維摩義記 3.69

3.69

Below, what is accomplished is explained. Within this, Sarvasattvapriyadarśana first asks to prompt [the teaching], a question occasioned by the empty room above. The reply begins below with "Vimalakīrti". "Thereupon Vimalakīrti replied in verse, saying": this is the sūtra compiler's arrangement. Verse expressions are concise and brief, able to encompass many meanings in few words; therefore he answered in verse. Below, the text of the reply is displayed, which contains forty-two verses in all: the first thirty-nine directly answer following the questions, and the last three conclude with praise. Within the direct answer, the first eleven verses clarify what he has accomplished, that is, his possessions; the twenty-eight verses from "Overcoming and destroying" onward manifest what he performs. Among the first eleven, following each other, they are four: first, there are seven lines which reveal his virtues in terms of worldly internal relatives; next, there is one line which displays his virtues in terms of a worldly dwelling; next, there are five lines which clarify his virtues in terms of worldly external relatives; and from "The four means of embracing" onward, there are seven stanzas and three lines which explain his virtues in terms of worldly provisions. In the first [group], "Wisdom that has crossed over is the bodhisattva's mother": the real wisdom that illuminates emptiness is called wisdom that has crossed over (prajñāpāramitā); this can nurture internally, so it is called the mother. As for "Skillful means is the father": the skillful cognition that accords with [phenomena] is called skillful means (upāya); this can assist externally, so it is called the father. The mother of wisdom that has crossed over is called the path of prajñā in the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa. The father of skillful means is called the path of upāya in the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa. "None of the guides fail to be born from them" cites the Buddhas to assimilate himself [to them]. As for "Dharma joy is the wife": rejoicing upon hearing the Dharma is called Dharma joy. Just as a wife pleases one's affections, it is called the wife. As for "Compassion is the daughter": compassion sympathises with beings; just as worldly women often cherish loving-kindness, it is called the daughter. As for "A good mind is the son": a firm and upright good mind is called sincere; just as a male nature is firm, it is called the son. Next, his virtues are revealed in terms of the dwelling. As for "The house of ultimate quiescence": all conditioned phenomena being empty in both nature and characteristics is called ultimate emptiness; this is the refuge of the noble ones, resembling a house, hence it is called a house. Next, his virtues are revealed in terms of external relatives. First, "Disciples are the multitude of defilements": all afflicted, evil sentient beings are called the multitude of defilements; employing them as those to be transformed and gathered in, they are called disciples. "Turned according to one's will" explains why they are disciples: transforming and benefiting them at will is called turning according to one's will. As for "The factors of awakening are good friends": the thirty-seven factors of awakening are called the factors of the path; these can guide people to great bodhi, hence they are called good friends (kalyāṇamitra). "Thereby achieving right awakening" explains why they are good friends. As for "The dharmas of the perfections are equal companions": the ten pāramitās are called the dharmas of the perfections; accompanying the person to the fruit, they are equal companions. Below, his virtues are explained in terms of provisions. First, "The four means of embracing are singing and dancing girls": the four means of embracing gather people just as a troupe of courtesans does, hence they are called singing and dancing girls. "Singing the words of the Dharma to amuse oneself" explains why they are called music. As for "The park of dhāraṇī": the virtue of dhāraṇī is called total retention; it unifies and gathers many dharmas, retaining them without forgetting. Just as there are many fruits and vegetables in a park or garden, it is like a park. As for "The trees of the undefiled": the pure virtues free from defilement are called undefiled dharmas. Their differences are like a grove, and their towering height is like trees. As for "The flowers of awakening thoughts": the practices of the seven factors of awakening are called awakening thoughts: mindfulness, investigation of dharmas, vigor, joy, pliancy, samādhi, and equanimity are the seven. These are in the path of cultivation and directly generate the Buddha's virtues, just as flowers generate fruit, so they are called flowers. Flowers have three meanings: first, the meaning of bringing about fruit, like the flowers of grasses and trees; second, the meaning of purity, like worldly lotus flowers, which remain unstained in mud; third, the meaning of adornment, like worldly flower garlands. This passage possesses them all, but here, saying that awakening thoughts are pure like flowers refers to the flowers that bring about fruit. As for "The fruits of liberation": the noble virtues of the stage beyond training are the wisdom of liberation; they arise from the previous flowers of the seven factors of awakening, like worldly fruits, so they are called fruits. As for "The pool of the eight liberations": the virtues of the eight liberations can wash away defilements and pollution, just as worldly pond water does, hence it is called a bathing pool, the meaning of which will be explained later. As for "Full of the water of samādhi": in the stage of the eight liberations, various samādhis overflow, which is called full of the water of samādhi. As for "Spreading the seven flowers": the virtues of the seven purifications are clean and pure like flowers, called the flowers of the seven purifications; these flowers only take the meaning of purity. What are the seven? First, purification of morality; second, purification of mind [samādhi]; third, purification of view; fourth, purification by overcoming doubt; fifth, purification by knowledge and vision of what is path and non-path. These first five have identical names in Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna, but the last two differ slightly. In Hīnayāna Dharma, the sixth is purification of practice, and the seventh is called purification of knowledge and vision in the abandonment of practice. In Mahāyāna Dharma, the sixth is practice-abandonment, and the seventh is contemplating the supreme purification of the factors of bodhi. These seven, in terms of practice, are essentially reducible to the three trainings: the first one is the training in morality, the next one is the training in samādhi, and the latter five are the training in wisdom. Differentiating them by stage: the first two are prior to the path of seeing, because prior to the path of seeing, one first abandons the coarse faults of ordinary worldlings, and by maintaining morality one wards them off, hence morality is explained first; and wishing to seek the path of deliverance, without samādhi one cannot transcend, hence samādhi is explained next. The next three are within the path of seeing: first abandoning the ordinary worldling, because within the path of seeing, one severs the view of self, hence establishing purification of view; one severs doubt, hence speaking of purification by overcoming doubt; and one severs attachment to rules and rituals, therefore teaching purification of path and non-path, meaning knowing that uncontaminated noble wisdom is the path and morality and so forth are not the path, which is called path and non-path.