法華玄論 5.36

5.36

答：初三請中三根皆疑，故知初說為三根人。次〈譬喻品〉身子具騰中下根人疑悔，請佛釋之，故知譬說通中下根人也。又具三周說，於義乃備。若但法無譬，義勢未盡；若但譬無法，意亦不圓，故須初周法說、次周譬喻。法譬雖圓，但明現在未辨宿世修因，次有第三說也。又一乘之道入有多門，自有樂聞法說，從法說門入；自有樂聞譬喻，從譬喻門入，即前二周也；自有俱樂法譬，則雙說兩門，即第三周。故〈化城〉已前謂法說門，〈化城〉之後即譬喻門。自有於此三門皆不得悟，皆不為說，如五千之徒也。

Answer: In the initial three requests, all three capacities were in doubt; therefore we know that the first preaching was for people of all three capacities. Next, in the "Parable Chapter", Śāriputra fully conveys the doubts and regrets of people of middling and inferior capacities, requesting the Buddha to resolve them; therefore we know that the parabolic preaching broadly applies to people of middling and inferior capacities. Furthermore, by being complete with the preachings of three cycles, it is fully equipped in meaning. If there were only doctrine and no parable, the momentum of the meaning would not be exhausted; if there were only parables and no doctrine, the purport would also not be complete. Therefore there must be the doctrinal preaching in the first cycle and parables in the second cycle. Although doctrine and parables are complete, they only clarify the present and have not distinguished the cultivation of causes in past lives; hence next there is the third preaching. Furthermore, the path of the one vehicle has many gates of entry: some naturally delight in hearing doctrinal preaching and enter through the gate of doctrinal preaching; some naturally delight in hearing parables and enter through the gate of parables—these are the previous two cycles; some delight in both doctrine and parables, and both gates are preached together—this is the third cycle. Therefore, before the "Conjured City" is called the gate of doctrinal preaching, and after the "Conjured City" is the gate of parables. There are also those who cannot attain awakening through any of these three gates, for whom none of them is preached, like the group of five thousand.