法華義疏 2.411

2.411

「日月燈明佛八子」下，第五、明匠成八子。初文列八子，為說《法華》之緣，開釋迦初分經也。今明八子意在燃燈，以開釋迦遠壽之義開後分經也。所以然者，燃燈授釋迦記，妙光化八子，即知文殊是釋迦九世之祖師也。此即是以近覆遠。而文殊今遂為釋迦弟子，即欲顯釋迦為文殊之師，故知久已成佛，便是開近顯遠之義也。又後分經既開近顯遠，今前牒以近覆遠也。

From "The eight sons of the Buddha Sun Moon Lamp Brightness" below is the fifth: clarifying the training of the eight sons to maturity. The initial text listing the eight sons served as the occasion for expounding the Lotus, opening the first section of the sūtra for Śākyamuni. The present clarification of the eight sons has its intention in Dīpaṃkara, in order to open the meaning of Śākyamuni's distant lifespan and open the latter section of the sūtra. The reason why this is so is that Dīpaṃkara conferred the prophecy on Śākyamuni, and Varaprabha transformed the eight sons; thus we know Mañjuśrī was the ninth-generation ancestral master of Śākyamuni. This is using the near to cover the distant. Yet Mañjuśrī has now in fact become Śākyamuni's disciple; this is precisely to show that Śākyamuni was Mañjuśrī's master, and thus we know he attained Buddhahood long ago, which is the meaning of opening the near to reveal the distant. Moreover, since the latter section of the sūtra opens the near to reveal the distant, here he first cites it using the near to cover the distant.