法華義疏 9.198

9.198

「爾時四眾」下，第二、明現塔意。又開兩別：初、疑問；次、佛答。疑問為二：初、大眾疑；二、大樂說問。大眾有二疑：一、疑有塔；二、疑出聲。問亦二也，文處易知。「爾時佛告」下，第二、答。就文為三：一、明多寶因中誓願時，以詶其二問。二、從「彼佛成道滅度時」下，即顯有塔因緣，詶其二問。第三、從「今多寶」下，明今日涌現時，正答其二問也。佛答云多寶有大誓願乃至為證明者，《釋論》第七卷云「解請佛云：諸佛無人請者便入涅槃，如《法華經》中多寶世尊無人請故便入涅槃，後化佛身及七寶塔，證說《法華》一時出現，亦如須扇多佛，弟子本行未熟便捨入涅槃，留化佛一劫以度眾生」。相傳云：多寶成道時，無大機感，不得說此經而取滅度，故說此經處皆出證明。《釋論》對此意也。而經云菩薩時有誓願者，無妨因地緣事發願，或一化眾生無大機、不聞此經，故發斯願，則因果及經論俱不相違，具二義也。

From "At that time the four assemblies" downward is the second [major section], clarifying the purpose of the stūpa's appearance. This is again divided into two: first, doubt and questioning; next, the Buddha's reply. The doubt and questioning has two parts: first, the great assembly doubts; second, Mahāpratibhāna asks. The great assembly has two doubts: first, they doubt the existence of the stūpa; second, they doubt the issuing of the voice. The questions are likewise two, and the passages in the text are easy to know. From "At that time the Buddha told" downward is the second part, the reply. Regarding the text, there are three parts: First, clarifying Prabhūtaratna's vow during his causal stage, so as to respond to the two questions. Second, from "When that Buddha had attained the Way and was about to enter extinction" downward, it reveals the causes and conditions for the existence of the stūpa, responding to the two questions. Third, from "Now Prabhūtaratna" downward, it clarifies the present surging forth and appearing, directly answering the two questions. As for the Buddha answering that Prabhūtaratna had a great vow, up to serving as verification: Fascicle seven of the *Explanatory Treatise* states: "Explaining the request to the Buddha, it says: When no one requests them, the Buddhas enter nirvāṇa, just as in the *Lotus Sūtra* the World-Honoured One Prabhūtaratna, because no one requested him, entered nirvāṇa, and later manifested a transformation Buddha body and a seven-jeweled stūpa, appearing at one time to verify the preaching of the *Lotus*; it is also like the Buddha Suśānta, whose disciples' basic practice was not yet mature, so he cast [his body] off and entered nirvāṇa, leaving a transformation Buddha for a kalpa to save sentient beings." According to tradition: When Prabhūtaratna attained the Way, there was no great capacity responsive [to him], so he could not preach this sūtra and attained extinction; therefore, wherever this sūtra is preached, he always appears to verify it. The *Explanatory Treatise* addresses this meaning. As for the sūtra saying that he had this vow when he was a bodhisattva, there is no impediment to his generating the vow based on circumstances in the causal stage; or perhaps, in a single teaching, sentient beings lacked the great capacity and could not hear this sūtra, and so he made this vow. Thus, cause and effect, as well as the sūtra and the treatise, do not contradict one another; both meanings are fully present.