維摩經略疏 8.4

8.4

二、略釋此品名。言「觀眾生」者，前〈問疾品〉明從假入空，但觀自身之疾；今此品明從假入空，即觀自之與他一如無二。《華嚴》云「心佛及眾生，是三無差別。」自之與他互舉一邊，若不達自則不達他。上明達自自調，今此達他慈悲接物，故云觀眾生品。觀以觀達為義，亦是觀穿。言觀達者，達眾生本源清淨。如從假入空觀之所照達，雖復凡聖有殊，同歸空寂一如無二。故《華嚴》云「如心佛亦爾，如佛眾生然。心佛及眾生，是三無差別。」上文云「彌勒如眾生如，一如無二。」此即了達眾生畢竟清淨。俗諦生空、真諦法空、中道第一義諦真平等空，達此三理深義者，眾生三諦惑障不同，所謂取相、無知、無明之別，雖有三惑障三諦理，菩薩照了通達無礙。故《大經》云「即用利鑺斷之，磐石沙礫直過無礙，徹至金剛。」即是觀達義也。觀穿義者，菩薩從假入空時，貫穿俗諦見思之磐石、滯真無知之沙、無明覆蔽一實之礫，洞徹無礙，即是窮至心性本際金剛。故《法華》云「譬如有人渴乏須水，於彼高原穿鑿求之，猶見乾土知水尚遠。施功不已轉見濕土，遂漸至泥，其心決定知水必近。」見乾土者，觀眾生假，見真諦也。見濕土者，觀真不住，見假無礙。遂漸至泥者，此明中道與無明合，如水與泥合，故言至泥。若得清水，即中道理顯，離無明泥澄淳清淨即真解脫。故入此品明觀眾生有三種，即擬此三，即觀達義。又下文窮源撿之至無住本，即是觀穿五住至心本際金剛理也。言眾生者，即是陰入等法攬此為身，名眾生也。《毘曇》明所成眾生是無，能成實法是有。犢子云「我在第五不可說藏」。《成實》云「非但所成是假，能成亦假。」故以三假為世諦有假眾生，若空入真即無眾生，非但無所成亦無能成。此折假明能成所成以入空也。方廣明眾生實法皆如夢幻，不生不滅畢竟皆空。《大論》破此失衍意也。今經明體所成能以入空也，皆如幻化等。

Second, briefly explaining the title of this chapter. As for "contemplating sentient beings": the preceding chapter on "Inquiring after the Illness" explained entering emptiness from the provisional by only contemplating the illness of one's own body; now this chapter explains entering emptiness from the provisional by contemplating that self and other are of one suchness, without duality. The *Avataṃsaka* says: "Mind, buddha, and sentient beings—these three are without difference." Self and other are stated as one side each; if one does not penetrate the self, one does not penetrate the other. Above it explained penetrating the self to harmonize oneself; now this explains penetrating the other to receive beings with kindness and compassion; hence it is called the chapter on "Contemplating Sentient Beings". "Contemplation" takes contemplating-and-penetrating as its meaning, and also contemplating-and-piercing. As for "contemplating and penetrating": it penetrates to the original purity of sentient beings. As illuminated and penetrated by the contemplation of entering emptiness from the provisional, although ordinary beings and sages differ, they equally return to empty quiescence as one suchness without duality. Thus the *Avataṃsaka* says: "As the mind is, so is the buddha; as the buddha is, so are sentient beings. Mind, buddha, and sentient beings—these three are without difference." The text above said: "Maitreya's suchness and the suchness of sentient beings are of one suchness, without duality." This is thoroughly penetrating that sentient beings are ultimately pure. The emptiness of beings of the conventional truth, the emptiness of phenomena of the true truth, and the true, equal emptiness of the Middle Way primary-meaning truth: for one who penetrates the profound meaning of these three truths, the delusive hindrances of sentient beings toward the three truths are different, namely the distinctions of grasping marks, unknowing, and fundamental ignorance; although there are three delusions that hinder the principles of the three truths, the bodhisattva illuminates and thoroughly penetrates them without obstruction. Thus the *Great Sūtra* says: "Then use a sharp chisel to cut through it; passing straight through boulders, sand, and gravel without obstruction, reaching right through to the vajra." This is the meaning of contemplating and penetrating. As for the meaning of contemplating and piercing: when the bodhisattva enters emptiness from the provisional, piercing through the boulders of view and thought [afflictions] of the conventional truth, the sand of unknowing that stagnates in the real, and the gravel of fundamental ignorance that veils the one reality, penetrating without obstruction, this is penetrating to the vajra of the fundamental limit of mind-nature. Thus the *Lotus Sūtra* says: "Suppose a person is thirsty and needs water, and digs for it on that high plateau; seeing only dry earth, he knows water is still far off. Exerting effort without cease, he then sees moist earth, and gradually reaches mud; in his mind he knows for certain that water is surely near." Seeing dry earth means contemplating the provisionality of sentient beings and seeing the true truth. Seeing moist earth means contemplating the true without abiding in it, seeing the provisional without obstruction. Gradually reaching mud explains that the Middle Way unites with fundamental ignorance just as water unites with mud; hence it says "reaching mud". If one attains clear water, the principle of the Middle Way is revealed; separating from the mud of fundamental ignorance, settled, pure, and clean, that is true liberation. Therefore, entering this chapter to explain contemplating sentient beings has three kinds, which correspond to these three; this is the meaning of contemplating and penetrating. Furthermore, below, tracing the source and examining it down to the origin of non-abiding is precisely contemplating and piercing the five entrenchments down to the vajra principle of the mind's fundamental limit. As for "sentient beings": it refers to gathering the dharmas of the aggregates, sense-bases, and so forth into a body, which is called "sentient beings". The *Abhidharma* explains that the produced sentient being does not exist, while the real dharmas that produce it do exist. The Vātsīputrīyas say: "The self resides in the fifth inexpressible repository." The *Tattvasiddhi* says: "Not only is what is produced provisional, but what produces is also provisional." Therefore, taking the three provisionals as the provisional sentient being existing in conventional truth, if one empties it to enter the true, there are no sentient beings; not only is there nothing produced, there is also nothing producing. This is breaking down the provisional to clarify the producing and the produced so as to enter emptiness. The *Fangguang* explains that sentient beings and real dharmas are all like dreams and phantoms, neither arising nor ceasing, and ultimately completely empty. The *Dàzhìdù lùn* refutes this as missing the intention of the Mahāyāna. The present sūtra explains embodying the produced and the producing to enter emptiness, all being like phantoms, transformations, and so forth.