妙法蓮華經文句 7.87

7.87

「汝等勿謂助宣我法」下，第二，就過去佛世顯其本行，非直止於我所助宣半滿之法，久遠佛所亦復助宣半滿之法；取今日助宣為發迹，取過去助宣為顯本。顯本有二：一、遠本，二、近本。遠本冥邈，為信良難，故略而不述，但舉九十億近本，有宿命智能知近本，故舉近以證遠。就九十億文，具明助佛宣揚五味之教調熟眾生。「護持助宣」，即擬助宣半字酪味法：「佛之正法」即擬助宣方等生蘇味法；又於「空法明了」者，即擬助宣熟蘇味法，亦如今佛轉教說於《般若》，明六波羅蜜互相收攝旋轉無礙，九十億佛所，亦助宣揚如今無異，彼佛世人咸皆謂之實是聲聞，于時既未發迹，但謂被加命轉般若，不言是大菩薩也；「化無量眾生令立三菩提」者，即是助宣醍醐味法，在文可解（云云）。「亦於七佛」下，第三，約三世佛所修因，如文。此亦例前助宣半滿五味之法，利益大小也。

From "Do not think that he only assisted in propagating my Dharma" downward is the second [part], revealing his original practice with reference to past buddhas' eras: he did not merely assist in propagating the half and full teachings under me, but in the presence of buddhas of the distant past he also assisted in propagating the half and full teachings. Taking today's assisting in propagation serves as exposing the traces; taking past assisting in propagation serves as revealing the origin. Revealing the origin has two aspects: first, the distant origin; second, the near origin. The distant origin is dark and remote, and genuinely difficult to believe; hence it is abbreviated and not described. He merely raises the near origin of ninety billion [buddhas]; having the wisdom of recollecting past lives, one can know the near origin, so he raises the near to verify the distant. In the text concerning the ninety billion [buddhas], it fully clarifies his assisting the buddhas in propagating the teachings of the five flavors to mature sentient beings. "Protecting, upholding, and assisting in propagation" corresponds to assisting in propagating the half-word milk-flavor Dharma. "The correct Dharma of the Buddha" corresponds to assisting in propagating the Vaipulya curd-flavor Dharma. Furthermore, being "clear about the empty Dharma" corresponds to assisting in propagating the butter-flavor Dharma; just as under the present Buddha he turned the teaching to expound the Prajñā, clarifying that the six pāramitās mutually contain and revolve without obstruction, under ninety billion buddhas he also assisted in propagation with no difference from the present. The people of those buddhas' eras all thought that he was truly a śrāvaka; at that time, his traces not yet having been exposed, they merely thought he was empowered and commanded to turn the Prajñā, and did not say he was a great bodhisattva. "Converting immeasurable sentient beings, causing them to be established in the three bodhis" is assisting in propagating the ghee-flavor Dharma, which can be understood from the text, and so forth. From "also under the seven buddhas" downward is the third [part], on the causes cultivated under the buddhas of the three periods of time, as in the text. This also follows the previous pattern of assisting in propagating the Dharma of the half and full and the five flavors, benefiting both the great and the small.