金剛般若經疏 1.8

1.8

Third, regarding the opening and combining: In Paramārtha's notes, it is opened into seven items: 1. 'Thus' indicates the Dharma that was heard; 2. 'I' distinguishes the person capable of hearing; 3. 'heard' is personal reception of the verbal instructions; 4. 'at one time' shows that what was heard was well-suited to the appropriate time; 5. 'the Buddha' clarifies the presiding speaker; 6. the 'dwelling place' shows that the exposition had a location; 7. 'great bhikṣus, etc.' shows that it was not heard alone. In the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, 'I heard' is combined as one, and six meanings are stated in total: 1. faith, 2. hearing, 3. time, 4. lord, 5. place, and 6. assembly. Bodhisattva Vasubandhu's Prajñāpradīpa-śāstra also has six meanings; hence his verse says: 'The first three clarify the disciple; the latter three attest to the teacher's exposition; for all sūtras, their circumstances are thus.' Some cite the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkopadeśa as saying that the prologue attesting faith is divided into six accomplishments, which is an error. Alternatively, it is divided into five in general, as in the Buddhabhūmyupadeśa: 1. generally revealing what was already heard; 2. the time of expounding the sūtra; 3. clarifying the presiding master of the sūtra's exposition; 4. the place where the sūtra was expounded; 5. the co-hearing assembly. That is, it combines 'Thus have I heard' into one. Now, as an assisting explanation, it may also be divided into five, taking the speaker as one. However, the Buddha's exposition of the Dharma is free of four kinds of faults: 1. free of non-Dharma, which is 'Thus'; 2. free of non-receptacle, which is 'I heard', [meaning] this bhikṣu; 3. free of improper time, which is 'at one time'; 4. free of improper place, being in Śrāvastī, etc. Alternatively, it may be synthesized into four: the seven items explained by Tripiṭaka Master Paramārtha are synthesized into only four. First, 'Thus' clarifies the Dharma that was heard; next, 'have I heard' distinguishes the person capable of hearing; the next two attest to the Dharma that was heard; the last two attest to the person capable of hearing. Another explanation says: capable of expounding, capable of receiving, that which is studied, and that upon which it relies; hence it is divided into four. The Buddha is the lord capable of expounding; the bhikṣu who heard it is the recipient of the teaching; 'Thus' is the Dharma that is studied; 'at one time' and the place are that upon which the exposition relies. This is because the receptive disciples comprise an assembly as well as individuals, and the basis upon which the Dharma is expounded consists of time and place. Alternatively, they are combined into three, which are the aforementioned Three Jewels. Again, based on the meaning in the Buddhabhūmi[-upadeśa], it may be divided into three: 1. generally revealing what was already heard and the time the teaching was expounded; 2. specifically revealing the master of the teaching and the place where it was expounded; 3. the faculties addressed by the teaching. Alternatively, they may be combined into three persons and two dharmas: persons receive the Dharma to fulfill virtue; the Dharma relies on persons to be propagated; the two mutually assist and are cause and effect to one another. 1. The Buddha, 2. 'I heard', and 3. the assembly of bhikṣus—these three pertain to persons. 1. 'Thus', 2. time, and 3. place—these three pertain to dharmas. Among persons there are teacher and disciple, and among disciples there is transmission and attestation; among dharmas there are nominal and real, and within the nominal are time and place; thus they are synthesized into two. Alternatively, they are combined into one, namely the universal prologue attesting faith.