妙法蓮華經文句 1.9

1.9

委釋經題已如上說。「序」者，訓庠序，謂階位、賓主、問答悉庠序也。經家從義，謂次、由、述也。如是等五事冠於經首，次序也；放光六瑞起發之端，由序也；問答釋疑，正說弄引，敘述也。具此三義，故稱為序。「品」者，《中阿含》云跋渠，此翻為品。品者，義類同者聚在一段，故名品也。或佛自唱品，如《梵網》；或結集所置，如《大論》；或譯人添足，如羅什。今〈藥王本事〉是佛唱。〈妙音〉、〈觀音〉等是經家、譯人未聞。諸品之始，故言第一。

The detailed explanation of the sūtra title is already as stated above. 'Preface' (xu) glosses xiangxu ('orderliness'), meaning that ranks, hosts and guests, questions and answers are all orderly. Scriptural masters explain it according to its meaning as order, cause, and narration. These five matters heading the start of the sūtra constitute the preface of order; the emitting of light and the six portents initiating the teaching constitute the preface of cause; the questions and answers resolving doubts that prelude the main teaching constitute the narration. Possessing these three meanings, it is therefore called a preface. As for 'chapter' (pin), the Madhyama-āgama calls it vagga, which is translated here as 'chapter'. A chapter means that items of the same doctrinal category are gathered into one section; hence it is named a chapter. Sometimes the Buddha himself announces the chapter, as in the Brahma Net Sūtra; sometimes it is established during the compilation, as in the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra; sometimes the translator adds it, as Kumārajīva did. In the present text, the 'Former Affairs of King Bhaiṣajyarāja' was announced by the Buddha. 'Gadgadasvara', 'Avalokiteśvara', and others were not heard [to be named by the Buddha] by the scriptural masters or translators. Because it is the beginning of all the chapters, it is called 'Number One'.