妙法蓮華經玄義 7.31

7.31

Second, regarding setting forth the Dharma: the method of transmitting the sūtra clearly emerges from the holy words. The text says: "If sentient beings do not believe and accept it, one should, among other profound dharmas, demonstrate, teach, benefit, and gladden them." "Other" means accompanied by provisional means. "Profound" means clarifying the Middle Way. Bringing provisional means to clarify the Middle Way is precisely the distinctive teaching. If it is only provisional means without clarifying the Middle Way, it is the shared teaching, the tripiṭaka teaching, and so on. The sūtra text permits using the distinctive to assist the perfect, and by extension one should also use the shared to assist the perfect. Furthermore, the text says: "Again using different provisional means to help reveal the primary truth." How could it exclude the tripiṭaka or shared [teachings]? It is only that when a bodhisattva has already attained real wisdom, they also grasp the provisional intent; they do not confuse the provisional with the real, nor do they deem the provisional to be the real. It is merely that for the sake of propagating the real, when sentient beings do not believe, one must deploy the provisional for the sake of the real, using the shallow to assist the profound, which is not false. This is using both provisional and real in propagating the sūtra. The [chapter on] "Peaceful Practices" says: "If there are difficult questions, do not answer with Hīnayāna dharmas, but explain only with the Mahāyāna, causing them to attain the knowledge of all modes." This directs one to propagate the sūtra solely using the real. It also says: "Preach appropriately according to what is fitting"; this too does not exclude the provisional. People today who propagate the Dharma either exclusively use the great or exclusively use the small; neither captures the Buddha's intent. Those skilled at propagating the sūtra apply and bestow appropriately according to the occasion; though their mouths preach the provisional, in their minds they do not contradict the real Dharma. As long as sentient beings are caused to attain the provisional and real seven benefits, propagation of the sūtra is fulfilled.