The Long Āgama Sūtra 10.28

10.28

「云何八難解法？謂八不閑妨修梵行。云何八？如來、至真出現於世，說微妙法，寂滅無為，向菩提道，有人生地獄中，是為不閑處，不得修梵行。如來、至真出現於世，說微妙法，寂滅無為，向菩提道，而有眾生在畜生中、餓鬼中、長壽天中、邊地無識、無佛法處，是為不閑處，不得修梵行。如來、至真、等正覺出現於世，說微妙法，寂滅無為，向菩提道，或有眾生生於中國，而有邪見，懷顛倒心，惡行成就，必入地獄，是為不閑處，不得修梵行。如來、至真、等正覺出現於世，說微妙法，寂滅無為，向菩提道，或有眾生生於中國，聾、盲、瘖瘂，不得聞法、修行梵行，是為不閑。如來、至真、等正覺不出世間，無有能說微妙法，寂滅無為，向菩提道，而有眾生生於中國，彼諸根具足，堪受聖教，而不值佛，不得修行梵行，是為八不閑。

“What are eight things that are difficult to understand? The eight cases of having no opportunity to cultivate the religious practice. What are the eight? [1] The Tathāgata, the Arhat, arises in the world and teaches the sublime teaching that’s quiescent, unconditioned, and leads to the path of awakening. A person who’s born in Hell has no opportunity there to cultivate the religious practice.

“[2] The Tathāgata, the Arhat, arises in the world and teaches the sublime teaching that’s quiescent, unconditioned, and leads to the path of awakening. There are sentient beings born among animals … [3] among hungry ghosts … [4] among long-lived gods … [5] in border lands where they are unaware of it. The Buddha’s teaching doesn’t exist in such places, so there’s no opportunity to cultivate the religious practice.

“[6] The Tathāgata, the Arhat, arises in the world and teaches the sublime teaching that’s quiescent, unconditioned, and leads to the path of awakening. Some sentient beings are born in a central country, but they have wrong views, harbor deluded thoughts, and commit evil deeds. They’ll surely go to Hell where there’s no opportunity to cultivate the religious practice.

“[7] The Tathāgata, the Arhat, arises in the world and teaches the sublime teaching that’s quiescent, unconditioned, and leads to the path of awakening. Some sentient beings are born in a central country, but they’re deaf, blind, or mute and can’t learn the teaching. They have no opportunity to cultivate the religious practice.

“[8] The Tathāgata, the Arhat, doesn’t arise in the world, and no one teaches the sublime teaching that’s quiescent, unconditioned, and leads to the path of awakening. Some sentient beings are born in a central country, and their faculties are complete. They are worthy of the noble teaching, but they don’t meet a buddha, so they can’t cultivate the religious practice. This is the eighth case of having no opportunity.