法華義疏 4.34

4.34

以二文為證：一者〈涌出品〉云「是諸眾生始見我身聞我所說，即便得入如來之慧」，此明直往菩薩早悟佛慧也。次云「除先修習學小乘者，如是等人我今亦令得聞是經入於佛慧」，此明迴小入大菩薩晚方悟也。二者、則此經文明聲聞，晚習大乘、晚聞大乘、晚得授記、晚生歡喜；既是真實教者，菩薩早習大乘、早聞大乘、早得授記、早生歡喜，亦是真實教也。若今文明菩薩早聞大乘、早得授記，是方便者，《華嚴》等經悉是方便，則是謗法之甚也。

Through two textual passages as evidence: First, the "Emerging from the Earth Chapter" states: "When these sentient beings first saw my body and heard what I preached, they immediately attained entry into the Tathāgata's wisdom." This clarifies that the direct-progress bodhisattvas awakened early to the Buddha's wisdom. Next it states: "Except for those who previously cultivated and studied the Hīnayāna; such persons as these I now also cause to hear this sūtra and enter into the Buddha's wisdom." This clarifies that bodhisattvas who turned from the small to enter the great awakened only late. Second, this sūtra text clarifies that the śrāvakas practiced the Mahāyāna late, heard the Mahāyāna late, received prophecies late, and gave rise to joy late; since this is the real teaching, the bodhisattvas' practicing the Mahāyāna early, hearing the Mahāyāna early, receiving prophecies early, and giving rise to joy early is also the real teaching. If the present text's clarification that bodhisattvas heard the Mahāyāna early and received prophecies early were an upāya, then sūtras such as the Avataṃsaka would all be upāyas, which would be an extreme defamation of the Dharma.