妙法蓮華經玄義 6.25

6.25

若就至理窮覈三世，皆不可得，故無機亦無應。故經言：「非謂菩提有去、來、今，但以世俗文字數故。」說有三世，以四悉檀力隨順眾生說。或用過去善為機，故言：「我等宿福慶，今得值世尊。」又如五方便人，過去習方便者，發真則易，不習則難，是故以過去善為機。或可以現在善為機，故言：「即生此念時，佛於空中現。」或可以未來善為機，未生善法為令生故，又如無漏無習因而能感佛也，故《大論》云：「譬如蓮華在水，有已生始生未生者，若不得日光，翳死不疑；眾生三世善，若不值佛，無由得成（云云）。」惡亦如是，或以過去之罪，今悉懺悔；現造眾惡，今亦懺悔。未來之罪，斷相續心，遮未來故，名之為救。何者？過去造惡，障現善不得起，為除此惡，是故請佛。又現在果苦報逼迫，眾生而求救護。又未來之惡，與時相值，遮令不起，故通用三世惡為機。應亦如是，或用過去慈悲為應，故云：「我本立誓願，欲令得此法。」或用現在慈悲為應者，一切天人脩羅，皆應至此，為聽法故，未度令度也；又用未來為應者，即是〈壽量〉中，未來世益物也。亦如〈安樂行品〉中云：「我得三菩提時，引之令得，住是法中。」若通論，三世善惡皆為機；別論，但取未來善惡為正機也。何者？過去已謝，現在已定，秖為拔未來惡，生未來善耳。

If one examines the three periods of time thoroughly in terms of ultimate principle, none of them can be found; therefore there is neither capacity nor response. Hence the sūtra says: 'It is not that bodhi has past, future, or present; it is only spoken of as having three periods of time through conventional words and enumeration.' Through the power of the four siddhāntas, it is expounded in accordance with sentient beings. Sometimes past good is used as capacity; hence it is said: 'Through the blessings of our past fortune, we now are able to meet the World-Honoured One.' Again, like people of the five skillful means: for those who practiced skillful means in the past, giving rise to the real is easy, while for those who did not practice, it is difficult; therefore past good is taken as capacity. Sometimes present good can be used as capacity; hence it is said: 'At the very moment this thought arose, the Buddha appeared in the air.' Sometimes future good can be used as capacity: to cause unarisen good dharmas to arise; or again, like uncontaminated [roots] lacking a cause of habituation yet being able to stimulate the Buddha. Hence the Mahā[prajñāpāramitā]-śāstra says: 'Like lotuses in the water, there are those already grown, those just growing, and those not yet grown; if they do not receive the light of the sun, they will without doubt wither and die. If sentient beings' good in the three periods of time does not meet the Buddha, it has no way to come to fulfillment (and so on).' Evil is also like this: sometimes with past transgressions, all are now repented; with various evils currently committed, they are now also repented. For future transgressions, one cuts off the mind of continuity, preventing the future; this is called salvation. Why? Evils committed in the past obstruct present good from arising; to eliminate this evil, one therefore petitions the Buddha. Furthermore, present fruit and karmic suffering oppress them, and sentient beings seek rescue and protection. Furthermore, future evil, meeting with its time, is prevented from arising; therefore evil across the three periods of time is generally used as capacity. Response is also like this: sometimes past benevolence and compassion are used as response; hence it is said: 'I originally made a vow, wishing to cause them to attain this Dharma.' When present benevolence and compassion are used as response, all devas, humans, and asuras should arrive here for the sake of hearing the Dharma, to deliver those not yet delivered. When the future is used as response, this is the future benefit to living beings in the 'Life Span' [chapter]. It is also like what is said in the 'Practices of Ease and Delight' chapter: 'When I attain samyaksaṃbodhi, I will lead them to attain it and abide in this Dharma.' If discussed generally, good and evil across the three periods of time all constitute capacity; if discussed specifically, only future good and evil are taken as the primary capacity. Why? The past has already ceased and the present is already fixed; it is solely to eradicate future evil and give rise to future good.