法華義疏 2.130

2.130

既明佛果一乘，唯佛能了，佛既入定不得問佛，文殊是過去佛，能達佛事，是故問之。二者、如觀音等亦是古佛，但問文殊者，以彌勒與文殊等昔同在燈明佛所，故得問之。三者、問文殊得開發二分經：文殊引燈明佛現瑞等事，得開發乘權乘實經；文殊為燃燈之師，得開身權身實經。以下將開近顯遠，今先敘以近覆遠也。又前辨燈明佛事略是開三顯一，後明文殊略開近顯遠。文殊昔是師，今方便為弟子，即顯釋迦是燃燈弟子，亦是方便為師也。

First, as it clarifies the Buddha-fruit of the ekayāna, only a Buddha can comprehend it; since the Buddha had entered samādhi, one could not ask the Buddha, and Mañjuśrī is a Buddha of the past who can comprehend the matters of the Buddhas; therefore he asked him. Second, although Avalokiteśvara and others are also ancient Buddhas, he only asked Mañjuśrī because Maitreya and Mañjuśrī were formerly together at the place of the Buddha Candrasūryapradīpa; therefore he could ask him. Third, asking Mañjuśrī allows the disclosure of two parts of the sūtra: Mañjuśrī citing the events of the Buddha Candrasūryapradīpa manifesting signs and so forth allows the disclosure of the sūtra on the provisional vehicle and real vehicle; Mañjuśrī being the teacher of Dīpaṃkara allows the disclosure of the sūtra on the provisional body and real body. Because the text below will disclose the proximate to reveal the distant, it now first recounts using the proximate to cover the distant. Furthermore, previously discerning the events of the Buddha Candrasūryapradīpa is in brief opening the three to reveal the one; later clarifying Mañjuśrī is in brief opening the proximate to reveal the distant. Mañjuśrī was formerly the teacher and now expediently acts as a disciple, which reveals that Śākyamuni was Dīpaṃkara's disciple and also expediently acts as the teacher.