大乘義章 15.41

15.41

第六明其修成分齊。如《地持》說。種性至佛要經三大阿僧祇劫，減即不成。初阿僧祇，種性及與解行住過得歡喜地。第二僧祇，歡喜乃至有開發過得無開住。第三阿僧祇，無開及與無礙住過得最上住。阿僧祇者，是外國語，此名無數。如《華嚴》中，大數有其一百二十，此第一數。然劫有三：一者日月歲數無量，名阿僧祇劫。二中劫無量，名阿僧祇劫，如賢劫等。此劫大小，如龍樹說：四十里城，滿中芥子，木概令平。百年去一，其芥子盡，劫猶不盡。四十里石，天衣三銖，百年一拂。其石皆盡，劫猶不盡。三大劫無量，名阿僧祇。如《雜心》說「彼賢劫等六十四劫，名為大劫。」何故定言六十四乎？劫有三種，謂水火風。如是彼三劫中，火多、水次、風為最少。七火一水，七水一風，如是凡經七七火劫、一七水劫，於彼最後水劫之後，更經七火方有一風，為是合有六十四劫。亦可如彼賢劫之流，數至僧祇，名一大劫。若論中劫，始從種性至初地時，已過無量阿僧祇劫，不得言一；語其大劫，唯一僧祇，不得過多。餘亦如是（此六門竟）。

Sixth, clarifying the boundaries of accomplishment through cultivation, as expounded in the *Bodhisattvabhūmi*. From lineage to buddhahood necessarily traverses three incalculable aeons (asaṃkhyeya-kalpas); if lessened, it is not accomplished. In the first asaṃkhyeya, passing through the abodes of lineage and adhimukti-caryā, one attains the Joyous stage. In the second asaṃkhyeya, passing from Joyous up through [the abode] with blossoming, one attains the abode without blossoming. In the third asaṃkhyeya, passing through [the abodes] without blossoming and unhindered, one attains the supreme abode. 'Asaṃkhyeya' is a foreign word; here it is translated as 'innumerable'. As in the *Avataṃsaka*, among the one hundred and twenty great numbers, this is the first number. However, of aeons there are three kinds: First, an immeasurable count of days, months, and years is called an asaṃkhyeya-kalpa. Second, an immeasurable number of intermediate kalpas is called an asaṃkhyeya-kalpa, such as the Bhadrakalpa and the like. Regarding the size of this kalpa, as Nāgārjuna said: 'A city of forty li, filled with mustard seeds and leveled flat with a wooden scraper. If one takes away one [seed] every hundred years, the mustard seeds are exhausted, yet the kalpa is still not exhausted. A stone of forty li, brushed once every hundred years with a heavenly robe of three zhu. The stone is completely worn away, yet the kalpa is still not exhausted.' Third, an immeasurable number of great kalpas is called an asaṃkhyeya. As the *Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya* says: 'Sixty-four kalpas such as that Bhadrakalpa are called a great kalpa.' Why specifically sixty-four? Kalpas are of three kinds: namely, water, fire, and wind. Thus among those three kalpas, fire is most frequent, water is next, and wind is least. Seven of fire and one of water; seven of water and one of wind. In this manner, having passed through seven times seven fire kalpas and one [series of] seven water kalpas, after that final water kalpa, one further passes through seven fire [kalpas] before there is one of wind; therefore they combine to make sixty-four kalpas. Alternatively, as in the series of that Bhadrakalpa, counting up to an asaṃkhyeya is called one great kalpa. If discussing intermediate kalpas, from the initial lineage up to the first stage, one has already passed through immeasurable asaṃkhyeya-kalpas and it cannot be said to be merely one; speaking in terms of great kalpas, it is only a single asaṃkhyeya and cannot be more. The rest are likewise (this concludes the sixth section).