金剛般若經旨贊 1.8.4

1.8.4

具此七義。 故名為與。 此同聞眾。 而言大者。 眾數多故。 名稱高故。 皆羅漢故。 離重障故。 德難測故。 王等敬故。 向佛果故。 破外道故。 總□諸釋。 有斯大義。 比丘梵言。 具含多義。 一曰怖魔。 初出家時。 魔宮動故。 二稱乞士。 乞食及法資身心故。 三謂淨戒。 離身語意諸過惡故。 四名淨命。 離五邪求惡活命故。 五云破惡。 能破見修薰煩惱故。 言含五義。 無以譯之。 但存梵語。 顯斯五義。 由此五義。 故曰比丘。 眾者僧也。 四人已上。 理事二和。 得僧名故。 同戒見等。 名曰理和。 同布薩等名曰事和。 以和合故。 名之眾也。 千二百五十人者。 即優樓頻迦攝。 五百弟子伽耶迦攝。 那提迦攝。 各有二百五十門徒。 舍利弗。 目乾連。 共有二百五十弟子。 此等五師外道。 門徒共有一千二百五十人。 佛初成道。 初會度之。 常隨如來。 影響正法。 故諸經律。 多皆舉也。 理實亦有餘比丘眾。 以此皆是淨行出家故。 五師門徒故。 邪捨歸正故。 初會所度故。 善來得戒故。 得二解脫故人天所識故。 具斯七義。 故偏舉之。 俱者同時一處義。 前以阿難。 對彼名之為與。 此以自同時處。 名之為俱。 故與前說。 無重言失。 故總說言千二百等。 佛說經時。 應有菩薩。 而今但列聲聞眾者。 總依經論。 略顯二義。 一令餘聲聞趣大果故。 見為聲聞。 說如是法。 便生念言。 彼尚聞此。 求無上果。 我亦應然。 已迴心者。 更不退轉。 未迴心者。 亦發心故。 二令小菩薩不退轉故。 彼見聲聞。 尚能聽此。 求無上果故。 便生念言。 彼小乘人尚發勝進。 況我今者。 而生退耶。 便勵其心。 不退轉故。 由斯二義。 但列聲聞。

Because it possesses these seven meanings, it is called 'with'. In designating this assembly of fellow listeners as 'great': because their number was large; because their renown was high; because they were all arhats; because they were free from heavy obscurations; because their virtues were difficult to measure; because kings and others revered them; because they were oriented toward the fruit of buddhahood; because they destroyed non-Buddhist paths; gathering all explanations, there is this great significance.

'Bhikṣu' is a Sanskrit word that encompasses multiple meanings: first, 'terrifier of Māra', because when one first leaves household life, Māra's palace trembles; second, 'mendicant', because one begs for food and Dharma to sustain body and mind; third, 'pure precepts', because one is free from the faults and evils of body, speech, and mind; fourth, 'pure livelihood', because one is free from the five wrong livelihoods and evil ways of life; fifth, 'destroyer of evil', because one can destroy the afflictions perfumed by seeing and cultivation. The term encompasses five meanings and cannot be translated; the Sanskrit word is merely retained to reveal these five meanings. Due to these five meanings, they are called 'bhikṣus'.

'Saṅgha' is the monastic community. With four or more persons, possessing both harmony in principle and harmony in practice, they obtain the name 'saṅgha'. Sharing identical precepts, views, and so forth is called harmony in principle; sharing the same poṣadha and so forth is called harmony in practice. Because of harmony, it is called a saṅgha.

As for '1,250 persons': Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa had 500 disciples; Gayā-Kāśyapa and Nadī-Kāśyapa each had 250 followers; Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana together had 250 disciples. These five teachers of non-Buddhist paths together had 1,250 followers. When the Buddha first attained the Way, he liberated them at the first assembly. Constantly following the Tathāgata, they shadowed the true Dharma; therefore, the various sūtras and vinayas mostly mention them. In principle and actuality, there were also other assemblies of monks; but because these all left home with pure conduct, were followers of the five teachers, abandoned the erroneous to take refuge in the correct, were those liberated at the first assembly, obtained the precepts through 'Come, bhikṣu!', attained the twofold liberation, and were recognized by gods and humans—possessing these seven meanings, they are specifically mentioned.

'Together' means at the same time and in the same place. Earlier, in relation to Ānanda, it was called 'with'; here, by virtue of sharing the same time and place themselves, it is called 'together'. Therefore, there is no fault of redundant phrasing with what was said before. Thus it speaks comprehensively of '1,250 [persons] and so forth'.

When the Buddha spoke the sūtra, there should have been bodhisattvas, yet now only the śrāvaka assembly is listed. Relying generally on sūtras and treatises, two meanings are briefly revealed: first, to cause other śrāvakas to advance toward the great fruit, seeing that such Dharma was spoken for śrāvakas, they would give rise to the thought: 'Even they hear this and seek the unexcelled fruit; I should do likewise'—so that those who have already redirected their minds will no longer regress, and those who have not yet redirected their minds will also generate the aspiration; second, to cause minor bodhisattvas not to regress, seeing that even śrāvakas could listen to this and seek the unexcelled fruit, they would give rise to the thought: 'Even those of the Hinayana generate supreme progress; how much more so should I not give rise to regression now!'—thus encouraging their minds so that they do not regress. Due to these two meanings, only śrāvakas are listed.