法華玄論 6.118

6.118

答：舊說正爾。今請問之：若自見無三，亦應自見有一，何所索耶？今明若審知無三亦不索，若昔有三亦不索。但昔許有、今遂言無，今昔有無合說，是故有索耳。

Answer: The old explanation was precisely like this. Now let me ask: If they saw for themselves that there are no three, they should also see for themselves that there is the one; what would there be to ask for? We now clarify that if they definitely knew there were no three, they would not ask; if the three existed formerly, they would also not ask. It is only because existence was promised in the past and non-existence is stated now—the past and present, existence and non-existence, being spoken together—that there is asking.