[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) › [淨名玄論](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780) › 7.14 # 淨名玄論 7.14 淨名玄論 7.14 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [7.14](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780.7.14) 方丈初會，但有毘耶近眾、無他方遠眾，但有人眾、無有天眾，但在家眾、無出家眾，但聽法眾、無激揚眾，故略說法門，利益猶少，不暢大士現疾之懷也。菴園初會，具凡聖近遠、在家出家、幽顯大小一切眾也。方丈重會、菴園再集，眾並同然，故得廣說法門，多有利益，暢現疾之意也。問：此經是菩薩法藏所攝。又辨不可思議解脫法門，絕二乘境界，則應但教菩薩，云何復有聲聞眾耶？又《釋論》云「佛為大菩薩說不可思議解脫經十萬偈」，即是華嚴經。小乘在華嚴坐，不得見聞，以不種聞是大乘因緣故。此經稱亦不可思議解脫，何故聲聞在座得見聞耶？答：《法華玄論》已具說之。餘未盡者，今當更說。依《釋論》意，明《華嚴》為大菩薩說，小乘不聞。《淨名》等通為大小淺深人說，故二乘得聞。則《華嚴》明不思議事深，淨名辨不思議事淺，雖同是不思議而有淺深，故有聞與不聞。例如雖同是般若，有與三乘共說；獨為大菩薩說，九地尚不聞，況復二乘耶。問：論云「一切經中，《般若》最大」，何故三乘得聞《般若》、不聞《華嚴》？答：《般若》雖大，多說方便實慧甚深理法，二乘之人則有小分，故得聞之。《華嚴》多辨實慧方便，就事辨不思議，則二乘絕分，故不得聞也。又大判聲聞，凡有二種，一者實行、二者權行。實行之中復有二種：一退大學小、二本學小乘之人。退大學小，約一化始終，凡有四時：一大機未熟、二小根已成、三小執當移大機遠動、四小執正傾大機正熟。一化始終，唯有此四。大機未熟者，佛初成道為諸菩薩說《華嚴經》，即欲以大法化之。但小機未堪，是故息化。如《法華》云「長者居師子座，眷屬圍繞，羅列寶物，即遣傍人追捉窮子。窮子驚懼，父遂放之。」則指華嚴時事也。以大機未熟，雖復在華嚴座，不得見聞。 > In the initial assembly in the ten-foot square room, there were only the near congregation of Vaiśālī and no distant congregation from other directions; only a human congregation and no heavenly congregation; only a lay congregation and no renunciant congregation; only a Dharma-listening congregation and no debate-provoking congregation. Therefore, he expounded the Dharma gates in brief, the benefit was still small, and it did not vent the great being's purpose in manifesting illness. In the initial assembly in the Āmrapālī grove, all congregations were complete: ordinary and noble, near and far, lay and renunciant, hidden and manifest, great and small. In the repeated gathering in the ten-foot square room and the repeated assembly in the Āmrapālī grove, the congregations were all the same; therefore he was able to expound the Dharma gates extensively, bringing abundant benefits and venting the intention of manifesting illness. Question: This sūtra is subsumed under the Bodhisattva Piṭaka. Furthermore, it explains the Dharma gate of inconceivable liberation, which transcends the sphere of the two vehicles; thus it should only instruct bodhisattvas. Why is there also a śrāvaka congregation? Furthermore, the Dazhidulun says, "The Buddha expounded the Sūtra of Inconceivable Liberation in one hundred thousand gāthās for the great bodhisattvas," which is the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. The Hīnayāna sitting in the Avataṃsaka \[assembly\] could neither see nor hear, because they had not planted the causes and conditions to hear this Mahāyāna. This sūtra is also called \[a teaching of\] inconceivable liberation; why could the śrāvakas in the assembly see and hear it? Answer: The Fahua xuanlun has already explained this fully. What remains incomplete will now be further explained. According to the meaning of the Dazhidulun, it clarifies that the Avataṃsaka was spoken for the great bodhisattvas, and the Hīnayāna did not hear it; Vimalakīrti and others were spoken universally for persons of the great and small, shallow and deep, so the two vehicles were able to hear it. Thus the Avataṃsaka clarifies inconceivable events that are profound, whereas Vimalakīrti explains inconceivable events that are shallow; although both are inconceivable, there are shallow and deep, hence there are hearing and not hearing. By analogy, although both are prajñā, some are spoken in common with the three vehicles, while some are spoken exclusively for great bodhisattvas, which even those of the ninth bhūmi do not hear, let alone the two vehicles. Question: The treatise says, "Among all sūtras, Prajñā is the greatest"; why do the three vehicles get to hear Prajñā, yet do not hear the Avataṃsaka? Answer: Although Prajñā is great, it mostly expounds the exceedingly profound principles and phenomena of upāya and real wisdom; persons of the two vehicles possess a small share, so they are able to hear it. The Avataṃsaka mostly explains real wisdom and upāya, explaining the inconceivable in terms of phenomena; then the two vehicles are utterly devoid of a share, so they are unable to hear it. Furthermore, in broadly classifying śrāvakas, there are two kinds: first, actual practitioners; second, provisional practitioners. Among the actual practitioners there are again two kinds: first, those who retreated from the great and studied the small; second, those who originally studied the Hīnayāna. As for those who retreated from the great and studied the small, regarding the beginning and end of a single teaching career, there are in all four periods: first, the great capacity is not yet ripe; second, the small faculty is already matured; third, the small attachment is about to shift and the great capacity is stirred from afar; fourth, the small attachment is directly overturned and the great capacity is directly ripe. In the beginning and end of a single teaching career, there are only these four. As for the great capacity not yet being ripe: when the Buddha first attained the Way, he expounded the Avataṃsaka Sūtra for the bodhisattvas, wishing to convert them with the great Dharma. But the small capacity was not capable, and therefore he ceased teaching. As the Lotus Sūtra says: "The elder sat on the lion throne, surrounded by attendants, with precious objects arrayed; he then dispatched a bystander to pursue and catch the impoverished son. The impoverished son was terrified, and his father thereupon released him." This refers to the events of the Avataṃsaka period. Because the great capacity was not yet ripe, although they were in the Avataṃsaka assembly, they could neither see nor hear. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 7.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780.7.13) - [Next: 7.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780.7.15) - [Up: 7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780.7) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780~en-mt.7.14) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780.7.14](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780.7.14) · Pramāṇa