妙法蓮華經玄義 8.6

8.6

Second, it contains "subtle initiation": the Buddha spoke using the four siddhāntas, his words being skillful and subtly expressing and measuring the beginning, middle, and end as good, complete and fulfilled, like the water of the great ocean gradually growing deeper. As for those who hear the teaching: when first hearing the mundane siddhānta, they sequentially receive it, distinguish the characteristics of dharmas, subtly produce understanding, and gradually increase, becoming clear, practiced, and thoroughly penetrating. Moreover, they read all the various treatises widely, extensively know the minds of the wise, hear much and possess strong memory, up to the attainment of Buddhahood; this is discussing subtle initiation with respect to teaching. Upon first hearing the individual and counteractive [siddhāntas], they are immediately able to give rise to practice, beginning with the minor practices of humans and devas, next entering the taintless practices through morality, concentration, and wisdom, traversing the path of seeing and the path of cultivation, and ultimately realizing the stage of no-further-learning. Entering from the small into the great, reaching wondrous enlightenment at the end, this is discussing subtle initiation with respect to practice. Upon first hearing the supreme-truth siddhānta, it rolls on and expands, entering into hearing and contemplation, warmth, summit, and worldly supreme. Next, one enters the seeing of truth, attaining the genuine supreme truth; next, one enters the path of cultivation up to no-further-learning, entering from the small into the great, seeing the Middle Way that resembles truth, arising from a minute tip and ultimately becoming a tree of many spans. Grouping these three initiations as dharma gates: according to the Hīnayāna, they are the initiations of the three kinds of liberation; according to the initial abode in the Mahāyāna, the initiation of teaching is prajñā, the initiation of practice is the tathāgata-garbha, and the initiation of principle is the true mark. Since "subtle initiation" already contains so much within itself, it cannot be translated.