說無垢稱經疏 5.366

5.366

贊曰：下品第二，天女對揚破聲聞執。有三：初天女散華、次鶖子問答、後無垢讚歎。初中有三：初歡喜散華、次著與不著、後問答破執。此初文也。本住者，顯其非與吉祥俱來。天女者，位居八地，示為女身。故品末云「已能遊戲神通智慧，得無生忍，於無上覺永不退轉。乘本願力，隨欲成就一切有情。」故知非是凡神鬼也。然以女多慈愛愍念心深，得利幽宮權方濟益，況復欲化聲聞令離染著，示以散華之事，助揚無垢之能，故為女身非為男相。既為化相，非定何天。據勝端嚴，多是他化。昔時淨名空室，所以潛形；今者利益便宜，其身乃現。渠散華者，華多香綺，愚俗染情，欲明聲聞有著、菩薩離之，故散之也。又華掩臭惡、馨香逢芳，現有敷榮之能，遠有結實之德，故唯散華不散餘也。

Commentary: Below is the second part of the chapter, where the goddess engages in dialogue to break the Śrāvakas' attachments. It has three parts: first, the goddess scatters flowers; second, Śāriputra's dialogue; third, Vimalakīrti's praise. The first contains three parts: first, rejoicing and scattering flowers; second, clinging and non-clinging; third, questions and answers to break attachments. This is the first text. “Originally residing” shows that she did not come together with Mañjuśrī. The “goddess” resides at the eighth bhūmi and manifests as a female body. Therefore, at the end of the chapter it says: “She is already able to sport in supernormal powers and wisdom, has attained the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas, and never regresses from unsurpassed enlightenment. Riding on the power of her original vows, she accomplishes all sentient beings as she wishes.” Thus we know she is not an ordinary spirit or ghost. However, because females have abundant affectionate love and profound compassion, capable of bringing benefit from the secluded chambers through expedient means, and moreover wishing to transform the Śrāvakas to make them free from defiled attachment, she manifested the matter of scattering flowers to assist in promoting Vimalakīrti's capability; hence she assumed a female body and not a male form. Since it is a manifested form, it is not fixed to any particular heaven. Judging from the supreme solemnity, it is mostly the Paranirmitavaśavartin heaven. Formerly, when Vimalakīrti emptied his room, she concealed her form; now that it is expedient to bring benefit, her body appears. As for why she scatters flowers: flowers are fragrant and beautiful, to which the foolish and vulgar have defiled feelings; wishing to clarify that Śrāvakas have attachment while Bodhisattvas are free from it, she scatters them. Furthermore, flowers cover foulness and stench, and their fragrance meets sweetness; currently they possess the power of blooming, and in the long term they possess the virtue of bearing fruit; therefore she only scatters flowers and does not scatter anything else.