維摩經略疏 4.69

4.69

「佛告大迦葉」，三、命大迦葉。文為二：一佛命問疾、二奉辭不堪。所以次命者，於聲聞中頭陀第一。迦葉是姓，此翻為龜，即以姓為名，如目連也。所言大者，或因智大德大心大，故稱大迦葉。所以然者，其是大辟支根性，出無佛世亦能獨覺成辟支迦羅，今既值佛墮聲聞數，故就其智慧勝利故稱大也。從德以受大者，是人頭陀苦行第一，其德重大故稱為大。或因心以受大者，聲聞弟子中慈悲心大，故名大也。有言：是僧上座，知眾事故，名大迦葉。若深求其致，乃至成前五種利益之義，大旨同前。

"The Buddha told Mahākāśyapa": third, commanding Mahākāśyapa. The text has two parts: first, the Buddha commands him to inquire after the illness; second, he declines, stating his inadequacy. As for why he was commanded next, he was foremost in ascetic practices (dhūta) among the śrāvakas. "Kāśyapa" is his family name, translated here as "turtle"; he was named after his family name, just like Maudgalyāyana. As for calling him "Mahā-" (great), it is perhaps because his wisdom was great, his virtues were great, and his mind was great, hence he was called Mahākāśyapa. Why is this so? He possessed the capacity of a great pratyekabuddha; had he appeared in an era without a buddha, he would have attained solitary awakening and become a pratyekabuddha. Having now encountered the Buddha, he fell into the ranks of the śrāvakas; thus, in terms of his preeminent wisdom, he was called "great." As for receiving "great" on account of virtue, this person was foremost in dhūta austerities; because his virtues were weighty and great, he was called "great." Or he received "great" on account of his mind: among the śrāvaka disciples, his mind of compassion was great, hence he was called "great." Some say: he was the elder of the Saṅgha and oversaw the affairs of the community, hence he was named Mahākāśyapa. If one inquires deeply into its purport, it even completes the meaning of the five kinds of benefits mentioned before, the general purport being identical to that before.