維摩經略疏垂裕記 8.18

8.18

Second, expounding the Dharma within the room to guide and gather them in, which has two parts: first, a brief indication in contrast to what precedes, which has two parts: first, explaining the chapter title; second, clarifying the purpose of its occurrence, which has two parts: first, indicating the meaning. Jingxi says: "What precedes clarifies Jingming's feigning illness," and so forth, refers to the previous two sections of the text. In the "Expedient Means Chapter," he broadly expounded [the Dharma] for the many who came to inquire after his illness; this has two senses: in the short term, it was for the benefit of the secular assembly present at the gathering; in the long term, it was for later times, to be certified and established as a sūtra. This is the text of the initial evaluation in the "Expedient Means Chapter." Next, the beginning of the "Disciples Chapter" states, "He reflected to himself, lying ill upon his bed," and so forth, fully possessing the five kinds of benefit as in the preceding text. Now, we wish to take the texts of the previous two places collectively as being "outside the room." As for "reproaching outside the room," it is asked: Why does it not mention the worldly [mode of] benefit (siddhānta)? The answer is: In both gateways, each requires that [beings] first be gladdened before [the Dharma] can be expounded to them. Because it is common to both gateways, it is therefore not discussed. Question: The principle of the supreme truth is also common to both; why is it clarified? Answer: Although it is common, there are those who enter and those who do not enter, and for the sake of those who enter, it must indeed be expounded. Furthermore, as for the single category of the worldly [mode], whether it exists or not is indefinite. As for the supreme truth, it must invariably exist, and is therefore necessarily expounded.