觀無量壽佛經疏 2.93

2.93

言當修三福者，總標行門也。云何名三？一者孝養父母。即有其四。一言孝養父母者，此明一切凡夫皆藉緣而生。云何藉緣？或有化生，或有濕生，或有卵生，或有胎生。此四生中各各復有四生，如經廣說，但是相因而生即有父母。既有父母，即有大恩，若無父者能生之因即闕，若無母者所生之緣即乖，若二人俱無即失託生之地，要須父母緣具方有受身之處。既欲受身，以自業識為內因，以父母精血為外緣，因緣和合故有此身，以斯義故父母恩重。母懷胎已經於十月，行住坐臥常生苦惱，復憂產時死難。若生已，經於三年恒常眠屎臥尿，床被衣服皆亦不淨。及其長大愛婦親兒，於父母處反生憎疾、不行恩孝者，即與畜生無異也。又父母者，世間福田之極也。佛者，即是出世福田之極也。然佛在世時，遇值時年飢儉，人皆餓死白骨縱橫，諸比丘等乞食難得。於時世尊待比丘等去後，獨自入城乞食，從旦至中門門喚乞，無與食者，佛還空鉢而歸。明日復去又還不得，後日復去又亦不得。忽有一比丘道逢見佛，顏色異常似有飢相，即問佛言：「世尊！今已食竟也？」佛言：「比丘，我經三日已來乞食不得一匙，我今飢虛無力，能共汝語。」比丘聞佛語已，悲淚不能自勝，即自念言：「佛是無上福田、眾生覆護，我此三衣賣却，買取一鉢飯奉上於佛，今正是時也。」作是念已即買得一鉢飯，急將上佛。佛知而故問言：「比丘，時年飢儉人皆餓死，汝今何處得此一鉢純色飯來？」比丘如前具白世尊。佛又言：「比丘，三衣者即是三世諸佛之幢相，此衣因緣極尊極重極恩，汝今易得此飯與我者，大領汝好心，我不消此飯也。」比丘重白佛言：「佛是三界福田、聖中之極，尚言不消者，除佛已外誰能消也？」佛言：「比丘，汝有父母已不？」答言：「有。」「汝將供養父母去。」比丘言：「佛尚云不消，我父母豈能消也？」佛言：「得消。何以故？父母能生汝身，於汝有大重恩，為此得消。」佛又問比丘：「汝父母有信佛心不？」比丘言：「都無信心。」佛言：「今有信心。見汝與飯大生歡喜，因此即發信心。先教受三歸依，即能消此食也。」時比丘既受佛教愍仰而去。以此義故，大須孝養父母。又佛母摩耶生佛，經七日已即死，生忉利天。佛後成道，至四月十五日，即向忉利天一夏為母說法，為報十月懷胎之恩。佛尚自收恩孝養父母，何況凡夫而不孝養。故知父母恩深極重也。

As for "they should cultivate the three blessings": this generally indicates the gate of practice. What are called the three? The first is filial support of parents. This has four aspects. First, as for "filial support of parents": this clarifies that all ordinary persons are born by relying on conditions. How do they rely on conditions? Some are born by transformation, some are born from moisture, some are born from eggs, and some are born from a womb. Within each of these four kinds of birth there are again four kinds of birth, as explained extensively in the sūtras, but wherever there is birth through mutual causes, there are parents. Since there are parents, there is great kindness. If there is no father, the productive cause is missing; if there is no mother, the condition for what is produced is contrary; if both are absent, one loses the place to lodge one's birth. Only when the conditions of father and mother are complete is there a place to receive a body. When one is about to receive a body, one takes one's own karmic consciousness as the internal cause and the parents' semen and blood as the external conditions; because cause and conditions harmonize, this body comes to be. For this reason, the parents' kindness is profound. The mother carries the womb through ten months, constantly experiencing suffering and distress whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, and further worries about the mortal peril of childbirth. Once [the child] is born, through three years it constantly sleeps in feces and lies in urine, and bedding and clothing are likewise defiled. When [the child] grows up, it loves its wife and dotes on its children, but conversely conceives resentment and enmity toward its parents, failing to practice kindness and filiality; such a person is no different from beasts. Moreover, parents are the utmost field of merit in the worldly realm. The Buddha is the utmost field of merit transcending the world. When the Buddha was in the world, it happened to be a year of famine and scarcity; people all starved to death and white bones lay scattered in all directions, so that for the monks to obtain food by begging was difficult. At that time, after waiting for the monks to depart, the World-Honoured One went alone into the city to beg for food. From dawn to noon he called out and begged at door after door, but no one gave him food, and the Buddha returned with an empty bowl. The next day he went again and likewise obtained nothing; on the following day he went again and again obtained nothing. Suddenly a monk met the Buddha along the way; seeing that his complexion was unusual, seemingly showing signs of hunger, he asked the Buddha: "World-Honoured One, have you finished eating today?" The Buddha said: "Monk, for three days I have begged for food without obtaining a single spoonful. I am now hungry and weak, [barely] able to speak with you." When the monk heard the Buddha's words, his tears of sorrow could not be restrained, and he thought to himself: "The Buddha is the unsurpassed field of merit, the protector of sentient beings. If I sell these three robes and buy a bowl of rice to offer to the Buddha, now is truly the time." Having had this thought, he bought a bowl of rice and quickly brought it to offer to the Buddha. The Buddha knew, but intentionally asked him: "Monk, the year is famished and scarce, and people are all starving to death; where did you obtain this bowl of pure-coloured rice today?" The monk fully informed the World-Honoured One as before. The Buddha said again: "Monk, the three robes are the banner-insignia of the Buddhas of the three periods of time. The conditions of these robes are extremely noble, extremely heavy, and of extreme kindness. Since you have exchanged them to obtain this rice to give to me, I deeply appreciate your good intention, but I cannot digest this rice." The monk again said to the Buddha: "The Buddha is the field of merit for the three realms, the utmost among the sages. If even you say you cannot digest it, who besides the Buddha could digest it?" The Buddha said: "Monk, do you have parents or not?" He replied: "I do." "Take it and make an offering to your parents." The monk said: "If even the Buddha says he cannot digest it, how could my parents digest it?" The Buddha said: "They can digest it. Why? Your parents gave birth to your body and have great and heavy kindness toward you; therefore they can digest it." The Buddha again asked the monk: "Do your parents have a mind of faith in the Buddha or not?" The monk said: "They have no faith at all." The Buddha said: "Now they will have faith. Seeing you give them rice, they will give rise to great joy, and from this they will bring forth a mind of faith. First teach them to receive the three refuges, and then they will be able to digest this food." The monk, having received the Buddha's instruction, departed with sympathy and reverence. For this reason, one must greatly offer filial support to parents. Furthermore, the Buddha's mother Māyā died after seven days had passed since giving birth to the Buddha, and was born in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. After the Buddha attained the Way, on the fifteenth day of the fourth month, he went to Trāyastriṃśa Heaven for one summer retreat to preach the Dharma for his mother, in order to repay the kindness of her ten months of pregnancy. If even the Buddha himself acknowledged kindness and filially supported his parents, how much more should ordinary persons not fail to support them filially? Therefore we know that the kindness of parents is profound and exceedingly weighty.