維摩義記 3.66

3.66

The above discusses them separately; below, they are explained generally. "He said: What does this mean?" questions what preceded and introduces what follows. These are all dharmas that obstruct the path in birth and death; now, in saying they are seeds of Buddhahood, what does this mean? Below, it is explained in response, with the underlying intent being as before: those who have afflictions can become weary of birth and death and seek great bodhi, so they are called seeds of Buddhahood. Furthermore, being able to practice wrongdoings and thereby thoroughly master the Buddha path is also called being a seed of Buddhahood. In the text there are three parts: first, explaining through the affliction of craving that it is a seed of Buddhahood; second, from "Just as planting" downward, explaining through the affliction of [wrong] views that it is a seed of Buddhahood; third, from "Therefore one should know that all afflictions" downward, explaining generally that all afflictions are seeds. In the first of these, there is initially the teaching of the dharma, next a metaphor, and afterwards the application. In the teaching of the dharma, "If one sees the unconditioned and enters the correct state, one can no longer generate the mind of sambodhi" raises the negative to reveal the positive. For a śrāvaka, seeing and realizing unconditioned nirvāṇa is entering the correct state; taking pleasure in and clinging to it, they cannot seek the great, and therefore they cannot generate the bodhicitta. Here, it should also be clarified that ordinary people are able to generate it; the text omits this without stating it, but it can be known by reversing what preceded. In the metaphor, "lotus flowers do not grow on high plateaus" illustrates the negative preceding it; grasping and clinging to the unconditioned is called the high and dry land. "It is only in low-lying, damp mud that these flowers grow" illustrates what was clarified before—that ordinary people are able to. In the application, "In this way, one who sees unconditioned dharmas and enters the correct state does not give birth to the Buddha's teachings" applies to the preceding lotus flowers not growing on high plateaus. "It is only within the mud of afflictions that sentient beings give rise to the Buddha's teachings" applies to these flowers growing in damp mud. Within the explanation through the affliction of views being a seed, there is first a metaphor and then an application. In the metaphor, "planting a seed in the sky does not grow" illustrates that the Lesser [Vehicle] is not a seed. The dharma of bodhicitta is called the seed; using it to teach śrāvakas is called planting. The śrāvakas' delight in quiescence is termed the sky; because they delight in quiescence, they do not give rise to the great mind, which is termed never growing. "It is only in fertile dung and soil that it flourishes" illustrates that ordinary people are the seed. Sentient beings with the view of self are called the dung and soil; their being able to resolve their minds to seek great bodhi is called flourishing. Below, the application reveals the dharma. "One who enters the unconditioned does not give birth to the Buddha's teachings" applies to the preceding planting a seed in the sky not growing. "Giving rise to a mind with the view of self as [massive as] Mount Sumeru can still generate the [bodhi] mind" applies to being able to flourish only in dung and soil. All five views have this capacity, but the view of self is the root, which is why it is singled out. From this point, the third part generally explains that all afflictions are seeds. "Therefore one should know that all afflictions are the seeds of the Tathāgata" relies on what preceded to reveal what follows. Because the aforementioned craving and views are seeds of Buddhahood, one should know that all other afflictions are likewise the seeds of the Tathāgata. This reveals the positive; below, it demonstrates the negative, with a metaphor first and an application afterwards. Being unable to accord with defilement and practice wrongdoings to traverse the path is called not entering the great ocean of afflictions; because they do not enter it, they cannot produce the jewels of all-knowledge.