法華文句記 6.4

6.4

「又世人」等者，意譬聲聞歷諸座席，或訶或被、或喜或憂，來至法華備經艱苦，自行利物無不聞知，但謂非已所任自他少別，故與諸味草創者殊，故知始自微賤具歷文武，歷淺階深知物可否，如香積菩薩更學雙流，故草創者少諳眾行，然又兩途互為勝劣，不可一向。言「五味淘汰」者，通指五味以為淘汰，非獨般若。《經》云「無漏難思議」等者，昔謂無漏但至無餘，今乃方知至實道場。「解魔非魔」等者，昔聞異本謂佛為魔，今方知本愚覺所誤是佛，故云也。《經》云「佛以種種緣」等者，前以釋迦開權釋諸佛顯實，云我以無數方便種種因緣譬喻言辭等，乃至三世佛章一一皆云亦以乃至是法皆為一佛乘故。

As for "Furthermore, worldly people," and so forth: the intention is to use an analogy for the śrāvakas passing through various assemblies, sometimes scolded and sometimes encouraged, sometimes joyful and sometimes sorrowful, arriving at the Lotus Sūtra having experienced hardships to the full. In practicing for oneself and benefiting others, there was nothing they did not hear and know; they merely thought it was not their own duty, with a slight distinction between self and other. Therefore, they differ from those who are beginners in the various flavors. Thus we know that, beginning from the lowly, they fully experienced civil and military affairs, passing through the shallow to step into the deep, knowing what beings can and cannot do; like the bodhisattvas of Fragrant Accumulation who further studied the dual streams. Therefore, beginners are little acquainted with the manifold practices; yet the two paths are mutually superior and inferior, and cannot be judged one-sidedly. As for "the weeding out through the five flavors," this generally refers to the five flavors as weeding out, not exclusively to Prajñā. When the sūtra says, "The taintless is difficult to conceive," and so forth: in the past, they thought the taintless reached only to [nirvāṇa] without remainder; now they finally know that it reaches the real bodhimaṇḍa. As for "understanding that Māra is not Māra," and so forth: in the past, hearing a different origin, they thought the Buddha was Māra; now they finally know the origin, and that what their foolish consciousness mistook was the Buddha; hence it is stated. When the sūtra says, "The Buddha, through various causes and conditions," and so forth: above, Śākyamuni opening the provisional was used to explain all buddhas revealing the real, saying: "I, through countless skillful means, various causes and conditions, parables, and words..." and so forth, down to the chapters on the buddhas of the three periods, each of which states: "also through... down to these dharmas are all for the one buddha-vehicle."