俱舍論疏 1.3

1.3

1. As for harmonising the time of the first dharmacakrapravartana, within this there are four points: first, determining the day of abhisambodhi; second, determining the day of the dharmacakrapravartana; third, recounting the differences in intermediate events; fourth, harmonising the differing accounts. First, determining the day of abhisambodhi: According to the fourth fascicle of the Dīrghāgama, it says: 'On the eighth day the Tathāgata was born; on the eighth day the Buddha went forth; on the eighth day he attained bodhi; on the eighth day he entered extinction.' The subsequent passage says: 'In the second month the Tathāgata was born; in the second month the Buddha went forth; in the second month he attained bodhi; in the second month he entered nirvāṇa.' Furthermore, the Guanfo jing says: 'The Buddha told all the devas and humans: "All the Buddhas of the ten directions are born at midnight on the eighth day of the fourth month; all go forth at midnight on the eighth day of the fourth month; all achieve abhisambodhi at midnight on the eighth day of the fourth month; all enter parinirvāṇa at midnight on the eighth day of the fourth month."' The sūtras all agree on the eighth day; their statements regarding the month differ, with only the distinction between the second and fourth [months], and they mention no other month. Following the two explanations above, although their statements differ, the month and day of abhisambodhi are in fact identical. The reason this is known is briefly due to two principles: First, because of differences in establishing the first month of the year. The Brahmin lands establish the first month with the zi stem, whereas in this land in former times the first month was established with the yin stem. The fourth month of the zi system is the second month of the yin system. Therefore, those that preserve the Sanskrit text say the fourth month, while those relying on this land say the second month; their root is one. Second, calculating according to the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa and the Vibhāṣā: before Brahmā's entreaty there were fifty-seven days, and [together with] the four months of taming the faculties and examining capacities, etc., there are altogether six months. Thus, abhisambodhi was on the eighth day of the second month, and the dharmacakrapravartana definitely took place on the eighth day of the eighth month, as cited in the texts below. By this we know that abhisambodhi definitely occurred on the eighth day of the second month, because between it and the eighth day of the eighth month there are six months. If it were the eighth day of the fourth month, there would not be six months; for there are no textual proofs for four months between it and the dharmacakrapravartana. Furthermore, the Vinaya commentary says: 'The Buddha and the pañcaka bhikṣavaḥ began the earlier varṣā on the sixteenth day of the fourth month.' Between the eighth day of the fourth month and the varṣā there are only nine days, which contradicts the months and days in numerous sūtras and śāstras such as the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, and the Vibhāṣā. Following this, we therefore know that abhisambodhi definitely took place on the eighth day of the second month. Question: If so, why does the Pusa chutai jing say: 'On the eighth day of the second month he achieved abhisambodhi; on the eighth day of the second month he turned the dharmacakra; on the eighth day of the second month he subdued Māra; on the eighth day of the second month he entered parinirvāṇa'? Answer: There are two explanations for this. First, the Chutai jing explains that when the Bodhisattva dwelt in the womb he also turned the dharmacakra; this was for the esoteric assembly, not for the exoteric assembly. That the dharmacakra was turned on the very day of abhisambodhi is also to be understood in this sense. What is spoken of now is the day on which the dharmacakra was turned for the pañcaka bhikṣavaḥ; the various explanations differ, and this was not for the esoteric assembly. Second, the error in various sūtras of mistaking the second month for the fourth month is due to differences in establishing the first month of the year, as already explained above. The mistaking of the eighth month for the second or fourth month is because Kārttika is the name of the constellation mao in the eighth month, and the second month is also the month of the branch mao. While the constellation and earthly branch describe different things, the name mao is identical. If one knows that Kārttika corresponds to the mao of the you quadrant, it is translated as the eighth month; if one takes Kārttika to be the mao of the zhen quadrant, it is translated as the second or fourth month. Due to this, the days of the dharmacakrapravartana, etc., differ between the second, fourth, and eighth months, and the day of parinirvāṇa varies among the eighth, fourth, and second months. Examining the majority of scriptural teachings and reason, the conversion of the pañcaka bhikṣavaḥ was definitely in the eighth month. The harmonisation of the day of nirvāṇa is as explained in a separate chapter.