妙法蓮華經文句 7.45

7.45

「爾時十六王子皆出家」下，第二，重請滿字法輪。文為七：一、出家，二、請法，三、所將亦出家，四、佛受請，五、時眾有解不解，六、時節，七、說已入定。「諸根」者，六根也，六根清淨故言通利。又六根互用故言「通」，入佛境界故言「利」。「智慧明了」者，開示悟入也，彼佛初說圓頓，諸子大乘功德悉皆具足，愍諸方便重請佛開權顯實也。「聲聞皆已成就」者，明其障除機動，是故為請。「我等志願如來知見」者，此《法華經》但明佛之知見，唯志於此，即正請滿字廢半之文，明顯若此也。「過二萬劫」者，上開三既久，不容中間無事，望下文意，二萬劫中必說方等《般若》，文云「說六波羅蜜及諸神通事」，般若是行、神通是事，諸方等經多明不可思議事行也。頌中又云「分別真實法」，即是《大品》明實相般若意也。十六沙彌信受及二乘，即信得解者；其餘千萬皆生疑惑，是不解眾。此不解眾即與十六子，結法華之緣者也。第七，明說法已入定，此正是結緣之近由。由佛入定不出，諸疑惑眾無所諮問，十六於後為不解者覆講說經也。文中明入定處所，即是靜室，正入定即是住於禪定，入定時節即是八萬四千劫（云云）。

From 'At that time, the sixteen princes all left home' below is the second, repeatedly requesting the Dharma wheel of the complete word. The text has seven [parts]: first, leaving home; second, requesting the Dharma; third, those they led also leaving home; fourth, the Buddha accepting the request; fifth, the assembly at the time having understanding and non-understanding; sixth, the duration of time; seventh, having spoken, entering into samādhi. 'All faculties' refers to the six faculties; because the six faculties are purified, it says 'unobstructed and sharp'. Furthermore, because the six faculties function interchangeably, it says 'unobstructed'; because they enter the realm of the Buddha, it says 'sharp'. 'Wisdom was clear and distinct' refers to opening, demonstrating, awakening to, and entering; that Buddha initially expounded the round and sudden, and the princes were completely endowed with the Mahāyāna merits; pitying those of expedient means, they repeatedly requested the Buddha to open the expedient and reveal the real. 'The śrāvakas have all already accomplished' clarifies that their obstacles were eliminated and their capacities stirred, which is why they made the request. 'We aspire to the Tathāgata's knowledge and vision': this *Lotus Sūtra* elucidates only the knowledge and vision of the Buddha; aspiring solely to this is precisely the text directly requesting the complete word and abolishing the half, manifestly clear like this. 'Passing twenty thousand kalpas': since the opening of the three above was long ago, there could not have been nothing happening in the interval; looking at the meaning of the subsequent text, within the twenty thousand kalpas he must have expounded the Vaipulya and *Prajñā*. The text states, 'He spoke of the six pāramitās and various matters of supernatural powers'; prajñā is the practice, and supernatural powers are the matters; the various Vaipulya sūtras mostly clarify inconceivable matters and practices. The gāthā also says, 'distinguishing the true and real Dharma', which is the meaning of the *Larger Prajñāpāramitā* clarifying the prajñā of the true mark. The sixteen śrāmaṇeras faithfully receiving it and the two vehicles are those who believed and attained understanding; the remaining thousands of myriads all gave rise to doubt and perplexity, being the assembly that did not understand. This assembly that did not understand is precisely those who formed affinities with the sixteen sons regarding the Lotus. Seventh, clarifying that having expounded the Dharma, he entered into samādhi: this is precisely the proximate cause for forming affinities. Because the Buddha entered into samādhi and did not emerge, the assembly of various doubters had no one to consult, so the sixteen subsequently reviewed, re-explained, and expounded the sūtra for those who did not understand. The text clarifies the place of entering samādhi, which is the quiet chamber; directly entering samādhi is abiding in meditative stabilization; the duration of entering samādhi is eighty-four thousand kalpas (and so forth).