大般涅槃經疏 7.8

7.8

第二正問，為四：一欲問、二許問、三謙問、四正問。欲問又二：初經家敘起、次自咨發。敘中為四：一敘本位、二敘迹宗、三敘感對、四敘威儀。初本位者，有通有別，菩薩通位、童子別位。論云「十二而能問者，即有四意：一正法非色，不可以人幼而棄於法，重法重人故也；二生比丘善，於菩薩道信念堅固；三折伏高心；四明佛力大。」若依十住，即第九住；若類文殊童子，即十地頂。聖位難知，且用十地釋童子也。次迹宗中言婆羅門者，迹託高宗姓。大迦葉者，寄生貴族，如此間甲族。三以佛神力者，感對也。為決定眾而作上首，感佛威加作對揚主，令五十二眾同飲甘露。非斯大器，孰能為之？四即從座起，敘其威儀。次「而白佛言」下，自咨發者，佛雖通勸，寧許問不？是故有咨。次「佛告」下，佛許，如文。

The second [part], the questions proper, has four parts: 1. wishing to ask, 2. permitting the asking, 3. humbly asking, 4. the questions proper. Wishing to ask also has two parts: first the narrator of the sūtra sets the scene; next [the interlocutor] requests permission on his own initiative. Within the narrative setting there are four parts: 1. narrating his fundamental stage, 2. narrating his trace lineage, 3. narrating the responsive encounter, 4. narrating his deportment. First, as for the fundamental stage, there is general and particular: 'bodhisattva' is the general stage, and 'youth' (kumāra) is the particular stage. The treatise says: 'That he is twelve years old and able to ask contains four intentions: 1. The true Dharma is not physical form; one must not dismiss the Dharma because a person is young, for one respects the Dharma and respects the person; 2. It generates goodness in the monks, making their faith in the bodhisattva path firm; 3. It humbles arrogance; 4. It clarifies that the Buddha's power is great.' If according to the ten abodes, it is the ninth abode; if classified with Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, it is the summit of the ten grounds. The stages of the noble are difficult to fathom; for now we use the ten grounds to explain 'youth'. Next, in the trace lineage, stating 'Brahmin' means his trace relies on an exalted clan surname. 'Mahākāśyapa' means he was born into an aristocratic family, like the prominent clans here. 3. 'Through the Buddha's supernatural power' refers to the responsive encounter: acting as the leader of the assembly of definitive understanding, he responds to the Buddha's august empowerment as the interlocutor, enabling the fifty-two assemblies to drink the amṛta together. If not for such a great vessel, who could accomplish this? 4. 'Then rising from his seat' narrates his deportment. Next, from 'and addressed the Buddha, saying' onwards, requesting permission on his own initiative: although the Buddha generally encouraged them, would he permit the question or not? Therefore he made this request. Next, from 'The Buddha said' onwards, the Buddha permits it, as in the text.