法華義疏 9.3

9.3

宿世因緣說中有二段，第一、正為說法，此文已竟。今是第二，次、為授記，以聞法悟解、行與佛應，故授佛記。文凡有二：初、授五百弟子記為一品；次、授學無學人記為一品。所以開二品者，上〈授記品〉標其總名，今欲異上故以人別品，故總別兩題立名相避也。所以約人分二品者，凡有十義五雙：一者、五百弟子願行是同，現在同時得記，未來相繼成佛；後學無學人願行亦同，現在同時得記，未來一時成佛，為此因緣故開二品。二者、即欲以此二義攝授記義周。夫論授記不出二種：一者、前後相繼成佛；二者、一時成佛也。三者、前五百人謂高名顯德眾，後二千人藏名密行眾，以部類顯密不同故開為兩品。四者、即欲以顯密二人攝授記義盡。五者、前五百人同是無學位，後二千人是學無學位，以部類不同故分二品。六者、即欲以此二義攝授記義周。七者、前五百人同有領解，後學無學人同無領解，以部類不同故分兩品。八者、即欲以此二義攝授記義周。九者、前五百人亦有發迹亦無發迹，如滿願則發迹，餘人不發迹，故為一類；後學無學人亦有發迹亦無發迹，如阿難、羅雲則發迹，餘無發迹，復為一類，所以分為兩品。十者、即以有發迹無發迹攝授記義周也。

Within the exposition of past causes and conditions there are two sections: first, formally preaching the Dharma for them, which has already ended in the text; now is the second, next, conferring prophecies on them, because having heard the Dharma they gained awakening and understanding, and their practice corresponded with the Buddha, hence he conferred upon them the prophecy of buddhahood. The text has two parts in total: first, conferring prophecies on five hundred disciples constitutes one chapter; next, conferring prophecies on trainees and adepts constitutes one chapter. The reason two chapters are opened is that the previous "Conferment of Prophecy Chapter" indicated their general designation, and now, wishing to distinguish it from the previous one, the chapters are distinguished by persons; thus the general and particular titles avoid each other. The reason they are divided into two chapters according to persons involves ten meanings in five pairs: First, the vows and practices of the five hundred disciples were the same, so in the present they received prophecies at the same time, and in the future they will achieve buddhahood successively; for the later trainees and adepts, their vows and practices were also the same, so in the present they received prophecies at the same time, and in the future they will achieve buddhahood at one time; because of these causes and conditions, two chapters were opened. Second, it is precisely wishing to encompass completely the meaning of conferring prophecy through these two meanings: discussing the conferring of prophecy does not go beyond two kinds: first, achieving buddhahood successively one after another; second, achieving buddhahood at one time. Third, the former five hundred persons are the assembly of prominent fame and manifest virtue, while the later two thousand persons are the assembly of concealed names and hidden practice; because the categories of manifest and hidden are different, they were opened as two chapters. Fourth, it is precisely wishing to exhaust the meaning of conferring prophecy through these two kinds of persons, manifest and hidden. Fifth, the former five hundred persons were all equally in the stage of adepts, while the later two thousand persons were in the stages of trainees and adepts; because their categories are different, they were divided into two chapters. Sixth, it is precisely wishing to encompass completely the meaning of conferring prophecy through these two meanings. Seventh, the former five hundred persons all equally had comprehension and understanding, while the later trainees and adepts all equally lacked comprehension and understanding; because their categories are different, they were divided into two chapters. Eighth, it is precisely wishing to encompass completely the meaning of conferring prophecy through these two meanings. Ninth, among the former five hundred persons there are both those who revealed their origins and those who did not: as Pūrṇa revealed his origin while the other people did not, they form one class; among the later trainees and adepts there are also those who revealed their origins and those who did not: as Ānanda and Rāhula revealed their origins while the rest did not, they form another class; therefore they are divided into two chapters. Tenth, it is precisely to encompass completely the meaning of conferring prophecy through those having a revelation of origins and those lacking a revelation of origins.