法華經義記 1.119

1.119

「爾時會中比丘、比丘尼」此下訖「今當問誰」，第二，敘大眾有疑念。今就大眾有兩念，即是兩疑。初念，正念上二六種瑞相，又即是第一疑，疑言此瑞相何所為也？光明於六中最顯，是故舉顯者為首也。第二念，言「今當問誰」，此即是第二疑，疑言不知問誰也。上彌勒第一疑中有二：初明疑前之念，次正明疑；今者大眾第一疑中唯有疑前之念，略無第二正明疑也。上彌勒第二疑中亦有二，今者大眾唯有第二正明疑不知問誰，略無疑前之念，文句略互遣明義也。但彌勒三念、大眾二念，當乎爾時皆非發言，直是經家述取其意也。大眾所以無第三念者，若論實處無謝彌勒，而念彌勒應有第三念，知有可問之人而大眾無者，為欲高推彌勒是補處大士能知有可問之人；大眾既非補處之位，不辨能有第三念也。且自今日所宜，只彌勒騰大眾疑以問文殊，不言諸大菩薩不能騰疑，但高推補處，是故無第三念也。

From "At that time the monks and nuns in the assembly" downward to "Whom should we ask now?" is the second [part], narrating that the great assembly had doubtful thoughts. Now, regarding the great assembly having two thoughts, these are two doubts. The first thought directly considered the above two sets of six kinds of auspicious signs, and is also the first doubt, doubting and saying: What are these auspicious signs for? The light was the most manifest among the six; therefore, the manifest one was raised as the foremost. The second thought said: "Whom should we ask now?" This is the second doubt, doubting and saying that they did not know whom to ask. In Maitreya's first doubt above there were two parts: first clarifying the thought preceding the doubt, and next directly clarifying the doubt; now in the first doubt of the great assembly there is only the thought preceding the doubt, omitting the second part of directly clarifying the doubt. In Maitreya's second doubt above there were also two parts; now for the great assembly there is only the second part of directly clarifying the doubt of not knowing whom to ask, omitting the thought preceding the doubt. The phrasing mutually elides to clarify the meaning. But Maitreya's three thoughts and the great assembly's two thoughts were at that time not spoken aloud; the compiler of the sūtra simply narrated their intent. Why did the great assembly lack a third thought? If we discuss the actual reality, they were not inferior to Maitreya; yet thinking that Maitreya ought to have the third thought and know there was a person who could be asked, while the great assembly lacked it, is intended to highly elevate Maitreya as the Mahāsattva in the Position of Succession who could know there was a person who could be asked. Since the great assembly was not in the stage of succession, they were not qualified to have the third thought. Moreover, from the perspective of what was appropriate on that day, it was only for Maitreya to convey the doubts of the great assembly to ask Mañjuśrī; it does not say that the great bodhisattvas could not convey the doubts, but simply highly elevates the one in succession, and therefore they lacked the third thought.