法華玄論 6.76

6.76

答：舊云得羅漢已後《法華》之前此時有索。昔佛為三乘人說，若能斷三界煩惱，即得盡無生智。三乘人即依教修行，斷三界惑成無學果。此無學人並具三明之解，有未來生死智通，在閑暇心中思惟量度，遂見未來猶有生死因果，生死因未盡未有盡智，生死果未傾未有無生智。若爾，佛云何言斷惑盡故有盡智，果亡故有無生智耶？故就佛索覓盡無生二智也。評曰：尋第二周譬說意正在索車，若斯言可領，眾譬自明。今請問之：若得羅漢即索二智者，此時已應執動疑生。若爾，《法華》唯開三顯一便為無用。故何者？開三顯一本為動執生疑，未說之前疑執已動，何煩復用前略說耶？又難：若未說《法華》已生疑者，身子得果竟已，應云：「我今自於智，疑惑不能了，為是究竟法、為是所行道？」豈待說《法華》方有此唱？又領解中云「初聞佛所說，心中大驚疑。」若前已執動，何事今聞而始驚疑耶？

Answer: The old [masters] said that this demanding took place after attaining arhatship and before the Lotus Sūtra. Formerly, the Buddha expounded for the people of the three vehicles that if one can sever the afflictions of the three realms, one immediately attains the knowledge of exhaustion and the knowledge of non-arising. The people of the three vehicles then practiced according to the teaching, severed the delusions of the three realms, and accomplished the fruit of the non-learner (aśaikṣa). These non-learners fully possessed the understanding of the three clarities and possessed the supernormal knowledge of future saṃsāra; reflecting and deliberating in their idle minds, they thereupon saw that in the future there were still the causes and effects of saṃsāra: as the causes of saṃsāra were not exhausted, they did not have the knowledge of exhaustion; as the fruits of saṃsāra had not collapsed, they did not have the knowledge of non-arising. If so, why did the Buddha say that because the severing of delusions was exhausted, they possessed the knowledge of exhaustion, and because fruits were eliminated, they possessed the knowledge of non-arising? Therefore, they approached the Buddha to seek and demand the two knowledges of exhaustion and non-arising. Evaluation: Examining the intent of the second cycle's parabolic exposition, it lies precisely in demanding the carriages; if these words can be grasped, the various parables will be clear of themselves. Now I ask: If upon attaining arhatship they immediately demanded the two knowledges, at that time their attachments should already have been shaken and doubts should have arisen. If so, the Lotus Sūtra's merely "opening the three and revealing the one" would be useless. Why? Opening the three and revealing the one was originally intended to shake attachments and give rise to doubt; if before it was expounded, doubts and attachments were already shaken, why bother repeating the previous brief exposition? Furthermore, a refutation: If before the Lotus Sūtra was expounded doubts had already arisen, after Śāriputra had attained the fruit, he should have said: "Now regarding my own knowledge, / in doubt and confusion I cannot understand: / is this the ultimate Dharma, / or the path to be practiced?" How could he have waited until the Lotus Sūtra was expounded to make this utterance? Moreover, in the expression of understanding, it says: "When I first heard what the Buddha expounded, / in my heart there was great alarm and doubt." If their attachments had already been shaken previously, why would they only start to be alarmed and in doubt upon hearing it now?