妙法蓮華經 見寶塔品第十一
前一品說，經卷所在的地方，就已經是佛的全身。這一品，佛把這句話變成了眼前一件驚天動地的事：一座七寶大塔，忽然從地底湧出、停在半空，塔裡傳出聲音——『釋迦，你所說的，都是真實。』
塔裡坐著一位早已滅度、卻全身不散的古佛，叫多寶。他久遠以前發過一個願：凡十方有人講《法華經》的地方，我就讓自己的全身寶塔湧現到那裡，替這部經作一個證。一位死去了無量劫的佛，單為一部經，一次次地趕回人間，只說一句：這是真的。世上還有什麼，比這更重的保證？
要見這位古佛，釋迦得先把自己散在十方說法的無量分身佛，統統請回來；為了坐得下這麼多佛，娑婆世界一變再變，當下成了淨土。然後釋迦用右手一指，撥開塔門，像抽開門閂、推開一座大城門；多寶分出半座，兩尊佛，並肩坐在同一個座上。
就在這二佛並坐的莊嚴裡，佛問了一個沉重的問題：我不久要走了，這部經，誰能接著講下去？他排出一串對比：搬走須彌山、腳趾撼動大千、手把虛空遊行、走進劫火而不焦——這些都不算難；唯有在佛滅後的濁世裡，能信、能持、能講這一部經，才是真難。難不在力氣，難在一顆敢於承當的心。
且入此品，看一位古佛怎樣為一部經現身作證，看兩尊佛怎樣並肩坐下；然後，聽佛把那一句託付，輕輕放到每一個肯承當的人肩上——若能持這部經，便是持了佛的全身。
The preceding chapter says that wherever the sutra scroll is found, the Buddha’s full body is already there. In this chapter, the Buddha turns that sentence into an earth-shaking event before the assembly’s eyes: a great seven-jeweled stūpa suddenly emerges from beneath the earth and comes to rest in midair, and a voice issues from within—“Shakyamuni, everything you have taught is true.”
Seated inside is an ancient buddha named Many Treasures, who entered extinction long ago yet whose full body remains undispersed. In the distant past, he made a vow: wherever in the ten directions the Lotus Sutra is taught, I will cause the stūpa containing my full body to emerge there and bear witness to this sutra. A buddha who passed into extinction immeasurable aeons ago returns to the human world again and again for a single sutra, only to say: this is true. What assurance in this world could carry greater weight?
To see this ancient buddha, Shakyamuni must first call home all his immeasurable emanation buddhas dispersed throughout the ten directions and teaching the Dharma. To make room for so many buddhas, the Saha world is transformed again and again, becoming a pure land here and now. Then Shakyamuni moves a finger of his right hand and opens the stūpa door, like drawing back a bolt and pushing open the gate of a great city. Many Treasures shares half his seat, and the two buddhas sit side by side upon the same seat.
Amid the majesty of these two buddhas seated together, the Buddha asks a weighty question: it will not be long before I am gone; who will continue to teach this sutra? He sets out a series of contrasts. Moving Mount Sumeru, shaking a great-thousand world with one toe, carrying open space in one’s hand, or entering the fire at the end of an aeon without being burned—none of these is difficult. Only in the defiled age after the Buddha’s extinction, to believe, uphold, and teach this one sutra is truly difficult. The difficulty lies not in physical strength, but in a heart courageous enough to bear responsibility.
Enter this chapter and see how an ancient buddha appears to bear witness to one sutra, and how two buddhas sit down side by side. Then hear the Buddha place this entrustment gently upon the shoulders of everyone willing to bear it: whoever can uphold this sutra thereby upholds the Buddha’s full body.
後秦龜茲國三藏法師鳩摩羅什奉詔譯《妙法蓮華經》卷四〈見寶塔品第十一〉· 大正藏 T09n0262〔起 T09 0032b17〕。段/行首〔T09 …〕＝大正藏頁·欄·行錨。
〔T09 0032b17〕爾時佛前有七寶塔，高五百由旬，縱廣二百五十由旬，從地踊出，住在空中，種種寶物而莊校之。五千欄楯，龕室千萬，無數幢幡以為嚴飾，垂寶瓔珞寶鈴萬億而懸其上。四面皆出多摩羅跋栴檀之香，充遍世界。其諸幡蓋，以金、銀、琉璃、車𤦲、馬腦、真珠、玫瑰、七寶合成，高至四天王宮。三十三天雨天曼陀羅華，供養寶塔。餘諸天、龍、夜叉、乾闥婆、阿修羅、迦樓羅、緊那羅、摩睺羅伽、人非人等，千萬億眾，以一切華、香、瓔珞、幡蓋、伎樂，供養寶塔，恭敬、尊重、讚歎。爾時寶塔中出大音聲歎言：「善哉，善哉！釋迦牟尼世尊！能以平等大慧，教菩薩法，佛所護念，妙法華經，為大眾說。如是，如是！釋迦牟尼世尊！如所說者，皆是真實。」
爾時四眾，見大寶塔住在空中，又聞塔中所出音聲，皆得法喜，怪未曾有，從座而起，恭敬合掌，却住一面。爾時有菩薩摩訶薩，名大樂說，知一切世間天、人、阿修羅等心之所疑，而白佛言：「世尊！以何因緣，有此寶塔從地踊出，又於其中發是音聲？」
爾時佛告大樂說菩薩：「此寶塔中有如來全身，乃往過去東方無量千萬億阿僧祇世界，國名寶淨，彼中有佛，號曰多寶。其佛行菩薩道時，作大誓願：『若我成佛、滅度之後，於十方國土有說法華經處，我之塔廟，為聽是經故，踊現其前，為作證明，讚言善哉。』
「彼佛成道已，臨滅度時，於天人大眾中告諸比丘：『我滅度後，欲供養我全身者，應起一大塔。』其佛以神通願力，十方世界，在在處處，若有說法華經者，彼之寶塔皆踊出其前，全身在於塔中，讚言：『善哉，善哉！』
「大樂說！今多寶如來塔，聞說法華經故，從地踊出，讚言：『善哉，善哉！』」
是時大樂說菩薩，以如來神力故，白佛言：「世尊！我等願欲見此佛身。」
佛告大樂說菩薩摩訶薩：「是多寶佛，有深重願：『若我寶塔，為聽法華經故，出於諸佛前時，其有欲以我身示四眾者，彼佛分身諸佛——在於十方世界說法，盡還集一處，然後我身乃出現耳。』
「大樂說！我分身諸佛——在於十方世界說法者，今應當集。」
大樂說白佛言：「世尊！我等亦願欲見世尊分身諸佛，禮拜供養。」
爾時佛放白毫一光，即見東方五百萬億那由他恒河沙等國土諸佛，彼諸國土，皆以頗梨為地，寶樹、寶衣以為莊嚴，無數千萬億菩薩充滿其中，遍張寶幔，寶網羅上。彼國諸佛，以大妙音而說諸法，及見無量千萬億菩薩，遍滿諸國，為眾說法。南西北方、四維上下，白毫相光所照之處，亦復如是。爾時十方諸佛，各告眾菩薩言：「善男子！我今應往娑婆世界，釋迦牟尼佛所，并供養多寶如來寶塔。」
〔T09 0033a09〕時娑婆世界即變清淨，琉璃為地，寶樹莊嚴，黃金為繩以界八道，無諸聚落、村營、城邑、大海、江河、山川、林藪。燒大寶香，曼陀羅華遍布其地，以寶網幔，羅覆其上，懸諸寶鈴。唯留此會眾，移諸天人置於他土。
是時，諸佛各將一大菩薩以為侍者，至娑婆世界，各到寶樹下。一一寶樹高五百由旬，枝、葉、華、菓次第莊嚴，諸寶樹下皆有師子之座，高五由旬，亦以大寶而校飾之。爾時諸佛，各於此座結加趺坐。如是展轉遍滿三千大千世界，而於釋迦牟尼佛一方所分之身猶故未盡。
時釋迦牟尼佛欲容受所分身諸佛故，八方各更變二百萬億那由他國，皆令清淨，無有地獄、餓鬼、畜生及阿修羅，又移諸天、人置於他土。所化之國，亦以琉璃為地，寶樹莊嚴，樹高五百由旬，枝、葉、華、菓次第嚴飾，樹下皆有寶師子座，高五由旬，種種諸寶以為莊校。亦無大海、江河，及目真隣陀山、摩訶目真隣陀山、鐵圍山、大鐵圍山、須彌山等諸山王，通為一佛國土。寶地平正，寶交露幔遍覆其上；懸諸幡蓋，燒大寶香，諸天寶華遍布其地。
釋迦牟尼佛為諸佛當來坐故，復於八方各更變二百萬億那由他國，皆令清淨，無有地獄、餓鬼、畜生及阿修羅，又移諸天、人置於他土。所化之國，亦以琉璃為地，寶樹莊嚴，樹高五百由旬，枝、葉、華、菓次第莊嚴，樹下皆有寶師子座，高五由旬，亦以大寶而校飾之。亦無大海、江河，及目真隣陀山、摩訶目真隣陀山、鐵圍山、大鐵圍山、須彌山等諸山王，通為一佛國土。寶地平正，寶交露幔、遍覆其上；懸諸幡蓋，燒大寶香，諸天寶華遍布其地。
爾時東方釋迦牟尼佛所分之身，百千萬億那由他恒河沙等國土中諸佛，各各說法，來集於此；如是次第十方諸佛皆悉來集，坐於八方。爾時一一方四百萬億那由他國土，諸佛如來遍滿其中。是時，諸佛各在寶樹下，坐師子座，皆遣侍者問訊釋迦牟尼佛，各齎寶華滿掬而告之言：「善男子！汝往詣耆闍崛山釋迦牟尼佛所，如我辭曰：『少病、少惱，氣力安樂，及菩薩、聲聞眾悉安隱不？』以此寶華散佛供養，而作是言：『彼某甲佛，與欲開此寶塔。』」諸佛遣使，亦復如是。
爾時釋迦牟尼佛，見所分身佛悉已來集，各各坐於師子之座，皆聞諸佛與欲同開寶塔，即從座起，住虛空中。一切四眾，起立合掌，一心觀佛。於是釋迦牟尼佛，以右指開七寶塔戶，出大音聲，如却關鑰開大城門。即時一切眾會，皆見多寶如來於寶塔中坐師子座，全身不散，如入禪定。又聞其言：「善哉，善哉！釋迦牟尼佛！快說是法華經，我為聽是經故而來至此。」爾時四眾等，見過去無量千萬億劫滅度佛說如是言，歎未曾有，以天寶華聚，散多寶佛及釋迦牟尼佛上。
爾時多寶佛於寶塔中分半座與釋迦牟尼佛，而作是言：「釋迦牟尼佛！可就此座。」即時釋迦牟尼佛入其塔中，坐其半座，結加趺坐。爾時，大眾見二如來在七寶塔中師子座上結加趺坐，各作是念：「佛座高遠，唯願如來以神通力，令我等輩俱處虛空。」即時釋迦牟尼佛以神通力，接諸大眾皆在虛空，以大音聲普告四眾：「誰能於此娑婆國土廣說妙法華經，今正是時。如來不久當入涅槃，佛欲以此妙法華經付囑有在。」
爾時世尊欲重宣此義，而說偈言：
「聖主世尊，雖久滅度，在寶塔中，
尚為法來。諸人云何不勤為法？
此佛滅度，無央數劫，處處聽法，
以難遇故。彼佛本願，我滅度後，
在在所往，常為聽法。又我分身，
無量諸佛，如恒沙等，來欲聽法。
及見滅度，多寶如來，各捨妙土，
及弟子眾、天人龍神、諸供養事，
令法久住，故來至此。為坐諸佛，
以神通力，移無量眾，令國清淨。
諸佛各各，詣寶樹下，如清淨池，
蓮華莊嚴。其寶樹下，諸師子座，
佛坐其上，光明嚴飾，如夜闇中，
燃大炬火。身出妙香，遍十方國，
眾生蒙薰，喜不自勝。譬如大風，
吹小樹枝。以是方便，令法久住。
告諸大眾：『我滅度後，誰能護持、
讀說斯經？今於佛前，自說誓言。
其多寶佛，雖久滅度，以大誓願，
而師子吼。多寶如來，及與我身，
所集化佛，當知此意。諸佛子等，
誰能護法，當發大願，令得久住。
其有能護，此經法者，則為供養，
我及多寶。此多寶佛，處於寶塔，
常遊十方。為是經故，亦復供養，
諸來化佛，莊嚴光飾、諸世界者。
若說此經，則為見我、多寶如來，
及諸化佛。諸善男子！各諦思惟，
此為難事，宜發大願。諸餘經典，
數如恒沙，雖說此等，未足為難。
若接須彌，擲置他方，無數佛土，
亦未為難。若以足指，動大千界，
遠擲他國，亦未為難。若立有頂，
為眾演說，無量餘經，亦未為難。
若佛滅後，於惡世中，能說此經，
是則為難。假使有人，手把虛空，
而以遊行，亦未為難。於我滅後，
若自書持，若使人書，是則為難。
若以大地，置足甲上，昇於梵天，
亦未為難。佛滅度後，於惡世中，
暫讀此經，是則為難。假使劫燒，
擔負乾草，入中不燒，亦未為難。
我滅度後，若持此經、為一人說，
是則為難。若持八萬，四千法藏，
十二部經，為人演說，令諸聽者，
得六神通，雖能如是，亦未為難。
於我滅後，聽受此經，問其義趣，
是則為難。若人說法，令千萬億，
無量無數，恒沙眾生，得阿羅漢，
具六神通，雖有是益，亦未為難。
於我滅後，若能奉持，如斯經典，
是則為難。我為佛道，於無量土，
從始至今，廣說諸經，而於其中，
此經第一。若有能持，則持佛身。
諸善男子！於我滅後，誰能受持、
讀誦此經，今於佛前、自說誓言。
此經難持，若暫持者，我則歡喜，
諸佛亦然。如是之人，諸佛所歎。
是則勇猛，是則精進，是名持戒，
行頭陀者，則為疾得，無上佛道。
能於來世，讀持此經，是真佛子，
住淳善地。佛滅度後，能解其義，
是諸天人，世間之眼。於恐畏世，
能須臾說，一切天人，皆應供養。』」
The canonical text stands in Chinese only. This edition renders the essence, the plain reading, the exposition and the apparatus into English — never the sūtra itself. Switch to 漢讀本 or 並行雙語 above to read it.
七寶塔從地踊出·塔中出聲讚善哉
那時候，在佛的面前有一座七寶（金、銀、琉璃等七種珍寶）之塔，高有五百由旬（古印度長度單位，約一頭牛車一日所行的路程），縱橫寬廣有二百五十由旬，從地底下湧了出來，停住在虛空當中，用種種的珍寶裝校莊嚴著它。塔上有五千道欄杆，還有千千萬萬的龕室（供奉安置的小室），用數不清的幢幡（旌旗）作為它的莊嚴裝飾，垂掛著珠寶瓔珞（用珠玉串成的飾物）與千萬億的寶鈴，懸繫在它的上頭。塔的四面都散發出多摩羅跋栴檀（一種名貴的香木）的香氣，充滿遍布了整個世界。那些幡蓋，是用黃金、白銀、琉璃、車渠（一種白色玉石）、瑪瑙、真珠、玫瑰（一種紅色寶石）這七種珍寶合起來造成的，高高地一直聳到四天王宮（欲界第一重天，四大天王所居）。三十三天（欲界第二重天，即忉利天）落下天上的曼陀羅華（一種天界妙花），供養這座寶塔。其餘各種的天眾、龍眾、夜叉（一類威猛的鬼神）、乾闥婆（不食酒肉、只尋香氣為食的天樂神）、阿修羅（好爭鬥的非天）、迦樓羅（金翅大鳥神）、緊那羅（似人而頭上有角的歌神）、摩睺羅伽（大蟒神）、人與非人等等，成千萬億的大眾，用一切的花、香、瓔珞、幡蓋、伎樂（歌舞音樂），來供養這座寶塔，恭敬、尊重、讚歎。
那時候，寶塔當中發出洪大的音聲讚歎說：「好得很，好得很啊！釋迦牟尼世尊！您能夠用平等的大智慧，來教導菩薩的法門，是佛所護持憶念的、微妙的《法華經》，為廣大的眾人宣說。正是這樣，正是這樣啊！釋迦牟尼世尊！您所宣說的一切，全都是真實不虛的。」
四眾未曾有·大樂說菩薩問其因緣
那時候，四眾（比丘、比丘尼、優婆塞、優婆夷）看見這座巨大的寶塔停住在虛空當中，又聽見塔裡所發出的音聲，全都獲得了佛法的喜悅，驚怪這是從來不曾有過的事，於是從座位上站了起來，恭恭敬敬地合起掌來，退到一旁站著。這時候有一位菩薩摩訶薩（大菩薩），名叫大樂說，知道一切世間的天眾、人眾、阿修羅等等心中所疑惑的事，就向佛稟白說：「世尊！是憑著什麼樣的因緣，才有這座寶塔從地底湧出，又在它當中發出這樣的音聲呢？」
多寶如來全身·聞法華經而現前作證
那時候，佛告訴大樂說菩薩說：「這座寶塔當中，有一位如來的全身（法身圓具，全身不散）。往昔在過去世，在東方隔了無量千萬億阿僧祇（無數之意）那麼多的世界之外，有一個國土名叫寶淨，那裡有一尊佛，號稱多寶。那尊佛在修行菩薩道的時候，發下了廣大的誓願：『假使我成了佛、滅度（謝世入涅槃）之後，在十方國土只要有宣說《法華經》的地方，我的塔廟，為了聽這部經的緣故，都會湧現到那說經的地方前面，替它作證明，讚歎說「好得很」。』
「那尊佛成就佛道以後，臨到要滅度的時候，在天眾、人眾的大會當中告訴諸位比丘說：『我滅度之後，凡是想要供養我全身的人，應當建起一座巨大的塔。』那尊佛憑著他神通的願力，在十方世界，隨處在在，只要有宣說《法華經》的地方，他的那座寶塔全都湧現到那說經的地方前面，他的全身就在塔中，讚歎說：『好得很，好得很！』
「大樂說啊！如今多寶如來的塔，因為聽見有人宣說《法華經》的緣故，才從地底湧了出來，讚歎說：『好得很，好得很！』」
願見佛身·分身諸佛盡集乃現
這時候，大樂說菩薩，藉著如來神通力的緣故，向佛稟白說：「世尊！我們願意想要見一見這位佛的身相。」
佛告訴大樂說菩薩摩訶薩說：「這位多寶佛，有一個深切鄭重的誓願：『假使我的寶塔，為了聽《法華經》的緣故，湧現在諸佛面前的時候，若有想要把我的身相示現給四眾看的，必須要等那尊佛的分身諸佛——就是分散在十方世界說法的那些佛，全都回還聚集到一處，然後我的身相才會出現。』
「大樂說啊！我那些分身諸佛——就是分散在十方世界說法的那些佛，如今應當要聚集了。」
大樂說向佛稟白說：「世尊！我們也願意想要見一見世尊您的分身諸佛，向他們禮拜供養。」
放白毫光·十方諸佛皆來集會
那時候，佛放出眉間白毫的一道光，眾人當下就看見了東方隔著五百萬億那由他（極大數）條恒河的沙那麼多的國土裡的諸佛，那些國土，全都是用玻璃（水晶）作為地面，用寶樹、寶衣作為莊嚴，有數不清千萬億的菩薩充滿在其中，遍地張掛著寶帳幔，寶羅網籠罩在上頭。那些國土的諸佛，用洪大微妙的音聲宣說著種種的法，還看見無量千萬億的菩薩，遍滿在各個國土裡，替眾人說法。南方、西方、北方、四維（東南、西南、東北、西北）以及上方、下方，只要是那白毫相光所照到的地方，也全都是像這樣。那時候，十方的諸佛，各自告訴他們座下的眾菩薩說：「善男子！我如今應當要前往娑婆世界（釋迦牟尼佛所教化的堪忍世界）、釋迦牟尼佛的所在，一併去供養多寶如來的寶塔。」
娑婆變淨·移諸天人置於他土
這時候，娑婆世界當下就變得清淨了，用琉璃作為地面，用寶樹作為莊嚴，用黃金作成的繩索來界劃出八條道路，沒有了種種的聚落、村莊營寨、城池街市，也沒有了大海、江河、山川、樹林草澤。燒起了名貴的寶香，曼陀羅華遍布在它的地面上，用寶羅網、寶帳幔覆蓋籠罩在上頭，懸掛著種種的寶鈴。只留下這場法會的大眾，把其餘的天眾、人眾都遷移安置到別的國土去了。
這時候，諸佛各自帶著一位大菩薩作為隨侍的侍者，來到娑婆世界，各自到了一棵寶樹底下。每一棵寶樹高有五百由旬，枝、葉、花、果依次序莊嚴著它，各棵寶樹底下都設有師子座（佛的高廣坐座），高有五由旬，也是用巨大的珍寶來裝校裝飾它。那時候，諸佛各自在這座位上結加趺坐（雙足盤疊的坐法）。就這樣輾轉地遍滿了三千大千世界，然而單單釋迦牟尼佛這一方所分出來的身，都還沒有到齊。
更變二百萬億國·八方容受分身諸佛
這時候，釋迦牟尼佛為了要容納接受所分出來的諸佛的緣故，在八方各自又變化出了二百萬億那由他個國土，全都讓它們變得清淨，沒有了地獄、餓鬼、畜生以及阿修羅，又把種種的天眾、人眾遷移安置到別的國土去。所變化出來的國土，也是用琉璃作為地面，用寶樹作為莊嚴，樹高五百由旬，枝、葉、花、果依次序莊嚴裝飾，樹底下都有寶師子座，高五由旬，用種種的珍寶作為裝校。也沒有了大海、江河，以及目真隣陀山（一種山名）、摩訶目真隣陀山（大目真隣陀山）、鐵圍山（環繞世界的鐵質山）、大鐵圍山、須彌山（居世界中央的高山）等等種種的山王，全都通連成為一片佛國土。寶地平坦端正，寶交露幔（珠寶交織成露珠形的帳幔）遍地覆蓋在它上頭；懸掛著種種的幡蓋，燒起名貴的寶香，種種天上的寶花遍布在它的地面上。
釋迦牟尼佛為了讓諸佛將來就坐的緣故，又在八方各自變化出了二百萬億那由他個國土，全都讓它們變得清淨，沒有了地獄、餓鬼、畜生以及阿修羅，又把種種的天眾、人眾遷移安置到別的國土去。所變化出來的國土，也是用琉璃作為地面，用寶樹作為莊嚴，樹高五百由旬，枝、葉、花、果依次序莊嚴，樹底下都有寶師子座，高五由旬，也是用巨大的珍寶來裝校裝飾它。也沒有了大海、江河，以及目真隣陀山、摩訶目真隣陀山、鐵圍山、大鐵圍山、須彌山等等種種的山王，全都通連成為一片佛國土。寶地平坦端正，寶交露幔遍地覆蓋在它上頭；懸掛著種種的幡蓋，燒起名貴的寶香，種種天上的寶花遍布在它的地面上。
分身諸佛遍滿·各遣侍者問訊與欲開塔
那時候，東方那些從釋迦牟尼佛所分出來的身，就是百千萬億那由他條恒河沙那麼多的國土裡的諸佛，各各都在說著法，前來聚集到這裡；就這樣依著次序，十方的諸佛全都前來聚集了，端坐在八方。那時候，每一方四百萬億那由他個國土，都有諸佛如來遍滿在其中。這時候，諸佛各自坐在寶樹底下，坐在師子座上，全都差遣自己的侍者去問候釋迦牟尼佛，各自捧著滿滿一掬的寶花，並且吩咐侍者說：「善男子！你前往耆闍崛山（靈鷲山）釋迦牟尼佛的所在，替我傳話說：『您少病、少煩惱嗎？氣力安穩快樂嗎？以及您座下的菩薩、聲聞大眾都平安穩妥嗎？』把這些寶花散在佛身上作供養，並且這樣說：『那位某某佛，願意一同開啟這座寶塔。』」諸佛差遣使者傳話，也全都是像這樣。
右指開塔·多寶佛全身如入禪定
那時候，釋迦牟尼佛，看見所分出來的諸佛全都已經前來聚集了，各各都坐在師子座上，也全都聽見諸佛願意一同開啟寶塔，就從座位上站了起來，停住在虛空當中。一切的四眾，全都起身站立、合起掌來，一心一意地瞻仰著佛。於是釋迦牟尼佛，用右手的手指開啟七寶塔的門戶，發出洪大的音聲，就好像抽開門閂鎖鑰、推開巨大的城門那樣。當下一切與會的大眾，全都看見多寶如來在寶塔當中坐在師子座上，全身不散，就好像入了禪定一般。又聽見他說：「好得很，好得很啊！釋迦牟尼佛！痛快地宣說了這部《法華經》，我為了聽這部經的緣故，才前來到了這裡。」那時候，四眾等大眾，看見過去世無量千萬億劫（極長的時間單位）以前就已滅度的佛，竟說出這樣的話來，讚歎這是從來不曾有過的事，就用天上的寶花聚積起來，散在多寶佛以及釋迦牟尼佛的身上。
二佛並坐·以神通力接眾住虛空
那時候，多寶佛在寶塔當中分出半個座位給釋迦牟尼佛，並且這樣說：「釋迦牟尼佛！可以就坐到這個座位上來。」當下釋迦牟尼佛便進入了那座塔中，坐上他的半個座位，結加趺坐。這時候，大眾看見兩位如來在七寶塔中的師子座上結加趺坐，各自生起了這樣的念頭：「佛座那樣高遠，只盼望如來用神通力，讓我們這些人都能夠一同處在虛空當中。」當下釋迦牟尼佛便用神通力，把大眾都接到了虛空之中，用洪大的音聲普遍地告訴四眾說：「有誰能夠在這娑婆國土裡廣泛地宣說《妙法華經》呢？如今正是時候。如來不久之後就要進入涅槃了，佛想要把這部《妙法華經》付託囑咐給有能力承擔的人。」
重宣此義·聖主為法而來
那時候，世尊想要把這個意思再宣說一遍，就說了偈頌：
「聖主世尊（多寶佛），
雖然久遠以前就已滅度，
卻仍在寶塔當中，
為了正法而前來。
諸位眾人為什麼不勤勉地為正法奮發呢？
這位佛滅度以來，
已經歷了無邊無數的劫，
卻仍隨處去聽聞正法，
只因為正法難得遇到的緣故。
那位佛的本願是：
我滅度之後，
隨處所前往的地方，
都常常為了聽聞正法而現前。
還有我那些分身，
就是無量的諸佛，
多如恒河沙一般，
都前來想要聽聞正法。
以及看見那已滅度的，
多寶如來，
各各都捨下自己的妙好國土，
以及弟子大眾、天人龍神，
還有種種供養的事，
為了讓正法久住世間，
所以才前來到了這裡。
為了讓諸佛就坐的緣故，
用神通的力量，
遷移了無量的大眾，
讓國土變得清淨。
諸佛各各，
來到寶樹底下，
就好像清淨的水池裡，
有蓮花在莊嚴一般。
那寶樹底下，
各座師子座上，
諸佛就坐在它上頭，
光明煥發、莊嚴裝飾，
就好像在黑暗的夜裡，
燃起了巨大的火炬。
諸佛身上散出微妙的香氣，
遍布十方的國土，
眾生蒙受這香氣的薰染，
歡喜得無法自制。
就好比一陣大風，
吹拂著小樹的枝條（那樣自在無礙）。
諸佛就用這樣的方便，
來讓正法久住世間。
付囑弘經·誰能護持自說誓言
告訴諸位大眾說：『我滅度之後，
有誰能夠護持、讀誦講說這部經呢？
如今就在佛的面前，
自己說出誓言來。
那位多寶佛，
雖然久遠以前就已滅度，
卻憑著廣大的誓願，
而發出師子吼（如師子吼那樣無畏地宣說）。
多寶如來，
以及我這個身，
還有所聚集來的化佛（諸佛的分身），
應當知道這付囑的用意。
諸位佛子等，
有誰能夠護持正法，
就應當發下廣大的誓願，
讓正法得以久住。
凡是能夠護持，
這部經法的人，
那就等於是在供養，
我以及多寶佛。
這位多寶佛，
處在寶塔當中，
卻常常遊歷十方。
為了這部經的緣故，
也一併供養了，
那些前來的化佛，
就是那些莊嚴光飾、莊嚴著種種世界的諸佛。
假使有人宣說這部經，
那就等於是見到了我、
多寶如來，
以及那些化佛。
六難九易·唯持此經是為難事
諸位善男子！各自要仔細地思惟：
這是一件難事，
應當發下廣大的誓願。
其餘的種種經典，
多得像恒河沙一樣，
就算把這些經都宣說了，
也還算不上是難事。
假使有人把須彌山接舉起來，
拋擲安放到別的方所，
擲到無數的佛土之外，
也還算不上是難。
假使有人用一根腳趾，
撼動整個大千世界，
把它遠遠地拋擲到別的國土，
也還算不上是難。
假使有人站在有頂天（色界最高處），
替眾人演說，
無量其餘的經典，
也還算不上是難。
假使有人在佛滅度之後，
在惡濁的世間當中，
能夠宣說這部經，
這才算是難事。
假使有人，
用手把握住虛空，
帶著它到處遊行，
也還算不上是難。
在我滅度之後，
假使有人自己書寫、受持這部經，
或者叫別人書寫，
這才算是難事。
假使有人用大地，
安放在腳趾甲上，
托著它上升到梵天（色界初禪天），
也還算不上是難。
在佛滅度之後，
在惡濁的世間當中，
哪怕只是片刻讀一讀這部經，
這才算是難事。
假使當劫火燃燒天地的時候，
有人擔負著乾草，
走進火中卻不被燒著，
也還算不上是難。
在我滅度之後，
假使有人受持這部經、只為一個人講說，
這才算是難事。
假使有人受持八萬四千的法藏、
十二部經（佛經的十二種體裁），
替眾人演說，
讓聽法的人，
都證得六神通（六種神通妙用），
雖然能夠做到這樣，
也還算不上是難。
在我滅度之後，
假使有人聽受這部經，
並且探問它的義理旨趣，
這才算是難事。
假使有人宣說佛法，
讓千萬億、
無量無數，
多如恒河沙的眾生，
都證得阿羅漢果（聲聞乘的最高果位），
具足六種神通，
雖然有這樣的利益，
也還算不上是難。
在我滅度之後，
假使有人能夠奉持，
像這樣的經典，
這才算是難事。
若能持經·是真佛子世間之眼
我為了成就佛道，
在無量的國土當中，
從最初直到如今，
廣泛地宣說了種種的經，
而在這一切經當中，
這部經是最為第一的。
假使有人能夠受持這部經，
那就等於是受持了佛的法身。
諸位善男子！在我滅度之後，
有誰能夠受持、讀誦這部經，
如今就在佛的面前，
自己說出誓言來。
這部經是難以受持的，
假使有人哪怕只是片刻受持它，
我就會歡喜，
諸佛也一樣歡喜。
像這樣的人，
是諸佛所讚歎的。
這樣就叫作勇猛，
這樣就叫作精進，
這樣就叫作持守戒律，
叫作修行頭陀（抖擻塵勞的苦行）的人，
這樣就能夠迅速地證得，
無上的佛道。
凡是能夠在未來世當中，
讀誦、受持這部經的人，
就是真正的佛子，
安住在淳厚善良的境地。
在佛滅度之後，
凡是能夠理解這部經義理的人，
都是天眾人眾當中的，
世間的眼目。
在恐怖畏懼的惡世裡，
凡是能夠片刻宣說這部經的人，
一切的天眾人眾，
全都應當去供養他。』」
Kumārajīva's Chinese root text (T09n0262) is retained as a visual anchor for bilingual readers; the English below renders it in plain, continuous prose.
The Seven-Jeweled Stūpa Emerges from the Earth · A Voice from Within Praises “Excellent!”
爾時佛前有七寶塔，高五百由旬，縱廣二百五十由旬，從地踊出，住在空中，種種寶物而莊校之。五千欄楯，龕室千萬，無數幢幡以為嚴飾，垂寶瓔珞寶鈴萬億而懸其上。四面皆出多摩羅跋栴檀之香，充遍世界。其諸幡蓋，以金、銀、琉璃、車𤦲、馬腦、真珠、玫瑰、七寶合成，高至四天王宮。三十三天雨天曼陀羅華，供養寶塔。餘諸天、龍、夜叉、乾闥婆、阿修羅、迦樓羅、緊那羅、摩睺羅伽、人非人等，千萬億眾，以一切華、香、瓔珞、幡蓋、伎樂，供養寶塔，恭敬、尊重、讚歎。爾時寶塔中出大音聲歎言：「善哉，善哉！釋迦牟尼世尊！能以平等大慧，教菩薩法，佛所護念，妙法華經，為大眾說。如是，如是！釋迦牟尼世尊！如所說者，皆是真實。」
At that time, before the Buddha, a stūpa made of the seven treasures—the traditional group including gold, silver, and lapis lazuli—emerged from beneath the earth and came to rest in open space. It stood five hundred yojanas high and measured two hundred and fifty yojanas in length and breadth. A yojana is an ancient Indian measure of distance, traditionally compared to the distance an ox cart travels in a day. Every kind of precious object adorned the stūpa. It had five thousand railings and tens of millions of niches—small chambers in which sacred objects could be installed. Countless banners and streamers magnificently decorated it. Jeweled necklaces—ornaments strung from pearls and gems—and myriads of millions of jeweled bells hung from its upper reaches. From all four sides came the fragrance of tamālapattra sandalwood, a precious fragrant wood, filling the entire world.
Its banners and canopies were made from the seven treasures: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, giant clamshell—a white, jade-like precious substance—agate, pearl, and red gem. They rose as high as the palaces of the Four Great Heavenly Kings, who dwell in the first heaven of the desire realm. The devas of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the second heaven of the desire realm, rained down heavenly māndārava flowers (a kind of wondrous celestial flower) as an offering to the jeweled stūpa. The other devas, dragons, yakṣas—fierce spirits—gandharvas—celestial musicians who do not eat meat or drink wine but feed only upon fragrance—asuras—quarrelsome non-devas—garuḍas—great golden-winged bird spirits—kiṃnaras—celestial singers shaped like humans but bearing horns—mahoragas—great serpent spirits—humans, nonhumans, and other beings, in an assembly of thousands of myriads of millions, offered every kind of flower, incense, jeweled necklace, banner, canopy, song, dance, and music to the stūpa. They revered, honored, and praised it.
Then a great voice issued from within the jeweled stūpa and proclaimed in praise: “Excellent, excellent! Śākyamuni World-Honored One! With great impartial wisdom, you are able to teach this Dharma for instructing bodhisattvas—the Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma, guarded and kept in mind by the buddhas—to this great assembly. It is so; it is exactly so! Śākyamuni World-Honored One! Everything you have taught is true, without falsehood.”
The Fourfold Assembly Sees What Has Never Been Seen · The Bodhisattva Great Joy in Preaching Asks the Cause
爾時四眾，見大寶塔住在空中，又聞塔中所出音聲，皆得法喜，怪未曾有，從座而起，恭敬合掌，却住一面。爾時有菩薩摩訶薩，名大樂說，知一切世間天、人、阿修羅等心之所疑，而白佛言：「世尊！以何因緣，有此寶塔從地踊出，又於其中發是音聲？」
At that time, the fourfold assembly—the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen—saw the great jeweled stūpa abiding in open space and heard the voice issuing from within it. They all gained the joy of the Dharma and marveled at what had never happened before. Rising from their seats, they reverently joined their palms and withdrew to stand at one side.
There was then a bodhisattva-mahāsattva—a great bodhisattva—named Great Joy in Preaching. Knowing the doubt in the minds of the devas, humans, asuras, and all the other beings of every world, he addressed the Buddha: “World-Honored One! Through what cause and condition has this jeweled stūpa emerged from the earth, and why has this voice issued from within it?”
The Full Body of Many Treasures Tathāgata · He Appears to Hear the Lotus Sutra and Bear Witness
爾時佛告大樂說菩薩：「此寶塔中有如來全身，乃往過去東方無量千萬億阿僧祇世界，國名寶淨，彼中有佛，號曰多寶。其佛行菩薩道時，作大誓願：『若我成佛、滅度之後，於十方國土有說法華經處，我之塔廟，為聽是經故，踊現其前，為作證明，讚言善哉。』 「彼佛成道已，臨滅度時，於天人大眾中告諸比丘：『我滅度後，欲供養我全身者，應起一大塔。』其佛以神通願力，十方世界，在在處處，若有說法華經者，彼之寶塔皆踊出其前，全身在於塔中，讚言：『善哉，善哉！』 「大樂說！今多寶如來塔，聞說法華經故，從地踊出，讚言：『善哉，善哉！』」
The Buddha then told the bodhisattva Great Joy in Preaching: “Within this jeweled stūpa is the full body of a Tathāgata—the dharma-body complete and entire, his full body undispersed. Long ago in the past, beyond immeasurable thousands of myriads of millions of incalculable worlds to the east, there was a land named Jewel-Pure. In that land was a buddha called Many Treasures. While that buddha was practicing the bodhisattva path, he made a great vow: ‘If I attain buddhahood, then after I pass into extinction—departing this life and entering nirvana—wherever in the lands of the ten directions the Lotus Sutra is taught, my stūpa-shrine will emerge before the place of teaching so that I may hear this sutra, bear witness to it, and praise it as excellent.’
“After that buddha attained the Way and was about to pass into extinction, he addressed the monks in the great assembly of devas and humans: ‘After I pass into extinction, whoever wishes to make offerings to my full body should raise a great stūpa.’ Through the power of that buddha’s vow and supernormal abilities, throughout the worlds of the ten directions, wherever anyone teaches the Lotus Sutra, his jeweled stūpa emerges before the place of teaching. His full body remains within the stūpa and praises the teaching: ‘Excellent, excellent!’
“Great Joy in Preaching! Now the stūpa of Many Treasures Tathāgata has emerged from the earth because he heard the Lotus Sutra being taught, and he has proclaimed: ‘Excellent, excellent!’”
They Wish to See the Buddha’s Body · Only after All the Emanation Buddhas Gather Will It Appear
是時大樂說菩薩，以如來神力故，白佛言：「世尊！我等願欲見此佛身。」 佛告大樂說菩薩摩訶薩：「是多寶佛，有深重願：『若我寶塔，為聽法華經故，出於諸佛前時，其有欲以我身示四眾者，彼佛分身諸佛——在於十方世界說法，盡還集一處，然後我身乃出現耳。』 「大樂說！我分身諸佛——在於十方世界說法者，今應當集。」 大樂說白佛言：「世尊！我等亦願欲見世尊分身諸佛，禮拜供養。」
At that time, through the Tathāgata’s supernormal power, the bodhisattva Great Joy in Preaching addressed the Buddha: “World-Honored One! We wish to see this buddha’s bodily form.”
The Buddha told the bodhisattva-mahāsattva Great Joy in Preaching: “Many Treasures Buddha made a profound and solemn vow: ‘Whenever my jeweled stūpa appears before a buddha so that I may hear the Lotus Sutra, if that buddha wishes to show my body to the fourfold assembly, all the emanation buddhas of that buddha—the buddhas dispersed throughout the worlds of the ten directions, teaching the Dharma—must return and gather in a single place. Only then will my body appear.’
“Great Joy in Preaching! My emanation buddhas, who are teaching the Dharma throughout the worlds of the ten directions, should now gather.”
Great Joy in Preaching addressed the Buddha: “World-Honored One! We also wish to see the World-Honored One’s emanation buddhas and to bow to them and make offerings.”
The White-Tuft Ray Shines · All Buddhas of the Ten Directions Come to Gather
爾時佛放白毫一光，即見東方五百萬億那由他恒河沙等國土諸佛，彼諸國土，皆以頗梨為地，寶樹、寶衣以為莊嚴，無數千萬億菩薩充滿其中，遍張寶幔，寶網羅上。彼國諸佛，以大妙音而說諸法，及見無量千萬億菩薩，遍滿諸國，為眾說法。南西北方、四維上下，白毫相光所照之處，亦復如是。爾時十方諸佛，各告眾菩薩言：「善男子！我今應往娑婆世界，釋迦牟尼佛所，并供養多寶如來寶塔。」
At that time, the Buddha emitted a ray from the white tuft between his eyebrows. The assembly immediately saw the buddhas in eastern lands equal in number to the sands of five hundred myriads of millions of nayutas (an exceedingly great number) of Ganges Rivers. In all those lands the ground was crystal, and jeweled trees and jeweled garments served as adornments. Innumerable thousands of myriads of millions of bodhisattvas filled them. Jeweled curtains were spread everywhere, with jeweled nets stretched above. The buddhas of those lands taught the many dharmas in great and wondrous voices. The assembly also saw immeasurable thousands of myriads of millions of bodhisattvas filling all those lands and teaching the Dharma to the multitudes.
It was the same in the south, west, and north, in the four intermediate directions (southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest), and above and below: wherever the radiance from the white tuft shone, all was just so. Then the buddhas of the ten directions each told their assembly of bodhisattvas: “Good men! I should now go to the Sahā world (the world of endurance in which Śākyamuni Buddha teaches), to the place of Śākyamuni Buddha, and also make offerings to the jeweled stūpa of Many Treasures Tathāgata.”
The Sahā World Is Purified · Devas and Humans Are Moved to Other Lands
時娑婆世界即變清淨，琉璃為地，寶樹莊嚴，黃金為繩以界八道，無諸聚落、村營、城邑、大海、江河、山川、林藪。燒大寶香，曼陀羅華遍布其地，以寶網幔，羅覆其上，懸諸寶鈴。唯留此會眾，移諸天人置於他土。 是時，諸佛各將一大菩薩以為侍者，至娑婆世界，各到寶樹下。一一寶樹高五百由旬，枝、葉、華、菓次第莊嚴，諸寶樹下皆有師子之座，高五由旬，亦以大寶而校飾之。爾時諸佛，各於此座結加趺坐。如是展轉遍滿三千大千世界，而於釋迦牟尼佛一方所分之身猶故未盡。
At that time, the Sahā world was immediately transformed into purity. The ground became lapis lazuli, jeweled trees adorned it, and golden cords marked out eight roads. There were no settlements, encampments, villages, cities, oceans, rivers, mountains, valleys, forests, or marshlands. Precious incense was burned, and māndārava flowers covered the ground. Jeweled nets and curtains were spread over it, and jeweled bells hung above. Only the assembly at this Dharma-gathering was left in place; the other devas and humans were moved and settled in other lands.
Each buddha then came to the Sahā world accompanied by one great bodhisattva as an attendant, and each arrived beneath a jeweled tree. Every jeweled tree was five hundred yojanas high, its branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit adorning it in due order. Beneath each tree stood a lion seat—the lofty, broad seat of a buddha—five yojanas high and decorated with great jewels. Each buddha sat cross-legged upon one of these seats. In this way, they gradually filled the entire three-thousandfold great-thousand world, yet even then not all the bodies emanated by Śākyamuni Buddha in a single direction had arrived.
Another Two Hundred Myriads of Millions of Lands Are Transformed · The Eight Directions Make Room for the Emanation Buddhas
時釋迦牟尼佛欲容受所分身諸佛故，八方各更變二百萬億那由他國，皆令清淨，無有地獄、餓鬼、畜生及阿修羅，又移諸天、人置於他土。所化之國，亦以琉璃為地，寶樹莊嚴，樹高五百由旬，枝、葉、華、菓次第嚴飾，樹下皆有寶師子座，高五由旬，種種諸寶以為莊校。亦無大海、江河，及目真隣陀山、摩訶目真隣陀山、鐵圍山、大鐵圍山、須彌山等諸山王，通為一佛國土。寶地平正，寶交露幔遍覆其上；懸諸幡蓋，燒大寶香，諸天寶華遍布其地。 釋迦牟尼佛為諸佛當來坐故，復於八方各更變二百萬億那由他國，皆令清淨，無有地獄、餓鬼、畜生及阿修羅，又移諸天、人置於他土。所化之國，亦以琉璃為地，寶樹莊嚴，樹高五百由旬，枝、葉、華、菓次第莊嚴，樹下皆有寶師子座，高五由旬，亦以大寶而校飾之。亦無大海、江河，及目真隣陀山、摩訶目真隣陀山、鐵圍山、大鐵圍山、須彌山等諸山王，通為一佛國土。寶地平正，寶交露幔、遍覆其上；懸諸幡蓋，燒大寶香，諸天寶華遍布其地。
To make room for the buddhas emanated from him, Śākyamuni Buddha again transformed two hundred myriads of millions of nayutas of lands in each of the eight directions, making them all pure. There were no hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, or asuras, and the devas and humans were again moved and settled in other lands. The transformed lands likewise had lapis-lazuli ground and were adorned with jeweled trees. Each tree stood five hundred yojanas high, its branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit arranged in due order as adornments. Beneath every tree stood a jeweled lion seat five yojanas high, decorated with many kinds of precious jewels. There were no oceans or rivers, nor any of the kings of mountains: Mount Mucilinda, Great Mount Mucilinda, the Iron Encircling Mountains (iron mountains that encircle the world), the Great Iron Encircling Mountains, Mount Sumeru (the high mountain at the center of the world), or the other great mountains. All the lands formed one continuous buddha-land. The jeweled ground was level and even, jeweled latticed canopies (canopies woven of jewels in dewdrop-shaped patterns) covered it throughout, banners and canopies hung above, precious incense burned, and heavenly jeweled flowers covered the ground.
So that the buddhas still to come would have places to sit, Śākyamuni Buddha once again transformed two hundred myriads of millions of nayutas of lands in each of the eight directions, making them all pure. There were no hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, or asuras, and the devas and humans were again moved and settled in other lands. The transformed lands likewise had lapis-lazuli ground and were adorned with jeweled trees. Each tree stood five hundred yojanas high, its branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit adorning it in due order. Beneath every tree stood a jeweled lion seat five yojanas high, decorated with great jewels. There were no oceans or rivers, nor Mount Mucilinda, Great Mount Mucilinda, the Iron Encircling Mountains, the Great Iron Encircling Mountains, Mount Sumeru, or any of the other kings of mountains. All the lands formed one continuous buddha-land. The jeweled ground was level and even, jeweled latticed canopies covered it throughout, banners and canopies hung above, precious incense burned, and heavenly jeweled flowers covered the ground.
The Emanation Buddhas Fill Every Direction · Each Sends an Attendant to Inquire and Assent to Opening the Stūpa
爾時東方釋迦牟尼佛所分之身，百千萬億那由他恒河沙等國土中諸佛，各各說法，來集於此；如是次第十方諸佛皆悉來集，坐於八方。爾時一一方四百萬億那由他國土，諸佛如來遍滿其中。是時，諸佛各在寶樹下，坐師子座，皆遣侍者問訊釋迦牟尼佛，各齎寶華滿掬而告之言：「善男子！汝往詣耆闍崛山釋迦牟尼佛所，如我辭曰：『少病、少惱，氣力安樂，及菩薩、聲聞眾悉安隱不？』以此寶華散佛供養，而作是言：『彼某甲佛，與欲開此寶塔。』」諸佛遣使，亦復如是。
At that time, the bodies emanated by Śākyamuni Buddha in the east—the buddhas who were each teaching the Dharma throughout lands equal in number to the sands of hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of nayutas of Ganges Rivers—came and gathered there. In this way, one after another, all the buddhas of the ten directions came and gathered, taking their seats throughout the eight directions. The buddhas, the Tathāgatas, filled four hundred myriads of millions of nayutas of lands in every direction.
Each buddha sat upon a lion seat beneath a jeweled tree and sent an attendant to inquire after Śākyamuni Buddha. Each gave his attendant a double handful full of jeweled flowers and instructed him: “Good man! Go to Śākyamuni Buddha on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa—Vulture Peak—and convey my words: ‘Are you free of illness and distress? Is your strength secure and at ease? Are the assemblies of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas all well and at peace?’ Scatter these jeweled flowers over the Buddha as an offering and say: ‘Such-and-such Buddha wishes to join in opening this jeweled stūpa.’” All the buddhas sent their messengers in this same way.
With His Right Finger He Opens the Stūpa · Many Treasures Buddha’s Full Body Is as Though in Meditation
爾時釋迦牟尼佛，見所分身佛悉已來集，各各坐於師子之座，皆聞諸佛與欲同開寶塔，即從座起，住虛空中。一切四眾，起立合掌，一心觀佛。於是釋迦牟尼佛，以右指開七寶塔戶，出大音聲，如却關鑰開大城門。即時一切眾會，皆見多寶如來於寶塔中坐師子座，全身不散，如入禪定。又聞其言：「善哉，善哉！釋迦牟尼佛！快說是法華經，我為聽是經故而來至此。」爾時四眾等，見過去無量千萬億劫滅度佛說如是言，歎未曾有，以天寶華聚，散多寶佛及釋迦牟尼佛上。
At that time, Śākyamuni Buddha saw that all the buddhas emanated from him had come and gathered, each seated upon a lion seat, and he heard that they all assented to opening the jeweled stūpa together. He rose from his seat and remained in open space. The entire fourfold assembly rose, stood with palms joined, and gazed single-mindedly upon the Buddha.
Śākyamuni Buddha then used a finger of his right hand to open the door of the seven-jeweled stūpa. A great sound rang out, like the drawing back of a bolt and lock and the opening of the gate of a great city. At once, the entire assembly saw Many Treasures Tathāgata seated upon a lion seat within the jeweled stūpa, his full body undispersed, as though he had entered meditative concentration. They also heard him say: “Excellent, excellent! Śākyamuni Buddha! How splendidly you have taught this Lotus Sutra. I have come here so that I may hear this sutra.”
When the fourfold assembly and the others saw a buddha who had entered extinction immeasurable thousands of myriads of millions of aeons—aeons being immeasurably long spans of time—ago speak these words, they praised what had never happened before. Gathering heavenly jeweled flowers into heaps, they scattered them over Many Treasures Buddha and Śākyamuni Buddha.
The Two Buddhas Sit Together · By Supernormal Power the Assembly Is Lifted into Open Space
爾時多寶佛於寶塔中分半座與釋迦牟尼佛，而作是言：「釋迦牟尼佛！可就此座。」即時釋迦牟尼佛入其塔中，坐其半座，結加趺坐。爾時，大眾見二如來在七寶塔中師子座上結加趺坐，各作是念：「佛座高遠，唯願如來以神通力，令我等輩俱處虛空。」即時釋迦牟尼佛以神通力，接諸大眾皆在虛空，以大音聲普告四眾：「誰能於此娑婆國土廣說妙法華經，今正是時。如來不久當入涅槃，佛欲以此妙法華經付囑有在。」
At that time, Many Treasures Buddha shared half his seat within the jeweled stūpa with Śākyamuni Buddha and said: “Śākyamuni Buddha! Please take this seat.” Śākyamuni Buddha immediately entered the stūpa, took the half-seat, and sat cross-legged. The great assembly then saw the two Tathāgatas seated cross-legged together upon the lion seat inside the seven-jeweled stūpa. Each thought: “The Buddha’s seat is so high and distant. We only pray that the Tathāgata will use his supernormal power to enable all of us to abide together in open space.”
Śākyamuni Buddha at once used his supernormal power to lift the entire assembly into open space. In a great voice, he proclaimed to the fourfold assembly: “Who can teach the Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma widely here in this Sahā land? Now is precisely the time. It will not be long before the Tathāgata enters nirvana, and the Buddha wishes to entrust this Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma to someone capable of bearing it.”
Proclaiming This Meaning Again · The Holy Lord Comes for the Dharma
爾時世尊欲重宣此義，而說偈言： 「聖主世尊，雖久滅度，在寶塔中，
尚為法來。諸人云何不勤為法？
此佛滅度，無央數劫，處處聽法，
以難遇故。彼佛本願，我滅度後，
在在所往，常為聽法。又我分身，
無量諸佛，如恒沙等，來欲聽法。
及見滅度，多寶如來，各捨妙土，
及弟子眾、天人龍神、諸供養事，
令法久住，故來至此。為坐諸佛，
以神通力，移無量眾，令國清淨。
諸佛各各，詣寶樹下，如清淨池，
蓮華莊嚴。其寶樹下，諸師子座，
佛坐其上，光明嚴飾，如夜闇中，
燃大炬火。身出妙香，遍十方國，
眾生蒙薰，喜不自勝。譬如大風，
吹小樹枝。以是方便，令法久住。
At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to proclaim this meaning again, spoke in verse:
“The Holy Lord, the World-Honored One Many Treasures,
although he passed into extinction long ago,
still abides within the jeweled stūpa
and comes for the sake of the true Dharma.
Why, then, do all of you not strive diligently for the Dharma?
Since this buddha entered extinction,
boundless, countless aeons have passed,
yet he still goes everywhere to hear the Dharma,
because the Dharma is so difficult to encounter.
That buddha’s original vow was this:
after I pass into extinction,
wherever I may go,
I will always appear in order to hear the Dharma.
My emanations as well,
the immeasurable buddhas,
as numerous as the sands of the Ganges,
have come because they wish to hear the Dharma
and to see Many Treasures Tathāgata,
who long ago passed into extinction.
Each has left behind his wondrous land,
his assembly of disciples, devas, humans, dragons, and spirits,
and all the offerings made there,
and has come here
so that the Dharma may long abide.
To provide seats for all these buddhas,
through supernormal power
I moved immeasurable multitudes
and made the lands pure.
Each of the buddhas
has gone beneath a jeweled tree,
like a lotus adorning
a clear and pure pond.
Beneath those jeweled trees
stand lion seats.
The buddhas sit upon them,
radiant and magnificently adorned,
like great torches burning
in the darkness of night.
Wondrous fragrance issues from their bodies
and spreads throughout the lands of the ten directions.
Sentient beings are suffused by the fragrance
and rejoice, unable to restrain themselves.
It is like a great wind
freely and without obstruction sweeping the branches of small trees.
Through this skillful means,
I cause the Dharma to abide for a long time.
Entrusting the Propagation of the Sutra · Whoever Can Protect and Uphold It Must Declare a Vow
告諸大眾：『我滅度後，誰能護持、
讀說斯經？今於佛前，自說誓言。
其多寶佛，雖久滅度，以大誓願，
而師子吼。多寶如來，及與我身，
所集化佛，當知此意。諸佛子等，
誰能護法，當發大願，令得久住。
其有能護，此經法者，則為供養，
我及多寶。此多寶佛，處於寶塔，
常遊十方。為是經故，亦復供養，
諸來化佛，莊嚴光飾、諸世界者。
若說此經，則為見我、多寶如來，
及諸化佛。諸善男子！各諦思惟，
I tell this entire assembly:
‘After I pass into extinction,
who can protect and uphold,
read, and teach this sutra?
Now, here before the Buddha,
declare your own vow.
Although Many Treasures Buddha
passed into extinction long ago,
through the power of his great vow
he now gives a lion’s roar—a fearless proclamation.
Many Treasures Tathāgata,
I myself,
and the assembled emanation buddhas
all know the meaning of this entrustment.
Sons of the Buddha,
whoever can protect the Dharma
should make a great vow
and cause it to abide for a long time.
Whoever can protect
the Dharma of this sutra
thereby makes offerings
to me and to Many Treasures.
This Many Treasures Buddha,
though abiding within the jeweled stūpa,
constantly travels throughout the ten directions.
For the sake of this sutra,
such a person also makes offerings
to all the emanation buddhas who have come,
the buddhas whose radiance and adornments
magnificently adorn the many worlds.
Whoever teaches this sutra
thereby sees me,
Many Treasures Tathāgata,
and all the emanation buddhas.
Six Difficult and Nine Easy Acts · Only Upholding This Sutra Is Truly Difficult
此為難事，宜發大願。諸餘經典，
數如恒沙，雖說此等，未足為難。
若接須彌，擲置他方，無數佛土，
亦未為難。若以足指，動大千界，
遠擲他國，亦未為難。若立有頂，
為眾演說，無量餘經，亦未為難。
若佛滅後，於惡世中，能說此經，
是則為難。假使有人，手把虛空，
而以遊行，亦未為難。於我滅後，
若自書持，若使人書，是則為難。
若以大地，置足甲上，昇於梵天，
亦未為難。佛滅度後，於惡世中，
暫讀此經，是則為難。假使劫燒，
擔負乾草，入中不燒，亦未為難。
我滅度後，若持此經、為一人說，
是則為難。若持八萬，四千法藏，
十二部經，為人演說，令諸聽者，
得六神通，雖能如是，亦未為難。
於我滅後，聽受此經，問其義趣，
是則為難。若人說法，令千萬億，
無量無數，恒沙眾生，得阿羅漢，
具六神通，雖有是益，亦未為難。
於我滅後，若能奉持，如斯經典，
是則為難。我為佛道，於無量土，
Good men! Each of you should reflect carefully:
this is a difficult task,
and you should make a great vow.
The many other scriptures
are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges;
even to teach all of them
would not yet be difficult.
Suppose someone lifted Mount Sumeru,
hurled it away to another region,
and cast it beyond innumerable buddha-lands:
even that would not yet be difficult.
Suppose someone used a single toe
to shake the entire great-thousand world
and hurl it far away to another land:
even that would not yet be difficult.
Suppose someone stood at the Heaven at the Summit of Existence,
the highest place in the form realm,
and taught the assembly
immeasurable other sutras:
even that would not yet be difficult.
But if, after the Buddha has passed into extinction,
someone in an evil and defiled age
can teach this sutra,
that indeed is difficult.
Suppose someone
could grasp open space in his hand
and carry it about as he traveled:
even that would not yet be difficult.
But if, after I pass into extinction,
someone copies and upholds this sutra himself
or has another person copy it,
that indeed is difficult.
Suppose someone placed the entire earth
upon a single toenail
and carried it upward to the Brahmā heaven,
the heaven of the first meditative absorption:
even that would not yet be difficult.
But if, after the Buddha has passed into extinction,
someone in an evil and defiled age
reads this sutra even briefly,
that indeed is difficult.
Suppose the conflagration at the end of an aeon were blazing
and someone, carrying a bundle of dry grass,
walked into the fire without being burned:
even that would not yet be difficult.
But if, after I pass into extinction,
someone upholds this sutra
and teaches it to even one person,
that indeed is difficult.
Suppose someone upheld the eighty-four thousand Dharma treasuries
and the twelve divisions of the scriptures—the twelve literary forms of the Buddha’s teaching—
and taught them to others,
causing all who heard
to attain the six higher knowledges—the six kinds of supernormal mastery:
even if someone could do this,
it would not yet be difficult.
But if, after I pass into extinction,
someone hears and accepts this sutra
and asks about the purport of its meaning,
that indeed is difficult.
Suppose someone taught the Dharma
and caused thousands of myriads of millions,
immeasurable, innumerable beings,
as numerous as the sands of the Ganges,
to attain the fruit of arhatship—the highest fruit of the śrāvaka vehicle—
and perfect the six higher knowledges:
even with benefit such as this,
it would not yet be difficult.
But if, after I pass into extinction,
someone can reverently uphold
a scripture such as this,
that indeed is difficult.
Whoever Can Uphold the Sutra Is a True Son of the Buddha and the Eye of the World
從始至今，廣說諸經，而於其中，
此經第一。若有能持，則持佛身。
諸善男子！於我滅後，誰能受持、
讀誦此經，今於佛前、自說誓言。
此經難持，若暫持者，我則歡喜，
諸佛亦然。如是之人，諸佛所歎。
是則勇猛，是則精進，是名持戒，
行頭陀者，則為疾得，無上佛道。
能於來世，讀持此經，是真佛子，
住淳善地。佛滅度後，能解其義，
是諸天人，世間之眼。於恐畏世，
能須臾說，一切天人，皆應供養。』」
For the sake of the buddha-way,
throughout immeasurable lands,
from the very beginning until now,
I have widely taught the many sutras.
Among all of them,
this sutra is foremost.
Whoever can uphold this sutra
thereby upholds the Buddha’s dharma-body.
Good men! After I pass into extinction,
who can accept and uphold,
read and recite this sutra?
Now, here before the Buddha,
declare your own vow.
This sutra is difficult to uphold.
If someone upholds it even briefly,
I will rejoice,
and all buddhas will rejoice as well.
A person such as this
is praised by all buddhas.
Such a person is called courageous;
such a person is called vigorous;
such a person is called one who upholds ethical discipline
and practices the ascetic observances that shake off worldly defilement.
Such a person will swiftly attain
the unsurpassed buddha-way.
Whoever, in a future age,
reads and upholds this sutra
is a true son of the Buddha,
abiding on the ground of deep and genuine goodness.
After the Buddha has passed into extinction,
whoever can understand the meaning of this sutra
is, among all devas and humans,
the eye of the world.
In a fearful and terrifying evil age,
whoever can teach this sutra even for a moment
should receive offerings
from every deva and human.’”
前一品說到『經卷所在的地方，就已經是佛的全身』。這一品，佛把這句話，變成了眼前一件驚天動地的事：一座七寶大塔，忽然從地底湧出，停在半空；塔裡傳出聲音，說釋迦所講的《法華經》,「皆是真實」。原來塔中坐著一位早已滅度、卻全身不散的古佛——多寶如來，他從久遠的過去趕來，只為給這一部經作一個證。這一品的高潮，是釋迦開了塔門，與多寶古佛並肩坐在同一個座上；而在這二佛並坐的莊嚴之前，佛問了一個沉重的問題：我不久要入涅槃了，這部經，將來誰來接著講？以下順經文次第，把這一品每一義講明；末後再以唯識一系的讀法，補一點旁照。
一座寶塔憑空湧出，塔裡有聲音說『你講的都是真的』
那時，佛的面前，一座七寶大塔從地底湧出，高五百由旬，停住在虛空中，種種寶物莊嚴著它，幢幡、瓔珞、寶鈴垂懸，四面出栴檀妙香，充遍世界；諸天在塔上雨下天華，千萬億眾以華香伎樂供養這座塔。就在這時，塔中發出洪大的聲音，讚歎道：『善哉，善哉！釋迦牟尼世尊！你能以平等的大智慧，為大眾演說這部教菩薩、為諸佛所護念的《妙法華經》。是這樣，正是這樣！釋迦牟尼世尊！你所說的一切，都是真實不虛的。』四眾看見這座大寶塔停在空中，又聽見塔裡發出這樣的聲音，都生了法喜，驚歎從未有過，起身合掌，退立一旁。這時有一位大菩薩，名叫大樂說，知道一切世間天人心裡的疑問，便代眾請問：世尊！是什麼因緣，有這座寶塔從地湧出，又在其中發出這樣的聲音？——經文到這裡，把一個懸念高高懸起：一座塔、一個聲音，先聲奪人地把『這部經是真的』這件事，變成了一樁眾目睽睽、無法迴避的公案。
那塔裡是一位古佛，他發過願：凡有人講《法華》，我就來作證
佛便揭開謎底：大樂說！這寶塔中，有一位如來的全身。久遠的過去，東方有一個國土名叫寶淨，那裡有佛，號叫「多寶」。這位多寶佛當年行菩薩道時，發過一個大誓願：『若我成佛、滅度之後，十方國土凡有講說《法華經》的地方，我的塔廟都要為了聽這部經，湧現到它面前，替它作一個證明，讚一聲『善哉』。』所以他臨滅度時，囑咐弟子：要供養我的全身，就起一座大塔。如今，這位滅度已久的古佛，單單為了聽這一部《法華經》,便讓自己的全身寶塔從地湧出、當眾讚歎——一位早已入滅的佛，竟為了一部經，一次次地再來人間作證。這件事本身，就是對這部經最重的一句保證：它值得一位古佛，生生世世地趕來，只為說一聲：這是真的。
要見這位古佛，得先把十方的分身佛都請回來
大樂說又代眾請求：世尊！我們想親眼見一見這位多寶佛的身。佛說：這位多寶佛有一個很深的本願——若他的寶塔為聽《法華經》而現於諸佛之前，凡有人想見他的身，那說法的佛，必須先把自己散在十方世界說法的「分身諸佛」,統統集回一處，然後多寶佛的身才肯出現。於是佛說：我那些正在十方說法的分身佛，如今該當集合了。說著，佛放出眉間白毫的一道光，那光一照，東方五百萬億那由他恒河沙數國土中的諸佛，一時盡現；那些國土都以頗梨為地、寶樹寶衣莊嚴，無數菩薩充滿其中。南西北方、四維上下，凡白毫光所照之處，也都如此。十方那無量的分身佛，各自告訴座下菩薩：我今該往娑婆世界釋迦牟尼佛那裡去，一同供養多寶如來的寶塔了。——要見一位古佛，先得把自己遍在十方的身都收攏回來；這一集，已經在暗暗地說一件事：那看似無量的分身佛，其實同是一佛。
為了容下這麼多佛，娑婆世界一變再變成了淨土
分身佛要來，可這穢惡的娑婆世界坐不下這麼多佛。於是佛以神力，把娑婆世界當下變得清淨：琉璃為地，寶樹莊嚴，黃金為繩界成八道，沒有了聚落、城邑、大海、江河、山川；燒起大寶香，曼陀羅華遍地，只留下這一會的大眾，把其餘的天人都移置到別的國土去。可分身佛太多，一變還坐不下，佛又在八方各變出二百萬億那由他個國土，一樣地清淨莊嚴、無有三惡道，每一寶樹下都設一個高五由旬的師子座；還坐不下，再變一次。就這樣，娑婆一而再、再而三地變淨、擴容，才把十方來的分身佛，一位一位地安坐在寶樹下的師子座上。那穢土之所以能當下變淨，不在別處：眾生見穢、諸佛見淨，同一個娑婆，隨心而現；佛以神力把穢暫時隱去、把淨顯出來，好讓這一場二佛並坐的大事，有一個相稱的道場。
佛用右指一撥，塔門開了，兩尊佛並肩坐下
分身佛都已坐定，釋迦便從座起，住在虛空中；一切四眾起立合掌，一心看著佛。於是釋迦以右手一指，撥開了七寶塔的門，發出洪大的聲音，就像抽開門閂、推開一座大城門那樣。塔門一開，眾人都看見多寶如來端坐在塔中的師子座上，全身不散，彷彿只是入了禪定；又聽見他說：『善哉，善哉！釋迦牟尼佛！請快講這部《法華經》,我正是為了聽這部經才來的。』四眾看見這位過去無量劫前就已滅度的古佛，竟開口說出這樣的話，歎為從未有過，便以天上寶華散在二佛身上。這時，多寶佛在塔中分出半個座位，對釋迦說：『釋迦牟尼佛！請坐到這個座上來。』釋迦便進入塔中，在那半座上結跏趺坐。於是大眾看見——兩尊如來，在七寶塔中的同一個師子座上，並肩而坐。眾人見佛座高遠，便願佛以神力接他們也上虛空；釋迦即以神力，把大眾都接到空中，以洪大的聲音，向四眾發下這一問。
『誰能在我走後，把這部經講下去？』——六難九易
釋迦普告四眾：誰能在這娑婆國土，廣說這部《妙法華經》？如今正是時候。如來不久就要入涅槃了，佛要把這部《妙法華經》,託付給有人擔當。為了讓大眾掂出這份託付的分量，佛在偈裡排出一串驚人的對比：假使有人把須彌山抓起來，擲到無數佛土之外，還不算難；用一個腳趾撼動整個大千世界、遠遠拋到他方，不算難；站在有頂天上，為眾生演說無量別的經，不算難；手把著虛空四處遊行，不算難；把大地放在腳趾甲上、升到梵天，不算難；劫末大火燒起時，擔著乾草走進火裡而不被燒，不算難；就算能受持八萬四千法藏、十二部經，為人演說、令聽者都得六神通，也還不算難——這些神通的極致，都不算難。可是，若在佛滅度之後、在這五濁惡世裡，能講說這一部經，那才是真難；哪怕只是把它書寫、受持，只是暫讀一遍，只是為一個人講一句，只是問一問它的義趣，只是把它奉持下來——這，才是真正難的事。難在哪裡？搬山填海是神通，使把力氣便辦得到；而這部經理深智妙，要在濁世裡信得下、擔得起、傳得出，靠的不是神通，是一顆敢於承當的心。所以佛說：誰若能受持這部經，就等於受持了佛的全身；能在來世讀持此經的，才是真佛子，安住在淳厚善良的地上；佛滅度後能通達其義的人，就是天人世間的眼目。這一問，把整部經的重心，從「聽」轉到了「傳」——塔已開、二佛已並坐、古今十方的佛都到齊了，只等座下有人站出來，接下這一句託付。
以唯識之眼：兩尊佛、無量分身，說的是一佛的幾重身
上來是見寶塔品自身的義。這一品以「作證」與「付囑」為主，講一位古佛如何為這部經現身作證、釋迦如何把它託付後人。這一系譯註，另以唯識（慈恩窺基《玄贊》）為一面旁照的鏡子——鏡非經，只換一副眼，看這一塔、二佛、無量分身，在唯識的身觀裡，是怎樣的幾重身。
窺基讀這一品，不走「三性」「賴耶」那條路——這一品的唯識義，落在「佛身」上。他依著世親的《法華論》,把眼前這一場，讀成一佛的幾重身在同時示現：那全身不散的多寶塔，表的是「法身」——佛的法身，原就全在這部經裡，所以經在之處，古佛的全身便在；那從十方集回來的分身諸佛，是釋迦的「化身」——看似無量，其實「身無異，他即我身」,分身與本佛，所作的事本來相同；而多寶與釋迦二佛並坐同一座，窺基依論說，這是化身、非化身、法身、報身，『皆為成一大事』而同坐，更表著「三乘同坐一乘之床」——古今兩佛、十方分身，說到底都為了同一件大事：把三乘的人，都接到這一乘的座上來。連那娑婆三度變淨，窺基也讀出一重次第：初變表接引到聲聞位，再變表到獨覺位，展轉直到一乘位圓滿；穢土能變淨，是因『一切佛國土本自平等清淨』,眾生的穢，只是未發心時所見——發了心，便見它本來是淨。這一副眼，把眼前熱鬧的塔與佛，看成了一佛法報化三身、與一乘會三乘的一場示現。
這只是一副眼。天台智顗讀這二佛並坐，不配三身而配「境智」:如塔來證經，是所觀之境與能觀之智相會，境智一會，大報便圓——他把多寶、釋尊、分身，配作法佛、報佛、應佛，說三佛雖三而不一異。三論吉藏則讀出「本一迹多」:分身無量是「迹」,法身唯一是「本」;二佛並坐，正是「以多寶顯釋迦」——顯這位看似有生有滅的釋迦，其實法身無生無滅，那生滅只是方便示現。至於「二佛並坐」「三變土田」「六難九易」這些耳熟的說法，其實都是後人的約定俗成之詞，慈恩、天台、三論的原文裡並沒有這三個現成的名目；各家或數作六難、或配作三昧、或判作四身，說法不一。同一座塔、同一對佛，幾副眼各照出一重身、一層義——此處並錄，不加裁斷，各還其位。要緊的，始終是塔中那一句與佛座上那一問：你所說的，皆是真實；那麼，誰能在我走後，把這真實，接著說下去？
The preceding chapter says that wherever the sutra scroll is found, the Buddha’s full body is already there. In the present chapter, the Buddha turns that sentence into an earth-shaking event before the assembly’s eyes. A great seven-jeweled stupa suddenly emerges from beneath the earth and comes to rest in midair. A voice issues from within, declaring that the Lotus Sutra taught by Shakyamuni is “all true.” Seated inside is an ancient buddha who entered extinction long ago yet whose full body remains undispersed: Many Treasures Tathagata. He has come from the distant past for one purpose alone—to bear witness to this sutra. The chapter’s climax comes when Shakyamuni opens the stupa door and sits side by side with the ancient Buddha Many Treasures upon the same seat. Yet before the majesty of these two buddhas seated together, the Buddha poses a weighty question: it will not be long before I enter nirvana; who will continue to teach this sutra in the future? We will follow the sutra’s sequence and make each meaning in the chapter clear. Only at the end will we add a sidelight from the Consciousness-Only tradition.
A Jeweled Stupa Emerges into Open Space, and a Voice from Within Says, “Everything You Have Taught Is True”
At that time, before the Buddha, a great seven-jeweled stupa emerges from beneath the earth, rises five hundred yojanas high, and comes to rest in open space. Every kind of treasure adorns it. Banners, jeweled necklaces, and jeweled bells hang from it, while the wondrous fragrance of sandalwood issues from its four sides and fills the world. The devas rain down heavenly flowers upon the stupa, and thousands of myriads of millions of beings make offerings of flowers, incense, music, and dance. At that very moment, a great voice issues from inside the stupa and proclaims: “Excellent, excellent! Shakyamuni World-Honored One! With great impartial wisdom, you are able to teach this Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma, the Dharma that instructs bodhisattvas and is guarded and kept in mind by the buddhas, to the great assembly. It is so; it is exactly so! Shakyamuni World-Honored One! Everything you have taught is true, without falsehood.”
The fourfold assembly sees the great jeweled stupa abiding in open space and hears this voice from within it. They all give rise to the joy of the Dharma, marvel at what has never happened before, rise, join their palms, and withdraw to one side. A great bodhisattva named Great Joy in Preaching knows the doubt in the minds of the devas, humans, and the other beings of every world, and asks on their behalf: World-Honored One, through what cause and condition has this jeweled stupa emerged from the earth, and why has this voice issued from within? The sutra has now raised a suspense high above the assembly. A stupa and a voice have seized everyone’s attention and turned the claim “this sutra is true” into a public case that no one present can evade.
An Ancient Buddha Sits Within: He Vowed to Appear Wherever the Lotus Is Taught and Bear Witness
The Buddha then reveals the answer. Great Joy in Preaching! Within this jeweled stupa is the full body of a Tathagata. Long ago, in the distant past, there was an eastern land named Jewel-Pure and a buddha there named Many Treasures. While practicing the bodhisattva path, Many Treasures Buddha made a great vow: “If I attain buddhahood, then after I pass into extinction, wherever in the lands of the ten directions the Lotus Sutra is taught, my stupa-shrine will emerge before that place so that I may hear this sutra, bear witness to it, and praise it as excellent.” Therefore, as he approached extinction, he instructed his disciples: whoever wishes to make offerings to my full body should raise a great stupa.
Now this ancient buddha, who entered extinction long ago, has caused the stupa containing his full body to emerge from the earth and has praised the sutra before the entire assembly, solely because he wishes to hear this one Lotus Sutra. A buddha who passed into extinction in the immeasurably distant past returns to the human world again and again to bear witness to a single sutra. The event itself is the weightiest possible assurance of this sutra: it is worth an ancient buddha’s returning across life after life simply to say, “This is true.”
To See This Ancient Buddha, All the Emanation Buddhas of the Ten Directions Must First Be Called Home
Great Joy in Preaching makes another request on the assembly’s behalf: World-Honored One, we wish to see Many Treasures Buddha with our own eyes. The Buddha explains that Many Treasures made a profound original vow. Whenever his jeweled stupa appears before a buddha so that he may hear the Lotus Sutra, if anyone wishes to see his body, the buddha teaching the sutra must first gather into one place all his emanation buddhas dispersed throughout the worlds of the ten directions. Only then will the body of Many Treasures appear. The Buddha therefore says: my emanation buddhas now teaching throughout the ten directions should gather.
The Buddha emits a ray from the white tuft between his eyebrows. As it shines, the buddhas in eastern lands equal in number to the sands of five hundred myriads of millions of vast-numbered Ganges Rivers all appear at once. The ground in those lands is crystal, jeweled trees and garments adorn them, and innumerable bodhisattvas fill them. It is the same in the south, west, and north, in the intermediate directions, and above and below: wherever the white-tuft ray shines, all is just so. The immeasurable emanation buddhas throughout the ten directions each tell their bodhisattvas: I should now go to Shakyamuni Buddha in the Saha world and join in making offerings to the jeweled stupa of Many Treasures Tathagata. Before one ancient buddha can be seen, all the bodies of the present Buddha dispersed throughout the ten directions must first be gathered home. Their gathering quietly discloses something already: those apparently immeasurable emanation buddhas are in truth one Buddha.
To Make Room for So Many Buddhas, the Saha World Is Transformed Again and Again into a Pure Land
The emanation buddhas are coming, but this defiled and troubled Saha world does not have room for so many buddhas. Through supernormal power, the Buddha therefore makes the Saha world pure at once. The ground becomes lapis lazuli, jeweled trees adorn it, and golden cords mark out eight roads. Settlements, cities, oceans, rivers, and mountains are no longer present. Precious incense burns, heavenly flowers cover the ground, and only the assembly at this Dharma-gathering remains; the other devas and humans are moved to other lands.
Yet there are so many emanation buddhas that a single transformation is still not enough. The Buddha again transforms two hundred myriads of millions of vast-numbered lands throughout each of the eight directions. They too are pure and magnificently adorned, without any of the three evil destinies, and beneath every jeweled tree stands a lion seat five yojanas high. There is still not enough room, so the Buddha transforms the lands once more. In this way, the Saha world is purified and expanded again and yet again before every emanation buddha arriving from the ten directions can be seated upon a lion seat beneath a jeweled tree. The reason this defiled land can become pure at once is nowhere else: sentient beings see defilement, while buddhas see purity. The same Saha world appears according to the mind. Through supernormal power, the Buddha temporarily conceals the defiled aspect and reveals the pure, providing a place of awakening worthy of the great event in which two buddhas will sit together.
With a Motion of His Right Finger, the Buddha Opens the Stupa and the Two Buddhas Sit Side by Side
Once all the emanation buddhas are seated, Shakyamuni rises from his seat and abides in open space. The entire fourfold assembly rises, joins its palms, and gazes single-mindedly upon him. Shakyamuni then moves a finger of his right hand and opens the door of the seven-jeweled stupa. A great sound rings out, like the drawing back of a bolt and the pushing open of a great city gate. As the door opens, everyone sees Many Treasures Tathagata seated upon the lion seat inside. His full body is undispersed, as though he had merely entered meditative concentration. They hear him say: “Excellent, excellent! Shakyamuni Buddha! Please teach this Lotus Sutra splendidly. I have come precisely to hear this sutra.” Seeing an ancient buddha who entered extinction immeasurable aeons ago speak these words, the fourfold assembly marvels at what has never happened before and scatters heavenly jeweled flowers over both buddhas.
Many Treasures Buddha then shares half his seat and tells Shakyamuni: “Shakyamuni Buddha! Please sit here.” Shakyamuni enters the stupa, sits cross-legged upon that half-seat, and the great assembly beholds the two Tathagatas sitting side by side upon the same lion seat within the seven-jeweled stupa. Seeing the Buddha’s seat so high and distant, the assembly wishes that the Buddha would use his supernormal power to lift them into open space as well. Shakyamuni immediately raises them all into the air. Then, in a great voice, he puts this question to the fourfold assembly.
“Who Will Teach This Sutra after I Am Gone?”—Six Difficult and Nine Easy Acts
Shakyamuni proclaims to the fourfold assembly: who can teach this Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma widely here in the Saha land? Now is precisely the time. It will not be long before the Tathagata enters nirvana, and the Buddha wishes to entrust this Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma to someone able to bear it. To let the assembly feel the weight of that entrustment, the Buddha sets out a startling series of contrasts in verse. Suppose someone lifted Mount Sumeru and hurled it beyond innumerable buddha-lands: that would not be difficult. Shaking the whole great-thousand world with a single toe and casting it far into another land would not be difficult. Standing at the summit of existence and teaching immeasurable other sutras would not be difficult. Grasping open space in one hand and carrying it about would not be difficult. Placing the entire earth upon a toenail and carrying it up to the Brahma heaven would not be difficult. Walking into the conflagration at the end of an aeon with dry grass upon one’s back and not being burned would not be difficult. Even upholding the eighty-four thousand Dharma treasuries and the twelve divisions of the scriptures, teaching them to others, and causing those who hear to attain the six higher knowledges would not be difficult. None of these utmost feats of supernormal power would be difficult.
But after the Buddha has passed into extinction, in the evil world of the five defilements, to teach this one sutra—that is truly difficult. Even merely to copy and uphold it, read it briefly, teach it to a single person, ask about the purport of its meaning, or reverently keep it—that is truly difficult. Where does the difficulty lie? Moving mountains and crossing seas are acts of supernormal power; with sufficient force, they can be done. This sutra, however, is profound in principle and wondrous in wisdom. To believe it in a defiled age, take its burden upon oneself, and transmit it to others depends not upon supernormal power but upon a heart courageous enough to bear responsibility. The Buddha therefore says that whoever can uphold this sutra thereby upholds the Buddha’s full body; whoever can read and uphold it in a future age is a true son of the Buddha, abiding upon the ground of deep and genuine goodness; and whoever can comprehend its meaning after the Buddha’s extinction is the eye of the world for devas and humans. This question shifts the whole sutra’s center of gravity from hearing to transmission. The stupa is open, the two buddhas are seated together, and the buddhas of past and present throughout the ten directions have all arrived. They are waiting only for someone below the seat to step forward and accept this entrustment.
Through the Eyes of Consciousness-Only: Two Buddhas and Immeasurable Emanations as the Several Bodies of One Buddha
What has come before is the chapter’s own meaning. Bearing witness and entrustment are its heart: an ancient buddha appears to bear witness to this sutra, and Shakyamuni entrusts it to those who come after him. This translation and annotation series also uses the Consciousness-Only reading of Kuiji’s Cien tradition as a supplementary mirror. Consciousness-Only is not the source of the Lotus, only another set of eyes. With those eyes, we can look at this one stupa, these two buddhas, and these immeasurable emanations and ask how many layers of one Buddha’s body they display.
Kuiji does not read this chapter through the three natures or the store consciousness. Its Consciousness-Only meaning falls upon the buddha-body. Following Vasubandhu’s Treatise on the Lotus Sutra, he reads the scene as the simultaneous manifestation of several bodies of one Buddha. The stupa of Many Treasures, whose full body remains undispersed, represents the dharma-body: the Buddha’s dharma-body is wholly present within this sutra, and therefore wherever the sutra is present, the ancient buddha’s full body is present. The emanation buddhas returning from the ten directions are Shakyamuni’s emanation bodies. Though they appear immeasurable, their bodies do not differ: “the other is precisely my body,” and the emanations and the original Buddha have always performed the same work. As for Many Treasures and Shakyamuni seated together upon one seat, Kuiji says, following the Treatise, that the emanation body, non-emanation body, dharma-body, and reward body “all act to accomplish the one great matter.” Their sitting together further represents the three vehicles sharing the couch of the One Vehicle. The two buddhas, ancient and present, and all their emanations throughout the ten directions ultimately serve the same great matter: to bring people of all three vehicles onto the seat of the One Vehicle. Kuiji reads a sequence even in the three purifications of the Saha world. The first transformation represents reaching the stage of the hearers, the next reaching the stage of solitary awakening, and the successive transformations culminate in fulfillment at the stage of the One Vehicle. The defiled land can become pure because all buddha-lands are originally equal and pure. The defilement that sentient beings see is what appears while they have not yet aroused the aspiration; once the aspiration has arisen, they see the land’s original purity. Through this set of eyes, the vivid scene of stupa and buddhas becomes a manifestation of the dharma, reward, and emanation bodies of one Buddha and of the One Vehicle gathering the three vehicles.
This is only one set of eyes. Zhiyi of Tiantai does not first correlate the two seated buddhas with the three bodies; he reads them as object and wisdom. The stupa comes to bear witness to the sutra: the object contemplated and the wisdom that contemplates meet, and when object and wisdom meet, the great reward is complete. He also correlates Many Treasures, Shakyamuni, and the emanations with the dharma buddha, reward buddha, and responsive buddha, saying that although these three buddhas are three, they are neither one nor different. Jizang of Sanlun reads the scene as “the original is one, the traces many.” The immeasurable emanations are traces, while the dharma-body is the single original. The two buddhas sit together precisely so that Many Treasures may disclose Shakyamuni: the Shakyamuni who appears to be born and to pass away is in truth the unborn and unceasing dharma-body, while birth and cessation are only skillful manifestations. Even the familiar labels “the two buddhas seated together,” “the three transformations of the lands,” and “six difficult and nine easy acts” are later conventional summary terms, not ready-made expressions found verbatim in the original texts of Cien, Tiantai, and Sanlun. One tradition counts six difficult acts, another correlates the transformations with three meditative concentrations, and another analyzes four bodies. The accounts are not the same. They are recorded side by side here without adjudication, each kept in its own place. What matters throughout is the sentence from within the stupa and the question from the Buddha’s seat: everything you have taught is true; then who, after I am gone, can continue to teach this truth?
考據Apparatus
本品七寶塔從地踊出、住在空中，塔中多寶如來全身讚言『釋迦所說皆是真實』。多寶佛本願：凡十方有說《法華經》處，其全身寶塔必踊現作證。欲見多寶佛身，須釋迦先集十方分身諸佛；於是放白毫光、三變娑婆為淨土以容分身佛。釋迦右指開塔，多寶分半座，二如來並坐師子座，接大眾住虛空，付囑「誰能於此娑婆國土廣說妙法華經，今正是時」。重頌以「六難九易」明持說此經之難。慈恩窺基《玄贊》依世親《法華論》讀之——落於三身（法・報・化）之身觀：全身塔＝法身全在此經、多寶＝一切佛土同寶性、二佛並坐＝化非化法報四身皆為成一大事、分身＝化佛、三變土＝一乘三乘位次象徵；此品唯識義不涉三性、賴耶（機掃皆零），據實標於三身軸。天台智顗以境智相會、三惑三昧讀，三論吉藏以『本一迹多、法身無生滅』讀，並錄不判。
一、科判定位
| 科判系統 | 此品之位 |
|---|---|
| 羅什 T262 二十八品 | 第十一 見寶塔品（卷四；〔T09n0262 0032b16〕起）· 迹門「讚重流通」四品之一（承〈法師品〉「人・法皆可尊」，此品專顯「法可尊」——多寶必聽以為靈證） |
| 窺基《玄贊》科文（主錨·慈恩） | 品段〔T34n1723 0811a12〕三門分別：一來意、二釋名、三解妨。來意有四（依《法華論》『除三慢說三平等』：一乘平等・生死涅槃平等〔現多寶塔〕・彼此身平等〔多寶攝一切佛身・自他身無差別〕〔0811a14〕）· 釋名：佛體所居名塔、眾珍所成名寶塔；「見」二音二義（顯現／見覩）〔0811b10〕· 大文分二：初塔湧證經、後募眾付囑；「初塔為證，後身為證，證教、證理次第證故」〔0811b30〕 |
| 天台《文句》（旁證） | 〈釋見寶塔品〉〔T34n1718 0112c19〕起 · 塔婆／支提・「此塔既有全身不散，則不稱支提」・「四眾皆覩，故言見寶塔品」〔0112c27〕· 判迹門流通〔0113b04〕 |
| 三論《義疏》（旁證） | 〈見寶塔品第十一〉〔T34n1721 0587c18〕起 · 釋名二義（據事覩見／顯理「法身無生滅、方便有生滅」）〔0588b28〕 |
二、異譯·三譯對勘
本品三漢譯：羅什 T262（底本）·〈見寶塔品第十一〉· 竺法護 T263〈七寶塔品第十一〉〔T09n0263 0102b21〕· 闍那崛多共笈多 T264〈見寶塔品第十一〉〔T09n0264 0166c28〕（添品，逐字近同羅什）。
品界大異（成立史要點）：提婆達多・龍女敘事，羅什獨立為〈提婆達多品第十二〉〔T09n0262 0034b23 起〕；添品 T264 與竺法護 T263 則併入本品第十一之內（本品後直接〈勸持品／勸說品〉）。竺法護 T263 存校語『諸本此中加梵志品，各分為二十八品云』〔T09n0263 0105a26〕，明記他本於此切分；竺法護此段人名作「梵志」「調達」。本編底本從羅什，本品終於「若有能持則持佛身」偈末〔0034b22〕，提婆達多入次品⑫。
句一 寶塔踊出
| 版本 | 逐字（節） | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 羅什 T262 | 爾時佛前有七寶塔，高五百由旬，縱廣二百五十由旬，從地踊出，住在空中 | T09n0262 0032b17 |
| 添品 T264 | 〔逐字同羅什〕高五百由旬，縱廣二百五十由旬，從地踊出 | T09n0264 0166c29 |
| 竺法護 T263 | 爾時佛前，七寶之塔從地踊出，二萬里適現繞佛，超在虛空自然而立 | T09n0263 0102b22 |
異文所繫：羅什／添品逐字同（高五百由旬・縱廣二百五十由旬）；竺法護不分高／縱廣，作「二萬里」（以「里」易「由旬」，全品量制皆里——寶樹二萬二千里・師子床二萬里），二制不可通約。
句二 塔中音聲讚
| 版本 | 逐字（節） | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 羅什 T262 | 善哉善哉釋迦牟尼世尊，能以平等大慧，教菩薩法，佛所護念，妙法華經，為大眾說……如所說者，皆是真實 | T09n0262 0032b28 |
| 添品 T264 | 〔逐字同羅什〕善哉善哉釋迦牟尼世尊……如所說者皆是真實 | T09n0264 0167a11 |
| 竺法護 T263 | 善哉善哉世尊安住，審如所言，道德玄妙超絕無侶，慧平等一猶如虛空，實無有異 | T09n0263 0102c03 |
異文所繫：羅什／添品逐字同；竺法護意譯全別——無「釋迦牟尼世尊・教菩薩法・佛所護念・妙法華經」諸目，「平等大慧」作「慧平等一猶如虛空」，「如所說者皆是真實」作「審如所言・實無有異」。
句三 多寶佛全身·本願證經
| 版本 | 逐字（節） | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 羅什 T262 | 此寶塔中有如來全身……國名寶淨，彼中有佛，號曰多寶……若我成佛滅度之後，於十方國土有說法華經處，我之塔廟為聽是經故踊現其前，為作證明 | T09n0262 0032c08 |
| 添品 T264 | 〔逐字同羅什，唯「其佛本行菩薩道時」多一「本」字〕號曰多寶……為作證明 | T09n0264 0167a20 |
| 竺法護 T263 | 此寶塔寺有如來身，完具一定而無缺減……有佛號名多寶如來，國曰寶淨……十方世界其有講說此法華經，吾七寶塔踊現……其舍利身在七寶塔，讚言善哉 | T09n0263 0102c13 |
異文所繫：多寶佛名三譯皆作「多寶」（Prabhūtaratna 意譯，無音譯異形），國名皆「寶淨」；「如來全身」羅什／添品作四字，竺法護作「如來身，完具一定而無缺減／舍利身」（無「全身」字面），且願文前置「吾會當以此正法華經當自修成」（自修成佛願）再接踊塔證經。
句四 三變淨土
| 版本 | 逐字（節） | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 羅什 T262 | 娑婆世界即變清淨，琉璃為地……八方各更變二百萬億那由他國……〔凡三變土田〕 | T09n0262 0033a09／0033a21 |
| 添品 T264 | 〔逐字同羅什〕八方各更變二百萬億那由他國 | T09n0264 0167c03 |
| 竺法護 T263 | 其地悉變為紺琉璃……在於八方各二萬億所有國土……復更別有二萬世界 | T09n0263 0103b28 |
異文所繫：羅什／添品逐字同（二百萬億那由他國・兩度更變）；竺法護數量級全異——「八方各二萬億所有國土」＋「復…二萬世界」（無「那由他」），淨土量制亦里制。
句五 二佛並坐
| 版本 | 逐字（節） | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 羅什 T262 | 多寶佛於寶塔中分半座與釋迦牟尼佛……坐其半座，結加趺坐……見二如來在七寶塔中師子座上結加趺坐 | T09n0262 0033c05 |
| 添品 T264 | 〔逐字同羅什〕二如來在七寶塔中師子座上結加趺坐 | T09n0264 0168a15 |
| 竺法護 T263 | 時多寶佛則以半座與釋迦文……時二如來共同一處，在於虛空，七寶交露坐師子床 | T09n0263 0104a11 |
異文所繫：羅什／添品逐字同（多寶佛・釋迦牟尼佛・結加趺坐・師子座）；竺法護佛號作「釋迦文」、座作「師子床」，無「結加趺坐」而作「共同一處，在於虛空，七寶交露」。
句六 付囑·六難九易·持佛身
| 版本 | 逐字（節） | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 羅什 T262 | 誰能於此娑婆國土廣說妙法華經，今正是時。如來不久當入涅槃，佛欲以此妙法華經付囑有在……若佛滅後於惡世中能說此經，是則為難……若有能持，則持佛身 | T09n0262 0033c13／0034a22／0034b12 |
| 添品 T264 | 〔逐字同羅什〕今正是時。如來不久當入涅槃……佛欲以此妙法華經付囑有在……若有能持則持佛身 | T09n0264 0168a21／0168c21 |
| 竺法護 T263 | 今是其時亦是大節……今如來身幸欲滅度……佛滅度之後末世能堪受班宣此經典，爾乃為殊特……其奉持此典，則侍諸佛身 | T09n0263 0104a20／0105a13 |
異文所繫：羅什／添品逐字同（今正是時・不久當入涅槃・付囑有在）；竺法護意譯全別——「娑婆」作「忍界」、「今正是時」作「今是其時亦是大節」、「不久當入涅槃」作「今如來身幸欲滅度」、無「付囑有在」；六難九易之對舉，竺法護作「不足以為難／為奇」對「爾乃為殊特／為奇」（非「未為難／是則為難」之整齊排比）；「則持佛身」竺法護作「則侍諸佛身」（侍非持）。
添品定位：九核心義句添品 T264 幾與羅什逐字全同，唯一實質正文微異＝「其佛本行菩薩道時」多一「本」字；餘皆標點、書名號、異體字（馬瑙／馬腦、關鑰／𨷲）之別。
三、唯識義之經據（眼）
本品玄贊之唯識義落於「三身（法・報・化）」之身觀——不涉三性（遍計／依他／圓成）、賴耶（藏識／轉依），亦無「唯識所變」「境智」字面（機掃全段〔0811a12–0814c30〕皆零）。全品義理骨幹＝世親《法華論》「十無上」第五「示現清淨國土無上」九門，唯識三身身觀為其配屬。
(一) 除三慢·說三平等——來意依《法華論》〔T34n1723 0811a14〕：
「為除三種無煩惱人染慢，說三平等。三慢者：一信種種乘異，二信生死、涅槃異，三信彼、此身異。三平等者：一乘平等如前已說；二為除信生死、涅槃異，故現多寶如來塔，入涅槃已後現身故；三為破彼此身異，顯多寶佛攝一切佛身。」〔T34n1723 0811a14〕
「自他身無差別故，十方分身佛集身無異故，彼身即我身」〔0811a22〕。→ 論本：《法華論》除三慢說三平等（乘・生死涅槃・身）。
(二) 全身塔＝法身全在此經——「此寶塔中有如來全身」，窺基〔0811c24〕：「舍利全在塔中，表佛法身全在此經，故須塔涌。」又依論〔0812b05〕：「住持者，示現諸佛如來法身自在身力故……全身在塔住持，表佛法身自在力故。」多寶〔0812b14〕：「多寶者，示現一切佛土同寶性故」（所詮理無差別）。→ 論本：法身自在・住持；全身＝法身全在此經。
(三) 二佛並坐＝化非化法報四身皆為成一大事——多寶分半座、二如來並坐，窺基〔0814a03〕：
「論云『示現化佛、非化佛、法佛、報佛等，皆為成大事故』。即為成一大因緣，又表三乘同坐一乘之床，眾生亦同一乘座故。」〔T34n1723 0814a03〕
→ 論本：四身皆為成一大事因緣・三乘會一乘。（非古今二佛、非境智——此二為天台讀法，詳目四。）
(四) 分身＝化佛·自他無差別——放白毫光集十方分身，窺基「此召化佛」〔0812b31〕；分身遍十方之由「又身無異，他即我身」〔0812c03〕；須現無量佛「彼此佛業教化眾生，初權後實，所作同故」〔0812c18〕。→ 分身佛即釋迦化佛，理據＝身無異・彼此業同。
(五) 三變土＝一乘三乘位次象徵——娑婆三變為淨，窺基〔0813a15〕：「初變大千表至聲聞，次變二百萬億那由他國表至獨覺」，展轉「至一乘位極滿足」；淨相之由〔0813a06〕：「示現一切佛國土平等清淨故，釋迦為惡眾生現故」；「移」訓〔0813b18〕：「隱穢彰淨名之為移，移相移心故」（未發心見穢、已發心見淨）。→ 位次（聲聞→獨覺→一乘極）＋佛土平等清淨＋移相移心。近「心淨土淨」意趣，然窺基未著「唯識所變」字面，據實止於位次與心之淨穢。
(六) 此品明淨土·六難九易——「依論此品既明淨土」〔0811b16〕（《法華論》十無上第五清淨國土無上九門）；「出香」表修五分法身〔0812a16〕；重頌難易，窺基科「十九頌對比勝劣」分六番（說・書・讀・為一人說・聽・持）〔0814b21〕，其意趣〔0814b26〕：「理智深妙故陶練難成，不同前四神通可得」——接須彌擲他方等皆神通可得（易），唯持說此經理智深妙（難）。
（按：此品玄贊未以三性、賴耶、種子配任一義；全部唯識色彩集中於三身身觀（法身塔・化佛分身・四身並坐）與《法華論》淨土義，非方便品「三性密意」框架、亦非法師品「智理二身」框架——各品玄贊落點各異，據實標於三身軸，勿挪引他品。）
四、諸家異釋（古德·標宗·誌錄不判）
同一寶塔・二佛，慈恩・天台・三論以三身、境智、本迹讀之。本編義疏鏡＝慈恩窺基《玄贊》；天台智顗、三論吉藏並錄之，誌其異而不判。
約詞辨：「二佛並坐」「三變土田」「六難九易」三詞，於智顗《文句》T34n1718、吉藏《義疏》T34n1721 全段機掃皆零命中——係後世約詞盤定名，非二疏原文連文。二疏實文：智顗作「二佛分座而坐」〔0114b07〕・「三變土淨」〔0114a28〕（無「六難」數）；吉藏作「二佛共坐」〔0590c07〕・「三變土」〔0590a23〕・「六難／六種難」〔0591a19〕（有六難、無「九易」）。
慈恩·窺基《玄贊》T34n1723（鏡骨幹）
三平等（除三慢）、全身＝法身全在經、二佛並坐＝四身成大事、分身＝化佛、三變土＝位次象徵——詳目三。慈恩承衍：慧沼《法華玄贊義決》T34n1724。
天台·智顗（旁證）
全身〔T34n1718 0112c21〕：「此塔既有全身不散，則不稱支提」；引《瓔珞經》生身／全身／碎身，「今經格生身全碎舍利、法身偏圓舍利皆從經出」〔0113a06〕。三佛〔0113a23〕：「多寶表法佛，釋尊表報佛，分身表應佛，三佛雖三而不一異」（並誌異釋：地師「多寶是法身佛」、《釋論》「多寶誓願化身來證經」）。二佛同座以觀心「境智」讀〔0113b28〕：「境智既會則大報圓滿，如釋迦與多寶同坐一座」；八不「多寶讓座示不來、釋迦坐半座示不出」〔0113b03〕。三變土淨〔0114a28〕：配三昧（背捨・勝處・一切處）＋斷三惑（初變表淨除四住・次淨除塵沙・後淨除無明）〔0114b03〕。開塔〔0114b13〕：「開塔者即是開權，見佛者即是顯實」；付囑有在二意（近付此土舊住菩薩・遠付下方本弟子）〔0114b21〕。判迹門流通〔0113b04〕，謂本迹意此處未彰、不宜早分。
三論·吉藏《法華義疏》T34n1721（旁證）
釋名二義〔0588b28〕：據事覩見／顯理「法身無生滅、方便有生滅」；全品綱「本一迹多」（連文六見）〔0589b24〕。塔量表義〔0589a06〕：「五百表法身無生滅，二百五十表應迹有生滅，以實勝權故相挍一倍」。二佛共坐〔0590c07〕：「所以二佛同坐者，正欲以多寶顯釋迦也……欲顯釋迦實無生滅、方便生滅」；引《法華論》〔0590c17〕：「二佛共坐者，為顯化佛、報佛、法佛皆為成大事故也」。分身〔0589b24〕：「欲辨本一迹多也……法身不二、迹身不一」；引《法華論》「彼此佛所作業無差別」〔0589c08〕。三變土〔0590a23〕：表「三根之穢而得淨悟也。又表三乘之穢皆除、顯一乘之淨」，顯「土曠佛多」以起信；引《大智度論》『請貴客莊嚴』喻。右指〔0590b22〕：「右指謂手之便，即是方便智用」。六難〔0591a20〕：「舉六種難事」（廣說・書・讀・為一人說・問・持＝六難），配六種不信法華之人（無「九易」之目）。
三家並錄（誌·不判）
「二佛並坐」：慈恩＝化非化法報四身皆為成大事〔0814a03〕、天台＝境智相會大報圓滿・三佛（多寶法佛／釋尊報佛／分身應佛）〔0113b28・0113a23〕、三論＝以多寶顯釋迦破生滅執〔0590c07〕——三讀並錄。「全身」：慈恩＝法身全在此經、天台＝生身全碎法身偏圓舍利皆從經出、三論段無「全身」字面（多寶＝法身不滅）。「三變土」：慈恩位次（聲聞→獨覺→一乘）、天台三昧＋斷三惑、三論三根三乘。慈恩・三論二佛並坐俱引《法華論》「三佛（四身）為成大事」（同源）；天台別走境智。智顗（538–597）・吉藏（549–623）與窺基（632–682）約同時或稍前，「境智」「迹門」為天台專詞，非吉藏架構，並錄不判。
五、術語
| 漢 | 傳梵（羅馬字·發音輔助） | 古德所徵 | 義 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 多寶如來 | Prabhūtaratna | 三譯皆意譯「多寶」〔T09n0262 0032c10〕；窺基「示現一切佛土同寶性」〔T34n1723 0812b14〕 | 東方寶淨國佛·本願凡有說法華處其全身塔踊現作證 |
| 全身（舍利） | — | 〔本經 0032c08〕；窺基「表佛法身全在此經」〔T34n1723 0811c24〕；智顗「全身不散則不稱支提」〔T34n1718 0112c21〕；竺法護「如來身完具一定而無缺減」〔T09n0263 0102c13〕 | 未碎之全體舍利·經卷所在即如來全身（承〈法師品〉「經即佛身」） |
| 二佛並坐 | — | 〔本經 0033c05「分半座」〕；窺基『化非化法報四身皆為成大事』〔T34n1723 0814a03〕；智顗「二佛分座而坐」〔T34n1718 0114b07〕；吉藏「二佛共坐」〔T34n1721 0590c07〕（「並坐」＝後世約詞·二疏無連文） | 多寶分半座·釋迦入塔並坐師子座 |
| 分身諸佛 | — | 〔本經 0032c24〕；窺基「此召化佛……身無異他即我身」〔T34n1723 0812b31・0812c03〕；吉藏「本一迹多」〔T34n1721 0589b24〕 | 釋迦十方說法之化佛·集則塔開 |
| 三變土（田） | — | 〔本經 0033a09〕；窺基「初變表至聲聞……一乘位極」〔T34n1723 0813a15〕；智顗「三變土淨」配三昧三惑〔T34n1718 0114a28〕；吉藏「三變土」表三根三乘〔T34n1721 0590a23〕（「土田」＝後世約詞） | 娑婆三度變淨以容分身佛·移天人置他土 |
| 六難九易 | — | 〔本經 0034a16 重頌〕；窺基「十九頌對比勝劣。中分六」〔T34n1723 0814b21〕；吉藏「六種難事」配六種不信人〔T34n1721 0591a19〕（「六難九易」＝後世約詞·二疏無此連文） | 神通諸事未為難／惡世持說此經是則為難 |
六、譬喻·修辭
(一) 七寶塔踊出·二佛並坐（本品主意象）——〔T09n0262 0032b17・0033c05〕：全身寶塔從地踊出、住空證經；多寶分半座、二如來並坐師子座。以「塔」證教、以「身」證理（窺基「證教證理次第證」〔T34n1723 0811b30〕）。
辨：此品以「寶塔・二佛並坐」為象徵中樞，非法華七喻之一（七喻＝火宅③・窮子④・藥草⑤・化城⑦・衣珠⑧・髻珠⑭・醫子⑯）。
(二) 開塔喻（如却關鑰開大城門）——〔T09n0262 0033b26〕：「以右指開七寶塔戶，出大音聲，如却關鑰開大城門。」智顗「却障機動」〔T34n1718 0114b15〕、吉藏「右指＝方便智用」〔T34n1721 0590b22〕。
(三) 六難九易（重頌難易對比）——〔T09n0262 0034a16〕：接須彌擲他方・足指動大千・立有頂說餘經・手把虛空遊行・大地置足甲昇梵天・劫燒擔草入中不燒・持八萬四千法藏令得六神通・說法令恒沙眾生得阿羅漢——皆「亦未為難」；唯佛滅後惡世能說・書持・暫讀・為一人說・問義趣・奉持此經——「是則為難」。窺基「理智深妙故陶練難成，不同前四神通可得」〔T34n1723 0814b26〕。
七、互讀·承衍
(一) 本品所依論（窺基《玄贊》・吉藏《義疏》共引·穩定徵引）：
- 世親《法華論》（法華經論）——除三慢說三平等〔T34n1723 0811a14〕· 十無上第五「示現清淨國土無上」九門〔0811b16〕· 住持法身自在〔0812b05〕· 一切佛土同寶性〔0812b14〕· 彼此所作業無差別〔0812c18·吉藏同引 0589c07〕· 二佛並坐化報法三佛（四身）為成大事〔0814a03·吉藏同引 0590c17〕。慈恩・三論二佛並坐俱依《法華論》，同源。
- 智顗引《瓔珞經》（生身／全身／碎身）〔T34n1718 0112c29〕· 吉藏引《大智度論》（請貴客莊嚴喻）〔T34n1721 0590a06〕、《華嚴·法界品》（安住長者開栴檀塔）〔0590b23〕。
(二) 法華內互讀：
- 全身塔＝法身全在此經 → 承〈法師品第十〉『經卷所在即如來全身』（本經自身之互文；玄贊此品義理骨幹在「法身全在此經」〔0811c24〕，未另明文遙引前品）· 「若有能持則持佛身」〔0034b12〕亦承〈法師品〉持經即持佛。
- 付囑「今正是時・如來不久當入涅槃」 → 啟後半流通（〈勸持〉〈安樂行〉）及〈囑累品〉之付囑。
- 三平等（乘・生死涅槃・身） → 一乘會三乘之綱，貫〈方便〉〈譬喻〉諸品。
(三) 承衍：慈恩後學慧沼《法華玄贊義決》T34n1724;天台後學湛然《法華文句記》T34n1719——各承其宗，誌不判。
八、校本定位
- 羅什 T262（底本）：〈見寶塔品第十一〉〔T09n0262 0032b16〕起（卷四）。寶塔踊出 0032b17 · 塔中讚 0032b28／皆是真實 0032c01 · 大樂說問 0032c04 · 多寶全身 0032c08／號多寶 0032c10／本願證經 0032c11 · 分身集一處 0032c24 · 放白毫 0032c29 · 三變淨 0033a09／八方更變 0033a21 · 右指開塔 0033b26／全身不散 0033b28 · 分半座 0033c05／二佛並坐 0033c08／接眾住空 0033c11 · 付囑 0033c13 · 九易接須彌 0034a18／六難能說 0034a22 · 持佛身 0034b12 · 真佛子 0034b19／世間之眼 0034b20 迄〔0034b22〕（次品〈提婆達多品第十二〉起 0034b23）。源檔：原典層（逐字校訖·26 核心義句逐字驗）。
- 竺法護 T263〈七寶塔品第十一〉〔T09n0263 0102b21〕起（卷六）：塔二萬里 0102b22 · 塔讚慧平等一 0102c03 · 多寶如來完具一定 0102c13 · 八方各二萬億 0103b28 · 二佛師子床 0104a11 · 忍界今是其時／幸欲滅度 0104a19 · 六難為殊特 0104c07 · 則侍諸佛身 0105a12 · 梵志／調達（提婆段併入本品）0105a26 校語。
- 添品 T264〈見寶塔品第十一〉〔T09n0264 0166c28〕起：寶塔踊出 0166c29 · 其佛本行菩薩道時（多一「本」字）0167a20 · 三變 0167c03 · 二佛並坐 0168a15 · 付囑 0168a21 · 六難 0168b25 · 持佛身 0168c21。〔逐字近同羅什；提婆段亦併入本品〕
- 窺基《玄贊》T34n1723（義疏鏡）：〈見寶塔品〉〔0811a12〕—〔0814c30〕（卷八末）。三門分別 0811a12／三平等 0811a14／自他無差別 0811a22 · 依論明淨土 0811b16／證教證理 0811b30 · 法身全在經 0811c24 · 五分法身 0812a16 · 論住持 0812b05／多寶同寶性 0812b14／召化佛 0812b31／身無異他即我身 0812c03／彼此業無差別 0812c17 · 佛土平等清淨 0813a06／三變位次 0813a15／移相移心 0813b18 · 二佛四身成大事 0814a03／三乘同坐一乘床 0814a05／付囑准偈 0814a11 · 六難對比 0814b21／理智深妙 0814b26／持佛身結成持勝 0814c08。下品〈提婆達多品〉起〔0815a12〕。
- 智顗《文句》T34n1718（旁證）：〈釋見寶塔品〉0112c19 起—0114c16 · 全身不散 0112c21／四眾皆覩 0112c27 · 生身全碎法身舍利從經出 0113a05／三佛法報應 0113a23 · 迹門流通 0113b04／境智大報 0113b28 · 三變土淨三昧三惑 0114a28／0114b03 · 開塔開權 0114b13／二佛分座 0114b07／付囑二意 0114b21。
- 吉藏《法華義疏》T34n1721（旁證）：〈見寶塔品第十一〉0587c18 起—0591b06 · 釋名二義 0588b28 · 塔量表義 0589a06 · 本一迹多 0589b24／法華論業無差別 0589c07 · 三變土三根三乘 0590a23 · 右指方便智用 0590b22 · 二佛共坐顯釋迦 0590c07／論三佛成大事 0590c17 · 六種難 0591a19／六難 0591a23。
- 成立史誌：品題羅什／添品「見寶塔品」・竺法護「七寶塔品」；提婆達多・龍女 羅什獨立第十二品，添品 T264・竺法護 T263 併入第十一品（T263 校語 0105a26）；多寶佛三譯皆意譯「多寶」；竺法護量制里、佛號釋迦文、座師子床、忍界、則侍諸佛身（侍非持）；「二佛並坐／三變土田／六難九易」皆後世約詞（二疏無連文）。添品逐字近同羅什，唯「其佛本行」多一「本」字。
In this chapter, a seven-jeweled stūpa emerges from the earth and abides in open space. From within it, the full body of Many Treasures Tathāgata declares that 『釋迦所說皆是真實』 tr. “everything taught by Śākyamuni is true.” Many Treasures Buddha’s original vow is that wherever in the ten directions the Lotus Sutra is taught, the stūpa containing his full body will emerge and bear witness. To see Many Treasures Buddha’s body, Śākyamuni must first gather all his emanation buddhas from the ten directions. He therefore emits the white-tuft ray and transforms the Sahā world into a pure land three times to make room for them. Śākyamuni opens the stūpa with a finger of his right hand; Many Treasures shares half his seat; and the two Tathāgatas sit together upon the lion seat. The assembly is lifted into open space, and the Buddha entrusts the sutra by asking, 「誰能於此娑婆國土廣說妙法華經，今正是時」 tr. “Who can teach the Lotus widely here in the Sahā world? Now is precisely the time.” The repeated verse uses 「六難九易」 tr. “six difficult and nine easy acts” to clarify the difficulty of upholding and teaching this sutra. Kuiji of the Cien tradition, in the 《玄贊》 Fahua Xuanzan (Profound Praise of the Lotus), reads the chapter through Vasubandhu’s 《法華論》 Treatise on the Lotus Sutra. Its axis is the view of the dharma, reward, and emanation bodies: the full-body stūpa means that the dharma-body is wholly present within this sutra; Many Treasures manifests that all buddha-lands share the same jewel-nature; the two buddhas seated together show that the four bodies—emanation, non-emanation, dharma, and reward—all accomplish the one great matter; the emanation buddhas are emanated bodies; and the three transformations of the lands symbolize the stages of the Three Vehicles and the One Vehicle. The chapter’s Consciousness-Only meaning does not involve the three natures or the store consciousness—mechanical scans return zero—and is therefore stated accurately on the axis of the three bodies. Zhiyi of Tiantai reads through the meeting of object and wisdom and through three afflictions and three meditative concentrations; Jizang of Sanlun reads through 『本一迹多、法身無生滅』 tr. “the original is one, the traces many; the dharma-body is neither born nor destroyed.” Their readings are recorded side by side without adjudication.
I. Doctrinal-Outline Placement
| Outline system | Placement of this chapter |
|---|---|
| 羅什 T262 二十八品 | 第十一 見寶塔品 — Chapter 11, Beholding the Jeweled Stūpa（卷四；〔T09n0262 0032b16〕起）· one of four chapters in the Trace Gate classified as 「讚重流通」 tr. “praising and giving weight to transmission.” It carries forward the Chapter on the Dharma Teacher’s teaching that 「人・法皆可尊」 tr. “both the person and the Dharma are worthy of honor” and specifically reveals that 「法可尊」 tr. “the Dharma is worthy of honor”—Many Treasures must hear it and serve as a numinous witness. |
| 窺基《玄贊》科文（主錨·慈恩） | The chapter passage at 〔T34n1723 0811a12〕 is 三門分別 tr. “distinguished through three gateways”: (1) the reason for its coming; (2) the explanation of its name; (3) the resolution of a difficulty. 來意有四 tr. “The reason for its coming is fourfold.” Following the 《法華論》 Treatise on the Lotus Sutra, it 『除三慢說三平等』 tr. “removes three forms of pride by teaching three equalities”: 一乘平等 tr. “the equality of the One Vehicle”; 生死涅槃平等〔現多寶塔〕 tr. “the equality of saṃsāra and nirvana [manifested by the stūpa of Many Treasures]”; and 彼此身平等〔多寶攝一切佛身・自他身無差別〕 tr. “the equality of his body and this body [Many Treasures encompasses the bodies of all buddhas; one’s own body and another’s body do not differ]” 〔0811a14〕. 釋名 tr. “Explanation of the name”: what houses the Buddha’s substance is named a stūpa; what is made of many precious things is named a jeweled stūpa. 「見」 tr. “beholding” has two pronunciations and two meanings—manifesting and seeing 〔0811b10〕. 大文分二 tr. “The major text is divided into two”: first the stūpa emerges and bears witness to the sutra; then the assembly is summoned and the sutra entrusted. 「初塔為證，後身為證，證教、證理次第證故」 tr. “First the stūpa serves as witness; afterward the body serves as witness. Teaching and principle are borne witness to in sequence” 〔0811b30〕. |
| 天台《文句》（旁證） | The 〈釋見寶塔品〉 “Explanation of the Chapter on Beholding the Jeweled Stūpa” begins at 〔T34n1718 0112c19〕. It discusses 塔婆／支提 tr. “stūpa / caitya” and says, 「此塔既有全身不散，則不稱支提」 tr. “Since this stūpa contains the full body undispersed, it is not called a caitya”; and 「四眾皆覩，故言見寶塔品」 tr. “Because the entire fourfold assembly beholds it, it is called the Chapter on Beholding the Jeweled Stūpa” 〔0112c27〕. It classifies the chapter under 迹門流通 tr. “transmission of the Trace Gate” 〔0113b04〕. |
| 三論《義疏》（旁證） | The 〈見寶塔品第十一〉 “Chapter 11, Beholding the Jeweled Stūpa” begins at 〔T34n1721 0587c18〕. It explains the title in two ways: beholding in terms of the event, and revealing in terms of principle that 「法身無生滅、方便有生滅」 tr. “the dharma-body has no birth or extinction, while skillful means has birth and extinction” 〔0588b28〕. |
II. Alternate Translations · Collation of the Three Translations
This chapter has three Chinese translations: Kumārajīva’s T262, the base text, 〈見寶塔品第十一〉 “Chapter 11, Beholding the Jeweled Stūpa”; Dharmarakṣa’s T263, 〈七寶塔品第十一〉 “Chapter 11, The Seven-Jeweled Stūpa” 〔T09n0263 0102b21〕; and the supplemented T264 by Jñānagupta and Dharmagupta, 〈見寶塔品第十一〉 “Chapter 11, Beholding the Jeweled Stūpa” 〔T09n0264 0166c28〕, which agrees almost word for word with Kumārajīva.
Major difference in chapter boundaries—a key point in the history of formation: the narratives of Devadatta and the dragon girl form an independent 〈提婆達多品第十二〉 “Chapter 12, Devadatta” in Kumārajīva alone 〔T09n0262 0034b23 起〕. In the supplemented T264 and Dharmarakṣa’s T263, they are included within this Chapter 11, which is followed directly by 〈勸持品／勸說品〉 “Exhortation to Uphold the Sutra / Exhortation to Teach.” Dharmarakṣa’s T263 preserves the collation note 『諸本此中加梵志品，各分為二十八品云』 tr. “Other manuscripts add the Chapter on the Brahmin here and are each divided into twenty-eight chapters” 〔T09n0263 0105a26〕, expressly recording that other manuscripts divided the text at this point. In this passage Dharmarakṣa calls the figures 「梵志」 tr. “the brahmin” and 「調達」 tr. “Devadatta.” The present edition follows Kumārajīva as its base text: this chapter ends with the final verse, 「若有能持則持佛身」 tr. “whoever can uphold it thereby upholds the Buddha’s body” 〔0034b22〕, and Devadatta enters the following Chapter 12.
Passage One · The Jeweled Stūpa Emerges
| Version | Verbatim text (excerpt) | Locus |
|---|---|---|
| 羅什 T262 | 爾時佛前有七寶塔，高五百由旬，縱廣二百五十由旬，從地踊出，住在空中 tr. “At that time, before the Buddha, a seven-jeweled stūpa, five hundred yojanas high and two hundred and fifty yojanas in length and breadth, emerged from the earth and abided in open space.” | T09n0262 0032b17 |
| 添品 T264 | 〔逐字同羅什〕高五百由旬，縱廣二百五十由旬，從地踊出 tr. “Identical word for word with Kumārajīva: five hundred yojanas high and two hundred and fifty yojanas in length and breadth, it emerged from the earth.” | T09n0264 0166c29 |
| 竺法護 T263 | 爾時佛前，七寶之塔從地踊出，二萬里適現繞佛，超在虛空自然而立 tr. “At that time, before the Buddha, a stūpa of the seven treasures emerged from the earth. Measuring twenty thousand li, it appeared encircling the Buddha, rose into open space, and stood there of itself.” | T09n0263 0102b22 |
What the variants bear upon: Kumārajīva and the supplemented edition agree word for word: 「高五百由旬・縱廣二百五十由旬」 tr. “five hundred yojanas high; two hundred and fifty yojanas in length and breadth.” Dharmarakṣa does not distinguish height from length and breadth, but reads 「二萬里」 tr. “twenty thousand li,” using 「里」 tr. “li” in place of 「由旬」 tr. “yojanas.” The entire chapter uses li as its unit—jeweled trees twenty-two thousand li high and lion couches twenty thousand li high. The two systems cannot be reduced to a single common measure.
Passage Two · The Voice from Within the Stūpa Praises
| Version | Verbatim text (excerpt) | Locus |
|---|---|---|
| 羅什 T262 | 善哉善哉釋迦牟尼世尊，能以平等大慧，教菩薩法，佛所護念，妙法華經，為大眾說……如所說者，皆是真實 tr. “Excellent, excellent, Śākyamuni World-Honored One! With great impartial wisdom, you are able to teach this Dharma for instructing bodhisattvas—the Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma, guarded and kept in mind by the buddhas—to the great assembly. … Everything you have taught is true.” | T09n0262 0032b28 |
| 添品 T264 | 〔逐字同羅什〕善哉善哉釋迦牟尼世尊……如所說者皆是真實 tr. “Identical word for word with Kumārajīva: Excellent, excellent, Śākyamuni World-Honored One! … Everything you have taught is true.” | T09n0264 0167a11 |
| 竺法護 T263 | 善哉善哉世尊安住，審如所言，道德玄妙超絕無侶，慧平等一猶如虛空，實無有異 tr. “Excellent, excellent, securely abiding World-Honored One! It is truly as you have said. Your virtue in the Way is abstruse and wondrous, surpassing all without peer; your wisdom is impartial and one, like open space. In truth there is no difference.” | T09n0263 0102c03 |
What the variants bear upon: Kumārajīva and the supplemented edition agree word for word. Dharmarakṣa’s free rendering differs throughout: it has none of the items 「釋迦牟尼世尊・教菩薩法・佛所護念・妙法華經」 tr. “Śākyamuni World-Honored One; the Dharma for instructing bodhisattvas; guarded and kept in mind by the buddhas; the Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma.” It renders 「平等大慧」 tr. “great impartial wisdom” as 「慧平等一猶如虛空」 tr. “wisdom impartial and one, like open space,” and 「如所說者皆是真實」 tr. “everything you have taught is true” as 「審如所言・實無有異」 tr. “it is truly as you have said; in truth there is no difference.”
Passage Three · Many Treasures Buddha’s Full Body · His Original Vow to Bear Witness to the Sutra
| Version | Verbatim text (excerpt) | Locus |
|---|---|---|
| 羅什 T262 | 此寶塔中有如來全身……國名寶淨，彼中有佛，號曰多寶……若我成佛滅度之後，於十方國土有說法華經處，我之塔廟為聽是經故踊現其前，為作證明 tr. “Within this jeweled stūpa is the full body of a Tathāgata. … The land was named Jewel-Pure, and in it was a buddha called Many Treasures. … If I attain buddhahood, then after I pass into extinction, wherever in the lands of the ten directions the Lotus Sutra is taught, my stūpa-shrine will emerge before that place so that I may hear this sutra and bear witness to it.” | T09n0262 0032c08 |
| 添品 T264 | 〔逐字同羅什，唯「其佛本行菩薩道時」多一「本」字〕號曰多寶……為作證明 tr. “Identical word for word with Kumārajīva, except that ‘while that buddha originally practiced the bodhisattva path’ adds the single character ‘originally’: called Many Treasures … to bear witness.” | T09n0264 0167a20 |
| 竺法護 T263 | 此寶塔寺有如來身，完具一定而無缺減……有佛號名多寶如來，國曰寶淨……十方世界其有講說此法華經，吾七寶塔踊現……其舍利身在七寶塔，讚言善哉 tr. “Within this jeweled stūpa-shrine is the body of a Tathāgata, complete, settled, and without any diminution. … There was a buddha called Many Treasures Tathāgata, and the land was named Jewel-Pure. … Wherever in the worlds of the ten directions this Lotus Sutra is taught, my seven-jeweled stūpa will emerge. … His relic-body within the seven-jeweled stūpa praises it as excellent.” | T09n0263 0102c13 |
What the variants bear upon: all three translations render the buddha’s name as 「多寶」 tr. “Many Treasures”—an Indic meaning-translation of Prabhūtaratna, with no variant transliterated form—and all name his land 「寶淨」 tr. “Jewel-Pure.” Kumārajīva and the supplemented edition use the four-character expression 「如來全身」 tr. “the Tathāgata’s full body.” Dharmarakṣa reads 「如來身，完具一定而無缺減／舍利身」 tr. “the Tathāgata’s body, complete, settled, and without any diminution / the relic-body,” without the literal expression “full body.” Before the vow to emerge in the stūpa and bear witness to the sutra, Dharmarakṣa also places the statement 「吾會當以此正法華經當自修成」 tr. “I shall cultivate and accomplish myself through this Lotus Sutra of the True Dharma,” a vow of self-cultivation unto buddhahood.
Passage Four · The Three Transformations into Pure Lands
| Version | Verbatim text (excerpt) | Locus |
|---|---|---|
| 羅什 T262 | 娑婆世界即變清淨，琉璃為地……八方各更變二百萬億那由他國……〔凡三變土田〕 tr. “The Sahā world was immediately transformed into purity, with lapis lazuli as its ground. … In each of the eight directions, he again transformed two hundred myriads of millions of nayutas of lands. … [In all, three transformations of the lands.]” | T09n0262 0033a09／0033a21 |
| 添品 T264 | 〔逐字同羅什〕八方各更變二百萬億那由他國 tr. “Identical word for word with Kumārajīva: in each of the eight directions, he again transformed two hundred myriads of millions of nayutas of lands.” | T09n0264 0167c03 |
| 竺法護 T263 | 其地悉變為紺琉璃……在於八方各二萬億所有國土……復更別有二萬世界 tr. “The ground was entirely transformed into dark-blue lapis lazuli. … Throughout the eight directions were two myriads of millions of lands in each direction. … Again, in addition, there were twenty thousand worlds.” | T09n0263 0103b28 |
What the variants bear upon: Kumārajīva and the supplemented edition agree word for word—two hundred myriads of millions of nayutas of lands, transformed again twice. Dharmarakṣa’s numerical scale differs completely: 「八方各二萬億所有國土」 tr. “two myriads of millions of lands in each of the eight directions,” plus 「復…二萬世界」 tr. “again … twenty thousand worlds,” without the term 「那由他」 tr. “nayuta.” Its measures for the pure land are likewise given in li.
Passage Five · The Two Buddhas Sit Together
| Version | Verbatim text (excerpt) | Locus |
|---|---|---|
| 羅什 T262 | 多寶佛於寶塔中分半座與釋迦牟尼佛……坐其半座，結加趺坐……見二如來在七寶塔中師子座上結加趺坐 tr. “Within the jeweled stūpa, Many Treasures Buddha shared half his seat with Śākyamuni Buddha. … [Śākyamuni] sat cross-legged upon the half-seat. … They saw the two Tathāgatas seated cross-legged upon the lion seat within the seven-jeweled stūpa.” | T09n0262 0033c05 |
| 添品 T264 | 〔逐字同羅什〕二如來在七寶塔中師子座上結加趺坐 tr. “Identical word for word with Kumārajīva: the two Tathāgatas sat cross-legged upon the lion seat within the seven-jeweled stūpa.” | T09n0264 0168a15 |
| 竺法護 T263 | 時多寶佛則以半座與釋迦文……時二如來共同一處，在於虛空，七寶交露坐師子床 tr. “Many Treasures Buddha then gave half his seat to Śākyamuni. … The two Tathāgatas were together in one place, in open space, and sat upon the lion couch beneath a lattice of the seven treasures.” | T09n0263 0104a11 |
What the variants bear upon: Kumārajīva and the supplemented edition agree word for word—Many Treasures Buddha, Śākyamuni Buddha, sitting cross-legged, lion seat. Dharmarakṣa gives the buddha’s name as 「釋迦文」 tr. “Śākyamuni,” calls the seat a 「師子床」 tr. “lion couch,” and has no phrase corresponding to 「結加趺坐」 tr. “sitting cross-legged,” instead reading 「共同一處，在於虛空，七寶交露」 tr. “together in one place, in open space, beneath a lattice of the seven treasures.”
Passage Six · Entrustment · Six Difficult and Nine Easy Acts · Upholding the Buddha’s Body
| Version | Verbatim text (excerpt) | Locus |
|---|---|---|
| 羅什 T262 | 誰能於此娑婆國土廣說妙法華經，今正是時。如來不久當入涅槃，佛欲以此妙法華經付囑有在……若佛滅後於惡世中能說此經，是則為難……若有能持，則持佛身 tr. “Who can teach the Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma widely here in this Sahā land? Now is precisely the time. It will not be long before the Tathāgata enters nirvana, and the Buddha wishes to entrust this Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma to someone capable of bearing it. … If, after the Buddha’s extinction, someone in an evil age can teach this sutra, that indeed is difficult. … Whoever can uphold it thereby upholds the Buddha’s body.” | T09n0262 0033c13／0034a22／0034b12 |
| 添品 T264 | 〔逐字同羅什〕今正是時。如來不久當入涅槃……佛欲以此妙法華經付囑有在……若有能持則持佛身 tr. “Identical word for word with Kumārajīva: now is precisely the time. It will not be long before the Tathāgata enters nirvana. … The Buddha wishes to entrust this Lotus Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma to someone capable of bearing it. … Whoever can uphold it thereby upholds the Buddha’s body.” | T09n0264 0168a21／0168c21 |
| 竺法護 T263 | 今是其時亦是大節……今如來身幸欲滅度……佛滅度之後末世能堪受班宣此經典，爾乃為殊特……其奉持此典，則侍諸佛身 tr. “Now is the time; it is also the great juncture. … Now the Tathāgata’s body is, as it happens, about to pass into extinction. … In the final age after the Buddha’s extinction, whoever can bear, accept, and proclaim this scripture is then extraordinary. … Whoever reverently upholds this scripture thereby attends upon the bodies of the buddhas.” | T09n0263 0104a20／0105a13 |
What the variants bear upon: Kumārajīva and the supplemented edition agree word for word—「今正是時・不久當入涅槃・付囑有在」 tr. “now is precisely the time; it will not be long before [the Tathāgata] enters nirvana; entrust it to someone capable of bearing it.” Dharmarakṣa’s free rendering differs throughout: 「娑婆」 tr. “Sahā” becomes 「忍界」 tr. “the Endurance Realm”; 「今正是時」 tr. “now is precisely the time” becomes 「今是其時亦是大節」 tr. “now is the time; it is also the great juncture”; 「不久當入涅槃」 tr. “it will not be long before [the Tathāgata] enters nirvana” becomes 「今如來身幸欲滅度」 tr. “now the Tathāgata’s body is, as it happens, about to pass into extinction”; and there is no expression corresponding to 「付囑有在」 tr. “entrust it to someone capable of bearing it.” In the contrasts between the six difficult and nine easy acts, Dharmarakṣa sets 「不足以為難／為奇」 tr. “not enough to be difficult / remarkable” against 「爾乃為殊特／為奇」 tr. “then extraordinary / remarkable,” rather than Kumārajīva’s regular parallel of 「未為難／是則為難」 tr. “not yet difficult / that indeed is difficult.” Where Kumārajīva has 「則持佛身」 tr. “thereby upholds the Buddha’s body,” Dharmarakṣa has 「則侍諸佛身」 tr. “thereby attends upon the bodies of the buddhas”—attending, not upholding.
Placement of the supplemented edition: its nine core doctrinal sentences agree almost entirely word for word with Kumārajīva. The only substantive difference in the main text is the single additional character 「本」 tr. “originally” in 「其佛本行菩薩道時」 tr. “while that buddha originally practiced the bodhisattva path.” The remaining differences are punctuation, title marks, and graphic variants such as 馬瑙／馬腦 and 關鑰／𨷲.
III. Scriptural Grounds for the Consciousness-Only Meaning (the Point of the Eye)
The Consciousness-Only meaning in Kuiji’s Profound Praise for this chapter falls upon the view of 「三身（法・報・化）」 tr. “the three bodies—the dharma, reward, and emanation bodies.” It does not involve the three natures—wholly-imagined, other-dependent, and perfectly-accomplished—or the store consciousness and transformation of the basis; nor do the literal expressions 「唯識所變」 tr. “transformed by consciousness-only” or 「境智」 tr. “object and wisdom” appear anywhere in the chapter-span 〔0811a12–0814c30〕. Mechanical scans return zero for all of them. The chapter’s doctrinal skeleton is the nine gateways under the fifth of the 「十無上」 tr. “ten unsurpassed” in Vasubandhu’s Treatise on the Lotus Sutra, 「示現清淨國土無上」 tr. “manifesting the unsurpassed pure land”; the Consciousness-Only view of the three bodies is assigned within that structure.
(1) Removing three forms of pride · teaching three equalities — The reason for the chapter’s coming follows the Treatise on the Lotus Sutra 〔T34n1723 0811a14〕:
「為除三種無煩惱人染慢，說三平等。三慢者：一信種種乘異，二信生死、涅槃異，三信彼、此身異。三平等者：一乘平等如前已說；二為除信生死、涅槃異，故現多寶如來塔，入涅槃已後現身故；三為破彼此身異，顯多寶佛攝一切佛身。」〔T34n1723 0811a14〕
tr. “To remove three forms of defiled pride in persons without afflictions, it teaches three equalities. The three forms of pride are: first, believing that the various vehicles differ; second, believing that saṃsāra and nirvana differ; third, believing that his body and this body differ. The three equalities are: first, the equality of the One Vehicle, as already taught above; second, to remove the belief that saṃsāra and nirvana differ, the stūpa of Many Treasures Tathāgata is manifested, because his body appears after he has entered nirvana; third, to break the belief that his body and this body differ, it reveals that Many Treasures Buddha encompasses the bodies of all buddhas.”
Kuiji continues, 「自他身無差別故，十方分身佛集身無異故，彼身即我身」 tr. “Because one’s own body and another’s body do not differ, and because the gathered bodies of the emanation buddhas throughout the ten directions do not differ, his body is precisely my body” 〔0811a22〕. → 論本 / Treatise source: the Treatise on the Lotus Sutra, removing three forms of pride by teaching three equalities—vehicle; saṃsāra and nirvana; body.
(2) The full-body stūpa = the dharma-body wholly present within this sutra — On 「此寶塔中有如來全身」 tr. “within this jeweled stūpa is the full body of a Tathāgata,” Kuiji says 〔0811c24〕: 「舍利全在塔中，表佛法身全在此經，故須塔涌。」 tr. “The relics are wholly present within the stūpa, representing that the Buddha’s dharma-body is wholly present within this sutra; therefore the stūpa must emerge.” Again, following the Treatise 〔0812b05〕: 「住持者，示現諸佛如來法身自在身力故……全身在塔住持，表佛法身自在力故。」 tr. “‘Abiding and sustaining’ manifests the sovereign body-power of the dharma-bodies of the buddhas, the Tathāgatas. … The full body abides and sustains within the stūpa, representing the sovereign power of the Buddha’s dharma-body.” As for Many Treasures 〔0812b14〕: 「多寶者，示現一切佛土同寶性故」 tr. “‘Many Treasures’ manifests that all buddha-lands share the same jewel-nature”—the principle expounded does not differ. → 論本 / Treatise source: the sovereignty and abiding-sustaining of the dharma-body; the full body means that the dharma-body is wholly present within this sutra.
(3) The two buddhas seated together = the four bodies—emanation, non-emanation, dharma, and reward—all accomplish the one great matter — On Many Treasures sharing half his seat and the two Tathāgatas sitting together, Kuiji says 〔0814a03〕:
「論云『示現化佛、非化佛、法佛、報佛等，皆為成大事故』。即為成一大因緣，又表三乘同坐一乘之床，眾生亦同一乘座故。」〔T34n1723 0814a03〕
tr. “The Treatise says: ‘It manifests that the emanation buddha, non-emanation buddha, dharma buddha, reward buddha, and the others all act to accomplish the great matter.’ This means accomplishing the one great cause and condition. It further represents the Three Vehicles sitting together upon the couch of the One Vehicle, because sentient beings too share the seat of the One Vehicle.”
→ 論本 / Treatise source: all four bodies accomplish the cause and condition of the one great matter; the Three Vehicles are gathered into the One Vehicle. This is neither a reading through “the ancient and present buddhas” nor a reading through “object and wisdom”—these latter two are Tiantai readings, detailed under Heading IV.
(4) The emanation buddhas = emanated bodies · one’s own body and another’s do not differ — The white-tuft ray summons the emanation buddhas of the ten directions. Kuiji says, 「此召化佛」 tr. “this summons the emanation buddhas” 〔0812b31〕. The reason the emanations fill the ten directions is that 「又身無異，他即我身」 tr. “their bodies do not differ; the other is precisely my body” 〔0812c03〕. Immeasurable buddhas must appear because 「彼此佛業教化眾生，初權後實，所作同故」 tr. “the buddha-work performed by him and by this Buddha in teaching and transforming sentient beings is the same: first the provisional, afterward the real” 〔0812c18〕. → The emanation buddhas are precisely Śākyamuni’s emanated bodies. The ground is that their bodies do not differ and the work performed by each is the same.
(5) The three transformations of the lands = a symbol of the stages of the Three Vehicles and the One Vehicle — On the three transformations of the Sahā world into purity, Kuiji says 〔0813a15〕, 「初變大千表至聲聞，次變二百萬億那由他國表至獨覺」 tr. “the first transformation of the great-thousand world represents reaching the hearers; the next transformation of two hundred myriads of millions of nayutas of lands represents reaching the solitary awakened ones,” and the successive transformations reach 「至一乘位極滿足」 tr. “complete fulfillment at the stage of the One Vehicle.” On the reason for the pure appearance, he says 〔0813a06〕, 「示現一切佛國土平等清淨故，釋迦為惡眾生現故」 tr. “It manifests that all buddha-lands are equally pure; Śākyamuni manifests [the impure land] for evil sentient beings.” Glossing 「移」 tr. “move,” he says 〔0813b18〕, 「隱穢彰淨名之為移，移相移心故」 tr. “Concealing the defiled and revealing the pure is called moving, because appearance is moved and mind is moved”—those who have not aroused the aspiration see defilement; those who have aroused it see purity. → The stages—hearer → solitary awakened one → the culmination of the One Vehicle—together with the equal purity of buddha-lands and the moving of appearance and mind. This approaches the purport of 「心淨土淨」 tr. “when the mind is pure, the land is pure,” but Kuiji does not use the literal expression 「唯識所變」 tr. “transformed by consciousness-only.” The record therefore stops accurately at the stages and at the mind’s purity or defilement.
(6) This chapter clarifies the pure land · six difficult and nine easy acts — Kuiji says, 「依論此品既明淨土」 tr. “Following the Treatise, this chapter clarifies the pure land” 〔0811b16〕—the nine gateways of the fifth of the ten unsurpassed in the Treatise on the Lotus Sutra, the unsurpassed pure land. The stūpa’s 「出香」 tr. “emitting fragrance” represents cultivation of the fivefold dharma-body 〔0812a16〕. In the repeated verse contrasting difficulty and ease, Kuiji classifies 「十九頌對比勝劣」 tr. “nineteen stanzas contrasting superior and inferior” into six sequences—teaching; copying; reading; teaching one person; hearing; upholding 〔0814b21〕. Their purport is, 「理智深妙故陶練難成，不同前四神通可得」 tr. “Because principle and knowledge are profound and wondrous, they are difficult to forge and refine; this is unlike the preceding four supernormal powers, which can be attained” 〔0814b26〕. Lifting Mount Sumeru and casting it away and the other feats can all be accomplished through supernormal power and are therefore easy; only upholding and teaching this sutra, whose principle and knowledge are profound and wondrous, is difficult.
Note: In this chapter Kuiji’s Profound Praise does not assign the three natures, the store consciousness, or seeds to any teaching. Its entire Consciousness-Only coloring is concentrated in the view of the three bodies—the dharma-body stūpa, emanated buddhas, and the four bodies seated together—and in the pure-land meaning of the Treatise on the Lotus Sutra. It is not the 「三性密意」 tr. “esoteric intent of the three natures” framework of the Chapter on Skillful Means, nor the 「智理二身」 tr. “two bodies of knowledge and principle” framework of the Chapter on the Dharma Teacher. Kuiji’s point of doctrinal contact differs from chapter to chapter; this one is stated accurately on the axis of the three bodies, without importing another chapter.
IV. The Explanations of the Various Masters (the Ancients · Their Traditions Stated · Recorded without Adjudicating)
Cien, Tiantai, and Sanlun read the same jeweled stūpa and the same two buddhas through, respectively, the three bodies, object and wisdom, and Origin and Trace. The expository mirror of this edition is Kuiji’s Cien Profound Praise. Zhiyi of Tiantai and Jizang of Sanlun are recorded alongside it: their differences are registered without adjudication.
Discrimination concerning summary terms: the three expressions 「二佛並坐」 tr. “the two buddhas seated together,” 「三變土田」 tr. “the three transformations of the lands,” and 「六難九易」 tr. “six difficult and nine easy acts” return zero hits in mechanical scans of the complete relevant spans of Zhiyi’s 《文句》 T34n1718 and Jizang’s 《義疏》 T34n1721. They are later conventional summary labels, not continuous expressions in either commentary. The actual wording is as follows. Zhiyi writes 「二佛分座而坐」 tr. “the two buddhas divide the seat and sit” 〔0114b07〕 and 「三變土淨」 tr. “three transformations of the lands into purity” 〔0114a28〕, without giving a numerical category of 「六難」 tr. “six difficult acts.” Jizang writes 「二佛共坐」 tr. “the two buddhas sit together” 〔0590c07〕, 「三變土」 tr. “three transformations of the lands” 〔0590a23〕, and 「六難／六種難」 tr. “six difficult acts / six kinds of difficult act” 〔0591a19〕—he has six difficult acts but no category of 「九易」 tr. “nine easy acts.”
Cien · Kuiji, 《玄贊》 Fahua Xuanzan T34n1723 (the Skeleton of the Mirror)
Kuiji teaches the three equalities that remove three forms of pride; the full body as the dharma-body wholly present within the sutra; the two buddhas seated together as the four bodies accomplishing the great matter; the emanation buddhas as emanated bodies; and the three transformations of the lands as symbols of the stages. See Heading III. Carrying Forward within Cien: Huizhao’s 《法華玄贊義決》 T34n1724.
Tiantai · Zhiyi, 《文句》 T34n1718 (Parallel Witness)
The full body 〔T34n1718 0112c21〕: 「此塔既有全身不散，則不稱支提」 tr. “Since this stūpa contains the full body undispersed, it is not called a caitya.” Citing the 《瓔珞經》 Sutra of the Jeweled Necklace on the embodied body, full body, and fragmented body, Zhiyi says, 「今經格生身全碎舍利、法身偏圓舍利皆從經出」 tr. “In the present sutra, relics of the embodied body, whole or fragmented, and relics of the dharma-body, partial or perfect, all issue from the sutra” 〔0113a06〕.
The three buddhas 〔0113a23〕: 「多寶表法佛，釋尊表報佛，分身表應佛，三佛雖三而不一異」 tr. “Many Treasures represents the dharma buddha, the Honored Śākyamuni represents the reward buddha, and the emanations represent the responsive buddha. Although the three buddhas are three, they are neither one nor different.” Zhiyi also records divergent explanations: the Masters of the Stages say, 「多寶是法身佛」 tr. “Many Treasures is a dharma-body buddha”; the 《釋論》 Explanatory Treatise says, 「多寶誓願化身來證經」 tr. “Through the power of his vow, Many Treasures comes in an emanation body to bear witness to the sutra.”
The two buddhas upon the same seat are read in contemplation through 「境智」 tr. “object and wisdom” 〔0113b28〕: 「境智既會則大報圓滿，如釋迦與多寶同坐一座」 tr. “When object and wisdom meet, the great reward is complete, just as Śākyamuni and Many Treasures sit together upon one seat.” Through the eight negations, 「多寶讓座示不來、釋迦坐半座示不出」 tr. “Many Treasures yielding the seat reveals no coming; Śākyamuni sitting upon the half-seat reveals no going forth” 〔0113b03〕.
The three transformations of the lands into purity 〔0114a28〕 are correlated with three groups of meditative concentrations—the liberations, bases of mastery, and totalities—and with severing three afflictions: 「初變表淨除四住・次淨除塵沙・後淨除無明」 tr. “the first transformation represents purification through removing the four abiding afflictions; the next, purification through removing dust-and-sand delusions; the final, purification through removing ignorance” 〔0114b03〕.
Opening the stūpa 〔0114b13〕: 「開塔者即是開權，見佛者即是顯實」 tr. “Opening the stūpa is precisely opening the provisional; seeing the Buddha is precisely revealing the real.” Two meanings of entrusting it to someone capable of bearing it: the nearer entrustment is to the bodhisattvas long resident in this land; the more distant entrustment is to the original disciples below the earth 〔0114b21〕. Zhiyi classifies the chapter under 迹門流通 tr. “transmission of the Trace Gate” 〔0113b04〕 and says that the meaning of Origin and Trace is not yet manifest here and should not be divided prematurely.
Sanlun · Jizang, 《法華義疏》 T34n1721 (Parallel Witness)
Two explanations of the name 〔0588b28〕: beholding in terms of the event; revealing in terms of principle that 「法身無生滅、方便有生滅」 tr. “the dharma-body has no birth or extinction, while skillful means has birth and extinction.” The outline of the whole chapter is 「本一迹多」 tr. “the original is one, the traces many,” an expression occurring six times in succession 〔0589b24〕.
The stūpa’s dimensions represent meaning 〔0589a06〕: 「五百表法身無生滅，二百五十表應迹有生滅，以實勝權故相挍一倍」 tr. “Five hundred represents that the dharma-body has neither birth nor extinction; two hundred and fifty represents that the responsive trace has birth and extinction. Because the real surpasses the provisional, the measures differ by a factor of two.”
The two buddhas sitting together 〔0590c07〕: 「所以二佛同坐者，正欲以多寶顯釋迦也……欲顯釋迦實無生滅、方便生滅」 tr. “The reason the two buddhas sit together is precisely that Many Treasures may disclose Śākyamuni. … It seeks to reveal that in reality Śākyamuni has neither birth nor extinction, while through skillful means he has birth and extinction.” Citing the Treatise on the Lotus Sutra 〔0590c17〕, Jizang says: 「二佛共坐者，為顯化佛、報佛、法佛皆為成大事故也」 tr. “The two buddhas sit together to reveal that the emanation buddha, reward buddha, and dharma buddha all act to accomplish the great matter.”
The emanation buddhas 〔0589b24〕: 「欲辨本一迹多也……法身不二、迹身不一」 tr. “It seeks to distinguish that the original is one and the traces are many. … The dharma-body is not two, while the trace-bodies are not one.” Jizang cites the Treatise on the Lotus Sutra: 「彼此佛所作業無差別」 tr. “The work performed by that buddha and by this Buddha does not differ” 〔0589c08〕.
The three transformations of the lands 〔0590a23〕 represent that 「三根之穢而得淨悟也。又表三乘之穢皆除、顯一乘之淨」 tr. “the defilement of beings of the three capacities attains purity; the defilement of all Three Vehicles is removed, revealing the purity of the One Vehicle.” They display that 「土曠佛多」 tr. “the lands are vast and the buddhas many” in order to give rise to faith. Jizang cites the 《大智度論》 Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom and its simile of 『請貴客莊嚴』 tr. “adornments prepared when inviting an honored guest.”
The right finger 〔0590b22〕: 「右指謂手之便，即是方便智用」 tr. “The right finger means the hand’s facility; it is precisely the function of the wisdom of skillful means.” The six difficult acts 〔0591a20〕 are 「舉六種難事」 tr. “the presentation of six kinds of difficult act”—teaching widely; copying; reading; teaching one person; asking; upholding—correlated with six kinds of person who do not believe the Lotus. There is no category of “nine easy acts.”
The Three Houses Recorded Side by Side (Registered · Not Adjudicated)
On 「二佛並坐」 tr. “the two buddhas seated together,” Cien reads the emanation, non-emanation, dharma, and reward bodies as all accomplishing the great matter 〔0814a03〕; Tiantai reads the meeting of object and wisdom, the completion of the great reward, and the three buddhas—Many Treasures as dharma buddha, the Honored Śākyamuni as reward buddha, and the emanations as responsive buddha 〔0113b28・0113a23〕; Sanlun reads Many Treasures as disclosing Śākyamuni and breaking attachment to birth and extinction 〔0590c07〕. The three readings are recorded side by side.
On 「全身」 tr. “the full body,” Cien reads the dharma-body as wholly present within this sutra; Tiantai reads relics of the embodied body, whole or fragmented, and relics of the dharma-body, partial or perfect, as all issuing from the sutra; the Sanlun span has no literal expression “full body,” reading Many Treasures instead as the undying dharma-body. On 「三變土」 tr. “the three transformations of the lands,” Cien reads a sequence of stages—hearer → solitary awakened one → One Vehicle; Tiantai reads the three meditative concentrations together with the severing of three afflictions; Sanlun reads beings of three capacities and the Three Vehicles.
Both Cien and Sanlun, on the two buddhas seated together, cite the Treatise on the Lotus Sutra and its teaching that 「三佛（四身）為成大事」 tr. “the three buddhas—the four bodies—act to accomplish the great matter”; their source is the same. Tiantai takes a distinct path through object and wisdom. Zhiyi (538–597) and Jizang (549–623) were roughly contemporaneous with Kuiji (632–682), or somewhat earlier. 「境智」 tr. “object and wisdom” and 「迹門」 tr. “Trace Gate” are Tiantai-specific terms, not Jizang’s framework. The readings are recorded side by side without adjudication.
V. Terminology
| 漢 | Ancient-transmitted Sanskrit (romanization · pronunciation aid) | Attestation in the ancient masters | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 多寶如來 | Prabhūtaratna | All three translations give the meaning-translation 「多寶」 tr. “Many Treasures” 〔T09n0262 0032c10〕; Kuiji says, 「示現一切佛土同寶性」 tr. “It manifests that all buddha-lands share the same jewel-nature” 〔T34n1723 0812b14〕. | The buddha of the eastern land Jewel-Pure. His original vow is that wherever the Lotus is taught, the stūpa containing his full body will emerge and bear witness. |
| 全身（舍利） | — | 〔本經 0032c08〕 tr. “the present sutra”; Kuiji: 「表佛法身全在此經」 tr. “It represents that the Buddha’s dharma-body is wholly present within this sutra” 〔T34n1723 0811c24〕; Zhiyi: 「全身不散則不稱支提」 tr. “If the full body is undispersed, it is not called a caitya” 〔T34n1718 0112c21〕; Dharmarakṣa: 「如來身完具一定而無缺減」 tr. “the Tathāgata’s body, complete, settled, and without any diminution” 〔T09n0263 0102c13〕. | The entire, unfragmented relic-body. Wherever the sutra scroll abides, there is the Tathāgata’s full body, carrying forward the Chapter on the Dharma Teacher’s teaching 「經即佛身」 tr. “the sutra is the Buddha’s body.” |
| 二佛並坐 | — | 〔本經 0033c05「分半座」〕 tr. “the present sutra: ‘sharing half the seat’”; Kuiji: 『化非化法報四身皆為成大事』 tr. “the four bodies—emanation, non-emanation, dharma, and reward—all act to accomplish the great matter” 〔T34n1723 0814a03〕; Zhiyi: 「二佛分座而坐」 tr. “the two buddhas divide the seat and sit” 〔T34n1718 0114b07〕; Jizang: 「二佛共坐」 tr. “the two buddhas sit together” 〔T34n1721 0590c07〕. 「並坐」 tr. “seated together” is a later summary term and does not occur as a continuous expression in the two commentaries. | Many Treasures shares half his seat; Śākyamuni enters the stūpa, and the two sit together upon the lion seat. |
| 分身諸佛 | — | 〔本經 0032c24〕 tr. “the present sutra”; Kuiji: 「此召化佛……身無異他即我身」 tr. “This summons the emanation buddhas. … Their bodies do not differ; the other is precisely my body” 〔T34n1723 0812b31・0812c03〕; Jizang: 「本一迹多」 tr. “the original is one, the traces many” 〔T34n1721 0589b24〕. | Śākyamuni’s emanation buddhas teaching throughout the ten directions. When they have gathered, the stūpa opens. |
| 三變土（田） | — | 〔本經 0033a09〕 tr. “the present sutra”; Kuiji: 「初變表至聲聞……一乘位極」 tr. “the first transformation represents reaching the hearers … the culmination of the stage of the One Vehicle” 〔T34n1723 0813a15〕; Zhiyi correlates 「三變土淨」 tr. “the three transformations of the lands into purity” with three meditative concentrations and three afflictions 〔T34n1718 0114a28〕; Jizang reads 「三變土」 tr. “the three transformations of the lands” as representing beings of three capacities and the Three Vehicles 〔T34n1721 0590a23〕. 「土田」 tr. “lands and fields” is a later summary term. | The Sahā world is transformed into purity three times to make room for the emanation buddhas; devas and humans are moved to other lands. |
| 六難九易 | — | 〔本經 0034a16 重頌〕 tr. “the repeated verse of the present sutra”; Kuiji: 「十九頌對比勝劣。中分六」 tr. “nineteen stanzas contrast superior and inferior in six sequences” 〔T34n1723 0814b21〕; Jizang correlates 「六種難事」 tr. “six kinds of difficult act” with six kinds of unbelieving person 〔T34n1721 0591a19〕. 「六難九易」 tr. “six difficult and nine easy acts” is a later summary term and does not occur as a continuous expression in either commentary. | Feats of supernormal power are “not yet difficult”; upholding and teaching this sutra in an evil age are “indeed difficult.” |
VI. Similes · Rhetoric
(1) The seven-jeweled stūpa emerges · the two buddhas sit together (the chapter’s central image) — 〔T09n0262 0032b17・0033c05〕: the stūpa containing the full body emerges from the earth and abides in open space to bear witness to the sutra; Many Treasures shares half his seat, and the two Tathāgatas sit together upon the lion seat. The sequence uses the 「塔」 tr. “stūpa” to bear witness to the teaching and the 「身」 tr. “body” to bear witness to principle. Kuiji says, 「證教證理次第證」 tr. “teaching and principle are borne witness to in sequence” 〔T34n1723 0811b30〕.
Discrimination: 「寶塔・二佛並坐」 tr. “the jeweled stūpa and the two buddhas seated together” form the symbolic center of this chapter. They are not one of the seven parables of the Lotus: 火宅③ tr. “the burning house, Chapter 3”; 窮子④ tr. “the impoverished son, Chapter 4”; 藥草⑤ tr. “the medicinal herbs, Chapter 5”; 化城⑦ tr. “the conjured city, Chapter 7”; 衣珠⑧ tr. “the jewel in the robe, Chapter 8”; 髻珠⑭ tr. “the jewel in the topknot, Chapter 14”; 醫子⑯ tr. “the physician and his sons, Chapter 16.”
(2) The simile of opening the stūpa—like drawing back the bolt and opening the gate of a great city — 〔T09n0262 0033b26〕: 「以右指開七寶塔戶，出大音聲，如却關鑰開大城門。」 tr. “With a finger of his right hand he opened the door of the seven-jeweled stūpa. A great sound issued forth, like drawing back the bolt and lock and opening the gate of a great city.” Zhiyi reads this as 「却障機動」 tr. “the obstruction withdrawn and the capacity set in motion” 〔T34n1718 0114b15〕; Jizang reads 「右指＝方便智用」 tr. “the right finger as the function of the wisdom of skillful means” 〔T34n1721 0590b22〕.
(3) Six difficult and nine easy acts—the repeated verse’s contrast between difficulty and ease — 〔T09n0262 0034a16〕: 「接須彌擲他方・足指動大千・立有頂說餘經・手把虛空遊行・大地置足甲昇梵天・劫燒擔草入中不燒・持八萬四千法藏令得六神通・說法令恒沙眾生得阿羅漢」 tr. “lifting Mount Sumeru and casting it to another region; moving the great-thousand world with a toe; standing at the summit of existence and teaching other sutras; grasping open space in one’s hand and traveling about; placing the earth upon a toenail and ascending to the Brahmā heaven; carrying dry grass into the conflagration at the end of an aeon without being burned; upholding the eighty-four thousand Dharma treasuries and causing listeners to attain the six higher knowledges; teaching the Dharma and causing beings as numerous as the sands of the Ganges to attain arhatship.” All of these are 「亦未為難」 tr. “not yet difficult.” Only 「佛滅後惡世能說・書持・暫讀・為一人說・問義趣・奉持此經」 tr. “after the Buddha’s extinction, in an evil age, teaching, copying and upholding, reading briefly, teaching one person, asking about the purport, and reverently upholding this sutra” are 「是則為難」 tr. “indeed difficult.” Kuiji explains: 「理智深妙故陶練難成，不同前四神通可得」 tr. “Because principle and knowledge are profound and wondrous, they are difficult to forge and refine; this is unlike the preceding four supernormal powers, which can be attained” 〔T34n1723 0814b26〕.
VII. Cross-Reading · Carrying Forward
(1) Treatises relied upon in this chapter—cited by both Kuiji’s Profound Praise and Jizang’s Commentary, with stable attestation:
- Vasubandhu’s 《法華論》 Treatise on the Lotus Sutra—『除三慢說三平等』 tr. “removing three forms of pride by teaching three equalities” 〔T34n1723 0811a14〕; the nine gateways under the fifth of the ten unsurpassed, 「示現清淨國土無上」 tr. “manifesting the unsurpassed pure land” 〔0811b16〕; 『住持法身自在』 tr. “the sovereignty of the dharma-body in abiding and sustaining” 〔0812b05〕; 「一切佛土同寶性」 tr. “all buddha-lands share the same jewel-nature” 〔0812b14〕; 「彼此所作業無差別」 tr. “the work performed by that buddha and this Buddha does not differ” 〔0812c18·吉藏同引 0589c07〕—also cited by Jizang; and the two buddhas seated together, with the three buddhas—the four bodies of emanation, reward, and dharma—acting 「為成大事」 tr. “to accomplish the great matter” 〔0814a03·吉藏同引 0590c17〕—also cited by Jizang. Cien and Sanlun both rely on the Treatise on the Lotus Sutra for the two buddhas seated together; their source is the same.
- Zhiyi cites the 《瓔珞經》 Sutra of the Jeweled Necklace on the embodied body, full body, and fragmented body 〔T34n1718 0112c29〕. Jizang cites the 《大智度論》 Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom and the simile of 『請貴客莊嚴』 tr. “adornments prepared when inviting an honored guest” 〔T34n1721 0590a06〕, and the 《華嚴·法界品》 “Chapter on the Dharma Realm of the Flower Adornment Sutra,” in which the elder Securely Abiding opens a sandalwood stūpa 〔0590b23〕.
(2) Cross-reading within the Lotus:
- The full-body stūpa = the dharma-body wholly present within this sutra → carries forward the Chapter on the Dharma Teacher’s teaching 『經卷所在即如來全身』 tr. “wherever the sutra scroll abides is the Tathāgata’s full body”—an intertext within the sutra itself. The doctrinal skeleton of Kuiji’s present chapter is 「法身全在此經」 tr. “the dharma-body is wholly present within this sutra” 〔0811c24〕; he does not separately make an explicit backward citation to the preceding chapter. The line 「若有能持則持佛身」 tr. “whoever can uphold it thereby upholds the Buddha’s body” 〔0034b12〕 likewise carries forward the Chapter on the Dharma Teacher’s teaching that upholding the sutra is upholding the Buddha.
- The entrustment 「今正是時・如來不久當入涅槃」 tr. “now is precisely the time; it will not be long before the Tathāgata enters nirvana” → initiates the latter half of transmission—the Chapters on Exhortation to Uphold the Sutra and Peaceful Practices—and the entrustment in the Chapter on Entrustment.
- The three equalities—vehicle; saṃsāra and nirvana; body → the guiding line of gathering the Three Vehicles into the One Vehicle, running through the Chapters on Skillful Means, the Parable, and the other chapters.
(3) Carrying Forward: Huizhao’s 《法華玄贊義決》 T34n1724 in the later Cien tradition; Zhanran’s 《法華文句記》 T34n1719 in the later Tiantai tradition. Each carries forward its own school; the two are 「誌不判」 tr. “recorded without adjudicating.”
VIII. Placement of the Editions
- 羅什 T262 (base text): 〈見寶塔品第十一〉 “Chapter 11, Beholding the Jeweled Stūpa” begins at 〔T09n0262 0032b16〕（卷四）. The jeweled stūpa emerges 0032b17 · the voice from the stūpa praises 0032b28 / everything is true 0032c01 · Great Joy in Preaching asks 0032c04 · the full body of Many Treasures 0032c08 / called Many Treasures 0032c10 / the original vow to bear witness to the sutra 0032c11 · the emanations gather in one place 0032c24 · the white-tuft ray 0032c29 · the three transformations into purity 0033a09 / further transformations throughout the eight directions 0033a21 · opening the stūpa with the right finger 0033b26 / the full body undispersed 0033b28 · sharing half the seat 0033c05 / the two buddhas seated together 0033c08 / lifting the assembly into open space 0033c11 · entrustment 0033c13 · among the nine easy acts, lifting Mount Sumeru 0034a18 / among the six difficult acts, teaching the sutra 0034a22 · upholding the Buddha’s body 0034b12 · true sons of the Buddha 0034b19 / the eye of the world 0034b20 through 〔0034b22〕, after which 〈提婆達多品第十二〉 “Chapter 12, Devadatta” begins at 0034b23. Source file: the Source-Text layer, verified word for word; 26 core doctrinal sentences verified word for word.
- 竺法護 T263, 〈七寶塔品第十一〉 “Chapter 11, The Seven-Jeweled Stūpa,” begins at 〔T09n0263 0102b21〕（卷六）: the stūpa twenty thousand li high 0102b22 · the stūpa’s praise, wisdom impartial and one 0102c03 · Many Treasures Tathāgata complete and settled 0102c13 · two myriads of millions throughout each of the eight directions 0103b28 · the two buddhas upon the lion couch 0104a11 · the Endurance Realm, now is the time / as it happens, about to pass into extinction 0104a19 · the six difficult acts as extraordinary 0104c07 · 「則侍諸佛身」 tr. “thereby attends upon the bodies of the buddhas” 0105a12 · the brahmin / Devadatta—the Devadatta passage included within this chapter—and the collation note at 0105a26.
- 添品 T264, 〈見寶塔品第十一〉 “Chapter 11, Beholding the Jeweled Stūpa,” begins at 〔T09n0264 0166c28〕: the jeweled stūpa emerges 0166c29 · 「其佛本行菩薩道時」 tr. “while that buddha originally practiced the bodhisattva path,” with the additional character 「本」 tr. “originally,” at 0167a20 · the three transformations 0167c03 · the two buddhas seated together 0168a15 · entrustment 0168a21 · the six difficult acts 0168b25 · upholding the Buddha’s body 0168c21. It agrees almost word for word with Kumārajīva; the Devadatta passage is likewise included within this chapter.
- 窺基《玄贊》T34n1723 (the expository mirror): 〈見寶塔品〉 “Chapter on Beholding the Jeweled Stūpa” spans 〔0811a12〕–〔0814c30〕（卷八末）. Three gateways 0811a12 / three equalities 0811a14 / no difference between one’s own body and another’s 0811a22 · following the Treatise, clarifying the pure land 0811b16 / witnessing teaching and principle 0811b30 · the dharma-body wholly present within the sutra 0811c24 · fivefold dharma-body 0812a16 · the Treatise on abiding and sustaining 0812b05 / Many Treasures and shared jewel-nature 0812b14 / summoning the emanation buddhas 0812b31 / bodies not differing, the other precisely my body 0812c03 / no difference between the work performed by each buddha 0812c17 · equal purity of buddha-lands 0813a06 / the stages represented by the three transformations 0813a15 / moving appearance and moving mind 0813b18 · the two buddhas and the four bodies accomplishing the great matter 0814a03 / the Three Vehicles sharing the couch of the One Vehicle 0814a05 / entrustment understood according to the verse 0814a11 · the contrasts of the six difficult acts 0814b21 / profound and wondrous principle and knowledge 0814b26 / upholding the Buddha’s body concludes the superiority of upholding 0814c08. The following 〈提婆達多品〉 “Chapter on Devadatta” begins at 〔0815a12〕.
- 智顗《文句》T34n1718 (parallel witness): 〈釋見寶塔品〉 “Explanation of the Chapter on Beholding the Jeweled Stūpa” spans 0112c19–0114c16 · the full body undispersed 0112c21 / the entire fourfold assembly beholds it 0112c27 · relics of the embodied body, whole or fragmented, and relics of the dharma-body issuing from the sutra 0113a05 / the dharma, reward, and responsive buddhas 0113a23 · transmission of the Trace Gate 0113b04 / object and wisdom, the great reward 0113b28 · three transformations of the lands into purity, three meditative concentrations, and three afflictions 0114a28 / 0114b03 · opening the stūpa as opening the provisional 0114b13 / the two buddhas dividing the seat 0114b07 / the two meanings of entrustment 0114b21.
- 吉藏《法華義疏》T34n1721 (parallel witness): 〈見寶塔品第十一〉 “Chapter 11, Beholding the Jeweled Stūpa” spans 0587c18–0591b06 · two explanations of the name 0588b28 · the stūpa’s dimensions representing meaning 0589a06 · the original one and the traces many 0589b24 / the Treatise on the Lotus Sutra on no difference between the work performed 0589c07 · the three transformations of the lands, beings of three capacities, and the Three Vehicles 0590a23 · the right finger as the function of the wisdom of skillful means 0590b22 · the two buddhas sitting together to disclose Śākyamuni 0590c07 / the Treatise on the three buddhas accomplishing the great matter 0590c17 · six kinds of difficult act 0591a19 / six difficult acts 0591a23.
- Formation-history record: Kumārajīva and the supplemented edition title the chapter 「見寶塔品」 tr. “Beholding the Jeweled Stūpa”; Dharmarakṣa titles it 「七寶塔品」 tr. “The Seven-Jeweled Stūpa.” Kumārajīva alone makes Devadatta and the dragon girl an independent Chapter 12; the supplemented T264 and Dharmarakṣa’s T263 include them within Chapter 11, as recorded in the T263 collation note at 0105a26. All three translations render the name Many Treasures by meaning. Dharmarakṣa uses li as the unit of measure, calls the Buddha Śākyamuni, the seat a lion couch, and the Sahā world the Endurance Realm, and reads 「則侍諸佛身」 tr. “thereby attends upon the bodies of the buddhas”—attending, not upholding. The expressions 「二佛並坐／三變土田／六難九易」 tr. “the two buddhas seated together / the three transformations of the lands / six difficult and nine easy acts” are all later summary terms and do not occur as continuous expressions in the two commentaries. The supplemented edition agrees almost word for word with Kumārajīva, except for the additional character 「本」 tr. “originally” in 「其佛本行」 tr. “that buddha originally practiced.”