維摩經略疏 8.58

8.58

「舍利弗言」下，二、明二脫體別不同。此約但不但空分別。文為四：一身子約事問天以理答、二天以事問身子以理答、三身子重決天女彈呵、四身子稱嘆。初文為五：一身子約事問、二天以理答、三身子心迷重問、四天還以理答、五身子悟而默解。初文者，身子是起教之端，故以就事止室久近而致問也。二、天女答。「如耆年解脫」者，此約理而答。如耆年所得但空，解脫之時真諦之理無久無近。我處此室是得不可得空、住不思議解脫。第一義理本無言說，無有久近。耆年解脫既無久近，安問有久近耶？故將耆年解脫以斥答身子。三、身子本以事問，天忽將理答，倉卒不解，故重問言止久耶。四、天重答「耆年解脫亦何如久」。汝問止此久如，答如耆年解脫之理無久近，云何重問久耶？若爾，仁者所得解脫為有久耶？若仁解脫非久，何得重問為有久耶？五、身子悟天玄旨默而領解。

From 'Śāriputra said' below: second, clarifying that the essences of the two liberations differ. This differentiates them in terms of mere emptiness versus not-mere emptiness. The text has four parts: first, Śāriputra asks in terms of events and the goddess replies in terms of principle; second, the goddess asks in terms of events and Śāriputra replies in terms of principle; third, Śāriputra seeks further determination and the heavenly maiden rebukes him; fourth, Śāriputra praises her. The first part has five items: first, Śāriputra asks in terms of events; second, the goddess replies in terms of principle; third, Śāriputra's mind is bewildered and he asks again; fourth, the goddess again replies in terms of principle; fifth, Śāriputra awakens and silently understands. As for the first: Śāriputra is the origin of the teaching, so he poses the question based on the event of how long she has stayed in the room. Second, the heavenly maiden replies. 'Like the Elder's liberation': this replies in terms of principle. Like the mere emptiness attained by the Elder, at the time of liberation the principle of ultimate truth has no long or short duration. My residing in this room is attaining non-attainable emptiness and abiding in inconceivable liberation. The principle of the supreme truth originally has no verbal expression and has no long or short duration. Since the Elder's liberation has no long or short duration, why ask whether there is long or short duration? Therefore, she uses the Elder's liberation to rebut and reply to Śāriputra. Third, Śāriputra originally asked in terms of events; the goddess suddenly answered with principle, and in his haste he did not understand, so he asked again, saying, 'Have you stayed long?' Fourth, the goddess replies again, 'How long is the Elder's liberation?' You asked how long I have stayed here, and I answered that like the principle of the Elder's liberation it has no long or short duration; why do you ask again about long duration? If so, does the liberation attained by the benevolent one have long duration? If the benevolent one's liberation is not of long duration, how can you ask again whether there is long duration? Fifth, Śāriputra awakens to the goddess's profound meaning and silently grasps it.