維摩義記 1.7

1.7

Dhāraṇīśvara's missing the potential lay in not recognizing the true [situation] and being unable to respond to the potential to propagate the Dharma; thus he was incapable of inquiring after the illness. Knowing he did not comprehend, Māra bestowed feminine charms upon him directly to destroy his aspiration for the Way. Dhāraṇīśvara mistook him for Śakra, and rebuked him using the three [notions of] body, life, and wealth as permanent. He supposed that Śakra took body, life, and wealth to be permanent; thus he now said, "One should contemplate impermanence to seek the root of goodness." This shows that by means of the three impermanent things one obtains the three permanent things, thus pointing to the impermanent as the root of goodness. "Deeply unsuitable for me" has two meanings of unsuitability. First, because feminine charms are permissible for the laity but not suitable for one who has left home. Second, because these women's roots for the Way were about to ripen in relation to Vimalakīrti, they were again not suitable for me. "Disturb" [嬈固]: gù [in 嬈固] is like outflow (āsrava); [Māra] wished to cause him to produce outflows and lapses. "As I should receive them": there are two meanings of "should receive." First, sensual desire is permissible for me as a householder; hence he said "should receive." Second, because that person's potential for awakening would certainly receive my Dharma, he again said he should receive them immediately. He preached the Dharma according to what was appropriate, subduing Māra and causing him to accept conversion from himself. From "There is Dharma joy" onward, it explains taking amusement in the Dharma: shifting their former desires, when the mind is liberated the spirit is delighted; hence it is called Dharma joy. Below, it explains that wisdom and roots of goodness are all the substance of Dharma joy. From "delighting in constantly having faith in the Buddha" up to "broadly practicing generosity," it explains the substance of Dharma joy prior to the [ten] abodes. From "practicing generosity" up to "broadening the bodhicitta," it sequentially explains the characteristics of the substance of Dharma joy during the six abodes. At the seventh abode, one first attains the patience of unproduced dharmas, can subdue demons, and severs the two kinds of afflictions. Cultivating the pure land is the practice of the eighth abode. Perfecting the marks and signs is the practice of the ninth abode. Delighting in adorning the place of enlightenment is the practice of the tenth abode. From "delighting in hearing the profound Dharma without fear" onward, it comprehensively explains the wisdom and roots of goodness of the three vehicles. "Not delighting in non-wealth" explains that when sentient beings ought to hear and are certain to attain awakening, wisdom is taken as non-material wealth. Another explanation: when the roots for the Way are about to ripen, one does not delight in sentient beings whose roots have not yet ripened. "Delighting in drawing near fellow practitioners": the principle of the Mahāyāna is practiced by both oneself and others; hence they are called fellow practitioners. "The mind free from anger and hindrance": among the students of the Hīnayāna, transforming them to follow the Great [Vehicle], if there is anger in the mind, one cannot do so. "Not protecting evil people": they harm one's roots for the Way; guiding and protecting evil people brings flourishing compassion beyond the Way; because what is maintained is great, one must protect them. The good friend is the Buddha; drawing near him produces good, transforming one's aspirations so that one does not delight in one's original habits; hence it says "not delighting in the pleasures of the five desires." "I have already relinquished them": the original intention was to make them generate the aspiration; now that they have generated it, causing them to cultivate and practice it, the conditions for conversion must cease; hence he said "relinquished." He wished that the person being converted would have their Dharma vows fulfilled. Alternatively, the women would in turn teach all sentient beings so that they could attain fulfillment of the Dharma. No longer mindful of what was originally practiced, grasping his subtle admonition, they again addressed their master: by what further practice should they guard themselves so that the mind of the Way remains eternally firm? "There is a Dharma called the inexhaustible": namely, the aforementioned Dharma joy can effect transformation, serving as a gateway for ordinary people. It is like passing the flame of one lamp to a thousand wicks; the benefit of the Dharma is also like this: lighting hundreds of thousands of lamps, the original illumination is never exhausted. Indeed, when a single bodhisattva transforms endlessly, causing [others] to generate the aspiration while their own aspiration for the Way is never extinguished, the merit of transformation redounds to oneself, increasing merit and virtue, which differs from the metaphor. By transforming others, it is said to guard oneself. Dwelling in the dust without being defiled also truly accords with the Buddha's intent; this is called repaying kindness. Later it is re-explained: "I have already relinquished them": receiving certainly brings benefit, and relinquishing also confers advantage; wishing to cause the heavenly maidens to turn and teach countless [others] so they may generate the aspiration, oneself is also moistened, and both self and other attain joy; hence it says "fulfilled." "What should we do?" asks Vimalakīrti in return: what practice should come first? Below he answers: one should make transforming beings primary, causing all living beings universally to perform the five refuges; this is teaching them the method of practice. The subsequent stream of generating the aspiration is its benefit. "Sisters": regarding the previous two categories receiving the Dharma, taking what was previously experienced as prior, speaking from the standpoint of the persons, taking those who arose [first] as prior. Now interpreting the heavenly maidens being addressed as "sisters": because they had not practiced and were only beginning to learn the former Dharma, they are called sisters. Next, commanding Śucikīrti to inquire after the illness shows that his virtue was lofty; this was his provisional manifestation, accepting his humbling through not comprehending the Dharma. "The assembly should not be as you have arranged" shows that the offering of material wealth does not accord with the roots for the Way. "You should make an assembly for the offering of Dharma" shows that the offering of Dharma accords with the roots. Why the offering of Dharma is superior: material offering nourishes the body, while Dharma offering nourishes the spirit; material offering has an exhaustion, while Dharma offering is inexhaustible; material offering has a before and after, while Dharma offering has no before and after; therefore the offering of Dharma surpasses the offering of material wealth. "Without before or after, all at once" shows that the profound potential of sentient beings secretly resonates, and the dharmakāya responds like an echo; root and remedy do not err, nourishing the spirit simultaneously; hence it is said to make an offering to all sentient beings all at once. From "What is meant by this?" onward, he explains the substance of the offering of Dharma. "To arouse a mind of benevolence by means of bodhi" explains the meaning of benevolence: by indicating the bliss of bodhi to explain benevolence, causing them to leave suffering and attain the unsurpassed fruit, giving rise to benevolence to attain the true Dharma. "Arousing wisdom" is arousing wisdom to attain dāna-pāramitā in order to eliminate stinginess. "By means of the non-existence of non-self": when the self-centered mind exists, anger will certainly arise; only by attaining the emptiness of non-self can one practice forbearance. "By means of separating from the characteristics of body and mind": "separating" refers to emptiness; being able to understand that the characteristics of body and mind are empty, only then can one exert diligent effort amid existence. "By means of the characteristics of bodhi": the substance of bodhi transcends all characteristics; being able to understand thus that all dharmas have no inherent nature, only then can one practice dhyāna amid existence. Another explanation: indicating bodhi, one gathers the dharmas of dhyāna-concentration to seek bodhi. Understanding emptiness, one can practice transformation amid existence. As for "signlessness": how can one not abandon conditioned dharmas? Precisely through deeply understanding signlessness. Attaining the gate of emptiness of non-action, one can manifest receiving rebirth. "Protecting and upholding the true Dharma": propagating the principle without interruption is called protecting and upholding. Therefore, transforming beings without tiring requires upāya amid existence to penetrate the true Dharma. Practicing the four means of embrace without abandoning them can cross over sentient beings. Below, it responds appropriately to their dispositions. Another explanation: "What is meant by an assembly for the offering of Dharma?" asks the meaning of Dharma offering. Why is it said that Dharma offering is superior? Below, it explains that because Dharma offering is universal and equal, it is therefore superior. Below, "What is meant by this?" asks the substance of Dharma offering. "Arousing a mind of joy": joy opposes anger, which brings an erroneous result; now eliminating anger, one obtains the correct result. "Six recollections": recollecting the Three Jewels, the devas, the precepts, and giving. If the six recollections are perfected, it must be due to thought: good reflection. "Six points of reverent harmony": the three karmas are unconflicting, precepts, views, and giving are shared, and one follows with admiration and compliance; hence called harmony. Reverently practicing these six must take the true mind as the root; reverently practicing deviousness cannot achieve verification. A flattering mind to support oneself is wrong livelihood; being straightforward to nourish the body is right livelihood; taking an upright mind as livelihood will certainly bring the fruit of correct goodness. "Great donor of gifts": preaching the Mahāyāna Dharma is great, preaching the Dharma of the three vehicles is middling, and offering material wealth is inferior. Now saying "great" means the offering of preaching the Mahāyāna Dharma. Why Śucikīrti unloosed his necklace to present it to Vimalakīrti has two intentions. Formerly, Śucikīrti arranged an offering of material wealth, desiring to promote his assembly of Dharma offering. Vimalakīrti responded to the potential to promote the Dharma offering, causing two hundred people to all generate the aspiration for bodhi. However, those present at the time did not know Śucikīrti's intent regarding the Dharma offering; therefore, he unloosed his necklace to present it to Vimalakīrti to express that his intent lay in the Dharma offering. Second, he wished to encourage the class of beggars to generate the aspiration for bodhi. Why this is so: Vimalakīrti received the necklace and presented one portion to the Tathāgata Duṣprasaha to express his mind of receiving with reverence, and gave one portion to the beggar to express the culmination of compassion in eradicating suffering. This is respecting those above and receiving those below, their merit being equal. If their minds are impartial, why should we not generate the aspiration for bodhi? "Bestowing on one lowliest beggar is just like the marks of the Tathāgata's field of merit": below equals above without distinction. "Equal to great compassion": above equals below. "Not expecting any reward": this explains Vimalakīrti's Dharma offering; conforming below to above, and making above equal below, shows that with respect to both high and low he does not expect any reward; hence he can do so. "All generated the aspiration for bodhi": this shows that not only the beggars generated the aspiration, but everyone generated it; hence it says "all generated the aspiration for bodhi."