法華經義記 3.36

3.36

"Śāriputra, if my disciples claim of themselves that they are arhats": below this is the fourth [part], distinguishing the genuine from the false to urge faith in beings; those being urged are already external ordinary persons. Within this distinguishing of the genuine from the false to urge faith, there are two passages: first, directly distinguishing the genuine from the false; second, from "except after the Buddha's extinction" below, directly urging faith in beings. Within these two passages there are three levels each. The first, directly distinguishing the genuine from the false, has three levels: first, explaining that they are not genuine; second, explaining that they are false; third, setting forth the characteristics of a genuine arhat to explain it. Now, the first, "If my disciples claim of themselves to have attained the status of arhat or pratyekabuddha": this first explains that they are not genuine. From "Furthermore, Śāriputra" below, the second directly explains that this person is false. Why? It was said that they are not genuine; now it directly explains that they are false. Arhatship is a superior fruit, but he himself has not actually attained the fruit of an arhat, yet claims of himself to have attained it; this is giving rise to pride toward a superior state, hence it is called overweening pride. From "Why is this?" below is the third, setting forth the precedent of a genuine arhat to explain the falsity above: if someone has truly attained arhatship and does not believe in this teaching of unfolding the three and revealing the one in universal convergence, there is no such place. One should know that one who has truly attained arhatship has already understood, while still within the five expedients, that expedient goodness is of universal convergence. As for what you said above about attaining arhatship without understanding universal convergence, one should know that this person is not a genuine arhat. From "except after the Buddha's extinction" below is the second, directly urging beings to give rise to faith, which also has three levels: first, directly urging beings to give rise to faith; second, explaining the intention behind urging faith; third, resolving beings' doubts. First, saying "except after the Buddha's extinction": once the Buddha has passed into extinction, the previous Buddha has already passed and the future Buddha has not yet appeared; if in the interim someone practices and attains arhatship in a world prior without a Buddha, and throughout hundreds of thousands of times there is no Buddha at all to preach the *Lotus* Path of the universal convergence of myriad goods for this arhat, this person might possibly not understand. This is precisely urging beings to make them believe. It says that if the Buddha is in the world, he may preach the principle of universal convergence for you; if the Buddha passes into extinction, who will preach this *Lotus* teaching of universal convergence for you? You should now, while the Buddha is still in the world, give rise to a mind of faith and joy to receptively uphold the teaching of universal convergence; this is stated with respect to the teaching. If discussed with respect to principle, regardless of whether a Buddha is present or absent, it is naturally understood. At that time, the inclinations of beings still refused to believe, saying to themselves: 'Although the Buddha passes into extinction, the Buddha's disciples will naturally understand the *Lotus*, and after the Buddha's extinction they will naturally preach this teaching of universal convergence for me.' Therefore, second, from "Why is this?" below, the Buddha immediately resolves this clinging, saying: 'Why do I exhort you to believe and accept it while the Buddha is still in the world? Precisely because after the Buddha's extinction, the evil world will have many difficulties, and one who can receptively uphold, read, and recite such a *Lotus* is a person hard to find.' For this reason, he causes you to believe and accept it today. But the inclinations of beings were still not willing to believe the Buddha, [thinking]: 'If it is said that after extinction, those who receptively uphold this sūtra and preach the Dharma for me are very hard to find, I shall enter nirvāṇa without remainder by myself.' Therefore, third, from "if they encounter another Buddha" below, the Buddha immediately resolves this doubt, saying that if they encounter another Buddha, they will thereupon attain decisive understanding in this Dharma. The meaning of this is precisely that if a person attains the fruit of an arhat, he must hear the Tathāgata preach this *Lotus Sūtra* and know the universal convergence of myriad goods, and only then can he enter nirvāṇa; if he does not hear the preaching of the *Lotus* universal convergence, he can never enter nirvāṇa. If an arhat does not encounter Śākyamuni preaching the *Lotus* today, in a future life he must encounter another Buddha, and upon hearing the universal convergence of myriad goods within this *Lotus* teaching, only then can he enter nirvāṇa; there is no such thing as entering nirvāṇa in the interim. Hearing these words of the Buddha, the inclinations of beings thereupon believed and accepted them: 'If this is so, we should believe and accept it right now; why bother waiting for another Buddha before believing and accepting it?' This caused those arhats and external ordinary persons who were unwilling to believe to mutually believe and accept it together.