妙法蓮華經文句 4.25

4.25

六、明有領解無領解者，若三乘同悟，何意但見聲聞領解，其二則無？今明無佛出世名獨覺，聞佛說十二因緣法名緣覺，既入聲聞數中得悟領解，皆不別出，大意可見。身子、迦葉等，悉是中乘根性，故聲聞領解兼得緣覺，無勞別出也。又四眾中，有發緣覺心者，其人得悟即不一也，〈信解品〉云：「密遣二人追捉將還」即是其義。菩薩不領解者，聲聞之教不明得佛，今經開其歸大之路，自恐解謬故對佛述解，菩薩不爾故無領解。又其意有三：一、菩薩本意求佛，設有異執而執輕終歸取佛，無有不得之慮，今聞三周之說，但是正其觀慧，故不須領解。二、菩薩悟大，處處有文，二乘作佛始自今教，逐要流傳，故略菩薩領解，胡文或有，漢略不書耳。三、菩薩位行深絕，諸新小菩薩不敢領解，說〈壽量〉竟，彌勒總都領解，初從無生法忍，終訖餘有一生在，則是具足領解，更求何物（云云）？

Sixth, clarifying those who show an understanding and those who do not: If all three vehicles awaken alike, why is it that only the śrāvakas show an understanding, while the other two do not? Now it is explained that one who appears when no buddha is present in the world is called a 'solitary realizer' (pratyekabuddha), while one who hears a buddha preach the dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination is called a 'conditioned realizer' (pratyekabuddha). Since they are included within the ranks of the śrāvakas, their awakening and expressing of understanding are not treated separately; the general intention can be seen from this. Śāriputra, Kāśyapa, and others all have the disposition of the middle vehicle; therefore, the śrāvakas' expression of understanding encompasses the conditioned realizers, and there is no need for them to appear separately. Furthermore, among the four assemblies, there are those who have generated the mind of a conditioned realizer, and their attainments of awakening are not uniform; the chapter 'Faith and Understanding' says, '[The father] secretly dispatched two men to pursue and bring him back,' which precisely conveys this meaning. As for bodhisattvas not expressing an understanding: the teaching for the śrāvakas did not make clear that they would achieve buddhahood, but this present sūtra opens their path to return to the Great [Vehicle]; fearing that their own understanding might be mistaken, they state their understanding before the Buddha, whereas bodhisattvas are not like this and therefore do not express an understanding. Moreover, there are three reasons for this: First, a bodhisattva's original intention is to seek buddhahood; even if they have diverging attachments, those attachments are light and they will ultimately achieve buddhahood, without any fear of failing to attain it. Now, hearing the preaching through the three cycles simply rectifies their contemplative wisdom; therefore, there is no need to express an understanding. Second, that bodhisattvas awaken to the Great [Vehicle] has scriptural passages everywhere, whereas the two vehicles attaining buddhahood begins only with this present teaching. Because the transmission follows what is essential, the bodhisattvas' expression of understanding was omitted; it may have existed in the Indic text, but the Chinese translation simply did not record it. Third, the stage and practice of bodhisattvas are profound and peerless; the newly aspiring lesser bodhisattvas dared not express an understanding. After the 'Lifespan' chapter was preached, Maitreya comprehensively expressed understanding for all of them; beginning from the patience of the non-arising of dharmas and culminating in having only one lifetime remaining—this was a fully complete expression of understanding. What else would one seek? (and so on).