維摩經略疏 3.25

3.25

"Observing the precepts purely, he gathered those who broke the prohibitions": Vimalakīrti's dharmakāya abides in the body of the three virtues of śīla fulfilled, which is neither keeping nor breaking; through expedient means he can gather those who break prohibitions with the ten kinds of precept treasuries. First, through the ten wholesomenesses and the five precepts, he gathers humans and devas. Next, through the rules of conduct, he gathers those who break the four [precepts of] non-deficiency and so forth. Next, through right speech, right action, and right livelihood of arising and non-arising, he gathers those who break [the precepts] following the Way and unattached. Next, through the immeasurable three right [factors], he gathers those who break [the precepts] praised by the sages and autonomous. Next, through the unconditioned three right [factors], he gathers those who break [the precepts] complete and following samādhi. Other persons who have not attained neither keeping nor breaking are all termed "breakers"; thus the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: "Only the Buddha alone possesses pure precepts; all other persons are called defilers of the precepts." Once these sentient beings receive the gathering of the precepts, by not breaking prohibitions they accomplish the bodhisattva practice, following the practice of the wholesomeness of the precepts. When Vimalakīrti attains buddhahood, the sentient beings gathered through the wholesomeness of the precepts will come to be born in his land. The text above states: "Keeping the precepts is the bodhisattva's pure land; when the bodhisattva attains buddhahood, sentient beings who keep the precepts come to be born in his land." In terms of the contemplation of mind: if disciples of the Buddha among the four assemblies today, whether noble or base, can cultivate the threefold contemplation in one mind and, abiding in this contemplation of mind, see neither keeping nor breaking, compassionately benefit beings, purely keep the prohibitions, possess the virtue of keeping precepts to which beings turn, and reveal the Dharma doors to them; if an elder, county magistrate, prefect, or ruler of a state can uphold fasting and precepts, then the ministers, commoners, and four assemblies of an entire township, county, prefecture, or state will naturally cease evil and cultivate the wholesomeness of the precepts; this is transformation without words. Cultivating the path of the four teachings through the causes of the four kinds of pure lands, personally abiding in the Dharma door of the inexhaustible lamp of śīla to gather sentient beings, all those gathered will again become their retinue in future lives; the rest is as explained under giving. The contemplation of mind for the remaining four perfections below can be understood by analogy to this.