金光明最勝王經 授記品第二十三

This apparatus takes the chapter body at 0447a03–0447b20 in T16n0665, The Sūtra of Golden Light, the Supreme King, as its base text. It reads this alongside Bestowal of Predictions, Chapter Fourteen in T16n0663 and Bestowal of Predictions, Chapter Nineteen in T16n0664, and records Zhiyi’s Textual Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light, Zhili’s Record of the Textual Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light, Jizang’s Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light, and Huizhao’s Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light, the Supreme King. Alternate names across the three translations, transmitted character variants, and the masters’ different explanations are placed side by side without adjudicating which is superior.

Doctrinal-Outline Placement

1. Chapter Body and Scriptural Sequence

The base-text chapter title is 「金光明最勝王經授記品第二十三」—“The Sūtra of Golden Light, the Supreme King, Bestowal of Predictions, Chapter Twenty-Three” 〔T16n0665 0447a02〕. Its body begins with 「爾時，如來於大眾中廣說法已」—“At that time, after the Tathāgata had extensively taught the Dharma before the great assembly” 〔T16n0665 0447a03〕 and ends with 「歡喜信受」—“rejoiced and accepted it in faith” 〔T16n0665 0447b20〕. It contains 752 Han characters, four top-level paragraphs, and forty-seven line markers, with no verse or interlinear notes; 「𤦲」—“the rare transmitted character shown here”—occurs once 〔T16n0665 0447b05〕.

The scripture first relates that the Tathāgata intends to bestow predictions upon Wonderful Banner and his two sons, while ten thousand divine princes arrive at the assembly. It then predicts in sequence the buddhahood of Wonderful Banner, Silver Banner, and Silver Light, followed by the ten thousand divine princes, who share one lineage and one name and successively become ten thousand buddhas. The deity of the bodhi tree doubts why the divine princes receive predictions after coming only briefly to hear the Dharma. She itemizes the practices and relinquishments she has never heard them undertake and asks the Buddha to dispel her doubt. The Buddha replies with their present relinquishment of desire and hearing of the sūtra, their earnest regard for it, their hearing of the predictions, and the causes and conditions of right conduct and vows cultivated long in the past. The chapter ends with the tree deity rejoicing and accepting his words in faith.

2. Huizhao’s Outline Remains Only in the Apparatus

Huizhao first treats the chapter through three gates—reason for arrival, explanation of the name, and resolution of difficulties. His reason for arrival reads, 「授記品二十三，三門分別。言來意者，就學行流通有五，此即第五成前諸品令學行意。有三：一為授記、二為除疑、三更重勸。此初也。」—“Bestowal of Predictions, Chapter Twenty-Three, is distinguished through three gates. As for the reason for arrival: within the circulation concerned with learning and practice there are five; this is the fifth, completing the intention of the preceding chapters by causing learning and practice. It has three purposes: first, to bestow predictions; second, to remove doubt; and third, to exhort again with added force. This is the first” 〔T39n1788 0321c26〕. After entering the chapter, he first divides it into the gathering of the assembly and the bestowal of predictions. After the three great beings receive predictions, he makes the ten thousand divine princes a second major section, divided into bestowal, arising doubt, dispelling doubt, and joyful faith. These are all Huizhao’s divisions. They are not written backward as the sūtra’s own statements, and no additional outline numbers are inserted into the reader layer of this chapter.

Alternate Translations · Collation of the Three Translations

1. Shared Title, Corresponding Chapter Body, and Translation Attributions

The gathering, predictions of the three great beings, predictions of the ten thousand divine princes, the tree deity’s arising doubt, and the Tathāgata’s dispelling of doubt align directly section by section in all three recensions. Thus the chapter bodies correspond in addition to sharing the same title. All three are direct witnesses to this chapter; none is described through a framework of supplement, accretion, lost text, or unique material.

2. Continuous Six-Segment Alignment of the Whole Chapter

3. Name Correspondences and Original-Character Clusters across the Translations

The table below transcribes the original characters in every cell and attaches the line containing each phrase’s first character. Each recension retains its own names. Faith-Aspect, Silver Mark, the Blazing King of Majestic Virtue, Daoli, and the world Golden Illumination in T663 and T664 are not used to alter T665.

The correspondence between Wonderful Banner and Faith-Aspect also agrees with what this edition records earlier. Zhiyi explains Faith-Aspect through 「信家之相」—“the characteristic of faith” 〔T39n1785 0054b17〕; in the Right Treatise on Royal Dharma chapter, Mighty Honored Banner and Wonderful Banner likewise correspond to Mighty Honored Aspect and Faith-Aspect in the older recensions. This demonstrates only that the name correspondences are consistent within this edition. It supplies no reason to alter the characters of any recension.

4. Complete Table of Character Variants in the T663 and T664 Chapter Bodies

The table below collates the two expressly delimited chapter bodies character by character while retaining their original punctuation. It yields seventy-eight non-identical segments; insertions, deletions, and substitutions are all listed. “Absent” means that the recension has no character there. Neither punctuation nor graphic variants are normalized.

Differences such as 殷／慇, 硨磲碼／車𤦲馬, 臥具／床臥, 受／授, 惟／唯, and 以／已, together with the punctuation differences, are all preserved according to their witnesses. No choice between them is made on the basis of smoother or less smooth meaning.

Scriptural Grounds for the Consciousness-Only Meaning (the Point of the Eye)

1. What the Sūtra Directly States and Huizhao’s Mirror

The sequence of cause and result directly stated by the sūtra has two sides. In the predictions of the three great beings, time, land, fruit, name, and successive accession to the Buddha’s place are entrusted one by one. The ten thousand divine princes hear the predictions and the sūtra, become joyful and pure, and receive predictions when the Tathāgata knows that their roots of goodness have matured. The tree deity does not immediately treat brief hearing of the Dharma as a fruit without cause. She lists the long cultivation, difficult practices, relinquishments, and offerings to buddhas of which she has never heard and asks about causes and conditions, excellent practice, and roots of goodness. The Buddha first confirms that only after arduous cultivation of excellent roots does one receive a prediction; he then speaks of the divine princes’ present relinquishment of desire and hearing of the sūtra, their earnest regard for it, their hearing of the three great beings’ predictions, and their past right conduct and vows. This is the range that can be established directly on the level of the sūtra.

Huizhao explains the title: 「授者付也與也，記者分別也驗也。為其分別，驗其當果，而以與之，故名授記。」—“Bestowing means entrusting and giving; prediction means distinguishing and verifying. One distinguishes for them and verifies their future fruit, then gives it to them; therefore it is called bestowal of prediction” 〔T39n1788 0322a01〕. He also divides Wonderful Banner’s first prediction into five items: marking the name, predicting the time, predicting the land, predicting the fruit, and predicting the name. He divides the prediction of the ten thousand divine princes into eight: marking the sequence, stating the name, predicting the time, predicting the land, predicting the fruit, predicting the lineage, predicting the name, and predicting the sequence. These sets of five and eight are the commentator’s mirror for examining the completeness of the scriptural text; they are not outline labels enumerated by the sūtra itself.

2. All Alternate Explanations within Huizhao’s Commentary

Every branch in Huizhao’s principal commentary on this chapter marked as possible, another explanation, one account, and the like is listed below in its order of appearance. No single explanation is selected.

1. Why predictions are bestowed at this time. One explanation centers on cutting off the assembly’s doubts and encouraging it to uphold the sūtra, and says that Wonderful Banner had already entered the eighth ground and previously received a prediction. Its counterquestion adds, 「不爾，應前〈滅業障品〉後或〈蓮華讚品〉後與其授記。」—“Otherwise, his prediction should have been bestowed earlier, after the Extinguishing Karmic Obstructions chapter or after the Praise through the Lotus Simile chapter” 〔T39n1788 0322a11〕. Another explanation reads, 「又解：應前與記，此方記者含多義故，一與妙幢等記、二復為成前。」—“Another explanation: the prediction should have been given earlier, but it is stated here because it contains many meanings: first, bestowing predictions upon Wonderful Banner and the others; second, further completing what came before” 〔T39n1788 0322a15〕. It continues, 「又前十千時未赴會，亦顯一聞皆得作佛，況久修學不得佛耶？故此時記，一言多益，故亦無過。」—“Moreover, the ten thousand had not yet come to the assembly at the earlier time. This also reveals that all who hear even once can become buddhas; how much more could those who have long cultivated and trained fail to attain buddhahood? Therefore the prediction is given at this time: one utterance has many benefits, and thus there is no fault” 〔T39n1788 0322a17〕. As to why the ten thousand who heard briefly are predicted while the rest of the assembly is not, the commentary further sets side by side 「彼根熟故，此未熟故」—“because their roots are mature, while these others’ are not” 〔T39n1788 0322a20〕, 「又眾已聞持經作佛；此未聞故」—“again, the assembly had already heard that upholding the sūtra leads to buddhahood, while these had not heard it” 〔T39n1788 0322a20〕, and 「又宜爾故」—“again, because it was fitting that it be so” 〔T39n1788 0322a21〕.
2. Who can bestow a general prediction. In addition to the six kinds of persons able to bestow it, the commentary preserves, 「或不愚法定性二乘，信有大乘，亦得總記。」—“Or fixed-nature practitioners of the two vehicles who are not dull with respect to Dharma and believe that the Great Vehicle exists may also bestow a general prediction” 〔T39n1788 0322c10〕. Those predicted are four: persons at the lineage stage, persons at the stage of arousing the mind, indeterminate practitioners of the two vehicles, and great bodhisattvas. When hidden prediction and equal intention are considered, prediction also extends to persons of fixed nature and persons without a nature.
3. Present and not present. One account reads, 「或得無生忍名現前，未得者名不現前。」—“Or those who have attained acceptance of non-arising are called present, while those who have not attained it are called not present” 〔T39n1788 0323a01〕. Another reads, 「或在座名為現前，身不在坐名不現前。」—“Or those seated in the assembly are called present, while those whose bodies are not seated there are called not present” 〔T39n1788 0323a02〕. Both remain.
4. What the term eon denotes. Huizhao first lists five kinds: day, night, month, season, and year. He then sets out eight routes: 「或說飢饉、疫病、刀兵以為三劫。或說一增一減為一劫，如二十住劫等。或說八十增減為一劫，即火災劫。或說七火為一劫，即水災劫。或說八七火一七水為一劫，即風災劫。或說無量風災為一劫，即三大僧祇劫。或說二八十劫為一劫，如此賢劫。或說多八十劫為一劫，即星宿劫等，盡彼千佛出世時量，總名一星宿劫故。」—“Or famine, epidemic, and weapons are called three eons. Or one increase and one decrease are called an eon, as with the twenty abiding eons and the like. Or eighty increases and decreases are called an eon, namely an eon of fire disaster. Or seven fires are called an eon, namely an eon of water disaster. Or eight sets of seven fires and one set of seven waters are called an eon, namely an eon of wind disaster. Or measureless wind disasters are called an eon, namely the three great incalculable eons. Or two sets of eighty eons are called an eon, as with this Good Eon. Or many sets of eighty eons are called an eon, as with the Constellation Eon and the like, because the entire span in which its thousand buddhas appear is collectively called one Constellation Eon” 〔T39n1788 0323b11〕. For the eons in this chapter, the commentary further judges, 「即過增減或風災等，非大僧祇，修行成佛不過三故。」—“They are eons of increase and decrease, wind disaster, or the like that have passed, not great incalculable eons, because cultivation to buddhahood does not exceed three” 〔T39n1788 0323b21〕.
5. Resolving the difficulty of leaping over eons. Huizhao lists two explanations and also preserves an expedient account. The first is, 「一云：或有一類住遊觀心多，或耽滅定久，對此有超。」—“One account: some classes dwell much in a mind of roaming contemplation, while others remain long absorbed in the attainment of cessation; relative to these there is leaping” 〔T39n1788 0323c01〕. The second is, 「一云：悲增智增怖不怖類地地各齊，然說超者，以智望悲增者說超。」—“One account: those of increased compassion and increased wisdom, and the fearful and fearless classes, are each equal ground by ground; when leaping is spoken of, however, it is said by comparing those of increased wisdom with those of increased compassion” 〔T39n1788 0323c07〕. It also preserves, 「或是化相方便說超，非是實爾。」—“Or leaping may be spoken of expediently as a manifested appearance and is not actually so” 〔T39n1788 0323c11〕.
6. Cause, condition, practice, root, and the attachment of the question. Cause and condition may be explained as, 「或自行名因、善友為緣」—“or one’s own practice is called the cause and a spiritual friend the condition” 〔T39n1788 0324a08〕. Practice and root have three further pairs: 「或能起修得當果義名行，能生後善因義名根。」—“or what can initiate cultivation and attain the future fruit is called practice, while what can produce subsequent goodness as its cause is called root” 〔T39n1788 0324a10〕; 「或初起名根，後修名行，即體無別。」—“or the initial arising is called root and subsequent cultivation is called practice, their substance being no different” 〔T39n1788 0324a11〕; and 「又十度名行，十供養名根，即義少別。」—“again, the ten perfections are called practice and the ten offerings are called roots; in meaning they differ slightly” 〔T39n1788 0324a12〕. Regarding the question about coming from that heaven, it also preserves, 「又觀，或由聞而得授記，此即無疑，但疑何因從天而下得聞此經因得授記？」—“Another observation: perhaps receiving a prediction through hearing is itself not in doubt; the doubt concerns only what cause enabled them to descend from heaven, hear this sūtra, and thereby receive predictions” 〔T39n1788 0324a15〕.

All these branches remain within Huizhao’s mirror. At the scriptural level, only the sūtra’s own causes and conditions, excellent practice, roots of goodness, and the Buddha’s reply are retained; no commentarial explanation is turned into the sole meaning of the sūtra.

3. Different Characters in Huizhao’s Cited Text

The cited wording is a transmission event belonging to T1788 itself and is therefore attached only to the commentary’s anchors. The sentences of T665 remain attached to T665; the commentary’s citation does not alter the base text in reverse.

Explanations of Various Masters

1. Zhiyi’s T39n1785 Textual Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light

Zhiyi’s chapter title occurs at 0080a13, and his line-by-line commentary extends through 0080a14–0080b20; the next line has already entered the Curing Illness chapter. The fascicle title is 「金光明經文句卷第六」—“The Textual Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light, Fascicle Six” 〔T39n1785 0078b02〕. This fascicle bears the attribution 「隋天台智者大師說」—“Taught by the Tiantai Great Master Zhizhe of the Sui” 〔0078b04〕 and the recording attribution 「門人灌頂錄」—“Recorded by his disciple Guanding” 〔0078b05〕, each in its sixth occurrence.

His opening says character for character, 「有四種授記，今是二種〔云云〕。授者與也，記者記成道事也。」—“There are four kinds of prediction; here there are two, and so forth. Bestowing means giving; prediction records the event of accomplishing the path” 〔T39n1785 0080a14〕. He divides the whole passage into bestowal of predictions and doubt about the predictions. Bestowal is further divided between the three great beings and the ten thousand divine princes; doubt is divided into the doubtful question and the Buddha’s reply, with present conduct and distant conditions used to explain the reply. These are Zhiyi’s line-by-line divisions and interpretations. They are not moved into T665 as the sūtra’s own outline labels; the final T665 sentence in which the tree deity rejoices and accepts in faith has no line-by-line sentence in Zhiyi’s commentary to which it can be attached.

2. Zhili’s T39n1786 Record of the Textual Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light

Zhili’s work is a line-by-line record explaining the Textual Commentary. The fascicle containing this chapter is titled 「金光明經文句記卷第六〔上〕」—“Record of the Textual Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light, Fascicle Six, Part One” 〔0149c15〕 and attributed 「宋四明沙門知禮述」—“Composed by the Song-dynasty śramaṇa Zhili of Siming” 〔0149c17〕. The fascicle immediately begins with the explicit outline 「釋〈授記品〉，二：初、解題」—“Explanation of the Bestowal of Predictions chapter, in two: first, explanation of the title” 〔T39n1786 0149c18〕. It continues from 0149c18 through 0150b26; only at 0150b27 does it turn to the Curing Illness chapter. This is an existing line-by-line witness taken into this edition for the first time here.

At the passage where the world’s name changes, Zhili lists four cases character for character: 「世界轉名淨幢者，應論四句者，一名轉土不轉，轉名淨幢是也。二土轉名不轉，如往古釋迦取土名娑婆，今釋迦亦名娑婆。三名土俱轉，如觀音補彌陀處。四名土俱不轉，如今銀光補金幢光照佛處，世界名字如本不異。此中是一者，恐誤，合云二也。」—“Regarding the world being renamed Pure Banner, four cases should be discussed. First, the name changes but the land does not: its being renamed Pure Banner is such a case. Second, the land changes but the name does not: just as a Śākyamuni in the distant past took a land named Sahā, and the present Śākyamuni’s is also named Sahā. Third, both name and land change, as when Avalokiteśvara succeeds to Amitābha’s place. Fourth, neither name nor land changes, as now when Silver Light succeeds to Golden-Banner Illuminating-Light Buddha’s place and the world’s name remains unchanged from before. That this is called the first case here is perhaps an error; it should say the second” 〔T39n1786 0150a11〕. On the divine princes’ arising understanding upon hearing the sūtra, he also preserves, 「或相似解或分真解，經無定判，故須從容。」—“It may be a semblance understanding or a partial true understanding. The sūtra makes no definite judgment, so one must leave the matter open” 〔T39n1786 0150a17〕. Both places are recorded as transmitted and set side by side; this edition does not decide one side on Zhili’s behalf.

3. Jizang’s T39n1787 Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light

Jizang’s line-by-line commentary on this chapter extends through 0171b02–0171b18; at 0171b19 it has already entered the Treating Illness chapter. The work is attributed 「沙門吉藏撰」—“Composed by the śramaṇa Jizang” 〔0160a27〕. His explanation of the name says, 「授者與也，記者決也。與信相等決得佛果，故名授記品。」—“Bestowing means giving, and prediction means determining. It gives Faith-Aspect and the others the determination that they will attain the fruit of buddhahood; therefore it is called the Bestowal of Predictions chapter” 〔T39n1787 0171b07〕. He divides the whole passage into four: the predicted assembly gathers, the predictions are formally clarified, the tree deity gives rise to doubt, and the Tathāgata dispels the doubt. He further explains causes and conditions through the inner wholesome cause cultivated and the outer condition of the Tathāgata’s original vow, and also through hearing the sūtra as wholesome cause and hearing the predictions as condition. These are all Jizang’s divisions. The final T665 sentence in which the tree deity rejoices and accepts in faith has no line-by-line sentence in Jizang’s commentary to which it can be attached.

4. Profound-Meaning Layer: T1783 and T1784

Zhiyi’s T39n1783 Profound Meaning of the Sūtra of Golden Light contains no line-by-line passage on the Bestowal of Predictions chapter. Zhili’s T39n1784 Supplementary Record to the Profound Meaning of the Sūtra of Golden Light explains the Profound Meaning and likewise contains no line-by-line passage on this chapter. Zhili himself distinguishes the works: 「初釋題，即玄義；二釋文，即文句。」—“First, explaining the title is the Profound Meaning; second, explaining the text is the Textual Commentary” 〔T39n1784 0015a10〕. T1784 is therefore listed only as side illumination at the profound-meaning layer and cannot be conflated with the line-by-line record in T1786.

5. Recorded Together without Adjudicating

Zhiyi interprets through the four kinds of prediction, present conduct and distant conditions, and the complete realization of the three virtues. Zhili’s Record of the Textual Commentary carries forward those divisions and meanings while preserving multiple routes concerning the four cases of land and name and the understanding arising from hearing the sūtra. Jizang explains doubt through four divisions, inner cause and outer condition, and hearing the sūtra and hearing the predictions. Working from T665, Huizhao divides the three great beings, ten thousand divine princes, and question and reply in detail, while preserving multiple families of possible explanation. The four masters rely on different translations and contemplative approaches. Their works and layers are recorded without adjudicating the relative superiority of their doctrines.

Where the characters of T665’s names, its long list of offerings, and its final sentence of the tree deity’s joyful faith have no corresponding line-by-line sentence in the older recension used by Zhiyi and Jizang, they are recorded as having no direct correspondence. General outlines from the older commentaries, side illuminations from the profound-meaning layer, and explanations of other chapters are not falsely attached as line-by-line commentary on these base-text sentences.

Terminology

Similes · Rhetoric

1. Empty Space and Pure Beryl

After the ten thousand divine princes hear the three great beings’ predictions and again hear this sūtra, the scripture says their minds are 「清淨無垢，猶如虛空」—“pure and stainless, like empty space” 〔T16n0665 0447a22〕. In the Buddha’s reply, it again says that their earnest regard for the sūtra is 「如淨琉璃無諸瑕穢」—“like pure beryl without flaw or impurity” 〔T16n0665 0447b16〕. Both similes directly describe the divine princes’ minds after hearing the Dharma. They should not be transferred to the buddha-land, buddha-name, or prediction itself.

2. The Long List Gives Weight to the Question

The tree deity does not say merely that the divine princes seem not to have practiced for long. She enumerates the six perfections, difficult ascetic practices, bodily relinquishment, relatives and possessions, vehicles and servants, palaces and gardens, many jewels, food and clothing, bedding and medicine; she then cites long offerings to buddhas and boundless eons. This long list grounds her question in identifiable practices and spans of time. The Vernacular must preserve the items rather than compressing them into “various gifts.”

3. The Sequence of the Three Great Beings and the Shared Name of the Ten Thousand

The predictions of Wonderful Banner, Silver Banner, and Silver Light advance by successive accession to the Buddha’s place within the same world. The prediction of the ten thousand divine princes advances through their shared lineage and name while they appear in the world in sequence. The first records each person distinctly; the second is a common prediction that nevertheless has an order of appearance. The two narrative forms must not be flattened into each other.

Cross-Reading · Carrying Forward

1. Cross-Reading the Names within This Edition

Wonderful Banner or Faith-Aspect, Silver Banner or Silver Mark, Supreme Light or the Blazing King of Majestic Virtue, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three or Daoli, and the worlds Golden Light or Golden Illumination are stable names within their respective translations. Zhiyi’s explanation in Chapter 2, 「信家之相」—“the characteristic of faith” 〔T39n1785 0054b17〕, and the correspondences in Chapter 20 between Mighty Honored Banner and Wonderful Banner on one side and Mighty Honored Aspect and Faith-Aspect on the other agree with the name correspondences here. Cross-reading identifies the figures; it is not used to alter the base text.

2. Chapter 24 Directly Carries This Chapter Forward

The Buddha’s reply in this chapter already says that the ten thousand divine princes receive predictions 「亦由過去久修正行誓願因緣」—“also through causes and conditions of right conduct and vows long cultivated in the past” 〔T16n0665 0447b17〕. The next chapter immediately begins, 「是十千天子本願因緣，今為汝說。」—“I will now explain to you the causes and conditions of the original vows of these ten thousand divine princes” 〔T16n0665 0447b23〕. Thus this chapter briefly points to their past right conduct and vows, while Chapter 24 directly begins to explain the causes and conditions of their original vows. This connection is established by the sūtra text of the two chapters themselves. Huizhao separately classifies this chapter as the abbreviated reply and the following two chapters as the extensive reply 〔T39n1788 0324a24〕; the two layers remain distinct.

3. Carrying Forward

Zhiyi opens the passage through four kinds of prediction, present conduct, and distant conditions; Zhili records and carries forward his divisions and meanings; Jizang views it through inner cause and outer condition and through hearing the sūtra and hearing the prediction; Huizhao, working from the new translation, separately analyzes predicted time, land, fruit, and name and the eight items of the divine princes’ prediction. The path of transmission allows the same prediction and resolution of doubt to disclose its meaning within each master’s scriptural recension and contemplative approach, while preserving that sūtra is sūtra and commentary is commentary, and allowing alternate translations and explanations to remain without consuming one another.

Placement of the Editions

1. Base text: T16n0665, The Sūtra of Golden Light, the Supreme King, fascicle nine; chapter title at 0447a02 and chapter body 0447a03–0447b20. The body has 752 Han characters, no verse, and no interlinear notes; 𤦲 occurs once at 0447b05.
2. Collated recensions: T16n0663, Bestowal of Predictions, Chapter Fourteen, 0351a02–0351b22; T16n0664, Bestowal of Predictions, Chapter Nineteen, 0394a13–0394c04. Both have the same title and corresponding body as the base text and align with it section by section.
3. Huizhao’s commentary: T39n1788, chapter title at 0321c25 and principal commentary 0321c26–0324b06; 0324b07 has already entered the Curing Illness chapter. This chapter is in fascicle six of the commentary, whose fascicle title is at 0318a19 and attribution reads 「翻經沙門慧沼撰」—“Composed by the translation śramaṇa Huizhao” 〔0318a22〕, the sixth occurrence of the attribution. Material around 0181c, 0182c, and 0191c belongs to the opening table of contents and is not used as the principal commentary on this chapter.
4. Zhiyi’s T39n1785 Textual Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light: chapter title at 0080a13 and line-by-line commentary 0080a14–0080b20; it follows Dharmakṣema’s recension.
5. Zhili’s T39n1786 Record of the Textual Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light: attribution in fascicle six, part one, at 0149c17 and line-by-line record for this chapter at 0149c18–0150b26; it remains a different work and layer from T1784, the Supplementary Record to the Profound Meaning.
6. Jizang’s T39n1787 Commentary on the Sūtra of Golden Light: line-by-line commentary at 0171b02–0171b18; it follows Dharmakṣema’s recension.
7. Profound-meaning layer: neither T39n1783 nor T39n1784 contains a line-by-line passage on this chapter. Presence and absence are recorded according to the files on disk; side illumination from the profound-meaning layer is not used to fabricate line-by-line commentary.
8. This apparatus relies only on sūtras and records of ancient masters. It cites no modern scholar and does not replace anciently transmitted sound-forms or characters with readings from modern editions.