維摩經義記卷第四 4.26

4.26

Within this chapter, it is divided into nine major sections. First, from the opening, "Where shall they eat?", it explains Śāriputra's giving rise to the thought, which serves as the starting point for fetching the food. Second, from "Vimalakīrti, knowing his thought" downward to "I shall cause you to obtain food such as you have never had before," it explains Vimalakīrti's teasing of Śāriputra, [saying that] as a body born of binding karma he cannot be without dependence, and forthwith implicitly promising what he needed. Third, from "Vimalakīrti thereupon entered into samādhi" up to "all this great assembly could see it with their own eyes," it explains that, wishing to fetch the food, he first manifested the world above, showing the beginning of fetching the food so as to make the assembly at this time give rise to an eager mind of anticipation. Fourth, from "Then Vimalakīrti asked the bodhisattvas, 'Who is able to fetch that Buddha's food?'" downward to "and like the fragrance of the trees in the land of Sarvagandhasugandhā," it directly explains Vimalakīrti's fetching the food and extensively demonstrating its benefits in this sahā [world]. Fifth, from "At that time Vimalakīrti asked the bodhisattvas of Sarvagandhasugandhā, 'How does the Tathāgata Fragrance Accumulation preach the Dharma?'" downward to "therefore it is only through all manner of bitter and severe words that they can be made to enter the discipline," it explains the mutual benefit between the two lands. Sixth, from "When those bodhisattvas heard this, they all said, 'It is unprecedented!'" up to "born in this Buddha land with immeasurable great compassion," it explains those bodhisattvas praising Śākyamuni Tathāgata and extolling the bodhisattvas of this realm. Seventh, from "Vimalakīrti said, 'The bodhisattvas of this land have firm great compassion for all sentient beings'" downward to "constantly using the four means of embracing to mature sentient beings; these are the ten," it explains Vimalakīrti confirming and completing what they had extolled. Eighth, from "'How many dharmas do those bodhisattvas accomplish'" downward to "'constantly seeking all merits with a single mind; these are the eight,'" it explains the bodhisattvas of Fragrance Accumulation requesting the pure and equal practices on behalf of this stream of small practitioners. Ninth, from "Vimalakīrti and Mañjuśrī in the great assembly" downward, it explains the benefit of preaching the Dharma, which was the generation of the mind [of bodhi].