English
English version: Those who are newly learning often make no mistakes. Question: What is the difference between the doubts of a Bodhisattva (Bodhisattva, one who seeks enlightenment) and a Śrāvaka (Śrāvaka, one who attains enlightenment through hearing the Dharma)? Answer: Śrāvakas consider themselves to have reached the ultimate, but what they have heard is not the ultimate, therefore they have doubts. Bodhisattvas do not have this doubt, but only the two kinds of doubts mentioned above, and that is the difference. Question: What is the benefit of resolving doubts? Answer: If doubts are not resolved, then Śrāvakas will not advance on the path, and Bodhisattvas may regress. Now, by opening the gate of expedient means and revealing the true nature, and by resolving the doubts of both the small and great vehicles, Bodhisattvas will not regress, and Śrāvakas will advance on the path. Therefore, this sūtra is of profound benefit. Eighth, this sūtra is spoken in order to expound the Middle Way. Question: How do we know that it is intended to expound the Middle Way? Answer: In the first two weeks of teachings, both began by emitting light from the white hair between the eyebrows (ūrṇā, a tuft of white hair between the eyebrows of a Buddha, symbolizing the light of wisdom), the light not reaching the top of the head or the soles of the feet. The emission of light from between the eyebrows indicates that the teachings of both weeks illuminate the Middle Way. The first week clarifies the one pure path, and the one pure path is the Middle Way; the second week clarifies the one Dharmakāya (Dharmakāya, the Dharma body of the Buddha), and the one Dharmakāya is also the Middle Way. However, the Dharmakāya is actually only one, and names are established according to different meanings, so we know that the teachings of both weeks clarify the Middle Way. Question: Why is the Middle Way clarified? Answer: The Way has never been biased, but the Middle Way is spoken to counteract the biased sickness of the past. The reason is that the Tathāgata (Tathāgata, 'the one who has thus come', an epithet of the Buddha) spoke of the Five Vehicles (Pañca-yāna, the vehicles of humans and gods, Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas) in the past to reveal the non-Five. Since there are no Five Vehicles, there is also no non-Five Vehicles. The fundamental nature is still and without reliance, and this is called the Middle Way, and the Middle Way is the wonderful Dharma. However, those who received the teachings heard of the Five Vehicles in the past and developed different understandings of the Five Vehicles, and therefore fell into various extremes. Those who accepted the vehicle of humans and gods fell into the extreme of birth and death, those who sought the vehicle of Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas fell into the extreme of Nirvāṇa, those who studied the Tripiṭaka (Tripiṭaka, the collection of Buddhist scriptures) fell into the extreme of the small vehicle, those who studied the Mahāyāna (Mahāyāna, the Great Vehicle) fell into the extreme of the great vehicle; even those who accepted different understandings of the Five Vehicles in the past fell into the extreme of difference, and those who now hear of the One Vehicle (Eka-yāna, the one vehicle to Buddhahood) and understand it as the One Vehicle fall into the extreme of oneness. Now, by breaking these extremes and causing the mind to be without attachment, this is the -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 妙法莲花经》，故名中道也。
Chinese
九者、欲显诸菩萨念佛三昧故说是经。自昔已来未具足显身真实真方便故，凡夫二乘及始行菩萨犹未识佛，故不解念佛亦不解礼佛，但以有所得心念佛者，便是念有所得竟不念佛，有所得心礼佛，乃是礼有所得亦不礼佛。不礼不念，则佛非彼师、彼非弟子。今既开身方便身真实，方解礼念、始名师弟子。 问： 昔缘云何未识佛耶？ 答。昔执虽多不出三种：一者、不识本一迹多，二者、不识本无生灭应用有生灭，三者、不识释迦久证法身非伽耶成佛。为对此三病，故示三种教门：一者、普集分身示本一迹多，明释迦之与净土之佛皆是应迹，非此净秽乃为法身，故法身不二、迹身不一。又若执应身不一、法身不二者，亦未免二见、有所得心，即是不动而应十方现前，既不动而应、虽应常寂，故此应身则是法身。如《涅槃》云“吾今此身则是法身常寂而应”，不失应身故不二而二，开于本迹二而不二，未始二身。二者、开塔并坐生灭互显。多宝灭既不灭，则显释迦虽生不生，不生不灭名为法身，方便唱灭称为应用。若复言法身自不生不灭、应身自生灭，还成生灭无生灭二见。今明王宫生，生而不起；双树唱灭，灭而不失。故生灭宛然未曾起谢，生灭宛然故是应用 现代汉语译本：《妙法莲花经》之所以被称为中道，是因为它阐述了中道的真谛。 九者，为了彰显诸菩萨的念佛三昧，所以宣说这部经。过去以来，由于没有完整地显现佛的真实身和真实的方便，凡夫、二乘以及刚开始修行的菩萨还不能认识佛，因此不理解念佛，也不理解礼佛。只是以有所得的心念佛，便是念有所得，最终没有念佛；以有所得的心礼佛，便是礼有所得，也没有礼佛。不礼佛、不念佛，那么佛就不是他们的老师，他们也不是佛的弟子。现在既然开显了佛的方便身和真实身，才能理解礼佛和念佛，才能真正称为师徒。 问： 过去是什么原因导致不能认识佛呢？ 答：过去执着虽然很多，但不外乎三种：一是，不认识本一迹多（根本上是一个佛，但示现出多种化身）；二是，不认识本体上无生灭，而应用上却有生灭；三是，不认识释迦牟尼佛（Śākyamuni）很久以前就证得了法身（Dharmakāya），并非在伽耶（Gayā）成佛。为了对治这三种病，所以示现了三种教门：一是，普集分身，示现本一迹多，说明释迦牟尼佛与净土的佛都是应迹（化身），并非此土是净土或秽土，而法身是不二的，迹身是不一的。又如果执着应身不一、法身不二，也未免落入二见、有所得心，要知道法身是不动而应十方现前，既然不动而应，虽然应化却常寂，所以这个应身就是法身。如《涅槃经》（Nirvana Sutra）所说：‘我现在的这个身就是法身，常寂而应’，不失去应身，所以不二而二，开显本迹二而不二，本来就没有两个身。二是，开塔并坐，生灭互显。多宝佛（Prabhūtaratna）的灭度既然不是真正的灭度，就显示释迦牟尼佛虽然示现出生，但实际上没有出生，不生不灭名为法身，方便示现灭度称为应用。如果又说，法身自己不生不灭，应身自己生灭，还是会落入生灭、无生灭的二见。现在说明在王宫出生，是生而不起；在双树下示现灭度，是灭而不失。所以生灭宛然，未曾起谢，生灭宛然，所以是应用。
English
English version: The reason why the ‘Lotus Sutra’ is called the Middle Way is that it expounds the true meaning of the Middle Way. Ninth, it is to reveal the Samadhi of Buddha-Recollection of all Bodhisattvas that this Sutra is preached. Since the past, because the true body and true expedient means of the Buddha have not been fully revealed, ordinary people, those of the Two Vehicles, and Bodhisattvas who have just begun their practice have not yet recognized the Buddha. Therefore, they do not understand Buddha-Recollection, nor do they understand paying homage to the Buddha. If they recite the Buddha with a mind of attainment, they are reciting what is attainable and ultimately not reciting the Buddha; if they pay homage to the Buddha with a mind of attainment, they are paying homage to what is attainable and also not paying homage to the Buddha. If they do not pay homage or recite, then the Buddha is not their teacher, and they are not the Buddha's disciples. Now that the expedient body and true body of the Buddha have been revealed, they can understand paying homage and reciting, and can truly be called teacher and disciples. Question: What caused them not to recognize the Buddha in the past? Answer: The attachments of the past, though many, do not go beyond three types: First, not recognizing the fundamental oneness and the multiple traces (that fundamentally there is one Buddha, but manifesting in multiple forms); second, not recognizing that the essence is without birth and death, while the application has birth and death; third, not recognizing that Śākyamuni Buddha had long ago attained the Dharmakāya and did not attain Buddhahood in Gayā. To counter these three illnesses, three teachings are shown: First, universally gathering the manifested bodies to show the fundamental oneness and multiple traces, explaining that Śākyamuni Buddha and the Buddhas of the Pure Lands are all manifested traces (incarnations), and that this land is neither pure nor impure, but the Dharmakāya is non-dual, and the trace bodies are not one. Furthermore, if one clings to the idea that the manifested bodies are not one and the Dharmakāya is non-dual, one is still caught in dualistic views and a mind of attainment. One should know that the Dharmakāya is unmoving yet responds and manifests in all directions. Since it is unmoving yet responds, although responding, it is always in stillness. Therefore, this manifested body is the Dharmakāya. As the Nirvana Sutra says, ‘My present body is the Dharmakāya, always still and responsive,’ not losing the manifested body, so it is non-dual yet dual, revealing the fundamental traces as dual yet non-dual, originally not two bodies. Second, opening the Stupa and sitting together, birth and death mutually reveal each other. Since the extinction of Prabhūtaratna Buddha is not true extinction, it shows that although Śākyamuni Buddha appears to be born, he is actually not born. Not being born and not dying is called the Dharmakāya, and the expedient manifestation of extinction is called application. If one says that the Dharmakāya itself is not born and does not die, and the manifested body itself is born and dies, one still falls into the dualistic views of birth and death and non-birth and non-death. Now it is explained that being born in the royal palace is being born without arising; manifesting extinction under the twin trees is extinguishing without losing. Therefore, birth and death are clearly present, never arising or ceasing, and because birth and death are clearly present, it is application. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
，未曾起谢称为法身。三者、过去久成佛、未来不灭，称为法身。燃灯授记、伽耶成道，自为方便身。 问： 释迦久证法身，法身有久近不？ 答： 法身无久近，以法身无久近故则知悟亦无久近。所以然者，悟本悟于法身，法身既无久近故，则知悟亦无久近。若尔，释迦久悟而实无久，当知今近悟亦无有近，故知远悟亦无有远，故知近远无二，不二而二，不失古今也。 问： 何以故但明此三义耶？ 答： 就释迦应身，必备此三，初则法身不二、迹身不一，未知不二之身为有生灭为无生灭？故次明法身无生灭、应身有生灭。虽明法身无生灭、应身有生灭，未知释迦为始证法身、为久证法身？故第三次明久近。一切诸佛多具前二义，释迦则具足有三句。 问： 三身云何辨于权实？ 答： 法身但实而非权，化身但权而非实，应身有二句：一者内与法身相应名为应身，法身既常故应身亦常，此即应身是实而非权，故《涅槃经》云“诸佛所师所谓法也，以法常故诸佛亦常”；二者外与大机相应净土成佛故名应身，此之应身是权而非实，故七卷《金光明》云“应化两身是假名有，非是真实，念念生灭故名曰无常”，则其证也。既识三义即 现代汉语译本： 未曾兴起感谢之念，这被称为法身（Dharmakaya，佛的法性之身）。第三，过去已经成就佛果，未来也不会消灭，这被称为法身。燃灯佛（Dipamkara Buddha）授记，在伽耶（Gaya）成道，都是为了方便示现应化身（Nirmanakaya，佛的应化之身）。 问： 释迦牟尼佛（Sakyamuni Buddha）很久以前就证得了法身，法身有时间上的久远和接近之分吗？ 答： 法身没有时间上的久远和接近之分，因为法身没有时间上的久远和接近之分，所以证悟也没有时间上的久远和接近之分。为什么这么说呢？因为证悟根本上是证悟法身，法身既然没有时间上的久远和接近之分，那么证悟也就没有时间上的久远和接近之分。如果这样，释迦牟尼佛很久以前证悟，实际上并没有很久，应当知道现在证悟也没有接近之说，所以知道遥远的证悟也没有遥远之说，所以知道接近和遥远没有分别，不分别是二，不失去过去和现在。 问： 为什么只阐明这三种意义呢？ 答： 就释迦牟尼佛的应身（Sambhogakaya，佛的报身）而言，必须具备这三种意义。首先，法身不二，迹身不一，不知道不二之身是有生灭还是没有生灭？所以其次阐明法身没有生灭，应身有生灭。虽然阐明法身没有生灭，应身有生灭，不知道释迦牟尼佛是开始证得法身，还是很久以前就证得法身？所以第三次阐明久远和接近。一切诸佛大多具备前两种意义，释迦牟尼佛则具足有这三种意义。 问： 三身（Trikaya，佛的三身）如何区分权巧方便和真实究竟呢？ 答： 法身只是真实而不是权巧方便，化身只是权巧方便而不是真实，应身有两种说法：一种是内在与法身相应，称为应身，法身既然是常住的，所以应身也是常住的，这也就是应身是真实而不是权巧方便，所以《涅槃经》（Nirvana Sutra）说：‘诸佛的老师就是法，因为法是常住的，所以诸佛也是常住的’；另一种是外在与广大的根机相应，在净土（Pure Land）成就佛果，所以称为应身，这种应身是权巧方便而不是真实，所以七卷本的《金光明经》（Suvarnaprabhasa Sutra）说：‘应身和化身都是假名安立的，不是真实的，念念生灭所以称为无常’，这就是证明。既然认识了这三种意义，就……