法華文句記 10.34

10.34

「云何四信」者，問意兩兼：一問云何但立四數？二問云何四俱名信？「略解」去釋也。四人通名為信，則二義俱成，攝五成四不須至五。又名從初得，故俱名信。「略解三人」者，去通從別則受別名，廣及觀成必有略故，故略通三人唯除初信，初無解故。「廣說二人」除略解者，廣局第三不通前二。「觀成一人」復除廣解不通餘三，除信一事餘不通四，唯信解四名為四信。若一念信解未有下三，乃是初信最局，略具初信、廣具初二、觀必具三，故後漸寬。但後後者勝於前前，故成後局。

Regarding "Why four faiths?": The intention of the question has two parts: first, it asks why only the number four is established; second, it asks why all four are called "faith." From "briefly understood" onward, it explains. The four types of persons are universally called "faith," and thus both meanings are accomplished; including five within four means there is no need to reach five. Furthermore, names are derived from the initial [stage]; hence all are called "faith." As for "the three persons who briefly understand": leaving the universal and following the specific, they receive specific designations. Since extensive [understanding] and perfected contemplation inevitably include brief [understanding], brief [understanding] universally applies to the three persons, excluding only the first faith, because the first lacks [such] understanding. "The two persons who extensively explain" excludes brief understanding, because extensive [understanding] is restricted to the third and does not extend to the previous two. "The one person whose contemplation is perfected" further excludes extensive understanding and does not extend to the other three. Except for the single matter of faith, the others do not apply to all four; only faith and understanding in the four are called the four faiths. If in a single thought-moment of faith and understanding one does not yet possess the lower three, this is the first faith, which is the most restricted. The brief possesses the first faith; the extensive possesses the first two; contemplation inevitably possesses all three. Thus, the subsequent are progressively broader. However, as the subsequent excel the previous, they become restricted in rank.