觀彌勒上生兜率天經贊 1.54

1.54

The eulogy states: Second is the assembly of bhikṣuṇīs. In Sanskrit, it is Mahāprajāpatī. 'Mahā' means 'great', 'prajā' means 'birth' or 'progeny', and 'patī' means 'lord'—that is, 'Great Lord of Progeny'. Formerly rendered as Po-zhe-po-ti, translated here as 'Great Way of Love' (Da-ai-dao), which are all erroneous corruptions. The Buddha's mother, Lady Mahāmāyā, translated here as 'Great Illusion', passed away early. Prajāpatī was the Buddha's junior mother, hence called his maternal aunt; because she nurtured and raised the World-Honoured One, he realized true enlightenment. The noble beings of the three vehicles transformed by the Buddha are called 'Great Birth'. Or 'great' has the sense of 'multitude': all sentient beings are children of the Buddha. The aunt was the Buddha's mother, a congratulatory gift to all great births, hence she is called 'Great Lord of Progeny'. The Buddha permitted her to leave household life, an event as explained in the Vinaya. In Sanskrit, it is bhikṣu, which contains five meanings: first, 'frightening Māra'; second, 'almsman'; third, 'pure observance of precepts'; fourth, 'pure livelihood'; fifth, 'destroying evil'. 'Nī' is a feminine suffix; a woman possessing these five virtues is called a bhikṣuṇī. Calling them biqiuni is a phonetic corruption and abbreviation. Together with her retinue of one thousand people, beholding the divine light at night, they came together to the Buddha's place.