法華義疏 8.44

8.44

As for "the major trichiliocosm," some say: this illustrates the places where sentient beings of the five vehicles dwell, and the grasses and trees below illustrate the sentient beings capable of dwelling within the five vehicles. Some say: the great earth is that which can produce, illustrating the habitual causes of past ages; the grasses and trees are what is produced, illustrating the habitual fruits of the present age. We now say: the great earth illustrates the Buddha's teachings of the past; the Buddha's teachings are impartial and capable of producing the good roots of sentient beings, so they are likened to the great earth. Therefore, the passage below says, "produced by one earth," which is proof of this. The seeds of the five vehicles produced are likened to the grasses and trees; but the Buddha's teachings of the past broadly covered [all] boundlessly, so they are likened to the major trichiliocosm. This is in contrast to Śāriputra's praising the traces of the Buddha in a single region; now, wishing to praise the transformation that has no fixed direction, the trichiliocosm is thus adduced as a parable. As for "mountains, rivers, ravines, valleys, and lands," above, the Buddha's teachings were praised in general as capable of producing; now, the teachings of the five vehicles are praised in particular as capable of producing. Some match each of these individually, but the meanings are largely unsuitable, so we should omit them here.