維摩經略疏 3.89

3.89

初五番為二：一別撿、二總撿。別撿為四：「是身無主為如地」，今例作兩釋：一破外人、二約內觀。破外人者，外云：若無神我，何能擔負？內曰：地能負山，可有神我？次內觀者，毘曇明眾生是假名，地是實法。成論明地是假名，四微是實。今明雖假實之異，同是苦下無我觀攝。如地四微，一微是主、三亦是主，若一非主、三亦皆非，當知無主。外地既無，內地四微所成皆亦無主。若內外無主，三事之身何得有我？故云是身無主為如地。又《請觀音》云「地無堅性，地若有者，為自、他性、共、無因性？」四中隨計，即是有見。若謂是事實餘妄語者，實即堅義，是性是主。若撿不得，當知是無，乃至非有非無。若於此四句有所計執，即是性實。《金剛經》云「若心取相、若取非相，皆著我人。」不取四句即是觀也。無主無我，故云是身無主為如地。「是身無我為如火」者，外云：有神我。云何知耶？身能馳走及出音聲，故知有我。內曰：約火一法破其兩計。何者？火燒野草亦能東西，燒竹木時亦能出聲，亦有我耶？內觀者，火二微成，無有定性。名色成身亦無定性，若無定性即是無我。復次身中煖即是火，若外火無我，內火亦無。《請觀音》云「火從緣生，緣無自性，即是無我。」破性四句，類地可知。「是身無壽為如風」者，外云：有壽。云何知耶？若無壽者，豈息相續？內曰：出入息者但是風相，外風無壽，內風亦無。次內觀者，風相觸擊，故輕虛自在遊中無礙，有何壽命？《大集》云「出入息者名為壽命」。觀此出入，入無積聚、出無分散，來無逕遊、去無履涉，如空中風求不可得。風既非壽，其息亦非。《請觀音》云「風性無礙」。四句觀風，例前可知。「是身無人為如水」者，外云：有神故有人。云何知耶？若身無神，何能潤下曲隨物情？內曰：水能下潤，但隨器方圓，若水無人無神者，汝亦如是。次內觀者，水三微成無有定性，無性即無水。三事成身無有定性，無性即無人，故云是身無人為如水。如水中見影謂言有人，入水求人終不可得。三事身見謂身是人，深觀三事不見身相即無人也。《請觀音》云「水性不住，但池沼方圓礙之即住，非性住也。人亦如是，隨法得名，人無定性。」四句撿水，例地可知。「是身不實四大為家」者，此總約四大說無我行。外云：若無我者，現見六情依身而住，故知有我。內曰：現見六情依四大住，無我可依。若內觀者，身名是一，一身不應在四處住。若一大我住，三應無身。若各有者，即有四身。若即若離，四句撿身皆不可得，故知無實。若不得身，即身見破。身見破，即我見十六知見皆破。

The initial five sections are twofold: first, specific investigations; second, a general investigation. The specific investigations are four: "This body has no master, being like the earth": we now follow the precedent to give two explanations: first, refuting outsiders; second, regarding internal contemplation. Refuting outsiders: The outsiders say: "If there is no spiritual self, how could it bear burdens?" The insiders say: "The earth can bear mountains; could it have a spiritual self?" Next, regarding internal contemplation: the Abhidharma clarifies that sentient beings are provisional names and earth is a real phenomenon. The Tattvasiddhi clarifies that earth is a provisional name and the four subtle atoms are real. We now clarify that although they differ on provisionality and reality, both are subsumed under the contemplation of non-self under [the truth of] suffering. As with the four subtle atoms of earth: if one atom is the master, the other three must also be masters; if one is not the master, all three are likewise not; hence know that it has no master. Since the external earth is devoid of it, the internal earth composed of the four subtle atoms is likewise without a master. If both internal and external are without a master, how could the body of the three things have a self? Therefore it says: "This body has no master, being like the earth." Furthermore, the Invocation of Avalokiteśvara states: "Earth lacks the nature of firmness; if earth existed, would it have a self-nature, an other-nature, a shared nature, or a causeless nature?" To grasp at any of these four is an eternalist view. If one asserts that "this is true and the rest is false speech," truth signifies the meaning of firmness, which is a nature and a master. If it cannot be found upon investigation, know that it is non-existent, up to neither existent nor non-existent. If one has any clinging to these four propositions, that is [conceiving it as] a real nature. The Diamond Sūtra states: "If the mind grasps at characteristics, or if it grasps at non-characteristics, in all cases it is attached to a self and a person." Not grasping at the four propositions is contemplation. Being devoid of a master and devoid of a self, it is therefore said: "This body has no master, being like the earth." Regarding "this body has no self, being like fire": The outsiders say: "There is a spiritual self. How is this known? The body can run and emit sounds; hence we know there is a self." The insiders say: "We refute both their assertions with the single phenomenon of fire. How so? When fire burns wild grass, it can also move east and west; when it burns bamboo and wood, it can also emit sound; does it also have a self?" As for internal contemplation: fire is composed of two subtle atoms and has no fixed nature. The body formed by name-and-form also has no fixed nature; if it has no fixed nature, that is non-self. Furthermore, the warmth in the body is fire; if external fire has no self, internal fire is also devoid of it. The Invocation of Avalokiteśvara states: "Fire arises from conditions, and conditions lack self-nature; this is non-self." Refuting the nature through the four propositions can be understood by analogy with the earth. Regarding "this body has no lifespan, being like the wind": The outsiders say: "There is a lifespan. How is this known? If there were no lifespan, how could breath continue?" The insiders say: "Inhalation and exhalation are merely the characteristics of wind; external wind has no lifespan, and internal wind likewise has none." Next, regarding internal contemplation: characteristics of wind strike against each other, so it is light, subtle, free, and roams within without hindrance; what lifespan could there be? The Mahāsaṃnipāta states: "Inhalation and exhalation are called lifespan." Contemplating this inhalation and exhalation: inhaling, there is no accumulation; exhaling, there is no dispersal; coming, it travels no path; going, it treads no ground; like the wind in the open sky, it cannot be found when sought. Since wind is not a lifespan, its breath is likewise not. The Invocation of Avalokiteśvara states: "The nature of wind is unhindered." Contemplating wind through the four propositions can be understood by analogy with the preceding. Regarding "this body has no person, being like water": The outsiders say: "Because there is a spirit, there is a person. How is this known? If the body lacked a spirit, how could it moisten downwards and flexibly accommodate the conditions of things?" The insiders say: "Water can moisten downwards, yet it merely conforms to the square or round shape of the vessel; if water has no person and no spirit, you are also like this." Next, regarding internal contemplation: water is composed of three subtle atoms and has no fixed nature; without nature, there is no water. The body composed of the three things has no fixed nature; without nature, there is no person; hence it is said that this body has no person, being like water. Just as seeing a reflection in the water leads one to say there is a person, but entering the water to seek the person, it can never be found. Seeing the body of three things leads one to say the body is a person, but deeply contemplating the three things, one does not see the characteristics of a body, so there is no person. The Invocation of Avalokiteśvara states: "The nature of water does not abide; it merely abides when obstructed by the square or round shape of ponds and pools; it does not abide by its own nature. A person is also like this: receiving a name in accordance with phenomena, a person has no fixed nature." Investigating water through the four propositions can be understood by analogy with the earth. Regarding "this body is not real, having the four great elements as its home": This is a general explanation of the practice of non-self with respect to the four great elements. The outsiders say: "If there is no self, we visibly see the six sense faculties dwelling based on the body; hence we know there is a self." The insiders say: "We visibly see the six sense faculties dwelling based on the four great elements; there is no self to be relied upon." As for internal contemplation: the name "body" is one, and a single body should not dwell in four places. If a single great element is where the self dwells, the other three should lack a body. If each has one, then there would be four bodies. Whether identical or separate, investigating the body through the four propositions, it cannot be found at all; hence know it has no reality. If the body cannot be found, the view of a body is broken. When the view of a body is broken, the view of a self and the sixteen views are all broken.