法華經義記 7.15

7.15

「爾時大通智勝如來受十方諸梵天王」，此下是第二明昔日結緣之近由。就中亦有四階：第一先明大通智勝佛受諸梵請二乘轉法輪；第二明十六王子于時請佛說《法華》；第三明大通智勝佛受王子請說《法華》；第四明大通智勝佛說《法華》之後，仍入禪定避坐作覆講之由，若不入禪定那得覆講。又就此四階之中各有三重。第一受十方諸梵請說二乘法輪中有三重者，第一一往受請；第二「即時三轉」下列出二乘法輪之相；第三從「佛於天人大眾之中說是法時」，此下時眾有感悟之相也。就第二列出二乘法輪中，初出四諦，後出十二因緣，此二法輪各有二列四諦；二者初總明三轉十二行，所謂示勸證也。第二「所謂是苦」以下別出四諦也。第二列十二因緣二者，初「及廣說十二因緣」下明順說，第二「無明滅故」下明逆說也。

From "At that time, the Tathāgata Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū accepted the requests of the Brahmā heavenly kings of the ten directions" below is the second, clarifying the proximate reasons for establishing ties in the past. Within this there are also four stages: first, it clarifies that the Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū accepted the requests of the Brahmās to turn the wheel of the Dharma of the two vehicles; second, it clarifies that the sixteen princes at that time requested the Buddha to preach the Lotus Sūtra; third, it clarifies that the Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū accepted the princes' request and preached the Lotus Sūtra; fourth, it clarifies that after preaching the Lotus Sūtra, the Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū then entered dhyāna-concentration, leaving his seat to provide the occasion for the repetition of the teaching—for had he not entered dhyāna-concentration, how could there be a repetition of the teaching? Furthermore, within each of these four stages there are three tiers. In the first, accepting the requests of the Brahmās of the ten directions to preach the wheel of the Dharma of the two vehicles, there are three tiers: first, accepting the request initially; second, from "immediately turned three times" below, listing the characteristics of the wheel of the Dharma of the two vehicles; third, from "When the Buddha preached this Dharma in the midst of the great assembly of devas and humans" below, the assembly at that time showing signs of receptive awakening. Regarding the second, listing the wheel of the Dharma of the two vehicles, first the Four Truths are set forth, and later the twelve links of dependent origination are set forth; these two wheels of the Dharma each have two parts. Setting forth the Four Truths has two parts: first, generally clarifying the three turnings and twelve aspects, namely instruction, exhortation, and realization; second, from "namely, this is suffering" below, setting forth the Four Truths individually. Setting forth the twelve links of dependent origination has two parts: first, from "and extensively preached the twelve links of dependent origination" below, clarifying the forward sequence; second, from "because ignorance ceases" below, clarifying the reverse sequence.