維摩經義疏 3.11

3.11

「佛告阿難：汝行詣維摩詰問疾」。第十次命阿難也。就文為二：初命、二辭不堪。阿難者，此云無染。支道林云「博聞，舊翻歡喜，凡有三義：一者釋迦過去發願：『願我成佛，持者名曰歡喜。』二者阿難是佛得道夜生。淨飯王云：『今是歡喜日，可詺此兒以為歡喜。』三者阿難形容端正，見者歡喜，故名歡喜。」阿難與羅雲同是佛親，而命有前後者，凡有四義：一者阿難與羅雲雖同是佛得道夜生，而羅雲在胎六年，以其年大，故前命也。二者羅云出家得羅漢果，阿難猶居學地。三者羅云在俗當紹國位，阿難不然，以君臣次第，故命有前後。四者羅睺明出家為因、阿難辨法身為果，先因後果，以為次第。「阿難白佛言：世尊！我不堪任詣彼問疾」。此第二釋不堪，有標、釋、結。此初文也。「所以者何？憶念昔時世尊身小有疾，當用牛乳，我即持鉢詣大婆羅門家門下立」。此第二次釋不堪。就文為三：初明被呵之由、二述能呵之旨、三阿難受屈。此初文也。身小有疾者，然理疾之意，非可一徒。良以淺識之流取信耳目，於如來而生劣想。今彰阿難不達，或同眾人；淨名高呵，以開法身之唱，令悟應也。當用牛乳者，佛在毘耶離音樂樹下說法，身患風氣，須乳煮糜也。詣大婆羅門者，毘耶離有大婆羅門名梵摩耶，是婆羅門師，有五百弟子，信受邪道、不敬佛法而大慳貪。今以七聖化之、一佛現疾、二阿難乞乳、三淨名來呵、四牛母說偈、五牛子說偈、六化人搆乳、七空內聲告。此人大慳，以羅網覆庭屋，令飛鳥不能得食穀食等也。朝往與乳，正值其人與五百弟子共入見王，問阿難何求，答具上事。梵志默然不對，自意思惟：若不與，諸人謂我悋情；我若與者，復謂事瞿曇。良久，即指取惡弊牛，令阿難自攝取乳。作此意者，一欲明瞿曇常與我諍功德勝，今令惡牛抵殺其弟子，即恥其師，令眾人捨瞿曇來就我也。又牛既惡，必不得乳，於我無損。是時有化人來為搆乳，而牛說偈：「今施佛乳。云留少許與犢子。」犢子說偈云：「盡施如來，我自噉草。」事出《乳光經》。「時維摩詰來謂我言：唯阿難！何為晨朝持鉢住」。此第二能呵之旨。就文為三：一問、二答、三呵。晨朝非乞食時，是以問也。「我言：居士！世尊身小有疾，當用牛乳，故來至此」。第二阿難以事對也。「維摩詰言：止止。阿難！莫作此語」。此第三正呵。文凡有三誡三釋，此初誡也。所以重止者，佛若實病，則上隱法身之德、下增眾生之累，今欲斷此二義，是故重止。「如來身者，金剛之體」。此釋上誡也。小乘人云骨是金剛、肉非金剛。大乘明如來生身，內外金剛、一切實滿，有大勢力，無有病處。若以金剛喻法身者，如《涅槃．金剛身品》說之。法身是常，不可壞，故如金剛。「諸惡已斷、眾善普會，當有何疾？當有何惱」。上就果門辨無病，此就因門釋無病。眾惡已斷，無有病因；眾善眾會，無有病因。「默往，阿難！勿謗如來」。此第二誡也。默往，令還去也。無病事彰，必不須乳，故令還去。苟云是實，則謗佛也。「莫使異人聞此麁言」。病為當近，麁之極也。不達聞之，必謂實病。「無令大威德諸天及他方淨土諸來菩薩得聞斯語」。什公云「五淨居天上別有大自在天是十地菩薩，又他方大士，此之二人若聞斯言，知佛方便，怪汝不達也。」「阿難！轉輪聖王以小福故尚得無病，豈況如來無量福會普勝者哉」。此第二釋也。前就聖推，此舉凡況。輪王乃不及欲界諸天，但以人間小福尚得無病，豈況如來普勝三界而有疾哉。論云「有羅漢名薄俱羅，往昔為賣藥師。語夏安居僧言：『若有須藥，就我取之。』眾竟無所須。唯一比丘小病，受一呵利勒果。因是九十一劫生於天人，受無量快樂，但聞藥名而身無微患。於此生中年已九十一劫，亦未曾有病。況積善無量，病由何生？行矣阿難！勿使我等受斯恥也」。此第三誡。推事既爾，必應還去。苟執不去，非但佛有斯謗，我等亦受其恥。「外道梵志若聞此語，當作是念：何名為師？自疾不能救，而能救諸疾人」。前明內學受恥。此辨外道譏謗：何名法之良醫？自身疾不能救，何救人心疾乎？「可密速去，勿使人聞」。正士若聞，謂汝不達；邪師若聞，謂佛實病。「當知阿難！諸如來身即是法身，非思欲身」。此第三釋也。凡有三雙，並就得離門釋。此是初雙，先據得門。什公云「法身有三：一法化身，金剛是也；二五分法身；三實相法身。」此似化報法三佛義。此之三佛，並無實病。非思欲身，就離門也。三界有待之形名思欲身。又釋：思是業，欲為結，非結業身也。「佛為世尊，過於三界」。此第二雙也。以德無不備，故為世所尊，此明得也。過於三界，三界眾生具受八苦，所以有病。佛過三界，此離門也。「佛身無漏，諸漏已盡。佛身無為，不墮諸數」。此第三雙，明得離也。初句明離。雖出三界，容是最後邊身，猶是漏法，豈得無病？佛既無漏，故無病矣。次句明得。雖曰無漏，容是有為，有為即是起滅法，未得免病。既是無為，不隨有數。有人言：非思欲身，離分段因；過於三界，離分段果；佛身無漏，離變易因；佛身無為，離變易果。「如此之身，當有何病」。上別明無患，此總結德也。「時我，世尊！實懷慚愧，得無近佛而謬聽耶」。此第三明阿難受屈。文有三別：一阿難懷愧、二空內出聲、三稱讚居士。受使如此、被識如彼，故進退懷愧。淨名言既會理，則佛必無有病。失在於已，故謬聽。「即聞空中聲曰：阿難！如居士言。但為佛出五濁惡世，現行斯法度脫眾生。行矣阿難！取乳勿慚」。此第二明空內出聲。本迹二身，會淨名與佛二言，無相違也。如居士言者，印定淨名之說，聞法身也。但佛出五濁已下，印定如來之言，辨迹身也。以顯法身故，令於佛起尊重心；辨於迹身，則破慳生福。又得失凡有四句：一者二人俱得，淨名得實、阿難得方便。次二人俱失，全用淨名則失方便用，不得付同眾生；全用阿難，隱法身之德，物不尊敬。三淨名得、阿難失，據今能呵之義。四阿難得、淨名失，約乞乳破慳，生長物福。五濁者，謂劫濁、眾生濁、命濁、見濁、煩惱濁。劫濁者、大劫內有刀兵、疾疫、飢饉三小劫，名劫濁。眾生濁者，無仁義禮智等，諸惡眾生，名眾生濁。命濁者，以短為苦，又不得修道，稱為命濁。從百二十歲，下至三歲，悉是命濁。什公云「邪見為見濁，餘九使為煩惱。」舊云五見為見濁，五鈍為煩惱濁。「世尊！維摩詰智慧辨才為如此也」。第三稱嘆淨名也。「是故不任詣彼問疾」。不堪有三，標、釋已竟，今總結也。「如是五百大弟子各各向佛說其本緣，稱述維摩詰所言，皆曰不任詣彼問疾」。弟子品二章，初命十人已訖，此下總明五百不堪。五百者，八千羅漢內有五百高德名聞者也。

"The Buddha told Ānanda: 'Go visit Vimalakīrti to inquire after his illness.'" This is the tenth commanding of Ānanda. The text has two parts: first the command, second declining as unfit. Ānanda here means 'Free from Taint'. Zhi Daolin says: 'He was broadly learned. The old translation is "Joy" (Huanxi), which has three meanings: first, Śākya in the past made the vow, "May the one who maintains [my teaching] when I become a Buddha be named Joy." Second, Ānanda was born on the night the Buddha attained the Way. King Śuddhodana said, "Today is a day of joy; this child may be named Joy." Third, Ānanda's appearance was handsome and upright, and those who saw him were filled with joy; hence he was named Joy.' Ānanda and Rāhula were both kin of the Buddha, yet their commands came earlier and later for four reasons: first, although Ānanda and Rāhula were both born on the night the Buddha attained the Way, Rāhula remained in the womb for six years, so being older in years, he was commanded first. Second, Rāhula went forth and attained the fruit of an arhat, whereas Ānanda still resided in the stage of training (śaikṣa). Third, when in secular life, Rāhula was to inherit the royal throne, whereas Ānanda was not; according to the order of sovereign and minister, their commands had a precedence. Fourth, Rāhula illuminated going forth as the cause, while Ānanda clarified the dharmakāya as the fruit; taking cause first and fruit afterwards serves as the sequence. "Ānanda said to the Buddha: 'World-Honoured One! I am not fit to go there to inquire after his illness.'" This is the second part, explaining unfitness, which contains the proposition, the explanation, and the conclusion; this is the opening statement. "'Why is this? I recall that in the past, the World-Honoured One's body was slightly indisposed and required cow's milk, so I took a bowl and went to stand before the gate of a great Brahman's house.'" This is the second part, explaining unfitness. The text has three parts: first, explaining the reason for being rebuked; second, recounting the import of the rebuke; third, Ānanda submitting to humiliation. This is the first part. As for 'the body was slightly indisposed', the meaning of manifesting illness is not single. It was simply because those of shallow knowledge take belief from ears and eyes, and engender inferior thoughts regarding the Tathāgata. Now it manifests Ānanda's lack of comprehension, perhaps being the same as the multitude; Jingming rebukes him loudly in order to open the proclamation of the dharmakāya and enable them to awaken to the responsive [body]. As for 'required cow's milk', the Buddha was preaching the Dharma under the music tree in Vaiśālī, his body suffering from a wind ailment, requiring milk to cook gruel. As for 'went to a great Brahman's house', in Vaiśālī there was a great Brahman named Brahmāyu, a master of Brahmans with five hundred disciples, who believed in and accepted heterodox paths, did not respect the Buddha's Dharma, and was exceedingly stingy. Now, by means of seven holy [events] he was converted: first, the Buddha manifested illness; second, Ānanda begged for milk; third, Jingming came to rebuke him; fourth, the mother cow spoke a verse; fifth, the calf spoke a verse; sixth, a transformed person milked [the cow]; seventh, a voice proclaimed from space. This person was extremely stingy, covering his courtyard and roof with netting so that flying birds could not eat grain or food. In the morning [Ānanda] went to seek milk, precisely when this person was entering to see the king together with his five hundred disciples. He asked what Ānanda sought, and [Ānanda] answered with the matter above. The brahmacārin remained silent without answering, thinking to himself: 'If I do not give it, people will say I am parsimonious; if I do give it, they will again say I serve Gautama.' After a long time, he pointed to a vicious and foul cow, telling Ānanda to draw the milk himself. His intention in doing this was: first, he wished to show that Gautama was always contending with him over superiority of merit, and now by having the vicious cow gore his disciple to death, he would bring shame upon his master and cause the multitudes to abandon Gautama and come to him. Furthermore, since the cow was vicious, he would certainly get no milk, so there would be no loss to himself. At that time, a transformed person came to milk it for him, and the cow spoke a verse: 'Now I give milk to the Buddha; leave a little for my calf.' The calf spoke a verse saying: 'Give it all to the Tathāgata; I can eat grass myself.' This matter comes from the Ruguang Jing (Sūtra on the Radiance of Milk). "'At that time Vimalakīrti came and said to me: "Well now, Ānanda! Why are you holding a bowl and standing here in the early morning?"'" This is the second part, the import of the rebuke. The text has three parts: first, the question; second, the answer; third, the rebuke. The early morning was not the time for begging food, which is why he asked. "'I said: "Householder! The World-Honoured One's body is slightly indisposed and requires cow's milk, so I have come here."'" Second, Ānanda replied with the facts. "'Vimalakīrti said: "Stop, stop, Ānanda! Do not speak such words."'" This is the third part, the actual rebuke. The text has three admonitions and three explanations; this is the first admonition. As for why he repeated 'stop', if the Buddha were truly ill, above it would conceal the virtue of the dharmakāya, and below it would increase the encumbrance of sentient beings. Now wishing to sever these two meanings, he therefore repeated 'stop'. "'"The Tathāgata's body is the body of vajra."'" This explains the preceding admonition. Followers of the Small Vehicle say the bones are vajra while the flesh is not vajra. The Great Vehicle clarifies that the Tathāgata's physical body is vajra inside and out, entirely solid and full, endowed with great power, with no place of illness. If vajra is used as a metaphor for the dharmakāya, it is as explained in the 'Vajra Body Chapter' of the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. The dharmakāya is permanent and indestructible, hence like vajra. "'"All evils have been severed and all goods have gathered together; what illness could there be? What distress could there be?"'" Above, the absence of illness was distinguished in terms of the fruit; here, the absence of illness is explained in terms of the cause. All evils have been severed, so there is no cause for illness; all goods have gathered together, so there is no cause for illness. "'"Go back silently, Ānanda! Do not slander the Tathāgata."'" This is the second admonition. 'Go back silently' bids him to return. Since the matter of absence of illness is evident, milk is certainly not required, so he bids him return. If he insists it is real, then he slanders the Buddha. "'"Do not let other people hear these crude words."'" Illness is an immediate phenomenon, the extreme of crudeness. If those who do not comprehend hear it, they will certainly take it as real illness. "'"Do not let the gods of great majestic virtue and the bodhisattvas coming from pure lands in other directions hear these words."'" Master [Kumāra]jīva says: 'Above the five Śuddhāvāsa heavens, there is separately the Maheśvara heaven, which is [where] tenth-stage bodhisattvas [dwell]; further, there are the mahāsattvas from other directions. If these two kinds of beings hear these words, they will know it is the Buddha's upāya, and will marvel at your lack of comprehension.' "'"Ānanda! Even a wheel-turning sage king, by virtue of slight merit, still attains freedom from illness; how much more so the Tathāgata, whose boundless merit has gathered and who universally excels?"'" This is the second explanation. Previously it was deduced in terms of sages; here worldly beings are cited as a comparison. A wheel-turning king does not even equal the gods of the desire realm, yet through mere slight merit in the human world he still attains freedom from illness; how much more so the Tathāgata, who universally excels the three realms, could he have illness? A treatise says: 'There was an arhat named Vakkula, who in the past was a medicine seller. He told the saṃgha during the summer retreat: "If anyone needs medicine, come take it from me." In the end, the assembly needed nothing; only one monk had a slight illness and received a single harītaki fruit. By virtue of this, for ninety-one kalpas he was born among gods and humans, enjoying boundless pleasure; merely by hearing the name of medicine, his body suffered not the slightest affliction. In this lifetime, his age was already ninety-one kalpas, and he had never had an illness either.' How much more so, when good has accumulated boundlessly, from where could illness arise? 'Be gone, Ānanda! Do not let us suffer this shame.' This is the third admonition. Since the deduction of the matter is like this, he must certainly return. If he obstinately stays without leaving, not only will the Buddha suffer this slander, but we too will bear its shame. "'"If non-Buddhist brahmacārins hear these words, they will think: 'How can he be called a teacher? He cannot cure his own illness, yet he can cure the illnesses of others!'"'" Previously it was shown that those of the inner study would suffer shame; here it explains the ridicule and slander of non-Buddhists: 'How can he be called a good physician of the Dharma? He cannot cure the illness of his own body; how can he cure the mental illnesses of people?' "'"You should secretly and swiftly depart, and not let people hear."'" If upright beings hear it, they will think you lack comprehension; if heterodox teachers hear it, they will think the Buddha is truly ill. "'"You should know, Ānanda! The bodies of all Tathāgatas are precisely the dharmakāya, not a body of desire and thought."'" This is the third explanation. There are three pairs in all, each explained in terms of attainment and abandonment. This is the first pair, based first on attainment. Master [Kumāra]jīva says: 'The dharmakāya has three aspects: first, the dharma-transformation body (nirmāṇakāya), which is vajra; second, the fivefold dharmakāya; third, the real-mark dharmakāya.' This resembles the doctrine of the three Buddhas: transformation, reward, and dharma. None of these three Buddhas has real illness. 'Not a body of desire and thought' is in terms of abandonment. A conditioned form within the three realms is called a body of desire and thought. Another interpretation: thought is karma, and desire is the fetters; it is not a body of fetters and karma. "'"The Buddha is the World-Honoured One, transcending the three realms."'" This is the second pair. Because his virtues are fully complete, he is honoured by the world; this clarifies attainment. 'Transcending the three realms': sentient beings in the three realms fully undergo the eight sufferings, which is why they have illness; the Buddha has transcended the three realms, which is abandonment. "'"The Buddha's body is untainted; all taints have been exhausted. The Buddha's body is unconditioned, not falling into any reckoning."'" This is the third pair, clarifying abandonment and attainment. The first clause clarifies abandonment: although having transcended the three realms, he might conceivably be in a final bodily existence, which is still a tainted phenomenon—how could he be free from illness? Since the Buddha is untainted, he is free from illness. The next clause clarifies attainment: although termed untainted, he might conceivably be conditioned, and what is conditioned is a phenomenon of arising and ceasing, which has not yet avoided illness; since he is unconditioned, he does not follow conditioned reckoning. Some say: 'not a body of desire and thought' is abandoning the cause of fragmented [saṃsāra]; 'transcending the three realms' is abandoning the fruit of fragmented [saṃsāra]; 'the Buddha's body is untainted' is abandoning the cause of changeful [saṃsāra]; 'the Buddha's body is unconditioned' is abandoning the fruit of changeful [saṃsāra]. "'"In such a body, what illness could there be?"'" Above, the absence of affliction was explained specifically; here, the virtues are summarized. "'At that time, World-Honoured One, I truly felt ashamed: could it be that I was near the Buddha yet misheard him?'" This is the third part, explaining Ānanda submitting to humiliation. The text has three parts: first, Ānanda feeling ashamed; second, a voice emerging from space; third, praising the householder. Receiving a mission like this and being recognized like that, in advancing and retreating he felt ashamed. Since Jingming's words accorded with principle, the Buddha certainly had no illness; the fault lay with himself, hence he misheard. "'Just then I heard a voice in space saying: "Ānanda! It is as the householder says. But because the Buddha has appeared in the evil world of the five turbidities, he manifests the practice of this method to cross over and liberate sentient beings. Be on your way, Ānanda! Take the milk without shame."'" This is the second part, explaining the voice emerging from space. Through the two bodies of origin and traces, the words of both Jingming and the Buddha are reconciled without contradiction. 'As the householder says' verifies Jingming's statement, hearing of the dharmakāya. From 'but because the Buddha has appeared in the five turbidities' onwards, it verifies the Tathāgata's words, clarifying the trace body. By manifesting the dharmakāya, he causes people to give rise to reverence for the Buddha; by clarifying the trace body, stinginess is broken and merit is produced. Furthermore, attainment and loss comprise four propositions in all: first, both attain: Jingming attains the real, and Ānanda attains the upāya. Second, both lose: if one solely uses Jingming, one loses the function of upāya and cannot conform with sentient beings; if one solely uses Ānanda, it conceals the virtue of the dharmakāya, and beings will not revere him. Third, Jingming attains and Ānanda loses, based on the present meaning of the rebuke. Fourth, Ānanda attains and Jingming loses, regarding begging milk to break stinginess and foster beings' merit. As for the five turbidities, they are the kalpa turbidity, the sentient beings turbidity, the lifespan turbidity, the view turbidity, and the affliction turbidity. The kalpa turbidity means that within a great kalpa there are the three minor kalpas of warfare, pestilence, and famine; this is called the kalpa turbidity. The sentient beings turbidity means evil sentient beings who lack humaneness, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and so on; this is called the sentient beings turbidity. The lifespan turbidity means taking brevity as suffering and being unable to practice the Way; this is called the lifespan turbidity. From one hundred and twenty years down to three years, all is lifespan turbidity. Master [Kumāra]jīva says: 'Wrong views are the view turbidity; the remaining nine proclivities are affliction.' Traditionally it was said that the five views are the view turbidity, and the five dull [fetters] are the affliction turbidity. "'World-Honoured One! Such was Vimalakīrti's wisdom and eloquence.'" Third, praising Jingming. "'Therefore, I am not fit to go there to inquire after his illness.'" Unfitness has three parts: the proposition and explanation are already finished; now is the overall conclusion. "In this manner, the five hundred great disciples each spoke to the Buddha of their original circumstances, recounted what Vimalakīrti had said, and all said they were not fit to go there to inquire after his illness." The 'Disciples Chapter' has two sections: the first, commanding the ten persons, is already concluded; from here down, it summarizes the unfitness of the five hundred. The 'five hundred' refers to the five hundred eminent and renowned ones among the eight thousand arhats.