法華義疏 9.246

9.246

「爾時世尊」下，第五、重命菩薩弘經。就文為二：初、明眼視；二、諸菩薩發誓弘經。初眼視者，顯諸菩薩智慧利根，懸得佛意及懸得經旨趣，令物信之。如庄周云「目擊道存」故也。「是諸菩薩」下，第二、發誓弘經。就文為二：前長行，次偈頌。「佛今默然不見告勅」者，佛雖歎菩薩懸得佛意，而菩薩住謙讓門，故言佛不告勅。師弟歎讓合論，各據一義也。「時諸菩薩」下，明菩薩重自思惟：佛雖無言，我為菩薩，法應上弘下利，滿願報恩也。「遙見守護」者，久知壽量常恒，雙林非永滅也。

From "At that time the World-Honoured One" downward is the fifth [section]: re-enjoining the bodhisattvas to propound the sūtra. The text has two parts: first, explaining the looking with his eyes; second, the bodhisattvas making vows to propound the sūtra. First, looking with his eyes reveals the sharp faculties and wisdom of the bodhisattvas, who implicitly comprehended the Buddha's intent and implicitly grasped the purport of the sūtra, causing living beings to believe it. This is like Zhuang Zhou's statement: "Where the eyes meet, the Dao is present." From "These bodhisattvas" downward is second: making the vow to propound the sūtra. The text has two parts: first the prose, and next the verses. As for "The Buddha is now silent and issues no command," although the Buddha praised the bodhisattvas for implicitly grasping the Buddha's intent, the bodhisattvas abide in the gate of humility and deference, and therefore say the Buddha did not issue a command. When praise and deference between master and disciple are treated together, each relies on its own perspective. From "At that time the bodhisattvas" downward explains that the bodhisattvas reflected again to themselves: though the Buddha has said nothing, we are bodhisattvas, and by the nature of things we ought to propagate [the Dharma] above and benefit [beings] below, fulfilling our vows and repaying his kindness. As for "Seeing from afar and protecting," it means having long known that his lifespan is permanent and eternal, and that the twin trees were not an eternal extinction.