妙法蓮華經玄贊 7.229

7.229

來意有二：一鶖子上根，聞法說而悟解，佛即為記；四人中性，聞喻說而方解，故佛與記。二論云：「為三種無煩惱人染慢，說三平等。初說乘平等，故與授記。上來佛說乘體有異，便有無學執乘定異，為此記別，顯乘平等，故此品來。」如〈譬喻品〉已釋。

Regarding the purpose of its occurrence, there are two: First, Śāriputra, being of superior faculties, understood upon hearing the doctrinal explanation, and the Buddha immediately gave him a prophecy; the four individuals, being of intermediate faculties, understood only upon hearing the metaphorical explanation, and therefore the Buddha grants them a prophecy. Second, the treatise says: 'For the sake of the defiled arrogance of three kinds of individuals free of afflictions, three equalities were spoken. First, the equality of vehicles was spoken, and hence prophecy was granted. Previously, when the Buddha spoke of differences in the essence of the vehicles, there were non-learners who clung to the view that the vehicles were definitively different; in order to prophesy for them and reveal the equality of the vehicles, this chapter follows.' This has already been explained as in the 'Parable Chapter'.