[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) › [宗鏡錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016) › 61.37 # 宗鏡錄 61.37 宗鏡錄 61.37 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [61.37](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.61.37) 答。若就至理窮覈。三世皆不可得。故無應。故經言。非謂菩提有去來今。但以世俗文字數故。說有三世。以四悉檀力。隨順眾生說。或用過去善為機。故言我等宿福慶今得值世尊。又如五方便人。過去集方便者。發真則易。不集則難。是故以過去善為機。或可以現在善為機。故言即生此念時。佛於空中現。或可以未來善為機。未生善法。為令生故。又如無漏無集因。而能感佛也。故智度論云。譬如蓮華在水。有已生。始生。未生者。若不得日光。翳死不疑。三世善若不值佛。無由得成。惡亦如是。或以過去之罪。今悉懺悔。現造眾罪。今亦懺悔。未來之罪。斷相續心遮未來故。名之為救。何者。過去造。惡障。現善不得起。為除此惡。是故請佛。又現在果。苦報逼迫眾生。而求救護。又未來之惡。與時相值。遮令不起。故通用三世惡為機。應亦如是。或用過去慈悲為應。故云我本立誓願。欲令得此法。或用現在慈悲為應者。一切天人阿脩羅。皆應至此。為聽法故。未度令度也。又用未來為應者。即是壽量中。未來世益物也。亦如安樂品中云。我得三菩提時。引之令得住是法中。若通論。三世善惡皆為機。別論。但取未來善惡為正機也。何者。過去已謝。現在已定。只為拔未來惡。生未來善耳。 > Answer: If investigated thoroughly according to the ultimate principle, the three periods are all unattainable; thus there is no response. Hence the sūtra says: 'Bodhi is not said to have past, future, or present; it is only by convention of worldly words and numbers that three periods are spoken of.' Through the power of the four siddhāntas, they are spoken in accordance with sentient beings. Sometimes past good is used as capacity; hence it is said: 'Due to our past merits and good fortune, we now meet the World-Honoured One.' Again, as with the persons of the five skillful means, for those who accumulated skillful means in the past, manifesting the true is easy, while for those who did not accumulate them, it is difficult; therefore, past good is taken as capacity. Or present good may be taken as capacity; hence it is said: 'Right at the time of giving rise to this thought, the Buddha appeared in the sky.' Or future good may be taken as capacity: in order to cause unarisen wholesome dharmas to arise. Again, just as uncontaminated \[dharmas\] lack an accumulation cause yet are able to stimulate the Buddha. Hence the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: 'For example, lotuses in water include those already bloomed, newly blooming, and yet unbloomed; if they do not receive the sun's light, they will wither and die without doubt.' If the good of the three periods does not encounter a buddha, it has no way to come to fruition. Evil is also like this: either one repents all past sins now; or one also repents all sins being committed in the present; or regarding future sins, one cuts off the continuing mind and obstructs the future; this is called saving. Why? Transgressions committed in the past obstruct present good from arising; to eliminate this evil, one therefore petitions the Buddha. Again, present fruits and suffering retributions press upon sentient beings, so that they seek salvation and protection. Again, future evils, when their time arrives, are obstructed so they do not arise. Thus evil across the three periods is generally used as capacity. Response is also like this: sometimes past loving-kindness and compassion are used as response; hence it is said: 'I originally made a vow wanting to cause them to attain this Dharma.' Or present loving-kindness and compassion are used as response: all devas, humans, and asuras should come here to hear the Dharma; those not yet crossed over are made to cross over. Again, using the future as response refers to benefiting beings in future ages in the chapter on the Life Span; it is also as stated in the Chapter on Peaceful and Joyful Practices: 'When I attain unexcelled complete enlightenment, I will guide them to dwell in this Dharma.' In general terms, the good and evil of the three periods all serve as capacity; specifically speaking, only future good and evil are taken as the primary capacity. Why? The past has already passed, and the present is already determined; it is solely to extract future evil and give rise to future good. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 61.36](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.61.36) - [Next: 61.38](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.61.38) - [Up: 61](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.61) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.61.37) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [妙法蓮華經玄義](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1716.6.25) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.61.37](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.61.37) · Pramāṇa