法華玄論 3.37

3.37

問：子雖廣彈三教及斥五時，引前論五文云何會通？《龍樹傳》云「智慧日已頹，斯人令再耀。世昏寢已久，斯人悟令覺。外國為之立廟，宗之如佛。」《楞伽經》云「有大德比丘名龍樹菩薩，住初歡喜地，為人說大乘。」《摩耶經》云「七百年中有一比丘名曰龍樹，滅邪見幢，燃正法炬。」以經傳而推之，理非謬說。若斯言可領，則如白日朗其胸衿，甘露流其四體；如其未曉，即寄心靡託，冥若夜遊。請為通之，使無毫滯。

Question: Although you have extensively criticized the three teachings and rejected the five periods, how do you reconcile and synthesize the five passages cited from the earlier treatises? The Biography of Nāgārjuna says: "The sun of wisdom had already set; this man caused it to shine again. The world had long slept in darkness; this man awakened it to awareness. Foreign lands erected temples for him and revered him like a buddha." The Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra says: "There is a monk of great virtue named Nāgārjuna Bodhisattva, who abides in the first stage of Joy and explains the Mahāyāna for people." The Sūtra of Queen Māyā says: "Within seven hundred years there shall be a monk named Nāgārjuna, who will destroy the banner of wrong views and light the torch of the true Dharma." Deducing from the scriptures and biographies, the principle is not an erroneous statement. If these words can be comprehended, it is like the bright sun illuminating one's breast and amṛta flowing through one's four limbs; if they are not yet understood, one's mind has nothing to rely upon, dark as a night journey. We ask you to resolve them so that not the slightest obstruction remains.