維摩經略疏 5.140

5.140

「所以至之行」，二、述被彈之由。由為兜率天王說不退行。所以兜率天王至彌勒所者，兜率諸天曾聞釋迦授彌勒記，當生兜率為彼天師，故預歸依，時來請道。彌勒為說不退行者，彼諸天子曾聞權教大乘發心，天樂既重恐其退轉，是故為說不退之行。言不退者，見理方是不退位也。住理不動能生眾善，喻之如地。因中得理，有向果之義，故云行也。但四教各三，即位、行、念。若三藏菩薩三不退者，三祇行行入煗、頂、忍，即是不退轉地。若約數論，以忍法三品分三不退。若傍成論，約四念處為位不退、煗頂為行不退、忍法為念不退。若通教者，從性地乃至羅漢、六地齊功皆位不退，辟支佛地、七地齊功菩薩修方便即行不退，八地菩薩道觀雙流名念不退。若八地與支佛齊，九地始是念不退也。若別教者，十住是位不退，行向是行不退，登地三觀現前即念不退。若圓教者，十信初心為位不退，中心已來為行不退，初發心住即念不退。復次十信相似三不退，初住分真三不退，前三權後一實。彌勒明識佛權實教，沒實用權為諸天說，故為所呵。

From "The reason he arrived at this practice" onward, second, the text recounts the reason for his being rebuked. It was because he preached the practice of non-retrogression to the king of the Tuṣita Heaven. The reason why the king of the Tuṣita Heaven came to Maitreya's abode was that the gods of Tuṣita had previously heard Śākyamuni bestow a prophecy on Maitreya that he would be born in Tuṣita as their heavenly master; hence they had taken refuge in advance and came at this time to request the Way. As for Maitreya's expounding the practice of non-retrogression for them: those sons of heaven had previously heard the provisional teaching of the Mahāyāna and generated the aspiration [for enlightenment], but since heavenly pleasures are immense, he feared they might retrogress; therefore he expounded for them the practice of non-retrogression. Speaking of non-retrogression: only upon perceiving principle is one at the stage of non-retrogression. Abiding unmoved in principle, one can generate all good qualities, which is compared to the earth. Attaining principle in the causal stage entails an orientation toward the fruit; hence it is called "practice." However, each of the four teachings has three [forms of non-retrogression], namely, in stage, practice, and thought. If one considers the three non-retrogressions of a Tripiṭaka bodhisattva: having engaged in practice for three asaṃkhyeya kalpas and entered [the stages of] heat, summit, and patience, this is the ground of non-retrogression. If evaluated according to the Abhidharma, the three non-retrogressions are divided according to the three grades of the dharma of patience. If drawn from the Tattvasiddhi, the four applications of mindfulness are non-retrogression in stage; heat and summit are non-retrogression in practice; and the dharma of patience is non-retrogression in thought. If for the common teaching: from the stage of nature up to the arhat, whose merits equal those of the sixth stage, all are non-retrogression in stage; the pratyekabuddha stage and the seventh stage, where bodhisattvas of equal merit cultivate expedient means, are non-retrogression in practice; and the bodhisattva of the eighth stage, whose path and contemplation flow together, is called non-retrogression in thought. If the eighth stage is equal to the pratyekabuddha, then only the ninth stage is non-retrogression in thought. If for the distinct teaching: the ten abodes are non-retrogression in stage; the practices and dedications are non-retrogression in practice; and upon ascending the stages, when the threefold contemplation appears before one, that is non-retrogression in thought. If for the perfect teaching: the initial mind of the ten faiths is non-retrogression in stage; from the central mind onward is non-retrogression in practice; and the abode of initial aspiration is non-retrogression in thought. Furthermore, the ten faiths are the three semblance non-retrogressions, and the first abode is the three partial-true non-retrogressions. The first three are provisional, and the last one is real. Maitreya clearly recognized the Buddha's provisional and real teachings, yet he concealed the real and employed the provisional to preach to the devas; hence he was rebuked.