法華義疏 9.125

9.125

「爾時佛告阿難」下，第二、授記。前授二人記，次授二千人記。前授二人記中，初、授阿難記；次、授羅雲記。初授阿難記有四：一、授記；二、新學生疑；三、釋疑；四、結喜。初授記中，前長行、次偈。長行，前行因、次得果。得果之中偏明壽長者，欲顯阿難護法因緣故得長壽果也。「爾時會中」下，第二、新學生疑。所以疑者，佛加其神力欲發阿難之迹，故興此疑念也。「爾時世尊」下，第三、釋疑。「空王佛」者，畢竟空是諸空中之王，故《智度論》云「性空菩薩所行，畢竟空是佛所行」，釋迦、阿難同以畢竟空為本，故言俱於空王佛所發菩提心。釋迦發心已後懃習畢竟空故自成佛，阿難多聞故以為侍者，師及弟子同起畢竟空，記與不記何所疑耶？

From 'At that time the Buddha told Ānanda' below is the second: conferring the prophecy. First, prophecy is conferred on the two persons; next, prophecy is conferred on the two thousand people. In conferring prophecy on the two persons: first, prophecy is conferred on Ānanda; next, prophecy is conferred on Rāhula. Conferring prophecy on Ānanda has four parts: first, conferring the prophecy; second, doubts arising in the newly trained; third, resolving the doubts; fourth, concluding with joy. In the first, conferring prophecy: first is the prose, next the verses. In the prose: first the practice of causes, next the attainment of the fruit. In the fruit, longevity is singled out to show that because of the causes and conditions of Ānanda's protecting the Dharma, he attains the fruit of long life. From 'At that time in the assembly' below is the second: doubts arising in the newly trained. The reason they doubted is that the Buddha added his supernatural power, wishing to reveal Ānanda's trace; hence he aroused this thought of doubt. From 'At that time the World-Honoured One' below is the third: resolving the doubts. As for 'King of Emptiness Buddha': ultimate emptiness is the king among all emptinesses; hence the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* says: 'Nature-emptiness is practiced by bodhisattvas; ultimate emptiness is practiced by Buddhas.' Śākyamuni and Ānanda both take ultimate emptiness as their basis; hence it is said that they both aroused the mind of bodhi in the presence of the King of Emptiness Buddha. After Śākyamuni aroused the mind, he diligently practiced ultimate emptiness and therefore became a Buddha on his own. Ānanda had heard much and therefore became an attendant. Since master and disciple both originated from ultimate emptiness, what is there to doubt about whether prophecy is conferred or not?