金剛經纂要刊定記 3.177

3.177

希有下。疏且總明具有四種：一、時希有。曠劫難逢，然今賢劫之中，正當住劫。就住劫中有二十增減，今即第九減劫中。人壽二萬歲時，迦葉如來出世，百年減一年，至人壽百歲時，釋迦如來出世，減後此劫已盡，至第十劫展轉却增，至八萬四千歲，又百年減一年，至人壽八萬歲時，彌勒佛出世。望過去未來，二佛相去一千一百萬餘年，中間更無，故云希有也。故《法華》云：「諸佛興出世，懸遠值遇難。」二、處希有。三千界中唯有一佛，百億四天下、百億須彌山、百億日月、百億六欲、百億梵世，其中唯有一佛，此方而現也。三、德希有。福慧超絕勝無上故。故《法華》云：「我所得智慧，微妙最第一。」又云：「如其所得法，定慧力莊嚴。以此度眾生，自證無上道。」然佛功德不可稱說盡其邊際，故《華嚴》云：「剎塵心念可數知，大海中水可飲盡，虛空可量風可繫，無能說盡佛功德。」四、事希有。用大慈悲極巧方便，現多種身相，演無量法門，隨眾生根皆利益故。今所歎者，意則雖通，義當歎事。

On "rare" and so forth: the commentary first generally clarifies that it possesses four aspects: First is rarity of time. Boundless kalpas are difficult to encounter [a Buddha in]. Now, within the present Auspicious Kalpa (Bhadrakalpa), we are precisely in the kalpa of abiding. Within the kalpa of abiding there are twenty [cycles of] increase and decrease, and presently it is within the ninth decreasing kalpa. When human lifespan was twenty thousand years, Kāśyapa Tathāgata appeared in the world. As lifespan decreased by one year every hundred years until human lifespan reached one hundred years, Śākyamuni Tathāgata appeared in the world. After this decrease, this kalpa will be exhausted, and by the tenth kalpa it will gradually increase again to eighty-four thousand years; then, decreasing by one year every hundred years until human lifespan reaches eighty thousand years, Maitreya Buddha will appear in the world. Looking back to the past and forward to the future, the two Buddhas are separated by over eleven million years, with none in between; hence it is called "rare." Therefore the Lotus Sūtra says: "The arising and appearance of Buddhas in the world / Is remote and difficult to meet." Second is rarity of place. Within the trichiliocosm there is only a single Buddha: among the ten billion four continents, ten billion Mount Sumerus, ten billion suns and moons, ten billion six desire [heavens], and ten billion Brahmā worlds, there is only a single Buddha therein, appearing in this realm. Third is rarity of virtue. Because their merit and wisdom transcend and surpass all, being supreme. Therefore the Lotus Sūtra says: "The wisdom I have attained / Is subtle and foremost." It also says: "Such is the Dharma they have attained, / Adorned with the power of samādhi and wisdom; / Crossing over sentient beings with this, / They themselves realize the unsurpassed Way." Furthermore, the Buddha's merits cannot be praised and spoken of to their utmost limit; therefore the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: "Though one could count and know the thoughts in the minds of the dust-motes of the realms, / Though one could drink up the water in the great ocean, / Though one could measure empty space and bind the wind, / None can fully state the Buddha's merits." Fourth is rarity of deeds. Using great compassion and extremely skillful means, displaying manifold bodily forms, expounding immeasurable Dharma-gates, and benefiting them all in accord with sentient beings' capacities. What is praised here, though the intention extends generally, in meaning specifically praises the deeds.