教觀綱宗 1.16

1.16

次明別五時者，乃約一類最鈍聲聞，具經五番陶鑄，方得入實。所謂初於華嚴不見不聞，全生如乳（華嚴前八會中，永無聲聞，故云不見不聞。至第九會《入法界品》，在祇園中，方有聲聞。爾時已證聖果，尚於菩薩境界，如啞如聾。驗知爾前縱聞華嚴，亦決無益。然舍利弗等，由聞藏教，方證聖果，方預入法界會，則知，《入法界品》斷不說在阿含前矣。人胡略不思察，妄謂華嚴局在三七日內耶？）次於阿含，聞因緣生滅法，轉凡成聖，如轉乳成酪（酪即熟乳漿也）。次聞方等，彈偏斥小、歎大褒圓，遂乃恥小慕大，自悲敗種。雖復具聞四教，然但密得通益，如轉酪成生酥。次聞般若，會一切法皆摩訶衍，轉教菩薩，領知一切佛法寶藏。雖帶通別，正明圓教。然但密得別益，如轉生酥成熟酥。次聞法華，開權顯實，方得圓教實益，如轉熟酥而成醍醐。然只此別五時法，亦不拘定年月日時，但隨所應聞，即便得聞。如來說法，神力自在，一音異解，豈容思議？又有根稍利者，不必具歷五味，或但經四番、三番、二番陶鑄，便得入實。若於阿含、方等、般若，隨一悟入者，即是祕密、不定二種化儀所攝。復有眾生，未堪聞法華者，或自甘退席，或移置他方，此則更待涅槃捃拾，或待滅後餘佛。事非一概，熟玩《法華玄義》、《文句》，群疑自釋。

Next, to clarify the distinct five periods: this refers to a class of the dullest śrāvakas who must undergo five turns of smelting and molding before they can enter reality. That is to say, initially at the Avataṃsaka, they neither saw nor heard, entirely raw like milk. (In the first eight assemblies of the Avataṃsaka, there were never any śrāvakas; hence it is said they 'neither saw nor heard'. Only in the ninth assembly, the Chapter on Entering the Dharma Realm in the Jetavana, were there śrāvakas. At that time they had already realized the holy fruit, yet in the realm of bodhisattvas, they were still like the deaf and mute. This proves that prior to this, even if they heard the Avataṃsaka, it would definitely have been of no benefit. However, Śāriputra and the others, by hearing the Tripiṭaka teaching, only then realized the holy fruit and only then could participate in the assembly of Entering the Dharma Realm; thus we know that the Chapter on Entering the Dharma Realm was definitely not expounded prior to the Āgamas. Why do people not reflect in the least, and falsely claim that the Avataṃsaka was confined to the three or seven days?) Next, at the Āgamas, hearing the dharmas of arising and ceasing through causes and conditions, they transformed from ordinary persons into sages, like transforming milk into coagulated milk (coagulated milk is cooked milk curd). Next, hearing the Vaipulya, which rebukes the biased and dismisses the small, praising the great and extolling the complete, they felt ashamed of the small and aspired to the great, lamenting that they were burnt seeds. Although they fully heard the four teachings, they secretly obtained only the benefit of the shared teaching, like transforming coagulated milk into fresh butter. Next, hearing Prajñā, which converges all dharmas into the Mahāyāna, instructing the bodhisattvas and managing the entire treasure-house of the Buddha's teachings; although it carried along the shared and distinct, it primarily clarified the complete teaching. Yet they secretly obtained only the benefit of the distinct teaching, like transforming fresh butter into clarified butter. Next, hearing the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, which opens the expedient and reveals the real, they finally obtained the real benefit of the complete teaching, like transforming clarified butter into ghee. However, this distinct five-period teaching also is not rigidly fixed to years, months, days, or hours; whenever they were suited to hear it, they immediately heard it. When the Tathāgata expounds the Dharma, his spiritual power is sovereign, and one voice yields different understandings—how could it be conceived? Furthermore, there are those whose capacities are slightly sharper who need not undergo all five flavors, but through four, three, or two turns of smelting and molding can enter reality. If they awaken at any one among the Āgama, Vaipulya, or Prajñā, they are subsumed under the two conversion methods of secret and indeterminate. Moreover, there are sentient beings who are not yet capable of hearing the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka; some voluntarily withdrew from their seats, while others were transported to other lands. These must await the gleaning in the Nirvāṇa, or await other Buddhas after the parinirvāṇa. Things are not uniform; if one thoroughly examines the Fahua xuanyi and Fahua wenju, all doubts will naturally be resolved.