維摩經義疏 1.27

1.27

「如是」者，若望一經，具足二序：一證信序、二發起序。立如是六事，證傳經可信，為證信序。合蓋現土，發起正宗，名發起序。證信利於未來，發起益于現在，化洎兩世，故雙明二序。問：何因緣故有六事耶？答：佛將涅槃，爾時阿難凡發四問：一佛滅度後，依何行道？此問正解。二者如來去世，以誰為師？斯問正行。三者惡口車匿，云何共住？此問明妨解行之緣。四者經初安何等語？此問明解行之教。佛答云：當觀念處破除煩惱，依此行道，受戒律訓誨，可以為師。惡口之人宜須默擯，心自調伏。佛經初首宜稱如是我聞乃至與大眾俱，蓋是遺旨之言。侍者所問，故有六事。六事者：一如是、二我聞、三一時、四教主、五住處、六同聞眾。問：眾經之初，何建言如是？答：佛法大海，信為能入、智為能度。以信故則言此事如是，若不信則言此事不如是，故知如是則是信也。問：如是為目信體、為據信相？答：信體即是內心，外言如是則表內心誠信，故如是之言為信相也。問：如是為目通信、為主別信？答：若信佛法為正，即不信外道之耶，名為通信。但佛經有大乘小乘、權教實教，信大之信、非小信之信，名為別信。則具含通別。問：如是為目能信、為明所信？答：具含能所。如有信之人，則云此事如是。此事則屬於所信，如是名為能信。取所信之義，則云我聞如是；明能信之義，如是我聞。故集法藏人經初兩出。問：如是稱信，為明阿難信心、為明餘人信？答：通辨一切群生有信心者則入佛法，故《智度論》云「如人有手，至於寶山，隨意所取。若其無手，則空無所得。」有信心人，入佛法寶山，得諸道果。若無信心，雖解文義，空無所得也。「我聞」。明阿難親承音旨，無傳聞之謬也。問：阿難是佛得道夜生，年二十五方乃事釋伽。五十年說法，唯聞其半，何以一代之教皆稱我聞？答：《智度論》明阿難登高坐，答大迦葉云：「佛初說法時，我爾時不見。如是展轉聞，乃至波羅捺。」展轉聞者，《報恩經》云「阿難請求四願：一不受如來故衣、二不受別請、三出入無時、四所未聞經請佛為說。」是以眾經皆稱我聞。問：阿難以何力故，能傳佛教？答：釋道安云：「十二部經，阿難得佛意三昧之所傳也。」《金剛華三時經》云「得法性覺三昧，能宣傳眾教。」聞，阿難何故稱我聞耶？答：一欲息諍競之心、二生物信受。阿難是三乘之小乘、四果之下果，若不稱聞，則物情不信、諍競便起。問：有幾阿難耶？答：《集法藏經》云「凡有三種：一阿難，此云飲喜，持聲聞藏。二阿難跋陀，此云歡喜賢，持緣覺藏。三阿難伽羅，此云歡喜海，持菩薩藏。」吉藏謂但是一人，隨德立稱，方便示三。故《法華》云「我與阿難於空王佛所同時發心」，故知是大權，隨物異見。問：聞實是耳，何故稱我聞？答：《涅槃》云「阿難聞法，如瀉水之異器有三種：一者不覆，謂無散亂心；二者不漏，謂無忘失；三者不臭，謂無顛倒心。以三德自在，故云我也。」

Regarding "Thus": looking at the whole sūtra, it possesses two prefaces: first, the preface establishing credibility, and second, the preface of initiation. Establishing the six elements of "Thus" verifies that the transmitted scripture can be trusted; this is the preface establishing credibility. Joining the parasols and manifesting the lands initiates the main teaching; this is called the preface of initiation. Establishing credibility benefits the future, and initiation benefits the present; since the transformation reaches across both eras, both prefaces are elucidated. Question: By what causes and conditions are there six elements? Answer: When the Buddha was about to enter nirvāṇa, Ānanda raised four questions: First, after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, on what should one rely to practice the Way? This asks about correct understanding. Second, when the Tathāgata leaves the world, who should be taken as teacher? This asks about correct practice. Third, regarding the foul-mouthed Chanda, how should we live together with him? This asks about the conditions that obstruct understanding and practice. Fourth, what words should be placed at the beginning of the scriptures? This asks about the teaching of understanding and practice. The Buddha replied: "You should contemplate the stations of mindfulness to eradicate afflictions; rely on this to practice the Way. Receive the training of the monastic precepts; this can be your teacher. As for the foul-mouthed person, he should simply be subjected to silent outcast; his mind will naturally be subdued. At the very beginning of the Buddha's scriptures, one should say, 'Thus have I heard,' and so forth, down to 'together with the great assembly.'" These were the words of his final instructions. Because the attendant asked, there are the six elements. The six elements are: first, "Thus"; second, "have I heard"; third, "at one time"; fourth, the lord of the teaching; fifth, the dwelling place; and sixth, the assembly hearing together. Question: Why is "Thus" established at the beginning of all scriptures? Answer: The great ocean of the Buddha's Dharma: faith enables one to enter, and wisdom enables one to cross over. Because of faith, one says, "This matter is thus." If one does not believe, one says, "This matter is not thus." Therefore, we know that "Thus" is faith. Question: Does "Thus" designate the substance of faith, or is it based on the mark of faith? Answer: The substance of faith is the inner mind. Outwardly speaking of "Thus" expresses the sincerity of the inner mind; therefore, the word "Thus" is the mark of faith. Question: Does "Thus" designate general faith, or does it primarily indicate specific faith? Answer: If one believes that the Buddha's Dharma is correct and does not believe in the heterodoxy of non-Buddhists, this is called general faith. However, the Buddhist scriptures have the Mahāyāna and the Hīnayāna, the provisional teaching and the real teaching; the faith that believes in the Mahāyāna is not the faith of the Hīnayāna, which is called specific faith. Hence, it contains both the general and the specific. Question: Does "Thus" designate the subject capable of believing, or does it explain the object believed? Answer: It contains both subject and object. If there is a person with faith, they say, "This matter is thus." "This matter" belongs to the object believed; "Thus" is called the subject capable of believing. If one takes the meaning of the object believed, one says, "I heard thus"; to explain the meaning of the subject capable of believing, one says, "Thus have I heard." Therefore, those who compiled the Dharma repository produced both at the beginning of the scriptures. Question: If "Thus" is called faith, does it explain Ānanda's mind of faith, or does it explain the faith of other people? Answer: It comprehensively explains that all living beings who possess the mind of faith enter the Buddha's Dharma. Thus the *Dàzhìdù lùn* says: "It is like a person with hands who reaches a mountain of jewels and takes whatever they wish. If they have no hands, they return empty-handed with nothing gained." A person with the mind of faith enters the jewel mountain of the Buddha's Dharma and attains the fruits of the path. If they have no mind of faith, although they understand the words and meanings, they gain nothing in vain. "Have I heard": this explains that Ānanda personally received the voiced instructions, without the error of hearsay. Question: Ānanda was born on the night the Buddha attained the Way, and only served Śākyamuni when he was twenty-five years old. In fifty years of preaching the Dharma, he only heard half of it; why do the teachings of the entire era all say "have I heard"? Answer: The *Dàzhìdù lùn* explains that when Ānanda mounted the high seat, he answered Mahākāśyapa: "When the Buddha first preached the Dharma, I did not see it at that time. Thus it was transmitted indirectly and heard, down to Vārāṇasī." As for being transmitted indirectly, the *Sūtra on Repaying Kindness* says: "Ānanda requested four vows: first, not to accept the Tathāgata's old robes; second, not to accept individual invitations; third, to go in and out without fixed times; fourth, regarding the sūtras he had not yet heard, to ask the Buddha to preach them for him." Therefore, all the sūtras say "have I heard." Question: By what power was Ānanda able to transmit the Buddha's teachings? Answer: Shi Dao'an said: "The twelve divisions of scripture were transmitted through Ānanda's attainment of the samādhi of the Buddha's intention." The *Vajrapuṣpatrikāla-sūtra* says: "Attaining the samādhi of awakening to the Dharma-nature, he was able to proclaim and transmit the manifold teachings." As for "hearing," why did Ānanda say "I heard"? Answer: First, he wished to put an end to minds of contention; second, to generate people's faithful reception. Ānanda belonged to the Hīnayāna among the three vehicles and to the lower fruits among the four fruits; if he did not say he heard it, the feelings of beings would not believe, and contention would arise. Question: How many Ānandas are there? Answer: The *Jīfǎzàng jīng* says: "There are three kinds in all: first, Ānanda, translated here as 'Drinking Joy,' who upholds the Śrāvaka Pitaka; second, Ānandabhadra, translated here as 'Joyful Worthy,' who upholds the Pratyekabuddha Pitaka; third, Ānandagarbha, translated here as 'Ocean of Joy,' who upholds the Bodhisattva Pitaka." Jizang considers that there is only one person: titles were established according to his virtues, and he expediently manifested as three. Thus the *Lotus Sūtra* says: "I, together with Ānanda, gave rise to the aspiration [for bodhi] at the same time in the presence of King of Empty Space Buddha." Therefore, we know he is a great provisional manifestation, seen differently according to beings. Question: Hearing actually belongs to the ear; why say "I heard"? Answer: The *Nirvāṇa Sūtra* says: "Ānanda heard the Dharma just like water poured into a vessel, which has three characteristics: first, not being overturned, meaning an mind without distraction; second, not leaking, meaning no forgetfulness; third, not being foul, meaning a mind without inversion. Being sovereign in these three virtues, he therefore says 'I'."