維摩經義疏 6.3.3

6.3.3

Third, this [assembly's] seeing those [bodhisattvas] arrive brought profound benefit. “The Buddha said: ‘You may go! Restrain your body-fragrances, and do not cause those sentient beings to produce minds of infatuation and attachment.’” This is the seventh part: the Tathāgata’s admonition. First, he admonishes their bodies; next, he admonishes their minds. Restraining their body-fragrances: because the teachings and approaches differ, [whereas] hearing it here gives rise to understanding, hearing it there gives rise to attachment; hence it must be restrained. Question: If so, why not restrain the fragrance of the food? Answer: Because of the Buddha’s spiritual power, it can stop their source of delusion and give rise to their aspiration for the Way; hence it is not restrained. “‘Moreover, you should discard your original forms, lest those seeking [the path of] a bodhisattva in that land feel self-contempt and shame.’” Seeing them here produces delight and aspiration; seeing them there produces self-contempt; therefore he has them restrain their original forms. “‘Furthermore, in that [land] do not harbor thoughts of disdain or shallowness and conceive obstructions. Why is this? The lands of the ten directions are all like empty space.’” The second part admonishes the mind, also containing two sentences. First, he adduces the land of the dharmakāya to admonish them. The pure and the defiled are both empty; that is the land of the equality of true reality, the common dwelling place of the dharmakāyas of all buddhas, in which there is never superior or inferior; therefore one should not give rise to notions of high and low. Furthermore, it is only that in order to transform those who delight in lesser dharmas, the buddhas do not completely manifest their pure lands. Second, he adduces the land of responsive traces to admonish them: buddhas manifest purity or defilement according to the time; the upper realm conceals defilement for the sake of pure conditions, and the lower realm conceals purity for the sake of defiled conditions. “Then the manifested bodhisattva, having received the bowl of food, together with those nine million bodhisattvas, all relying on the Buddha’s majestic spiritual power and the strength of Vimalakīrti, suddenly vanished from that world and within a moment arrived at Vimalakīrti’s house.” This is the fourth part: the manifested bodhisattva’s return to his native land. Within the text, there are again eight sections: first, returning here from there; second, Jingming setting out seats to await the guests; third, the bodhisattvas taking their seats; fourth, the manifested being presenting the food to the layman; fifth, the timely assembly gathering like clouds; sixth, Jingming encouraging them to eat; seventh, the doubts and thoughts of the śrāvakas; eighth, the bodhisattva’s scolding and rebuking. “Then Vimalakīrti immediately manifested nine million lion seats, majestic and splendid as before.” This is the second text. Above it explained borrowing seats; now it explains manifested creation; both mutually show what is extraordinary. “The bodhisattvas all sat upon them.” This is the third part: taking their seats. “The manifested bodhisattva presented the full bowl of fragrant food to Vimalakīrti; the fragrance of the food pervaded the city of Vaiśālī and the trichiliocosm.” This is the fourth part: presenting the food to Jingming. Heavenly fragrance travels against the wind for forty li; here, being the fruit of all buddhas, it therefore pervades the three thousand realms. “Then the brahmins, householders, and others of Vaiśālī, smelling the scent of this fragrant food, felt bliss in body and mind, marveling at what they had never experienced before. Thereupon the elder leader Candracchattra, accompanied by eighty-four thousand people, came and entered Vimalakīrti’s house, and seeing in his room that there were very many bodhisattvas, and that the lion seats were lofty, vast, majestic, and splendid, they all rejoiced greatly, paid homage to the assembly of bodhisattvas and the great disciples, and withdrew to stand to one side.” This is the fifth part: the timely assembly gathering like clouds. First it clearly explains the manifest assembly; next it explains the hidden assembly. As for the elder leader Candracchattra: in that country there was no king, and only five hundred elders jointly governed the state administration; Candracchattra was held in high esteem by the multitudes, and hence was made leader of the group. “The earth deities, space deities, and the devas of the desire and form realms, smelling this fragrance, also all came and entered Vimalakīrti’s house.” This is the gathering of the hidden assembly. The Hīnayāna says: in the form realm there is no nose-consciousness, so how could they smell fragrance? It also says: they can smell it by borrowing consciousness. If they could not smell it beforehand, there would also be no cause to borrow it. Furthermore, the Mahāyāna clarifies that its principle leaves nothing, no matter how subtle, unperceived; hence they can smell the fragrance and arrive. “Then Vimalakīrti addressed Śāriputra and the other great śrāvakas: ‘Virtuous sirs, you may eat! The Tathāgata’s nectar-flavored food.’” This is the sixth part: Jingming encouraging them to eat. Previously, in borrowing seats, he generally encouraged both the great and the small; in requesting food, he addresses only the śrāvakas—this mutually demonstrates their import. Moreover, the śrāvakas were narrow and inferior, thinking that the food was little and the assembly numerous, and would certainly not dare to eat; therefore he specifically addressed the great śrāvakas. Heavenly food is called sudhā, named ‘nectar’; the food of the pure land surpasses humans and devas, and is true nectar. Furthermore, nirvāṇa is called nectar; those who eat this food will certainly attain it; hence the fruit is spoken of by way of the cause. “‘Infused by great compassion, do not eat it with a limited mind, lest it fail to be digested.’” This food is the fruit of great compassion; furthermore, arising from great compassion and beheld with eyes of kindness, it is called ‘infused by great compassion’. Saying that a small amount cannot contain much is called a ‘limited mind’; because one does not match the donor, it is said ‘fail to be digested’. This shows them the method of receiving food. “A certain śrāvaka thought: ‘This food is little, yet everyone in this great assembly must eat.’” This is the seventh part: the doubts and thoughts of the śrāvakas. ‘A certain śrāvaka’ means one different from the great śrāvakas such as Śāriputra. Although Śāriputra belonged to the Small Vehicle, because his wisdom was superior, he did not presume to measure the spiritual virtue of a bodhisattva, and therefore did not give rise to this thought. “The manifested bodhisattva said: ‘Do not, with the small virtue and small wisdom of a śrāvaka, weigh and measure the boundless merit and wisdom of the Tathāgata.’” This is the eighth part: the bodhisattva’s rebuking. ‘Small virtue’ means that the adornment of merit is small; ‘small wisdom’ means that the adornment of wisdom is small. How could one limit the great with the small? “‘The four seas may dry up, but this food is inexhaustible. Even if all people were to eat mouthfuls as large as Mount Sumeru for up to an eon, it still could not be exhausted. Why is this? The leftovers of what has been eaten by one who is fully endowed with inexhaustible morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation, can never be exhausted.’” ‘All people eat’ clarifies that the people at that time are many; ‘mouthfuls of food as large as Mount Sumeru’ clarifies that what is eaten is great; ‘an eon’ clarifies that the time is long. Yet it still cannot be exhausted—how much less so in this assembly! Next, he adduces the five bodies [dharmakāya components] to explain it. The five bodies are the primary retribution, and the fragrant food is the dependent retribution; because the primary retribution is inexhaustible, the dependent retribution is inexhaustible. Furthermore, the five bodies are the origin, and the fragrant food is the trace; since the origin is inexhaustible, the responsive traces are not limited. “Thereupon the bowl of food completely satiated the entire assembly, yet it still was not diminished. Those bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, devas, and humans who ate this food were peaceful and happy in body, just like the bodhisattvas of the land Adorned with All Joys. Furthermore, all their pores emitted wondrous fragrance, also like the fragrance of all the trees in the land of Multitudinous Fragrances.” The fruits of the pure land are three: first, mindful food; second, giving food; third, receiving food. The two chapters before are concluded; this is the third. “At that time, Vimalakīrti asked the bodhisattvas of Multitudinous Fragrances: ‘How does the Tathāgata Fragrance Accumulated teach the Dharma?’ Those bodhisattvas said: ‘The Tathāgata of our land does not speak with words and letters, but merely uses all fragrances to cause all devas and humans to enter disciplined conduct;”