金剛般若疏 2.2

2.2

「與大比丘眾」者，此是第六、明同聞眾。問：何因緣故，要須六事？答：具足六事，義乃圓足。所以者何？「如是」即所聞之法，「我聞」是能聞之人，「一時」是說經之時，「佛」是演教之主，「祇洹」為說教之處，今是同聞之眾，亦是教所為人，竝此亦得是證經人，亦得是聽經人。若取釋迦同行宿世善友多是證經之人，證如來所說可信、證阿難所聞無僻，若是聽經之人多是實行也。問：《大智論》云：菩薩經初有聲聞眾、有菩薩眾，聲聞經初但有聲聞、無菩薩眾。若爾，今是大乘經，何故有聲聞眾、無菩薩眾？答曰：具撿大乘經，有四句不同：一者、大乘經初但有菩薩眾，無聲聞眾，即如《華嚴》七處八會；二者、大乘經初但有聲聞眾，無菩薩眾，即是此經；三者、大乘經初具有大小兩眾，即如《涅槃》、《大品》；四者、大乘經初俱無兩眾，則如《金光明》及《勝鬘》等經也。問：何因緣故，此大乘經但有聲聞眾？答曰：今此經中實具兩眾。何以知之？下流通文廣列眾故。今但列聲聞眾者，示以此般若要略門故。又應具四眾，今但列比丘者，一者、釋迦出世，比丘最在前入道故；二者、心形兩勝故，形則勝於在俗，心則勝比丘尼，是故偏列。又此諸比丘是如來內眷屬，與佛共住、常在佛邊，餘三眾不爾。又比丘眾能受正法，能說正法助佛揚化，是故偏列。所以不列菩薩者，菩薩是客來故，所以不列；聲聞舊眾故，所以偏列之。又顯示教中聲聞威儀勝於菩薩，菩薩形無定方，反常而化。又今正欲破聲聞人邪曲之見，令信受般若，是故偏列；菩薩不爾，所以不列。言「大比丘僧」者，外國應云摩訶比丘僧。摩訶者，或大、或勝、或多。言大者，具大戒故、具大德故、大名聞故。言多者，數至千二百五十人故。言勝者，諸眾中最勝故、論議能勝九十六種外道故。比丘名乞士，從俗人乞食以資身，從諸佛乞法以練神也。言僧者，《福田經》說：諸有五淨德，名曰福田：一者、發心離俗，懷珮道故；二、毀於形好，應法服故；三者、永割親愛，無的漠故；四者、委棄軀命，集善法故；五者、志求大乘，欲度人故。千二百五十人者，佛初成道，前度五人；次度優樓頻螺迦葉、摩訶迦葉得五百人；次度那提迦葉、伽耶迦葉兄弟二人，各有二百五十弟子，合成千人。次度舍利弗、目連，復得二百五十人，合有一千二百五十五人。今但舉其大數、取有名聞者，正云千二百五十也。

"Together with a great assembly of bhikṣus": this is the sixth [item], clarifying the assembly who heard [the teaching] together. Question: For what reason are six items necessarily required? Answer: When the six items are complete, the meaning is fully satisfied. Why is this? "Thus" is the Dharma heard; "I have heard" is the person able to hear; "at one time" is the time the sūtra was spoken; "the Buddha" is the lord who proclaimed the teaching; "the Jetavana" is the place where the teaching was spoken; and now [these] are the assembly who heard [it] together, and also the persons for whom the teaching was intended. Furthermore, these can also be those who attest to the sūtra, and can also be those who listen to the sūtra. If we consider them as Śākyamuni's fellow practitioners and good friends from past lives, they are mostly those who attest to the sūtra—attesting that what the Tathāgata spoke is trustworthy, and attesting that what Ānanda heard contains no deviation; while if they are those who listen to the sūtra, they are mostly [practitioners of] actual practice. Question: The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says that at the beginning of bodhisattva sūtras there are śrāvaka assemblies and bodhisattva assemblies, while at the beginning of śrāvaka sūtras there are only śrāvakas and no bodhisattva assemblies. If so, now this is a Mahāyāna sūtra; why does it have a śrāvaka assembly and no bodhisattva assembly? Answer: Fully examining the Mahāyāna sūtras, there are four different categories: First, at the beginning of a Mahāyāna sūtra there is only a bodhisattva assembly and no śrāvaka assembly, as in the seven locations and eight assemblies of the Avataṃsaka. Second, at the beginning of a Mahāyāna sūtra there is only a śrāvaka assembly and no bodhisattva assembly, which is this very sūtra. Third, at the beginning of a Mahāyāna sūtra both the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna assemblies are present, as in the Nirvāṇa and the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra. Fourth, at the beginning of a Mahāyāna sūtra neither assembly is present, as in such sūtras as the Suvarṇaprabhāsa and the Śrīmālādevī. Question: For what reason does this Mahāyāna sūtra have only a śrāvaka assembly? Answer: In truth, both assemblies are present in this sūtra. How is this known? Because the propagation section below extensively lists the assembly. The reason only the śrāvaka assembly is listed here is to show that this prajñā is an essential and concise gate. Furthermore, the fourfold assembly ought to be present, but here only the bhikṣus are listed: first, because when Śākyamuni appeared in the world, bhikṣus were the very first to enter the path; second, because both their mind and form are superior—their form is superior to those in secular life, and their mind is superior to bhikṣuṇīs; therefore, they are listed exclusively. Furthermore, these bhikṣus are the Tathāgata's inner retinue; they dwell together with the Buddha and are constantly at the Buddha's side, whereas the other three assemblies are not so. In addition, the assembly of bhikṣus can receive the correct Dharma and preach the correct Dharma to assist the Buddha in spreading transformation; therefore, they are listed exclusively. As for why bodhisattvas are not listed: because bodhisattvas are guest-arrivals, they are not listed; because śrāvakas are the old assembly, they are listed exclusively. Furthermore, it reveals that in the teaching, the deportment of the śrāvakas surpasses that of the bodhisattvas; bodhisattvas have no fixed form, transforming [beings] by going contrary to the conventional. Moreover, now the direct intent is to break the crooked and erroneous views of śrāvakas and lead them to faithfully accept prajñā; therefore, they are listed exclusively. Bodhisattvas are not like this, which is why they are not listed. As for "a great assembly of bhikṣus," in foreign languages it would be called mahā-bhikṣu-saṃgha. Mahā means "great," "superior," or "numerous." "Great" means possessing great precepts, great virtue, and great renown. "Numerous" means the number reaching 1,250 persons. "Superior" means being the most superior among all assemblies, and being able to surpass the ninety-six kinds of non-Buddhists in debate. Bhikṣu is called "mendicant" (beggar-scholar): begging food from laypersons to support the body, and begging the Dharma from the Buddhas to train the spirit. As for "saṃgha," the Futian jing (Field of Merit Sūtra) says: All who possess five pure virtues are called fields of merit: first, resolving to leave secular life and embracing the path; second, disfiguring their handsome appearance to accord with Dharma robes; third, severing dear relations forever with no partiality; fourth, casting aside body and life to amass wholesome dharmas; fifth, aspiring to seek the Mahāyāna to liberate others. As for the 1,250 persons: when the Buddha first attained the path, he first liberated the five persons; next, he liberated Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa and [then along with] Mahākāśyapa obtained five hundred persons; next, he liberated the two brothers Nadī-Kāśyapa and Gayā-Kāśyapa, who each had 250 disciples, together making one thousand persons. Next, he liberated Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana, further obtaining 250 persons, making a total of 1,255 persons. Here, merely stating the round number and taking those of renown, it speaks precisely of 1,250.