法華玄論 3.102

3.102

Answer: The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā and the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra explain the meaning in combination, whereas the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra explains the meaning by distinguishing. Why do they explain the meaning in combination? The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā directly clarifies the cause of non-abiding and the fruit of non-attainment; once it refutes the grasping minds of sentient beings, they immediately attain complete awakening, without needing to distinguish separately the conditioning and primary causes and fruits. The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra directly refutes the different causes and different fruits, clarifying the single cause and single fruit; sentient beings immediately attain awakening and it likewise does not distinguish the conditioning and primary causes and fruits. The Great Sūtra, for the sake of dull-rooted sentient beings who did not awaken upon hearing the combined explanations above, extensively opens the two causes and two fruits of condition and primary, so that they only then attain understanding. Because when capacities and conditions are suited to hearing the combined to attain awakening, he combines them for them; and when they should hear the distinguished to receive the Way, he distinguishes them for them.