維摩經略疏 2.32

2.32

From "At that time all [the great assembly]" below: third, the great assembly beholding the miraculous sign and rejoicing. The text has three parts: 1. Praising it as unprecedented: this is the offering of vocal action. Never from the past until now had the miraculous sign of joining the canopies appeared, symbolizing that the buddha-land was about to be expounded. 2. Joining palms and paying homage to the Buddha: this is the offering of bodily action. 3. Gazing up at his venerable countenance: this is the offering of mental action. Because the miraculous sign was displayed, they were certain to hear of the inconceivable buddha-land, and were bound to attain the purity of the three actions and the three wheels of inconceivable transformation; because they were bound to attain this benefit, joyful minds arose in advance. Thus they all performed offerings of the three actions. Yet the displaying of marks as an expression was solely to arouse the sentiments of beings; once the reverent gaze of beings' sentiments was aroused, the Great Sage then had to respond to the conditions and preach the Dharma. With joy and reverence serving as the preface, the meaning becomes ever closer.