English
English version Transcending the realms of the Three Worlds (Desire Realm, Form Realm, Formless Realm) and the Three Vehicles (Śrāvakayāna, Pratyekabuddhayāna, Bodhisattvayāna), reaching the other shore of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi (unsurpassed perfect enlightenment) and Mahāparinirvāṇa (great complete nirvana), just like crossing the sea on a ship. This Sutra now, is included within the Human and Deva Vehicle, contained within the Śrāvakayāna Pitaka. Three Distinctions Defining the Tenet: The so-called Three Distinctions Defining the Tenet means that this Sutra takes filial piety in making offerings, relieving suffering and repaying kindness as its tenet. Now, we will explain it separately in two aspects: one is to explain its behavioral manifestations, and the other is to match the number of sentences. First, regarding behavioral manifestations, it is for Maudgalyāyana (one of the ten great disciples of Śākyamuni Buddha, known for being foremost in supernatural powers) who initially, out of sincere filial piety, wanted to repay the kindness of his parents, but was unable to do so with his own strength, so he first left home to cultivate. Therefore, upon initially obtaining the Six Superknowledges (divine eye, divine ear, knowing others' minds, knowing past lives, divine feet, extinction of outflows), he observed the Three Worlds and saw his deceased mother reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts. Even if he offered fragrant rice, it would immediately turn into fierce flames. He cried out in sorrow and sought help from the Buddha. The Buddha taught him to set up the Ullambana offering (a Buddhist ritual), enabling his mother to escape from the body in the netherworld and be freed from the suffering of a kalpa, not failing the great kindness and diligent labor of parents in giving birth and raising him. Carefully analyzing the meaning of the Sutra, it possesses these four meanings. Second, matching the number of sentences, there are four sets of four sentences. First, the two words 'filial piety' themselves have four sentences: one is filial but not obedient, such as using the three sacrificial animals (ox, sheep, pig) to offer to parents, etc.; two is obedient but not filial, such as immediately providing forbidden food that parents crave when they are sick, or not advising them when they want to do illegal things, etc.; three is both filial and obedient, which refers to concealing shortcomings, not offending parents, repeatedly advising while complying with their expressions, and observing their aspirations for three years without change; four is neither filial nor obedient, such as burying the deceased father in the water, etc. Second, with 'filial piety in making offerings' in contrast, it becomes four sentences again: one is filial piety without making offerings, such as Dong An (a filial son of the Eastern Han Dynasty) and Wang Xiang (one of the Twenty-four Filial Exemplars), etc.; two is making offerings without filial piety, such as cultivating precepts and fasting for one's own blessings, etc.; three is both filial piety and making offerings, which is the Ullambana Assembly; four is neither filial piety nor making offerings, which refers to rebellious and stingy people. Third, with 'filial piety' in contrast to 'relieving suffering', it also becomes four sentences: one is filial piety without relieving suffering, such as Dong Yong (one of the Twenty-four Filial Exemplars), etc.; two is relieving suffering without filial piety, such as helping others in their suffering; three is both filial piety and relieving suffering, which is the Ullambana Assembly; four is neither filial piety nor relieving suffering, which refers to rebellious petty people. Fourth, with 'filial piety' in contrast to 'repaying kindness', it also becomes four sentences: one is filial piety without repaying kindness, such as protecting hair and skin, not putting oneself in danger, and not doing illegal things, etc.; two is repaying kindness without filial piety, such as helping a cart wheel to repay the kindness of a meal, or cultivating to repay the benefactors, etc.; three is both filial piety and repaying kindness, which is the Ullambana Assembly; four is neither filial piety nor repaying kindness, which refers to those who betray kindness and are rebellious. Now, cultivating this one Dharma gate, one perfects these four actions, and how can the merits obtained be measured? It is indeed so. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 繇境胜心强彻于神理故也。◎ 佛说盂兰盆经疏上终 大正藏第 39 册 No. 1792 佛说盂兰盆经疏 佛说盂兰盆经疏下 充国沙门宗密述
Chinese
◎四正解经文(二)。正解经文于中复二。初释题目。二解本文。初释题目。 佛说盂兰盆经 此经总有三译。一晋武帝时。刹法师翻云盂兰盆经。二惠帝时。法炬法师译云灌腊经。应此文云。具饭百味五果汲灌盆器香油锭烛等故。三旧本别录。又有一师。翻为报恩经。约所行之行而立名故。今所释者。即初译也。义净三藏云。颁自我口畅之。彼心以教合机。故称佛说。盂兰是西域之语。此云倒悬。盆乃东夏之音。仍为救器。若随方俗应曰救倒悬盆。斯繇尊者之亲魂沈闇道。载饥且渴命似倒悬。纵圣子之威灵无以拯其涂炭。佛令盆罗百味式贡三尊。仰大众之恩光。救倒悬之窘急。即从此义以立经名。经者正名为线。义曰契经。线能贯华。经能持纬。谓所诠之义似纬似华。能诠之文能持能贯。今顺此方典诰。是以目之为经。借义助名。仍加契字。此释符佛地论。二义中贯穿之义。杂心论五义中结鬘之义也。二解本文。解本文分三。一序分。三正宗分。三流通分。以三分之兴。弥天高判冥符西域。今古同遵。初序分中诸经多有二序。一 现代汉语译本： 繇境胜心（由于境界殊胜，心念强大）强彻于神理（能够深刻理解精神层面的道理），所以如此。◎ 佛说盂兰盆经疏上终 大正藏第 39 册 No. 1792 佛说盂兰盆经疏 佛说盂兰盆经疏下 充国沙门宗密述 ◎四、正解经文（二）。正解经文于中复二：初释题目，二解本文。初释题目。 佛说盂兰盆经 此经总有三译：一、晋武帝时，刹（Kala，意为时）法师翻译为《盂兰盆经》；二、惠帝时，法炬（Dharmajyoti，意为法之光）法师译为《灌腊经》，应此文云：‘具饭百味五果汲灌盆器香油锭烛等’故；三、旧本别录，又有一师，翻译为《报恩经》，约所行之行而立名故。今所释者，即初译也。义净（Yijing，意为义之清净）三藏云：‘颁自我口畅之，彼心以教合机’，故称佛说。盂兰（Ullambana）是西域之语，此云倒悬。盆乃东夏之音，仍为救器。若随方俗，应曰救倒悬盆。斯繇尊者之亲魂沈闇道，载饥且渴命似倒悬。纵圣子之威灵，无以拯其涂炭。佛令盆罗百味，式贡三尊，仰大众之恩光，救倒悬之窘急，即从此义以立经名。经者，正名为线，义曰契经。线能贯华，经能持纬。谓所诠之义似纬似华，能诠之文能持能贯。今顺此方典诰，是以目之为经。借义助名，仍加契字。此释符佛地论二义中贯穿之义，杂心论五义中结鬘之义也。二、解本文。解本文分三：一、序分；三、正宗分；三、流通分。以三分之兴，弥天高判冥符西域，今古同遵。初序分中，诸经多有二序：一
English
English version: Because the realm of mind is superior (Yao realm is superior, the mind is strong), it thoroughly penetrates the divine principles (able to deeply understand the principles of the spiritual realm), therefore it is so. ◎ The End of the First Volume of the Commentary on the Buddha Speaks of the Ullambana Sutra Tripitaka Volume 39 No. 1792 Commentary on the Buddha Speaks of the Ullambana Sutra The Second Volume of the Commentary on the Buddha Speaks of the Ullambana Sutra Composed by the Shramana Zongmi of Chongguo ◎4. Correctly Explaining the Sutra Text (2). Correctly explaining the sutra text is further divided into two parts: first, explaining the title; second, explaining the main text. First, explaining the title. Buddha Speaks of the Ullambana Sutra. This sutra has a total of three translations: 1. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty, Dharma Master Kala translated it as the 'Ullambana Sutra'; 2. During the reign of Emperor Hui, Dharma Master Dharmajyoti translated it as the 'Guanla Sutra', corresponding to the text which says: 'Prepared with a hundred flavors of rice, five fruits, drawing and pouring into basins, fragrant oil, candle sticks, etc.'; 3. According to another record in the old texts, there was another master who translated it as the 'Sutra of Repaying Kindness', named according to the practice performed. The one being explained now is the first translation. The Tripitaka Master Yijing said: 'Announced from my mouth to express it, their minds are in accordance with the teachings', therefore it is called 'Buddha Speaks'. Ullambana is a term from the Western Regions, meaning 'upside down'. 'Basin' is a term from the Eastern Xia (China), still meaning a vessel for rescue. If following local customs, it should be called 'Rescuing the Upside-Down Basin'. This is because the venerable one's parents' souls are submerged in the dark path, suffering from hunger and thirst, their lives like being hung upside down. Even the majestic spirit of a holy son cannot save them from their suffering. The Buddha instructs to arrange a hundred flavors in a basin, respectfully offering them to the Three Jewels, relying on the grace and light of the assembly to rescue the urgency of being upside down, hence the name of the sutra is established from this meaning. 'Sutra' is correctly named as a thread, with the meaning of 'matching the teachings'. A thread can string together flowers, and a sutra can hold the weft. It means that the meaning being explained is like the weft and flowers, and the text that explains it can hold and string them together. Now, following the ancient classics of this land, it is therefore named as a sutra. Borrowing the meaning to assist the name, the word 'matching' is still added. This explanation is in accordance with the meaning of 'penetration' in the two meanings of the Buddhabhumi Sutra, and the meaning of 'stringing together garlands' in the five meanings of the Abhidharmasamuccaya. 2. Explaining the Main Text. Explaining the main text is divided into three parts: 1. Introduction Section; 2. Main Teaching Section; 3. Conclusion Section. With the rise of these three sections, the high judgment that fills the sky secretly matches the Western Regions, and both ancient and modern times follow it. In the initial Introduction Section, many sutras have two introductions: 1. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
证信序。谓如是之法我从佛闻。标记说时说处分明。大众同闻非谬。以为证据令总信受。经无丰约非信不传。繇是经初必须证信。故智度论云。说时方人令生信故。二发起序发明信起正宗之法。如净名宝盖法华毫光之类。然证信亦云通序。诸经皆同故。亦云经后序。佛说法时而未有故。发起亦云别序。诸经各别故。亦云经前序。佛先自发起。方说正宗故。初证信序。 闻如是一时佛在舍卫国祇树给孤独园 则佛临灭度时。阿难请问四事。佛令置此言也。所问四事佛一一答。谓一依四念处。二以戒为师。三默摈恶性比丘。四一切经初。皆云如是我闻一时佛在某处与某处若干人俱。诸经多具六种成就。文或阙略义必具之。谓一信二闻三时四主五处六众。六缘不具教则不兴。必须具六。故云成就。今经阙于列众也。又闻成就为初异余经者。各是译人之意。谓或云如是之法我从佛闻。或云我于佛边闻如是法。皆是指法之词也。不云我者。意彰圣人皆证无我理故。余经有者。即阿难自指五蕴假者。不同情计之我。亦无过也。闻谓耳根发识听彼外声。次云如是者。信成就也。夫信者言是事如是。不信者言是事不如是。故肇公云。信顺之词也。一时者。师资合会说听究竟。总名一时。简异余时也。谓如来说经。时有无量。不能 现代汉语译本：证信序，说明‘如是之法’（如此的佛法）是我阿难从佛陀那里听闻的。它标记了说法的时间和地点，分明清楚。大众一同听闻，并非谬误，以此作为证据，令所有人都信受。佛经无论内容丰富还是简略，如果缺乏可信度，就无法流传。因此，每部佛经的开头都必须有证信序。所以《智度论》说，说明时间、地点和人物，是为了使人生起信心。二、发起序，阐明信心的生起和正宗佛法的开端，例如《维摩诘经》中的宝盖、《法华经》中的毫光等。然而，证信序也可以称为通序，因为所有佛经都有；也可以称为经后序，因为佛陀说法时还没有；发起序也可以称为别序，因为每部佛经各有不同；也可以称为经前序，因为佛陀先发起，然后才说正宗佛法。首先是证信序。 ‘闻如是，一时，佛在舍卫国祇树给孤独园’（我听闻佛陀是这样说的，在某个时候，佛陀在舍卫国的祇树给孤独园）。这是佛陀临近涅槃时，阿难请问了四件事，佛陀让他这样写。佛陀一一回答了阿难所问的四件事，即一、依四念处（四种观禅的方法）；二、以戒为师；三、默摈恶性比丘（对品行恶劣的比丘保持沉默，不与交往）；四、一切佛经的开头，都要写‘如是我闻，一时，佛在某处，与某处若干人在一起’。大多数佛经都具备六种成就，文字上可能有所省略，但意义上必须具备，即一、信；二、闻；三、时；四、主（说法者）；五、处；六、众。六种因缘不具备，佛法就无法兴盛，必须具备这六种，所以称为成就。这部经缺少列出听众。另外，以‘闻成就’为开头，与其他佛经不同，这是译者的意思。或者说‘如是之法我从佛闻’，或者说‘我于佛边闻如是法’，都是指法的词语。不说‘我’，是为了彰显圣人都证悟了无我的道理。其他佛经有‘我’，指的是阿难自己，五蕴假合之身，不同于情执所认为的‘我’，也没有过错。‘闻’是指耳根产生意识，听取外面的声音。其次说‘如是’，是信成就。所谓信，就是说这件事是这样的，不信就是说这件事不是这样的。所以肇公说，信是顺从的词语。‘一时’是指师资双方会合，说法和听法圆满结束，总称为一时，区别于其他时间。因为佛陀说法的时间有无数，不能一一列举。