維摩義記 1.46

1.46

From here below is the fifth [section], which avails itself of [the opportunity to] praise the remaining virtues. It consists of fifteen verses, which together form three parts: the first two verses praise the Buddha's bodily karma; the middle six verses praise the Buddha's verbal karma; and the final seven verses praise the Buddha's mental karma. Regarding bodily karma: 'Great Holy Dharma King, refuge of the multitude' praises the Buddha as a lofty person. 'Contemplating the Buddha with a pure mind, none fails to rejoice' praises the marvelousness of the Buddha's body. 'None' (靡) means without (無). Because the Buddha's body is marvelous, among those who contemplate him with a pure mind, there is none who does not rejoice and celebrate, setting aside those who are perverse and slanderous. 'Each sees the World-Honoured One before them' praises the Buddha's skillful transformations. Because of his skillful transformations, whenever there is an eliciting response, he manifests accordingly. The Buddha has attained these marvelous bodily marks through past karma; without having any deliberate mind toward 'this' or 'that', he is nonetheless able to respond to all. 'This is the divine power of the unshared dharmas' concludes the praise by revealing his pre-eminence. It can also be termed concluding the praise by revealing his uniqueness. Others do not have this power; thus it is called 'unshared'. Regarding the praise of his speech: first, two verses praise the Tathāgata for expounding differently according to tone. 'The Buddha expounds the Dharma with a single sound' means that the utterance is not diverse. 'Sentient beings, according to their kind, each attain understanding' means that their awakened understandings differ. In general, there are two kinds of understanding: first, explaining 'one' with respect to the true [aspect]. The Tathāgata's true mark of the sound of the Dharma-conch is termed the 'single sound', within which sentient beings form various different understandings, just as toward the one true body various different sights are seen. The Tathāgata's true, ever-quiescent sound is called the sound of the Dharma-conch; that it is eternally existent and eternally non-existent is called the 'ever-quiescent sound'. To those with pure ears, there is no time when it is not heard—this is termed 'eternally existent', and its existence is not newly generated. To those without pure ears, there is no time when it is heard even momentarily—this is termed 'eternally non-existent', and its non-existence is not something that only just began. Second, explaining 'one' with respect to the responsive [aspect]. Within this there are two: 1. Explaining the single sound with respect to regional dialects. The Tathāgata at times produces a single Central Asian sound, within which sentient beings understand diverse languages; the rest are likewise. 2. Explaining the 'one' with respect to dharmas. The Tathāgata at times speaks of a single giving, which is termed 'the single sound', and sentient beings within it understand diverse dharmas; the rest are likewise. What is discussed here discerns the 'one' with respect to the responsive [aspect]. Equally within the responsive [aspect], this verse explains the 'one' with respect to regional dialects: all sentient beings within it understand diverse languages; hence it says, 'according to their kind, each attains understanding'. 'All consider that the World-Honoured One speaks their own language' means they consider him to uniquely conform to themselves. 'This is the divine power' concludes the praise by revealing his pre-eminence. Next, two verses praise the Tathāgata for expounding differently according to dharmas. 'The Buddha expounds the Dharma with a single sound' means that the utterance is not diverse. 'Sentient beings each according to their capacity to understand' means that their awakened understandings differ. The Tathāgata at times expounds one type of dharma to a single sentient being, which is called expounding with a single sound, and sentient beings within it understand diverse meanings—this is called 'each according to their capacity to understand'. 'Universally able to receive and practice, they obtain the benefit' means that the practices they arouse differ. 'This is the divine power' concludes the praise by revealing his pre-eminence. Below, two verses praise the Tathāgata for expounding differently according to mental disposition. 'The Buddha expounds the Dharma with a single sound' means that the utterance is not distinct; this is also [a case of] being one according to dharma. 'Some feel fear, some rejoice', and so forth, mean that the minds aroused are each different. When he simply expounds a single dharma, some exclusively think he is speaking of their own misdeeds and that they will fall into evil destinies, and therefore they fear; some exclusively think he is speaking of their own good karma and that they will be born in good realms, and therefore they rejoice; some exclusively think he is rebuking their faults, and therefore develop disgust and renunciation; some exclusively think he is teaching them wholesome meanings, and hearing the Dharma, arouse faith, thereby cutting off doubt. 'This is the divine power' concludes the praise by revealing his pre-eminence. In praising his mind below, the first four verses praise the Buddha's completeness in virtues, and the latter three verses praise the Buddha's completeness in understanding. Within the first four verses, the first two verses praise the Buddha's virtue of wisdom, and the latter two verses praise the Buddha's virtue of elimination. Within each of these two, there is a distinction between benefiting oneself and benefiting others. In the former virtue of wisdom: 'I bow my head to the Ten Powers, of Great Energetic Exertion' praises the Buddha's ten powers. Because the powers are accomplished through merit, he is therefore praised for energetic exertion. 'Having already attained the fearlessnesses' praises the four fearlessnesses. Because they have already been established within himself, it says 'having already attained'. 'Abiding in the unshared [dharmas]' praises the Buddha's eighteen unshared dharmas. This praises his personal virtues. In the earlier text, it first cited his virtues and then concluded with bowing the head; now in this text, it first displays bowing the head and then brings forth his virtues. This is an alternation of phrasing. 'I bow my head to the Great Guide of all' praises his benefiting of others. In the virtue of elimination below, he first praises his personal virtues. 'I bow my head to the one who can sever all bonds' refers to removing the hindrances to cessation. 'I bow my head to the one who has already reached the other shore' explains the realization of the fruit of cessation. The other shore is nirvāṇa; cultivation and realization are called 'reaching'. Alternatively, the former phrase, 'able to sever the bonds', means leaving behind the causes of birth-and-death; 'able to reach the other shore' means emerging from the fruits of birth-and-death. Next, it praises his benefiting of others. 'Able to deliver the world' means being able here to deliver the world of sentient beings, emerging from the causes of birth-and-death and leaving behind the paths of birth-and-death; being able to teach sentient beings to emerge from the fruits of birth-and-death and cross over the causes of birth-and-death, attaining cessation with remainder; and to leave behind the paths of birth-and-death, attaining cessation without remainder. Above has explained the completeness of virtues; below explains the completeness of understanding. 'Fully knowing the coming and going of sentient beings' explains the ability to know persons. 'Coming' is the future, and 'going' is the past. Because the verse is constricted, it does not mention the present. Below explains the knowing of dharmas. 'Skillful in attaining liberation among all dharmas' generally explains the knowing of dharmas. Having a mind without one-sided attachment among all dharmas is termed 'attaining liberation'; below reveals this specifically. 'Not attached to the world, like a lotus blossom': being untainted within existence explains the departure from attachment. 'Ever skillful in entering the practice of emptiness and quiescence': being able to understand emptiness explains the departure from [wrong] views. 'Thoroughly understanding all marks of dharmas without hindrance': being able to know within existence explains the departure from delusion. 'I bow my head to the one who, like space, has nothing to rely upon': being able to realize emptiness explains the departure from delusive thoughts. Just as space is impartial and has nothing further to rely on, the Buddha is likewise: having realized the impartiality of the mind and grasping at nothing, he therefore has nothing to rely upon. From the offering of the canopies down to here, looking back, it forms the main body; looking forward, it also has the function of initiating [what follows], and is therefore also termed the introduction.