維摩經略疏 1.81

1.81

「一時」者，四眾感教得道之時，此亦助成如是可信。故《大論》云「說時方皆為生信」。亦為三：一、總解者，《大論》云「數時等實無，陰入持所不攝。但隨世俗說一時無咎也。」言四眾感教得道之時名一時者，若通論四眾感一期之教，始終久近皆名一時，即是多時少時共明一時。如戒序云「春分四月日為時」。春分實有多時，但總束為一時也。若約得道明一時者，赴機說教即入，如苦忍一剎那。此約少時明一時也。今約此多少總明一時，謂一期說法通是一時之事也。就此為五：一、約機發者，世善機發即是多時，出世機發即是少時，總此多少皆名一時。二、約佛說教者，三悉起教即是多時，用第一義即是少時，總此多少皆名一時。三、約機教合明一時者，亦以世出世善合為多少，機教合故不在二時，故名一時。四、約四眾得道明一時者，世與出世多少准上，總此多少皆名一時。五、約阿難聞經明一時者，約佛說經多時少時，阿難聞非異時，故名一時。又阿難得佛覺三昧，如前說。又解佛為阿難重說，即是聞經之時，名一時也。二、約教者，三藏生滅一時。通教如夢幻一時。別教破時顛倒，能分別數無滯礙也。《攝大乘》明數識攝阿僧祇、明世識攝三世，即是別教明一時也。圓教約不思議法性明一時，一時入一切時、一切時入一時。如此經明，住不思議解脫菩薩七日為一劫、一劫為七日。《法華》明六十小劫謂如食頃。《華嚴》明十一切等。一一教皆具五種一時。約諸經多少，類如是可知。三、觀心者，觀因緣生滅者，心在定時能知世間生滅法相，則一念慧眼開發見生滅之理，故名一時。若非定心見理，即前思後覺憶想顛倒，雖解生滅不能見理，非一時也。若體空慧眼，入假法眼、中道佛眼，皆是定心，一念少時豁然開發各見諦理，名一時也。

"At one time": this is the time when the four assemblies are moved by the teaching and attain the Way; this also helps to establish that "thus" is worthy of trust. Thus the Dàzhìdù lùn states: "Stating the time and place is in all cases to generate faith." This also has three parts: First, the general explanation: the Dàzhìdù lùn states, "Units of number, time, and the like do not truly exist, and are not subsumed under the aggregates, sensory realms, or sensory domains. It is without fault simply to conform to worldly convention and say 'at one time.'" As for stating that the time when the four assemblies are moved by the teaching and attain the Way is called "at one time": if one speaks generally of the four assemblies being moved by the teaching of a whole teaching-period, from beginning to end, whether long or short, all of it is called "at one time"; that is, many times and few times together explain "at one time." As the Vinaya preface states: "The vernal equinox, a day of the fourth month, is the time." The vernal equinox actually contains many times, yet it is collectively bundled into "one time." If one explains "at one time" in terms of attaining the Way, upon encountering the capacity the teaching is spoken and they enter immediately, like a single kṣaṇa of the forbearance of suffering. This explains "at one time" in terms of a short time. Now, by using this "much" and "little" to explain "at one time" collectively, it means that the preaching of the Dharma across an entire period is comprehensively an affair of "one time." Within this there are five aspects: (1) In terms of the activation of capacity: the activation of the capacity for worldly goodness is a long time, while the activation of the capacity for world-transcending goodness is a short time; combining these many and few, all are called "at one time." (2) In terms of the Buddha preaching the teaching: giving rise to the teaching via the three siddhāntas is a long time, while using the primary-meaning siddhānta is a short time; combining these many and few, all are called "at one time." (3) In terms of the convergence of capacity and teaching explaining "at one time": this also combines worldly and world-transcending goodness into many and few; because capacity and teaching converge, they do not exist at two different times, hence it is called "at one time." (4) In terms of the four assemblies attaining the Way explaining "at one time": the long and short of worldly and world-transcending are as above; combining these many and few, all are called "at one time." (5) In terms of Ānanda hearing the sūtra explaining "at one time": with respect to the long and short times of the Buddha preaching the sūtra, Ānanda's hearing was not at a different time, hence it is called "at one time." Furthermore, Ānanda attained the samādhi of the Buddha's awakening, as explained above. Another explanation is that the Buddha repeated it for Ānanda, which was precisely the time of hearing the sūtra, called "at one time." Second, in terms of the teachings: for the Tripiṭaka Teaching, it is the "one time" of arising and ceasing. For the Shared Teaching, it is the "one time" of dreams and illusions. For the Distinctive Teaching, it destroys the inversion of time, being able to distinguish numbers without hindrance. The Mahāyānasaṃgraha explains that the numerical consciousness subsumes asaṃkhyeyas and the temporal consciousness subsumes the three periods of time, which is the Distinctive Teaching explaining "at one time." The Perfect Teaching explains "at one time" in terms of the inconceivable Dharma-nature: one time enters all times, and all times enter one time. As this sūtra explains, a bodhisattva abiding in the inconceivable liberation makes seven days into a kalpa, and a kalpa into seven days. The Lotus Sūtra explains that sixty small kalpas seemed like the duration of a meal. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra explains the ten kinds of all-inclusiveness and the like. Each and every teaching is fully endowed with the five kinds of "at one time." How this applies in terms of greater or lesser detail in the various sūtras can be understood analogously in this way. Third, the contemplation of mind: when contemplating the arising and ceasing of causes and conditions, when the mind is in concentration it is able to know the worldly characteristics of arising and ceasing dharmas, and then in a single thought the wisdom eye opens and sees the principle of arising and ceasing, hence it is called "at one time." If one does not see the principle with a concentrated mind, then with previous thoughts and subsequent awarenesses, with inversions of recollective thinking, although one understands arising and ceasing one cannot see the principle, and it is not "at one time." If the wisdom eye that embodies emptiness, the Dharma eye that enters the provisional, and the Buddha eye of the Middle Way are all concentrated minds, in a single thought's brief time they suddenly open and each sees the truth-principle, which is called "at one time."