法華玄論 9.217

9.217

答：不必一期出世要前說三後說一乘，但諸佛久後必說真實，以無有畢竟住二乘永不作佛故也。復有四句：一者但說一乘不說三乘；二但說三乘不說一乘；三者亦說三亦說一，即釋迦教，初三後一是也；四不說三不說一，如無言世界不說三一也。又有四句：一者土淨而乘一，如七寶世界但化菩薩；二土穢乘三，如五濁剎；三土淨乘三，如身子成佛及中下根人淨土成佛，有三乘教；四土穢乘一，未見別文。阿輸闍國七歲已上皆學大乘，亦其事也。次明四句：一者為三緣說三乘、二為一緣說一乘，此事易明。三為三緣說一，可具二義：一者本是三乘緣，會歸一乘、二者命三乘緣說於大法。四者為一乘緣說三乘，令一乘緣識三是權、知一為實，如《勝鬘》七歲為學大乘者說三乘。二者為一乘緣說三，令傳化餘三乘緣也。緣悟復有四句：聞一悟一、聞三悟三、聞三悟一、聞一悟三，前已說之也。

Answer: It is not necessary that in a single lifetime's appearance in the world one must first expound the three and later expound the one vehicle; it is only that after a long time the buddhas must expound the real, because there is no one who ultimately abides in the two vehicles and never becomes a buddha. Furthermore, there are four propositions: 1. only expounding the one vehicle and not expounding the three vehicles; 2. only expounding the three vehicles and not expounding the one vehicle; 3. expounding both the three and the one, which is Śākyamuni's teaching, namely first the three and later the one; 4. expounding neither the three nor the one, as in a world without words where neither three nor one is expounded. Again, there are four propositions: 1. the land is pure and the vehicle is one, as in the world of seven jewels where only bodhisattvas are transformed; 2. the land is defiled and the vehicles are three, as in the lands of the five turbidities; 3. the land is pure and the vehicles are three, as when Śāriputra becomes a buddha, and when people of medium and lower faculties become buddhas in a pure land, where there is the teaching of the three vehicles; 4. the land is defiled and the vehicle is one: no separate text has yet been seen [for this], but in the kingdom of Aśoka where those seven years of age and above all study the Great Vehicle, this is also such a case. Next, to clarify four propositions: 1. expounding the three vehicles for three-vehicle conditions; 2. expounding the one vehicle for one-vehicle conditions—these matters are easy to understand; 3. expounding the one for three-vehicle conditions, which can possess two meanings: first, they are originally three-vehicle conditions who are brought to converge in the one vehicle; second, commanding three-vehicle conditions to expound the great Dharma; 4. expounding the three vehicles for one-vehicle conditions, causing the one-vehicle conditions to recognize that the three are provisional and know that the one is real, as in the Śrīmālā where for learners of the Great Vehicle who are seven years of age the three vehicles are expounded; second, expounding the three for one-vehicle conditions to cause them to transmit and transform the remaining three-vehicle conditions. Awakening according to conditions also has four propositions: hearing the one and awakening to the one; hearing the three and awakening to the three; hearing the three and awakening to the one; hearing the one and awakening to the three. These have already been explained above.