法華經義記 7.34

7.34

From "The World-Honoured One of Measureless Wisdom" onwards, ten and a half verses praise the second [part] above, the proximate causes and reasons. Above, there were also four sections: first, accepting the request to preach the Dharma of the two vehicles; second, the princes requesting the preaching of the Great Vehicle Dharma; third, preaching the Lotus Sūtra for them; fourth, entering meditative absorption. Now within these sixteen and a half verses, the first five verses praise the first; next there are two verses praising the second; next there are two and a half verses praising the third; next there is one verse praising the fourth. However, each of the four sections above has three [points]: now five verses praise the first, and as the first [section] above had three sections, here the initial half verse praises the first, accepting the request; the one and a half verses following "To proclaim various dharmas" praise the second, the characteristics of turning the wheel of the Dharma; next, the three verses following "When expounding this Dharma" praise the third, inspiration and awakening. From "At that time the sixteen princes" onwards, two verses praise the second, the princes' request: above there were three, now the first half verse praises the first, going forth from the household life for the sake of requesting; the subsequent one and a half verses praise the second, properly requesting, while abbreviating and not praising the third, the retinue going forth from the household life. From "The Buddha, knowing the boys' minds" onwards, two and a half verses praise the third, accepting the request to preach the Lotus Sūtra: above there were three sections, now it praises only the first; the reason there are two and a half verses is that there are first four lines clarifying that the Tathāgata first preached the teachings of the three vehicles. Above, it was said that after Great Penetrating Surpassing Wisdom accepted the request, only after twenty thousand kalpas had passed did he preach the Lotus Sūtra; this means that before preaching the Lotus Sūtra, he had to preach the three vehicles first and then preach this Lotus Sūtra; the half verse "verses like the sands of the Ganges" properly praises the first [point] above, accepting the request to preach the Lotus Sūtra. From "That Buddha, having preached the sūtra" onwards, one verse praises the fourth, entering meditative absorption: originally there were three [points], now the seven characters "That Buddha, having preached the sūtra, [entered] the quiet room" praise the first; the seven characters "entered dhyāna, sitting single-mindedly in one place" praise the second; and the five characters "for eighty-four thousand kalpas" praise the third.