法華經義記 2.38

2.38

A questioner says: "Why could one not first bring up the eight sons to praise Varaprabha's breadth of virtue to clarify that Maitreya ought to question, and afterwards bring up the eight hundred disciples to praise Varaprabha's loftiness of way to clarify that Mañjuśrī ought to answer?" The commentator explains: "It cannot be so. The reason for adducing the eight hundred disciples is that these eight hundred disciples were merely Mañjuśrī's disciples in the past, yet the most indolent and inferior among these eight hundred disciples of the past is none other than Maitreya today. For this reason, it is said that Maitreya ought to question Mañjuśrī. The reason why bringing up the eight sons cannot clarify that Maitreya ought to question is that these eight princes were originally the princes when Candrasūryapradīpa Buddha was in secular life; after Candrasūryapradīpa Buddha had already passed into extinction, these eight sons all sought guidance from Varaprabha. For this reason, Mañjuśrī ought to answer Maitreya."