English
English version The arising of roots and powers (the five roots and five powers, the fundamental forces that give rise to all dharmas) and the accomplishment of excellent conditions are called Buddha's teaching (Buddha's teaching). For example, because gods and others have increasing power, now in dreams they obtain mantra theories and so on. The first teacher in the Buddha-land also explains it in the same way. The second explanation is that of Kin-hikari and others, who say that the Buddha's body has skandhas (the five aggregates that constitute an individual), ayatanas (sense organs and sense objects), dhatus (constituent elements), etc. Because it is free from discrimination, it is called endless play. Not speaking of dharma is called non-play. It is appropriate for listeners to have the power of good roots and original vows, and the appearance of meaning arises in the Tathagata's consciousness. This is what the Buddha's altruistic good roots give rise to, and it is called Buddha's teaching. Although the listener's consciousness does not personally obtain it, the similar appearance is clearly manifested, so it is called 'I heard'. One should truthfully say 'thus', thus say 'thus', thus I heard, meaning to avoid the faults of increase, decrease, and difference. It means 'This dharma, I heard from the Buddha', not that others displayed it through transmission. The listener is capable, and all questions are free from the faults of increase, decrease, and difference. In order to make sentient beings respectfully believe and accept, the meaning of the text is definite, without increase or decrease. Therefore, the questioner should ask correctly, and having thought about it reasonably, one should diligently study and practice. Six questions: Ananda (one of the Buddha's ten great disciples, known for his strong memory) was born on the day of the Buddha's enlightenment, and only became an attendant twenty years later. How could he have personally heard the teachings before that? Answer: There are six reasons. First, because of the power of original vows (pranidhana, vows made in past lives), in the past he was an elder who made offerings to the chanting sramana, causing Ananda to obtain dharani (total retention). Nagarjuna (an important thinker of Mahayana Buddhism) praised: 'The face is like a pure full moon, the eyes are like blue lotus flowers, the ocean of the Buddha's dharma flows into Ananda's heart.' Second, through transmission. The second chapter of the *Treatise* says: 'When the Buddha first turned the wheel of dharma (dharma wheel, the propagation of Buddhist teachings), I did not see it, but heard it through transmission.' Third, because of the Buddha's blessing. The *Repaying Kindness Sutra* says: 'The Buddha entered the worldly mind, causing Ananda to know.' Fourth, because the Buddha spoke briefly. The *Repaying Kindness Sutra* also says: 'The Buddha roughly pointed out the beginning, and one could fully understand.' Fifth, because of the power of samadhi (a state of mental concentration). The *Vajra Flower Sutra* says: 'Ananda obtained the Dharma-nature Awakening Self-Mastery King Samadhi, and was able to remember the power of hearing the Dharma in the heavens.' The fifth chapter of the *Contemplation of Buddha Samadhi Sea Sutra* says: 'Ananda saw the Buddha, heard the Dharma, and spoke of the Bodhisattva's practice, and immediately remembered the sutra treasury spoken by the past ninety billion Buddhas.' The fourth chapter of the *Lotus Sutra* says: 'Hearing the prediction of enlightenment, etc., he immediately remembered the past immeasurable millions of billions of dharmas, and was unobstructed in understanding, etc.', and spoke the verse: 'The World Honored One is very rare, etc.' The above six causes are due to the power of the original vow, which accomplishes the latter five. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
七问有无量大菩萨。何故唯付阿难持法。答。诸菩萨等。各匆务庄严眷属调伏自身不能宣通难写瓶有寄。所以传灯是属。又后阿难常随如来人天所识传必生信。诸菩萨等形异处疏非众皆识。或容住一问。诸经皆云如是我闻。何故温室经云阿难曰吾从佛闻。药师经云闻如是等。答。随方置言其意无别。如阿难升座说经已大众难言。无常力大无常力大。无常力大。如此等法。于佛所亲自听闻。今者乃言我闻如是。 经一时 演曰。第三时成无非时失。初明如实义。次□叙异解。后问答分别。明实义者。佛说众经前后多时。今者正指说此部时。于一时中在某处说如是。涅槃经云。我于一时在迦尸国。我于一时在洹河尸首林等。功德论云。一时者说此经时。余时复说无量经故。金刚佛论意同此说。问。字名句等说听多时如何言一。答。佛地论云。此就刹那相续无断说听究竟总名一时。若不尔者。字名句等说听时异云何言一。彼论意说无问时之长短总说一期说听究竟名为一时。以为腾人得陀罗尼。或净耳根于刹那须能说能受。亦名为一非唯相续。论又释云。或相会遇时分无别故名一时。即是说听共相会遇同一时义。演曰。彼论二义。一说听究竟为一时。二说听会遇为一时。前简说余时。后简说听前后时。次叙异释者。长耳 现代汉语译本 七问有无量的大菩萨，为什么只将佛法托付给阿难（Ananda，佛陀的十大弟子之一）？回答：诸位菩萨等，各自忙于庄严眷属，调伏自身，不能宣通佛法，就像难以将瓶中的东西寄托出去一样。所以传灯（指佛法的传承）是阿难的职责。而且阿难经常跟随如来（Tathagata，佛陀的称号之一），人天都认识他，由他传法必定令人信服。诸位菩萨等形象各异，处所疏远，并非大众都认识。或者容许有这样的疑问。 诸经都说‘如是我闻’，为什么《温室经》说‘阿难曰：吾从佛闻’，《药师经》说‘闻如是等’？回答：随方设置言辞，其意义没有差别。比如阿难升座说法完毕，大众感叹说：‘无常力大，无常力大，无常力大。’如此等等的佛法，都是在佛陀那里亲自听闻的，现在却说‘我闻如是’。 ‘经一时’，演曰：第三时成就，没有非时之失。首先阐明如实之义，其次叙述不同的解释，最后问答分别。阐明实义是说，佛陀宣说众经，前后多次，现在正是指宣说此部经的时候。于一时之中，在某处宣说如是。如《涅槃经》说：‘我于一时在迦尸国’，‘我于一时在洹河尸首林等’。《功德论》说：‘一时者，是说此经之时，其余时间又宣说了无量经。’《金刚佛论》的意义与此相同。问：字、名、句等，宣说听闻多次，如何说‘一’？答：《佛地论》说：‘这是就刹那相续，没有间断，宣说听闻究竟，总名为一时。’如果不是这样，字、名、句等，宣说听闻的时间不同，怎么说‘一’？彼论的意思是说，无论时间长短，总说一期，宣说听闻究竟，名为一时。因为腾人得到陀罗尼（Dharani，总持），或者清净耳根，于刹那之间能够说能受，也名为一，并非唯有相续。论又解释说：‘或者相会相遇，时间没有差别，所以名一时。’即是说听共同相会相遇，同一时间的意义。演曰：彼论有两种意义，一是说听究竟为一时，二是说听会遇为一时。前者简别宣说其余时间，后者简别宣说听闻的前后时间。其次叙述不同的解释，长耳（指长耳三藏）
English
English version Seven questions regarding the countless great Bodhisattvas: Why was the Dharma entrusted solely to Ananda (one of the ten principal disciples of the Buddha)? The answer is: The Bodhisattvas are each busy with adorning their retinues and subduing themselves, unable to widely disseminate the Dharma, just as it is difficult to send something out from a bottle. Therefore, the transmission of the lamp (referring to the transmission of the Dharma) is Ananda's responsibility. Moreover, Ananda constantly follows the Tathagata (one of the titles of the Buddha), and is known by humans and devas (gods); his transmission will surely inspire faith. The Bodhisattvas have different forms and reside in distant places, and are not known by all. Perhaps such a question is permissible. All sutras say 'Thus have I heard,' why does the 'Greenhouse Sutra' say 'Ananda said: I heard from the Buddha,' and the 'Medicine Buddha Sutra' say 'Heard thus and so forth'? The answer is: The words are set according to the place, but the meaning is no different. For example, after Ananda ascended the seat and finished speaking the Dharma, the assembly exclaimed: 'Impermanence is powerful, impermanence is powerful, impermanence is powerful.' Such Dharmas were personally heard from the Buddha, but now it is said 'I heard thus'. 'At one time,' Yan said: The third time is accomplished, there is no loss of time. First, clarify the meaning of reality; second, narrate different interpretations; and finally, question and answer separately. Clarifying the meaning of reality means that the Buddha proclaimed many sutras at different times, and now it specifically refers to the time when this sutra was proclaimed. At one time, in a certain place, it was proclaimed thus. As the 'Nirvana Sutra' says: 'At one time I was in the country of Kashi,' 'At one time I was in the forest of corpses on the Ganges River,' etc. The 'Treatise on Merit' says: 'One time is the time when this sutra was spoken, and at other times countless sutras were spoken.' The meaning of the 'Diamond Buddha Treatise' is the same. Question: Words, names, sentences, etc., are spoken and heard many times, how can it be said to be 'one'? Answer: The 'Treatise on Buddha-land' says: 'This refers to the continuous succession of moments, without interruption, the complete speaking and hearing is collectively called one time.' If it were not so, the times of speaking and hearing words, names, sentences, etc., are different, how could it be said to be 'one'? The meaning of that treatise is that regardless of the length of time, the entire period is spoken of as one, and the complete speaking and hearing is called one time. Because the Teng people obtained Dharani (a type of mantra), or purified their ear faculties, they can speak and receive in an instant, which is also called one, not only continuous succession. The treatise further explains: 'Or meeting and encountering, the time is no different, so it is called one time.' That is, speaking and hearing meet and encounter together, the meaning of the same time. Yan said: That treatise has two meanings, one is that the complete speaking and hearing is one time, and the other is that the speaking and hearing encounter is one time. The former distinguishes the speaking of other times, and the latter distinguishes the before and after times of speaking and hearing. Next, narrate different interpretations, Long-ear (referring to the Long-ear Tripitaka). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
三藏解有三种。一分段流转时。二不思议变易时。上二即二种生死。三假名时。假名时有三。一迦罗时。二三摩耶时。三世依布时。迦罗时者。此云别相时。如制戒律。大戒时闻。不戒时不闻。出家时闻。在家时不闻。国之得闻余人不得闻。三摩耶时者。此云破邪见时。谓五部阿含九分达磨不简白黑一切得问。此二与智论同世流布者。即是世人语法如言一时。在恒河岸等。令依破邪见及世流布时故名一时。 真谛三藏说时有十义。一佛出世时。二说正法时。三听正法时。四持正法。五思正法时。六修正法时。七下善种时。八成熟善根时。谓生国中犹四念处。九解脱善根时。谓听法说法持法思法静心修习。具此五事得入解脱。十心平等时。若下若高听法不入。若作弃舍正法心此是无明不平等心听亦不入。若能拔沈□浮念舍平等得入正法故名平等。舍心时具此十义故名一时。后问答辨者。一问一之与时何法为体。答皆是假法不相应行。依色心立。即数与时二种为体。法界法处亦即数识世识所收。二问大乘过未既非实有。于三世中如何立时。答时有二义。一道理时。即约法体五蕴诸行刹那生灭。唯有一念现在之法。然有酬前引后之义。即以所酬假名过去。即以所引假名未。对此二种说为现在。令说听者五蕴诸法刹那生 现代汉语译本： 三藏的解释有三种。第一种是分段流转时（Samaya，指众生在六道中轮回的时间）。第二种是不思议变易时（指菩萨修行过程中，从凡夫到成佛的转变）。以上两种就是两种生死（指轮回和变易生死）。第三种是假名时（指为了方便而设立的时间概念）。 假名时有三种。第一种是迦罗时（Kala，别相时，指特定的时间）。例如，制定戒律时，受大戒时才能听到，不守戒时就听不到；出家时才能听到，在家时就听不到；一个国家的人能听到，其他国家的人就听不到。 第二种是三摩耶时（Samaya，破邪见时，指破除错误见解的时间）。也就是说，五部阿含（Agama，原始佛教经典）和九分达磨（Dharma，佛法）不分善恶，所有人都可以提问。这两种时间概念与《大智度论》中世俗流布的时间概念相同，就像世俗语法中说‘一时’，在恒河岸边等等。为了破除邪见和方便世俗流布，所以称为‘一时’。 真谛三藏（Paramārtha，南朝时期著名译经家）说‘时’有十种含义。第一是佛出世时。第二是说正法时。第三是听正法时。第四是持正法时。第五是思正法时。第六是修正法时。第七是下善种时。第八是成熟善根时，比如生在有四念处（四种观禅修习）的国家中。 第九是解脱善根时，也就是听法、说法、持法、思法、静心修习。具备这五种条件才能进入解脱。第十是心平等时。如果地位低下或高贵的人听法时心不专注，或者产生抛弃正法的心，这就是无明和不平等心，听法也无法领悟。如果能够去除沉溺和浮躁的念头，舍弃不平等心，才能进入正法，所以称为平等。舍弃杂念，保持平等心时，就具备了这十种含义，所以称为‘一时’。 后面的问答辨析是：第一问，‘一’和‘时’的本体是什么？回答，都是假法，不相应行法（不属于色法或心法的法），依色法和心法而立。也就是数和时两种法为本体。法界和法处也包含在数识和世识之中。 第二问，大乘认为过去和未来都不是真实存在的，那么在三世（过去、现在、未来）中如何确立时间概念？回答，时间有两种含义。第一是道理时，也就是从法体的角度来说，五蕴（构成个体的五种要素）和诸行（各种心理活动）都是刹那生灭的，只有一念是现在的。但是，有酬谢过去和引导未来的作用。用酬谢过去的作用假名为过去，用引导未来的作用假名为未来。针对这两种时间概念，说为现在。让说法者和听法者明白，五蕴诸法都是刹那生灭的。