維摩經義疏 2.6

2.6

"At that time, Śāriputra, sustained by the Buddha's spiritual power, had this thought: 'If a bodhisattva's Buddha-land is pure because his mind is pure, then when our World-Honoured One was formerly a bodhisattva, could his mind not have been pure, such that this Buddha-land is impure like this?'" Below this is the second part, which explains the dispelling of doubt. In the text there are two parts: first, explaining the arising of doubt; next, analyzing the dispelling of doubt. The initial text has three phrases: first, the cause of the arising of doubt; second, the locus of the arising of doubt; third, the actual arising of doubt. "Sustained by the Buddha's holy decree" analyzes the cause of the arising of doubt. Now, purifying Buddha-lands and maturing sentient beings are the Mahāsattva's Dharma-gate and are originally not the affair of the small vehicle. But now, wishing to make clear that the Buddha-land is ever-pure, and that good and evil arise from two different conditions, [the Buddha] thus prompted his doubtful thought through spiritual power in order to give rise to the beginning of discourse. "If a bodhisattva's mind is pure" takes up the text above and analyzes the locus of the arising of doubt. From "our World-Honoured One" onwards is the actual arising of doubt. He examines the mind by means of the land, using the mind to determine the land: since the land is defiled, the mind should not be pure; since the mind is pure, the land would not be defiled. Hesitating without resolving [this] is why it became a doubt. "The Buddha, knowing his thought, thereupon addressed him, saying: 'What do you think? Are the sun and moon not pure, such that the blind do not see them?' He answered: 'No, World-Honoured One. It is the fault of the blind, not the error of the sun and moon.' 'Śāriputra! Because of the sins of sentient beings, they do not see the majestic purity of the Tathāgata's Buddha-country; it is not the Tathāgata's error.'" Below this is the second part, dispelling the doubt. In the text there are three parts: first, the Buddha himself dispels it; second, the Brahmā King assists in clarifying it; third, the Buddha re-explains it. The Buddha is the host of transformation, and therefore he explains it first. Although the Buddha spoke of a pure land, if no person bore witness to seeing it, it would still be difficult to believe. Therefore, next the Brahmā King explains, making clear that there is a person capable of seeing it, testifying that the Buddha does not speak falsely. Although the Brahmā King saw it, Śāriputra did not see it, still thinking there were words without reality; therefore, the Tathāgata transforms the land, verifying what the Buddha spoke above and what the Brahmā King saw. Moreover, in the first round of preaching on purity, he came to hear and know it; next, the Brahmā King beholding purity gave rise to his faith and understanding; third, concealing defilement and manifesting purity caused him to bear witness and see it: thus [his] awakening and entry follows an orderly sequence. Question: The sun and moon are ever pure, and that the blind do not see them is the fault of the blind, not the error of the sun and moon. Conforming to the simile, it should say: "The land is genuinely pure, but you do not see it. It is the fault of you and the others, not the fault of the land." Why does it say "not the Buddha's error"? Answer: The cause of the land and the fruit of the land belong entirely to the Buddha; therefore, it says "not the Buddha's error." Question: What kind of error does the Buddha not have? Answer: As a cause, the Buddha has no error of impurity; as a fruit, he has no error of a defiled land. Furthermore, Śāriputra doubted the Buddha, thinking that because the mind was impure, the land was therefore impure; for this reason, it says "the Buddha's error." "'Śāriputra, this land of mine is pure, but you do not see it.'" The previous clarification of impurity belonged to Śāriputra; now, the clarification of purity belongs to the Buddha. Therefore, he says "mine." And saying "this land": Śāriputra earlier saw this land as impure, thinking the Buddha had a separate pure land situated in another realm which Śāriputra did not see; therefore, he now clarifies that this land is pure. "At that time, the Conch-Topknot Brahmā King said to Śāriputra: 'Do not have this thought, considering this Buddha-land to be impure. Why is that? I see Śākyamuni Buddha's land to be pure, comparable to the palace of the Īśvara Heaven.'" This is the second part, the Brahmā King's testimony and explanation. In the text there are three parts: first, rebuking Śāriputra and stating his own view; second, Śāriputra relating what he himself sees in reply to the Brahmā King; third, the Brahmā King judging their gain and loss. As for saying "the palace of the Īśvara Heaven": some say it is the palace of the Paranirmita-vaśavartin Heaven in the desire realm, so the Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra says: "Its jewels are like the jewels of the Sixth Heaven." Some say it is the palace of the Maheśvara Heaven in the form realm. Some say it is above the first dhyāna, namely the Īśvara palace of the intermediate dhyāna. Because the Great Brahmā King presides over a thousand worlds, he abides with sovereignty in the intermediate dhyāna over the thousand worlds, which is named the sovereign heaven palace. Question: Why does it only speak of the sovereign heaven palace? Answer: Now, the Buddha-land is truly pure, transcending humans and devas; Śāriputra is among humans and sees it as a human land, while the Brahmā King abides in heaven and sees it as a heavenly palace. It is simply speaking in accordance with what each sees. "Śāriputra said: 'I see this land filled with mounds, pits, brambles, thorns, gravel, and earth-and-stone mountains, foul and evil.'" Below this is the second part, Śāriputra stating his own view to answer the Brahmā King. The reason he stated his own view is that he wished to reveal that the two vehicles are persons of defilement, so as to cause those of small mind to aspire to the Great Path. "The Conch-Topknot Brahmā King said: 'Venerable Sir, your mind has high and low, and does not rely on the Buddha's wisdom; hence you see this land as impure. Śāriputra! A bodhisattva is completely impartial toward all sentient beings, his profound mind is pure, and relying on the Buddha's wisdom, he is able to see this Buddha-land as pure.'" Third, the Brahmā King judges their gain and loss. All things and forms arise from the mind. Since the minds of the two vehicles are not pure, they therefore see impurity above; the Mahāsattva attains a pure contemplation, and therefore sees the land as pure. Now, discussing their gain and loss overall, there are four perspectives: First, both obtain [the benefit]: Śāriputra obtains the upāya of defilement, while the Brahmā King obtains the upāya of purity. Second, both lose: Śāriputra attaches exclusively to defilement and loses purity, while the Brahmā King attaches exclusively to purity and loses defilement. Third, Śāriputra loses and the Brahmā King gains, which accords with the teaching of the Pure Land. Fourth, Śāriputra gains and the Brahmā King loses, as at times it is necessary to manifest a defiled land and not appropriate to manifest a pure one. "Thereupon the Buddha pressed the earth with his toe, and instantly the trichiliocosm was adorned with hundreds of thousands of rare jewels, comparable to the Jewel-Adorned Land of Immeasurable Merits and Jewel Adornments of the Buddha Ratnavyūha. The entire great assembly marveled at what had never been before, and all saw themselves seated on jeweled lotuses." This is the third part, the Buddha revealing purity in repeated reply. In the text there are two parts: first, explaining actual purity; next, analyzing the awakening to the path. Master Kumārajīva said: "The two lands, pure and defiled, share the same place without mutual obstruction." Now, concealing defilement and manifesting purity is done to bear witness that the Buddha's words are not false. The Brahmā King saw reality, and this also reveals that the two vehicles are born blind and shows that ordinary beings are defiled by sin. "The Buddha addressed Śāriputra: 'Look for a while at the majestic purity of this Buddha-land.' Śāriputra said: 'Indeed, World-Honoured One! What was originally not seen, originally not heard, the majestic purity of the Buddha's country is now fully manifest.' The Buddha addressed Śāriputra: 'My Buddha-country is ever pure like this; in order to save these lowly and inferior persons, I merely display this land of many evils and impurities.'" "This land of mine is ever pure": in order to dispel doubts, there is this passage. The assembly at that time doubted, saying: "The land was originally not pure, and only now has been transformed into purity; thus we know that seeing defilement was real." Therefore, he explains, saying: "This country of mine is originally ever pure, not just now transformed into purity." The assembly at that time doubted again: "If it is ever pure, why does he not constantly manifest the pure land instead of dwelling in defilement?" Therefore, he further explains, saying: "In order to save these lowly and inferior persons, I merely display this land of many evils and impurities." Now, there are two kinds of defiled land: first, retribution; second, response. Explaining based on the retribution land: speaking from the perspective of the Buddha, it is therefore ever pure; for the sake of saving the lowly, he manifests dwelling in the impure land of sentient beings. Explaining in terms of the response land: the Buddha's true land is ever pure; for the sake of saving the lowly, he creates an impure land. "'Just as the devas eat together from a jeweled vessel, yet according to their merits the food differs; so it is, Śāriputra! If a person's mind is pure, he will see this land adorned with merits.'" This simile comes because, although the above was verified by an event, the assembly at that time did not yet understand: for what reason is it truly a pure land, yet we see defilement? Therefore, he cites this simile to enlighten them again. When newly born in heaven, wishing to test and know together the extent of their merits, they must eat heavenly rice together from a single jeweled vessel. Heavenly rice is extremely white, with nothing of comparable whiteness to serve as an analogy. For those with much merit, when they raise the rice to their mouths, the color of the rice does not change. For those with little merit, when they raise the rice to their mouths, the color of the rice promptly changes. According to Master Kumārajīva's interpretation, within one vessel there are two kinds of food, responding to two kinds of sentient beings. Likewise, in one place there are two lands, pure and defiled, responding to two conditions; thus different substances share the same place without mutual obstruction. Jizang considers that this interpretation by Master Kumārajīva is inconvenient in relation to the text. There is only one white rice: those whose merit is thick see it as white, while those whose merit is thin see it as red. Conforming to the simile: there is truly one pure land; the bodhisattva, relying on the Buddha's wisdom, therefore sees the land as pure; the two vehicles, not relying on the Buddha's wisdom, therefore see the land as impure. One must not say that within the vessel there were originally two kinds of rice. If there were originally two kinds of rice, how could it still serve to test the devas? "When the Buddha manifested this country's majestic purity, the five hundred elders' sons led by Ratnākara all attained anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti, and eighty-four thousand people all resolved upon anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. The Buddha withdrew his spiritual samādhi, whereupon this world returned to its former state. Thirty-two thousand devas and humans seeking the śrāvaka vehicle knew that conditioned dharmas are all impermanent, became remote from dust and free from defilement, and attained the purity of the Dharma-eye. Eight thousand monks did not grasp at any dharmas, their taints were exhausted, and their minds were liberated." This is the second part, explaining that the assembly at that time attained the path. The arising of the Buddha-country was precisely for this purpose. In the text there are two parts: first, explaining the attainment of the Mahāyāna benefit; next, analyzing the attainment of the Hīnayāna benefit. The great benefit is twofold. First, attaining anutpattika-kṣānti means knowing that the land is originally pure and that defilement arises from deluded passion; realizing that all dharmas are also like this, they therefore attain the unborn. Furthermore, knowing that the land has never been pure or defiled, and that purity and defilement arise from two conditions, all dharmas are not definitively existent or nonexistent; existence and nonexistence arise from delusion, and [realizing this] is called attaining the unborn. Next, giving rise to the bodhi-mind means rejoicing upon hearing of the Pure Land and generating vows to seek it. "Whereupon this world returned to its former state": below this explains attaining the small vehicle benefit. That which is beyond one's capacity cannot be dwelled in for long; therefore it returned to what they ought to see. Moreover, transforming defilement into purity is to benefit great persons; reverting from purity to defilement is of benefit to the small path. "Knowing that conditioned dharmas are all impermanent": the land being defiled can become pure, and being pure reverts to defilement; due to awakening to impermanence, they therefore attained the purity of the Dharma-eye, meaning seeing the Four Truths. Seeing the Four Truths for the first time is why it is called the eye. Severing the eighty-eight fetters is called becoming remote from dust and free from defilement, which is termed purity. Another interpretation: not grasping at external objects is becoming remote from dust; internally lacking the view of self is being free from defilement; clearly seeing the Four Truths is called the purity of the Dharma-eye. "Did not grasp at any dharmas, their taints were exhausted, and their minds were liberated": the above explained the shallow benefit, while now it analyzes the deep advantage. Knowing that the land is impermanent, they therefore do not greedily grasp at any dharmas, which is called not grasping. The ninety-eight fetters and various taints having been exhausted, their minds attained liberation and they became arhats.