無量壽經連義述文贊 3.198

3.198

經曰「當來之世」至「皆可得度」者，述云：此第三、歎經普濟也。有說：釋迦正法五百年、像法千年、末法萬歲，一切皆過，故云滅盡。法雖滅已，佛以慈悲憐苦眾生，獨留此經百歲濟度。此恐不然。非唯法住違諸聖教，事亦未盡故。今依《法住記》云「佛滅度時，以無上法付囑十六大阿羅漢并諸眷屬，令其護持，使不滅沒。及勅其身與諸施主作真福田，令彼施者得大果報。所謂賓頭盧等如是十六大阿羅漢，護持正法饒益有情。至此南贍部州人壽極長至於十歲，刀兵劫起爭相誅戮，佛法爾時當暫滅沒。刀兵劫後，人壽漸增至百歲位，此洲人等厭前刀兵殘害苦惱，復樂修善。時此十六大阿羅漢與諸眷屬復來人中，稱揚顯說無上正法，度無量眾令其出家，為諸有情作饒益事。如是乃至此洲人壽六萬歲時，無上正法流行世間熾然不息。後至人壽七萬歲時，無上正法方永滅沒。時此十六大阿羅漢與諸眷屬，於此洲地俱來集會，以神通力用諸七寶造窣堵波嚴麗高廣，釋迦如來所有遺身都集其內。爾時十六大阿羅漢與諸眷屬遶窣堵波，以香華持用供養，恭敬讚歎遶百千匝。瞻仰禮已，俱昇虛空，向窣堵波作如是言：『敬禮世尊釋迦如來應正等覺。我受教勅，護持正法及與天人作諸饒益。法藏已沒，有緣已周，今辭滅度。』說是語已，一時俱入無餘涅槃。聖先定願力火起焚身，如燈炎滅，骸骨無遺。時窣堵波便陷入地，至金輪際方乃停住。爾時世尊釋迦牟尼無上正法，於此三千大千世界永滅不現。從此無間，此佛土中有七萬俱胝獨覺一時出現，至人壽量八萬歲時，獨覺聖眾復皆滅沒，次後彌勒如來出世。」以此言之，當人壽七萬歲時，無上正法方永滅沒，故云經道滅盡。十六大聖取滅度時，窣堵波便陷入地。特者，獨也。《大涅槃經》廣顯佛性，聖教中深，逐聖人而先沒。此經唯開淨土，令人求生，濟凡中之要，故獨留百歲。機宜既異，沒滅前後不可致怪。所願皆得者，即留之利益也。法滅盡後，聞尚獲利往生淨土，況亦今聞者矣。

On the passage from the sūtra from "In future ages" to "all can attain deliverance", the commentary states: This third part praises the sūtra's universal salvation. Some say: 'Śākyamuni's True Dharma lasts five hundred years, the Semblance Dharma one thousand years, and the Final Dharma ten thousand years; when all have passed, it is said to be extinguished. Although the Dharma has ended, the Buddha, through compassion for suffering sentient beings, specially preserves this sūtra for one hundred years to deliver them.' This is likely not correct. Not only does [such a view of] the Dharma's duration contradict various sacred teachings, but the matter has also not been fully explained. Now, relying on the *Record of the Duration of the Dharma*, it says: 'When the Buddha entered parinirvāṇa, he entrusted the unsurpassed Dharma to the sixteen great arhats and their retinues, commanding them to protect and maintain it so that it would not perish. He also instructed them to become true fields of merit for donors, causing those donors to obtain great retribution. These sixteen great arhats, such as Piṇḍola and the others, protect and maintain the True Dharma and benefit sentient beings. When the lifespan of humans in this continent of Jambudvīpa declines to an extreme of ten years, the kalpa of weapons arises and people slaughter one another; at that time the Buddha-Dharma will temporarily disappear. After the kalpa of weapons, human lifespan gradually increases to the stage of one hundred years; the people of this continent, repulsed by the previous suffering of destruction from weapons, once again take delight in cultivating good. At that time, these sixteen great arhats and their retinues will return among humans, proclaiming and expounding the unsurpassed True Dharma, delivering immeasurable multitudes and causing them to go forth, performing beneficial acts for sentient beings. In this way, continuing until human lifespan in this continent reaches sixty thousand years, the unsurpassed True Dharma will circulate throughout the world, blazing without cease. Later, when human lifespan reaches seventy thousand years, the unsurpassed True Dharma will only then be permanently extinguished. At that time, these sixteen great arhats and their retinues will assemble together in this continent and, using supernatural powers and the seven treasures, build a stūpa that is magnificent, high, and broad, collecting all the bodily relics of Śākyamuni Tathāgata within it. Then the sixteen great arhats and their retinues will circumambulate the stūpa, offering incense and flowers, reverently praising it and circumambulating it hundreds of thousands of times. Having gazed up and paid homage, they will ascend together into the sky and, facing the stūpa, speak thus: "Homage to the World-Honoured One, Śākyamuni Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Fully Enlightened One. Having received your command, we have protected the True Dharma and brought benefits to devas and humans. The Dharma treasury has now perished, and our karmic affinities have been fulfilled; we now bid farewell and enter extinction." Having spoken these words, they will all simultaneously enter nirvāṇa without remainder. By the power of the sages' prior vows of concentration, fire will arise and consume their bodies, like a lamp flame extinguishing, leaving no bones behind. At that time, the stūpa will sink into the earth, coming to a halt only at the boundary of the golden wheel. At that time, the unsurpassed True Dharma of the World-Honoured One Śākyamuni will be permanently extinguished and disappear in this trichiliocosm. Immediately following this, seventy thousand koṭis of pratyekabuddhas will appear simultaneously in this Buddha-land; when human lifespan reaches eighty thousand years, the host of pratyekabuddha sages will again all be extinguished, and after that, Maitreya Tathāgata will appear in the world.' Stated in this way, it is when human lifespan reaches seventy thousand years that the unsurpassed True Dharma is finally permanently extinguished; hence it says 'the path of the scriptures is completely extinguished'. When the sixteen great sages enter extinction, the stūpa then sinks into the earth. 'Specially' (*tè*) means uniquely. The *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra* extensively reveals the Buddha-nature, which is profound among the sacred teachings, so it disappears earlier along with the sages. This sūtra exclusively opens the Pure Land, causing people to seek rebirth, which is essential among methods for delivering ordinary beings; hence it is uniquely preserved for one hundred years. Since the capacities and suitabilities are different, the sequence of disappearance is not surprising. 'All their wishes are fulfilled' refers to the benefit of its preservation. If after the Dharma is completely extinguished, hearing it still brings the benefit of rebirth in the Pure Land, how much more so for those who hear it now!