法華經義記 8.16

8.16

「爾時彌勒菩薩」此下是第二疑問序，就此疑問序中亦有二：第一明彌勒菩薩自問釋迦，第二「問他方分身佛」下，明菩薩自問分身佛。就彌勒問中自有二：第一經家敘彌勒欲問之意，第二正明說偈問。就此十九行半偈正問中自有三段：初一行偈，未正問先逆請佛答；第二是「從何所來」下有十三偈正問；第三餘有五行半結請也。第二十三偈正問中有二：第一兩偈問踊出菩薩人身，第二十一偈問踊出菩薩師也。就兩偈問人身中有二意四文，第一是「從何所來」一句問其從來處，第二「以何因緣集」一句問何所以聚在一處同時而出，第三「巨身大神通」下一行一句讚歎此菩薩結第二問也。第四「為從何所來」一句結第一問也。「一一諸菩薩」下十一行，第二問此菩薩師為是誰？就中有二者：先有九偈牒菩薩眷屬多少，從六萬恒河沙至但已無眷屬；第二「是諸大威德」下有兩行，正問覓踊出菩薩之師也。「如是諸菩薩神通大智力」此下有五行半偈，是正問中第三結請也。

"At that time Maitreya Bodhisattva": from here down is the second, the preface of doubt and inquiry; within this preface of doubt and inquiry there are also two: first, clarifying Maitreya Bodhisattva himself asking Śākya; second, from "asking the emanation Buddhas from other directions" down, clarifying the bodhisattva himself asking the emanation Buddhas. Within Maitreya's questioning there are of themselves two: first, the compiler of the sūtra narrates the intention of Maitreya wishing to ask; second, directly clarifying asking in verse. Within this direct inquiry of nineteen and a half lines of verse, there are of themselves three sections: the first line of verse, before directly questioning, first requests in advance the Buddha's answer; second is from "From where have they come?" down, having thirteen verses of direct questioning; third, there remain five and a half lines of concluding request. Within the second [part], the thirteen verses of direct questioning, there are two: first, two verses asking about the persons and bodies of the springing-up bodhisattvas; second, eleven verses asking about the master of the springing-up bodhisattvas. Within the two verses asking about the persons and bodies there are two senses in four clauses of text: first is the clause "From where have they come?", asking about where they come from; second is the clause "For what cause and condition have they gathered?", asking why they have gathered in one place and emerged simultaneously; third, the one line and one clause down from "Gigantic bodies, great supernatural powers" praise these bodhisattvas, concluding the second question; fourth, the clause "Where have they come from?" concludes the first question. The eleven lines down from "Each and every bodhisattva" are the second, asking who the master of these bodhisattvas is. Within this there are two: first, there are nine verses citing the number of the bodhisattvas' retinues, from sixty thousand Ganges sands down to those who are completely without retinues; second, from "All these of great majestic virtue" down there are two lines, directly inquiring after the master of the springing-up bodhisattvas. "All these bodhisattvas of such supernormal powers and great power of wisdom": from here down there are five and a half lines of verse, which are the third [section] within the direct inquiry, the concluding request.