妙法蓮華經玄贊 7.542

7.542

贊曰：第三釋成常義。顯今法華會上，皆是彼時常益眾生。眾生世世常為友益，益猶未盡，生下結會之由漸也。

The Commentary says: The third explains and establishes the meaning of "constant." It reveals that those in the present assembly of the Lotus Sūtra are all the sentient beings who received constant benefit at that time. Sentient beings from lifetime to lifetime have constantly had them as friends and received benefit, and the benefit is not yet exhausted; this gives rise to the gradual origin of joining them together in the assembly below.