法華義疏 4.81

4.81

住此邪見則不得聞，但此邪見眾生過去曾習小乘有小根性，中途起於邪見，以小機將發、邪見正傾，故得為說小教。

While abiding in these wrong views, they do not get to hear it. However, these sentient beings of wrong views had in the past practiced the Hīnayāna and possessed lesser faculties, yet midway they gave rise to wrong views. Since their capacity for the lesser [vehicle] was about to emerge and their wrong views were just then collapsing, he was able to preach the lesser teaching to them.