維摩經義疏 4.12

English (machine translation) 4.12

Language: English

4.12.1

Broadly speaking, transforming living beings involves two approaches: the first is expounding the Dharma, and the second is manifesting spiritual penetrations. The chapter "Inquiring about Illness" explains his expounding of the Dharma, while this present chapter next explains his spiritual penetrations; thus, form and sound benefit living beings. Furthermore, the previous chapter first explained the illness of the one able to transform, which involves the two paths of emptiness and compassion, as well as the two wisdoms of the provisional and the real; next, it explained the illness of those to be transformed, which likewise involves the two paths of emptiness and compassion and the two wisdoms of the provisional and the real. Expounding these two wisdoms of the one transforming and those transformed is entirely meant to teach bodhisattvas how to cultivate practice. Now, this chapter explains that once cultivation of practice is accomplished, there are boundless great functions; therefore, there is the chapter "The Inconceivable". Question: What constitutes the essence of the inconceivable? Answer: Speaking generally, there are three dharmas: first, the inconceivable sphere; second, the inconceivable wisdom; and third, the inconceivable teaching. From the perspective of the one able to transform, wisdom arises from the sphere, and based on wisdom the teaching is expounded, intending to lead the assembly of those to be transformed to awaken to the principle by relying on the teaching, and to give rise to wisdom on the basis of the principle; hence nothing is omitted from these three gates. As for the inconceivable sphere, it is the two truths of the ultimate and the conventional; yet the two truths have never been [mere] spheres. When speaking in terms of expressing the principle, the two truths are teachings; regarding the sense of giving rise to wisdom, the two truths are called spheres. Generally speaking, both of these spheres, the ultimate and the conventional, possess the meaning of dependent arising, nominal designation, and non-attainment. They are not what ordinary people or people of the two vehicles who possess grasping can conceive; hence the two spheres are called inconceivable. Discussing them specifically: the ultimate truth is the true nature of all dharmas, where the activity of the mind is extinguished, and so the intellect cannot conceive of it; speech also ceases, and so the mouth cannot discuss it—this is called the inconceivability of the ultimate truth. For the conventional truth, too, the path of speech is cut off, and the activity of the mind is extinguished: since provisional existence cannot be definitely existent, the mind of definite existence is extinguished; since provisional existence cannot be definitely non-existent, the mind of definite non-existence is extinguished; and since it cannot be definitely both existent and non-existent, nor neither existent nor non-existent, the grasping mind that determines the four propositions is able to be extinguished, nor can it be spoken of by the four propositions of definite intrinsic nature; therefore, this is the inconceivability of conventional truth. Next, explaining the inconceivability of the two wisdoms: real wisdom is prajñā; in prajñā, thoughts, conceptualisations, and visualisations are false, and speech also ceases, so the mind cannot conceive of it and the mouth cannot discuss it. Provisional wisdom transforms without bounds, such as the large and small containing each other; this is something ordinary people, the two vehicles, and bodhisattvas of lower grounds cannot conceive—hence it is called inconceivable. As for the inconceivability of teaching: possessing the two wisdoms within is called the inconceivable origin; manifesting forms and sounds without is called the inconceivable traces—this is called tracing out from the origin. Relying on external inconceivable traces, one is able to reveal the inconceivable origin—this is called revealing the origin by means of traces. This is fully explained in the profound introductory chapter. Within this chapter, it opens into two main sections: first, explaining the inconceivability of real wisdom; second, explaining the inconceivability of provisional wisdom. The first text has five parts: first, Śāriputra thinking of seats; second, Jingming rebuking and questioning him; third, Śāriputra replying; fourth, Jingming rebuking; and fifth, the assembly awakening to the Path. "At that time, Śāriputra, seeing that there were no couches or seats in this room, had this thought: 'Where should these bodhisattvas and the great disciples sit?'" Śāriputra giving rise to this thought has two meanings: first, speaking in terms of the traces. Mahāsattvas of the dharmakāya have no weariness of body or mind, whereas the śrāvakas possess bodies born of afflictive karma; although their minds have no afflictive fetters, their bodies experience fatigue, and thus he displayed the trace of desiring rest. Because he was elderly and physically frail among the disciples, he gave rise to this thought first, yet he did not wish to manifest his burdensome trace. Moreover, he certainly knew that Jingming would discern his mind from afar, and therefore he only thought it in his mind without uttering words. Second, discussing it in terms of the origin. Since Jingming and Śāriputra are persons of the Great and Small [Vehicles] acting together to transform beings, Jingming emptied the room to await the guests, and Śāriputra thought of seats to initiate the teaching. "The elder Vimalakīrti, knowing his thought, said to Śāriputra: 'How is it, virtuous one? Have you come for the sake of the Dharma, or have you come seeking couches and seats?'" This is Jingming about to clarify the way of non-seeking, and therefore taking the opportunity to question him. Why is this? The thought of needing a seat belongs trace-wise to seeking; having seeking is contrary to principle, and is not the purpose of his coming. "Śāriputra said: 'I have come for the sake of the Dharma, not for couches and seats.'" Above, he fixed two realities, and Śāriputra, whether advancing or retreating, fell into defeat. If he came for the Dharma, he should not have thought of seats; if he thought of seats, how could it be called coming for the Dharma? Yet Śāriputra answered only one question: he had originally come for the Dharma, but merely because his physical form was weary, he sought a seat. Furthermore, when the body is at peace, the Dharma enters the spirit; therefore, thinking of a seat was ultimately for the sake of the Dharma. "Vimalakīrti said: 'Ah, Śāriputra! One who seeks the Dharma does not begrudge body or life, how much less couches and seats! One who seeks the Dharma has no seeking of form, sensation, perception, formations, or consciousness; has no seeking of realms or entrances; has no seeking of desire, form, or formlessness. Ah, Śāriputra! One who seeks the Dharma does not seek clinging to the Buddha, does not seek clinging to the Dharma, does not seek clinging to the Saṅgha. One who seeks the Dharma has no seeking to perceive suffering, no seeking to abandon the origin [of suffering], no seeking to realize cessation, and no seeking to cultivate the Path. Why is this? The Dharma is free of conceptual proliferation.'" If one says, "I shall perceive suffering, abandon the origin, realize cessation, and cultivate the Path," this is conceptual proliferation, not seeking the Dharma. "'Ah, Śāriputra! The Dharma is called quiescent cessation; if one practices arising and ceasing, that is seeking arising and ceasing, not seeking the Dharma. The Dharma is called undefiled; if one is defiled by the Dharma or even by nirvāṇa, that is defilement and clinging, not seeking the Dharma. The Dharma has no sphere of activity; if one engages in activity regarding the Dharma, that is a sphere of activity, not seeking the Dharma. The Dharma has neither grasping nor rejection; if one grasps or rejects the Dharma, that is grasping and rejection, not seeking the Dharma. The Dharma has no location; if one clings to a location, that is clinging to a location, not seeking the Dharma. The Dharma is called signless; if one cognizes according to signs, that is seeking signs, not seeking the Dharma. The Dharma cannot be dwelled in; if one dwells in the Dharma, that is dwelling in the Dharma, not seeking the Dharma. The Dharma cannot be seen, heard, sensed, or known; if one practices seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing, that is seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing, not seeking the Dharma.'" This subsumes the six sense faculties into four functions: the eye is seeing, the ear is hearing, the three faculties of nose, tongue, and body are sensing, and the mind faculty is called knowing. "'The Dharma is called the unconditioned; if one practices the conditioned, that is seeking the conditioned, not seeking the Dharma. Therefore, Śāriputra, one who seeks the Dharma should have no seeking in regard to all dharmas.'" This passage clarifies non-seeking, and its purpose is twofold: first, to reveal the principle of the true nature, which transcends the four propositions and cuts off the hundred negations, where the path of speech is severed and the activity of the mind is extinguished, so that one cannot seek the true nature through existence, non-existence, and so forth—this explains the inconceivable sphere. Second, it intends to lead the practitioner to accord with the true nature, and likewise to calm all minds that engage in grasping.

4.12.2

Why is this so? Whenever the mind seeks something, attachment arises; when attachment arises, bond arises, and thus one cannot attain liberation, let alone accord with the true reality of phenomena. Therefore, the mind is caused to seek nothing. Because the mind seeks nothing, the mind's activity ceases and speech is extinguished; this is the inconceivability of real wisdom. Because true reality cannot be sought, there are no external objects; because real wisdom seeks nothing, there is no internal mind. Thus, the object and wisdom are both obscured in oneness, and the condition and contemplation are both tranquil; this is the ultimate principle, truly inconceivable. 'When these words were spoken, five hundred devaputras attained the purity of the Dharma-eye regarding all phenomena.' Because they awakened to the fact that condition and contemplation are both tranquil, and that inner and outer are both obscured in oneness, all defilements and burdens associated with grasping ceased; hence it is called 'the purity of the Dharma-eye.' However, the purity of the Dharma-eye has two meanings: according to the Hīnayāna, it is the fruit of the srotāpanna; according to the Mahāyāna, it refers to a bodhisattva of the first ground, because in the Mahāyāna, the first ground is the path of seeing. Master Zhao says, 'This passage refers to the purity of the Dharma-eye of the Mahāyāna.' 'Then the elder Vimalakīrti asked Mañjuśrī, saying, "Virtuous one, you have traveled through immeasurable tens of millions of billions of asaṃkhyeya lands. In which Buddha-land are there lion seats that possess such supreme, wondrous merits?"' This is the second section, explaining the inconceivability of expedient wisdom. Above, it explained that having nothing to seek accords with true reality; therefore, one can everywhere supply whatever all living beings seek. Within the text, it broadly divides into two: first, briefly presenting the characteristics of the inconceivability of expedient wisdom; second, broadly explaining the inconceivability of expedient wisdom. The first passage consists of ten phrases: first, Jingming's question; second, Mañjuśrī's answer; third, Jingming borrowing the seats; fourth, the King of Lamps sending the seats; fifth, the great assembly's praise; sixth, Jingming instructing the bodhisattvas to take their seats; seventh, the bodhisattvas receiving the teaching and seating themselves; eighth, Jingming instructing the śrāvakas to take their seats; ninth, Śāriputra and the others being unable to do so; tenth, repeating the instruction to pay homage to the King of Lamps. This is the first. The reason Jingming asks is, first, he wishes to let the guest choose the most marvelous seat himself, and then he will speak to borrow it; therefore, he asks. Second, he wishes to cause the assembly at that time to generate reverence and faith. If he had taken them without asking, they might have been created by magical illusion; now, asking before taking them, they know the seats actually came. As for borrowing seats from another land, there are also two reasons: first, he wishes to reveal the marvelous fruition of the merits of the Buddhas, causing the assembly to give rise to the aspiration to seek Buddhahood; second, through the affair of going back and forth, he causes the transformation to flow between the two lands. 'Mañjuśrī said, "Householder! Passing beyond thirty-six Ganges sands of lands to the east, there is a world named Mount Sumeru-like Marks. Its Buddha is named Sumeru Lamp King, who is present even now. That Buddha's body is eighty-four thousand yojanas in height, and his lion seat is eighty-four thousand yojanas high, supreme in adornment."' This is the second: Mañjuśrī's answer. Master Zhao says, 'A yojana is an Indian measure of li that is not fixed: a superior yojana is sixty li, a medium yojana is fifty li, and an inferior yojana is forty li.' 'Thereupon the elder Vimalakīrti manifested his supernatural power.' This is the third: Jingming borrowing the seats. In the chapter 'The Fragrance Accumulation', that bodhisattva comes, so an emanation is sent there. In the Buddha-land of the Lamp King, there was no assembly gathered, so he merely manifested supernatural power silently. Furthermore, these two chapters mutually illuminate something extraordinary: this chapter explains taking the large into the small, while that chapter explains accommodating the small to the large; therefore, that chapter explains sending an emanation, while this chapter shows silent resonance. 'Instantly that Buddha dispatched thirty-two thousand lion seats, tall, broad, strict, and pure, to come into Vimalakīrti's room.' This is the fourth: the Lamp King sending the seats. Although Jingming used supernatural power to go and fetch them, had that Buddha not sent them, there would have been no way to bring them. 'The bodhisattvas, great disciples, Śakra, Brahmā, the Four Heavenly Kings, and others had never seen anything like this before. His room was vast and spacious, entirely encompassing the thirty-two thousand lion seats without any obstruction, and without crowding the city of Vaiśālī, the four continents of Jambudvīpa, or anything else, all appearing just as before.' This is the fifth: the praise of the assembly at that time. Question: Taking the large into the small, with the small not increasing and the large not decreasing, is inconceivable. Now, since it praises his room as vast and spacious, that means the small increased; how can it be called unfathomable? Answer: Looking from within, the room was vast and spacious; looking from outside, its original appearance was as before, so nothing was increased. Question: Looking from outside, its original appearance was as before, so it might not have increased externally; but looking from within, the room was vast and spacious—should it not have increased internally? Answer: In reality, Jingming was able not to increase it internally, but he wished to capture two kinds of inconceivability: first, the large seats entered the small room while the external appearance of the small room was as before, which is the inconceivability of large and small; second, he wished to clarify the inconceivability of inside and outside regarding the room—being only a room ten feet square, looking from inside one sees it as vast, yet looking from outside it is still ten feet square, which is the inconceivability of inside and outside. Another explanation: internally it was not enlarged, but because people saw that the room accommodated the seats, they thought the small room had been modified; hence it next says that its original appearance was as before. 'Original appearance as before' means that in the end its external appearance was not large, nor was its interior increased. 'Then Vimalakīrti said to Mañjuśrī, "Take your places on the lion seats. Sit together with all the bodhisattva superiors; you should make your own bodies like the images of those seats."' This is the sixth: explaining the instruction for the bodhisattvas to take their seats. 'The bodhisattvas who had attained supernatural powers immediately transformed their bodies to forty-two thousand yojanas and sat upon the lion seats. All the newly resolved bodhisattvas and great disciples were unable to ascend.' This is the seventh: receiving the instruction and sitting. 'Then Vimalakīrti said to Śāriputra, "Take your place on a lion seat."' This is the eighth: instructing the śrāvakas again. 'Śāriputra said, "Householder! These seats are so tall and broad that I cannot ascend them."' This is the ninth: the śrāvakas being unable to take their seats. This naturally has two meanings: first, it was restricted by Vimalakīrti's supernatural power, wishing to make sentient beings realize how far apart the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna are in superiority and inferiority; second, the seat of the merits of the Buddhas is not something those without merit can sit upon—it naturally and obscurely excludes them by principle, and was not restricted [by him]. 'Vimalakīrti said, "Well, Śāriputra! Pay homage to the Tathāgata Sumeru Lamp King, and only then will you be able to sit."' This is the tenth: urging them to pay homage to the Lamp King. Since he is the Lamp King, by rising to pay homage to him, one receives the Buddha's supernatural power, and thus can sit. 'Thereupon the newly resolved bodhisattvas and great disciples immediately paid homage to the Tathāgata Sumeru Lamp King, and then were able to sit upon the lion seats. Śāriputra said, "Householder! It is unprecedented that such a small room can accommodate these tall and broad seats without obstructing anything in the city of Vaiśālī, or crowding the hamlets, cities, and palaces of devas, nāga kings, and spirits throughout the four continents of Jambudvīpa."' Below this is the second part: broadly explaining the inconceivable.

4.12.3

In terms of the text, there are five [sections]: first, Śāriputra takes his seat and praises [the scene]; second, Jingming clearly explains [the matter]; third, Kāśyapa evaluates [the śrāvakas and bodhisattvas]; fourth, the assembly receives benefit; fifth, Jingming reiterates his praise of the inconceivable. / “Vimalakīrti said: ‘Noble Śāriputra! The Buddhas and bodhisattvas possess a liberation called the inconceivable.’” / Second, Jingming explains it. The essence of this liberation is the provisional and real wisdoms. It is still the single correct contemplation, which is spoken of under different designations for the sake of sentient beings: sometimes called "liberation", sometimes named "nirvāṇa", sometimes given the title "prajñā", and also established under the heading of the "One Vehicle". Now, in speaking of liberation, there are two meanings: first, in its essence it is unobstructed; second, in its function it is sovereign. As for "sovereign", when one wishes to do something but cannot, that is bondage; when one is able [to do it] as soon as thought arises, and in liberation there is nothing one cannot do, it is therefore called liberation. The mahāsattvas are able to do so, whereas ordinary beings, the two vehicles, and bodhisattvas of lower stages cannot comprehend what they know or are capable of doing; hence it is called "inconceivable". This explains the name of the liberation. / “If a bodhisattva abides in this liberation, he can insert the height and breadth of Mount Sumeru into a mustard seed without increase or decrease, Mount Sumeru, king of mountains, remaining in its original form as before, while the devas of the Four Heavenly Kings and Trāyastriṃśa are unaware and unconscious of where they have entered; only those who are destined to be saved see Mount Sumeru entering the mustard seed. This is called the Dharma-door of the inconceivable liberation.” / From here down, thirteen successive points explain the function of liberation—that is, revealing the origin by means of the traces. The thirteen points comprise three [parts]: first, eleven matters explain the inconceivable in terms of the external dharmas of the dependent fruit; next, one matter explains the inconceivable in terms of the internal physical form; the thirteenth, a single matter, explains the inconceivable in terms of vocal sound. / First, explaining that the great enters the small without increase or decrease: some say that the great does not actually enter the small, but by spiritual power beings are made to see it enter. Some say that the great is actually accommodated in and enters the small, and beings are thus made to see it. Now it is asserted that it possesses both meanings: first, it does not actually enter, yet can cause it to be seen as entering; second, it can actually cause it to enter, according to what is appropriate to the conditions. / Question: Since the small and the great neither increase nor decrease, how can there be accommodation and entry? / Answer: Some say that since it is called "inconceivable", one reverently exalts the sacred realm and there is no way to explain it. Some say that because the great lacks the mark of greatness, the great can enter the small; because the small lacks the mark of smallness, the small can accommodate the great. Now it is asserted that both explanations are incorrect. If there were no marks of greatness or smallness, what would accommodate or enter? If small and great were of determinate nature, non-accommodation would also have a determinate nature. What is determinately non-accommodating cannot be made to be seen as accommodating; thus, with a determinate nature, small and great would also have no accommodation or entry. Now, when we speak of accommodating and entering, it is because accommodation and entry occur through dependent origination and provisional designations. When the great is designated as "small-great", the great can enter the small; when the small is "great-small", the small can accommodate the great. / Question: Since the small does not increase, how does it accommodate the great? / Answer: Just as a one-inch mirror hanging on a wall reflects and sees all under heaven, and the things of all under heaven are fully manifested within the mirror, yet the things do not diminish and the mirror does not increase. / “Furthermore, he can insert the waters of the four great oceans into a single hair-pore without disturbing the fishes, turtles, sea-turtles, and alligators, or other water-dwelling species, while those great oceans remain in their original form as before, and the nāgas, ghosts, spirits, asuras, and the like are unaware and unconscious of where they have entered, nor are these sentient beings troubled in any way. / Furthermore, Śāriputra, a bodhisattva who abides in the inconceivable liberation can take up the trichiliocosm like a potter's wheel, place it in his right palm, and cast it beyond worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, while the sentient beings within it are unaware and unconscious of where they have gone. Furthermore, he puts it back in its original place without causing anyone to have the notion of coming or going, while this world remains in its original form as before. / Furthermore, Śāriputra, if there are sentient beings who delight in remaining long in the world and can be saved, the bodhisattva then expands seven days into a kalpa, causing those sentient beings to perceive it as a kalpa; if there are sentient beings who do not delight in remaining long and can be saved, the bodhisattva then compresses a kalpa into seven days, causing those sentient beings to perceive it as seven days.” / From above up to this point, the inconceivable has been explained in terms of the sovereignty of the essence of dharmas. This single matter explains the inconceivable with respect to the extension and compression of time. / Question: Previously, in distinguishing the accommodation and entry of the great and the small with respect to the essence of dharmas, there was neither increase nor decrease; now, in explaining the length of time, why is there extension and compression? / Answer: The inconceivable has many gateways and cannot be treated as of a single type. Previously, the inconceivable was discussed in terms of non-increase and non-decrease; here, the inconceivable is again explained in terms of increase and decrease. / Question: That there is neither increase nor decrease may indeed be inconceivable. Since there is increase and decrease, why is it called unfathomable? / Answer: People of lower stages among ordinary beings and the two vehicles cannot compress a kalpa into seven days or extend seven days into a kalpa; the mahāsattva can do so, and therefore it is inconceivable. Moreover, although he compresses a kalpa into seven days, the single kalpa remains intact; although he extends seven days into a kalpa, the seven days remain as before; hence it is called inconceivable. / Question: How can this be? / Answer: Just as in a single night's dream a person may see himself enjoying pleasures for a hundred years, yet the single night is not lengthened and the hundred seasons are not shortened. What the mahāsattva does is just like this. / “Furthermore, Śāriputra, a bodhisattva who abides in the inconceivable liberation gathers the adornments of all Buddha-lands into a single realm and shows them to sentient beings. Furthermore, the bodhisattva places the sentient beings of a Buddha-land in his right palm, flies to the ten directions to show them all, yet does not move from his original place. Śāriputra, the articles of offering made by sentient beings of the ten directions to the Buddhas are all made visible by the bodhisattva within a single hair-pore. Furthermore, all the suns, moons, stars, and constellations of the lands in the ten directions are universally made visible within a single hair-pore. / Furthermore, Śāriputra, the bodhisattva can inhale into his mouth all the great winds of the worlds in the ten directions without harming his body, nor are the trees outside broken down. Furthermore, when the worlds of the ten directions are completely burned up at the end of a kalpa, he takes all the fires into his belly, and while the fire acts as before, it causes him no harm. Furthermore, from below, past Buddha-worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, he takes a Buddha-land and lifts it up above, past countless worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, just like lifting a jujube leaf on the point of a needle, without disturbing anything. / Furthermore, Śāriputra, a bodhisattva who abides in the inconceivable liberation is able by spiritual power to manifest as a Buddha's body, or manifest as a pratyekabuddha's body, or manifest as a śrāvaka's body, or manifest as Śakra's body, or manifest as Brahmā's body, or manifest as a world-lord's body, or manifest as a wheel-turning king's body. Furthermore, all the sounds—high, intermediate, and low—in the worlds of the ten directions, he can transform to become the sound of the Buddha, proclaiming the sounds of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self, as well as the various dharmas taught by the Buddhas of the ten directions, causing them all to be heard universally therein. Śāriputra!”

4.12.4

"I have now briefly spoken of the power of the bodhisattvas' inconceivable liberation; if I were to explain it extensively, kalpas would be exhausted without ending." Question: Non-Buddhists and the two vehicles can also appear in varied forms and transform into various sounds; how does this differ from the mahāsattvas? Answer: Ordinary beings and those of the lesser path cannot fully respond to all forms or universally transform into all sounds; thus they differ from bodhisattvas. Furthermore, mahāsattvas can cause their sound to reach the Peak of Existence while no sound is audible, and cause their physical form to pervade the ten directions while no image is visible. Ordinary beings and the two vehicles cannot do so; hence it is called inconceivable. "At that time Mahākāśyapa, hearing this explanation of the bodhisattvas' teaching of inconceivable liberation, sighed at having never heard it before, and said to Śāriputra: 'It is, for example, like someone displaying various forms and colors before a blind person, which cannot be seen by them. All śrāvakas, hearing this teaching of inconceivable liberation, cannot understand it, just like this. When the wise hear this, who among them would not generate the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi? Why have we forever cut off its roots, and regarding this Great Vehicle are already like rotten seeds?'" This is the third [section], Kāśyapa's praise. It is used to help extol the Great Path and disparage the lesser vehicle, causing bodhisattvas not to regress in their supreme mind and śrāvakas to deeply despise and feel ashamed of themselves. It also causes those who have not yet generated the great mind to generate it through this, and those who take pleasure in the lesser vehicle to rely on this to change their resolve. Question: Earlier it was said that the great entering into the small can only be seen by those who are to be saved. Śāriputra is already like a blind person facing forms; how could he see the great thrones enter into the small room? Answer: To explain broadly, sentient beings generally have three types: First, those who do not see the great entering the small, nor do they comprehend its reason; these are the sort of ordinary beings who cannot see or hear it. Second, those who, although they see the great entering the small, cannot understand it; these are the people of the two vehicles. Third, those who see the great entering the small and furthermore can awaken to it; these are people of superior capacity among the bodhisattvas. Earlier it was said that "only those who are to be saved can see it"; this refers to people of superior capacity. Śāriputra saw it yet remained completely ignorant and unable to understand; hence he was compared to a blind person. "'All śrāvakas, hearing this teaching of inconceivable liberation, should wail and weep with voices shaking the three-thousand-great-thousandfold world; all bodhisattvas should greatly rejoice and receive this Dharma on the crowns of their heads.'" Because what they lost is grave, it is metaphorically said that they "should weep." For the two vehicles, sorrow and grief have been permanently eliminated; they do not even have slight weeping, so how could it shake the three thousand? Kāśyapa, wishing to clarify the difference between the great and the small, humbled and elevated [them before] the audience of that time; thus, those for whom it was not their lot ought to bring forth the weeping of disappointed expectations, while those for whom it was their lot ought to give praise by receiving it upon their heads. "'If there are bodhisattvas who faithfully understand the teaching of inconceivable liberation, all the demonic hosts can do nothing to them.'" If they can merely faithfully understand it, Māra cannot harass them; how much less so for those who practice in accord with it! "When Mahākāśyapa spoke these words, thirty-two thousand devaputras all generated the mind of anuttarā [samyaksaṃ]bodhi." Fourth, the assembly at that time generated the mind [for awakening]. Since Kāśyapa was a śrāvaka who personally disparaged the small as inferior and extolled the great as superior, the principle was inevitably so. Therefore, the devas heard it and generated the mind that seeks Buddhahood. "At that time Vimalakīrti said to Mahākāśyapa: 'Virtuous sir! Those who act as Māra kings in the immeasurable asamykhyeya worlds of the ten directions are mostly bodhisattvas abiding in inconceivable liberation, who through the power of upāya appear as Māra kings in order to teach and transform sentient beings.'" This is the fifth [section], Jingming's repeated praise of the inconceivable. The thirteen points above merely described the conforming functions of the inconceivable; since the contrary functions were not yet explained, the meaning still had a surplus; therefore, drawing upon Kāśyapa's praise, he further set forth its contrary functions. Furthermore, it is because Kāśyapa said that Māra cannot harass those who faithfully understand the inconceivable, yet in the ten directions there are also bodhisattvas who faithfully understand it who are harassed by Māra; [Vimalakīrti] was about to explain that what the inconceivable mahāsattvas do is masterfully free, and wishing to transform beginners they manifest as Māra kings, which is not something within the power of actual demons. This clarifies the inconceivable and completes Kāśyapa's meaning. "'Furthermore, Kāśyapa! For the immeasurable bodhisattvas of the ten directions, there are people who come to beg from them hands, feet, ears, and noses; heads, eyes, marrow, and brains; blood, flesh, skin, and bones; villages, towns, and cities; wives, children, male and female slaves; elephants, horses, and carriages; gold, silver, lapis lazuli, giant clamshell, agate, coral, amber, pearls, and cowrie shells; clothing, food, and drink. Such beggars are mostly bodhisattvas abiding in inconceivable liberation who, through the power of upāya, go to test them in order to make them steadfast.'" This briefly explains the mahāsattvas' contrary functions, which generally are of two kinds: first, manifesting as heavenly demons; second, appearing as beggars; the remaining paths and categories can be known accordingly. The reason why they previously appeared as beggars is that bodhisattvas bound by karma have not perfected the pāramitā of giving; therefore, inconceivable bodhisattvas forcefully seek and demand from them, causing them to have no grudging mind, to be completely fulfilled and steadfast, and also causing sentient beings to know their steadfastness, and causing them to know their own steadfastness. Question: Inconceivable mahāsattvas discern the faculties of beings from afar; why do they resort to pressuring and testing them? Answer: Now, begging from them resembles the traces of Māra's testing, so it is spoken of as a "test." It is also because [practitioners] advance only after awaiting a test. "'Why is this? Bodhisattvas abiding in inconceivable liberation possess the power of majestic virtue and therefore exercise oppression, showing sentient beings such difficult things. Low and inferior ordinary beings lack power and authority, and cannot oppress bodhisattvas in this way. It is like the trampling of a nāga-elephant, which is not what a donkey is capable of.'" This explains the aforementioned bodhisattvas' ability to oppress and test. Cutting off people's hands and feet, separating people's wives and children, and forcefully demanding a country's wealth give rise to their grief and sorrow; though there is slight present suffering, it leads to the great peace of eternal kalpas. Next, introducing the donkey and the elephant as a metaphor illustrates the two meanings of capability and incapability. The finest among elephants is called a nāga-elephant; they are not two different things. "'This is called the gate of wisdom and upāya of bodhisattvas abiding in inconceivable liberation.'" As for the substance of the inconceivable, it is object, wisdom, and teaching, but properly it takes the two wisdoms as its substance; therefore, it is now summarized here. Wisdom is the wisdom of emptiness, and upāya is expedient wisdom; these two are without [fixation on] truths, hence called a "gate." Moreover, pressuring beings to awaken and enter is also called a "gate." Furthermore, correct contemplation has never been divided into provisional and real; for the sake of sentient beings it is forcefully designated as two; because these can lead into non-duality, it is called a "gate."

Linked texts (1)

維摩經義疏 — Classical Chinese