法華遊意 1.18

1.18

The "Chapter on Welcoming from the Earth" states: "When these sentient beings first saw my body and heard what I preached, they immediately had faith and accepted it, entering the buddha-jñāna—excepting those who previously cultivated and studied the Hīnayāna. People such as these I now also cause to hear this sūtra and enter the buddha-jñāna." Since it says "first saw my body," this is seeing Rocana Buddha in the tranquil bodhimaṇḍa; "heard what I preached" refers to the teaching of the *Avataṃsaka*. Thus we know that from the past until now, he preached the bodhisattva practices for direct persons. "Excepting those who previously cultivated and studied the Hīnayāna" shows that before this, he had not yet preached the bodhisattva practices for the two vehicles. "People such as these I now also cause to hear this sūtra and enter the buddha-jñāna" shows that now he preaches the bodhisattva practices for persons who turn from the small to enter the great.