妙法蓮華經文句 7.46

7.46

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.