妙法蓮華經玄贊 4.238

4.238

贊曰：下三頌示相思惟，有二：初二頌即說大乘，眾生有損；後一頌且說三乘，眾生有益。此初也。以諸眾生處俗現在苦中、出家妄行苦行，無暇頓能信大乘法，若為說者返生誹謗疑惑破壞，脫生不信却墮惡道。又在俗者沒苦故不信、外道出家者破法故不信，既有此損，寧不說法疾入涅槃，何得翻損諸眾生也。即同《智論》初不許也。

Eulogy: The following three verses show the reflections in [the Buddha's] mind, and have two parts: first, two verses showing that if he were immediately to preach the Great Vehicle, sentient beings would suffer harm; next, one verse showing that if he provisionally preaches the three vehicles, sentient beings will benefit. This is the first. Because sentient beings living in the world are currently immersed in suffering, and those who have renounced the household life mistakenly practice austerities, they lack the capacity to immediately believe in the teaching of the Great Vehicle; if one were to preach it for them, they would conversely give rise to slander, doubt, and destruction, and through giving rise to disbelief would instead fall into the evil destinies. Furthermore, householders do not believe because they are drowned in suffering, while heterodox renunciants do not believe because they subvert the Dharma. Since there would be such harm, rather than preaching the Dharma, it would be better to swiftly enter nirvāṇa—why should one instead cause harm to sentient beings? This corresponds to his initial refusal in the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa*.