法華玄論 3.46

3.46

答：前已釋竟，今當廣述。《波若》但明菩薩是佛因故作佛，二乘非佛因故不作佛。此義於昔易解，故名顯示。《法華經》明二乘作佛，與昔教相違，於昔難解故名祕密。論主云「如用藥為藥，其事即易；用毒為藥，其事即難。」《波若》明菩薩作佛，如用藥為藥；不明二乘作佛，如不用毒為藥。《法華經》明二乘作佛，如用毒為藥。其義即難解，所以為祕也。

Answer: This was already explained earlier, and will now be elaborated. Prajñā merely clarifies that bodhisattvas are causes for buddhahood and therefore attain buddhahood, while the two vehicles are not causes for buddhahood and therefore do not attain buddhahood. This meaning was easy to understand in former times, and is therefore called exoteric. The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra clarifies that the two vehicles attain buddhahood, which contradicts the former teaching and was difficult to understand in former times, and is therefore called esoteric. The treatise master says: 'Just as using medicine as medicine is an easy matter, using poison as medicine is a difficult matter.' Prajñā clarifying that bodhisattvas attain buddhahood is like using medicine as medicine; not clarifying that the two vehicles attain buddhahood is like not using poison as medicine. The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra clarifying that the two vehicles attain buddhahood is like using poison as medicine. Its meaning is thus difficult to understand; hence it is esoteric.