維摩經疏卷第三．第六 3.65

3.65

文四同前。第三釋中初總徵次別釋。別中有五。一出昔日被呵之事。二維摩言止止下明教呵相。三時我世尊實懷慚下自彰己屈。四即聞下空聲導引和諧兩家。五世尊維摩詰下阿難比丘嘆維摩德。前中三句。初明阿難為佛乞乳。時維摩下淨名怪問。我言已下阿難正答。前初句中世尊身少有疾者。患風病也。牛乳治風故須乞也。維摩問者。非時而乞其必有由。故須問也。答中小乘教內言佛實有生老病死故。故作斯答。如是道理阿難是大菩薩知佛無病。應同聲聞起化故也。

The four textual sections are as before. In the third, the explanation, there is first a general inquiry, followed by a specific explanation. Within the specific, there are five [parts]: first, presenting the past matter of being rebuked; second, from "Vimalakīrti said, 'Stop, stop'" onward, clarifying the manner of teaching and rebuking; third, from "At that time I, Bhagavat, indeed felt shame" onward, revealing his own humiliation; fourth, from "Immediately he heard" onward, the voice in the air guides and harmonizes both parties; fifth, from "Bhagavat, Vimalakīrti" onward, the monk Ānanda praises Vimalakīrti's virtues. In the first [part], there are three sentences. First, clarifying that Ānanda was begging milk for the Buddha. From "At that time Vimalakīrti" onward, Vimalakīrti questions him with surprise. From "I said" onward, Ānanda gives a direct reply. In the first sentence, "the Bhagavat had a slight physical indisposition": he was afflicted by a wind disease; since cow's milk cures wind [disorders], he needed to beg for it. As for Vimalakīrti's questioning: begging out of season must have a reason, hence he needed to ask. In the reply, because within the Hīnayāna teachings it is said that the Buddha actually has birth, old age, sickness, and death, he gave this reply. In such a principle, Ānanda was a great bodhisattva who knew that the Buddha has no sickness; he acted in accord with the śrāvakas in order to bring about transformation.