妙法蓮華經玄贊 5.134

5.134

贊曰：下四頌半佛壽短長，有四：一頌半佛壽，半頌人壽，一頌半正像法時節，一頌舍利流行，不頌授記，加供養舍利。此即初二。此中應言於最後身為王子時，棄國捨榮出家成道，文言倒故，先說王子棄國捨榮，方言後身成於佛道；或此文意，於無量生身為王子棄國捨榮，末後身中方成佛道。

Eulogy: The next four and a half verses cover the brevity and length of the Buddha's lifespan, divided into four parts: one and a half verses on the Buddha's lifespan, half a verse on human lifespan, one and a half verses on the periods of the True Dharma and Semblance Dharma, and one verse on the dissemination of the relics—omitting the prophecy and adding the making of offerings to the relics. These [lines] are the first two parts. In this context, it should have been stated that in his final rebirth, when he was a prince, he abandoned the kingdom, renounced worldly glory, went forth from the household life, and attained the path. Because the phrasing of the text is inverted, it first states that as a prince he abandoned the kingdom and renounced worldly glory, and only then says that in his final rebirth he attained the Buddha path; or the meaning of this text is that across immeasurable lifetimes he was a prince who abandoned kingdoms and renounced worldly glory, and only in his very last rebirth did he attain the Buddha path.