維摩經略疏 4.96

4.96

「若須菩提」下，二、問是聖人不。若是聖人，應證聖法，可作敬田而取。又若非聖人，豈作應供而受？所以作此問者，恐其生意：我雖不知不思議法，何妨見四諦理，是得果聖人，即是應供。敬田取食，當有何罪？故約四諦而問。若意謂見四諦得果是聖人者，今歷四諦以問，若實見者，何許得果聖人敬田；若不識者，何得妄謂？既非敬田，安得取食？文為三：一別歷四諦撿問、二總約四諦疊釋、三結破。初文為四：一約集、二約苦、三約道、四約滅。如常所列，是約說法為次，則果前因後，欲令厭苦斷集慕滅修道故。今此乃從因果次第一一撿問。初文者，此將無作集諦問破其有作集諦。若凡夫三毒與心俱生俱滅，即是與俱。若聲聞人無有知集而不斷者，此則斷而不俱。菩薩觀無作集諦，婬怒癡性猶如虛空故不斷，亦不與俱，故不同凡夫二乘也。菩薩能以佛慧觀三毒性即是佛性，通達三毒見一切佛法無不具足，即是無作集諦，故無行，云「貪欲即是道，恚癡亦復然。如是三法中，具一切佛法。」能如是見，可是見諦得果聖人，應供敬田，乃可取食。

From "If Subhūti" below, second, asking whether he is a noble person. If he is a noble person, he should have realized the noble Dharma, and can act as a field of respect to receive [it]. Furthermore, if he is not a noble person, how could he act as one worthy of offerings to receive it? The reason he poses this inquiry is out of concern that he might think: Although I do not know the inconceivable Dharma, what prevents me from seeing the principle of the four noble truths, being a noble person who has attained the fruit, and thus being one worthy of offerings? Receiving food as a field of respect, what fault could there be? Therefore he inquires in terms of the four noble truths. If he thinks that seeing the four noble truths and attaining the fruit makes one a noble person, now he examines and questions him through each of the four noble truths: if he truly sees them, where would he attain the noble person of the fruit as a field of respect? If he does not recognize them, how could he falsely claim it? Since he is not a field of respect, how can he take the food? The text has three parts: first, separately examining and inquiring through each of the four noble truths; second, summarizing and repeatedly explaining in terms of the four noble truths; third, concluding with the refutation. The first part has four sections: first, in terms of origin; second, in terms of suffering; third, in terms of the path; fourth, in terms of cessation. As they are usually listed, they follow the order of expounding the Dharma, which places the fruit first and the cause after, desiring to cause one to revile suffering, eliminate origin, admire cessation, and cultivate the path. Here, however, they are examined and questioned one by one according to the sequence of cause and effect. As for the first section: this uses the unconstructed noble truth of origin to question and refute his constructed noble truth of origin. With ordinary persons, the three poisons arise and perish together with the mind; this is being "together with" them. With voice-hearers, there are none who know origin without severing it; this is severing them and not being "together with" them. The bodhisattva contemplates the unconstructed noble truth of origin: the nature of lust, anger, and delusion is like empty space, so they are not severed, nor are they together with them; hence he is not the same as ordinary persons or the two vehicles. The bodhisattva is able with buddha-wisdom to contemplate the nature of the three poisons as being identical to the buddha-nature, penetrating the three poisons and seeing that all buddha-dharmas are fully complete; this is the unconstructed noble truth of origin. Therefore the Wúxíng [jīng] says: "Greed is itself the Way, and anger and delusion are also thus. Within these three dharmas, all buddha-dharmas are complete." Being able to see like this, one may be a noble person who has seen the truths and attained the fruit, worthy of offerings and a field of respect, and only then may take the food.