妙法蓮華經文句 1.48

1.48

釋「聞」者，阿難，佛得道夜生，侍佛二十餘年，未侍佛時應是不聞。《大論》云：「阿難集法時自云：『佛初轉法輪，我爾時不見，如是展轉聞。』」當知不悉聞也。舊解云：「阿難得佛覺三昧，力自能聞。」《報恩經》云：「阿難求四願，所未聞經願佛重說。」又云：「佛口密為說也。」《胎經》云：「佛從金棺出金臂，重為阿難現入胎之相，諸經皆聞。」況餘處說耶？此文云：「阿難得記，即憶本願，持先佛法皆如今也。」此因緣釋也。

Explaining "heard" (聞): Ānanda was born on the night the Buddha attained the Way and attended upon the Buddha for over twenty years; before attending upon the Buddha, he presumably did not hear [the sūtras]. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: "When Ānanda compiled the Dharma, he himself said: 'When the Buddha first turned the wheel of Dharma, I did not see it at that time; I heard it thus successively.'" One should know that he did not hear everything [directly]. An old explanation says: "Ānanda attained the Buddha-Awakening Samādhi, and by its power was naturally able to hear." The Baoen jing says: "Ānanda sought four vows, desiring that the Buddha repeat the sūtras he had not yet heard." It also says: "The Buddha secretly spoke them for him with his mouth." The Tai jing says: "The Buddha extended his golden arm from the golden coffin, manifesting again for Ānanda the appearance of entering the womb, and all sūtras were heard." How much more so for those spoken in other places? The present text says: "Ānanda attained his prediction, and immediately recollected his fundamental vows, holding the Dharma of past buddhas all as it is today." This is the causes and conditions explanation.