起信論疏筆削記 1.43

1.43

一稟下，明根行勝相。不須再聞，故言一。承順聖旨，故云稟。尊言者，八音四辯，金口親宣。聞而獲益，逮無生忍，故云懸契。又懸者，遠也，不必親從金口，但展轉傳聞。如身子聞馬勝因緣，目犍連承舍利轉教。此之根性尚不藉結集之經，豈假菩薩造論？故下論云：若如來在世，眾生利根，能說之人色心業勝，圓音一演，異類等解，則不須論。

From "Once receiving..." onward, it explains the supreme marks of faculties and practice. [The phrase means that] there was no need to hear [the teaching] a second time; hence it says "once." Receiving and complying with the sagely intention is why it is called "receiving." "The Honoured One's words" refers to the eight voices and four eloquence-powers, directly proclaimed from the golden mouth. Hearing them, [listeners] obtained benefit and attained the tolerance of non-arising [dharmas]; hence it says "remotely tallying." Furthermore, "remotely" means from afar; one did not necessarily hear directly from the golden mouth, but merely through transmission from person to person. For example, Śāriputra heard the verses on conditioned arising from Aśvajit, and Maudgalyāyana received the transmitted instruction from Śāriputra. When faculties of this caliber did not even require the compiled sūtras, how could they have depended on a bodhisattva composing a śāstra? Therefore the treatise below says: "If the Tathāgata were present in the world, sentient beings would have sharp faculties, the speaker's bodily and mental karmas would be supreme, and when the complete voice is once proclaimed, different classes of beings would equally understand, and thus treatises would not be needed."