維摩經略疏 7.35

7.35

「又問至我病」，三、問成病法。所以問者，夫病約身，身有四大如四毒蛇更相殘害。《大論》明四蛇相逐恒相殘害，一大不調百一病惱，故文云「菩薩為眾生故有生死」。有生死則有病。何以故？以其應受此毒蛇身，即有四大。今現身有疾，何大病耶？淨名答言「非地大」，若地是病，土石林木亦應是病。若此等非病，云何得言地大是病？水火風大亦復如是。外四大既非，內亦應爾。復次若四大是病，有此四大即應是病，何得或有或無？若無病時，應無四大。雖有四大有無病時，當知病非四大亦不離四大者，只約此身得論有病，譬如因的則有箭中。豈離四大而別論病，故言「不離地大」。淨名亦爾，雖同實疾，何必頓同為病苦耶？故言非四大也。不離者，淨名為此實疾，是故應同；應疾之由良為實疾，故言不離。不即不離以論權病。又非地大者，如《請觀音》言「地無堅性、水性不住、火從緣生、風性無礙。」一一皆入如實之際，四大實際即非病也，故言非四大。不離者，眾生不了四大如實，故起諸病。是以應身同四大病，故說不離。故淨名云「而眾生病從四大起，以其有病是故我病」者，眾生四大所成，應同亦現四大所成，四大即是成病之法。今遍約三土，若三土有疾，淨名則有此大悲疾，體無形相猶如虛空，雖復應同不與三土身心而合。成疾之法本由大悲，何關四大？亦不離四大，故三土生現此權疾也，故云是故我病。乃至法雲金剛心亦如是。

From "He also asked […] to my illness" is the third [part]: inquiring about the dharmas that constitute the illness. Why is this asked? Illness is ascribed to the body, and the body has four great elements like four venomous snakes mutual injuring one another. The Dàzhìdù lùn explains that four snakes pursue and constantly harm one another; if one element is out of harmony, one hundred and one illness-troubles arise. Thus the text says, "Because of sentient beings, the bodhisattva undergoes saṃsāra." Having saṃsāra, there is illness. Why is this so? Because in responding, he must receive this venomous snake body, which has the four elements. Now that his manifested body has an illness, which element is ill? Vimalakīrti answers, "It is not the earth element." If earth were illness, then earth, stones, forests, and trees should also be illness. If these are not illness, how can one say the earth element is illness? The water, fire, and wind elements are also like this. Since the external four elements are not [illness], the internal should likewise be so. Furthermore, if the four elements were illness, possessing these four elements should mean illness; how could it be present at some times and absent at others? When there is no illness, there should be no four elements. Although having the four elements, there are times without illness; one should know that illness is not the four elements, nor is it apart from the four elements. It is only in relation to this body that illness can be discussed, just as an arrow hitting depends on the target. How could illness be discussed apart from the four elements? Therefore he says, "It is not apart from the earth element." Vimalakīrti is also like this: although sharing the real illness, why must he instantaneously share it as suffering from illness? Hence he says it is not the four elements. As for "not apart from": because sentient beings have this real illness, Vimalakīrti responds in kind; the cause of the response illness is truly their real illness, hence it is said to be "not apart from." In terms of neither being identical nor apart, provisional illness is discussed. Furthermore, regarding "not the earth element": as the Qing Guanyin jing says, "Earth lacks the nature of solidity; the nature of water does not abide; fire arises from conditions; the nature of wind is unobstructed." Each enters the realm of true reality; the true reality of the four elements is precisely not illness; hence he says it is not the four elements. As for "not apart from": sentient beings do not understand the true reality of the four elements, and so give rise to various illnesses. For this reason the response body shares the illnesses of the four elements, hence it is said to be "not apart from." Therefore Vimalakīrti says, "Yet the illness of sentient beings arises from the four elements; because they are ill, therefore I am ill." Sentient beings are formed of the four elements; responding in kind, he also manifests as being formed of the four elements. The four elements are precisely the dharmas that constitute illness. Now, universally considering the three lands: if the three lands have illness, Vimalakīrti has this illness of great compassion, whose essence is formless, like empty space; though responding in kind, it does not unite with the body and mind of the three lands. The dharma constituting the illness fundamentally derives from great compassion; what does it have to do with the four elements? Yet it is not apart from the four elements, and therefore to the beings of the three lands he manifests this provisional illness; hence he says, "Therefore I am ill." This is true even up to the Dharma Cloud [stage] and the vajra mind.