維摩經略疏 3.84

3.84

「是身如聚沫不可撮磨」者，水流衝擊因成聚沫，一往似有、撮之即無。此身亦爾，無明行識流託他陰，迷者謂有，智者觀之不見定實，如撮沫無沫，但有水也。此譬人空意顯，法空未明。「如泡」者，上水渧下水，上水為因下水為緣得有泡起，斯須即無或因觸滅。一往異水，如實知之，離水無也。身亦如是，往業為因、父母為緣即有身泡，漸漸增長緣盡便終或他害死。無智謂有；若審觀之，三事身空，無別身也。「如炎」者，日光風動，曠野起炎。起炎相續，愚者水想；審諦求之，炎水俱無。此身亦爾，心智光、業風動攬他三事相續不斷，染愛不了計以為身；智慧了達，非但身空三事叵得，故言如炎。是則可譬生法二空，不同三藏聚沫等譬。「如芭蕉至堅」者，芭蕉從生，皮葉相裹竟無真實。此身亦爾，歌羅邏來三事假身，皮肉骨髓各有九十九重，一一撿之虛假叵得；如出入息相續百千，一一息中身不可得；剎那心識次第生滅，一一剎那身不可得。離此三事無別有身，故知身相內外俱空，猶如芭蕉。「是身如幻從顛倒起」，猶如幻作兔馬，外人見之皆謂是實。無明幻師、諸行幻法，幻作三事，見身取相謂為定實。若知無明、不起諸行，幻法及以三事如幻空也。「是身如夢為虛妄見」者，眠法覆心，身臥於此，見身遊彼，言彼有實，覺方知夢。無明覆心為臥，妄起諸行，託胎三事，乃至老死如夢見身，無所不至。觀心覺悟，即知虛妄身及三事空無所有，故如夢也。「是身如影從業緣現」者，有物遮光則有影現，物異影異物動影動。無明行業遮理智光，則有三事報身影現，業異報異從生至死流動非一。若知無明行業本無所有，報身三事皆畢竟空，猶如影也。「是身如響屬諸因緣」者，響因兩物相擊出聲，空谷響應。身亦如是，無明內動如物相擊，業行如聲，母腹三事如空谷應，三事和合成假名身。屬諸因緣者，無明行為因，母腹空谷為緣，因緣所生無自他等，故說無生，生即如響。復次如脣舌齒齶咽喉，報風觸身七處故有聲出，聲屬眾緣亦不可得。身亦如是，故如響也。

Regarding "this body is like a mass of foam, which cannot be grasped": When rushing water crashes against itself, foam is produced as a result; at first glance it seems to exist, but upon grasping it, it is immediately nothing. This body is also like this: the stream of ignorance, volitional formations, and consciousness entrusts itself to other aggregates; the confused say it exists, but the wise observe it and see nothing fixed or real, just as when grasping foam there is no foam, but only water. In this simile, the intent of the emptiness of the person is apparent, but the emptiness of phenomena is not yet clarified. Regarding "like a bubble": Water dripping from above meets water below; the water above is the cause and the water below is the condition, whereby a bubble arises; in an instant it is gone, or upon being touched it vanishes. At first glance it is distinct from water, but knowing it as it truly is, apart from water there is none. The body is also like this: past karma serves as the cause, and parents serve as the conditions, whereupon the bubble of the body exists; it gradually increases and grows, and when conditions are exhausted it terminates, or it dies by being harmed by another. The unwise say it exists; yet if one carefully observes it, the body of the three things is empty, and there is no separate body. Regarding "like a mirage": When sunlight and wind move, a mirage rises in the wilderness. As the mirage rises in succession, the foolish conceive it to be water; but when carefully and genuinely seeking it, both mirage and water are absent. This body is also like this: the light of mental wisdom and the moving wind of karma take hold of the other three things in unbroken succession; through defiled craving without comprehension, one calculates it to be a body; but when wisdom thoroughly penetrates, not only is the body empty, the three things themselves cannot be found, which is why it is said to be like a mirage. Thus, this can serve as a simile for both the emptiness of sentient beings and of phenomena, unlike the similes of the mass of foam and so forth in the Tripiṭaka [teachings]. Regarding "like a plantain tree, having no firmness": When a plantain tree grows, its bark and leaves wrap around each other, completely devoid of any reality. This body is also like this: from the kalala onward, it is a provisional body of the three things; skin, flesh, bones, and marrow each have ninety-nine layers, and examining each of them, they are false, provisional, and unfindable; just as inhalation and exhalation continue for hundreds of thousands [of cycles], and in each single breath the body cannot be found; and just as the mind and consciousness arise and cease in succession moment to moment, and in each single moment the body cannot be found. Apart from these three things there is no distinct body; therefore know that the characteristics of the body are empty both internally and externally, just like a plantain tree. Regarding "this body is like an illusion, arising from inverted views": It is just as when an illusion produces rabbits or horses, and outsiders who see them all deem them to be real. The illusory magician of ignorance and the illusory phenomena of volitional formations magically produce the three things; seeing the body, one grasps at characteristics and deems it to be fixed and real. If one knows ignorance and does not give rise to volitional formations, the illusory phenomena and the three things are empty, like an illusion. Regarding "this body is like a dream, being a false vision": When the factor of sleep covers the mind, the body lies here, but one sees the body wandering there, asserting that that [place] is real; only upon waking does one know it was a dream. Ignorance covering the mind is the lying down; falsely giving rise to volitional formations, entrusting to the womb the three things, up to aging and death, is like seeing the body in a dream going everywhere. When the contemplating mind awakens, one immediately knows that the false body and the three things are empty and non-existent, hence it is like a dream. Regarding "this body is like a shadow, appearing from karmic conditions": When an object obstructs light, a shadow appears; when the object differs, the shadow differs; when the object moves, the shadow moves. The karmic formations of ignorance obstruct the light of principle and wisdom, whereupon the shadow of the retribution body of the three things appears; as karma differs, retribution differs, constantly fluctuating from birth to death without being unitary. If one knows that the karmic formations of ignorance are fundamentally non-existent, the three things of the retribution body are all ultimately empty, just like a shadow. Regarding "this body is like an echo, belonging to conditions": An echo depends on two objects striking each other to produce sound, to which an empty valley responds with an echo. The body is also like this: ignorance moving within is like the objects striking each other, karmic formations are like the sound, and the three things in the mother's womb are like the empty valley responding; the coming together and harmony of the three things form the provisionally named body. "Belonging to conditions" means: the formations of ignorance are the cause, and the empty valley of the mother's womb is the condition; that which is produced by causes and conditions lacks self, other, and so on; hence it is said to be unarisen, and what arises is like an echo. Furthermore, as with the lips, tongue, teeth, palate, and throat, when the wind of retribution touches the body at these seven places, sound is produced; since sound belongs to multiple conditions, it also cannot be found. The body is also like this; hence it is like an echo.