妙法蓮華經玄贊 1.13

1.13

後酬請者，如經中說，菩薩初生即行七步，放大光明遍照十方，四顧觀視作師子吼，而說偈言：「我生胎分盡，是最末後身，我已得解脫，當復度眾生。」作是誓已身漸長大，遊出四門見老、病、死及沙門相。既問識已，欲捨親屬求無上果。中夜觀察，見諸伎人后妃婇女，狀如臭屍深可厭患，即命車匿令被楗低，諸天捧足夜半出城，行十四由旬，到跋伽婆仙人所住林中，以刀剃髮，持妙寶服貿鹿皮衣，遣車匿歸報父王已。於熙連河側六師外道所，為降伏彼，六年苦行，懃苦過彼，日食麻麥，厭其非道遂食乳糜。受吉祥草，詣菩提樹坐金剛座，以智慧力降伏魔軍，證大菩提永出三界。是時三千大千世界主及餘天等，來詣佛所請轉法輪，化佛讚揚勸且權說，時機未熟且說方便未說實法。今既合宜，鶖子等請說乘權實之境，文殊等請說乘安樂之行，彌勒等請說身真應之果。故下經云：「我始坐道場，觀樹亦經行，於三七日中，常思惟是事。乃至尋念過去佛，所行方便力，我今所得道，亦應說三乘。作是思惟時，十方佛皆現梵音慰喻我：善哉釋迦文！隨諸一切佛，而用方便力。」由是方便且說三乘。今機宜熟，鶖子等請演暢真宗顯斯一實。故下經云：「汝已慇懃三請，吾今豈得不說。」〈安樂行品〉中，文殊發請，世尊廣說四安樂行。〈壽量品〉中亦復如是，彌勒三請，佛言：汝等當信解如來誠諦之語。三遍勸信，方說身之真應，故為酬請說是《法華》。

Next, responding to requests: as expounded in the sūtras, when the Bodhisattva was first born, he immediately walked seven steps, emitted a great light that universally illuminated the ten directions, looked around in the four directions, roared the lion's roar, and uttered a verse: "My rebirth in the womb is ended; this is my very last existence; I have already attained liberation, and shall again deliver sentient beings." Having made this vow, his body gradually grew up; he went out through the four gates and saw the signs of old age, sickness, death, and a śramaṇa. Having inquired and understood, he wished to abandon his relatives to seek the unsurpassed fruit. Inspecting at midnight, he saw the female entertainers, consorts, and court ladies appearing like foul corpses, deeply repellant and loathsome; he then ordered Chandaka to bridle Kaṇṭhaka; the devas supported the hooves, and he left the city at midnight, traveling fourteen yojanas to the forest where the seer Bhārgava dwelt; with a sword he shaved his hair, traded his fine jeweled garments for deer-skin robes, and dispatched Chandaka back to report to his father the king. By the Nairañjanā River, at the place of the six non-Buddhist teachers, in order to subdue them, he practiced austerities for six years, his diligence and suffering exceeding theirs, eating a single hemp seed and grain of wheat a day; rejecting their false paths, he eventually partook of milk-rice. Receiving the auspicious grass, he went to the Bodhi tree and sat on the diamond seat; by the power of wisdom he subdued the armies of Māra, realized great bodhi, and eternally departed from the three realms. At that time, the lord of the trichiliocosm and other devas came to the Buddha's place to request the turning of the wheel of Dharma; the transformation buddhas praised him and urged him to teach provisionally for the time being; as the capacities of the time were not yet ripe, he provisionally taught expedient means and did not yet expound the real Dharma. Now that the time is fitting, Śāriputra and others requested the exposition of the sphere of the vehicle's provisional and real; Mañjuśrī and others requested the exposition of the vehicle's practices of ease and joy; Maitreya and others requested the exposition of the fruit of the Buddha's true and responsive bodies. Therefore, the sūtra below says: "When I first sat at the place of enlightenment, gazing at the tree and walking about, during three times seven days, I constantly contemplated this matter," and so forth, until, "Then I recalled the power of expedient means practiced by past buddhas; in the path that I have now attained, I should also expound the three vehicles. When I was contemplating thus, the buddhas of the ten directions all appeared, and with Brahmā voices consoled and instructed me: 'Well done, Śākyamuni! Following all the buddhas, you employ the power of expedient means.'" Due to this, he provisionally expounded the three vehicles through expedient means. Now that their capacities are ripe, Śāriputra and others requested the proclamation of the true doctrine and the manifestation of this single reality. Therefore, the sūtra below says: "You have already earnestly requested three times; how could I now fail to speak?" In the "Practices of Ease and Joy Chapter," Mañjuśrī made a request, and the Bhagavat extensively expounded the four practices of ease and joy. In the "Span of Life Chapter" it is also like this: Maitreya requested three times, and the Buddha said, "You should faithfully understand the truthful words of the Tathāgata." After urging faith three times, he finally expounded the true and responsive aspects of the body; therefore, to respond to requests, he expounded this Lotus Sūtra.