法華玄論 4.13

4.13

Answer: To the Buddha, the three teachings are constantly a single teaching; thus the Great Sūtra says: "I constantly practice the one vehicle, but sentient beings see three." If so, then with respect to the Buddha, they are not refuted; it merely refutes sentient beings grasping the teachings and producing delusions, not refuting the teachings themselves. As for "opening the three to reveal the one": opening the past three as skillful means reveals the present one as the true and real. As for "discarding the three to establish the one": in the past, because they could not bear to hear the one, the three teachings were provisionally spoken of; now the great capacity has matured and they can bear to hear the one teaching, so one properly discards the past three and establishes the present one teaching. The chapter "Skillful Means" says: "Honestly discarding skillful means"—this is precisely the meaning of discarding.