法華經義記 2.46

2.46

「我見燈明佛本光瑞如此」，此下兩行偈，偈中之第二，頌長行中第四分明結答。但上長行中本有二，一者結已見事同、二者結當見事應同。此兩行偈亦頌上二段，但此兩偈齊取上半頌結已見事同，上長行中言今見此瑞與本無異，取兩偈各下半頌上第二當見事應同。就上兩半中則有二意，初偈上半偈言「我見燈明佛本光瑞如此」，此詺為以古同今。後偈上半行言「今相如本瑞」，此則以今同古義也。「是諸佛方便」者，所以放光現十二相者，諸佛為正說作前方便也。「以是知今佛」下兩偈各下半行，頌上結第二當見事應同。上長行言是故惟忖今日如來當說大乘經名妙法蓮華，就此兩半行中亦成二意，第一言「以是知今佛欲說法華經」，此詺理上名應同。應同昔日《法華》，如來後出定說經果名法華。第二言「今佛放光明助發實相義」，此詺為名下理應同。所以言「助發實相義」者，如來現此相，正欲助眾生發大乘機；眾生大乘機已發，如來出定，仍言此經開方便門示真實相，真實者即是理也。

"I saw the original radiance and portents of Candrasūryapradīpa Buddha were just like this"—the two verse lines below this form the second [part] of the verse, which versifies the fourth [item] in the prose section: clearly concluding the answer. Now, in the prose section above there were originally two [points]: first, concluding that the matters already seen were the same; second, concluding that the matters to be seen in the future should be the same. These two verse lines also versify these two above sections, but these two verses jointly take their first halves to versify concluding that the matters already seen were the same—in the prose section above it said, "Now seeing this portent, it is no different from the original"—and take the second halves of each of the two verses to versify the second [point] above: that the matters to be seen in the future should be the same. Within the first two halves there are two meanings. The first half of the first verse says, "I saw the original radiance and portents of Candrasūryapradīpa Buddha were just like this"; this is termed equating the past with the present. The first half of the following verse says, "The present signs are like the original portents"; this has the sense of equating the present with the past. As for "These are the skilful means of all the buddhas": the reason he emits radiance and manifests the twelve signs is that all buddhas create preliminary skilful means for the correct exposition. "From this it is known that the present Buddha..." and the lower half of each of the two verses below versify the second [point] of the conclusion above: that the matters to be seen in the future should be the same. The prose above says, "Therefore I reflect that today the Tathāgata will preach the Mahāyāna sūtra called the Lotus of the Wonderful Dharma." Within these two half-lines two meanings are likewise formed. The first says, "From this it is known that the present Buddha wishes to preach the Lotus Sūtra"; this is termed the name should correspond to the principle above. It should correspond to the Lotus of the past, and when the Tathāgata later emerges from samādhi, the sūtra he preaches will indeed be named the Lotus. The second says, "The present Buddha emits light to assist in revealing the meaning of the real mark"; this is termed the principle under the name should correspond. The reason it says "to assist in revealing the meaning of the real mark" is that the Tathāgata manifests this sign precisely wishing to assist sentient beings in bringing forth their capacity for the Great Vehicle; when sentient beings' capacity for the Great Vehicle has been brought forth, the Tathāgata emerges from samādhi and still says that this sūtra opens the door of skilful means and displays the mark of reality—that which is real is precisely the principle.