觀彌勒上生兜率天經贊 1.14

1.14

第五問答料簡者，依《上生》下文，優波離問云：「此阿逸多具凡夫身，未斷諸漏。雖復出家，不修禪定、不斷煩惱」等，明知此等皆小乘經，大乘菩薩無是義故。今依《上生》，初列跋陀波羅、文殊師利諸菩薩等，後陳化佛說陀羅尼，「佛以一音聲說百億陀羅尼門」，復言「身圓光中有首楞嚴三昧」，又云「令五百億天子不退於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」等，明知是等皆大乘經，小乘經中無是事故。由是古德或說：此經為小乘，從《阿含》離出，說慈氏佛猶是凡夫身故。或說：此經為大乘，說初列菩薩眾等，復非《阿含》中出。有云：依《大智度論》云「小乘經初唯列聲聞、大乘經初備兼菩薩」，今《上生經》初既列聲聞菩薩，明知大乘經；《下生》雖略，亦大乘云。大卷《成佛經》中，三會說法，皆有得證聲聞獨覺發於無上正等覺心，故知並大乘。其優婆離身處小位所解局跡，以己所知輒為此問，豈慈氏位次為彼所知？故定大乘。如《金剛般若》唯列聲聞，豈非大乘？此《上生經》並《彌勒受決》及《一切智光經》等，皆晉代安陽侯譯，《下生經》中大卷有「如是我聞」者，晉時竺法護所翻；小卷云「大智舍利弗」、無「如是我聞」者，是晉時羅什所譯。古人解云：小卷者《阿含》中出，大者別坐所說。又解：翻者有異，其實一本。今大師云：「大者有三分，無結集本。其小卷無序分者，是略偈頌，即二藏中菩薩藏攝，非聲聞也。」

Fifth, concerning questions, answers, and discriminating analysis: according to the subsequent text of the Ascent to Birth Sūtra, Upāli asks, saying: "This Ajita possesses the body of an ordinary person, and has not yet severed the outflows. Although he has gone forth, he does not cultivate dhyāna and does not sever afflictions," and so forth. This clearly shows that these are all Hīnayāna sūtras, for in the Mahāyāna, a bodhisattva has no such meaning. Now, according to the Ascent to Birth Sūtra, it first lists Bhadrapāla, Mañjuśrī, and other bodhisattvas, and later presents emanated Buddhas reciting dhāraṇīs: "With a single sound, the Buddha proclaims a hundred billion gates of dhāraṇī," and further states, "Within the halo of light around his body is the Śūraṅgama Samādhi," and also states, "Causing fifty billion sons of gods not to regress from anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi," and so forth. This clearly shows that these are all Mahāyāna sūtras, for such matters do not exist in Hīnayāna sūtras. On this account, past masters of virtue have said: "This sūtra is Hīnayāna, excerpted from the Āgamas, because it says that Maitreya Buddha still has the body of an ordinary person." Others have said: "This sūtra is Mahāyāna, because it first lists the bodhisattva assembly and so forth, and furthermore it was not excerpted from the Āgamas." Some say: "According to the Dazhidu lun, 'At the beginning of Hīnayāna sūtras, only śrāvakas are listed; at the beginning of Mahāyāna sūtras, bodhisattvas are also fully included.' Now, since at the beginning of the Ascent to Birth Sūtra both śrāvakas and bodhisattvas are listed, we clearly know it is a Mahāyāna sūtra; although the Descent to Birth Sūtra is abridged, it is also said to be Mahāyāna." In the larger fascicle of the Attaining Buddhahood Sūtra, in the three assemblies of expounding the Dharma, there are always those who attain realization as śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, generating the mind set on unsurpassed, right and equal awakening; thus we know that all are Mahāyāna. As for Upāli, occupying a lower stage, his understanding was narrow and confined; relying on his own understanding, he rashly posed this question. How could Maitreya's stage be known by him? Therefore, it is definitely Mahāyāna. Just as the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā lists only śrāvakas, could it not be Mahāyāna? This Ascent to Birth Sūtra, together with the Maitreya's Receipt of Prediction and the Sūtra on the Light of All Knowledge and others, were all translated by the Marquis of Anyang of the Jin dynasty. As for the Descent to Birth Sūtra, the larger fascicle containing 'Thus have I heard' was translated by Dharmarakṣa of the Jin; the smaller fascicle saying 'Śāriputra of Great Wisdom' and lacking 'Thus have I heard' was translated by Kumārajīva of the Jin. The ancients explained: 'The smaller fascicle was excerpted from the Āgamas, while the larger one was spoken in a separate assembly.' Another explanation: 'The translators differed, but it is actually one single text.' Now the Great Master says: 'The larger one has the three divisions, and is not a compilation [from the Āgamas]. That the smaller fascicle lacks the introductory division is because it is an abridged verse portion; it is subsumed under the Bodhisattva Piṭaka of the two piṭakas, not the Śrāvaka [Piṭaka].'"