說無垢稱經疏 1.26

1.26

贊曰：第二說教時分也。法王啟化，機器咸集，說聽事訖，總名一時。此就剎那相續無斷、說聽究竟，假名一時。論有二解：一者道理時。說聽二徒雖唯現在，五蘊諸行剎那生滅。即此現法，有酬於前、引後之義，即以所酬假名過去、即以所引假名未來，並於現在法上假立。即說聽者五蘊諸法，剎那生滅前後相生，事緒究竟假立三世，總名一時，非一生滅之一時也。二者唯識時。說聽二徒識心之上變作三時相狀而起，實是現在，隨心分限變作短長，事緒終訖，總名一時。如夢所見謂有多生，覺位唯心都無實境。聽者心變三世亦爾，唯意所緣不相應行蘊法界法處所攝。此言一時，一則不定約剎那、二則不定約相續、三不定約四時六時八時十二時等、四不定約成道已後年數時節，名為一時。但是聽者根熟感佛為說，說者慈悲應機為談，說聽事訖總名一時。不定約剎那者，聽法之徒根器或鈍，說時雖短、聽解時長，或說者時長、聽者亦久，於一剎那猶未能解，故非剎那。亦不定約相續者，由能說者得陀羅尼，說一字義一切皆了，或能聽者得淨耳意，聞一字時一切能解，故非相續。由於一會聽者根機有利有鈍，如來神力或延短念為長、或促多劫為短念亦不定故，總約說聽究竟名一時，不可別說。亦不定約四時六時八時十二時者，一日一月照四天下，長短暄寒、近遠晝夜諸方不定，恒二天下同起用故。又除人等，上諸天等無此四時及八時等。經擬上地諸方流通，若說四時等，流行不遍故，所以不說四時八時等。亦不定約成道已後年數時節者，三乘凡聖所見，佛身報化、年歲短長、成道已來近遠、所說之法淺深半滿，各不同故。經擬三乘凡聖同聞，故不別說成道已後若干年歲。然諸經中有說四時者，《涅槃經》云「二月十五日」。有說六時八時十二時等名者，《涅槃經》云「於其晨朝嚼楊枝時」，《金剛般若》云「飯食訖，收衣鉢。洗足已，敷座而坐」，日正午時說。《上生經》云「於初夜分」。《遺教經》云「於其中夜，寂然無聲」。有說成道已後年數時節者，《十地經》云「第二七日，於他化自在天王宮摩尼寶藏殿內說。」《法花經》云「三七日中思惟是已，趣波羅奈，轉四諦論。」又《無量義經》言「我成道來，四十餘年」等。雖有是說，隨一方城聞見結集且作是說，仍非初題說法時也，是故但應總說一時。

Commentary: The second is the time of the preaching of the teaching. When the Dharma King initiates conversion, the suitable recipients all gather, and the matter of speaking and listening is concluded, it is collectively called 'at one time'. This provisionally names it 'at one time' in reference to the uninterrupted continuity of moments and the completion of speaking and listening. The treatises offer two explanations: First, time according to principle. Although both the speaker and the listener exist only in the present, all formations of the five aggregates arise and perish from moment to moment. Precisely these present dharmas have the meaning of repaying the past and inducing the future; what is repaid is provisionally called the past, and what is induced is provisionally called the future, both being provisionally established upon present dharmas. That is, the dharmas of the five aggregates of the speaker and listener arise and perish from moment to moment, generating one another before and after; when the sequence of events is completed, the three times are provisionally established and collectively called 'at one time', not meaning 'at one time' of a single arising and perishing. Second, time according to consciousness-only. Upon the conscious minds of the speaker and listener, it arises transformed into the appearance of three times; in reality it is present, but according to the limits of the mind it transforms into short and long; when the sequence of events finishes, it is collectively called 'at one time'. Just as in what is seen in a dream one supposes there are many lifetimes, while in the waking state there is only mind and no real object at all; the listener's mind transforming into the three times is also like this, being an object of mind alone, subsumed under the non-concomitant formations aggregate, the dharmadhātu, and the dharmāyatana. As for this phrase 'at one time', first, it is not definitely determined by a moment; second, it is not definitely determined by a continuum; third, it is not definitely determined by four periods, six periods, eight periods, twelve periods, and so forth; fourth, it is not definitely determined by the count of years and seasons after the attainment of the Way; hence it is called 'at one time'. It simply means that the faculties of the listeners are ripe, moving the Buddha to speak for them, and the speaker with compassion speaks in response to their capacities; when the matter of speaking and listening is concluded, it is collectively called 'at one time'. It is not definitely determined by a moment because among the assembly listening to the Dharma, the faculties and capacities may be dull, so that although the time of speaking is short, the time of listening and understanding is long, or the speaker's time is long while the listeners' time is also protracted, and in a single moment they are not yet able to understand; therefore it is not a moment. Nor is it definitely determined by a continuum because the speaker has attained dhāraṇī and by speaking the meaning of a single syllable, all is understood; or the listener has attained purified ears and mind, and upon hearing a single syllable is able to understand everything; therefore it is not a continuum. Because within a single assembly the capacities of the listeners may be sharp or dull, and the Tathāgata's spiritual power may extend a brief thought into a long time or contract many kalpas into a brief thought, and thus it is also indefinite; it is collectively designated 'at one time' in terms of the completion of speaking and listening, and cannot be specified individually. Nor is it definitely determined by four periods, six periods, eight periods, or twelve periods, because one sun and one moon illuminate the four continents, and length, warmth, cold, proximity, distance, day, and night are variable across the different directions, always acting simultaneously on two continents. Furthermore, setting aside humans and the like, the higher devas and so forth do not have these four periods or eight periods. Sūtras are intended to circulate to the higher realms and all directions; if one were to speak of four periods and so on, the circulation would not be universal; therefore it does not speak of four periods, eight periods, and so forth. Nor is it definitely determined by the count of years and seasons after the attainment of the Way because what is seen by the commoners and sages of the three vehicles—the Buddha's saṃbhogakāya and nirmāṇakāya, the length of years, the temporal distance since the attainment of the Way, and the depth, superficiality, partiality, or completeness of the Dharma taught—are each different. Sūtras are intended to be heard equally by commoners and sages of the three vehicles, and therefore do not separately state a certain number of years after the attainment of the Way. However, among various sūtras there are those that speak of four periods: the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says, 'on the fifteenth day of the second month.' There are those that state the names of six, eight, or twelve periods: the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says, 'at dawn, at the time of chewing the tooth-stick'; the Diamond Prajñā says, 'Having finished the meal, he put away his robe and bowl. Having washed his feet, he arranged his seat and sat down,' being spoken at midday. The Sūtra on Rebirth Above says, 'in the first watch of the night.' The Sūtra on the Buddha's Bequeathed Teaching says, 'In the middle of the night, when all was silent.' There are those that state the count of years and seasons after the attainment of the Way: the Daśabhūmika Sūtra says, 'On the second seventh day, it was spoken in the hall of the jewel treasury in the palace of the king of the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven.' The Lotus Sūtra says, 'Having contemplated thus for three periods of seven days, I proceeded to Vārāṇasī and turned the wheel of the four noble truths.' Again, the Amitārtha Sūtra says, 'Since my attainment of the Way, more than forty years,' and so forth. Although there are such statements, they are temporarily spoken according to the gathering and seeing in a single region or city, and are still not the time when the Dharma was first proclaimed in the opening; therefore, one should only speak collectively of 'at one time'.