仁王經疏 1.33

1.33

釋曰：第二教起時分。西方諸師略有三釋。一菩提留支云：時有多種，謂念日夜，壽等百歲，及一切時。今一時者，正是如來說此經時。二長耳云：時有三種。一迦羅時，此云別相時，如來戒律大戒時、出家時，國王得聞，餘不合聞。二三摩耶時，此云破邪見時，謂五部《阿含》、九分達摩，不簡黑白，一切得聞（五部阿含，是《長》、《增一》、《中》、《雜》。有部言九分者，一分別說戒、二世間、三因緣、四界、五同隨得、六名句文、七集定、八集業、九諸蘊。一分有六千偈，六九五十四，合五萬四千偈。如真論部集記第一說）。三世流布者，如說一時佛在恒河岸、一時在申恕林。今言一時，但依後二，或唯第三。真諦三藏說有十時，恐繁不述。今依諸論亦有三說：一功德施。《般若論》云「言一時者，說此經時，餘時復說無量經故。」二依龍猛《智度論》云「時有二種：一迦羅時，通假及實，內外通用。二三摩耶時，唯假非實。經云一時，依三摩耶說，以破實時，說假時故。」具說如彼。三依親光《佛地論》中時有三種：一者說聽究竟，總名一時。故彼論云「言一時者，謂說聽時。此就剎那相續無斷，說聽究竟總名一時（此即總說一會說法，說聽究竟總名一時）。若不爾者，字名句等說聽時異，云何言一（此即反解。若不就其說聽究竟名一時者，如初說字、次名、後句，乃至頌品部等，說聽時異，云何言一）？」二者一剎那頃能持、能說、能領、能受，故名一時。故彼論云「或能說者得陀羅尼，於一字中一剎那頃能持能說一切法門。或能聽者得淨耳根，一剎那頃聞一字時，於餘一切法皆無障礙悉能領受故名一時（初也。已上得陀羅尼耳根功德，一剎那頃能持能說能領能受故名一時也）。」三者共相會遇，名為一時。故彼論云「或相會遇，時分無別，故名一時。即是說聽共相會遇，同一時義（感聖赴機，更相會遇，名一時也。或可為四：開說聽異為二時故）。」

Commentary: Second is the time when the teaching arose. The Western masters have roughly three explanations. First, Bodhiruci says: There are many kinds of time, namely thoughts, days, nights, a lifespan of a hundred years, and all times. Now, “at one time” is precisely the time when the Tathāgata preached this sūtra. Second, Chang’er says: There are three kinds of time. First is kāla time, translated here as the time of distinctive characteristics: such as the time of the Tathāgata’s Vinaya and major precepts, or the time of renunciation, which kings were permitted to hear, while others were not fit to hear. Second is samaya time, translated here as the time of destroying wrong views: referring to the five divisions of the *Āgama*s and the ninefold Dharma, which all were permitted to hear without distinguishing black from white (the five divisions of the Āgamas are the *Dīrgha*, *Ekottarika*, *Madhyama*, and *Saṃyukta*. Those the Sarvāstivāda school calls the nine divisions are: 1. differentiation of the precepts; 2. the world; 3. causes and conditions; 4. realms; 5. simultaneous acquisition; 6. words, phrases, and syllables; 7. collection of concentrations; 8. collection of karma; 9. the aggregates. One division has six thousand verses; six times nine is fifty-four, totalling fifty-four thousand verses, as stated in the first fascicle of the *Treatise on the Compilations of the Schools* by Paramārtha). Third is the time of circulation in the world: as when it is said, “At one time the Buddha was on the banks of the Ganges,” or “At one time he was in the Śiṃśapā Grove.” Now, the phrase “at one time” relies only on the latter two, or solely on the third. Tripiṭaka Master Paramārtha said there are ten times, but fearing prolixity, I will not describe them. Now, relying on the various treatises, there are also three explanations: First, Guṇaprabha. The *Prajñāpāramitopadeśa* says: “The statement ‘at one time’ means that while this sūtra was being preached, at other times immeasurable sūtras were further preached.” Second, relying on Nāgārjuna, the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* says: “There are two kinds of time: First is kāla time, which applies to both the conventional and the real, and is commonly used by both internal and external [teachings]. Second is samaya time, which is only conventional and not real. The sūtra says ‘at one time’ based on samaya, because to refute real time, it speaks of conventional time.” It is fully explained as in that text. Third, according to Bandhuprabha’s *Buddhabhūmyupadeśa*, there are three kinds of time: First, the culmination of preaching and listening is collectively named “one time.” Therefore, that treatise says: “The statement ‘at one time’ refers to the time of preaching and listening. Taking this with respect to uninterrupted continuity from moment to moment, the culmination of preaching and listening is collectively named ‘at one time’ (this collectively describes the preaching of Dharma in one assembly, where the culmination of preaching and listening is collectively named ‘at one time’). If it were not so, the times of preaching and listening to syllables, words, phrases, and so forth would be different; how could one speak of ‘one’ (this is a reductio ad absurdum: if one does not take the culmination of preaching and listening as ‘one time,’ then just as first a syllable is spoken, next a word, later a phrase, up to verses, chapters, and sections, the times of preaching and listening are different; how could one speak of ‘one’)?” Second, being able to retain, preach, comprehend, and receive in a single instant, it is therefore called “at one time.” Therefore, that treatise says: “Or the speaker obtains dhāraṇī, and within a single syllable in a single instant can retain and preach all Dharma gates; or the listener attains the pure ear faculty, and when hearing a single syllable in a single instant, has no obstruction regarding all other dharmas and is fully able to receive them; therefore it is called ‘at one time’ (this is the first. The above virtue of obtaining dhāraṇī and the ear faculty, being able in a single instant to retain, preach, comprehend, and receive, is therefore called ‘at one time’).” Third, meeting together with one another is called “at one time.” Therefore, that treatise says: “Or meeting together without distinction in time is therefore called ‘at one time’; that is, the meeting together of preaching and listening has the meaning of being at the same time (the responsiveness of the holy responding to capacities, meeting one another, is called ‘at one time.’ Or it can be divided into four, by distinguishing preaching and listening into two times).”