盂蘭盆經讚述 1.28

1.28

[When] the sūtra states, 'Whoever [makes offerings to] such a pravāraṇā Saṅgha': The commentary says: This is the fifth [section], revealing the benefits. The text has two lines: first, revealing the power of great compassion to eliminate suffering; second, revealing the power of great loving-kindness to bestow joy. 'Whoever makes offerings,' and so forth, reveals the power of great compassion. 'Whoever makes offerings to the pravāraṇā [Saṅgha]' marks the excellence of the fertile field [of merit]. 'Present [parents],' and so forth, indicates the profound kindness that is to be saved. Kindness has three grades: First is supreme kindness, namely the present parents, because they directly gave birth to and reared [the person]. Second is middling kindness, namely parents of seven past generations, because their lineage has extended unbroken, distantly nourishing and sustaining [oneself]. Third is lesser kindness, namely the six kinds of kin and relatives, meaning relatives and brothers, because their supportive assistance brought one to completion. As the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says, 'Parting from ordinary people is easy, parting from spiritual friends is difficult; parting from spiritual friends is easy, parting from wife and children is difficult; parting from wife and children is easy, parting from parents is difficult.' This confirms the three grades of kin. 'Emerging from the three wretched realms,' and so forth, directly reveals the power of great compassion. When accumulated evil brings about misfortune, calamity reaches into two lifetimes; when one cultivates good to establish merit, deliverance extends into distant depth. Now when it speaks of 'emerging,' those such as these ought to have fallen into the three wretched realms, but solely through the assistance of holy power, their karmic retribution is eradicated. Since they ought to have fallen but do not fall, this not falling is described as 'emerging.'