妙法蓮華經文句 1.48

1.48

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.