維摩經疏 1.4

1.4

From here below is the second part, praising them individually according to their stages; that is, praising the virtues from the prathamabhūmi up to the daśabhūmi. Why is this necessary? Because when a bodhisattva dwells in a single bhūmi, he universally subsumes all the virtues of all the bhūmis; therefore, they are praised by traversing the various stages. 'Dāna' refers to the virtue of the prathamabhūmi. 'Śīla' refers to the virtue of the second bhūmi. 'Kṣānti' refers to the virtue of the third bhūmi. 'Vīrya' refers to the virtue of the fourth bhūmi. 'Dhyāna' refers to the virtue of the fifth bhūmi. 'Prajñā' refers to the virtue of the sixth bhūmi. The meaning of the six pāramitās is extensively explained in a separate chapter and should be fully discussed there; now their names are briefly explained. 'Dāna' (giving) means taking one's own wealth and goods and distributing them to others; this is called 'bu' (distribution). Relinquishing one's own to bestow on others is called 'shi' (bestowal). As for 'śīla', the foreign word is śīla; the correct translation here is called 'coolness'. The flaming faults of the three karmas burn the practitioner; human affairs and so forth are like heat. Śīla can prevent and extinguish them, hence it is called [coolness]. This cool practice has the meaning of being able to prevent, halt, forbid, and restrain; thus it is also called 'precepts' (jie). Firmly guarding them is called 'maintaining' (chi). As for 'kṣānti' (patience), others inflicting harm is called 'affront' (ru); being able to remain at peace with it is spoken of as 'patience' (ren). As for 'vīrya' (vigor), refining the mind in the Dharma is called 'refined' (jing); striving with a refined mind to attain realization is spoken of as 'advancement' (jin). As for 'dhyāna', 'channa' is the foreign word; here it is translated as 'cultivation of contemplation'. Practicing the quiescent dharmas of the higher realms and thoroughly contemplating until success is achieved is called 'cultivation of contemplation'. It is also called 'thicket of virtues'. This is named after what it produces: it can produce many virtues, hence it is called 'thicket of virtues'. As for 'prajñā' (wisdom), illuminating and seeing is called 'knowledge' (zhi); contemplating and comprehending is termed 'wisdom' (hui). These six are called 'pāramitās' in the sūtras, which is a foreign word; here it is translated as 'crossing over' (du), and also translated as 'reaching the other shore' (dao bi'an). Regarding 'crossing over', the Bodhisattvabhūmi-sūtra explains that it has three meanings: first, crossing over in time, for these six practices, from the gotra-bhūmi onward, cross over three asaṃkhyeyas before they first reach full completion; second, crossing over to the fruition, for these six are able to attain the fruition of great bodhi; third, crossing over of self-nature purity, for these six can break and abandon sentimental signs and arrive at the true limit of dharmas (bhūtakoṭi). Possessing these three meanings, it is therefore called 'crossing over'. Regarding 'reaching the shore', as Nāgārjuna says, the explanation has three meanings: first, being able to abandon this shore of saṃsāra and reach the other shore of unsurpassed nirvāṇa, which is the same as the previous 'crossing over to the fruition'; second, being able to abandon this shore of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa having signs, and reach the other shore of equality and signlessness, which is similar to the previous meaning of 'crossing over of self-nature'; third, being able to abandon this shore of the six flaws and reach the other shore of the culmination of the six pāramitās—this is called 'reaching the other shore'. Because one practices from the cause to the fruition, the initial practice is named as 'being able to reach'. Possessing these three meanings, it is called 'reaching the other shore'. These six are concurrent, but according to stages, dāna is provisionally assigned to the prathamabhūmi, and so forth, up to when it is in the sixth bhūmi, as the Daśabhūmika-sūtra says. 'And the power of upāya is completely fulfilled' is the virtue of the seventh bhūmi; in the seventh bhūmi, cultivating the ten kinds of wisdom in skillful means and giving rise to superior practices is called 'the power of upāya is completely fulfilled'. 'Attaining non-apprehension (anupalambha) and the tolerance of non-arising dharmas (anutpattikadharmakṣānti)' is the virtue of the aṣṭamabhūmi. 'Attaining' (dai) means reaching, and also means arriving at. 'Non-apprehension' means that within the principle of non-arising, there is no purity to be apprehended; these bodhisattvas break through sentimental signs and arrive at the state of non-apprehension, therefore it is called 'attaining non-apprehension'. 'The tolerance of non-arising dharmas' is just the anutpattikadharmakṣānti in the sūtras. Due to attaining non-apprehension, one consequently accomplishes the tolerance of non-arising dharmas, because one does not see any pure dharma that can arise. 'Already able to accord with' and so forth is the virtue of the navamabhūmi. 'Already able to accord with turning the avaivartikacakra' is the accomplishment of preaching within the navamabhūmi. That is, being able to turn the wonderful dharmacakra in accordance with sentient beings; when one's text is capable of transforming and benefiting, it is called 'already able'. Transforming in accordance with the capacities of beings is called 'according with'. Preaching and conferring is called 'turning'. As for the 'avaivartikacakra', in the sūtras it is sometimes said that the three karmas are the wheel, or it is proclaimed that the Buddha's teachings are the wheel. Now, what is discussed here designates the Dharma as the wheel. Like the wheel-jewel of that cakravartin king, which can crush the obstinate and turn lower sentient beings upward into the sky, the Buddha-Dharma is likewise able to crush the evil and unwholesome dharmas of sentient beings and turn lower sentient beings upward into the Buddha-path; hence it is called 'turning'. Once attained, it abides forever, hence it says 'non-retrograde'. 'Skillfully understanding the characteristics of dharmas' is the accomplishment of wisdom in the navamabhūmi. 'Knowing the faculties of sentient beings' is the accomplishment of engaging in practice in the navamabhūmi.