維摩經略疏 5.14

5.14

「欲行至螢火」，四、呵不知欲。此諸比丘欲慕於大，應說大乘世界成其樂欲，那忽以小乘世界起其小欲、壞於大欲？此根、欲、性，開十力中三力也。根是過去、欲是現在、性是未來。此中但明根欲、不辨性者，以善根未成，欲樂猶有可改之義，未成性也。故《大論》云「欲名隨緣而起，性名深心為事。」若過去善根牢固成就，今生對緣則起，此是因性成欲。若過去善根未牢，今生遇緣起欲，數習成性，故云性以不改為義。欲性相關，呵不知欲即兼得性。此有三譬，即大乘三種欲樂之心。一「欲行大道莫示小逕」，此譬欲觀法身實相無上大道，即智度大道佛善來也。何者？此諸比丘已有欲求實相之心，滿願為說半字之法，即是示小逕也。二「無以大海內於牛跡」，此譬欲修大乘萬行功德。何者？此諸比丘欲修大慈萬行，大心即是大海。滿願為說小乘道品，即是牛跡。令本大心修小行者，即是大海內於牛跡。三「無以日光等彼螢火」，此譬用大乘無作四諦一切種智，比於小乘有作一切智也。何者？此諸比丘欲求大乘一切種智，滿願為說小乘一切智慧。若言見真是同理須比並。然以日光不可比螢，略有五義：一是虫光非寶光、二𭧲爍不停、三破闇少、四夜自照、五無所利益，豈得等彼日光？日光者，一是寶光、二常照停住、三破闇遍、四自照照他、五一切皆蒙日光恩被。合螢光五譬，尋之可知。此諸比丘具此三欲，必成三德祕藏。何者？大道即法身，日光即般若，萬行即解脫，豈可以小乘三欲而比並焉？復次滿願不知此四心者，不能深知往昔值佛已來有此心數根欲，中間廢忘，四心雖在猶未決定，若聞大乘大心即發，藉前相資至不退轉。既是不定，若聞說小便隨二地，故不可也。

From "Wishing to walk" to "firefly" is the fourth [part], rebuking him for not knowing their desires. Since these monks desired and aspired to the Great [Vehicle], one should have preached the Mahāyāna world to fulfill their joyful desires; why then use the Hīnayāna world to arouse their small desires and ruin their great desires? These faculties, desires, and nature open up three powers among the ten powers. Faculties belong to the past, desires belong to the present, and nature belongs to the future. Here, only faculties and desires are explained and nature is not distinguished, because their wholesome roots were not yet completed, and their desires still admitted of change, not yet having become their nature. Therefore, the Dàzhìdù lùn says: "Desire is named after arising in accord with conditions; nature is named after taking profound mind as its business." If past wholesome roots are firmly established, they will arise upon encountering conditions in this life; this is desire formed from nature. If past wholesome roots are not yet firm, upon encountering conditions in this life they give rise to desire, and repeated habituation forms their nature; hence it is said that nature takes unchangeability as its meaning. Desires and nature are interrelated, so rebuking him for not knowing desires also encompasses nature. Here there are three metaphors, which are the three kinds of mind of joyful desire in the Mahāyāna. First, "Wishing to walk the great road, do not show a narrow path": this is a metaphor for wishing to contemplate the unsurpassed great road of the true reality of the dharmakāya; this is the great road of the perfection of wisdom and the Buddha's "Welcome." Why? These monks already possessed the mind desiring to seek true reality, yet Pūrṇa preached the half-word dharma to them; this was showing them a narrow path. Second, "Do not put the great ocean into a cow's footprint": this is a metaphor for wishing to cultivate the merits of the myriad practices of the Mahāyāna. Why? These monks wished to cultivate the myriad practices of great compassion; the great mind is the great ocean. Pūrṇa preached the Hīnayāna factors of the path to them, which is the cow's footprint. Causing their original great mind to cultivate small practices is putting the great ocean into a cow's footprint. Third, "Do not equate sunlight with that firefly": this is a metaphor for comparing the all-knowledge of the active [four noble truths] of the Hīnayāna to the all-aspect knowledge of the unconditioned four noble truths of the Mahāyāna. Why? These monks wished to seek the all-aspect knowledge of the Mahāyāna, yet Pūrṇa preached the all-knowledge of the Hīnayāna to them. If it is said that seeing truth is identical, their principles should be compared. However, that sunlight cannot be compared to a firefly has five brief meanings: first, it is the light of an insect, not the light of a jewel; second, it flickers without stopping; third, it destroys little darkness; fourth, it only illuminates itself at night; and fifth, it has no benefit—how could it equal that sunlight? As for sunlight: first, it is the light of a jewel; second, it shines constantly and remains steady; third, it destroys darkness everywhere; fourth, it illuminates itself and illuminates others; and fifth, all beings receive the favor and coverage of sunlight. Combining these five metaphors for the firefly's light, one can understand by examining them. These monks possessed these three desires, and would surely accomplish the secret treasury of the three virtues. Why? The great road is the dharmakāya, the sunlight is prajñā, and the myriad practices are liberation; how could they be compared with the three desires of the Hīnayāna? Furthermore, because Pūrṇa did not know these four minds, he could not deeply know that since encountering buddhas in the past they had had these mental factors, faculties, and desires; having forgotten them in the interim, although the four minds remained, they were not yet determined. If they heard the Mahāyāna, the great mind would immediately arise, relying on previous mutual support to reach non-retrogression. Since they were indeterminate, if they heard the small [vehicle] expounded, they would follow the two stages; therefore it was unacceptable.