法華經義記 1.113

1.113

「爾時佛放」，此下是第六放光瑞相。光本除闇而能顯色令現，欲明此光密表一因一果之解，如顯色；而能遣執三之迷，如除闇也。前明能照，後明所照。在上放者，譬如人身，頭最為上，密表一乘因果超坐三乘之上也。在眉間者，亦密表一乘因果是中道之理。從「照東方」以下，明所照。然光應照十方，今的明東方者，借此一方表一因一果也。且又東方是諸方之上也。「萬八千世界」者，一萬是極數，此密表時眾必得果因滿也。八千者，不足之數，明三乘人昔來所行是因而未足也。「靡不周遍」者，即是橫論，東方萬八千土光盡照乃至八方也。「下照無間上至色究竟」者，竪論，上下光皆至，欲表天下萬善皆歸極果也。今就教為義，未明無色有色，是故略不道也。

"At that time the Buddha emitted" and so forth below is the sixth auspicious sign, the emitting of light. Light originally dispels darkness and can reveal colors, making them manifest. It intends to clarify that this light secretly signifies the understanding of one cause and one fruit, like revealing colors; and it can dispel the delusion of attaching to the three, like dispelling darkness. First it clarifies that which illuminates, and then it clarifies that which is illuminated. Emitting it from above: just as in the human body the head is the highest, this secretly signifies that the cause and fruit of the One Vehicle surpass and sit above the three vehicles. Emitting it from between the eyebrows also secretly signifies that the cause and fruit of the One Vehicle are the principle of the middle way. From "illuminated the eastern direction" onward clarifies that which is illuminated. Now, the light ought to illuminate the ten directions; that it now specifically clarifies the eastern direction borrows this one direction to signify one cause and one fruit. Moreover, the eastern direction is the foremost of all directions. As for the "eighteen thousand worlds," ten thousand is the ultimate number, secretly signifying that the assembly of that time would surely attain the fruit with the causes perfected. Eight thousand is a deficient number, clarifying that what the persons of the three vehicles previously practiced were causes that were not yet complete. "Pervaded everywhere without exception" is to speak horizontally: the light completely illuminated the eighteen thousand lands of the eastern direction, and even the eight directions. "Illuminating downward to the Unintermittent [Hell] and upward to the Akaniṣṭha Heaven" is to speak vertically: the light reached both above and below, intending to signify that myriad goods under heaven all return to the ultimate fruition. Now, taking the teaching as the meaning, it does not clarify the formless realm as having form, and therefore it is briefly omitted without being stated.