維摩經玄疏 4.124

4.124

Second, next explaining "spoken": Vimalakīrti is the person capable of speaking, and what is spoken is the dharma of inconceivable liberation; therefore it says "spoken". Others explain: "Vimalakīrti speaks of the Buddha's dharma, not of his own dharma. If he spoke of his own dharma, he would be rivaling the Buddha in practicing the path and dharma." The present interpretation is simply that Vimalakīrti himself speaks of the dharmas of the three purities—purity of nature, immaculate purity, and purity of skillful means—realized in his own person. Although this dharma is ineffable, by means of the four siddhāntas he responds to conditions and speaks it. The Buddha also, within the ineffable, uses the four siddhāntas to respond to conditions and speak these dharmas of the three purities; Vimalakīrti, following the Buddha in turning the wheel of the Dharma, likewise speaks the dharmas of the three purities. That Vimalakīrti speaks the dharmas of the three purities is precisely speaking the Buddha's dharmas of the three purities; therefore this sūtra says: "Contemplating the true mark of the body, contemplating the Buddha is also like this." Furthermore, that Vimalakīrti speaks his own dharma is not only precisely speaking the Buddha's dharma, but is also precisely speaking the dharma of all sentient beings. Therefore the text below says: "Sentient beings, sages and worthies, and Maitreya, all dharmas are of a single suchness without a second suchness." The Huayan jing says: "The mind, the Buddha, and sentient beings—these three are without difference." Now, simply speaking Vimalakīrti's dharma is precisely speaking the Buddha's dharma, and also precisely speaking the dharma of sentient beings. As below, the thirty-two bodhisattvas each speak the dharma they have attained to illuminate entering the dharma-door of non-duality; just as the five hundred monks each spoke the cause of the body; and as in the Huayan jing, Sudhana entered the dharma realm, visited the good spiritual friends, and each spoke the dharma-door they had attained. Vimalakīrti speaking his own dharma-door is precisely speaking of the Buddha's dharma, and is precisely speaking the dharma of sentient beings.