華嚴經明法品內立三寶章 2.25

2.25

一、建立者，如過去世中法，未謝之時，名過去現在；更望過去，名彼過去為過去過去；望今現在，此是未有，是故名今為過去未來。此一具三世，俱在過去。又彼謝已，現在法起，未謝之時名現在現在；望彼過去已滅無故，名彼以為現在過去；望於未來是未有故，名現在未來。此三一具，俱在現在。又彼法謝已，未來法起，未謝之時，名未來現在；望彼現在已謝無故，名未來過去；更望未來亦未有故，名未來未來。此三一具，俱在未來。此九中各三現在是有，六過未俱無。問：若於過、未各立三世，如是過、未既各無邊，此三世亦無邊，何但三重而說九耶？答：設於過、未更欲立者，不異前門，故唯有九。又此九世總為一念，而九世歷然，如是總別合論，為十世也。

First, the establishment: For example, among dharmas in the past period, the time before they have ceased is called the past-present; looking further back into the past, that past is called the past-past; looking toward the present now, this has not yet occurred, and therefore the now is called the past-future. This set of three periods is entirely within the past. Again, after those have ceased and the present dharmas arise, the time before they have ceased is called the present-present; looking toward that past, because it has already ceased and is non-existent, that is called the present-past; looking toward the future, because it has not yet occurred, it is called the present-future. This set of three is entirely within the present. Again, after those dharmas have ceased and the future dharmas arise, the time before they have ceased is called the future-present; looking toward that present, because it has already ceased and is non-existent, it is called the future-past; looking further toward the future, because it has also not yet occurred, it is called the future-future. This set of three is entirely within the future. Among these nine, the three presents are each existent, while the six pasts and futures are all non-existent. Question: If three periods are established in each of the past and future, and since the past and future are each boundless, these three periods would also be boundless—why speak of only nine in three tiers? Answer: Even if one wished to establish further [periods] in the past and future, they would not differ from the previous gateway, and so there are only nine. Moreover, these nine periods are completely subsumed in a single thought-moment, yet the nine periods remain distinctly arrayed. Thus, discussing the general and the distinct together constitutes the ten periods.