妙法蓮華經文句 3.106

3.106

From "At that time in the great assembly..." onward, it expresses doubts and brings forth entreaties; because they heard that the three are provisional and the one is real, attachments were shaken and doubts arose. The text has two parts: first, recounting the doubts; second, directly requesting resolution. Recounting the doubts also has two parts: first, the compiler of the sūtra recounts them; second, [the assembly] directly giving rise to doubts. First, recounting the doubts of the one thousand two hundred; next, recounting the fourfold assembly. Above, the three vehicles were rebuked as all being expedient means; here, recounting the doubts mentions only the two vehicles because their attachments were heavy and their doubts deep, so they are singled out. When coming to the expression of doubts below, it says that the bodhisattvas seeking buddhahood, numbering eighty thousand, also all had doubts; thus we know that all three vehicles universally had doubts, and the two vehicles were merely singled out. From "each had this thought" onward, it is directly doubting, again divided into two: first, doubting the Buddha's two wisdoms; second, doubting what they themselves had attained. From "For what reason does he earnestly praise expedient means?" onward, it is generally doubting both the expedient and real wisdoms. From "And makes such a statement: 'The Dharma attained by the Buddha is profound'" onward, it is doubting the real wisdom; from "what is spoken, its drift is difficult to know" onward, it is doubting the expedient wisdom. Because they heard "The words of the buddhas do not differ; they will surely expound the true and real," doubt arose from this. Why? Formerly the Buddha taught that the wisdom of the three vehicles equally realizes without difference, only that the remaining habitual propensities are exhausted or unexhausted. Now he suddenly praises the Tathāgata's two wisdoms as beyond what they can reach; therefore they doubt the Buddha's two wisdoms. From "The Buddha taught the principle of one liberation, and we too have attained this Dharma" onward, this is self-doubt regarding what they have attained: "The sacred path of the three vehicles is the true essential way of escape; we cultivated this principle and also reached nirvāṇa, yet now he suddenly says they are all expedient means, and we do not know what is true and real"; hence they say they do not know what this principle tends toward. This doubt arises from the preceding rebuke of the three as provisional.