妙法蓮華經玄贊 1.38

1.38

正釋其文者，《佛地論》說：「如是之言，依四義轉。一依譬喻，如有說言，如是富貴如毘沙門，如是所傳所聞之法，如佛所說，定無有異，定為利樂方便之因，或當所說如是文句如我昔聞。二依教誨，如有說言，汝當如是讀誦經論，此中『如是』，遠則佛之教誨，近則傳法者之教誨也；或告時眾，如是當聽我昔所聞。三依問答，謂有問言：汝當所說昔定聞耶？故此答言『如是我聞』。四依許可，如有說言：我當為汝如是而思，如是而作，如是而說，謂結集時諸菩薩眾咸共請言：如汝所聞當如是說。傳法菩薩便許可言：如是當說如我所聞；或信可言：是事如是，謂如是法我昔所聞此事如是，齊此當說定無有異。由四義故經初皆置『如是我聞』。」真諦三藏云：「微細律明，阿難昇座集法藏時，身如諸佛具諸相好，下座之時還復本形，勘集藏傳亦作是說。眾生三疑：一疑佛大悲從涅槃起更說妙法，二疑更有佛從他方來住此說法，三疑彼阿難轉身成佛為眾說法。今顯如是所說之法，我昔侍佛親所曾聞，非佛更起、他方佛至、轉身成佛。為除此疑，故經初言『如是我聞』。」

As for the direct explanation of the text, the Buddhabhūmi-śāstra says: "The word 'Thus' operates based on four meanings. First, based on metaphor: as when someone says, 'wealthy like this, like Vaiśravaṇa,' so the Dharma transmitted and heard is like what the Buddha preached, definitely not different, definitely the cause of benefit, happiness, and expedient means; or it means the sentences to be spoken now are thus, like what I heard in the past. Second, based on instruction: as when someone says, 'You should read and recite sūtras and treatises like this,' here 'Thus' is, from afar, the Buddha's instruction, and from near, the instruction of the transmitter of the Dharma; or it tells the assembly of the time: 'Listen thus to what I heard in the past.' Third, based on question and answer: meaning someone asks: 'Did you definitely hear in the past what you are about to preach?' Therefore this answers, saying: 'Thus have I heard.' Fourth, based on consent: as when someone says: 'I shall think thus for you, act thus, and speak thus'; meaning at the time of compilation, the assembly of bodhisattvas all requested together, saying: 'Speak thus according to what you heard.' The bodhisattva transmitting the Dharma then consented, saying: 'I shall speak thus according to what I heard'; or in affirmation, saying: 'This matter is thus,' meaning such a Dharma is what I heard in the past, this matter is thus, up to here I shall speak definitely without difference. Due to these four meanings, 'Thus have I heard' is placed at the beginning of all sūtras." Tripiṭaka Master Paramārtha said: "The Weixi lü explains that when Ānanda ascended the seat to compile the Dharma repository, his body was like all buddhas, endowed with all marks and signs; when he stepped down from the seat, he returned to his original form. The compilation records also say this. Sentient beings had three doubts: first, they doubted whether the Buddha, out of great compassion, had arisen from nirvāṇa to preach the wonderful Dharma again; second, they doubted whether another buddha had come from another direction to abide here and preach the Dharma; third, they doubted whether Ānanda had transformed his body, become a buddha, and was preaching the Dharma for the assembly. Now, by revealing that this Dharma spoken thus was personally heard by me in the past while attending the Buddha, it is not that the Buddha arose again, nor that a buddha from another direction arrived, nor that [I] transformed into a buddha. To remove these doubts, the sūtra says 'Thus have I heard' at the beginning."