法華玄論 6.3

6.3

Question: When one attains arhatship, does one immediately know the one vehicle of oneself, or is it only when the Lotus Sūtra is preached that one knows it? Furthermore, in the 'Skillful Means' chapter, two passages in the section distinguishing the genuine and the false contradict each other. The first says: 'If one has truly attained arhatship, yet does not believe this Dharma, there is no such possibility. If one does not believe, this is a person of overweening pride, not an arhat.' This explains that an arhat must believe in the one vehicle. The next passage says: 'Except after the Buddha's extinction, when there is currently no Buddha present.' This explains that after the Buddha's extinction, there are also arhats who do not believe in the one vehicle. Thus the two passages conflict like spear and shield; how are they reconciled?