法華玄論 6.76

6.76

Answer: The old [masters] said that this demanding took place after attaining arhatship and before the Lotus Sūtra. Formerly, the Buddha expounded for the people of the three vehicles that if one can sever the afflictions of the three realms, one immediately attains the knowledge of exhaustion and the knowledge of non-arising. The people of the three vehicles then practiced according to the teaching, severed the delusions of the three realms, and accomplished the fruit of the non-learner (aśaikṣa). These non-learners fully possessed the understanding of the three clarities and possessed the supernormal knowledge of future saṃsāra; reflecting and deliberating in their idle minds, they thereupon saw that in the future there were still the causes and effects of saṃsāra: as the causes of saṃsāra were not exhausted, they did not have the knowledge of exhaustion; as the fruits of saṃsāra had not collapsed, they did not have the knowledge of non-arising. If so, why did the Buddha say that because the severing of delusions was exhausted, they possessed the knowledge of exhaustion, and because fruits were eliminated, they possessed the knowledge of non-arising? Therefore, they approached the Buddha to seek and demand the two knowledges of exhaustion and non-arising. Evaluation: Examining the intent of the second cycle's parabolic exposition, it lies precisely in demanding the carriages; if these words can be grasped, the various parables will be clear of themselves. Now I ask: If upon attaining arhatship they immediately demanded the two knowledges, at that time their attachments should already have been shaken and doubts should have arisen. If so, the Lotus Sūtra's merely "opening the three and revealing the one" would be useless. Why? Opening the three and revealing the one was originally intended to shake attachments and give rise to doubt; if before it was expounded, doubts and attachments were already shaken, why bother repeating the previous brief exposition? Furthermore, a refutation: If before the Lotus Sūtra was expounded doubts had already arisen, after Śāriputra had attained the fruit, he should have said: "Now regarding my own knowledge, / in doubt and confusion I cannot understand: / is this the ultimate Dharma, / or the path to be practiced?" How could he have waited until the Lotus Sūtra was expounded to make this utterance? Moreover, in the expression of understanding, it says: "When I first heard what the Buddha expounded, / in my heart there was great alarm and doubt." If their attachments had already been shaken previously, why would they only start to be alarmed and in doubt upon hearing it now?