English
English version: To attempt to convert sentient beings with provisional teachings immediately upon emergence into the world would be contrary to the original intention of all Buddhas and would harm the bond of affection between the Buddha and sentient beings. Now, I will explain the similarities and differences between the *Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra* (《法华经》, The Lotus Sutra) and the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* (《华严经》, Flower Garland Sutra). The similarity lies in the fact that both elucidate the one path of pure, equal, and great wisdom. The ‘Emerging from the Earth’ chapter (*Yǒngchū Pǐn*) states: ‘These sentient beings, upon first seeing my form and hearing my teachings, will immediately believe and accept them, entering into the wisdom of the Buddha, except for those who have previously cultivated and studied the Small Vehicle. Even for such individuals, I will now enable them to hear this sutra and enter into the wisdom of the Buddha.’ The wisdom of the Buddha is none other than equal and great wisdom. Therefore, it is known that both the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* and the *Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra* are named equal and great wisdom, and the knowledge and vision of all Buddhas are without difference. The differences can be briefly explained in five ways: First, the teaching host is different. The teaching host of the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* is often named Locana (卢舍那), while the teaching host of the *Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra* is called Śākyamuni (释迦); moreover, the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* is spoken by one Buddha, while the *Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra* is spoken by a gathering of manifested Buddhas; the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* is spoken by Bodhisattvas, while the *Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra* is spoken by the Buddha himself. Second, the audience is different. The *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* is spoken for Bodhisattvas who directly aspire to the Great Vehicle, while the *Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra* is spoken for practitioners who turn from the Small Vehicle to the Great Vehicle; the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* is purely spoken for Bodhisattvas, while the *Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra* is spoken for people of the Five Vehicles; the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* is spoken suddenly and directly for Bodhisattvas, while the *Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra* is spoken gradually for Bodhisattvas. Third, the time is different. The *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* initially speaks of the One Vehicle, while the *Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra* ultimately elucidates complete fulfillment. Fourth, the teaching is different. Directly expounding the One Vehicle of the equal and great path without refutation is called the Avataṃsaka teaching; this sutra breaks through the attachment to the Three Vehicles before one can return to the One Vehicle. Fifth, the location is different. The *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* is spoken in seven locations and eight assemblies, while this sutra is spoken in one location and one assembly. Question: Does the *Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra* also have multiple locations and assemblies? Answer: All are on Gṛdhrakūṭa (灵鹫山, Vulture Peak), so there is only one location; and in terms of before and after, there are three times of pure and impure lands: the first part of the sutra is spoken in an impure land; the second part of the sutra, from the ‘Apparition of a Stupa’ chapter (*Jità Pǐn*) to the ‘Entrustment’ chapter (*Shǔlěi Pǐn*), is spoken in a pure land; the ‘Supernatural Powers’ chapter (*Shénlì Pǐn*) combines the ten directions into one land, all together. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
净秽中说，始自〈药王〉终讫〈普贤劝发品〉还在秽土中说。 问： 三种法轮，《法花》具几种？ 答： 一往则《花严》为根本法轮，自《花严》之后《法花》之前为枝末之教，此经则属摄末归本。然《法花》结束一化，该罗顿渐则具足三轮，然此三轮皆是无名相中为众生故假名相说，然寂灭之道未曾有三亦无不三，无所依止也。 七者、欲释声闻菩萨二种疑故演说此经。声闻二种疑：一者旧疑，如身子云“我等同入法性，云何如来以小乘法而见济度”，又云“欲以问世尊，为失为不失，四十余年常怀此疑”，谓旧疑也；如云“初闻佛所说心中大惊疑”，则是新疑也。菩萨旧疑者，昔禀三乘之教，既执道理有三，或疑退堕二乘地，或疑进成佛道。今疑者，疑佛所说今昔相违，昔说有三今不应明一，今辨有一昔不应说三。大小二人闻说此经两疑皆息，故〈方便品〉云“菩萨闻是法疑网皆已除，千二百罗汉悉亦当作佛”。 问。声闻新旧二疑所有文证，菩萨新旧疑出何文耶。 答。身子三请中云，求佛诸菩萨大数有八万，欲闻具足道，当知菩萨亦有疑也。 问： 八万大士皆法身菩萨，何容有此疑也？ 答： 身子权行接引实人，法身菩萨府同 现代汉语译本： 关于净土和秽土的说法，从《药王品》开始到《普贤劝发品》结束，都还在秽土中宣说。 问： 《法华经》具备三种法轮（根本法轮、枝末法轮、摄末归本法轮）中的几种？ 答： 一般来说，《华严经》是根本法轮。从《华严经》之后到《法华经》之前，是枝末之教。而《法华经》属于摄末归本。然而，《法华经》总结了释迦牟尼佛一生的教化，涵盖了顿教和渐教，因此具足三种法轮。但这三种法轮都是在没有名相的状态下，为了众生的缘故而假借名相来说明。然而，寂灭的真理之道，未曾有三，也并非没有三，是无所依止的。 第七，为了消除声闻（Śrāvaka）和菩萨（Bodhisattva）的两种疑惑，才宣说这部经。声闻的两种疑惑：一是旧的疑惑，如舍利弗（Śāriputra）所说：‘我们都同样进入了法性，为什么如来（Tathāgata）用小乘法来救度我们？’又说：‘想要问世尊（Lokajyestha），是失去了还是没有失去（成佛的机会），四十多年来常常怀有这个疑惑’，这就是旧的疑惑。如经文所说：‘初次听闻佛所说，心中大惊疑’，这就是新的疑惑。菩萨旧的疑惑是，过去接受三乘的教导，既然执着于道理有三种，或者怀疑自己会退堕到二乘的境界，或者怀疑自己能否进而成佛道。现在的疑惑是，怀疑佛所说的话今昔互相矛盾，过去说有三乘，现在不应该只说一乘，现在说有一乘，过去不应该说三乘。大小乘的修行者听闻这部经后，两种疑惑都消除了，所以《方便品》中说：‘菩萨听闻此法，疑网都已消除，一千二百阿罗汉（Arhat）都将成佛’。 问： 声闻新的和旧的两种疑惑，都有哪些经文可以证明？菩萨新的和旧的疑惑出自哪些经文？ 答： 舍利弗三次请求中说，请求佛陀的诸位菩萨，大数有八万，想要听闻具足之道，应当知道菩萨也有疑惑。 问： 八万大士都是法身菩萨（Dharmakāya Bodhisattva），怎么会有这样的疑惑呢？ 答： 舍利弗是权巧示现，接引真实之人，法身菩萨的示现也是如此。
English
English version: Regarding the discussion of pure and impure lands, from the beginning of the ‘Medicine King Chapter’ (〈药王品〉) to the end of the ‘Universal Worthy’s Exhortation to Diligence Chapter’ (〈普贤劝发品〉), the teachings are still being delivered within the impure land. Question: Of the three wheels of Dharma (fundamental wheel, branch-end wheel, and gathering-end-returning-to-root wheel), how many does the ‘Lotus Sutra’ (《法华经》) possess? Answer: Generally speaking, the ‘Flower Garland Sutra’ (《花严经》) is the fundamental wheel of Dharma. From the ‘Flower Garland Sutra’ to before the ‘Lotus Sutra’ are the branch-end teachings. This sutra (the ‘Lotus Sutra’) belongs to the gathering-end-returning-to-root. However, the ‘Lotus Sutra’ concludes the entire teaching of Śākyamuni Buddha's lifetime, encompassing both sudden and gradual teachings, thus possessing all three wheels. However, these three wheels are all provisionally named for the sake of sentient beings in a state without names and forms. However, the path of extinction has never had three, nor is it without three; it is without any reliance. Seventh, this sutra is expounded to dispel the two kinds of doubts of Śrāvakas (声闻) and Bodhisattvas (菩萨). The two doubts of Śrāvakas: first, the old doubt, as Śāriputra (舍利弗) said, ‘We all enter the Dharma-nature equally, why does the Tathāgata (如来) save us with the Small Vehicle?’ And also said, ‘Wanting to ask the World Honored One (Lokajyestha), whether it is lost or not lost (the opportunity to attain Buddhahood), for more than forty years, I have always held this doubt,’ this is the old doubt. As the sutra says, ‘Upon first hearing what the Buddha said, there was great surprise and doubt in my heart,’ this is the new doubt. The old doubt of Bodhisattvas is that in the past, they received the teachings of the Three Vehicles, and since they were attached to the idea that there are three paths, they either doubted that they would regress to the stage of the Two Vehicles, or doubted that they could advance to attain Buddhahood. The present doubt is that they doubt that the Buddha's words contradict each other between the past and the present; in the past, it was said that there were three vehicles, but now it should not be said that there is only one; now it is said that there is one vehicle, but in the past, it should not have been said that there were three. After hearing this sutra, both the practitioners of the Great and Small Vehicles had their doubts dispelled, so the ‘Expedient Means Chapter’ says, ‘Bodhisattvas, hearing this Dharma, have all their nets of doubt removed, and the twelve hundred Arhats (阿罗汉) will all become Buddhas.’ Question: What are the scriptural proofs for the two kinds of doubts, new and old, of the Śrāvakas? From which scriptures do the new and old doubts of the Bodhisattvas come? Answer: In Śāriputra's three requests, it is said that the Bodhisattvas who requested the Buddha, numbered eighty thousand, and wanted to hear the complete path. It should be known that Bodhisattvas also have doubts. Question: The eighty thousand great beings are all Dharmakāya Bodhisattvas (法身菩萨), how could they have such doubts? Answer: Śāriputra is expediently manifesting to guide real people, and the manifestation of the Dharmakāya Bodhisattvas is also like this. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 新学，故无过也。 问： 菩萨声闻疑有何异也？ 答：
Chinese
声闻自谓究竟，闻非究竟，是故生疑。菩萨无此疑也，而但有上二种之疑，所以为异。 问： 释疑有何益耶？ 答： 若不释疑，则声闻无进道、菩萨有退路。今开方便门示真实相，释大小之疑，则菩萨无退路、声闻有进道，是故此经为益之深也。 八者、欲说中道法故说此经。 问： 何以知欲说中道耶？ 答： 二周说初皆放眉间白豪光明，上不以顶、下不以足。放眉间光明者，表二周之说皆明中道法也。初周明一道清净，一道清净即是中道；第二周明一法身，一法身亦是中道。然法身更无有二，随义立名，故知二周皆明中道也。 问： 何故明中道耶？ 答： 道未曾偏中，但为对昔偏病是故说中。所以然者，如来昔说五乘为显不五，既无有五亦无不五，本性寂然无所依倚名为中道，中道即是妙法。但禀教之徒闻昔说五乘，遂作五乘异解，故堕在诸边。禀人天乘者堕在生死边，求声闻缘觉乘者堕涅槃边，学三藏教者堕在小边，学摩诃衍者堕在大边；乃至昔禀五乘异堕在异边，今闻一乘作一乘解者堕在一边。今破此诸边令心无所著，即是《 现代汉语译本：新学之人，往往没有过失。 问： 菩萨（Bodhisattva，指追求觉悟的修行者）和声闻（Śrāvaka，指通过听闻佛法而证悟的修行者）的疑惑有什么不同呢？ 答： 声闻自认为已经达到究竟的境界，但实际上他们所听闻的并非究竟之法，因此产生疑惑。菩萨没有这种疑惑，而只有上面所说的两种疑惑，这就是他们之间的区别。 问： 解释疑惑有什么益处呢？ 答： 如果不解释疑惑，那么声闻就无法继续进步，菩萨则可能有退转的危险。现在开启方便之门，揭示真实的相状，解释大小乘的疑惑，那么菩萨就不会退转，声闻就能继续进步，因此这部经的益处非常深远。 第八，为了宣说中道之法，所以宣说这部经。 问： 凭什么知道是为了宣说中道呢？ 答： 前两周说法时，一开始都从眉间白毫（ūrṇā，佛像眉间的一束白毛，象征智慧之光）放出光明，光明向上不触及头顶，向下不触及脚底。从眉间放出光明，表明前两周的说法都阐明了中道之法。初周阐明一道清净，一道清净就是中道；第二周阐明一法身（Dharmakāya，佛的法性之身），一法身也是中道。然而法身实际上只有一个，只是根据不同的意义而设立不同的名称，因此可知前两周的说法都阐明了中道。 问： 为什么要阐明中道呢？ 答： 道本来就没有偏颇，之所以要说中道，是为了对治过去人们的偏颇之病。原因在于，如来过去所说的五乘（Pañca-yāna，人天乘、声闻乘、缘觉乘、菩萨乘、佛乘）是为了显示不五（非五乘），既然没有五乘，也没有不五乘，本性寂然，无所依傍，这叫做中道，中道就是妙法。但是接受教诲的人们听闻过去所说的五乘，就产生了五乘不同的理解，因此堕入了各种边见。接受人天乘的人堕入了生死边，追求声闻缘觉乘的人堕入了涅槃边，学习三藏教（Tripiṭaka，佛教经典的总称）的人堕入了小乘边，学习摩诃衍（Mahāyāna，大乘佛教）的人堕入了大的边；乃至过去接受五乘不同理解的人堕入了异边，现在听闻一乘（Eka-yāna，唯一的成佛之道）就作一乘理解的人堕入了一边。现在破除这些边见，使心无所执著，这就是《