華嚴經探玄記 2.7

2.7

三定傳法人者，問：說此經時，二乘人等竝如聾盲，豈得阿難而稱我聞？答：有二義。一設是阿難，此亦無過。何者？依《阿闍世王懺悔經》有三種阿難：一阿難陀，此云慶喜，持聲聞法藏，於上二乘隨力隨分。二名阿難陀跋陀羅，此云慶喜賢，持中乘法藏，於上大乘隨力隨分，於下小乘容預兼持。三名阿難陀娑伽羅，此云慶喜海，菩薩持大乘法藏，於下二乘容預兼持。準此經文，阿難海是大菩薩，能持大法，理亦無違。若依圓教，竝是盧遮那佛海印三昧內現此傳法人等故，即是佛也。二云非是阿難所傳，理亦無違。何者？《智論》云「一顯示教、二祕密教。此《大品經》是顯示教，故付囑阿難。如《法華經》是祕密教，故付囑喜王」等。又《涅槃經》云「阿難所未聞經，弘廣菩薩當為流通。」准此，是弘廣菩薩稱如是我聞。又准《智論》，是文殊師利稱我聞，以彼論云「文殊與阿難在餘清淨處結集摩訶衍藏。」又《文殊師利般涅槃經》中，佛般涅槃後四百年時，文殊師利猶在世間，故知是彼傳此法也。

Third, determining the person who transmitted the Dharma: Question: When this sūtra was expounded, the followers of the two vehicles and others were all like the deaf and blind; how could Ānanda claim 'I heard'? Answer: There are two meanings. First, even if it were Ānanda, there is no fault in this. Why? According to the Ajātaśatrukaukṛtyavinodana Sūtra, there are three types of Ānanda: First, Ānanda, translated here as Rejoicing Joy, who upholds the Dharma repository of the śrāvakas, and regarding the upper two vehicles [does so] according to his power and capacity. Second, named Ānandabhadra, translated here as Auspicious Rejoicing Joy, who upholds the Dharma repository of the middle vehicle, and regarding the upper Mahāyāna [does so] according to his power and capacity, while regarding the lower Hīnayāna he can easily uphold it as well. Third, named Ānandasāgara, translated here as Rejoicing Joy Ocean, a bodhisattva who upholds the Dharma repository of the Mahāyāna, while regarding the lower two vehicles he can easily uphold them as well. Based on this sūtra passage, Ānandasāgara is a great bodhisattva who can uphold the great Dharma, so in principle there is also no contradiction. If according to the perfect teaching, all are manifested within the Rocana Buddha's sāgara-mudrā samādhi as these persons transmitting the Dharma and so forth; thus they are none other than the Buddha. Second, saying that it was not transmitted by Ānanda is also without contradiction in principle. Why? The Dà zhìdù lùn says: 'First, the revealed teaching; second, the secret teaching. This Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra is the revealed teaching, and was thus entrusted to Ānanda. Like the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra, which is the secret teaching, it was thus entrusted to King of Joy' and so forth. Furthermore, the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'Sūtras that Ānanda did not hear, Bodhisattva Hirohiro (Vast Expansiveness) shall circulate.' Based on this, it is Bodhisattva Vast Expansiveness who declared 'Thus have I heard'. Moreover, based on the Dà zhìdù lùn, it was Mañjuśrī who declared 'I heard', because that treatise says: 'Mañjuśrī and Ānanda compiled the Mahāyāna repository in another, pure place.' Furthermore, in the Sūtra on Mañjuśrī's Parinirvāṇa, four hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa Mañjuśrī was still present in the world; hence we know that it was he who transmitted this Dharma.