解脫道論 念佛功德與修行
十念之首是念佛。本段明說「令起佛功德為相」，又說「恭敬為味，增長信為處」。此下二千三百字一段到底，先逐釋十號，再以四種行列本昔因緣、自拔身、得勝法與饒益世間。
十號所列十名，下文逐釋者九：「佛世尊」不別立釋，釋文又以「阿羅漢」當所列的「應供」，保留不強配。四種行依原次第是本昔因緣、起自身、得勝法、作世間饒益；各節分別列多生願行、出家成道、十力十四智十八法與世間饒益。
本單元有五個「當念……」收句，句式相近而用語小異：有的作「以此門、以此行」，有的作「以眾願門」「以眾行門」。這只能用來辨認本單元內的幾段內容，不擴成閱讀一切長段的規則。
本生長列的項目界線多處未明，應依原序保存，不強行分配。其後另以「復次當念猴生」敘見人落坑、慈心拔出、設樹根菓供養、被破頭而仍以慈悲說法。原文沒有說明猴生另起或敘得較長的原因，不以詳略推定論主重意。
功德現念，其心成信；信念自在，心常不亂；不亂則滅蓋禪分起。念佛以信入門，也以信收工。
Recollection of the Buddha is the first of the ten recollections. This passage explicitly says that it has “causing the Buddha's qualities to arise” as its characteristic, “reverence” as its function, and “increase of faith” as its basis. The single passage then runs for more than 2,300 characters: first explaining the ten titles one by one, then using four practices to list former causes and conditions, raising himself up, attaining the supreme Dhamma, and benefiting the world.
Ten titles are listed, but nine are explained below. “Buddha Blessed One” receives no separate explanation, and the exposition uses “Arahant” for the listed “Worthy of Offerings.” The mismatch is preserved rather than forced into correspondence. The four practices, in source order, are former causes and conditions, raising himself up, attaining the supreme Dhamma, and benefiting the world. Their respective sections list aspirations and practices over many births, going forth and awakening, ten powers and fourteen knowledges and eighteen qualities, and benefit to the world.
This unit has five closing formulas of “one should recollect …,” similar in form but slightly different in wording. Some say “by this approach and this practice,” others “through the approach of many aspirations” or “through the approach of many practices.” They can identify the sections within this unit, but they are not expanded into a rule for reading every long passage.
Many item-boundaries in the long former-birth list remain unclear. They should be preserved in source order without forced assignment. A separate “Further, one should recollect the monkey birth” then narrates a person falling into a pit, his compassionate rescue, an offering of tree roots and fruit, the blow to the head, and the compassionate Dhamma teaching that nevertheless follows. The source does not explain why the monkey birth begins separately or receives a longer narrative, and relative length is not used to infer the author's principal concern.
The qualities become present in recollection, and the mind gains faith. Faith and recollection become mastered, and the mind remains undistracted. With non-distraction, the hindrances are extinguished and the jhāna factors arise. Recollection of the Buddha enters through faith and also completes its work in faith.
Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Qualities and Cultivation of Recollection of the Buddha · Doorway · Summer 2026
阿羅漢優波底沙造，梁扶南三藏僧伽婆羅譯《解脫道論》〈行門品〉「念佛功德與修行」· 大正藏 T32n1648〔起 T32 0426b〕。段首〔T32 …〕＝大正藏頁·欄錨。
〔T32 0426b〕
問：云何念佛？何修？何相？何味？何處？何功德？云何修行？答：佛者，世尊自然無師，於未聞法正覺正諦，能知一切得力自在，此謂為佛。念佛世尊正遍知道菩提功德，念、隨念、念持、念不忘、念根、念力、正念，此謂念佛。心住不亂此謂修，令起佛功德為相，恭敬為味，增長信為處。若修行念佛，成得十八功德：信增長、念增長、慧增長、恭敬增長、功德增長、多歡喜、堪任苦行、離於怖畏、於受惡法得生慚愧、常與師共住、心樂佛地、行向善趣、最後醍醐。如說修多羅涅底里句。若人欲念佛、其可恭敬如佛像處。云何修行？初坐禪人，往寂寂處攝心不亂。以不亂心念如來，世尊、應供、正遍知、明行足、善逝、世間解、無上士、調御丈夫、天人師、佛世尊。於是彼者到一切功德彼岸。世尊者，得世稱譽故名世尊、復得妙法故名世尊、復得供養故名世尊、得福具足故名世尊、道法之主故名世尊，以是因故得名世尊。以彼因故受供養，名阿羅漢。殺煩惱怨，名阿羅漢。折生死輪輻，名阿羅漢。正遍知者，以一切行正知一切諸法，名正遍覺。復殺無明，名正遍覺。以獨覺無上菩提，名正遍覺。明行足者，明者三明：宿命智明、眾生生死智明、漏盡智明。世尊以宿命智明，斷殺過去無明；以眾生生死智明，斷殺未來無明；以漏盡智明，斷殺現在無明。已斷殺過去無明故，以一切行一切過去法，世尊應念即現；已斷殺未來無明故，以一切行一切未來法，世尊應念即現；已斷殺現在無明故，以一切行一切現在法，世尊應念即現。行者，戒定足具。戒者，謂一切善法處，故言明行。足者，謂一切神通處，故名明行足。具者，謂一切定。於是世尊以一切智、以三明、以行得大慈悲，以作世間饒益。明得自在，以知處故，以起論道，無人能勝。滅諸煩惱，以清淨正行，以明具足成世間眼，現饒益不饒益故。以行具足成世間依，作救怖畏。以明解脫，於第一義已得通達。以行成濟渡，作世間義，於一切事自然無師，所行平等得無上寂寂。以明行足世尊成就，此謂明行具足。善逝者，到善路故，名曰善逝。不復更來到。於醍醐界，無為涅槃，故名善逝。復說法不顛倒，故名善逝。復說法不僻，故名善逝。復說法無過患，故名善逝。復說法不多不少，故名善逝。世間解者，世間有二種，謂眾生世間、行世間。世尊以一切行，知眾生世間，以知眾生種種欲樂。以根差別，以宿命、以天眼、以從去來、以和合、以成就、以種種可化、以種種堪不堪、以種種生、以種種趣、以種種地、以種種業、以種種煩惱、以種種果報、以種種善惡、以種種縛解，以如是等行，世尊悉知眾生世間。復說行世間者，世尊亦知。以一切業，亦知諸行，以定相、以隨其自相因緣、善不善無記、以種種陰、以種種界、以種種入、以智明了、以無常苦無我、以生不生，如是等行，世尊悉知世間諸行，此謂世間解。無上者，世無有上，此謂無上。復次無人與等，復次最勝無比，餘不能過，故名無上。調御丈夫者，有三種人，或聞法即悟，或說因緣，或說宿命。世尊御八解脫道，調伏眾生故，名調御丈夫。天人師者，世尊能度天人，從生老死怖畏園林，故名天人師。復次教誡見思惟道，名天人師。如是以此門、以此行，當念如來。復次如本師說：以四種行修念世尊，本昔因緣、以起自身、以得勝法、以作世間饒益。從初所願乃至最後，生於此中間久遠之時，二十阿僧祇劫。一百千億觀凡夫根，念根所初，慈哀世間：我已得脫，當令彼脫。我已得調，當令彼調。我已得安，當令彼安。我已入涅槃，當令彼得入涅槃。施、戒、出、忍、諦、受持、慈、捨、精進、智慧，皆令滿足，為得菩提。世尊為菩薩時，說本生因緣，作兔子身，常行布施，當念可護生；戒摩瞿頻陀生，當念出離生、忍辱生，當念忍普明生，當念實語、當念噁蹇生，當念受持、當念帝釋慈悲、當念毛竪捨、當念商主正真、當念麋生、當念長壽生、逐父語當念六牙白象恭敬仙人、當念白馬生往羅剎國渡諸眾生、當念鹿生護彼壽命捨自壽命、當念猴生令得解脫所屬大苦。復次當念猴生，見人落坑以慈心拔出，設樹根菓以為供養。彼人樂肉以破我頭，以慈悲說法語其善道。如是以眾願門，當念世尊本生功德。云何當念世尊自拔身功德？世尊有如是等本生具足，為年少時斷一切居止著、斷兒婦父母親友著，以捨難捨，獨住空閑無所有處，欲求無為泥洹寂滅，於摩伽陀國渡尼連禪河，坐菩提樹，降伏魔王及諸鬼兵，於初夜時自憶宿命，於中夜分修得天眼，於後夜中知苦斷集，得證醍醐界。修行八正道，分作證漏盡，得菩提覺。從於世間拔出自身，住第一清淨漏盡之地。如是以眾行門，當念世尊自拔身功德。云何當念世尊得勝法功德？如是世尊有解脫、心解脫，以如來十力、以十四佛智慧、以十八佛法，已與不一禪法成就，到自在彼岸當念。云何世尊成就十力？如來知是處非處，如實而知；如來知過去未來現在善業因緣，以戒以因，若果報等，如實而知；如來知至一切處具足，如實而知；如來知不以一戒、種種戒世間，如實而知；如來知眾生種種欲樂，如實而知；如來知眾生種種諸根，如實而知；如來知禪解脫定正受有煩惱無煩惱，如實而知；如來知宿命，如實而知；如來知眾生生死，如實而知；如來知漏盡，如實而知。以此十力，世尊成就。云何世尊成就十四佛智慧？謂苦智、集智、滅智、道智、義辯智、法辯智、辭辯智、樂說辯智、諸根智、眾生欲樂煩惱使智、雙變智、大慈悲定智、一切智、不障礙智。以此十四智，世尊成就。云何世尊成就十八法？於過去佛智不障礙，未來佛智不障礙，現在佛智不障礙，隨於佛智遍起身業，隨於佛智遍起口業，隨於佛智遍起意業。以此六法世尊成就，欲無退、精進無退、念無退、定無退、慧無退、解脫無退。以此十二法，世尊成就，無可疑事、無誣師事、無不分明、無有急事、無隱覆處、無不觀捨。無可疑事者，無有威儀為於狡獪。誣師事者，無急速威儀。無不分明者，以知無不觸。無急事者，無威儀以急事。無隱覆者，心行無有非不憶智。無不觀捨者，無有不知捨。以此十八佛法，世尊成就。復次世尊以四無畏、以四念處、以四正勤、以四如意足、以五根、以五力、以六神通、以七菩提分、以八聖道分、以八除入、以八解脫、以九次第定、以十聖居止、以十漏盡力、以餘不一善法，世尊成就到自在彼岸。如是以此門、以此行，當念世尊得勝法功德。云何當念世尊作饒益世間功德？世尊成就一切行，到一切功德彼岸，為慈悲眾生所轉法輪，世間所不能轉。以密護無內外，開醍醐門。已作無量天人於沙門果，無量眾生得功德分，能令功德具足。以三種變，身變、說變、教變，令世間信。已伏邪見諸相呪師、已覆惡道、已開善趣、已往天上得解脫果、已安聲聞住聲聞法、已制諸戒、已說波羅提木叉、已得勝利養、得佛勝法、已得自在遍滿世間，一切眾生恭敬尊重，乃至天人皆悉聞知。安住不動，慈悲世間，饒益世間所作，世尊已作。以此門此行，當念世尊已作世間饒益功德。彼坐禪人以此門此行，已此功德現念如來，其心成信。以信自在、以念自在，心常不亂。若心不亂，滅蓋禪分起，內行禪成住。
The canonical text stands in Chinese only. This edition renders the essence, the plain reading, the exposition and the apparatus into English — never the sūtra itself. Switch to 漢讀本 or 並行雙語 above to read it.
問目
問：什麼是念佛？如何修？以什麼為相？以什麼為味？以什麼為處？有什麼功德？如何修行？
佛與念佛
答：所謂佛，是世尊自然而無師的，於未曾聽聞的法能正覺正諦，能知一切、得力自在——這叫作佛。
念佛世尊正遍知道的菩提功德，所起的念、隨念、念持、念不忘、念根、念力、正念——這叫作念佛。
修、相、味、處
心住而不亂，這叫作修；令佛的功德生起，是它的相；恭敬，是它的味；增長信，是它的處。
十八功德
若修行念佛，原文先標作「成得十八功德」，但後文實際只列出十三項：信增長、念增長、慧增長、恭敬增長、功德增長、多歡喜、堪任苦行、離於怖畏、於受惡法得生慚愧、常與師共住、心樂佛地、行向善趣、最後醍醐。標數與實列相差五項；原文沒有補出這五項，這裡也不補。如所說的修多羅涅底里句。
接著原文說：「若人欲念佛、其可恭敬如佛像處。」這一句的語法不清楚：「其」指什麼、「如佛像處」修飾什麼，原文都沒有說明，這裡只保留原句，尚無定論。
修行之法：念如來十號
問：如何修行？
答：初坐禪人，前往寂寂之處，攝心不亂。以不亂之心念如來——世尊、應供、正遍知、明行足、善逝、世間解、無上士、調御丈夫、天人師、佛世尊。於是那人便到一切功德的彼岸。
世尊
所謂世尊：得世間的稱譽，所以名世尊；又得妙法，所以名世尊；又得供養，所以名世尊；得福具足，所以名世尊；是道法之主，所以名世尊——以這些因緣的緣故，得名為世尊。
阿羅漢
以那樣的因，所以受供養，名阿羅漢；殺煩惱之怨，名阿羅漢；折生死輪的輻，名阿羅漢。
正遍知
所謂正遍知：以一切行正知一切諸法，名正遍覺；又殺無明，名正遍覺；以獨覺無上菩提，名正遍覺。
明行足
所謂明行足：明，是三明——宿命智明、眾生生死智明、漏盡智明。世尊以宿命智明，斷殺過去的無明；以眾生生死智明，斷殺未來的無明；以漏盡智明，斷殺現在的無明。
世尊已斷除過去的無明，所以對一切行與一切過去法，祂隨念即能現前；已斷除未來的無明，所以對一切行與一切未來法，祂隨念即能現前；已斷除現在的無明，所以對一切行與一切現在法，祂隨念即能現前。
所謂行，是戒與定具足。戒，是說一切善法之處，所以說明行。足，是說一切神通之處，所以名明行足。具，是說一切定。
於是，世尊憑一切智、三明與行而得大慈悲，用來饒益世間。明之所以自在，是因為知其處；祂能發起論道，沒有人能勝過祂。祂滅除諸煩惱，行清淨的正行。明具足，所以成為世間之眼，能顯明什麼有益、什麼無益；行具足，所以成為世間所依，救人脫離怖畏。憑明而解脫，祂已通達第一義；憑行而成為濟渡，成辦世間之義。對一切事自然無師，所行平等，得到無上的寂寂。世尊如此成就明行足，這就叫作明行具足。
善逝
所謂善逝：到善路的緣故，名為善逝；不再更來，到於醍醐界、無為涅槃，所以名善逝。又說法不顛倒，所以名善逝；又說法不僻，所以名善逝；又說法無過患，所以名善逝；又說法不多不少，所以名善逝。
世間解
所謂世間解：世間有二種，是說眾生世間、行世間。
世尊以一切行，知眾生世間——以知眾生種種的欲樂，以根的差別，以宿命、以天眼、以從去來、以和合、以成就、以種種可化、以種種堪與不堪、以種種生、以種種趣、以種種地、以種種業、以種種煩惱、以種種果報、以種種善惡、以種種縛解，以這些等行，世尊悉知眾生世間。
又說行世間的，世尊也知——以一切業，也知諸行，以定相、以隨其自相因緣、善不善無記、以種種陰、以種種界、以種種入、以智明了、以無常苦無我、以生不生，這些等行，世尊悉知世間諸行——這叫作世間解。
無上
所謂無上：世間沒有比祂更上的，這叫作無上。再者，無人與祂相等；再者，最勝而無比，其餘不能超過——所以名無上。
調御丈夫
所謂調御丈夫：有三種人，或聞法即悟、或說因緣、或說宿命。世尊御八解脫道，調伏眾生的緣故，名調御丈夫。
天人師
所謂天人師：世尊能度天與人，從生老死怖畏的園林出來，所以名天人師。再者，教誡見與思惟之道，名天人師。
像這樣以此門、以此行，當念如來。
四種行修念世尊
再者，如本師所說：以四種行修念世尊——本昔因緣、以起自身、以得勝法、以作世間饒益。
本昔因緣
從最初所發的願直到最後，在這中間經過久遠的二十阿僧祇劫。底本接著寫「一百千億觀凡夫根，念根所初，慈哀世間」；「一百千億」究竟修飾什麼，以及「觀凡夫根」「念根所初」如何連接，都無法由本單元確定，這裡尚無定論。隨後說：我已得脫，當令他脫；我已得調，當令他調；我已得安，當令他安；我已入涅槃，當令他得入涅槃。施、戒、出、忍、諦、受持、慈、捨、精進、智慧，都要使它們圓滿，以求菩提。
世尊為菩薩時，文中接著列本生因緣。可以確定的開頭是祂曾作兔子身、常行布施；其後是一串反覆出現「當念」的名稱與行事。底本沒有把各項的界線和承接標清，所以下面只按原有次序分行；分行不表示已判定每一項的歸屬：
- 「當念可護生；戒摩瞿頻陀生，當念出離生、忍辱生」；
- 「當念忍普明生，當念實語、當念噁蹇生」；
- 「當念受持、當念帝釋慈悲、當念毛竪捨」；
- 「當念商主正真、當念麋生、當念長壽生」；
- 「逐父語當念六牙白象恭敬仙人」；
- 「當念白馬生往羅剎國渡諸眾生」；
- 「當念鹿生護彼壽命捨自壽命」；
- 「當念猴生令得解脫所屬大苦」。
其中「當念」究竟收束前語還是領起後語，多處未明；「戒」另本作「或」，會改變「可護生」與「摩瞿頻陀生」的分界；「逐父語」屬於前面的長壽生，還是後面的六牙白象，也不能由底本確定。「摩／摩訶」「噁蹇／啞謇」「逐／遂」「渡／度」各有異讀，這裡都不予選擇。「所屬大苦」如何連到猴生句，也保留原文的未決狀態。
再者當念猴生：見人落坑，以慈心拔出，設樹根果以為供養；那人樂肉，以此破我頭，卻以慈悲說法，語他善道。
像這樣以眾願之門，當念世尊本生的功德。
自拔身功德
如何當念世尊自拔身的功德？
世尊有這樣等等的本生具足，為年少時斷一切居止之著，斷兒、婦、父母、親友之著，以捨難捨，獨住空閑無所有之處，欲求無為泥洹寂滅。於摩伽陀國渡尼連禪河，坐菩提樹，降伏魔王及諸鬼兵。於初夜時自憶宿命，於中夜分修得天眼，於後夜中知苦斷集，得證醍醐界。修行八正道，分作證漏盡，得菩提覺。從於世間拔出自身，住第一清淨漏盡之地。
像這樣以眾行之門，當念世尊自拔身的功德。
得勝法功德
如何當念世尊得勝法的功德？
這樣，世尊有解脫、心解脫，以如來十力、以十四佛智慧、以十八佛法，已與不一的禪法成就，到自在的彼岸——當念。
世尊如何成就十力？如來知道是處與非處，如實而知；如來知道過去、未來、現在善業的因緣，以及戒、因、果報等，如實而知；如來知道「至一切處具足」，如實而知。第四句的底本文字是「如來知不以一戒、種種戒世間，如實而知」；其中「不以一戒」與「種種戒世間」如何連接、各自修飾什麼，本單元無法確定，這裡不予解釋。其後是：如來知道眾生種種的欲樂，如實而知；如來知道眾生種種的諸根，如實而知；如來知道禪、解脫、定、正受，以及有煩惱、無煩惱，如實而知；如來知道宿命，如實而知；如來知道眾生生死，如實而知；如來知道漏盡，如實而知。世尊成就這十力。
如何世尊成就十四佛智慧？是說苦智、集智、滅智、道智、義辯智、法辯智、辭辯智、樂說辯智、諸根智、眾生欲樂煩惱使智、雙變智、大慈悲定智、一切智、不障礙智。以這十四智，世尊成就。
如何世尊成就十八法？於過去佛智不障礙、未來佛智不障礙、現在佛智不障礙，隨於佛智遍起身業，隨於佛智遍起口業，隨於佛智遍起意業——以這六法，世尊成就。欲無退、精進無退、念無退、定無退、慧無退、解脫無退——以這十二法，世尊成就。無可疑事、無誣師事、無不分明、無有急事、無隱覆處、無不觀捨。
底本接著逐項解釋：「無可疑事者，無有威儀為於狡獪。誣師事者，無急速威儀。無不分明者，以知無不觸。無急事者，無威儀以急事。無隱覆者，心行無有非不憶智。無不觀捨者，無有不知捨。」這六句多處句法不清：「威儀」與「狡獪」「急速」「急事」如何連接，以及「以知無不觸」「心行無有非不憶智」如何斷句，都無法由本單元確定；因此只保留底本文字，不改寫成確定的現代義。世尊成就這十八佛法。
再者，世尊以四無畏、以四念處、以四正勤、以四如意足、以五根、以五力、以六神通、以七菩提分、以八聖道分、以八除入、以八解脫、以九次第定、以十聖居止、以十漏盡力、以其餘不一的善法，世尊成就，到自在的彼岸。
像這樣以此門、以此行，當念世尊得勝法的功德。
作饒益世間功德
如何當念世尊作饒益世間的功德？
世尊成就一切行，到一切功德的彼岸；祂為慈悲眾生而轉法輪，這個法輪世間不能轉。原文接著說「以密護無內外，開醍醐門」；「密護無內外」的內部關係及它如何承接「開醍醐門」，本段未明。
又說「已作無量天人於沙門果，無量眾生得功德分，能令功德具足」；無量天人、沙門果、眾生所得功德分三者如何連屬，原文沒有拆明。其後以身變、說變、教變三種變令世間生信。
下文連列世尊所作：降伏邪見的諸相呪師，覆惡道，開善趣；「已往天上得解脫果」的主語與「天上」「解脫果」的關係未明；安置聲聞住於聲聞法，制定諸戒，宣說波羅提木叉。又說「已得勝利養，得佛勝法」；「勝利養」與「佛勝法」如何相屬，原文未解。最後說已得自在而遍滿世間，一切眾生恭敬尊重，乃至天人皆悉聞知；安住不動，慈悲世間，饒益世間的所作，世尊已作。
以此門、此行，當念世尊已作世間饒益的功德。
結
那坐禪人以此門、此行，已以此功德現念如來，其心成信。以信自在、以念自在，心常不亂。若心不亂，滅蓋、禪分生起，內行禪成就而住。
The Questions
Question: What is recollection of the Buddha? How is it cultivated? What is its characteristic? What is its function? What is its basis? What are its qualities? How is it practiced?
Buddha and Recollection of the Buddha
Answer: “Buddha” means that the Blessed One is so of himself, without a teacher: with regard to a Dhamma he had not heard, he rightly awakened to the right truth; he can know all and has attained power and mastery. This is called Buddha.
Recollecting the qualities of awakening belonging to the Buddha, the Blessed One, the Fully and Rightly Awakened—recollection, repeated recollection, holding in recollection, not forgetting in recollection, the faculty of recollection, the power of recollection, and right recollection—this is called recollection of the Buddha.
Cultivation, Characteristic, Function, and Basis
When the mind abides without distraction, this is called cultivation. Causing the Buddha's qualities to arise is its characteristic. Reverence is its function. The increase of faith is its basis.
Eighteen Qualities
If one cultivates recollection of the Buddha, the source first says that one “acquires eighteen qualities,” but the ensuing list actually contains only thirteen: increase of faith, increase of recollection, increase of wisdom, increase of reverence, increase of merit, much joy, fitness for ascetic practice, freedom from fear, the arising of shame when receiving an unwholesome state, always dwelling together with the teacher, a mind that delights in the Buddha-ground, practice directed toward a good destination, and finally cream. The stated number and the actual list differ by five. The source does not supply those five, and none are supplied here. This is as stated in the phrase 修多羅涅底里.
The source then says, “If a person wishes to recollect the Buddha, 其 may be revered 如佛像處.” The syntax of 若人欲念佛、其可恭敬如佛像處 is unclear: neither the referent of 其 nor what 如佛像處 modifies is stated. The wording is therefore retained without a settled interpretation.
The Method of Practice: Recollecting the Tathāgata's Ten Titles
Question: How is it practiced?
Answer: The beginning meditator goes to a secluded place and gathers the mind without distraction. With an undistracted mind, one recollects the Tathāgata: Blessed One, Worthy of Offerings, Fully and Rightly Awakened, Accomplished in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed Person, Trainer of Persons to Be Tamed, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha Blessed One. Thereupon that person reaches the further shore of all qualities.
Blessed One
As to “Blessed One”: because he has obtained praise in the world, he is called Blessed One; because he has further obtained the wondrous Dhamma, he is called Blessed One; because he has further obtained offerings, he is called Blessed One; because he has obtained the fullness of merit, he is called Blessed One; and because he is master of the Dhamma of the path, he is called Blessed One. For these reasons, he receives the name Blessed One.
Arahant
Because for that reason he receives offerings, he is called Arahant. Because he has slain the enemy of defilements, he is called Arahant. Because he has broken the spokes of the wheel of birth and death, he is called Arahant.
Fully and Rightly Awakened
As to “Fully and Rightly Awakened”: because through every mode he rightly knows all dhammas, he is called Fully and Rightly Awakened. Because he has further slain ignorance, he is called Fully and Rightly Awakened. Because he has awakened by himself to unsurpassed awakening, he is called Fully and Rightly Awakened.
Accomplished in Knowledge and Conduct
As to “Accomplished in Knowledge and Conduct”: knowledge is the three knowledges—the knowledge of former lives, the knowledge of the birth and death of beings, and the knowledge of the exhaustion of the taints. With the knowledge of former lives, the Blessed One cut down past ignorance. With the knowledge of the birth and death of beings, he cut down future ignorance. With the knowledge of the exhaustion of the taints, he cut down present ignorance.
Because the Blessed One has cut down past ignorance, with respect to every mode and every past dhamma, whenever he recollects it, it immediately becomes present. Because he has cut down future ignorance, with respect to every mode and every future dhamma, whenever he recollects it, it immediately becomes present. Because he has cut down present ignorance, with respect to every mode and every present dhamma, whenever he recollects it, it immediately becomes present.
Conduct means being fully endowed with virtue and concentration. Virtue is called the basis of all wholesome dhammas; hence “knowledge and conduct” is said. “Accomplished” is called the basis of all supernormal powers; hence “accomplished in knowledge and conduct.” “Full” means all concentrations.
Thus the Blessed One, through omniscience, the three knowledges, and conduct, obtained great compassion, which he used to benefit the world. Knowledge is mastered because it knows its proper place; he can initiate a course of discourse, and no one can defeat him. He has destroyed the defilements and practices pure right conduct. Being full in knowledge, he became the eye of the world and discloses what is beneficial and what is not. Being full in conduct, he became the support of the world and rescues beings from fear. Through knowledge he is liberated and has penetrated ultimate meaning; through conduct he becomes a ferry across and accomplishes what is meaningful for the world. In every matter he is so of himself, without a teacher. His conduct is even, and he has attained unsurpassed seclusion. The Blessed One is thus accomplished in knowledge and conduct; this is called fullness in knowledge and conduct.
Well-Gone
As to “Well-Gone”: because he has reached the good path, he is called Well-Gone. He does not come back again. Because he has reached the element of cream, unconditioned Nibbāna, he is called Well-Gone. Because he teaches the Dhamma without inversion, he is called Well-Gone. Because he teaches the Dhamma without deviation, he is called Well-Gone. Because he teaches the Dhamma without fault, he is called Well-Gone. Because he teaches the Dhamma with neither too much nor too little, he is called Well-Gone.
Knower of the World
As to “Knower of the World”: there are two kinds of world—the world of beings and the world of formations.
Through every mode the Blessed One knows the world of beings: through knowing the many desires and delights of beings; through differences in faculties; through former lives; through the divine eye; through going and coming; through combination; through accomplishment; through the many kinds who can be taught; through the many kinds who are capable and incapable; through the many kinds of birth, destination, plane, action, defilement, result, good and evil, bondage and release. Through such modes, the Blessed One fully knows the world of beings.
The Blessed One also knows what is called the world of formations: through every action he also knows formations; through a fixed characteristic; through the causes and conditions of each one's own characteristic; through the wholesome, unwholesome, and indeterminate; through the various aggregates, elements, and sense bases; through clear knowledge; through impermanence, suffering, and not-self; and through arising and non-arising. Through such modes, the Blessed One fully knows the formations of the world. This is called Knower of the World.
Unsurpassed
As to “Unsurpassed”: in the world there is none above him; this is called unsurpassed. Further, no person is his equal. Further, he is supreme and without peer, and no other can surpass him. Therefore he is called unsurpassed.
Trainer of Persons to Be Tamed
As to “Trainer of Persons to Be Tamed”: there are three kinds of person—one awakens immediately upon hearing the Dhamma; for one, causes and conditions are explained; for one, former lives are explained. Because the Blessed One guides by the path of the eight liberations and tames beings, he is called Trainer of Persons to Be Tamed.
Teacher of Devas and Humans
As to “Teacher of Devas and Humans”: because the Blessed One can bring devas and humans across, out of the fearful forest of birth, aging, and death, he is called Teacher of Devas and Humans. Further, because he gives instruction in the paths of seeing and reflection, he is called Teacher of Devas and Humans.
In this way, by this approach and this practice, one should recollect the Tathāgata.
Recollecting the Blessed One through Four Practices
Further, as the original teacher said, recollection of the Blessed One is cultivated through four practices: former causes and conditions, raising himself up, attaining the supreme Dhamma, and benefiting the world.
Former Causes and Conditions
From the first aspiration until the last, during the long interval between them, there were twenty incalculable eons. The base text then has 一百千億觀凡夫根，念根所初，慈哀世間. What the number 一百千億 qualifies, and how “examining the faculties of ordinary people” and “recollecting the beginning of the faculties” connect, cannot be determined from this unit and remain open. It then says: “I have attained release; I shall cause them to be released. I have attained taming; I shall cause them to be tamed. I have attained peace; I shall cause them to attain peace. I have entered Nibbāna; I shall cause them to enter Nibbāna.” Giving, virtue, going forth, patience, truth, sustaining, loving-kindness, relinquishment, energy, and wisdom were all to be fulfilled for the attainment of awakening.
When the Blessed One was a bodhisatta, the text next lists former-birth causes and conditions. It can be determined that the list begins with his having taken the body of a hare and constantly practiced giving. Thereafter comes a series of names and deeds in which 當念, “one should recollect,” repeatedly occurs. The base text does not clearly mark the limits or attachments of the items, so the lines below follow the original order only. Their division into lines does not settle the attachment of any item:
- “當念可護生；戒摩瞿頻陀生，當念出離生、忍辱生”;
- “當念忍普明生，當念實語、當念噁蹇生”;
- “當念受持、當念帝釋慈悲、當念毛竪捨”;
- “當念商主正真、當念麋生、當念長壽生”;
- “逐父語當念六牙白象恭敬仙人”;
- “當念白馬生往羅剎國渡諸眾生”;
- “當念鹿生護彼壽命捨自壽命”;
- “當念猴生令得解脫所屬大苦.”
In many places it remains unclear whether 當念 closes what precedes or governs what follows. Another witness reads 或 for 戒, which changes the boundary between 可護生 and 摩瞿頻陀生. Nor can the base text determine whether 逐父語 belongs to the preceding 長壽生 or the following 六牙白象. The variants 摩／摩訶, 噁蹇／啞謇, 逐／遂, and 渡／度 are all left unselected. How 所屬大苦 attaches in the monkey-birth statement likewise remains unresolved.
Further, one should recollect the monkey birth. Seeing a person who had fallen into a pit, he drew him out with a mind of loving-kindness and offered him tree roots and fruit. That person desired flesh and struck my head, yet I taught him the Dhamma out of compassion and told him the good path.
In this way, through the approach of many aspirations, one should recollect the qualities of the Blessed One's former births.
The Quality of Raising Himself Up
How should one recollect the Blessed One's quality of raising himself up?
The Blessed One was endowed with former births such as these. When young, he cut off every attachment to dwelling and attachment to children, wife, parents, relatives, and friends. Relinquishing what was difficult to relinquish, he dwelt alone in an empty and unpossessed place, seeking the peaceful cessation of unconditioned Nibbāna. In the country of 摩伽陀 he crossed the 尼連禪 River, sat beneath the Bodhi tree, and subdued Māra and his host of spirits. During the first watch of the night he recollected his former lives; during the middle watch he cultivated and attained the divine eye; during the last watch he knew suffering, abandoned its arising, and realized the element of cream. He cultivated the noble eightfold path, separately accomplished the exhaustion of the taints, and attained awakening. He raised himself out of the world and abided in the foremost, purified ground of exhausted taints.
In this way, through the approach of many practices, one should recollect the Blessed One's quality of raising himself up.
The Quality of Attaining the Supreme Dhamma
How should one recollect the Blessed One's quality of attaining the supreme Dhamma?
Thus the Blessed One possesses liberation and liberation of mind. Through the Tathāgata's ten powers, the fourteen knowledges of a Buddha, and the eighteen qualities of a Buddha, he has been accomplished together with many jhāna-dhammas and has reached the further shore of mastery. This should be recollected.
How is the Blessed One accomplished in the ten powers? The Tathāgata knows what is possible and impossible, as it really is. The Tathāgata knows the causes and conditions of wholesome action in the past, future, and present, together with virtue, cause, and results, as they really are. The Tathāgata knows “complete arrival at every place,” as it really is. The fourth sentence in the base text reads, 如來知不以一戒、種種戒世間，如實而知. How 不以一戒 connects with 種種戒世間, and what each modifies, cannot be determined from this unit and is not explained here. The ensuing items are these: the Tathāgata knows beings' many desires and delights as they really are; the Tathāgata knows the various faculties of beings as they really are; the Tathāgata knows jhāna, liberation, concentration, attainment, with defilements and without defilements, as they really are; the Tathāgata knows former lives as they really are; the Tathāgata knows the birth and death of beings as they really are; the Tathāgata knows the exhaustion of the taints as it really is. The Blessed One is accomplished in these ten powers.
How is the Blessed One accomplished in the fourteen knowledges of a Buddha? They are knowledge of suffering, knowledge of arising, knowledge of cessation, knowledge of the path, analytical knowledge of meaning, analytical knowledge of Dhamma, analytical knowledge of language, analytical knowledge of ready speech, knowledge of the faculties, knowledge of beings' desires, delights, defilements, and latent tendencies, knowledge of the twin transformation, knowledge of the concentration of great compassion, omniscience, and unobstructed knowledge. The Blessed One is accomplished in these fourteen knowledges.
How is the Blessed One accomplished in the eighteen qualities? Knowledge of a Buddha is unobstructed with respect to the past, unobstructed with respect to the future, and unobstructed with respect to the present; bodily action, verbal action, and mental action arise everywhere in accordance with a Buddha's knowledge. The Blessed One is accomplished in these six qualities. Desire does not decline, energy does not decline, recollection does not decline, concentration does not decline, wisdom does not decline, and liberation does not decline. The Blessed One is accomplished in these twelve qualities. There is no doubtful matter, no matter of 誣師, nothing unclear, no urgent matter, no concealed place, and no relinquishment without examination.
The base text next explains these one by one: “As to ‘no doubtful matter’: there is no deportment done through cunning. As to 誣師 matter: there is no hurried deportment. As to ‘nothing unclear’: through knowing, there is no non-contact. As to ‘no urgent matter’: there is no deportment through urgent matters. As to ‘no concealment’: in the activity of mind, there is no 非不憶智. As to ‘no relinquishment without examination’: there is no relinquishment without knowing.” The syntax of these six sentences is unclear at several points. How “deportment” connects with “cunning,” “hurried,” and “urgent matters,” and how 以知無不觸 and 心行無有非不憶智 should be divided, cannot be determined from this unit. The source wording is therefore retained without being rewritten into settled modern meanings. The Blessed One is accomplished in these eighteen qualities of a Buddha.
Further, through the four fearlessnesses, four establishments of mindfulness, four right efforts, four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, six supernormal knowledges, seven factors of awakening, factors of the noble eightfold path, eight spheres of mastery, eight liberations, nine successive concentrations, ten noble abodes, ten powers of exhausted taints, and the remaining many wholesome dhammas, the Blessed One is accomplished and has reached the further shore of mastery.
In this way, by this approach and this practice, one should recollect the Blessed One's quality of attaining the supreme Dhamma.
The Quality of Benefiting the World
How should one recollect the Blessed One's quality of benefiting the world?
The Blessed One was accomplished in every practice and reached the further shore of all qualities. Out of compassion for beings, he turned the wheel of Dhamma, which the world could not turn. The source next reads 以密護無內外，開醍醐門. The internal relation of 密護無內外 and its connection to “opened the door of cream” are unclear in this passage.
It further says, 已作無量天人於沙門果，無量眾生得功德分，能令功德具足. The source does not divide the relations among the innumerable devas and humans, the fruits of recluseship, and the share of qualities obtained by innumerable beings. He then caused the world to have faith through three kinds of transformation: bodily transformation, transformation of speech, and transformation of instruction.
The text next lists the Blessed One's deeds: he subdued the physiognomists and spell-masters of wrong view, covered over bad destinations, and opened good destinations. In 已往天上得解脫果, the subject and the relations of “heaven” and “fruit of liberation” are unclear. He established disciples in the Dhamma of disciples, instituted the precepts, and proclaimed the Pātimokkha. It then says 已得勝利養，得佛勝法; the relation between “supreme gain and support” and “the Buddha's supreme Dhamma” is not explained. Finally, it says that he attained mastery and pervaded the world; all beings revered and honored him, and even devas and humans all heard and knew of him. Abiding immovably and compassionate toward the world, the Blessed One had done the work that benefited the world.
By this approach and this practice, one should recollect the quality of the benefit the Blessed One has already brought to the world.
Conclusion
Through this approach and this practice, that meditator now makes the Tathāgata present in recollection through these qualities, and the mind gains faith. Through mastery of faith and mastery of recollection, the mind is always undistracted. When the mind is undistracted, the hindrances are extinguished, the jhāna factors arise, and internal-practice jhāna is accomplished and abides.
Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Qualities and Cultivation of Recollection of the Buddha · Vernacular · Summer 2026
十不淨門關上，十念門開，第一念是念佛。底本這裡是全品少見的長段：一問之下，二千三百餘字一氣到底，不分段。先把所見說在前頭：本段明說念佛「令起佛功德為相」〔T32 426c02〕，又以「恭敬為味，增長信為處」〔T32 426c02–03〕相承；此下依次列十號、本昔因緣、自拔身、得勝法與饒益世間，末了收在「已此功德現念如來，其心成信」〔T32 428a17–18〕。因此，本單元可以確定的是：論文以佛功德為相，並把多組名號、行事與功德列入修行答文；它沒有在此比較稱名、觀相等別種作法，也不據沉默作排他判定。結尾再明說：信與念得自在，心便常不亂；心不亂，則蓋滅、禪分起，內行禪成住〔T32 428a18–19〕。從開頭的相、味、處，到末尾的信、念與禪，都是本段明載的次第。
七問立門與四事定義
「問：云何念佛？何修？何相？何味？何處？何功德？云何修行？」〔T32 426b26–27〕——一問七目，與本品諸門同式，而比諸門多出末一目「云何修行」；答文即依次而下。佛之定義：「佛者，世尊自然無師，於未聞法正覺正諦，能知一切得力自在，此謂為佛」〔T32 426b27–28〕——無師、自覺、遍知、自在，四語立一個「佛」字（「世」字四本作「世所」，校記誌之；「自然無師」下文釋明行足處再見「於一切事自然無師」〔T32 427a05〕，首尾同語）。念之定義卻給了一串名：「念佛世尊正遍知道菩提功德，念、隨念、念持、念不忘、念根、念力、正念，此謂念佛」〔T32 426b28–426c01〕——七名並列，論文不逐釋其別（保留不強行分疏）；名一口氣排開，念的持續、不忘、成根、成力諸面一併點到，「念佛」二字的「念」先給足了分量；七名之別論文不逐釋，其排列之意亦不自言，保留。
四事如常：「心住不亂此謂修，令起佛功德為相，恭敬為味，增長信為處」〔T32 426c01–03〕。本段依次列出心住不亂、佛功德生起、恭敬與信增長；相、味、處各依原句保存。
七問與答的配置本身值得一看：前六問——云何念佛、何修、何相、何味、何處、何功德——答文各只一句半句，合起來不過百餘字；末一問「云何修行」，答文佔去全段十分之九。這個懸殊的比例是論文自己排的：定義與四事是門牌，修行是屋子；念佛一門的真正內容，不在「念佛是什麼」，而在「拿什麼來念」——十號與四種行兩套清單，就是這一問的正文。再看一處小小的呼應：處說「增長信」，功德列的第一目也是「信增長」〔T32 426c03〕——同一語倒序再現，處與功德首尾相銜；念佛以信入，亦以信為第一收成，文面上就能點出來。
功德列說「若修行念佛，成得十八功德」〔T32 426c03〕，其列逐字：「信增長、念增長、慧增長、恭敬增長、功德增長、多歡喜、堪任苦行、離於怖畏、於受惡法得生慚愧、常與師共住、心樂佛地、行向善趣、最後醍醐」〔T32 426c03–06〕——前五目皆是「增長」：信、念、慧、恭敬、功德，五樣家底一齊長；中段列多歡喜、堪任苦行、離於怖畏與受惡法時生慚愧；末段列常與師共住、心樂佛地、行向善趣、最後醍醐。標數十八而逐目可點者十三——保留原有缺文、不強配數目；引證則一句「如說修多羅涅底里句」〔T32 426c06–07〕，所指何書全論唯此一見，論文不出其名，亦仍不能確定。隨後一句是「若人欲念佛、其可恭敬如佛像處」〔T32 426c07–08〕。底本在「念佛」後以頓號斷開；「其」所指及「如佛像處」修飾何者，句法都不明。可確定的只有「欲念佛」「可恭敬」「佛像處」三組字面相連；本段沒有說行者或所在之處的地位因此提高，所以不據此建立那層解釋。這句位於經名引語之後、「云何修行」之前；它既不是十三項功德中的另列一目，也沒有另出可據以定主語的答句。編排位置可以逐字核定，卻不足以替句法作裁決。問答次序至此才轉入修行，次序保留，不倒移此句。功德列末三目仍只依原列次序讀取，不把這句語法未明之文併成一條空間或地位上升的路線。十三目點畢再回頭看標數之十八，帳差五目——差在何處論文不言，這正是「保留原有缺文」四字要守住的地方：清單念的是實有之目，不是湊齊之數。
十三項的界線可由頓號逐一核對：前五項皆以「增長」收句，接著是多歡喜、堪任苦行、離於怖畏、於受惡法得生慚愧，再依次列常與師共住、心樂佛地、行向善趣、最後醍醐。列到「最後醍醐」即轉入「如說修多羅涅底里句」，原文沒有在引語前後另補五項；因此標數與實列的差額只能明記，不能由相鄰句子湊數。
十號：一名之下，數義並蓄
「云何修行？初坐禪人，往寂寂處攝心不亂。以不亂心念如來」〔T32 426c08–09〕，接著點出十號全名：「世尊、應供、正遍知、明行足、善逝、世間解、無上士、調御丈夫、天人師、佛世尊」〔T32 426c09–11〕，總繫一句「於是彼者到一切功德彼岸」〔T32 426c11〕。此下逐號開釋。先記一筆帳面出入：所列十名，下文逐釋者九——「佛世尊」不別立釋，且釋文以「阿羅漢」當所列之「應供」；兩讀並存，仍未確定、不強行對應。這筆出入本身可以停一停：所列作「應供」而釋文作「阿羅漢」，釋義卻以「受供養」居首——名異而義通之處，論文自己擺在那裡；「佛世尊」一名不別立釋，或因「佛」之定義已於段首自答（「此謂為佛」〔T32 426b28〕）、「世尊」已居十號之首釋——但這只是文面的可能位置，論文不明言，讀者誌其闕而已，不增補。
逐釋的筆法自成一式：每一號給數義，每義綴一「名」「故名」收之。世尊五因：「得世稱譽故名世尊、復得妙法故名世尊、復得供養故名世尊、得福具足故名世尊、道法之主故名世尊，以是因故得名世尊」〔T32 426c12–14〕——稱譽、妙法、供養、福具足、道法之主，五因同奔一名。阿羅漢三義：「以彼因故受供養，名阿羅漢。殺煩惱怨，名阿羅漢。折生死輪輻，名阿羅漢」〔T32 426c14–16〕——受供養承上「復得供養」而來，殺怨、折輻二喻皆是戰場語：煩惱是怨家，生死是輪子，此號是打贏了的名字。正遍知三義：「以一切行正知一切諸法，名正遍覺。復殺無明，名正遍覺。以獨覺無上菩提，名正遍覺」〔T32 426c16–18〕——三句各給一義，又都以「名正遍覺」收束。義雖多而名唯一：同一名號下可以並列數義；但論文沒有把這三義逐字分配給「正」「遍」「知」，所以不作逐字訓解。就本段可確定的，只是三義都收在同一名下，並與前文「令起佛功德為相」相接。
明行足一號釋得最重。明者三明：「宿命智明、眾生生死智明、漏盡智明」〔T32 426c19–20〕，三明各配三世：「世尊以宿命智明，斷殺過去無明；以眾生生死智明，斷殺未來無明；以漏盡智明，斷殺現在無明」〔T32 426c20–22〕；配罷再承一疊：「已斷殺過去無明故，以一切行一切過去法，世尊應念即現；已斷殺未來無明故，以一切行一切未來法，世尊應念即現；已斷殺現在無明故，以一切行一切現在法，世尊應念即現」〔T32 426c22–26〕——先配後承，兩重齊整（誌之）。「應念即現」四字尤其可味：無明斷處，三世諸法不是推知，是念到即現前。行者「戒定足具」〔T32 426c26〕，四字逐一自釋：「戒者，謂一切善法處，故言明行。足者，謂一切神通處，故名明行足。具者，謂一切定」〔T32 426c26–28〕；而後明與行合觀：「於是世尊以一切智、以三明、以行得大慈悲，以作世間饒益」〔T32 426c28–29〕，「明得自在，以知處故，以起論道，無人能勝。滅諸煩惱，以清淨正行，以明具足成世間眼，現饒益不饒益故。以行具足成世間依，作救怖畏」〔T32 426c29–427a04〕，「以明解脫，於第一義已得通達。以行成濟渡，作世間義，於一切事自然無師，所行平等得無上寂寂」〔T32 427a04–06〕，收於「以明行足世尊成就，此謂明行具足」〔T32 427a06–07〕——這一長節的骨架是三層：先分釋（明者三明、行者戒定足具），次配三世（斷過去未來現在無明），末合觀（明具足成世間眼、行具足成世間依）——明具足成世間眼，行具足成世間依；前者「現饒益不饒益」，後者「作救怖畏」，都依原句承接。後文四種行之「自拔身」節另依初夜、中夜、後夜列宿命、天眼、知苦斷集與得證醍醐界〔T32 427b24–26〕；兩處各按原序保存。
善逝一號最密：「到善路故，名曰善逝。不復更來到。於醍醐界，無為涅槃，故名善逝。復說法不顛倒，故名善逝。復說法不僻，故名善逝。復說法無過患，故名善逝。復說法不多不少，故名善逝」〔T32 427a07–11〕——五綴「故名善逝」（為本段最密之複沓）。前二義說「逝」之所至：善路、無為涅槃，去而不復更來；後四義忽然全落在「說法」上——不顛倒、不僻、無過患、不多不少：善逝之「善」，一半在所去之處，一半在所說之法，連說法的分寸「不多不少」也算進一個名號的功德裡。
世間解開二世間：「世間有二種，謂眾生世間、行世間」〔T32 427a11–12〕。知眾生世間，連下十六個「以」字：「以知眾生種種欲樂。以根差別，以宿命、以天眼、以從去來、以和合、以成就、以種種可化、以種種堪不堪、以種種生、以種種趣、以種種地、以種種業、以種種煩惱、以種種果報、以種種善惡、以種種縛解，以如是等行，世尊悉知眾生世間」〔T32 427a13–18〕；知行世間，連下十個「以」：「以一切業，亦知諸行，以定相、以隨其自相因緣、善不善無記、以種種陰、以種種界、以種種入、以智明了、以無常苦無我、以生不生，如是等行，世尊悉知世間諸行」〔T32 427a19–22〕。論文不標其數（其數點訖，保留不強配數目）；可以確定的是，兩列都反覆使用「以」字，並分別收在「世尊悉知眾生世間」與「世尊悉知世間諸行」。前一列逐項說眾生的欲樂、根、宿命、去來、可化與堪不堪等；後一列逐項說業、定相、自相因緣、善不善無記、陰界入、無常苦無我與生不生。原文自己分作「眾生世間」與「行世間」，但沒有再把二者立成利鈍等級，也沒有明說前一號是後一號說法的原因；此處只循兩張原列分別讀取。
無上者三義：「世無有上，此謂無上。復次無人與等，復次最勝無比，餘不能過，故名無上」〔T32 427a23–24〕——無上、無等、無比，三個「無」字層層抬高。調御丈夫者，先列「有三種人，或聞法即悟，或說因緣，或說宿命」〔T32 427a25–26〕，接著說「世尊御八解脫道，調伏眾生故，名調御丈夫」〔T32 427a26–27〕。本單元只給出這三種人及八解脫道，沒有稱三者為利鈍等級，也沒有逐一指定世尊對三者各說何法；因此只照原次第並列，不另作機類高下或教法配對。天人師二義：「世尊能度天人，從生老死怖畏園林，故名天人師。復次教誡見思惟道，名天人師」〔T32 427a27–29〕——怖畏園林一喻，把生老死寫成一座待人領出的林子；師之為師，一在領人出林，一在教誡見與思惟之道。十號至此，「如是以此門、以此行，當念如來」〔T32 427a29〕一句收束——「門」與「行」二字，是全段反覆出現的路標。
四種行：四目依次展開
「復次如本師說：以四種行修念世尊，本昔因緣、以起自身、以得勝法、以作世間饒益」〔T32 427a29–427b02〕——「如本師說」所指之師，論文不出其名。四目依原次第展開：本昔因緣段自最初發願列至本生；起自身段自年少斷著列至成道；得勝法段列十力、十四智、十八法及其餘善法；作世間饒益段列轉法輪、三種變與多項已作之事。四目之中，後三目皆以「云何當念……」領起，唯第一目不設領句；兩種起法都依原文保留，不另補領句。
四目各有明載的起訖。本昔因緣從「從初所願乃至最後」〔T32 427b02–03〕起，經四句「我已……當令彼……」、施至智慧十目、本生長列與另起的猴生，收於「當念世尊本生功德」〔T32 427b19〕。起自身從年少時斷居止、兒婦父母親友之著說起，接著列獨住空閑、渡尼連禪河、坐菩提樹、降伏魔眾、三夜所知與八正道，收於「當念世尊自拔身功德」〔T32 427b28–29〕。得勝法先總列解脫、心解脫、十力、十四智、十八法，再列四無畏至十漏盡力等善法，收於「當念世尊得勝法功德」〔T32 428a04〕。作世間饒益則從轉法輪、開醍醐門說起，列三種變與諸項「已作」，收於「當念世尊已作世間饒益功德」〔T32 428a16–17〕。這些起訖都在本段內明列，不另為四目增設未見於原文的功用。
本昔因緣：「從初所願乃至最後，生於此中間久遠之時，二十阿僧祇劫」〔T32 427b02–04〕（「一百千億觀凡夫根，念根所初，慈哀世間」〔T32 427b04–05〕——「一百千億」所繫，底本無標點可依，保留不作唯一點斷）。發心的四句寫得極樸：「我已得脫，當令彼脫。我已得調，當令彼調。我已得安，當令彼安。我已入涅槃，當令彼得入涅槃」〔T32 427b05–07〕——四個「已……當令彼……」，每句都由自身所得轉到令彼亦得。繼之十目：「施、戒、出、忍、諦、受持、慈、捨、精進、智慧，皆令滿足，為得菩提」〔T32 427b07–08〕。而後本生成列，逐字錄其目：「世尊為菩薩時，說本生因緣，作兔子身，常行布施，當念可護生；戒摩瞿頻陀生，當念出離生、忍辱生，當念忍普明生，當念實語、當念噁蹇生，當念受持、當念帝釋慈悲、當念毛竪捨、當念商主正真、當念麋生、當念長壽生、逐父語當念六牙白象恭敬仙人、當念白馬生往羅剎國渡諸眾生、當念鹿生護彼壽命捨自壽命、當念猴生令得解脫所屬大苦」〔T32 427b08–16〕。這張列與上文十目有「布施」「出離」「忍」「實語」「受持」「慈悲」「捨」等同字；但底本沒有清楚劃定本生名目及「當念」所繫，所以不能把十目逐項配給各本生。「當念」反覆出現，也仍須逐處保留其領起或收束的未決。生名多異讀（「摩」四本作「摩訶」、「噁蹇」作「啞謇」、「逐父語」之「逐」四本作「遂」而屬上屬下無標點可依、「戒」宮本作「或」），並錄不判、仍不能確定其本生；名目之界底本不以標點盡分，保留不作唯一點斷。
就底本行次細看，第一處不穩定界線在「當念可護生；戒摩瞿頻陀生」〔T32 427b09–10〕：「戒」若從大正底本，可能與後面的生名相連；宮本作「或」，則句法與前後界線都會改變。「摩」又有「摩訶」異讀，因此不把這一段固定成某一個本生名。下一組「當念出離生、忍辱生，當念忍普明生，當念實語、當念噁蹇生」〔T32 427b10–11〕中，「當念」是領起後語還是收束前語，也不能僅憑現代標點裁定；「噁蹇」另有「啞謇」之讀，並列保存。
中段依序出「當念受持、當念帝釋慈悲、當念毛竪捨、當念商主正真、當念麋生、當念長壽生」〔T32 427b12–13〕，後面緊接「逐父語當念六牙白象恭敬仙人」〔T32 427b13–14〕。「逐」四本作「遂」；「逐父語」接長壽生還是接六牙白象，底本沒有足以判定的標點。末段再列白馬生往羅剎國渡諸眾生、鹿生護彼壽命捨自壽命、猴生令得解脫所屬大苦〔T32 427b14–16〕；「渡」明本作「度」，「所屬大苦」的承接也未另釋。這些均按原序保存，不重新編成本生與德目的配對表。
猴生一段的原有次序
本生長列之後，原文另以「復次當念猴生」〔T32 427b16–17〕重起：「見人落坑以慈心拔出，設樹根菓以為供養。彼人樂肉以破我頭，以慈悲說法語其善道」〔T32 427b17–19〕。這一段可以確定的次序是：見人落坑，以慈心拔出；設樹根菓供養；那人因樂肉而破其頭；仍以慈悲說法，告訴他善道。原文接著以「如是以眾願門，當念世尊本生功德」收束〔T32 427b19〕。
本段只依次敘述這四件事，沒有替它們另立分層名稱，也沒有把它們逐項配給前文願句。猴生為何在長列後另以「復次」重起，原文同樣沒有說明。義疏只保存這段局部敘事、其先後與收句，不從詳略推定論主意圖。
自拔身：「云何當念世尊自拔身功德？世尊有如是等本生具足，為年少時斷一切居止著、斷兒婦父母親友著，以捨難捨，獨住空閑無所有處，欲求無為泥洹寂滅」〔T32 427b20–23〕，「於摩伽陀國渡尼連禪河，坐菩提樹，降伏魔王及諸鬼兵，於初夜時自憶宿命，於中夜分修得天眼，於後夜中知苦斷集，得證醍醐界」〔T32 427b23–26〕。「修行八正道，分作證漏盡，得菩提覺。從於世間拔出自身，住第一清淨漏盡之地」〔T32 427b26–28〕——「從於世間拔出自身」直接收束本節題目。所斷之著，原文列居止之著與兒、婦、父母、親友之著；其後依次列獨住空閑、渡河、坐菩提樹、降伏魔眾，以及初夜、中夜、後夜之事。本生段先列久遠願行，自拔身段再列年少斷著至成道；兩段依四種行的原次序前後相接。
得勝法：「云何當念世尊得勝法功德？如是世尊有解脫、心解脫，以如來十力、以十四佛智慧、以十八佛法，已與不一禪法成就，到自在彼岸當念」〔T32 427b29–427c03〕。十力以「如來知……如實而知」十句成式：「如來知是處非處，如實而知；如來知過去未來現在善業因緣，以戒以因，若果報等，如實而知；如來知至一切處具足，如實而知；如來知不以一戒、種種戒世間，如實而知；如來知眾生種種欲樂，如實而知；如來知眾生種種諸根，如實而知；如來知禪解脫定正受有煩惱無煩惱，如實而知；如來知宿命，如實而知；如來知眾生生死，如實而知；如來知漏盡，如實而知」〔T32 427c03–12〕。依原次第，十項是：是處非處；過去、未來、現在善業因緣，以戒、以因、若果報等；至一切處具足；不以一戒、種種戒世間；眾生種種欲樂；眾生種種諸根；禪解脫定正受有煩惱無煩惱；宿命；眾生生死；漏盡。每項都以「如實而知」收束，「如來知」本段十見，與標數十相符。第四句「不以一戒、種種戒世間」的內部連接與修飾關係不明，不能由本單元確定；其餘各句亦只循原式、原次第讀取，不以別典或通行十力名稱補義。十四智逐字：「謂苦智、集智、滅智、道智、義辯智、法辯智、辭辯智、樂說辯智、諸根智、眾生欲樂煩惱使智、雙變智、大慈悲定智、一切智、不障礙智」〔T32 427c13–16〕——所列實十四，與標數相符。雙變智、大慈悲定智二目，與本單元下文「三種變」〔T32 428a09〕、「慈悲世間」〔T32 428a15〕有同字可對讀；除此之外，不從別段補定十四智的高下或分類。十八法則六加六加六：「於過去佛智不障礙，未來佛智不障礙，現在佛智不障礙，隨於佛智遍起身業，隨於佛智遍起口業，隨於佛智遍起意業。以此六法世尊成就」〔T32 427c17–20〕，「欲無退、精進無退、念無退、定無退、慧無退、解脫無退。以此十二法，世尊成就」〔T32 427c20–22〕，更出六事：「無可疑事、無誣師事、無不分明、無有急事、無隱覆處、無不觀捨」〔T32 427c22–23〕，且逐一自釋：「無可疑事者，無有威儀為於狡獪。誣師事者，無急速威儀。無不分明者，以知無不觸。無急事者，無威儀以急事。無隱覆者，心行無有非不憶智。無不觀捨者，無有不知捨」〔T32 427c23–27〕——六法、六無退與末六事合為十八，數目相符；但末六句的句法並不都能確定。「威儀」與「狡獪」「急速」「急事」如何連接，「以知無不觸」與「心行無有非不憶智」如何斷讀，本單元都沒有再釋；故只錄六個標目及六句解說，不把它們改寫成確定的行儀或心理分類。復次更有一長列：「世尊以四無畏、以四念處、以四正勤、以四如意足、以五根、以五力、以六神通、以七菩提分、以八聖道分、以八除入、以八解脫、以九次第定、以十聖居止、以十漏盡力、以餘不一善法，世尊成就到自在彼岸」〔T32 427c28–428a03〕——原文自四無畏一路列至十漏盡力，末以「餘不一善法」收束。十力、十四智、十八法三張有標數的表中，所列十、十四、十八都可逐項核合；前文十八功德則標十八而只可逐項點出十三，兩處帳面不同，保留原有缺文。
十四智還可依列次逐項核對：第一至第四是苦智、集智、滅智、道智；第五至第八是義辯智、法辯智、辭辯智、樂說辯智；其後依次是諸根智、眾生欲樂煩惱使智、雙變智、大慈悲定智、一切智、不障礙智〔T32 427c13–16〕。原文在列前問「云何世尊成就十四佛智慧」，列後答「以此十四智，世尊成就」；十四名首尾都由標數收住，列次至此首尾可核。本段沒有逐一解釋這十四智，也沒有另立高下，所以此處只按一至十四的原次序辨明，不借別段補義。
十力十句還可從句式複核。第一句只有是處非處；第二句兼列過去、未來、現在善業因緣，以及戒、因、果報等；第三句是至一切處具足；第四句保留底本「不以一戒、種種戒世間」的原樣；第五、第六句各列眾生種種欲樂與種種諸根；第七句連列禪、解脫、定、正受及有煩惱、無煩惱；末三句依次是宿命、眾生生死、漏盡。十句長短不一，底本卻都用「如實而知」收句。所能確定的是這十個原式及其順序；短句不另展開，長句不拆成新增項，難解的第四句也不以通行十力名稱替換。
饒益世間：「云何當念世尊作饒益世間功德？世尊成就一切行，到一切功德彼岸，為慈悲眾生所轉法輪，世間所不能轉。以密護無內外，開醍醐門。已作無量天人於沙門果，無量眾生得功德分，能令功德具足」〔T32 428a05–09〕；「以三種變，身變、說變、教變，令世間信」〔T32 428a09–10〕；此下連用「已」字成列：「已伏邪見諸相呪師、已覆惡道、已開善趣、已往天上得解脫果、已安聲聞住聲聞法、已制諸戒、已說波羅提木叉、已得勝利養、得佛勝法、已得自在遍滿世間，一切眾生恭敬尊重，乃至天人皆悉聞知」〔T32 428a10–15〕，收在「安住不動，慈悲世間，饒益世間所作，世尊已作」〔T32 428a15–16〕。可以確定的是，本節多次以「已」領起世尊所作，並以「世尊已作」收束；各項依原次序保存，原文只以「已」逐項領起，沒有另說這些項目彼此形成階段。「已制諸戒、已說波羅提木叉」二目並列；就字面可確定的，前者是世尊已制定諸戒，後者是祂已宣說波羅提木叉。原文以「制」「說」分別領起，但沒有再解釋二者的義理關係，所以不強行立體、文之分。「以三種變，身變、說變、教變，令世間信」〔T32 428a09–10〕一句明載三變令世間信，也與本門前文「增長信為處」〔T32 426c02–03〕同在本單元。
就這一節的句序，先是世尊成就一切行與轉法輪，接著是「以密護無內外，開醍醐門」；其後才說無量天人、眾生功德分與三種變。這些短句連接緊密，但「以密護無內外」的主從關係、「已作無量天人於沙門果」的動賓關係，都沒有由原文另行分判。
「已」字所領的後列，也應逐項讀取：伏邪見諸相呪師、覆惡道、開善趣、往天上得解脫果、安聲聞住聲聞法、制諸戒、說波羅提木叉、得勝利養、得佛勝法、得自在遍滿世間。各項之後才接眾生恭敬尊重、天人聞知與世尊已作的收句；本段沒有把它們重組為另一套因果或次第。
收束：從念到禪
結語說：「彼坐禪人以此門此行，已此功德現念如來，其心成信。以信自在、以念自在，心常不亂。若心不亂，滅蓋禪分起，內行禪成住」〔T32 428a17–19〕。本段明列功德現念、成信、信與念自在、心不亂、滅蓋、禪分起與內行禪成住；各句如何構成更細的次第，只依本段現文保留。下一段另問「何故念佛起內行非安」〔T32 428a20〕。
全段共有幾個可以直接核對的收句：十號釋畢是「如是以此門、以此行，當念如來」〔T32 427a29〕；本生節末是「如是以眾願門，當念世尊本生功德」〔T32 427b19〕；自拔身節末是「如是以眾行門，當念世尊自拔身功德」〔T32 427b28–29〕；得勝法節末是「如是以此門、以此行，當念世尊得勝法功德」〔T32 428a04〕；饒益節末是「以此門此行，當念世尊已作世間饒益功德」〔T32 428a16–17〕。五句同式而用語小異，可以用來辨認本單元內部各段內容；但本單元沒有把這種觀察規定為閱讀其他長段的通則，也不能據此推出整部論的固定文法。
帶走三件本單元明載的內容：念佛以令起佛功德為相；十號與四種行構成修行答文的主要列目；本生長列後另以「復次當念猴生」記一段見人落坑、拔出、供養、被破頭而仍說法的故事。長列的項目邊界、猴生另起的原因，以及五個收句之外是否還有更廣的文法，原文都不說明。
The door of the ten impurities closes, and the door of the ten recollections opens. The first recollection is recollection of the Buddha. Here the base text presents an unusually long passage for this chapter: more than 2,300 characters proceed under a single question without a paragraph break. What is seen may be stated first. This passage explicitly says that recollection of the Buddha has “causing the Buddha's qualities to arise” as its characteristic 〔T32 426c02〕, followed by “reverence as its function and increase of faith as its basis” 〔T32 426c02–03〕. It then lists, in order, the ten titles, former causes and conditions, raising himself up, attaining the supreme Dhamma, and benefiting the world, before closing with “making the Tathāgata present in recollection through these qualities, his mind gains faith” 〔T32 428a17–18〕. What this unit securely establishes, therefore, is that the treatise takes the Buddha's qualities as the characteristic and includes multiple sets of titles, deeds, and qualities in its answer on practice. It does not compare recitation of the name, contemplation of an image, or other methods here, and no exclusive claim is drawn from that silence. The close further says that when faith and recollection are mastered, the mind remains undistracted; when it is undistracted, the hindrances are extinguished, the jhāna factors arise, and internal-practice jhāna is accomplished and abides 〔T32 428a18–19〕. From characteristic, function, and basis at the opening to faith, recollection, and jhāna at the close, this sequence is expressly present in the passage.
Seven Questions Establish the Door, and Four Matters Define It
“What is recollection of the Buddha? How is it cultivated? What is its characteristic? What is its function? What is its basis? What are its qualities? How is it practiced?” 〔T32 426b26–27〕. One question sets out seven items. It follows the question-form of the other doors in this chapter while adding the final item, “How is it practiced?” The answer then proceeds through them. The definition of Buddha is: “The Buddha is the Blessed One, so of himself and without a teacher. With respect to an unheard Dhamma, he rightly awakened to the right truth; he can know all and has attained power and mastery. This is called Buddha” 〔T32 426b27–28〕. Four expressions establish the word “Buddha”: without a teacher, self-awakened, all-knowing, and masterful. 世 has a critical note, for four witnesses read 世所; “so of himself and without a teacher” recurs in the later explanation of accomplishment in knowledge and conduct, “in every matter he is so of himself and without a teacher” 〔T32 427a05〕, giving the same words near the beginning and end. The definition of recollection, by contrast, supplies a chain of names: “recollection, repeated recollection, holding in recollection, not forgetting in recollection, the faculty of recollection, the power of recollection, and right recollection; this is called recollection of the Buddha” 〔T32 426b28–426c01〕. The seven names are listed but their distinctions are not explained, so no forced division is imposed. The continuous list touches on persistence, non-forgetting, faculty, and power, giving the word “recollection” its full weight before the practice begins. The text does not state the purpose of their order, and it remains open.
The four matters follow in their accustomed form: “When the mind abides without distraction, this is called cultivation; causing the Buddha's qualities to arise is the characteristic; reverence is the function; increase of faith is the basis” 〔T32 426c01–03〕. The passage gives, in order, undistracted abiding of mind, the arising of the Buddha's qualities, reverence, and increase of faith. Characteristic, function, and basis are each retained according to their own sentence.
The allocation of questions and answers is itself striking. The first six questions—what recollection of the Buddha is, cultivation, characteristic, function, basis, and qualities—receive only a sentence or half-sentence each, altogether little more than a hundred characters. The final question, “How is it practiced?”, occupies nine-tenths of the passage. The disparity is the arrangement of the treatise itself: definition and the four matters are the sign on the door; practice is the house. The actual content of this door lies less in “what recollection of the Buddha is” than in “what is recollected.” The two inventories—the ten titles and four practices—form the substance of that answer. A small verbal echo also appears: the basis is “increase of faith,” and the first item in the list of qualities is “faith increases” 〔T32 426c03〕. The same words recur in reverse order, joining the basis to the head of the qualities-list. On the page, recollection of the Buddha enters through faith and also takes faith as its first harvest.
The qualities-list says, “If one cultivates recollection of the Buddha, one acquires eighteen qualities” 〔T32 426c03〕. The list itself reads: “increase of faith, increase of recollection, increase of wisdom, increase of reverence, increase of merit, much joy, fitness for ascetic practice, freedom from fear, the arising of shame when receiving an unwholesome state, always dwelling together with the teacher, a mind that delights in the Buddha-ground, practice directed toward a good destination, and finally cream” 〔T32 426c03–06〕. The first five all “increase”: faith, recollection, wisdom, reverence, and merit. The middle gives much joy, fitness for ascetic practice, freedom from fear, and shame upon receiving an unwholesome state. The last gives dwelling with the teacher, delighting in the Buddha-ground, practice toward a good destination, and finally cream. The heading says eighteen, but only thirteen items can be counted. The absent material is left absent; no items are supplied or assigned to make the number fit. The citation then consists of the single sentence, “as stated in the phrase 修多羅涅底里” 〔T32 426c06–07〕. It occurs only here in the treatise, and the work meant is not named and cannot be determined. The next sentence is 若人欲念佛、其可恭敬如佛像處 〔T32 426c07–08〕. The base text places a pause after 念佛. The referent of 其 and what 如佛像處 modifies are both unclear. Only the adjacency of “wishes to recollect the Buddha,” “may be revered,” and “place like a Buddha image” can be secured. This passage does not say that either the practitioner or the place thereby acquires elevated status, so no such explanation is built from it. The sentence stands after the unnamed scriptural phrase and before “How is it practiced?” It is neither a separately listed fourteenth quality nor followed by an answer that settles its subject. Its position can be verified word for word but cannot decide its syntax. The question-and-answer order turns to practice only after this sentence; that order is preserved. Nor are the last three qualities recast with this syntactically uncertain sentence into a path of spatial or personal elevation. Counting the thirteen actual items and then returning to the stated eighteen leaves a deficit of five. The text does not say where they have gone: that is precisely what it means to preserve the lacuna.
The thirteen boundaries can be checked from the punctuation: five items ending in “increase,” followed by much joy, fitness for ascetic practice, freedom from fear, and shame upon receiving an unwholesome state, and then dwelling with the teacher, delighting in the Buddha-ground, practice toward a good destination, and finally cream. After “finally cream,” the source moves directly to the phrase 修多羅涅底里. It supplies no further five items before or after the citation. The discrepancy between the heading and the actual list can therefore only be recorded; adjacent sentences cannot be recruited to fill the count.
The Ten Titles: Several Meanings Gathered beneath One Name
“How is it practiced? The beginning meditator goes to a secluded place and gathers the mind without distraction. With an undistracted mind, one recollects the Tathāgata” 〔T32 426c08–09〕. The ten titles then appear in full: “Blessed One, Worthy of Offerings, Fully and Rightly Awakened, Accomplished in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed Person, Trainer of Persons to Be Tamed, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha Blessed One” 〔T32 426c09–11〕, all joined to the sentence, “thereupon that person reaches the further shore of all qualities” 〔T32 426c11〕. The ensuing text explains the titles one by one. An accounting difference must first be recorded: ten names are listed, but nine are explained below. “Buddha Blessed One” is not separately explained, while the explanation uses “Arahant” where the list has “Worthy of Offerings.” Both readings are preserved without a forced correspondence. The difference deserves a pause. The list says “Worthy of Offerings,” the exposition says “Arahant,” yet reception of offerings is its first explanation: the treatise itself places a difference of title beside a continuity of meaning. “Buddha Blessed One” receives no separate exposition. It might occupy the places where Buddha was already defined at the beginning—“this is called Buddha” 〔T32 426b28〕—and Blessed One is explained first among the titles, but that is only a possible location on the page; the text does not say so. The absence is recorded, not supplied.
The explanations use a recognizable form: each title receives several meanings, each closed by “is called” or “therefore called.” Blessed One has five reasons: “because he has obtained praise in the world, he is called Blessed One; because he has further obtained the wondrous Dhamma, he is called Blessed One; because he has further obtained offerings, he is called Blessed One; because he has obtained the fullness of merit, he is called Blessed One; because he is master of the Dhamma of the path, he is called Blessed One; for these reasons he receives the name Blessed One” 〔T32 426c12–14〕. Praise, wondrous Dhamma, offerings, fullness of merit, and mastery of the path all converge on a single title. Arahant has three meanings: “because for that reason he receives offerings, he is called Arahant; because he has slain the enemy of defilements, he is called Arahant; because he has broken the spokes of the wheel of birth and death, he is called Arahant” 〔T32 426c14–16〕. Receiving offerings carries forward the preceding explanation. Slaying an enemy and breaking spokes are both images of conflict: defilement is an enemy, birth and death a wheel, and this is the name of one who has prevailed. Fully and Rightly Awakened likewise has three meanings: “because through every mode he rightly knows all dhammas, he is called Fully and Rightly Awakened; because he has further slain ignorance, he is called Fully and Rightly Awakened; because he has awakened by himself to unsurpassed awakening, he is called Fully and Rightly Awakened” 〔T32 426c16–18〕. Each sentence gives one meaning and closes with the same name. The meanings are many, but the name is one. The text does not assign the three explanations word by word among the components of the title, so no atomized gloss is imposed. What can be established here is simply that all three meanings close under the same name and follow the statement that causing the Buddha's qualities to arise is the characteristic.
“Accomplished in Knowledge and Conduct” receives the fullest exposition. Knowledge is the three knowledges: “the knowledge of former lives, the knowledge of the birth and death of beings, and the knowledge of the exhaustion of the taints” 〔T32 426c19–20〕. Each is paired with one of the three times: “with the knowledge of former lives, the Blessed One cut down past ignorance; with the knowledge of the birth and death of beings, he cut down future ignorance; with the knowledge of the exhaustion of the taints, he cut down present ignorance” 〔T32 426c20–22〕. After the pairing comes a second threefold passage: “because past ignorance has been cut down, with respect to every mode and every past dhamma, whenever the Blessed One recollects it, it immediately becomes present; because future ignorance has been cut down, with respect to every mode and every future dhamma, whenever the Blessed One recollects it, it immediately becomes present; because present ignorance has been cut down, with respect to every mode and every present dhamma, whenever the Blessed One recollects it, it immediately becomes present” 〔T32 426c22–26〕. First a pairing, then its continuation: two balanced triads. The phrase “whenever recollected, immediately present” is especially worth attending to. Where ignorance has been severed, the dhammas of the three times are described not as inferred but as becoming present upon recollection. Conduct is “fully endowed with virtue and concentration” 〔T32 426c26〕, whose words are then individually explained: “virtue is called the basis of all wholesome dhammas, hence knowledge and conduct; ‘accomplished’ is called the basis of all supernormal powers, hence accomplished in knowledge and conduct; ‘full’ means all concentrations” 〔T32 426c26–28〕. Knowledge and conduct are then considered together: “Thus the Blessed One, through omniscience, the three knowledges, and conduct, obtained great compassion in order to benefit the world” 〔T32 426c28–29〕. “Knowledge is mastered because it knows its proper place; he initiates a course of discourse, and no one can defeat him. He has destroyed the defilements and practices pure right conduct. Being full in knowledge, he became the eye of the world, disclosing what is beneficial and what is not. Being full in conduct, he became the support of the world and rescues beings from fear” 〔T32 426c29–427a04〕. “Through knowledge he is liberated and has penetrated ultimate meaning; through conduct he becomes a ferry across and accomplishes what is meaningful for the world. In every matter he is so of himself, without a teacher. His conduct is even, and he has attained unsurpassed seclusion” 〔T32 427a04–06〕. The passage closes, “the Blessed One is accomplished in knowledge and conduct; this is called fullness in knowledge and conduct” 〔T32 427a06–07〕. The long exposition thus has three levels: separate explanation—knowledge as the three knowledges, conduct as fullness in virtue and concentration; pairing with the three times—the destruction of past, future, and present ignorance; and joint consideration—fullness in knowledge makes him the eye of the world, while fullness in conduct makes him the support of the world. The former “discloses what is beneficial and what is not”; the latter “rescues from fear,” each following its source sentence. Later, under “raising himself up,” the first, middle, and last watches list former-life recollection, the divine eye, knowledge of suffering and abandonment of its arising, and realization of the element of cream 〔T32 427b24–26〕. The two locations retain their respective orders.
The title Well-Gone is the most densely repeated: “because he has reached the good path, he is called Well-Gone. He does not come back again. Because he has reached the element of cream, unconditioned Nibbāna, he is called Well-Gone. Because he teaches the Dhamma without inversion, he is called Well-Gone. Because he teaches the Dhamma without deviation, he is called Well-Gone. Because he teaches the Dhamma without fault, he is called Well-Gone. Because he teaches the Dhamma with neither too much nor too little, he is called Well-Gone” 〔T32 427a07–11〕. Five clauses end with “therefore called Well-Gone,” the densest repetition in the passage. The first two meanings concern where the “going” has gone: the good path and unconditioned Nibbāna, without returning. The next four abruptly concern the teaching of Dhamma: it is not inverted, deviant, faulty, excessive, or deficient. Half the “good” of Well-Gone lies in the destination reached, half in the Dhamma spoken—even the measure of the teaching, “neither too much nor too little,” is included among the qualities of one title.
Knower of the World opens two worlds: “there are two kinds of world, the world of beings and the world of formations” 〔T32 427a11–12〕. Knowledge of the world of beings proceeds through sixteen occurrences of “through”: “through knowing the many desires and delights of beings; through differences in faculties; through former lives; through the divine eye; through going and coming; through combination; through accomplishment; through the many kinds who can be taught; through the many kinds who are capable and incapable; through the many kinds of birth, destination, plane, action, defilement, result, good and evil, bondage and release; through such modes, the Blessed One fully knows the world of beings” 〔T32 427a13–18〕. Knowledge of the world of formations proceeds through ten: “through every action he also knows formations; through a fixed characteristic; through the causes and conditions of each one's own characteristic; through the wholesome, unwholesome, and indeterminate; through the various aggregates, elements, and sense bases; through clear knowledge; through impermanence, suffering, and not-self; through arising and non-arising; through such modes, the Blessed One fully knows the formations of the world” 〔T32 427a19–22〕. The treatise does not state those totals, so the counts are recorded without being made into a numbered scheme. What can be established is that both lists repeatedly use “through” and respectively close with “the Blessed One fully knows the world of beings” and “the Blessed One fully knows the formations of the world.” The first list treats the desires and delights, faculties, former lives, movements, teachability, capability, and other varieties of beings. The second treats action, fixed characteristic, the conditions of own-characteristic, the wholesome, unwholesome, and indeterminate, aggregates, elements, sense bases, impermanence, suffering, not-self, and arising and non-arising. The source itself distinguishes “world of beings” from “world of formations,” but neither ranks them as dull and keen nor says that knowledge of the first causes the teaching of the second. They are read separately according to their two source lists.
Unsurpassed has three meanings: “in the world there is none above him; this is called unsurpassed. Further, no person is his equal. Further, he is supreme and without peer, and no other can surpass him; therefore he is called unsurpassed” 〔T32 427a23–24〕. None above, none equal, none comparable: the three negatives rise one after another. Trainer of Persons to Be Tamed first lists “three kinds of person: one awakens immediately upon hearing the Dhamma; for one, causes and conditions are explained; for one, former lives are explained” 〔T32 427a25–26〕, then states, “because the Blessed One guides by the path of the eight liberations and tames beings, he is called Trainer of Persons to Be Tamed” 〔T32 427a26–27〕. This unit gives only the three persons and the path of eight liberations. It does not rank them by acuteness or dullness and does not assign one teaching to each; the order is retained without such a hierarchy or mapping. Teacher of Devas and Humans has two meanings: “because the Blessed One can bring devas and humans across, out of the fearful forest of birth, aging, and death, he is called Teacher of Devas and Humans. Further, because he gives instruction in the paths of seeing and reflection, he is called Teacher of Devas and Humans” 〔T32 427a27–29〕. The fearful forest is an image in which birth, aging, and death become a wood from which beings must be led. The teacher is a teacher both in leading them from that forest and in instructing them in seeing and reflection. The titles close with, “in this way, by this approach and this practice, one should recollect the Tathāgata” 〔T32 427a29〕. “Approach” and “practice” are guideposts repeated throughout the passage.
Four Practices Unfold in Their Original Order
“Further, as the original teacher said, recollection of the Blessed One is cultivated through four practices: former causes and conditions, raising himself up, attaining the supreme Dhamma, and benefiting the world” 〔T32 427a29–427b02〕. The teacher meant by “the original teacher said” is not named in the treatise. The four items unfold in their original order. Former causes and conditions runs from the first aspiration through the former births. Raising himself up runs from relinquishing attachments in youth through awakening. Attaining the supreme Dhamma lists ten powers, fourteen knowledges, eighteen qualities, and other wholesome dhammas. Benefiting the world lists the turning of the wheel, the three transformations, and many things already done. The last three are introduced by “How should one recollect …?” Only the first, “former causes and conditions,” lacks that opening question. Both forms are retained; no question is supplied.
Each of the four has an explicit beginning and end. Former causes and conditions begins, “from the first aspiration until the last” 〔T32 427b02–03〕, passes through the four “I have attained … I shall cause them …” sentences, the ten items from giving through wisdom, the long former-birth list, and the separately introduced monkey birth, and closes, “one should recollect the qualities of the Blessed One's former births” 〔T32 427b19〕. Raising himself up begins with the abandonment in youth of attachment to dwelling, children, wife, parents, relatives, and friends; it then lists dwelling alone, crossing the 尼連禪 River, sitting beneath the Bodhi tree, subduing Māra's host, the knowledge in the three watches, and the noble eightfold path, and closes, “one should recollect the Blessed One's quality of raising himself up” 〔T32 427b28–29〕. Attaining the supreme Dhamma first names liberation, liberation of mind, ten powers, fourteen knowledges, and eighteen qualities, then lists wholesome dhammas from the four fearlessnesses through ten powers of exhausted taints, and closes, “one should recollect the Blessed One's quality of attaining the supreme Dhamma” 〔T32 428a04〕. Benefiting the world begins with turning the wheel and opening the door of cream, lists the three transformations and many things “already done,” and closes, “one should recollect the quality of the benefit the Blessed One has already brought to the world” 〔T32 428a16–17〕. These boundaries are explicit within this passage; no unattested function is supplied for the four.
Former causes and conditions. “From the first aspiration until the last, during the long interval between them, there were twenty incalculable eons” 〔T32 427b02–04〕. This is followed by 一百千億觀凡夫根，念根所初，慈哀世間 〔T32 427b04–05〕. The attachment of the number 一百千億 cannot be decided from punctuation in the base text and is not uniquely divided. The four aspiration-sentences are plain: “I have attained release; I shall cause them to be released. I have attained taming; I shall cause them to be tamed. I have attained peace; I shall cause them to attain peace. I have entered Nibbāna; I shall cause them to enter Nibbāna” 〔T32 427b05–07〕. Each of the four moves from what has been attained by oneself to causing others to attain it. Ten items follow: “giving, virtue, going forth, patience, truth, sustaining, loving-kindness, relinquishment, energy, and wisdom were all fulfilled for the attainment of awakening” 〔T32 427b07–08〕. Then comes the former-birth list, retained word for word as a textual object: 世尊為菩薩時，說本生因緣，作兔子身，常行布施，當念可護生；戒摩瞿頻陀生，當念出離生、忍辱生，當念忍普明生，當念實語、當念噁蹇生，當念受持、當念帝釋慈悲、當念毛竪捨、當念商主正真、當念麋生、當念長壽生、逐父語當念六牙白象恭敬仙人、當念白馬生往羅剎國渡諸眾生、當念鹿生護彼壽命捨自壽命、當念猴生令得解脫所屬大苦 〔T32 427b08–16〕. The list shares words such as giving, going forth, patience, truthfulness, sustaining, compassion, and relinquishment with the ten preceding items. But the boundaries of the former-birth names and the attachment of 當念 are not clearly marked, so those ten items cannot be assigned one by one to the births. The repeated 當念 remains unresolved between governing what follows and closing what precedes. The birth names have several variants: 摩 is 摩訶 in four witnesses; 噁蹇 is 啞謇; 逐 in 逐父語 is 遂 in four witnesses, while its upward or downward attachment cannot be settled by punctuation; and 戒 is 或 in the Palace witness. The readings are recorded without decision and without identifying the stories from elsewhere. The base text does not fully punctuate the boundaries of the names; no unique division is imposed.
At the level of source lines, the first unstable boundary occurs in 當念可護生；戒摩瞿頻陀生 〔T32 427b09–10〕. If 戒 is read with the Taishō base, it may join the following birth-name; if the Palace reading 或 is followed, the syntax and the preceding and following boundaries change. 摩 also has the variant 摩訶, so this passage is not fixed as a particular former-birth name. In the next group, 當念出離生、忍辱生，當念忍普明生，當念實語、當念噁蹇生 〔T32 427b10–11〕, modern punctuation alone cannot settle whether 當念 governs what follows or closes what precedes; 噁蹇 also has the reading 啞謇. Both are preserved.
The middle section proceeds with 當念受持、當念帝釋慈悲、當念毛竪捨、當念商主正真、當念麋生、當念長壽生 〔T32 427b12–13〕, immediately followed by 逐父語當念六牙白象恭敬仙人 〔T32 427b13–14〕. Four witnesses read 遂 for 逐. The base text does not provide punctuation sufficient to decide whether 逐父語 attaches to the long-life birth or the six-tusked white elephant. The final portion gives the white-horse birth going to the land of rākṣasas and ferrying beings across, the deer birth protecting another's life by relinquishing its own, and the monkey birth bringing release from the attached great suffering 〔T32 427b14–16〕. The Ming reads 度 for 渡, while the attachment of 所屬大苦 receives no further explanation. The sequence is preserved without remaking it into a correspondence table of births and virtues.
The Original Sequence of the Monkey-Birth Passage
After the long former-birth list, the source begins again with “Further, one should recollect the monkey birth” 〔T32 427b16–17〕. It continues: “Seeing a person who had fallen into a pit, he drew him out with a mind of loving-kindness and offered him tree roots and fruit. That person desired flesh and struck my head, yet I taught him the Dhamma out of compassion and told him the good path” 〔T32 427b17–19〕. The secure sequence is: he sees a person in a pit and draws him out with loving-kindness; offers tree roots and fruit; is struck on the head by the person who desires flesh; and nevertheless teaches the Dhamma out of compassion and tells him the good path. The source then closes, “in this way, through the approach of many aspirations, one should recollect the qualities of the Blessed One's former births” 〔T32 427b19〕.
The paragraph only narrates these four events in sequence. It does not give them separate hierarchical labels or match them one by one with the preceding aspiration-statements. Nor does the source explain why the monkey birth begins again with “further” after the long list. The exposition preserves the local narrative, its order, and its closing sentence; it does not infer authorial intention from relative length.
Raising himself up. “How should one recollect the Blessed One's quality of raising himself up? The Blessed One was endowed with former births such as these. When young, he cut off every attachment to dwelling and attachment to children, wife, parents, relatives, and friends. Relinquishing what was difficult to relinquish, he dwelt alone in an empty and unpossessed place, seeking the peaceful cessation of unconditioned Nibbāna” 〔T32 427b20–23〕. “In the country of 摩伽陀 he crossed the 尼連禪 River, sat beneath the Bodhi tree, and subdued Māra and his host of spirits. During the first watch of the night he recollected his former lives; during the middle watch he cultivated and attained the divine eye; during the last watch he knew suffering, abandoned its arising, and realized the element of cream” 〔T32 427b23–26〕. “He cultivated the noble eightfold path, separately accomplished the exhaustion of the taints, and attained awakening. He raised himself out of the world and abided in the foremost, purified ground of exhausted taints” 〔T32 427b26–28〕. The forms 摩伽陀 and 尼連禪 are retained from the Chinese source; no Indic identification is imposed. The phrase “raised himself out of the world” directly closes the section's question. The attachments named are attachment to dwelling and attachment to children, wife, parents, relatives, and friends. The text then gives, in sequence, dwelling alone, crossing the river, sitting beneath the Bodhi tree, subduing Māra's host, and the events of the first, middle, and last watches. Former causes and conditions first gives aspirations and practices over a long time; raising himself up then gives the sequence from relinquishing attachments in youth to awakening. The two follow one another in the original order of the four practices.
Attaining the supreme Dhamma. “How should one recollect the Blessed One's quality of attaining the supreme Dhamma? Thus the Blessed One possesses liberation and liberation of mind. Through the Tathāgata's ten powers, the fourteen knowledges of a Buddha, and the eighteen qualities of a Buddha, he has been accomplished together with many jhāna-dhammas and has reached the further shore of mastery. This should be recollected” 〔T32 427b29–427c03〕. The ten powers follow the tenfold formula “the Tathāgata knows … as it really is”: “the Tathāgata knows what is possible and impossible, as it really is; the Tathāgata knows the causes and conditions of wholesome action in the past, future, and present, together with virtue, cause, and results, as they really are; the Tathāgata knows complete arrival at every place, as it really is; the Tathāgata knows 不以一戒、種種戒世間, as it really is; the Tathāgata knows beings' many desires and delights, as they really are; the Tathāgata knows the various faculties of beings, as they really are; the Tathāgata knows jhāna, liberation, concentration, attainment, with defilements and without defilements, as they really are; the Tathāgata knows former lives, as they really are; the Tathāgata knows the birth and death of beings, as they really are; the Tathāgata knows the exhaustion of the taints, as it really is” 〔T32 427c03–12〕. In source order the ten are: possible and impossible; past, future, and present causes and conditions of wholesome action, with virtue, cause, and results; complete arrival at every place; 不以一戒、種種戒世間; beings' various desires and delights; beings' various faculties; jhāna, liberation, concentration, attainment, defiled and undefiled; former lives; the birth and death of beings; and exhaustion of the taints. Every item closes with “as it really is.” “The Tathāgata knows” occurs ten times, agreeing with the stated ten. The internal connection and modification of the fourth expression remain unclear and cannot be settled from this unit. The other items likewise retain their original formula and order rather than being replaced by conventional names from another text. The fourteen knowledges are: “knowledge of suffering, knowledge of arising, knowledge of cessation, knowledge of the path, analytical knowledge of meaning, analytical knowledge of Dhamma, analytical knowledge of language, analytical knowledge of ready speech, knowledge of the faculties, knowledge of beings' desires, delights, defilements, and latent tendencies, knowledge of the twin transformation, knowledge of the concentration of great compassion, omniscience, and unobstructed knowledge” 〔T32 427c13–16〕. Fourteen are actually listed, agreeing with the stated number. “Knowledge of the twin transformation” and “knowledge of the concentration of great compassion” share words with “three transformations” below 〔T32 428a09〕 and “compassionate toward the world” 〔T32 428a15〕. Beyond that verbal cross-reading, no external passage is used to assign rank or class among the fourteen. The eighteen qualities are six plus six plus six: “knowledge of a Buddha is unobstructed with respect to the past, future, and present, and bodily, verbal, and mental action arise everywhere in accordance with a Buddha's knowledge; the Blessed One is accomplished in these six qualities” 〔T32 427c17–20〕. “Desire, energy, recollection, concentration, wisdom, and liberation do not decline; the Blessed One is accomplished in these twelve qualities” 〔T32 427c20–22〕. Six more matters follow: “there is no doubtful matter, no matter of 誣師, nothing unclear, no urgent matter, no concealed place, and no relinquishment without examination” 〔T32 427c22–23〕. Each is then glossed: “as to ‘no doubtful matter’: there is no deportment done through cunning. As to 誣師 matter: there is no hurried deportment. As to ‘nothing unclear’: through knowing, there is no non-contact. As to ‘no urgent matter’: there is no deportment through urgent matters. As to ‘no concealment’: in the activity of mind, there is no 非不憶智. As to ‘no relinquishment without examination’: there is no relinquishment without knowing” 〔T32 427c23–27〕. The six qualities, six non-declines, and six final matters make eighteen, agreeing with the stated number, but the syntax of the final six explanations is not secure throughout. How deportment connects with cunning, haste, and urgent matters, and how 以知無不觸 and 心行無有非不憶智 divide, are not explained by this unit. The six headings and six explanations are retained without recasting them as settled categories of conduct or psychology. A further long list reads: “through the four fearlessnesses, four establishments of mindfulness, four right efforts, four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, six supernormal knowledges, seven factors of awakening, factors of the noble eightfold path, eight spheres of mastery, eight liberations, nine successive concentrations, ten noble abodes, ten powers of exhausted taints, and the remaining many wholesome dhammas, the Blessed One is accomplished and has reached the further shore of mastery” 〔T32 427c28–428a03〕. The source proceeds from the four fearlessnesses through the ten powers of exhausted taints and closes with “the remaining many wholesome dhammas.” In the three explicitly numbered tables—the ten powers, fourteen knowledges, and eighteen qualities—the counts ten, fourteen, and eighteen can each be verified. By contrast, the earlier “eighteen qualities” of recollection of the Buddha contains only thirteen countable entries. The two accounting states are preserved.
The fourteen knowledges can be checked item by item in their listed order. The first through fourth are knowledge of suffering, arising, cessation, and the path. The fifth through eighth are analytical knowledge of meaning, Dhamma, language, and ready speech. They are followed by knowledge of the faculties; knowledge of beings' desires, delights, defilements, and latent tendencies; knowledge of the twin transformation; knowledge of the concentration of great compassion; omniscience; and unobstructed knowledge 〔T32 427c13–16〕. Before the list the source asks, “How is the Blessed One accomplished in the fourteen knowledges of a Buddha?” and after it answers, “The Blessed One is accomplished in these fourteen knowledges.” The stated number closes the list at both ends, and all fourteen names can be checked in order. The passage does not individually explain or rank them; this exposition therefore identifies only their order and does not borrow explanations from elsewhere.
The ten powers can likewise be checked through their formulas. The first sentence contains possible and impossible. The second combines causes and conditions of wholesome action in past, future, and present with virtue, cause, and results. The third is complete arrival at every place. The fourth preserves the base reading 不以一戒、種種戒世間. The fifth and sixth respectively give the many desires and delights and the various faculties of beings. The seventh combines jhāna, liberation, concentration, attainment, defiled and undefiled. The final three are former lives, the birth and death of beings, and exhaustion of the taints. The ten sentences differ in length, but all close with “as it really is.” What can be determined is these ten source formulas and their order. Short sentences are not expanded, long ones are not split into new items, and the difficult fourth is not replaced by a conventional title for a power.
Benefiting the world. “How should one recollect the Blessed One's quality of benefiting the world? The Blessed One was accomplished in every practice and reached the further shore of all qualities. Out of compassion for beings, he turned the wheel of Dhamma, which the world could not turn. 以密護無內外，開醍醐門. 已作無量天人於沙門果，無量眾生得功德分，能令功德具足” 〔T32 428a05–09〕. “Through three kinds of transformation—bodily transformation, transformation of speech, and transformation of instruction—he caused the world to have faith” 〔T32 428a09–10〕. A series introduced by “already” follows: “he had subdued the physiognomists and spell-masters of wrong view, covered over bad destinations, opened good destinations, gone to heaven and attained the fruit of liberation, established disciples in the Dhamma of disciples, instituted the precepts, proclaimed the Pātimokkha, attained supreme gain and support, attained the Buddha's supreme Dhamma, attained mastery and pervaded the world; all beings revered and honored him, and even devas and humans all heard and knew of him” 〔T32 428a10–15〕. It closes, “abiding immovably and compassionate toward the world, the Blessed One had done the work that benefited the world” 〔T32 428a15–16〕. What can be established is that this section repeatedly introduces deeds as already done and closes with “the Blessed One had done.” The items remain in their original order. The source does not state that they form stages. “He instituted the precepts” and “he proclaimed the Pātimokkha” stand side by side. The former explicitly uses “institute,” the latter “proclaim,” but their doctrinal relation is not further explained and is not recast as essence and text. The sentence concerning three transformations expressly says they cause faith in the world 〔T32 428a09–10〕 and occurs in the same unit as “increase of faith is the basis” 〔T32 426c02–03〕.
Within the order of this section, accomplishment in every practice and turning the wheel come first, followed by 以密護無內外，開醍醐門. Only then come the innumerable devas and humans, beings' share of qualities, and the three transformations. The short clauses are tightly connected, but the governing relation within 以密護無內外 and the object relation in 已作無量天人於沙門果 are not separately decided by the source.
The later series governed by “already” should likewise be read item by item: subduing the physiognomists and spell-masters of wrong view; covering bad destinations; opening good destinations; going to heaven and attaining the fruit of liberation; establishing disciples in the Dhamma of disciples; instituting the precepts; proclaiming the Pātimokkha; attaining supreme gain and support; attaining the Buddha's supreme Dhamma; and attaining mastery and pervading the world. Only after these come the reverence of beings, the knowledge of devas and humans, and the statement that the Blessed One had done the work. The passage does not regroup them into another chain of causes or stages.
Conclusion: From Recollection to Jhāna
The conclusion says: “Through this approach and this practice, that meditator now makes the Tathāgata present in recollection through these qualities, and the mind gains faith. Through mastery of faith and mastery of recollection, the mind is always undistracted. When the mind is undistracted, the hindrances are extinguished, the jhāna factors arise, and internal-practice jhāna is accomplished and abides” 〔T32 428a17–19〕. The passage expressly lists making the qualities present in recollection, gaining faith, mastery of faith and recollection, an undistracted mind, extinguishing the hindrances, arising of jhāna factors, and the accomplishment and abiding of internal-practice jhāna. Any finer articulation of their sequence remains limited to what these sentences state. The next passage separately asks, “Why does recollection of the Buddha arouse internal practice but not settledness?” 〔T32 428a20〕.
Several closing formulas can be directly checked. The explanation of the titles ends, “in this way, by this approach and this practice, one should recollect the Tathāgata” 〔T32 427a29〕. The former-birth section ends, “in this way, through the approach of many aspirations, one should recollect the qualities of the Blessed One's former births” 〔T32 427b19〕. Raising himself up ends, “in this way, through the approach of many practices, one should recollect the Blessed One's quality of raising himself up” 〔T32 427b28–29〕. Attaining the supreme Dhamma ends, “in this way, by this approach and this practice, one should recollect the Blessed One's quality of attaining the supreme Dhamma” 〔T32 428a04〕. Benefiting the world ends, “by this approach and this practice, one should recollect the quality of the benefit the Blessed One has already brought to the world” 〔T32 428a16–17〕. The five formulas share a form while differing slightly in wording. They can identify sections within this unit, but this unit does not prescribe that observation as a rule for reading other long passages, and no fixed grammar for the whole treatise follows from it.
Three things explicitly stated in this unit may be carried away. Recollection of the Buddha has causing the Buddha's qualities to arise as its characteristic. The ten titles and four practices are the principal inventories in the answer on practice. After the long former-birth list, “further, one should recollect the monkey birth” introduces the story of the person in the pit, his rescue, the offering, the blow to the head, and the compassionate teaching that follows. The source does not explain the boundaries in the long list, the reason the monkey birth begins separately, or any wider grammar beyond the five closing formulas.
Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Qualities and Cultivation of Recollection of the Buddha · Exposition · Summer 2026
考據Apparatus
全段定位 本段出自《解脫道論》卷第六〈行門品〉之三，接十不淨一門之結偈與夾註「（十不淨已竟）」〔T32 426b25〕而下，為十念一門之首。底本作單一段〔T32 426b26–428a19〕，2315 字，內含問目、佛與念佛之定義、修相味處、功德列、如來十號逐釋、四種行修念、十力十四智十八法諸列與結——照原段保留不再切——底本此處為單一段之連續問答，再切須破段；其內部結構留予義疏分節。
一、科判定位
本段一問七目，其下逐目而答；末以坐禪人之成就收。段內之節逐字可核（節非底本之段，僅為讀之便，底本不分）：
| 節 | 經文起訖逐字（各繫其錨） |
|---|---|
| 問目七 | 「問：云何念佛？何修？何相？何味？何處？何功德？云何修行？」〔T32 426b26–27〕 |
| 佛與念佛 | 「答：佛者，世尊自然無師」〔T32 426b27〕…「此謂念佛」〔T32 426c01〕 |
| 修·相·味·處 | 「心住不亂此謂修」〔T32 426c01–02〕…「增長信為處」〔T32 426c02–03〕 |
| 功德列及其後一句 | 「若修行念佛，成得十八功德」〔T32 426c03〕…「若人欲念佛、其可恭敬如佛像處」〔T32 426c07–08〕 |
| 修行·十號 | 「云何修行？」〔T32 426c08〕…「於是彼者到一切功德彼岸」〔T32 426c11〕 |
| 十號逐釋 | 「世尊者」〔T32 426c11〕…「名天人師」〔T32 427a29〕 |
| 四種行修念 | 「復次如本師說：以四種行修念世尊」〔T32 427a29–427b01〕…「當念世尊已作世間饒益功德」〔T32 428a16–17〕 |
| 結 | 「彼坐禪人以此門此行」〔T32 428a17〕…「內行禪成住」〔T32 428a19〕 |
單元界與底本段界相合：起於 426b26 段首之問、止於 428a19 段末之語，全段一段不切。
全段定位錨
〔T32, 426b26–428a19〕
二、詞義與譯語（逐字各繫其錨）
| 名相 | 本段用法 | 章內接點（可核） |
|---|---|---|
| 自然無師 | 「佛者，世尊自然無師，於未聞法正覺正諦」〔T32 426b27–28〕 | 「世」字有校記（見目三），四本作「世所」；下文釋明行足亦有「於一切事自然無師」〔T32 427a05〕 |
| 念之七名 | 「念、隨念、念持、念不忘、念根、念力、正念」〔T32 426b29–426c01〕 | 七名並列而論文不逐釋其別，照錄不代分疏 |
| 心住不亂此謂修 | 〔T32 426c01–02〕 | 此語全論十一見，為本論諸門「修」之套語（如 425c05、426a03、428b05）；非本門獨有 |
| 十八功德 | 「若修行念佛，成得十八功德」〔T32 426c03〕，其列自「信增長」〔T32 426c03〕至「最後醍醐」〔T32 426c06〕 | 標數十八而所列實十三（信增長·念增長·慧增長·恭敬增長·功德增長·多歡喜·堪任苦行·離於怖畏·於受惡法得生慚愧·常與師共住·心樂佛地·行向善趣·最後醍醐）；照錄不補、不代配數 |
| 修多羅涅底里句 | 「如說修多羅涅底里句」〔T32 426c06–07〕 | 全論唯此一見；所指何書論文不出其名，不代考定 |
| 若人欲念佛、其可恭敬如佛像處 | 〔T32 426c07–08〕 | 底本於「念佛」後作頓號；「其」所指及「如佛像處」修飾何者皆不明，照錄存疑，不代點斷、不據此抬高行者或所在之處 |
| 十號 | 「世尊、應供、正遍知、明行足、善逝、世間解、無上士、調御丈夫、天人師、佛世尊」〔T32 426c09–11〕 | 所列十名；下文逐釋者九（世尊·阿羅漢·正遍知·明行足·善逝·世間解·無上·調御丈夫·天人師），「佛世尊」不別立釋，且釋文以「阿羅漢」當所列之「應供」——名目與釋次之出入照錄不判、不代對應 |
| 到一切功德彼岸 | 〔T32 426c11〕 | 本段二見（426c11 繫十號之總、428a06 繫得勝法功德之收），語同而所繫之節不同，照錄不合併 |
| 三明 | 「明者三明：宿命智明、眾生生死智明、漏盡智明」〔T32 426c19–20〕 | 三明各斷過去·未來·現在無明〔T32 426c20–22〕，配屬齊整 |
| 明·行·足·具 | 「行者，戒定足具」〔T32 426c26〕；「戒者，謂一切善法處」〔T32 426c26–27〕；「足者，謂一切神通處」〔T32 426c27〕；「具者，謂一切定」〔T32 426c28〕 | 四字逐一自釋，而「明行足」三字之合釋在其後「以明行足世尊成就，此謂明行具足」〔T32 427a06–07〕 |
| 故名善逝 | 〔T32 427a08〕等 | 本段五見〔T32 427a08·427a09·427a09–10·427a10·427a11〕，逐義各出一「故名善逝」，為本段最密之複沓 |
| 二世間 | 「世間有二種，謂眾生世間、行世間」〔T32 427a11–12〕 | 眾生世間以十六「以」字行〔T32 427a12–18〕、行世間以十「以」字行〔T32 427a18–22〕，論文不標其數，照錄不代配數 |
| 名天人師 | 〔T32 427a28〕〔T32 427a29〕 | 本段二見，前繫「能度天人」之義、後繫「教誡見思惟道」之義 |
| 四種行修念 | 「本昔因緣、以起自身、以得勝法、以作世間饒益」〔T32 427b01–02〕 | 四目下文逐一以「云何當念…」領起〔T32 427b20·427b29·428a05〕；惟第一目「本昔因緣」不以「云何」領起，照錄不代補 |
| 二十阿僧祇劫·一百千億 | 「二十阿僧祇劫」〔T32 427b03–04〕、「一百千億觀凡夫根，念根所初」〔T32 427b04〕 | 「一百千億」所繫及「觀凡夫根／念根所初」如何分句皆不明，照錄不代點斷 |
| 本生諸目 | 自「作兔子身，常行布施」〔T32 427b09〕至「令得解脫所屬大苦」〔T32 427b16〕 | 諸生之名多有校記（見目三）；名目之界與「當念」之所繫，底本不以標點盡分，照錄不代點斷、不代考定其本生 |
| 十力 | 「云何世尊成就十力」〔T32 427c03〕，其列以「如來知…如實而知」為式 | 「如來知」本段十見，與標數十相符 |
| 十四佛智慧 | 「云何世尊成就十四佛智慧」〔T32 427c12–13〕，自「苦智」至「不障礙智」〔T32 427c16〕 | 所列實十四，與標數相符 |
| 十八佛法 | 「云何世尊成就十八法」〔T32 427c16–17〕 | 六法〔T32 427c17–20〕＋六無退〔T32 427c20–21〕＝「以此十二法」〔T32 427c21–22〕，更出六事〔T32 427c22〕並逐一自釋〔T32 427c23–27〕，合十八，與標數相符 |
| 不以一戒、種種戒世間 | 〔T32 427c07〕 | 十力第四句原式；兩組語的連接與修飾關係不明，照錄存疑，不以通行十力名稱代解 |
| 十八法末六事之解說 | 〔T32 427c22–27〕 | 六個標目可逐項數定；逐句解說多處句法不明，不把「威儀」「以知無不觸」「心行無有非不憶智」等改寫成確定義 |
| 三種變 | 「以三種變，身變、說變、教變」〔T32 428a09–10〕 | 所列三，與標數相符 |
三、校記與異讀
本段範圍內大正藏校記十一處，均誌而不改；本文之讀一律依大正本：
| 錨 | 底本 | 異讀 | 見證 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 426b27 | 世（佛者，世尊自然無師） | 世所 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 426c15 | 殺（殺煩惱怨，名阿羅漢） | 設 | 【明】 |
| 427b09 | 念（當念可護生） | 令 | 【明】 |
| 427b10 | 戒（戒摩瞿頻陀生） | 或 | 【宮】 |
| 427b10 | 摩（戒摩瞿頻陀生） | 摩訶 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 427b11 | 噁（當念噁蹇生） | 啞 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 427b11 | 蹇（當念噁蹇生） | 謇 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 427b13 | 逐（逐父語） | 遂 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 427b15 | 渡（往羅剎國渡諸眾生） | 度 | 【明】 |
| 427b22 | 住（獨住空閑無所有處） | 往 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 427c03 | 云（云何世尊成就十力） | 去 | 【元】【明】 |
誌錄不判四事：
- 427b10「戒摩瞿頻陀生」之「戒」，宮本作「或」——作「戒」則其字屬下而為生名之首，作「或」則為選擇之詞，上句「當念可護生」之界隨之而異；並錄不判，本文從底本。
- 427b10「摩」四本作「摩訶」——生名之異；並錄不判，本文從底本，不代考定其本生。
- 427b11「噁蹇」四本作「啞謇」——生名之異；並錄不判，本文從底本，不代考定其本生。
- 427b13「逐父語」之「逐」四本作「遂」——「逐父語」屬上（繫「長壽生」）或屬下（繫「六牙白象」），底本無標點可依，二讀所繫之生遂異；並錄不判，本文照錄不代點斷。
校本零命中二項：本段正文缺字零命中；夾註零命中。
四、論主引據
本段引據二處，皆標其所自而不出其品目；出處論文未標者不代為考定：
| 引語逐字 | 錨 | 論文所繫之義 |
|---|---|---|
| 「如說修多羅涅底里句」 | 〔T32 426c06–07〕 | 繫於十八功德之列末 |
| 「復次如本師說：以四種行修念世尊」 | 〔T32 427a29–427b01〕 | 領起四種行修念之全節 |
「如本師說」之式，本論別見「本師所說」〔T32 413a02〕、「如是先師所說」〔T32 413a04〕；所指之師論文不出其名，不代考定。
五、譬喻·修辭
- 一問七目、逐目而答〔T32 426b26–27〕：問出七目（云何念佛·何修·何相·何味·何處·何功德·云何修行），答文即依其次第而下——與本品諸門問目之式同體（如 08-33 膖脹想〔T32 424c20–23〕）。
- 「故名」之複沓〔T32 426c11–427a29〕：十號逐釋，每義各綴「名…」「故名…」為收——世尊五「故名」〔T32 426c12–14〕、阿羅漢三「名阿羅漢」〔T32 426c14–16〕、正遍知三「名正遍覺」〔T32 426c16–18〕、善逝一「名曰善逝」〔T32 427a07〕＋五「故名善逝」〔T32 427a08·427a09·427a09–10·427a10·427a11〕；以同一收語反覆綴於異義之下，義雖多而名唯一。
- 三明配三世〔T32 426c20–22〕：宿命智明斷過去、眾生生死智明斷未來、漏盡智明斷現在；其下復以「已斷殺…故，以一切行一切…法，世尊應念即現」三疊承之〔T32 426c22–26〕——先配後承，兩重齊整。
- 「以」字之連下〔T32 427a12–22〕：知眾生世間連下十六「以」、知行世間連下十「以」，不加斷語而以並列成其「悉知」之量；論文不標其數，照錄不代配數。
- 本生之列以「當念」為節〔T32 427b09–16〕：諸生逐一以「當念」領起，而其名目之界與「當念」之所繫，底本不以標點盡分——照錄不代點斷。
- 末一本生獨出其事〔T32 427b16–19〕：諸生皆一句而過，唯猴生一目以「復次當念猴生」重起，敘見人落坑、慈心拔出、設樹根菓供養、彼人樂肉破我頭、猶以慈悲說法語其善道——由列轉敘，一門之中唯此一詳。
六、章內互讀
- 前指：十不淨之結偈與門界夾註 08-37〔T32 426b16–25〕；「心住不亂此謂修」之套語別見〔T32 425c05〕〔T32 426a03〕等；「本師所說」「先師所說」〔T32 413a02–04〕；「波羅提木叉」別見〔T32 400c28〕等（全論十三見，本段在 428a12–13）。
- 後指：念佛之釋疑與念法自「問：何故念佛起內行非安？」〔T32 428a19–20〕起（08-39）——本段既竟念佛之總說，其疑與次門於彼始起。
七、傳本
作者、譯者與傳本諸問題，本編不於考據內立說。
Location of the complete passage. This passage is in the third part of the “Chapter on Practices,” fascicle six of the Path of Freedom. It follows the closing verse of the ten impurities and the inline note “The ten impurities are finished” 〔T32 426b25〕, and it opens the ten recollections. The base witness has one paragraph 〔T32 426b26–428a19〕 of 2,315 characters, containing the questions; definitions of Buddha and recollection of the Buddha; cultivation, characteristic, function, and basis; the qualities-list; explanations of the Tathāgata's ten titles; cultivation through four practices; lists of ten powers, fourteen knowledges, and eighteen qualities; and the close. It is preserved as the original single paragraph and is not divided again—the base text has one continuous question-and-answer paragraph here, and dividing it would break that paragraph. Its internal organization is left to the exposition.
1. Structural Location
One question sets out seven items, which the passage answers in turn, before closing with the meditator's attainment. The internal sections below can be verified word for word. They are reading aids, not paragraphs in the base witness, which has no division here.
| Section | Exact opening and close, with anchors |
|---|---|
| Seven questions | “What is recollection of the Buddha? How is it cultivated? What is its characteristic? What is its function? What is its basis? What are its qualities? How is it practiced?” 〔T32 426b26–27〕 |
| Buddha and recollection of the Buddha | “Answer: The Buddha is the Blessed One, so of himself and without a teacher” 〔T32 426b27〕 … “this is called recollection of the Buddha” 〔T32 426c01〕 |
| Cultivation, characteristic, function, basis | “When the mind abides without distraction, this is called cultivation” 〔T32 426c01–02〕 … “increase of faith is the basis” 〔T32 426c02–03〕 |
| Qualities-list and following sentence | “If one cultivates recollection of the Buddha, one acquires eighteen qualities” 〔T32 426c03〕 … 若人欲念佛、其可恭敬如佛像處 〔T32 426c07–08〕 |
| Practice and ten titles | “How is it practiced?” 〔T32 426c08〕 … “thereupon that person reaches the further shore of all qualities” 〔T32 426c11〕 |
| Explanations of the titles | “As to ‘Blessed One’” 〔T32 426c11〕 … “is called Teacher of Devas and Humans” 〔T32 427a29〕 |
| Cultivation through four practices | “Further, as the original teacher said, recollection of the Blessed One is cultivated through four practices” 〔T32 427a29–427b01〕 … “one should recollect the quality of the benefit the Blessed One has already brought to the world” 〔T32 428a16–17〕 |
| Conclusion | “Through this approach and this practice, that meditator” 〔T32 428a17〕 … “internal-practice jhāna is accomplished and abides” 〔T32 428a19〕 |
The unit boundary coincides with the paragraph boundary in the base witness: it begins with the question at the start of 426b26 and ends with the last words of the paragraph at 428a19. The single paragraph is not divided.
Anchor for the complete passage
〔T32, 426b26–428a19〕
2. Terms and Renderings, Each Anchored to the Source
| Term | Use in this passage | Verifiable connection within the chapter |
|---|---|---|
| So of himself and without a teacher, 自然無師 | “The Buddha is the Blessed One, so of himself and without a teacher; with respect to an unheard Dhamma, he rightly awakened to the right truth” 〔T32 426b27–28〕 | 世 has a critical note (section 3); four witnesses read 世所. The later explanation of accomplishment in knowledge and conduct also has “in every matter he is so of himself and without a teacher” 〔T32 427a05〕 |
| Seven names for recollection | “recollection, repeated recollection, holding in recollection, not forgetting in recollection, the faculty of recollection, the power of recollection, right recollection” 〔T32 426b29–426c01〕 | The seven are listed without separate explanations. They are retained without an imposed distinction |
| “When the mind abides without distraction, this is called cultivation” | 〔T32 426c01–02〕 | The formula occurs eleven times in the treatise and is used for cultivation in several practices (for example, 425c05, 426a03, and 428b05); it is not unique to this practice |
| Eighteen qualities | “If one cultivates recollection of the Buddha, one acquires eighteen qualities” 〔T32 426c03〕, with the list running from “increase of faith” 〔T32 426c03〕 to “finally cream” 〔T32 426c06〕 | Eighteen are stated, but thirteen are actually listed: increase of faith, recollection, wisdom, reverence, and merit; much joy; fitness for ascetic practice; freedom from fear; shame upon receiving an unwholesome state; always dwelling with the teacher; a mind delighting in the Buddha-ground; practice toward a good destination; finally cream. The list is neither supplemented nor forced to fit the number |
| The phrase 修多羅涅底里 | “As stated in the phrase 修多羅涅底里” 〔T32 426c06–07〕 | Its only occurrence in the treatise. The work intended is not named, and no identification is imposed |
| 若人欲念佛、其可恭敬如佛像處 | 〔T32 426c07–08〕 | The base text has a pause after 念佛. The referent of 其 and the phrase modified by 如佛像處 are both unclear. The line remains open, without repunctuation or a claim that it elevates the practitioner or place |
| Ten titles | “Blessed One, Worthy of Offerings, Fully and Rightly Awakened, Accomplished in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed Person, Trainer of Persons to Be Tamed, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Buddha Blessed One” 〔T32 426c09–11〕 | Ten are listed; nine are explained below: Blessed One, Arahant, Fully and Rightly Awakened, Accomplished in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed, Trainer of Persons to Be Tamed, and Teacher of Devas and Humans. Buddha Blessed One is not separately explained, while Arahant appears in the explanation where the list has Worthy of Offerings. The mismatch of list and explanation is recorded without decision or forced alignment |
| Reaching the further shore of all qualities | 〔T32 426c11〕 | The expression occurs twice here: at 426c11 it closes the ten titles, and at 428a06 it belongs to the qualities of attaining the supreme Dhamma. The words are the same, but their sections differ and are not merged |
| Three knowledges | “Knowledge is the three knowledges: knowledge of former lives, knowledge of the birth and death of beings, and knowledge of the exhaustion of the taints” 〔T32 426c19–20〕 | The three respectively cut down past, future, and present ignorance 〔T32 426c20–22〕; the pairing is regular |
| Knowledge, conduct, accomplishment, fullness | “Conduct means being fully endowed with virtue and concentration” 〔T32 426c26〕; “virtue is called the basis of all wholesome dhammas” 〔T32 426c26–27〕; “accomplished is called the basis of all supernormal powers” 〔T32 426c27〕; “full means all concentrations” 〔T32 426c28〕 | The words are individually explained, followed by the combined explanation, “the Blessed One is accomplished in knowledge and conduct; this is called fullness in knowledge and conduct” 〔T32 427a06–07〕 |
| “Therefore called Well-Gone” | 〔T32 427a08〕 and following | Five occurrences appear here: 〔T32 427a08〕〔T32 427a09〕〔T32 427a09–10〕〔T32 427a10〕〔T32 427a11〕. Each meaning closes with the same formula, the densest repetition in this passage |
| Two worlds | “There are two kinds of world: the world of beings and the world of formations” 〔T32 427a11–12〕 | The world of beings proceeds through sixteen occurrences of “through” 〔T32 427a12–18〕; the world of formations through ten 〔T32 427a18–22〕. The text does not state these totals, so no numbered scheme is imposed |
| “Is called Teacher of Devas and Humans” | 〔T32 427a28〕〔T32 427a29〕 | Two occurrences: the first follows the ability to bring devas and humans across; the second follows instruction in the paths of seeing and reflection |
| Cultivation through four practices | “former causes and conditions, raising himself up, attaining the supreme Dhamma, and benefiting the world” 〔T32 427b01–02〕 | The ensuing items are introduced with “How should one recollect …?” 〔T32 427b20〕〔T32 427b29〕〔T32 428a05〕. Only the first, former causes and conditions, lacks that introduction. It is not supplied |
| Twenty incalculable eons and 一百千億 | “twenty incalculable eons” 〔T32 427b03–04〕; 一百千億觀凡夫根，念根所初 〔T32 427b04〕 | What the number 一百千億 qualifies, and how 觀凡夫根／念根所初 divide, are unclear. The text remains unrepunctuated |
| Former-birth items | From “taking the body of a hare and constantly practicing giving” 〔T32 427b09〕 through “bringing release from the attached great suffering” 〔T32 427b16〕 | Several names have critical notes (section 3). The base witness does not fully mark the boundaries of the names or the attachment of 當念. The sequence remains open, without repunctuation or external identification of the births |
| Ten powers | “How is the Blessed One accomplished in the ten powers?” 〔T32 427c03〕; the list uses the formula “the Tathāgata knows … as it really is” | “The Tathāgata knows” occurs ten times, agreeing with the stated ten |
| Fourteen knowledges of a Buddha | “How is the Blessed One accomplished in the fourteen knowledges of a Buddha?” 〔T32 427c12–13〕, from knowledge of suffering through unobstructed knowledge 〔T32 427c16〕 | Fourteen are actually listed, agreeing with the stated number |
| Eighteen qualities of a Buddha | “How is the Blessed One accomplished in the eighteen qualities?” 〔T32 427c16–17〕 | Six qualities 〔T32 427c17–20〕 plus six non-declines 〔T32 427c20–21〕 make “these twelve qualities” 〔T32 427c21–22〕; six more matters follow 〔T32 427c22〕 and are individually explained 〔T32 427c23–27〕. The total is eighteen, agreeing with the stated number |
| 不以一戒、種種戒世間 | 〔T32 427c07〕 | The source form of the fourth power. The connection and modification of its two groups are unclear. It remains open and is not replaced by a conventional name for a power |
| Explanations of the final six among the eighteen qualities | 〔T32 427c22–27〕 | Six headings can be counted. Several explanations have uncertain syntax; “deportment,” 以知無不觸, 心行無有非不憶智, and related phrases are not rewritten into settled meanings |
| Three transformations | “through three kinds of transformation: bodily transformation, transformation of speech, transformation of instruction” 〔T32 428a09–10〕 | Three are listed, agreeing with the stated number |
3. Critical Notes and Variant Readings
There are eleven Taishō critical notes within this passage. All are recorded without changing the text; the reading text follows the Taishō base throughout.
| Anchor | Base reading | Variant | Witnesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 426b27 | 世, in 佛者，世尊自然無師 | 世所 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 426c15 | 殺, in 殺煩惱怨，名阿羅漢 | 設 | 【明】 |
| 427b09 | 念, in 當念可護生 | 令 | 【明】 |
| 427b10 | 戒, in 戒摩瞿頻陀生 | 或 | 【宮】 |
| 427b10 | 摩, in 戒摩瞿頻陀生 | 摩訶 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 427b11 | 噁, in 當念噁蹇生 | 啞 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 427b11 | 蹇, in 當念噁蹇生 | 謇 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 427b13 | 逐, in 逐父語 | 遂 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 427b15 | 渡, in 往羅剎國渡諸眾生 | 度 | 【明】 |
| 427b22 | 住, in 獨住空閑無所有處 | 往 | 【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 |
| 427c03 | 云, in 云何世尊成就十力 | 去 | 【元】【明】 |
Four matters are recorded without decision:
- At 427b10, Palace reads 或 for 戒 in 戒摩瞿頻陀生. With the base 戒, the character can attach downward as the head of a birth-name; with 或, it is disjunctive and changes the boundary after 當念可護生. Both are recorded; the reading text follows the base.
- At 427b10, four witnesses read 摩訶 for 摩, a variant within a birth-name. Both are recorded; the reading text follows the base, and the birth is not identified externally.
- At 427b11, four witnesses read 啞謇 for 噁蹇, a variant within a birth-name. Both are recorded; the reading text follows the base, and the birth is not identified externally.
- At 427b13, four witnesses read 遂 for 逐 in 逐父語. Whether 逐父語 attaches upward to 長壽生 or downward to 六牙白象 cannot be decided from punctuation in the base witness, and the two readings consequently attach to different births. Both remain open; the text is neither repunctuated nor decided here.
Two zero results from the critical edition: no missing-character marker occurs in the passage, and no inline note occurs within it.
4. Authorities Cited by the Treatise
The passage cites two authorities. Each marks a source but gives no title or section; no identification is supplied where the treatise supplies none.
| Exact wording | Anchor | Function assigned by the treatise |
|---|---|---|
| “As stated in the phrase 修多羅涅底里” | 〔T32 426c06–07〕 | Attached to the end of the eighteen-qualities list |
| “Further, as the original teacher said, recollection of the Blessed One is cultivated through four practices” | 〔T32 427a29–427b01〕 | Introduces the complete section on the four practices |
The formula “the original teacher said” has parallels elsewhere in the treatise, “what the original teacher taught” 〔T32 413a02〕 and “as the former teacher taught” 〔T32 413a04〕. The teacher is not named, and no identification is imposed.
5. Simile and Rhetoric
- One question, seven items, answered in order 〔T32 426b26–27〕: the seven are what recollection of the Buddha is, cultivation, characteristic, function, basis, qualities, and practice. The answer proceeds in this order, using the question-form of other practices in this chapter, such as 08-33, the swollen-corpse perception 〔T32 424c20–23〕.
- Repetition of “therefore called” 〔T32 426c11–427a29〕: in the explanations of the titles, each meaning closes with “is called” or “therefore called.” Blessed One has five such closures 〔T32 426c12–14〕; Arahant has three occurrences of “is called Arahant” 〔T32 426c14–16〕; Fully and Rightly Awakened has three occurrences of “is called Fully and Rightly Awakened” 〔T32 426c16–18〕; Well-Gone has one “is called Well-Gone” 〔T32 427a07〕 plus five “therefore called Well-Gone” 〔T32 427a08〕〔T32 427a09〕〔T32 427a09–10〕〔T32 427a10〕〔T32 427a11〕. The same close is repeated beneath different meanings: the meanings are many, the name one.
- Three knowledges paired with three times 〔T32 426c20–22〕: knowledge of former lives cuts down past ignorance; knowledge of the birth and death of beings cuts down future ignorance; knowledge of the exhaustion of the taints cuts down present ignorance. A second threefold formula, “because … ignorance has been cut down, with respect to every mode and every … dhamma, whenever the Blessed One recollects it, it immediately becomes present,” follows 〔T32 426c22–26〕. First pairing, then continuation: two balanced triads.
- The continuing word “through” 〔T32 427a12–22〕: knowledge of the world of beings proceeds through sixteen occurrences and knowledge of the world of formations through ten, creating the scope of “fully knows” by accumulation without an intervening judgment. The treatise does not state the totals; they are not made into a numbered scheme.
- The former-birth list articulated by 當念 〔T32 427b09–16〕: the births repeatedly use 當念, but the base witness does not fully punctuate either the boundaries of their names or the attachment of the phrase. No repunctuation is imposed.
- The last birth alone receives a narrative 〔T32 427b16–19〕: the other births pass in a sentence, but the monkey birth begins again with “Further, one should recollect the monkey birth” and narrates the person falling into a pit, his compassionate rescue, the offering of tree roots and fruit, the person's desire for flesh and blow to the head, and the compassionate Dhamma teaching and direction toward the good path. Within this practice, the list turns into narrative only here.
6. Internal Cross-Reading
- Back reference: the closing verse of the ten impurities and its boundary note in 08-37 〔T32 426b16–25〕; the formula “when the mind abides without distraction, this is called cultivation” elsewhere at 〔T32 425c05〕 and 〔T32 426a03〕; “what the original teacher taught” and “as the former teacher taught” 〔T32 413a02–04〕; and other occurrences of “Pātimokkha,” including 〔T32 400c28〕. There are thirteen occurrences in the treatise, and this passage has one at 428a12–13.
- Forward reference: the questions on recollection of the Buddha and recollection of the Dhamma begin, “Why does recollection of the Buddha arouse internal practice but not settledness?” 〔T32 428a19–20〕 in 08-39. The present passage completes the general exposition of recollection of the Buddha; the question and the next recollection begin there.
7. Transmission
This apparatus advances no claim about the author, translator, or transmission history.
Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Qualities and Cultivation of Recollection of the Buddha · Apparatus · Summer 2026