[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [維摩經略疏](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1778) › 1.57 # 維摩經略疏 1.57 維摩經略疏 1.57 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.57](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1778.1.57) 問：若以兩序從兩名立者，立名則前別後通為序，何得前通後別？答：立名之便應前別後通，為序之便應前通後別。復次一途亦前別後通。何者？如現瑞由藉是說經之前，如是等六乃是如來將入涅槃方說此語，故知在後。經前序正為發起現在弟子信心，經後序為令未來弟子生信。若爾，佛在世時經初無序不名經耶？答：別序之前雖無六義，佛說法時已有其事，故得名經。 > Question: If the two prefaces are established from the two names, in establishing the names the specific comes first and the common comes later to form the preface; how can the common come first and the specific later? Answer: For convenience of establishing names, the specific should come first and the common later; for convenience of forming the preface, the common should come first and the specific later. Furthermore, from one perspective, the specific also comes first and the common later. Why? Manifesting auspicious signs as an antecedent condition occurred before the sūtra was spoken; while the six conditions such as 'thus' were spoken by the Tathāgata only when he was about to enter nirvāṇa, hence we know they came later. The preface before the sūtra was meant to arouse the faith of present disciples; the preface after the sūtra was meant to cause future disciples to give rise to faith. If so, when the Buddha was in the world, was a sūtra not called a sūtra because it lacked a preface at its beginning? Answer: Although the six conditions were absent before the specific preface, the events already existed when the Buddha expounded the Dharma, so it could be called a sūtra. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.56](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1778.1.56) - [Next: 1.58](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1778.1.58) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1778.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1778~en-mt.1.57) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1778.1.57](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1778.1.57) · Pramāṇa