維摩義記 1.34

1.34

上來由序，自下約對不思議德悉為正宗。如《勝鬘經》歎佛功德正宗所收，此亦應然，無勞致疑。此正宗中文別有二：一、因寶積獻蓋，如來顯示不思議德令人願求。二、「寶積說偈」已下，因寶積啟請，如來宣說淨土因果令人習學。前即是法身因果，後即是其淨土因果。初之一段，望前為正宗，望後仍有起發之義，故亦名序。由其蓋中現十方國，起後所說淨土因果，故得名序。於中有三：一、寶積等獻蓋為由；第二、如來合蓋現變；三、寶積等覩之敬歎以顯願求。初中「爾時」，獻蓋時也，當爾佛在菴羅園時。次舉獻人。「毘耶離城」，出其生處。「有長者子」，標別其人。「名曰寶積」，論其名諱。「與五百等」，兼列其眾。下明獻蓋。持蓋詣佛，獻奉方便。「各以其蓋共供養佛」，正明獻蓋。第二如來現變之中，先合為一，次廣令大，後於蓋中廣有所現。前合一中，「佛威神」者，明合所由。此不思議解脫之力，說為威神。約通而辨，是約通力，非餘通等。通有幾種而言非餘？通有四種：一如意通，運變自身大音普遍。二者幻通，轉變外事。三法智通，通達諸法。四聖自在通，能於苦中生樂想、於樂法中生於苦想、苦樂法中生不苦不樂想。如是一切不隨緣變，名聖自在。今轉外事，故是幻通。何故悉受合之為一？為令施者眾聖滿足，故悉受之；為成一用，故合為一。如佛初成，受四王鉢合之為一。又欲顯示不思議力，故合為一。次廣令大。「遍覆三千大千世界」，如經說一四天下，有一須彌、四大海水、鐵圍圍繞，以為一界。數之至千，名小千界。小千為一，數復至千，名中千界。中千為一，數復至千，名為三千大千世界。此三千世界同時成壞，故合為一，名世界剎。數此至於恒河沙數，名世界性。此性為一，數復至於恒河沙數，名世界海。海復為一，數至於恒河沙數，名世界種。種復為一，數之至於恒河沙數，名一佛界。依如《華嚴》，如是轉增凡有十重，最後名為世界須彌。今言三千，一剎為言。下明所現。所現有二：一、現此界；二、「又十方」下，現他方事。現此之穢令人同厭，現他方淨使人同忻。現此界中，事別有五：一現地相，廣長悉現；二現諸山；三現眾水；四現日月星辰等事；五現諸天龍神宮等。現他方事，言少可知。

The preceding was the introductory portion; from here down, in reference to the inconceivable virtues, all constitutes the main body of the text. Just as the praise of the Buddha's virtues in the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra is subsumed under the main body, here it should also be like this, without any need to harbor doubt. Within this main body, the text has two distinct parts: First, occasioned by Ratnākara offering canopies, the Tathāgata reveals his inconceivable virtues to make people aspire to seek them. Second, from "Ratnākara spoke in verse" onward, occasioned by Ratnākara's supplication, the Tathāgata preaches the causes and effects of the pure land to make people practice and learn them. The former is precisely the causes and effects of the dharmakāya, and the latter is precisely the causes and effects of the pure land. The first section, looked at in relation to what precedes it, is the main body, but looked at in relation to what follows, it still has the sense of initiating and prompting, and therefore it is also called an introduction. Because the ten directions' lands are manifested within the canopies, initiating the causes and effects of the pure land that are preached later, it may be termed an introduction. Therein are three parts: first, Ratnākara and the others offering canopies serves as the occasion; second, the Tathāgata merges the canopies and manifests transformations; third, Ratnākara and the others, beholding this, reverently praise it to demonstrate their aspiring search. In the first part, "at that time" is the time of offering the canopies, precisely when the Buddha was in the Āmrapālī grove. Next, the person making the offering is mentioned. "The city of Vaiśālī" indicates his place of origin. "There was an elder's son" marks and distinguishes the person. "Named Ratnākara" mentions his name. "Together with five hundred [elders' sons]" includes his retinue. Below, it explains the offering of the canopies. Holding the canopies and proceeding to the Buddha was the upāya of presenting the offering. "Each took his canopy and together offered it to the Buddha" directly explains the offering of the canopies. Within the second part, the Tathāgata's manifestation of transformations, he first merges them into one, next expands it to make it vast, and afterwards broadly manifests things within the canopy. In the previous part on merging them into one, "the Buddha's spiritual majesty" explains the reason for the merging. This power of inconceivable liberation is spoken of as spiritual majesty. If distinguished in terms of supernormal powers, it is in terms of the power of supernormal faculties, not other supernormal faculties. How many kinds of supernormal faculties are there, such that one says it is "not other"? There are four kinds of supernormal faculties: first, the supernormal power of fulfillment at will, which moves and transforms one's own body and sends forth a great voice everywhere; second, illusory supernormal power, which transforms external things; third, the supernormal power of dharma-knowledge, which thoroughly penetrates all dharmas; fourth, the noble sovereign supernormal power, which can give rise to the perception of pleasure amid suffering, give rise to the perception of suffering amid pleasant phenomena, and give rise to the perception of neither suffering nor pleasure amid phenomena of suffering and pleasure. All such [states] that do not transform in accordance with external conditions are called the noble sovereignty. Now, transforming external things is illusory supernormal power. Why did he accept all of them and merge them into one? To bring satisfaction to the multitude of noble givers, he accepted all of them; to achieve a single function, he merged them into one. This is like when the Buddha first attained enlightenment, he accepted the bowls of the Four Heavenly Kings and merged them into one. Furthermore, wishing to display his inconceivable power, he merged them into one. Next, he expanded it to make it vast. "It completely covered the three-thousand-great-thousandfold world": as the sūtras state, a single world of four continents has one Sumeru, four great oceans, and is encircled by the Iron Ring [Mountains], constituting one world. Counting these up to a thousand is called a small-thousandfold world. Taking a small-thousandfold as one, counting again up to a thousand is called a medium-thousandfold world. Taking a medium-thousandfold as one, counting again up to a thousand is called a three-thousand-great-thousandfold world. These three thousand worlds form and disintegrate at the same time, and thus are merged into one, called a world realm. Counting these up to the number of sands in the Ganges River is called a world nature. Taking this nature as one, counting again up to the number of sands in the Ganges River is called a world ocean. Taking an ocean again as one, counting up to the number of sands in the Ganges River is called a world seed. Taking a seed again as one, counting them up to the number of sands in the Ganges River is called a single buddha-realm. According to the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, in this manner of progressive increase there are ten tiers in all, the last of which is called a World Sumeru. Now, when it says "three thousand," it speaks of a single realm. Below, it explains what was manifested. What was manifested has two aspects: first, the manifestation of this world; second, from "also the ten directions" onward, the manifestation of matters in other directions. Manifesting the defilement of this world causes people to share in weariness with it; manifesting the purity of other directions causes people to share in delighting in it. Within the manifestation of this world, there are five distinct items: first, manifesting the appearance of the earth, where its length and breadth are all displayed; second, manifesting the various mountains; third, manifesting the waters; fourth, manifesting celestial phenomena such as the sun, moon, stars, and lunar mansions; fifth, manifesting the palaces of the devas, dragons, and spirits. The manifestation of matters in other directions has few words and may be understood.