妙法蓮華經玄贊 3.5

3.5

Expedient wisdom has three or four kinds: First, expedient means of progression: namely, the seven expedient wisdoms prior to the path of seeing; progressing toward the fruition is called an expedient means. That which is studied having a standard is called 'fang' (method); practicing in accord with one's stage and suiting what is fitting is called 'bian' (expedient). Second, expedient means of operation: namely, the perfection of expedient skillfulness (upāya-kauśalya-pāramitā); the wondrous functioning of subsequently attained wisdom able to carry out the two benefits is called an expedient means. This has three aspects: 1. Expedient means of teaching and practice: verbal sounds that can serve as a model are called 'fang'; receiving the teaching and obtaining peace is called 'bian'. 2. Expedient means of realization and practice: the principle of emptiness being upright and correct is called 'fang'; wisdom according with the correct principle is called 'bian'. 3. Non-abiding expedient means: approaching the real while entering the conventional is called 'fang'; benefiting both oneself and others is called 'bian'. The above three are all the second, [expedient means of] operation. Third, expedient means of integrated formation: all phenomena being of the same essence and skillfully forming one another is called an expedient means. For within tathatā are contained buddha-dharmas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges; taking wisdom as the gate or taking consciousness as the gate, each subsumes all. The Bodhisattvabhūmi states: 'Because these dharmas are skillfully formed, they are called expedient means.' The Daśabhūmika states: 'Totality, sameness, formation, particularity, difference, and disintegration—it is the expedient means of contrasting totality with particularity.' Containing totality according to a principle is called 'fang'; containing much within little is called 'bian'. Fourth, provisional and skillful expedient means: there is no such actual matter, but to respond to beings it is provisionally manifested, hence it is called expedient means; that is, transforming beings through the expedient means of the three karmas. Contrasted with real wisdom, this is called expedient means. Benefiting beings according to a standard is called 'fang'; delivering them according to the occasion is called 'bian'. Its essence is derived from [the category of] operation, having no separate meaning; therefore, in essence there are only three.