維摩義記 2.81

2.81

自下正說。然序與正，進退不定，備如上辨。若以維摩一世所說悉為正宗，是則偏判。〈方便品〉初以為由序，「以其疾故國王大臣皆往問疾」後，悉是正宗。若以維摩現今一會所說為正，是則從前〈方便品〉來，皆悉判與此會由序；從此已下方是正宗。此正宗中，三門分別：一、攝法從人，顯德入別；二、廢人從法，隨義分別；三、依文正解。攝法從人顯德云何？此經宗顯維摩之德，德謂不思解脫之門。於此門中義別塵算，隨德論之要唯智通。上來廣舉維摩所說顯其智勝，下彰維摩神變自在明其通勝。通中隨義分為四對：從初盡於〈不思議品〉以為初對；〈觀眾生品〉為第二對；下〈佛道品〉為第三對；〈不二門〉盡〈香積品〉為第四對。四中皆初明其所行，後顯所成。第一對中，初〈問疾品〉明其所行；〈不思品〉中借坐燈王、小室廣容，明其所成。第二對中，〈觀生品〉初明其所行；「時維摩室有天女」下，彰維摩室具八未有，還明所成。第三對中，〈佛道品〉初明其所行；「竝現問」下，廣顯維摩一切種德，還彰所成。第四對中，〈入不二門〉明其所行；〈香積品〉中取飯香積、小室廣容，復明所成。四對何別？初之三對明修教行而有所修所成，後之一對明修證行而有所成。後前三中，初對明其治過之行而有所成，後二明修攝善之行而有所成。攝善行中初對明修入寂之行而有所成，捨有觀空是入寂也；後對明明修起用之行而有所成，行於非道是起用也。攝法從人顯德如是。

From here below is the main discourse. However, the advance and retreat [of the boundary] between the preface and the main discourse is not fixed, as was fully analyzed above. If one takes everything spoken by Vimalakīrti throughout this lifetime as the primary teaching, this is a biased determination: the beginning of the "Chapter on Upāya" would be considered the prefatory narrative, and everything after "because of his illness, kings and great ministers all went to inquire about his illness" would be the primary teaching. If one takes what Vimalakīrti expounds in this present single assembly as the primary teaching, then everything preceding it from the "Chapter on Upāya" onward is determined to be the prefatory narrative to this assembly, and only from here below is the primary teaching. Within this primary teaching, there are three gates of classification: first, subsuming dharmas under persons to reveal virtue and enter into distinctions; second, setting aside persons to follow dharmas and distinguish them according to meaning; third, directly interpreting according to the text. What does it mean to subsume dharmas under persons to reveal virtue? The central theme of this sūtra reveals the virtue of Vimalakīrti; "virtue" refers to the gate of inconceivable liberation. Within this gate, the meanings and distinctions are as numerous as dust motes, but if discussed in terms of virtue, they are essentialized simply as wisdom and supernormal powers. The preceding text extensively cited what Vimalakīrti taught to reveal the superiority of his wisdom; what follows below manifests Vimalakīrti's sovereign supernormal transformations to illuminate the superiority of his supernormal powers. Within supernormal powers, according to their meaning, they are divided into four pairs: from the beginning through the "Inconceivable Chapter" constitutes the first pair; the "Chapter on Viewing Sentient Beings" constitutes the second pair; the "Chapter on the Buddha Path" below constitutes the third pair; from the "Gate of Nonduality" through the "Chapter on the Fragrance-Accumulated [Tathāgata]" constitutes the fourth pair. In all four, the first part illuminates what is practiced, and the second reveals what is achieved. In the first pair, the "Chapter on Inquiring about Illness" initially illuminates what is practiced; in the "Inconceivable Chapter," borrowing seats from King Merupradīpa and the small room accommodating extensively illuminate what is achieved. In the second pair, the beginning of the "Chapter on Viewing Sentient Beings" illuminates what is practiced; from "At that time, in Vimalakīrti's room there was a heavenly maiden" onward manifests that Vimalakīrti's room is endowed with eight unprecedented qualities, which again illuminates what is achieved. In the third pair, the beginning of the "Chapter on the Buddha Path" illuminates what is practiced; from "asking all together" onward extensively reveals all kinds of virtues of Vimalakīrti, which again manifests what is achieved. In the fourth pair, the "Gate of Entering Nonduality" illuminates what is practiced; in the "Chapter on the Fragrance-Accumulated [Tathāgata]," fetching rice from Fragrance-Accumulated and the small room accommodating extensively again illuminate what is achieved. What is the difference between these four pairs? The first three pairs illuminate practicing the conduct of teaching and having that which is practiced and achieved; the last one pair illuminates practicing the conduct of realization and having that which is achieved. Among the earlier three, the first pair illuminates the practice of remedying faults and having an achievement; the latter two illuminate the practice of gathering virtues and having an achievement. Among the practices of gathering virtues, the first pair illuminates practicing the conduct of entering quiescence and having an achievement—relinquishing existence to contemplate emptiness is entering quiescence; the latter pair clearly illuminates practicing the conduct of giving rise to function and having an achievement—practicing in non-paths is giving rise to function. Subsuming dharmas under persons to reveal virtue is like this.