維摩義記 3.45

3.45

Below clarifies what is accomplished. That which is practiced is the path of effort, and what is accomplished is the virtue of effortlessness. What is accomplished is twofold: first, the persons accomplished; second, the matters accomplished. Relying on the former [virtue of] benefiting others, [Vimalakīrti] transforms and benefits the devī, accomplishing the supramundane, inconceivable virtue—this is called the persons accomplished. Relying on the former [virtue of] self-benefit, he accomplishes the room inhabited as pure retribution, which is endowed with eight things never seen before—this is called the matters accomplished. These are all revealed by relying provisionally on Vimalakīrti, yet the principle applies universally to all. In the text there are three [parts]: first, the devī hears the exposition and manifests her body; second, from 'She then scattered celestial flowers upon the bodhisattvas' downward, relying on manifestation to reveal virtues; third, from 'At that time Vimalakīrti said to Śāriputra' downward, discerning the real to reveal virtues. Within the first section, 'At that time, in Vimalakīrti's room' indicates the place. 'There was a devī' lists the person. This is a spirit, universally called a deva, similar to the night devatās in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. 'Seeing the great beings and hearing the Dharma expounded' indicates the cause of her manifestation. 'She then manifested her body' directly explains the manifestation of her body. Hearing the exposition, her mind rejoiced, which is why she manifested her body. Furthermore, because of the exposition this devī accomplished virtue; with virtue accomplished, function arose, and function responded to the inclinations of beings, which is why she manifested her body. Within the second [part], relying on manifestation to reveal virtues, the central intention is twofold: first, to reveal the virtues of the devī; second, to display that Vimalakīrti's room possesses eight things never seen before. Following the text to investigate them, there are eight doctrinal meanings: first, clarifying that the bodhisattvas do not cling to the flowers; second, from 'Śāriputra said: "Devī, how long have you dwelt in this room?"' downward, expounding liberation without departing from words; third, from 'Śāriputra said: "Is it no longer by abandoning lust, anger, and delusion..."' downward, attaining liberation without departing from the three poisons; fourth, from 'Śāriputra said: "Excellent!"' downward, clarifying that there is no attainment and no realization; fifth, from 'Śāriputra asked: "Among the three vehicles, which do you seek?"' downward, clarifying what she seeks; sixth, from 'Śāriputra said: "Why do you not transform your female body?"' downward, clarifying that there is nothing to transform; seventh, from 'Śāriputra asked: "When you die here, where will you be reborn?"' downward, clarifying that there is no birth; eighth, from 'Śāriputra asked: "How long before you attain sambodhi?"' downward, clarifying that there is nothing to attain. Within these eight, there is an analysis through two gates: first, the gate of eliminating characteristics, where there is neither attainment nor departure; second, the gate of revealing the real, where there is real attainment and real departure. Within the gate of eliminating characteristics, [the eight points] correspond to four: first, clarifying non-departure; second, clarifying non-attainment; third, clarifying non-abandonment; fourth, clarifying non-grasping. Among the eight, the first three clarify non-departure; the next one clarifies non-attainment; the next two clarify non-abandonment; the final two clarify non-grasping. What is the meaning of this? The first three sections clarify that the bodhisattvas know that characteristics are identical to suchness, and their three types of action have no departure: the first, bodily karma, does not depart from the five sensory dusts; the second, vocal karma, does not depart from words; the third, mental karma, does not depart from the three poisons. The next section clarifies that the bodhisattvas know that suchness transcends characteristics, having neither attainment nor realization: since there is no mind outside suchness, there is no one who can attain, and since there is no characteristic of suchness outside the mind to be grasped, there is nothing realized. The next two sections further clarify that the bodhisattvas know that characteristics are identical to suchness, so that body and mind have no abandonment: within these, the first section clarifies that the inner mind does not abandon the three vehicles; the latter clarifies that the bodily retribution does not abandon the female form. The final two sections further clarify that the bodhisattvas know that suchness transcends characteristics, having neither birth nor grasping: within these, the first section clarifies that the body is equal and has no birth to be grasped; the latter section clarifies that the inner mind is equal and has no fruit to be grasped. Such is the elimination of characteristics. Within the gate of revealing the real, [the eight points] correspond to six, which doctrinally form three pairs. As for these six: the first section, provisionally contrasted with the śrāvakas, clarifies true remedy, dwelling in the dust without defilement. Next are two sections, provisionally contrasted with the śrāvakas, clarifying true liberation, being amidst defilement without bondage. These two form one pair. Next is one section clarifying true virtue, taking non-realization as realization. Next is one section clarifying true vows, seeking the three vehicles equally. These two form one pair. Next are two sections clarifying the true body, having nothing to abandon in the present and nothing to be born into in the future. The very last section clarifies the true mind, taking non-attainment as attainment. These two form one pair. Within the first section, the text has six divisions: first, the devī, wishing to admonish the difference between the mental actions of the bodhisattvas and the śrāvakas, universally scatters flowers; second, from 'When the flowers reached...' downward, clarifying that because the minds of the bodhisattvas and the śrāvakas differ, the arrival of the flowers differs: because the bodhisattvas have achieved a mind free of characteristics, when the flowers reach them, they fall off; because the śrāvaka disciples have not yet eliminated grasping at characteristics, when the flowers reach them, they do not drop; third, from 'All the disciples, using their supernatural powers, tried to remove them...' downward, clarifying that the śrāvakas were ashamed that the flowers uniquely stuck to them, so they used supernatural powers to expel them but could not remove them; fourth, from 'At that time the devī asked Śāriputra...' downward, the devī asks about their intention in removing the flowers; fifth, Śāriputra replies that floral adornments are not requisites for one who has left home and are considered unbefitting the Dharma; sixth, from 'The devī said...' downward, the devī responds to his answer by reprimanding him with the principle and teaching. Therein, she first reprimands him, and from 'If one who has left home in the Buddha's Dharma...' downward, instructs him with the principle and teaching. Within the preceding reprimand, 'Do not say that these flowers are unbefitting the Dharma' directly reprimands him in response to his answer. From 'Why?' downward is the explanation, first questioning and then explaining: the flowers have no discrimination, clarifying that the fault does not lie in the object. 'It is only that the benevolent one himself generated discriminatory notions' places the fault back on the person. In the subsequent instruction, there are six phrases forming three pairs, all of which first negate the Hīnayāna and then reveal the Mahāyāna. Among the three, the first pair distinguishes according to practice, the second according to the mind, and the third according to defilement. In the first: 'If one who has left home in the Buddha's Dharma has any discrimination, that is unbefitting the Dharma'—this negates the Hīnayāna. 'If one has no discrimination, that is befitting the Dharma,' and so forth—this reveals the Mahāyāna. That having no discrimination is befitting the Dharma generally establishes the principle. From 'Look at the bodhisattvas, to whom the flowers do not adhere' downward, it reveals virtue with respect to the Mahāyāna. This is the first pair. 'Just as when a person is afraid, non-human beings get their chance, so too, because the disciples fear birth and death, form, sound, smell, taste, and touch get their chance'—this again negates the Hīnayāna. 'For those who have already abandoned fear, all the five desires can do nothing'—this again reveals the Mahāyāna. This is the second pair. 'The residual habituations of defilements are not yet exhausted, and therefore the flowers adhere to your bodies'—this again negates the Hīnayāna. 'For those whose residual habituations of defilements are exhausted, the flowers do not adhere'—this again reveals the Mahāyāna. These three pairs in three turns negate the Hīnayāna to make people weary of and abandon it, and in three turns reveal the Mahāyāna to make people aspire to and seek it.