妙法蓮華經文句 1.82

1.82

本迹者，此諸大德久為諸佛之所咨嗟，本得勝幢三昧超諸外道，先已成就種智遍知，迹來輔佛行化，示作愛見中大、多、勝，欲引乳入酪；又作三藏中大、多、勝，欲引酪入生蘇；示方等中大、多、勝，欲引生蘇入熟蘇；示轉教作《般若》中大、多、勝；欲引熟蘇入醍醐故作《法華》中大、多、勝也，然其本地大、多、勝又矣（云云）。

Regarding origin and traces: these venerable ones have long been praised by the Buddhas; in their origin they attained the banner of victory samādhi, surpassing all non-Buddhists, and had already previously perfected the universal knowledge of all-species wisdom. In their traces, they came to assist the Buddha in executing conversions, manifesting as “great, many, and superior” amidst emotional attachment and views in order to lead [beings] from milk into curd; furthermore, manifesting as “great, many, and superior” in the Tripiṭaka teaching in order to lead them from curd into clarified butter; manifesting as “great, many, and superior” in the Vaipulya teachings in order to lead them from clarified butter into butter; manifesting through the rotation of teaching as “great, many, and superior” in the Prajñā teachings; and in order to lead them from butter into ghee, manifesting as “great, many, and superior” in the Lotus Sūtra. However, in their original ground, “great, many, and superior” are also [far beyond this] (and so on).