盂蘭盆經讚述 1.16

1.16

[The sūtra says:] "'Although your filial piety moves heaven and earth with its sound, the heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, māras, non-Buddhists, religious practitioners, and the Four Heavenly Kings cannot handle it either.'" / The commentary says: This shows that turning to heterodoxy is powerless. This is to remove doubts. The doubt says: "If a single person realizing holiness has little power and cannot save her, the heavenly māras and non-Buddhist heterodox multitudes are very many and should be able to save her from suffering." Therefore, it is now explained that māras, heterodox beings, and the like cannot save her either. Although your loud cries move heaven and earth, and your mournful weeping touches the spirits, even if you were to lead the cohorts of māras, gather the assemblies of non-Buddhists, unite the eight classes in common purpose, and combine all supernormal powers into one single force, working together to rescue your mother, they could not handle it either.