法苑珠林 41.23

41.23

又智度論云。諸佛恭敬法故供養於法。以法為師。何以故。三世諸佛皆以諸法實相為師。問曰。如佛不求福德。何故供養。答曰。佛從無量劫中修諸功德。常行諸善不但求報。敬功德故而作供養。如佛在世時。阿那律未得天眼前。盲無所見。而以手縫衣。時針衽脫。便言。誰愛福德為我衽針。是時佛到其所語比丘言。我是愛福德人。為汝衽來。是比丘識佛聲。疾起著衣禮佛足。白佛言。佛功德已滿。云何言愛福德。佛報言。我雖功德已滿。我深知功德恩報力故。令我於一切眾生中得最第一。由此功德又為欲教化弟子故語之言。我尚作功德。汝云何不作。如伎家百歲老翁而舞。有人訶之言。老翁年已百歲。何用是舞。老翁答曰。我不須舞但欲教子孫故耳。佛亦如是。功德雖滿。為教弟子作功。德故而作供養。故佛乳母大愛道亡。四天王輿床送。佛在前擎香鑪燒香供養。為報恩故。雖不求果而行等供養。唯佛應供養佛。餘人不知佛德。如說偈言。

Furthermore, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra states: Because the Buddhas respect the Dharma, they make offerings to the Dharma, taking the Dharma as their teacher. Why is this? The Buddhas of the three periods of time all take the dharmatā of all dharmas as their teacher. Question: If the Buddha does not seek merit, why does he make offerings? Answer: The Buddha cultivated all virtues through immeasurable kalpas and constantly practiced all goods, not merely seeking retribution; because he reveres virtue, he makes offerings. For instance, when the Buddha was in the world, before Aniruddha obtained the divine eye, he was blind and could see nothing, yet he sewed his robes with his hands. At that time, the needle slipped unthreaded, so he said, 'Who that loves merit will thread the needle for me?' At that time, the Buddha went to his place and spoke to the monk, saying, 'I am a person who loves merit; I have come to thread it for you.' That monk recognized the Buddha's voice, swiftly stood up, adjusted his robes, and bowed at the Buddha's feet. He said to the Buddha, 'The Buddha's merit is already full; why do you say you love merit?' The Buddha answered, saying, 'Although my merit is already full, because I deeply know the power of the repaying of kindness through merit, it has caused me to be the foremost among all sentient beings. Because of this merit, and also because I desire to instruct and transform my disciples, I say to you: I still create merit; why do you not create it?' It is like a hundred-year-old grandfather in an entertainers' troupe dancing; someone rebuked him, saying, 'Old man, you are already a hundred years old; what use is this dancing?' The old man answered, saying, 'I have no need to dance, but only desire to teach my children and grandchildren.' The Buddha is also like this: although his merit is full, in order to teach his disciples to create merit, he makes offerings. Therefore, when the Buddha's foster mother Mahāprajāpatī passed away, the Four Heavenly Kings carried the bier to escort her, and the Buddha went before holding an incense burner, burning incense to make offerings. In order to repay kindness, although he did not seek the fruit, he practiced equal offerings. Only a Buddha ought to make offerings to a Buddha; other people do not know the Buddha's virtues. As a verse says: