維摩經略疏 4.51

4.51

「法無眾生離眾生垢故」者，今為三解：一約理性、二約實慧、三約方便慧。此去說離一切觀行，例依此三，皆須得意。一、約理性者，心及諸法即是法性，法性本淨畢竟無所有，何有眾生？若無眾生即無眾生垢，是則自性清淨心不為惑染故名為離。下文云「如優婆離以心相得解脫時，寧有垢不？眾生無垢亦復如是。」《勝天王》云「自相空故、自相離故。」二、約實慧者，若法即法性，法性無眾生，妄計有眾生，故有十六、六十二等見煩惱垢。若了知法性畢竟無眾生，即離如上諸見之垢，故名離眾生垢。三、約方便慧者，若實慧與理合，能無眾生而現眾生，能令眾生離眾生垢，此即三種解脫不縱不橫如世伊字。此眾生空，豈可同彼聲聞所辨？下去皆有此意。無非觀心，故不須更作觀心解也。

As for "Dharma is without sentient beings, because it is free from the defilement of sentient beings," here three explanations are given: first, in terms of the nature of principle; second, in terms of real wisdom; third, in terms of expedient wisdom. From here on, in speaking of being free from all contemplative practices, all follow these three by analogy, and one must grasp the meaning in each case. First, in terms of the nature of principle: the mind and all dharmas are themselves the dharma-nature; the dharma-nature is fundamentally pure and ultimately nonexistent—how could there be sentient beings? If there are no sentient beings, then there is no defilement of sentient beings; thus the inherently pure mind is not defiled by afflictions, and is therefore called "free." The text below states: "Just as when Upāli attained liberation by means of the characteristics of the mind, was there any defilement? Sentient beings being without defilement is also like this." The Suvikrāntavikrāmī states: "Because its own characteristics are empty; because its own characteristics are free." Second, in terms of real wisdom: if dharmas are themselves the dharma-nature, the dharma-nature is without sentient beings; by falsely conceiving that sentient beings exist, there are the afflictive defilements of the sixteen [views], sixty-two views, and so forth. If one completely knows that the dharma-nature is ultimately devoid of sentient beings, one is freed from the defilements of the aforementioned views; hence it is called "free from the defilement of sentient beings." Third, in terms of expedient wisdom: if real wisdom merges with principle, it can manifest sentient beings where there are no sentient beings, and can cause sentient beings to be free from the defilement of sentient beings. These are the three kinds of liberations, neither longitudinal nor latitudinal, like the worldly letter *i*. How could this emptiness of sentient beings be the same as that discriminated by the śrāvakas? Below, this meaning is present throughout. Since it is nothing other than the contemplation of mind, there is no need to formulate a separate contemplation-of-mind interpretation.