盂蘭盆經讚述 1.6

1.6

The sūtra says: "Mahāmaudgalyāyana had just attained the six supernormal knowledges." Commentary: This fourth [phrase] clarifies the person for whom the teaching arose. There are two parts: first, his virtues; second, his filiality. As for Mahāmaudgalyāyana: regarding the person for whom the teaching arose, the Tathāgata initiated teachings differently depending on the person. Sometimes they arose due to filial conduct, as in the *Sūtra on the Great Skillful Means of Repaying Kindness* and so forth. In that sūtra, Ānanda asked the Buddha whether within the Buddha's Dharma there was filial support of parents; the Tathāgata then cited the causes and conditions of Prince Sujāti's loving filiality, citing the text of that sūtra in the first fascicle of the *Sūtra on Repaying Kindness*. Sometimes teachings were initiated due to evil rebellion, as in the *Contemplation of Amitāyus Sūtra* and so forth; that sūtra clarifies that King Ajātaśatru killed his father and harmed his mother, committing two rebellious sins, and therefore the Tathāgata expounded for him the practices of the Pure Land. Now this sūtra was initiated on account of Maudgalyāyana. However, Maudgalyāyana was foremost in two practices, which is why [the Buddha] addressed him: first, he was foremost in supernatural powers, meaning he used the divine eye to search for his mother; second, he was foremost in loving filiality, meaning that after attaining the fruit he was mindful of repaying the kindness of his parents' nursing and feeding. Just as when Confucius spoke of filial conduct, from the Son of Heaven down to the common people, all ought to practice filiality, yet he specifically addressed Zengzi to speak of filiality, because Zengzi possessed a devoted nature of filiality, which is why he was addressed. Here it is also like this: although all disciples of the Buddha ought to practice filiality, [the Buddha] specifically took Maudgalyāyana as the reason for initiating the teaching. As for "Maudgalyāyana": Maudgalyāyana is his clan name; his personal name was Kolita. Because they sacrificed to the deity of the kolita tree, it was taken as his name. Because the people of that country honored clan names, his clan name was used as his name; hence he is called Maudgalyāyana. "Had just attained the six supernormal knowledges" praises his virtues, clarifying that Maudgalyāyana uniquely penetrated concentration, roamed his spirit in the seven branches of awakening, eradicated the three outflows, and as a fruit attained the six supernormal knowledges. The supernormal knowledges having just become manifest, it is therefore said: "had just attained." Question: Why did Maudgalyāyana not save his mother earlier, but only rescue his mother after attaining the fruit of supernormal knowledges? Answer: When he had not yet attained the fruit, his afflictions were not yet exhausted, so there were obstacles and he could not pull out suffering. Therefore the sūtra says: "If one who is himself bound were able to unbind others, there is no such possibility." It also says: "For example, if one who cannot swim tries to rescue a drowning person, both will drown together." Therefore, one must possess full virtue before being able to rescue a mother's suffering.