妙法蓮華經文句 5.43

5.43

○從「爾時舍利弗白佛」下，第二大段，為中根譬說。文有四品：此一品正是譬喻開三顯一，〈信解〉明中根得解，〈藥草〉如來述成，〈授記〉與決，此四番皆約譬說。下四段皆約因緣，陳如明繫珠緣而領解，阿難引空王緣而獲記（云云）。又例法說，應有中根四眾歡喜，而今無者，一謂經家存略，二例前後可知，後文在〈法師品〉中（云云）。

From the line "At that time Śāriputra addressed the Buddha" downwards is the second major section, the parabolic teaching for those of middling faculties. The text contains four chapters: this single chapter is precisely the opening of the three and revealing of the one through parable; "Faith and Understanding" explains the middling faculties attaining understanding; "Medicinal Herbs" is the Tathāgata's ratification; and "Bestowal of Prophecy" confers confirmation. These four rounds are all based on parable. The four sections below are all based on causal conditions: Kauṇḍinya clarifies the conditions of the tied jewel and grasps understanding; Ānanda adduces the conditions of the King of Emptiness and receives prophecy (and so on). Furthermore, by analogy with the doctrinal exposition, there should be the joy of the fourfold assembly of middling faculties, but it is absent here: first, it is said that the compiler of the sūtra kept it concise; second, by analogy with what precedes and follows it can be known, and its later text is found in the "Teacher of the Dharma Chapter" (and so on).