維摩經略疏 1.71

1.71

Question: The Dàzhìdù lùn states that "Ānanda was born on the night the Buddha attained the path"; the Nirvāṇa Sūtra explains that only after twenty years had elapsed following the Buddha's attainment of the path did he become the attendant. The sūtras preached before then Ānanda did not hear. When the Buddha was about to enter nirvāṇa, Ānanda was obscured by Māra and also could not hear. How can all [sūtras] say "Thus have I heard"?
Answer: The Dàzhìdù lùn states: "When Ānanda was about to compile the Dharma treasury, he joined his palms toward the place of nirvāṇa and spoke a verse, saying: 'When the Buddha first preached the Dharma, at that time I did not see it. Thus I heard it by transmission, down to Vārāṇasī.'" As for "heard it by transmission," the Śāriputra-paripṛcchā Sūtra states: "Ānanda cultivated unforgetting dhyāna and attained the samādhi of the Buddha's awakening; by the power of samādhi he was naturally able to hear." Furthermore, the Bào'ēn jīng states: "Ānanda sought four boons from the Buddha. Three were as in the Nirvāṇa Sūtra; the fourth boon was: with regard to the sūtras preached by the Buddha that he had not yet heard, he requested that they be preached again for him. The Buddha granted his boon, and preached again whatever he had not heard." Furthermore, the Dàzhìdù lùn explains that when compiling the Dharma treasury, Upāli and others each ascended the high seat, and all proclaimed "Thus have I heard"; it was not necessarily all Ānanda.