阿彌陀經疏 1.28

1.28

答：「夫大聖垂範皆有興致，但事非特異，故譯者略而不敘耳。何者？以此眾集，知必請法，是故如來無問自說，應知集眾義兼發起。新譯則有其詞，故彼經集眾之末乃云：為聞法故俱來會座。是也。而諸經咸有如是等六事者，《大論》明佛將滅度，阿難咨問：『一切經首當安何語？』答云：『當言如是我聞佛住某國與某大眾等。豈唯我然？三世諸佛經初皆爾也。』」

Answer: 'Whenever the Great Sage sets forth a model, there is always an impetus; however, because the event was not extraordinary, the translator omitted it without recounting it. Why is this? Because when this assembly gathered, it was known that they would certainly request the Dharma; therefore the Tathāgata spoke without being asked. One should know that the assembly gathering implicitly contains the initiation. In the new translation, there are indeed words to this effect; thus, at the end of the assembly gathering in that sūtra, it says: 'For the sake of hearing the Dharma, they all came and assembled at the seat.' This is it. As for all sūtras possessing these six elements such as 'Thus': the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* explains that when the Buddha was about to pass into extinction, Ānanda inquired: 'What words should be placed at the head of all sūtras?' He answered: 'You should say: "Thus have I heard: at one time the Buddha was dwelling in such-and-such a country with such-and-such a great assembly," and so on. Is this true only for me? The beginnings of the sūtras of all Buddhas of the three periods of time are all like this.'