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前期提示：…是諸菩薩，皆是阿惟越致，轉不退法輪，得諸陀羅尼……。
即從座起，至於佛前，一心合掌，而作是念，若世尊告敕我等，持說此經者，當如佛教，廣宣斯法。
「即從座起」：這麼多的菩薩都從他自己本有的座位站起來了。「至於佛前」：走到佛的前邊。「一心合掌」：身也恭敬，心也恭敬。「而作是念」：做這種的想念。想什麼呢？「若世尊告敕我等」：告敕就是命令，說是假設釋迦牟尼佛給我們下一個命令，叫我們做什麼做什麼。「我等持說此經者」：叫我們也來宣揚這一部《妙法蓮華經》的話。
「當如佛教」：我們這八十萬億的菩薩統統都可以聽佛的這種教誨。「廣宣斯法」：廣多地來宣傳這部《妙法蓮華經》。
復作是念，佛今默然，不見告敕，我當云何。
「復作是念」：做這種的想之後，又做一種的想念。「佛今默然」：說現在我們雖然做這種的念，佛還是默然，也沒有講話。「不見告敕」：也沒有敕命我們弘揚這一部經典。「我當云何」：我們現在應該怎麼樣子呢？我們是不是應該自己發願弘揚這部《妙法蓮華經》呢？還是等著呢？現在不知怎麼辦好了。
時諸菩薩敬順佛意，并欲自滿本願，便於佛前作師子吼，而發誓言，世尊，我等於如來滅後，周旋往返十方世界，能令眾生書寫此經，受持讀誦，解說其義，如法修行，正億念，皆是佛之威力，惟願世尊，在於他方遙見守護。
當時釋迦牟尼佛沒有說話，這八十萬億的菩薩都不知道怎麼樣去做？想一想，這時候「時諸菩薩敬順佛意」：恭恭敬敬地順從佛意。大約佛的意思就是想要他們自己發願，所以也沒有講什麼話。這一些個菩薩也都懂得佛的意思了。「并欲自滿本願」：並且他們想要滿足自己所發的大願。「便於佛前作師子吼」：就在佛前做師子吼；就是說話的聲音很大，好像師子吼似的。
「而發誓言」：就發誓願。說「世尊，我等於如來滅後」：說我們這八十萬億大菩薩，在如來滅度之後。「周旋往返」：周就是周遍；旋就是達到了這個地方又回來，回來再去；去再回來，往返、往返，周旋往返。「十方世界」：就是在十方世界之中來周旋往返。「能令眾生」：做什麼呢？他們想盡方法，使令眾生。「書寫此經」：能發願書寫這一部《妙法蓮華經》。「受持讀誦」：受持這一部《妙法蓮華經》，又能讀誦這一部《妙法蓮華經》；不單能書寫受持讀誦，而且又能講解這一部《妙法蓮華經》。「解說其義」：把它的意義說明白了。「如法修行」：令一切眾生好依照《妙法蓮華經》的方法去修行。
「正憶念」：常常不忘這一部《法華經》。「皆是佛之威力」：我們能令眾生生出不忘的心，都是佛的威力所成就的。「惟願世尊」：我們惟獨願意世尊你「在於他方」：在其他的國土，其他的世界。「遙見守護」：就距離多遠也能看見我們，也能守護我們這八十萬億菩薩，又能守護一切眾生。
即時諸菩薩，俱同發聲而說偈言：
惟願不為慮，於佛滅度後，恐怖惡世中，我等當廣說。
「即時」：就在這時候。「諸菩薩」：所有這八十萬億這麼多的大菩薩。「俱同發聲」：在同一個時候，發出同一種聲音。「而說偈言」：說這共同的偈頌。
「惟願不為慮」：我們大家都惟獨地願意世尊不要憂慮沒有人弘揚這一部《妙法蓮華經》，我們都發願要弘揚這《妙法蓮華經》的。「於佛滅度後」：我們在佛入涅槃滅度之後，在「恐怖惡世中」，在這可怕的、罪惡的世界的時候，也就是末法的時候。
「我等當廣說」：我們這八十萬億的菩薩薩是應當廣說這部《妙法蓮華經》，廣為眾生宣揚這部《妙法蓮華經》，講說這部《妙法蓮華經》
待續
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From last issue: All
of these Bodhisattvas were Avaivartikas who turned the irreversible
Dharma Wheel and who had attained all of the dharanis..
Sutra:
They immediately rose from
their seats, went before the Buddha, singlemindedly with palms
joined, and thought, "If the World Honored One were to command
us to maintain and speak this Sutra, we would follow the Buddha's
instructions and
vastly proclaim this Dharma."
Commentary:
They immediately rose
from their seats, went before the Buddha, singlemindedly with palms
joined, reverent in body and in mind, and thought, "If the
World Honored One were to command us to maintain and speak this Sutra,
we would follow the Buddha's instructions, all eighty trillion of
us, and vastly proclaim this Dharma of the Wonderful
Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra."
Sutra:
They further thought, "The
Buddha is silent now and gives no command. What should
we do?"
Commentary:
Theyfurther thought,"Although
we have had this thought, the
Buddha is silent now and gives no command. He does not direct us to
propagate this Sutra. What should we do? Should
we go ahead and make a vow or should we wait? What's the next course of
action?"
Sutra:
Then all the Bodhisattvas,
reverently complying with the Buddha's will and wishing to fulfill
their own past vows, went directly before the Buddha and
uttered the Lion's Roar, proclaiming this vow: "World Honored One,
after the Thus Come One's extinction, we shall circulate throughout the
ten directions, leading living beings to copy out this Sutra, to
receive, maintain, read and recite, and explain its meaning, to
cultivate in accord with Dharma, and to keep it properly in mind—all
through the awesome power of the Buddha. We only pray that the World
Honored One, although dwelling in another direction, will lend us his
protection from afar."
Commentary:
Then all the eighty
trillion Bodhisattvas, seeing the Buddha remain silent, didn't
know what to do. They thought it over and then reverently complying
with the Buddha's will, very respectfully, assuming the Buddha
wanted them to make vows, and wishing to fulfill their own past
vows, went directly before the Buddha, and uttered the Lion's Roar,
proclaiming this vow: "World Honored One, after the Thus Come One's
extinction, we shall circulate throughout the ten directions, leading
living beings to copy out this Sutra, to receive, maintain, read and
recite it, and to explain its meaning, so as to enable
all living beings to cultivate in accord with the Dharma of
this Sutra, and to keep it properly in mind without forgetting
it—all through the awesome power of the Buddha. Our ability to
cause living beings to recollect the Sutra is due to the Buddha's
awesome spirit. We only pray that the World Honored One, although
dwelling in another direction, in another land and another world, will
lend us his protection from afar, keep watch on us and protect us
and all living beings."
Sutra :
At that time, all the
Bodhisattvas in unison raised
their voices to speak verses, saying,
Pray do not be concerned,
For after the Buddha's extinction,
In the frightening evil age,
We will vastly preach."
Commentary:
At that time, all the
Bodhisattvas in unison, with the same sound, raised their voices to
speak verses, saying, "Pray do not be concerned. We only wish that
the World Honored One will not worry that no one will propagate the Wonderful
Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra, because we are making vows to do this. For
after the Buddha's extinction, his entry into Nirvana, in the
frightening and evil age, the Dharma-ending age, we will
vastly preach. We eighty trillion Bodhisattvas shall vastly speak
and propagate the Dharma Flower Sutra for the sake of living
beings.
To be
continued
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