維摩經義疏 6.3.4

6.3.4

"[The bodhisattvas] each sit beneath fragrant trees, and upon smelling this exquisite fragrance, they immediately attain the samādhi of all virtue-stores. Those who attain this samādhi are fully endowed with all the merits and virtues of a bodhisattva." From the above onwards, [the text] has explained that fragrant food performs the Buddha's work; below this, the second [part] differentiates the modes of conversion of the two lands: first, it explains the teaching of the pure land; next, it differentiates the Dharma gates of the defiled land. Question: Above it was said that the Buddha Fragrance Accumulation preached the Dharma for the assembly; why then does it now say there are no written words? Answer: That land is not utterly without words; it simply uses fragrance as the primary means to perform the Buddha's work. Just as this land, although it uses sounds, also relies on supernatural powers and the like to enter the Way—all these are discussions based on what is predominant. Moreover, it is said: preaching the Dharma does not necessarily involve words; since fragrance can produce penetrating comprehension, it is also called preaching the Dharma. "Those bodhisattvas asked Vimalakīrti: 'Now, by what means does the World-Honoured One Śākyamuni preach the Dharma?'" This second [part] explains the Dharma gates of this land, falling into four: first, the question; second, the answer; third, the praise; fourth, the affirmation. This is the first, the question. "Vimalakīrti said: 'The sentient beings of this land are unyielding and difficult to convert; therefore, the Buddha speaks unyielding words to subdue them.'" This second [part], the answer, comprises three: namely, the doctrinal statement, the simile, and the application. The doctrinal statement also has three: the proposition, the explanation, and the conclusion. This is the first, the proposition. Broadly speaking, the Buddha's conversion has in general three gates: first, gentle words; second, unyielding words; third, mixed speech. "Mixed speech" means praising the good and censuring the evil. "Saying: this is hell, this is [the realm of] animals, this is [the realm of] hungry ghosts, these are the realms of adversity." This is the second, explaining subdual. As for "the realms of adversity": previously the three wretched destinies were explained as three, and here the [remaining] five adversities are explained, termed the realms of adversity. "These are the birthplaces of fools." The birthplaces of non-Buddhists are called the birthplaces of fools; for instance, being born in the Heaven of Non-Conception with a fixed lifespan of five hundred kalpas, which they consider to be nirvāṇa; later, when their life ends, they give rise to false views, repudiate the noble path, and fall into the Avīci hell. Because noble ones are not born in that place, it is called the birthplaces of fools. "This is physical misconduct, this is the retribution for physical misconduct; this is verbal misconduct, this is the retribution for verbal misconduct; this is mental misconduct, this is the retribution for mental misconduct; this is killing living beings, this is the retribution for killing living beings; this is taking what is not given, this is the retribution for taking what is not given; this is sexual misconduct, this is the retribution for sexual misconduct; this is false speech, this is the retribution for false speech; this is double-tongued speech, this is the retribution for double-tongued speech; this is harsh speech, this is the retribution for harsh speech; this is meaningless speech, this is the retribution for meaningless speech; this is covetousness and jealousy, this is the retribution for covetousness and jealousy; this is anger and affliction, this is the retribution for anger and affliction; this is wrong view, this is the retribution for wrong view." Previously the retributions of the eight adversities were explained; now the causes and retributions of the ten unwholesome actions are fully stated. "This is stinginess, this is the retribution for stinginess; this is breaking the precepts, this is the retribution for breaking the precepts; this is anger, this is the retribution for anger; this is indolence, this is the retribution for indolence; this is distracted thought, this is the retribution for distracted thought; this is foolishness, this is the retribution for foolishness." This states the causes and retributions of the six flaws. The ten unwholesome actions are worldly hindrances; these are supramundane hindrances. "This is establishing precepts, this is keeping precepts, this is violating precepts; this should be done, this should not be done; this is an obstruction, this is not an obstruction; this incurs guilt, this is free from guilt; this is pure, this is defiled; this is tainted, this is untainted; this is the wrong path, this is the right path; this is conditioned, this is unconditioned; this is worldly, this is nirvāṇa." Previously the eight adversities, ten unwholesome actions, and six flaws were explained; these three categories only clarified what is to be abandoned. From this passage onward, it shows both what is to be adopted and what is to be rejected. Violating or not violating is based on the meaning of prohibition. What should be done and what should not be done is based on the meaning of practice. "Obstruction" means violating prohibitive precepts and not practicing active good, thereby obstructing the noble path. "Guilt" refers to the former two being guilt. "Free from guilt" refers to maintaining prohibitions and carrying out practices. "'Because people who are difficult to convert have minds like monkeys, their minds must be controlled with various kinds of methods before they can be subdued. Just as elephants and horses that are unruly and unsubdued are subjected to all kinds of harsh floggings, even piercing to the bone, before they are subdued.'" This is the second, the simile. Master [Kumāra]jīva said: "There are five kinds of horses: the first is subdued merely upon seeing the shadow of the whip; the second is subdued only when struck by the whip; the third is subdued only when a sharp awl pricks its skin; the fourth is subdued only when it pierces the flesh; the fifth is subdued only when it penetrates to the bone." The sharp and dull faculties of sentient beings likewise have five grades: first, merely seeing the impermanence of another, one's mind is immediately awakened; second, seeing the impermanence of an acquaintance, one's mind is only then awakened; third, seeing the impermanence of brothers and relatives, one's mind is only then awakened; fourth, seeing the impermanence of parents, one's mind is only then awakened; fifth, experiencing one's own impermanence, enduring extreme suffering and affliction, and receiving harsh words, one is only then awakened. "'Sentient beings who are unyielding and difficult to convert like this can only enter the discipline through all kinds of bitter and harsh words.'" This is the third, the application of the simile. Without hooks and whips, there is no way to train elephants and horses; without harsh words, there is no way to subdue those who are difficult to convert. "When those bodhisattvas heard this spoken, they all said: 'Unprecedented! How the World-Honoured One Śākyamuni Buddha conceals his immeasurable sovereign power and instead uses the Dharma rejoiced in by the impoverished to deliver sentient beings; and these bodhisattvas are also able to labor humbly, being born in this Buddha-land out of immeasurable great compassion.'" This is the third, the praise by those bodhisattvas. First they praise the Buddha, and next they praise the bodhisattvas. As for "the Dharma rejoiced in by the impoverished": sentient beings of this land lack the Dharma-wealth of the Great Vehicle, which constitutes their poverty, yet they possess small capacities that accord with what they rejoice in. The Buddha conceals his great virtues and uses small teachings to convert people. As the Lotus Sūtra says: "Taking off his necklace and fine garments, he put on ragged, dirty clothes to convert the poor son," daring to assimilate to their poverty and delivering them in accordance with what they rejoice in. "Vimalakīrti said: 'The great compassion of the bodhisattvas of this land toward sentient beings is firm and solid, truly as you have said. Yet their benefiting sentient beings for a single lifetime surpasses hundreds of thousands of kalpas of practice in that land. Why is this? This Sahā world has ten good dharmas that do not exist in any other pure land. What are the ten? Attracting the impoverished through giving; attracting precept-breakers through pure discipline; attracting the angry through patience; attracting the indolent through diligence; attracting the distracted through dhyāna meditation; attracting the foolish through wisdom.'" The fourth is Jingming's affirmation, continuing to praise the teaching of this land. Question: In the pure land there is no poverty, so giving is not needed; if there is no foolishness, what is the use of converting them? Answer: There are two kinds of foolishness: first, not comprehending all dharmas, which is called foolishness;