維摩經略疏 7.50

7.50

「當起」下，二、明法空。文為三：一先分別法、二破除、三釋。初文者，菩薩為利眾生，先分別法相方入空也。故《大論》云「先用法智分別諸法，次用涅槃智」，所以入眾生空竟，更起法想分別諸法，然後體法入空者，如身子利根，入見道竟即能斷結成羅漢果，停留七日，為作隨佛轉法輪將。須在學地遍知學人所行之法，方證羅漢。今菩薩欲觀法假入空，須先起法想。「但以眾法合成此身」者，即先分別眾因緣法，所謂過去二因成今五果。陰入界法成假名身，亦是十法界法。何以知然？眾生身具六道，後破涅槃即破四種行人計涅槃也。「起唯法起」者，陰入界生唯是法生，是中無我使起使滅。又解起唯法起者，六道因果法起也。「滅唯法滅」者，四種聖人得二涅槃，即是三界因果法滅也。「又此法者各不相知」者，色不知心、心不知色，入界皆爾各不相知。所以然者，諸法無性無知者見者，以何而知？「起時不言我起」者，前言不知，是各不相知。今言諸法無性互不知起，雖有法起無自他性，虛假不實。「滅時不言我滅」，義亦如是。

From "One should give rise to" onward is the second part: explaining the emptiness of dharmas. The text has three parts: first, distinguishing dharmas beforehand; second, eradicating them; third, the explanation. As for the first passage, for the benefit of sentient beings, the bodhisattva first distinguishes the characteristics of dharmas and only then enters emptiness. Therefore the *Dàzhìdù lùn* says: "One first uses the wisdom of dharmas to differentiate all dharmas, and next uses the wisdom of nirvāṇa." As for the reason why, after entering the emptiness of sentient beings, one further gives rise to the notion of dharmas to differentiate all dharmas and only then realizes dharmas to enter emptiness: it is like Śāriputra of sharp faculties, who upon completing the path of seeing could immediately cut off fetters and accomplish the fruit of an arhat, yet remained for seven days to serve as a general following the Buddha in turning the wheel of the Dharma. He had to know universally on the learner's stage the dharmas practiced by learners, and only then verify arhatship. Now, when the bodhisattva wishes to contemplate the provisionality of dharmas to enter emptiness, he must first give rise to the notion of dharmas. "This body is formed merely by the coming together of many dharmas" means that one first distinguishes the dharmas of multiple causes and conditions, namely the two causes of the past producing the five fruits of the present. The dharmas of the aggregates, sense bases, and elements constitute the provisional-name body, and are also the dharmas of the ten dharma-realms. How is this known to be so? The bodies of sentient beings are endowed with the six paths, and later destroying nirvāṇa is destroying the four types of practitioners grasping at nirvāṇa. "Its arising is merely the arising of dharmas" means that the arising of the aggregates, sense bases, and elements is merely the arising of dharmas; within them there is no self causing them to arise or causing them to cease. Another explanation is that "its arising is merely the arising of dharmas" means the arising of the dharmas of causes and fruits of the six paths. "Its ceasing is merely the ceasing of dharmas" means that when the four types of noble ones attain the two nirvāṇas, it is the ceasing of the dharmas of causes and fruits of the three realms. "Moreover, these dharmas do not know one another" means that form does not know mind, and mind does not know form; the sense bases and elements are all like this, not knowing one another. Why is this so? All dharmas have no inherent nature, and have no knower or seer; by what could they know? "When arising, they do not say, 'I arise'": previously it said they do not know, which means they do not know one another; now it says all dharmas have no inherent nature and mutually do not know arising—although there is the arising of dharmas, they lack self-nature or other-nature, being provisional and unreal. "When ceasing, they do not say, 'I cease'": the meaning is likewise so.