維摩經義記卷第四 4.15

4.15

就第二淨名以偈答曰中開為三子段。第一從智度以下訖以此為音樂。有四行偈。就人眷屬為語。智度菩薩母方便以為父者。母本明縎家事在於室內。欲明實智據在理內故以為母。父本當賓客。匡正於外方。便外化其猶如父。一切眾道師無不由是生者。此二智長養法身萬行之本。豈直是菩薩父母。一切諸佛亦從是生也。法喜以為妻者。妻本適志。法喜適悅故以為妻。又一解。世人納妻者為求子胤紹繼家宗。喻如道從歡喜生。以歡喜故則佛種相續法身不斷。其由納妻子胤不絕也。慈悲心以為女者。女人有外出之義。慈悲外被故言為女也。又一解。女人性多慈悲。為懷慈悲之心像女之性故以況之。善心誠實男者。男性貞幹能辨家事為義。欲明誠實之善既有貞幹之用能辨佛果菩提家事。畢竟空寂舍者。舍以安身為義。空是栖神之宅。其猶如舍。又一解。舍本遮止風霜掩於雨露。明此空理能遮煩惱風霜掩諸漏雨露也。弟子眾塵勞隨意之所轉者。弟子本以稟承師訓為義。明塵勞眾生從我受化即有弟子之義也。又一解。弟子者敬順孝養資益於我。明化塵勞眾生功來資已故為有弟子也。道品善知識由是成正覺者。善知識能以善相益。正由道品資益成佛故言知識也。諸度法等侶者。世人遊江越塞必須結疇敦侶然後得去。欲明大士若遊生死江河越煩惱之關塞。若不與六度共俱無由得去。故說為等侶也。四攝為伎女者。四攝順物以悅眾情故言伎女。又解。伎女本以音聲為義。必多來人眾。四攝化物稱適物情。眾必歸從也。歌詠誦法言以此為音樂者。世人音樂以自慰悅。菩薩以法音自娛。

In the second [section], 'Vimalakīrti answered in verse,' it is divided into three subsections. The first, from 'Prajñāpāramitā' down to 'Takes this as music,' consists of four verses of gāthā, speaking in terms of human dependents. As for 'Prajñāpāramitā is the bodhisattva's mother, and skillful means is the father': a mother originally manages domestic affairs within the inner chambers; this illustrates that real wisdom is based within ultimate principle, and hence it is taken as the mother. A father originally receives guests and oversees matters outwardly; skillful means transforms beings externally, and is thus like a father. As for 'Of all the guides of beings, there are none not born from them': these two wisdoms nurture the dharmakāya and are the basis of the myriad practices. How could they merely be the parents of bodhisattvas? All Buddhas are also born from them. As for 'Taking the joy of the Dharma as wife': a wife originally brings delight to the mind; the joy of the Dharma brings pleasant delight, so it is taken as the wife. Another explanation: people of the world take a wife to seek offspring to carry on the family lineage; metaphorically, the Path is born from joy, and because of joy, the buddha-seed continues uninterrupted and the dharmakāya is unbroken, just as taking a wife ensures offspring never cease. As for 'Taking the mind of loving-kindness and compassion as daughter': a woman has the sense of marrying out and going forth; loving-kindness and compassion spread outward, hence they are called the daughter. Another explanation: women by nature possess much loving-kindness and compassion; harboring a mind of loving-kindness and compassion resembles a woman's nature, hence the comparison. As for 'The good mind, sincere and true, is the son': a male by nature has the character of being firm and capable of managing family affairs; this illustrates that the goodness of sincerity and truth possesses the firmness to manage the family affairs of the Buddha-fruit and bodhi. As for 'The house of ultimate emptiness and tranquility': a house has the function of settling the body; emptiness is the abode where the spirit rests, just like a house. Another explanation: a house originally fends off wind and frost and shelters from rain and dew; this illustrates that the principle of emptiness can fend off the wind and frost of kleśas and shelter from the rain and dew of the outflows. As for 'The disciples are the multitude of afflictions, which turn according to his will': a disciple originally has the meaning of receiving and upholding the teacher's instructions; this illustrates that when afflicted sentient beings receive conversion from me, they have the meaning of disciples. Another explanation: disciples respectfully obey, filially nurture, and benefit me; this illustrates that the merit of converting afflicted sentient beings comes to benefit oneself, which is why they are called disciples. As for 'The limbs of enlightenment are good friends; through them one accomplishes correct awakening': a good friend can benefit one with what is good; precisely because the limbs of enlightenment support and benefit one's becoming a Buddha, they are called spiritual friends (kalyāṇamitra). As for 'The various pāramitā dharmas are equal companions': when people of the world travel rivers and cross mountain passes, they must gather companions and assemble peers before they can proceed; this illustrates that when a mahāsattva travels the river of saṃsāra and crosses the mountain pass of kleśas, if he does not go together with the six pāramitās, there is no way he can proceed, hence they are called equal companions. As for 'The four means of embracing are singing girls': the four means of embracing accommodate beings to delight their feelings, hence they are called singing girls. Another explanation: singing girls originally convey the meaning of music and voices, which necessarily draw many people together; the four means of embracing transform beings by suiting their dispositions, so the multitudes inevitably take refuge and follow. As for 'Singing, chanting, and reciting the words of the Dharma, taking this as music': worldly people use music to console and delight themselves; the bodhisattva uses the sound of the Dharma to entertain himself.