維摩經略疏垂裕記 6.43

6.43

Second, explaining entering the eight difficulties has two [parts]: first, clarifying the difference between the Great and Small [Vehicles] with respect to within the realm. Jingxi says: from "abiding in the eight difficulties" onward, it clarifies that Jingming's reproach was originally based on the difficulty in principle, but in reproaching Subhūti's words he posited phenomena and reduced him to equivalence with the field of compassion; therefore, his explanatory reproach encompasses both phenomena and principle. Regarding "the śrāvakas" and so forth: it clarifies the boundaries of the difficulties for śrāvakas; having already broken the delusion of thought, the difficulties of clarity are definitely absent. Now, reproaching with difficulties clarifies that they possess the difficulty in principle. Thus, their persons bear the eight difficulties outside the realm; how could they enter the vision path of the Great Vehicle? Regarding "if it is a bodhisattva, it is not fixed": this means that the sage within the realm becomes an obstructing realm outside the realm; only when one comprehends the difficulties outside the realm is it termed "free from difficulties." Hence, with respect to this realm, there are obstructions and non-obstructions. Regarding "non-obstruction": bodhisattvas run through all four [teachings]; the first two become obstructions, as they are not yet skillful in contemplating internal obstructions so that they become external non-obstructions; only the latter two, contemplating skillfully, are not obstructions. Furthermore, the first two obstruct all phenomena and principles. The teaching path of the distinct teaching still does not escape obstruction; for the person of the perfect teaching, earlier and later, everything is non-obstruction. It is precisely in terms of this text that Subhūti is reproached. Furthermore, the first two can know internal obstructions but cannot know external ones; thus the people of the two vehicles in principle correspond to the first two, and therefore, being reproached, they are bewildered and do not recognize it. Thus, practitioners of the Small Vehicle abide in internal and external difficulties and cannot escape them. The intent of the reproach lies precisely in this. Regarding "this is practicing what is not the path": both internal and external eight difficulties are termed "not the path."