大般涅槃經義記 1.21

1.21

第五門中，先解「如是我聞」之言，三門辯釋：一解如是我聞有之所由、二明立意、三釋其文。如是我聞，何因緣有？由佛教故。佛何故教？阿難請故。彼何緣請？阿尼樓駄教故。彼何因教？由見阿難心憂惱故。阿難比丘何故憂惱？由見如來般涅槃故。佛將滅度，在雙林間北首而臥。阿難爾時以佛將滅，心懷悲惱，莫能自勝。阿尼樓駄開覺阿難：「汝傳法人，何不請佛未來世事？徒悲何益？」阿難對曰：「我今心沒憂海，知何所問？」阿尼樓駄遂教阿難請佛四事：「一問佛滅後，諸比丘等以何為師？二問比丘依何而住？三問惡性比丘云何共居？四問一切經首當置何字？」阿難聞之，心少惺悟，受教請佛，佛依答之：諸比丘等以何為師者，當依波羅提木叉為師，若我住世，無異於此。木叉是戒，比丘所學，故說為師。一切比丘依何住者，當依四念處住。何謂四念？所謂比丘觀內身循身觀，精勤一心，除世貪憂，如是，觀外身、內外身、受心法亦如是，是謂比丘所依住處。故經說言「若住四念，名自境界，不為魔縛；若住五欲，名他境界，為魔所縛。」惡性比丘云何共住者，梵檀治之，若調為說，離有無經，梵檀是其默不共語。一切經首置何字者，當置「如是我聞：一時佛在某方某叢林」等，由佛本教，故有斯言。言立意者，為生物信。云何生信？言如是者，阿難彰己自信佛語，道佛所說以為如是，令他眾生同己生信。言我聞者，阿難自是不足之人，若道此法是我所說，人多不信，道我聞故，人多生信。生信如是。信有何義，而為生乎？信者是其入法初門、攝法上首，凡入佛法要先生信。故《華嚴》中說信為手，「如人有手，至珍寶所隨意採取，若當無手，空無所獲。」信亦如是，入佛法者有信心手，隨意採取道法之寶，若無信心，空無所得。

In the fifth section, first the words 'Thus have I heard' are explained. It is analyzed and explained through three sections: first, explaining the reasons for the existence of 'Thus have I heard'; second, clarifying the intention behind establishing it; third, explaining its text. Through what causes and conditions does 'Thus have I heard' exist? It is due to the Buddha's instruction. Why did the Buddha instruct it? Because Ānanda requested it. By what cause did he make the request? Because Aniruddha instructed him. Due to what cause did he instruct him? Due to seeing Ānanda's grief and distress. Why was the monk Ānanda grieved and distressed? Due to seeing the Tathāgata enter parinirvāṇa. When the Buddha was about to pass into extinction, he lay with his head to the north between the twin trees. At that time, because the Buddha was about to pass into extinction, Ānanda harbored sorrow and distress in his heart and could not contain himself. Aniruddha enlightened Ānanda: 'You are the transmitter of the Dharma; why do you not question the Buddha about affairs of the future age? What is the use of grieving in vain?' Ānanda replied: 'My mind is now sunken in an ocean of grief; what should I ask?' Aniruddha then instructed Ānanda to question the Buddha on four matters: 'First, ask: after the Buddha passes into extinction, whom shall the monks take as their teacher? Second, ask: upon what shall the monks rely and abide? Third, ask: how shall one dwell together with ill-natured monks? Fourth, ask: what words should be placed at the head of all sūtras?' Hearing this, Ānanda regained some clarity, received the instructions, and questioned the Buddha. The Buddha answered him accordingly: As for whom the monks should take as teacher: they should rely on the prātimokṣa as their teacher; if I were to remain in the world, it would be no different from this. Mokṣa is the precepts, which the monks study, hence it is called their teacher. As for upon what all monks should abide: they should abide relying on the four foundations of mindfulness. What are the four foundations of mindfulness? Namely, a monk contemplates the internal body by following the contemplation of the body, diligently and with one mind, removing worldly greed and grief; likewise he contemplates the external body, the internal and external body; feelings, mind, and dharmas are also like this. These are called the dwelling places upon which monks rely. Therefore, the sūtra says: 'If one abides in the four foundations of mindfulness, it is called one's own domain, and one is not bound by Māra; if one abides in the five desires, it is called the domain of others, and one is bound by Māra.' As for how to dwell together with ill-natured monks: punish them with brahmadanda; if they become subdued, preach the sūtra of transcendence over existence and nonexistence to them. Brahmadanda is silence and not speaking with them. As for what words to place at the head of all sūtras: one should place 'Thus have I heard: at one time the Buddha was in such-and-such direction, in such-and-such forest grove,' and so forth. It is due to the Buddha's original instruction that these words exist. As for clarifying the intention behind establishing it: it is to generate faith in living beings. How does it generate faith? Saying 'Thus' means Ānanda manifests his own belief in the Buddha's words, stating that what the Buddha preached is thus, causing other living beings to generate faith together with him. Saying 'have I heard' means Ānanda himself is an imperfect person; if he were to say that this Dharma was preached by himself, many people would not believe it; because he says 'have I heard', many people generate faith. Generating faith is like this. What meaning does faith have, such that it should be generated? Faith is the initial gate of entering the Dharma and the foremost head of gathering the Dharma; whenever entering the Buddha's Dharma, one must first generate faith. Therefore, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra states that faith is hands: 'Just as a person who has hands can gather as he pleases upon reaching a place of rare jewels, but if he has no hands, he returns empty with nothing obtained.' Faith is also like this: one who enters the Buddha's Dharma has the hand of faith and gathers the treasures of the path and the Dharma as he pleases; if one lacks faith, one returns empty with nothing obtained.