法華經義記 8.56

8.56

就初品人中自有六階：第一先比次取第五十人，第二誡令諦聽，第三舉五十人問彌勒，第四彌勒答，第五佛會通，第六結答。況此人功德，但止五十人為數，五十人相教不同有三種：一者轉勝，二者平等，三者轉不如。今就此三中有難有易，轉勝者難得，平等者希有，唯有轉不如者多。今從多論，聞五十人中最後者不如，此人功德已無量無邊不可說不可數，何況最初聞經者起隨喜之心？此意正答彌勒問。從「阿逸多其第五十」此下是第二階，將欲取第五十人格量，況出最初人，誡彌勒令諦聽。從「若四百萬億」此下是第三階，作財法二施所得功德問彌勒，明施主用珍寶布施四生眾生，一一眾生與滿閻浮提金銀珍寶。又教化若干眾生皆令得四果，此施主由自不如第五十人聞法華經一偈隨喜功德。

Within the person of the initial grade, there are six stages: first, taking the fiftieth person in comparison; second, admonishing him to listen attentively; third, adducing the fifty persons to question Maitreya; fourth, Maitreya's reply; fifth, the Buddha's integration; and sixth, the concluding reply. By comparison with this person's merit, the number is merely limited to fifty persons; when fifty persons transmit the teaching to one another, there are three different kinds: first, progressively superior; second, equal; and third, progressively inferior. Now, among these three, there are difficult and easy ones: progressively superior is difficult to attain, equal is rare, and only progressively inferior is common. Now, arguing from the most common, among the fifty persons who hear it, the last one is inferior; yet this person's merit is already limitless, boundless, ineffable, and incalculable—how much more so that of the one who first hears the sūtra and gives rise to a mind of rejoicing? This intention directly answers Maitreya's question. From 'Ajita, that fiftieth' downward is the second stage: wishing to take the fiftieth person to appraise and thereby illustrate the first person, he admonishes Maitreya to listen attentively. From 'If four hundred myriads of koṭis' downward is the third stage: questioning Maitreya regarding the merit obtained by making the two gifts of material wealth and the Dharma, he clarifies that a donor uses precious jewels to give to beings of the four modes of birth, giving each and every being gold, silver, and precious jewels filling Jambudvīpa. Furthermore, he transforms and guides a certain number of beings, causing them all to attain the four fruits; yet this donor is still inferior to the fiftieth person's merit of rejoicing in a single verse upon hearing the Lotus Sūtra.