維摩經略疏 6.21

6.21

From "Why" to "attained by mind" is the third [section], explaining the meaning of exhorting to relinquish. Refuting attainment by body or mind differs across the four teachings. First, refuting the Tripiṭaka: in the śrāvaka sūtras, it is like a poor man seeking the daughter of a rich family, and the daughter's family says, "If you wish to obtain my daughter, you should clean your house." Sambodhi is spoken of to the bodhisattva of the final thought: "If you wish to obtain bodhi, you should cultivate the marks and signs; when the seeds of the marks are complete, only then do you obtain bodhi." This is attainment by body. Subduing entrenchments to full ripeness, subduing Māra at the place of enlightenment, and attaining the extinction of nectar beneath the bodhi tree—this is attainment by mind. The Dàzhìdù lùn refutes this in detail: that is, it cannot be attained by body or mind. Second, refuting the Common: if with an empty mind one cultivates the marks and signs, purifies the buddha-land, and adorns the primary and secondary retributions, this is called attainment by body. When sitting at the place of enlightenment, when in a single thought corresponding wisdom exhausts fundamental and habitual defilements, this is attainment by mind. Refuting this is as the Diamond Prajñā says: "If one sees me by form, or seeks me by sound, this person walks a wrong path and cannot see the Tathāgata." This is [showing that] it cannot be attained by body or mind. Third, refuting the Distinct: if one says that through the extinction of this form one obtains eternal form, this is attainment by body; sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness are also like this, which is attainment by mind. Now examining these words: is it that through the extinction of impermanent form one obtains eternal form, or that without the extinction of impermanent form one obtains eternal form? Examining through the four propositions in this way, it cannot be found; that is, it cannot be attained by body or mind. Fourth, refuting the Perfect: through true cultivation, wonderful form and mind are revealed; they do not need the merit and wisdom of conditioned cultivation to be revealed; that is, it cannot be attained by body or mind. Furthermore, if the essence of form and mind in true cultivation being revealed to completeness is the attainment of bodhi, this is also the meaning of attainment by body and mind. Therefore, the earlier refutation of "arising from suchness, suchness is without arising"—that is the form of dharmatā; the sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness of dharmatā do not arise, and non-arising is the completeness of the taintless; therefore, it cannot be attained by body or mind.