維摩經義疏 5.3.7

5.3.7

Regarding the text, there are three [sections]: first, clarifying the debate on her original body; second, the debate on the transformed bodies; third, the debate on the restoration of the bodies. The intention of the initial question is that, having seen her unobstructed eloquence while she still possesses an obstructed body, he therefore asks: 'Since you possess unobstructed eloquence, you certainly should not have an obstructed body. Why do you not transform it?' [The sūtra says:] 'The Devī said: "For twelve years I have sought the characteristics of womanhood, yet they are completely unobtainable; what then should I transform? Just as an illusionist conjures an illusory woman, if someone asks: 'Why do you not transform your female body?' would this person be asking a correct question?" Śāriputra said: "No. Illusions have no fixed characteristics; what then could be transformed?" The Devī said: "All phenomena are likewise without fixed characteristics; why then do you ask why I do not transform my female body?"' Relying on 'twelve years': if one has not yet entered the stages of the twelve abodes, one perceives male and female; now, from the first abode to the twelfth abode, the bodhisattva does not perceive any woman, and therefore there is nothing to transform. As for the twelve abodes: before the bhūmis there are two abodes, namely the abode of seed-nature—that is, the acquired seed-nature and the essential seed-nature—and second, the abode of understanding and practice, which is the path-seed-nature; next, the ten stages (daśabhūmi) constitute the ten abodes. Alternatively, if she has dwelled in Jingming's room for a total of twelve years: having constantly heard the Mahāyāna for twelve years, she has awakened to the absence of male and female, and thus there is nothing to transform. [The sūtra says:] 'Immediately the Devī, using her supernormal powers, transformed Śāriputra to look like the Devī, and the Devī herself transformed her body to look like Śāriputra, and asked: "Why do you not transform your female body?"' This is the second [section], the debate on the transformed bodies. Although she previously spoke of being like an illusion, she now provides realization and confirmation of the matter. If male and female were not like illusions, they would have fixed characteristics and should not be transformable. Because they can be transformed, they have no fixed characteristics; thus one should know they are like illusions. Second, previously it was said that the Devī has unobstructed eloquence, so why does she bear an obstructed body? Therefore she now clarifies that just as her eloquence is unobstructed, her body is likewise. The non-obstruction of body and speech stems from a mind free of obstruction; hence the three karmic modes of a bodhisattva are unobstructed. The śrāvakas are the reverse, so their three karmic modes are all obstructed. [The sūtra says:] 'Śāriputra, bearing the form of the Devī, replied, saying: "I now do not know how I have transformed into a female body."' In the end he is fundamentally not a woman, so what was transformed? Although in reality he is not a woman, the appearance of a woman is clearly evident. Thus he was changed into a female form. 'I do not know how it transformed' clarifies that there is no woman to be transformed; yet having transformed into a woman, it is not that there is no transformation. Furthermore, 'I do not know how it transformed' clarifies non-existence; yet having transformed into a woman demonstrates non-emptiness. Master Zhao says: '"I do not know by what means I transformed into this body; how can this be?"' [The sūtra says:] 'The Devī said: "If Śāriputra can transform this female body, then all women should also be able to transform."' This explains Śāriputra's statement that he did not know how it transformed. Not knowing how it transformed clarifies the principle that in reality she is not a woman. Since Śāriputra is not a woman and therefore has nothing to transform, all women are also in reality not women, and likewise cannot transform. [The sūtra says:] '"Just as Śāriputra is not a woman but manifests a female body, all women are likewise: although they manifest female bodies, they are not women. Therefore the Buddha taught that all phenomena are neither male nor female."' This explains Śāriputra's transformation into a female form: although there is fundamentally no woman, the female form is vividly present; all women are also like this. Question: The Devī's supernormal power transformed what was not a woman into a woman. All women are fundamentally women; why call it transforming what is not a woman into a woman? Answer: The illusory power of karma and afflictions transforms the true mark [of phenomena]; hence it is making what is not a woman into a woman. [The sūtra says:] 'Immediately the Devī withdrew her supernormal power, and Śāriputra's body was restored as before. The Devī asked Śāriputra: "Where are the form and characteristics of the female body now?" Śāriputra said: "The form and characteristics of the female body are neither present nor absent." The Devī said: "All phenomena are likewise, neither present nor absent. That which is neither present nor absent is what the Buddha taught."' This is the third [section], the debate on the restoration of the bodies. Because the female characteristics are not seen now, they are not present; because female characteristics existed just before, they are not absent. Furthermore, because female characteristics existed just before, they are not absent now; because there are no female characteristics now, they were not present just before. This is the principle of illusory transformations having no fixed nature. 'All phenomena are likewise' means that in terms of ultimate truth they are not present, and in terms of conventional truth they are not absent; being not present, they are not existent; being not absent, they are not non-existent—this is the principle of the Middle Way. Furthermore, previously transforming into a woman caused him to know that what is not a woman becomes a woman, which is the meaning of non-existence being existence. Now discarding the female body causes him to know that a woman is not a woman, which is the meaning of non-emptiness being emptiness. All phenomena without exception are of this sort. Furthermore, previously transforming into a woman was originally not being a woman, which is called originally non-existent. Now returning to not being a woman, it is therefore originally not non-existent. Being originally non-existent, it is not present; being originally not non-existent, it is not absent; all phenomena are also like this. [The sūtra says:] 'Śāriputra asked the Devī: "When you pass away here, where will you be born?"' This is the sixth [section], discussing the meaning of passing away and being born. The intention of the question is: seeing that the Devī's three karmic modes are unobstructed, this is a pure cause, so she must certainly cast off her female constitution. However, not knowing where she will definitely be born, he therefore asks. Moreover, having understood that the manifest characteristics are neither present nor absent, he now asks about where she will be born in the future. [The sūtra says:] 'The Devī said: "Where the Buddha's conjurations are born, I am born like that."' Since the bodily characteristics of this life are like an illusory conjuration, when she passes away here and is born there, how could it be real? Therefore the three times are all like conjurations. [The sūtra says:] 'Śāriputra said: "The conjurations of the Buddha are not things that pass away and are born." The Devī said: "Sentient beings are just the same: they neither pass away nor are born."' Previously it was explained that there is birth without birth, and that birth is caused by illusory conjuration; now it is explained that because illusory birth is unborn, there is no passing away or being born. Furthermore, previously it was explained that the Devī's birth is illusory, causing one to understand that sentient beings are also like this. [The sūtra says:] 'Śāriputra asked the Devī: "How long will it be before you attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi?"' This is the seventh [section], discussing the duration of attaining bodhi. Because she previously said, 'Where the Buddha's conjurations are born, I am born like that,' he thought the Devī would attain Buddhahood before long. Moreover, having constantly heard that women attain Buddhahood slowly, he again doubted the duration. Connecting with the preceding text: since bodily characteristics are not real, birth can be like an illusory conjuration; but the true path of bodhi must certainly be real, so he asks after how long she will achieve it. [The sūtra says:] 'The Devī said: "When Śāriputra returns to being an ordinary person, only then will I attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi." Śāriputra said: "It is impossible for me to become an ordinary person." The Devī said: "It is also impossible for me to attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Why is that? Bodhi has no place of abiding; therefore no one attains it."' The path of bodhi is beyond words and cuts off thought; since it fundamentally has no place of abiding, who could attain it?