Chinese
非虚三重。初一偈劝信非虚。次一偈譬说非虚。后四偈合说非虚。合说四意。初一偈合前唱限次一偈合前指病。次一偈合前说难。后一偈合前宗益。合说难云行道不行道者。即有功德人无功德人。随应所可度为说种种法者。为有功德人说佛不灭。为无功德人说佛灭度。难可值遇。宗益偈云。以何令众生速成就佛法者。即以不灭唱灭法令不行者得行。 分别功德品第十七 前来十四品广显经宗。自下四品广明经用。故论曰胜妙力无上余残修多罗示现。案余残二义。一上残如前解。二下残即自下四品。初三品明生福胜妙力。常不轻品明进道胜妙力。生福即约多以显力。进道即约速以显力。生福有五门示现故。论曰法力有五门。一者证二者信三者供养四者闻五者读诵持说。四种门弥勒品示现。一法门常精进品示现。案言弥勒品。即摄分别功德品及随喜品。言常精进品。即法师功德品也。初三门分别功德品示现。第四门随喜功德品示现。第五门法师功德品示现。分别功德品明闻经得多福。随喜功德品明随喜得多福。法师功德品明修行得多福。闻经得多福是生解益。随喜得多福是方便益。修行得多福是起行益。今随品别即以为三。初言分别功德者。分别闻经得功德故以为名。品内三序三颂即为三节。第一节明亲闻功 现代汉语译本：非虚三重：首先一偈劝人相信非虚之理，其次一偈用譬喻说明非虚之理，最后四偈综合阐述非虚之理。综合阐述包含四层含义：第一偈综合前文，唱言期限；第二偈综合前文，指出病症；第三偈综合前文，说明困难；第四偈综合前文，归结利益。综合说明困难在于，对于修行和不修行的人，也就是有功德和没有功德的人，应根据他们各自的情况，为他们宣说不同的佛法。为有功德的人说佛陀不会涅槃，为没有功德的人说佛陀已经涅槃，难以值遇。归结利益的偈子说：‘用什么方法能使众生迅速成就佛法？’就是用佛陀不灭却唱言灭度的方法，使不修行的人开始修行。 《分别功德品》第十七 前面的十四品广泛地阐明了经的宗旨，从这以下的四品广泛地阐明了经的功用。所以论中说：‘殊胜微妙的力量是无上的，其余的修多罗只是示现。’根据‘其余’和‘残余’这两种含义，一是‘上余’，如前文所解释的；二是‘下残’，就是指从这以下的四品。最初的三品阐明产生福报的殊胜微妙力量，《常不轻品》阐明精进修道的殊胜微妙力量。产生福报是通过数量多来显示力量，精进修道是通过速度快来显示力量。产生福报有五种途径来示现，所以论中说：‘佛法的力量有五种途径：一是证悟，二是信仰，三是供养，四是听闻，五是读诵、受持、解说。’四种途径在《弥勒品》（Maitreya，未来佛）中示现，一种途径在《常精进品》（Sadāparibhūta，常不轻菩萨）中示现。这里说的《弥勒品》，包括《分别功德品》（Puṇyābhisandāna，分别功德）和《随喜品》（Anumodanā，随喜功德）；说的《常精进品》，就是《法师功德品》（Dharmabhāṇaka-guṇa，法师功德）。最初的三种途径在《分别功德品》中示现，第四种途径在《随喜功德品》中示现，第五种途径在《法师功德品》中示现。《分别功德品》阐明听闻佛经能获得很多福报，《随喜功德品》阐明随喜能获得很多福报，《法师功德品》阐明修行能获得很多福报。听闻佛经能获得很多福报是产生理解的利益，随喜能获得很多福报是方便的利益，修行能获得很多福报是开始行动的利益。现在按照品来分别，就认为是这三种。《分别功德》的意思是，分别听闻佛经所获得的功德，因此以此为名。品内有三序三颂，分为三节。第一节阐明亲自听闻的功德。
English
English version: The threefold 'non-emptiness': The first verse encourages belief in 'non-emptiness'; the second verse uses a metaphor to explain 'non-emptiness'; and the last four verses collectively expound on 'non-emptiness'. This collective exposition has four meanings: the first verse combines the previous verses to proclaim a time limit; the second verse combines the previous verses to point out the illness; the third verse combines the previous verses to explain the difficulty; and the fourth verse combines the previous verses to conclude with the benefit. The difficulty is collectively explained as follows: For those who practice and those who do not practice, that is, those with merit and those without merit, various teachings are spoken according to their respective capacities. For those with merit, it is said that the Buddha does not pass into Nirvana; for those without merit, it is said that the Buddha has passed into Nirvana and is difficult to encounter. The verse concluding with the benefit says: 'By what means can beings quickly achieve the Buddha Dharma?' It is by proclaiming the Dharma of extinction while the Buddha is not extinct, so that those who do not practice will begin to practice. Chapter 17: Distinguishing Merits (Puṇyābhisandāna) The preceding fourteen chapters extensively reveal the doctrine of the Sutra. The following four chapters extensively explain the function of the Sutra. Therefore, the treatise says: 'The supreme and wonderful power is unsurpassed; the remaining Sutras are merely manifestations.' According to the two meanings of 'remaining' and 'residual', the first is 'upper remainder', as explained earlier; the second is 'lower residual', which refers to the following four chapters. The first three chapters explain the supreme and wonderful power of generating blessings; the *Sadāparibhūta* (常不轻) Chapter explains the supreme and wonderful power of advancing on the path. Generating blessings demonstrates power through quantity, while advancing on the path demonstrates power through speed. There are five ways to manifest the generation of blessings, so the treatise says: 'The power of the Dharma has five ways: first, realization; second, faith; third, offering; fourth, hearing; and fifth, reading, reciting, upholding, and explaining.' Four ways are manifested in the *Maitreya* (弥勒，future Buddha) Chapter, and one way is manifested in the *Sadāparibhūta* (常精進，Never Disparaging Bodhisattva) Chapter. The *Maitreya* Chapter includes the *Puṇyābhisandāna* (分别功德，Distinguishing Merits) Chapter and the *Anumodanā* (随喜，Joyful Acceptance) Chapter. The *Sadāparibhūta* Chapter is the *Dharmabhāṇaka-guṇa* (法师功德，Merits of a Dharma Teacher) Chapter. The first three ways are manifested in the *Puṇyābhisandāna* Chapter, the fourth way is manifested in the *Anumodanā* Chapter, and the fifth way is manifested in the *Dharmabhāṇaka-guṇa* Chapter. The *Puṇyābhisandāna* Chapter explains that hearing the Sutra brings much merit, the *Anumodanā* Chapter explains that joyful acceptance brings much merit, and the *Dharmabhāṇaka-guṇa* Chapter explains that practice brings much merit. Hearing the Sutra brings much merit, which is the benefit of generating understanding; joyful acceptance brings much merit, which is the benefit of skillful means; and practice brings much merit, which is the benefit of initiating action. Now, distinguishing according to the chapters, these are considered as three. The meaning of *Puṇyābhisandāna* (分别功德) is to distinguish the merits obtained from hearing the Sutra, hence the name. Within the chapter, there are three prefaces and three verses, divided into three sections. The first section explains the merit of hearing in person. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
德。第二节明传闻功德。第三节明修行功德。初节序说两重。一总述二别述。 经曰。尔时大会至得大饶益者。此总述也。寿命劫数长远者。法身之寿无始无终。即无长无短。报身之寿即有始无终。有长无短。应身之寿则有始有终。有长有短。今明报身之寿。虽复有始而无有终故。曰劫数长远。然当受之寿巧历所不知故言长。已受之寿心计莫测故言远。时会闻此深生信仰故得大饶益。 经曰。于时世尊至得无生法忍者。次别述也。经文有十三章。功德论主总为三门。一证二信三供养。依论即为三别。初十一章明因闻得证。第十二章明因闻生信。第十三章明因闻供养。证是得果。信是发心。供是报德。初章两重。初六章即现闻现证。后五章即现闻当证。现证即深行入法。当证即浅行受道。现证从浅至深。次第六阶。当证从赊至促。次第五阶。合十一章。初六者。一无生二闻持三乐说四捉持五不退六清净。无生入见道。闻乐捉三入修道。不退清净入无功用道。无生忍者。若仁王五忍。地前为伏。初三地为信。四五六为顺。七八九地为无生。第十地为寂灭。信者证信无生。顺者随顺七地无相无生七地功用无相。八地九地无功用无相。此明初地始证法空无生解行终心闻说进入初地无生。闻持者。摄论云。三地菩萨 现代汉语译本：德。第二节阐明传闻的功德。第三节阐明修行的功德。第一节序言分为两部分。一、总述，二、分述。 经文说：‘尔时大会至得大饶益者’，这是总述。‘寿命劫数长远者’，法身的寿命无始无终，即无长无短。报身的寿命即有始无终，有长无短。应身的寿命则有始有终，有长有短。现在阐明报身的寿命，虽然有开始而没有终结，所以说‘劫数长远’。然而，将要承受的寿命，精巧的历法也无法知晓，所以说‘长’。已经承受的寿命，用心计算也无法测度，所以说‘远’。当时法会听闻此法，深深地产生信仰，所以得到巨大的利益。 经文说：‘于时世尊至得无生法忍者’，这是分述。经文有十三章，功德论主总分为三门：一、证，二、信，三、供养。依照论典，即分为三类。前十一章阐明因听闻而得证。第十二章阐明因听闻而生信。第十三章阐明因听闻而供养。‘证’是得到果位，‘信’是发起菩提心，‘供’是报答恩德。第一章分为两部分。前六章是现闻现证，后五章是现闻当证。现证是深入修行进入佛法，当证是浅显修行接受佛道。现证从浅到深，次第有六个阶段。当证从远到近，次第有五个阶段。合起来共十一章。前六者：一、无生，二、闻持，三、乐说，四、捉持，五、不退，六、清净。‘无生’进入见道，‘闻’、‘乐’、‘捉’三者进入修道，‘不退’、‘清净’进入无功用道。‘无生忍者’，如果按照《仁王经》的五忍，地前是伏忍，初三地是信忍，四五六地是顺忍，七八九地是无生忍，第十地是寂灭忍。‘信’是证信无生，‘顺’是随顺七地无相无生，七地功用无相，八地九地无功用无相。这里阐明初地开始证得法空无生，解行终心听闻说法进入初地无生。‘闻持者’，《摄大乘论》说，三地菩萨
English
English version: Virtue. The second section clarifies the merits of hearing and transmission. The third section clarifies the merits of practice. The introductory section is divided into two parts: 1. General description, 2. Specific description. The sutra says: 'At that time, the great assembly attained great benefit.' This is a general description. 'Those whose lifespans are long kalpas,' the lifespan of the Dharmakaya (Dharmakaya: the body of reality) has no beginning and no end, thus it is neither long nor short. The lifespan of the Sambhogakaya (Sambhogakaya: the body of enjoyment) has a beginning but no end, it is long but not short. The lifespan of the Nirmanakaya (Nirmanakaya: the body of transformation) has a beginning and an end, it is both long and short. Now, we are clarifying the lifespan of the Sambhogakaya, although it has a beginning but no end, therefore it is said 'long kalpas.' However, the lifespan that is to be received cannot be known by even the most skillful calendar, therefore it is said 'long.' The lifespan that has already been received cannot be measured by mental calculation, therefore it is said 'distant.' At that time, the assembly heard this Dharma and deeply generated faith, therefore they attained great benefit. The sutra says: 'At that time, the World Honored One attained the forbearance of non-origination.' This is a specific description. The sutra has thirteen chapters, and the master of the merit treatise divides them into three categories: 1. Proof, 2. Faith, 3. Offering. According to the treatise, they are divided into three separate categories. The first eleven chapters clarify the attainment of proof through hearing. The twelfth chapter clarifies the generation of faith through hearing. The thirteenth chapter clarifies the offering through hearing. 'Proof' is the attainment of fruition, 'faith' is the generation of Bodhicitta (Bodhicitta: the mind of enlightenment), and 'offering' is repaying kindness. The first chapter is divided into two parts. The first six chapters are immediate hearing and immediate proof, and the last five chapters are immediate hearing and future proof. Immediate proof is entering the Dharma through deep practice, and future proof is receiving the path through shallow practice. Immediate proof progresses from shallow to deep, with six stages in order. Future proof progresses from far to near, with five stages in order. Together, there are eleven chapters. The first six are: 1. Non-origination (Anutpāda), 2. Retention of hearing (Dhāraṇī), 3. Joyful speaking (Pratibhāna), 4. Grasping and holding (Adhiṣṭhāna), 5. Non-retrogression (Avaivartika), 6. Purity (Śuddhi). 'Non-origination' enters the path of seeing, 'retention of hearing,' 'joyful speaking,' and 'grasping and holding' enter the path of cultivation, 'non-retrogression' and 'purity' enter the path of no-effort. 'The forbearance of non-origination,' according to the five forbearances of the *Renwang Sutra* (Renwang Sutra: the Sutra of Humane Kings), before the ten grounds (Bhumi), it is the forbearance of subjugation; the first three grounds are the forbearance of faith; the fourth, fifth, and sixth grounds are the forbearance of accordance; the seventh, eighth, and ninth grounds are the forbearance of non-origination; and the tenth ground is the forbearance of cessation. 'Faith' is proving faith in non-origination, 'accordance' is according with the non-origination of the seventh ground, the function of the seventh ground is without characteristics, and the eighth and ninth grounds are without function and without characteristics. This clarifies that the first ground begins to prove the emptiness of Dharma and non-origination, and the mind of understanding and practice enters the first ground of non-origination through hearing the Dharma. 'Retention of hearing,' the *Compendium of Mahayana* (Compendium of Mahayana) says that the Bodhisattvas of the third ground --------------------------------------------------------------------------------