法華玄論 7.117

7.117

答：於鴿無益，身子等因此知佛智不可思議，令多人發心。身子悔取小道，但為益人不為利鴿。二者依《首楞嚴經》意言，其人過去久已發心行行，但在輕毛位隨風東西，未可是詺，故云未發心。又此人過去已曾發心，但現在未值緣，故云未得發心。此人從外凡至退位已來，又依《瓔珞經》，六心中人也。依《法華》是繫寶珠人。以其失大解，故今為此人授記，名未發心授記也。二者發心授記。如過去久發心乃至現在發心，故名發心。《首楞嚴》意判此人位不退也，依《瓔珞經》是七心已上人也。第三不現前授記者，唯他人知而自不知，故名不現前也。

Answer: There was no benefit to the pigeon. Through this, Śāriputra and the others came to know that the Buddha's wisdom is inconceivable, causing many people to generate the aspiration [for awakening]. Śāriputra regretted taking up the lesser path; [the prophecy] was solely to benefit people, not to advantage the pigeon. Second, according to the intention of the Śūraṅgama-sūtra, this person generated the aspiration and engaged in practice long ago in the past, but being at the stage of a 'light feather' that is blown east and west with the wind, one cannot yet designate it [as such]; hence it is called 'prophecy before generating the aspiration.' Furthermore, this person had already generated the aspiration in the past, but in the present has not yet met the conditions; hence it is called 'not yet having attained the generation of the aspiration.' This person ranges from an external ordinary person up to the stage of regression; furthermore, according to the Yingluo jing, this is a person of the six minds. According to the Lotus Sūtra, it is the person into whose robe the jewel was tied. Because they lost the great understanding, now this person is given a prophecy, which is termed 'prophecy before generating the aspiration.' Second is the prophecy upon generating the aspiration: whether generating the aspiration long ago in the past or down to generating the aspiration in the present, it is therefore termed 'generating the aspiration.' The Śūraṅgama[-sūtra]'s intention determines this person's stage as non-regression; according to the Yingluo jing, it is a person of the seventh mind and above. Third, 'prophecy not face-to-face' means that only others know while the person themselves does not know; hence it is called 'not face-to-face.'