維摩經略疏 9.18

9.18

From "Answered" onward is the fourth part: Vimalakīrti's successive and extensive answer. The text has eight tiers to explain the non-ways: 1. with respect to the causes and fruits of the immediate [hell]; 2. with respect to the form and formless realms; 3. with respect to the three poisons; 4. with respect to the ten hindrances; 5. with respect to the two vehicles; 6. with respect to the various evil retributions of the human realm; 7. with respect to entering the remainderless [nirvāṇa]; 8. the general conclusion. First, explaining the non-ways with respect to the causes and fruits of the five immediate [sins]: a bodhisattva enters the provisional, manifesting the causes of the five rebellious acts and receiving the fruits of the three destinies for the benefit of sentient beings. Although performing these actions, he is free from irritation and resentment—this is precisely penetrating the Buddha's path. Why is this? Contemplating the mind produced by the conditions of these five rebellious acts, entering emptiness from the provisional, one does not even see a rebellious mind, how much less a rebellious fruit? Through non-reception, for the sake of living beings he receives the rebellious mind and rebellious fruit. This mind of the five rebellious acts is precisely unborn; it is the syllable A gate, meaning that all dharmas are originally unborn; it is also the Stainless Samādhi. If one knows that all dharmas are unborn, one is fully endowed with all the Buddhadharma, just as within a single particle of dust there are scriptures of the great trichiliocosm. The rebellious mind is likewise: it is fully endowed with worldly and world-transcending dharmas, the sudden and gradual stages of the path, and all the Buddhadharma; the ten mental factors and the ten disciples give rise to the ten dharma-doors, and the teachings of adornment and of the twin trees wither-and-bloom are fully present in a single thought of the rebellious mind of saṃsāra. Therefore it is said that practicing the non-ways is penetrating the Buddha's path. These are the causes of the three paths and the five rebellious acts, which are the non-ways of the path of afflictions and the path of karma; the fruits of the three destinies are the non-ways of the path of suffering. Now, taking the most evil causes and fruits, one still penetrates the Buddha's path, so it is naturally true of the rest. Therefore it is said: "When a bodhisattva practices the five immediate [sins] and is free from irritation and resentment, this is precisely penetrating the Buddha's path." Originally having no rebellious karma yet practicing rebellious acts is precisely receiving all receptions through non-reception. Penetrating the Buddha's path means that not yet being fully endowed with the Buddhadharma and with one's own practice and transformation of others unfulfilled, one should not extinguish reception and attain realization. The bodhisattva is like this toward rebellious acts: penetrating and being endowed with all dharmas is his own practice; manifesting the performance of these actions is transforming others. Manifestation has two kinds: first, manifesting repentance, like King Ajātaśatru seeking the method of repentance before receiving the evil retribution, causing countless people to produce bodhicitta; second, not repenting, like Devadatta even entering the great hell, whom Ānanda, following Maudgalyāyana, went to see and urged to repent. Devadatta answered: "The suffering I experience here is like the bliss of the third dhyāna." This is practicing the non-ways for the benefit of all. Furthermore, without evil there is no way to manifest good; therefore, for countless kalpas Devadatta has constantly practiced the bodhisattva path together with Śākyamuni, one practicing the Buddha's path and one practicing the non-ways, inspiring each other, as explained in the Lotus Sūtra. "Reaching hell yet without defilement and stains" is with respect to the fruit. This is the Stainless Samādhi breaking the existence of hell; when entering this samādhi, all samādhis enter into it. As Devadatta in hell said to Maudgalyāyana: "If you become an ordinary person again, I will leave this hell." Also, as King Vasu, though in hell, taught countless people to leave hell and hear the Vaipulya sūtras. If he himself had transgressions, how could he do such a thing? It is truly because, although dwelling in hell, he is without defilement and stains and can benefit others by bringing them out of hell; this is practicing the non-ways without defilement and stains, which is entering the Stainless Samādhi and penetrating the Buddha's path. Originally having no karma of hell yet reaching hell is precisely receiving through non-reception without attaining realization. From here onward, one must apply the text of "receiving all receptions through non-reception" from the "Chapter on Inquiring after the Illness" to correspond to the phrase "practicing the non-ways"; every single phrase is analogous to this. "Reaching animals yet without the faults of ignorance, arrogance, and the like" is like the great elephant, monkey, and partridge respecting one another and thereby transforming people; this is entering the Non-Retrogression Samādhi and penetrating all Buddha's paths. "Reaching hungry ghosts yet fully endowed with merits" is as the Invocation of Avalokiteśvara Sūtra says: "Manifesting a body as a hungry ghost, his hands emitting fragrant and lustrous milk." This is entering the Joyful Mind Samādhi and penetrating all Buddha's paths.