法華玄贊義決 1.13

1.13

Fourth, there are seven items demonstrating 'four': (1) to demonstrate that the Tathāgata possesses four kinds of causes for teaching, which the treatise also calls the four kinds of accomplishment: first, previous accomplishment, which is the various expedient means; second, conversion accomplishment, which is the various knowledges and visions; third, the ultimate accomplishment of merit, which is the various recollections and contemplations; fourth, exposition accomplishment, which is the various expressions—to make [beings] know the two superiorities and give rise to yearning; (2) to demonstrate the four matters of opening, revealing, awakening, and entering, so that [beings] joyfully seek the fruit and practice the cause; (3) to demonstrate the four practices of bodhi, as the text below says: 'sporting in supernatural powers in the bodhisattva teachings, purifying Buddha-lands, and ripening sentient beings,' to inspire cultivation of superior practices; (4) to demonstrate the four peaceful practices, which are the 'Peaceful Practices' chapter: first, correct physical practice; second, correct verbal practice; third, mental practice of abandoning all evil for one's own benefit; fourth, complete practice of cultivating all goodness in mind to benefit others, propagating the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings, learning what is right and eliminating what is wrong; (5) to demonstrate the four kinds of superior powers of the Tathāgata, as the 'Emerging from the Earth' chapter says: 'The Tathāgata now wishes to proclaim and manifest the power of the wisdom of all Buddhas, the power of the sovereign supernatural abilities of all Buddhas, the power of the lion-like exertion of all Buddhas, and the power of the awe-inspiring great might of all Buddhas,' so that [beings] know that what is taught is superior; (6) to demonstrate the Tathāgata's four kinds of 'all', as the 'Supernatural Powers' chapter says: 'all the dharmas possessed by the Tathāgata, all the sovereign powers of the Tathāgata, all the secret treasures of the Tathāgata, and all the profoundly deep matters of the Tathāgata'—these four 'all's are meant to make [beings] know that the teaching that expresses them is superior; (7) to demonstrate that by accomplishing four dharmas one will be able to hear this sūtra in the latter age, as the 'Samantabhadra' chapter says: first, being protected and kept in mind by all Buddhas; second, planting all roots of virtue; third, entering the assembly of the correctly determined; fourth, generating the mind to save all sentient beings—so that [beings] know that the superior Dharma is difficult to hear and that one can hear it only by cultivating superior practices.