我有方便力,开示三乘法;
一切诸世尊,皆说一乘道。
今此诸大众,皆应除疑惑;
诸佛语无异,唯一无二乘。
……
是诸世尊等,皆说一乘法,
化无量众生,令入于佛道。
又诸大圣主,知一切世间,
天人群生类,深心之所欲,
更以异方便,助显第一义。
《妙法莲华经》
-------------------
With the power of skillful means,
I have revealed the Dharma of three vehicles;
Yet all the World-Honored Ones
Teach the One Vehicle way.
Now everyone in this great assembly
Should rid themselves of doubt.
The Buddhas do not differ in their claim
That there is only One Vehicle, not two.
. . . .
All these World-Honored Ones
Have taught the Dharma of One Vehicle,
Transforming countless living beings,
Enabling them to enter the Buddha way.
Moreover, all the great saints
Knowing the deepest desires of all the gods,
Humans, and other beings of all the worlds,
Have still other skillful means to further clarify
the ultimate truth.
The Lotus Sutra
Translation of the scriptural passage is based upon the rendition of Gene Reeves, The Lotus Sutra: A Contemporary Translation of a Buddhist Classics, (Boston: Wisdom Publications), 91
-------------------
诸佛绝对是行菩萨道而成佛,永远没有哪一尊佛 是行缘觉道、行声闻道而能成佛的。既然是行菩 萨道,菩萨道所修的是佛菩提,那么诸佛之所证 当然就是一乘道,当然是唯一佛乘。既然所证是 唯一佛乘之法,是佛菩提道,那么来人间示现成 佛而教授给众生的时候,当然也是要讲一乘道; 只因为五浊恶世的众生难以信受,所以用方便力 来开示三乘法,但是最后终究是要讲唯一佛乘, 不可能讲了二乘菩提就走人了。
《法华经讲义》第三辑,页 129-130
-------------------
All Buddhas achieved Buddhahood by practicing the bodhisattva way. There will never be a Buddha who attained Buddhahood by practicing the ways of the solitary-realizers or hearers. Since all Buddhas practiced the bodhisattva way, the cultivation of which leads to the attainment of the Buddha Bodhi, what they have realized is most certainly the teaching of the One Vehicle, i.e., the single Buddha Vehicle. Since what they have realized is the teaching of the single Buddha Vehicle, which is the path toward the attainment of the Buddha Bodhi, when they manifest in the human world they will certainly expound this One Vehicle. But because it is difficult for sentient beings in the impure world of five turbidities to accept the teaching of the One Vehicle, Buddhas apply their skill in means to demonstrate and reveal three separate Vehicles. Yet, in the end, they will always expound the one and only Buddha Vehicle, and would not depart from the human world after teaching only the two lesser Vehicles.
A Discourse on the Lotus Sutra, vol. 3, 129-130.
一切诸世尊,皆说一乘道。
今此诸大众,皆应除疑惑;
诸佛语无异,唯一无二乘。
……
是诸世尊等,皆说一乘法,
化无量众生,令入于佛道。
又诸大圣主,知一切世间,
天人群生类,深心之所欲,
更以异方便,助显第一义。
《妙法莲华经》
-------------------
With the power of skillful means,
I have revealed the Dharma of three vehicles;
Yet all the World-Honored Ones
Teach the One Vehicle way.
Now everyone in this great assembly
Should rid themselves of doubt.
The Buddhas do not differ in their claim
That there is only One Vehicle, not two.
. . . .
All these World-Honored Ones
Have taught the Dharma of One Vehicle,
Transforming countless living beings,
Enabling them to enter the Buddha way.
Moreover, all the great saints
Knowing the deepest desires of all the gods,
Humans, and other beings of all the worlds,
Have still other skillful means to further clarify
the ultimate truth.
The Lotus Sutra
Translation of the scriptural passage is based upon the rendition of Gene Reeves, The Lotus Sutra: A Contemporary Translation of a Buddhist Classics, (Boston: Wisdom Publications), 91
-------------------
诸佛绝对是行菩萨道而成佛,永远没有哪一尊佛 是行缘觉道、行声闻道而能成佛的。既然是行菩 萨道,菩萨道所修的是佛菩提,那么诸佛之所证 当然就是一乘道,当然是唯一佛乘。既然所证是 唯一佛乘之法,是佛菩提道,那么来人间示现成 佛而教授给众生的时候,当然也是要讲一乘道; 只因为五浊恶世的众生难以信受,所以用方便力 来开示三乘法,但是最后终究是要讲唯一佛乘, 不可能讲了二乘菩提就走人了。
《法华经讲义》第三辑,页 129-130
-------------------
All Buddhas achieved Buddhahood by practicing the bodhisattva way. There will never be a Buddha who attained Buddhahood by practicing the ways of the solitary-realizers or hearers. Since all Buddhas practiced the bodhisattva way, the cultivation of which leads to the attainment of the Buddha Bodhi, what they have realized is most certainly the teaching of the One Vehicle, i.e., the single Buddha Vehicle. Since what they have realized is the teaching of the single Buddha Vehicle, which is the path toward the attainment of the Buddha Bodhi, when they manifest in the human world they will certainly expound this One Vehicle. But because it is difficult for sentient beings in the impure world of five turbidities to accept the teaching of the One Vehicle, Buddhas apply their skill in means to demonstrate and reveal three separate Vehicles. Yet, in the end, they will always expound the one and only Buddha Vehicle, and would not depart from the human world after teaching only the two lesser Vehicles.
A Discourse on the Lotus Sutra, vol. 3, 129-130.