法華文句記 6.4

6.4

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."