維摩經義記卷第四 4.70

4.70

第二從佛言善男子法供養者諸佛所說深經已下。正明法供養體。就中分為二子段。第一從諸佛所說深經訖將護法故是名法之供養。明聞思二惠人法供養。第二從有於諸法如說修行已下。明修惠人上法供養。就初聞惠思二惠中復開為四意。第一意。諸佛所說深經已下訖菩薩法藏所攝。歎經理深。諸佛所說深經者。經理幽邃故言深。一切世間難信受者。此理深遠凡夫所不能安心故言難信難受。微妙難見者。體絕犀麁曰微。微中之極曰妙。唯佛能知非聖不達故曰難見。清淨無染者。體無塵累曰清淨。不可點污曰無染。非但分別思惟之所能得者。但者單獨之稱。非直以智慧分別能知。要須功德諸行相助得此理也。菩薩法藏所攝者。此經明大乘理故菩薩法藏所攝也。第二意。陀羅尼印印之者已下訖能令眾生入佛法藏。明經來益人人得經為用。陀羅尼印印之者。無相總持印之。以無相印印行者胸衿。世間持印即能遊江越塞處處無礙。欲明行者柄此無相之解理。能越煩惱之江河。遊生死之關塞。則無留礙也。至不退轉。此理至竟不復退轉。成就六度者。能令行者　度備足。善分別義者。能令行者分別萬法之義。順菩提法者。此理則與菩提相應。眾經之上者。正由此法深妙最上故令行者成就六度分別諸義也。入大慈悲者。能令行者入大慈悲行也。離眾魔事及諸邪見者。能令行者改惡從善背邪歸正也。行人解無性與因緣相順。無我無眾生無壽命者。能令行人得假名空。空無相無作無起者。得實法空也。能令眾生坐於道場而轉法輪者。明能令行者修因得果成佛說法也。諸天龍神所共歎譽者。行人成佛諸天恭敬歎譽也。能令眾生入佛法藏者。能令行者入佛果功德之法藏也。第三意。攝眾賢聖已下訖十方諸佛所說。明三業通說。攝諸賢聖一切智慧者。總論三乘賢聖。說眾菩薩所行之道已下。雖明三乘說於菩薩所行之此道一句。明三中獨大自行外化。依於諸法實相之義者。自行之體觀達諸法體空實相也。明宣無常苦空無我寂滅者。出於實相體。能救一切毀禁眾生已下。明於外化。能救一切毀禁眾生者。能善方便濟度犯戒眾生也。諸魔外道及貪著者能使怖畏。魔本繫屬生死樂於五欲。外道執著己道計有神我。凡夫貪著財物謂為實有。既聞說空故生怖也。諸佛賢聖所共歎譽者。既修自行外化則為賢聖所歎。背生死苦得涅槃者。此明二乘之行。厭背生死求涅槃之樂。十方三世諸佛所說者。非直藥王所談。乃是過去未來現在諸佛皆同說也。第四意。若聞如是等經已下。舉聞思惠出法供養人。

Second, from "The Buddha said, 'Good son, the Dharma offering is the profound sūtras spoken by all Buddhas'" onward directly clarifies the substance of the Dharma offering. Within this, it is divided into two subsections. First, from "the profound sūtras spoken by all Buddhas" down to "because of protecting the Dharma, this is called the offering of Dharma" clarifies the Dharma offering by people of the two wisdoms of hearing and reflection. Second, from "There are those who, regarding all dharmas, practice according to what is taught" onward clarifies the superior Dharma offering by the person of the wisdom of cultivation. Within the first, concerning the two wisdoms of hearing and reflection, it is again divided into four senses. First sense: from "the profound sūtras spoken by all Buddhas" down to "gathered by the bodhisattva dharma-piṭaka" praises the profundity of the sūtra's principle. "The profound sūtras spoken by all Buddhas": because the sūtra's principle is abstruse, it is called "profound." "Difficult for all the world to believe and accept": because this principle is profound and far-reaching, ordinary persons cannot settle their minds in it, hence called "difficult to believe and accept." "Subtle, wondrous, and difficult to see": the substance transcending the crude is called "subtle"; the ultimate within the subtle is called "wondrous"; only Buddhas can know it, and non-sages cannot comprehend it, hence called "difficult to see." "Pure and undefiled": the substance having no dust or burden is called "pure"; that it cannot be stained is called "undefiled." "Not to be attained merely by discriminating thought": "merely" is a term for the solitary; it cannot be known directly by wisdom's discrimination alone, but requires the mutual assistance of merits and all practices to attain this principle. "Gathered by the bodhisattva dharma-piṭaka": because this sūtra clarifies the Mahāyāna principle, it is gathered by the bodhisattva dharma-piṭaka. Second sense: from "sealed by the dhāraṇī seal" down to "able to cause sentient beings to enter the Buddha's Dharma treasury" clarifies the sūtra coming to benefit people, so that people obtain the sūtra for use. "Sealed by the dhāraṇī seal": the signless dhāraṇī seals it; using the signless seal, it seals the practitioner's bosom. In the mundane world, holding a pass-seal allows one to travel across rivers and through border passes, everywhere without obstacle; this shows that the practitioner, grasping this understanding of the signless principle, is able to cross the rivers of defilements and travel the passes of birth and death without hindrance. "Reaching non-retrogression": this principle, in the end, never retrogresses. "Accomplishing the six perfections": it can cause the practitioner's six perfections to be complete. "Skilled in distinguishing meanings": it can cause the practitioner to distinguish the meanings of the myriad dharmas. "In accord with the dharmas of bodhi": this principle corresponds with bodhi. "Above all sūtras": precisely because this Dharma is profound, wondrous, and supreme, it causes the practitioner to accomplish the six perfections and distinguish all meanings. "Entering great loving-kindness and compassion": it can cause the practitioner to enter the practice of great loving-kindness and compassion. "Leaving behind the deeds of māras and all wrong views": it can cause the practitioner to change from evil to good, and turn away from error to correctness. The practitioner understands that non-nature is in accord with causes and conditions. "Without self, without sentient beings, without life": it causes the practitioner to attain the emptiness of nominal designation. "Empty, signless, wishless, unarisen": one attains the emptiness of actual dharmas. "Able to cause sentient beings to sit at the place of awakening and turn the wheel of Dharma": this clarifies that it causes the practitioner to cultivate the cause, attain the fruit, become a Buddha, and preach the Dharma. "Praised together by all gods, nāgas, and spirits": when the practitioner becomes a Buddha, all gods revere and praise him. "Able to cause sentient beings to enter the Buddha's Dharma treasury": it causes the practitioner to enter the Dharma treasury of the Buddha-fruit's merits. Third sense: from "Gathering all worthy ones and sages" down to "spoken by all Buddhas of the ten directions" clarifies that the three actions are expounded in common. "Gathering all the wisdom of worthy ones and sages" generally discusses the worthy ones and sages of the three vehicles. From "expounding the path traveled by all bodhisattvas" onward: although it clarifies the three vehicles, this one phrase "expounding the path traveled by bodhisattvas" clarifies that among the three, it alone is great, with self-cultivation and outward conversion. "Relying on the meaning of the true reality of all dharmas": the substance of self-cultivation contemplates and penetrates the true reality of the essential emptiness of all dharmas. "Clearly proclaiming impermanence, suffering, emptiness, non-self, and quiescence": this brings out the substance of true reality. From "able to rescue all sentient beings who break the precepts" onward clarifies outward conversion. "Able to rescue all sentient beings who break the precepts": being skilled in expedient means to deliver precept-breaking sentient beings. "Able to cause all māras, non-Buddhists, and those who cling to greed to be terrified": māras originally belong to birth and death and delight in the five desires; non-Buddhists cling to their own paths and imagine a spiritual self; ordinary persons cling greedily to material things and take them as truly existent. Hearing emptiness expounded, they generate terror. "Praised together by all Buddhas, worthy ones, and sages": having cultivated self-cultivation and outward conversion, one is praised by worthy ones and sages. "Turning away from the suffering of birth and death to attain nirvāṇa": this clarifies the practice of the two vehicles, being weary of and turning away from birth and death to seek the bliss of nirvāṇa. "Spoken by all Buddhas of the ten directions and three times": this is not spoken by Medicine King alone; rather, past, future, and present Buddhas all speak it together. Fourth sense: from "If one hears such sūtras as this" onward takes up the wisdoms of hearing and reflection to present the person of the Dharma offering.