維摩經略疏垂裕記 1.35

1.35

文中先明聖人觀機不等。聖人，謂佛也。生生，謂群生也，猶云人人也。然一切眾生無不本具一道平等無殊，但由熏習淺深，故有權實利鈍之別，故曰不齊也。故用下，明佛隨機，故有一代教法也，初則四味調熟，終則法華會歸。四教至緯之，明四味教也。五味豎論如經，四教橫辨如緯，所以華嚴二教、鹿苑但一、方等俱四、般若唯三。根器不齊，其實四味，具舉云五。有以下，明法華教。弛張者，弛之是反。《禮記》曰「一張一弛，文武之道」，注曰「以弓弩喻人也。」弓弩久張則絕其力、久弛則失其體。今云弛張，猶廢興。諸法生滅其性一如，故云不殊。但法華已前機器不齊未堪此說，機緣既熟偏小同歸，故云會而成之。

In the text, he first explains that the Sage observes that faculties are unequal. "The Sage" refers to the Buddha. "Living beings" (*shengsheng*) refers to the multitude of living beings, just as one says "each and every person." Although all sentient beings inherently possess the one Way without distinction in equality, due to differences in the depth of conditioning, there are distinctions between provisional and real, sharp and dull; hence it is called "uneven." Below "used the four...", it explains that the Buddha adapts to faculties, and so there is the teaching of his lifetime: initially using the four flavors to temper and mature them, and finally using the *Lotus Sūtra* to integrate and return them [to the One]. From "four teachings" to "woof to weave them" clarifies the teachings of the four flavors. Vertically considered, the five flavors are like the warp; horizontally analyzed, the four teachings are like the woof. Thus the *Avataṃsaka* has two teachings, the Deer Park has only one, the *Vaipulya* has all four, and the *Prajñā* has only three. The faculties and capacities being uneven, there are actually four flavors, but when mentioned in full they are called five. Below "seeing that...", it clarifies the teaching of the *Lotus Sūtra*. As for "relaxation and tension," relaxation (*chi*) is the opposite of tension. The *Liji* says: "One tension and one relaxation is the way of King Wen and King Wu"; its commentary says: "The bow is used as a metaphor for people." If a bow is drawn for too long, its strength is broken; if it is slack for too long, it loses its form. Here "relaxation and tension" is like abolition and revitalization. The arising and ceasing of all dharmas are uniform in their nature; hence they are said to be "no different." But before the *Lotus Sūtra*, the capacities were uneven and not yet ready for this preaching; once the capacities and conditions had matured, the biased and the small alike converged, hence it says "to integrate and accomplish them."