法華文句記 5.91

5.91

「度我可施眾生」者，若論度我應在物機，施謂施設。今釋迦因聞十方諸佛慰喻，乃稱南謨答於諸佛，故知釋迦不請諸佛度也。「五戒經」至「施佛」者，準佛亦無驚怖之理，依下譬中長者聞已驚入火宅，法身思機義當驚怖。「喜稱南謨佛」者，即酬順中釋南無諸佛。「五戒經釋歸命」者（云云）。「那先經」等者，彼經云：「那先小時有故舊，為邊小國王，善能問難，有多問答亦可兼釋小疑。那先云：諸沙門說世間火不如地獄火熱。王曰：持小石置世間火至暮不銷，取大石置泥犁火中即銷者，惡人死在泥犁百千萬歲，何以不銷？那先問：水中魚蛟以石為食不？王言：如是。那先云：石消不？王云銷。那先言：腹中子消不？王言：不銷。那先言：何以不銷？王言：福德使然。那先言：在地獄中惡業未盡是故不銷，亦如狼食骨，骨銷子不銷。又問：佛有相好不？答：有。王言：佛父母有不？答：無。王言：佛亦無人生皆似父母故。那先言：王見蓮華不？答言：見。又問：生淤泥不？答：生淤泥。那先云：豈以蓮華生淤泥似淤泥耶？佛亦如是。王又問：一人死生罽賓，一人死生泥犁，誰先到？那先言：如兩鳥共飛從彼來此，一止高樹、一止下樹，兩鳥飛誰影先至地？王言：俱至地。王言：善哉！善哉！」餘文雖非疏正意，因便知之。亦增智破邪以顯念佛。

Regarding "Cross me over so that I may dispense [it] to sentient beings": If one discusses "cross me over," this should lie in the capacity of beings; "dispense" means to set forth. Here, because Śākyamuni heard the consoling words of the buddhas of the ten directions, he thereupon chanted "namo" in reply to the buddhas; thus we know that Śākyamuni was not asking the buddhas to cross him over. From "Five Precepts Sūtra" to "dispense to the Buddha": by analogy, the Buddha also has no reason to be frightened; relying on the parable below where the elder, upon hearing, is frightened and enters the burning house, the dharmakāya considering the capacities [of beings] is what is meant by "frightened." "Rejoicing, they chant 'namo buddhāya'": this explains "namo to the buddhas" in the sense of responding in accord. "The Five Precepts Sūtra explains taking refuge" (and so forth). Regarding "the Sūtra of Nāgasena" and so forth: that sūtra states: "When Nāgasena was young he had an old acquaintance who was the king of a small frontier state, who was skilled at raising difficult questions; there are many questions and answers, which can also incidentally resolve minor doubts. Nāgasena said: 'The śramaṇas say that worldly fire is not as hot as the fire of hell.' The king said: 'If one places a small stone in worldly fire, it does not melt by evening; if one takes a large stone and places it in the fire of Niraya, it melts immediately. Why then do evil people, who die and remain in Niraya for hundreds of thousands of tens of thousands of years, not melt?' Nāgasena asked: 'Do fish and dragons in the water eat stones or not?' The king said: 'They do.' Nāgasena said: 'Do the stones melt or not?' The king said: 'They melt.' Nāgasena said: 'Do the offspring in the belly melt or not?' The king said: 'They do not melt.' Nāgasena said: 'Why do they not melt?' The king said: 'Their merit and virtue makes it so.' Nāgasena said: 'In hell, their evil karma is not yet exhausted; therefore they do not melt. It is also like a wolf eating bones: the bones melt, but the offspring do not melt.' [The king] further asked: 'Does the Buddha have major and minor marks or not?' [Nāgasena] replied: 'He does.' The king said: 'Did the Buddha's parents have them or not?' [Nāgasena] replied: 'They did not.' The king said: 'Then the Buddha also could not have had them, for all people born resemble their parents.' Nāgasena said: 'Does Your Majesty see the lotus flower or not?' [The king] replied: 'I see it.' [Nāgasena] further asked: 'Is it born in mire or not?' [The king] replied: 'It is born in mire.' Nāgasena said: 'Does the lotus flower, because it is born in mire, resemble the mire? The Buddha is likewise.' The king further asked: 'If one person dies and is born in Kapiśa, and another dies and is born in Niraya, who arrives first?' Nāgasena said: 'Suppose two birds fly together from there to here; one perches on a tall tree, and one perches on a low tree. As the two birds fly, whose shadow reaches the ground first?' The king said: 'They reach the ground at the same time.' The king said: 'Excellent! Excellent!'" Although the rest of the text is not the primary intention of the commentary, it is known here in passing. It also enhances wisdom and refutes heterodoxy to reveal the mindfulness of the Buddha.