維摩經略疏 4.26

4.26

From "The Buddha knew" onward is second: the Tathāgata sends someone to inquire. The text has two parts: first, the Buddha knows the mental thoughts; second, he directly sends [someone] to inquire. First, where it says "The Buddha knew his intention," the Buddha, by means of his quiescently luminous wisdom, clearly discerned from afar the intention of feigning illness, [which arose from] unconditioned great compassion on account of sentient beings' illness. A wise person knows a wise person, just as a snake knows a snake. From "told Śāriputra" onward is second: the Buddha sends [someone] to inquire, which has two parts: first, he commands the ten disciples; next, he commands the five hundred. In first commanding Śāriputra, the text has two parts: first, the Buddha commands; second, he presents his declining. As for first commanding him, Śāriputra was the Buddha's attendant on the left side; because among the assembly of śrāvakas his reputation was high and his virtue weighty, both inside and outside [the Saṅgha] revered and bowed to him. Although Vimalakīrti was a householder, he was thoroughly versed in the Buddhadharma, and his spiritual understanding and eloquence were difficult to match; therefore, he first commanded him. However, Śāriputra's causes and conditions were very numerous and hard to recount fully; now they are stated briefly. Ever since entering the womb, his sharp intelligence surpassed others; wishing to transform all intelligent non-Buddhists, they were all first made his disciples. Later, meeting the Buddha, leaving home, and becoming an arhat, he guided all intelligent non-Buddhists to become disciples of the Buddha, manifesting the teaching of the Four Withering [Trees]. Now, his being rebuked and remaining silent without answering was to make those of the Four Withering [Trees] inwardly humbled and broken, so that they would yearn for and revere the teaching of the wisdom of the Four Blooming [Trees]. When it came to expounding the Mahāprajñā, it was first expounded to Śāriputra so that all the śrāvakas would have faith in and understand the wisdom of the Four Blooming [Trees] of the full-word teaching. When it came to the Lotus Sūtra, the Buddha's knowledge and vision were first opened to Śāriputra; the eight classes [of beings] and the four assemblies all opened the Buddha's knowledge and vision, rejoiced and praised, and spoke a verse saying: "The greatly wise Śāriputra / Has now received the Honoured One's prediction. / We likewise / Are certain to become buddhas." This means they all awakened to the true understanding of the Four Blooming [Trees]. Therefore, in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Lion's Roar Bodhisattva asked the Buddha: "What person can adorn the twin sāla trees?" The Buddha answered: "The greatly wise Śāriputra is that person." Some say: "The Lotus Sūtra is a teaching of impermanence. Śāriputra had already attained extinction three months before the Buddha's parinirvāṇa; having not heard the teaching of the twin trees of the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra], how could he be said to be capable of adorning the twin trees?" One should know that when the Lotus Sūtra bestowed predictions upon the eight classes and four assemblies, the meaning of the twin trees was already made manifest; this is merely drawing out the intention of the Lotus Sūtra. Due to these causes and conditions, the Buddha sent him to inquire after the illness.