華嚴經探玄記 2.7

2.7

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.