仁王經疏 3.494

3.494

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."