法華玄論 1.109

1.109

復次佛法有二種：一顯示法、二祕密法。顯示法者，謂三乘教，明三種因、得三種果，故名顯示。祕密法者，謂三乘人皆得作佛。如《釋論》第百卷云「《法華》明阿羅漢受記作佛，故名祕密法。」昔來已說顯示法竟，今欲說祕密法，故說此經。

Furthermore, the Buddha-dharma is of two kinds: first, the manifest Dharma; second, the secret Dharma. The manifest Dharma refers to the teachings of the three vehicles, which clarify three kinds of causes and the attainment of three kinds of fruits; hence it is called manifest. The secret Dharma refers to the fact that people of the three vehicles are all able to become Buddhas. As the hundredth fascicle of the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: "The Lotus Sūtra clarifies that arhats receive predictions of becoming Buddhas, and hence it is called the secret Dharma." Hitherto he had already finished preaching the manifest Dharma; now, wishing to preach the secret Dharma, he therefore preaches this sūtra.