維摩經略疏 8.10

8.10

「如智者至久住」此九譬，四屬隨理、五屬隨情。「如水中月」者，因於天月知有水月，雖不可得不妨有月。菩薩自知於法性水，有無明日月即眾生。「如鏡中見其面像」者，菩薩知有無明面，於真法性鏡見眾生像。「如熱時焰」者，無明如熱時，依法性空起眾生焰。「如呼聲響」者，若有無明呼聲，即於法性空谷有眾生響。若如《攝大乘》八譬依阿梨耶有，各有所主，此是別意。今通用譬眾生者，即通圓二教意也。「如空中雲」下五譬，是三藏隨情三假，助成隨理之譬，具如〈方便品〉明。「如空中雲」者，五陰中無人身，見力故有眾生雲。「如水聚沫」等譬，皆〈方便品〉已釋。

From 'like a wise person' up to 'abiding for long' are these nine analogies: four belong to according with principle, and five belong to according with passions. 'Like the moon in the water' means: because of the moon in the sky one knows there is a moon in the water; although it cannot be grasped, it does not prevent there being a moon. The bodhisattva knows by themselves that within the water of the Dharma-nature, there is the sun and moon of ignorance, which are precisely sentient beings. 'Like seeing the image of one's face in a mirror' means: the bodhisattva knows there is a face of ignorance, and in the mirror of the true Dharma-nature sees the image of sentient beings. 'Like a mirage in the heat' means: ignorance is like the heat, giving rise to the mirage of sentient beings based on the emptiness of the Dharma-nature. 'Like the echo of a shout' means: if there is the shout of ignorance, then within the empty valley of the Dharma-nature there is the echo of sentient beings. If it were according to the eight analogies of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha which exist based on the ālaya[vijñāna], each having its respective reference, that is a separate intention. Here, their general use to analogize sentient beings is the intention of both the common and round teachings. The five analogies from 'like clouds in the sky' onward are the three provisionalities according with passions of the Tripiṭaka [teaching], which support and establish the analogies according with principle, as fully explained in the 'Expedient Means' chapter. 'Like clouds in the sky' means: within the five aggregates there is no human person; through the power of views there is the cloud of sentient beings. Analogies such as 'like a mass of water-bubbles' have all already been explained in the 'Expedient Means' chapter.