English
English version: There are three kinds of explanations for ‘Samaya’ (time) according to the Tripitaka masters. The first is ‘segmented flow time’ (referring to the time of beings transmigrating in the six realms). The second is ‘inconceivable transformation time’ (referring to the transformation of a Bodhisattva from an ordinary person to Buddhahood during practice). The above two are the two kinds of ‘birth and death’ (referring to the birth and death of reincarnation and transformation). The third is ‘provisional name time’ (referring to the concept of time established for convenience). There are three kinds of ‘provisional name time’. The first is ‘Kala time’ (Kala, specific time, referring to a specific time). For example, when formulating precepts, one can only hear them when receiving the major precepts; one cannot hear them when not observing the precepts; one can only hear them when one is ordained; one cannot hear them when one is a layperson; people of one country can hear them, but people of other countries cannot hear them. The second is ‘Samaya time’ (Samaya, time for breaking wrong views, referring to the time for breaking wrong views). That is to say, the five Agamas (Agama, original Buddhist scriptures) and the nine divisions of Dharma (Dharma, Buddhist teachings) do not distinguish between good and evil, and everyone can ask questions. These two time concepts are the same as the time concepts commonly circulated in the world in the *Mahaprajnaparamita Shastra*, just like saying ‘at one time’ on the banks of the Ganges in secular grammar. In order to break wrong views and facilitate secular circulation, it is called ‘at one time’. Paramārtha (Paramārtha, a famous translator of scriptures in the Southern Dynasties) said that ‘time’ has ten meanings. The first is when the Buddha appears in the world. The second is when the correct Dharma is spoken. The third is when the correct Dharma is heard. The fourth is when the correct Dharma is upheld. The fifth is when the correct Dharma is contemplated. The sixth is when the correct Dharma is practiced. The seventh is when good seeds are planted. The eighth is when good roots mature, such as being born in a country with the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (four types of contemplation practice). The ninth is when good roots are liberated, that is, listening to the Dharma, speaking the Dharma, upholding the Dharma, contemplating the Dharma, and practicing meditation with a calm mind. Only by possessing these five conditions can one enter liberation. The tenth is when the mind is equal. If people of low or high status are not focused when listening to the Dharma, or if they have the mind to abandon the correct Dharma, this is ignorance and an unequal mind, and they cannot comprehend the Dharma even if they listen to it. If one can remove the thoughts of being immersed and impetuous, and abandon the unequal mind, one can enter the correct Dharma, so it is called equality. When one abandons distracting thoughts and maintains an equal mind, one possesses these ten meanings, so it is called ‘at one time’. The question and answer analysis that follows is: The first question is, what is the substance of ‘one’ and ‘time’? The answer is that they are both provisional dharmas, non-associated formations (dharmas that do not belong to form or mind), established based on form and mind. That is, the two dharmas of number and time are the substance. The realm of Dharma and the place of Dharma are also included in number consciousness and worldly consciousness. The second question is, since Mahayana believes that the past and the future are not real, how is the concept of time established in the three times (past, present, and future)? The answer is that time has two meanings. The first is the time of principle, that is, from the perspective of the substance of Dharma, the five skandhas (the five elements that constitute an individual) and all activities are momentary arising and ceasing, and only one thought is present. However, it has the function of rewarding the past and guiding the future. The function of rewarding the past is provisionally named the past, and the function of guiding the future is provisionally named the future. In response to these two time concepts, it is said to be the present. Let the speaker and the listener understand that the five skandhas are all momentary arising and ceasing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
灭前后相续事。诸究竟假立三世总名一时。非一生灭之一时也。二唯识心之上。变作三时相状而起。理实唯有现一念心。令说听者随心分限变作短长事结终说总名一时。如梦所见。谓有多生觉位唯心都无实境。三问说听一念生已即灭。如何识上聚集解生。答虽唯一念。然前前闻者熏习成种。后识心上速带解生。是故文义聚集显现。如言诸恶者莫作。至作字时前之四字一时聚集。乃至一偈一章一品连带亦尔。故虽无过未而说受义成因。此应明五心之义。如别章说。四问如何不言四八等时。答一日一月照四天下。长短喧寒近远昼夜诸方不定恒。二天下同起用故。又漏已下上诸天等。无此四时及八时业。经拟上地诸方流通。若说四时流行不遍故亦不定。约成道已后年数时节。由三乘凡圣所见不同。佛身报化年岁短长成道已来近远各不同故。经拟三乘凡圣同闻故不定说。成道已后若干年岁。虽诸经典下别文中有说四时十二时等。即此经食时着衣乃至敷座而坐日正午时。或说成是近远时等。皆随一方众生闻见结集之家。且作是说。然非一部。初总明时。今初总明故但言一。五问时中凡圣殊。今但总言一处中净秽别如何说定方。答处中唯净秽标处可定知。时中万品差不准。唯言一一念根宜凡圣胜劣利钝长短有多差别不可定准。故处 现代汉语译本 关于灭前后相续之事。《成唯识论》认为，所谓的过去、现在、未来三世，都是一种假立的概念，总称为‘一时’（kala，时间）。这个‘一时’并非指一个生命生灭过程中的某个时刻。 第二种观点认为，唯识宗认为，一切都是唯识心（意识）的变现，三世的相状也是由心变现出来的。实际上，只有当下这一念心。为了让听者和说者能够理解，根据各自意识的局限，将时间分割成短或长，最终总结为一个‘一时’。这就像梦中所见，虽然感觉经历了很多世，但觉醒后发现一切都只是心的作用，没有真实的境界。 第三个问题是：如果说者和听者的一念生起后立即消灭，那么如何在意识上聚集信息并产生理解呢？回答是：虽然只有一念，但之前的听闻会在意识中熏习成种子（bija，潜能）。当新的意识生起时，会迅速地带着这些种子产生理解。因此，文字和意义才能聚集并显现出来。例如，当说‘诸恶莫作’时，说到‘作’字时，前面的四个字会同时聚集在意识中。乃至一偈、一章、一品，都是如此连带。所以，虽然没有过去和未来，但接受意义并成为因果是成立的。这应该阐明五心（五种心识活动）的意义，就像在其他章节中所说的那样。 第四个问题是：为什么不说四时（春夏秋冬）或八时（昼夜各分四时）等时间概念呢？回答是：太阳和月亮照耀四大部洲（S四大洲），但各地的长短、喧嚣、寒冷、远近、昼夜等情况并不固定。但四大部洲同时起作用。而且，欲界以下的天界，以及色界、无色界诸天等，没有四季或八时的概念。这部经是为上地（指较高层次的修行者）和各方流通而准备的。如果说四季，就不能普遍适用，所以不固定。关于佛陀成道后的年数和时节，由于三乘（声闻乘、缘觉乘、菩萨乘）的凡夫和圣人所见不同，佛陀的应身、报身、化身的年岁长短，以及成道以来的远近也各不相同。这部经是为三乘的凡夫和圣人共同听闻而准备的，所以不固定地说成道后若干年岁。虽然在其他经典的个别段落中，有说四时、十二时等，比如这部经中提到吃饭的时间、穿衣的时间，乃至铺设座位而坐的时间，或者说成道的时间远近等，都是根据一方众生的见闻，由结集经典的人暂时这样说。但并非整部经都是如此。最初是总的说明时间，所以只说‘一’。 第五个问题是：时间中有凡夫和圣人的差别，现在只总的说‘一’，那么处所中的清净和污秽的差别如何确定呢？回答是：处所中只有清净和污秽可以标明处所，可以确定地知道。时间中万物的差别没有准则，只能说每一念的根器、凡夫和圣人的胜劣、利钝、长短都有很多差别，无法确定准则。所以处所
English
English version Regarding the matter of the continuity of before and after cessation. The *Vijñaptimātratā-śāstra* (Treatise on Consciousness-Only) considers the so-called past, present, and future three times as a provisional concept, collectively called 'kala' (time). This 'kala' does not refer to a specific moment in the cycle of birth and death of a life. The second view is that the *Vijñaptimātratā* school believes that everything is a manifestation of the *citta* (mind, consciousness), and the appearances of the three times are also manifested by the mind. In reality, there is only the present moment of consciousness. In order for the speaker and listener to understand, time is divided into short or long periods according to the limitations of their respective consciousnesses, and finally summarized as 'kala'. This is like what is seen in a dream, although it feels like many lifetimes have been experienced, after awakening it is found that everything is just the function of the mind, without any real realm. The third question is: If the thought of the speaker and listener arises and immediately ceases, how can information be gathered in consciousness and understanding arise? The answer is: Although there is only one thought, the previous hearing will be imprinted in consciousness as *bija* (seeds, potentials). When a new consciousness arises, it will quickly bring these seeds and generate understanding. Therefore, words and meanings can gather and manifest. For example, when saying 'Do no evil', when saying the word 'do', the previous four words will gather in consciousness at the same time. Even a verse, a chapter, a section, are connected in this way. Therefore, although there is no past and future, accepting meaning and becoming cause and effect is established. This should clarify the meaning of the five *citta* (five mental activities), as described in other chapters. The fourth question is: Why not talk about concepts of time such as the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter) or the eight times (dividing day and night into four periods each)? The answer is: The sun and moon shine on the *Jambudvipa* (four continents), but the length, noise, cold, distance, day and night, etc. are not fixed in each place. But the four continents work at the same time. Moreover, the realms below the desire realm, as well as the heavens of the form realm and formless realm, do not have the concept of four seasons or eight times. This sutra is prepared for the upper realms (referring to practitioners of higher levels) and circulation in all directions. If we talk about the four seasons, it cannot be universally applied, so it is not fixed. Regarding the number of years and seasons after the Buddha's enlightenment, because the views of ordinary people and saints of the Three Vehicles (*Śrāvakayāna*, *Pratyekabuddhayāna*, *Bodhisattvayāna*) are different, the length of the *nirmāṇakāya* (transformation body), *saṃbhogakāya* (enjoyment body), and *dharmakāya* (dharma body) of the Buddha, and the distance since enlightenment are also different. This sutra is prepared for the common hearing of ordinary people and saints of the Three Vehicles, so it does not fixedly say the number of years after enlightenment. Although in individual paragraphs of other sutras, there are mentions of four seasons, twelve times, etc., such as this sutra mentions the time of eating, the time of wearing clothes, and even the time of laying out the seat and sitting, or saying the time of enlightenment is near or far, etc., these are temporarily said by those who compiled the sutras based on the hearing and seeing of beings in one direction. But this is not the case for the entire sutra. Initially, time is generally explained, so only 'one' is said. The fifth question is: There is a difference between ordinary people and saints in time, and now only 'one' is generally said, so how to determine the difference between purity and impurity in the place? The answer is: Only purity and impurity can mark the place in the place, and it can be known with certainty. There is no criterion for the difference between all things in time, only that the roots of each thought, the superiority and inferiority of ordinary people and saints, the sharpness and dullness, the length and shortness have many differences, and no criterion can be determined. So the place -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 可定说而时但总言。