大般涅槃經集解 5.14

5.14

Daosheng states: Cunda deeply understood the principle of non-cessation, and spoke of what he understood to present it himself.
Sengliang states: Cunda was to be the leader of the entreaty, aiding the Buddha in propagating the transformation. Above it was said that the realm of the Buddhas is impermanent, as if the response-body (nirmāṇakāya), identical in nature to all conditioned phenomena, were vastly distinct from the true body. Now, wishing to clarify this meaning, he first praised nirvāṇa as something not knowable by shallow understanding. Cunda, however, deeply understood that the trace is none other than the source; yet because this sixteen-foot form had been benevolent to him, he therefore wished that it might constantly manifest in response and not abandon [them].
Fayao states: Having heard that the response-body must cease while the dharmakāya is permanently abiding, Cunda only then awoke to the principle of there being no entreaty. Yet reflecting on his own shallow wisdom, even though he was counted among the great bodhisattvas, he was still unable to know the meaning of permanence and impermanence regarding the dharmakāya and response-body. Because his practice was not yet complete and he still required the Buddha's teaching, he therefore repeated his entreaty based on this.
Sengzong states: This is the third part of the entreaty section below. The Buddha previously related his praise and halted his entreaty; the two principles of source and trace are fully explained as before. Now what Cunda grasped was that he already knew the wondrous source cannot be entreated, yet he still longed for the trace to remain, considering that the manifestation of the sixteen-foot form exists for transforming sentient beings. Since the transformations are uneven, varying in depth and shallowness, the work of transformation has not yet been achieved. Moreover, the Buddha's empty mind is like that hungry person—how could he cause his unfulfilled work of transformation to be abandoned? Therefore he could make the entreaty again.
Baoliang states: Cunda's present entreaty has two meanings in all: first, it clarifies that he is a person capable of being taught; second, it relates that there is still something he does not know, and that the Buddha should remain in the world to teach and bring him to completion. Pointing to the hungry person as an analogy is to reveal his utmost sincerity.