大般涅槃經義記 1.156

1.156

第五緣中亦應具三：一彰昔同今、二明今同昔、三結成無差。今有前二，略無第三。初中「如來於無量劫不受飲食」，正顯其實。「為聲聞」下拂權顯實，先舉昔權。言「受難陀、難陀波羅所奉乳」者，昔有二女，長名難陀、少名難陀波羅，共牧千牛，於一時中搆千牛乳用飲百頭，復搆百頭用飲十頭，復搆十頭用飲一頭，搆一牛乳煮以為糜，糜在空中七尺而沸。女見奇異，不敢自食，用上樹神。佛在樹下，二女不知，到已遇見，遂即奉獻，故今舉之。上來舉權即是顯應，「我實不食」拂之顯實。「我今為」下是第二段明今同昔。為於此會受汝所奉，應同昔也；實亦不食，真同昔也。

In the fifth, regarding conditions, there should also be three complete [parts]: first, revealing that the past was identical with the present; second, clarifying that the present is identical with the past; and third, concluding by establishing "no difference." Now it has the first two, omitting the third. In the first, "the Tathāgata for immeasurable kalpas has not received food and drink" directly reveals the real. From "for the sake of the śrāvakas" down sweeps away the provisional to reveal the real, first adducing the provisional of the past. The words "receiving the milk offered by Nandā and Nandabalā": formerly there were two maidens, the elder named Nandā and the younger named Nandabalā, who together pastured a thousand cows; at one time, they milked the thousand cows to feed a hundred, milked the hundred to feed ten, and milked the ten to feed one, and having milked the one cow they boiled it into gruel, which boiled while suspended seven cubits in the air. Seeing this wonder, the maidens did not dare eat it themselves and used it to offer to a tree deity. The Buddha was beneath the tree; the two maidens did not know, but having arrived and encountered him, they immediately offered it, and so it is adduced now. The foregoing adducing of the provisional is precisely revealing the response; "I in reality did not eat" sweeps it away to reveal the real. From "I now for..." down is the second section, clarifying that the present is identical with the past. Receiving your offering for the sake of this assembly is the response being identical with the past; in reality also not eating is the true being identical with the past.