維摩經義疏 4.5

4.5

"The Buddha told Bodhisattva Jagatdhara (持世): 'Go to visit Vimalakīrti to inquire after his illness.'" He called upon four bodhisattvas, forming two pairs: Maitreya and Jagatdhara were monastic mahāsattvas; Prabhāvyūha (光嚴) and Sudatta (善德) were lay bodhisattvas. In terms of meaning, they all encompass the myriad practices. In terms of three meanings, generating the way is called the bodhimaṇḍa, delighting the mind is called joy in the Dharma, and the efficacy of aiding beings is called the gift of the Dharma. This chapter also has two parts: first, the command; second, the declining. "Jagatdhara said to the Buddha: 'World-Honoured One! I am not qualified to go there to inquire after his illness.'" This is the second part, declining as unqualified. In the text there are three sections: the proposal, the explanation, and the conclusion. This is the first, the proposal. "'Why is this? I recall in the past when I was dwelling in a quiet room, at that time the Māra Pāpīyān, followed by twelve thousand devīs, in an appearance like Śakra, playing drums, strings, and singing, came to my place. Along with his retinue, he bowed his head to my feet, joined palms respectfully, and stood to one side. I thought he was Śakra and said to him: "Welcome, Kauśika! Though you have this karmic reward, you should not indulge yourself. You should contemplate the five desires as impermanent so as to seek the root of goodness, and cultivate the steadfast dharmas with respect to body, life, and wealth."'" This is the second part, explaining his lack of qualification. It is further divided into three: 1. The reason for being rebuked; 2. The import of what could rebuke him; 3. Praising Vimalakīrti. This is the first part of the text. In foreign languages he is named Pāpīyān, which is translated here as 'the killer', meaning he constantly wishes to cut off the wisdom-life of others. He is also called 'the evil among the evil'. There are three kinds of evil: first, evil; second, great evil; third, the evil among the evil. If someone treats one with evil and one returns evil for evil, this is called evil. If another does not kill oneself, but one harms them without cause, this is called great evil. If someone comes to make offerings and show respect, and instead of thinking to repay their kindness one harms them, this is called the evil among the evil. For the evil among the evil, the demon king is the worst. The Buddhas constantly wish to make sentient beings secure, yet he disturbs and ruins them; therefore it is said to be the worst. The non-Buddhists call Pāpīyān one born of the desire realm, and also call him 'flower arrows'. Śakra is a disciple of the Buddha; knowing that [Jagatdhara] would not suspect him, [Māra] transformed himself into Śakra's regular appearance and came. Jagatdhara did not deliberately contemplate another's thoughts, so he did not see it. Another explanation is: Jagatdhara is a bodily-absorption bodhisattva; when he enters absorption to contemplate he knows, but when he does not enter absorption to contemplate he does not know. 'Kauśika' was his family name in a past time. The three steadfast dharmas refer to body, life, and wealth. Since the body is impermanent, one should employ it to do good. Since life is fragile, one should exhaust it in practicing the Way. Since wealth is subject to the five houses, one should use it for giving. These cannot be destroyed by impermanence; they are called steadfast dharmas. "'[Māra] then said to me: "Noble one! Accept these twelve thousand devīs; they may be supplied for sweeping and sprinkling."'" Due to his preaching the Dharma, he could deceitfully pretend to follow what was good, while actually wanting to confuse him with women. "'I said: "Kauśika! Do not press me with these improper things. For a śramaṇa disciple of Śākya, this is not suitable for me."'" Just before, he taught him to practice giving; since the other complied, in principle he should have accepted, yet it was not suitable. The mind of a giver only wants the person to take it; hence he said: do not, after I spoke to you of giving, press me to make me accept it. Speaking of a śramaṇa disciple of Śākya clarifies that in principle it was inappropriate for him, not that he was willfully opposing the other's good intention. "'Before my words were finished, Vimalakīrti came and said to me: "This is not Śakra; this is Māra who has come to harass you." He then said to Māra: "You may give these women to me; someone like me ought to receive them."'" This is the second part, clarifying the import of what could rebuke him. The text has two points: first, clarifying that it was Māra and not Śakra, so as to rebuke Jagatdhara for not recognizing Māra's deceit; second, taking in the women, showing that Jagatdhara was unable to give rise to the women's goodness. This is the first part of the text. 'Someone like me ought to receive them' means: I am a white-robed layman, and should receive the gift of women. Furthermore, giving originally removes stinginess and benefits beings, so one should not pick and choose masters. Since you can practice it, you should give them to me; I am one who receives such things. "'Māra was frightened and thought: "Could Vimalakīrti be about to trouble me?" He wanted to make his form invisible and leave, but could not make himself invisible; exhausting all his spiritual powers, he still could not leave. He then heard a voice in the air saying: "Pāpīyān! If you give the women to him, then you can leave." Out of fear, Māra reluctantly gave them.'" When Māra exhausted his power and could not leave, it revealed the inferiority of evil power and the superiority of the power of the Way, weighing their lightness and heaviness. Giving the women was better than not being able to leave, so he gave the women to Jingming. "'At that time, Vimalakīrti said to the women: "Māra has given you to me."'" He showed the propriety of the three obediences: belonging to Māra, they received Māra's teachings; belonging to a bodhisattva, they followed the transformation of the Way; therefore he accepted them and instructed them. "'"Now you should all give rise to the mind of anuttara-bodhi." He then preached the Dharma according to what was appropriate, causing them to generate the resolve for the Way.'" In teaching the bodhisattva dharma, there are three stages: 1. Causing them to generate the bodhicitta; 2. Teaching them to cultivate bodhisattva practices; 3. Causing them to attain the Buddha Way. Now, intending to show them bodhisattva practices, he first caused them to generate the mind. "'He also said: "You have already generated the resolve for the Way; there is Dharma-joy by which you can entertain yourselves; you should no longer delight in the pleasure of the five desires."'" This is precisely preaching the bodhisattva practices for them. As for why he explained Dharma-joy, there are two reasons: 1. Although the women had generated the mind for the Way, having just entered the Buddha Dharma, they were not yet able to rejoice deeply; if they encountered the five desires they would recall their old pleasures; hence he preached the Dharma for them, using Dharma-joy to replace the pleasure of the five desires. 2. The nature of women is only to follow pleasure, like fish relying on water; therefore he preached Dharma-joy for them. Once they obtained Dharma-joy, they deeply saw the faults of the five desires and did not give rise to greed and craving. "'The devīs then asked: "What is called Dharma-joy?" He replied: "Joy in constantly having faith in the Buddha, joy in desiring to hear the Dharma, joy in making offerings to the Saṃgha, joy in leaving the five desires."'" These four phrases clarify the four faiths. As for the four faiths: the Buddha is the skilled physician, the Dharma is the wonderful medicine, the Saṃgha attends the patient, and the precepts are the prohibitions; endowed with these four things, the disease of afflictions is cured. Why he first explains the four faiths is that the Māra heavens take lack of faith in the right as their root; since they turned from the heterodox to enter the right, he first explains faith. Joy in leaving the five desires is faith in the precepts, because sensual desire mostly breaches the precepts. "'"Joy in contemplating the five aggregates as like murderous bandits, joy in contemplating the four elements as like poisonous snakes, joy in contemplating the inner sense-bases as like an empty village."'" Because the devīs were deeply attached to sensual desire and dallied with their wonderful bodies, though they had generated the mind and given rise to faith, their lingering passions were difficult to dispel; therefore he rebuked their aggregates and realms to make them generate disgust. "'"Joy in protecting and guarding the resolve for the Way."'" The previous part explained the gate of admonition; now he discerns the teaching of exhortation. Guiding and guarding the resolve for the Way causes them not to fall into the three realms or delight in the two vehicles. "'"Joy in benefiting sentient beings, joy in revering and making offerings to teachers, joy in broadly practicing giving, joy in steadfastly upholding the pure precepts, joy in forbearance and gentleness, joy in diligently gathering roots of goodness, joy in dhyāna-meditation without distraction, joy in stainless, luminous wisdom, joy in broadening the bodhicitta."'" Above, guiding and guarding the resolve for the Way referred to generating the mind oneself; now, causing others to generate the mind is called 'broadening'. "'"Joy in subduing the hosts of māras, joy in severing afflictions, joy in purifying the Buddha lands, joy in cultivating all merits to accomplish the marks and signs, joy in adorning the bodhicimaṇḍa."'" The bodhimaṇḍa is like the place under the bodhi tree where Śākyamuni Buddha first attained the Way, with thirty-two hundred leagues of adamantine ground as the seat. The Buddhas each take the vastness or narrowness of the ground according to the size of their land; there is no fixed measure. "'"Joy in hearing the profound Dharma without fear, joy in the three gates of liberation and not delighting in unseasonableness."'" The three liberations are emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. That by which bonds are untied is called liberation; that through which the three vehicles proceed is called a gate. The two vehicles enter the three gates of liberation, but do not exhaust their utmost and midway realize fruition; this is called unseasonableness. This is what the mahāsattva does not delight in. "'"Joy in being close to fellow practitioners, joy in having no hindrance in the mind toward those who are not fellow practitioners, joy in guarding evil friends, joy in associating closely with good friends, joy in a pure and pleased mind, joy in cultivating the limitless dharmas of the factors of enlightenment—this is called the bodhisattva's Dharma-joy."'" First he proposed Dharma-joy, next he explained it through question and answer, and now he concludes it collectively. "'Thereupon Pāpīyān told the women: "I wish to return to the heavenly palace together with you."'" Having earlier heard the voice in the air, he spoke of giving them away out of fear, which was not his true mind; therefore he wanted to return together. Fearing they would not go, he again enticed them with the heavenly palace. The heavenly Māra was an expedient means; previously he wanted Jingming to transform them, so he brought them; now he wanted them to transmit the transformation, which is why he pressed them to leave. "'The women said: "Since we were given to this layman, we have Dharma-joy, in which we take great joy; we no longer delight in the pleasure of the five desires."'" Having already belonged to another, and having Dharma-joy as well, by what reason would they return? "'Māra said: "Layman! You may relinquish these women. Giving away everything one possesses to others is being a bodhisattva." Vimalakīrti said: "I have already relinquished them! You may take them away, causing all sentient beings to have their vows for the Dharma fulfilled."'" Māra knew that Jingming's mind was free of defiled attachment, and that his original intent was to transform them; now that transforming them had been explained, he sought them back. As for why Jingming gave away the women: previously, wishing to transform them, he took the women. Had it been another person, the transformation would not have been followed. Now, wishing to have the women transmit the transformation in the heavenly palace, he gave away the women. Furthermore, previously he displayed the field of merit, so he took them; now, acting as a donor, he relinquished them. Again, previously he displayed awe-inspiring power, and later covered them with benevolence. Furthermore, previously taking the women caused them to cultivate, and later giving the women gave rise to vows. When the layman returned the women to Māra, Māra's wish was fulfilled; therefore, based on this, he made a vow to cause sentient beings to have their vows for the Dharma fulfilled; this was Vimalakīrti's vow. "'Thereupon the women asked Vimalakīrti: "How shall we dwell in Māra's palace?"'" In the past in Māra's palace, they took the five desires as joy; now with the bodhisattva, they took Dharma-joy as joy. Returning again to Māra's palace, what practice should they cultivate? "'Vimalakīrti said: "Sisters! There is a Dharma-gate called the Inexhaustible Lamp; you should learn it."'" Intending to spread the light of the great Dharma far and wide to illuminate the dark chamber of folly in Māra's palace, he taught this gate. "'"As for the Inexhaustible Lamp, it is like one lamp igniting hundreds of thousands of lamps: all the dark becomes bright, and the light is never exhausted. In this way, sisters! A single bodhisattva guides hundreds of thousands of sentient beings, causing them to generate the resolve for anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and their own resolve for the Way is never extinguished; according with what Dharma they preach, all wholesome dharmas naturally increase in themselves—this is called the Inexhaustible Lamp. Although you dwell in Māra's palace, by means of this Inexhaustible Lamp causing countless devīs to give rise to the resolve for anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, you will repay the Buddha's kindness and also greatly benefit all sentient beings." At that time the devīs bowed their heads at Vimalakīrti's feet, followed Māra back to the palace, and suddenly disappeared.'" Up to this text is the import of what could rebuke him. "'"World-Honoured One! Vimalakīrti has such sovereign spiritual powers, wisdom, and eloquence."'" This is praising Jingming. "'"Therefore I am not qualified to go there to inquire after his illness."'" This is the third part, the conclusion.