大般涅槃經義記 1.17

1.17

就初門中，先釋名義。言發起者，佛將說經，先託時處，神力集眾，發起所說，名為發起。以此發起與說為由，名發起序。言證信者，阿難昔時稟承佛說，欲以所聞傳之末代，先對眾生言「如是法，我從佛聞」，證成可信，名為證信。以此證信與傳經為由，名證信序。名義如是。次顯立意，何故有二？由經二故。經正是一，何曾有二？經體雖一，約時就人，故得分二：一如來所說經、二阿難所傳經。如來所說益在當時、阿難所傳傳之末代，對斯二經，故立兩序，對佛所說立發起序、對阿難所傳立證信序。

Under the first approach, the names and meanings are explained first. As for "initiating": when the Buddha is about to preach a sūtra, he first relies upon a time and place, and gathers the assembly with spiritual power to initiate what is to be preached; this is called initiating. Because this initiating serves as the reason for the preaching, it is called the initiating preface. As for "faith-attesting": when Ānanda previously received the Buddha's preaching, wishing to transmit what he had heard to later generations, he first addressed sentient beings, saying, "Such dharmas I heard from the Buddha," attesting that it is worthy of trust; this is called faith-attesting. Because this faith-attesting serves as the reason for transmitting the sūtra, it is called the faith-attesting preface. Such are the names and meanings. Next, demonstrating the intent of their establishment: Why are there two? Because the sūtra is twofold. A sūtra is precisely one; how could it ever be twofold? Although the substance of a sūtra is one, with respect to time and person it can be divided into two: first, the sūtra preached by the Tathāgata; second, the sūtra transmitted by Ānanda. What was preached by the Tathāgata benefited that time; what was transmitted by Ānanda was transmitted to later generations. In relation to these two sūtras, two prefaces are established: the initiating preface is established in relation to what was preached by the Buddha, and the faith-attesting preface is established in relation to what was transmitted by Ānanda.