法華經義記 2.43

2.43

"At that time the fourfold assembly, seeing Sun Moon Lamp Brightness Buddha"—the verse and a half from here on versifies the fifth point above, the correspondence of the doubting assembly. Regarding the doubting assembly above, at that time in the assembly there were two billion bodhisattvas who wished with joy to hear the Dharma. "The Honoured One venerated by devas and humans had just arisen from samādhi"—the twenty-two and a half verses from here on versify the second point above, explaining the events seen in the past to reveal that the events to be seen [now] should correspond. Among the correspondences in the events to be seen above, there were originally four: first, explaining that expounding the sūtra relying on a person corresponds; second, that the name of the expounded sūtra corresponds; third, that the number of kalpas of the sūtra corresponds; fourth, explaining that circulating the sūtra relying on a person corresponds. Now these twenty-two and a half verses also completely versify the four kinds: the first two and a half verses versify the first point above, that expounding the sūtra relying on a person should correspond; the next one line versifies that the name of the sūtra should correspond; the next verse and one line versify that the number of kalpas of the sūtra should correspond; the next eighteen and a half verses versify that circulating the sūtra relying on a person should correspond. Now first there are two and a half verses versifying the first point above, expounding the sūtra relying on a person corresponds. But within the prose above there were originally three tiers; now only the third tier is versified, properly explaining the person relied upon—the statement above that Sun Moon Lamp Brightness Buddha arose from samādhi relying on the Bodhisattva Varaprabha—not versifying the mention of the name and the eight hundred disciples. "Expounded this Lotus Sūtra"—this one line versifies the second point above, the correspondence of the expounded sūtra's name. Above there were originally three points; now only the second is versified, directly giving the name of the sūtra as the Sublime Dharma Lotus, while briefly omitting the first, expounding a Mahāyāna sūtra, and the third, a teaching for bodhisattvas. "Spanning sixty minor kalpas"—the one verse and one line from here on versify the third point above, the correspondence of the sūtra's kalpas. Above there were originally three points; now only two lines properly versify the first, directly explaining that the number of kalpas of the sūtra corresponds, while the remaining three lines bring out additional meaning, briefly omitting the second, that the assembly at the time felt a long time to be short, and also omitting the third, that the assembly at the time felt no indolence or fatigue. "The Buddha having expounded this Lotus and caused the assembly to rejoice"—the eighteen and a half verses from here on versify the fourth point above, the correspondence of circulating the sūtra relying on a person. In the prose above there were originally three sections: first, explaining the Buddha's parinirvāṇa; second, properly explaining that circulating the sūtra relying on a person corresponds; third, the Tathāgata praising the virtues of Varaprabha. Now these eighteen and a half verses versify these three sections in detail: the first eight and a half verses properly versify the first point above, the Buddha's parinirvāṇa; the next verse versifies the second point above, properly explaining that circulating the sūtra relying on a person corresponds; the next nine verses versify the third point above, praising the virtues of Varaprabha. Within the Buddha's parinirvāṇa above there were originally three sections: first, explaining the Buddha proclaiming his parinirvāṇa; second, bestowing prediction upon Guṇagupta; third, properly entering parinirvāṇa. Now they are completely versified: first, from "The Buddha having expounded this Lotus" below, there are five verses properly versifying the Buddha proclaiming parinirvāṇa—the statement above that Sun Moon Lamp Brightness Buddha, having expounded this sūtra, would enter nirvāṇa without remainder; the next verse and a half versifies the second, bestowing prediction upon Guṇagupta; the next two verses versify the third, properly explaining his parinirvāṇa. But within the preceding five verses there are altogether five tiers of meaning: first, the verse and a half from "The Buddha having expounded this Lotus" down to "The meaning of the true character of all phenomena has already been expounded for you all" explains the intent of wishing to enter nirvāṇa, which is solely because the meaning of the true character has already been manifested, and for this reason he proclaimed that he wished to enter nirvāṇa. Second, the half-verse below "I tonight at midnight" properly versifies proclaiming that he wished to enter nirvāṇa. Third, the one verse below the words "You should with single-minded vigor" admonishes the assembly of that time. Fourth, the one verse below the words "The sons of the World-Honoured One and the others, hearing of the Buddha's entering nirvāṇa" explains that because the assembly of that time was admonished, they felt sorrow and longing. Fifth, the one verse below the words "The Holy Lord, King of the Dharma, consoled the immeasurable assembly" explains that since the assembly of that time previously felt sorrow and longing, which disrupted their practice of the Path, the Tathāgata therefore put an end to their sorrow and longing.