法華經義記 8.90

8.90

Now, to explain the first [section, the] praise, it has two parts: that is, question and answer constitute the two. Now, in the Buddha's answer there are naturally two sections: first, praising based on the name; second, from "Akṣayamati, if someone receptively upholds sixty-two koṭīs" onwards, named praising through comparison. In praising based on the name, there are four parts: first, praising the contemplation of the world's sounds; second, from "If there are sentient beings with much lust" onwards, praising the contemplation of the world's mental actions; third, from "If there is a woman who wishes to seek a son" onwards, praising the contemplation of the world's physical actions; fourth, from "Therefore, sentient beings should all receptively uphold" onwards, concluding by exhorting receptive upholding. Within the first, contemplating the world's sounds, there are naturally three parts: first, from "If there are immeasurable hundreds of thousands of ten thousands of koṭīs of sentient beings suffering various distresses" onwards, generally explaining the contemplation of the sounds of the world's suffering; second, from "If there are those who receptively uphold the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara" onwards, specifically explaining Avalokiteśvara rescuing from the seven kinds of perils; third, from "Akṣayamati, the power of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara's awesome supernatural authority" onwards, general concluding praise. As for the second, rescuing from the seven kinds of perils: first, one and a half lines below "If there is one who upholds this Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara's name," rescuing from the peril of fire; second, less than one line below "If carried away by a great flood," rescuing from the peril of water; third, five and a half lines below "If there are hundreds of thousands of ten thousands of koṭīs of sentient beings," explaining rescuing from the peril of wind—though rākṣasas are mentioned here, rākṣasas are not yet explicitly explained; wind originally has no colour, but this refers precisely to this wind blowing up a black colour, hence called "black [wind]"; fourth, less than two lines below "If there is another person on the verge of being harmed," rescuing from the peril of swords and staves; fifth, two and a half lines below "If in the trichiliocosm," rescuing from the peril of rākṣasas; sixth, two lines below "Supposing there is another person, whether guilty or not," rescuing from the peril of fetters and chains; seventh, more than six lines below "If in the lands of the trichiliocosm," rescuing from the peril of thieves and bandits. "Akṣayamati, this Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara is majestic to such an extent" is the third, the general concluding praise of Avalokiteśvara.