法華義疏 8.299

8.299

「諸比丘我等」下，第三、明結會古今。就文有三：初、牒上根人。「此諸眾生于今有住聲聞地者」，第二句，明過去中根人也。「是諸人等應以是法漸入佛道」者，釋上常教化無上菩提也。疑者云：既常教化無上菩提，何故說聲聞法？又昔為沙彌時尚教大道，今云何乃說小乘？是故釋云：說聲聞法漸令入佛道，以佛慧微妙不可頓入故也。當知說小是漸說大乘。又昔有大機是故說大，但為退大取小，是故今說於小。「爾時所化下」，第三句，正會古今也。

From "Monks, we and others" onwards is the third [part], explaining the concluding and unifying of past and present. In terms of the text, there are three [clauses]: first, restating the persons of superior faculties. "Among these sentient beings, there are now those who abide at the stage of śrāvakas" is the second clause, explaining the persons of middling faculties in the past. "These people ought, by means of this teaching, gradually to enter the Buddha Path" explains the "constantly teaching and transforming toward unexcelled bodhi" mentioned above. The doubter says: "Since he constantly taught and transformed toward unexcelled bodhi, why did he preach the śrāvaka Dharma? Moreover, when he was formerly a novice monk, he still taught the Great Path; why does he now preach the Hīnayāna instead?" Therefore it is explained: he preaches the śrāvaka Dharma to cause them gradually to enter the Buddha Path, because the Buddha's wisdom is subtle and profound and cannot be entered suddenly. One should know that preaching the small is gradually preaching the Mahāyāna. Moreover, formerly they had the capacity for the great and therefore he preached the great; but because they regressed from the great and adopted the small, he therefore now preaches the small. From "Those transformed at that time" onwards is the third clause, directly unifying past and present.