維摩義記 2.61

2.61

Moreover, if Vimalakīrti had not demanded them to belong to himself, they would have been distant from Vimalakīrti, estranged and unapproachable, and difficult to transform and benefit; therefore he had to demand them first and teach them the Dharma afterward. In the text there are four parts: 1. Generally exhorting them to generate the mind [of awakening]: "Māra has given you to me; now you should all generate the mind of bodhi." 2. From "He then explained [the Dharma] to them according to their capacities" downward, specifically teaching them to generate the mind. 3. From "He further said: 'You have already generated the intention'" downward, generally teaching the joy of the Dharma. "Having already generated the aspiration for the Way" reiterates what precedes and introduces what follows. Saying "There is the joy of the Dharma with which you can amuse yourselves" shows what they should delight in. Soothing the spirit with the Dharma is called the "joy of the Dharma." "You should no longer delight in the pleasures of the five desires" teaches what they should loathe. 4. From "The heavenly maidens asked" downward, extensively teaching the joy of the Dharma. First they ask, and then he teaches. In the teaching, first he specifies, and then he concludes generally. Within the specific, there are two: first, directly teaching the initiation of practice; second, from "delighting in hearing the profound [Dharma]" downward, explaining the deportment that gathers practice. In the previous initiation of practice, there are three successive parts: First, "delighting in faith in the Buddha, delighting in the desire to listen to the Dharma, and delighting in making offerings to the Sangha" explains the practice of reversing the unwholesome and taking refuge in the correct. Second, from "delighting in leaving desires" downward explains the practice of abandoning faults and applying antidotes. Within this there are four clauses: 1. Delighting in leaving the five desires; 2. Delighting in contemplating the five skandhas as being like hostile bandits mutually destroying one another; 3. Contemplating the four elements as being like venomous serpents whose natures conflict with one another; 4. Contemplating the six internal sense spheres as being like an empty village. The six faculties such as the eyes are called the internal sense spheres, which are empty and without a personal master. Third, from "delighting in following and protecting" downward explains the cultivation of practices that accord with and tend toward the Way. In this, first it explains mundane practice, and from "broadening bodhi" downward it explains supramundane practice. Within mundane practice, "following and protecting the aspiration for the Way" is guarding the bodhimind; the characteristics of guarding and protecting are as explained in the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra]. From "delighting in benefiting" downward initiates bodhi practices. Initiating the benefit of sentient beings initiates the practice of benefiting others. "Delighting in revering and serving," etc., cultivates the practice of benefiting oneself. Within the practice of benefiting oneself, "delighting in revering and serving one's masters" explains the practice of grasping the Dharma. "Delighting in practicing giving," etc., explains the initiation and cultivation of practice. In cultivating the practices of the six pāramitās among the supramundane practices, "broadening the bodhimind" explains cultivating broad vows. "Delighting in subduing," etc., explains cultivating broad practices. "Delighting in subduing all māras" cultivates the virtue of benefiting others. Below, cultivating benefit for oneself: "delighting in severing afflictions" explains cultivating the virtue of abandonment. "Delighting in purifying the land," etc., explains cultivating the virtue of practice. Delighting in purifying the Buddha land is cultivating the practices of the pure land, as extensively explained above. From "achieving the marks" downward initiates dharmakāya practice. Fulfilling the marks and characteristics is cultivating all merits, cultivating the karma that initiates the marks and characteristics of the reward body, as explained in the Nirvāṇa Sūtra and the Bodhisattvabhūmi. "Delighting in adorning the place of awakening" cultivates and brings forth the dharmakāya, also as explained above. The above is the first part, directly teaching the initiation of practice.