分別功德論 1.22

1.22

阿難即時昇于座。座者，師子座也。經所以喻師子座者，師子獸中之王，常居高地不處卑下，故喻高座也。又取其無畏，阿難無量博聞，於聲聞中獨步無畏，故曰無畏座也（阿難昇高座如此也）。彌勒稱善快哉說。（彌勒所以下者，懼阿難合菩薩法在三藏，大小不別也）鍮金同貫。是以慇懃，勸請分部。昔大天聖王具四梵堂，展轉相紹，乃至八萬四千王皆有梵堂。唯大天一人是大士，其餘皆是小節。以是言之，大乘難辯多趣聲聞。彌勒亦知阿難部分三藏，然猶懼後學專習空法斷結取證，是以顯揚大乘，分為別藏。故說六度諸行，大士目要也。

Ānanda immediately ascended the seat. The seat was a lion seat. The reason the sūtra uses the metaphor of a lion seat is that the lion is the king among beasts, always residing on high ground and never dwelling in low places; hence it is compared to a high seat. Furthermore, it is taken from its fearlessness: Ānanda had immeasurable vast learning, walking alone without fear among the śrāvakas; hence it is called the seat of fearlessness. (Ānanda's ascending the high seat was like this.) Maitreya praised it as excellent, a delightful exposition! (The reason Maitreya came down was that he feared Ānanda would merge the bodhisattva teachings into the three baskets, so that the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna would not be distinguished), like brass and gold strung on the same cord. For this reason he earnestly exhorted and requested him to divide them into sections. In the past, the great heavenly cakravartin possessed the four brahma-vihāras, transmitting them successively down to eighty-four thousand kings who all possessed brahma-vihāras. Only the great heavenly king alone was a Great Being; all the rest had small aspirations. Stated in this way, the Great Vehicle is difficult to explain, and many tend toward the śrāvaka path. Maitreya also knew that Ānanda would divide the three baskets, yet still feared that later students would exclusively practice the teachings of emptiness, severing fetters and attaining realization; therefore he proclaimed the Great Vehicle and divided it into a separate pitaka. Hence he spoke of the various practices of the six perfections, the essential principles for a Great Being.