金光明經文句 1.4

1.4

"I heard": Traditionally it is said: Ānanda did not follow his own mind but personally received the Buddha's intention; hence it is said "I heard." Paramārtha said: "'I' has the meaning of a vessel. First, a distracted mind is called an overturned vessel, because it lacks the wisdom of hearing. Second, a forgetful mind is called a leaking vessel: though it obtains, it loses, because it lacks the wisdom of reflection. Third, an inverted mind is called a defiled vessel: taking the wrong to be right, because it lacks the wisdom of cultivation. Ānanda was free from these three faults and was solely a fine vessel; his personal reception had substance, hence it is said 'I heard.'" The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: "When the ear faculty is undamaged, the sound is in a place where it can be heard, and one applies the mind to listen attentively, the combination of causes and conditions is termed 'hearing.' Ānanda recounted the Buddha's bequeathed intention to the audience, personally receiving it without error; hence it is said 'I heard.'" The Master explains that "I" has four meanings, namely: self-I, I-selflessness, selfless-I, and the non-dual true I of I and selflessness; these meanings match people of four faculties (and so forth). "Hearing" also has four meanings, namely: hearing hearing, hearing non-hearing, non-hearing hearing, and non-hearing non-hearing, matching people of the four teachings and dharmas (and so forth). There are four kinds of Ānanda, namely: Delight Ānanda, Worthy Ānanda, Treasury-Holding Ānanda, and Ocean Ānanda, with four names established for four kinds of conditions. Delight Ānanda is self-I using hearing hearing: he personally received from the Buddha of the sixteen-foot body and maintained the Tripiṭaka Dharma; hence it is said self-I hearing hearing. Worthy Ānanda is I-selflessness using hearing non-hearing: he personally received from the Buddha who unites the sixteen-foot and the exalted distinctive bodies and maintained the common Dharma; hence it is said I-selflessness hearing non-hearing. Treasury-Holding Ānanda is selfless-I using non-hearing hearing: he personally received from the Buddha of the exalted distinctive body and maintained the distinctive Dharma; hence it is said selfless-I non-hearing hearing. Ocean Ānanda is the non-dual I and selflessness using non-hearing non-hearing: he personally received from the Dharmakāya Buddha and maintained the perfect Dharma; hence it is said the non-dual I and selflessness using non-hearing non-hearing. Because this sūtra is taught in common to the three vehicles, who hear the single sound and each understand differently, distinctions must be made (and so forth). As for the contemplative interpretation: if one practices the contemplation of grasping the superior and rejecting the inferior, this is self-I hearing hearing. If one practices the two kinds of contemplation of entering emptiness from provisionality—by analytical deconstruction and by direct realization of substance—these are both I-selflessness hearing non-hearing. If one practices the contemplation of emerging from emptiness into provisionality, this is selfless-I non-hearing hearing. If one practices the contemplation of the Middle Way, this is the true I non-hearing non-hearing.