法華玄論 6.59

6.59

Tenth: The sons were sitting peacefully and therefore demanded [the carriages] from their father. People of the two vehicles have completed their fruit, ceased seeking, and no longer practice; hence this is called "sitting peacefully," and they may make a demand. Bodhisattvas who have not exited the gate originally knew that the carriage is not outside the gate of primary afflictions; bodhisattvas who have exited the gate naturally know it themselves; thus both the initial and final practitioners have the meaning of advancing forward, without the principle of "sitting peacefully." For this reason, for bodhisattvas there is no meaning of demanding the carriages. Furthermore, in matching the bestowing of the carriages, it says: "Not allowing any person to attain extinction alone, but leading them all to extinction through the extinction of the Tathāgata." Attaining extinction alone can have two meanings: First, formerly bodhisattvas received prophecies of becoming buddhas, so bodhisattvas alone attained the extinction of the Tathāgata. People of the two vehicles formerly could not become buddhas and thus did not attain extinction; now people of the two vehicles are also led to attain the extinction of the Tathāgata, which is why it is called bestowing equally. Second, formerly people of the two vehicles attained only the extinction of the Hīnayāna alone; now they are led to attain Mahāyāna nirvāṇa together. Deducing from these two passages, there is no demand by a bodhisattva. Since it says that bodhisattvas alone attained the extinction of the Tathāgata, on what grounds would a bodhisattva demand further? Moreover, formerly people of the two vehicles attained only the Hīnayāna extinction alone, so now they are bestowed the great carriage. Bodhisattvas are not like this, so how could it be bestowed upon bodhisattvas? This very text refutes the doctrine of four carriages. If all three vehicles demanded, then the statement about attaining extinction alone would be lost. When speaking of "alone," this specifically means that this person attains it and that person does not, which is why it is called "alone." If all three vehicles demanded, how could there be "alone"? What is clarified now is that only people of the two vehicles demand and bodhisattvas do not demand, as established by the ten deductions above.