諸經要集 5.22

5.22

Furthermore, the Dazhidulun states: "Because all Buddhas revere the Dharma, they make offerings to the Dharma, taking the Dharma as their teacher. Why? The Buddhas of the three times all take the true nature of all phenomena as their teacher." Question: "Since a Buddha does not seek merit, why does he make offerings?" Answer: "A Buddha has cultivated all merits and constantly practiced all goods through immeasurable kalpas; it is not merely to seek a recompense, but out of reverence for merit that he makes offerings. For example, when the Buddha was in the world, the elder Aniruddha, before attaining the divine eye, was blind and could see nothing, and was sewing his robe by hand. At that time, the needle came unthreaded, and he said: 'Who that loves merit will thread this needle for me?' At that moment, the Buddha came to where he was and said to the bhikṣu: 'I am one who loves merit; I have come to thread it for you.' Recognizing the Buddha's voice, the bhikṣu quickly arose, put on his robe, bowed at the Buddha's feet, and said to the Buddha: 'The Buddha's merit is already full; why do you say you love merit?' The Buddha said: 'Although my merit is already full, I deeply know the power of the recompense of merit; it is by this that I have attained preeminence among all sentient beings. It is by this merit, and also to instruct my disciples, that I say to them: "I perform merit; why do you not perform it?" It is like a hundred-year-old actor who still dances. Someone rebuked him, saying: 'Old man, you are already a hundred years old; what is the use of this dancing?' The old man answered: 'I have no need to dance, but only wish to teach my children and grandchildren.' The Buddha is also like this: his merit is complete, yet to teach his disciples to perform merit, he makes offerings. Therefore, when the Buddha's foster mother, Mahāprajāpatī, passed away, the Four Heavenly Kings carried her bier, and the Buddha walked before it holding an incense burner, burning incense in offering. To repay her kindness, although he sought no fruit, he practiced equal offerings. Only a Buddha should make offerings to a Buddha; other people do not know the Buddha's virtues. As the verse says: