法華論疏 1.238

1.238

以多人欲聞文殊之答也，是故唯問文殊師利者，結問文殊意也。問：大眾不知文殊是能答之人，云何乃言多人欲聞文殊之答？答：彌勒知大眾機緣屬在文殊，若聞文殊所說必生希有之心故也。如是示現世尊弟子隨順於法不相違故者，釋文殊能答之意也。然彌勒位窮補處，遂不能知現瑞之意，則唯佛能知。佛入三昧，不可得問。雖文殊過去佛，但今日示現為世尊弟子耳，故餘經言「昔為能人師，今作弟子化。二尊不出竝，故示為菩薩。」隨順於法不相違者，此有二義：一者實是前師而示為弟子，蓋是隨順於法無所相違。二者文殊能了達法相，不與法相相違，故能答問也。

"Because many people wish to hear Mañjuśrī's answer; therefore, he asks Mañjuśrī alone" concludes the intention of asking Mañjuśrī. Question: The great assembly did not know that Mañjuśrī was the person able to answer; why say that many people wished to hear Mañjuśrī's answer? Answer: Maitreya knew that the capacity and conditions of the great assembly pertained to Mañjuśrī, and that if they heard what Mañjuśrī expounded, they would certainly generate a mind of the extraordinary. "This displays that the World-Honoured One's disciples accord with the Dharma and do not contravene it" explains the meaning of Mañjuśrī's ability to answer. However, Maitreya's stage is that of one bound to one final birth, yet he was unable to know the intention behind displaying the portents; thus only a Buddha can know it. The Buddha had entered samādhi and could not be questioned. Although Mañjuśrī was a Buddha of the past, at present he merely manifests as a disciple of the World-Honoured One; therefore, another sūtra says: "Formerly the teacher of the Capable One, he now acts as a disciple to transform others. Two Honoured Ones do not appear side by side; thus he manifests as a bodhisattva." Regarding "accords with the Dharma and does not contravene it," this has two meanings: first, he is actually a former teacher yet manifests as a disciple, which is precisely according with the Dharma without any contravention; second, Mañjuśrī is able to penetrate the characteristics of dharmas and does not contravene the characteristics of dharmas, and therefore he is able to answer the question.