[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [妙法蓮華經玄贊](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723) › 1.78 # 妙法蓮華經玄贊 1.78 妙法蓮華經玄贊 1.78 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.78](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723.1.78) 四明次第者，初眾分四：一聲聞眾，二菩薩眾，三八部眾，四諸王眾。或內護、外護為次，內護中聲聞、菩薩為次，聲聞中僧、尼為次，僧中有名、無名為次，尼中尊重、眷屬為次；外護中八部、人王為次。八部中天、非天為次，天中地居、空居為次，地居中帝、臣為次，空居中非禪主、禪主為次。後眾次第者，證法眾、開塔眾、經利廣大眾、持法無邊眾、他方行法眾、他方勸持眾。初眾之中聲聞居先菩薩居後者，《佛地論》雖釋，今為四解：一形相不同，聲聞出家形同諸佛，菩薩不爾。二處有近遠，聲聞近佛、菩薩遠之。三戒德有殊，聲聞出家持出家戒，菩薩不爾，隨類化生故。四欲令菩薩於聲聞所捨憍慢故。然《華嚴經》、《羅摩伽經》、《炬樓王經》、《和休經》、《大五濁經》，先列菩薩後列聲聞，以德大小明先後故。 > Fourth, clarifying the sequence: the initial assembly is divided into four: 1. the assembly of śrāvakas; 2. the assembly of bodhisattvas; 3. the assembly of the eight classes; 4. the assembly of kings. Or, inner protectors and outer protectors form the sequence: among inner protectors, śrāvakas and bodhisattvas form the sequence; among śrāvakas, monks and nuns form the sequence; among monks, those with renown and those without renown form the sequence; among nuns, the revered ones and the retinue form the sequence. Among outer protectors, the eight classes and human kings form the sequence. Among the eight classes, devas and non-devas form the sequence; among devas, terrestrial dwellers and aerial dwellers form the sequence; among terrestrial dwellers, rulers and ministers form the sequence; among aerial dwellers, non-dhyāna-masters and dhyāna-masters form the sequence. As for the sequence of the later assemblies: the assembly that attests the Dharma, the assembly that opens the stūpa, the assembly of the vastly extensive benefits of the sūtra, the assembly of boundless upholders of the Dharma, the assembly practicing the Dharma from other regions, and the assembly exhorting upholding from other regions. As to why among the initial assembly the śrāvakas are placed first and the bodhisattvas after: although the \*Buddhabhūmi-sūtra-śāstra\* explains this, four explanations are now offered: First, their external appearances differ: the śrāvakas are renunciants whose appearance is identical to that of the buddhas, whereas the bodhisattvas are not so. Second, their places are near and far: the śrāvakas are close to the Buddha, while the bodhisattvas are distant. Third, their precept-virtues differ: the śrāvakas are renunciants upholding the renunciant precepts, whereas the bodhisattvas are not so, since they manifest rebirth in accordance with different categories of beings. Fourth, to cause the bodhisattvas to abandon pride toward the śrāvakas. However, the \*Avataṃsaka-sūtra\*, the \*Rāmaka-sūtra\*, the \*Juluwang jing\*, the \*Hexiu jing\*, and the \*Da wuzhuo jing\* list the bodhisattvas first and the śrāvakas after, clarifying precedence according to the greatness or smallness of their virtue. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.77](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723.1.77) - [Next: 1.79](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723.1.79) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723~en-mt.1.78) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [阿彌陀經通贊疏](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1758.1.51) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723.1.78](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1723.1.78) · Pramāṇa