維摩經略疏 7.33

7.33

「文殊」下，三、文殊問疾相。有三番問答：一問疾體相、二問疾用、三問成疾之法。初問言「所疾為何等相」，即問疾體相。所以問者，既言法身眾患永斷，因於大悲現斯疾者，悲即疾體，有何等相？若有定相則能利益，若無定相豈能有用？淨名答言「我病無形不可見」，此明法身本來無疾，大悲善根而現此疾。無緣大悲無有處所，豈有形相？若眾生緣、法緣有所依倚可辨其相，同體大悲無緣無念豈有可見？如磁石吸鐵。如凡夫身患尚無相貌，況法身無緣而有可見？故答言我病無形不可見，即是答疾體也。

From "Mañjuśrī" below is the third [part]: Mañjuśrī's inquiry into the characteristics of the illness. There are three rounds of questions and answers: first, inquiring about the essence and characteristics of the illness; second, inquiring about the function of the illness; third, inquiring about the dharmas that constitute the illness. The initial question, "What characteristics does your illness have?" is inquiring about the essence and characteristics of the illness. Why is this asked? Since it is said that the dharmakāya has forever severed all afflictions and that this illness is manifested on account of great compassion, compassion is the essence of the illness: what characteristics does it have? If it has defined characteristics, it can benefit; if it has no defined characteristics, how can it have any function? Vimalakīrti answers, "My illness is formless and cannot be seen." This clarifies that the dharmakāya originally has no illness, but through the good roots of great compassion manifests this illness. Great compassion without conditions has no location; how could it have form or characteristics? If it were conditioned by sentient beings or conditioned by dharmas, having something to rely on, its characteristics could be discerned; but identical-essence great compassion is without conditions and without thoughts—how could it be visible? It is like a lodestone attracting iron. Just as the physical afflictions of an ordinary person have no visible marks, how much less could the unconditional dharmakāya be visible? Therefore he answers, "My illness is formless and cannot be seen," which is the answer regarding the essence of the illness.