大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 17.73

17.73

疏「或得深三昧自然通達」者，《金剛華經》云「阿難得法性覺自在王三昧故，如來前所說經皆能憶持，與親聞無異。」《涅槃》亦云「阿難多聞士，若在若不在，自然能解了，常與無常義。」《法華》得受記竟，云：「世尊甚希有，令我念過去，無量諸佛法，如今日所聞。我今無復疑，安住於佛道，方便為侍者，護持諸佛法。」既云得記竟方悟，亦帶方便。據方便為侍者，即密顯實矣。

Regarding the commentary’s statement, “or through attaining deep samādhi, he naturally understood completely”: the Jin’gang hua jing says, “Because Ānanda attained the Dharmatā-Awakening Sovereign King Samādhi, he was able to remember and retain all the sūtras the Tathāgata had previously preached, no different from having personally heard them.” The Nirvāṇa Sūtra also says, “Ānanda is a learned scholar; whether present or absent, he can naturally understand the meaning of permanence and impermanence.” In the Lotus Sūtra, having received his prediction, he says: “The World-Honoured One is extremely rare, / causing me to recall the Dharma / of immeasurable past Buddhas, / just as heard today. / I now have no further doubts, / dwelling peacefully in the Buddha path, / as an upāya serving as attendant, / protecting and upholding the Buddhas’ Dharma.” Since it says he awakened only after receiving the prediction, this still carries an expedient. Relying on “as an upāya serving as attendant,” it secretly reveals the actual.