法華玄論 4.13

4.13

答：三教於佛恒是一教，故《大經》云「常行一乘，眾生見三。」若爾，於佛即不破也，但破眾生執教生迷，不破教也。開三顯一者，開昔三是方便，顯今一是真實。廢三立一者，昔為不堪聞一，故權說三教耳。今大緣已熟，堪聞一教，即宜廢昔三立今一教也。〈方便品〉云「正直捨方便」即是廢義也。

Answer: To the Buddha, the three teachings are constantly a single teaching; thus the Great Sūtra says: "I constantly practice the one vehicle, but sentient beings see three." If so, then with respect to the Buddha, they are not refuted; it merely refutes sentient beings grasping the teachings and producing delusions, not refuting the teachings themselves. As for "opening the three to reveal the one": opening the past three as skillful means reveals the present one as the true and real. As for "discarding the three to establish the one": in the past, because they could not bear to hear the one, the three teachings were provisionally spoken of; now the great capacity has matured and they can bear to hear the one teaching, so one properly discards the past three and establishes the present one teaching. The chapter "Skillful Means" says: "Honestly discarding skillful means"—this is precisely the meaning of discarding.