8
8
一
One
緣門問曰、若人不達此理、得說法化眾生不。
Yuanmen asked: If a person does not fully understand this principle, can they still teach the Dharma and help others?
入理曰、不得。何以故、自眼未明、焉治他目。
Ruli said, "I cannot. Why? If my own eye is not yet clear, how can I heal another's eye?"
二
Second.
問曰、隨其智力、方便化之。豈不得耶。
Question: Couldn’t one just adapt the teaching to each person’s level of understanding, using skillful means to guide them?
答曰、若達道理者、可名智力。若不達道理、名為無明力。何以故、助己煩悩作気力故也。
The answer: If one understands the principles of the Path, this can be called the power of wisdom. If one does not understand the principles, it is called the power of ignorance. Why? Because it is the power that fuels and strengthens one's own afflictions.
三
Three
問曰、雖然不能如理化人、且教眾生行十善五戒、安処人天。豈不益哉。
Question: Suppose one cannot transform beings as an enlightened one would, but can at least teach sentient beings to practice the ten wholesome deeds and the five precepts, securing them a peaceful place among humans and gods. Would that not still be of great benefit?
答曰、至理無益、更招二損。何以故、自陷陷他故。自陷者、所謂自妨於道。陷他者、所謂不免輪迴六趣也。
They replied: "Profound truths bring no benefit; instead, they invite two kinds of harm. Why is that? Because you sink yourself and sink others. Sinking yourself means hindering your own Path to Cessation. Sinking others means being unable to escape rebirth through the six realms of existence."
四
Four
問曰、聖人豈不說五乘有差別耶。
Question: Does the sage not also teach that the five vehicles differ from one another?
答曰、聖人無心說差別法、但彼眾生自心悕望現。故経云、若彼心滅尽、無乘及乘者、無有乘建立、我說為一乘也。
They answered: The sage teaches various teachings without any intention in his own mind; they appear only because the minds of those beings long for them. Therefore the sutra says: When those minds cease and come to an end, there is no vehicle and no rider, no establishing of vehicles—this I call the One Vehicle.