妙法蓮華經玄義 2.185

2.185

有人言：「始自鹿苑，皆是法華弄引。」今言不爾。且近說寂滅道場已來，悉為法華弄引，所以光照他土現佛，悉為頓開漸。文殊引先佛，亦為頓開漸。如此弄引，猶恨其近。從大通智勝已來，而為眾生作法華方便，當知不止近在寂場。又此猶近，從本成佛已來，而為眾生作華臺方便。又復猶近，從本行菩薩道時，而為眾生作華臺方便。文云：「我本立誓願，普令一切眾，亦同得此道。」當知，弄引豈止今耶！本來所化入華臺者，自是一邊，其未入者，如上方便不息，中間亦如是。若從《華嚴》、《方等》、《般若》等經，或別入通、圓入通、圓入別等入華臺者，與本入者無異，復自是一邊。其未入者，四味調熟，皆於此經得入華臺。諸教之中或住三味、二味、一味，或全生者，皆決麁令妙，悉入華臺。

Some say: 'Beginning from the Deer Park, everything was a playful prelude to the Lotus.' We now say this is not so. If we speak of the recent [past], from the site of tranquil extinction onward, everything was a prelude to the Lotus; thus the light illuminating other lands and manifesting Buddhas was entirely to open the gradual from the sudden. Mañjuśrī's citing of previous Buddhas was likewise to open the gradual from the sudden. Yet to speak of such a prelude is still to regret its proximity. From Mahābhijñā-jñānābhibhū onward, expedient means for the Lotus were made for sentient beings; one should know that it does not merely lie close by at the site of enlightenment. Moreover, even this is still recent: from the time of his original attainment of buddhahood onward, he made expedient means of the lotus pedestal for sentient beings. Furthermore, even this is still recent: from the time he originally practiced the bodhisattva path, he made expedient means of the lotus pedestal for sentient beings. The text says: 'I originally made a vow / to cause all living beings universally / to attain this path together.' One should know: how could the prelude be limited only to the present? Those who were originally transformed and entered the lotus pedestal form one side; for those who had not yet entered, the above expedient means did not cease, and the intervening period was likewise. If, through sūtras such as the Avataṃsaka, Vaipulya, and Prajñāpāramitā, or through entering the shared from the distinctive, entering the shared from the perfect, or entering the distinctive from the perfect, they entered the lotus pedestal, they are no different from those who entered originally; this again forms one side. As for those who had not yet entered, matured by the four flavors, all enter the lotus pedestal in this sūtra. Those within the various teachings who abide in three flavors, two flavors, one flavor, or are entirely raw, all have their coarseness resolved to make it subtle, and all enter the lotus pedestal.