維摩經略疏 2.17

2.17

「彼時佛與」下訖七言偈是別序。所以現瑞敘述，皆表欲說此經，故現相不同餘經。此為二：一從「彼時佛與」至長行盡，名發起序。二從長者子說偈竟，名敘述序。一發起者，即是現相，別表欲說此經。但相以表發為義，故現三瑞表於欲說三德法身、三種淨土。一、現巍巍尊特之身，表欲說真性解脫法身之體，亦表欲說性淨真境常寂光國。二、長者子獻五百蓋，佛之威神合為一蓋，表欲說眾因圓聚合成一實慧解脫圓報法身，亦表欲說圓淨實報之國。三、現三千國土諸佛說法悉現蓋中，此是無方大用，表欲說方便解脫應身，亦表欲說方便應土。

From "At that time, the Buddha and..." down to the end of the seven-character verses is the specific preface. The reason auspicious signs were manifested and narrated is entirely to indicate the intention to preach this sūtra; thus the displayed signs differ from those of other sūtras. This has two parts: first, from "At that time, the Buddha and..." to the end of the prose section, termed the initiating preface; second, from after the elder's son finishes reciting the verses, termed the narrating preface. First, the initiating [preface] consists of displaying signs, specifically indicating the intention to preach this sūtra. Because a sign takes signification and initiation as its meaning, three auspicious signs are manifested to signify the intention to preach the three virtues of the dharmakāya and the three kinds of pure lands: First, manifesting the towering and particularly venerable body indicates the intention to preach the essence of the dharmakāya of true-nature liberation, and also indicates the intention to preach the realm of true nature-purity, the land of eternally quiescent light. Second, when the elder's son offers the five hundred parasols, the Buddha's spiritual power unites them into a single parasol, indicating the intention to preach the complete retribution dharmakāya of wisdom-liberation, formed through the full aggregation of all causes into a single reality, and also indicating the intention to preach the land of complete purity and true retribution. Third, manifesting the three-thousand realm and the preaching of the Dharma by all buddhas completely within the parasol—this is the vast, directional-free function—indicates the intention to preach the response body of expedient liberation, and also indicates the intention to preach the response land of expedients.