大般涅槃經義記 1.85

1.85

次列天女，文別有六：一列其眾、二「作是言」下詳宜獻奉、三歎其德、四辯供奉佛、五如來不受、六不果却住。初段可知。第二段中初相告勸，觀他所設，「我等亦」下自欲獻奉。於中有四：一許有奉獻；二念佛受已當入涅槃，顯必須為；三明最後供佛至難，彰必須作；四舉如來滅後世空，明今應供。第三歎中，先別、後結。別中歎其現未功德，不歎過去，義同前釋。現中歎其自利、利他。文有三對：初對行始、第二行次、第三行終。「愛樂欲聞」，自利始也；「聞已為人」，利他始也，此是初對。「渴仰大乘」，自利次也；「既自充」下，利他次也，此第二對。「守護大」等，自利終也，於中先明攝善之行，此以護法為攝善行。守大是總，「若有異」下別顯護相。持戒儀具，是離過行；「善能隨」下是利他終，「善隨世間」，世間法化，「度未度」等，出世法化，此第三對。下歎未來，「當轉法」等是其利他，「以大嚴」等是其自利。上來別歎。下總結之，「成如是德」，結前自利，「等慈生」下結上利他。第四辯供奉佛之中，文別有四：一嚴辯供事，供事有十，所謂香、木、蓋、帳、幢、甘饍、伎樂、床座、灯、華；二念佛將滅，心懷悲惱；三為生詣佛，文同前釋；四請佛受供。後二可知。

Next the heavenly maidens are listed. The text has six distinct parts: first, listing their assembly; second, from 'spoke these words' down, consulting on what is appropriate to offer; third, praising their virtues; fourth, explaining their making offerings to the Buddha; fifth, the Tathāgata not accepting them; sixth, being unsuccessful and stepping back to stay. The first section can be known. In the second section, first they address and encourage one another: observing what others have arranged, from 'we also' down they wish to make offerings themselves. Therein are four [parts]: first, promising to have offerings; second, considering that after the Buddha accepts them he will enter nirvāṇa, showing that it must be done; third, clarifying that the final offering to the Buddha is extremely difficult, demonstrating that it must be done; fourth, citing that after the Tathāgata's extinction the world will be empty, clarifying that one should make offerings now. In the third praise, there is first a separate [praise] and then a summary. In the separate [praise], their present and future merits are praised, while past ones are not praised, the meaning being the same as explained before. In the present, their self-benefit and benefit for others are praised. The text has three pairs: the first pair is the beginning of practice; the second is the sequence of practice; the third is the culmination of practice. 'Loving and desiring to hear' is the beginning of self-benefit; 'having heard, [explaining] for others' is the beginning of benefit for others: this is the first pair. 'Thirsting for and looking up to the Mahāyāna' is the sequence of self-benefit; from 'having personally satisfied [themselves]' down is the sequence of benefit for others: this is the second pair. 'Guarding and protecting the Mahā[yāna]' and so forth is the culmination of self-benefit, in which the practice of gathering goodness is first clarified, taking protecting the Dharma as the practice of gathering goodness. Guarding the Mahā[yāna] is general; from 'if there are heterodox' down, the specific characteristics of protection are shown. Maintaining the precepts with decorum complete is the practice of leaving faults; from 'skillfully able to accord' down is the culmination of benefit for others: 'skillfully according with the world' is transforming through worldly dharmas; 'crossing over those not yet crossed over' and so forth is transforming through supramundane dharmas: this is the third pair. Below praises the future: 'will turn the Dharma...' and so forth is their benefit for others; 'with great adornment...' and so forth is their self-benefit. The above was praising them separately. Below summarizes it: 'accomplished such virtues' summarizes the preceding self-benefit; from 'arousing equal compassion' down summarizes the preceding benefit for others. Within the fourth, explaining their making offerings to the Buddha, the text has four distinct parts: first, adorning and preparing the matter of offerings—there are ten offering matters, namely incense, wood, canopies, curtains, banners, sweet delicacies, instrumental music, couches, lamps, and flowers; second, mindful that the Buddha is about to be extinguished, their minds harboring sorrow and distress; third, going to the Buddha for the sake of beings, the text being the same as explained before; fourth, requesting the Buddha to accept the offerings. The latter two can be known.