妙法蓮華經玄贊 4.42

4.42

The Eulogy says: This is the sixth, negation: there is not even a second vehicle of the solitary buddhas, how much less could there be a third vehicle of the śrāvakas! Hence this sūtra says that goat carts and deer carts [were promised] to lead them out of the burning house in pursuit of ox carts; thus it solely refutes the two, and does not state any separate refutation of the ox cart. This is because there is no nirvāṇa of the two vehicles, since the essence [of nirvāṇa] is ultimate. The Treatise states: '"There are no two vehicles" means that there is no nirvāṇa of the two vehicles. Only the Buddha, the Tathāgata, realizes Great Nirvāṇa. The ultimate fulfillment of all wisdom is named Great Nirvāṇa, because the essential meanings of the three matters are all complete. The two vehicles are not so: they have only provisional analytical cessation (pratisaṃkhyā-nirodha), without the dharmakāya of great wisdom; it is not the case that śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and the like possess the dharma of Great Nirvāṇa, because there is only the one buddha-vehicle.' As for 'one buddha-vehicle', it relies on four kinds of meanings as explained previously. The Treatise correlates it with the six meanings in the conferring of prophecy, as explained before: the five meanings of what dharma, up to what essential dharma, etc. 'What dharma' refers to the first above, 'causing those who have not heard to hear', namely, teaching the unprecedented Dharma so that they may hear it. 'How the dharma is' refers to the second teaching, initially taught by expedient means with various expressions and parables. 'What the dharma resembles' refers to the third above, 'relying on what meaning', namely, solely for the sake of the one great matter. 'What characteristics the dharma has' refers to the fourth, causing them to abide in the Single Vehicle, because in accordance with the capacities of sentient beings there is the buddha-nature, and thus causing them to abide in all the dharmas of the buddhas. 'What essential dharma it is' refers to the sixth, negation: negating the two essences, there is only the essence of the Single Vehicle, which is the equal dharmakāya of all the buddhas, the tathāgatas. There may indeed be distinctions among the three vehicles' causes and fruits, their contemplation and practices, and these are not what is negated here; what is negated now is the negation of two kinds of dharmakāya essences, because the dharmakāya of tathatā is identical across the three vehicles. It does not mean that by negating the essences of the two vehicles, everything is non-existent. Through this principle, when inferred from the Treatise, it can be understood; otherwise, the text of the Treatise is somewhat obscure and difficult to comprehend. Only the fifth, the ritual methods of all buddhas, is absent, so correlating the remaining five in sequence makes it easily understood.