法華義疏 3.239

3.239

「爾時舍利弗」下，第三請。前長行，次偈。長行，前、標請，次、釋請。重言唯願者，佛為天人驚疑及增上慢起謗故重止者，今為二人故應說之：一者、如我能解故應為說，二者、自我之外諸餘大眾亦能信解故唯願說之。「今此會中」下，釋請。前明「如我」者，身子上根應前得悟也。「等比」者，身子以外等取中下根人及凡夫比，例亦能信也。「世世已曾從佛受化」者，釋上如我等比能信解也。過去因淺尚受佛化，況現在因深必堪信解也。又不信者少、順教者多，以多言之故應說也。又如來具有口密及以神通，以口密言之則同坐不聞，以神通辨之宜令避席，進退而言不得不說也。

From "At that time Śāriputra" onward is the third request. First is the prose, next are the verses. In the prose, first he indicates the request, and next he explains the request. Repeating "we only pray": when the Buddha repeated his refusal because of devas and humans being alarmed and doubtful and those of overweening pride giving rise to slander, now on account of two kinds of people he ought to expound it: first, because those like me can understand, he ought to expound it for them; second, because besides myself the rest of the great assembly can also faithfully understand, we only pray that he expound it. From "Now in this assembly" onward, he explains the request. First, explaining "those like me": Śāriputra is of superior faculties and ought first to attain awakening. "And our equals": besides Śāriputra, taking by equal comparison people of intermediate and lower faculties and the peers among ordinary beings, they likewise can believe. "Who in life after life have already received transformation from the Buddha" explains the above, that those like me and our equals can faithfully understand. If in the past when causes were shallow they still received the Buddha's transformation, how much more so in the present when causes are deep must they be capable of faithful understanding! Furthermore, those who do not believe are few, and those who comply with the teaching are many; speaking from the majority, he therefore ought to expound it. Furthermore, the Tathāgata fully possesses the secret of speech as well as supernatural powers: speaking in terms of the secret of speech, those sitting together would not hear; discerning in terms of supernatural powers, it is suitable to cause them to leave their seats; considering both advance and retreat, he cannot but expound it.