私序王
Preface by King
夫理絕偏圓，寄圓珠而談理；極非遠近，託寶所而論極。極會圓冥，事理俱寂。而不寂者，良由耽無明酒，雖繫珠而不覺；迷涅槃道，路弗遠而言長。聖主世尊！愍斯倒惑，四華六動，開方便之門，三變千踊，表真實之地，咸令一切普得見聞。發祕密之奧藏，稱之為妙。示權實之正軌，故號為法。指久遠之本果，喻之以蓮。會不二之圓道，譬之以華。聲為佛事，稱之為經。圓詮之初，目之為序。序類相從，稱之為品。眾次之首，名為第一。
The ultimate truth transcends all partial views and complete teachings, yet it is spoken of through the metaphor of the perfect pearl. The ultimate destination is neither far nor near, yet it is discussed by pointing to the treasure land.
When the ultimate is realized, all distinctions vanish—both phenomena and principle fall into profound stillness. Yet why does this stillness remain unattained? It is because beings are intoxicated by ignorance. Though the pearl is already tied within their robe, they do not realize it. Though the path to Nirvana is not distant, they wander lost, speaking of it as though it were far away.
The World-Honored One, the sacred teacher, moved by such confusion and delusion, caused flowers to rain in four colors and the earth to tremble in six ways— opening the gate of skillful means. He transformed the land three times and made it leap a thousandfold— revealing the ground of true reality, so that all beings might universally see and hear.
He unveiled the hidden treasury of the secret teaching— this is called "wondrous." He demonstrated the true path of provisional and ultimate truth— this is named "Dharma." He pointed to the long-ago original fruition— illustrated by the lotus. He united the undivided, perfect way— symbolized by the flower. With sound as the Buddha’s work, it is proclaimed as a "sutra."
The beginning of this complete teaching is called the "Introduction." Grouped by kind and sequence, it is named a "chapter." The first among the assembly’s order is titled "Chapter One."
釋曰：談記是敘名；會冥是敘體；圓珠是敘宗；俱寂是敘用；四華六動是敘教，本迹可知。
Explanation: "Brief talks" describe the name; "uniting with the profound" describes the essence; "the perfect pearl" describes the principle; "complete stillness" describes the function; "four flowers and six movements" describe the teaching—the original and the manifested can be understood accordingly.
此《妙法蓮華經》者，本地甚深之奧藏也。文云「是法不可示，世間相常住。」三世如來之所證得也。文云「是第一寂滅於道場知已，大事因緣出現於世。」始見我身，令入佛慧。為未入者，四十餘年，以異方便，助顯第一義。今正直捨方便，但說無上道。
This *Lotus Sutra* is the profound and hidden treasury of the ultimate reality. As the text says, "This Dharma is beyond demonstration, yet all worldly phenomena abide eternally." It is what all Buddhas of past, present, and future have realized. As the text says, "Having attained supreme peace in the seat of enlightenment, they appear in the world for the great matter of cause and condition." First, they reveal their own form to lead beings into the Buddha's wisdom. For those not yet ready to enter, for over forty years they employed various skillful means to help reveal the supreme truth. Now, they directly abandon the expedient methods and solely proclaim the unsurpassed Way.
所言妙者，褒美不可思議之法也。又妙者，十法界、十如之法。此法即妙，此妙即法，無二無別，故言妙也。又妙者，自行權實之法妙也，故舉蓮華而況之也。又妙者，即迹而本，即本而迹，即非本非迹，或為開廢(云云)。又妙者，最勝脩多羅甘露之門，故言妙也。
釋曰：妙無別體，體上褒美者，敘妙名也。妙即法界，法界即妙者，敘體也。自行權實者，敘宗也。本迹六喻者，敘用也。甘露門者，敘教也。
Explanation: Wonderful has no separate essence; the praise of this essence is what sets forth the name "Wonderful." The Wonderful is the Dharma Realm, and the Dharma Realm is the Wonderful—this sets forth its essence. The provisional and real practices for oneself set forth its core teachings. The six similes of the original and the manifested set forth its function. The gate of sweet dew sets forth its doctrine.