維摩經疏 1.27

1.27

From here below, the third clarifies Vimalakīrti […] seats.

Question: Why did Vimalakīrti not directly fetch the seats for them, but first had to teach and rebuke?
Answer: Dīpaṅkararāja's […] acintya realm of all buddhas. If he did not first rebuke the mind with attainment, causing them to discard […], and cause their practice of good to establish the causal basis of their own portion for Dīpaṅkararāja's thrones […], for this reason he first had to teach and rebuke.

Within fetching the seats, the text is divided into five parts:
First, Vimalakīrti asks Mañjuśrī about the location of the seats.
Second, from Mañjuśrī's saying "In the east" onward, pointing out the location of the seats.
Third, from "Thereupon the elder manifested supernormal power" onward, clarifying fetching the high thrones to enter his small room.
Fourth, from "The bodhisattvas and great disciples" onward, clarifying the great assembly's astonishment.
Fifth, from "At that time Vimalakīrti [said to] Mañjuśrī" onward, commanding the assembly to sit.
The text's marks are easy to see; no laborious detailed explanation is needed.

Question: Vimalakīrti sufficiently knew the wondrous thrones of the ten directions; why did he not fetch them directly, [but asked] Mañjuśrī?
Answer: He wished to clarify the true acintya virtue lodged therein [… lest people] consider that Vimalakīrti magically created them from nearby. Now he asks Mañjuśrī; Mañjuśrī truly […] that the high thrones are extremely distant and can be fetched and brought, so that one knows Vimalakīrti […] because hearing the exposition they obtain benefits.

Within the fifth, commanding the assembly to sit, […] from [Śā]riputra onward, next commanding the śrāvakas. Within commanding the śrāvakas: [first, commanding] Śāriputra; [second, Śāri]putra cannot sit; third, teaching him to pay homage to the Buddha; fourth, clarifying his paying homage […]

[Question:] Śāriputra is a venerable arhat endowed with supernormal powers; why could he not sit […]?
[Answer: If it were] sitting in a worldly matter, Śāriputra would not only be able to sit; truly, because these thrones are accomplished through the power of the vows of Dīpaṅkararāja Tathāgata, and are not within the sphere of the supernormal powers of the small vehicle, he could not sit. Only by paying homage to [the Buddha and relying on the] Buddha's supernormal power could he begin to sit.

The above, Vimalakīrti's […] on account of Śāriputra thinking of seats, concludes.

From here below, the second, on account of Śāriputra praising him, Vimalakīrti verbally proclaims acintya matters […] analyzed and explained in the commentary.

Someone raises an objection, saying: "A mustard seed containing Mount Sumeru is already an acintya [matter …] a mustard seed is also acintya, is it not?"
Answering, it says: "Mount Sumeru containing a mustard seed is not [acintya …] saying that a mustard seed contains Mount Sumeru can be acintya. Mount Sumeru containing […] Also, one may shorten a kalpa into seven days, which can be acintya […]."
Answer: Different dharmas distinguish hosting and containing: containing the great with the small is not […]; identical dharmas distinguish extending and shortening, therefore shortening the long and extending […]. As for differentiating and pairing them: like a mustard seed containing Mount Sumeru […].