Chinese
大正藏第 34 册 No. 1725 法华宗要 No. 1725 [cf. No. 262] 法华宗要 元晓师撰 将欲解释此经。略开六门分别(初述大意次辨经宗三明诠用四释题名五显教摄六消文义)。初述大意者。妙法莲华经者。斯乃十方三世诸佛出世之大意。九道四生灭入一道之弘门也。文巧义深。无妙不极。辞敷理泰。无法不宣。文辞巧敷花而含实。义理深泰实而带权。理深泰者。无二无别也。辞巧敷者。开权示实也。开权者。开门外三车是权。中途宝城是化。树下成道非始。林间灭度非终。示实者。示□生并是吾子。二乘皆当作佛。算数不足量其命。劫火不能烧其立是谓文辞之巧妙也。言无二者。唯一大事。于佛知见开示悟入无上无异令知令证故。言无别者。三种平等。诸乘诸身皆同一揆。世间涅槃永离二际故。是谓义理之深妙也。斯则文理灭妙无非玄。则离粗之轨乃称妙法。权华开敷实果泰彰。无染之美假喻莲花。然妙法妙绝。何三何一至久至冥。谁短谁长兹□□总入之不易。诸子澜漫出之良难。是如来引之□权羡□车。于鹿苑示有□之粗身。驾白牛于鹫岳显无限之长命。斯乃□一以破三。三除一舍。假□以□短。短息而□忘。是法不可示。言辞相寂灭。荡 然靡据。肃焉离寄。不知何以言之强称妙法莲花。是以分坐令闻之者。当受轮王释梵之座。迳耳一句之人。并得无上菩提之记。况乎受持演说之福。岂可思议所量乎哉。举是大意以标题目。故言妙法莲花经也。 第二辨经宗者。此经正以广大甚深一乘实相为所诠宗。总说虽然。于中分别者。一乘实相略说有二。谓能乘人及所乘法。此经所说一乘人者。三乘行人。四种声闻。三界所有四生众生。并是能乘一佛乘人。皆为佛子。悉是菩萨。以皆有佛性当绍佛位故。乃至无性有情亦皆当作佛故。如宝云经言。菩萨发心便作是念。一切世界中少智众生愚痴喑哑无涅槃分不生信心者。□□菩萨之所弃舍。如是众生我皆调伏乃至坐于道场得阿耨菩提。发此心时。魔宫震动。又言。菩萨成佛众愿满足。方便品说。三世诸佛但教化菩萨。譬喻品云。一切众生皆是吾子故。又言。诸法从本来常自寂灭相。佛子□道已。来世得作佛。斯则无一众生而非佛子。所以广大。此众生界即涅槃界。是故甚深。如论说言。三界相者。谓众生界即涅槃界。不离众生界有如来藏故。是谓能乘一佛乘人也。此一乘人所乘之法。略而说之有四种。一谓一乘理及一乘教。一乘之因一乘之果。一乘理者。谓一法界。亦名法身。名如来藏。如萨遮尼揵子经云。 现代汉语译本： 然而没有依据。庄严肃穆地脱离依附。不知道用什么言语来形容，勉强称之为‘妙法莲华’。因此分座让听闻的人，应当承受轮王（cakravartin-rāja，统治世界的理想君主）、释（Śakra，帝释天）、梵（Brahmā，梵天）的座位。哪怕只是听闻一句的人，都能得到无上菩提（anuttarā-samyak-sambodhi，无上正等正觉）的授记。更何况是受持、演说的福报，岂能用思议来衡量呢？举出这个大意来作为标题，所以说是《妙法莲华经》。 第二，辨明经的宗旨。这部经正是以广大甚深的一乘实相作为所要阐述的宗旨。总的来说虽然如此，但在其中分别来看，一乘实相略说有二：即能乘的人和所乘的法。这部经所说的一乘人，是指三乘（triyāna，声闻乘、缘觉乘、菩萨乘）的修行人、四种声闻（śrāvaka，听闻佛陀教诲而证悟者）、三界（tridhātu，欲界、色界、无色界）所有的四生（caturyoni，卵生、胎生、湿生、化生）众生，都是能乘一佛乘的人，都是佛子，都是菩萨，因为都具有佛性，将来继承佛位。乃至没有佛性的有情，也都会成佛。如《宝云经》所说：‘菩萨发心便作是念，一切世界中少智众生，愚痴喑哑，没有涅槃（nirvāṇa，寂灭）的份，不生信心者，是菩萨所弃舍的。这样的众生我都要调伏，乃至坐在道场，得到阿耨菩提（anuttarā-samyak-sambodhi，无上正等正觉）。’发此心时，魔宫震动。又说：‘菩萨成佛，众愿满足。’《方便品》说：‘三世诸佛但教化菩萨。’《譬喻品》说：‘一切众生皆是吾子。’又说：‘诸法从本来，常自寂灭相。佛子行道已，来世得作佛。’这就是说没有一个众生不是佛子，所以说广大。此众生界即是涅槃界，所以说甚深。如论所说：‘三界相者，谓众生界即涅槃界，不离众生界有如来藏（tathāgatagarbha，如来藏）故。’这就是能乘一佛乘的人。 这一乘人所乘的法，简略地说有四种：一是谓一乘理及一乘教，一乘之因，一乘之果。一乘理，是指一法界，也名法身（dharmakāya，法身），名如来藏（tathāgatagarbha，如来藏）。如《萨遮尼揵子经》所说。
English
English version: However, there is no basis. Solemnly departing from dependence. Not knowing how to express it, I reluctantly call it the ‘Wonderful Dharma Lotus’. Therefore, those who sit and listen should receive the seats of the Wheel-Turning King (cakravartin-rāja, the ideal monarch who rules the world), Śakra (帝释天), and Brahmā (梵天). Even those who hear a single sentence will receive the prediction of Anuttarā-samyak-sambodhi (无上正等正觉, unsurpassed perfect enlightenment). How much more so the blessings of upholding and expounding it, how can they be measured by thought? This great meaning is taken as the title, therefore it is called the ‘Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma’. Secondly, to distinguish the doctrine of the Sutra. This Sutra precisely takes the vast and profound One Vehicle Real Aspect as the doctrine to be expounded. Although it is generally said, when distinguished within it, the One Vehicle Real Aspect can be briefly said to have two aspects: namely, the person who can ride and the Dharma that is ridden. The person of the One Vehicle spoken of in this Sutra refers to the practitioners of the Three Vehicles (triyāna, Śrāvakayāna, Pratyekabuddhayāna, Bodhisattvayāna), the four kinds of Śrāvakas (声闻, those who attain enlightenment by hearing the Buddha's teachings), and all sentient beings in the Three Realms (tridhātu, the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm) of the four births (caturyoni, born from eggs, born from wombs, born from moisture, and born by transformation). They are all people who can ride the One Buddha Vehicle, they are all Buddha-sons, they are all Bodhisattvas, because they all have Buddha-nature and will inherit the Buddha's position in the future. Even sentient beings without Buddha-nature will all become Buddhas. As the ‘Bao Yun Sutra’ says: ‘When a Bodhisattva generates the mind, he thinks, “Those sentient beings in all worlds who are of little wisdom, foolish, mute, without a share of Nirvana (nirvāṇa, extinction), and do not generate faith, are those abandoned by the Bodhisattvas. I will subdue such sentient beings, and even sit in the Bodhimaṇḍa and attain Anuttarā-samyak-sambodhi (无上正等正觉, unsurpassed perfect enlightenment).”’ When this mind is generated, the demon palaces shake. It also says: ‘When a Bodhisattva becomes a Buddha, all vows are fulfilled.’ The ‘Expedient Means Chapter’ says: ‘The Buddhas of the three worlds only teach Bodhisattvas.’ The ‘Parable Chapter’ says: ‘All sentient beings are my children.’ It also says: ‘All dharmas from the beginning are always of the nature of tranquil extinction. When Buddha-sons practice the Way, they will become Buddhas in the future.’ This means that there is not a single sentient being who is not a Buddha-son, therefore it is said to be vast. This realm of sentient beings is the realm of Nirvana, therefore it is said to be profound. As the treatise says: ‘The characteristic of the Three Realms is that the realm of sentient beings is the realm of Nirvana, because the Tathāgatagarbha (如来藏, Buddha-nature) is not separate from the realm of sentient beings.’ This is the person who can ride the One Buddha Vehicle. The Dharma that this person of the One Vehicle rides can be briefly said to have four aspects: first, the principle of the One Vehicle and the teaching of the One Vehicle, the cause of the One Vehicle, and the result of the One Vehicle. The principle of the One Vehicle refers to the One Dharma Realm, also called Dharmakāya (法身, Dharma Body), and called Tathāgatagarbha (如来藏, Buddha-nature). As the ‘Saccakanirgrantha Sutra’ says. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
文殊师利白佛言。若无三乘差别性者。何故如来说三乘法。佛言。诸佛如来说三乘者。示地差别。非乘差别。说人差别。非。乘差别诸佛如来说三乘者。示小功德知多功德。而佛法中无乘差别。何以故。以法界法无差别故。金光明经言。法界无分别。是故无异乘。为度众生故分别说三乘。又此经言。诸佛如来能知彼法究竟实相。论释此云。实相者。谓如来藏。法身之体。不变相故。又下文言。同者。示诸佛如来法身之性同诸凡夫声闻辟支佛等。法身平等无有差别故。案云。如来法身如来藏性。一切众生平等所有。能运一切同归本原。由是道理无有异乘。故说此法为一乘性。如是名为一乘理也。一乘教者。十方三世一切诸佛。从初成道乃至涅槃。其间所说一切言教。莫不令至一切智地。是故皆名为一乘教。如方便品言。是诸佛亦以无量无数方便。种种因缘譬喻言辞。而为众生演说诸法。是法皆为一佛乘故。是诸众生从佛闻法。究竟皆得一切种智故。是教遍通十方三世。无量无边。所以广大。故一言一句皆为佛乘。一相一味。是故甚深。如是名为一乘教也。一乘因者。总说有二。一者性因。二者作因。言性因者。一切众生所有佛性为三身果而作因故。如常不轻菩萨品云。我不轻汝。汝等皆当作佛。论释此言。示诸众生皆有 现代汉语译本 文殊师利菩萨对佛说：‘如果三乘（Sravakayana，声闻乘；Pratyekabuddhayana，缘觉乘；Bodhisattvayana，菩萨乘）没有差别，为什么如来说三乘法呢？’ 佛说：‘诸佛如来说三乘，是为了显示根性的差别，而不是乘的差别；是为了说明人的差别，而不是乘的差别。诸佛如来说三乘，是为了显示小功德与大功德的差别，而佛法中没有乘的差别。为什么呢？因为法界之法没有差别。’ 《金光明经》说：‘法界没有分别，所以没有不同的乘。为了度化众生，才分别说三乘。’ 这部经又说：‘诸佛如来能知彼法究竟实相。’论中解释说：‘实相，指的是如来藏（Tathagatagarbha），是法身的本体，是不变的相。’下文又说：‘同，是指诸佛如来的法身之性与一切凡夫、声闻、辟支佛等相同。法身平等，没有差别。’ 因此说，如来法身、如来藏性，一切众生平等具有，能引导一切众生同归本源。由于这个道理，没有不同的乘，所以说此法为一乘（Ekayana）性。这叫做一乘理。 一乘教，是指十方三世一切诸佛，从最初成道乃至涅槃，其间所说的一切言教，没有不令人达到一切智地（Sarvajna）的。所以都叫做一乘教。如《方便品》所说：‘是诸佛亦以无量无数方便，种种因缘譬喻言辞，而为众生演说诸法。是法皆为一佛乘故。是诸众生从佛闻法，究竟皆得一切种智故。’ 这个教法遍通十方三世，无量无边，所以广大。因此一言一句都为了佛乘，一相一味，所以甚深。这叫做一乘教。 一乘因，总的来说有两种：一是性因，二是作因。所谓性因，是指一切众生所有的佛性（Buddha-dhatu），为三身（Trikaya）果而作因。如《常不轻菩萨品》所说：‘我不轻汝，汝等皆当作佛。’论中解释说：‘显示一切众生都有’
English
English version Manjushri (Manjushri) said to the Buddha: 'If there is no difference in the Three Vehicles (Sravakayana, Pratyekabuddhayana, Bodhisattvayana), why does the Tathagata (Tathagata) speak of the Three Vehicles?' The Buddha said: 'The Tathagatas speak of the Three Vehicles to show the difference in dispositions, not the difference in vehicles; to explain the difference in people, not the difference in vehicles. The Tathagatas speak of the Three Vehicles to show the difference between small merits and great merits, but there is no difference in vehicles in the Buddhadharma. Why? Because there is no difference in the Dharma of the Dharmadhatu (Dharmadhatu).' The *Golden Light Sutra* says: 'The Dharmadhatu has no distinctions, therefore there are no different vehicles. For the sake of liberating sentient beings, the Three Vehicles are spoken of separately.' This sutra also says: 'The Tathagatas can know the ultimate true aspect of that Dharma.' The commentary explains: 'The true aspect refers to the Tathagatagarbha, the essence of the Dharmakaya (Dharmakaya), which is an unchanging aspect.' The following text also says: 'The same refers to the fact that the nature of the Dharmakaya of the Tathagatas is the same as that of all ordinary beings, Sravakas (Sravaka), Pratyekabuddhas (Pratyekabuddha), etc. The Dharmakaya is equal and without difference.' Therefore, it is said that the Tathagata's Dharmakaya and the nature of the Tathagatagarbha are equally possessed by all sentient beings, and can guide all sentient beings to return to the original source. Because of this reason, there are no different vehicles, so it is said that this Dharma is of the nature of the One Vehicle (Ekayana). This is called the principle of the One Vehicle. The One Vehicle Teaching refers to all the teachings spoken by all the Buddhas of the ten directions and three times, from the initial attainment of enlightenment to Nirvana (Nirvana), which without exception lead people to the ground of all-knowing wisdom (Sarvajna). Therefore, they are all called the One Vehicle Teaching. As the *Upaya Chapter* says: 'These Buddhas also use countless expedient means, various causes and conditions, metaphors and words, to expound the Dharmas for sentient beings. These Dharmas are all for the sake of the One Buddha Vehicle. These sentient beings, hearing the Dharma from the Buddha, ultimately attain all-knowing wisdom.' This teaching pervades the ten directions and three times, is immeasurable and boundless, therefore it is vast. Therefore, every word and every sentence is for the Buddha Vehicle, one aspect and one taste, therefore it is very profound. This is called the One Vehicle Teaching. The cause of the One Vehicle, generally speaking, there are two types: one is the nature cause, and the other is the action cause. The so-called nature cause refers to the Buddha-nature (Buddha-dhatu) possessed by all sentient beings, which acts as the cause for the fruit of the Trikaya (Trikaya). As the *Never Disparaging Bodhisattva Chapter* says: 'I do not disparage you, you will all become Buddhas.' The commentary explains: 'It shows that all sentient beings have' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------