維摩經義記卷第四 4.32

4.32

爾時維摩問眾香菩薩已下第五大段。明二國交利。明上方菩薩聞此言教故能化導無方。此飡香味知佛事不同兩邊有益故云交利也。從維摩問眾香菩薩已下訖所有功德皆悉具足。明香國佛事。彼菩薩曰我土如來無文字說但以眾香得入律行者。香積如來豈直雖以香為佛事而不為說法。但就勝為緣語。彼國入道多藉香為緣。故記但以眾香也。所以知然。品初言大菩薩眾佛為說法。是故得知非無文字也。又一體此方因於取識發聞思之解。上方香積鼻識後起意地聞思慧解。此亦可從多論門也。彼菩薩問維摩詰以下。明釋迦說法。就中開為三段。第一從維摩以下訖剛強之語以調伏之。直明□□麁獷故須剛強之況。第二從六是地獄以下訖是世間是涅槃。明亦剛強法體。第三從以難化之人心如猨猴訖以苦切之言乃可入律行。明舉二譬結事須剛強之言如此。第一子段。此土眾生剛強難化以下。直明眾生梁強故須剛鑛之言折伏也。就第二子段中。剛強法體中明為二門。初從言是地獄以下訖是愚癡報。明不期因果理數自至。第二從是結戒已下訖是涅槃。有藉教有違順。順即為善違則為惡也。就初不期中開為二意。第一意。是地獄既愚人生處。直總明惡果。第二意。是身邪行已下因果雙明。就雙明因果中復有三幡。第一幡總明三業身口及意也。第二幡雖明十惡。殺生正報墮三塗。餘習氣人中得二種果報。一者短命。二者多病。劫盜亦二果。一者貧窮。二者共他財不得自在而用。邪婬二果。一者婦不貞良。二者不得隨意眷屬。妄語二果。一者多被誹謗。二者恒為他人所誑。兩舌二果者。一者得弊惡眷屬。二者得不和眷屬。惡口二果。一者常聞惡音。二者有所言說常如鬪諍。綺語二果。一者有所言語人不信受。二者有所言說不能分了。貪欲二果。一者多欲。二者無厭足。瞋恚二果。一者常為他人求其長短。二者恒為他所惱害。邪見二果。一者常生邪見家。二者心有諂曲。第三幡。是慳悋是慳悋報訖是愚癡。明六弊對六度為語。第二段藉教行中。是結戒者。檀場白四羯磨始初得戒時稱云結戒。持戒者。德行無缺皆順教也。犯戒者。毀破所持皆違教。是應作是不應作者。若順教為善。是則應作。若違教造惡。是不應作。自此已下類爾可知　以難化人已下釋迦說法中。第三大段舉二譬結事須剛強之言。猨猴躁擾喻心萬端。象馬𢤱悷喻身口形色剛強也。

From “At that time Vimalakīrti asked the bodhisattvas from Sarvagandhasugandhā…” onwards is the fifth major section. It explains the reciprocal benefit between the two lands. It explains that because the bodhisattvas from the higher realm hear this teaching, they can transform and guide without limitation; and [those here], by tasting the fragrant food, know that buddha-works are not identical, so that both sides derive benefit—hence it is called reciprocal benefit. From Vimalakīrti's questioning the bodhisattvas from Sarvagandhasugandhā onwards down to “all their merits are fully perfected,” it explains the buddha-work of that fragrant land. When those bodhisattvas say, “In our land the Tathāgata has no spoken words or letters, but merely uses all the fragrances to cause beings to enter the practices of the precepts,” could it be that the Tathāgata Gandhahastin merely uses fragrance for buddha-work without preaching the Dharma? Rather, he speaks according to what is superior as a condition. In that land, entering the path mostly relies on fragrance as a condition, so it is recorded as “merely uses all the fragrances.” How do we know this to be so? At the beginning of the chapter it says that the Buddha preached the Dharma for the great assembly of bodhisattvas. Therefore we know it is not that there are no words or letters. Furthermore, in one aspect, in this realm it is by relying on the auditory consciousness that an understanding of hearing and contemplation arises; in the higher realm of Sarvagandhasugandhā, after the olfactory consciousness arises, hearing, contemplation, and wisdom-understanding arise in the mental sphere. This can also be addressed from the perspective of the predominant mode. From those bodhisattvas questioning Vimalakīrti onwards, it explains Śākyamuni's preaching of the Dharma. Within this, it is divided into three sections: First, from Vimalakīrti onwards down to “tames them with harsh words,” it directly explains that [sentient beings here] are coarse and intractable, and therefore require the circumstance of harshness. Second, from “this is hell…” onwards down to “this is worldly; this is nirvāṇa,” it explains the substantial nature of harsh dharmas. Third, from “Because the minds of intractable beings are like apes…” down to “only with bitter and cutting words can they be brought into the practice of the precepts,” it explains the citation of two similes concluding the matter of why harsh words are thus needed. In the first sub-section, from “The sentient beings of this land are intractable and difficult to transform…” onwards, it directly explains that sentient beings are stubborn and strong, and therefore require harsh and violent words to subdue them. Within the second sub-section, the substantial nature of harsh dharmas is explained under two gates: First, from the words “this is hell…” onwards down to “this is the retribution for ignorance,” it explains the natural arrival of the principles and karmic measures of causes and effects that are not deliberately anticipated. Second, from “this is establishing the precepts…” onwards down to “this is nirvāṇa,” it explains that there is reliance on teaching, where there is transgression and compliance: compliance is good, and transgression is evil. Within the first, the unanticipated, it is divided into two senses: The first sense: “this is hell,” as the place where foolish people are born, directly and generally explains evil fruitions. The second sense: from “this is bodily misconduct…” onwards, it jointly explains cause and effect. Within this joint explanation of cause and effect, there are further three banners: The first banner generally explains the three karmas—body, speech, and mind. The second banner, although it explains the ten evils: killing living beings has the primary retribution of falling into the three destinies, and as a residual conditioning, one obtains two kinds of retributions among humans—the first is a short lifespan, and the second is frequent illness; theft also has two fruitions—the first is poverty, and the second is that together with another's wealth, one cannot freely use it; sexual misconduct has two fruitions—the first is that one's wife is not chaste and good, and the second is that one does not obtain an entourage according to one's wish; false speech has two fruitions—the first is being frequently slandered, and the second is constantly being deceived by others; divisive speech has two fruitions—the first is obtaining a wicked entourage, and the second is obtaining a disharmonious entourage; harsh speech has two fruitions—the first is constantly hearing harsh sounds, and the second is that whatever one says always resembles a quarrel; frivolous speech has two fruitions—the first is that whatever words one speaks, people do not believe or accept them, and the second is that whatever words one utters cannot be clearly understood; covetousness has two fruitions—the first is having many desires, and the second is being insatiable; anger has two fruitions—the first is that others constantly seek out one's faults, and the second is that one is constantly annoyed and harmed by others; wrong views have two fruitions—the first is constantly being born into a family of wrong views, and the second is that one's mind is flattering and crooked. The third banner: from “this is stinginess; this is the retribution for stinginess” down to “this is ignorance,” it explains the six vices contrasted with the six perfections. In the second section, on practices relying on the teaching: as for “this is establishing the precepts,” when the four-fold karmavācanā in the ordination hall first takes place and one initially obtains the precepts, this is referred to as “establishing the precepts.” As for “upholding the precepts,” virtuous conduct being without defect is in all cases compliance with the teaching. As for “violating the precepts,” breaking what is upheld is in all cases transgresing the teaching. As for “this should be done; this should not be done,” if one complies with the teaching and does good, this should be done; if one transgresses the teaching and creates evil, this should not be done. From here on, the rest can be known by analogy. From “Because the minds of intractable beings…” onwards, within Śākyamuni's preaching of the Dharma, the third major section cites two similes concluding the matter of why harsh words are needed: the restless ape illustrates the myriad facets of the mind; the intractable elephant and horse illustrate the harshness of bodily and vocal form.