金剛般若經疏 1.13

1.13

真諦三藏說時有十義。一佛出世時。二說正法時。三聽正法時。四持正法。五思正法時。六修正法時。七下善種時。八成熟善根時。謂生國中猶四念處。九解脫善根時。謂聽法說法持法思法靜心修習。具此五事得入解脫。十心平等時。若下若高聽法不入。若作棄捨正法心此是無明不平等心聽亦不入。若能拔沈□浮念捨平等得入正法故名平等。捨心時具此十義故名一時。後問答辨者。一問一之與時何法為體。答皆是假法不相應行。依色心立。即數與時二種為體。法界法處亦即數識世識所收。二問大乘過未既非實有。於三世中如何立時。答時有二義。一道理時。即約法體五蘊諸行剎那生滅。唯有一念現在之法。然有酬前引後之義。即以所酬假名過去。即以所引假名未。對此二種說為現在。令說聽者五蘊諸法剎那生滅前後相續事。諸究竟假立三世總名一時。非一生滅之一時也。二唯識心之上。變作三時相狀而起。理實唯有現一念心。令說聽者隨心分限變作短長事結終說總名一時。如夢所見。謂有多生覺位唯心都無實境。三問說聽一念生已即滅。如何識上聚集解生。答雖唯一念。然前前聞者熏習成種。後識心上速帶解生。是故文義聚集顯現。如言諸惡者莫作。至作字時前之四字一時聚集。乃至一偈一章一品連帶亦爾。故雖無過未而說受義成因。此應明五心之義。如別章說。四問如何不言四八等時。答一日一月照四天下。長短喧寒近遠晝夜諸方不定恒。二天下同起用故。又漏已下上諸天等。無此四時及八時業。經擬上地諸方流通。若說四時流行不遍故亦不定。約成道已後年數時節。由三乘凡聖所見不同。佛身報化年歲短長成道已來近遠各不同故。經擬三乘凡聖同聞故不定說。成道已後若干年歲。雖諸經典下別文中有說四時十二時等。即此經食時著衣乃至敷座而坐日正午時。或說成是近遠時等。皆隨一方眾生聞見結集之家。且作是說。然非一部。初總明時。今初總明故但言一。五問時中凡聖殊。今但總言一處中淨穢別如何說定方。答處中唯淨穢標處可定知。時中萬品差不准。唯言一一念根宜凡聖勝劣利鈍長短有多差別不可定准。故處可定說而時但總言。

Tripiṭaka Master Paramārtha states that 'time' has ten meanings: First, the time when a Buddha appears in the world; second, the time when the true Dharma is preached; third, the time when the true Dharma is heard; fourth, the time when the true Dharma is upheld; fifth, the time when the true Dharma is contemplated; sixth, the time when the true Dharma is cultivated; seventh, the time when good seeds are planted; eighth, the time when roots of goodness mature—meaning being born in a central land and practicing the four applications of mindfulness; ninth, the time when roots of goodness bring liberation—meaning listening to the Dharma, preaching the Dharma, upholding the Dharma, contemplating the Dharma, and cultivating with a quiet mind, for by possessing these five matters one attains entry into liberation; tenth, the time when the mind is impartial: if [the mind is] low or haughty, listening to the Dharma will not penetrate it; if one generates a mind that abandons the true Dharma, this is an ignorant and uneven mind, and listening will likewise not penetrate it; but if one can uproot sinking [and] floating thoughts, abandon them and attain impartiality, one gains entry into the true Dharma, hence it is called impartial. At the time of a mind of equanimity, possessing these ten meanings, it is therefore called 'at one time.' Next is the analysis through questions and answers. First question: As for 'one' and 'time,' what dharmas constitute their essence? Answer: Both are nominal dharmas, conditioned factors not associated with mind, established on the basis of form and mind; that is, the two kinds—number and time—constitute their essence. They are also subsumed under the dharmadhātu and the āyatana of dharmas, as well as under the cognition of number and the cognition of time. Second question: Since past and future are not real entities in the Mahāyāna, how is time established among the three times? Answer: Time has two meanings. First, the time of the nature of principle: this is based on the entity of dharmas, the five aggregates and all conditioned processes arising and perishing from moment to moment. There is only the dharma of the present single thought-moment; yet it has the function of repaying the prior and drawing forth the posterior. Thus, taking that which is repaid, it is nominally designated 'the past'; taking that which is drawn forth, it is nominally designated 'the future.' In relation to these two kinds, it is spoken of as 'the present.' For the speaker and listener, the five aggregates and all dharmas arise and perish moment to moment in an antecedent-consequent succession; when all the matters are culminated, the three times are nominally established and collectively termed 'at one time'—it is not the 'one time' of a single arising and perishing. Second, upon the mind of vijñapti-mātra, it arises by transforming into the appearance of the three times. In reality of principle, there is only the present single thought-moment of mind; yet it causes the speaker and listener, in accordance with the capacities of their minds, to transform it into long or short durations; when the matter concludes and finishes, it is collectively termed 'at one time.' Just as in what is seen in a dream, where one supposes there are many lifetimes, but upon waking there is only mind and no real external object whatsoever. Third question: If the single thought-moment of speaking and listening perishes as soon as it arises, how do they gather on the consciousness so that understanding is generated? Answer: Although there is only a single thought-moment, nonetheless, what was heard earlier perfuses and forms seeds, and on the subsequent conscious mind, it rapidly brings about understanding. For this reason, the words and meanings are manifested collectively. Just as when saying 'Do not commit any evils' (諸惡莫作): when one reaches the character 'commit' (作), the preceding four characters are gathered at one time; this is likewise true of the connection carrying through a single verse, a single chapter, or a single section. Therefore, although there is no past or future, speaking of receiving the meaning successfully forms the cause. Here the meaning of the five minds should be clarified, as explained in a separate chapter. Fourth question: Why does it not speak of the four [seasons], the eight [periods of the day], and so forth? Answer: The single sun and single moon illuminate the four continents, where length and shortness, heat and cold, proximity and distance, day and night, are not fixed across the various regions; and two continents constantly operate simultaneously. Moreover, the various devas from the desire realm upward do not have the karma of these four seasons or eight periods. Since the sūtra is intended to circulate in the higher realms and all directions, if it were to speak of the four seasons, its circulation would not be universal; therefore, they are also not fixed. In terms of the number of years and seasons after the attainment of awakening: because what is seen by the ordinary persons and noble ones of the three vehicles differs, and because the years and duration of the Buddha's reward body and transformation body, as well as the proximity or distance of the time since his attainment of awakening, are each different, the sūtra is intended for common hearing by the ordinary and noble of the three vehicles, and hence it does not make a definite statement [of years]. As for the number of years after attaining awakening: although in particular passages below in various sūtras there are mentions of the four seasons, twelve hours, and so forth—just as in this sūtra, 'at mealtime, putting on robes,' up to 'spreading the seat and sitting,' which is midday; or speaking of whether the attainment was near or far in time, and so forth—these are all provisional statements made by the compilers in accordance with what the sentient beings of a particular region heard and saw. However, they are not the initial comprehensive clarification of the time for an entire scripture. Here, at the beginning, it provides a comprehensive clarification, and therefore merely says 'one.' Fifth question: Within time, ordinary persons and noble ones are different, yet now it only speaks collectively of 'one'; in location, the pure and the defiled are distinct, so how can a definite location be stated? Answer: In location, there are only the pure and defiled, and by designating the place it can be definitely known. In time, there are ten thousand varied distinctions without standard: merely saying 'one' takes into account that for each thought-moment, capacity, ordinary and noble, superior and inferior, sharp and dull, long and short, there are many differences that cannot be definitively fixed. Therefore, the place can be definitely stated, whereas the time is only spoken of collectively.