維摩經略疏 4.26

4.26

「佛知」下，二、如來遣問。文為二：一佛知心念、二正遣問。初言「佛知其意」者，佛以寂照之智懸鑑託疾之懷，無緣大悲為眾生疾。智人知智，如蛇知蛇。「告舍利」下，二、佛遣問，為二：初命十弟子、次命五百。初命身子，文為二：一佛命、二奉辭。初先命者，身子是佛左面侍者，以聲聞眾中名高德重，內外敬揖。淨名雖復在家，精通佛法，神解辨才難為酬對，故先命之。但身子因緣甚多，難可具說，今略言之。託胎已來聰智過人，欲化一切聰明外道，皆先為弟子。後值佛出家成羅漢者，引一切聰明外道為佛弟子，顯四枯之教。今為所呵、默然不對者，欲令四枯之徒內心鄙折，慕仰四榮智慧之教。至說《摩訶般若》，前對身子說者，令諸聲聞信解滿字四榮之智；至《法華》中先對身子開佛知見，八部四眾皆開佛知見歡喜稱歎，而說偈曰「大智舍利弗，今得受尊記。我等亦如是，必當得作佛。」是則悉悟四榮真解。故《大經》師子吼菩薩問佛：「何人能莊嚴娑羅雙樹？」佛答：「大智舍利弗即其人也。」有云：《法華》是無常之教。身子佛未涅槃三月已取滅度，既不聞《涅槃》雙樹之教，如何得云堪莊嚴雙樹？當知《法華》授八部四眾記，即雙樹義顯，此探取《法華》意耳。以是因緣，佛遣問疾。

From "The Buddha knew" onward is second: the Tathāgata sends someone to inquire. The text has two parts: first, the Buddha knows the mental thoughts; second, he directly sends [someone] to inquire. First, where it says "The Buddha knew his intention," the Buddha, by means of his quiescently luminous wisdom, clearly discerned from afar the intention of feigning illness, [which arose from] unconditioned great compassion on account of sentient beings' illness. A wise person knows a wise person, just as a snake knows a snake. From "told Śāriputra" onward is second: the Buddha sends [someone] to inquire, which has two parts: first, he commands the ten disciples; next, he commands the five hundred. In first commanding Śāriputra, the text has two parts: first, the Buddha commands; second, he presents his declining. As for first commanding him, Śāriputra was the Buddha's attendant on the left side; because among the assembly of śrāvakas his reputation was high and his virtue weighty, both inside and outside [the Saṅgha] revered and bowed to him. Although Vimalakīrti was a householder, he was thoroughly versed in the Buddhadharma, and his spiritual understanding and eloquence were difficult to match; therefore, he first commanded him. However, Śāriputra's causes and conditions were very numerous and hard to recount fully; now they are stated briefly. Ever since entering the womb, his sharp intelligence surpassed others; wishing to transform all intelligent non-Buddhists, they were all first made his disciples. Later, meeting the Buddha, leaving home, and becoming an arhat, he guided all intelligent non-Buddhists to become disciples of the Buddha, manifesting the teaching of the Four Withering [Trees]. Now, his being rebuked and remaining silent without answering was to make those of the Four Withering [Trees] inwardly humbled and broken, so that they would yearn for and revere the teaching of the wisdom of the Four Blooming [Trees]. When it came to expounding the Mahāprajñā, it was first expounded to Śāriputra so that all the śrāvakas would have faith in and understand the wisdom of the Four Blooming [Trees] of the full-word teaching. When it came to the Lotus Sūtra, the Buddha's knowledge and vision were first opened to Śāriputra; the eight classes [of beings] and the four assemblies all opened the Buddha's knowledge and vision, rejoiced and praised, and spoke a verse saying: "The greatly wise Śāriputra / Has now received the Honoured One's prediction. / We likewise / Are certain to become buddhas." This means they all awakened to the true understanding of the Four Blooming [Trees]. Therefore, in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Lion's Roar Bodhisattva asked the Buddha: "What person can adorn the twin sāla trees?" The Buddha answered: "The greatly wise Śāriputra is that person." Some say: "The Lotus Sūtra is a teaching of impermanence. Śāriputra had already attained extinction three months before the Buddha's parinirvāṇa; having not heard the teaching of the twin trees of the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra], how could he be said to be capable of adorning the twin trees?" One should know that when the Lotus Sūtra bestowed predictions upon the eight classes and four assemblies, the meaning of the twin trees was already made manifest; this is merely drawing out the intention of the Lotus Sūtra. Due to these causes and conditions, the Buddha sent him to inquire after the illness.