金剛般若經疏論纂要 1.8

1.8

Third, distinguishing the locations and assemblies, which has two parts. First, generally clarifying the locations and assemblies where the Buddha expounded the large collection. Its six hundred fascicles were spoken in four locations across sixteen assemblies: 1. Seven assemblies on Gṛdhrakūṭa in Rājagṛha: four assemblies on the mountain, and three assemblies at the summit; 2. Seven assemblies in Anāthapiṇḍada's Park; 3. One assembly in the Maṇi Gem Treasury Hall of the Paranirmitavaśavartin palace; 4. One assembly beside the White Heron Pond in the Veṇuvana of Rājagṛha. This sūtra belongs to the ninth assembly at the second location, in the 577th fascicle. Second, specifically clarifying transmission and translation. This fascicle had six translations at different times under different rulers: 1. Kumārajīva under the Later Qin; 2. Bodhiruci under the Later Wei; 3. Paramārtha under the Chen dynasty; 4. Dharmagupta under the Sui dynasty; 5. Xuanzang in the early Tang; 6. Yijing under the Great Zhou. The above six masters were all Tripiṭaka masters; the one transmitted here is that translated by Kumārajīva in the fourth year of the Hongshi era at Caotang Monastery in Chang'an. In India, there was the Bodhisattva Asaṅga, who entered the Sunlight Samādhi, ascended to Tuṣita, personally went to Maitreya, and received eighty lines of verses; he then transmitted these verses to Vasubandhu, who composed a prose commentary forming a three-fascicle treatise, interpreting it in terms of severing doubts and attachments. Asaṅga also composed a two-fascicle treatise, interpreting it in terms of revealing the stages of practice. Now, this analytical outline of the sūtra primarily relies on Vasubandhu's commentary, which incorporates Asaṅga, and also consults other treatises and collects various commentaries; that it is titled 'Compilation of Essentials' lies right here.