[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [起信論疏筆削記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848) › 5.34 # 起信論疏筆削記 5.34 起信論疏筆削記 5.34 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [5.34](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848.5.34) 論　如來即釋迦也，亦兼餘佛。時勝者，時無定體，但約佛在彼時，故言時勝。根勝者，但取一類當在佛世，隨順言教。有所證解者，不取遇佛不悟之徒，然佛世時證悟者多，今就此說，故云勝也。緣勝者，勝餘二乘菩薩故。然說根之悟解，不取教起因緣，故指佛為勝緣也。論異類者，但三乘、五乘根性不同，故名異類。或可通於餘趣，然非正意。論　等解者，等謂齊等，彼諸異類齊生解故，此則生解義等，非謂所解是同。然此根勝與前時勝相望，料揀以成四句：謂時勝根不勝，如佛在世六群等；根勝時不勝，如後五百歲持戒修福者；俱勝，如舍利弗等；俱不勝，即佛滅後不生解者。論　不須論者，據此兼不要經也。然準論所問，但責經中已說，造論為重，殊不干於佛在之事。今之答意，欲顯佛滅度後根行不同，於經於論取解各異，故今先明佛在世時根緣皆勝，尚不假經，何須造論？以顯滅後根緣皆劣，故須假經。於經不了，復須假論，以勝顯劣也。由是經論各被一根，不同圓音普逗多類。 > Śāstra: "The Tathāgata" refers to Śākyamuni, and also includes other Buddhas. "Superiority of time": time has no fixed substantial nature; it is merely described as a superior time in terms of the Buddha being present at that time. "Superiority of faculties": this refers exclusively to a certain class of beings who were present in the Buddha's time and conformed with his verbal teachings. As for those who had realizations and understandings, this excludes the class of those who encountered the Buddha but did not awaken. However, during the Buddha's time, those who attained realization and awakening were many, and it is in reference to this that it is stated; hence it is called "superior". "Superiority of conditions": superior to the other two vehicles and bodhisattvas. However, in speaking of the awakening and understanding of their faculties, it does not take the causes and conditions of the arising of the teaching \[as secondary\]; hence it designates the Buddha as the superior condition. Śāstra: "different kinds" merely refers to the differing natures and faculties of the three vehicles and five vehicles; hence they are called "different kinds". Or it may apply generally to the other destinies, though that is not the primary meaning. Śāstra: "equal understanding": "equal" means uniform; those various different kinds uniformly generated understanding; thus their generation of understanding is equal in meaning, not that what they understood was identical. However, correlating this superiority of faculties with the previous superiority of time, analysis yields four propositions: (1) time is superior but faculties are not superior, such as the group of six \[bhikṣus\] during the Buddha's time; (2) faculties are superior but time is not superior, such as those who uphold precepts and cultivate merit during the latter five hundred years; (3) both are superior, such as Śāriputra and others; (4) neither is superior, namely those who do not produce understanding after the Buddha's extinction. Śāstra: "did not need a śāstra": according to this, it also implies not needing sūtras. However, according to what the śāstra questioned, it only censured the fact that sūtras had already taught it and that composing a śāstra was redundant, which had nothing whatsoever to do with the matter of the Buddha's presence in the world. The intent of the present answer is to reveal that after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, faculties and practices are different, and the derived understandings from sūtras and śāstras each vary; therefore it first clarifies that when the Buddha was in the world, both faculties and conditions were superior, and they did not even rely on sūtras, so why would they need to compose a śāstra? This reveals that after extinction, faculties and conditions are both inferior, so they must rely on sūtras. Being unable to comprehend the sūtras, they must further rely on a śāstra; this uses the superior to reveal the inferior. Because of this, sūtras and śāstras each accommodate a particular faculty, unlike the complete sound that universally meets many kinds \[of beings\]. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 5.33](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848.5.33) - [Next: 5.35](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848.5.35) - [Up: 5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848.5) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848~en-mt.5.34) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848.5.34](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848.5.34) · Pramāṇa