維摩經義疏 2.9

2.9

"He, through upāya, manifested his body as having illness." From the preceding down to this point, the general upāya has been fully prefaced; from here downward, the specific upāya is clarified. If divided by assemblies: from the beginning of the chapter to this point explains the background narrative; from this text onward, it is properly the teaching of this single assembly. Within this text, there are also four parts: first, explaining the manifestation of illness; second, discerning the inquiry about the illness; third, expounding the gate of the teaching; fourth, the assembly at that time awakening to the Path. Why he manifested illness: wishing to awaken [others] to impermanence, one must rely on the three declines—old age, illness, and death. Now, old age requires years to arrive, so it cannot come suddenly; death means speech ceases, so there is no means to awaken others; illness can be suddenly inflicted, yet speech has not ceased, hence among the three he contemplates this bodily illness to raise the gate of the teaching. Furthermore, the layman's embodiment of the Way was profound, yet he was not exempt from this affliction; how much less could those devoid of virtue rely on [their bodies]? In addition, when one who is not ill rebukes illness, it is hard to believe; it is not as effective as rebuking illness through illness, for then living beings easily accept it. "Because of his illness, kings, great ministers, elders, upāsakas, Brahmins, and others, as well as princes and the remaining official retinue numbering countless thousands, all went to inquire about his illness." This is the second [part], clarifying that the multitude inquired about the illness. Jingming's virtue covered the world, and people felt indebted to his kindness; having heard he was ill, they all came to inquire about him. "To those who went, Vimalakīrti thereupon took his physical illness as an occasion to expound the Dharma extensively for them." This is the third [part], clarifying the expounding of the Dharma on the occasion of the illness. Within the expounding of the Dharma, there are altogether two gates: first, expounding the faults and afflictions of saṃsāra; second, praising the virtues of the dharmakāya. Expounding the faults and afflictions of saṃsāra causes them to feel revulsion toward saṃsāra; praising the virtues of the dharmakāya causes them to rejoice in the dharmakāya. The essential points of the Dharma gate are solely these: pressing [with faults] and drawing [with virtues]. Furthermore, expounding the faults and afflictions of saṃsāra shatters the delusions of ordinary persons; praising the virtues of the dharmakāya rebukes the views of the two vehicles. Furthermore, expounding the faults and afflictions of saṃsāra shatters eternalism; praising the virtues of the dharmakāya rebukes annihilationism. It causes the disciples receiving the transformation to abandon the two extremes and awaken to and enter the Middle Way. Yet in expounding these two gates, their opening and combining are not fixed; there are altogether four types: first, both combined, that is, directly clarifying the impermanence of saṃsāra and merely speaking of the permanence of the dharmakāya; second, both opened, opening saṃsāra into impermanence, suffering, and emptiness, and opening the dharmakāya into permanence, bliss, self, and purity; third, combining saṃsāra, merely speaking of impermanence, and opening the dharmakāya to be endowed with the four virtues; fourth, opening saṃsāra into impermanence, suffering, and emptiness, and combining the dharmakāya, merely speaking of permanence. Among the four gates, it is the fourth. With regard to the faults and afflictions of saṃsāra, there are altogether five gates: namely, impermanence, suffering, emptiness, non-self, and impurity. "Virtuous sirs! This body is impermanent." Impermanence is the initial gate for entering emptiness; moreover, it is an affliction common to all living beings, hence it is spoken of first. "It lacks strength." Being ill now, it is weak; hence one knows it lacks strength. "It lacks force." When old age, illness, and death arrive, one cannot repel them; hence it says it lacks force. "It lacks firmness." That is to say, its substance has no reality. "It is a phenomenon of rapid decay, not to be trusted." Although it lacks strong force, one might suppose it abides for long, hence it says rapidly decaying. Because it decays rapidly, who could trust that it is eternally solid? "It is suffering, it is distress, an aggregation of all diseases." This is the second, clarifying the contemplation of suffering. Because it is impermanent, it is suffering; because it is suffering, it gives rise to distress. Furthermore, suffering refers to the eight sufferings, and also immeasurable sufferings. Distress refers to the nine distresses, and also immeasurable distresses. Diseases are the four hundred and four diseases. "Virtuous sirs! Such a body as this is what the wise do not rely upon." This sentence concludes what precedes and introduces what follows. Because it has impermanence and suffering, the wise do not depend upon or rely on it. Introducing what follows: as in the various similes below, it is therefore not to be relied upon. "This body is like a mass of foam, not to be grasped or rubbed." This is the third, clarifying emptiness; there are altogether ten sentences. Ancient masters said: the first five sentences specifically clarify emptiness with reference to the five aggregates; the latter five sentences generally clarify its emptiness. Therefore the Avataṃsaka and other sūtras state, "Form is like a mass of foam, feeling is like a water bubble, perception is like a mirage, karmic formations are like a plantain tree, consciousness is like an illusion." Hence one knows that five similes are clarified with reference to the five aggregates. Now examining the text's intention, these are all general similes, not specific metaphors. A mass of foam seems to truly exist, but when grasped and rubbed it disintegrates into nothingness. The body also seems to exist, but when conditions arrive it is destroyed. "This body is like a bubble, unable to stand for long." It seems to clarify the meaning of impermanence, yet a bubble on water, because its substance is insubstantial and without reality, still has the meaning of emptiness. "This body is like a mirage, arising from thirst and craving." Thirst sees a shimmering mirage and deludedly takes it to be water. Craving sees the four great elements and mistakenly takes them to be a body. The Mahāyānasaṃgraha calls a mirage "deer's thirst"; this is the deer's thirst and deficiency, hence it sees a mirage as water. "This body is like a plantain tree, with no firmness inside." The plantain plant has only skin and leaves, with no reality. The body is also like this; it is merely a provisional designation, also lacking reality. "This body is like an illusion, arising from inversion." Seeing an illusion as a person and the four great elements as a body are both inversions. "This body is like a dream, a false and deceptive vision." Just as due to the dreaming mind one sees dream matters, yet there are truly no dream matters; the body is also like this: due to an inverted mind one sees this body as existing, yet there is truly no body. "This body is like a shadow, manifesting from karmic conditions." Previously it was that due to the mind of affliction there is a body; now, due to the shadow of past karma, there is the present body. Furthermore, because light is obstructed there is a shadow; because the light of correct contemplation is obstructed, there is the shadow of the body. "This body is like an echo, belonging to various causes and conditions." In the past it relied on the causes and conditions of delusion and karma; in the present it depends on the physical remains of father and mother, as well as clothing and food, etc. Summarizing all the above matters, it therefore says it belongs to various causes and conditions. "This body is like a floating cloud, changing and perishing in an instant." Floating clouds in a moment show different colors, and in an instant change and disperse. The body is also like this: within the twinkling of an eye there is youth, adulthood, and vigor, and in an instant it perishes through old age, illness, and death. "This body is like lightning, not abiding from thought to thought." Cloud and lightning are indeed impermanent. Here, taking their falsity and lack of reality, hence they rapidly perish and do not abide, it still explains the meaning of emptiness. "This body has no master, being like the earth." This is the fourth, clarifying the contemplation of non-self. There are altogether eight sentences: the first four specifically clarify non-self with reference to the four great elements; the latter four generally clarify non-self with reference to the four great elements. Some say: the earth is formed through the reliance on the four subtle atoms; although it has the function of excellent support, it truly lacks a controlling self to command its use; the body is also like this. The latter three elements are generally similar. Some say: the external earth has been transmitted from antiquity to the present; the strong reside in it first, hence it has no fixed master; the body is also like this: when conditions assemble it exists, when conditions disperse it is non-existent, hence it has no constant master. Some say: sentient beings take their own bodies as internal, and earth and wood as external; yet when external elements fill the body, they become internal again; when the internal elements disintegrate, they return again to the external. Now, although internal and external differ, their great elements are one. The external elements have no master; the internal body is also like this. Furthermore, seeing that the internal body is not destroyed, one claims it has a controlling master. Yet that the external is not destroyed does not mean it has a master; the internal body is also like this. "This body is without self, being like fire." Acting with sovereign independence is called self. Yet fire depends on firewood and cannot be sovereignly independent: when the firewood is small it is small, when the firewood is large it is large; when firewood exists it exists, when firewood is absent it is absent. The body is also like this: its bodily actions and instigations in myriad matters seem to possess a self. Yet it is merely formed of many conditions; when illness arrives it is distressed, when death arrives it perishes; it cannot be sovereignly independent, hence it has no self. "This body is without lifespan, being like wind." Although it blows, fans, stirs, and acts, sometimes going and sometimes coming, it is merely the circulation of aggregated vapor, not the existence of a living master. The body is also like this: inhaling and exhaling, walking, acting, and speaking also rely on vapor to move, not having a lifespan. "This body is without a person, being like water." Like water that is clear, pure, and bright, washing away dust and filth, bending or straightening following conditions, square or round according to the vessel; when seeking it in tranquility, there is no person. The body is also like this: knowing, seeing, advancing, and stopping, moving in response to matters, operating by riding upon circumstances; examining that which it relies upon, there is no person. Question: How do the four names differ? Answer: Their substance is one, their senses differ. Supposing there is a true controller, it is called a master. Sovereignly commanding with independence, it is termed a self. Constantly abiding without change, it is called a lifespan. Being superior to the myriad things, never altering to the very end, it is called a person. "This body is not real, the four great elements being its house." Above, non-self was clarified specifically with reference to the four great elements; now, non-self is clarified generally with reference to the four great elements. "This body is empty, free from self and what belongs to self." Self and what belongs to self are altogether of three kinds: first, taking the internal body as the self, and external land, wealth, wife, and children as what belongs to self; second, distinguishing them by general and specific regarding the internal body, taking the whole as the self and the five aggregates specifically as what belongs to self; third, distinguishing them with reference to the aggregates, reckoning form as the self and the rest as what belongs to self. Applying this in turn: non-self is the emptiness of persons, and the absence of what belongs to self is the emptiness of phenomena. Yet there are two kinds: first, the absence of intrinsically real persons and phenomena is the emptiness of inherent nature; second, the absence of causally conditioned persons and phenomena is termed provisional emptiness. "This body is without awareness, like grass, trees, tiles, and pebbles." The preceding clarified the substance of non-self; this discerns the function of non-self. Although the body can touch, it lacks awareness; although consciousness can know, it lacks touch. Seeking both in totality, there is ultimately no awareness; how does it differ from tiles and pebbles? But non-awareness also has two aspects: first, lacking intrinsic awareness; second, lacking provisional awareness. "This body is without agency, turned by the power of the wind." The preceding clarified the function of non-self with reference to mental phenomena; this clarifies the function of non-self with reference to physical form. Although it has actions and deeds, these are merely the power of the wind, not the function of a self. "This body is impure, filled with filth and evil." This is the fifth, clarifying the contemplation of impurity. There are altogether eight sentences: the first sentence directly reveals impurity; the lower seven sentences cite other phenomena to reveal impurity. Endowed with the thirty-six substances, it is called filled with filth and evil. "This body is false and deceptive; though provided with bathing, clothing, and food, it must return to destruction. This body is a calamity, distressed by a hundred and one diseases." When one great element increases or decreases, a hundred and one diseases arise. When the four great elements increase or decrease, there are four hundred and four diseases. They occur simultaneously, hence the body is an accumulation of calamities. "This body is like an abandoned well on a hill, pressed by old age." Some say: a high hill must collapse, a deep well must become filled, and having a body must involve old age. Sengzhao said, "The spirit's dwelling in the body is pressed by old age and death, just as an old man in an abandoned well on a hill is pressed by dragons and snakes." Kumārajīva said, "'Hill' is a mound; it means a dilapidated well. Formerly a man committed a crime against a king; the man fled, and the king ordered a drunken elephant to chase him. In desperate terror, the man threw himself into a dried well. Halfway down the well he found a piece of rotting grass, which he grasped with his hand. Below was a venomous dragon spitting poison toward him. Beside him were five venomous snakes, also wanting to harm him. Two mice were gnawing the grass, and the grass was about to break. A great elephant stood above it, also wanting to seize him. The man was in perilous torment and extreme terror. Above was a tree, from which drops of honey occasionally fell into his mouth. Because of his attachment to the flavor, he forgot his terror. The abandoned well on a hill is saṃsāra. The drunken elephant is impermanence. The venomous dragon is the evil destinies. The five venomous snakes are the five aggregates. The rotting grass is the life-faculty. The two mice, white and black, are the waxing and waning moons. The drops of honey are the pleasures of the five desires. Obtaining drops of honey and forgetting the suffering of terror illustrates that sentient beings obtain the honey drops of the five desires and do not fear suffering." "This body has no fixed duration, for it must certainly die." Although the lifespan in the heavens is not fixed, the fact of death is fixed. The Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra states, "The body is of two kinds: if it does not die of itself, it must be killed by others." "This body is like venomous snakes, like vengeful bandits, like an empty village, composed of the aggregates, realms, and sense-bases joined together." The four great elements are like four snakes, the five aggregates are compared to five bandits, and the six sense-faculties are like an empty village. "Virtuous sirs! This should be loathed and rejected. You should delight in the Buddha's body." Up to this point, the first part has expounded the faults and afflictions of saṃsāra; from here down, the second part praises the virtues of the dharmakāya. Revulsion is of three kinds: those of lower capacity, though revulsed, do not abandon it due to pleasure; those of middling capacity give rise to revulsion and wish to grasp nirvāṇa; those of higher capacity give rise to revulsion, yet are able to transform living beings. Now, fearing that inwardly giving rise to revulsion they would straightaway grasp nirvāṇa, he redirects them with correctness, hence saying they should delight in the Buddha's body. "Why is this? The Buddha's body is the dharmakāya." Those of shallow understanding, though hearing that they should delight in the Buddha's body, are precisely feared to equate it with what they see, not escaping arising and ceasing—why would one delight in that? Therefore he explains: the Buddha's body is the dharmakāya. Master [Dao]sheng said, "The sixteen-foot [body] is the trace body; the permanently abiding is the dharmakāya. The traces emerge from the dharmakāya, hence it says it is the dharmakāya." Master [Seng]zhao said, "How could one abandon the sixteen-foot [body] to seek the dharmakāya afar? Hence the sixteen-foot [body] without arising is itself the dharmakāya." As for the dharmakāya, it is not nourished by material phenomena, hence it takes the true Dharma as its body. The true dharmakāya, then, in substance transcends the hundred negations, and in form is complete with the myriad virtues. Because its substance transcends the hundred negations, it cannot be considered existent; because its form is complete with the myriad virtues, it cannot be considered non-existent. Far removed from the two extremes, it is the true dharmakāya. Question: Who are the people who held such an attachment? Answer: In India, ordinary persons and those of the two vehicles all asserted that although the Buddha's body and wisdom are marvelous, they ultimately return to destruction. For example, in the land of Zhengtan (China), the Tattvasiddhi masters held to the five-period teachings; for instance, Kaishan Zhizang asserted that the teaching of Jingming was expounded in the third period, that the Buddha's lifespan is seven hundred asaṃkhyeyas, and that it is ultimately impermanent. Furthermore, those of the lineage of Zhaoti explained this Vimalakīrti as spoken in the second period, which also does not escape arising and ceasing. Such people are all of shallow understanding. Now we refute them collectively: if the previously expounded faults and afflictions of saṃsāra are impermanent, and now praising the virtues of the dharmakāya also does not escape arising and ceasing, then both are equally to be loathed and rejected—how could there be a Buddha to rejoice in? Moreover, masters such as [Dao]sheng and [Seng]zhao, commenting on this Vimalakīrti, all clarified that the dharmakāya permanently abides. Later scholars should not contradict what they stated, as fully related in the Profound Meaning. "It is born from immeasurable merit and wisdom." Since there is an extremely marvelous fruition, there must be an extremely marvelous cause; hence from here downward the causes are adduced to explain the fruition. "It is born from morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation; it is born from loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity; it is born from generosity, observing precepts, patience and gentleness, vigorous exertion, meditative concentration, liberation, samādhi, extensive learning, wisdom, and all pāramitās; it is born from upāya; it is born from the six superknowledges; it is born from the three clarities; it is born from the thirty-seven aids to awakening; it is born from śamatha and vipaśyanā; it is born from the ten powers, four fearlessnesses, and eighteen unshared dharmas; it is born from severing all unwholesome dharmas and gathering all wholesome dharmas; it is born from truth; it is born from heedfulness; from such immeasurable pure dharmas is the body of the Tathāgata born. Virtuous sirs! If you wish to attain the Buddha's body and sever the diseases of all sentient beings, you should generate the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi." Question: The powers, fearlessnesses, and so forth are themselves the dharmakāya; why does it say they give birth to the dharmakāya? Answer: Some say: this refers to bodhisattvas of the ultimate stage, who also partially possess the powers, fearlessnesses, and so forth, and thus they give birth to the Buddha's body. Some say: those of lower stages practice by taking the Buddha's myriad virtues as their objective support, just as taking the Buddha's ten powers as support they cultivate the practice of the ten powers; hence it is said to be born from the ten powers. Some say: the dharmakāya has no birth; saying 'born' here refers to the reward Buddha (saṃbhogakāya). Jizang says: if based on the ten powers and so forth, 'birth' still establishes a meaning. Namely, taking the powers and so forth to accomplish the Buddha's dharmakāya, it is therefore called 'born'. If with respect to causal practice, it is appropriate to speak of 'birth'. Question: What is meant by "born from truth"? Answer: Truth is Buddha-nature. If Buddha-nature is revealed, it accomplishes the dharmakāya. "In this manner the elder Vimalakīrti expounded the Dharma appropriately for all those inquiring about his illness, causing countless thousands of people all to generate the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi." This is the fourth, clarifying the benefit attained by the assembly at that time. Hearing the faults and afflictions of saṃsāra, they abandoned the practices of ordinary persons; hearing the virtues of the dharmakāya, they ceased the practices of the two vehicles; therefore they generated the Buddha-mind. Furthermore, the above statement that one should delight in the Buddha's body is practice for one's own benefit; wishing to attain the Buddha's body to sever all sentient beings' diseases and generating the bodhi-mind is practice for benefiting others. Having heard that attaining Buddhahood is endowed with both self-benefit and transforming others, they therefore generated the mind of the Way.