維摩經疏 1.13

1.13

文中先明慰喻。就慰喻中初問次答後結。爾時文殊師利問維摩詰言。菩薩云何慰喻有病菩薩者問也。菩薩維摩詰等諸大菩薩。云何慰喻有疾菩薩。此有菩薩者即是十住中實病菩薩。明維摩大悲既為現病。云何說法安慰其心合其修行證理除病。問曰。維摩現病通為教化凡夫小乘。云何此中唯問菩薩。答曰。現云意通為凡夫。然今維摩意欲令人宗趣大乘故。是以今時就勝處說。上來文殊問訖。自下維摩答。答中說菩薩行安慰其心。菩薩行者廣即無邊。要唯有二。一者自利。二者利他。論其自利即自療病。語其利他即療他病。為說此法合成有漏聞勳習斷。塞四惡道生引善道生。趣入無漏究竟除病。論意如此。文中三對明自利利他。初有六問。約就觀解以明自利利他。次有兩句。約就善心以明自利利他。後有三句。約就行修以明自利利他。就前第一觀解之中。初有五句。明其自利。末後一句顯其利他。前五句中初四句教觀煩惱明異聲聞。第五句教其觀業明異凡夫。前四句中初之三句教生空觀。後之一句教法空觀。前生空觀中教其破有為四倒并亦遮防無為四倒。文中但舉三觀。不淨事觀故略不說也。維摩詰言說身無常不說厭離於身者。無常觀也。說身無常者破其常倒。不說厭離於身者教異聲聞聲聞之人雖知無常而厭而離身。今教菩薩知身無常不須厭離。即是遮其無為倒也。餘句例然。說身有苦不說樂於涅槃者。明苦觀也。說身有苦者。破其樂倒也。不說樂於涅槃者。異聲聞也。聲聞之人見身有苦遂求涅槃不能外化故教異之。說身無我而說教導眾生者。無我觀也。說身無我者。破其我倒。而說教道眾生。異聲聞。聲聞之人知無我故捨化眾生故教異之。上來三句教生空觀訖。說身空寂不說畢竟寂滅者。此之一句教法空觀。說身空寂正明理無陰體非有故身空寂。不說畢竟寂滅者還異聲聞。聲聞之人身入涅槃謂為永滅。今教菩薩雖得涅槃不永滅度常隨三有教化眾生。上來四句觀煩惱訖。自下一句教其觀業。明異凡夫。說悔先罪而不說入於過去罪者摧也。摧滅善法故名為罪。已作之愆稱曰先罪。追改不為故言說誨。而說入於過去者明異凡夫。凡夫之人雖亦懺悔見有罪體落謝過去。今教異彼。故言不說入於過去。上來自利。自下一句明其利他。以已之疾愍於彼疾者。明利他也。總名第一約就觀解明慰喻訖。自下第二約就善心以明慰喻。文有兩句。初明自利。後明利他。當識宿世無數劫苦明自利也。當念饒益一切眾生明利他。自下第三約就行修以明慰喻。文中三句。前二自利。後一利他。前二自利者。憶所修福念於淨命即是以作之善。教其念將迴向勿生憂惱。常起精進者即是未作之善。教其忍苦更修。自下一句教其利他。當作醫王療治眾病者。明利他也。義在可解。上來三對自利利他合名第二維摩答訖。自下第三結勸修學。菩薩應如是慰喻有疾菩薩令其歡喜菩薩者。維摩詰等諸大菩薩應當如是依前所說慰喻彼實病諸小菩薩使稱其心故令歡喜。上來慰喻訖。即是教彼十信位中實病菩薩為其說法令成有漏聞薰習教學生法兩空觀厭伏人法二我執令其心喜故名慰喻。

In the text, consoling is explained first. Within the consoling, first there is the question, next the answer, and afterwards the conclusion. "Then Mañjuśrī asked Vimalakīrti, saying, 'How should a bodhisattva console a sick bodhisattva?'" is the question. How should bodhisattvas—great bodhisattvas like Vimalakīrti—console bodhisattvas who are sick? These bodhisattvas who have [sickness] are precisely those bodhisattvas who have actual sickness among the ten abodes. It explains that since Vimalakīrti through great compassion has manifested illness for their sake, how should he explain the Dharma to comfort their minds, cause them to practice, realize the principle, and eliminate their illness? Question: Vimalakīrti's manifestation of illness was generally for the sake of transforming ordinary persons and the small vehicle. Why here does he ask only about bodhisattvas? Answer: The intention of manifesting it was generally for ordinary persons, yet now Vimalakīrti's intention is to lead people to aim toward the Great Vehicle; therefore, at this point it is spoken in terms of the superior. The preceding is the end of Mañjuśrī's question. Below is Vimalakīrti's answer. In the answer, he speaks of the bodhisattva practices to comfort their minds. As for the bodhisattva practices, in their breadth they are boundless, but in essential terms there are only two: first, self-benefit; second, benefiting others. In terms of self-benefit, it is curing one's own sickness; in terms of benefiting others, it is curing the sicknesses of others. Expounding this Dharma causes them to achieve the cessation of defiled hearing-perfuming, blocks rebirth in the four evil destinies, leads to birth in good destinies, and enters into the uncontaminated to ultimately eliminate illness. Such is the meaning of the commentary. In the text, there are three pairs explaining self-benefit and benefiting others. First, there are six questions explaining self-benefit and benefiting others in terms of contemplative understanding. Next, there are two clauses explaining self-benefit and benefiting others in terms of a wholesome mind. Afterwards, there are three clauses explaining self-benefit and benefiting others in terms of active cultivation. Within the first, contemplative understanding, there are first five clauses explaining self-benefit, and the final clause reveals benefiting others. Among the first five clauses, the first four teach contemplating afflictions to show the difference from the śrāvakas, and the fifth clause teaches contemplating karma to show the difference from ordinary persons. Among the first four clauses, the first three teach contemplation of the emptiness of persons, and the latter one teaches contemplation of the emptiness of dharmas. Within the former contemplation of the emptiness of persons, he teaches them to destroy the four inversions regarding the conditioned and also ward off the four inversions regarding the unconditioned. In the text, only three contemplations are raised; the factual contemplation of impurity is omitted and thus not spoken of. "Vimalakīrti said: 'Speak of the body's impermanence, but do not speak of revulsion and detachment from the body'" is the contemplation of impermanence. Speaking of the body's impermanence destroys their inversion of permanence. Not speaking of revulsion and detachment from the body teaches difference from the śrāvakas: although śrāvakas know impermanence, they feel revulsion and detachment from the body; now he teaches bodhisattvas that although they know the body is impermanent, they need not feel revulsion and detachment, which wards off the inversion regarding the unconditioned. The other clauses follow this example. "Speak of the body having suffering, but do not speak of delighting in nirvāṇa" explains the contemplation of suffering. Speaking of the body having suffering destroys their inversion of pleasure. Not speaking of delighting in nirvāṇa differentiates them from śrāvakas: śrāvakas, seeing that the body has suffering, then seek nirvāṇa and are unable to transform external beings; therefore he teaches them to be different from this. "Speak of the body being without self, yet speak of teaching and guiding sentient beings" is the contemplation of no-self. Speaking of the body being without self destroys their inversion of self. Speaking of teaching and guiding sentient beings differentiates them from śrāvakas: śrāvakas, because they know no-self, abandon the transformation of sentient beings; therefore he teaches them to be different from this. The preceding three clauses teaching the contemplation of the emptiness of persons are concluded. "Speak of the body as empty and tranquil, but do not speak of ultimate cessation"—this single clause teaches the contemplation of the emptiness of dharmas. Speaking of the body as empty and tranquil directly clarifies the nonexistence in principle: the substance of the aggregates is not existent, and therefore the body is empty and tranquil. Not speaking of ultimate cessation again differentiates them from the śrāvakas: śrāvakas enter nirvāṇa with their bodies and consider it to be perpetual annihilation; now he teaches bodhisattvas that although they attain nirvāṇa, they do not undergo perpetual cessation, but always follow the three realms of existence to teach and transform sentient beings. The preceding four clauses on contemplating afflictions are concluded. Below, a single clause teaches them to contemplate karma, showing difference from ordinary persons. "Speak of repenting previous transgressions, but do not speak of entering past transgressions": [transgression] is destruction; because it destroys wholesome dharmas, it is called a transgression. Misdeeds already committed are called previous transgressions. Regretting, reforming, and not committing them again is therefore called "speaking of repentance." "Yet speak of entering past [transgressions]" shows difference from ordinary persons: ordinary persons, even when they repent, see the substance of transgressions as falling away into the past; now he teaches them to be different from that, and therefore says "do not speak of entering the past." The preceding was self-benefit. Below, a single clause explains benefiting others. "Taking one's own sickness to feel pity for their sickness" explains benefiting others. This concludes the entire first part explaining consoling in terms of contemplative understanding. Below, the second part explains consoling in terms of a wholesome mind. The text has two clauses: the first explains self-benefit, and the latter explains benefiting others. "One should recognize the suffering of countless eons in past lives" explains self-benefit. "One should be mindful of benefiting all sentient beings" explains benefiting others. Below, the third part explains consoling in terms of active cultivation. In the text there are three clauses: the first two are self-benefit, and the latter one is benefiting others. As for the first two of self-benefit: "Recalling the merit cultivated and being mindful of pure livelihood" are the wholesome deeds already performed; he teaches them to dedicate them and not generate anxiety and distress. "Constantly generating vigorous effort" refers to the wholesome deeds not yet performed; he teaches them to endure suffering and cultivate further. Below, a single clause teaches them to benefit others: "One should act as a king of physicians to cure all illnesses" explains benefiting others. The meaning can be understood. The preceding three pairs of self-benefit and benefiting others are collectively called the second part, the conclusion of Vimalakīrti's answer. Below, the third part concludes with an exhortation to cultivate and train. "A bodhisattva should in this way console a sick bodhisattva, causing them to rejoice": great bodhisattvas such as Vimalakīrti should in this way, relying on what was previously spoken, console those lesser bodhisattvas who have actual sickness, matching their minds and thereby making them rejoice. Consoling above is concluded. This is precisely teaching those bodhisattvas with actual sickness in the stage of the ten faiths, expounding the Dharma for them to cause them to achieve defiled hearing-perfuming, teaching them to learn the two contemplations of the emptiness of persons and the emptiness of dharmas, suppressing the two grasps at selfhood of persons and dharmas, and causing their minds to rejoice; therefore it is called consoling.