法華經義記 2.45

2.45

「是諸八王子」，自此下有九偈，頌上第三讚歎妙光德。但上長行中本有三階，今亦具頌。三行頌第一，五行頌第二，一行頌第三也。今第一「是諸八王子」下三偈，頌上第一舉八子讚歎妙光道高。上言日月燈明佛八子皆師妙光也。「是妙光法師時有一弟子」，此下有五行偈，頌上第二舉八百弟子以讚妙光德廣。上言八百弟子中有一人號曰求名，語道八百，此中略不道八百者，但八百皆是妙光弟子，此中唯出一懈怠者，正明其是彌勒也。「彼佛滅度後」，此一行偈頌上第三會通古今。上長行中先會妙光、後會彌勒，今此偈中先會彌勒、後會妙光也。

"These eight princes"—the nine verses from here on versify the third point above, praising the virtues of Varaprabha. But in the prose above there were originally three stages, and now they are also completely versified: three verses versify the first, five verses versify the second, and one verse versifies the third. Now first, the three verses below "These eight princes" versify the first point above, citing the eight sons to praise the height of Varaprabha's realization of the Path—the statement above that the eight sons of Sun Moon Lamp Brightness Buddha all took Varaprabha as their master. "This Dharma Master Varaprabha had at that time a disciple"—the five verses from here on versify the second point above, citing the eight hundred disciples to praise the breadth of Varaprabha's virtue. The statement above was that among the eight hundred disciples there was one named Seeker of Fame. Regarding speaking of the eight hundred, that the eight hundred are briefly not spoken of here is simply because all eight hundred were Varaprabha's disciples; here only the indolent one is brought out, properly explaining that he was Maitreya. "After that buddha passed into extinction"—this one verse versifies the third point above, identifying past and present. In the prose above, Varaprabha was identified first and Maitreya was identified second; now in this verse, Maitreya is identified first and Varaprabha is identified second.