妙法蓮華經文句 4.3

4.3

一、明通別者，初周別名法說，通則具三；「如優曇花時一現耳」，即譬說；「若我遇眾生，盡教以佛道」，即因緣說也。中周別名譬說，通則亦三，「我先不言，皆為化菩薩故」。又合譬於一佛乘分別說三，即是法說；「於二萬億佛所常教化汝」，即因緣說。若謂此文屬法說者，可取長者聞已驚入火宅方宜救濟，即因緣說。下周別名宿世因緣，通亦具三，「涅槃時到眾又清淨令入佛慧」，是法說；「有一導師」是譬說，而作三周者，從多從正，從略從傍，欲令名字不濫，各據一意耳。

First, explaining general and specific: the first cycle is specifically called teaching by Dharma, but in general it possesses all three: "Just like an udumbara flower appearing only once in a while" is teaching by parable; "If I encounter sentient beings, I teach them all with the Buddha Path" is teaching by causal conditions. The middle cycle is specifically called teaching by parable, but in general it also possesses all three: "Did I not say before that it was all to convert bodhisattvas?" and matching the parable by differentiating and explaining the three within the One Buddha Vehicle is teaching by Dharma; "At the place of twenty thousand koṭīs of buddhas I constantly taught and transformed you" is teaching by causal conditions. If one says this text belongs to teaching by Dharma, one can take the elder who, having heard, was alarmed and entered the burning house to effect rescue, which is teaching by causal conditions. The lower cycle is specifically called past causal conditions, but in general it also possesses all three: "The time for nirvāṇa has arrived, the assembly is clean and pure, causing them to enter the Buddha's wisdom" is teaching by Dharma; "There is a guide..." is teaching by parable. That three cycles are made is following the predominant and primary, omitting the secondary and incidental, in order to keep the names from being confused, each based on a single sense.