維摩經略疏 7.10

7.10

Question: If one explains the duration of Vimalakīrti's illness in terms of sentient beings, delusion and craving are beginningless and neither long ago nor recent; how can this be used to answer Mañjuśrī's question? Answer: Sentient beings' delusion and craving are beginningless and neither long ago nor recent, and Vimalakīrti's unconditioned great compassion is likewise. Speaking of long ago or recent is in terms of concrete phenomena. Why? Fruition-stage great compassion fathoms the source and has no illness; conforming to sentient beings' illness, identical-essence great compassion arises because of this, and this is called how long ago it arose. The text says: "From the root of non-abiding all phenomena are established." Beginningless ignorance gives rise to nescience numerous as the sands of the Ganges, the four inversions outside the realm and the four inversions within the realm; Vimalakīrti's fathoming the source of dependent origination is likewise. If according to principle, the arising of the illness of Retribution is long ago, and the arising of the illnesses of the Remainder and the Common Abode are gradually more recent; according to concrete phenomena, the Common Abode is long ago, and the Remainder and Retribution are gradually more recent. Just as only when one severs the delusion and craving of the Common Abode does the delusion and craving of the Remainder arise.