Gosho 小乗大乗分別抄 The Differences between Hinayana and Mahayana

　二乗はなげきをいだ(懐)き、此の道には入るまじかりし者をと恐れかな(悲)しみしが、

And the persons who had already entered on the two vehicle path would lament that they had made such a choice, being filled with grief and trepidation.

On the other hand, those of the two vehicles feared and lamented, believing that they never should have entered the paths of the two vehicles.

今法華経にして二乗を仏になし給へる時、二乗、仏になるのみならず、かの九界の成仏をもと(説)きあらはし給へり。

But now that the Lotus Sutra has revealed that persons of the two vehicles can achieve Buddhahood, it has at last become clear that not only those of the two vehicles but in fact all beings in the nine worlds can become Buddhas.

However, when the Lotus Sutra affirmed the attainment of enlightenment for those of the two vehicles, it also revealed the attainment of Buddhahood for all sentient beings of the nine worlds.

諸(もろもろ)の菩薩、此の法門を聞いて思はく、我等が思ひは、は(墓)かな(無)かりけり、爾(に)前(ぜん)の経経にして二乗仏にならずば、我等もなるまじかりける者なり。

The bodhisattvas, hearing this doctrine, now think to themselves, “We were mistaken! When the sutras preached prior to the Lotus Sutra proclaimed that persons of the two vehicles could not attain Buddhahood, that meant that we too could not do so.

Upon hearing this doctrine, bodhisattvas came to realize that their views were shallow, and that if the people of the two vehicles could not attain Buddhahood through the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings, they themselves would not have been able to attain Buddhahood, either.

二乗を永(よう)不成仏と説き給ふは、二乗一人計(ばか)りなげ(歎)くべきにあらざりけり。

The doctrine that those of the two vehicles could never attain Buddhahood was not a source of lamentation for those of the two vehicles alone.

They also came to understand that when the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings denied the attainment of enlightenment for the people of the two vehicles, those people were not the only ones who should have lamented.

我等も同じなげきにてありけりと心う(得)るなり。

We understand now that it was a sorrow to ourselves as well!”

These Bodhisattvas should have grieved as well.


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