第四論用者，用是如來之玅能，此經之勝用。如來以權實二智為玅能，此經以斷疑生信為勝用。秪二智能斷疑生信，生信斷疑由於二智，約人約法左右互論耳。前明宗，就宗體分別，使宗體不濫；今論於用，就果用分別，使宗用不濫。何者？宗亦有用，用亦有宗，宗用非用用，用用非宗用，用宗非宗宗，宗宗非用宗。宗用者，因果是宗，因果各有斷伏為用。用有宗者，慈悲為用宗，斷疑生信為用用。若論於宗，且置斷伏，但論因果；今明於用，但論斷疑生信，且置慈悲。若得此意，則知權實二智能斷疑生信，是今經之大用，其義明矣。諸經不純明佛之智慧，不發佛自應迹，不正破廢二乘小果，不斷生身菩薩遠疑，起其遠信，不顯本地，增法身菩薩本念佛之道，損界外之生。如此力用，眾經所無，今經具之，所以命章。不論二乘菩薩等智，純顯佛之微玅智慧；不開眾生九法界知見，純開眾生佛之知見。餘經但道佛所變化是迹，不道佛身自是迹；今經自道佛身是迹，其餘變化寧得非迹？今經正破廢化城二乘之果，況因行耶？又破稟方便教菩薩執迹為極，今皆發廢，悉稱是權，迹及中間諸疑悉斷，起遠不思議信。又顯本地真實功德，令法身菩薩得大利益，始自初阿終隣後荼，抹十方那由他土為塵數，增道菩薩不能令盡。蓋由如來雨權實二智一味之雨，其雨普等四方俱下，一切諸教四門俱破，充足求於具足道者，斷其深疑起其大信，令入一圓因控摩訶衍車，遊於四方直至道場，大用大力玅能玅益猶自未盡。復次此力能破二乘之果，二乘怖畏生死，入空取證生安隱想，生已度想墮三無為坑，若死若死等苦，已如敗種更不還生，智醫拱手方藥無用，至如涅槃能治闡提，此則為易。闡提心智不滅，夫有心者皆當作佛，非定死人治則不難。二乘灰身滅智，灰身則色非常住，滅智則心慮已盡，焦芽敗種復在高原陸地，既聾且瘂永無反復。諸教主所棄諸經方藥不行，今則本佛智大玅法藥良，色身不灰如淨琉璃，內外色像悉於中現，令心智不滅，開示悟入佛之知見，令客作賤人付菩薩家業，高原陸地授佛蓮華，其耳一時聽十法界聲，其舌隨一切類演佛音聲令一切聞，能以一根遍為眾用，即是今經之力用也。
Fourth, we discuss the function. The function refers to the Tathāgata's wondrous capacity and the supreme function of this sutra. The Tathāgata uses the two kinds of wisdom—expedient and real—as His wondrous capacity, while this sutra employs the power to cut off doubt and give rise to faith as its supreme function. It is precisely through the two wisdoms that one can cut off doubt and give rise to faith; giving rise to faith and cutting off doubt arises from the two wisdoms. This is a reciprocal discussion from the perspectives of the person and the teaching. Earlier, we clarified the purpose, distinguishing it from the essence so that the two would not be confused. Now, in discussing the function, we distinguish it based on the resultant function so that the function and the purpose are not conflated. Why is this? The purpose also has its function, and the function also has its purpose; the function of the purpose is not the function of the function, the function of the function is not the function of the purpose, the purpose of the function is not the purpose of the purpose, and the purpose of the purpose is not the purpose of the function. As for the function of the purpose: cause and effect constitute the purpose, and each cause and effect has its own cutting off and subduing as its function. As for the purpose of the function: compassion constitutes the purpose of the function, while cutting off doubt and giving rise to faith is the function of the function. When discussing the purpose, we set aside cutting off and subduing and focus only on cause and effect. Now, in elucidating the function, we discuss only cutting off doubt and giving rise to faith, setting aside compassion. If one grasps this meaning, then one will understand that the two wisdoms—expedient and real—which cut off doubt and give rise to faith, constitute the great function of this sutra; this principle is clear. Other sutras do not purely elucidate the Buddha’s wisdom, do not reveal the Buddha’s own trace manifestations, do not correctly refute and abolish the lesser fruits of the Two Vehicles, do not cut off the remote doubts of the living-essential Bodhisattvas nor give rise to their remote faith, do not reveal the fundamental ground, do not enhance the Dharma-nature Bodhisattvas’ fundamental practice of mindfulness of the Buddha, and do not diminish existence beyond the world. Such powers and functions are absent in other sutras; this sutra alone possesses them, hence it is titled as such. It does not discuss the wisdoms of the Two Vehicles or the Bodhisattvas, but purely reveals the Buddha’s subtle and wondrous wisdom. It does not open the knowledge and vision of beings in the nine realms, but purely opens the knowledge and vision of the Buddha for all beings. Other sutras say that what the Buddha transforms is a trace, but they do not say that the Buddha’s own body is a trace. This sutra itself declares that the Buddha’s own body is a trace—how then could any other transformation not be a trace? This sutra squarely refutes and abolishes the fruits of the Two Vehicles of the conjured city, let alone the causes and practices. Furthermore, it refutes those Bodhisattvas who, having received expedient teachings, cling to the traces as ultimate. All these are now refuted and abolished, all are declared as expedient. All doubts regarding the traces and intermediate stages are severed, giving rise to a far-reaching, inconceivable faith. Moreover, it reveals the fundamental ground’s true merit and virtue, enabling the Dharma-nature Bodhisattvas to obtain great benefits. Beginning from the first letter “A” and ending with the final letter “ṬHA,” it grinds lands as numerous as ten quadrillion nayutas into atomic particles; this still cannot exhaust the increasing merits of the Bodhisattvas. This is because the Tathāgata rains the single-flavored rain of the two wisdoms—expedient and real. This rain falls evenly and universally, descending from all four directions. It destroys all four gateways of all teachings and fully satisfies those who seek the complete path, cutting off their deep doubts and giving rise to their great faith. It causes them to enter the one perfect cause, to ride the Mahāyāna chariot, to travel the four directions until they reach the site of enlightenment. Its great function, great power, wondrous capacity, and wondrous benefits are still not exhausted. Furthermore, this power can destroy the fruits of the Two Vehicles. The Two Vehicles, fearful of birth and death, enter emptiness to attain realization, giving rise to thoughts of ease and safety, and thoughts of having crossed over. They fall into the pit of the three unconditioned states, experiencing the suffering of death or death-like states. Having become like rotten seeds, they no longer return to life. The wise physician folds his hands, and the medicines are useless. Even the Nirvāṇa that can cure an icchantika would find this easy by comparison. The icchantika’s mind and consciousness are not extinguished—anyone with a mind will eventually become a Buddha. Since they are not definitively dead, curing them is not difficult. But the Two Vehicles extinguish their form and annihilate their consciousness. Extinguishing the form means the physical body is not permanent; annihilating consciousness means mental reflection has ceased. They are scorched sprouts and rotten seeds on the high plateau and dry land—deaf, mute, and forever without return. They are abandoned by all teaching masters, and the medicines of all sutras are ineffective. Now, the original Buddha’s wisdom is greatly wondrous, and the Dharma medicine is excellent. The physical body is not extinguished, being like pure lapis lazuli, with internal and external forms and images all appearing within it. It makes mind and consciousness not annihilated, opening, revealing, awakening, and enabling entry into the Buddha’s knowledge and vision. It makes the hired beggar entrusted with the Bodhisattva’s family property. On the high plateau and dry land, it bestows the Buddha’s lotus flower. With one ear, he simultaneously hears the sounds of the ten dharma realms. With one tongue, he speaks the Buddha’s voice in accordance with all kinds of beings, enabling all to hear. With a single faculty, he can function everywhere for the benefit of beings. This is the power and function of this sutra.
上已說佛智力竟，今更重說。如漢末三分，曹公智略，當時第一，復劣楊修三十四里。此真丹人智，不及外國；外道智，如芥比山；一切世人外道智，不及舍利弗十六分一；二乘智，如螢火蟲；菩薩智，如日光通；菩薩智，如鴻鵠，勢不及遠；別菩薩智，如金翅鳥，從一須彌至一須彌；別菩薩智，如爪上土；比佛智慧，如十方土。當知佛之智慧，至融至即，至頓至實，不可思議，不縱不橫，圓玅無比，喻不可盡。問答，餘經不純說，今經獨純說之，此佛實智力大也。譬如十小牛，乃至一龍，十龍一力士，十力士不如五通人，外五通不如一羅漢，一切羅漢不如一目連，目連不如一身子，身子不如菩薩，菩薩不如別菩薩，別菩薩不如圓菩薩，圓菩薩不如佛。佛迹甚大，化復作化，化化無盡，無謀而當。如修羅琴，一切賢聖無能測者。佛力既如此，餘諸義例可知，不復記。問：實相體、因果宗既通眾經，權實二智復云何？答：名雖通用，力大差別。藏通以二智斷四住之疑，生偏真之信。淨名雖彈斥二乘及偏行菩薩，亦是界內斷疑生信，不能令小乘及方便菩薩斷大疑生大信。大品通意亦是界內疑斷信生，別意雖在界外，亦未斷近疑生遠信。華嚴正意斷界外疑生於圓信，亦未斷近生遠。故權實二名雖復通用，而力大異。今經用佛菩提二智斷七種方便最大無明，同入圓因，破執近迹之情，生本地深信，乃至等覺亦令斷疑生信。如是勝力，豈同眾經耶？
We have already discussed the power of the Buddha’s wisdom, but let me elaborate further.
For example, during the Three Kingdoms period at the end of the Han dynasty, Cao Cao's intelligence was unmatched in his time—yet he was still 34 miles behind Yang Xiu. This shows how China's wisdom falls short of other lands. Even the wisdom of non-Buddhist ascetics is like a mustard seed compared to a mountain. The wisdom of all worldly people and non-Buddhists put together is not worth one-sixteenth of Shariputra's wisdom. The wisdom of the Two Vehicles is like a firefly; the wisdom of Bodhisattvas is like the shining of sunlight. Yet the wisdom of conventional Bodhisattvas is like a wild goose—powerful but unable to travel far. The wisdom of distinctive Bodhisattvas is like the golden-winged Garuda, which can fly from one Sumeru mountain to another. But even the wisdom of a distinctive Bodhisattva is like a speck of dust on a fingernail, compared to the Buddha's wisdom, which is like the soil of all worlds.
Know this: the Buddha’s wisdom is perfectly fused, immediate, ultimate, and real. It is inconceivable, neither scattered nor linear, supremely perfect and incomparable—beyond any simile.
**Question**: Other sutras do not exclusively discuss this question-and-answer approach. Why does this sutra discuss it exclusively? **Answer**: Because of the Buddha’s immense power of real wisdom.
Consider this: Ten small calves equal one dragon. Ten dragons equal one strongman. Ten strongmen are not equal to one person with the five superknowledges. A person with external five superknowledges is not equal to one Arhat. All Arhats together are not equal to one Maudgalyayana. Maudgalyayana is not equal to one Sariputra. Sariputra is not equal to a Bodhisattva. A Bodhisattva is not equal to a distinctive Bodhisattva. A distinctive Bodhisattva is not equal to a perfect Bodhisattva. A perfect Bodhisattva is not equal to the Buddha.
The Buddha’s footprint is enormous. He creates transformations, and then further transformations. These transformations are endless, yet they happen without contrivance, like the heavenly lute of the Asuras. No saint or sage can fathom this.
Since the Buddha’s power is thus, we can infer the meaning of all other teachings; there is no need to record everything further.
**Question**: Since the substance of ultimate reality and the cause and result of the path are common across all sutras, what about the provisional and real wisdom? **Answer**: Although the names are used universally, their power differs vastly. The Store and Common teachings use these two wisdoms to cut off doubts about the Four Abodes and generate faith in the partial truth. The Vimalakirti Sutra, although it criticizes the Two Vehicles and partial Bodhisattvas, still cuts off doubts and generates faith within the world system. It cannot cause the Small Vehicle or provisional Bodhisattvas to cut off major doubts and generate great faith. The Greater Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, in its common meaning, also cuts off doubts and generates faith within the world system. Its distinctive meaning, though partially outside the world system, still fails to cut off near doubts and generate far-reaching faith. The Avatamsaka Sutra, in its main meaning, cuts off doubts outside the world system and generates perfect faith, but it too fails to cut off near doubts and generate far-reaching faith.
Thus, although the terms “provisional wisdom” and “real wisdom” are used generally, their power differs greatly. Now, this Lotus Sutra uses the Buddha’s two Bodhi-wisdoms to cut off the greatest ignorance of the seven kinds of provisional practitioners, leading them all into the perfect cause. It breaks their attachment to the Buddha’s near-trace manifestations and generates deep faith in the Buddha’s original ground, up to and including the stage of Equal Enlightenment, cutting off all doubt and generating faith. How could such supreme power be equal to that of any other sutra?