大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 15.3

15.3

Regarding the commentary's "The Mahāyāna piṭaka was compiled by Mañjuśrī..." and so forth: this refers to the compilation of the Dharma piṭaka. The sūtras say that there are three Ānandas: first, Ānanda, translated here as "Rejoicing" (Qingxi), who upheld the śrāvaka piṭaka; second, Ānandabhadra, translated here as "Auspicious Joy" (Xixian), who upheld the pratyekabuddha piṭaka; third, Ānandasāgara, translated here as "Ocean of Joy" (Xihai), who upheld the bodhisattva piṭaka. But they are merely one person, whose names differ according to virtues. Because this Ānanda was learned, maintained what he heard, accumulated the three wisdoms, and possessed both letter and meaning, he upheld the teachings of the three piṭakas with total dhāraṇī and unfettered mastery. Regarding "between the Cakravāḍa Mountains": the Zuanling ji says, "However, this record was originally composed by Master Fazang and subsequently edited. What was not found in the sūtras and treatises therein was all asked of Tripiṭaka Master Divākara; it was indeed passed down in the Western Regions." But both the Zuanling ji and the Kanding ji say it is stated in the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, though the text has not been seen. The Jin gang xian lun also shares this account, saying that the Buddha prophesied that outside the Cakravāḍa Mountains, between the two realms, eighty billion nayutas of arhats and immeasurable, boundless Ganges sands of bodhisattvas would assemble to compile [the teachings]. Regarding the commentary's "Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna went to the Dragon Palace and saw that this Great Inconceivable Sūtra existed in three recensions," and so forth: the Zuanling ji cites Tripiṭaka Paramārtha's Records of the Western Regions, and the Biography of Nāgārjuna also recounts the circumstances of entering the Dragon Palace and seeing the sūtra, as detailed elsewhere. Furthermore, regarding Nāgārjuna, according to the seven-fascicle Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra: "The Tathāgata prophesied: 'O Mahāmati! You should know that after the Sugata's nirvāṇa, in the future there will be one who upholds my Dharma, a monk of great renowned virtue in the country of South India, named Nāgārjuna, who can crush the doctrines of existence and non-existence. In the world he will manifest my unsurpassed Mahāyāna Dharma, attain the first Ground of Joy, and be reborn in the Land of Peace and Bliss.'" The Tang Tripiṭaka's Record of the Western Regions also details his deeds. Regarding the commentary's "The Kingdom of Cokkuka had the complete text": according to the Sui Dynasty's Kaihuang sanbao lu, more than two thousand li southeast of Khotan lies the Kingdom of Cokkuka. The kings of that land through successive generations revered the Mahāyāna; eminent monks of various countries entering their territory were all tested: if they were scholars of the Hīnayāna, they were dismissed and not detained, whereas followers of the Mahāyāna were invited to stay and make offerings. Inside the royal palace were the Avataṃsaka, Mahāprajñāpāramitā, Mahāmegha, and other sūtras, eleven works in total, all numbering one hundred thousand verses. The king personally received and upheld them, holding the door key himself, offering incense and flowers, providing various adornments, hanging multicolored banners, interspersing seasonal fruits, and inducing the princes to enter, bow reverently, and dedicate the merits. Furthermore, about twenty li southeast of this kingdom was a mountain inside which were placed the Avataṃsaka, Mahāsaṃnipāta, Vaipulya-ratnakūṭa, Laṅkāvatāra-vaipulya, Śāriputra-dhāraṇī, Ratnakoṭi-dhāraṇī, Tuṣita-piṭaka, Mahāprajñāpāramitā, Mahāmegha, and other sūtras, eleven works in total, all of one hundred thousand verses, preserved by national custom through generations as treasures to be guarded. Earlier, in the Eastern Jin, there was the śramaṇa Zhi Faling, whose aspiration took joy in the Mahāyāna; risking his life in search of the Dharma, he packed provisions, held his staff, and reached the Kingdom of Cokkuka. Praying with utmost sincerity, he obtained the first portion of the Avataṃsaka, comprising thirty-six thousand verses, and brought it back here; this was what was translated during the Eastern Jin dynasty. However, Nāgārjuna brought the complete text to ascend [to heaven], while Faling's half-gem made its way to the Eastern Land. The realization of sage and ordinary differs, the sounds of Chinese and Sanskrit are separated; the long journey was obstructed, and the wondrous import was submerged and lost, leaving broken slips and missing chapters, so that barely half was transmitted. Furthermore, according to what has now been presented by Khotan, it exceeds forty thousand verses. What was expounded at the first assembly in the Jin sūtra was defective in text regarding the Lotus Treasury World, offering no means to attain awakening; but when it comes to the eighty-fascicle version, it is brilliantly visible. Although the one hundred thousand verses are not yet complete, the more than forty thousand characters of text are mostly present; this is the abridged recension mentioned above.