[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) › 2.5.2 # 維摩經義疏 2.5.2 維摩經義疏 2.5.2 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.5.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1781.2.5.2) 是以佛土或如四天下，或以三千、或以恒沙為一國也。 什公亦有此意。 今謂具含二義：一隨生善之淺深、二隨人之多少也。 「隨所調伏眾生而取佛土」。 前句明生善之淺深，此文滅惡之多少，故取佛土之精麁也。 「隨諸眾生應以何國入佛智慧而取佛土，隨諸眾生應以何國起菩薩根而取佛土」。 前之兩句明取報土意，今亦二句明取應土意。 應以何國者，若應見淨土以得悟，故示之以寶玉； 若應見穢國以受道，故現之以土沙。 入佛慧者，依肇公，七地所得無生慧也。 故《大品》云「七地名佛眼地」。 起菩薩根者，六住已下菩提心也。 有人言：初地得於真解，生在佛家，為入佛慧，此心乃至十信，為菩薩根。 有人言：隨所化眾生，化外凡夫，令生信解。 隨所調伏，教內凡夫，令修起眾行。 此二句，化地前人取佛土也。 今文二句，化登地已上。 入佛智慧，謂入佛果。 起菩薩根，正辨修因。 此之四句，攝所為之緣，始自外凡、終起佛果，但明取佛土意，不判報應不同也。 「所以者何？ 菩薩取於淨國，皆為饒益諸眾生故」。 釋上取土意。 就文為三：謂法、譬、合。 此法說也，應有問發起，云：菩薩成佛，得土自安，何故偏言為眾生耶？ 所以者何，即答問也。 夫法身無像，豈有土耶？ 而今取淨國者，皆為益物耳。 「譬如有人欲於空地造立宮室，隨意無礙； 若於虛空，終不能成」。 此譬說也。 應有疑云：觀空之慧，能治感染，可得淨土。 為眾生是取有之心，云何能得淨土？ 是故舉譬之。 夫造立宮室，要須二，一者虛空、二者依地，宮室始成。 菩薩空心，依眾生地，方得淨土。 若但空、無有地者、室終不成。 二乘但修空觀、不為眾生、故無淨土。 「菩薩如是為成就眾生故，願取佛國。 願取佛國者，非於空也」。 此合譬也。 「寶積當知，直心是菩薩淨土」。 自上已來明取土意竟，從此已後正答淨土因果問也。 又上明菩薩為眾生取佛土，是大悲門； 今明淨土因果，是修行門也。 又上願門，今是行門。 願門者，故文云「願取佛土」； 今正明修行。 又上明眾生是佛土，緣中說果； 今直心是佛土，因中說果。 凡有七章，如去章中釋之。 就文為二：初正明淨土因果、第二釋疑。 前章又兩：初明行體、次辨修行次第。 初有十七句文，一一句內具詶因果二問。 前舉因答其因問、次舉果詶其果問。 前明眾生之類是菩薩佛土，就緣說果名； 直心是淨土因，即因說果名。 所以就因之與緣明淨土者，夫取淨土要具二義：一者要先起大悲為眾生、二由菩薩修直心等行。 具此二條，方得佛土。 是以前文就緣說果，此章就因說果。 直心者，凡夫滯有、二乘偏滯空，並為邪曲。 菩薩行正觀，名正直心。 此心為眾生之本、淨土之基，故命初說也。 「菩薩成佛時，不諂眾生來生其國」。 上明直心詶淨土因問，此答淨土果問。 寶積前問果、後問因，據說問也。 前答因、後答果，謂修行次第也。 菩薩成佛時，此句答上願聞得佛之言也。 不諂眾生來生其國，此答上國土清淨也。 菩薩自修正觀，化物亦令得此心，故眾生。 現在與大士同悟，未來將菩薩同生，故言不諂眾生來生其國。 不諂、直心，名殊體一。 「深心是菩薩淨土」。 自有雖復正直，未必深入，故今明發心之始始於正觀，正觀逾明，稱為深心。 以深固難拔，深心義也。 「菩薩成佛時，具足功德眾生來生其國」。 在心既深，眾德必備，故具足功德眾生來生其國也。 問：菩薩自修深心，云何具足功德眾生來生其國？ 答：前已通，今更有三義：一者深心是淨業之力，自然具足功德眾生來生其國。 如屠殺人，自然能感屠殺眷屬來生其國家。 二由大士深心，令深心人愛念親近菩薩，故來生其國。 三由深心故得土妙，人皆樂生，故修深心往生其國。 一門既爾，餘行類然。 > Therefore, a Buddha-land may be like the four continents, or consist of a trichiliocosm, or even the sands of the Ganges as a single country. Master Kumārajīva also held this view. Now, I state that it fully contains two meanings: first, according to the depth or shallowness of the arising of good; second, according to the number of people. / 'According to the beings they subdue, they take hold of a Buddha-land.' / The preceding phrase explained the depth or shallowness of the arising of good; this passage concerns the extent of eradicating evil, and hence taking hold of a Buddha-land that is either refined or coarse. / 'According to the land in which beings should enter the Buddha's wisdom, they take hold of a Buddha-land; according to the land in which beings should give rise to the bodhisattva's faculties, they take hold of a Buddha-land.' / The preceding two phrases explained the intention in taking hold of a reward land (saṃbhogakāya land); these two phrases now explain the intention in taking hold of a responsive land (nirmāṇakāya land). 'According to the land in which \[they\] should': if they should see a pure land in order to attain awakening, they are shown jewels and jade; if they should see an impure land in order to receive the Way, they are shown dirt and sand. 'Entering the Buddha's wisdom' refers, according to Master Sengzhao, to the unproduced wisdom attained on the seventh ground (bhūmi). Hence the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra states: 'The seventh ground is called the Buddha-eye ground.' 'Giving rise to the bodhisattva's faculties' refers to the bodhicitta from the sixth abiding downward. Some say: on the first ground, one attains true understanding and is born into the household of the Buddha, which constitutes entering the Buddha's wisdom; this mind down through the ten faiths constitutes the bodhisattva's faculties. Some say: 'according to the beings transformed' means transforming external ordinary persons to make them generate faith and understanding; 'according to those subdued' means instructing internal ordinary persons to make them cultivate and generate the various practices. These two phrases refer to taking hold of a Buddha-land to transform persons prior to the grounds. The two phrases in the present text refer to transforming those who have already mounted the grounds and above. 'Entering the Buddha's wisdom' means entering the fruit of Buddhahood; 'giving rise to the bodhisattva's faculties' specifically explains cultivating the cause. These four phrases encompass the conditions of those who are acted upon, beginning from external ordinary persons and ending with the realization of the fruit of Buddhahood; they merely explain the intention of taking hold of a Buddha-land, without discriminating the difference between reward and responsive \[lands\]. / 'Why is this? Because the bodhisattva’s taking hold of a pure land is entirely for the sake of benefiting all sentient beings.' / This explains the intention behind taking hold of a land above. The text has three parts: the doctrinal statement, the simile, and the application. This is the doctrinal statement. There should be a question raised, asking: 'When a bodhisattva accomplishes Buddhahood, he attains a land to reside peacefully himself; why is it specifically stated to be for the sake of sentient beings?' 'Why is this?' answers this question. The dharmakāya is formless; how could it have a land? That they now take hold of a pure land is entirely for the sake of benefiting beings. / 'It is like a person who wishes to build a palace on open ground: he can do so as he pleases without hindrance; but if he tried to build it in empty space, he would never succeed.' / This is the simile. Someone might raise a doubt, saying: 'The wisdom that contemplates emptiness can eliminate taint and defilement, and thus one can attain a pure land. Acting for sentient beings is a mind that grasps at existence; how could it attain a pure land?' For this reason, the simile is brought forward. To build a palace, two things are necessary: first, empty space, and second, relying on the ground; only then can the palace be completed. With a mind of emptiness, the bodhisattva relies on the ground of sentient beings, and only then attains a pure land. If there were only emptiness without ground, the building could never be completed. The two vehicles cultivate only the contemplation of emptiness and do not act for sentient beings, and therefore have no pure land. / 'So it is with the bodhisattva: for the sake of bringing sentient beings to completion, he vows to take hold of a Buddha-land. Vowing to take hold of a Buddha-land is not done in empty space.' / This applies the simile. / 'Jewel Accumulation, you should know that the straightforward mind is the bodhisattva's pure land.' / From above up to this point, explaining the intention of taking hold of a land is concluded; from here onward, it directly answers the question regarding the cause and fruit of the pure land. Moreover, above, explaining that the bodhisattva takes hold of a Buddha-land for sentient beings is the gate of great compassion; now, explaining the cause and fruit of the pure land is the gate of cultivation and practice. Moreover, above was the gate of vows, and now is the gate of practice. As for the gate of vows, the text earlier said, 'vows to take hold of a Buddha-land'; now it directly clarifies the cultivation of practice. Moreover, above, stating that sentient beings are the Buddha-land spoke of the fruit from within the conditions; now, stating that the straightforward mind is the Buddha-land speaks of the fruit from within the cause. There are seven sections in total, as explained in the preceding section. The text has two parts: first, directly clarifying the cause and fruit of the pure land; second, resolving doubts. The former section again has two parts: first, explaining the substance of practice; next, discerning the sequence of cultivation and practice. The first part contains seventeen phrases, each phrase containing a complete response to both the questions of cause and fruit. First, it brings forward the cause to answer the question on cause; next, it brings forward the fruit to respond to the question on fruit. Previously, stating that the categories of sentient beings are the bodhisattva's Buddha-land designated the name of the fruit with respect to conditions; the straightforward mind being the cause of the pure land designates the name of the fruit with respect to the cause. As to why the pure land is explained in terms of cause and conditions: taking hold of a pure land necessarily requires two meanings. First, one must first give rise to great compassion for sentient beings; second, it is due to the bodhisattva cultivating practices such as the straightforward mind. Only when possessing these two conditions does one attain a Buddha-land. Therefore, the preceding text spoke of the fruit with respect to conditions, and this passage speaks of the fruit with respect to the cause. As for the 'straightforward mind': ordinary persons are attached to existence, and the two vehicles are one-sidedly attached to emptiness; both are crooked and devious. The bodhisattva practices correct contemplation, which is called the upright, straightforward mind. This mind is the root of sentient beings and the foundation of the pure land; hence it is directed to be spoken first. / 'When the bodhisattva accomplishes Buddhahood, beings without flattery come to be born in his country.' / Above, the straightforward mind responded to the question on the cause of the pure land; this answers the question on the fruit of the pure land. Jewel Accumulation previously asked about the fruit and subsequently asked about the cause, based on the phrasing of the question. Here, the cause is answered first and the fruit answered afterward, which refers to the sequence of cultivation and practice. 'When the bodhisattva accomplishes Buddhahood': this phrase answers the earlier words, 'wishing to hear of attaining the Buddha\[-land\]'. 'Beings without flattery come to be born in his country': this answers the earlier 'purity of the country'. The bodhisattva cultivates correct contemplation himself and transforms beings so that they also attain this mind; hence, beings presently share the same awakening with the mahāsattva, and in the future will be born together with the bodhisattva; therefore it is said that 'beings without flattery come to be born in his country'. 'Without flattery' and 'straightforward mind' are different in name but one in substance. / 'The profound mind is the bodhisattva's pure land.' / There are cases where, although one is upright and straightforward, one does not necessarily enter deeply. Therefore it is now clarified that the beginning of generating the mind begins with correct contemplation; when correct contemplation becomes ever clearer, it is called the 'profound mind'. Being profound, solid, and difficult to uproot is the meaning of the profound mind. / 'When the bodhisattva accomplishes Buddhahood, beings endowed with merit come to be born in his country.' / Since the mind is already profound, all virtues are necessarily complete; hence, beings endowed with merit come to be born in his country. Question: The bodhisattva himself cultivates the profound mind; why do beings endowed with merit come to be born in his country? Answer: This was already resolved previously, but now there are further three meanings: First, the profound mind possesses the power of pure karma, so naturally beings endowed with merit come to be born in his country—just as a butcher naturally attracts a retinue of slaughterers to be born in his household. Second, due to the mahāsattva's profound mind, people of profound mind are caused to love, be mindful of, and draw close to the bodhisattva, and therefore come to be born in his country. Third, because of the profound mind, the land attained is wondrous, and everyone delights in being born there; hence they cultivate the profound mind to go and be born in his country. One gate being like this, the remaining practices are analogous. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.5.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1781.2.5.1) - [Next: 2.5.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1781.2.5.3) - [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.2.5.2) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (3) - [注維摩詰經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1775.1.363) — Classical Chinese - [淨名經集解關中疏](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2777.1.173) — Classical Chinese - [維摩詰所說經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.vimalakirtinirdesa*zh-kumarajiva.1.11) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1781.2.5.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1781.2.5.2) · Pramāṇa