[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) › [佛祖統紀](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035) › 3.60 # 佛祖統紀 3.60 佛祖統紀 3.60 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [3.60](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.3.60) 三七擬機。述曰。諸文謂三七是擬機者。人無異論。然玄文云。於彼初分永無聲聞。後分則有。雖復在座如聾如瘂。故義神智據此非之曰。初分永無。何所擬哉。今作二義釋之方為盡理。一者三七初分永無。此如來擬宜之化意。二者後分則有。狀如聾瘂。此如來擬宜之化事。初言化意者。如方便品云始坐道場三七思惟。籤云。初七思惟欲說圓。次七思惟欲說別。三七思惟欲說通。皆無機故但說三藏。籤又云。約大機則寂場之時。約小機則成已思惟未說之時。妙樂云。小見三七停留。大覩始終無改。此皆如來擬宜之化意也。言化事者。如文句云。華嚴末席始開於漸。妙樂釋之云。舊經云。佛在逝多林入師子頻申三昧。舍利弗從祇園出。不見如來自在莊嚴。不見諸大菩薩眷屬。無智眼能見。亦不能讚歎。此即如聾如瘂之文。於彼末會即當漸初（文）今考二祖之言。皆指聾瘂在後分漸初。明知是鹿苑十二年中。例如妙玄謂方等彈訶應在十二年前。以此推之。則知逝多林末會正是如來擬宜之事。以由聲聞先習小乘未堪聞大。狀如聾瘂。故假淨名以激進之。是則擬宜彈訶。俱在十二年中。無可疑者。四教儀以聾瘂在華嚴。彈訶在方等。此但約部中而論。其實未為正義。又經云。願光明菩薩等。各說十偈以勸聲聞。最初一偈。彈斥之曰。一切諸緣覺及彼大聲聞。皆悉不能知菩薩行境界（此即後分攝入前例之文）此皆擬宜之化事也。昔人不能區別諸文。不知如來化意化事。混而觀之。故多異說。 > Probing capacities during the three weeks. The author states: Various texts speak of the three weeks as probing capacities; people hold no differing opinions on this. However, the Xuanwen states: 'In that initial part there were no śrāvakas at all; in the later part there were, yet although present in the assembly, they were like the deaf and mute.' Therefore Yishenzhi, relying on this, rejected it, saying: 'If in the initial part there were none at all, what was there to probe?' Now, expounding this in two senses is the only way to do complete justice to the principle: First, that during the three weeks in the initial part there were none at all—this was the Tathāgata's pedagogical intention in probing and suiting capacities. Second, that in the later part there were \[śrāvakas present\], appearing like the deaf and mute—this was the Tathāgata's pedagogical activity in probing and suiting capacities. Regarding the pedagogical intention: as the 'Expedient Means' chapter says, 'When I first sat at the bodhimaṇḍa, I contemplated for three weeks.' The Qian says: 'In the first week, he contemplated wishing to preach the Perfect \[teaching\]; in the second week, he contemplated wishing to preach the Distinct \[teaching\]; in the third week, he contemplated wishing to preach the Shared \[teaching\]. Because none had the capacities, he only preached the Tripiṭaka \[teaching\].' The Qian also says: 'In terms of great capacities, it was the time of the peaceful site; in terms of small capacities, it was the time after achieving \[awakening\] when he contemplated and had not yet preached.' The Miaole says: 'The small saw a stay of three weeks; the great beheld that from beginning to end there was no change.' These are all the Tathāgata's pedagogical intention in probing and suiting capacities. Regarding the pedagogical activity: as the Wenju says, 'At the final assembly of the Avataṃsaka, the gradual was first opened.' The Miaole explains this, saying: 'The older sūtra says: When the Buddha was in the Jeta Grove, he entered the Lion's Sprint Samādhi. Śāriputra came forth from the Jetavana; he did not see the Tathāgata's sovereign ornamentation, nor did he see the retinue of great bodhisattvas. Having no eye of wisdom to see them, neither could he praise them. This is the text \[describing them\] as if deaf and mute. That final assembly corresponds to the beginning of the gradual' (text). Now, examining the words of the two patriarchs, both indicate that the deaf and mute were in the later part, the beginning of the gradual. One clearly knows this was within the twelve years at the Deer Park. This is like the Miaoxuan stating that the rebuke of the Vaipulya must have been prior to the twelve years. Inferring from this, we know that the final assembly in the Jeta Grove was precisely the Tathāgata's activity of probing capacities. Because the śrāvakas had previously practiced the Hīnayāna and were not yet capable of hearing the Mahāyāna, they appeared like the deaf and mute; therefore, he made use of Vimalakīrti to spur them forward. Thus, both probing capacities and rebuking took place within the twelve years; of this there is no doubt. The Sijiaoyi places the deaf and mute in the Avataṃsaka, and the rebuke in the Vaipulya; this is merely discussed in terms of the textual divisions, and in fact is not the definitive principle. Moreover, the sūtra says that Bodhisattva Praṇidhānaprabha and others each spoke ten verses to admonish the śrāvakas; the very first verse rebuked them, saying: 'All pratyekabuddhas / and those great śrāvakas / are utterly unable to know / the realm of bodhisattva practice' (this is text where the later part is subsumed into the preceding paradigm). These are all the pedagogical activities of probing capacities. People of old could not distinguish among the various texts; not understanding the Tathāgata's pedagogical intentions and pedagogical activities, they viewed them indiscriminately, and thus many divergent views arose. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 3.59](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.3.59) - [Next: 3.61](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.3.61) - [Up: 3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.3) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035~en-mt.3.60) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.3.60](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2035.3.60) · Pramāṇa