維摩義記 3.74

3.74

From here below, the second part clarifies what he does. There are twenty-eight verses, which comprise four parts: the first verse concerns personal benefit, arousing practice free from faults; the next one verse clarifies benefiting others, manifesting transformations in accord with beings; the next one verse again clarifies personal benefit, arousing and accumulating wholesome practices; and the twenty-five verses from “leaving knowing” onward again clarify benefiting others, transforming and delivering beings. Within the first, “destroying the thieves of the afflictions” directly clarifies what is done. “Vigorous and unsurpassed” distinguishes superiority over inferiority: the practitioners of the two vehicles in their limited study cannot surpass their overcoming of hindrances, hence they are called “none can surpass.” “Subduing the four Māras” re-clarifies what is done, the meaning of which is as explained above. “Raising the banner of victory at the bodhimaṇḍa” again reveals superiority: worldly people set up a banner when victorious in combat to display it; the bodhisattva, victorious in combat, manifests sitting beneath the bodhi tree and attaining buddhahood to display it; the Dharma takes its designation from the metaphor, and thus it says “raising the banner of victory at the bodhimaṇḍa.” Within the second section on practices benefiting others: “Although knowing there is no arising or cessation” means knowing that the principle is constantly quiescent. “He manifests having birth for their sake” means receiving a body in accord with beings. “Manifesting everywhere in all lands” means that wherever there are conditions, he thus arises. “Like the sun, there are none who do not see him” sets up a metaphor to reveal this. Within the third section on practices of personal benefit: “Making offerings to immeasurable Tathāgatas of the ten directions” means making offerings to buddhas to seek merit. “Having no conceptual distinction between the buddhas and oneself” means contemplating emptiness to cultivate wisdom; oneself and the buddhas are both Suchness, and therefore there is no distinction. Within the fourth section on practices benefiting others, the twenty-five verses fall into two groups: the first one verse is purifying lands and transforming beings; the subsequent twenty-four verses concern benefiting beings with supernormal powers. In the former, it first says: “Although knowing that buddha lands and beings are empty,” which means knowing that the principle is constantly quiescent; “he constantly cultivates the land and teaches sentient beings,” which means benefiting beings in accord with existence. Emptiness does not contradict existence; thus, knowing the lands are empty, he constantly cultivates a pure land, and knowing sentient beings are empty, he constantly teaches them. Among the subsequent twenty-four verses on benefiting beings with supernormal powers, they fall into three groups: the first eight verses clarify his practice of mastery in transformation; the six verses from “in an eon with sickness” downward clarify his practice of rescue in accord with suffering; the ten verses from “manifesting the acceptance of the five desires” downward clarify his practice of gathering beings through skillful means. The first eight verses fall into four groups: the first three verses clarify his transformations in the sentient-being world; the next one verse is transformations in the container world; the next three and a half verses re-clarify transformations in the sentient-being world; the half-verse below again re-clarifies transformations in the container world. Within the first group on transformations in the sentient-being world, the first verse is transforming into forms identical to beings. “All species of sentient beings, their forms, voices, and deportment” points out what he identifies with. Walking, standing, sitting, and lying down are called deportment; the fearless bodhisattva manifests them all simultaneously, clarifying his ability to identify with them. Among the ten illuminations, there is one illumination of wisdom called “dwelling in fearless supernormal power”; the bodhisattva dwells in this, and therefore is able to manifest them all simultaneously in accord with beings. The middle one verse is transforming to identify with the actions of beings. “Recognizing the works of Māra, with an inner mind clearly comprehending”: disrupting the good of others is called the works of Māra, as explained in the “Works of Māra” chapter of the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā Sūtra. The bodhisattva knows them all, yet manifests following their conduct, manifesting transformations in accord with beings. “With good skillful means” refers to inner skillfulness. The ten wisdoms of skillful means do not cling to emptiness, which is called the wisdom of skillful means. It may also be said that between the two wisdoms of provisional and real, the provisional and skillful wisdom is called the wisdom of skillful means. “He manifests them all as he pleases” refers to extensively transforming in accord with beings; because he has attained skillful wisdom, he can manifest them all. The final one verse is transforming to identify with the retribution of beings. “Manifesting old age, sickness, and death” directly transforms to identify with beings. He is also able to manifest birth, but the verse is constrained [in meter] and does not state it. “Maturing the multitude of beings” clarifies the benefit of the transformation. “Clearly knowing they are like an illusion” means knowing that existence is empty in substance. Knowing that such matters as birth, old age, sickness, and death are like an illusion, he has no fear within them. “Penetrating without obstruction” refers to mastery in what he does. Because he penetrates their nature as being like an illusion, he can constantly manifest them, and thus it is said “without obstruction.” This concludes the first section. The next verse below is transformations in the container world. “Or manifesting the burning of the eon, heaven and earth completely blazing” reveals what he does. Eons are internal and external: explaining the eon in terms of the formation and destruction of the world is called external; explaining the eon in terms of the internal retribution of sentient beings is called internal. The external eons are three, namely water, fire, and wind. As explained extensively in the sūtras, this ought to be discussed in full, but the present text for now merely raises the fire eon; the internal eons are as described below. “Making the multitudes who hold notions of permanence realize impermanence” clarifies the intention of his transformation, meaning causing them to realize and awaken to the impermanence of the world. This concludes the second. The next three and a half verses re-clarify transformations in the sentient-being world. Within these, the first verse is transformation through supramundane dharmas. “Countless sentient beings together invite the bodhisattva”: the capacity of beings affects the holy one. “Simultaneously arriving at their homes”: the bodhisattva arises equally. “Transforming them to direct them toward the Path”: by responding, he gathers and benefits them. The next verse is transformation through worldly dharmas. “Scriptures, spells, crafts, arts, and skills—he manifests practicing all of these,” which brings rich benefit to the multitude of beings. The next one verse is transformation through non-Buddhist dharmas. “The paths and teachings of the world” means non-Buddhist teachings. “He goes forth from household life in all of them”: the bodhisattva manifests identifying with them, and by this means dispels human delusion. Because he benefits them through identifying with them, he gradually teaches them to abandon error, which is called dispelling human delusion. “Yet does not fall into error” means that he himself understands without error. The half-verse below is transformation into the bodies of devas. “Or acting as the sun and moon” means manifesting as devas of the sun, moon, and stars; here it merely mentions the sun and moon. “Brahmā kings, lords of the world” means acting as Great Brahmā Kings, lords of a thousand worlds; he also acts as other devas, but the text is abbreviated and does not specify. This concludes the third. The half-verse below again re-clarifies transformations in the container world: “Or acting as earth and water, or acting as wind and fire.” The preceding eight verses clarify his practice of mastery in transformation.