法華義疏 8.311

8.311

「比丘當知」下，第二、明說小。所以說小者，既無有二乘、唯一佛乘，而昔說二者，為知眾生不堪聞大但欲樂小，故為說小。文有三句：初、知機，為是等故明正說。「是人若聞」，辨得益。知機中云「如來方便」者，為釋疑故來。疑者云：若無二乘，何故昔說有二涅槃？是故釋云：如來有權巧之智，隨機而作，故說有二也。「是人若聞即便信受」者，既稱機而說，便信受得益也。

From "Monks, you should know" onwards is the second [part], explaining the preaching of the small. Why did he preach the small? Since there are no two vehicles and only the one Buddha-yāna, yet he formerly preached the two, it was because he knew sentient beings were incapable of hearing the great and only wished for and delighted in the small; therefore, he preached the small for them. The text has three clauses: First, knowing the capacity; for their sake he clarifies the principal preaching. "If these people hear..." distinguishes the obtaining of benefit. In knowing the capacity, the phrase "the Tathāgata's upāya" occurs in order to resolve doubt. The doubter says: "If there are no two vehicles, why did he formerly preach that there are two nirvāṇas?" Therefore it is explained: the Tathāgata possesses the wisdom of skill-in-means and acts in accordance with capacity; therefore he preached that there are two. As for "If these people hear, they immediately faithfully accept": since it was preached in accordance with capacity, they immediately faithfully accepted and obtained benefit.