佛說盂蘭盆經疏 2.100

2.100

In this commentary on the Ullambana Sūtra, Chan Master Guifeng of the Tang brought together the essential words on the way of filial piety to annotate the sūtra, extensively clarifying the true filial piety of the Buddhist school, so that students might obtain the method of repaying parents, not fall into deviant interpretations or side paths, and enter the Buddha's supreme vehicle. Therefore, eminent monks of successive generations have guided monastics and laity on the day of pravāraṇā to establish Ullambana assemblies as a raft to cross over their parents, truly adhering to this sūtra and commentary. Qing, together with the xiucai Xu Xudong, formed a Dharma-propagation society to gather officials and lay practitioners to continue printing the three hundred fascicles of square-bound books in the catalogue; as this commentary happened not to have been carved, Court Gentleman for Ceremonial Li donated funds to carve the printing blocks. I examined the Northern and Southern Canons and their phrasing differed; now I have carved it based on Master Yunqi's authoritative edition. The Master's outline sections displayed extraordinary insight, but the discrepancies between the North and South were numerous and could not all be written down. I respectfully append a few words of postscript so that viewers will not only recognize the differences in the phrasing, but perhaps, seeing the moon by means of the finger, will attain the Buddha's purport of great filial piety and repaying kindness. This is my wish. Postscript by Śramaṇa Jiqing of Mount Xueshan, Chishui, Guizhou.