妙法蓮華經文句 3.39

3.39

It is like a boat going with the flow: if it meets the wind and is aided by oars, it quickly arrives at its destination; the wind is a metaphor for seeing the Buddha and hearing the Dharma, and the oars are a metaphor for practice. For example, the first fruit [of the stream-enterer] spontaneously takes seven lifetimes, but if he encounters a buddha and applies practice, in one lifetime or two lifetimes he can reach the stage of non-learning (and so forth). "Naturally accomplish the Buddha path" is the reward body; "vaidūrya" is the inherent purity of the Dharma body; "golden image" is manifesting forms in response to beings.