觀無量壽佛經疏 2.39

2.39

Sixth, from 'at that time the great Maudgalyāyana' down to 'expounded the Dharma for the king,' it clarifies that on account of his request, the father-king received the sacred Dharma. This clarifies that Maudgalyāyana obtained the knowledge of others' minds, knew from afar the father-king's intention in requesting, and immediately manifested spiritual powers, arriving at the king's place in the snap of a finger. Furthermore, fearing people would not recognize the mark of spiritual powers, [the sūtra] therefore uses a swift falcon as an analogy. Yet Maudgalyāyana's power of supernatural penetration could circle the four continents hundreds of thousands of times in the space of a single thought; how could he be of the same class as a falcon? Comparisons such as this are indeed numerous and cannot be fully cited, as broadly explained in the Damamūka-nidāna Sūtra. In saying 'day after day conferred the eight precepts upon the king like this,' this clarifies that the father-king prolonging his life caused Maudgalyāyana to come repeatedly to confer the precepts.