佛說盂蘭盆經疏 2.12

2.12

此人姓大目犍連，唐言菉菽氏。彼國上古有仙，常食菉荳，尊者是彼之種族也。名尼拘律陀，即樹名也。尊者二親因祭此樹神而生尊者，故名此也。是王舍城中輔相之子，時人貴其種，所以稱其氏。始得六通者，始即是初，初得聖道便度二親，本因親而修道故也。道雖無異，本願各殊，故諸聖者不必皆爾。六通者，一神境通，智證神境故。亦名如意通，身如其意欲往即到故。二天眼通、三天耳通，謂能見能聞若近若遠障內障外色聲等故。四宿命通，能知宿世本生本事故。五他心通，謂於定散漏無漏心一切能知故。六漏盡通，謂身中漏盡而能知故。六皆無擁，故總名通。

This person's clan name was Mahāmaudgalyāyana, which in the language of Tang means the 'Mung-Bean Clan' (Luxiu shi). In that country, in high antiquity, there was an immortal who constantly ate mung beans; the Venerable One was of his lineage. His personal name was Nyagrodha (Nijulutuo), which is the name of a tree. Because the Venerable One's two parents gave birth to him after sacrificing to the spirit of this tree, he was named after it. He was the son of a prime minister in the city of Rājagṛha. The people of the time valued his lineage, which is why they referred to him by his clan name. As for 'just when he had attained the six superknowledges': 'just when' means at the very beginning. Having just attained the noble path, he immediately wished to deliver his two parents, because it was originally on account of his parents that he cultivated the path. Although the path is without difference, original vows are each distinct; hence, it is not necessarily so for all noble ones. As for the six superknowledges: first, the superknowledge of the domain of psychic power (ṛddhi-viṣaya-jñāna), because one realizes psychic domains through wisdom. It is also called the superknowledge of wish-fulfillment (ṛddhividhi-jñāna), because one's body conforms to one's wish, arriving wherever one intends to go. Second, the superknowledge of the divine eye (divya-cakṣus); third, the superknowledge of the divine ear (divya-śrotra), which means being able to see and hear forms and sounds, whether near or far, inside or outside obstructions. Fourth, the superknowledge of past lives (pūrvanivāsānusmṛti-jñāna), being able to know past lifetimes, original births, and past affairs. Fifth, the superknowledge of others' minds (paracitta-jñāna), which means being able to know all minds, whether in concentration or distraction, with outflows or without outflows. Sixth, the superknowledge of the exhaustion of outflows (āsravakṣaya-jñāna), which means being able to know that outflows within one's body are exhausted. Because all six are unimpeded, they are collectively called 'superknowledges' (abhijñā).