請觀音經疏闡義鈔 3.45

3.45

"It is not asking for oneself": because the Buddha abides at the utmost ultimate, where poisonous afflictions have already been exhausted. Since it says "shielding and protecting all, he again requests Avalokiteśvara," one knows that it is to protect the Dharma for the sake of others. "If treated as pure speech, it may be applied to subordinates": that is, receiving an audience-request from subordinates. "As the emperor..." and so forth cites proof. According to the Han dynasty system, when the feudal lords held an audience with the Son of Heaven in spring, it was called chao; when they held an audience in autumn, it was called qing. Therefore, the Han official regulations had the title Grandee of Audience and Request (chaoqing dafu). Thus, the Buddha is like the Son of Heaven, and Avalokiteśvara is like the hundred officials; to "request" (qing) the hundred officials means the hundred officials holding an audience (chao). A minister going before his sovereign is called chao; because Avalokiteśvara, as a minister of the Dharma, has an audience with Śākyamuni, the King of the Dharma, it is called "invoking (qing) Avalokiteśvara." "Moreover, the sūtra..." and so forth indicates that the title of the sūtra also admits the reading of pure sound. "It may be applied to ordinary mortals..." and so forth means that ordinary subordinates—that is, Candraprabha and the people of Vaiśālī—have an audience with Avalokiteśvara. If compared according to the previous analogy, then the Son of Heaven is an analogy for Avalokiteśvara, and the hundred officials are an analogy for the ordinary subordinates. Previously, it was the Buddha receiving Avalokiteśvara's audience, so it simply said "subordinates." Here, it is Avalokiteśvara receiving the audience of sentient beings, so it says "ordinary subordinates." "The word 'qing' is weighty": consulting a superior is called qing, following the character's pronunciation. "Deduce appropriately according to context": this directly addresses the phrase "again requests" in the sūtra. If taking the meaning of consulting a superior, it means the Buddha requests Avalokiteśvara on behalf of sentient beings. If taking it as pure sound, it means the Buddha again receives Avalokiteśvara's audience and bears witness to his uttering the dhāraṇī.