法華文句記 7.10

7.10

From "Now in explaining the chapter..." downward: the present intent is for the moment to discuss the faith and understanding of those of middling faculties; therefore it first evaluates the intent with five of the ten meanings at the beginning of the three cycles. Faculties being sharp or dull is the previous transformation of faculties. Being untransformed in faculties and having thick or thin [capacities] to respond is the previous delusions being thick or thin. Preaching with dharmas or parables is the previous general and specific. Awakening being earlier or later is the previous awakening or non-awakening and the awakening being deep or shallow; the remaining meanings are not primary. Because of this principle, the three faculties express understanding earlier or later; why is there any need to establish "preliminary," etc., here? As for "field peas" (wāndòu), if written with the character wān (to gouge), it is simply the character "to gouge with a knife." People of the two vehicles prior to the Lotus Sūtra were like raw field peas: an awl piercing them could not enter. As for "only contemplating emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness," these are their entry gates to the taintless within their teaching; hence they constantly contemplated them. As for "dancing with joy," etc.: although the text uses the four words "faith" and the rest to match faith and understanding as [the siddhānta of] producing goodness in people, this good must rely upon the initial joy. Moreover, when goodness of principle arises, evil is destroyed and realization is attained; the four siddhāntas in harmonious integration are obtained simultaneously, which is the supreme truth of partial realization. The other three siddhāntas are named according to their stage, and following along they are called "partial"; thus these four siddhāntas must arise simultaneously. It is only because pairing faith and understanding with producing goodness in people is convenient that they are temporarily stated separately; this is the specific within the general. Why here are the four siddhāntas all real? Because it is from hearing the Dharma that understanding is attained. It is unlike the preceding text listing the assembly which included the Hinayana, where the three siddhāntas were in phenomena, and the supreme truth siddhānta still required differentiation by teaching; only at the end of the five periods is the present intent distinguished.