佛祖統紀 3.53

3.53

The 'Belief and Understanding' chapter states: '[The father] then sent a servant (the Tathāgata is the principal; bodhisattvas are the servants; that is, the Buddha empowered four bodhisattvas to expound the forty grounds: Bodhisattva Dharmamati expounded the ten abodes, Guṇavṛkṣa expounded the ten practices, Vajradhvaja expounded the ten dedications, and Vajragarbha expounded the ten grounds) to chase swiftly after him and bring him back. (Directly applying the Great Teaching to test the small capacity is called "chase swiftly". Because the Mahāyāna existed formerly, it is called "bring him back". Furthermore, innate virtue is originally possessed of oneself, hence called "bring him back".) The poor son was terrified (hearing the Great Teaching abruptly, it conflicted with his mind, so he was terrified; failing to recognize it, he was startled) and screamed in distress, (taking birth and death as suffering, and afflictions as grievance; upon hearing that birth and death are nirvāṇa and afflictions are bodhi, he felt agonized, complained of injustice, and screamed loudly) but the messenger seized him all the more urgently (speaking of terror to make him stay away from evil is "urgent") and dragged him back by force. (Within, having no capacity; without, pressed by the great transformation.) The poor son thought to himself: "I am guiltless, yet held captive; I will certainly die here!" (Due to the sins of sentient beings, they enter the prison of birth and death; bodhisattvas also enter the prison on account of shared sins. The two vehicles lack great compassion; being made to enter birth and death is being "held captive", forever losing the wisdom-life of the three vehicles.) He became even more terrified (pondering these matters) and fell to the ground in a dead faint. (Small wisdom cannot understand, drowning in the ground of ignorance.) The father saw him from afar (small understanding is far from the great, hence "from afar"; because he is a son who had formed a past connection, he "saw" him) and said to the messenger: (bodhisattvas are the messengers) "We do not need this man. (No need to manifest the honorable and marvelous body for the two vehicles to see.) Do not force him to come." (Since there is no great capacity, fearing it will damage his roots of goodness.) The messenger said to him: "I release you now." (Clearly indicating the cessation of the conversion.) The poor son was overjoyed, (not being pressured by the Great Teaching) and went to a impoverished village seeking food and clothing.' (Seeking the methods of the Way within the Four Truths. All the above notes are from the *Wenju*.) What meaning does this convey? This is the Tathāgata expounding the approach of the Perfect and Sudden Teaching, testing the small with the great, which caused their capacities to faint and lose consciousness (*Miaoxuan*, fascicle 10).