妙法蓮華經玄贊 8.326

8.326

贊曰：此釋所以。由此《法華》最深密，故不付阿難，唯付藥王等，極祕密故。譬如用毒為藥大醫所堪，小師不能，故付菩薩不付聲聞。化聲聞故，故說此時須臾得聞，當得究竟大菩提也，言契真故、自得果故、令他得故。

The Commentary says: This explains the reasons why. Because this *Lotus Sūtra* is the most profound and esoteric, it was not entrusted to Ānanda, but only entrusted to Medicine King and others, being extremely secret. For example, using poison as medicine can only be handled by a great physician, not by an inferior practitioner; therefore it was entrusted to bodhisattvas and not entrusted to śrāvakas. Because it transforms śrāvakas, it is therefore said that hearing it for even a short while, they will attain ultimate great bodhi, because the words accord with reality, because they themselves attain the fruit, and because they cause others to attain it.