維摩經略疏 4.87

4.87

From "those who … up to doing harm" next explains the function of the food. "Being able to serve as a true field of merit for donors, so that those who give have neither great merit nor small merit": if mocking Kāśyapa, it cannot be that because a poor person has deep intention the merit is great so one must visit him, while because a rich person has slight intention the merit is small so one need not go. The bodhisattva is an unsurpassed field for food: those who give [to him] all enter the buddha path; how could there be a distinction of small and great? If explained according to principle, producing the merit of nirvāṇa is called great, while producing the merit of humans and devas is called small; therefore, attaining the true field, one does not give rise to views of the two extremes of great and small. "Neither benefiting nor harming": if mocking Kāśyapa, when Kāśyapa considered going to the poor and not going to the rich as benefit and harm, then both were harmed and benefited. The bodhisattva's mind relies on the Buddha's wisdom and does not see such benefit and harm; he merely has an impartial mind of loving-kindness, in order to reveal the principle that the dharma nature has no increase or decrease. If understood according to principle, he does not work the benefit of worldly retribution, nor does he harm it and further harm it to make saṃsāra exhausted and nirvāṇa reduced to ashes and severed; this is the ultimate giving. The fourth is concluding with exhortation, which is also a rebuke. Opening the Buddha's knowledge and vision to enter the initial generation of the mind is being partially a true buddha. "Not relying on the śrāvaka": if in terms of the non-definitive teaching, one does not attain bodhi; if relying on the definitive teaching, one gradually enters the Buddha's wisdom. Hence the Lotus Sūtra says: "All these people should gradually enter the Buddha's wisdom by means of this Dharma." "In order not to eat people's alms in vain": being able to use great loving-kindness without conditions, going to both rich and poor and benefiting all universally. Relying on the four truths of the Great Vehicle, one begs food to sustain the body, correctly entering the village. One who attains the inconceivable true food of the Dharma, whatever is given, serves as an unsurpassed field of merit of the Great Vehicle for them; this is not eating people's alms in vain.