Some person has said that from the very first [sermons in the] Deer Park, are all inducements to the [ultimate teaching of the] Lotus Sūtra. These words are not acceptable. There is a limited period⁵⁸⁷ of explanation because all [the sermons] since the sermon on the seat of enlightenment [the Avataṃsaka Sūtra] are inducements to [the message of] the Lotus Sūtra. Therefore as light illumines other lands, the Buddhas of the present all [preach] the sudden [teachings] and expose [its meaning] gradually.

Mañjuśrī follows previous Buddhas also by utilizing the sudden [Teaching] and exposing it gradually. Alas, this [forty-five year period of Śākyamuni’s life] is a very limited period of inducements [to the Lotus Sūtra].

[The Buddha] has performed the skillful means of the Lotus Sūtra for the sake of sentient beings since the time of Mahābhijfiājfiānābhibhu.⁵⁸⁸ It should be known that it [the inducements to the Lotus Sūtra] is not limited to [the Buddha’s] approaching and taking the seat of enlightenment [and preaching the Avataṃsaka Sūtra]. Even this is a limited period.

[The Buddha] has performed the skillful means of the Lotus Throne for the sake of sentient beings since the time of his original attainment of Buddhahood.⁵⁸⁹ Even this is a limited period. [The Buddha] has performed the skillful means of the Lotus Throne for the sake of sentient beings since the time of his original practices on the bodhisattva Path [even before attaining Buddhahood]. The text [of the Lotus Sūtra] says, “I originally made a vow that I would universally lead all sentient beings to attain this same path.”⁵⁹⁰ Thus should it be known. The inducements [to the message of the Lotus Sūtra] are certainly not limited to the present.

⁵⁸⁷Lit. “close” or “near.” In this context it refers to the forty-five years of
the historical Buddha Śākyamuni’s life as a “limited” time compared to the immeasurable eons in which the Buddha has actually been preaching the Dharma. The Buddha has been preaching and performing “inducements” to the true message, finally and fully revealed only in the Lotus Sūtra, from the incalculable past and will continue into the far distant future. return

588

The Tathāgata Supreme in Great Penetrating Wisdom. The Lotus Sūtra speaks of this Buddha of the immeasurable past as an example of one who preached the Lotus Sūtra. See the first part of the chapter “On the Magical Castle.” Hurvitz, Lotus Sūtra, 145, translates this section as follows: “At that time, that Buddha, entertaining the śramaṇeras’ entreaty, when twenty thousand kalpas had passed, in the midst of the fourfold multitude finally preached this scripture of the Great Vehicle named the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma, a Dharma taught to bodhisattvas, one which Buddhas keep in mind… . That Buddha preached this scripture for eight thousand kalpas, never resting or tiring. When he had finished preaching this scripture, straightaway he entered a quiet room, where he remained in dhyāna concentration for eighty-four thousand kalpas…” return

589

Explained in the Lotus Sūtra to have occurred immeasurable eons ago. For example, in the chapter “On the Life-span of the Tathāgata” the Buddha claims that “since in fact I achieved Buddhahood it has been incalculable, limitless hundreds of thousands of myriads of millions of nayutas of kalpas” (Hurvitz, Lotus Sūtra, 237). return

590

This is a paraphrase from verses in the second chapter “On Expedient Means.” Hurvitz, Lotus Sūtra, 35, translates this context as follows: “Śāriputra, be it known that formerly I a vow, wishing to cause all multitudes to be just like me, no different. In keeping with my former vow, all is now fulfilled, for I have converted all living beings, causing them to enter into the Buddha Path.” return

The Tathāgatas of past, present, and future intrinsically lead sentient beings to be exposed to the Buddha’s knowledge and insight and attain the patience which comes from [realizing the truth of] non-arising. [The Buddha] appears in this world through the conditioned co-arising of his great deeds.

The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra-upadeśa says, “The meaning of the lotus blossom arising out of the water cannot be exhausted. Those of the Hinayāna are detached from the muddy and defiled waters [of secular life]. Therefore the Tathāgata enters into and sits among the great crowd of people. It is like all bodhisattvas who sit on lotus flowers [in the pure land] and listen to the preaching of the unsurpassed pure wisdom.”⁵⁸⁵ They never sit on the leaves of the lotus. Thus all of these bodhisattvas hear the preaching of the one perfect way, are enlightened concerning the one perfect result [of Buddhahood], dwell in the realm of the [lotus] flower-king, and like the Buddha Vairocana sit on the Lotus Blossom Throne [of enlightenment]. This is the intention of the Buddha.

[Bodhisattvas of good faculties] already enter the Lotus Throne when they first see the [Buddha] body and first hear the one truth.⁵⁸⁶ The Sudden Teaching is exposed gradually for the sake of those who have not yet entered [the Lotus Throne of enlightenment]. Various skillful means assist in manifesting the supreme meaning to explain all of [the understandings of] the two truths, at times as one, at times as many, at times as beyond conceptual thought. [The methods and teachings are] various and not the same, but they are all skillful means for the sake of attaining the Lotus Throne. The Tathāgata is eternally quiescent yet his transformations fill the universe. Truly he does not discriminate, such as first [deliberately] planning and then taking action, in working to save others. With his innate powers of goodness and compassion, [the Buddha spontaneously] leads all sentient beings to enter [the Lotus Throne of enlightenment].

585

See the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra-upadeśa, T. 3a10-15. return

586

The Fa hua hsüan i shih ch’ien [Annotations on The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra]says that this refers to the bodhisattvas of clever faculties in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. Thus this sentence refers to the preaching of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra immediately after the Buddha’s enlightenment in which he directly explained the content of his enlightenment. Those with ears to hear were able to understand, but most were not able to comprehend what the Buddha was saying. Thus the Buddha went to the Deer Park and preached the Hinayāna Tripiṭaka Teaching. return

Next I will classify [these categories] into crude and subtle all together [as in a bundle]. The first two teachings [Tripiṭaka and Shared], though they contain the aspect of “according to wisdom,” specialize in “according to feelings.” Since they teach with words in accordance with the minds of others, they are called “crude.” As for “advancing from the Shared to the Distinct,” though this contains the aspect of “according to feelings,” it specializes in mixing “according to feelings and wisdom” and teaching both with words in accordance with the mind of others and [the Buddha’s] own. Therefore it is both crude and subtle. The perfect two truths, though it has the aspect of “[preaching] according to feelings,” and so forth, specializes in “[preaching] according to wisdom” and teaches words in accordance with [the Buddha’s] own mind . Therefore it is subtle.

Question: if the first two [types of] two truths specialize in “[preaching] according to feelings,” then they should not be considered an insight into truth nor an attainment of the Path.

Answer: Since it is not an attainment of the Middle Path it is called “[preaching] in accordance with feelings.” The Buddha Tathāgatas do not preach the dharma in vain. Though it is not the supreme siddhānta of the Middle Path it is not lacking in the benefits of the other three siddhānta. Generally speaking these are all classified as belonging to “according to feeling” and thus are crude.