維摩經略疏 4.100

4.100

「非凡夫」者，非具縛也。「非離凡夫法」者，非二乘脫法也。復次非凡夫者，四種道滅之法。非離凡夫法者，四種苦集之法也。何者？一切凡夫及二乘人，是中道理，外皆是凡夫。菩薩觀中道見於佛性，故非凡夫。「非離凡夫」者，如五凡夫。論明十地猶名聖慧凡夫，是則降佛已下皆是凡夫，故言非離凡夫法。「非聖人」者，若作雙非，菩薩觀平等法尚不見聖法，何處有聖人？非二乘聖人也。「非不聖人」者，非凡夫也。又非聖人者，非理外之聖人。二乘不見中道，豈名聖人？又非不聖人者，只三賢十聖約圓皆是聖人。善吉既是理外而不預此聖人之數，即非敬田，何得妄取食也？

"Not an ordinary person" means not being completely bound. "Not separated from the dharmas of an ordinary person" means not being the liberated dharmas of the two vehicles. Furthermore, "not an ordinary person" refers to the four kinds of paths and cessations. "Not separated from the dharmas of an ordinary person" refers to the four kinds of suffering and origination. Why is this? All ordinary persons and persons of the two vehicles are outside the principle of the Middle Way, and are thus all ordinary persons. The bodhisattva contemplates the Middle Way and sees the buddha-nature; hence he is "not an ordinary person." "Not separated from an ordinary person": this is like the five ordinary persons. The treatise explains that up to the tenth ground, they are still called "ordinary persons of noble wisdom"; thus everyone below buddhahood is an ordinary person, and therefore it says "not separated from the dharmas of an ordinary person." "Not a sage": if interpreted through double negation, when the bodhisattva contemplates the equal Dharma, he does not even see a noble dharma, so where could there be a sage? He is not a sage of the two vehicles. "Not not a sage" means he is not an ordinary person. Furthermore, "not a sage" means not a sage outside the principle. The two vehicles do not see the Middle Way; how could they be called sages? Furthermore, "not not a sage": according to the Perfect [Teaching], the three stages of worthies and the ten stages of sages are all sages. Since Subhūti is outside the principle and does not belong among these sages, he is not a field of respect; how could he falsely take food?