[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [維摩經義疏](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1781) › 2.5.1 # 維摩經義疏 2.5.1 維摩經義疏 2.5.1 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.5.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1781.2.5.1) 「爾時長者子寶積說此偈已，白佛言：世尊！ 是五百長者子皆已發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心」。 序分竟前，今是正說。 文開四章：一長者發問、次如來誡許、三受旨一心、四正酬其問。 前章為二：初自敘發心、次問佛淨土。 所以明斯二者，大士要先發心，而後修行。 故善財云：「我已發菩提心，而未知何修菩薩行。 」今亦然也。 阿耨多羅，此言無上。 三藐三，云正遍知。 菩提言道，謂其道真正，無法不知，正遍知也。 「願聞得佛國土清淨。 唯願世尊說諸菩薩淨土之行」。 此下第二正發問也。 前既發菩提心，今次問菩薩行。 菩薩要行，凡有二種：一成就眾生、二淨佛國土。 不問成就眾生偏問淨佛土者，由寶積獻蓋，如來現土，故偏問之。 就問為二：初問淨土果，故云願聞得佛國土清淨。 得佛土清淨者，即是佛所得淨土果也。 唯願世尊說諸菩薩淨土之行，此問淨土因也。 夫土所以淨者，必由於行，故請說行也。 凡行必存學人，故云菩薩。 此問乃是如來現蓋之所由、寶積俱詣之本意也。 「佛言：善哉寶積！ 乃能為諸菩薩問於如來淨土之行。 諦聽諦聽，善思念之，當為汝說」。 第二嘆問誡聽許說。 問既會理應機，所以須嘆。 再言諦聽者，令其注心聞法，生三慧也。 諦聽為聞慧，善思為思慧，念之為修慧。 當為汝說，此許說也。 「於是寶積及五百長者子受教而聽」。 第三受旨一心。 「佛言：寶積！ 眾生之類是菩薩佛土」。 第四正酬其問。 總談佛土，凡有五種：一淨、二不淨、三不淨淨、四淨不淨、五雜土。 所言淨者，菩薩以善法化眾生，眾生具受善法、同搆善緣，得純淨土。 言不淨者，若眾生造惡緣，感穢土也。 淨不淨者，初是淨土，此眾緣盡，後惡眾來，則土變成不淨也。 不淨淨者，不淨緣盡，後淨眾來，則土變成淨，如彌勒興之也。 言雜土者，眾生具起善惡二業，故感淨穢雜土。 此五皆是眾生自業所起，應名眾生土； 但佛有生化之功，故名佛土。 然報土既五，應土亦然。 報據眾生業感、應就如來所現，故合有十土。 就淨土中，更開四位：一凡聖同居土。 如彌勒出時，凡聖共在淨土內住； 亦西方九品往生為凡，復有三乘賢聖也。 二大小同住土。 謂羅漢、辟支及大力菩薩，捨三界分段身，生界外淨土中也。 三獨菩薩所住土，謂菩薩道過二乘、居土亦異，如香積世界無二乘名，亦如七寶世界純諸菩薩。 四諸佛獨居土。 如《仁王》云「三賢十聖住果報，唯佛一人居淨土」。 諸淨土住，不出此四。 即是從劣至勝為次第，並有文證也。 問：以何為土體？ 答：土體有三。 一橫論其體有五，謂化處淨、化主淨、教門淨、徒眾淨、時節淨，無刀兵等。 二若就三世間作明國土世間，則以七珍為體。 三者竪論義，望道而言，土以不土為體，要由不二方得有土，即是以有空義故一切法得成也。 就文為二：初明修淨土意、次正答淨土因果。 所以開此二者，夫有所說，必須前序來意，然後方得詶其問耳。 來意有二：初明取報土意、次明取應土意。 取土之意，唯此二也。 「眾生之類是菩薩佛土」者，此標取土意也。 菩薩取土由大悲起，大悲由眾生起，眾生是取土之緣。 緣中說果，故言眾生之類是菩薩佛土。 緣中說果者，如人言食金，金不可食，因金得食，故言食金。 又眾生是菩薩佛土者，下佛自釋之。 「所以者何？ 菩薩隨所化眾生而取佛土」。 釋上義也。 疑者云：土是己報，云何乃說他眾生類為我佛土？ 是故釋云：菩薩取土，本為眾生。 因眾生故，詺眾生以為佛土。 「隨所化眾生而取佛土」者，此明生善義也。 隨以何法化於眾生，若施、若戒，各隨彼所行來生其國。 若因持戒，則其地平生； 若因行施，則七珍具足。 略舉二法，餘皆類然。 又云：隨所化眾生之多少取佛土，是闊狹也。 > "At that time the elder's son Ratnakūṭa, having spoken these verses, addressed the Buddha, saying: 'World-Honoured One! These five hundred elders' sons have all already aroused the thought of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.'" The introductory section ended prior to this; now begins the main discourse. The text opens into four sections: first, the elder asks a question; second, the Tathāgata admonishes and grants permission; third, receiving the instruction with single-minded devotion; fourth, directly answering his question. The first section has two parts: first, recounting his own arousing of the mind; second, inquiring about the Buddha's pure land. The reason for explaining these two is that a mahāsattva must first arouse the mind, and only afterward cultivate practice. Therefore Sudhana said: "I have already aroused the thought of bodhi, but do not yet know how to cultivate the bodhisattva practices." The present case is also like this. "Anuttarā": here translated as "unexcelled". "Samyaksaṃ-": translated as "correct and universal knowledge". "Bodhi": translated as "way", meaning that its path is upright and true, with no phenomenon unknown—correct and universal knowledge. "'We wish to hear how the Buddha land is obtained in purity. We only wish that the World-Honoured One will explain the bodhisattvas' practices for the pure land.'" From here down is the second \[part\], directly asking the question. Previously having already aroused the thought of bodhi, now next he inquires about the bodhisattva practices. Bodhisattva essential practices are generally of two kinds: first, bringing sentient beings to maturity; second, purifying the Buddha land. Rather than asking about bringing sentient beings to maturity, he specifically asks about purifying the Buddha land because Ratnakūṭa offered the canopies and the Tathāgata manifested the lands; hence he specifically asks about it. The question has two parts: first, asking about the fruit of the pure land, hence saying "We wish to hear how the Buddha land is obtained in purity." Obtaining the purity of the Buddha land is the fruit of the pure land attained by the Buddha. "We only wish that the World-Honoured One will explain the bodhisattvas' practices for the pure land": this asks about the causes of the pure land. Now, that a land is purified necessarily depends on practice; hence he requests the explanation of practice. Whenever there is practice, it necessarily resides in the practitioner; hence it says "bodhisattvas". This question is indeed the reason why the Tathāgata manifested the canopies, and the original intent for which Ratnakūṭa and the others came together. "The Buddha said: 'Excellent, Ratnakūṭa! That you are able, for the sake of the bodhisattvas, to ask the Tathāgata about the practices for a pure land. Listen attentively, listen attentively, and reflect well on it; I shall explain it for you.'" The second \[section\] praises the question, admonishes them to listen, and grants permission to speak. Since the question accords with principle and responds to the spiritual capacity, it must be praised. Saying "listen attentively" twice causes them to concentrate their minds on hearing the Dharma, generating the three wisdoms. Listening attentively is the wisdom derived from hearing; reflecting well is the wisdom derived from reflection; being mindful of it is the wisdom derived from cultivation. "I shall explain it for you": this is granting permission to speak. "Thereupon Ratnakūṭa and the five hundred elders' sons received the teaching and listened." The third \[section is\] receiving the instruction with single-minded devotion. "The Buddha said: 'Ratnakūṭa! The categories of sentient beings are the bodhisattva's Buddha land.'" The fourth \[section\] directly answers his question. Generally discussing Buddha lands, there are five kinds: first, pure; second, impure; third, impure-pure; fourth, pure-impure; fifth, mixed lands. That which is called "pure": the bodhisattva transforms sentient beings with good dharmas; sentient beings fully accept the good dharmas and together construct good conditions, obtaining a purely clean land. That which is called "impure": if sentient beings create evil conditions, they evoke a defiled land. "Pure-impure": at first it is a pure land, but when these beings' conditions are exhausted and later evil beings arrive, the land turns into an impure one. "Impure-pure": when the impure conditions are exhausted and later pure beings arrive, the land turns into a pure one, as when Maitreya arises. That which is called "mixed land": sentient beings fully generate both good and evil karmas, hence evoking a mixed pure and defiled land. All five of these arise from the sentient beings' own karma, and ought to be named "sentient-being lands"; but because the Buddha has the merit of generating and transforming \[them\], they are called "Buddha lands". However, just as reward lands are five, responsive lands are also like this. Reward is based on sentient beings' karmic resonance; responsive refers to what the Tathāgata manifests; hence together there are ten lands. Within the pure lands, four further levels are differentiated: first, the land where commoners and sages dwell together. For example, when Maitreya appears, commoners and sages dwell together within the pure land; also, in the Western \[Pure Land\], those born in the nine grades are commoners, yet there are also the worthy and sage of the three vehicles. Second, the land where the great and small dwell together. This refers to arhats, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas of great power who, having relinquished the fragmented body of the three realms, are born in the pure land outside the realms. Third, the land where bodhisattvas alone dwell. This means the bodhisattva path surpasses the two vehicles, and the land inhabited is also distinct—such as the world of Sarvagandhasugandha where the names of the two vehicles do not exist, and also like the world of seven jewels that is purely composed of bodhisattvas. Fourth, the land where Buddhas alone dwell. As the Renwang says, "The three stages of the worthy and ten stages of the sage dwell in karmic reward; only the Buddha alone dwells in the pure land." All dwellings in pure lands do not exceed these four. This is an order from inferior to superior, all having textual verification. Question: What is taken as the land's substance? Answer: The land's substance is threefold. First, horizontally considering its substance, there are five aspects: the place of transformation is pure, the master of transformation is pure, the doctrinal gate is pure, the retinue of disciples is pure, and the time and season are pure, being without weapons and warfare, etc. Second, if explained in terms of the three realms of existence as the realm of the physical environment, then the seven precious jewels are taken as its substance. Third, vertically considering its meaning from the perspective of the Way: the land takes "non-land" as its substance; it is necessarily due to non-duality that there can be a land—which is to say, "because there is the meaning of emptiness, all dharmas can be accomplished." The text has two parts: first, clarifying the intent of cultivating the pure land; second, directly answering the causes and fruits of the pure land. The reason for opening these two is that whenever something is expounded, one must first set forth the underlying intent, and only then can one answer the question. The underlying intent is twofold: first, clarifying the intent of taking a reward land; second, clarifying the intent of taking a responsive land. The intent of taking a land consists solely of these two. "The categories of sentient beings are the bodhisattva's Buddha land": this designates the intent of taking a land. A bodhisattva's taking a land arises from great compassion; great compassion arises from sentient beings; sentient beings are the conditions for taking a land. Expressing the fruit within the conditions, it is therefore said, "The categories of sentient beings are the bodhisattva's Buddha land." Expressing the fruit within the conditions is like a person saying "eating gold": gold cannot be eaten, but because of gold one obtains food, hence one says "eating gold". Moreover, that sentient beings are the bodhisattva's Buddha land will be explained by the Buddha himself below. "Why is this? A bodhisattva takes a Buddha land in accordance with the sentient beings he transforms." This explains the meaning above. A doubter might say: "A land is one's own reward; why then speak of other categories of sentient beings as my Buddha land?" Therefore it explains: a bodhisattva takes a land originally for the sake of sentient beings. On account of sentient beings, sentient beings are named as the Buddha land. "Takes a Buddha land in accordance with the sentient beings he transforms": this clarifies the meaning of generating goodness. In accordance with whatever method is used to transform sentient beings—whether giving, whether morality—each is born into that country in accordance with what they practiced. If caused by upholding morality, then its ground is flat and even; if caused by practicing giving, then the seven precious jewels are fully provided. Briefly mentioning these two methods, the rest are all analogous. Furthermore, it says: taking a Buddha land according to whether the sentient beings transformed are many or few refers to its breadth or narrowness. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.4.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1781.2.4.4) - [Next: 2.5.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1781.2.5.2) - [Up: 2.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1781.2.5) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1781~en-mt.2.5.1) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (3) - [注維摩詰經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1775.1.353) — Classical Chinese - [淨名經集解關中疏](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2777.1.164) — Classical Chinese - [維摩詰所說經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.vimalakirtinirdesa*zh-kumarajiva.1.9) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1781.2.5.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1781.2.5.1) · Pramāṇa