In Chapter 2, “Expedients,” Śākyamuni Buddha finally begins to clarify the true purpose he had been concealing all this time. This is “Opening the three vehicles to reveal the One Vehicle.” Before this he had taught that there was an absolute dividing line between bodhisattvas and the other two groups. However, this was an expedient to lead the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas in the right direction. For the Buddha’s purpose, all the various teachings up to that point had been part of his plan to lead all people to become buddhas, that is, the teaching of the “One Buddha Vehicle.” No matter how they appeared superficially, no matter how they were received by the listener, from the point of view of the teacher Śākyamuni Buddha, all the teachings up to that point had been in reality none other than the teachings of the One Vehicle. Following his own vow, Śākyamuni Buddha himself had worked consistently to help all people achieve buddhahood.

Śāriputra! There is not a second vehicle in the worlds of the ten quarters. How can there be a third? … Therefore, the Buddhas divide the One Buddha-Vehicle into three as an expedient.

“Know this Śāriputra!
I once vowed that I would cause
All living beings to become
Exactly as I am.”

Now that this point had become clear, the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas had to abandon the misunderstanding that they were following lesser vehicles. That is because Śākyamuni Buddha had been continuing to lead the two groups as bodhisattvas so that they could become buddhas.

“I say to you:
‘I will expound the teaching of the One Vehicle Only to Bodhisattvas.
There is no Śrāvaka among my disciples.’ “

Therefore, the two groups now came to realize that with the teaching of the One Vehicle as their guide, they could become bodhisattvas with the possibility of becoming buddhas.

Having thus described the distinction between the three groups as an expedient, Śākyamuni Buddha revealed the true one meaning of all his teachings. We call such unifying the separate meanings of all teachings “opening the three vehicles to reveal the One Vehicle.”

All the teachings after the “Expedients” chapter are called the “true Mahāyāna teachings.” This is because they clarify the true purpose of the Buddha by showing that anyone can become a buddha, and by showing the method for becoming a buddha.