法華文句記 6.19

6.19

Regarding the passage from “receives the prediction” down through “and so forth”: it should also be carried over to this point; and the four sections of the following cycle [of preaching] are all based upon the parable and the [past] causes and conditions. Regarding the phrase “The later passage is in the ‘Teacher of the Dharma’ Chapter, and so forth”: this refers to the prose of the initial section of the “Teacher of the Dharma” [Chapter] that follows the account of past lives, where the fourfold assembly rejoices. After first listing the fourfold assembly and the persons of the three vehicles among humanity, it states: “People such as these, in the presence of the Buddha, hearing a single verse or a single phrase of the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Sūtra and giving rise to a single thought of rejoicing in accord [with it]…”—this also corresponds to the text on rejoicing. As for “now newly activating great compassion” and so forth: the first cycle was originally on account of their own doubts; here, it is solely to benefit living beings that they newly activate great compassion. This means they must further cultivate the practices for purifying the buddha-land, which is the foundation of the bodhisattva path. In accordance with this, the intention of the preceding explanation can be understood. In the phrase “some people” below, the view of the ancients was: Śāriputra had a doubt at the beginning of each of the two cycles of Dharma and parable, which is why they are called “new” and “old.” Since the twelve hundred did not have doubts in the first cycle, they had only the new. As for “Now it is maintained” and so forth: when those of superior faculties first heard the brief explanation, their attachments were shaken and doubts arose, but upon receiving the section on the five buddhas, they at once attained great awakening; those of medium faculties had heavier attachments, so at the time of the brief explanation they shared the doubts of the superior, and having not awakened at the Dharma exposition, their doubts still persisted. Is this not a case of the medium faculties having more doubts than the superior? Hence Śāriputra himself related, “I now have no further doubts or regrets.” When the twelve hundred and others stated that their peers had perplexities, how could it instead be said that Śāriputra had more doubts?