大華嚴經略策 1.25

1.25

第十八、二乘聾瞽。問：地獄極惡尚遇佛光，聲聞聖流何頓聾瞽？又《法華》拂席遣而不聞，不輕令聞久而獲益。如何此典獨異餘經？仰出所由以曉疑網。答：因緣多門教化萬品，根有大小益有淺深，地獄圓種成益頓超，二乘無機對而不見，其猶雷霆震地聾者不聞、日月麗天盲者不覩，斯理昭著其何惑哉？又大聖化儀理非一準，《法華》威遣以勵會中，不輕令聞知有遠益，諸聲聞輩不謗、不修，留其不聞以彰絕分，顯法圓妙不共二乘。各有指歸，義無乖越。謹對。

Eighteenth: The Two Vehicles Being Deaf and Blind. Question: Extreme sinners in hell still encounter the Buddha's light; why then did the holy assembly of śrāvakas suddenly become deaf and blind? Furthermore, in the Lotus Sūtra [those who] shook their robes were dismissed and did not hear it, while Sadāparibhūta caused [people] to hear it so that they obtained benefit after a long time. Why is this scripture alone different from the other sūtras? I respectfully ask you to bring out the reasons so as to clear away the net of doubts. Answer: Conditions have many gateways to teach and transform the ten thousand types [of beings]; capacities have large and small, and benefits have shallow and deep. For the hell sinners whose seeds of the perfect [teaching] were complete, their benefit was sudden transcendence; the two vehicles lacked the capacity, so though facing [the Buddha], they did not see him. It is just as when thunder shakes the earth, the deaf do not hear it, and when the sun and moon adorn the sky, the blind do not behold them. This principle is clearly evident—how could there be any doubt about it? Moreover, the great Sage's modes of conversion are in principle not uniform: in the Lotus Sūtra he used majesty to dismiss [the arrogant] in order to encourage those in the assembly; Sadāparibhūta caused [them] to hear so that they would know there is long-term benefit; and as for the various śrāvakas, who neither slandered nor practiced, he left them unheard in order to make manifest that they had no share [in this teaching] and to reveal that the round and wondrous Dharma is not shared with the two vehicles. Each has its own purpose, and their meanings do not conflict. Respectfully answered.