金剛般若經旨贊 1.8.1

1.8.1

經。 如是我聞至五十人俱　贊曰。 上釋題目。 次解經文。 依佛地論。 彌天法師。 大判經文。 以為三分。 初從如是我聞。 至敷座而坐。 教起因緣。 說經由致。 名為序分。 次從時長者須菩提。 至應作如是觀。 聖教所說。 正談經體。 名正宗分。 後從佛說是經。 已訖至經。 依教奉行。 歡喜弘通。 名流通分。 序中文二。 此段經文。 諸經共有。 故名通序。 爾時已下。 當部別緣。 名為別序。 初傳法者。 引證令信。 亦名證信序。 後說位者別緣發起。 亦名發起序。 釋此三門分別。 一起之因由。 二說之所以。 三正釋其文。 起因由者。 佛化緣畢。 將歸涅槃。 侍者阿難。 親愛未除。 悶絕擗地。 不能自醒。 時阿那律。 以水灑面。 而語之曰。 佛付汝法。 今迷悶失所受時事。 豈得名為護正法者。 大師世尊。 今日則在。 明日則無。 設有疑者。 當於何問。 汝依我語。 當問於佛。 如來在世。 以佛為師。 世尊滅後。 以何為師。 如來在世。 依佛而住。 世尊滅後。 依何而住。 世尊在世。 自調惡人。 滅度之後。 云何共住。 如來在日。 自能說經。 滅度之後。 一切經首。 安置何言。 令眾生信。 爾時阿難。 如從夢覺。 既問如來。 世尊告曰。 我涅槃後。 以戒為師。 斷一切惡。 修一切善。 設我在世。 無異此故。 依四念處。 專心而住。 觀身不淨。 觀受是苦。 觀心無常。 觀法無我。 由此能除常等四倒。 既出生死。 得成聖道。 是故常應依之而住。 諸惡比丘。 梵檀治之。 但莫與語。 自當調伏。 一切經首。 當置如是我聞等語。 則眾生信。 因阿難請。 而置此文。 即是此中起因由也。 明所以者。 略有四義。 一為除疑。 二令起信。 三為簡邪。 四為顯正。 言除疑者。 微細律云。 於結集時。 阿難昇座。 以法威力。 形忽如佛。 眾起三疑。 一疑大悲從涅槃起。 二疑別佛從他方來。 三疑阿難轉身成佛。 說如是等。 三疑併斷。 言生信者。 智度論云。 說時方。 人令生信故。 佛法大海。 信為能入。 又是道元功德母故。 又拔眾生。 出生死泥。 須舉信手授於教手。 序生信手。 正宗教手。 兩手相接。 出於泥故。 如人有手至山取寶。 若無手者。 空無所得。 有信心人。 入法得證。 若無者。 雖解無益。 是故經初。 令生淨信。 言簡邪者。 但無如是六句經文。 當知皆是外道教收。 如有外道。 一切教初。 皆必安置阿漚二字。 阿表於無。 漚表於有。 言其教旨。 不離有無。 今置六句。 為簡於彼。 故智度云。 一切經首。 當置何言。 簡異外道。 言顯正者。 真實論云。 三寶最吉祥故。 我經初說佛為佛寶。 我聞阿難及比丘眾。 名為僧寶。 如是一時舍衛國等。 所說時處。 皆為法寶。 以茲四義。 置如是等立。 所以竟。 正釋文者。 准智度論。 分六成就。 一信。 二聞。 三時。 四主。 五處。 六眾。 言如是者。 舉所聞法。 令眾生信。 名信成就。 今括諸說。 以三義釋。 初以二字。 各別訓釋。 次乃總申二字之意。 後帶我聞以解如是。 言別釋者。 自古多解。 大意不離教理行果。 故今依此四義釋之。 教能顯理為如。 文不乖義稱是。 理順教顯為如。 義不差文稱是。 依教起行為如。 順理亡相為是。 依願得果為如。 果稱於因為是。 言總申者。 顯說此經。 離四種過。 故言如是。 一離自說。 佛所說法正如是故。 二離差異。 文義決定。 皆如是故。 三離不信。 若有信者。 言如是故。 四離非法。 若正法者。 稱如是故。 後帶我聞釋如是者。 依佛地論及諸釋意。 如是總言依四義轉。 一依問答。

Sūtra: Thus have I heard: [at one time the Bhagavān was dwelling in Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍada's Park,] together with [a great assembly of monks, twelve hundred] and fifty people. / Praise: Above, the title was explained. Next, the text of the sūtra is explained. Relying on the *Buddhabhūmi-śāstra* and Master Mitian, the text of the sūtra is broadly divided into three sections. First, from "Thus have I heard" to "having arranged the seat, he sat down"—the causal conditions for the arising of the teaching, the circumstances of the sūtra being spoken—is named the "preface section". Next, from "At that time the Elder Subhūti" to "one should view [all conditioned dharmas] thus"—what is spoken by the holy teaching, directly discussing the substance of the sūtra—is named the "main body section". Finally, from "When the Buddha had spoken this sūtra" to the end of the sūtra, "having relied on the teaching and undertaken to practice it, [they] rejoiced and widely propagated it"—is named the "transmission section". Within the preface there are two parts. This passage of sūtra text is shared in common by all sūtras, hence it is named the "common preface". From "At that time" onward is the particular circumstance of this specific text, hence it is named the "particular preface". The first, by the transmitter of the Dharma, adduces verification to inspire faith; it is also named the "preface of verified faith". The latter, through the particular circumstances of the preacher's position, initiates [the discourse]; it is also named the "initiating preface". In explaining this, there are three gateways of distinction: first, the causes and conditions of its arising; second, the reasons for its statement; third, directly explaining its text. As for the causes and conditions of its arising: when the Buddha's converting conditions were finished and he was about to return to nirvāṇa, the attendant Ānanda, whose personal affection [for the Buddha] had not yet been eliminated, fainted and beat his chest on the ground, unable to revive himself. At that time, Aniruddha sprinkled water on his face and spoke to him, saying: "The Buddha entrusted the Dharma to you. Now, in your stupor and distress, you lose track of the matters for this time of entrustment. How could you be called one who protects the true Dharma? The Great Master, the World-Honoured One, is here today, but tomorrow he will be gone. If there be those who have doubts, to whom shall they ask? Relying on my words, you should ask the Buddha: When the Tathāgata was in the world, we took the Buddha as our teacher; after the World-Honoured One passes away, what shall we take as our teacher? When the Tathāgata was in the world, we dwelt relying on the Buddha; after the World-Honoured One passes away, relying on what shall we dwell? When the World-Honoured One was in the world, he himself disciplined wicked persons; after his extinction, how should we dwell together with them? When the Tathāgata was alive, he could himself preach the sūtras; after his extinction, what words should be placed at the beginning of all sūtras to cause sentient beings to have faith?" At that time, Ānanda, as if awakening from a dream, thereupon questioned the Tathāgata. The World-Honoured One told him: "After my nirvāṇa, take the precepts as your teacher; sever all evil and cultivate all good. Even if I were in the world, there would be no difference from this. Relying on the four stations of mindfulness, dwell with concentrated mind: contemplate the body as impure, contemplate feelings as suffering, contemplate the mind as impermanent, and contemplate dharmas as non-self. Thereby you will be able to eradicate the four inversions, such as permanence. Having transcended birth-and-death, you will attain the accomplishment of the holy path. Therefore, you should always dwell relying on them. Deal with wicked monks by the brahmadanda punishment: simply do not speak with them, and they will naturally be subdued. At the head of all sūtras, you should place such words as 'Thus have I heard', and then sentient beings will have faith." Because of Ānanda's request, this text was placed [here]; this is the causes and conditions of its arising here. Explaining the reasons [for its statement]: briefly, there are four meanings: first, to remove doubt; second, to cause faith to arise; third, to distinguish from the heterodox; fourth, to reveal the correct. As for removing doubt: the *Sūkṣma-vinaya* states that at the time of the council, Ānanda mounted the seat, and through the majesty and power of the Dharma, his appearance suddenly resembled that of the Buddha. The assembly gave rise to three doubts: first, they doubted that the Great Compassionate One had arisen from nirvāṇa; second, they doubted that another Buddha had come from another direction; third, they doubted that Ānanda had transformed his body and become a Buddha. By speaking "Thus [have I heard]" and so forth, the three doubts were all severed. As for generating faith: the *Mahāprajñāpāramitōpadeśa* states that stating the time, place, and persons causes faith to arise. In the great ocean of the Buddha-Dharma, faith is that by which one can enter; furthermore, it is the source of the path and the mother of merits. Moreover, to pull sentient beings out of the mire of birth-and-death, one must raise the hand of faith and extend it to the hand of teaching: the preface generates the hand of faith, while the main body is the hand of teaching; when the two hands join, one is pulled out of the mire. It is like a person who has hands going to a mountain to take jewels: if one has no hands, one returns empty-handed with nothing gained. A person with a faithful mind enters the Dharma and attains realization; if one lacks it, even though one understands, there is no benefit. Therefore, at the beginning of a sūtra, pure faith is caused to arise. As for distinguishing from the heterodox: wherever these six phrases of the sūtra text are absent, one should know that they are all subsumed under heterodox teachings. For instance, there are heterodox paths that invariably place the two words *a* and *oṃ* at the head of all teachings: *a* signifies nonexistence, and *oṃ* signifies existence, meaning that the purport of their teaching does not depart from existence and nonexistence. Now, these six phrases are placed to distinguish from them. Hence the *Mahāprajñāpāramitōpadeśa* states: "What words should be placed at the head of all sūtras to distinguish them from the heterodox?" As for revealing the correct: the *Tattvasiddhi-śāstra* states that because the Three Jewels are the most auspicious, at the beginning of our sūtras we speak of the Buddha as the Buddha Jewel; "I heard", Ānanda, and the assembly of monks are named the Saṅgha Jewel; and "Thus", "at one time", "in the state of Śrāvastī", and so forth—the time and place spoken of—are all the Dharma Jewel. It is through these four meanings that "Thus" and so forth are established. Explaining the reasons is finished. Directly explaining the text: according to the *Mahāprajñāpāramitōpadeśa*, it is divided into the six fulfillments: first, faith; second, hearing; third, time; fourth, host; fifth, place; sixth, assembly. As for "Thus": adducing the Dharma that was heard to cause sentient beings to have faith is named the fulfillment of faith. Now, gathering the various explanations, it is explained with three meanings: first, glossing and explaining the two characters separately; next, stating the general meaning of the two characters; finally, taking along "have I heard" to explain "Thus". As for explaining separately: since antiquity there have been many explanations, but their general meaning does not depart from teaching, principle, practice, and fruit; hence I now explain it according to these four meanings. The teaching being able to reveal the principle is "thus" (*ru*); the text not contradicting the meaning is "accordant/correct" (*shi*). The principle according with the teaching being revealed is "thus"; the meaning not deviating from the text is "accordant". Giving rise to practice relying on the teaching is "thus"; according with the principle and obliterating marks is "accordant". Attaining the fruit relying on the vow is "thus"; the fruit corresponding to the cause is "accordant". As for stating generally: it reveals that the speaking of this sūtra is free from four kinds of faults, hence it says "Thus": first, free from speaking of one's own accord, because the Dharma spoken by the Buddha is precisely thus; second, free from discrepancy, because the text and meaning are definitive, all being thus; third, free from lack of faith, because if there are those who have faith, they say "It is thus"; fourth, free from what is not the Dharma, because if it is the true Dharma, it matches with "Thus". Finally, as for taking along "have I heard" to explain "Thus": relying on the *Buddhabhūmi-śāstra* and the intention of various commentaries, the collective phrase "Thus" functions according to four meanings: first, relying on question and answer.