法華玄論 6.82

6.82

Answer: If they demand immediately upon exiting the gate, they should also immediately know that there are no three and there is the one upon completely exiting the three realms. Now, examining the text of the three cycles of the Lotus Sūtra, it only explains that arhats, upon hearing the Lotus Sūtra, first come to know that there are no three; before hearing it, they did not know that there are no three. Why? Śāriputra expressed his understanding, saying: "I completely eliminated wrong views, / and attained realization in the Dharma of emptiness. / At that time my mind thought of itself / as having reached extinction. / But now I myself realize / that it is not true extinction." This text clearly says that prior to the Lotus Sūtra they thought of themselves as having truly attained the three, and upon hearing the present teaching, only then knew that there are no three. The text of the second cycle says: "These twelve hundred whose minds are at ease, who are learners and non-learners, also each thought they had attained nirvāṇa by having left behind the view of self and views of existence and non-existence, etc." In "The Conjured City" it says: "Thereupon the multitudes went forward into the conjured city, generating the thought that they had already crossed over, generating the thought of security." Therefore, one knows that people of the three faculties, not having heard the Lotus Sūtra, considered themselves ultimate and did not know there are no three. How could one say that having finished attaining the fruit, they immediately knew there are no three and demanded the three?