維摩經義記卷第四 4.63

4.63

From "At that time Śāriputra" onward is the second major section, revealing Vimalakīrti's place of birth. Within it, there are five sections. First, from "At that time" down to "Why do you ask, 'Where did you pass away to come and be born here?'" it explains that in principle there is no passing away or being born. Intending to reveal his place of birth, fearing that the sentiments of the assembly would posit a fixed, real place of birth, it explains that there is no passing away or being born. Another explanation: the above explained contemplating the true mark of the body; the true mark is without birth, yet now he displays being born; to establish the above meaning of self-contemplation, it explains that there is no passing away or being born. "Do the dharmas attained by you have passing away and being born?": intending to explain that based on principle there is no passing away or being born, it speaks only with respect to what Śāriputra has attained. Second, from "Śāriputra, passing away is a deceptive dharma" down to "though born, not increasing evils," it explains that according to worldly truth's continuity there is passing away and being born. If it were exclusively unborn, the Tathāgata would have no means to reveal Vimalakīrti's place of birth; therefore, in terms of the functional path of conventional names in worldly truth, there is birth, enabling the Tathāgata to reveal his place of birth. "Passing away is the mark of destruction of deceptive dharmas": this explains that passing away is the conventional truth's dharma of dispersion, deception, and destruction. "Being born is the mark of continuity of deceptive dharmas": this explains that birth is the uninterrupted continuity of provisional existence and deception. "Although the bodhisattva passes away, he does not exhaust wholesome roots; although born, he does not increase evils": this explains that the passing away into nirvāṇa of the two-vehicle practitioners exhausts wholesome roots, whereas ordinary people born into the world create manifold evils; the bodhisattva, manifesting as identical with their cessation, does not exhaust wholesome roots, and responding through birth, does not give rise to evils. Another explanation: when ordinary people's merits are exhausted, life ends; the bodhisattva displays an end and passing away, yet it is not that merit is exhausted. Third, from "At that time the Buddha told Śāriputra, 'There is a land named Abhirati'" down to "it only extinguishes the darkness of sentient beings' afflictions," it directly reveals Vimalakīrti's place of birth. If his place of birth were not revealed, there would be no way to generate the assembly's thirsty yearning, so the place of birth is revealed. From "Śāriputra said, 'Unprecedented!'" onward, it explains that Śāriputra has two intentions. First, within an impure land there is much anger, harm, hardship, and peril; not declining the profound burden of hardship and peril, yet able to abide here, is also rare. Second, he praises that renouncing the pure for the impure is truly difficult; unless one's undertaking is great, how could one do so? From "Vimalakīrti said to Śāriputra, 'What do you think?'" onward, he raises two similes to answer his two intentions and additionally establish the above meaning of "being born without increasing evil, and passing away without exhausting the wholesome." "When the light of the sun emerges, does it merge with darkness?": this answers his first intention, explaining that although born in an impure land, he is not defiled or burdened by the various impurities. From "Vimalakīrti said, 'Why does the sun move over Jambudvīpa?'" onward, it answers the second intention above, explaining that renouncing the pure for the impure is done to eliminate the afflictions of beings. "Although born in an impure buddha-land, to transform sentient beings he does not merge with foolish darkness": this corresponds to the sun's light emerging above, where there is no darkness. "Only extinguishing the darkness of sentient beings' afflictions": this corresponds above to wishing to use bright illumination to dispel darkness for them. Fourth, from "At that time the great assembly thirstily yearned to see Abhirati" down to "that world was also not cramped, remaining no different from before," it explains that the great assembly thirstily yearned to see the world of Abhirati, and therefore Vimalakīrti, receiving the Tathāgata's solemn command, brought the world of Abhirati and placed it in this land. Fifth, from "At that time Śākyamuni told the great assembly, 'Look at..." down to "after this matter was completed, it returned to its original place," it explains the exhortation to the assembly to generate bodhicitta and cultivate practice. Below, fourteen nayutas of people generate bodhicitta.