妙法蓮華經玄贊 10.104

10.104

菩薩比丘不作是禮，禮即有犯。今作是禮，所以不犯，菩薩於性罪必持、遮罪有犯，勸利大故。若但比丘非菩薩者，禮即有犯、不禮無犯。又禮四眾而不犯，獨禮一而便虧。又敬佛性非禮身故，既不專讀誦，亦不專禮拜，二事兼故。新學比丘禮維摩足，未有知故、非舊學故。然有解言，其此比丘不行讀誦，但為禮拜。若爾，應言不讀誦經，何用「專」字？故知不專讀誦，亦不但行禮拜，是此中意。

If a bodhisattva-bhikṣu does not perform such homage, performing homage would entail a transgression. Now in performing this homage, the reason it is not a transgression is that for a bodhisattva, while natural offenses must be abstained from, there may be transgression of prescriptive offenses, because the exhortation and benefit are vast. If one is merely a bhikṣu and not a bodhisattva, paying homage entails a transgression, and not paying homage entails no transgression. Furthermore, paying homage to the four assemblies does not constitute a transgression, whereas paying homage to a single one alone would be a defect. Moreover, it is revering the buddha-nature, not paying homage to the body; since he did not exclusively recite, nor did he exclusively pay homage, both practices were combined. When the newly ordained bhikṣus paid homage at Vimalakīrti's feet, it was because they lacked knowledge, not because they were senior practitioners. However, there is an interpretation saying that this bhikṣu did not practice recitation at all, but only paid homage. If so, it should have said 'did not recite the sūtra'; why use the word 'exclusively'? Thus we know that he did not exclusively recite, nor did he only perform homage; this is the meaning here.