English
English version: This is extracted from the essentials. Now, this forty-five thousand gathas (verses) is also like that, taken from the abridged version among the six versions. The details are as described there. Question: Does gatha (verse) refer to the combination of prose (long lines) and verse (poems) to simplify the prose? Answer: Initially, from 'Thus have I heard' (evam maya srutam) to the end of 'this doubt and thought', this is counted as one gatha. Question: How many words are counted as one gatha? Answer: Thirty-two words are counted as one gatha. However, the number of words in the Sanskrit version is less, and the number of words in the Chinese translation is more. Therefore, the Sanskrit version has forty-one thousand nine hundred and eighty slokas (verses), with ten words remaining. The Tang Dynasty version has forty-five thousand slokas. Question: How do you know this is the case? Answer: According to the miscellaneous notes of Dharma Master Yan, based on the Sanskrit version of the Avatamsaka Sutra (Flower Garland Sutra) at the Great Compassion Temple, there are five hundred and forty-one paper leaves. Each line has fifty-seven words, and each paper leaf has twenty lines. One paper leaf has two thousand two hundred and eighty words on both sides. Ten paper leaves total twenty-two thousand eight hundred words. Thirty-two words are counted as one sloka. One hundred paper leaves are equivalent to two hundred and twenty-eight thousand words. Three hundred and twenty thousand words are ten thousand slokas. Five hundred and forty-one paper leaves total one million two hundred and thirty-three thousand four hundred and eighty words. According to thirty-two words per sloka, this is equivalent to forty-one thousand nine hundred and eighty slokas, with ten words remaining. The record says that from this, it can be known that the number of words in the Sanskrit version is less, and the number of words increases during the Tang Dynasty translation. Therefore, when calculating the number of slokas based on the Sanskrit text, there are forty-one thousand nine hundred and eighty slokas, with ten words remaining. When calculating the number of slokas based on the Tang Dynasty translation, it totals forty-five thousand slokas. It is said that the Sanskrit version of the Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra (Diamond Sutra) has only about one paper leaf. The Tang Dynasty translation has many more papers and words, and this is also the case here. The Sanskrit text now referred to is not the Sanskrit version of thirty-six thousand gathas obtained by Zhi Fa Ling. It is only based on the Sanskrit text of forty-five thousand gathas obtained by Siksananda. Question: Prose is the Sutra (sutra) teaching in the twelve divisions of teachings (dvadasanga-dharma). Why is it now said that the combination of prose and verse is called forty-five thousand gathas? Answer: According to the second volume of Dharma Master Zang's commentary, there are four types of verses. The first type is numerical verses, which are based on the thirty-two words of the Sanskrit text. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
字以为一颂。不问长行及偈。二伽他颂此云讽颂或云直颂。谓不颂长行也。三祇夜颂此云应颂。谓应重颂长行法也。四嗢陀南颂此云集施。谓以少言含摄多义云集。用以施人令易受持故云集施。此上三种颂或七言或五四三言。皆以四句为一颂。今长行合云颂者依四颂中数字颂说。处会别名如下具说。三十九品章者晋朝经有三十四品。更益五品故名三十九。谓如来现相品普贤三昧品世界成就品华藏世界品十定品。晋朝经合前四云卢舍那佛品。更无十定品故名三十四品耳。二经品名各相替案经可见。已说偈品处相如何。颂曰。 人中有三处 道场普独园 天上有四处 忉夜兜他化 释曰。有四洲中南名人中。摩竭提国有三胜处故名三处。何等为三。谓菩提树下道场处。普光明法堂处。祇树给孤独园处。于欲界内有六天。中四名天上。须弥顶上四殊胜处故名四处。今云顶上者取顶上方故名顶上。何等为四。谓须弥顶上忉利天处。自顶上方夜摩天处。兜率陀天处。他化自在天处。此中初一地居后三空居。人间方处咨知有端。天上方处非通难知。故今随难说六天相。何等为六。一四天王天。二忉利天。三夜摩天。四兜率陀天。五乐变化天。六他化自在天。初四天王天者苏迷卢内第四层级四大天王及诸眷属共所居 现代汉语译本： 字以为一颂（Gāthā，伽陀，指以诗歌形式表达的经文）。不问长行（散文形式的经文）及偈（Gāthā的另一种音译）。 二、伽他颂（Gāthā）此云讽颂或云直颂。谓不颂长行也。 三、祇夜颂（Geya）此云应颂。谓应重颂长行法也。 四、嗢陀南颂（Udāna）此云集施。谓以少言含摄多义云集，用以施人令易受持故云集施。此上三种颂或七言或五四三言，皆以四句为一颂。今长行合云颂者依四颂中数字颂说。处会别名如下具说。三十九品章者晋朝经有三十四品，更益五品故名三十九。谓如来现相品、普贤三昧品、世界成就品、华藏世界品、十定品。晋朝经合前四云卢舍那佛品，更无十定品故名三十四品耳。二经品名各相替案经可见。已说偈品处相如何。颂曰： 人中有三处，道场普独园； 天上有四处，忉（Trāyastriṃśa）夜（Yāma）兜（Tuṣita）他化（Parinirmita-vaśavartin）。 释曰：有四洲中南名人中，摩竭提国有三胜处故名三处。何等为三？谓菩提树下道场处，普光明法堂处，祇树给孤独园处。于欲界内有六天，中四名天上。须弥顶上四殊胜处故名四处。今云顶上者取顶上方故名顶上。何等为四？谓须弥顶上忉利天处，自顶上方夜摩天处，兜率陀天处，他化自在天处。此中初一地居后三空居。人间方处咨知有端，天上方处非通难知。故今随难说六天相。何等为六？一、四天王天，二、忉利天，三、夜摩天，四、兜率陀天，五、乐变化天，六、他化自在天。初四天王天者，苏迷卢内第四层级四大天王及诸眷属共所居。
English
English version: A word is considered a Gāthā (a verse or stanza, usually in poetic form). It does not distinguish between prose (long lines) and verses (Gāthā). Second, Gāthā is also called 'Fung Song' or 'Zhi Song', meaning it does not praise the prose. Third, Geya is called 'Ying Song', meaning it should repeat and praise the prose Dharma. Fourth, Udāna is called 'Ji Shi', meaning it uses few words to contain many meanings, gathering them to give to people so they can easily receive and uphold them, hence it is called 'Ji Shi'. These three types of verses are either seven-character, five-character, four-character, or three-character, all with four lines as one verse. Now, when prose is combined and called a verse, it is based on the numerical verses in the four types of verses. The different names of places and assemblies are explained in detail below. The chapter of thirty-nine sections means that the Jin Dynasty scripture had thirty-four sections, and five more sections were added, hence the name thirty-nine. These are the 'Appearance of the Tathāgata' section, the 'Samantabhadra Samādhi' section, the 'World Accomplishment' section, the 'Huazang World' section, and the 'Ten Samādhi' section. The Jin Dynasty scripture combined the first four into the 'Vairocana Buddha' section and did not have the 'Ten Samādhi' section, hence the name thirty-four sections. The names of the sections in the two scriptures are different and can be compared in the scriptures. How are the places and appearances of the verses already spoken? The verse says: There are three places among humans, the Bodhimanda (place of enlightenment), Puguang (universal light) and Jeta Grove; There are four places in the heavens, Trāyastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Parinirmita-vaśavartin. Explanation: Among the people of the southern continent of the four continents, there are three excellent places in Magadha, hence the name three places. What are the three? They are the Bodhimanda under the Bodhi tree, the Puguang Dharma Hall, and the Jeta Grove. Within the desire realm, there are six heavens, of which four are called heavens. There are four special places on the summit of Mount Sumeru, hence the name four places. Now, saying 'on the summit' means taking the upper part of the summit, hence the name 'on the summit'. What are the four? They are the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven on the summit of Mount Sumeru, the Yāma Heaven above the summit, the Tuṣita Heaven, and the Parinirmita-vaśavartin Heaven. Among these, the first is on the ground, and the last three are in the air. The places in the human world can be inquired and known, but the places above the heavens are difficult to know without communication. Therefore, I will now explain the appearances of the six heavens according to the difficulty. What are the six? First, the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings; second, the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven; third, the Yāma Heaven; fourth, the Tuṣita Heaven; fifth, the Nirmanarati Heaven; and sixth, the Parinirmita-vaśavartin Heaven. The first, the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, is where the Four Heavenly Kings and their retinues reside on the fourth level within Mount Sumeru. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
止。各住一面名四天王。寿量衣等如余论说。忉利天者此云三十三天。妙高山四面各有八大天王。帝释居中故名三十三天。彼天身长一由旬衣长二由旬广一由旬重六铢。寿一千岁。夜摩天者此云时天。以时华开合辨昼夜分故名时天。又随时受乐故名时分。此天身长二由旬衣长四由旬重三铢寿二千岁。兜率陀天者此云喜足。佛地论云后身菩萨于彼教化多修喜足行故云喜足。长阿含经云身长四由旬衣长八由旬广四由旬衣重一铢半食甘露寿四千岁。乐变化天者乐自变化作诸乐具以自娱乐故名乐变化。此天身长八由旬衣长十六由旬广八由旬衣重一铢食甘露寿八千岁。他化自在天者令他化作诸乐具显己自在故名他化自在。此天身衣寿命过前一倍。如是诸天广如瑜伽佛地三法度经长阿含经婆沙俱舍等说。 问曰。何故从人间升天上超四王天。从兜率向他化超化乐天耶。 答曰。古来多释今且述正。所以超四王天者。十信是外凡菩萨。十住是不退贤人。显贤愚玄隔故超次升天。所以超化乐天者。回向是世间行。十地是出世行。又回向是有漏。十地是无漏。显世出世漏无漏玄别故超次向上。已说处相会相如何。颂曰。 初会菩提场 二会普光殿 三会忉利天 四会夜摩天 五会兜率天 六会他化天 七八 现代汉语译本： 停止。各自居住在一面，称为四大天王（Caturlokapala，守护世界的四位天神）。他们的寿命和衣服等情况，如同其他论著所说。忉利天（Trayastrimsa，三十三天）的意思是三十三天。妙高山（Sumeru，须弥山）四面各有八大天王，帝释天（Indra，众神之王）居住在中央，所以称为三十三天。彼天身长一由旬（Yojana，古代印度长度单位），衣服长二由旬，宽一由旬，重六铢（古代重量单位）。寿命一千岁。夜摩天（Yama，阎摩天）的意思是时天，因为这时天以花开花合来分辨昼夜，所以称为时天。又因为随时享受快乐，所以名为时分。此天身长二由旬，衣服长四由旬，重三铢，寿命二千岁。兜率陀天（Tusita，喜足天）的意思是喜足。《佛地论》说，后身菩萨（Bodhisattva，未来佛）在那里教化，多修喜足行，所以称为喜足。《长阿含经》说，身长四由旬，衣服长八由旬，宽四由旬，衣服重一铢半，食用甘露（Amrita，不死之药），寿命四千岁。乐变化天（Nirmanarati，化乐天）喜欢自己变化出各种娱乐器具来娱乐自己，所以名为乐变化。此天身长八由旬，衣服长十六由旬，宽八由旬，衣服重一铢，食用甘露，寿命八千岁。他化自在天（Paranirmita-vasavartin，他化自在天）让他人变化出各种娱乐器具来彰显自己的自在，所以名为他化自在。此天的身体、衣服和寿命比前面的天都增加一倍。这些天的情况，详细记载在《瑜伽师地论》（Yogacarabhumi-sastra）、《佛地经论》（Buddhabhumi Sutra）、《三法度经》、《长阿含经》、《婆沙论》（Vibhasa）和《俱舍论》（Abhidharmakosa）等经典中。 问：为什么从人间升到天上，要超越四王天（Caturlokapala，四大天王所居之天）？从兜率天（Tusita，喜足天）到他化天（Paranirmita-vasavartin，他化自在天），要超越化乐天（Nirmanarati，乐变化天）呢？ 答：古来有很多解释，现在且说一种比较正确的解释。之所以超越四王天，是因为十信是外凡菩萨（Bodhisattva，未来佛），十住是不退贤人。为了显示贤与愚之间有明显的区别，所以超越四王天而直接升天。之所以超越化乐天，是因为回向是世间行，十地是出世行。而且回向是有漏的，十地是无漏的。为了显示世间与出世间、有漏与无漏之间有明显的区别，所以超越化乐天而直接向上。已经说了处所和集会的相状，如何呢？颂曰： 初会菩提场（Bodhimanda，菩提树下） 二会普光殿 三会忉利天（Trayastrimsa，三十三天） 四会夜摩天（Yama，阎摩天） 五会兜率天（Tusita，喜足天） 六会他化天（Paranirmita-vasavartin，他化自在天） 七八