妙法蓮華經文句 1.45

1.45

Explaining in terms of the teachings: The Commentary (Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa) says: "Ordinary beings have three kinds of self: views, conceit, and nominal designation. Practitioners in training have two kinds; those beyond training (aśaikṣa) have one kind." Ānanda is a practitioner in training; lacking the false self [of views] and able to subdue the self of conceit, he adopted the worldly nominal designation to say "I" without fault. This uses the meaning of the Tripiṭaka teaching to explain "I." The Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā says: "To assert a self according to the four alternatives is in all cases falling into false views; in the Buddha's true Dharma there is no self—who hears?" This uses the meaning of the shared teaching. The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says: "Ānanda is a man of extensive learning; he knows that self and non-self are non-dual, while dualistically discerning self and non-self." This uses the meaning of the distinctive teaching. Furthermore, Ānanda knows that self and non-self are non-dual; as an expedient, he acts as attendant, conveying and maintaining the Tathāgata's unhindered wisdom, using unrestricted voice to transmit the expedient and transmit the real—what could be inadmissible about this? This uses the perfect teaching to explain "I." Again, the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra explains three Ānandas: Ānanda, which here means "Joy," who maintained the Hīnayāna canon; Ānandabhadra, which here means "Joyful Sage," who received and maintained the miscellaneous canon; and Ānandasāgara, which here means "Ocean of Joy," who maintained the Buddha canon. The Āgamas have the Canon-Master Ānanda, who maintained the Bodhisattva canon. This refers to a single person possessing the four virtues and transmitting the four approaches to the Dharma, the meaning of which is naturally evident (and so on).