therefore the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra) is entrusted to Śrāvakas. Not understanding the Two Vehicles becoming Buddhas is like not understanding the use of poison as medicine, therefore the Lotus Sūtra is not entrusted to Śrāvakas, so the Lotus Sūtra is difficult to understand for those of the Śrāvakayāna. Question: If the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra only elucidates Bodhisattvas becoming Buddhas and does not elucidate the Two Vehicles becoming Buddhas, then the Prajñāpāramitā teaching appears inferior; the Lotus Sūtra elucidates Bodhisattvas becoming Buddhas and also elucidates the Two Vehicles becoming Buddhas, then the Lotus teaching appears superior. How can it be known to be so? The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, in explaining the 〈Questioning the Vehicle〉 chapter, lists ten great sūtras, the Dharmamegha Sūtra (Dharmamegha Sūtra), the Mahāmegha Sūtra (Mahāmegha Sūtra), the Lotus Sūtra, and among these sūtras, the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra is the greatest. Since it is called the greatest, then the Lotus Sūtra appears inferior. The statements contradict each other, how can they be reconciled? Answer: The Lotus Sūtra and the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra have their respective superiorities and inferiorities. If it is to elucidate the Two Vehicles becoming Buddhas for those of the Śrāvakayāna, then the Lotus Sūtra is superior and the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra is inferior; if it is to elucidate true wisdom and skillful means for Bodhisattvas, then the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra is superior and the Lotus Sūtra is inferior. The reason for this is that the sixty-six chapters of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra analyze true wisdom, and the twenty-four chapters from the 〈Endless〉 chapter onwards elucidate skillful means wisdom. These two types of wisdom are the Dharma-body parents of all Buddhas in the ten directions and three times, therefore the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra (Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra) says: 'Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā) is the mother of Bodhisattvas, and skillful means is the father. All the guides are born from this.' Since it extensively elucidates the Dharma-body parents, it is the deepest and greatest among all Vaipulya Sūtras (Vaipulya Sūtra). The remaining sūtras --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
不正明此义，故不及《波若》。又《波若》广明实相，故于众经中最为深大。所以然者，三乘得道及以断惑、辨忏悔重罪，此之三义悉依实相，而《波若》正广明实相，故三义得成。余经不正明实相，故有劣波若。是以两经互有优劣，故龙树前后有于二文。 问： 此解何所出也？ 答： 睿师《小品．序》说《波若》、《法花》二经互有优劣之义云“《法华》镜本以凝照，《波若》[穴/俱]末以解悬。解悬理趣，菩萨道也；凝照镜本，结其终也。终而不泯则归途扶蔬有三宝之迹，拥惠不夷则乱绪纷纶有惑趣之异，是以《法华》、《波若》相待以期终，方便、实化[穴/俱]一以俟尽。论其穷理尽性、夷明万行，则实不如照；取其大明真化解本无三，则照不如实”。照则《波若》，实则《法华》，故互有优劣，则其证也。 问： 若二经互有优劣，何故《智度论》复云“《法华》是《波若》异名”？ 答： 《波若》、《法华》同是正观平等大慧，显道无异，故云《法华》是《波若》异名也。是以《论》云“《波若》是一法，佛说种种名，随诸众生力，为之立异字”。今但约教、为人，故有差别。波若教明直往菩萨作佛，法花教明回小入大菩萨作佛。经约人不同 现代汉语译本： 如果不能明确阐明这个道理，就比不上《般若经》（Prajna Sutra）。而且《般若经》广泛阐明实相（Reality），所以在众多经典中最为深奥广大。之所以这样说，是因为三乘（Triyana，声闻乘、缘觉乘、菩萨乘）得道以及断除迷惑、辨别忏悔重罪，这三种意义都依赖于实相，而《般若经》正是广泛阐明实相，所以这三种意义得以成就。其他经典不能明确阐明实相，所以不如《般若经》。因此，两部经典互相存在优劣，所以龙树（Nagarjuna）前后对这两部经文有不同的说法。 问： 这种解释出自哪里？ 答： 睿师（鸠摩罗什的弟子僧睿）在《小品般若经序》中说《般若经》和《法华经》（Lotus Sutra）互相存在优劣的意义，说：‘《法华经》像镜子的本体用来凝聚照亮，《般若经》像利剑用来解除悬挂。解除悬挂的道理，是菩萨道；凝聚照亮镜子的本体，是总结归宿。总结归宿而不泯灭，那么回归的道路上扶持着三宝（Triratna，佛、法、僧）的足迹；拥有的智慧不平易，那么混乱的思绪纷繁复杂，存在迷惑趣味的差异。因此，《法华经》和《般若经》互相等待以期望最终完成，方便（Upaya）和实化合二为一以期待穷尽。论其穷究真理、穷尽本性、平易阐明万行，那么实际上不如照亮；取其大明真化、解除本来没有的三（三毒），那么照亮不如实化。’照亮就是《般若经》，实化就是《法华经》，所以互相存在优劣，这就是证明。 问： 如果两部经典互相存在优劣，为什么《智度论》（Mahaprajnaparamitopadesa）又说‘《法华经》是《般若经》的异名’？ 答： 《般若经》和《法华经》同样是正观（Right View）和平等大慧（Great Wisdom），显现真理没有差异，所以说《法华经》是《般若经》的异名。因此，《论》中说：‘《般若》是一法，佛说种种名，随诸众生力，为之立异字。’现在只是就教义、为人的角度来说，所以存在差别。《般若经》的教义阐明直接前往成佛的菩萨，而《法华经》的教义阐明回小向大成佛的菩萨。经典是就人的不同而说的。