維摩經略疏 8.12

8.12

「如無色至為若此」此十六譬，三、明觀眾生中道。中道之法非有非空，不如如幻等譬之有，不如第五大等譬之無。「如無色界色」者，若不了義教明無色界無色，其了義教明無色界有色。故《大經》云「如無色界色，云何得有來去住止。」如是之義非諸聲聞緣覺境界，乃是諸佛菩薩之所知見。解脫亦爾，亦色非色。非色者聲聞緣覺，色者諸佛如來。此色不同世間質礙之色，乃是妙色，湛然恒安住不為生死之所遷。有人言：《舍利弗毘曇》明無色界有色。此譬中道非世諦有，名之為空。非真諦無，故有妙色。故知自下諸譬，皆約智者見空及與不空以說中道。故《大品》云「諸法無所有如是有，是事不知名為無明」，「無明住地其力最大，佛菩提智之所能斷」。今無色界色是佛境界，當知諸譬皆譬眾生中道之空。又上明如十九界竟，即結云「菩薩觀眾生為若此」，方復立章明無色界色，故不同前。此皆釋成上〈問疾品〉從假入空，「我及涅槃是二皆空，得此法時無有餘病唯有空病，空病亦空」，與此觀眾生三諦相成，故言觀眾生品，意在於此。「如燋穀芽」者，上迦葉自惟敗種，若永敗者至《法華經》豈佛授記？若得作佛種則不燋。《大經》云「若人方便蘇油溉灌令得生芽」，故知燋種有生芽義。「如須陀洹身見」者，此人斷見得入初果，分段三界身見永除，別惑未除身見則有。「如阿那含入胎」者，雖不還欲界受胎，別惑未斷，若發大心方入聖胎，故言安住世諦，初出胎時名不生生。「如阿羅漢三毒」者，雖無界內三毒，界外非畢竟無。「如得忍菩薩貪恚毀禁」者，得無生忍乃當必無界內貪恚毀禁，界外不無。經云「唯佛一人住淨戒，餘人皆名污戒者。」當知得忍菩薩有毀禁義。「如佛煩惱習」者，佛乃正習永除、種智圓滿，若有應以習氣得度亦得現起，如呵調達、譏責舍利。

From 'like the formless' up to 'in this manner' are these sixteen analogies; the third part explains contemplating sentient beings as the Middle Way. The phenomenon of the Middle Way is neither existent nor empty, not existent like the analogies of illusion and the like, nor non-existent like the analogies of the fifth great element and the like. 'Like form in the formless realm' means: according to the non-definitive teaching, the formless realm has no form; according to the definitive teaching, the formless realm has form. Thus the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra states: 'Like form in the formless realm, how could it have coming, going, abiding, or halting?' Such a meaning is not the sphere of the voice-hearers and solitary buddhas, but is the knowledge and vision of the buddhas and bodhisattvas. Liberation is also like this: both form and non-form. Non-form is the voice-hearers and solitary buddhas; form is the buddhas and Tathāgatas. This form is not the obstructive form of the world, but is wondrous form, serene and constantly dwelling at peace, not subject to transition by birth and death. Some say: the Śāriputrābhidharma explains that the formless realm has form. This analogizes that the Middle Way is not the existence of worldly truth, which is called emptiness; nor is it the non-existence of ultimate truth, hence having wondrous form. Therefore we know that all the following analogies explain the Middle Way in terms of the wise seeing both emptiness and non-emptiness. Hence the Dàpǐn states: 'Phenomena are non-existent and yet existent in this way; not knowing this matter is called ignorance'; 'The ground of the entrenchment of ignorance has the greatest power; it can only be severed by the buddha-wisdom of bodhi.' Here, form in the formless realm is the realm of buddhas; one should know that all these analogies analogize the emptiness of the Middle Way of sentient beings. Furthermore, having finished explaining above 'like a nineteenth realm', it then concludes: 'A bodhisattva contemplates sentient beings in this manner,' and only then sets up a section explaining form in the formless realm; hence it is not the same as before. These all explain and establish the aforementioned entering emptiness from provisionality in the 'Inquiring after the Illness' chapter: 'I and nirvāṇa—both of these are empty; when attaining this Dharma there are no remaining illnesses, only the illness of emptiness; the illness of emptiness is also empty.' This forms a mutual complement with this contemplation of sentient beings through the three truths; therefore the chapter is titled 'Contemplating Sentient Beings'—the intention lies right here. 'Like the sprout of scorched grain' means: previously Kāśyapa reflected on himself as a spoiled seed; if it were permanently spoiled, how could the Buddha have bestowed prophecy upon reaching the Lotus Sūtra? If able to become a buddha-seed, it is not scorched. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra states: 'If someone with expedient means irrigates it with ghee and oil, causing it to sprout,' therefore we know that a scorched seed has the principle of sprouting. 'Like a stream-enterer's view of self' means: this person cuts off views and attains entry into the first fruit, permanently eliminating the view of self within the three realms of segmented [birth and death], yet distinct delusions are not yet eliminated and the view of self still exists. 'Like a once-returner entering the womb' means: although not returning to the desire realm to receive a womb, distinct delusions are not yet severed; if they generate the great mind, they then enter the noble womb, hence said to abide peacefully in worldly truth, and upon first emerging from the womb it is called non-arising arising. 'Like an arhat's three poisons' means: although lacking the three poisons within the realms, outside the realms they are not completely absent. 'Like a bodhisattva who has attained forbearance having greed, anger, and breaking prohibitions' means: one who has attained the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas certainly has no greed, anger, or breaking of prohibitions within the realms, but is not without them outside the realms. The sūtra states: 'Only the Buddha alone abides in pure precepts; all other persons are called defilers of precepts.' One should know that a bodhisattva who has attained forbearance has the aspect of breaking prohibitions. 'Like the Buddha's habit-energies of affliction' means: the Buddha has indeed permanently eliminated both active afflictions and habit-energies, with knowledge of all modes fully perfected; yet if there are those who should be saved by means of habit-energies, he can also manifest their arising, such as rebuking Devadatta or criticizing Śāriputra.