勝鬘寶窟 2.36

2.36

第七明教意門。問：依何義故佛說一乘？答：有二種意，故說一乘：一者為密意、二者為顯意。如《法華》前三乘教意，佛於三乘教中若說三乘眾生空，即說無三人，即密說三人同歸一乘。又昔於三乘法中說三乘法空，亦是密說三乘法同歸一乘。前據人無我同，後據法無我同也。次顯說一乘者，即法華教及以此經。問：顯說一乘，為何等人？答：通為聲聞、菩薩二人。言為菩薩者，有二種菩薩：一者昔三乘中菩薩，其人雖學大乘，既聞說三乘，則心猶進退，或謂進成菩薩、或可退作聲聞，是故為說有一無二，無二故無退、有一故唯進，為此菩薩故說一乘。二者一乘根性菩薩，過去聞一乘教，故有一乘種子，今世還為演說一乘也。前是三乘菩薩，後是一乘菩薩。言為聲聞說一乘者，亦有二人：《法華》之前以大乘法密化，淘練其心，至《法華經》方得說一。故《法華》云「佛昔於菩薩前毀呰聲聞樂小法者，然佛實以大乘教化。」即是證密說一乘事也。二者有未定根性聲聞，可得轉小成大。如小乘義云：從初方便至煖頂已來，根猶未定，可得迴轉，故得為說一。至增上忍時，餘二乘根性皆非數緣滅，不可迴轉，故不為說一乘也。

Seventh is the section explaining the intention behind the teaching. Question: Based on what meaning did the Buddha speak of the ekayāna? Answer: There are two intentions for speaking of the ekayāna: first, with hidden intention; second, with explicit intention. As with the intention behind the teaching of the three vehicles prior to the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra, when the Buddha spoke in the teaching of the three vehicles of the emptiness of sentient beings of the three vehicles, he thereby spoke of there being no three persons, which was secretly teaching that the three persons together return to the ekayāna. Furthermore, when he formerly spoke of the emptiness of dharmas of the three vehicles within the teaching of the three vehicles, this was also secretly teaching that the dharmas of the three vehicles together return to the ekayāna. The former is based on the identity of pudgalanairātmya; the latter is based on the identity of dharmanairātmya. Next, explicitly teaching the ekayāna refers to the teaching of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra as well as this sūtra. Question: For what kind of people is the ekayāna explicitly taught? Answer: Universally for two kinds of persons: śrāvakas and bodhisattvas. As for being for bodhisattvas, there are two kinds of bodhisattvas: first, the bodhisattvas in the former three vehicles, who, although studying the Mahāyāna, had vacillating minds upon hearing the three vehicles taught—sometimes thinking they would advance to become bodhisattvas, sometimes thinking they might regress to become śrāvakas. Therefore, he taught them that there is one and not two; because there are not two, there is no regression, and because there is one, there is only advancement. The ekayāna was taught for these bodhisattvas. Second, bodhisattvas of the ekayāna disposition, who heard the teaching of the ekayāna in the past and thus possess the seeds of the ekayāna; in the present life, he again expounds the ekayāna for them. The former are bodhisattvas of the three vehicles, while the latter are bodhisattvas of the ekayāna. As for teaching the ekayāna for śrāvakas, there are also two kinds: [those who,] prior to the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra, were secretly transformed with the Mahāyāna Dharma, purifying and training their minds, so that only upon reaching the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra could the one [vehicle] be taught. Thus the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra says: 'Formerly, in front of the bodhisattvas, the Buddha disparaged the śrāvakas who delight in lesser dharmas, yet the Buddha actually transformed them with the Mahāyāna.' This is proof of secretly teaching the ekayāna. Second, there are śrāvakas of indeterminate disposition who can transform the Small into the Great. As the Hīnayāna doctrine states: from the preliminary preparations up through the stages of heat and summit, their faculties are not yet fixed and can turn around, so the one [vehicle] can be taught for them. When they reach the stage of supreme patience, the dispositions for the remaining two vehicles are all unconditioned cessation without analytical knowledge (aprati-saṃkhyā-nirodha) and cannot be turned around, so the ekayāna is not taught for them.