妙法蓮華經玄義 6.45

6.45

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.