維摩義記 2.81

2.81

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.