說無垢稱經疏 6.5

6.5

Commentary: The chapter has five sections: first, Śāriputra thinking of food; second, Vimalakīrti admonishing and stopping him; third, dispatching an emissary to seek the food; fourth, obtaining the food and returning; fifth, the assembly receiving benefit. This is the first passage. The Buddha instituted meal times, forbidding eating at improper times; since mealtime had arrived, he therefore pondered. Mahā means great, sattva means sentient being; to distinguish them from the earlier lesser status, they are called great sentient beings. The older translation only said 'where should the bodhisattvas eat?', but here śrāvakas are also included.