仁王護國般若經疏 2.45

2.45

問：諸經列眾或有或無，何耶？答：若說報生三界，由善惡業力。見佛不見佛，由有緣無緣，即有生天受樂至不聞經，乃至地獄燒燃而來聽法。今以《大經》之義試為斷之。《大經》云「於戒緩者不名為緩，於乘緩者乃名為緩。」總相明之，乘即戒也。今約別說，乘戒二殊，即以三歸五戒、十善、八戒、二百五十、五百戒等，名之為戒。念誦修行禪智施進等，名之曰乘。然戒與乘各有三品，乘有小中大，戒有上中下。若乘戒俱急者，又有三品：如持上品戒急生無色界天；下品乘急以無色天身聞佛說聲聞法，中品乘急聞說因緣，上品乘急聞說中道等。若持中品戒急生色界天；下乘急聞說四諦，中乘急聞說因緣，上乘急聞說六度。若持下品戒急生欲界天；下乘急聞小乘，中乘急、上乘急準上說。若戒乘俱緩者，上品戒緩墮地獄，中品緩墮畜生，下品緩墮餓鬼；以乘緩故永不見佛，何況聞法。若戒緩乘急者，得見佛聞法。上品戒緩生地獄中；下乘急以地獄身聞說四諦，中乘急聞因緣，上乘急聞六度云云。若戒急乘緩者，三品戒急得三界身，如乘緩故著人天樂不得見佛，況得聞法。今無色界天眾者，以上品戒急大乘緩故，此經無緣故不來也。餘經有無，例此可解。上來證信序竟云云。

Question: In the various sūtras, assemblies are listed with some present and some absent; why is that? Answer: If one speaks of retribution births in the three realms, they are due to the power of good and evil karma. Seeing the Buddha or not seeing the Buddha is due to having conditions or lacking conditions; thus there are those born in heaven experiencing pleasure up to not hearing the sūtras, down to those in burning hells coming to listen to the Dharma. Now, using the meaning of the Great Sūtra, I attempt to decide it. The Great Sūtra says: “One who is lax regarding precepts is not called lax; one who is lax regarding the vehicle is indeed called lax.” Clarified in general terms, the vehicle is just precepts. Now, speaking in terms of distinction, the vehicle and precepts are twofold and different: that is, taking the three refuges, five precepts, ten virtues, eight precepts, two hundred and fifty [precepts], five hundred precepts, and so forth is named “precepts.” Mindfully reciting, cultivating practice, dhyāna, wisdom, giving, vigor, and so forth are named “the vehicle.” However, precepts and the vehicle each have three grades: the vehicle has lesser, medium, and greater; precepts have superior, middling, and inferior. If both the vehicle and precepts are urgent, there are again three grades: such as upholding superior precepts urgently leads to birth in the formless realm heaven; with an inferior-grade vehicle being urgent, in the body of a formless heaven one hears the Buddha expound the śrāvaka Dharma; with a medium-grade vehicle being urgent, one hears the expounding of causes and conditions; with a superior-grade vehicle being urgent, one hears the expounding of the Middle Way, and so forth. If one holds middling-grade precepts urgently, one is born in the form realm heaven; with the lesser vehicle urgent, one hears the expounding of the four truths; with the medium vehicle urgent, one hears the expounding of causes and conditions; with the superior vehicle urgent, one hears the expounding of the six perfections. If one holds inferior-grade precepts urgently, one is born in the desire realm heaven; with the lesser vehicle urgent, one hears the lesser vehicle; medium vehicle urgent and superior vehicle urgent are understood according to the above. If both precepts and the vehicle are lax: with superior-grade precepts lax, one falls into hell; with middling-grade lax, one falls among beasts; with inferior-grade lax, one falls among hungry ghosts; because the vehicle is lax, one never sees the Buddha, much less hears the Dharma. If precepts are lax and the vehicle is urgent, one attains seeing the Buddha and hearing the Dharma. With superior-grade precepts lax, one is born into hell; with the lesser vehicle urgent, in the body of a hell [being] one hears the expounding of the four truths; with the medium vehicle urgent, one hears causes and conditions; with the superior vehicle urgent, one hears the six perfections, and so forth. If precepts are urgent and the vehicle is lax: with three grades of precepts urgent, one attains bodies in the three realms; as the vehicle is lax, one is attached to the pleasures of humans and gods and cannot see the Buddha, much less attain hearing the Dharma. As for the assembly of formless realm gods now, because their superior-grade precepts were urgent while the Great Vehicle was lax, in this sūtra they lack conditions and therefore do not come. The presence and absence in other sūtras can be understood by analogy to this. Thus far, the preface of authenticating faith is concluded, and so forth.