華嚴經探玄記 2.6

2.6

第二明阿難等親聞傳聞不同者，若依小乘，有二說：一云阿難既是佛得道夜生，年二十方為佛弟子，其二十年已後經是親聞，已前是傳聞。故《轉法輪經》云「阿難結集時自說偈云：佛初說法時，爾時我不見，如是展轉聞。」佛遊波羅捺為五比丘眾轉四諦法輪，故知已前非親聞也。二云皆是親聞。故薩婆多論云「阿難為佛作侍者時請願言：願佛二十年中所說之經盡為我說。」《比尼母論》亦同此說。故知總是親聞。若依大乘，一切皆親聞有二義：一佛重為說，如《勝鬘經》等，佛還本處重為阿難說。又如上《大悲經》中佛總重說，故是親聞。二阿難常聞故。《涅槃經》云「阿難多聞士，若在若不在，自然能解了，常與無常義。」又云「阿難得覺意三昧，佛所說經近遠常聞。」

Second, clarifying the differences between Ānanda and others hearing directly versus hearing indirectly: According to the Hīnayāna, there are two explanations. One says: Since Ānanda was born on the night the Buddha attained the path and became the Buddha's disciple only at age twenty, the sūtras of those twenty years onward were directly heard, while those prior were heard indirectly. Thus the Dharmacakrapravartana Sūtra says: 'When Ānanda compiled [the teachings], he himself spoke a verse, saying: "When the Buddha first expounded the Dharma, / at that time I did not see it; / thus I heard it through indirect transmission."' The Buddha traveled to Vārāṇasī to turn the wheel of the Dharma of the four noble truths for the assembly of five monks; hence we know that prior to this, it was not directly heard. The second says: All were directly heard. Thus the Sarvāstivāda treatise says: 'When Ānanda became the Buddha's attendant, he requested a vow, saying: "May the Buddha fully expound for me all the sūtras expounded during the twenty years."' The Vinayamātṛkā Śāstra also shares this explanation. Hence we know that all were directly heard. If according to the Mahāyāna, all being directly heard has two meanings: First, the Buddha re-expounded them, as in the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra and so forth, where the Buddha returned to his original location and expounded them again for Ānanda. Also, as in the Mahākaruṇā Sūtra above, the Buddha comprehensively re-expounded them, so they are directly heard. Second, Ānanda constantly heard them. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'Ānanda is a man of vast hearing; whether present or absent, he can naturally understand the meanings of permanence and impermanence.' It also says: 'Ānanda attained the samādhi of awakening consciousness; sūtras expounded by the Buddha, whether near or far, he constantly heard.'