仁王經疏 3.494

3.494

釋曰：第二、廣釋付囑誡勸。於中有二：初明付囑、後「五濁」下廣明誡勸。前中有二：初明付囑時、後正明付囑。此即初也。言八十年等者，釋此經文諸說不同。一云：佛滅後一百年內，五人住持：一迦葉二十年、二阿難二十年、三未田地二十年，三人持法經六十年，見佛在世，以行法故持法不滅。第四商那和脩二十年持、第五優婆毱多亦二十年，此上二人各二十年。商那和脩以不現見佛化故，威儀法滅。言八百年者，正法五百年內，二十五師住持佛法，並是聖人相傳，佛法不滅。第六百年馬鳴菩薩，第七百年龍樹菩薩，二人持故，佛法不滅。八百年中持法人小，故言法滅。言八千年者，像法末法眾生行邪法，故像末二法滅。《涅槃》云「末世有十二萬大菩薩善持，我法不滅。就凡所見，故言滅耳。」有說：此云八十年者，正法五百年內後八十年。八百年者，像法一千年中後八百年，故言八百年。八千年者，末法一萬年中取後八千年，故八千年也。雖有此說，未見誠文，故不可依。然此正像末法，意趣難了，故今略以五門分別：第一釋名、二出體性、三時分長短、四四滅法之相、五會釋違文，廣如別記。言無佛至信女時者，顯上唯舉八十年、八百年、八千年意。以此時中，三寶沈沒、弘法人希，是故唯舉八十年等無佛法時。今言無，少有名無，亦有令無名無。

Explanation: Second, the detailed explanation of the entrustment and the admonitions. Within this there are two: first, explaining the entrustment; and second, from "five turbidities" onward, broadly explaining the admonitions. In the first part there are two: first, explaining the time of entrustment; and second, the direct explanation of the entrustment. This is the first.
Regarding the words "eighty years," etc., the various explanations of this sūtra passage differ. One says: Within one hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, five people maintained [the Dharma]: first, Kāśyapa for twenty years; second, Ānanda for twenty years; third, Madhyāntika for twenty years. These three people maintained the Dharma through sixty years, having seen the Buddha in the world; because they practiced the Dharma, they maintained the Dharma so that it did not perish. Fourth, Śāṇavāsin maintained it for twenty years; and fifth, Upagupta also for twenty years. The above two people were each for twenty years. Because Śāṇavāsin did not visibly see the Buddha's transformative teaching, the Dharma of deportment perished.
Regarding "eight hundred years": within the five hundred years of the correct Dharma, twenty-five masters maintained the Buddha's Dharma, and all were sages transmitting it in succession, so the Buddha's Dharma did not perish. In the sixth hundred years Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa, and in the seventh hundred years Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna—because these two people maintained it, the Buddha's Dharma did not perish. During the eight hundredth year, the people who maintained the Dharma were petty, hence it says "the Dharma perishes."
Regarding "eight thousand years": during the semblance Dharma and the final Dharma, sentient beings practice heterodox dharmas, and therefore both the semblance and final dharmas perish. The Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] says: "In the final age there will be one hundred and twenty thousand great bodhisattvas who will well maintain it, so my Dharma will not perish. It is only in terms of what ordinary people see that it is said to perish."
Some say: what is called here "eighty years" refers to the last eighty years within the five hundred years of the correct Dharma. "Eight hundred years" refers to the last eight hundred years within the one thousand years of the semblance Dharma; hence it says "eight hundred years." "Eight thousand years" refers to taking the last eight thousand years within the ten thousand years of the final Dharma; hence "eight thousand years." Although there is this explanation, reliable text has not yet been seen [for it], so it cannot be relied upon.
However, the import of these correct, semblance, and final Dharmas is difficult to understand, so we now briefly distinguish it through five gates: first, explaining the names; second, identifying the essence; third, the length of the time periods; fourth, the characteristics of the four perishing dharmas; and fifth, harmonizing and explaining conflicting texts—detailed as in the separate record.
Regarding the words "when there are no Buddhas... up to faithful women": this reveals the intention of having mentioned above only eighty years, eight hundred years, and eight thousand years. Because during these times the Three Jewels are submerged and people who propagate the Dharma are rare, it is for this reason that it only mentions such times as eighty years when there is no Buddha-Dharma. Now, when it says "none," having little is called "none," and causing it to be absent is also called "none."