妙法蓮華經玄贊 9.6

9.6

Regarding resolving difficulties: This chapter also explains the emerging from the dragon palace and the Dragon Girl attaining the path; why is it titled solely after Devadatta? Answer: The favorable condition of Devadatta was as a teacher and instructor to Śākyamuni; although the others display supreme virtue, they are not the Buddha's own deeds, hence they are not used as the chapter title. Furthermore, it is named from the beginning after Devadatta's past events, whereas the ancient emergence from the dragon palace and so forth are present events. Question: Why are the emergence from the dragon palace and the Dragon Girl's attainment of the path not made into a separate chapter, but combined with Devadatta? Answer: Mañjuśrī is a kalyāṇamitra of conforming conditions, not an advantageous condition that opposed oneself. Devadatta was not like this: to show that the sūtra is to be valued, opposing conditions are used as the chapter title to encourage people to uphold the sūtra, rather than using conforming conditions as the chapter title. Both were good friends of the sūtra, hence they are combined into one chapter.