大般涅槃經義記 1.136

1.136

「請佛受供」下，次請法，初先自為、「拯及」已下第二為他。與前左右。就自為中，初喻，次合。「唯願」已下結請令說。喻中六句，「如剎利」等是第一句，喻於自己求法之人剎利王種，婆羅門者，淨行高良，毘舍中庶，首陀雜役，此四性中趣舉一種，貧者為喻不具取四。人言：舉此為欲要請，佛若說法，我同剎利及婆羅門；佛若不說，我即同於毘舍、首陀。若爾，世人可得天雨即名剎利及婆羅門，不得天雨便為毘舍及與首陀？義無斯理。「以貧窮故」，是第二句，喻己所乏。「遠至他」下是第三句，喻昔所作。純陀昔日捨邪歸正，邪正疎異故名為遠，歸投佛法名至他國，行因資果名役力作。「得好」已下是第四句，喻己所有。「無諸沙」下是第五句，喻己所無。「唯悕天」下是第六句，喻己所求。合中不次，而復不盡。先合後三，却合初二，故云不次。第三不合，故言不盡。先合第四。言「調牛」者，牒舉前喻，喻身、口七，合之顯法，此明有行。純陀先來為優婆塞，除身三邪、離口四過，是其七也。「良田平正」，牒舉前喻，喻慧顯法，此明有解。純陀先來修習小解，能為大因，故名為田。正解不邪，稱曰平正。通則過去所修大解，斯名智慧。次合第五，「無諸沙」等，牒舉前喻，喻除煩惱，合以顯法。純陀昔來所斷見惑如彼沙滷，所斷修惑如草株杌。亦可所斷四住之地如彼沙滷，四住所起如草株杌。「世尊」已下合第六句，「我今身有調牛良田」牒前第四，「除去株杌」牒前第五，求法依此，所以牒之。「唯悕」已下正合第六，「如來」合天，「甘露法雨」合前雨也。約喻名法，名甘露雨。「四姓我是」合第一句，「貧法財寶」合第二句，上來合竟。「唯願哀愍，除斷我貧」，結請令說。

From 'requesting the Buddha to accept the offering' onward is next the request for the Dharma: first, for himself; from 'saving' onward, second, for others; this is inverted relative to the previous [section]. Within what is for himself: first, the metaphor; next, the application; from 'I only wish' onward concludes the request to have him speak. In the metaphor there are six clauses: 'Just like a kṣatriya' etc. is the first clause, comparing himself to a person who seeks the Dharma. A kṣatriya is of the royal lineage; a brāhmaṇa is of pure conduct, noble and virtuous; a vaiśya is a commoner; a śūdra is of menial service. Among these four castes, one is arbitrarily cited, and a poor one is taken as a metaphor; it does not take all four. Some say: citing this is to make an earnest request: if the Buddha preaches the Dharma, I will be equal to a kṣatriya and a brāhmaṇa; if the Buddha does not preach, I will be equal to a vaiśya and a śūdra. If so, could worldly people who receive heavenly rain be called kṣatriyas and brāhmaṇas, while those who do not receive heavenly rain become vaiśyas and śūdras? There is no such principle. 'Because of poverty' is the second clause, comparing his own lack. From 'traveling far to another [land]' onward is the third clause, comparing his past actions. In the past, Cunda abandoned the heterodox and returned to the correct; the heterodox and the correct are distant and disparate, hence it is called 'far'; taking refuge in the Buddha-Dharma is called 'arriving in another land'; cultivating causes to foster the fruit is called 'toiling with effort'. From 'obtaining good [oxen]' onward is the fourth clause, comparing what he possesses. From 'free of sand' onward is the fifth clause, comparing what he lacks. From 'only hoping for heavenly [rain]' onward is the sixth clause, comparing what he seeks. In the application, the order is not preserved, nor is it complete. First applying the latter three, and then returning to apply the first two, it is therefore said that the order is not preserved. The third is not applied, hence it is said to be incomplete. First applying the fourth: saying 'tamed oxen' repeats the earlier metaphor, comparing them to the seven [actions] of body and speech; applying it reveals the Dharma, clarifying that he possesses practice. Cunda has previously been an upāsaka, eliminating the three bodily evils and relinquishing the four verbal faults; these are the seven. 'Good, flat, and even fields' repeats the earlier metaphor, comparing them to wisdom to reveal the Dharma, clarifying that he possesses understanding. Cunda has previously cultivated minor understanding, which can serve as a great cause, hence it is called a 'field'. Correct understanding is not heterodox, so it is termed 'flat and even'. In general, the great understanding cultivated in the past is called wisdom. Next applying the fifth: 'free of sand' etc. repeats the earlier metaphor, comparing it to the elimination of afflictions, applied to reveal the Dharma. The afflictions of view previously severed by Cunda are like that sand and alkaline soil; the afflictions of cultivation severed are like the grass, stumps, and roots. Alternatively, the ground of the four entrenchments severed is like that sand and alkaline soil; what arises from the four entrenchments is like the grass, stumps, and roots. From 'World-Honoured One' onward applies the sixth clause: 'My body now possesses tamed oxen and good fields' repeats the earlier fourth; 'having removed stumps and roots' repeats the earlier fifth; seeking the Dharma relies upon these, which is why they are repeated. From 'only hoping' onward directly applies the sixth: 'Tathāgata' applies to heaven; 'the Dharma rain of amṛta' applies to the rain. The Dharma is named in terms of the metaphor, called the rain of amṛta. 'Among the four castes, I am' applies to the first clause; 'poor in the jewels of the Dharma wealth' applies to the second clause. The above completes the application. 'I only wish that in your pity you will eradicate my poverty' concludes the request to have him speak.