法華義疏 2.124

2.124

三執難傾、一乘難信，故入定現瑞發其疑端，然後令彌勒發問、文殊解釋，明古佛說之於前、釋迦敷之於後，開信解之漸、塞疑謗之情，釋迦方得起定說法也。

The attachments of the three [vehicles] are difficult to topple, and the ekayāna is difficult to believe; hence he entered samādhi and manifested signs to prompt the beginning of their doubts, and then caused Maitreya to raise the questions and Mañjuśrī to explain, clarifying that past Buddhas expounded it beforehand and Śākyamuni proclaims it afterward, thus initiating the gradual steps of belief and understanding and blocking thoughts of doubt and slander; only then could Śākyamuni emerge from samādhi and expound the Dharma.