維摩經略疏 8.89

8.89

From "At that time" onward is the seventh major section of the chapter: Vimalakīrti confirms and endorses that the goddess's preceding answers to Śāriputra are all real and not false. The text has four parts: first, she has long served buddhas; second, she sports with spiritual penetrations; third, she has attained the forbearance of the unarisen; fourth, she manifests at will according to her vows. Although Śāriputra investigated and questioned, he was unable to make the meaning fully manifest; therefore Vimalakīrti confirms and endorses what the goddess answered, so that the six meanings become manifest. First, "She has already made offerings to ninety-two koṭis of buddhas": this means that, complying with the Buddha's teaching, she is able to contemplate the three truths of causes and conditions; thus she is able to dwell in this empty room, perfumed by loving-kindness and compassion, manifesting the form of a goddess and scattering flowers like the Lotus Sūtra's equal offerings. This signifies that shared afflictions have already been exhausted and separate afflictions have been cleared away, and that she has attained the inconceivable liberation in which the nature of letters is transcended. This confirms and endorses the goddess's answer to Śāriputra's first question, clarifying that if one is free from separate afflictions, the flowers do not adhere to the body. It also confirms and endorses the answer to Śāriputra's second question, clarifying that the two liberations, the conceivable and the inconceivable, are different. Second, "Sporting with spiritual penetrations, her vows are fully perfected": this confirms the entry into the campaka grove where no other fragrance is smelled, and also confirms the reply to the fourth question regarding transforming the female body, showing that she manifests a female body in accord with her fundamental vows. Third, "She has attained the forbearance of the unarisen": this confirms the sixth question where Śāriputra asked how long before she would attain bodhi and the goddess answered that she attains it because there is nothing to be attained; this is the dharmakāya's attainment of the Way. Fourth, "Because of her fundamental vows, she is able to manifest at will to teach and transform living beings": this confirms the fifth question where Śāriputra asked about passing away and rebirth and the goddess answered that it is like a buddha's transformationally produced being. The dharmakāya's appearing and disappearing is the response and transformation of fundamental vows, the true and response, source and traces; its meaning is thereby made manifest.