Gosho 十八円満抄 On the Eighteen Perfect doctrines

問うて云く証文如何(いかん)、

Question: What passages can be cited to prove this?

Question: What is the written proof of this?

答えて云く神力品(じんりきほん)に云く「爾(そ)の時・仏・上行等の菩薩に告げたまわく要(よう)を以て之を言わば乃至(ないし)宣示(せんじ)顕説(けんぜつ)す」云云、

Answer: The “Super natural Powers” chapter states: “At that time the Buddha spoke to Superior Practices and the others in the great assembly of bodhisattvas, saying: ‘To put it briefly, [all the doctrines possessed by the Thus Come One, all the freely exercised super natural powers of the Thus Come One, the storehouse of all the secret essentials of the Thus Come One, all the most profound matters of the Thus Come One]—all these are proclaimed, revealed, and clearly expounded in this sutra.’”

Answer: The Wondrous Powers of theThatagata chapter of the Lotus sutra states,“At that time, the Buddha announced to Bodhisattva Jōgyō that….in discussing the transmission of the essence of the Lotus Sutra in light of the essentials of this sutra….they [the essential Law in four phrases] are declared and clearly elucidated in this sutra….”

天台大師云く「爾時(にじ)仏告(ぶつごう)上行の下は第三結(けっ)要(ちょう)付属(ふぞく)なり」

The Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai says: “The passage that begins ‘At that time the Buddha spoke to Superior Practices’ constitutes the third [of the three divisions of the prose section of the chapter describing] the transfer of the essence of the Lotus Sutra.”

The Great teacher Tiantai stated,“The passage subsequent to‘Atthat time, the Buddha announced to Bodhisattva Jōgyō and other bodhisattvas,’which is the third [of the three divisions of the prose section,] refers to the transmission of the essence of the Lotus Sutra.”

又云く「経中の要説・要は四事に在(あ)り総じて一経を結するに唯(ただ)四ならくのみ其(そ)の枢柄(すうへい)を撮(と)つて之を授(じゅ)与(よ)す」

And he also says: “The essence of all the essential passages in the Lotus Sutra is the four matters [represented by the four phrases]. [In other words], the entire Lotus Sutra is summed up in these four phrases. These four, which represent the essence of the sutra, are being transmitted to Superior Practices and the others.”

He further stated,“The core essence of the Lotus Sutra lies in the four phrases.” The essence of the entire Lotus Sutra is encapsulated in these four phrases alone. These comprise the most pivotal part, which was taken and conferred [upon Bodhisattva Jōgyō.]


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　つづく　To be continued
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