維摩經略疏 1.97

1.97

三、釋比丘者，或言有翻或言無翻。言有翻者，翻云除饉。眾生薄福，在因無法自資得報，多所饉乏。出家戒行是良福田，能生物善，除因果之饉乏也。言無翻者，名含三義。《智論》云「一破惡、二怖魔、三乞士。」一、破惡者，如初得戒即言比丘，以三羯磨發善律儀破惡律儀，故言破惡。若通就行解，修戒定慧，戒防形非、定除心亂、慧悟想虛，能破見思之惡，故言破惡。二、怖魔者，既能破惡，魔羅念言：「此人非但出我界域，或有傳燈，化我眷屬、空我宮殿。」故生驚怖。通而言之，三魔亦怖。三、明乞士者，乞是求之名，士是清雅之稱。出家之人內修清雅之德，必須遠離四種邪，淨命自居福利眾生，破憍慢、心謙下，自卑乞求資身，以成清雅之德，故名乞士。又解，破惡是正義，下兩助成。何者？受戒破身口惡業，怖魔即破愛惡，乞士破慢惡。約觀行者，次第從於陰界入求法喜禪悅，資無漏慧命，成盡無生智斷之德，故名乞士。下文呵身子云「佛說八解脫，仁者受行，豈離欲食而聞法乎。」此具三義：一、殺賊從破惡得名；二、不生從怖魔以受稱；三、應供因乞士以成德。直言比丘則大小未定，或在外凡性地學人之位。今言大者，即大羅漢。當知大之一字無所不含，即略歎德也。

Third, explaining "monk" (bhikṣu): some say it has a translation, while others say it is untranslated. For those saying it has a translation, it translates as "dispelling famine" (chújǐn). Sentient beings have meager merit; in the stage of causes they have no Dharma to support themselves and obtain retribution, suffering much famine and deficiency. The precepts and conduct of leaving home are a fertile field of merit that can generate good in beings and dispel the famine of causes and effects. For those saying it is untranslated, the name contains three meanings. The Dàzhìdù lùn says: "First, destroying evil; second, terrifying Māra; third, mendicant (beggar of food)." First, "destroying evil": as when one first receives the precepts and is called a bhikṣu, through the three karmavācanās one arouses the good discipline and destroys the evil discipline; hence it is called destroying evil. If broadly applied to practice and understanding, cultivating precepts, samādhi, and wisdom—precepts preventing physical wrongdoing, samādhi removing mental distraction, and wisdom realizing that thoughts are empty—one can destroy the evil of views and thoughts; hence it is called destroying evil. Second, "terrifying Māra": since they can destroy evil, Māra thinks: "This person will not only leave my realm, but may transmit the lamp, transform my retinue, and empty my palace." Thus he gives rise to alarm and fear. Broadly speaking, the other three māras are also terrified. Third, clarifying "mendicant": "begging" is the term for seeking; "gentleman" (shì) is an appellation of purity and elegance. Those who leave home inwardly cultivate the virtue of purity and elegance; they must keep far away from the four kinds of improper livelihood, dwell in pure livelihood to benefit sentient beings, destroy arrogance, maintain a humble mind, and humbly beg to sustain their bodies so as to accomplish the virtue of purity and elegance; hence they are called mendicants. Another explanation is that destroying evil is the primary meaning, and the latter two assist its accomplishment. How so? Receiving the precepts destroys evil karma of body and speech; terrifying Māra destroys the evil of craving; and being a mendicant destroys the evil of arrogance. In terms of contemplation practice, one sequentially seeks the joy of Dharma and the bliss of dhyāna from the aggregates, sense realms, and sense entrances to sustain the outflow-free wisdom life and accomplish the virtues of knowledge and severance of the exhaustion of rebirth and non-arising; hence they are called mendicants. Later in the text, it rebukes Śāriputra, saying: "The Buddha taught the eight liberations for you, benevolent one, to practice; how could one hear the Dharma while detached from the desire for food?" This contains the three meanings: first, "slayer of foes" derives its name from destroying evil; second, "non-arising" receives its title from terrifying Māra; third, "worthy of offerings" accomplishes its virtue through being a mendicant. Simply saying "bhikṣu" leaves great or small indeterminate; they might be at the stage of external ordinary beings, the nature ground, or learners. Now saying "great" means great arhats. One should know that the single word "great" encompasses everything; it is an abbreviated praise of their virtues.