法華經義記 2.35

2.35

"Candrasūryapradīpa Buddha, having preached this sūtra for sixty minor kalpas": from here down is the fourth [part], clarifying that the transmission and circulation of the sūtra dependent on persons were identical. In this there are three [subsections]: first, it clarifies that Candrasūryapradīpa Buddha passed into extinction; second, from "After the Buddha had passed into extinction, Bodhisattva Varaprabha" downward, it directly clarifies the transmission and circulation dependent on Varaprabha's upholding of the sūtra; third, from "The eight sons of Candrasūryapradīpa Buddha all took Varaprabha as their master" downward, it is designated the praising of Varaprabha's virtues, revealing the significance of his ability to circulate [the sūtra]. Furthermore, within these three subsections, each in turn has three parts. Within the clarification of the Buddha's passing into extinction there are three: first, from "Candrasūryapradīpa Buddha, having preached this sūtra" up through "will enter nirvāṇa without remainder", this first proclaims his wish to enter nirvāṇa; second, from "At that time there was a bodhisattva named Guṇagabhīra" downward, he confers the prophecy on the mahāsattva in the stage of succession; third, from "After the Buddha conferred the prophecy, at midnight he entered nirvāṇa without remainder", it directly clarifies the Buddha's passing into extinction. Within the second [subsection], which directly clarifies the propagation of the sūtra dependent on a person, there are three tiers: first, from "After the Buddha had passed into extinction, Bodhisattva Varaprabha upheld the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra", this is designated practice for oneself; second, the phrase "for a full eighty minor kalpas", this one phrase is the number of kalpas that elapsed while Varaprabha circulated the sūtra; third, the phrase "expounded and preached it for others", this one phrase is designated practice for converting others. Within the third [subsection], the praise of Varaprabha's virtues, there are three: first, from "The eight sons of Candrasūryapradīpa Buddha all took Varaprabha as their master" downward, it directly praises the loftiness of Varaprabha's way—because the eight sons had already attained Buddhahood, it is therefore said that his way was lofty; because their number was few, it is not said to be broad; second, from "Among the eight hundred disciples" downward, it praises the breadth of Varaprabha's virtues—by taking the large number, it therefore says his virtues were broad; because it does not state that they had already attained Buddhahood, it therefore does not say lofty; third, from "Maitreya, you should know that Bodhisattva Varaprabha could he have been anyone else?" downward, it brings together and reconciles past and present.