維摩經略疏 9.47

9.47

From "The park and garden of dhāraṇīs" down to "the moral precepts as ointment," the second [section] explains the requisites for living. "The park and garden of dhāraṇīs": a garden holds flowers and fruits, preventing others from stealing them so they are not lost. A dhāraṇī is also like this: it holds good causes and effects and blocks all bad dharmas. The trees of the grove provide shelter, shade, and coolness; all uncontaminated dharmas accord with freedom from afflictions, which is the meaning of coolness. Awakening-intent is the seven factors of awakening; the harmonization of the seven factors of awakening generates the causal flower of true wisdom. Hence the Dàzhìdù lùn says: "In the real awakening of the non-learners, these seven can reach it." Hence they are taken as flowers. The fruit of liberation is the full fruition of wondrous awakening in inconceivable liberation. "The bathing pool of the eight liberations": the eight aspects of renunciation and eight liberations are as distinguished before. Entering the nine successive concentrations and realizing the real accomplishes the eight liberations and eight aspects of renunciation. Their cultivated perfection lies in the nine concentrations; when concentration is full it is like water being full, and the eight liberations are like the pool. "The seven flowers of purification" are: first, purification of precepts; second, purification of mind; third, purification of views; fourth, purification through ending doubt; fifth, purification through discrimination; sixth, purification of practice; seventh, purification of nirvāṇa. Purification of precepts is right speech, right action, and right livelihood. Purification of mind is right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Purification of views is right view and right thought. Purification through ending doubt is the path of vision. Purification through discrimination and purification of practice are the path of cultivation. Purification of nirvāṇa is the path of non-learning. In the separate and perfect [teachings], seeing and thought [afflictions] by analogy are all entitled to be called the seven flowers of purification; when a bodhisattva is in the cause, they are all called flowers. "Bathing this undefiled person": this is explained according to the separate and perfect [teachings]. If the defilements of phenomenal delusion within the realm according to the Tripiṭaka and shared teachings are exhausted, one is called an undefiled person; yet there are still defilements of principle outside the realm as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and therefore one must bathe. For the explanation within the realm: an arhat liberated by wisdom who has already severed the defilements of segmented [birth and death] is also undefiled; further cultivating the eight liberations eliminates the defilements of non-knowing, so they must bathe. "With elephants and horses of the five superknowledges galloping": the bodhisattva's residue-habits are not yet exhausted, so they do not have the superknowledge of the exhaustion of outflows. Also, because their primary afflictions outside the realm are not yet exhausted, they are still called the five superknowledges. The superknowledge of base-transformation shoulders the burden of living beings with great strength like an elephant; the other superknowledges are like horses. Pervading the ten directions, they reach there in a single thought; hence it says "galloping." "Taking the Great Vehicle as carriage": true reality is the carriage body, the two wisdoms are what can ride it, proceeding to dwell in sarvajñā. "Steering it with a single mind": the Dharma-realm is of one mark, always dwelling in the one-practice samādhi. "Wandering upon the eightfold correct path": the unconditioned eight straight paths. "Possessing the major marks to adorn the countenance, and the secondary characteristics to beautify the form": this is not like the major and minor marks explained in the Tripiṭaka; the dharmakāya naturally possesses the major and minor marks of the true retribution, illuminating and revealing the dharmakāya as an adornment. "The upper garment of shame and modesty": the Middle Way of buddha-nature is the heaven of supreme truth; because the bodhisattva has not seen the buddha-nature completely and clearly, they feel shame toward the heaven of supreme truth. The buddhas are supreme practitioners; feeling modest before these superior persons is called modesty toward persons. Covering the unashamed mind is called clothing. Furthermore, clothing tolerates the evils of the two extremes without insulting the principle of the middle; it is the robe of patience. "The deep mind is the flower garland": advancing into the round causes of the myriad practices is the most supreme cause, like a garland adorning the head. The "seven riches" are: first, learning; second, faith; third, precepts; fourth, concentration; fifth, vigor; sixth, relinquishment; seventh, shame and modesty. Learning means hearing the Dharma in the ten stages like clouds holding rain, being able to retain the Dharma expounded by the buddhas of the ten directions all at once; hence it is called learning. Faith means deep faith, firm and solid like a vajra; this is the round cause. Precepts means the true precepts attained in the ten stages. The sūtra says: "Only the Buddha alone possesses pure precepts; all other persons are called those with defiled precepts." Concentration means samādhis such as the Śūraṅgama. Vigor means flowing thought-moment after thought-moment into the ocean of sarvajñā. Relinquishment means constantly practicing the conduct of relinquishment. Shame and modesty are as explained above. "Practicing as expounded": words and actions correspond; practicing in accordance with what is spoken, one can reach the other shore. "Teaching to nourish and multiply": expounding the Dharma to benefit people universally moistens all; the merit of transformation returning to oneself is nourishing and multiplying. "Dedication for great benefit": dedicating causal goodness toward the fruit, one attains the permanently abiding Three Jewels; hence it says "great benefit." "The four dhyānas as couch": just as a bed stays away from dampness below and avoids various stinging insects, the four mundane dhyānas are free from the dampness of sensual desire and the poisonous insects of thought and scrutiny. Cultivated with a mind of pure livelihood, there are the merits of the branches and groves; cultivated with a mind of wrong livelihood, one falls into the realm of hungry ghosts. The supramundane four dhyānas of a bodhisattva include all groves of merits, fully prepared with everything to rest all practices, able to stay free from the poisonous insects of the two deaths and afflictions. If cultivated with wrong livelihood, one falls into the two stages; if cultivated with pure livelihood, one accords with the quiescence and peace of the Middle Way; hence it says that the four dhyānas are the couch. "Much learning increases wisdom, serving as the sound of self-awakening": foreign countries use music to awaken kings; here, much learning and wisdom awaken the mind-king, awakening oneself and awakening others. "The food of the amṛta Dharma": using the wisdom of true cultivation to accord with the amṛta of true reality is called the Dharma food. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: "You monks have not yet attained the Dharma food of the Great Vehicle." "The taste of liberation as drink": liberation is the name for concentration; concentration is water, and water is drink. "Bathing with a pure mind": contemplating principle and repenting makes the mind-water limpid, bathing away the afflictions of sinful defilement. "The moral precepts as ointment": active and unprompted good support and perfume the dharmakāya.