妙法蓮華經文句 釋法師功德品
〈法師功德品〉列出兩組數字：眼、鼻、身各八百，耳、舌、意各一千二百。乍看之下，像是一張六根強弱表。
智者卻提醒我們：若論清淨，本來不說多少；若論莊嚴，才說能盈、能縮、能等。
數字有它的位置，卻不是清淨的尺。執著一千二百，可能只看見『多』；執著八百，可能只看見『少』。本品真正展開的，是六根清淨以後，仍各守其名，又不再受通常作用拘限。
眼仍是父母所生的肉眼，卻能具五眼之用。鼻仍從聞香入手，卻能知道宮殿莊嚴、讀經說法、入禪出禪與眾生心行。苦味到了舌根變成上味；大千世界的色像，能在清淨身中顯現；一月、四月、一歲，也能承載一乘、四諦與十二因緣之義。
六根沒有混成一根。眼仍見，耳仍聞，鼻仍嗅；只是見不再被見所困，聞不再被聞所困，一根也不再把其他根的境界拒在門外。
這或許正是『根自在』最貼近我們的一面：本論不只說作用廣大，也反覆說不染著、不混亂、不錯謬。色、聲、香、味、觸、法來時，每一根仍守自己的門，卻不再彼此障礙。
所以下次再看八百與一千二百，不必急著替六根排座次。可以先問：我正在計較功德多少，還是在學習什麼叫清淨？我想把不足補成更多，還是願意讓眼前這一根，不再頑固成為障礙？
能盈，能縮，能等，能淨。數目可以不同，自在不被數目困住。
“The Qualities of the Dharma Teacher” gives two sets of numbers: eight hundred each for eye, nose, and body, and twelve hundred each for ear, tongue, and mind. At first glance, it looks like a ranking of the six faculties by strength.
Zhizhe cautions us, however: when purity is being discussed, there is originally no question of more or less; only when adornment is discussed can there be fullness, contraction, and equality.
Numbers have their place, but they are not a measure of purity. Clinging to twelve hundred may show us only “more”; clinging to eight hundred may show us only “less.” What the chapter truly unfolds is that, once purified, the six faculties still retain their respective names without remaining confined by their ordinary functions.
The eye remains the physical eye born of one’s parents, yet can perform the functions of all five eyes. The nose still begins from smelling fragrances, yet can know the adornments of palaces, the reading and teaching of sutras, entry into and emergence from meditation, and the workings of beings’ minds. Bitter flavors become superior flavors at the tongue. The forms and images of the great trichiliocosm can appear within the purified body. One month, four months, and one year can also bear the meanings of the One Vehicle, the four truths, and the twelve links of dependent arising.
The six faculties do not merge into a single faculty. The eye still sees, the ear still hears, and the nose still smells. Seeing simply is no longer trapped by what is seen, hearing no longer trapped by what is heard, and no single faculty shuts the domains of the others outside its gate.
This may be the aspect of “mastery of the faculties” closest to our own lives: the root treatise speaks not only of vast function but repeatedly of freedom from attachment, confusion, and error. When form, sound, fragrance, flavor, touch, and dharmas arrive, each faculty still keeps its own gate, yet no longer obstructs the others.
So the next time we meet eight hundred and twelve hundred, we need not hasten to rank the six faculties. We might first ask: am I calculating how many qualities there are, or learning what purity means? Do I want to make up a deficiency by acquiring more, or am I willing to let this very faculty before me cease stubbornly to be an obstruction?
Able to be full, able to contract, able to be equal, able to be pure. The numbers may differ; mastery is not trapped by number.
隋天台智者大師說《妙法蓮華經文句》〔灌頂法師私記・唐天寶戊子朗和尚條倫治定本・卷端序＝鏡中沙門神逈述〕· 大正藏 T34n1718〔起 T34 0139b17〕。段/行首〔T34 …〕＝大正藏頁·欄·行錨（換頁一枚）。
〔T34 0139b17〕釋法師功德品 「法師」義，如上說。「功德」者，前謂初品之初功德，今五品之上，謂六根清淨，內外莊嚴五根清淨名外莊嚴；意根清淨名內莊嚴。又從地獄已上至佛而還，一切色像悉身中現者，名內莊嚴；從地獄已上佛已還，一切色像以普現三昧而外化者，名外莊嚴。身根既爾，餘五根亦然。讀誦既爾，四種亦然。初品既爾，四品加然。相似既爾，分真倍然。行者聞說此功德利喜不自勝，勤求無厭信進倍增，明識大乘有大勢力決無疑網，似解之初初，過二乘之極極百千萬倍，指始顯終懸解究竟第一義諦不可思議。此品所明備斯四意，故言「法師功德品」也。六根功德者，光宅云：「三業合十善，一善具十為百，自行、化他、隨喜、讚歎合四百，約五種法師為二千，三品分之即六千功德，此土三根用弱奪言八百，三根用強與言千二，與奪合論還是六千也。」有人明數與光宅同，下品八百、中品一千、上品千二百。諸師偏釋未會今經，亦不合諸教。《大品》云「色淨故般若淨，般若淨故色淨，色淨五根淨，般若淨意根淨」，若六根等，云何判上中下、強弱用耶？若一強一不強，一淨一不淨，一上品餘非上品〔云云〕。《正法華》整足具六千功德，不論上中下〔云云〕。《法華論》云「凡人以經力故得勝根用，雖未入初地，以父母所生肉眼，見大千內外也。」《大經》云「如來一根則能見色、聞聲、嗅香、別味、覺觸、知法」，今經六根清淨與《大品》同；以是功德莊嚴六根，與《正法華》同，鼻見色聞聲覺知與《涅槃》同，肉眼有天眼慧法佛眼等用與《論》同，文義如此，不可以偏見抑正經。今當說之，光宅數整足根不依文，今按三業安樂行即有十善，一善有十即百善，一善中有十如即千善，就化他為二千，約如來室、如來衣、如來座，即成六千，五種法師悉具六根清淨，一一根皆有一千功德也。 復次一心中具十法界，一一界皆有十如，即成一百，一根通取六塵，即有六百，約定慧二莊嚴，即是一千二百，根根悉用定慧莊嚴等千二百也。若論六根清淨，清淨則不言功德若少若多，若言莊嚴能盈能縮能等等莊嚴者，根根六千，若言千二顯其能盈，若言八百顯其能縮，若言清淨無盈無縮無等，六根互用根自在故、不可思議故。若偏判者則失旨也。相似之位，若依四輪即鐵輪位也；若依五十二位，即十信心也；若依《仁王》即十善大心也。今對常精進者，即十信之第三心也。諸經名目雖異，同是圓教相似位耳。 〔T34 0140a07〕文為二：初、總列六根盈縮功德數，次、別作六章解釋。各有長行、偈頌。眼根章明父母所生名肉眼，而所見過於天眼。梵王報得天眼，在己界遍見大千，大千外有風輪與眼作障不能見外，若在他界則不遍見大千，非所統故。小羅漢見小千，大羅漢見大千，辟支佛見百佛世界，不以風輪為礙，亦無己他界隔。今經論眼，能見大千內外應是天眼，那名肉眼？此是圓教似位。因經之力有勝根用，既未發真不得稱天眼，猶名肉眼，例如小乘方便未得神通則不稱天眼耳。猶是分段之身，故稱父母所生。雖稱肉眼，具五眼用：見大千內外，天眼用；見一切眾生及業因緣，法眼用；其目甚清淨，慧眼用；一時悉見大千內外見業見淨，又圓伏法界上惑，佛眼用。《大經》云「雖有肉眼名為佛眼」，佛眼故名清淨，具五眼故故言莊嚴，能盈能縮名勝根用，名根自在，豈可祇作八百千二百解耶？耳根章遍聞大千內外十法界音聲，聞六道即肉天二耳，聞二乘即慧耳，聞菩薩即法耳，聞佛即佛耳。又父母所生肉耳，能聞內外即天耳，聽之不著即慧耳，不謬即法耳，一時互聞即佛耳。以耳例眼眼亦如是，見人天是二眼，見二乘是慧眼，見菩薩是法眼，見佛即佛眼〔云云〕。鼻根章亦如是，父母所生即肉鼻，大千內外即天鼻，不染不著即慧鼻，分別不謬即法鼻，一時互用即佛鼻。此章明互用者，鼻知好惡別貴賤，覩天宮莊嚴等，則鼻有眼用；讀經說法聞香能知，鼻有耳用；諸樹花果實及蘇油香氣，鼻有舌用；入禪出禪禪有八觸故，五欲嬉戲亦是觸法，鼻有身用；染欲癡恚心亦知修善者，鼻有意用。鼻根自在勝用若茲，例五根亦如是。舌根章亦如是，父母所生即是肉舌，能作十法界語，約此即是五舌義明矣，能作十法界語即天舌，不壞即慧舌，不謬即法舌，一時互用即佛舌〔云云〕。問：苦澁惡味至舌皆變成上味，眾色到眼何不變成妙色？舊不例，味有損益，損者變，不損者不變，諸色不壞眼故不例。今解不爾，一切色同佛色，一切聲同佛聲，等皆清淨例則無妨。遍知一切色法聲法無亂無謬，分別亦無妨，自在之根那作頑礙之解耶？身根章亦如是，世間所有，皆於身中現肉身用也，上至有頂於身中現天身用也，二乘身中現慧身用也，菩薩於身中現法身用也，佛於身中現佛身用也，一時圓現一時互用，一時無謬一時無著〔云云〕。意根章亦如是，世間資生產業，皆順正法人意淨天心所行天所動作悉知天意淨。四月即四諦，一歲即十二月，是十二因緣，與實相不相違背，即慧意淨。一月即一乘菩薩意淨，有所思量皆是先佛經中所說即佛意淨。一時圓明一時圓互，一時無染一時無謬，根用自在能盈能縮能等能淨〔云云〕。
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.
一、法師、功德與兩重內外莊嚴
『法師』的意義，前文已經說過。至於『功德』，前面所說的是初品最初的功德；現在所說的，則在五品以上，是六根清淨的功德。
所謂內外莊嚴，先有一重解釋：眼、耳、鼻、舌、身五根清淨，名為外莊嚴；意根清淨，名為內莊嚴。
又有一重解釋：從地獄以上直到佛位，往還其間的一切色像，全都在自己的身中顯現，名為內莊嚴；同樣從地獄以上直到佛位的一切色像，藉普現三昧向外化現，名為外莊嚴。身根既然如此，其餘五根也都如此。
讀經、誦經既然能有這樣的功德，受持、解說、書寫其餘四種法師也都如此。初品既然如此，其餘四品更是如此。相似位既然如此，分真位更勝一倍。
修行人聽到這些功德利益，歡喜得不能自持，便會勤加求取而沒有厭倦，信心與精進都倍加增長。由此便清楚知道大乘有廣大力量，疑惑之網因此決然消除。相似解才剛開始的最初階段，已超過二乘所能到達的最極處百千萬倍。由開端指向終點，便能預先理解究竟第一義諦不可思議。本品所說具備這四重意思，所以稱為『法師功德品』。
二、光宅與另一家的功德數
再說六根功德。光宅解釋說：
『身、口、意三業合於十善；每一善又具十善，便成一百。自行、化他、隨喜、讚歎四項合起來，成為四百。再約受持、讀、誦、解說、書寫五種法師，成為二千；又把它分成三品，便是六千功德。此土三根的作用較弱，所以從原數減奪而說八百；另外三根的作用較強，所以增與而說一千二百。把增與與減奪合起來說，仍然是六千。』
又有一人所明的數目與光宅相同：下品八百，中品一千，上品一千二百。
可是，諸師這些偏向一邊的解釋，既沒有契合今經，也不符合其他經論。
《大品》說：『色清淨，所以般若清淨；般若清淨，所以色清淨；色清淨，所以五根清淨；般若清淨，所以意根清淨。』如果六根本來平等，怎麼可以判成上、中、下三品，又分作用強弱？難道可以說一根強而另一根不強，一根清淨而另一根不清淨，一根是上品而其餘不是上品嗎？〔云云：以下反詰從略〕
《正法華》完整具備六千功德，不分上、中、下品。〔云云：以下從略〕
《法華論》說：『凡夫因經典之力而得到殊勝的根用；雖然還沒有進入初地，卻能以父母所生的肉眼，看見大千世界的內外。』
《大經》說：『如來只用一根，便能見色、聞聲、嗅香、辨別味道、感覺觸境、了知諸法。』
今經說六根清淨，與《大品》相同；說以這些功德莊嚴六根，與《正法華》相同；說鼻根能見色、聞聲、感覺、了知，與《涅槃經》相同；說肉眼兼有天眼、慧眼、法眼、佛眼等作用，與《法華論》相同。經論文字與義理既然如此，便不可以偏狹的見解壓抑正經。
三、六千與一千二百的兩套解釋
現在應當正面解釋。
光宅的數目雖然湊足，對六根的分配卻不依經文。現在依三業安樂行來說，其中便有十善；每一善中又有十善，便成一百善；每一善中又具十如，便成一千善；再就化導他人來說，便成二千；再約如來室、如來衣、如來座三項，便成六千。
受持、讀、誦、解說、書寫五種法師，每一種都具足六根清淨；六根中的每一根，各有一千功德。
還可以再作一種解釋。一心中具足十法界，每一法界都有十如，便成一百；每一根又能通取色、聲、香、味、觸、法六塵，便成六百；再約定與慧兩種莊嚴，便成一千二百。每一根都以定、慧二法莊嚴，所以每一根同樣有一千二百功德。
四、清淨不在多少，莊嚴才說盈縮
如果只論六根清淨，清淨本身便不說功德是少是多。如果說莊嚴，才可以說能盈、能縮、能等。
所謂等莊嚴，是每一根都具六千；說一千二百，是顯示根用能盈；說八百，是顯示根用能縮；若只說清淨，則沒有盈、沒有縮，也沒有可計量的等。六根能夠互相運用，根用自在而不可思議。
若偏取某一個數目作固定判斷，便會失去本段旨意。
這是相似位的功德。若依四輪來說，是鐵輪位；若依五十二位來說，是十信心；若依《仁王經》來說，是十善大心。現在對常精進菩薩而說，則是十信的第三心。諸經所用名目雖然不同，同樣都屬於圓教相似位。
五、六根六章的總科
以下經文分成兩部分：第一，總列六根功德能盈、能縮的數目；第二，分別開作眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意六章加以解釋。六章各有長行和偈頌。
六、眼根：仍是肉眼，卻具五眼之用
眼根章說，這是父母所生的眼，所以名為肉眼；可是它所能看見的範圍，已超過天眼。
梵王依果報所得的天眼，在自己所統攝的世界中，能遍見一個大千世界；大千世界以外有風輪阻隔眼力，所以不能看見外面。若梵王到了其他世界，又不能遍見那個大千世界，因為那裡不是梵王所統攝的範圍。
小阿羅漢能見小千世界，大阿羅漢能見大千世界，辟支佛能見百佛世界；他們不受風輪阻礙，也沒有自己世界與其他世界的隔限。
現在《法華經》所說的眼根能見大千世界內外，看來應當是天眼，為什麼仍稱肉眼？
回答說：這是圓教相似位所得的根用。由於經典之力，肉眼有了殊勝作用；可是尚未發起真證，所以還不能稱為天眼，仍然名為肉眼。譬如小乘方便位尚未得到神通時，也不能稱作天眼。這個身體仍是分段生死之身，所以稱為父母所生。
它雖名肉眼，卻具足五眼之用。能見大千世界內外，是天眼之用；能見一切眾生及其業因緣，是法眼之用；眼目極為清淨，是慧眼之用；能在同一時看見大千世界內外，又見差別之業與清淨之境，並能圓伏法界上的惑，是佛眼之用。
《大經》說：『雖然仍有肉眼，也名為佛眼。』由於有佛眼之用，所以名為清淨；由於兼具五眼之用，所以稱為莊嚴；能盈、能縮，所以名為勝根用，也名根自在。怎麼可以只把它理解成八百或一千二百的數目呢？
七、耳根：兩釋各配五耳
耳根章說，它能普遍聽聞大千世界內外十法界的音聲。
一釋繫於所聞之境：聽到六道聲，是肉耳與天耳之用；聽到二乘聲，是慧耳之用；聽到菩薩聲，是法耳之用；聽到佛聲，是佛耳之用。
另一釋繫於能聞之用：父母所生，是肉耳；能聽見大千世界內外，是天耳；聽到聲音而不染著，是慧耳；分別音聲而不錯謬，是法耳；一時互聞一切音聲，是佛耳。
再用耳根回頭類比眼根，眼根也同樣如此：看見人、天，是肉眼與天眼；看見二乘，是慧眼；看見菩薩，是法眼；看見佛，是佛眼。〔云云：以下從略〕
八、鼻根：聞香而有其餘五根之用
鼻根章也依同樣方式解釋。父母所生，是肉鼻；能知大千世界內外，是天鼻；不染、不著，是慧鼻；分別而不錯謬，是法鼻；一時互用，是佛鼻。
本章又特別說明六根互用。
鼻能由香氣知道好壞、分辨貴賤，又能知道天宮的種種莊嚴，所以鼻根有眼根之用。
有人讀經或為人說法，鼻根聞香便能知道，所以鼻根有耳根之用。
鼻根能由香氣知道各種樹木、花朵、果實以及蘇油，所以有舌根之用。
鼻根能知道眾生入禪、出禪；禪定有八觸，五欲娛樂嬉戲也屬觸法，所以鼻根有身根之用。
鼻根又能知道染欲、愚癡、瞋恚之心，也能知道修習善法的人，所以有意根之用。
鼻根自在而有如此殊勝的作用，其餘五根也可依此類推。
九、舌根：苦味變美，為何色不隨之變
舌根章也同樣如此。父母所生，是肉舌；能說十法界的語言，便可說是天舌；語言不受破壞，是慧舌；分別不錯謬，是法舌；一時互用，是佛舌。由此，五舌的意義便已明白。〔云云：以下從略〕
有人問：苦味、澁味與惡味到了舌根，都會變成上妙之味；各種色相到了眼根，為什麼不也變成妙色？
舊有的回答說：這兩者不能類比。味道有損有益，會造成損害的味才須改變；色相不會損壞眼根，所以不必變化，不能以味作例。
現在的解釋不是如此。一切色都同於佛色，一切聲都同於佛聲，其餘各根所對也同樣清淨，所以彼此類比並沒有妨礙。又能遍知一切色法、聲法而不混亂、不錯謬，能作清楚分別也沒有妨礙。既然是自在之根，怎能把它理解成頑固而彼此障礙的根呢？
十、身根：一切色像都在身中顯現
身根章也同樣如此。
世間所有一切，都在身中顯現，是肉身之用；上至有頂的一切在身中顯現，是天身之用；二乘在身中顯現，是慧身之用；菩薩在身中顯現，是法身之用；佛在身中顯現，是佛身之用。
這些色像在同一時圓滿顯現，在同一時互相運用，在同一時沒有錯謬，在同一時沒有染著。〔云云：以下從略〕
十一、意根：月、四月與一年所表示的法義
意根章也同樣如此。
世間維持生活的各種產業，都能隨順正法，這是人的意根清淨。
天人心中所行、所作的種種行動，全都能夠了知，這是天的意根清淨。
四個月表示四諦；一年共有十二個月，表示十二因緣。所宣說的法都與實相不相違背，這是慧意清淨。
一個月表示一乘，這是菩薩意清淨。
凡有所思量，全是先佛經典中已經說過的法，這是佛意清淨。
意根在同一時圓滿明了，在同一時圓滿互用，在同一時沒有染著，在同一時沒有錯謬；根用自在，能盈、能縮、能等、能淨。〔云云：以下從略〕
I. Dharma Teacher, Qualities, and Two Kinds of Inward and Outward Adornment
The meaning of “Dharma teacher” was explained above. As for “qualities,” the preceding chapter taught the first qualities at the beginning of the first grade; the present chapter teaches the qualities of purification of the six faculties above the five grades.
Inward and outward adornment have a first explanation. Purification of the five faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body is called outward adornment; purification of mind is called inward adornment.
There is also another explanation. All forms and images passing back and forth from hell upward through buddhahood appear within one’s own body; this is called inward adornment. The same forms and images from hell through buddhahood are manifested outward by means of the samādhi of universal manifestation; this is called outward adornment. Since the body faculty is so, the other five faculties are likewise.
Since reading and reciting the sutra can have such qualities, the other kinds of Dharma teacher—receiving and upholding, explaining, and copying—are likewise. Since the first grade is so, the other four grades are all the more so. Since the semblant stage is so, the stage of partial realization is twice as excellent.
When practitioners hear of these beneficial qualities, their joy becomes irrepressible. They seek them diligently without weariness, while both faith and vigor increase twofold. They thereby clearly understand the vast power of the Great Vehicle and decisively eliminate the net of doubt. The very beginning at which semblant understanding first arises already surpasses the utmost point reachable by the two vehicles hundreds of thousands of myriads of times. By pointing from the beginning toward the end, they can understand in advance that the ultimate truth is inconceivable. Because the present chapter possesses these four meanings, it is called “The Qualities of the Dharma Teacher.”
II. Guangzhai’s and Another Master’s Counts of Qualities
Next come the qualities of the six faculties. Guangzhai explains:
“The three karmas of body, speech, and mind accord with the ten wholesome actions; each wholesome action again contains ten wholesome actions, making one hundred. Personal practice, transforming others, joyful acceptance, and praise together make four hundred. In terms of the five kinds of Dharma teacher—receiving and upholding, reading, reciting, explaining, and copying—they make two thousand; dividing these further into three grades gives six thousand qualities. The functions of three faculties in this land are weaker, so their original numbers are reduced to eight hundred. The functions of the other three are stronger, so they are increased to twelve hundred. Increase and reduction together still total six thousand.”
Another person gives the same numbers as Guangzhai: eight hundred in the lower grade, one thousand in the middle, and twelve hundred in the higher.
Yet these one-sided explanations of the various masters accord neither with the present sutra nor with other sutras and treatises.
The Great Prajñāpāramitā says: “Because form is pure, prajñā is pure; because prajñā is pure, form is pure. Because form is pure, the five faculties are pure; because prajñā is pure, the mind faculty is pure.” If the six faculties are originally equal, how can they be judged as three grades—higher, middle, and lower—or divided into stronger and weaker functions? Can one say that one faculty is strong while another is not, one pure while another is impure, or one of the higher grade while the rest are not? 〔The remaining challenges are abbreviated.〕
The True Dharma Lotus possesses the full six thousand qualities without dividing them into higher, middle, and lower grades. 〔The remainder is abbreviated.〕
The Treatise on the Lotus Sutra says: “Ordinary beings obtain extraordinary faculty-functions through the power of the scripture. Although they have not yet entered the first ground, with the physical eye born of their parents they can see within and beyond the great trichiliocosm.”
The Great Nirvāṇa Sutra says: “With only one faculty, the Tathāgata can see forms, hear sounds, smell fragrances, distinguish flavors, feel objects of touch, and know dharmas.”
When the present sutra teaches purification of the six faculties, it agrees with the Great Prajñāpāramitā. When it says that these qualities adorn the six faculties, it agrees with the True Dharma Lotus. When it says that the nose faculty can see form, hear sound, feel, and know, it agrees with the Nirvāṇa Sutra. When it says that the physical eye also has the functions of the divine eye, wisdom-eye, Dharma-eye, and buddha-eye, it agrees with the Treatise on the Lotus Sutra. Since the words and meanings of the sutras and treatises are so, narrow and one-sided views cannot be used to suppress the correct sutra.
III. Two Explanations of Six Thousand and Twelve Hundred
The proper explanation should now be given.
Although Guangzhai’s count reaches the total, its distribution among the six faculties does not follow the sutra. According to the peaceful practices of the three karmas, there are ten wholesome actions. Each contains another ten, making one hundred wholesome actions; each wholesome action further possesses the ten suchnesses, making one thousand. In terms of guiding others, these become two thousand; in terms of the three—the Tathāgata’s room, robe, and seat—they become six thousand.
Each of the five kinds of Dharma teacher—receiving and upholding, reading, reciting, explaining, and copying—fully possesses purification of the six faculties. Each of the six faculties has one thousand qualities.
There is another possible explanation. One mind fully possesses the ten dharma-realms, and each realm has the ten suchnesses, making one hundred. Each faculty universally apprehends the six sense-objects—form, sound, fragrance, flavor, touch, and dharmas—making six hundred. In terms of the two adornments of meditative stability and wisdom, these become twelve hundred. Because every faculty is adorned by both meditative stability and wisdom, every faculty likewise has twelve hundred qualities.
IV. Purity Is Not a Matter of Quantity; Only Adornment Speaks of Fullness and Contraction
If one discusses only purification of the six faculties, purity itself does not say that the qualities are few or many. Only when adornment is discussed can one speak of the capacities for fullness, contraction, and equality.
Equal adornment means that each faculty possesses six thousand. Saying twelve hundred discloses that faculty-function can expand; saying eight hundred discloses that it can contract. If only purity is stated, there is no fullness, contraction, or measurable equality. The six faculties can function through one another; their functions are free and inconceivable.
If one takes a single number one-sidedly as a fixed judgment, one loses the meaning of this passage.
These are qualities of the semblant stage. According to the four wheels, it is the iron-wheel stage. According to the fifty-two stages, it is the mind of the ten trusts. According to the Sutra for Humane Kings, it is the great mind of the ten wholesome actions. As addressed here to the bodhisattva Ever Diligent, it is the third mind of the ten trusts. Although the sutras use different names, all belong to the semblant stage of the Perfect Teaching.
V. General Outline of the Six Sections on the Six Faculties
The following sutra text has two parts: first, a general list of the quantities disclosing the capacities for fullness and contraction in the qualities of the six faculties; second, separate explanations in six sections on eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Each of the six sections has prose and verse.
VI. The Eye Faculty: Still the Physical Eye, Yet Possessing the Functions of All Five Eyes
The section on the eye says that because this eye is born of one’s parents it is called the physical eye, yet the range it can see already exceeds the divine eye.
Within the world under his rule, Brahmā’s divine eye gained through karmic recompense can see throughout one great trichiliocosm. Outside that trichiliocosm, the wind-circle obstructs his visual power, so he cannot see beyond it. If Brahmā goes to another world, he again cannot see throughout that trichiliocosm, because it lies outside the domain he rules.
A lesser arhat can see a small chiliocosm, a greater arhat a great trichiliocosm, and a pratyekabuddha a hundred buddha-worlds. They are not obstructed by the wind-circle and have no barrier between their own and other worlds.
Since the eye faculty taught in the Lotus Sutra can see within and beyond the great trichiliocosm, it would seem to be a divine eye. Why is it still called the physical eye?
The answer is that this is the faculty-function gained at the semblant stage of the Perfect Teaching. Through the power of the scripture, the physical eye possesses extraordinary function; yet because true realization has not arisen, it cannot be called the divine eye and remains named the physical eye. In the same way, before those at the skillful-means stages of the Lesser Vehicle obtain supernormal powers, their eye cannot be called divine. This body remains a body in segmented birth and death and is therefore called born of one’s parents.
Although named the physical eye, it possesses the functions of all five eyes. Seeing within and beyond the great trichiliocosm is the function of the divine eye. Seeing all beings and the causes and conditions of their karma is the function of the Dharma-eye. The eye’s extreme purity is the function of the wisdom-eye. Seeing within and beyond the great trichiliocosm at one time, seeing differentiated karma and purified objects, and perfectly subduing the delusions above the dharma-realm are functions of the buddha-eye.
The Great Nirvāṇa Sutra says: “Although it still has a physical eye, it is also called a buddha-eye.” Because it has the function of the buddha-eye, it is called pure; because it also possesses the functions of the five eyes, it is called adorned. Since it can expand and contract, it is called extraordinary faculty-function and mastery of the faculty. How can it be understood only as the numbers eight hundred or twelve hundred?
VII. The Ear Faculty: Two Explanations Each Correlated with the Five Ears
The section on the ear says that it can universally hear the sounds of the ten dharma-realms within and beyond the great trichiliocosm.
One interpretation is keyed to the objects heard. Hearing the sounds of the six destinies is the function of the physical and divine ears; hearing the sounds of the two vehicles is the function of the wisdom-ear; hearing bodhisattvas is the function of the Dharma-ear; and hearing buddhas is the function of the buddha-ear.
The other interpretation is keyed to the function that hears. Being born of one’s parents is the physical ear; hearing within and beyond the great trichiliocosm is the divine ear; hearing sounds without defilement or attachment is the wisdom-ear; distinguishing sounds without error is the Dharma-ear; and mutually hearing all sounds at once is the buddha-ear.
The ear can then be used to infer the eye in return, for the eye is likewise. Seeing humans and devas belongs to the physical and divine eyes; seeing the two vehicles to the wisdom-eye; seeing bodhisattvas to the Dharma-eye; and seeing buddhas to the buddha-eye. 〔The remainder is abbreviated.〕
VIII. The Nose Faculty: Smelling Fragrances While Possessing the Functions of the Other Five Faculties
The section on the nose is explained in the same way. Being born of one’s parents is the physical nose; knowing within and beyond the great trichiliocosm is the divine nose; freedom from defilement and attachment is the wisdom-nose; distinguishing without error is the Dharma-nose; and interfunctioning at one time is the buddha-nose.
This section also specifically explains interfunctioning of the six faculties.
From fragrance, the nose can know what is good or bad and distinguish noble from base, and can know the many adornments of heavenly palaces; the nose faculty therefore has the function of the eye.
When someone is reading the sutra or teaching Dharma for others, the nose faculty can know this by smelling the fragrance; it therefore has the function of the ear.
From fragrance, the nose faculty can know various trees, flowers, fruits, clarified butter, and oil; it therefore has the function of the tongue.
The nose faculty can know when beings enter and emerge from meditation. Meditation has eight objects of touch, while enjoyment and play among the five desires also belong to touch; the nose therefore has the function of the body.
The nose faculty can also know minds defiled by desire, delusion, and anger, and can know people cultivating wholesome dharmas; it therefore has the function of mind.
The nose faculty has mastery and such extraordinary functions; the other five faculties can be inferred in the same way.
IX. The Tongue Faculty: Bitter Flavor Becomes Excellent—Why Does Form Not Change Likewise?
The section on the tongue is likewise. Being born of one’s parents is the physical tongue; speaking the languages of the ten dharma-realms can be called the divine tongue; language not being damaged is the wisdom-tongue; distinguishing without error is the Dharma-tongue; and interfunctioning at one time is the buddha-tongue. The meaning of the five tongues is thereby clear. 〔The remainder is abbreviated.〕
Someone asks: when bitter, astringent, or bad flavors reach the tongue faculty, they all become superior and wondrous flavors. Why do the various forms that reach the eye not likewise become wondrous forms?
The old answer says that the two cannot be compared. Flavors can harm or benefit, and only a flavor that would cause injury needs to be transformed. Forms do not damage the eye faculty, so no transformation is necessary; flavor cannot be used as the analogy.
The present explanation is otherwise. All forms are the same as the Buddha’s forms, all sounds are the same as the Buddha’s sounds, and the objects of the remaining faculties are likewise pure; there is therefore no obstruction to inferring them from one another. One can also know all form-dharmas and sound-dharmas universally without confusion or error; clear distinction is no obstruction. Since these are faculties at mastery, how can they be understood as stubborn faculties that obstruct one another?
X. The Body Faculty: All Forms and Images Appear Within the Body
The section on the body is likewise.
Everything in the world appearing within the body is the function of the physical body. Everything up to the summit of existence appearing within it is the function of the heavenly body. The two vehicles appearing within the body are the function of the wisdom-body; bodhisattvas appearing within it, the function of the Dharma-body; and buddhas appearing within it, the function of the buddha-body.
These forms and images perfectly appear at one time, function through one another at one time, are free from error at one time, and are free from attachment at one time. 〔The remainder is abbreviated.〕
XI. The Mind Faculty: The Dharma Meanings Represented by One Month, Four Months, and a Year
The section on mind is likewise.
The various productive occupations that sustain worldly life can all accord with right Dharma; this is purification of the human mind faculty.
All the courses of thought and various activities of devas can be known; this is purification of the deva mind faculty.
Four months represent the four truths; a year has twelve months and represents the twelve links of dependent arising. The Dharma taught never contradicts the true mark; this is purification of the wisdom-mind.
One month represents the One Vehicle; this is purification of the bodhisattva mind.
Whatever is contemplated is entirely Dharma already taught in the scriptures of past buddhas; this is purification of the buddha mind.
The mind faculty is perfectly clear at one time, perfectly interfunctions at one time, is free from attachment at one time, and is free from error at one time. Its function is mastered and can expand, contract, be equal, and be pure. 〔The remainder is abbreviated.〕
〈法師功德品〉一開頭便列出眼、鼻、身各八百，耳、舌、意各一千二百。數字如此醒目，讀者很容易把問題縮成：哪三根較強，哪三根較弱？哪一根的功德比較多？
智者卻先繞回『清淨』與『莊嚴』的分別。若論清淨，本來不以多少為義；若論莊嚴，才可以說盈、縮、等。這個轉折使全品的重心不再只是六個數目，而是六根清淨以後如何互用、如何自在，以及父母所生之根如何顯出超過原有界限的作用。
一、同名功德，為什麼不能視為同一層次
本品先把『法師』承接到前文，把『功德』從初品初功德推到五品以上的六根清淨。兩處都稱功德，並不表示所顯作用完全相同。前者是初品最初之德，後者已從受持、讀、誦、解說、書寫展開到六根。
這也是由一例餘的第一條線。身根既然能有內外莊嚴，其餘五根也能如此；讀誦既然能得六根功德，其餘受持、解說、書寫也能如此；初品既然已有利益，其餘四品更能如此；相似位既然能有此用，分真位便更加殊勝。
由一例餘，不是說所有差別都可以抹平。五種法師所作不同，六根所對也不同；本品只是從已說的一處，指出同一功德能通到其餘各處。正因如此，後面六章仍須逐根說明，不能只寫一句『其餘亦然』便把眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意全部省去。
本品又用四重意思收束品名。聽見利益，歡喜而更加信進；明白大乘勢力，疑網得以決斷；相似解才初發，已超過二乘極位；由開端看見終點，預知究竟第一義不可思議。四重不是四個外加名目，而是功德如何從聞法轉成信進、斷疑、超越與遠見的連續作用。
二、內與外，為何前後有兩種分法
內外莊嚴先按六根自身分判：眼、耳、鼻、舌、身五根面向外境，所以五根清淨名外莊嚴；意根在內，意根清淨名內莊嚴。
接著，內外又從另一個場景重開。一切色像從地獄直到佛位，都能在自身之中顯現，這是內莊嚴；同樣的一切色像又能藉普現三昧向外化現，這是外莊嚴。前一重看六根的位置，後一重看色像向內顯現與向外化現的方向，兩重並存，不能壓成一個定義。
這個身中顯像的意象，到身根章才完全展開。世間一切、上至有頂、二乘、菩薩、佛，都能在清淨身中現其色像。『內』因此不是關閉在身體裡的一個小空間；大千世界與眾生差別都能在其中顯現。『外』也不是離身另有一套功德，而是已在身中所現者又能普遍化現。
品首先把這幅圖提出，品末六根章再逐一填實。讀者若只記八百、一千二百，便會錯過本品一開始已指出的整體相狀：功德莊嚴的不是一張數表，而是內外皆能顯用的六根。
三、兩家都說六千，問題究竟出在哪裡
光宅的算法從三業十善開始：一善具十成百，自行、化他、隨喜、讚歎成四百，五種法師成二千，再分三品成六千。另一家沿用同一總向，又立下品八百、中品一千、上品一千二百。兩說都試圖讓根經的數字落進一套整齊算法。
智者的反詰不先從自己的算法出發，而是連引四部經論。般若等淨，怎能把六根判成一淨一不淨、一上品而其餘非上品？《正法華》所傳的功德數不立上中下；《法華論》說凡夫因經力得勝根用，尚未入地，肉眼已能見大千內外；《大經》又說如來一根能具見、聞、嗅、味、觸、知之用。四引共同把問題從強弱分等轉回清淨、莊嚴與互用。
所以，智者批評的不是計數本身。本論隨即也提出兩套算法。問題在於，數目若與每一種法師各具六根的經文結構不合，或另立經中沒有的中品一千，算法即使湊足六千，仍不能取代經文。
這一辨析也保留古解的聲音。光宅之說被完整列出，另一家的三品次序也被完整列出；到舌根問答，舊答仍先說完，本論才另作今解。並錄不是不作辨析，而是先使每一說各守自己的句子，再讓本論的問答依次展開。
四、智者為什麼又立兩套算法
第一套算法仍從行法入手。三業安樂行有十善，一善中又有十善而成百；一善具十如而成千；再就化他成二千；如來室、如來衣、如來座三項使二千成六千。受持、讀、誦、解說、書寫五種法師，不是五人合起來才有六千，而是每一種法師都具六根，每一根各有一千。
第二套算法從一心十法界開始。十界各有十如，成一百；一根通取六塵，成六百；定、慧兩種莊嚴再成一千二百。這一套所說的不是另有一批法師，而是同一根如何通取六塵，又如何由定、慧莊嚴。
兩套算法的入口不同，不能混成一條連乘式。第一套從三業、十善、十如、化他、室衣座說到每一法師六根各千；第二套從一心、十界、十如、六塵、定慧說到根根一千二百。前一套回答六千如何成立，後一套回答一千二百如何成立。
可是，算到這裡仍不是終點。智者隨即說，清淨不以多少為義；莊嚴才有盈、縮、等。根根六千顯等，一千二百顯盈，八百顯縮。若只說清淨，則無盈、無縮、無等。數目因此有解釋作用，卻不能反過來把清淨鎖死在數目之中。
這也說明為什麼不能把六根排成固定的高下表。盈與縮顯示根用能自在增減，等顯示根根皆具；清淨則越過多少之問。若執著某一個數字作唯一判準，恰好失去本論用多個數字所要顯出的自在。
五、肉眼沒有改名，作用為何能超過天眼
眼根章最先提出一個矛盾：既然能見大千世界內外，作用似乎已是天眼，為什麼仍稱父母所生的肉眼？
智者先比較不同所見。梵王的天眼在自己所統世界能遍見大千，到了邊際卻受風輪阻隔；若在其他世界，又不能遍見非其所統的大千。小阿羅漢、大阿羅漢與辟支佛各有不同視域，卻不受風輪與己他世界的同樣限制。根經所說的肉眼能見大千內外，確實顯出超常之用。
答案不在替肉眼改名，而在分清身分與作用。這仍是父母所生、仍在分段生死中的肉眼，所以不稱已發真的天眼；可是因經典之力，它已有殊勝根用。名稱守住當前所依之身，作用則顯出相似位所能發起的超越。
五眼之用也依這條原則展開。見大千內外，是天眼用；見眾生及其業因緣，是法眼用；其目清淨，是慧眼用；同時見內外、見業、見淨，又能圓伏法界上惑，是佛眼用。肉眼之名沒有被抹去，其他四眼之用也沒有被縮成肉眼原有能力。
所以，父母所生與根自在並不衝突。前者說明眼根仍依何身，後者說明它不再受原有作用範圍拘限。若只問這一根究竟是八百還是一千二百，便看不見本章真正要回答的是：一根如何仍守其名，又同時具足多重作用。
六、鼻根為何最能顯出互用
耳根同一章列出兩種配法。一釋繫於所聞之境：六道、二乘、菩薩、佛的聲音分別顯出肉天二耳、慧耳、法耳、佛耳；另一釋繫於能聞之用：父母所生、能聞內外、聽而不著、分別不謬、一時互聞，分別顯出五耳。一套辨所聞之境，一套辨能聞之用，不能把兩套壓成一列。
鼻根把互用說得更具體。鼻仍以聞香為入口，卻能由香知道好惡、貴賤與天宮莊嚴，顯出眼用；知道誰在讀經說法，顯出耳用；知道花果與蘇油，顯出舌用；知道入禪出禪與五欲嬉戲，顯出身用；知道染欲、癡、恚與修善之心，顯出意用。
這五例共同守住一件事：鼻根不是停止聞香，改成另一個器官；它正是由香而知，卻不再被香的通常範圍限制。互用因此不是六根名稱消失，而是一根仍從自己的入口出發，同時通達其他根所對的境界。
眼章說肉眼兼五眼用，耳章分所聞與能聞，鼻章逐項展開其他五根之用，三章依次使『根自在』由總名變成可見的作用。每一章各有自己的問法，不能只用鼻根一章替代其餘五章。
七、舌根的問答，為何不能只說味道變甜
舌根先配五舌，接著提出全品最直接的問答：苦、澁、惡味到舌，都變成上味；那麼眾色到眼，為什麼不也變成妙色？
舊答說，味有損益，會損害舌根的才須改變；色不損眼，所以不能類比。本論不接受這個回答，轉而說一切色同佛色，一切聲同佛聲，其餘各根所對也同樣清淨，彼此類例並無妨礙；又能遍知色法、聲法而不亂、不謬，清楚分別也沒有妨礙。
這個回答沒有把分別與清淨對立起來。若一切都清淨，並不表示色、聲、味的差別必須消失；若仍能分別，也不表示六根互用便受阻。自在之根既能遍知，又能不亂不謬，正因差別可知而不成障礙。
苦味變成上味的意象，於是不能只理解成感官享受變得悅樂。它在問：六根清淨之後，根與境的相遇是否仍須被損害、染著與頑礙支配？舊答把變化限在防止損害，本論則把問題推到一切所對皆清淨、而分別仍能自在的層次。
八、世界在身中現，歲月在意根中說法
身根章把品首的內莊嚴展開。世間一切在身中現，是肉身用；上至有頂在身中現，是天身用；二乘、菩薩、佛在身中現，分別是慧身、法身、佛身之用。五身不是另外五個身體，而是同一清淨身中所現境界的五重配法。
本章以圓現、互用、無謬、無著收束。世間、天、二乘、菩薩與佛的色像，都能在同一時於身中顯現；所現雖多，仍是一時圓現、一時互用，同時沒有錯謬，也沒有染著。五身配法由所現之境逐層展開，收束仍回到清淨根用。
意根章則把日常語言與時間都納入清淨。世間資生產業順於正法，是人意淨；知道天心所行、天所動作，是天意淨；四月表四諦，一歲十二月表十二因緣，所說不違實相，是慧意淨；一月表一乘，是菩薩意淨；所思量皆是先佛經中所說，是佛意淨。
一月、四月、一歲原是說法持續的時量，本論卻從數目讀出一乘、四諦、十二因緣。十二月這個中介不能省去，因為正是由一年所含十二月，才轉到十二因緣。數目在這裡仍有作用，但作用不是比較多少，而是讓時間本身承載法義。
品末把六根再收為圓明、圓互、無染、無謬，以及能盈、能縮、能等、能淨。從品首的內外莊嚴，到眼耳鼻舌的互用，再到身中現像與意根表法，全品終於回到同一問題：六根各守其根，如何又不被一根的通常界限所拘？
答案不是把六根混成一根，也不是把八百一律改成一千二百。清淨使多少不再成為根本判準，莊嚴使盈縮等各有其用，互用使每一根都能超出通常範圍，而不失其當前名位。父母所生的眼仍名肉眼，聞香的鼻仍由香而知；正是在『仍然如此』之中，顯出根自在的不可思議。
文句記之眼
湛然先把本品分作兩大段：「先釋品名，次釋功德增減，即法師之功德也。」〔T34n1719 0346a07〕鏡文又把智者結品名的四意依次配為世界、為人、對治、第一義〔0346a08–0346a10〕。這項配屬說明四段各自如何利益眾生，卻是鏡中明判；智者原段只以聞益、明識、似解與指始顯終構成四意。
對法師與功德，湛然說初隨喜與本品六根雖同名功德，實則「同名功德、高下永別」〔T34n1719 0346a23〕；又把第二重內外莊嚴進寄初住以上真位。鏡文並以五師、五品及四信疏通『如上說』『四品加然』等句。這些補足位次關係，不改成本論已逐字列出四信五品。
對兩家功德數，湛然先指出五種法師各得六根，不能以五師合成六千；又據根經只有八百與一千二百，反問何以更立中品一千。進入智者正解後，鏡文特別說「今明數足竟方云五種法師悉具六千」〔T34n1719 0347a02〕，說明第一套算法先使一位法師之數成立，再通五種法師，不以五師作乘數。
鏡文又把引證以後的本論次第明列為四：「次正釋為四：初明一經之內具前四文，次正解，三「若論」下辯增減，四「相似」下判位。」〔T34n1719 0346c25〕這一科次使四部經論、兩套算法、盈縮分判與相似位各有落點：引證先破偏判，正解再成立數義，增減辨明數目如何使用，最後才把功德安在相似位。它不是另加一套義理，而是把本論已經前後寫出的轉折辨得更清楚。
第二套算法則被說成「約理境以對行中，亦是互用相似位上釋也」〔T34n1719 0347a08〕。清淨回牒般若等淨，盈縮回到今經八百、一千二百，六根互用回牒《大經》。如此，四部引證不是前段外加的證句，而被鏡文逐一收回本論正解。
位次一段，湛然把四輪與五十二位源指《瓔珞經》，並對智者所說第三心提出「「第三心」者恐誤，應云「第二」」〔T34n1719 0347a20〕。這是鏡面的校釋，不是底本校記；故正文仍守第三心，考據另誌第二之說。
進入六根六章，湛然先補明眼根應說相似五眼，又指出後五根多有省文，鼻根最詳：「以於鼻根最委悉故，故於鼻根更辯互用」〔T34n1719 0347b21〕。鏡文對舌根補先知味法界而後味變美，對身根又說「身根中云「無謬」假也，「無著」空也，「俱照」名中。」〔T34n1719 0347b25〕，對意根則明言月、四月等是所表之釋〔0347b26–0347b27〕。這些判釋只在鏡中展開。
品序收束時，湛然說本品只明相似六根功德，下一品明弘經人的現生、後報，後續諸品再顯弘經力用。鏡文最後說「不勞委釋物像相貌，但略示文相以顯傳弘」〔T34n1719 0347c06〕。鏡照因而沒有把六根境像逐物重說，而是把品名、數目、位次、互用與弘經次第連成一條釋讀線；其每一項裁釋仍各守湛然之名，不倒作智者原說。
“The Qualities of the Dharma Teacher” opens by listing eight hundred qualities each for eye, nose, and body, and twelve hundred each for ear, tongue, and mind. Because these numbers are so conspicuous, readers can easily reduce the problem to which three faculties are stronger, which three weaker, and which faculty has more qualities.
Zhizhe first returns, however, to the distinction between “purity” and “adornment.” If purity is being discussed, more and less are not originally its meaning. Only when adornment is discussed can there be fullness, contraction, and equality. This turn shifts the chapter’s center of gravity away from six numbers alone and toward how the six purified faculties function through one another and attain mastery, and how faculties born of one’s parents manifest functions beyond their original limits.
I. Why Qualities Bearing the Same Name Cannot Be Treated as the Same Level
The chapter first connects “Dharma teacher” with the preceding text and carries “qualities” from the initial qualities of the first grade into purification of the six faculties above the five grades. Calling both “qualities” does not mean that the functions disclosed are identical. The former are the first qualities at the beginning of the first grade; the latter have unfolded from receiving and upholding, reading, reciting, explaining, and copying into all six faculties.
This is also the first line of inferring the remaining cases from one. Since the body faculty can possess inward and outward adornment, the other five faculties can as well. Since reading and reciting can yield the qualities of the six faculties, receiving and upholding, explaining, and copying can as well. Since the first grade already has benefit, the remaining four grades do all the more. Since the semblant stage can possess such functions, the stage of partial realization is still more excellent.
Inferring the rest from one does not mean that every distinction may be erased. The five kinds of Dharma teacher perform different acts, and the six faculties engage different objects. The chapter only uses one place already explained to show that the same qualities extend through the remaining cases. Precisely for this reason, the six later sections must still explain each faculty in turn; one cannot write only “the rest are likewise” and omit eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind altogether.
The chapter also concludes its title through four meanings. Hearing of the benefit, one rejoices and advances further in faith. Understanding the power of the Great Vehicle, one cuts through the net of doubt. As soon as semblant understanding begins to arise, it already surpasses the ultimate stage of the two vehicles. Seeing the end from the beginning, one knows in advance that ultimate truth is inconceivable. These four are not four labels added from outside but a continuous operation by which qualities turn hearing the Dharma into faithful advance, severance of doubt, transcendence, and distant vision.
II. Why Inward and Outward Are Divided in Two Different Ways
Inward and outward adornment are first distinguished according to the six faculties themselves. Eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body face outward objects, so purification of these five is called outward adornment. Mind is inward, so purification of mind is called inward adornment.
Inward and outward then reopen in a different setting. All forms and images, from hell through buddhahood, can appear within one’s own body; this is inward adornment. Those same forms and images can also be manifested outward through the samādhi of universal manifestation; this is outward adornment. The first distinction considers where the faculties are situated; the second considers the directions in which images appear inwardly and are manifested outwardly. Both remain in force and cannot be compressed into one definition.
This image of forms appearing within the body is fully unfolded only in the section on the body faculty. Everything in the world, up to the summit of existence, as well as the two vehicles, bodhisattvas, and buddhas, can manifest its form and image in the purified body. “Inward” is therefore not a small space enclosed inside the body; the great trichiliocosm and all the distinctions among beings can appear within it. “Outward” is not a second set of qualities separate from the body, but the universal outward manifestation of what has already appeared within.
The beginning of the chapter first presents this whole picture, and its concluding six sections then fill it out faculty by faculty. If readers remember only eight hundred and twelve hundred, they miss the complete configuration already indicated at the outset: what the qualities adorn is not a numerical chart, but the six faculties capable of manifesting functions both inwardly and outwardly.
III. Both Ancient Accounts Make Six Thousand—Where Exactly Is the Problem?
Guangzhai’s calculation begins with the ten wholesome actions of the three karmas: ten within each wholesome action make one hundred; personal practice, transforming others, joyful acceptance, and praise make four hundred; the five kinds of Dharma teacher make two thousand; and three grades make six thousand. Another master follows the same general direction but further establishes eight hundred for the lower grade, one thousand for the middle, and twelve hundred for the higher. Both accounts try to fit the root sutra’s numbers into an orderly calculation.
Zhizhe does not begin his challenge from his own calculation, but cites four sutras and treatises in succession. If prajñā makes them equally pure, how can the six faculties be divided into one pure and another impure, one belonging to the highest grade and the rest not? The True Dharma Lotus transmits numerical qualities without establishing upper, middle, and lower grades. The Treatise on the Lotus Sutra says that ordinary beings, through the power of the sutra, obtain extraordinary functions of the faculties before entering the grounds; the physical eye can already see within and beyond the great trichiliocosm. The Great Nirvāṇa Sutra further says that one faculty of the Tathāgata can perform the functions of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and knowing. Together, these four citations turn the issue away from ranking strength and back toward purity, adornment, and interfunctioning.
Zhizhe’s criticism is therefore not directed at counting itself. The root treatise immediately presents two calculations of its own. The problem is that if the numbers do not fit the sutra’s structure, in which every one of the Dharma teachers possesses all six faculties, or if they establish a middle grade of one thousand absent from the sutra, then even a calculation that totals six thousand cannot replace the scripture.
This analysis also preserves the voices of the ancient explanations. Guangzhai’s account is stated in full, and the other master’s sequence of three grades is likewise stated in full. In the question and answer on the tongue faculty, the old answer is still allowed to finish before the root treatise presents its current explanation. Recording them together does not mean refusing to analyze them; it first lets each account retain its own words, then allows the root treatise’s questions and answers to unfold in sequence.
IV. Why Zhizhe Establishes Two Calculations of His Own
The first calculation still begins from practices. The peaceful practices of the three karmas contain the ten wholesome actions; each wholesome action again contains ten, making one hundred. Each wholesome action possesses the ten suchnesses, making one thousand. With transforming others this becomes two thousand, and the three items—the Tathāgata’s room, robe, and seat—make the two thousand into six thousand. Receiving and upholding, reading, reciting, explaining, and copying are five kinds of Dharma teacher; it is not that five people together possess six thousand, but that every kind of Dharma teacher possesses all six faculties, with one thousand in each.
The second calculation begins from one mind containing the ten dharma-realms. Each realm has the ten suchnesses, making one hundred. One faculty universally apprehends the six sense-objects, making six hundred. The two adornments of meditative stability and wisdom then make twelve hundred. This account does not posit a different set of Dharma teachers; it explains how the same faculty universally apprehends all six objects and is adorned by meditative stability and wisdom.
The two calculations have different points of entry and cannot be merged into one chain of multiplication. The first proceeds from the three karmas, ten wholesome actions, ten suchnesses, transformation of others, and room, robe, and seat to one thousand in each of the six faculties for every Dharma teacher. The second proceeds from one mind, ten realms, ten suchnesses, six objects, and meditative stability and wisdom to twelve hundred in each faculty. The first answers how six thousand is established; the second, how twelve hundred is established.
Even after the calculation, however, this is not the endpoint. Zhizhe immediately says that purity does not take more and less as its meaning; only adornment has fullness, contraction, and equality. Six thousand in each faculty discloses equality, twelve hundred fullness, and eight hundred contraction. If purity alone is stated, there is no fullness, contraction, or equality. Numbers therefore have an explanatory function, but cannot in turn imprison purity within themselves.
This also explains why the six faculties cannot be placed in a fixed hierarchy. Fullness and contraction disclose that faculty-functions can freely expand and contract; equality discloses that each faculty is complete; purity passes beyond the question of quantity. To cling to any one number as the sole criterion is precisely to lose the mastery that the root treatise uses several numbers to disclose.
V. Why the Physical Eye Retains Its Name While Its Function Surpasses the Divine Eye
The section on the eye faculty first presents a contradiction. If it can see within and beyond the great trichiliocosm, its function appears already to be that of a divine eye. Why, then, is it still called the physical eye born of one’s parents?
Zhizhe first compares different ranges of vision. Brahmā’s divine eye can see throughout the great trichiliocosm that he rules, but at its edge is obstructed by the wind-circle; in another world, he cannot see throughout a great trichiliocosm he does not rule. Lesser arhats, greater arhats, and pratyekabuddhas have distinct visual ranges, yet are not restricted in the same way by the wind-circle or by the distinction between their own and other worlds. The root sutra’s physical eye that sees within and beyond the great trichiliocosm clearly manifests extraordinary function.
The answer is not to rename the physical eye but to distinguish its status from its function. It is still the physical eye born of one’s parents and still belongs to segmented birth and death, so it is not called a divine eye in which the real has arisen. Yet through the power of the scripture it already possesses extraordinary faculty-function. Its name preserves the body on which it presently depends; its function discloses the transcendence that the semblant stage can bring forth.
The functions of the five eyes unfold on the same principle. Seeing within and beyond the great trichiliocosm is the function of the divine eye; seeing beings together with the causes and conditions of their karma is the function of the Dharma-eye; the purity of the eye is the function of the wisdom-eye; seeing inwardly and outwardly, seeing karma, and seeing purity at once, while perfectly subduing the delusions above the dharma-realm, is the function of the buddha-eye. The name physical eye is not erased, and the functions of the other four eyes are not reduced to the physical eye’s ordinary capacity.
Thus being born of one’s parents does not conflict with mastery of the faculties. The former explains the body on which the eye still depends; the latter explains that it is no longer confined to its original range of function. If one asks only whether this faculty has eight hundred or twelve hundred, one misses the real question answered by this section: how a faculty can retain its name while simultaneously possessing many levels of function.
VI. Why the Nose Faculty Most Fully Discloses Interfunctioning
The section on the ear gives two correspondences. One interpretation is keyed to the objects heard: the sounds of the six destinies, the two vehicles, bodhisattvas, and buddhas respectively disclose the physical and divine ears, the wisdom-ear, Dharma-ear, and buddha-ear. The other interpretation is keyed to the function that hears: born of one’s parents, able to hear inwardly and outwardly, hearing without attachment, distinguishing without error, and hearing mutually all at once respectively disclose the five ears. One account distinguishes the objects heard; the other, the hearing function. They cannot be compressed into a single list.
The nose faculty makes interfunctioning more concrete. The nose still enters through fragrance, yet from fragrance knows good and bad, noble and base, and the adornments of heavenly palaces, disclosing the function of the eye. It knows who is reading the sutra or teaching the Dharma, disclosing the function of the ear. It knows flowers, fruits, clarified butter, and oil, disclosing the function of the tongue. It knows entry into and emergence from meditation and play among the five desires, disclosing the function of the body. It knows minds stained by desire, delusion, or anger and minds cultivating goodness, disclosing the function of mind.
All five examples preserve one point: the nose does not stop smelling and become another organ. It knows precisely through fragrance, yet is no longer restricted to fragrance’s ordinary range. Interfunctioning therefore does not mean that the names of the six faculties disappear. One faculty continues to begin from its own gateway while simultaneously penetrating the objects engaged by the other faculties.
The eye section says that the physical eye possesses the functions of all five eyes; the ear section distinguishes the object heard from the function that hears; and the nose section itemizes the functions of the other five faculties. In sequence, the three sections turn “mastery of the faculties” from a general name into visible operation. Each section poses its own question and cannot be replaced by the nose section alone.
VII. Why the Question and Answer on the Tongue Cannot Be Reduced to Flavor Becoming Sweet
The tongue section first correlates the five tongues, then poses the chapter’s most direct question and answer: bitter, astringent, and bad flavors all become superior flavors when they reach the tongue. Why, then, do the many forms that reach the eye not likewise become wondrous forms?
The old answer says that flavors can harm or benefit and only those that would damage the tongue need to be transformed; forms do not damage the eye, so the analogy does not apply. The root treatise rejects this answer and instead says that all forms are the same as the Buddha’s forms, all sounds the same as the Buddha’s sounds, and the objects of the other faculties are likewise pure; there is no obstruction to inferring one from another. One can also know all form-dharmas and sound-dharmas without confusion or error; clear distinction is no obstruction either.
This answer does not oppose distinction to purity. If all is pure, that does not mean distinctions among form, sound, and flavor must disappear. If distinctions can still be made, that does not mean the interfunctioning of the six faculties is obstructed. A faculty at mastery can know universally without confusion or error. Precisely because distinctions can be known, they do not become obstructions.
The image of bitter flavor becoming a superior flavor therefore cannot be understood only as sensory pleasure becoming agreeable. It asks whether, after purification of the six faculties, encounters between faculty and object must still be governed by injury, defilement, and stubborn obstruction. The old answer confines the change to preventing injury; the root treatise carries the question to the level at which every object is pure while distinction remains free.
VIII. The World Appears Within the Body, and Time Teaches Dharma Within the Mind Faculty
The section on the body faculty unfolds the inward adornment stated at the chapter’s beginning. Everything in the world appearing within the body is the function of the physical body; everything up to the summit of existence appearing within it is the function of the heavenly body; the two vehicles, bodhisattvas, and buddhas appearing within it are respectively the functions of the wisdom-body, Dharma-body, and buddha-body. The five bodies are not five additional bodies, but five correlations of the objects appearing within the same purified body.
This section concludes with perfect manifestation, interfunctioning, freedom from error, and freedom from attachment. The forms and images of the world, the heavens, the two vehicles, bodhisattvas, and buddhas can all appear within the body at the same time. Though what appears is manifold, it is perfectly manifest and mutually functioning all at once, without error and without attachment. The five-body correspondence unfolds level by level according to what appears, yet its conclusion returns to pure faculty-function.
The mind section draws both everyday language and time into purity. Worldly livelihoods and productive occupations according with right Dharma are purity of the human mind. Knowing the courses of thought and activities of devas is purity of the deva mind. Four months represent the four truths and one year with its twelve months represents the twelve links of dependent arising; teaching without contradicting the true mark is purity of the wisdom-mind. One month represents the One Vehicle and is purity of the bodhisattva mind. Whatever is contemplated having been taught in the sutras of past buddhas is purity of the buddha mind.
One month, four months, and one year originally indicate durations of continued teaching, yet the root treatise reads from their numbers the One Vehicle, four truths, and twelve links of dependent arising. The intermediary of twelve months cannot be omitted, because it is precisely by way of the twelve months contained in a year that the reading passes to the twelve links. Here too, numbers have a function, but not one of comparing quantities: time itself is made to bear the meaning of Dharma.
The chapter’s end gathers the six faculties under perfect illumination, perfect interfunctioning, freedom from defilement, freedom from error, and the capacities for fullness, contraction, equality, and purity. From the inward and outward adornments at its beginning, through the interfunctioning of eye, ear, nose, and tongue, to images appearing in the body and Dharma represented through the mind faculty, the chapter finally returns to one question: how can each of the six faculties retain its identity without being confined by the ordinary limits of one faculty?
The answer is not to merge the six into one, nor to turn every eight hundred into twelve hundred. Purity keeps quantity from becoming the fundamental criterion; adornment gives fullness, contraction, and equality their respective functions; interfunctioning lets each faculty go beyond its ordinary range without losing its present name and stage. The physical eye born of one’s parents is still called physical, and the nose that smells still knows through fragrance. Precisely within this “still so” appears the inconceivability of mastery of the faculties.
Through the Eye of the Wenjuji
Zhanran first divides the chapter into two main parts: “First the chapter title is explained; next the increase and decrease of the qualities are explained—these are precisely the qualities of the Dharma teacher” 〔T34n1719 0346a07〕. The Mirror then correlates Zhizhe’s four conclusions of the title in sequence with the worldly, for-person, counteractive, and ultimate-truth siddhāntas 〔0346a08–0346a10〕. This correspondence explains how each of the four passages benefits beings, but it is an explicit judgment of the Mirror. Zhizhe’s original passage gives four meanings through hearing benefit, clear recognition, semblant understanding, and showing the end from the beginning.
Concerning Dharma teacher and qualities, Zhanran says that although initial joyful acceptance and the six faculties of this chapter both bear the name “qualities,” in fact “though the qualities bear the same name, their higher and lower levels are forever distinct” 〔T34n1719 0346a23〕. He also provisionally assigns the second inward/outward adornment to the true stages from the first abode upward. The Mirror uses the five teachers, five grades, and four trusts to clarify phrases such as “as explained above” and “all the more for the four grades.” These details complete the relationship among stages; they do not rewrite the root treatise as though it had explicitly listed the four trusts and five grades word for word.
Regarding the two masters’ counts of qualities, Zhanran first points out that each of the five kinds of Dharma teacher gains all six faculties; one cannot combine the five teachers to make six thousand. He then notes that the root sutra has only eight hundred and twelve hundred and asks why a middle grade of one thousand is newly established. Once he enters Zhizhe’s proper explanation, the Mirror particularly says “only after the number has now been fully established does the text say that all five kinds of Dharma teacher each possess six thousand” 〔T34n1719 0347a02〕. The first calculation therefore establishes the count for one Dharma teacher and only afterward extends it to all five; it does not use the five teachers as a multiplier.
The Mirror further divides the root treatise after the citations into four: “Next, the proper explanation has four parts: first, showing that within one sutra the preceding four passages are complete; next, the proper explanation; third, beginning with ‘if discussing,’ distinguishing increase and decrease; fourth, beginning with ‘semblance,’ determining the stage” 〔T34n1719 0346c25〕. This outline gives the four sutra-and-treatise citations, two calculations, analysis of fullness and contraction, and semblant stage their respective places: the citations first refute a partial judgment, the proper explanation then establishes the numerical meaning, increase and decrease clarify how the numbers are used, and only at the end are the qualities placed at the semblant stage. It does not add a separate doctrine, but makes the transitions already written in the root treatise more distinct.
The second calculation is described as “in relation to the object that is principle, it corresponds to practice; it is also an explanation on the semblant stage in terms of interfunctioning” 〔T34n1719 0347a08〕. Purity reiterates the equal purity of prajñā, fullness and contraction return to the present sutra’s eight hundred and twelve hundred, and the interfunctioning of the six faculties reiterates the Great Nirvāṇa Sutra. In this way, the four citations are not external proof-texts left in the earlier passage but are each gathered back into the root treatise’s proper explanation.
In the stage discussion, Zhanran points to the Sutra of the Jeweled Necklace as the source for the four wheels and fifty-two stages, and comments on Zhizhe’s “third mind”: “‘The third mind’ is perhaps an error; it should say ‘the second’” 〔T34n1719 0347a20〕. This is a correction proposed on the Mirror surface, not a base-text critical note. The body therefore retains “third mind,” while the apparatus separately records the proposal “second.”
Entering the six sections on the six faculties, Zhanran first adds that the eye faculty should be explained as the semblant five eyes, and then notes that many details are omitted for the latter five faculties, while the nose is most complete: “because the nose faculty is treated most fully, interfunctioning is further distinguished at the nose faculty” 〔T34n1719 0347b21〕. For the tongue he adds that one first knows the dharma-realm of flavor and afterward flavor becomes excellent. For the body he says “In the body faculty, ‘without error’ is provisional, ‘without attachment’ is empty, and ‘illuminating both’ is named the middle” 〔T34n1719 0347b25〕. For the mind, he expressly says that one month, four months, and the like are interpretations of what is represented 〔0347b26–0347b27〕. These judgments unfold only in the Mirror.
When concluding the chapter sequence, Zhanran says that this chapter explains only the qualities of the six faculties at the semblant stage; the next chapter explains the present-life and later recompenses of the person who propagates the sutra, and the subsequent chapters further disclose the powers and functions of propagating it. The Mirror finally says “there is no need to explain the appearances of the various images in exhaustive detail; the textual configuration is only briefly indicated to disclose transmission and propagation” 〔T34n1719 0347c06〕. The Mirror’s illumination therefore does not repeat every object and image in the six faculties, but connects chapter title, number, stage, interfunctioning, and the sequence of propagating the sutra into one reading line. Each of its interpretive judgments remains named as Zhanran’s and is not recast as Zhizhe’s original teaching.
考據Apparatus
本單元完整消釋〈法師功德品〉：先辨法師、功德與內外莊嚴，再錄兩家功德數之異解，以四部經論反詰偏判，繼而提出六千與一千二百兩套正面算法，辨清淨、莊嚴、盈縮等及相似位，最後依眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意六章逐根釋經。嚴格域不跨入下一品。
一、科判定位
嚴格域為 T34n1718〔0139b17–0140c04〕，起於品題「釋法師功德品」〔T34n1718 0139b17〕，末句為「能盈能縮能等能淨〔云云〕。」〔T34n1718 0140c04〕；下一品「釋常不輕菩薩品」起於〔0140c05〕，不納入。本單元共一千六百七十六個漢字，正文跨四個段落，不另作二級切分。
本品位於本門第五品。本文自有十二個推進節點：
| 次第 | 行域 | 本論內容 |
|---|---|---|
| 一 | 0139b18–0139c01 | 法師、功德、內外莊嚴；由讀誦例其餘四師，由初品例其餘四品，再以四意結品名 |
| 二 | 0139c01–0139c19 | 光宅與一位有人之功德數；以《大品》《正法華》《法華論》《大經》反詰偏判 |
| 三 | 0139c19–0139c24 | 三業安樂行、十善、十如、化他與如來室衣座成六千 |
| 四 | 0139c24–0139c28 | 一心十界、界界十如、六塵與定慧成一千二百 |
| 五 | 0139c28–0140a07 | 清淨、莊嚴、盈、縮、等及互用；四輪、五十二位、《仁王》與常精進之位名 |
| 六 | 0140a07–0140a09 | 總列功德數、別開六章；每章各有長行、偈頌 |
| 七 | 0140a09–0140a26 | 眼根：父母所生肉眼而有勝根用，兼具五眼之用 |
| 八 | 0140a26–0140b04 | 耳根：依所聞與能聞各配五耳，再由耳回例五眼 |
| 九 | 0140b04–0140b12 | 鼻根：五鼻及見、聞、味、觸、知心的互用 |
| 十 | 0140b12–0140b22 | 舌根：五舌，苦味變美而色不變之問，舊答與本論答 |
| 十一 | 0140b22–0140b26 | 身根：世間、天、二乘、菩薩、佛皆於身中現 |
| 十二 | 0140b26–0140c04 | 意根：資生、天心、四諦、十二因緣、一乘、先佛經與五意 |
《法華文句記》本品正釋起於「先釋品名，次釋功德增減，即法師之功德也。」〔T34n1719 0346a07〕，止於「故〈隨喜品〉已下，不勞委釋物像相貌，但略示文相以顯傳弘，則流通之功其義自了。」〔T34n1719 0347c06–0347c07〕；下一行另起常不輕品。鏡、本在品界上相合。
二、成立與傳本
本帙卷端神逈序稱「迺是灌頂法師私記，合二十卷」〔T34n1718 0001a23–0001a24〕，並記天寶戊子朗和尚條倫；本單元所在半卷仍只署天台智者大師說。故義說歸智者，文字傳錄歸灌頂及後世治定。現行嚴格域自身不重出傳承敘事，亦無別本序文足以復原治定前次第；本單元只以一句繫於全帙傳錄層，不據後見臆改正文。
本品正文保存五組大正校異、六枚所傳夾註與一個校讀外字。這些材料證明現行文字有可考異存，卻不提供擇定哪一讀為勝的依據。正文守【大】，校記並錄【甲】，空讀明書甲本缺。
三、所帖經文與所引
（一）根經全品對位
根經為 T09n0262〈法師功德品第十九〉，品題在〔0047c02〕，正文由〔0047c03〕至〔0050b22〕，下一品題起於〔0050b23〕。本倉同品原典依此一一對位。全品由品題、六根總數及六根各自長行、偈頌構成十三個區塊：
| 次第 | 根經區塊 | 本版同品行 | T09n0262 行域 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 零 | 品題 | 一至二 | 0047c02 |
| 一 | 六根總數兼眼根長行 | 四 | 0047c03–0047c11 |
| 二 | 眼根偈頌 | 五至十五 | 0047c12–0047c22 |
| 三 | 耳根長行 | 十六 | 0047c23–0048a08 |
| 四 | 耳根偈頌 | 十七至五十三 | 0048a08–0048b15 |
| 五 | 鼻根長行 | 五十四至五十五 | 0048b16–0048c12 |
| 六 | 鼻根偈頌 | 五十六至一百十五 | 0048c13–0049b14 |
| 七 | 舌根長行 | 一百十六至一百十七 | 0049b15–0049c04 |
| 八 | 舌根偈頌 | 一百十八至一百三十四 | 0049c05–0049c21 |
| 九 | 身根長行 | 一百三十五至一百三十六 | 0049c22–0050a01 |
| 十 | 身根偈頌 | 一百三十七至一百五十一 | 0050a02–0050a17 |
| 十一 | 意根長行 | 一百五十二至一百五十三 | 0050a18–0050a29 |
| 十二 | 意根偈頌 | 一百五十四至一百七十五 | 0050b01–0050b22 |
品首依序列「八百眼功德、千二百耳功德」〔T09n0262 0047c05〕、「八百鼻功德、千二百舌功德、八百身功德」〔T09n0262 0047c06〕及意根一千二百。眼、鼻、身為八百，耳、舌、意為一千二百，並非前三根與後三根各成一組。
（二）品名、五種法師與兩重內外莊嚴
| 本論所帖或所釋 | 根經今本 | 字面關係 |
|---|---|---|
| 本論以法師義承前，又說「讀誦既爾，四種亦然。」〔T34n1718 0139b24〕 | 根經列「受持是法華經，若讀、若誦、若解說、若書寫」〔T09n0262 0047c04〕 | 五種行法可回根經；以讀誦總例其餘四種是本論釋語 |
| 本論說初品初功德與五品之上六根功德 | 本品只說受持等人所得六根功德〔0047c03–0047c08〕 | 初品、五品及相似分真的位次屬本論判釋 |
| 本論說「以是功德莊嚴六根」〔T34n1718 0139c16〕 | 根經作「以是功德、莊嚴六根，皆令清淨。」〔T09n0262 0047c07〕 | 根經在功德後有頓號，兩本各守其文 |
| 五根清淨為外、意根清淨為內 | 根經只總說六根莊嚴清淨 | 這是本論第一重內外莊嚴 |
| 一切色像在身中現為內，普現三昧向外化現為外 | 根經說「皆於身中現其色像。」〔T09n0262 0049c29〕，未說普現三昧及外化 | 身中現可回根經；普現三昧與外化是本論第二重解 |
| 本論以身根例其餘五根，以讀誦例其餘四師，以初品例其餘四品 | 根經六根各有本章，不作三重總例 | 三項均為本論由一例餘的釋法 |
本論所謂四意，由聞益歡喜勤求、明識大乘決疑、相似初解超二乘、指始顯終知究竟四段構成，末結「此品所明備斯四意」〔T34n1718 0139b29〕。T0262 本品沒有四意列名；把四段配為四悉，是《文句記》的鏡面判釋，不屬根經或本論逐字。
（三）兩家功德數與本論反證
光宅之說依本論原序為：三業合十善；一善具十成百；自行、化他、隨喜、讚歎成四百；五種法師成二千；三品成六千；再以三根用弱為八百、三根用強為一千二百，與奪合論仍為六千〔T34n1718 0139c02–0139c06〕。
另一位有人「明數與光宅同，下品八百、中品一千、上品千二百。」〔T34n1718 0139c06〕。根經只有八百與一千二百，沒有中品一千；本論也沒有補出此人的姓名、朝代或字號。
本論反證的次序固定如下：
| 次第 | 本論所傳 | 今本對讀 | 並錄限度 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一 | 《大品》作「色淨故般若淨，般若淨故色淨，色淨五根淨，般若淨意根淨」〔T34n1718 0139c08〕 | T08n0223 可釘「色清淨故，般若波羅蜜清淨。」〔0310b01〕及「受想行識清淨故，般若波羅蜜清淨。」〔0310b02〕 | 今本可證色與般若等淨的句型，未見疏引後三分句同字連文；不以局部回釘冒充全文相同 |
| 二 | 《正法華》作整足六千、不論上中下〔T34n1718 0139c11–0139c12〕 | T09n0263 列眼八百，耳、鼻、舌、身、意各一千二百〔0119a19–0119a21〕，並作無數百千品德 | 今本未見連續詞六千功德；不替古疏重算或改數 |
| 三 | 《法華論》作「凡人以經力故得勝根用」〔T34n1718 0139c13〕，續說未入初地、父母肉眼見大千內外 | T26n1519 作「此得六根清淨者，謂諸凡夫以經力故得勝根用」〔0010a16〕，又作「以父母所生清淨肉眼見于三千大千世界」〔0010a18〕；T26n1520 作「此得六根清淨者，謂凡夫人以經力故得勝根用」〔0019b12〕，又作「以父母所生清淨肉眼，見於三千大千世界」〔0019b14〕 | 凡人、諸凡夫、凡夫人及內外等增省各守其本 |
| 四 | 《大經》作「如來一根則能見色、聞聲、嗅香、別味、覺觸、知法」〔T34n1718 0139c15〕 | T12n0374 作「如來一根，亦能見色、聞聲、嗅香、別味、覺觸、知法。」〔0503a04〕；T12n0375 作「如來一根亦能見色、聞聲、嗅香、別味、覺觸、知法」〔0746c17〕 | 疏引作則，兩經今本作亦；標點亦各守其本 |
第一引後，本論連作一強一不強、一淨一不淨、一上品而其餘非上品三組反詰，再保留〔云云〕〔0139c10–0139c11〕；第二引後另有一枚〔云云〕〔0139c12〕。兩枚夾註各守原位。
（四）本論兩套正面算法
第一套先按三業安樂行立十善，一善有十成百，一善中有十如成千，就化他成二千，再約如來室、如來衣、如來座成六千；五種法師各具六根清淨，每根各有一千功德〔T34n1718 0139c20–0139c24〕。
這套算法所用經內字面分別可回：
| 本論名目 | T09n0262 今本逐字 | 行錨與限度 |
|---|---|---|
| 安樂行 | 「當安住四法。一者、安住菩薩行處及親近處」 | 0037a15；根經明列四法，本論另以三業安樂行入算式 |
| 十如 | 「如是相，如是性，如是體，如是力，如是作，如是因」〔0005c11〕，續有「如是緣，如是果，如是報，如是本末究竟等。」〔0005c13〕 | 十如名目在〈方便品〉；一善中有十如是本論運用 |
| 如來室、衣、座 | 「入如來室，著如來衣，坐如來座」〔0031c23〕 | 根經續釋大慈悲、柔和忍辱、一切法空；本論此處只取三名入數 |
第二套說一心具十法界，每界十如成一百；一根通取六塵成六百；定慧二莊嚴成一千二百，根根都用定慧莊嚴，故根根同為一千二百〔T34n1718 0139c24–0139c28〕。十如可回〈方便品〉，一心十界、一根通六塵與定慧乘算則是本論釋義，不作根經原句。
（五）清淨、莊嚴、盈縮等與相似位
本論先分清淨與可計量的莊嚴：只論清淨，不說功德多少；論莊嚴，才說能盈、能縮、能等。根根六千是等莊嚴，一千二百顯盈，八百顯縮；清淨則無盈、無縮、無等，六根互用而根自在〔0139c28–0140a03〕。
位名按本論列序為四輪的鐵輪、五十二位的十信心、《仁王》的十善大心、對常精進所說十信第三心；諸名同歸圓教相似位〔0140a04–0140a07〕。《仁王》兩譯今本均作「十善菩薩發大心，長別三界苦輪海」〔T08n0245 0827b14；T08n0246 0837b13〕。疏文撮作十善大心，今本作十善菩薩發大心，並錄不改。
（六）眼根所帖
| 本論所釋 | T09n0262 今本逐字 | 關係 |
|---|---|---|
| 父母所生名肉眼 | 「父母所生清淨肉眼，見於三千大千世界內外」〔0047c08〕 | 父母所生肉眼直接回錨 |
| 所見過於天眼 | 「雖未得天眼，肉眼力如是。」〔0047c22〕 | 本論據未得而能見作比較 |
| 梵王風輪、羅漢與辟支佛視域 | 根經眼章未列 | 是本論比較材料 |
| 因經力有勝根用，仍名肉眼 | 《法華論》今本有經力、勝根用；根經有父母肉眼 | 兩個來源層次不可合成根經連文 |
| 見大千內外為天眼用 | 「見於三千大千世界內外」〔0047c08〕 | 境界屬經，配天眼屬本論 |
| 見眾生與業因緣為法眼用 | 「亦見其中一切眾生，及業因緣、果報生處」〔0047c10〕 | 境界逐字可回 |
| 其目清淨為慧眼用 | 「其目甚清淨。」〔0047c16〕 | 經句逐字可回 |
| 見內外、業、淨及圓伏法界上惑為佛眼用 | 根經未有圓伏法界上惑之句 | 是本論配釋 |
本論又引《大經》「雖有肉眼名為佛眼」〔T34n1718 0140a23〕。T12n0374 今本作「學大乘者，雖有肉眼乃名佛眼。」〔0397b25〕，T12n0375 作「學大乘者雖有肉眼，乃名佛眼。」〔0638a03〕；疏引省主語及乃字，兩邊照錄。
（七）耳根所帖
耳章一釋繫於所聞之境：聞六道為肉、天二耳，聞二乘為慧耳，聞菩薩為法耳，聞佛為佛耳。根經完整列「聲聞聲、辟支佛聲，菩薩聲、佛聲」〔T09n0262 0048a04〕，並從六趣聲一路展開至佛聲。
另一釋繫於能聞之用：父母所生為肉耳，能聞內外為天耳，聽而不著為慧耳，分別不謬為法耳，一時互聞為佛耳。今本作「以父母所生清淨常耳，皆悉聞知」〔0048a06〕，本論作肉耳；今本又有「清淨好歌聲，聽之而不著」〔0048a13〕。兩套配法維度不同，不併成一列。
末以耳例眼：見人天、二乘、菩薩、佛而配五眼，第三枚〔云云〕緊接佛眼〔T34n1718 0140b03–0140b04〕。
（八）鼻根所帖
鼻章先配五鼻：父母所生為肉鼻，大千內外為天鼻，不染不著為慧鼻，分別不謬為法鼻，一時互用為佛鼻。根經說「聞於三千大千世界上下內外種種諸香」〔T09n0262 0048b18〕，又說「悉皆得聞，分別不錯。」〔0048b26〕；五鼻名目是本論釋經。
鼻根互用依本論原序為：
| 次第 | 本論所釋 | 根經今本 |
|---|---|---|
| 一 | 知香好惡、辨貴賤、見天宮莊嚴，為眼用 | 「若香若臭物，種種悉聞知。」〔0048c14〕；「聞香知貴賤，出處及所在。」〔0049a17〕；「天上諸宮殿，上中下差別」〔0049a20〕 |
| 二 | 聞香知人讀經說法，為耳用 | 「若坐若經行，及讀誦經法」〔0049b04〕；「或為人說法，聞香悉能知。」〔0049b08〕 |
| 三 | 知樹花果實及蘇油香氣，為舌用 | 今本作「諸樹華菓實，及酥油香氣」〔0048c27〕；花、華及蘇、酥各守其本 |
| 四 | 知入禪出禪與五欲嬉戲，為身用 | 「入禪出禪者，聞香悉能知。」〔0049a29〕；本論只說禪有八觸，未列八觸全目 |
| 五 | 知染欲、癡、恚心與修善者，為意用 | 「染欲癡恚心，亦知修善者。」〔0049a13〕 |
（九）舌根所帖
舌章先配五舌：父母所生為肉舌，能作十法界語為天舌，不壞為慧舌，不謬為法舌，一時互用為佛舌；第四枚〔云云〕緊接佛舌〔0140b15–0140b16〕。根經列天、龍、八部、四眾、王臣、二乘、菩薩及諸佛來聞、樂見，未用十法界語這一整詞。
根經說「諸苦澁物，在其舌根，皆變成上味」〔T09n0262 0049b17〕。本論據此問：苦、澁、惡味到舌都變上味，眾色到眼何以不變妙色？舊答認為味有損益，損者才變，色不損眼所以不例；本論接著明標今解不然，以一切色同佛色、一切聲同佛聲及自在根作答〔T34n1718 0140b16–0140b22〕。設問、舊答、本論答三個聲部不可合併。
（十）身根所帖
根經說「三千大千世界眾生，生時、死時，上下、好醜」〔T09n0262 0049c24〕皆於清淨身中顯現，又說「下至阿鼻地獄，上至有頂，所有及眾生，悉於中現。」〔0049c28〕，並列「若聲聞、辟支佛、菩薩、諸佛說法，皆於身中現其色像。」〔0049c29〕。
本論依此配五身：世間所有為肉身用，上至有頂為天身用，二乘為慧身用，菩薩為法身用，佛為佛身用；再以一時圓現、一時互用、一時無謬、一時無著收束，第五枚〔云云〕在無著之後〔0140b22–0140b26〕。五身配當是本論釋經，不是根經逐字列名。
（十一）意根所帖
| 本論所釋 | T09n0262 今本逐字 | 關係 |
|---|---|---|
| 世間資生產業皆順正法，配人意淨 | 「若說俗間經書、治世語言、資生業等，皆順正法。」〔0050a23〕 | 本論縮攝經句 |
| 天的心行、動作全知，配天意淨 | 「心之所行、心所動作、心所戲論，皆悉知之。」〔0050a25〕 | 根經通說六趣，本論舉天配天意 |
| 四月表四諦，一歲十二月表十二因緣，所說不違實相，配慧意淨 | 「能演說一句一偈至於一月、四月乃至一歲」〔0050a21〕及「皆與實相不相違背。」〔0050a23〕 | 月數屬經；四諦、十二因緣是本論所表釋 |
| 一月表一乘，配菩薩意淨 | 根經有一月，未說一乘 | 本論所表釋 |
| 所思量皆是先佛經中所說，配佛意淨 | 「亦是先佛經中所說。」〔0050a28〕 | 核心逐字可回 |
本論末以圓明、圓互、無染、無謬及能盈、能縮、能等、能淨收束；第六枚〔云云〕在品末，不吞併正文能淨。
（十二）鏡釋才顯名的來源線索
下列來源由《法華文句記》在本域明標，T1718 本段未顯名，故只作鏡面溯源：
一、湛然說光宅強弱三根所引《大論》與今經不相應〔T34n1719 0346b24–0346b27〕。T25n1509 可見「何以故三識所知合為一，三識所知別為三」〔0350c12〕，續以眼見、耳聞、意識與鼻舌身覺分組〔0350c13–0350c14〕。這是鏡面辨兩套強根分組的來源，不倒填為智者顯名之引。
二、湛然把四輪與五十二位源指《菩薩瓔珞本業經》〔0347a17–0347a20〕。今本列「信心、念心、精進心、慧心、定心、不退心、迴向心、護心、戒心、願心。」〔T24n1485 1011c04〕，又有十信入十住〔1014c01〕、十住銅輪〔1016a22〕、十善上品鐵輪〔1017a20〕及六位列名〔1022b13〕。這些只作鏡面平行，不據以改本論第三心。
三、湛然只說「準《華嚴經》六根各十十義，亦與此中文同，但真似別耳。」〔T34n1719 0347a24〕，沒有在本域列出六十細目，故本目只保留其源指。
四、湛然另錄「又有人引《俱舍》等所辯界內六塵，用釋此中六塵，但得片義非文正意，故不用也。」〔T34n1719 0346c05〕。這是《記》所錄並斥之說，不是 T1718 自錄的第四家。
四、文句記釋要〔鏡〕
湛然先把本品分成品名與功德增減兩大段，再把智者結品名的四意逐一配為世界、為人、對治、第一義〔T34n1719 0346a08–0346a10〕。這一配屬是鏡釋；本論正文只明四段作用，未列四悉名。
對法師與功德，鏡文說法師稱通四信五品，而初隨喜功德與本品六根功德「同名功德、高下永別」〔T34n1719 0346a23〕。兩重內外莊嚴中，第二重又被進寄真位〔0346a24–0346a29〕。這些說明可辨位次，不改成本論自說。
對兩家功德數，湛然明判先略出二家、次總斥〔0346b18–0346c01〕，並指出五種法師各得六根，不應五師共算六千；又以根經只有八百、一千二百反問何以另立一千〔0346b21–0346b28〕。
對本論正解，鏡文明列四科：先總攝四部引證，次正解，再辨增減，末判相似位〔0346c25–0346c27〕。兩套算法則分作弘經方軌與理境：第一套數足後才說五師各具六千〔0347a02–0347a03〕，第二套是理境、互用、相似位上之釋〔0347a08–0347a10〕。
六根六章中，湛然說眼章詳釋，以下五根多省；鼻根最為委悉，所以再辨互用，餘根準例〔0347b17–0347b23〕。鏡文又補明相似五眼、舌根先知味法界、身根空假中配釋及意根月歲所表〔0347b06、0347b23–0347b27〕，均只屬鏡面。
對耳根二釋，湛然判作「五根一一二釋，先約能見聞等，次約所見聞等，故重云也。耳根可見。」〔T34n1719 0347b20〕。鏡文判次與本論耳根兩釋的實文次序不相應，今並錄而不判孰是。
本品末，鏡文以〈隨喜〉校量初品、〈分別功德〉明四信五品、本品明相似六根、〈不輕〉明現後報，並續接神力、囑累及後諸品的弘經功能〔0347b28–0347c07〕。這是湛然的品序收束，不替代二十八品原有品脊。
五、諸家異釋
本論實錄三組異解或舊答，逐條如下：
一、光宅功德數說。原說自「光宅云：「三業合十善，一善具十為百」〔T34n1718 0139c02〕起，至與奪合論仍為六千〔0139c06〕。其算式、四項、自他、五師、三品及強弱三根已於目三全列。本論後以四部典籍反詰，並說其數雖整足而根不依文。
二、一位有人之三品說。本論逐字作「有人明數與光宅同，下品八百、中品一千、上品千二百。」〔T34n1718 0139c06〕。本論與《記》都沒有補出姓名，故只稱有人或又有師。
三、舌根問答的舊說。本論逐字作「舊不例，味有損益，損者變，不損者不變，諸色不壞眼故不例。」〔T34n1718 0140b17〕，緊接本論「今解不爾」〔0140b18〕。舊答與今解分列，不把前者改寫成智者結論。
此外，「諸師偏釋未會今經」〔T34n1718 0139c07〕是對前兩家總評，不另構第四家；「若偏判者則失旨也」〔0140a03〕是本論總結，也不是另一位偏判者。湛然另錄《俱舍》界內六塵說，作者層屬《記》，不混入本論自錄三組。
本品固定域內沒有「有人云」「或言」「舊云」「解者不同」「一云」「有師云」六個完整標記；但有光宅云、有人明、舊不例三個實有聲部。按本文實有聲部，異解共三組，不因常見標記缺席而減去光宅、有人與舊答。
六、術語
| 詞語 | 本論義位 | 鏡面限度 |
|---|---|---|
| 法師 | 義承前品；以讀誦例其餘四種，總攝五種法師 | 五師、五品與四信的位次疏通只署鏡 |
| 功德 | 初品初功德與五品之上六根功德有前後高下 | 高下永別是湛然明判 |
| 內外莊嚴 | 先以五根、意根分內外，再以身中現與向外化分內外 | 第二重進寄真位只屬鏡釋 |
| 四意 | 聞益、明識、似解、指始顯終四段 | 四悉逐配只屬鏡釋 |
| 六根清淨 | 不依功德多少立清淨；清淨時無盈、縮、等 | 經力助觀、般若等淨等判語只署鏡 |
| 莊嚴、盈、縮、等 | 根根六千為等，一千二百為盈，八百為縮 | 盈、縮、等各依本文數義 |
| 六根互用、根自在 | 根清淨後，一根兼具他根之用而不可思議 | 《大經》《華嚴》之真似疏通留鏡層 |
| 勝根用 | 未發真而因經力有殊勝根用，仍名父母肉眼 | 功如入地是湛然對論引的解釋 |
| 五眼至五意 | 本論依六根逐章建立的配釋 | 不是根經逐字列名 |
| 十法界、十如 | 一心十界、界界十如，構成一千二百算法 | 不補後世約詞 |
| 四輪、五十二位、《仁王》 | 三套位名與常精進之位並列，歸相似位 | 第三心改第二只作鏡面校釋 |
| 八觸 | 本論只以禪有八觸說鼻兼身用 | 本段未列八觸全目 |
| 一月、四月、一歲 | 本論分表一乘、四諦、十二因緣 | 根經只有月數，所表義是本論釋 |
本品正文不具七個後世約詞的完整詞形。詞形不見不等於義理不存在，故只記字面層次，不以後起整詞代稱智者原語。
七、譬喻・互讀・承衍
本品最鮮明的意象不是抽象列數，而是一切色像在清淨身中顯現。內外莊嚴先由五根與意根分內外，又由身中現與向外化重開內外，使六根功德既不只是一組感官能力，也不離每一根的具體作用。
鼻根章把互用展得最詳：聞香而知宮殿莊嚴、讀經說法、花果酥油、入出禪與眾生心行。舌根章又以苦味變成上味發問，身根章以大千眾生及四聖色像皆於身中現，意根章以月、四月、歲承載不同法義。這些都是本品自有意象；互用不是把六根抹成一根，而是每根仍有名位、同時不受單一作用拘限。
與本倉〈法師功德品〉根經互讀，六根數、六章長行與偈頌可逐一回勘；本論的五眼、五耳等配釋則顯示古德如何從經文列境讀出根用。與《法華玄贊》並觀時，只把兩疏視為同釋一經的兩種古鏡，不用一疏裁另一疏。
本論的十如回接〈方便品〉，如來室、衣、座回接〈法師品〉，三業安樂行回接〈安樂行品〉。這三條經內互讀共同服務於六千算法；它們不是把三品原文搬來拼成一段，而是本論依全經既有名目說明弘經功德。
本品承前〈隨喜功德品〉與〈分別功德品〉而來，後接〈常不輕菩薩品〉。其承衍不在另造品間位階，而在把受持、讀、誦、解說、書寫所得功德展成六根清淨的具體相狀，再把弘經之人引向下一品的現生、後報敘事。
八、校本定位
（一）五組【大】／【甲】異讀
| 行錨 | 【大】正文 | 【甲】異讀 | 短境與類型 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0139b21 | 而 | 已 | 地獄已上至佛而還；異字 |
| 0139b26 | 厭 | 𪖗 | 勤求無厭；異字、外字 |
| 0140a26 | 祇 | 只 | 祇作八百千二百解；異字，校記另註下同 |
| 0140b13 | 是 | 甲本缺 | 父母所生即是肉舌；刪字 |
| 0140c04 | 能 | 甲本缺 | 能等能淨；刪字 |
五組都有正文起訖標及後置校記；兩組空讀明記甲本缺，不以空白當作無資料。𪖗為校記中的外字，編碼為 CB13625、Unicode U+2A597，組字資訊為鼻與欠；它只住【甲】異讀，不倒換【大】正文的厭。
（二）所傳夾註六枚
| 行錨 | 讀者形逐字 |
|---|---|
| 0139c11 | 一上品餘非上品〔云云〕 |
| 0139c12 | 不論上中下〔云云〕 |
| 0140b04 | 見佛即佛眼〔云云〕 |
| 0140b16 | 一時互用即佛舌〔云云〕 |
| 0140b26 | 一時無謬一時無著〔云云〕 |
| 0140c04 | 能盈能縮能等能淨〔云云〕 |
六枚均為底本所傳的行內夾註，不展補、不移位、不以省略號抹平。本品正文可見流沒有另見通用字庫外字；苦澁是正文實字，不屬外字標記。
（三）品題、目錄與頁錨
全帙一級目錄有兩種題形：〈序品〉不冠釋字，其餘二十七品作釋某品；本單元題作釋法師功德品。嚴格域短而未跨半卷，不另立續目。
讀者原典的頁錨採換頁一枚、段首行內標示；本單元由 T34〔0139b17〕起，換頁後於〔0140a07〕再標一枚。考據中的精確行錨則一律取引文首字之前最近行標；範圍錨的起點同樣以首字實位為準，不能用引經標名行或前一句行代替。
This unit completely explains “The Qualities of the Dharma Teacher”: it first distinguishes Dharma teacher, qualities, and inward and outward adornment; records two masters’ divergent explanations of the numbers of qualities; challenges their one-sided judgments with four sutras and treatises; then presents two positive calculations of six thousand and twelve hundred; distinguishes purity, adornment, fullness, contraction, equality, and the semblant stage; and finally explains the sutra faculty by faculty through six sections on eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Its strict domain does not cross into the next chapter.
I. Doctrinal-Outline Placement
The strict domain is T34n1718 〔0139b17–0140c04〕. It begins with the chapter title 「釋法師功德品」 tr. “Explanation of the Chapter on the Qualities of the Dharma Teacher” 〔T34n1718 0139b17〕 and ends with 「能盈能縮能等能淨〔云云〕。」 tr. “able to expand, contract, be equal, and be pure [and so forth]” 〔T34n1718 0140c04〕. The next title, 「釋常不輕菩薩品」 tr. “Explanation of the Chapter on the Bodhisattva Never Disparaging,” begins at 〔0140c05〕 and is excluded. This unit contains 1,676 Han characters. Its body crosses four paragraphs and is not separately divided at the second heading level.
This chapter is the fifth grade within the Origin Gate. Its text has twelve internal nodes of progression:
| Sequence | Line domain | Root-treatise content |
|---|---|---|
| One | 0139b18–0139c01 | Dharma teacher, qualities, and inward and outward adornment; inferring the other four teachers from reading and reciting, the other four grades from the first, and concluding the chapter title through four meanings |
| Two | 0139c01–0139c19 | Guangzhai’s and another person’s counts of qualities; challenging one-sided judgments with the Great Prajñāpāramitā, True Dharma Lotus, Treatise on the Lotus Sutra, and Great Nirvāṇa Sutra |
| Three | 0139c19–0139c24 | Six thousand through the peaceful practices of the three karmas, ten wholesome actions, ten suchnesses, transforming others, and the Tathāgata’s room, robe, and seat |
| Four | 0139c24–0139c28 | Twelve hundred through one mind, ten realms, ten suchnesses in each realm, six sense-objects, and meditative stability and wisdom |
| Five | 0139c28–0140a07 | Purity, adornment, fullness, contraction, equality, and interfunctioning; the four wheels, fifty-two stages, Humane Kings, and the stage-name of Ever Diligent |
| Six | 0140a07–0140a09 | General enumeration of the numbers of qualities and separate opening into six sections, each with prose and verse |
| Seven | 0140a09–0140a26 | Eye faculty: the physical eye born of one’s parents has extraordinary faculty-functions and the functions of all five eyes |
| Eight | 0140a26–0140b04 | Ear faculty: two correlations with the five ears, one by what is heard and one by the hearing function; then returning from the ear to infer the five eyes |
| Nine | 0140b04–0140b12 | Nose faculty: the five noses and interfunctioning in seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and knowing minds |
| Ten | 0140b12–0140b22 | Tongue faculty: five tongues; question on bitter flavors changing while forms do not; the old answer and the root treatise’s answer |
| Eleven | 0140b22–0140b26 | Body faculty: the world, devas, two vehicles, bodhisattvas, and buddhas all appear within the body |
| Twelve | 0140b26–0140c04 | Mind faculty: livelihoods, deva minds, four truths, twelve links of dependent arising, One Vehicle, scriptures of past buddhas, and five minds |
The Fahua Wenjuji’s direct explanation of this chapter begins with 「先釋品名，次釋功德增減，即法師之功德也。」 tr. “First the chapter title is explained; next the increase and decrease of the qualities are explained—these are precisely the qualities of the Dharma teacher” 〔T34n1719 0346a07〕 and ends with 「故〈隨喜品〉已下，不勞委釋物像相貌，但略示文相以顯傳弘，則流通之功其義自了。」 tr. “Therefore, from ‘Joyful Acceptance’ onward, there is no need to explain the appearances of objects and images in exhaustive detail; the textual configuration is only briefly indicated to disclose transmission and propagation, and the meaning of the qualities of circulation is thereby naturally clear” 〔T34n1719 0347c06–0347c07〕. The next line separately begins the chapter on Never Disparaging. Mirror and root treatise agree on the chapter boundary.
II. Formation and Transmission
Shenjiong’s preface at the head of the work calls it 「迺是灌頂法師私記，合二十卷」 tr. “Dharma Master Guanding’s private record, combined into twenty fascicles” 〔T34n1718 0001a23–0001a24〕 and records Master Lang’s ordering in the wuzi year of Tianbao. The half-fascicle containing this unit still attributes only the teaching to Tiantai Master Zhizhe. The doctrinal teaching is therefore attributed to Zhizhe, and its textual transmission to Guanding and later editors. The present strict domain itself does not repeat the transmission narrative, nor does another recension’s preface survive from which the order before editing could be reconstructed. This unit connects itself to the transmission layer of the whole work in only one sentence and does not conjecturally rewrite the body from hindsight.
The body of this chapter preserves five Taishō variants, six transmitted inline notes, and one textual-critical gaiji. These materials prove that the received text contains variants open to examination, but do not provide a basis for choosing one reading as superior. The body follows 【Taishō】, the critical record places 【Edition A】 beside it, and an empty reading is explicitly recorded as absent in Edition A.
III. Sutra Passages Explained and Works Cited
A. Complete Alignment with the Root-Sutra Chapter
The root sutra is T09n0262, “The Qualities of the Dharma Teacher,” chapter nineteen. Its title is at 〔0047c02〕, the body runs from 〔0047c03〕 through 〔0050b22〕, and the next chapter title begins at 〔0050b23〕. This repository’s root text for the chapter is aligned against it passage by passage. The whole chapter consists of thirteen blocks: the title, the general numbers for the six faculties, and prose and verse for each of the six faculties:
| Sequence | Root-sutra block | Lines in this edition’s chapter | T09n0262 line domain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero | Chapter title | One through two | 0047c02 |
| One | General numbers for the six faculties together with prose on the eye | Four | 0047c03–0047c11 |
| Two | Verse on the eye | Five through fifteen | 0047c12–0047c22 |
| Three | Prose on the ear | Sixteen | 0047c23–0048a08 |
| Four | Verse on the ear | Seventeen through fifty-three | 0048a08–0048b15 |
| Five | Prose on the nose | Fifty-four through fifty-five | 0048b16–0048c12 |
| Six | Verse on the nose | Fifty-six through one hundred fifteen | 0048c13–0049b14 |
| Seven | Prose on the tongue | One hundred sixteen through one hundred seventeen | 0049b15–0049c04 |
| Eight | Verse on the tongue | One hundred eighteen through one hundred thirty-four | 0049c05–0049c21 |
| Nine | Prose on the body | One hundred thirty-five through one hundred thirty-six | 0049c22–0050a01 |
| Ten | Verse on the body | One hundred thirty-seven through one hundred fifty-one | 0050a02–0050a17 |
| Eleven | Prose on the mind | One hundred fifty-two through one hundred fifty-three | 0050a18–0050a29 |
| Twelve | Verse on the mind | One hundred fifty-four through one hundred seventy-five | 0050b01–0050b22 |
At its beginning the chapter lists in sequence 「八百眼功德、千二百耳功德」 tr. “eight hundred qualities of the eye and twelve hundred qualities of the ear” 〔T09n0262 0047c05〕 and 「八百鼻功德、千二百舌功德、八百身功德」 tr. “eight hundred qualities of the nose, twelve hundred qualities of the tongue, and eight hundred qualities of the body” 〔T09n0262 0047c06〕, followed by twelve hundred for mind. Eye, nose, and body have eight hundred, while ear, tongue, and mind have twelve hundred; the first three and last three faculties do not form the two groups.
B. Chapter Title, Five Kinds of Dharma Teacher, and Two Kinds of Inward and Outward Adornment
| Root-treatise wording or explanation | Present root-sutra text | Literal relationship |
|---|---|---|
| The root treatise carries forward the meaning of Dharma teacher and also says 「讀誦既爾，四種亦然。」 tr. “Since reading and reciting are so, the other four kinds are likewise” 〔T34n1718 0139b24〕 | The root sutra lists 「受持是法華經，若讀、若誦、若解說、若書寫」 tr. “receive and uphold this Lotus Sutra, read it, recite it, explain it, or copy it” 〔T09n0262 0047c04〕 | The five practices can be traced to the root sutra; using reading and reciting to infer the other four is the root treatise’s explanatory language |
| The root treatise distinguishes the initial qualities of the first grade from the qualities of purification of the six faculties above the five grades | This chapter states only the qualities of the six faculties gained by those who receive and uphold, and so forth 〔0047c03–0047c08〕 | The stages of first grade, five grades, semblance, and partial realization belong to the root treatise’s classification |
| The root treatise says 「以是功德莊嚴六根」 tr. “with these qualities adorn the six faculties” 〔T34n1718 0139c16〕 | The root sutra reads 「以是功德、莊嚴六根，皆令清淨。」 tr. “with these qualities, adorn the six faculties and cause them all to become pure” 〔T09n0262 0047c07〕 | The root sutra has a caesura after “qualities”; each text preserves its own wording |
| Purification of the five faculties is outward, and purification of mind is inward | The root sutra speaks only generally of adorning and purifying the six faculties | This is the root treatise’s first inward/outward adornment |
| Forms and images appearing within the body are inward; manifesting them outward through the samādhi of universal manifestation is outward | The root sutra says 「皆於身中現其色像。」 tr. “all manifest their forms and images within the body” 〔T09n0262 0049c29〕 but does not mention the samādhi of universal manifestation or outward manifestation | Appearance within the body can be traced to the root sutra; the samādhi of universal manifestation and outward transformation are the root treatise’s second explanation |
| The root treatise infers the other five faculties from the body, the other four teachers from reading and reciting, and the other four grades from the first | The root sutra gives each of the six faculties its own section and does not make these three general inferences | All three are the root treatise’s method of inferring the remaining cases from one |
The root treatise’s four meanings consist of four passages: hearing the benefit and joyfully seeking it; clearly recognizing the Great Vehicle and resolving doubt; the initial arising of semblant understanding surpassing the two vehicles; and showing the end from the beginning so that the ultimate is known. It concludes, 「此品所明備斯四意」 tr. “what this chapter explains possesses these four meanings” 〔T34n1718 0139b29〕. T0262 does not list four named meanings in this chapter. Correlating the four passages with the four siddhāntas is a Mirror judgment in the Wenjuji, not wording found in either root sutra or root treatise.
C. Two Masters’ Counts of Qualities and the Root Treatise’s Counterevidence
Guangzhai’s account follows this exact order in the root treatise: the three karmas accord with the ten wholesome actions; ten within one wholesome action make one hundred; personal practice, transforming others, joyful acceptance, and praise make four hundred; the five kinds of Dharma teacher make two thousand; three grades make six thousand; the weaker functions of three faculties then give eight hundred, and the stronger functions of three give twelve hundred, while increase and reduction together still make six thousand 〔T34n1718 0139c02–0139c06〕.
Another person 「明數與光宅同，下品八百、中品一千、上品千二百。」 tr. “explains the numbers in the same way as Guangzhai: eight hundred for the lower grade, one thousand for the middle, and twelve hundred for the higher” 〔T34n1718 0139c06〕. The root sutra has only eight hundred and twelve hundred, not a middle grade of one thousand; the root treatise supplies neither this person’s name, era, nor style-name.
The sequence of the root treatise’s counterevidence is fixed as follows:
| Sequence | Root-treatise transmission | Present received parallel | Limit of the parallel record |
|---|---|---|---|
| One | The Great Prajñāpāramitā is cited as 「色淨故般若淨，般若淨故色淨，色淨五根淨，般若淨意根淨」 tr. “because form is pure, prajñā is pure; because prajñā is pure, form is pure; because form is pure, the five faculties are pure; because prajñā is pure, the mind faculty is pure” 〔T34n1718 0139c08〕 | T08n0223 can anchor 「色清淨故，般若波羅蜜清淨。」 tr. “because form is pure, the perfection of prajñā is pure” 〔0310b01〕 and 「受想行識清淨故，般若波羅蜜清淨。」 tr. “because feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are pure, the perfection of prajñā is pure” 〔0310b02〕 | The received text establishes the pattern of equal purity between form and prajñā; the latter three clauses of the commentary’s citation are not found there in identical continuous wording, so a partial anchor is not presented as complete verbal identity |
| Two | The True Dharma Lotus is said to possess the complete six thousand without discussing higher, middle, or lower grades 〔T34n1718 0139c11–0139c12〕 | T09n0263 lists eight hundred for the eye and twelve hundred each for ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind 〔0119a19–0119a21〕 and also speaks of countless hundreds of thousands of virtues | The continuous expression “six thousand qualities” does not occur in the received text; the ancient commentary’s total is neither recalculated nor altered |
| Three | The Treatise on the Lotus Sutra is cited as 「凡人以經力故得勝根用」 tr. “ordinary people, through the power of the scripture, obtain extraordinary faculty-functions” 〔T34n1718 0139c13〕, followed by not yet entering the first ground and the physical eye born of one’s parents seeing within and beyond the great trichiliocosm | T26n1519 reads 「此得六根清淨者，謂諸凡夫以經力故得勝根用」 tr. “those who attain purification of the six faculties are ordinary beings who, through the power of the scripture, obtain extraordinary faculty-functions” 〔0010a16〕 and 「以父母所生清淨肉眼見于三千大千世界」 tr. “with the pure physical eye born of their parents, they see the great trichiliocosm” 〔0010a18〕; T26n1520 reads 「此得六根清淨者，謂凡夫人以經力故得勝根用」 tr. “those who attain purification of the six faculties are ordinary beings who, through the power of the scripture, obtain extraordinary faculty-functions” 〔0019b12〕 and 「以父母所生清淨肉眼，見於三千大千世界」 tr. “with the pure physical eye born of their parents, they see the great trichiliocosm” 〔0019b14〕 | The distinct forms “ordinary person,” “ordinary beings,” and “ordinary people,” as well as additions or omissions such as “within and beyond,” remain with their own texts |
| Four | The Great Nirvāṇa Sutra is cited as 「如來一根則能見色、聞聲、嗅香、別味、覺觸、知法」 tr. “one faculty of the Tathāgata can see form, hear sound, smell fragrance, distinguish flavor, feel touch, and know dharmas” 〔T34n1718 0139c15〕 | T12n0374 reads 「如來一根，亦能見色、聞聲、嗅香、別味、覺觸、知法。」 tr. “one faculty of the Tathāgata can also see form, hear sound, smell fragrance, distinguish flavor, feel touch, and know dharmas” 〔0503a04〕; T12n0375 reads 「如來一根亦能見色、聞聲、嗅香、別味、覺觸、知法」 tr. “one faculty of the Tathāgata can also see form, hear sound, smell fragrance, distinguish flavor, feel touch, and know dharmas” 〔0746c17〕 | The commentary has “then,” while both received sutras have “also”; their punctuation likewise remains text-specific |
After the first citation, the root treatise asks three pairs of questions—one strong and one not strong, one pure and one not pure, one higher grade and the rest not higher—and then preserves 〔云云〕 tr. “[and so forth]” 〔0139c10–0139c11〕. After the second citation it preserves another 〔云云〕 tr. “[and so forth]” 〔0139c12〕. Both inline notes remain in their transmitted positions.
D. The Root Treatise’s Two Positive Calculations
The first calculation begins with the peaceful practices of the three karmas and establishes the ten wholesome actions. Ten within one wholesome action make one hundred; the ten suchnesses within each wholesome action make one thousand; transforming others makes two thousand; and the Tathāgata’s room, robe, and seat make six thousand. Each of the five kinds of Dharma teacher possesses purification of all six faculties, with one thousand qualities in each faculty 〔T34n1718 0139c20–0139c24〕.
The scriptural wording used in this calculation can be traced separately as follows:
| Root-treatise term | Exact wording in the present T09n0262 | Anchor and limit |
|---|---|---|
| Peaceful practices | 「當安住四法。一者、安住菩薩行處及親近處」 tr. “one should abide in four dharmas: first, abiding in a bodhisattva’s sphere of practice and sphere of approach” | 0037a15; the root sutra explicitly lists four dharmas, while the root treatise separately enters the peaceful practices of the three karmas into its calculation |
| Ten suchnesses | 「如是相，如是性，如是體，如是力，如是作，如是因」 tr. “such an appearance, such a nature, such a substance, such a power, such an activity, such a cause” 〔0005c11〕, followed by 「如是緣，如是果，如是報，如是本末究竟等。」 tr. “such a condition, such an effect, such a recompense, and such an ultimate equality of beginning and end” 〔0005c13〕 | The names of the ten suchnesses occur in “Skillful Means”; placing the ten suchnesses within each wholesome action is the root treatise’s use |
| Tathāgata’s room, robe, and seat | 「入如來室，著如來衣，坐如來座」 tr. “enter the Tathāgata’s room, put on the Tathāgata’s robe, and sit on the Tathāgata’s seat” 〔0031c23〕 | The root sutra continues by explaining great compassion, gentleness and patience, and emptiness of all dharmas; the root treatise here takes only the three names into its count |
The second calculation says that one mind contains the ten dharma-realms; the ten suchnesses in each realm make one hundred; one faculty universally apprehending six sense-objects makes six hundred; and the two adornments of meditative stability and wisdom make twelve hundred. Since every faculty is adorned by meditative stability and wisdom, every faculty equally has twelve hundred 〔T34n1718 0139c24–0139c28〕. The ten suchnesses can be traced to “Skillful Means”; one mind containing ten realms, one faculty apprehending six objects, and multiplication by meditative stability and wisdom are the root treatise’s explanatory meanings and are not presented as sentences from the root sutra.
E. Purity, Adornment, Fullness, Contraction, Equality, and the Semblant Stage
The root treatise first separates purity from quantifiable adornment. If purity alone is discussed, it does not speak of the qualities as more or less. Only when adornment is discussed are the capacities for fullness, contraction, and equality stated. Six thousand in every faculty is equal adornment; twelve hundred discloses fullness; eight hundred discloses contraction. Purity has no fullness, contraction, or equality; the six faculties function through one another and their functions are mastered 〔0139c28–0140a03〕.
The stage-names occur in this order in the root treatise: the iron wheel among the four wheels; the mind of the ten trusts among the fifty-two stages; the great mind of the ten wholesome actions in Humane Kings; and, when addressed to Ever Diligent, the third mind of the ten trusts. All the names belong to the semblant stage of the Perfect Teaching 〔0140a04–0140a07〕. Both received translations of Humane Kings read 「十善菩薩發大心，長別三界苦輪海」 tr. “a bodhisattva of the ten wholesome actions brings forth the great mind and forever leaves the sea of suffering and the wheel of the three realms” 〔T08n0245 0827b14；T08n0246 0837b13〕. The commentary condenses this as “great mind of the ten wholesome actions”; the received text has “a bodhisattva of the ten wholesome actions brings forth the great mind.” They are recorded side by side without alteration.
F. Root-Sutra Passages Explained in the Eye Section
| Root-treatise explanation | Exact wording in the present T09n0262 | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| Born of one’s parents and therefore called the physical eye | 「父母所生清淨肉眼，見於三千大千世界內外」 tr. “with the pure physical eye born of one’s parents, see within and beyond the great trichiliocosm” 〔0047c08〕 | The physical eye born of one’s parents is directly anchored |
| What it sees surpasses the divine eye | 「雖未得天眼，肉眼力如是。」 tr. “although the divine eye has not yet been attained, the power of the physical eye is such” 〔0047c22〕 | The root treatise makes its comparison from “not yet attained” while being able to see |
| Brahmā’s wind-circle and the visual ranges of arhats and pratyekabuddhas | Not listed in the root sutra’s eye section | Comparative material belonging to the root treatise |
| Extraordinary faculty-function through the power of the scripture, while still named the physical eye | The present Treatise on the Lotus Sutra contains “power of the scripture” and “extraordinary faculty-function”; the root sutra has the physical eye born of one’s parents | The two source layers cannot be combined into a continuous root-sutra sentence |
| Seeing within and beyond the great trichiliocosm is the function of the divine eye | 「見於三千大千世界內外」 tr. “see within and beyond the great trichiliocosm” 〔0047c08〕 | The domain belongs to the sutra; correlation with the divine eye belongs to the root treatise |
| Seeing beings and the causes and conditions of their karma is the function of the Dharma-eye | 「亦見其中一切眾生，及業因緣、果報生處」 tr. “also see all the beings therein, together with the causes and conditions of their karma and the places where recompense brings them to birth” 〔0047c10〕 | The domain can be traced word for word |
| The extreme purity of the eyes is the function of the wisdom-eye | 「其目甚清淨。」 tr. “their eyes are exceedingly pure” 〔0047c16〕 | The sutra sentence can be traced word for word |
| Seeing inward and outward, karma, and purity, and perfectly subduing the delusions above the dharma-realm is the function of the buddha-eye | The root sutra has no sentence on perfectly subduing the delusions above the dharma-realm | The root treatise’s correlation |
The root treatise also cites the Great Nirvāṇa Sutra: 「雖有肉眼名為佛眼」 tr. “although possessing a physical eye, it is called a buddha-eye” 〔T34n1718 0140a23〕. The present T12n0374 reads 「學大乘者，雖有肉眼乃名佛眼。」 tr. “one who studies the Great Vehicle, although possessing a physical eye, is thereby called one with a buddha-eye” 〔0397b25〕, while T12n0375 reads 「學大乘者雖有肉眼，乃名佛眼。」 tr. “one who studies the Great Vehicle, although possessing a physical eye, is thereby called one with a buddha-eye” 〔0638a03〕. The commentary omits the subject and the graph 乃; both forms are recorded.
G. Root-Sutra Passages Explained in the Ear Section
One explanation of the ear section is keyed to the objects heard: hearing the six destinies corresponds to the physical and divine ears, hearing the two vehicles to the wisdom-ear, hearing bodhisattvas to the Dharma-ear, and hearing buddhas to the buddha-ear. The root sutra fully lists 「聲聞聲、辟支佛聲，菩薩聲、佛聲」 tr. “voices of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, voices of bodhisattvas and buddhas” 〔T09n0262 0048a04〕 and unfolds the sounds from the six destinies all the way through buddhas.
The other explanation is keyed to the hearing function: born of one’s parents is the physical ear; hearing inwardly and outwardly, the divine ear; hearing without attachment, the wisdom-ear; distinguishing without error, the Dharma-ear; mutually hearing all at one time, the buddha-ear. The present text reads 「以父母所生清淨常耳，皆悉聞知」 tr. “with the pure ordinary ears born of one’s parents, hear and know them all” 〔0048a06〕, while the root treatise says physical ear. The present text also has 「清淨好歌聲，聽之而不著」 tr. “pure and fine singing; one hears it without attachment” 〔0048a13〕. The two correlations operate along different dimensions and are not merged into one list.
At the end, the ear is used to infer the eye: seeing humans and devas, the two vehicles, bodhisattvas, and buddhas is correlated with the five eyes. The third 〔云云〕 tr. “[and so forth]” follows immediately after the buddha-eye 〔T34n1718 0140b03–0140b04〕.
H. Root-Sutra Passages Explained in the Nose Section
The nose section first correlates the five noses: born of one’s parents is the physical nose; knowing within and beyond the great trichiliocosm, the divine nose; freedom from defilement and attachment, the wisdom-nose; distinguishing without error, the Dharma-nose; interfunctioning at one time, the buddha-nose. The root sutra says 「聞於三千大千世界上下內外種種諸香」 tr. “smell the various fragrances above and below, within and beyond, throughout the great trichiliocosm” 〔T09n0262 0048b18〕 and also 「悉皆得聞，分別不錯。」 tr. “smell them all and distinguish without error” 〔0048b26〕. The names of the five noses are the root treatise’s explanation.
Interfunctioning of the nose follows this exact sequence in the root treatise:
| Sequence | Root-treatise explanation | Present root-sutra text |
|---|---|---|
| One | Knowing whether fragrance is good or bad, distinguishing noble from base, and seeing the adornments of heavenly palaces is the function of the eye | 「若香若臭物，種種悉聞知。」 tr. “whether fragrant or foul, the various things are all smelled and known” 〔0048c14〕; 「聞香知貴賤，出處及所在。」 tr. “smelling fragrance, one knows what is noble or base, its source and location” 〔0049a17〕; 「天上諸宮殿，上中下差別」 tr. “the heavenly palaces and their distinctions as higher, middle, and lower” 〔0049a20〕 |
| Two | Smelling fragrance and knowing that someone is reading the sutra or teaching Dharma is the function of the ear | 「若坐若經行，及讀誦經法」 tr. “whether sitting or walking in meditation, and reading or reciting the sutra-Dharma” 〔0049b04〕; 「或為人說法，聞香悉能知。」 tr. “or teaching Dharma for others—by smelling fragrance, one can know them all” 〔0049b08〕 |
| Three | Knowing trees, flowers, fruits, clarified butter, and oils by fragrance is the function of the tongue | The present text reads 「諸樹華菓實，及酥油香氣」 tr. “the fragrances of trees, flowers, fruits, clarified butter, and oils” 〔0048c27〕; the distinct graphs 花／華 and 蘇／酥 remain with their own texts |
| Four | Knowing entry into and emergence from meditation and play among the five desires is the function of the body | 「入禪出禪者，聞香悉能知。」 tr. “those entering or emerging from meditation can all be known by smelling their fragrance” 〔0049a29〕; the root treatise only says meditation has eight objects of touch and does not list all eight |
| Five | Knowing minds stained by desire, delusion, and anger, and those cultivating goodness, is the function of mind | 「染欲癡恚心，亦知修善者。」 tr. “minds stained by desire, delusion, and anger, and also those cultivating goodness” 〔0049a13〕 |
I. Root-Sutra Passages Explained in the Tongue Section
The tongue section first correlates the five tongues: born of one’s parents is the physical tongue; speaking the languages of the ten dharma-realms, the divine tongue; not being damaged, the wisdom-tongue; being without error, the Dharma-tongue; and interfunctioning at one time, the buddha-tongue. The fourth 〔云云〕 tr. “[and so forth]” follows immediately after the buddha-tongue 〔0140b15–0140b16〕. The root sutra lists devas, nāgas, the eight classes, the fourfold assembly, kings and ministers, the two vehicles, bodhisattvas, and buddhas coming to hear and delighting in seeing the speaker; it does not use the complete expression “languages of the ten dharma-realms.”
The root sutra says 「諸苦澁物，在其舌根，皆變成上味」 tr. “all bitter and astringent things, on reaching that person’s tongue, become superior flavors” 〔T09n0262 0049b17〕. From this, the root treatise asks why bitter, astringent, and bad flavors all become superior when they reach the tongue, while various forms do not become wondrous when they reach the eye. The old answer says that flavors can harm or benefit, and only harmful ones change, while forms do not damage the eye and therefore cannot be inferred by analogy. The root treatise then explicitly marks its present explanation as otherwise and answers through all forms being the same as the Buddha’s forms, all sounds being the same as the Buddha’s sounds, and the faculties being mastered 〔T34n1718 0140b16–0140b22〕. The question, old answer, and root-treatise answer are three distinct voices and cannot be merged.
J. Root-Sutra Passages Explained in the Body Section
The root sutra says 「三千大千世界眾生，生時、死時，上下、好醜」 tr. “beings of the great trichiliocosm, when born and when dying, higher and lower, beautiful and ugly” 〔T09n0262 0049c24〕 all appear within the purified body. It also says 「下至阿鼻地獄，上至有頂，所有及眾生，悉於中現。」 tr. “downward to Avīci hell and upward to the summit of existence, all that exists and all beings appear within it” 〔0049c28〕, and lists 「若聲聞、辟支佛、菩薩、諸佛說法，皆於身中現其色像。」 tr. “when śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, or buddhas teach the Dharma, all their forms and images appear within the body” 〔0049c29〕.
On this basis, the root treatise correlates five bodies: everything worldly is the function of the physical body; everything up to the summit of existence, the heavenly body; the two vehicles, the wisdom-body; bodhisattvas, the Dharma-body; and buddhas, the buddha-body. It then concludes with perfect manifestation at one time, interfunctioning at one time, freedom from error at one time, and freedom from attachment at one time. The fifth 〔云云〕 tr. “[and so forth]” follows freedom from attachment 〔0140b22–0140b26〕. The five-body correlations are the root treatise’s explanation of the sutra, not names listed word for word in the root sutra.
K. Root-Sutra Passages Explained in the Mind Section
| Root-treatise explanation | Exact wording in the present T09n0262 | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| Worldly livelihoods all accord with right Dharma and correspond to purity of the human mind | 「若說俗間經書、治世語言、資生業等，皆順正法。」 tr. “if one speaks of worldly scriptures and writings, language for governing the world, or occupations for sustaining life, all accord with right Dharma” 〔0050a23〕 | The root treatise condenses the sutra sentence |
| Knowing every course and activity of devas corresponds to purity of the deva mind | 「心之所行、心所動作、心所戲論，皆悉知之。」 tr. “the courses of their minds, the activities of their minds, and the conceptual proliferations of their minds are all known” 〔0050a25〕 | The root sutra speaks generally of the six destinies; the root treatise adduces devas and correlates them with the deva mind |
| Four months represent the four truths; the twelve months of one year represent the twelve links of dependent arising; teaching without contradicting the true mark corresponds to purity of the wisdom-mind | 「能演說一句一偈至於一月、四月乃至一歲」 tr. “can expound one phrase or one verse for one month, four months, or even one year” 〔0050a21〕 and 「皆與實相不相違背。」 tr. “all of it does not contradict the true mark” 〔0050a23〕 | The durations belong to the sutra; the four truths and twelve links are what the root treatise says they represent |
| One month represents the One Vehicle and corresponds to purity of the bodhisattva mind | The root sutra has one month but does not say One Vehicle | The root treatise’s interpretation of what is represented |
| Whatever is contemplated was taught in the sutras of past buddhas and corresponds to purity of the buddha mind | 「亦是先佛經中所說。」 tr. “it is also what was taught in the sutras of past buddhas” 〔0050a28〕 | The core can be traced word for word |
The root treatise ends by gathering the section under perfect clarity, perfect interfunctioning, freedom from defilement, freedom from error, and the capacities for fullness, contraction, equality, and purity. The sixth 〔云云〕 tr. “[and so forth]” occurs at the end of the chapter and does not swallow the body’s words “able to be pure.”
L. Source Clues Named Only by the Mirror
The following sources are explicitly named by the Fahua Wenjuji in this domain but not by T1718 in the present passage, and therefore serve only as Mirror-level provenance:
First, Zhanran says that the Great Treatise cited for Guangzhai’s three stronger and weaker faculties does not accord with the present sutra 〔T34n1719 0346b24–0346b27〕. T25n1509 has 「何以故三識所知合為一，三識所知別為三」 tr. “Why? The objects known by three consciousnesses are combined as one; the objects known by three consciousnesses are distinguished as three” 〔0350c12〕, followed by groupings of seeing by the eye, hearing by the ear, consciousness, and sensing by nose, tongue, and body 〔0350c13–0350c14〕. This is the Mirror’s provenance for distinguishing two groupings of stronger faculties; it is not retroactively inserted as a citation explicitly named by Zhizhe.
Second, Zhanran points to the Sutra of the Bodhisattva’s Jeweled Necklace and Fundamental Karmic Deeds as the source of the four wheels and fifty-two stages 〔0347a17–0347a20〕. The received text lists 「信心、念心、精進心、慧心、定心、不退心、迴向心、護心、戒心、願心。」 tr. “mind of faith, mind of mindfulness, mind of vigor, mind of wisdom, mind of meditative stability, nonretrogressing mind, dedicating mind, guarding mind, precept mind, and vow mind” 〔T24n1485 1011c04〕. It also has entry from the ten trusts into the ten abodes 〔1014c01〕, the copper wheel of the ten abodes 〔1016a22〕, the iron wheel of the higher grade of the ten wholesome actions 〔1017a20〕, and the names of the six stages 〔1022b13〕. These are preserved only as Mirror-level parallels and are not used to alter the root treatise’s “third mind.”
Third, Zhanran says only 「準《華嚴經》六根各十十義，亦與此中文同，但真似別耳。」 tr. “According to the Flower Garland Sutra, each of the six faculties has ten groups of ten meanings; this too agrees with the present text, except that true and semblant differ” 〔T34n1719 0347a24〕. He does not list the sixty details in this domain, so this apparatus retains only his source pointer.
Fourth, Zhanran separately records 「又有人引《俱舍》等所辯界內六塵，用釋此中六塵，但得片義非文正意，故不用也。」 tr. “Another person cites the six sense-objects within the realms as distinguished in the Treasury and other works to explain the six sense-objects here; this gains only a fragment of the meaning and is not the proper intent of the text, so it is not used” 〔T34n1719 0346c05〕. This is an account recorded and rejected by the Wenjuji, not a fourth house recorded by T1718 itself.
IV. Essential Explanations from the Wenjuji [the Mirror]
Zhanran first divides the chapter into two main parts, the chapter title and the increase and decrease of the qualities, then correlates Zhizhe’s four conclusions of the title one by one with the worldly, for-person, counteractive, and ultimate-truth siddhāntas 〔T34n1719 0346a08–0346a10〕. This correlation is Mirror exegesis; the root treatise itself explains the functions of four passages without listing the names of the four siddhāntas.
Concerning Dharma teacher and qualities, the Mirror says that “Dharma teacher” extends through the four trusts and five grades, while the qualities of initial joyful acceptance and the qualities of the six faculties in this chapter are 「同名功德、高下永別」 tr. “qualities bearing the same name whose higher and lower levels are forever distinct” 〔T34n1719 0346a23〕. Within the two kinds of inward and outward adornment, the second is further provisionally assigned to the true stages 〔0346a24–0346a29〕. These explanations distinguish the stages without being rewritten as statements made by the root treatise itself.
Regarding the two masters’ counts of qualities, Zhanran explicitly judges that the two houses are first presented in summary and then generally refuted 〔0346b18–0346c01〕. He points out that each of the five kinds of Dharma teacher gains all six faculties, so the five teachers should not be counted together to make six thousand, and asks why one thousand is separately established when the root sutra has only eight hundred and twelve hundred 〔0346b21–0346b28〕.
Regarding the root treatise’s proper explanation, the Mirror explicitly lists four topics: first gathering the four scriptural citations; next the proper explanation; then distinguishing increase and decrease; and finally determining the semblant stage 〔0346c25–0346c27〕. The two calculations are distinguished as the rules for propagating the sutra and the object that is principle. Only after the first calculation’s count is complete does the text say that each of the five teachers possesses six thousand 〔0347a02–0347a03〕; the second is an explanation of the object that is principle, interfunctioning, and the semblant stage 〔0347a08–0347a10〕.
Within the six sections on the six faculties, Zhanran says that the eye section is explained in detail while the latter five often abbreviate. The nose is most complete, so interfunctioning is further distinguished there and the remaining faculties inferred by analogy 〔0347b17–0347b23〕. The Mirror further clarifies the semblant five eyes; the tongue’s prior knowing of the dharma-realm of flavor; the correlations of empty, provisional, and middle in the body section; and what the months and year represent in the mind section 〔0347b06、0347b23–0347b27〕. All belong only to the Mirror surface.
Regarding the two explanations of the ear, Zhanran judges: 「五根一一二釋，先約能見聞等，次約所見聞等，故重云也。耳根可見。」 tr. “Each of the five faculties has two explanations: first in terms of the functions of seeing and hearing, and next in terms of what is seen and heard; hence they are stated again. This can be seen in the ear faculty” 〔T34n1719 0347b20〕. The sequence stated by the Mirror does not correspond to the actual order of the two explanations in the root treatise’s ear passage; both are recorded without deciding which is correct.
At the chapter’s end, the Mirror uses “Joyful Acceptance” to measure the first grade, “Distinguishing Qualities” to explain the four trusts and five grades, this chapter to explain the qualities of the six faculties at the semblant stage, and “Never Disparaging” to explain present and later recompense; it then connects “Supernormal Powers,” “Entrustment,” and the later chapters with the functions of propagating the sutra 〔0347b28–0347c07〕. This is Zhanran’s conclusion concerning chapter sequence and does not replace the original spine of the twenty-eight chapters.
V. Explanations of Various Masters
The root treatise actually records three groups of divergent explanations or old answers:
First, Guangzhai’s account of the numbers of qualities. The original begins with 「光宅云：「三業合十善，一善具十為百」 tr. “Guangzhai says: ‘The three karmas accord with the ten wholesome actions; ten within one wholesome action make one hundred’” 〔T34n1718 0139c02〕 and continues through the statement that increase and reduction together still make six thousand 〔0139c06〕. Its calculation, four items, self and others, five teachers, three grades, and three stronger and weaker faculties are all fully listed in Section III. The root treatise later challenges it through four works and says that although its total is complete, the distribution among the faculties does not follow the text.
Second, an unidentified person’s account of three grades. The root treatise reads word for word 「有人明數與光宅同，下品八百、中品一千、上品千二百。」 tr. “Someone explains the numbers in the same way as Guangzhai: eight hundred for the lower grade, one thousand for the middle, and twelve hundred for the higher” 〔T34n1718 0139c06〕. Neither the root treatise nor the Record supplies a name, so this figure is called only “someone” or “another master.”
Third, the old account in the question and answer on the tongue. The root treatise reads word for word 「舊不例，味有損益，損者變，不損者不變，諸色不壞眼故不例。」 tr. “The old account says they are not analogous: flavors can harm or benefit; what harms changes, what does not harm does not change. Since forms do not damage the eye, they are not analogous” 〔T34n1718 0140b17〕, immediately followed by the root treatise’s 「今解不爾」 tr. “the present explanation is otherwise” 〔0140b18〕. Old answer and present explanation remain distinct and the former is not rewritten as Zhizhe’s conclusion.
In addition, 「諸師偏釋未會今經」 tr. “the various masters’ one-sided explanations do not accord with the present sutra” 〔T34n1718 0139c07〕 is a general evaluation of the first two houses and does not construct a fourth. 「若偏判者則失旨也」 tr. “a one-sided judgment would lose the purport” 〔0140a03〕 is the root treatise’s conclusion, not another one-sided interpreter. Zhanran separately records an account using the Treasury’s six sense-objects within the realms; its authorial layer belongs to the Record and is not mixed into the three groups recorded by the root treatise.
Within this chapter’s fixed domain, none of the six complete markers 「有人云」 tr. “someone says,” 「或言」 tr. “some say,” 「舊云」 tr. “the old says,” 「解者不同」 tr. “explainers differ,” 「一云」 tr. “one account says,” or 「有師云」 tr. “a master says” occurs. The actual voices, however, are “Guangzhai says,” “someone explains,” and “the old account.” According to the voices actually present in the text, there are three groups of divergent explanations; the absence of commonly used markers does not erase Guangzhai, the unidentified person, or the old answer.
VI. Terminology
| Term | Root-treatise meaning and placement | Mirror-level limit |
|---|---|---|
| Dharma teacher | Its meaning is carried forward from the preceding chapter; reading and reciting infer the other four kinds, together encompassing the five kinds of Dharma teacher | Stage clarification through five teachers, five grades, and four trusts is attributed only to the Mirror |
| Qualities | There is a higher/lower distinction between the initial qualities of the first grade and the qualities of the six faculties above the five grades | “Higher and lower forever distinct” is Zhanran’s explicit judgment |
| Inward and outward adornment | First divided through the five faculties and mind, then divided again through appearance within the body and manifestation outward | Assigning the second kind to the true stages belongs only to Mirror exegesis |
| Four meanings | Four passages on hearing benefit, clear recognition, semblant understanding, and showing the end from the beginning | The one-to-one correlation with the four siddhāntas belongs only to Mirror exegesis |
| Purification of the six faculties | Purity is not established according to the quantity of qualities; in purity there is no fullness, contraction, or equality | Judgments such as aid to contemplation through the power of the scripture and equal purity of prajñā are attributed only to the Mirror |
| Adornment, fullness, contraction, equality | Six thousand in each faculty is equality; twelve hundred is fullness; eight hundred is contraction | Each follows the numerical meaning of the present text |
| Interfunctioning of the six faculties; mastery of the faculties | Once pure, one faculty also possesses the functions of other faculties and is inconceivable | Clarification of true and semblant through the Great Nirvāṇa and Flower Garland remains at the Mirror layer |
| Extraordinary faculty-function | Before the real has arisen, one gains extraordinary faculty-function through the power of the scripture while the eye remains named the physical eye born of one’s parents | The qualities being like entry into the grounds is Zhanran’s explanation of the Treatise citation |
| Five eyes through five minds | Correlations established by the root treatise section by section through the six faculties | Not names listed word for word by the root sutra |
| Ten dharma-realms and ten suchnesses | One mind contains ten realms and each realm the ten suchnesses, forming the calculation of twelve hundred | No later technical phrasing is supplied |
| Four wheels, fifty-two stages, and Humane Kings | Three sets of stage-names are placed beside the stage of Ever Diligent and gathered under the semblant stage | Changing “third mind” to “second” remains a Mirror-level correction |
| Eight objects of touch | Used only when the root treatise says meditation has eight objects of touch to explain the nose possessing the body’s function | The eight are not itemized in this passage |
| One month, four months, and one year | Interpreted by the root treatise as representing the One Vehicle, four truths, and twelve links of dependent arising | The root sutra has only the durations; what they represent is the root treatise’s explanation |
The body of this chapter does not contain the complete forms of seven later technical expressions. Absence of a word-form does not mean absence of its meaning; only the literal layer is recorded, and later compound terms are not substituted for Zhizhe’s original language.
VII. Similes · Cross-Reading · Carrying Forward
The chapter’s most vivid image is not an abstract list of numbers, but all forms and images appearing within the purified body. Inward and outward adornment first divide the five faculties from mind and then reopen the distinction through appearance within and manifestation outward. The qualities of the six faculties are therefore not merely a group of sensory capacities, yet do not depart from the concrete function of each faculty.
The nose section unfolds interfunctioning most fully: by smelling fragrance one knows the adornments of palaces, the reading and teaching of sutras, flowers, fruits, clarified butter, oils, entry into and emergence from meditation, and the workings of beings’ minds. The tongue section asks through bitter flavor becoming superior flavor; the body section has beings of the great trichiliocosm and the forms of the four kinds of noble one all appear within the body; the mind section lets one month, four months, and a year carry distinct Dharma meanings. These images belong to the chapter itself. Interfunctioning does not erase the six faculties into one; every faculty retains its name and stage while no longer being confined to a single function.
Cross-read with this repository’s root-sutra edition of “The Qualities of the Dharma Teacher,” the numbers of the six faculties and the prose and verse of all six sections can be checked one by one. The root treatise’s correlations with five eyes, five ears, and so forth disclose how an ancient master read faculty-function from the sutra’s list of objects. When cross-read with the Fahua Xuanzan, the two commentaries are treated only as two ancient mirrors explaining the same sutra; neither is used to adjudicate the other.
The root treatise’s ten suchnesses reach back to “Skillful Means,” the Tathāgata’s room, robe, and seat to “The Dharma Teacher,” and the peaceful practices of the three karmas to “Peaceful Practices.” These three same-sutra cross-readings jointly serve the calculation of six thousand. They do not move the wording of three chapters together into a fabricated continuous passage, but show the root treatise explaining the qualities of propagation through terms already established across the sutra.
This chapter carries forward “The Qualities of Joyful Acceptance” and “Distinguishing Qualities,” and is followed by “The Bodhisattva Never Disparaging.” Its continuation does not invent a hierarchy between chapters. It unfolds the qualities gained through receiving and upholding, reading, reciting, explaining, and copying into the concrete configuration of purification of the six faculties, then leads the person propagating the sutra toward the next chapter’s narrative of present-life and later recompense.
VIII. Placement of the Editions
A. Five Readings Between 【Taishō】 and 【Edition A】
| Line anchor | 【Taishō】 body | 【Edition A】 reading | Short context and type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0139b21 | 而 | 已 | above hell through buddhahood and 而 back; graphic variant |
| 0139b26 | 厭 | 𪖗 | diligently seeking without 厭 weariness; graphic variant and gaiji |
| 0140a26 | 祇 | 只 | 祇 only understood as eight hundred and twelve hundred; graphic variant, with the note “same below” |
| 0140b13 | 是 | Absent in Edition A | what is born of one’s parents 是 is the physical tongue; deletion |
| 0140c04 | 能 | Absent in Edition A | 能 able to be equal and pure; deletion |
All five positions have body start/end markers and postposed critical notes. The two empty readings explicitly say “Absent in Edition A” and are not treated as missing data. 𪖗 is a gaiji in the critical note, encoded as CB13625, Unicode U+2A597, and composed of nose and lack. It resides only in the 【Edition A】 variant and does not replace the 【Taishō】 body’s 厭.
B. Six Transmitted Inline Notes
| Line anchor | Exact reader form |
|---|---|
| 0139c11 | 一上品餘非上品〔云云〕 — “one is the higher grade and the rest are not the higher grade [and so forth]” |
| 0139c12 | 不論上中下〔云云〕 — “without discussing higher, middle, and lower [and so forth]” |
| 0140b04 | 見佛即佛眼〔云云〕 — “seeing buddhas is the buddha-eye [and so forth]” |
| 0140b16 | 一時互用即佛舌〔云云〕 — “interfunctioning at one time is the buddha-tongue [and so forth]” |
| 0140b26 | 一時無謬一時無著〔云云〕 — “free from error at one time and free from attachment at one time [and so forth]” |
| 0140c04 | 能盈能縮能等能淨〔云云〕 — “able to expand, contract, be equal, and be pure [and so forth]” |
All six are inline notes transmitted in the base text. They are neither expanded, moved, nor flattened into ellipses. The visible stream of the chapter’s body contains no other gaiji outside the general character set. The graphs in “bitter and astringent” are actual body graphs and do not belong to a gaiji marker.
C. Chapter Title, Table of Contents, and Page Anchors
The work’s first-level table of contents has two title forms: “Introduction” does not begin with the word “Explanation,” while the remaining twenty-seven chapters read “Explanation of [chapter].” This unit’s title is “Explanation of the Chapter on the Qualities of the Dharma Teacher.” Its strict domain is short and does not cross a half-fascicle, so no continuation heading is established.
The reader source places one page anchor at each page change and inline at the beginning of its paragraph. This unit begins at T34 〔0139b17〕 and marks another after the page change at 〔0140a07〕. Exact anchors in the apparatus instead use the nearest line marker before the first character of the quotation. A range likewise begins at the actual position of its first character; the line naming a cited work or a preceding sentence cannot substitute for it.