維摩經義疏 5.3.2

5.3.2

若無菩薩，誰行大慈？ 「維摩詰言：菩薩作是觀已，自念：我當為眾生說如斯法。 是即真實慈也」。 此第二答也。 眾生雖無所有，而於眾生非有謂有。 今欲為非有謂有眾生，說有無所有，故言我當為眾生說如斯法。 以說有無所有，令眾生悟於實相，便得實樂，名真慈也。 又無生實觀，名為實觀。 從實觀而起慈，名真實慈。 觀之與慈更無二體，即照義為觀、與樂為慈，觀雖鑒而無照、慈與樂而無緣。 又凡夫二乘有所得慈，但是假想，不能實與物樂，非真實慈； 大慈實能與眾生樂，名真實慈。 「行寂滅慈，無所生故」。 慈有三種：一眾生緣、二者法緣、三曰無緣。 但此三緣，經論多種。 《涅槃經》云「緣於眾生，欲與其樂，為眾生緣。 緣於五欲樂具之法，欲與眾生，名為法緣。 緣於如來，稱為無緣。 」問：前二可解。 既緣如來即是有緣，何名無緣？ 答：經自釋之。 慈者多緣貧窮眾生，如來大師永離貧窮、受第一樂，若緣眾生則不緣佛，故名無緣。 此簡異眾生緣也。 經云「法亦如是」，此簡異法緣。 法緣者，欲與眾生樂、不欲與佛，是故不緣佛，亦名無緣。 以緣佛、無生法二緣，故名無緣。 問：若爾，何須緣佛？ 答：欲以佛樂與諸眾生，是故緣佛。 問：上明法緣已辨與樂，今何故復說？ 答：上與五欲世間樂耳，是故經文緣於財物； 今與佛出世樂也。 問：既其緣佛，佛則是人，應屬眾生緣。 答：為欲簡異所化眾生緣。 問：若爾，既與佛樂，樂即是法，應名法緣。 答：為欲簡異世間法，故不名法緣。 次《智度論》明三緣者，見有眾生起慈，名眾生緣； 不見眾生，但有五陰法而起慈者，名為法緣； 不見眾生亦不見法而興慈者，名曰無緣。 初是凡夫慈、次是二乘慈、後是菩薩，亦是下中上淺深三品。 此之三品，亦得與三品樂。 初與人法樂、次與無我樂、後與無量樂。 今文云寂滅慈者，即無緣慈也。 諸法寂滅，本自無生，因此起慈，名寂滅慈。 雖復起慈而實無所起，故云無所生也。 「行不熱慈，無煩惱故」。 此章明慈攝一切德，故緣眾德以嘆於慈。 慈體清涼，無煩惱熱，故名不熱慈。 「行等之慈，等三世故」。 等救三世，名等之慈。 實無三世可救，復是等三世也。 「行無諍慈，無所起故」。 彼我皆空，故諍訟不起。 「行不二慈，內外不合故」。 內慈、外緣俱空，無所合也。 「行不壞慈，畢竟盡故」。 無緣真慈即無生觀，故不可壞。 生法二緣畢竟永盡，無物能壞。 「行堅固慈，心無毀故」。 上明外緣不能壞，此明內心不可毀。 「行清淨慈，諸法性淨故」。 真慈無相，與法性同淨。 「行無邊慈，如虛空故」。 無心於覆，而無所不覆。 「行阿羅漢慈，破結賊故」。 阿羅漢，此言破結賊。 慈能破結，慈名羅漢。 「行菩薩慈，安眾生故」。 菩薩之稱由安眾生，慈安眾生，可名菩薩。 「行如來慈，得如相故」。 如來之稱由得如相，慈順如相，可名如來。 「行佛之慈，覺眾生故」。 自覺覺他謂之佛也，慈既自悟又能覺彼，可名為佛。 「行自然慈，無因得故」。 《涅槃經》云「因世諦慈，得第一義慈，無有因緣。 」此以下品慈為世諦，上品慈為第一義。 因修下品慈得上品慈，故有因也。 得上品慈覺，不復假因方成慈觀，而慈心自然任運成就，名無因得也。 有人言：生法二緣，皆是因緣和合之法。 緣此而生慈，名為有因。 第一義，有佛無佛，法相常住，無因。 緣此而生慈，名為無因。 什公云「無因即自然，自然即無師義。 真慈無師而得，名自然慈。 」「行菩提慈，等一味故」。 唯佛菩提能解一切法平等一味，分無所得心生慈，故同於菩提也。 「行無等慈，斷諸愛故」。 凡夫有愛結生慈，則可與等，愛斷行慈者無能等也。 「行大悲慈，導以大乘故」。

If there were no bodhisattvas, who would practice great benevolence? "Vimalakīrti said: 'After a bodhisattva makes such a contemplation, he reflects to himself: "I ought to expound such a teaching for the sake of sentient beings." This is truly real benevolence.'" This is the second response. Sentient beings do not exist at all, yet regarding sentient beings, they take what does not exist to exist. Now, wishing to explain non-existence and non-possession for the sake of sentient beings who take what does not exist to exist, he says: "I ought to expound such a teaching for the sake of sentient beings." By explaining non-existence and non-possession, he leads sentient beings to awaken to the real mark, whereupon they attain real joy; this is called true benevolence. Furthermore, the real contemplation of non-arising is called the real contemplation. Arising from real contemplation, benevolence is called truly real benevolence. Contemplation and benevolence have no two different substances: the meaning of illuminating is contemplation, and bestowing joy is benevolence; though contemplation perceives, it has no illumination, and benevolence bestows joy yet has no conditions. Furthermore, the benevolence with mental grasping of ordinary beings and the two vehicles is merely conceptualized imagination and cannot truly bestow joy on beings; it is not truly real benevolence. Great benevolence can truly bestow joy on sentient beings, so it is called truly real benevolence. "He practices quiescent benevolence, because there is nothing that arises." There are three kinds of benevolence: first, conditioned by sentient beings; second, conditioned by phenomena; and third, unconditioned. However, these three conditions are discussed in various ways in the sūtras and treatises. The Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: "Conditioned by sentient beings, desiring to give them joy, is conditioning by sentient beings. Conditioned by the phenomena of the utensils of joy of the five desires, desiring to give them to sentient beings, is called conditioning by phenomena. Conditioned by the Tathāgata, it is called unconditioned." Question: The first two can be understood. Since it is conditioned by the Tathāgata, it has conditions; why is it called unconditioned? Answer: The sūtra itself explains this. Benevolence mostly takes impoverished sentient beings as its condition; the Tathāgata, the Great Master, has eternally transcended poverty and experiences the supreme joy. If it is conditioned by sentient beings, it is not conditioned by the Buddha; therefore it is called unconditioned. This distinguishes it from conditioning by sentient beings. The sūtra says: "Phenomena are also like this"; this distinguishes it from conditioning by phenomena. In conditioning by phenomena, one desires to give joy to sentient beings, not to give it to the Buddha; therefore, not taking the Buddha as condition, it is also called unconditioned. Because it takes the Buddha and unarisen phenomena as its two conditions, it is called unconditioned. Question: If so, why must it be conditioned by the Buddha? Answer: Desiring to bestow the Buddha's joy upon all sentient beings, it is therefore conditioned by the Buddha. Question: Above, under conditioning by phenomena, bestowing joy has already been explained; why is it stated again now? Answer: Above, it was merely bestowing the worldly joy of the five desires; therefore the sūtra text takes wealth and goods as condition. Now, it bestows the supramundane joy of the Buddha. Question: Since it is conditioned by the Buddha, the Buddha is a person, so it should belong to conditioning by sentient beings. Answer: It is to distinguish it from conditioning by the sentient beings who are converted. Question: If so, since it gives the Buddha's joy, and joy is a phenomenon, it should be called conditioning by phenomena. Answer: It is to distinguish it from worldly phenomena; therefore it is not called conditioning by phenomena. Next, in the explanation of the three conditions in the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra: seeing that there are sentient beings and giving rise to benevolence is called conditioning by sentient beings; not seeing sentient beings, but giving rise to benevolence while there are only the phenomena of the five aggregates, is called conditioning by phenomena; and giving rise to benevolence while seeing neither sentient beings nor phenomena is called unconditioned. The first is the benevolence of ordinary beings, the next is the benevolence of the two vehicles, and the last is that of bodhisattvas; they are also the three grades of inferior, intermediate, and superior, or shallow and deep. These three grades also succeed in bestowing three grades of joy. The first bestows the joy of human phenomena, the next bestows the joy of selflessness, and the last bestows immeasurable joy. Now, what the text calls quiescent benevolence is unconditioned benevolence. All phenomena are quiescent and fundamentally unarisen; giving rise to benevolence on this basis is called quiescent benevolence. Although giving rise to benevolence, in reality there is nothing that arises; hence it says: "because there is nothing that arises." "He practices unheated benevolence, because there are no afflictions." This passage explains that benevolence subsumes all virtues, and therefore it praises benevolence in terms of all virtues. The substance of benevolence is pure and cool, devoid of the fever of afflictions; therefore it is called unheated benevolence. "He practices equal benevolence, because it is equal toward the three periods of time." Universally saving throughout the three periods of time is called equal benevolence. In reality, there are no three periods of time to be saved; this is again being equal toward the three periods of time. "He practices uncontentious benevolence, because nothing arises." Other and self are both empty; therefore disputes and quarrels do not arise. "He practices non-dual benevolence, because inner and outer do not unite." The inner benevolence and outer conditions are both empty, with nothing to unite. "He practices indestructible benevolence, because it is definitively exhausted." Unconditioned true benevolence is the contemplation of non-arising, and therefore cannot be destroyed. Both conditions of sentient beings and phenomena are definitively and eternally exhausted; nothing can destroy it. "He practices firm benevolence, because the mind is without ruin." Above, it was explained that external conditions cannot destroy it; here, it is explained that the inner mind cannot be ruined. "He practices pure benevolence, because the nature of all phenomena is pure." True benevolence is formless, being pure in the same manner as the nature of phenomena. "He practices boundless benevolence, because it is like empty space." Having no intention to cover, yet there is nothing it does not cover. "He practices arhat benevolence, because it destroys the thieves of the fetters." "Arhat" here means destroying the thieves of the fetters. Benevolence can destroy the fetters, so benevolence is named arhat. "He practices bodhisattva benevolence, because it pacifies sentient beings." The title of "bodhisattva" derives from pacifying sentient beings; since benevolence pacifies sentient beings, it may be called bodhisattva. "He practices Tathāgata benevolence, because it attains the mark of suchness." The title of "Tathāgata" derives from attaining the mark of suchness; since benevolence conforms to the mark of suchness, it may be called Tathāgata. "He practices Buddha benevolence, because it awakens sentient beings." Awakening oneself and awakening others is what is meant by "Buddha"; since benevolence is both self-awakened and capable of awakening others, it may be called Buddha. "He practices spontaneous benevolence, because it is attained without a cause." The Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: "Relying on the benevolence of worldly truth, one attains the benevolence of the ultimate truth, without causes or conditions." Here, the inferior benevolence is taken as worldly truth, and the superior benevolence as the ultimate truth. Because one cultivates inferior benevolence and attains superior benevolence, there is a cause. When one attains the awakening of superior benevolence, one no longer depends on a cause to complete the contemplation of benevolence; rather, the mind of benevolence is spontaneously and naturally accomplished, so it is said to be attained without a cause. Some say: The two conditions of sentient beings and phenomena are both conditioned phenomena of combination. Arising benevolence based on these is called having a cause. In the ultimate truth, whether there is a Buddha or no Buddha, the marks of phenomena are permanently abiding and have no cause. Arising benevolence based on this is called having no cause. Master Jīva said: "'Without a cause' means spontaneous, and 'spontaneous' means without a teacher. True benevolence is attained without a teacher; hence it is called spontaneous benevolence." "He practices bodhi benevolence, because it is equal in one single flavor." Only the Buddha's bodhi can understand that all phenomena are equal in one single flavor; giving rise to benevolence partially with a mind free of attainment, it is therefore identical with bodhi. "He practices unequaled benevolence, because it severs all cravings." When ordinary beings give rise to benevolence with the fetter of craving, it can be equaled; one who practices benevolence with craving severed cannot be equaled by anyone. "He practices great compassionate benevolence, because it guides through the Great Vehicle."