維摩義記 4.43

4.43

From here below, the sixth [section] reveals this Tathāgata's method of opening and guiding, causing them to practice and learn. Therein, first, the bodhisattvas ask Vimalakīrti, "How does Śākyamuni preach the Dharma?" The reply begins from "Vimalakīrti [said]" below. Therein, first is a general [statement], next is a detailed [exposition], and lastly a conclusion. "The sentient beings of this land are unyielding, stubborn, and difficult to transform; the Buddha speaks to them with unyielding and stubborn words to subdue them" is the first, general [statement]. "These are the hells..." and so forth are the detailed [exposition]. Within the detailed [exposition], it is divided into four according to the four [noble] truths: first, suffering; second, origination; third, the path; and fourth, cessation. Why explain the Dharma with specific reference to these four? As stated above, Śākyamuni set forth and expounded the path and teachings in the world of the five turbidities for beings who delight in the lesser; for beings of the lesser teaching he mostly taught the four noble truths, and therefore these are specifically adduced. Under suffering, "the hells, beasts, and hungry ghosts" are the difficulties of the three bad destinies. "These difficult realms" refers to Uttarakuru, the long-lived devas, and other difficult realms. "The places where foolish beings are born" refers to other borderlands lacking the Dharma. Next, origination is explained. Therein, although cause and effect are both mentioned throughout, cause is revealed by way of effect, properly establishing the meaning of origination. First, three wrong [actions] are raised. "This is killing..." and so forth explains the ten unwholesome deeds. "This is stinginess..." and so forth reveals the six faults. The text is clear and can be understood. Next, the path is explained. Therein, although wrong and right are both mentioned throughout, the correct is distinguished by contrasting it with the wrong. Although practices of the path are manifold, in summary there are only the three trainings. First, moral discipline is explained. "This is enacting precepts" explains the rules of discipline. "This is upholding precepts..." and so forth explains the practice of discipline. "Upholding precepts" is restraint in observance. "Violating precepts" is restraint in transgression. "This is what should be done" is action in observance. "This is what should not be done" is action in transgression. "These are hindrances" explains that the previous two transgressions can hinder the path. "These are non-hindrances" explains that the previous two observances do not hinder the path. "This is incurring guilt" explains that the previous two transgressions incur retribution for sin. "This is leaving guilt behind" explains that the previous two observances are free from retribution for sin. Next, the training in concentration is explained. "This is pure" refers to mundane pure concentration. "This is defiled" refers to concentration associated with relish. It can also be that "pure" is outflow-free concentration, while "defiled" refers to all mundane concentrations. Below, the training in wisdom is explained. "This is with outflows" refers to mundane and equal wisdom. "This is without outflows" refers to the supramundane noble wisdom. "This is the wrong path" refers to the wrong wisdom of non-Buddhists. "This is the right path" refers to the right wisdom of internal Buddhist study. Below, the truth of cessation is explained. The wrong and the right are both mentioned throughout, revealing the right by contrasting it with the wrong. "This is the conditioned" is the cause of samsāra. Karma, defilements, and so forth produce and aggregate samsāra, and hence it is called "conditioned." "This is the unconditioned" is cessation within the cause. "This is the worldly" is the fruit of samsāra. "This is nirvāṇa" is cessation within the fruit. Alternatively, the causes and fruits of delimited [birth and death] are called "conditioned," and the cessation that exhausts these is called "unconditioned"; the causes and fruits of transformative [birth and death] are called "the worldly," and the cessation that eliminates these is explained as "nirvāṇa." The above constitutes the specific characteristics; below, it concludes generally. Therein, first is the doctrine, next is the simile, and lastly the application. "Because the minds of people who are difficult to transform are like monkeys, they are controlled and subdued with a variety of dharmas" is the doctrinal explanation. The simile from "Just as..." below is clear. The above explains the fruit; from here below, the second [part] explains the cause. Those bodhisattvas praise and inquire, clarifying the causes of the pure land. Because this cause is superior, it is explained accordingly. Therein are two [parts]: first, occasioned by their praise, the superiority of this [realm] is revealed; second, occasioned by their inquiry about the causes of the pure land, this Dharma is clarified. Furthermore, the preceding section explains gathering wholesome practices, while the subsequent explains leaving behind faults; hence below it is called "practicing without blemishes or flaws and being born in the pure land." Furthermore, the preceding section explains practices that grasp the land, grasping one's own perpetual land; the subsequent section explains being born in the pure land, manifestly being born in another country. In the former, first is the praise, and afterwards the superiority is explained in response. In the praise, "Those bodhisattvas, having heard this, all said, 'Unprecedented!'" is the general praise. Below, they praise specifically; first, they praise the Buddha. "He conceals his immeasurable power of mastery and delivers sentient beings with the dharmas delighted in by the poor": sentient beings of this land lack the wealth of the Mahāyāna Dharma to support themselves, which is termed "poor"; they delight only in the Hīnayāna, and the Hīnayāna is spoken of as the dharma delighted in by the poor, with which the Tathāgata delivers sentient beings. Below, they praise the bodhisattvas. "These bodhisattvas are also able to labor humbly, being born in this land with immeasurable great compassion": "labor" means to work diligently, diligently transforming people; "humbly" means being humble and deferential, being humble and deferential toward things. Pitying suffering and taking birth accordingly is termed "being born in this Buddha-land with immeasurable compassion." The above concludes the praise. Below, Vimalakīrti reveals the superiority occasioned by the praise. He clarifies that because practice here is superior, they take birth in this land. Therein, first it is explained that "the great compassion of bodhisattvas toward all sentient beings is firm, and what they practice in one lifetime exceeds the practice of hundreds of thousands of kalpas in that country." Because what was said is not false, it says, "It is truly so." The explanation begins from "For what reason?" below, first inquiring and then explaining. "In this Sahā world there are ten wholesome matters that do not exist in the pure land" is the general explanation in response to the question. The specific [treatment] begins from "What are they?" below, first inquiring and then detailing them, all of which generally benefit others. Dividing them in detail: the first six use the six pāramitās practiced by oneself to gather, benefit, and profit sentient beings; the latter four use methods of transforming others to deliver beings according to what is appropriate. Among these, the first three are methods for transforming others, and the last one is the practice of transformation. Within the methods, the first clause, "preaching the dharma that removes difficulties to deliver those in the eight difficulties," is transformation via Hīnayāna Dharma. "Delivering those who delight in the lesser through the Mahāyāna Dharma" is transformation via Mahāyāna Dharma. "Rescuing those without virtue through various wholesome roots" is transformation via the dharma of humans and devas. Within the practice of transforming others, "always using the four means of embracing to bring sentient beings to maturity." The conclusion begins from "These are..." below.