維摩經略疏 1.143

1.143

「近無等等」下，三約隣果歎德，為三：一歎自行、二歎化他、三總釋成。自行為二：一歎智德、二歎斷德。初為二：一總、二別。一、總歎自行智德者，即近無等等佛自在慧。言無等等者，十方諸佛無與等者，今等諸佛，故言無等等也。約理者，實相之理無能與等。佛種智圓極，能等實相，故言無等等。又若圓教，初住雖發真見理得無等法，猶有四十一品無明，去妙覺尚遠，不名隣果。約佛約理，猶非近無等，豈得與無等等？金剛心菩薩，約佛約理皆近，故言近無等。見理已圓，故云無等等也。若約教，傳作可知。「十力無畏十八不共」，別歎自行智德。如《大論》解此有二：一云菩薩自有無畏不共、二云菩薩分得佛力無畏不共。補處如十四日月，佛如十五日月，相隣近也。若約教者，如三藏，明十力無畏，名同大乘。《毘曇》釋不共法別立名教，故《大論》彈云「力無畏名既同大乘，不共何得別立。」今但約斷伏分別同異，名義非妨。通教約照二諦，八地分得十力無畏等故云近無等，十地如佛故云無等等。別教初地分得十力等法名近無等，十地所得十力等法名無等等。圓教初住已上分得力無畏不共等法名近無等。《華嚴》明初住，云得如來是處非處等十力智也。今取至等覺位乃至近無等，近佛十力無畏等法也。因用已圓即無等等也。前教並非。云「佛自在慧」者，佛慧中無無明，故究竟自在。菩薩雖有無明，猶如微烟。將得佛慧，故以此為歎也。「關閉一切諸惡趣門」，此歎自行斷德。惡趣門者，惡趣雖多，不出二種緣集。藏通見空，關閉有為惡趣之門。別圓見不空，關閉無為惡趣之門。此諸菩薩見中道之源，能閉有無一切諸惡趣門。或屬歎化他，關閉眾生諸惡趣門也。

From "approaching the peerless" downward, third is praising their virtues in terms of neighboring the fruit, which has three parts: first, praising their own practice; second, praising their transformation of others; third, summarizing and concluding. Their own practice has two parts: first, praising the virtue of wisdom; second, praising the virtue of severance. The first has two parts: first, general; second, specific. First, as for generally praising the virtue of wisdom in their own practice, it is "approaching the peerless, sovereign wisdom of the Buddha." As for "the peerless" (asamasama), none among the buddhas of the ten directions have equals, yet now they equal the buddhas; hence it is called "peerless." In terms of principle, nothing can equal the principle of true reality. The Buddha's knowledge of all forms is round and ultimate, able to equal true reality; hence it is called "peerless." Furthermore, according to the perfect teaching, although the first abodal stage generates the true vision of principle and attains the unequaled dharma, there remain forty-one grades of ignorance, still far from wondrous enlightenment, so it is not called neighboring the fruit. In terms of the Buddha and in terms of principle, it is still not "approaching the unequaled"; how could it be "peerless"? For a bodhisattva of the vajra mind, in terms of the Buddha and in terms of principle, he is close to both; hence it is said "approaching the unequaled." His vision of principle is already round and complete, hence called "peerless." If interpreted in terms of the teachings, it can be understood as transmitted. "The ten powers, fearlessnesses, and eighteen unshared dharmas" specifically praises the virtue of wisdom in their own practice. As the Dàzhìdù lùn explains, there are two views of this: first, it says that the bodhisattvas themselves have their own fearlessnesses and unshared dharmas; second, it says that the bodhisattvas partially attain the Buddha's powers, fearlessnesses, and unshared dharmas. A bodhisattva bound to one last birth is like the moon of the fourteenth day, and a buddha is like the moon of the fifteenth day: they neighbor each other. In terms of the teachings, such as the Tripiṭaka [teaching], it explains the ten powers and fearlessnesses with names identical to the Mahāyāna. The Abhidharma explains the unshared dharmas by establishing distinct names and teachings; thus the Dàzhìdù lùn reproves it: "Since the names of the powers and fearlessnesses are identical to the Mahāyāna, how could the unshared dharmas be established separately?" Here, we merely distinguish identity and difference in terms of severance and subdual; there is no contradiction in the names and meanings. The common teaching is in terms of illuminating the two truths; at the eighth stage, one partially attains the ten powers, fearlessnesses, and so forth, hence called "approaching the unequaled," and at the tenth stage one is like a buddha, hence called "peerless." In the separate teaching, at the first stage one partially attains dharmas such as the ten powers, which is called "approaching the unequaled"; at the tenth stage, the dharmas such as the ten powers that one attains are called "peerless." In the perfect teaching, from the first abodal stage upward, one partially attains dharmas such as the powers, fearlessnesses, and unshared dharmas, which is called "approaching the unequaled." The Avataṃsaka explains the first abodal stage, saying that one attains the Tathāgata's knowledge of the ten powers, such as the knowledge of what is possible and impossible. Here, taking it up to the stage of virtual enlightenment, it is "approaching the unequaled," approaching the Buddha's dharmas such as the ten powers and fearlessnesses. Its causal functions being already round, it is "peerless." The preceding teachings are not like this. As for "the sovereign wisdom of the Buddha," in the Buddha's wisdom there is no ignorance, so it is ultimately sovereign. Although the bodhisattva has ignorance, it is like a wisp of smoke. Being about to attain the Buddha's wisdom, he is praised for this reason. "Closing the gates to all unwholesome destinies": this praises the virtue of severance in his own practice. As for "the gates to unwholesome destinies," although the unwholesome destinies are many, they do not go beyond two kinds of conditioning and accumulation. The Tripiṭaka and common [teachings] see emptiness and close the gate to conditioned unwholesome destinies. The separate and perfect [teachings] see non-emptiness and close the gate to unconditioned unwholesome destinies. These bodhisattvas see the source of the Middle Way and can close all gates to unwholesome destinies, both existent and non-existent. Alternatively, it pertains to praising the transformation of others: closing the gates to all unwholesome destinies for sentient beings.