分別功德論 4.28

4.28

所以稱難提比丘乞食第一者，餘比丘雖復乞食，或不具戒、或有貪心、或左右顧視心不專一、或避寒暑。然此比丘當乞食時，都無此事，乞食既精，施者福多。今故引喻，以況大小。有人問射法：「一人射百步玄毛、一人射地塵出。何者為難？」答曰：「玄毛為難，雖射而不著地。」此不足言也。若施乞食、若施眾僧，何者為大？施真阿練。喻中玄毛施不得真，喻其射空。其事雖難，有得有失。箭著地者，喻施眾僧，射毛雖精有失者多，射地雖易未曾失地；福田地厚故無增減，阿練精麁故有得失。難提得精，故稱第一也。

The reason why the bhikṣu Nandi is called foremost in begging for food is this: other bhikṣus, though they also beg for food, may not keep the precepts fully, may have greedy minds, may look to the left and right without a focused mind, or may avoid the cold or heat. But when this bhikṣu begged for food, he had none of these faults. His alms-gathering being pure and meticulous, the donors gained great merit. Now an analogy is drawn to illustrate the greater and lesser. Someone asked about archery: 'One person shoots a dark hair at a hundred paces; another person shoots the ground, raising dust. Which is more difficult?' The reply: 'The dark hair is difficult, for though one shoots, one might not hit the mark.' This is beyond dispute. If one gives food to an alms-beggar or gives to the assembly of monks, which is greater? Giving to a true āraṇyaka is likened to the dark hair in the analogy; if the recipient is not genuine, it is like shooting into empty space. Though the matter is difficult, there is gain and loss. The arrow striking the ground is likened to giving to the assembly of monks: shooting at a hair, though precise, often misses; shooting at the ground, though easy, never misses the ground. Because the ground of the field of merit is thick, there is neither increase nor decrease; but because an āraṇyaka may be pure or coarse, there is gain and loss. Since Nandi achieved purity, he is called foremost.