維摩經玄疏 6.90

6.90

一、明因果為宗者，但非因非果，既通為眾經之體；而因而果，亦通為眾經之宗。宗則不定，或單用因為宗，或單用果為宗，或因果合為宗。如《涅槃》明涅槃常住四德之果，文內非不明五行、十功德之因果，果正、因傍，但以果當宗。若是《大品》明般若智照之因，文中非無種智、涅槃之果，因正、果傍，但以因為宗。若《法華》明一乘因果，借蓮華為名，是則因果俱為宗。此經從人、法得名，人能行法，即是因地行人；法名不思議解脫，解脫是斷德之果，望果行因，故以佛國因果為宗也。

First, explaining cause and effect as the central theme: since neither-cause-nor-effect universally serves as the substance of the many sūtras, both cause and effect also universally serve as the central theme of the many sūtras. The central theme is not fixed: sometimes cause alone is used as the central theme, sometimes effect alone is used as the central theme, and sometimes cause and effect combined serve as the central theme. For instance, the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] explains the effect of the four virtues of the eternally abiding nirvāṇa; although its text does not fail to explain the cause and effect of the five practices and the ten merits, effect is primary and cause is secondary, so it takes only effect as its central theme. In the case of the Larger Prajñāpāramitā [Sūtra], which explains the cause of the wisdom illumination of prajñā, its text is not without the effect of the knowledge of all aspects (sarvākārajñatā) and nirvāṇa; yet cause is primary and effect is secondary, so it takes only cause as its central theme. As for the Lotus [Sūtra], it clarifies the cause and effect of the One Vehicle, borrowing the lotus as its name; thus cause and effect together serve as its central theme. This sūtra takes its title from person and Dharma: the person who can practice the Dharma is the practitioner on the causal stage; the Dharma is called the inconceivable liberation, and liberation is the effect of the virtue of eradication. Looking toward the effect, one cultivates the cause; therefore, it takes the cause and effect of the buddha-land as its central theme.