法華經義記 3.34

3.34

The questioner asks: "These three grades of the five turbidities all obstruct the capacity for the One Vehicle. Since external ordinary persons fully possess all three grades of the five turbidities, they should not hear the preaching of the *Lotus Sūtra*, and they should also lack the capacity for the Great Vehicle. If the five turbidities of reflection also obstruct the capacity for the One Vehicle, the seven classes of learners should lack the capacity for the One Vehicle and be unable to hear the preaching of the *Lotus Sūtra*. If the five turbidities of residual traces also obstruct the capacity for the One Vehicle, arhats possess residual traces and thus should also lack the capacity for the One Vehicle, being unable to hear the preaching of the *Lotus Sūtra*." The explicator says: "Classes such as these all have their past conditioning in the Great Vehicle. When the causes and conditions of the Great Vehicle are strong, although they possess the three grades of the five turbidities, these cannot form an obstruction. If one's past conditioning in the Great Vehicle has weak conditions, even though one only has the five turbidities of residual traces, they can still form an obstruction. Now, the clarification of the meaning is discussed precisely with respect to past conditioning. Although all ordinary persons and the like fully possess the three grades of the five turbidities, if their past roots of goodness of the Great Vehicle are strong, these five turbidities cannot form an obstruction, and then the capacity for the One Vehicle will emerge and they will be able to hear the *Lotus Sūtra*. Learners and non-learners are also like this: if the causes and conditions of their past conditioning in the Great Vehicle are weak, even though they exclusively perform their practices and sever the primary fetters, since the residual traces remain, these can still form an obstruction, and no capacity for the One Vehicle will emerge."