法華宗要 1.5

1.5

Question: That principle, teaching, and causes together convey sentient beings to sarvajñā—this matter is acceptable. But the fruit having already arrived at the ultimate place, how can it, together with the [other] three, convey sentient beings?
Explanation: There are four meanings to this. First, through the power of the Buddha-fruit in future lifetimes, it secretly assists sentient beings and causes them to produce good minds, in this way successively causing them to reach the Buddha-ground. As the Nirvāṇa-sūtra says: 'Because of the conditions of afflictions in the present lifetime one can sever the roots of goodness, but because of the power and conditions of the future Buddha-nature, the roots of goodness are generated once again.' Second, the transformation bodies manifested by the retribution Buddha of the future fruit convert present sentient beings, causing them to advance. As the Benye jing says: 'One sees one's own future fruit: the Buddhas crown one's head and preach the Dharma, while body and mind proceed distinctively in an inconceivable manner.' Third, this sūtra confers prophecies in six places, prophesying that they will attain anuttarā samyaksambodhi. Through receiving this prophecy, their minds are encouraged to cultivate progressively; since the future fruit belongs to them, it can convey them. A subsequent passage says: 'He bestowed equally upon each child a great carriage.' Fourth, this sūtra speaks of sarvākārajñatā, with no [obscuration] unexhausted and no virtue incomplete, and all sentient beings arrive together at this fruit. Sentient beings, taking as objects this expressive [teaching] and what is expressed, generate the mind and advance exceptionally, traversing the forty minds, sporting in supernormal powers, and transforming the four modes of birth. Therefore it is said that sentient beings ride on the vehicle of the fruit, and this vehicle of vehicles can convey sentient beings on the causal ground. As a subsequent verse says:
'The children at that time,
Joyful and leaping,
Rode upon these jeweled carriages,
And wandered in the four directions.'
From these four meanings, one should know that the vehicle of the fruit together with the remaining three dharmas conveys one person, and in each and every person the causes and conditions of the four dharmas are combined, being far removed from all extremes and indestructible. Beyond this there is nothing either lacking or surplus. Such is named the vast, profound, ultimate real mark of the Ekayāna. The doctrinal thesis expressed is briefly outlined in this manner.