妙法蓮華經玄義 10.68

10.68

二、引三文證者，所謂〈方便品〉、《無量義經》、〈信解品〉也。〈方便品〉云：「我始坐道場，觀樹亦經行，於三七日中，思惟如此事，我所得智慧，微妙最第一，眾生諸根鈍，云何而可度？我寧不說法，疾入於涅槃。尋念過去佛，所行方便力，我今所得道，亦應說三乘。」「我始坐道場」，即是明頓，何者？從兜率下，法身眷屬，如陰雲籠月，共降母胎，胎若虛空，常說妙法，乃至寂滅道場，始成正覺，為諸菩薩純說大乘，如日初出，前照高山。此明釋迦最初頓說也。〈序品〉云：「佛放眉間光，遍照東方萬八千土，覩聖主師子，演說經法，微妙第一，教諸菩薩。」次云：「若人遭苦……為說涅槃，盡諸苦際。」即是現在佛先頓後漸。又文殊釋疑，引昔佛亦爾。文云：「又見諸如來，自然成佛道。世尊在大眾，敷演深法義。」次即云：「一一諸佛土，聲聞眾無數。」即是古佛，先頓後漸。又下方涌出菩薩問訊，佛答云：「如是！如是！眾生易度，始見我身，聞我所說，即皆信受，入如來慧。除先修習學小乘者，如是之人，我今亦令得聞是經，入於佛慧。」即是釋迦，初頓後漸。

Second, citing three passages as evidence: namely, the 'Expedient Devices' chapter, the Immeasurable Meanings Sūtra, and the 'Belief and Understanding' chapter. The 'Expedient Devices' chapter says: 'When I first sat at the place of awakening, observing the trees and pacing in meditation, during three times seven days, I reflected on such matters: "The wisdom I have attained is subtle, wonderful, and supreme; yet the faculties of sentient beings are dull—how can they be saved? I would rather not preach the Dharma, but quickly enter nirvāṇa." Then I recalled the power of expedient devices practiced by past buddhas: "The path I have now attained should also be preached through the three vehicles."' 'When I first sat at the place of awakening' explains the sudden. Why? Descending from Tuṣita, with the retinue of the dharma-kāya surrounding him like a dark cloud veiling the moon, they descended into the mother's womb together; the womb was like empty space, where the wonderful Dharma was constantly preached, up to the tranquil place of awakening where he first attained correct awakening, preaching purely the Mahāyāna for bodhisattvas, like the sun newly risen first illuminating the high mountains. This clarifies Śākyamuni's initial sudden preaching. The 'Introductory' chapter says: 'The Buddha emitted a light from between his eyebrows, completely illuminating eighteen thousand lands in the east, seeing the holy Lord Lion expounding the sūtras and Dharma, subtle, wonderful, and supreme, teaching bodhisattvas.' Next it says: 'If people encounter suffering ... he preaches nirvāṇa for them to exhaust the boundaries of suffering.' This is the present Buddha's preaching first the sudden and then the gradual. Furthermore, when Mañjuśrī resolved doubts, he cited past buddhas as also being like this; the text says: 'Further seeing various Tathāgatas naturally realizing the Buddha path, the World-Honoured One among the great assembly fully expounds the profound meaning of the Dharma.' Next it says: 'In every single buddha land, the assemblies of śrāvakas are countless.' This is the ancient buddhas preaching first the sudden and then the gradual. Furthermore, when the bodhisattvas welling up from below inquired, the Buddha replied: 'So it is, so it is! Sentient beings are easy to save; as soon as they saw my body and heard what I taught, they immediately believed and accepted it, entering into the Tathāgata's wisdom—except for those who previously practiced and studied the Hinayāna; such people as these, I now also cause to hear this sūtra and enter the Buddha's wisdom.' This is Śākyamuni preaching first the sudden and then the gradual.