維摩經略疏 4.10

4.10

Question: If so, laypeople are all such; why only the voice-hearers? Answer: In general terms, this is indeed so; but in specific terms, it is not. Although laypeople also come from time to time to receive the Way, since physically they abide in worldly bonds and serve their parents and ruler, how could they wait upon [the Buddha] morning and night and constantly receive instruction? Bodhisattvas constantly cherish benefiting beings; wherever there is capacity they go, and do not attend solely upon the Buddha's side. Voice-hearers leave home to become internal retinues; from hearing they give rise to understanding, and in every matter rely upon and receive [guidance], so the comportment of a disciple is complete in both phenomenon and principle. Furthermore, the voice-hearer sūtras explain the five kinds of Buddha-sons and five kinds of attaining the fruit, without speaking of bodhisattvas; therefore the name 'disciple' belongs exclusively to voice-hearers. In the Mahāyāna, bodhisattvas are mostly spoken of as Buddha-sons. Here, still following the original usage based on the voice-hearer sūtras, they are named 'disciples'; as the world widely trusts and uses this, it is used to entitle the chapter.