法華經義記 7.33

7.33

However, within the causes and reasons for forming the connection above, there were originally two reasons, proximate and remote. Now the twenty-two and a half verses are also divided into two kinds: twelve verses praise the remote reason; the second, from "The World-Honoured One of Measureless Wisdom" onwards, has ten and a half verses that praise the proximate reason. In the preceding remote reason there were fundamentally four sections: first, clarifying practicing the path and attaining Buddhahood; second, clarifying the princes requesting the preaching of the Dharma; third, clarifying the signs of stirrings and impacts after attaining Buddhahood; fourth, clarifying the Brahmā gods requesting the preaching of the Dharma. Now the twelve verses also praise these: four verses praise the first; next, from "That Buddha's sixteen sons," there are two and a half verses praising the second; next, "To awaken the multitude of living beings" has half a verse praising the third; next, from "The worlds of the eastern quarter," there are five verses praising the fourth. However, the first [section] above originally had three [points]; now, among the four verses, the first verse praises the first, "The Buddha path is difficult to attain." Next, from "The heavenly beings, dragon kings" downwards, two verses praise the second, "The heavenly beings' offerings." Next, from "After ten minor kalpas had passed" downwards, one verse praises the third, "properly attaining the Buddha path." From "That Buddha's sixteen sons" onwards, there are two and a half verses praising the second, the princes requesting the preaching of the Dharma. Above, there were originally three [points]: first, there is one verse praising the first above, coming to the Buddha's place for the sake of requesting; next, the single line "bowing their heads to the Buddha's feet" praises the second above, paying homage; next, from "and requested the turning of the wheel of the Dharma" downwards, there is one verse and one line praising the third above, properly requesting. From "To awaken the multitude of living beings" onwards, half a verse praises the third above, clarifying the signs of stirrings and impacts. Above, there were originally three [points]; now this half verse praises only the first, the quaking of the earth, not praising the second, the emission of light, or the third, the destination reached by the two signs. From "The worlds of the eastern quarter" onwards, five verses praise the fourth above, the Brahmā gods of the ten directions requesting the turning of the wheel of the Dharma. Above, there were originally three sections: first, the Brahmā gods of the east and southeast requesting the turning of the wheel of the Small Vehicle Dharma; second, the Brahmā gods of the seven directions from the south down to the nadir requesting the turning of the wheel of the Great Vehicle Dharma; third, the Brahmā gods of the zenith, a single direction, requesting the turning of the wheels of both the Great and Small Vehicle Dharmas. Now these five verses collectively praise the three sections above, their lines and phrases being interwoven and indivisible.