法華義疏 9.3

9.3

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.