[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [法華玄論](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1720) › 6.127 # 法華玄論 6.127 法華玄論 6.127 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [6.127](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1720.6.127) 答：舊云車為三乘人設譬故三，但二乘領解故使二。評曰：若為三乘人設三車譬者，二乘人聞二事領解，有二使之譬者；菩薩何故無領解，不作大使之譬？又〈譬喻品〉乃為中根聲聞耳，菩薩何得在中根數耶？今所明者通別二義釋之。一者通而為論，皆平等也。三乘所乘既有三車，化於三人亦有三使，三人止息便有三城。《大經》云「聲聞之人以小涅槃而般涅槃，乃至云菩薩之人以大涅槃而般涅槃。」故知亦有三城也。別而為論車有三者，前以一乘化諸子不得，故於一佛乘分別說三。〈方便〉、〈信解〉、〈化城〉並明於一佛乘分別說三，故知說三之義皆為二乘人也。既為二乘人於一說三，二乘人便領解，知三中之一是實，餘二非真。故但明二使，無有三使也。 > Answer: The old \[masters\] said that the carriages were established as a parable for the people of the three vehicles, hence there are three; but only the two vehicles comprehended, hence there are two messengers. Critical appraisal: If the parable of three carriages was set up for people of the three vehicles, and when persons of the two vehicles heard the two matters and comprehended, there was the parable of two messengers, why did bodhisattvas not have comprehension such that no parable of a great messenger was made? Furthermore, the "Parable" chapter is only for śrāvakas of middling faculties; how could bodhisattvas be counted among the middling faculties? What we now clarify is explained through the two meanings of general and specific. First, discussed generally, all are equal: since the three vehicles traversed have three carriages, transforming three kinds of persons also has three messengers, and three kinds of persons resting has three cities. The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says: "Persons of the śrāvaka \[vehicle\] enter parinirvāṇa by means of a small nirvāṇa... up to persons of the bodhisattva \[vehicle\] enter parinirvāṇa by means of a great nirvāṇa." Thus we know there are also three cities. Discussed specifically, there are three carriages because the father previously could not transform the children through the one vehicle, and therefore differentiated and taught three based on the one Buddha vehicle. The chapters on "Expedient Means", "Faith and Understanding", and "The Conjured City" all explain differentiating and teaching three based on the one Buddha vehicle; thus we know the teaching of the three was entirely for practitioners of the two vehicles. Since he taught three on the basis of the one for practitioners of the two vehicles, the practitioners of the two vehicles then comprehended and knew that the one among the three is real and the other two are not true. Therefore, only two messengers are clarified, and there are no three messengers. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 6.126](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1720.6.126) - [Next: 6.128](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1720.6.128) - [Up: 6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1720.6) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1720~en-mt.6.127) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1720.6.127](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1720.6.127) · Pramāṇa