妙法蓮華經文句 1.38

1.38

約本迹釋如是者，三世十方橫豎皆爾，過去遠遠，現在漫漫，未來永永，皆悉如是，何處是本？何處是迹？且約釋尊最初成道，經初如是者，是本也；中間作佛說經，今日所說經初如是者，皆迹也。又阿難所傳如是者迹也，佛所說如是者本也。又師弟通達如是，非始今日、亦非中間者，本也；而中間而今日者，迹也。

Explaining "thus" (如是) in terms of origin and traces (本迹): in the three periods of time and the ten directions, it is so both horizontally and vertically. The distant past is vastly remote, the present is boundless, and the future is unending—all are fully "thus." Where is the origin? Where are the traces? Provisionally, in terms of Śākyamuni's initial attainment of the Way, the "thus" at the beginning of sūtras is the origin; his intermediate manifestations of becoming a buddha and preaching sūtras, down to the "thus" at the beginning of the sūtra spoken today, are all traces. Furthermore, the "thus" transmitted by Ānanda is the trace; the "thus" spoken by the Buddha is the origin. Again, master and disciple thoroughly penetrating "thus" not just starting today nor just intermediate is the origin; doing so in the intermediate periods and today is the trace.