維摩義記 4.79

4.79

自下第二維摩以神力令諸大眾見阿閦佛。於中有四：一、舍利弗問維摩詰前所從來處。如來為辨。二、大眾聞說求欲見之，如來遣示。三、維摩為現，遠接妙喜安置此土，大眾同見。四、為化事訖，土還本處，大眾同見。就初段中，舍利初問、後佛為辨。舍利問中，「汝從何沒來生此」者，彼舍利弗欲使維摩現本來處，使眾同見發願求生，所以問之。下維摩詰呵其所問，彰實無生，令眾趣入。於中有三：一、就舍利所得之法明理無生；二、「於意云何譬如幻」下，明法虛幻，彰事無生；三、「沒者」已下，簡聖異凡，明己無生。前中三句，初維摩詰反問舍利，「汝所得法有沒生乎」。沒猶滅也。二、舍利答，「無沒生也」，舍利所得空無我理，不同事有故無生沒。三、維摩詰約答反呵。「若所得法無沒生相。云何問云汝於何沒而來至此」。第二段中句別有五。一、維摩詰舉喻反問。「於意云何譬如幻師幻作男女寧沒生也」，隨相論之。業如幻師，由業造作六道之報名作男女。就本以說，心如幻師，由心造作一切種形名作男女。二、舍利正答。「無沒生也」，幻無定實，故無生沒。三、維摩詰舉法反問。「汝豈不聞佛說諸法如幻相乎」。四、舍利弗答曰如是。五、維摩詰約答反呵。「若一切法如幻相者，云何問云汝於何沒而來生此」。第三段中初云「沒者為虛誑法壞敗之相，生者為虛誑法相續之相」，簡凡異聖。「菩薩雖沒不盡善本，雖生不長諸惡」，彰聖異凡，明己無生。

From here below, the second [section]: Vimalakīrti uses supernatural power to cause the great assembly to see Akṣobhya Buddha. Therein are four parts: 1. Śāriputra asks Vimalakīrti about the place from which he previously came. The Tathāgata explains it for him. 2. The great assembly hears the teaching and seeks and desires to see it; the Tathāgata directs them. 3. Vimalakīrti manifests it for them, bringing Abhirati from afar and placing it in this land, and the great assembly sees it together. 4. Because the work of conversion is finished, the land returns to its original place, and the great assembly sees it together. In the first section, Śāriputra first asks, and then the Buddha explains it for him. Within Śāriputra's question, as for "from where did you pass away to be born here?", that Śāriputra wished to cause Vimalakīrti to manifest his original place, so as to cause the assembly to see it together, generate aspirations, and seek birth [there]; therefore he asked it. Below, Vimalakīrti rebukes his question, revealing that in reality there is no birth, so as to cause the assembly to enter. Therein are three parts: 1. Based on the dharma attained by Śāriputra, clarifying that the principle is birthless; 2. from "What do you think? Just as an illusionist..." below, clarifying that dharmas are illusory, revealing that phenomena are birthless; 3. from "Passing away..." below, distinguishing the sage from the ordinary, clarifying that he himself is birthless. In the first part there are three sentences. First, Vimalakīrti asks Śāriputra in return, "Does the dharma you have attained have passing away and birth?" "Passing away" is like destruction. Second, Śāriputra replies, "It has neither passing away nor birth." The principle of emptiness and selflessness attained by Śāriputra is unlike phenomenal existence, so it has neither birth nor passing away. Third, Vimalakīrti rebukes him in return based on his answer: "If the dharma you have attained has no signs of passing away or birth, why do you ask, 'From where did you pass away to come here?'" In the second section there are five distinct clauses: 1. Vimalakīrti raises a simile and asks in return: "What do you think? Just as an illusionist conjures men and women, do they pass away or be born?" Discussing it according to signs: karma is like an illusionist, and through karma's fabrication of retribution in the six destinies, it is called conjuring men and women. Speaking from the root: the mind is like an illusionist, and through the mind's fabrication of all kinds of forms, it is called conjuring men and women. 2. Śāriputra correctly replies, "They have neither passing away nor birth." An illusion lacks fixed reality, so it has neither birth nor passing away. 3. Vimalakīrti raises the doctrine and asks in return: "Have you not heard the Buddha say that all dharmas have the characteristics of illusions?" 4. Śāriputra replies saying, "So it is." 5. Vimalakīrti rebukes him in return based on his answer: "If all dharmas have the characteristics of illusions, why do you ask, 'From where did you pass away to come and be born here?'" In the third section, it first says, "Passing away is the sign of the disintegration of deceptive dharmas; birth is the sign of the continuity of deceptive dharmas," distinguishing the ordinary from the sage. "Although a bodhisattva passes away, he does not exhaust the roots of goodness; although he is born, he does not foster evils," revealing the sage as distinct from the ordinary and clarifying that he himself is birthless.