勝鬘寶窟 1.16

1.16

Question: How do we know that among the three, only the one is real, while the remaining two are not true? Answer: Because the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra says, "There is only the single buddhayāna." When preaching the Dharma for sentient beings, there is no other vehicle, neither two nor three—the "two" referring to pratyekabuddhas and the "three" to śrāvakas. Thus we know that the one among the three is the buddhayāna. Now we present an analogy to show this: It is like a person who holds only a single fruit in his hand, but for the sake of his sons says there are three fruits. This is speaking of three with respect to one; hence the three are upāya. One may also say that there is only a single fruit, and on that single fruit one speaks of having the other two; hence the two are upāya and the one is real. Why is this? There is only a single fruit and there are no three fruits, yet speaking of three makes the three an upāya. There is only a single fruit and there are no other two, yet speaking of having an other two makes the two an upāya. Formulating it against the two or against the three is similarly analogous; it is still a single meaning. This is fully explained in detail in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra.