仁王經疏 1.21

1.21

事多少者，自有三說。一者真諦《七事記》中開為七事：一如是者，標所聞法。一部文理，決定可信。二言我者，出能聞人，即是阿難。三言聞者，親奉音旨。四一時者，顯所聞法，善會時機。五佛世尊，出能說師。六住處者，顯說有處。七大比丘，顯非獨聞。然此七事總唯四意：初如是者，明所聞法。次我聞者，辨能聞人，次二證所聞法，後二證能聞人，廣說如彼。二依龍猛《大智度論》開為六事：一信、二聞、三時、四主、五處、六眾。世親《燈論》然說六事，故彼頌言「前三明弟子，後三證師說，一切修多羅，法門皆如是。」三依親光《佛地論》中攝為五事：一總顯已聞、二教起時分、三別顯教主、四顯教起處、五教所被機。

Regarding the number of matters, there are three explanations. First, in Paramārtha's *Record of the Seven Matters*, they are divided into seven matters: 1. 'Thus' indicates the Dharma heard: the text and principle of the entire work are definitely worthy of trust; 2. 'I' indicates the person capable of hearing, namely Ānanda; 3. 'heard' means personally receiving the spoken intent; 4. 'at one time' shows that the Dharma heard suitably coincided with the capacity of the time; 5. 'Buddha, World-Honoured One' indicates the master capable of preaching; 6. the dwelling place shows that the preaching had a location; 7. 'great bhikṣus' shows that it was not heard alone. Yet these seven matters collectively have only four purposes: the first, 'thus', clarifies the Dharma heard; next, 'I heard', distinguishes the person capable of hearing; the next two verify the Dharma heard; and the last two verify the person capable of hearing, as explained in detail there. Second, according to Nāgārjuna's *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa*, they are divided into six matters: 1. faith, 2. hearing, 3. time, 4. host, 5. place, and 6. assembly. Vasubandhu's *Pradīpa-śāstra* likewise speaks of six matters, as its verse says: 'The first three clarify the disciple, / The latter three verify the master's preaching; / For all sūtras, / The Dharma gate is like this.' Third, according to Bandhuprabha's *Buddhabhūmi-vyākhyāna*, they are subsumed under five matters: 1. comprehensively indicating what was already heard, 2. the time when the teaching arose, 3. specifically indicating the lord of the teaching, 4. indicating the place where the teaching arose, and 5. the recipients addressed by the teaching.