維摩經略疏 1.94

1.94

問：何以不歎聲聞德耶？答：諸師解言，既被彈呵，無德可歎。今謂不爾。菩薩亦彈，何故即歎？又《金剛般若》亦不歎德，非為被呵。今恐是出經存略。又云，大之一字即略歎德心。《大論》云「若說小乘但明比丘眾，說摩訶衍非但比丘，必須菩薩。」如《金剛般若》但辨比丘，不列菩薩，豈可《金剛》是小乘經？但是出經者略。此經不歎，意亦可知。

Question: Why are the virtues of the śrāvakas not praised? Answer: Various masters explain that since they are rebuked [in this sūtra], they have no virtues to praise. I now say this is not so. The bodhisattvas are also rebuked; why then are they praised? Moreover, the Diamond Prajñā Sūtra also does not praise [their] virtues, yet not because they were rebuked. I suspect this is merely an abbreviation preserved by the translator. It is also said that the single word "great" is an abbreviated praise of the essence of their virtues. The Dàzhìdù lùn states: "If expounding the Lesser Vehicle, one only clarifies the assembly of monks; if expounding the Mahāyāna, it is not only monks, but there must also be bodhisattvas." As the Diamond Prajñā Sūtra only details monks and does not list bodhisattvas, could the Diamond Sūtra possibly be a Lesser Vehicle sūtra? It is merely that the translator abbreviated it. Why this sūtra does not praise them can likewise be understood from this.