法華論疏 2.184

2.184

Herein four kinds of skillful means are clarified; I now explain them with three meanings: First, for sentient beings who have not yet entered wholesome dharmas, causing them to enter the wholesome. Although they have entered wholesome dharmas, they have not yet attained freedom from doubt; hence he severs their doubts for them. Although they have severed doubts, they have not yet entered supreme wisdom; hence he causes them to attain supreme wisdom. Although they have entered supreme wisdom, they have not yet attained liberation; hence he causes them to attain liberation. Second, these are precisely the four heavy burdens in the Śrīmālādevīsūtra. What are the four? First, for sentient beings who have heard nothing and are without dharma, he expounds the human and heavenly vehicle to cause them to enter wholesome dharmas. Second, he expounds the śrāvaka vehicle to sever their doubts concerning the four truths; hence it says "to sever doubts". Third, he expounds the pratyekabuddha vehicle to cause them to enter supreme wisdom, because the wisdom of a pratyekabuddha surpasses the wisdom of a śrāvaka. Fourth, through skillful means he expounds the Mahāyāna for them, and within the Mahāyāna embraces them through the four means of embracing: embracing them through giving to make them his retinue; embracing them through affectionate speech to cause them to arouse the bodhicitta; embracing them through beneficial action to cause their wholesome roots to increase; and embracing them through cooperative conduct to cause them to attain Buddhahood. Third, relying on the Treatise on Buddha-Nature, they destroy four obstacles for four kinds of persons, accomplishing four causes and attaining four fruits; thus neither more nor less, only four kinds are clarified. The first skillful means destroys the obstacle of lack of faith in icchantikas, causing them to have faith and rejoice in the Mahāyāna, to accomplish the seed of great purity. The second skillful means destroys the non-Buddhists' obstacle of the false mark of self, causing them to attain prajñā, becoming the seed of the great self. As for saying "severing doubts", there is no illusory self, but there is the self of buddha-nature; within the dharmas of existence and non-existence, various doubts are severed. The third skillful means destroys the śrāvakas' obstacle of fear of saṃsāra, causing them to accomplish the samādhi that shatters space, becoming the seed of great bliss. Because this seed surpasses the previous two skillful means, it is called "supreme wisdom". Moreover, the first is inferior, the next is middling, and the last is superior; hence it is called "higher". The fourth destroys the pratyekabuddhas' obstacle of cherishing their own bodies, causing them to accomplish great kindness and great compassion, becoming the seed of great permanence, because pratyekabuddhas lack compassion. Now clarifying the four means of embracing is precisely great compassion.