Gosho 御義口伝下 Orally Transmitted teachings on the Lotus Sutra Part 2

第廿九法界礼拝住処の事

Point Twenty-nine, concerning the bow of obeisance　related to the Dharma-realm

御義口伝に云く、法界に立ちて礼拝するなり、

The Record of the Orally TransmittedTeachings says: The bodhisattva Never Disparaging makes a bow of obeisance from　the stand　point of the Dharma-realm.

法界とは広きに非ず、狭きに非ず、

The Dharma-realm is neither broad, nor is it narrow.

惣(そう)じて法とは諸法なり、界とは境界なり、

Essentially, the word “Dharma” of the Dharma-realm stands for all the dharmas, or elements of the phenomenal world,and the word “realm” is the world or state of life in which they dwell.

地獄界乃至仏界各各界(さかい)を法(のっと)る間不軽菩薩は不軽菩薩の界に法り、上慢の四衆は四衆の界に法るなり、

Each realm or world, from the realm of hell to the state of Buddhahood, has its own patterns or rules (dharmas). Thus, the bodhisattva Never Disparaging conforms to the rules of the realm of the bodhisattva Never Disparaging, while the four kinds of believers of over bearing arrogance conform to the rules of the realm of the four kinds of believers.

仍(よっ)て法界が法界を礼拝するなり、自他不二の礼拝なり、

In this sense, the Dharma-realm makes a bow of obeisance to the Dharma-realm, abow of obeisance acknowledging the fact that “self” and “others” are in fact not two different things.

其の故は不軽菩薩の四衆を礼拝すれば、上慢の四衆所具の仏性又不軽菩薩を礼拝するなり、

For this reason, when the bodhisattva Never Disparaging makes his bow of obeisance to the four kinds of believers, the Buddha nature inherent in the four kinds of believers of overbearing arrogance bows in obeisance to the bodhisattva Never Disparaging.

鏡に向つて礼拝を成す時、浮べる影又我を礼拝するなり云云。

It is like the situation when one faces a mirror and makes a bow of obeisance: the image in the mirror likewise makes a bow of obeisance to oneself.

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