維摩義記 2.8

2.8

前對舍利明不住法，次對目連明其證法，下對四人明助行法。於中初對迦葉、須菩，明乞食行，攝功德法；後對富樓及迦旃延，明入法行，攝智慧法。就前二中，初對迦葉明乞食法，後對須菩明取食法。就後二中，初對富樓明起行法，後對迦旃明生解法。所辨如是。先告迦葉令法問疾。迦葉是姓，字摩訶波羅耶檀那，此翻名為大施先矣。摩訶是大，檀那是施，波羅耶者名之為先。是王舍城波羅門種，家極巨富，婦名婆山。其人昔於迦葉佛時作薄像師，時有一女持一金玔，倩此像師修營佛像。由斯福善，恒相逢遇，今值佛世還為夫婦，身並金色。在俗無欲，同皆出家，齊得羅漢。其中委曲，事如經說。迦葉即於佛弟子中頭陀第一，常行乞食。今命問疾，於中先告汝行問疾。迦葉眾多，將大以標。下辭不堪。於中初總，「所以」下釋，「是故」下結。釋中「所以」，自徵起後，下對辨釋。文別有三：一舉昔日被呵由緣；二、「時維摩」下出被呵辭；三、「時我世尊聞說是」下，自彰卑闕，顯彼難敵。初中「憶昔」，舉被呵時。「於貧里乞」，出被呵事。迦葉立意，憐其貧者無有福善現受貧總，今受其施欲令當富，故貧里乞。由斯不等，故後被呵。

Previously, in contrast to Śāriputra, the non-abiding Dharma was clarified; next, in contrast to Maudgalyāyana, the Dharma of realization was clarified; below, in contrast to the four persons, the auxiliary practices are clarified. Therein, first, in contrast to Kāśyapa and Subhūti, the practice of begging for food is clarified, which subsumes the dharmas of merit; later, in contrast to Pūrṇa and Kātyāyana, the practice of entering the Dharma is clarified, which subsumes the dharmas of wisdom. In the first two, first, in contrast to Kāśyapa, the dharma of begging for food is clarified, and later, in contrast to Subhūti, the dharma of receiving food is clarified. In the latter two, first, in contrast to Pūrṇa, the dharma of giving rise to practice is clarified, and later, in contrast to Kātyāyana, the dharma of generating understanding is clarified. The explanation is as such. First, [the Buddha] addressed Kāśyapa, bidding him to go inquire after the illness. Kāśyapa is his family name; his personal name is Mahā-pra-dāna (Mahāpradāna), which is translated here as 'Great Bestowal of Forefathers'. Mahā is great, dāna is bestowal, and pra denotes forefathers. He was of the brahmin caste of Rājagṛha, his family extremely wealthy, and his wife's name was Bhadrā Kāpilāyanī. In the past, in the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, this man was a goldsmith; at that time, a woman holding a gold bracelet hired this image-maker to repair a Buddha statue. Due to this merit and wholesome deed, they constantly met one another, and now encountering the Buddha's era, they became husband and wife again, both having golden bodies. In lay life they were without desire, and together both went forth from household life, simultaneously attaining arhatship. The details of this are as explained in the sūtra. Kāśyapa is foremost in ascetic practices (dhūta) among the Buddha's disciples, constantly practicing begging for food. Now he is ordered to inquire after the illness, wherein first [the Buddha] addressed him: 'Go inquire after the illness.' There are many Kāśyapas, so he is marked out with 'Great' (Mahākāśyapa). Below, he declines as incapable. Therein, first is a summary; from 'the reason is' onward is an explanation; and from 'therefore' onward is the conclusion. In the explanation, 'the reason is' poses a question to introduce what follows, and below it explains in direct address. The text has three parts: first, citing the reason he was rebuked in the past; second, from 'Then Vimalakīrti' onward, setting forth the words of rebuke; third, from 'At that time, my World-Honoured One, having heard this' onward, expressing his own inferiority and deficiency, revealing that the other is difficult to match. In the first part, 'recalling the past' cites the time of rebuke. 'Begging in a poor village' presents the event of rebuke. Kāśyapa's intention was that, having pity on the poor who lacked merit and wholesomeness and presently suffered poverty, receiving their alms now would make them wealthy in the future; hence he begged in the poor village. Because of this inequality, he was later rebuked.