仁王經疏 1.65

1.65

問：佛眾會中，有緣覺不？若言有者，《大嚴經》說如何會釋？彼第一云「一生補處菩薩將欲下生，有天子下閻浮提，告辟支佛言：『仁者應捨此土。何以故？十二年後，當有菩薩降神入胎。』是時五百辟支佛聞天語已，從座而起，踊在虛空高七多羅樹，化火燒身入於涅槃。」若言無者，此經所說八百萬億大仙緣覺，復如何通？答：諸說不同。一云：祕密即有、顯現即無，故《智度論》云「佛法二種，一者祕密、二者顯現。」初轉法輪，有三乘人，各得其果，是祕密眾。今此經中依祕密說，故言有也；《大嚴》所說依顯現眾，故不相違。一云：獨覺自有二種，一者本性獨出無俱；二者先是聲聞後成獨覺，如五百仙人一時出者，如舊《婆沙》四十二說。解云：二經各據一人，亦不相違。有說：獨覺自有二種。一麟角喻，獨出無二，當知如佛；二者部行，多人並出。此有二種：一是緣覺性，如五百仙人；二是聲聞種性，亦是五百仙人。故新《婆沙》第三十云「五百仙人者，多是聲聞種性。」解云：既說多言，故知此經八百萬億仙人者，或是聲聞種性、或是緣覺種性。而言出無佛世者，依多分說。又《雜集論》十三云「獨覺乘補特伽羅者，謂住獨覺法性，若定不定性。是中根自求解脫，乃至或未起順決擇分、或先已起，或先未得果、或先已得果，出無佛時也。唯內思惟聖觀現前，或如麟角、或復獨勝部行。若先未起亦未得果，方成麟角；餘名部行。」廣如彼說。

Question: In the Buddha's assembly, are there pratyekabuddhas or not? If one says there are, how does one reconcile what is stated in the Mahālaṅkāra-sūtra? Fascicle 1 of that text says: "When a bodhisattva bound to one more birth is about to descend and be born, a deva descends to Jambudvīpa and informs the pratyekabuddhas, saying: 'Benevolent ones, you should leave this land. Why? After twelve years, a bodhisattva will descend spiritually into the womb.' At that time, five hundred pratyekabuddhas, having heard the deva's words, rose from their seats, leaped into the air to a height of seven tāla trees, transformed into fire, burned their bodies, and entered nirvāṇa." If one says there are not, then how can the eight hundred trillion great seer pratyekabuddhas spoken of in this sūtra be reconciled? Answer: Various accounts differ. One says: In the esoteric realm they exist, but in the exoteric realm they do not. Therefore the Dazhidulun states: "The Buddha's teachings are of two kinds: first, esoteric; second, exoteric." When the wheel of the Dharma was first turned, there were persons of the three vehicles who each attained their fruit; these are the esoteric assembly. Now in this sūtra it speaks according to the esoteric, hence it says they exist; what the Mahālaṅkāra states is based on the exoteric assembly, so there is no contradiction. Another says: Solitary-awakened ones naturally are of two kinds: first, those whose original nature is to appear alone without companion; second, those who were previously śrāvakas and later became solitary-awakened ones, such as the five hundred seers who appeared at the same time, as stated in fascicle 42 of the Old Vibhāṣā. Explanation: The two sūtras each rely on one type, so they do not contradict each other either. Some say: Solitary-awakened ones naturally are of two kinds. First, rhinoceros-horn-like (khaḍgaviṣāṇakalpa), who appear alone without a second, which should be known as being like a buddha; second, those who travel in groups (vargacārin), where many people appear together. These [latter] are of two kinds: first, those of pratyekabuddha gotra, like the five hundred seers; second, those of śrāvaka gotra, who are also five hundred seers. Therefore fascicle 30 of the New Vibhāṣā says: "The five hundred seers are mostly of the śrāvaka gotra." Explanation: Since it uses the word "mostly," we therefore know that the eight hundred trillion seers in this sūtra are either of śrāvaka gotra or of pratyekabuddha gotra. And saying that they appear in an era without a buddha is stated in terms of the majority. Furthermore, fascicle 13 of the Abhidharmasamuccaya-vyākhyā states: "A pudgala of the pratyekabuddha vehicle refers to one abiding in the nature of solitary awakening, whether of determinate or indeterminate nature. This is a person of middling faculties who seeks liberation for themselves, up to having either not yet aroused the aids to penetration (nirvedhabhāgīya) or having already aroused them previously, or having not yet attained the fruit previously or having already attained the fruit previously, appearing at a time without a buddha. Only contemplating internally, noble insight manifests before them, either like a rhinoceros horn, or also solitary and superior travelling in groups. If they have not yet aroused [the aids] previously and have also not yet attained the fruit, only then do they become rhinoceros-horn-like; the others are called travelling in groups." It is explained at length as stated there.