法華經義記 2.50

2.50

問者言：「今日應是閉方便門時。何以知之？今日會三歸一皆是真實，云何言有方便門可閉耶？」解釋者言：「此則不然，不然之意就外譬顯義故，如有此板門，于時板門閉而不開，人但知有此板門，竟自不知此門內有好金像。若使此人用手開此門，門既開時，人皆見真金之像，是則開門之手則有兩能，一能開門、二能示人真像。今此法華經教如手有二能：一則說昔日三乘教是方便，故下經文言『佛以方便力示以三乘教』，如手能開門；二則說今日長遠之理，故下經文言『世尊法久後要當說真實』，明同歸之理壽命長遠，此則如手指示金像。門者是通人出入為能，昔日三乘教遠通行人，得今日一乘之解則是從門入義，只由有昔日教是方便，得顯出今日是真實，此則是從門出義，故知此品從所顯得名，故名方便品也。」

The questioner asks: "Today should be the time when the door of skilful means is closed. How is this known? Today's converging the three to return to the one is entirely real; why do you say there is a door of skilful means that can be closed?" The commentator replies: "This is not so. The reason it is not so is clarified through an external parable: for instance, there is a wooden door; at that time the wooden door is closed and not open, and people only know there is this wooden door, never realizing that inside this door there is a fine golden statue. If a person uses their hand to open this door, once the door is opened, everyone sees the statue of pure gold. Thus the hand that opens the door has two capabilities: first, it can open the door; second, it can show people the real statue. Now the teaching of this Lotus Sūtra is like the hand having two capabilities: first, it preaches that the former teaching of the three vehicles was skilful means, hence the sūtra text below says, 'The Buddha, with the power of skilful means, demonstrated the teaching of the three vehicles,' just as the hand can open the door; second, it preaches today's far-reaching principle, hence the sūtra text below says, 'The Dharma of the World-Honoured One, after a long time, must finally preach the truth,' clarifying the principle of returning to the same source and the vast length of lifespan, which is like the hand pointing to the golden statue. A door has the function of allowing people to pass in and out. The former teaching of the three vehicles allowed practitioners from afar to pass through, and obtaining today's understanding of the One Vehicle has the sense of entering through the door; it is solely because the former teaching was skilful means that today can be revealed as real, which has the sense of exiting from the door. Therefore we know that this chapter takes its name from what is revealed, and is thus called the 'Chapter on Skilful Means.'"