維摩經略疏 3.24

3.24

"With immeasurable wealth and possessions he gathered the poor": ancient commentaries mostly say that wealth and possessions are merely worldly goods and silks, and the poor are merely the worldly poor. If so, how would this differ from the ordinary mortals practicing giving? How could it suffice to praise Vimalakīrti's descending into traces, skillfully gathering beings to be born in the four lands? Now we say that wealth has the phenomenal and the noumenal. The phenomenal is knowable; the noumenal is the wealth of the true reality of wholesome Dharmas. Thus the text says, "The Dharma King's Dharma power surpasses all beings; he constantly bestows the wealth of Dharma upon all." Bestowing the Dharma wealth of the four teachings upon all, the perfection of giving fully comprises the dharma-realm; hence it is said to be "immeasurable." As for gathering the poor, not only are the worldly poor gathered through wealth and then instructed in the Way, but now the "poor" also refers to the seven kinds of expedient means, all of which are the poor. One should know these are all the Tathāgata's expedient and secret words. If they are ordinary mortals at the bottom who are poor, one gathers them with worldly goods and silks, or with the wholesomeness of the precepts. If they are the destitute sons of the two vehicles, who in youth abandoned their father to seek food and clothing, one gathers them with the wealth of the Dharma of arising and perishing, equivalent to a day's wages of salt, vinegar, rice, and flour in the Tripiṭaka [teachings]. Although the two vehicles are wealthy compared to ordinary mortals, compared to bodhisattvas they are still poor in the wealth of Dharma; hence the Lotus Sūtra says, "reflecting upon his own poverty: 'I have no such things.'" Although a bodhisattva's merit across three asaṃkhyeya kalpas is immeasurable, and he is wealthy compared to the śrāvakas, compared to the shared-teaching bodhisattvas he is still poor. Those of the shared teaching consider themselves wealthy with the Dharma wealth of the perfections of the truth of non-arising, but compared to the distinct teaching they are still poor. Those of the distinct teaching cultivate the immeasurable truths through successive distinctions and possess immeasurable Dharma wealth of the pāramitās, considering themselves wealthy, but compared to the perfect teaching they are still poor. In the perfect teaching, the three truths, the truth of unconditioned action, and the Dharma wealth of the pāramitās are perfectly complete, and the vajra treasure is without deficiency; only then is one called wealthy. Therefore Cunda lamented his own poverty in the treasures of the supreme Dharma; only when obtaining unconditioned action does one possess the supreme Dharma wealth. The Great Being's dharmakāya abides in the perfect giving that is neither stinginess nor giving, and can produce the wealth of Dharma giving of the four teachings to gather the seven kinds of poor. Even in the perfect teaching, one whose wholesome roots have not yet arisen is still poor, like Cunda. Gathering sentient beings with the four kinds of Dharma wealth to cause them to be born in the four lands is descending into traces to lead beings back to the fundamental. Furthermore, by the four kinds of Dharma giving—sudden, gradual, indeterminate, and secret—he gathers sentient beings, accomplishes the bodhisattva practice, and causes them to be born in the pure land. When Vimalakīrti attains buddhahood, the sentient beings gathered through giving will come to be born in his land. Therefore we know these words support and complete the previous chapter, where the Buddha said giving is the bodhisattva's pure land, and all sentient beings capable of renunciation will come to be born in his land. How could one not take the buddha-land as the central theme? In terms of the contemplation of mind: if any of the four assemblies today can abide in the threefold contemplation in one mind, see neither stinginess nor giving, compassionately benefit beings to relieve poverty and destitution, and promote merit, offerings, and sympathetic joy to encourage and assist them; if an elder practices giving in a village and preaches the Dharma by means of giving, those who receive the giving will feel gratitude, admire his virtue, turn their hearts to receive transformation, their stinginess will gradually diminish, and they too will emulate the donor in renouncing wealth to cultivate merit. If an official in charge of a county abides in the correct contemplation of mind, giving wealth and giving Dharma, then the poor within his single jurisdiction will turn their hearts to receive transformation, their stingy minds will naturally cease, and they will also be able to renounce wealth. Even up to heavenly kings and sovereign emperors who abide in the correct contemplation of mind, see neither stinginess nor giving, compassionately love the poor, bestow kindness and wisdom, and skillfully preach the Dharma doors of the four teachings for them: the four assemblies, bearing gratitude, will turn their hearts to receive the Way and will all be able to give as well. Just as one lamp lights hundreds of thousands of lamps, so that those in darkness are all illuminated and the light never ends, this is the four assemblies, emperors, and elders abiding in the Dharma door of the inexhaustible lamp of giving to gather sentient beings. All those gathered will again become their retinue in future lives, be born together in the pure land, meet the Buddha, hear the sūtras, and develop correct wisdom; all these donors will attain the forbearance of non-arising, manifest the attainment of correct awakening in lands with which they have affinity, and those previously gathered through giving will all come to their lands to cultivate the path of the three vehicles; if they hear the Lotus Sūtra, they will together enter the Buddha vehicle. This being so, where else would the Great Being Vimalakīrti need to go to Vaiśālī?