維摩義記 4.87

4.87

From here below, the second [part] reveals the power of the Dharma. Within this, roughly divided, there are three [aspects]; finely divided, there are six. As for the rough three: first, it can cause sentient beings to sit in the seat of awakening (bodhimaṇḍa) and accomplish the Buddha's true awakening; second, from 'causing sentient beings to enter the Buddha Dharma' onwards, it causes people to give rise to practice; third, from 'turning their backs on birth-and-death' onwards, it causes people to give rise to the intention [for awakening]. As for the fine division into six: 1. It causes sentient beings to sit in the bodhimaṇḍa and accomplish the Buddha's true awakening. 2. From 'all devas...' onwards, it is praised by [ordinary] humans [and gods]. 3. From 'can cause sentient beings to enter the Buddha Dharma' onwards, it causes people to give rise to practice. 4. From 'what all buddhas, worthy ones, and sages praise together' onwards, it is praised by the sages. 5. From 'turning their backs on birth-and-death' onwards, it causes people to give rise to the intention [for awakening]. 6. 'What is taught by the buddhas of the ten directions and the three periods of time' means it is taught and praised by the buddhas. Among these six sections, the first two are a pair, the next two are a pair, and the last two are a pair. In the first section, 'can cause sentient beings to sit in the bodhimaṇḍa' means this Mahāyāna teaching can cause sentient beings to accomplish the Buddha path. In explaining the meaning, there are three [interpretations]: First, discussing directly in terms of the real. The vajra-like samādhi directly generates the Buddha's virtues, so it is called the bodhimaṇḍa; relying upon it one attains the fruit, hence it is called 'sitting.' Broadly speaking, then, all practices capable of generating the Buddha's virtues are called bodhimaṇḍas, as explained above in [the chapter on] Ratnavyūha's inquiring about the illness. The meaning of 'sitting' is as before. Second, solely in terms of the response [aspect]. The place beneath the Bodhi tree where the Buddha path is attained is called the bodhimaṇḍa; dwelling within it and attaining the fruit is called 'sitting.' Third, revealing the real by relying on the response. Drawing upon the response-sitting of the mind reveals the accomplishment of the real. What is discussed here reveals the real by relying on the response. 'And turn the Dharma [wheel]' means having inwardly realized the true path, one is able to explain it for others; mentioning explaining it for others reveals that one has attained it oneself. In the second section, 'what all devas, nāgas, spirits, gandharvas, and so forth praise together' means being praised by ordinary beings; only the subsequent response is like this. In the third section, first it can cause people to give rise to practice that benefits oneself; from 'expounding the path traversed by the bodhisattvas' onwards, it gives rise to practice that benefits others. In the earlier [discussion of] self-benefit, 'can cause sentient beings to enter the storehouse of the Buddha Dharma' means entering the Buddha's teaching Dharma. 'Gathering all the wisdom of the worthy ones and sages and entering the ocean of the Buddha's meaning' means accomplishing the practice of realization. It can also be that it causes beings to enter two kinds of Dharma storehouses: entering the storehouse of Dharma and entering the storehouse of the Buddha's written words and meanings. Gathering all the wisdom of the worthy ones and sages accomplishes the two kinds of wisdom: realization and teaching. Below, under benefiting others, the text divides into two: 1. Being able to explain regarding the Dharma; 2. from 'can rescue' onwards, being able to benefit regarding persons. In the former, being able to explain, 'expounding the path traversed by the bodhisattvas' means being able to explain the Dharma of practice. 'Relying upon the meaning of the true nature of all dharmas, clearly declaring impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self' means being able to explain the Dharma of principle. In benefiting persons, first, regarding all sentient beings who have violated the precepts, it can provide rescue for them, teaching them to repent and eliminate [their faults], which is called 'rescue'; later, regarding all māras, non-Buddhists, and those attached to greed, it can make them feel fear. The māras are sentient beings of wrong karma; the non-Buddhists and those with greed are sentient beings of afflictions. Non-Buddhists have views and the greedy have craving; it causes all of them to feel fear, develop disgust, and abandon them. This concludes the third. In the fourth section, 'what all buddhas, worthy ones, and sages praise together' means being praised by the sages; it also praises that Dharma. In the fifth, causing people to give rise to the intention [for awakening], 'turning their backs on the suffering of birth-and-death' causes people to generate disgust. 'Showing the bliss of nirvāṇa' causes people to generate delight. In the sixth section, 'what is taught by the buddhas of the ten directions and the three periods of time' clarifies that because this sūtra-dharma can cause sentient beings to turn their backs on the suffering of birth-and-death and seek nirvāṇa, it is taught in common by all buddhas. The above clarifies the Dharma.