妙法蓮華經玄贊 1.59

1.59

贊曰：第二說教時分也。此有二義：一法王啟化機器咸集，說聽事訖總名一時。二說者、聽者共相會遇，時分無別故言一時，機感、應化時無別故。初就剎那相續無斷說、聽，究竟假名「一時」。此有二解：一者道理時，說、聽二徒雖唯現在，五蘊諸行剎那生滅，即此現法有酬於前引後之義，即以所酬假名過去，即以所引假名未來，對此二種說為現在，此過未世並於現在法上假立，即說、聽者五蘊諸法剎那生滅前後相續，事緒究竟假立三世，總名一時，非一生滅之一時也。二者唯識時，說、聽二徒識心之上變作三時相狀而起，實是現在，隨心分限變作短長，事緒終訖總名一時。如夢所見謂有多生，覺位唯心都無實境；聽者心變三世亦爾，唯意所緣，是不相應行蘊，法界法處所攝。此言一時，一則不定約剎那，二則不定約相續，三則不定約四時六時八時十二時等，四則不定約成道已後年數時節名為一時，但是聽者根熟、感佛為說，說者慈悲、應機為談，說、聽事訖總名一時。不定約剎那等者，聽法之徒根器或鈍，說時雖短、聽解時長，或說者時長、聽者亦久，於一剎那猶未能解，故非剎那。亦不定約相續者，由能說者得陀羅尼，說一字義一切皆了，或能聽者得淨耳、意，聞一字時一切能解，故非相續。由於一會聽者根機有利有鈍，如來神力或延短念為長劫，或促多劫為短念，亦不定故，總約說、聽究竟名為一時。亦不定約四時六時八時十二時者，一日、一月照四天下，長短、暄寒、近遠、晝夜諸方不定，恒二天下同起用故。又除已下上諸天等，無此四時及八時等，經擬上地、諸方流通，若說四時等流行不遍故。亦不定約成道已後年數時節者，三乘凡、聖所見佛身報化、年歲短長、成道已來近遠各不同故。經擬三乘凡聖同聞，故不別說成道已後若干年歲。然諸經中有說相續者，此經下云「說是法華經滿六十小劫」，即其事也。有說四時者，《涅槃經》言「二月十五日」。有說六時八時十二時，即《涅槃》云「於其晨朝嚼楊枝時」，《金剛般若》云「飯食訖收衣鉢洗足已敷座而坐，日正午時」，《上生經》云「於初夜分舉身放光」，《遺教經》云「於其中夜寂然無聲」。有說成道已後年數時節者，《十地經》云「第二七日於他化自在天王宮摩尼寶藏殿內說華嚴經」，又《法華經》云「三七日中思惟是已，趣波羅奈轉四諦輪」，又《無量義》此經等云「我成道來四十餘年」等。雖有是說，隨一方域化土眾生聞見結集，且作是言，仍非初總題說法時，是故俱應總說一時。

The eulogy states: The second is the time when the teaching was preached. This has two meanings: First, when the Dharma King initiated conversion and the capable vessels were all assembled, the completion of the preaching and listening is collectively called "at one time." Second, the preacher and listeners met together, and their periods of time were not different; hence it is called "at one time," because the occasions of receptive capacity and responsive transformation were not different. First, regarding the uninterrupted continuity of moments of preaching and listening, their completion is conventionally called "at one time." There are two explanations for this: First, the time of principle. Although the two parties of preacher and listener exist only in the present, with the formations of the five aggregates arising and ceasing moment by moment, this present dharma itself has the meaning of repaying what came before and inducing what comes after. By that which is repaid, it is conventionally designated the past; by that which is induced, it is conventionally designated the future; and in contrast to these two, it is spoken of as the present. These past and future periods are both conventionally established upon present dharmas; that is, the preachings and listenings of the five aggregates arise and cease moment by moment in prior and subsequent continuity, and the completion of the enterprise is conventionally established as the three times, collectively called "at one time," not the "at one time" of a single arising and ceasing. Second, the time of consciousness-only. Upon the conscious minds of both preacher and listener, appearances of the three times arise transformed; in reality they are present, yet in accordance with the limits of the mind they are transformed into short or long, and the completion of the enterprise is collectively called "at one time." Just as in a dream one perceives many lifetimes, yet upon awakening there is only the mind and no real external objects whatsoever; the listener's mind transforming the three times is likewise: it is an object solely of the mental consciousness, an unassociated conditioned formation included within the dharma-element and dharma-base. This expression "at one time": first, it is not definitely determined by moments; second, it is not definitely determined by continuity; third, it is not definitely determined by the four seasons, six periods, eight periods, twelve periods, and so forth; fourth, it is not definitely determined by the number of years and seasons after attaining awakening as being called "at one time." It simply means that the listener's faculties were mature, eliciting the Buddha's preaching, and the preacher was compassionate, speaking in response to capacity; the completion of the enterprise of preaching and listening is collectively called "at one time." As for not being definitely determined by moments, the listeners to the Dharma may have dull faculties: although the time of preaching was short, the time of listening and understanding was long; or the time of the preacher was long, and the listeners also spent a long time, being unable to understand in a single moment; hence it is not a moment. Nor is it definitely determined by continuity, because the preacher may have attained dhāraṇī, so that by speaking the meaning of a single syllable everything was completely understood, or the listener may have attained pure ear and mental faculties, so that upon hearing a single syllable everything could be understood; hence it is not continuity. Because within a single assembly the capacities of the listeners included both sharp and dull, the Tathāgata's supernatural power might extend a brief thought-moment into long kalpas, or compress many kalpas into a brief thought-moment; being indefinite, it is comprehensively designated "at one time" based on the completion of preaching and listening. Nor is it definitely determined by the four seasons, six periods, eight periods, or twelve periods, because a single sun and moon shine upon the four continents, where length and shortness, warmth and cold, nearness and farness, day and night are indefinite in various directions, as two continents always function simultaneously. Furthermore, except for those below, the devas above and so forth do not have these four seasons, eight periods, and so on; since the sūtra is intended to circulate in higher realms and in all directions, if it spoke of the four seasons and so forth, its circulation would not be pervasive. Nor is it definitely determined by the number of years and seasons after attaining awakening, because the reward and transformation bodies of the Buddha seen by the ordinary persons and noble ones of the three vehicles, the length and shortness of years, and the proximity or distance of time since attaining awakening are each different. Since the sūtra is intended to be heard equally by ordinary persons and noble ones of the three vehicles, it does not separately state the number of years after attaining awakening. However, among the sūtras there are those that speak of continuity, such as later in this sūtra where it says "preached this Lotus Sūtra for full sixty minor kalpas," which is just such an instance. There are those that speak of the four seasons, such as the Nirvāṇa Sūtra saying "the fifteenth day of the second month." There are those that speak of the six periods, eight periods, or twelve periods, such as the Nirvāṇa Sūtra saying "in the morning at the time of chewing the willow twig," the Diamond Prajñā saying "having finished the meal, gathered his robe and bowl, washed his feet, and laid out his seat, at the exact midday," the Sūtra on Rebirth [in Tuṣita] saying "in the first watch of the night, emitting light from his entire body," and the Bequeathed Teaching Sūtra saying "in the middle of the night, tranquil and soundless." There are those that speak of the number of years and seasons after attaining awakening, such as the Daśabhūmika-sūtra saying "in the second seven days, in the Palace of the King of the Paranirmitavaśavartin Devas, within the Maṇiratnagarbha Hall, he preached the Avataṃsaka-sūtra," the Lotus Sūtra saying "having reflected during three seven-day periods, he went to Vārāṇasī and turned the wheel of the Four Noble Truths," and the Anantanirdeśa-sūtra, this sūtra, and others saying "since I achieved awakening, more than forty years," and so forth. Although there are such statements, they were made provisionally according to what sentient beings in a given region and transformation land heard, saw, and compiled, yet they are still not the overall initial heading for the time of preaching the Dharma; therefore all should comprehensively state "at one time."