淨名玄論 5.19

5.19

Question: Sūtras such as the Prajñā[pāramitā] are for bodhisattvas who proceed straight ahead; the teaching of the Lotus [Sūtra] is for those who turn from the small and enter the great. Thus the inclusion of conditions [for liberation] is already complete; what, then, is gained by the arising of the teaching of the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra]?

Answer: Teachings are set forth for many reasons and cannot be reduced to a single pathway. The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā Sūtra has nineteen causes and conditions, and the purposes of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra are more than one. Explaining this convergence according to the meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, the children are of two kinds: first, those who have lost their minds, who are dull-rooted people; second, those who have not lost their minds, meaning sharp-rooted people. Although there are those who proceed straight ahead and those who turn from the small, those who hear the Prajñā and the Lotus [Sūtras] and both comprehend them are the children who have not lost their minds, the sharp-rooted people. The remaining dull-rooted people who have lost their minds have not yet taken the medicine; therefore, entering the Twin Groves and proclaiming cessation, [the Buddha] taught the Nirvāṇa Sūtra for their sake, and only then did they place their trust. If that is so, from the Lotus Treasury at the beginning to the Bhadrā River at the end, there are only the two kinds of conditions: sharp and dull. Furthermore, in the assemblies of the Prajñā and the Lotus, all had already attained the path, but now upon hearing the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] they advance further in awakening; hence it says: "For the sake of Bodhisattva Kāśyapa, the king of elephants among men, this sūtra is taught." Furthermore, there are two conditions: first, the condition of having attained awakening through going through the [previous] teachings; second, the condition of directly hearing the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] and immediately receiving the path. Therefore, although the Prajñā and the Lotus are for the two types of persons, the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] is taught again for the two cognitions, discussing the two sūtras separately.