法華文句記 5.93

5.93

問答意者，開彼過去微善，正擊現在執心，已為過佛之所開竟，所以於佛滅後聞一句經云與記者，舉沒況深，並是預開其心，令成心境俱妙，若佛滅後聞是經不信者，尚付後佛法華會中為開其心。經意正云，三世皆開我豈不然？「未來佛兩行頌教一」者，經文既云雖說及是故說，知是教一。初一行中初三句云雖說百千億等者，指七方便一切權說同成了因，其實為佛乘一句明說權意。諸佛下一行明說一之由，由知無性而修淨緣，令得成就能演此乘。「知法常無性」等者，一實理上性相二空，無性性空即無四性，既云實相無自性等，故知即是理性性空；性空既爾相空準知，無性亦無即是相空。故知經中一無性言具二無性，即是無性性、無相性也。本自有之，故曰常無知者照也。具如《止觀》第五不思議境中一念三千非自他等，既無四性，一念亦無，即是性空；既無一念，無念亦無，即是相空，即是不思議之二空也。若不了今家依於《智論》、《中論》等，準理準義，緣於心性立此二空，諸無可準，非用法相者之所逮也。故於實道須閑修性，若本自二空即是性德，若推檢入空即是修得，推而不成須修萬行正助合行，行中具足一切諸行方名緣因，聞斯義已方乃名開。

As for the intention of the question and answer: opening those slight goods of the past directly strikes at the present grasping mind. Because they were already completely opened by past buddhas, when after the Buddha's extinction one hears a single line of the sūtra and it is said that predictions are conferred, this cites the submerged to illustrate the profound; all of this is opening their minds in advance to cause both mind and object to become wondrous. If after the Buddha's extinction there are those who hear this sūtra and do not believe, they are still entrusted to the Lotus assembly of a future buddha to have their minds opened. The intention of the sūtra directly states: if all three periods of time are opened, how could I be otherwise? Regarding "The two lines of verse on the future buddhas [praise] the oneness of teaching": since the text of the sūtra says "although they speak" and "therefore they speak," we know this is the oneness of teaching. In the first line of verse, the first three phrases say "Although they speak of hundreds of thousands of tens of thousands," etc., which points to all provisional explanations of the seven skillful means together becoming the revealing cause; the phrase "in truth it is for the sake of the buddha-vehicle" clarifies the intention of speaking the provisional. The line of verse below "The buddhas..." clarifies the reason for speaking the one: because they know the absence of nature, they cultivate pure conditions, enabling them to accomplish and expound this vehicle. Regarding "Knowing that phenomena are permanently devoid of nature" and so forth: upon the one real principle, nature and characteristics are both empty. The emptiness of nature without nature means being devoid of the four natures; since it says "the true character is without self-nature," etc., we know this is the emptiness of nature in terms of principle. The emptiness of nature being thus, the emptiness of characteristics is understood by analogy; being devoid of nature is itself non-existent, which is the emptiness of characteristics. Thus we know that the single expression "devoid of nature" in the sūtra contains both absences of nature: namely, the nature devoid of nature, and the nature devoid of characteristics. It is originally inherent, and therefore called "permanently devoid"; "knowing" means illumination. It is fully as described in the fifth fascicle of the Great Calming and Contemplation under the inconceivable object where the three thousand [realms] in a single thought are neither self nor other, etc.; since there are no four natures, a single thought is also non-existent, which is the emptiness of nature; since there is no single thought, thoughtlessness is also non-existent, which is the emptiness of characteristics: this is the inconceivable twofold emptiness. If one does not understand how our school relies upon the Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, and so forth, in accord with principle and meaning, to establish these two emptinesses based on the nature of the mind, then there will be nothing to rely upon—this is not something reached by those who use Dharma-characteristics. Therefore, with regard to the path of the real, one must be clear about cultivation and nature: if inherently twofoldly empty, it is the virtue of nature; if entering emptiness through examination, it is attainment through cultivation. If one examines without success, one must cultivate the ten thousand practices, combining primary and auxiliary practices; when all practices are complete within practice, only then is it called the conditioning cause. Having heard this meaning, only then is it called opening.