維摩義記 3.74

3.74

自下第二明其所作。有二十八偈，於中有四：初偈自利，起離過行；次有一偈，明其利他，現化隨物；次有一偈，復明自利，起集善行；「離知」已下有二十五偈，復明利他，變化度物。初中「摧滅煩惱賊」者，正明所作。「勇健無踰」，辨勝過劣。二乘近學治障不過，名無能踰。「降伏四魔」，重明所作，義如上辨。「勝幡建場」，重復顯勝。世人鬪勝立幡以表，菩薩鬪勝現坐道樹成佛以表，法從喻稱，故言勝旛建道場矣。就第二段利他行中，「雖知無起滅」，知理常寂。「示彼故有生」，受身隨物。「悉現諸國」，有緣斯起。「如日無不見」，立喻顯示。就第三段自利行中，「供養十方無量如來」，供佛求福。「諸佛及己無分別想」，觀空修智。己佛皆如，故無分別。就第四段利他行中，二十五偈相從為二：初之一偈淨土化生，後二十四偈神通益物。前中初言「雖知佛國及與生空」，知理常寂。「而常修土教化群生」，隨有益物。空不乖有，故知國空常修淨土，知眾生空而常教化。就後神通益物之中，二十四偈相從為三：初有八偈，明其變化自在之行；「劫中有疾」下六偈之文，明其隨苦救濟之行；「示受五欲」下十偈之文，明其巧便攝物之行。初中八偈，相從為四：初有三偈，明其眾生世間之化；次有一偈，器世間化；次三偈半，重明眾生世間之化；下有半偈，重復明其器世間化。就初眾生世間化中，初之一偈化同物形。「諸有眾生類形聲及威儀」者，舉其所同。行住坐臥名曰威儀，無畏菩薩一時盡現，明其能同。十明之中，有一智明名為安住無畏神力，菩薩住此，故能隨生一時盡現。中間一偈化同物行。「覺知魔事內心明了」，壞亂他善名為魔事，如《大品經．魔事品》說。菩薩悉知而示隨行，現化隨物。「以善方便」，內心善巧。十方便慧於空不著，名方便智。亦可權實二智之中權巧之智名方便智。「隨意皆現」，廣化隨物，以得巧慧，故能皆現。末後一偈化同物報。「示老病死」，正化同物。亦能現生，偈迮不說。「成就群生」，明化利益。「了知如幻」者，知有體虛。知其生老病死等事猶如幻化，於中不畏。「通達無礙」者，所作自在。由其通達如幻化故，常能現為，故曰無礙。此初段竟。次下一偈器世間化。「或現劫燒天地皆洞然」，彰其所為。劫有內外，約就世界成壞明劫，名之為外；約就眾生內報明劫，名之為內。外劫有三，謂水、火、風。廣如經說，此應具論。然今文中且舉火劫，內劫如後。「眾人有常想照令知無常」，明其化意，謂令照知覺世無常。此第二竟。次三偈半重明眾生世間之化。於中初偈出世法化。「無數眾生俱請菩薩」，物機感聖。「一時到舍」，菩薩等起。「化令向道」，因赴攝益。其次一偈世俗法化。「經書呪術工巧伎藝盡現行此」，饒益群生。次有一偈外道法化。「世眾道法」，外道法也。「悉於出家」，菩薩示同，因以解人惑。因同化益，漸教捨邪，名解人惑。「而不墮邪」，自解無失。下有半偈諸天身化。「或作日月」，現作日月星宿諸天，且言日月。「梵王世界主」者，作大梵王。千世界主，餘天亦作，文略不明。此第三竟。下有半偈重復明其器世間化。「或作地水或作風火」。上來八偈，明其變化自在之行。

From here below, the second part clarifies what he does. There are twenty-eight verses, which comprise four parts: the first verse concerns personal benefit, arousing practice free from faults; the next one verse clarifies benefiting others, manifesting transformations in accord with beings; the next one verse again clarifies personal benefit, arousing and accumulating wholesome practices; and the twenty-five verses from “leaving knowing” onward again clarify benefiting others, transforming and delivering beings. Within the first, “destroying the thieves of the afflictions” directly clarifies what is done. “Vigorous and unsurpassed” distinguishes superiority over inferiority: the practitioners of the two vehicles in their limited study cannot surpass their overcoming of hindrances, hence they are called “none can surpass.” “Subduing the four Māras” re-clarifies what is done, the meaning of which is as explained above. “Raising the banner of victory at the bodhimaṇḍa” again reveals superiority: worldly people set up a banner when victorious in combat to display it; the bodhisattva, victorious in combat, manifests sitting beneath the bodhi tree and attaining buddhahood to display it; the Dharma takes its designation from the metaphor, and thus it says “raising the banner of victory at the bodhimaṇḍa.” Within the second section on practices benefiting others: “Although knowing there is no arising or cessation” means knowing that the principle is constantly quiescent. “He manifests having birth for their sake” means receiving a body in accord with beings. “Manifesting everywhere in all lands” means that wherever there are conditions, he thus arises. “Like the sun, there are none who do not see him” sets up a metaphor to reveal this. Within the third section on practices of personal benefit: “Making offerings to immeasurable Tathāgatas of the ten directions” means making offerings to buddhas to seek merit. “Having no conceptual distinction between the buddhas and oneself” means contemplating emptiness to cultivate wisdom; oneself and the buddhas are both Suchness, and therefore there is no distinction. Within the fourth section on practices benefiting others, the twenty-five verses fall into two groups: the first one verse is purifying lands and transforming beings; the subsequent twenty-four verses concern benefiting beings with supernormal powers. In the former, it first says: “Although knowing that buddha lands and beings are empty,” which means knowing that the principle is constantly quiescent; “he constantly cultivates the land and teaches sentient beings,” which means benefiting beings in accord with existence. Emptiness does not contradict existence; thus, knowing the lands are empty, he constantly cultivates a pure land, and knowing sentient beings are empty, he constantly teaches them. Among the subsequent twenty-four verses on benefiting beings with supernormal powers, they fall into three groups: the first eight verses clarify his practice of mastery in transformation; the six verses from “in an eon with sickness” downward clarify his practice of rescue in accord with suffering; the ten verses from “manifesting the acceptance of the five desires” downward clarify his practice of gathering beings through skillful means. The first eight verses fall into four groups: the first three verses clarify his transformations in the sentient-being world; the next one verse is transformations in the container world; the next three and a half verses re-clarify transformations in the sentient-being world; the half-verse below again re-clarifies transformations in the container world. Within the first group on transformations in the sentient-being world, the first verse is transforming into forms identical to beings. “All species of sentient beings, their forms, voices, and deportment” points out what he identifies with. Walking, standing, sitting, and lying down are called deportment; the fearless bodhisattva manifests them all simultaneously, clarifying his ability to identify with them. Among the ten illuminations, there is one illumination of wisdom called “dwelling in fearless supernormal power”; the bodhisattva dwells in this, and therefore is able to manifest them all simultaneously in accord with beings. The middle one verse is transforming to identify with the actions of beings. “Recognizing the works of Māra, with an inner mind clearly comprehending”: disrupting the good of others is called the works of Māra, as explained in the “Works of Māra” chapter of the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā Sūtra. The bodhisattva knows them all, yet manifests following their conduct, manifesting transformations in accord with beings. “With good skillful means” refers to inner skillfulness. The ten wisdoms of skillful means do not cling to emptiness, which is called the wisdom of skillful means. It may also be said that between the two wisdoms of provisional and real, the provisional and skillful wisdom is called the wisdom of skillful means. “He manifests them all as he pleases” refers to extensively transforming in accord with beings; because he has attained skillful wisdom, he can manifest them all. The final one verse is transforming to identify with the retribution of beings. “Manifesting old age, sickness, and death” directly transforms to identify with beings. He is also able to manifest birth, but the verse is constrained [in meter] and does not state it. “Maturing the multitude of beings” clarifies the benefit of the transformation. “Clearly knowing they are like an illusion” means knowing that existence is empty in substance. Knowing that such matters as birth, old age, sickness, and death are like an illusion, he has no fear within them. “Penetrating without obstruction” refers to mastery in what he does. Because he penetrates their nature as being like an illusion, he can constantly manifest them, and thus it is said “without obstruction.” This concludes the first section. The next verse below is transformations in the container world. “Or manifesting the burning of the eon, heaven and earth completely blazing” reveals what he does. Eons are internal and external: explaining the eon in terms of the formation and destruction of the world is called external; explaining the eon in terms of the internal retribution of sentient beings is called internal. The external eons are three, namely water, fire, and wind. As explained extensively in the sūtras, this ought to be discussed in full, but the present text for now merely raises the fire eon; the internal eons are as described below. “Making the multitudes who hold notions of permanence realize impermanence” clarifies the intention of his transformation, meaning causing them to realize and awaken to the impermanence of the world. This concludes the second. The next three and a half verses re-clarify transformations in the sentient-being world. Within these, the first verse is transformation through supramundane dharmas. “Countless sentient beings together invite the bodhisattva”: the capacity of beings affects the holy one. “Simultaneously arriving at their homes”: the bodhisattva arises equally. “Transforming them to direct them toward the Path”: by responding, he gathers and benefits them. The next verse is transformation through worldly dharmas. “Scriptures, spells, crafts, arts, and skills—he manifests practicing all of these,” which brings rich benefit to the multitude of beings. The next one verse is transformation through non-Buddhist dharmas. “The paths and teachings of the world” means non-Buddhist teachings. “He goes forth from household life in all of them”: the bodhisattva manifests identifying with them, and by this means dispels human delusion. Because he benefits them through identifying with them, he gradually teaches them to abandon error, which is called dispelling human delusion. “Yet does not fall into error” means that he himself understands without error. The half-verse below is transformation into the bodies of devas. “Or acting as the sun and moon” means manifesting as devas of the sun, moon, and stars; here it merely mentions the sun and moon. “Brahmā kings, lords of the world” means acting as Great Brahmā Kings, lords of a thousand worlds; he also acts as other devas, but the text is abbreviated and does not specify. This concludes the third. The half-verse below again re-clarifies transformations in the container world: “Or acting as earth and water, or acting as wind and fire.” The preceding eight verses clarify his practice of mastery in transformation.