Thereupon Mañjuśrī said to Maitreya Bodhisattva-mahasattva and the other great men:

“Good men! I think that the Buddha, the World-Honored One, wishes to expound a great teaching, to send the rain of a great teaching, to blow the conch-shell horn of a great teaching, to beat the drum of a great teaching, and to explain the meaning of a great teaching.

The profound li is dark and deep beyond measurement. Not having realized for himself the deep li, how can [Maitreya] dare to explicate it? He has to rely on Mañjuśrī [as explicator, a role that requires expertise equal to that of] the famous artisan [Shih] of Ying (the capital of Ch’iu). The phrase I surmise that indicates that comprehension must lie in the Buddha [himself], in whom all have their faith deepened.

The subsequent part consisting of four sections in all serves as an indication that the [Buddha’s] preaching of the Dharma Blossom is imminent. [In] “the first segment,” Mañjuśrī, knowing that li is subtle and sublime, dare not pinpoint, substantiate, or explain it. Therefore, he says: “I surmise that [the Buddha] wishes to preach the great Dharma.”