大般涅槃經義記 1.35

1.35

就初段中，言「爾時」者，集眾時也，謂佛在於拘尸國時。言「世尊」者，是集眾人，佛備眾德，為世欽重，故號世尊。「與大」已下是所集眾，以身兼彼，稱之為與。大比丘者，標別其眾。大者，外國名曰摩訶，此翻有三：一名為多，如世多人名為大眾；二名為勝，勝過餘眾；三名為大，曠備高德。比丘，梵語，此翻有五：一名怖魔，初出家時令魔戰怯，魔性垢弊，懼他勝己，故生怯怖；二名乞士，既出家已，無所貯畜，乞求自活；三名淨命，以正乞求，離於邪命；四名破惡，持戒離過；五名淨持戒，以離惡故，持戒清淨。五中，初一就始彰名，中二據次，後二就終。「八十億百千」，列其數也。「前後圍繞」，彰其所在，在佛前後，圍繞如來。

Regarding the first section, the words “At that time” refer to the time when the assembly gathered, meaning when the Buddha was in the country of Kuśi[nagara]. The words “World-Honoured One” refer to the person who gathered the assembly; because the Buddha is fully endowed with all virtues and is revered and respected by the world, he is called the World-Honoured One. From “together with great” downward refers to the assembled congregation; using his person to encompass them, it is called “together with.” “Great bhikṣus” specifies their assembly. “Great” is called mahā in the foreign language, which has three translations here: first, it means “numerous,” just as many people in the world are called a “great assembly”; second, it means “superior,” surpassing other assemblies; third, it means “vast,” being boundlessly endowed with lofty virtue. “Bhikṣu” is a Sanskrit term, which has five translations here: first, it means “frightening Māra,” because when first leaving home one makes Māra tremble in fear—Māra’s nature is defiled and degenerate, and fearing that others will surpass him, he gives rise to fear and dread; second, it means “mendicant,” because once one has left home, one stores nothing and begs for alms to sustain oneself; third, it means “pure livelihood,” because by means of proper begging, one stays free from wrong livelihood; fourth, it means “destroyer of evil,” by maintaining the precepts and abandoning faults; fifth, it means “pure holder of precepts,” because by abandoning evil, one's maintenance of the precepts is pure. Among these five, the first reveals the name based on the beginning; the middle two are based on the sequence [of practice]; the last two are based on the conclusion. “Eighty hundred thousand koṭis” lists their number. “Surrounded in front and behind” reveals their location, being in front of and behind the Buddha, encircling the Tathāgata.