維摩義記 3.6

3.6

From "Vimalakīrti" onward is the answer, which first treats the points separately and later concludes. Within the separate treatment, there are eleven phrases of text, subsumed under three pairs of benefit for oneself and benefit for others: the first pair of six teaches the cultivation of contemplative understanding; the next pair of two teaches the generation of a wholesome mind; the last pair of three teaches the arousal of active practice. Within the first pair, the first five are benefit for oneself and the last one is benefit for others. Within the benefit for oneself, distinguishing in terms of persons, the first four differ from the Hīnayāna, while the last one differs from ordinary people. Distinguishing in terms of faults, the first four are right contemplation to eliminate afflictive practice, while the last one is the practice of repenting faults to eliminate sins. Among the first four, "speaks of impermanence" means contemplating the arising and cessation of the body, free from the inversion of permanence; "does not speak of revulsion" means constantly following all realms of existence, not becoming disgusted with one's own body to attain extinction. "Speaks of the body being suffering" means contemplating that the body has much distress, free from the inversion of pleasure; "and yet does not proclaim delight in nirvāṇa" means remaining in suffering to rescue beings, and therefore not being disgusted with suffering or delighting in nirvāṇa. "Speaks of the body being devoid of self" means contemplating that sentient beings are empty, free from the inversion of a self; "and yet speaks of guiding beings" means that although one knows the spiritual self is empty, one follows conventional names to transform sentient beings. "Speaks of the body being empty" means contemplating that the essential nature of dharmas is empty, free from clinging to phenomena as self; "does not speak of ultimate extinction" means that although one knows dharmas are empty, one constantly follows existence and does not extinguish eternally. The preceding four phrases explain destroying afflictions while constantly following existence, and thus differ from the two vehicles. "Speaks of repenting past sins" refers to practicing the elimination of sins: transgressions committed in the past are called "past sins," and regretting and reforming is called "repentance"; "and yet does not speak of entering the past" means that although one repents past transgressions, one always knows that sin is empty, not grasping at an intrinsic nature of sin entering the past. This eliminates sinful karma without positing an intrinsic nature, and thus differs from ordinary people. The preceding are benefit for oneself; "using one's own illness to pity their illness" is benefit for others. This completes the first pair. In the second pair, "one should recognize the suffering of innumerable kalpas in past lives" contemplates faults to generate revulsion; this phrase is benefit for oneself. "One should be mindful of benefiting all sentient beings" arouses the mind to broadly save them; this phrase is benefit for others. In the third pair, the first two are benefit for oneself. "Recall the merit one has cultivated and be mindful of pure livelihood" refers to rightly aspiring to transcend through the wholesome actions one has cultivated, not seeking otherwise. "Do not give rise to grief and distress, but constantly arouse diligence" refers to enduring suffering and practicing with regard to wholesomeness not yet cultivated. The preceding are benefit for oneself. "One should act as a king of medicine to treat all illnesses" is benefit for others: seeking to be a Buddha-physician to save sentient beings. This completes the separate treatment above. "A bodhisattva should comfort the sick in this manner, causing them to rejoice" concludes with a comprehensive exhortation.