大般涅槃經義記 1.72

1.72

自下第二辯供養佛，以在家者有供可奉，故下辯之。文別有四：一辯諸供具；二「復作念如來今者受我供」下，念佛受已當入涅槃，心懷悲惱；三「各各齎」下持供奉佛；四「舉聲號」下哀請佛受。前中有二：一財供養、二「各作是念一切眾生若有乏」下明行供養。財中有八：一辯香木、二具寶幢、三持寶蓋、四作眾樂、五擎妙華、六齎眾香、七備食具、八嚴處所。就初段中，「亦於晨朝」，辯木時也。「為欲闍毘」，辯木所為，此云焚屍。「人人各取」，正明辯木。其栴檀等是其木體，光香華幡嚴木之事，車馬二種運木之具。第二寶幢加以網嚴。第三寶蓋雜以華飾。「是華臺中多有黑蜂」，何故在此？蜂多依華。何故云黑？人言為表無明眾生。容有所表，文中不說，不可輒定。何故道此是蜂出聲？有所陳說，所以舉之。伎樂、華香，文別可知。第七食中，「為佛及僧辦食」是總，下別顯之。香薪、德水成食之緣，苦、酢、辛等食之體味。下有三德，顯食殊勝。成食緣中，「八功德水之所成」者，清淨、不臭、輕、冷、軟、美、飲時調適、飲已無患，是其八也。清淨色入、不臭香入、輕冷及軟此三觸入，美為味入，後二法入，此八是其水之功能，水家之德，故名功德。食體味中，六味總舉，「苦」等列名。下說甜酥，八味具足，今此言六，其義何耶？然六與八，離、合言耳，合即說六，離即為八。分甘為三：一不苦名甘，翻對苦味；二不酢名甘，翻對酢味；三不辛名甘，翻對辛味。其猶醎淡二味相翻，外國語中應有別名，此無異稱，通說為甘。後三德中，先舉、後列。言「輕軟」者，是食功能，食之令人身輕體軟；言「淨潔」者，食體精純，無餘穢污；言「如法」者，受用順道，非酒肉等。第八處中，先到、後嚴。初嚴其地，次座，後樹。諸優婆塞現居人報，安能嚴座如須彌山？釋言：此等雖居人位，並是出世不思菩薩，故能如是。又是如來三昧法門之所示現，故能如此，下皆同爾。

From here below, the second [part] explains offering to the Buddha. Because laypeople have offerings they can present, this is explained below. The text has four distinct parts: first, explaining the various offering implements; second, from "they further reflected: 'The Tathāgata now accepts our offerings'" onward, reflecting that once the Buddha has accepted them he will enter nirvāṇa, and their minds harbored sorrow and distress; third, from "each carried" onward, holding the offerings to present to the Buddha; fourth, from "raising their voices in lamentation" onward, piteously entreating the Buddha to accept. In the first part, there are two: first, material offerings; second, from "each had this thought: 'If any sentient beings are in lack'" onward, clarifying practice offerings. Within material [offerings], there are eight: 1. explaining fragrant wood; 2. preparing jeweled banners; 3. holding jeweled canopies; 4. playing various kinds of music; 5. uplifting wondrous flowers; 6. carrying various incenses; 7. preparing food implements; 8. adorning the venue. In the first section, "likewise in the morning" explains the time for the wood. "In order to perform the jhāpita" explains the purpose of the wood; this means burning the corpse. "Each person took" directly clarifies preparing the wood. The sandalwood and so forth are the substance of the wood; the radiance, fragrances, flowers, and banners are the things used to adorn the wood; the carriages and horses are the implements for transporting the wood. Second, the jeweled banners were additionally adorned with nets. Third, the jeweled canopies were interlaced with floral decorations. "In these flower calyxes were many black bees": Why were they here? Bees mostly rely on flowers. Why say "black"? People say it represents ignorant sentient beings. It may indeed represent something; since the text does not state it, one cannot arbitrarily decide. Why state that these bees emitted sounds? They had something to declare, which is why it is mentioned. The instrumental music, flowers, and incenses are distinct and evident in the text. Seventh, within the food, "preparing food for the Buddha and the saṅgha" is the general statement, and below it is explained in detail. The fragrant firewood and virtuous water are the conditions that produce the food; bitter, sour, pungent, and so forth are the food's substantive tastes. Below there are three virtues that demonstrate the excellence of the food. Within the conditions that produce the food, "produced by water of eight virtues" refers to: pure, not foul-smelling, light, cold, soft, delicious, soothing when drunk, and causing no illness after drinking; these are the eight. Pure is the visible form field of sense; not foul-smelling is the scent field; light, cold, and soft, these three are the touch field; delicious is the taste field; the latter two are mental phenomenon fields. These eight are the functions of this water, the virtues of water, and are therefore called "virtues". Within the substantive tastes of the food, the six tastes are stated in general, and "bitter" and so forth list their names. Below it speaks of sweet clarified butter possessing eight tastes; why does it speak of six here? The six and eight are merely spoken of in terms of combination and separation: combined, they are called six; separated, they become eight. Dividing sweet into three: 1. not bitter is called sweet, contrasting with the bitter taste; 2. not sour is called sweet, contrasting with the sour taste; 3. not pungent is called sweet, contrasting with the pungent taste. Just as salty and bland, the two tastes, contrast with each other, in foreign languages there ought to be distinct names, but here there is no distinct designation and it is generally called sweet. Within the latter three virtues, they are first introduced and then listed. Saying "light and soft" is the function of the food: eating it makes a person's body light and physical form soft. Saying "pure and clean" means the substance of the food is refined and pure, without any defilement. Saying "according to the Dharma" means its reception and use accord with the Way, not being wine, meat, or the like. Eighth, within the venue, first they arrive and then they adorn it. First they adorn the ground, next the seat, and after that the trees. Since the upāsakas presently abide in human retribution, how could they adorn a seat to be like Mount Sumeru? The explanation is: although these [figures] abide in human status, all are supramundane inconceivable bodhisattvas; therefore they could do so. Moreover, it was manifested by the Tathāgata's samādhi dharma-gate; hence it was able to be like this. The same applies below.