觀彌勒上生兜率天經贊 2.5

2.5

贊曰：下明陳請。於中有二：初舉昔生今問、後顯今徵後問。此初也。前言世尊，呼佛。又言世尊，談佛。談佛往昔說彌勒故。世出世尊，略言世尊，即是第十薄伽梵號。梵云毘奈耶，此云調伏，調和控御身語等業，制伏滅除諸煩惱故，即是廣律本也。古云毘尼、或云毘泥，皆訛也。近執明究律藏，頗亦諳經，受記多在律中，因斯起問。阿逸多者，此云無能勝，彌勒字也。名彌勒，字阿逸多。往昔佛在耆山說：次我後當成佛者，名曰彌勒。時有菩薩名曰慈氏，從座而起白言：「世尊！願我未來作彼彌勒。」佛言：「可爾。」故今騰昔而生後問。

The Commentary says: Below, the text explains the presentation of the request. Within this there are two parts: first, adducing the past to give rise to the present inquiry; second, presenting the present [state] to challenge [the matter] with a subsequent inquiry. This is the first. Previously it said 'World-Honoured One' to address the Buddha. Here it says 'World-Honoured One' again to speak of the Buddha, speaking of how the Buddha in the past spoke of Maitreya. Being the honoured one in the world and beyond the world, it is abbreviated as 'World-Honoured One', which is the tenth epithet, Bhagavān. In Sanskrit it is *vinaya*, which here means 'taming and subduing'—regulating and controlling the karmas of body, speech, and so forth, and subduing and eradicating all afflictions; that is to say, the root text of the extensive Vinaya. The ancients said *pini* or *pini*, both of which are corruptions. The Closely-Attendant One thoroughly understood the Vinaya Piṭaka and was also quite well-versed in the sūtras; since prophecies are mostly found within the Vinaya, he raised the inquiry based on this. As for 'Ajita', here translated as 'Invincible', it is Maitreya's courtesy name. His name is Maitreya, and his courtesy name is Ajita. In the past, the Buddha was on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa and said, 'The one who will become a Buddha next after me is named Maitreya.' At that time there was a bodhisattva named Maitreya who arose from his seat and said to the Buddha, 'World-Honoured One! May I in the future become that Maitreya.' The Buddha said, 'So it shall be.' Therefore, he now brings up the past to raise the subsequent inquiry.