妙法蓮華經玄義 6.45

6.45

二、就三十六句論機應不同者，前冥顯互論略舉四句。若具足辨者，用四機為根本，所謂冥機、顯機、亦冥亦顯機、非冥非顯機。冥是過去，顯是現在，冥顯是過現，非冥非顯是未來。如佛為闡提說法（云云）。於一句中，復為四句：所謂冥機冥應、冥機顯應、冥機亦冥亦顯應、冥機非冥非顯應；餘三機亦如是，四四即成十六句。機既召應，應亦有十六句。一機而感四應，一應而赴四機，機應各為十六，合成三十二句。就前根本四句，便是三十六句機應也。

Second, regarding the discussion of the differences in capacity and response with reference to thirty-six positions: the previous mutual discussion of hidden and manifest briefly cited four positions. If distinguished fully, one takes the four capacities as the root: namely, hidden capacity, manifest capacity, both hidden and manifest capacity, and neither hidden nor manifest capacity. Hidden is the past, manifest is the present, both hidden and manifest is past and present, and neither hidden nor manifest is the future, as when the Buddha expounds the Dharma for an icchantika (and so on). Within one position, there are again four positions: namely, hidden capacity and hidden response, hidden capacity and manifest response, hidden capacity and both hidden and manifest response, and hidden capacity and neither hidden nor manifest response. The remaining three capacities are also like this; four times four makes sixteen positions. Since capacity evokes response, response also has sixteen positions. One capacity stimulates four responses, and one response answers four capacities; capacity and response each have sixteen, combining to make thirty-two positions. Together with the former four root positions, this makes thirty-six positions of capacity and response.