維摩義記 4.36

4.36

Question: Since all buddhas are identical and not different, listening to the Dharma directly at the place of that buddha is fully sufficient; why go to the trouble of coming here? Generally explained, there are three reasons: 1. They come for their own sake: wishing to make offerings and listen to the Dharma at the place of the Buddha and bodhisattvas of this realm, because they have the foremost karmic conditions with the Buddha and bodhisattvas of this realm, and making offerings and listening to the Dharma yields many benefits. 2. They come for the sake of others: what they do is twofold: first, for the sake of the sentient beings of that land who have the foremost karmic conditions with this Buddha and should see him to gain benefit. Their virtue and power being weak and inferior, none could convey themselves, needing the great bodhisattvas to lead and bring them. Just as Anantakāya, Vaiḍūryaprabha, and others each brought immeasurable bodhisattvas here to obtain benefit, and such as these. Second, they come for the sake of the sentient beings of this land: because the sentient beings of this land, upon seeing them come, would gain many benefits. This is the second, coming for the sake of others. 3. They must come in order to praise the merits of the Three Jewels: among these, some praise the virtues of the Buddha, such as when the Buddha first attained [awakening] and the bodhisattva assembly gathered to praise him and so forth. Or it is to reveal the Dharma; revealing the Dharma has many modes that cannot be listed exhaustively. Or it is to proclaim the merits of the bodhisattvas; the meanings of virtue are not one. Now these bodhisattvas coming from Sarvagandha should fully possess the previous intentions. In the text they directly seek it; they come for their own sake, and also wish to proclaim the virtue of Vimalakīrti.