維摩經略疏 8.87

8.87

「舍利弗」下，品之大段第六，身子問得菩提久近，即顯圓教成道也。文為二：一身子約藏通問得道久近，天約不思議真諦答；二、身子約思議俗諦問，天還約不思議真諦答。初中身子先問意者，汝既為利物，何當道場八相成道。次天答。即反質，有二意：一者若舍利弗還為凡夫，我乃當成菩提。若言悟真無生，豈有為凡之理；我得圓真之道，已除別惑，豈可方依藏通八相成道。故云「我得菩提亦無是處」。若身子見思議真更作凡夫，我入不思議真乃為八相。汝無是事，我豈有之。然羅漢能化為凡夫，非真凡夫。法身成道亦非八相，眾生應八相得度即現八相成道。羅漢實不更作凡夫，我得無生亦實無八相。此覆相並釋也。次身子答云「我作凡夫無有是處。」天即並云「我得菩提亦無是處。」所以作此並者，若身子問法身究竟成道，此乃十住不見其始，唯佛與佛乃能究盡。天設答身子時節久如，如《法華》明大通成道王子行因，身子豈能知此八相？祇得無生即能八相隨緣作佛，何須致問。次天自釋言「菩提無住處故無得」者，此是法身觀不思議真諦空無方所，諸佛不能行不能到，故說無有得者。

From "Śāriputra" onward is the sixth major section of the chapter: Śāriputra asks how long it will be before she attains bodhi, which brings to light the attainment of the Way according to the Round Teaching. The text has two parts: first, Śāriputra asks about the length of time to attain the Way in terms of the Tripiṭaka and Shared teachings, and the goddess answers in terms of the inconceivable true truth; second, Śāriputra asks in terms of the conceivable conventional truth, and the goddess again answers in terms of the inconceivable true truth. In the first part, the intention behind Śāriputra's initial question is: "Since you are working to benefit living beings, when will you enter the bodhimaṇḍa and attain the Way through the eight aspects?" Next, the goddess answers. She turns the question back upon him with two meanings: first, if Śāriputra were to revert to being an ordinary person, only then would she attain bodhi. If one has awakened to the true unarisen, how could there be any principle of becoming an ordinary person? Having attained the Way of the round and true, she has already eliminated separate afflictions; how could she now conform to attaining the Way through the eight aspects of the Tripiṭaka and Shared teachings? Therefore she says: "My attainment of bodhi would also be an impossibility." If Śāriputra, having seen the conceivable truth, could once again become an ordinary person, only then would my entry into the inconceivable truth constitute the eight aspects. Just as this is impossible for you, how could it be so for me? However, an arhat can manifest as an ordinary person, but is not truly an ordinary person. The dharmakāya's attainment of the Way is likewise not through eight aspects; only when living beings are to be saved through the eight aspects does it manifest attainment of the Way through the eight aspects. An arhat truly does not become an ordinary person again, and my attainment of the unarisen truly possesses no eight aspects. This explains both sides by counter-analogy. Next, Śāriputra replies, "It is impossible for me to become an ordinary person." The goddess immediately counters, "My attaining bodhi is likewise impossible." The reason she presents this counter-analogy is that if Śāriputra is asking about the dharmakāya's ultimate attainment of the Way, even the ten abodes cannot discern its beginning; only a buddha together with a buddha can exhaustively fathom it. Even if the goddess were to answer Śāriputra regarding how long it would be, just as the Lotus Sūtra explains the prince's practice of causes in the attainment of the Way under Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, how could Śāriputra understand these eight aspects? Merely by attaining the unarisen, one is already capable of manifesting as a buddha through the eight aspects in accordance with conditions; why must he pose such a question? Next, the goddess herself explains, saying: "Because bodhi has no abiding place, there is nothing to be attained." This means that the dharmakāya contemplates the inconceivable true truth as empty and without spatial location; the buddhas cannot practice it and cannot reach it, and therefore it is said that there is no one who attains it.