維摩經義記卷第四 4.45

4.45

爾時阿難白佛今所聞香自昔未有。是第三段。因問香氣廣明香飯利益差別。問香是彼菩薩毛孔香者。欲令舍利弗發言自答也。如是香氣住當久如者。問香氣住久近。此飯勢力至于七日。未必限於七日。但閻浮提人不食唯得七日。故就一方為語故云七日也。又解。法爾七日未入正位者是聲聞性地人。得入正位者無相以上。得正解脫者證於第四果也。未發大乘心者凡夫之人。已發意者住前之心。得無生忍者七地以還。又可初地。一生補處者十地菩薩。然香飯雖是下地得道之緣。初地以上豈蘇此藉入道。為欲成香飯有始終之益故云乃至十地。小乘亦應云初果二三乃至四果。但文略耳。菩薩中亦應從初地二地乃至一地之階級。但文中略。廣明十方世界佛事不同入道多端。自有由鼻識得道。亦有由眼識而受益。此方由其耳識以獲悟。滅除一切諸煩惱毒者。少分一切唯斷當地之分也。

“At that time Ānanda said to the Buddha: ‘The fragrance we now smell is something that has never existed from of old.’” This is the third section. Taking occasion from the inquiry about the fragrance, it broadly clarifies the distinctions among the benefits of the fragrant food. Inquiring whether the fragrance is the fragrance from the pores of those bodhisattvas is intended to lead Śāriputra to speak and answer for himself. “How long will such a fragrance abide?” asks how long or short a time the fragrance remains. The efficacy of this food extends up to seven days; it is not necessarily limited to seven days, but because people of Jambudvīpa can only go for seven days without eating, it is spoken of in terms of one region and therefore says seven days. Another explanation: according to the nature of things, it is seven days. “Those who have not entered the samyaktva-niyāma” refers to persons on the śrāvaka nature-stage (gotra-bhūmi). “Those who attain entry into the samyaktva-niyāma” are those from [the stage of] signlessness upwards. “Those who attain correct liberation” realize the fourth fruit. “Those who have not yet generated the Mahāyāna mind” are ordinary persons. “Those who have already generated the intention” are those with the mind prior to the [ten] abidings. “Those who attain the anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti” are those up to the seventh bhūmi; alternatively, it may be the first bhūmi. “Those bound to one more birth (eka-jāti-pratibaddha)” are bodhisattvas of the tenth bhūmi. However, although the fragrant food serves as a condition for attaining the Path on the lower stages, how could those of the first bhūmi and above rely on this to enter the Path? In order to establish that the fragrant food offers benefit from beginning to end, it therefore says “even up to the tenth bhūmi.” In the Hīnayāna, it should also have mentioned the first fruit, second, third, and even up to the fourth fruit, but the text is merely abbreviated. Among bodhisattvas, it should also proceed through the gradations from the first bhūmi, second bhūmi, and even to the [tenth] bhūmi, but the text is abbreviated. It broadly clarifies that the buddha-works of the worlds of the ten directions are diverse, and the entries into the Path are manifold. Some attain the Path by means of the nose-consciousness; others also obtain benefit by means of the eye-consciousness. In this world, awakening is obtained through the ear-consciousness. “Eradicating all kleśa poisons” refers to a portion of all [kleśas], cutting off only the portion belonging to that specific stage.