妙法蓮華經文句 7.46

7.46

「是時十六菩薩知佛入室」下，第二，正結緣。就此有二：先法說結緣，次譬說結緣。就法說有三：第一明昔日共結緣，第二明中間更相值遇，第三明今還說法華。第一有四：一者知佛入定，二者王子覆講，三者眾得利益，四佛從定起稱歎菩薩。由佛入定所以得說，佛知一化將畢不復熟此段之人，故令王子共其結緣；又知此等必由王子究竟得度，所以入定久而不出也（云云）。「是十六沙彌」下，第一，知佛入定。「各升法座」下，第二，覆說《法華》。「一一皆度」下，第三，說法利益。皆發菩提心故云「度」，若初發心時誓願當作佛已過於世間，即是度七方便彼岸義也。「大通智勝過八萬」下，第四，佛從定起稱歎勸信。此中復二：一、正稱歎菩薩，二、「汝等皆當」下，勸物親近。勸物親近中又二：先勸親近，次「所以者何」下，第一、釋勸意，「佛告諸比丘是十六」下，第二、明中間常相逢值。逢值有三種，若相逢遇常受大乘，此輩中間皆已成就不至于今；若相逢遇，遇其退大仍接以小，此輩中間猶故未盡，今得還聞大乘之教；三但論遇小不論遇大，則中間未度，于今亦不盡，方始受大乃至滅後得道者是也。

From "At that time the sixteen bodhisattvas, knowing that the Buddha had entered the room" onward is the second [part], which directly explains the establishing of affinity. Regarding this, there are two: first, establishing affinity explained through Dharma, and next, establishing affinity explained through a parable. Regarding the explanation through Dharma, there are three: first, clarifying that in the past they established affinity together; second, clarifying that in the interim they encountered one another again; and third, clarifying that now [the Buddha] again expounds the Lotus Sūtra. The first has four [points]: first, knowing that the Buddha has entered samādhi; second, the princes repeating the exposition; third, the assembly obtaining benefit; and fourth, the Buddha arising from samādhi to praise the bodhisattvas. It is because the Buddha entered samādhi that they were able to expound it; the Buddha knew that his single transformation was about to end and he would not further ripen this group of people, so he had the princes establish affinity together with them; he also knew that these [beings] must definitely obtain deliverance ultimately through the princes, which is why he entered samādhi for a long time without emerging (and so forth). From "These sixteen śrāmaṇeras" onward is the first: knowing that the Buddha has entered samādhi. From "each mounted the Dharma seat" onward is the second: repeating the exposition of the Lotus Sūtra. From "each delivered..." onward is the third: the benefit of expounding the Dharma. Because they all generated the bodhimind, it says "delivered"; if at the time of initial aspiration they made the vow to surely become buddhas, they had already surpassed the mundane, which is the meaning of being delivered to the other shore of the seven expedient means. From "Great Penetrating Wisdom Excellence, having passed eighty thousand [kalpas]" onward is the fourth: the Buddha arising from samādhi to praise them and urge faith. Within this there are again two: first, directly praising the bodhisattvas; second, from "You all ought to" onward, urging beings to draw near [to them]. Within urging beings to draw near there are again two: first, urging them to draw near; next, from "What is the reason?" onward, the first explains the intention of urging; from "The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus: 'These sixteen...'" onward is the second, clarifying that in the interim they constantly encountered one another. Of encountering, there are three kinds: if in encountering they constantly received the Mahāyāna, this sort in the interim has already achieved completion and has not lasted until now; if in encountering, [the teachers] met with their falling back from the Great and subsequently guided them with the Small, this sort in the interim was still not yet exhausted, and now is able to hear the teaching of the Mahāyāna again; the third is considering only meeting with the Small and not meeting with the Great, in which case in the interim they were not delivered and even up to now are not exhausted, only now beginning to receive the Great or even obtaining the Way after the [Buddha's] parinirvāṇa.