維摩經略疏 1.18

1.18

二、別明佛國者，諸佛利物差別之相無量無邊，今略為四：一、染淨國，凡聖共居；二、有餘，方便人住；三、果報，純法身居，即因陀羅網無障礙土也；四、常寂光，即妙覺所居也。前二是應，即應佛所居；第三亦應亦報，即報佛所居；後一但是真淨，非應非報，即法身所居。言染淨者，九道雜共。何者？六道鄙穢故名為染，三乘見真故名為淨。三六共居故名染淨，亦名凡聖同居國也。就染淨土，凡聖各二。凡居二者，一惡眾生，即四惡趣也；二善眾生，即人天也。聖居二者，一實二權。實聖者，四果及支佛，通教六地、別十住、圓十信後心，通惑雖斷，報身猶在。二權聖者，方便有餘三乘人，受偏真法性身，為利有緣願生同居；若實報及寂光法身大士及妙覺佛，為利有緣應生同居，皆是權也。是等聖人與凡共住，故云凡聖同居。四惡趣共住，故云穢土。二、明同居淨土者，無量壽國雖果報殊勝難可比喻，然亦染淨凡聖同居。何者？雖無四趣，而有人天。何以知之？生彼土者未必悉是得道之人，故經云「犯重罪者，臨終之時懺悔念佛，業障便轉，即得往生。」若但聖生，凡夫何得願生彼土？故知雖具惑染，願力持心亦得居也。聖生權實，類前可知。但以無四惡趣，故名為淨。舉此往類。同居之國優劣非一，雖復穢淨多種，如《法華經》授弟子記所住國土，束而明之，並屬凡聖同居土也。

Second, as for explaining the buddha-lands in particular: the differentiated characteristics of the buddhas' benefiting of beings are measureless and boundless. Now, they are briefly stated as four: 1. Defiled and pure lands, where ordinary beings and sages dwell together; 2. [Lands with] remainder, where persons of expedient means dwell; 3. [Lands of] karmic retribution, inhabited purely by the dharmakāya, which is the unhindered land of Indra's net; 4. [The land of] eternal tranquil light, which is where the marvelously enlightened dwell. The first two are response [lands], meaning they are inhabited by response buddhas; the third is both response and retribution, meaning it is inhabited by retribution buddhas; the last one is solely truly pure, neither response nor retribution, meaning it is inhabited by the dharmakāya. Regarding "defiled and pure": the nine realms are intermingled together. Why? The six realms are base and defiled, hence called "defiled"; the three vehicles behold the truth, hence called "pure." Because the three and the six dwell together, it is called "defiled and pure"; it is also called the "land where ordinary beings and sages dwell together." Within the defiled and pure land, both ordinary beings and sages each have two types. The two types of ordinary beings are: first, evil sentient beings, which are the four evil destinies; second, good sentient beings, which are humans and gods. The two types of sages are: first, the real, and second, the provisional. The real sages are those of the four fruits and pratyekabuddhas, the sixth stage of the shared teaching, the ten abodes of the distinct teaching, and the final mind of the ten faiths of the complete teaching; though their shared afflictions are severed, their retribution bodies still remain. The second, provisional sages, are persons of the three vehicles of the [land with] remainder of expedient means who possess bodies of the biased-true dharma-nature and, wishing to benefit those with karmic affinity, vow to be born in cohabitation; or if great beings of the dharmakāya of true retribution and tranquil light, as well as marvelously enlightened buddhas, respond by being born in cohabitation to benefit those with karmic affinity, all are provisional. Such sages dwell together with ordinary beings, hence it is called "cohabitation of ordinary beings and sages." Dwelling together with the four evil destinies, it is called a "defiled land." Second, as for explaining the pure land of cohabitation: although the karmic retribution of the Land of Immeasurable Life is supremely excellent and difficult to compare by analogy, it is nonetheless defiled and pure, with ordinary beings and sages dwelling together. Why so? Although it lacks the four destinies, it has humans and gods. How is this known? Those born in that land are not necessarily all persons who have attained the Path. Hence the sūtra states, "Those who have committed grave sins, if at the time of death they repent and are mindful of the Buddha, their karmic hindrances will be transformed, and they will immediately attain rebirth." If only sages were born there, how could ordinary beings vow to be born in that land? Therefore we know that although they are fully endowed with the defilement of afflictions, if the power of their vows upholds their minds, they can also dwell there. The provisional and real sages born there may be understood by analogy with the previous [explanation]. Merely because it lacks the four evil destinies, it is called "pure." Citing this serves as an example for the rest. Lands of cohabitation are not uniform in their superiority and inferiority; although defilement and purity are of many types, such as the lands inhabited when receiving predictions for disciples in the Lotus Sūtra, if summarized and clarified, they all belong to the land of the cohabitation of ordinary beings and sages.