維摩經略疏 7.35

7.35

From "He also asked […] to my illness" is the third [part]: inquiring about the dharmas that constitute the illness. Why is this asked? Illness is ascribed to the body, and the body has four great elements like four venomous snakes mutual injuring one another. The Dàzhìdù lùn explains that four snakes pursue and constantly harm one another; if one element is out of harmony, one hundred and one illness-troubles arise. Thus the text says, "Because of sentient beings, the bodhisattva undergoes saṃsāra." Having saṃsāra, there is illness. Why is this so? Because in responding, he must receive this venomous snake body, which has the four elements. Now that his manifested body has an illness, which element is ill? Vimalakīrti answers, "It is not the earth element." If earth were illness, then earth, stones, forests, and trees should also be illness. If these are not illness, how can one say the earth element is illness? The water, fire, and wind elements are also like this. Since the external four elements are not [illness], the internal should likewise be so. Furthermore, if the four elements were illness, possessing these four elements should mean illness; how could it be present at some times and absent at others? When there is no illness, there should be no four elements. Although having the four elements, there are times without illness; one should know that illness is not the four elements, nor is it apart from the four elements. It is only in relation to this body that illness can be discussed, just as an arrow hitting depends on the target. How could illness be discussed apart from the four elements? Therefore he says, "It is not apart from the earth element." Vimalakīrti is also like this: although sharing the real illness, why must he instantaneously share it as suffering from illness? Hence he says it is not the four elements. As for "not apart from": because sentient beings have this real illness, Vimalakīrti responds in kind; the cause of the response illness is truly their real illness, hence it is said to be "not apart from." In terms of neither being identical nor apart, provisional illness is discussed. Furthermore, regarding "not the earth element": as the Qing Guanyin jing says, "Earth lacks the nature of solidity; the nature of water does not abide; fire arises from conditions; the nature of wind is unobstructed." Each enters the realm of true reality; the true reality of the four elements is precisely not illness; hence he says it is not the four elements. As for "not apart from": sentient beings do not understand the true reality of the four elements, and so give rise to various illnesses. For this reason the response body shares the illnesses of the four elements, hence it is said to be "not apart from." Therefore Vimalakīrti says, "Yet the illness of sentient beings arises from the four elements; because they are ill, therefore I am ill." Sentient beings are formed of the four elements; responding in kind, he also manifests as being formed of the four elements. The four elements are precisely the dharmas that constitute illness. Now, universally considering the three lands: if the three lands have illness, Vimalakīrti has this illness of great compassion, whose essence is formless, like empty space; though responding in kind, it does not unite with the body and mind of the three lands. The dharma constituting the illness fundamentally derives from great compassion; what does it have to do with the four elements? Yet it is not apart from the four elements, and therefore to the beings of the three lands he manifests this provisional illness; hence he says, "Therefore I am ill." This is true even up to the Dharma Cloud [stage] and the vajra mind.