妙法蓮華經文句 3.22

3.22

From the line, "At that time the Buddha Candrasūryapradīpa preached a Mahāyāna sūtra," onward, secondly, it explains the correspondence between the past and the present. The six portents in the former Buddha's own land correspond completely to those of the present; their sequence is as in the text. The six portents in other lands of the former Buddha are summarized by saying, "as seen now," from which we know that the six portents in other lands of the former Buddha also correspond to those of the present. Since the former text on the particular prologue has two prologue elements that correspond—manifesting signs and harbouring doubt—but lacks the three prologue elements of assembling the assembly, asking questions, and answering questions, inferring by meaning means they were present: saying he preached the Dharma indicates he certainly assembled the assembly; saying they harboured doubt indicates there should have been an inquiry; and if there was an inquiry, there was certainly a response. By the precedent of the two, the other must be encompassed, so that one obtains the correspondence of the three prologue elements. Moreover, if it had recounted the former answer, then there would have been no need for Mañjuśrī to expend words; since it did not speak of an answer, neither did it bring out a question—its meaning is understandable.