維摩經疏卷第三．第六 3.30

3.30

下次第二以其乞者如法食故能令施受二人各獲勝益。文中有三。一明受者。離六相故行於中道。二其有施下明施人。無四別得平等福。三是為正入已下總結顯勝。前中六相者作三對說。初言非有煩惱非離煩惱。是其初對。凡夫有煩惱。二乘離煩惱。菩薩了煩惱性空。非有煩惱故不同凡夫。非離故不同二乘。故無垢稱云。非有障染非離障染也。又云。頓悟菩薩段分別二障。非有煩惱。留俱生惑助悲願力受生。非離煩惱也。或慚悟菩薩無漏行圓。非有煩惱。隨俗現起。非離煩惱也。若能如上平等食者即法身食也。故下經云。住正道者不見邪正等也。非入定意非起定意者。是第二對。諸聲聞等攝心為定。起心為散。菩薩不爾。行中道故靜亂俱融。於一切時無不定也。又云。外利他事不同二乘。非入定意心常不亂。不同凡夫。非起定意也。滿云。小乘入定即不食。食即不入定。欲食之前要先入定而起方食。食竟還入定生施主福。大士識定亂無二。終日食而終日定。故無出入異也。非住世間非住涅槃者。是第三對。凡夫住世間。二乘住涅槃。法身大士了世間空故不住世間。解涅槃空故不住涅槃。故下經云。我及涅槃此二皆空。又思益經云。諸佛如來不得生死不得涅槃。佛勝弟子得解脫者亦不得生死不得涅槃也。又云。大智成滿得涅槃。非住世間。大悲已滿常利他。故不住涅槃也。第二施者無四別。無大福無小福者。迦葉意謂施聖人得大福施凡夫得小福。福者果也。法身大士不見凡聖有異。不見由之優劣。何有福之大小。故云無大無小。無垢稱經云。無大果無小果也。不為益不為損者。理無增損。無大福故不為益。無小福故不為損也。第三是為正入佛道者。正顯嘆勝。佛道者佛所得道。謂正體後得二智。既知受者無六相。施者無四別。豈非人平等佛道也。不依聲聞者。舉劣辯勝。聲聞分別未亡故不依也。若如是食為不空食者結嘆勸修也。上教訶訖。

Next is the second part: because the beggar eats in accordance with the Dharma, they can cause both giver and receiver each to obtain superior benefits. In the text there are three points: first, it clarifies the recipient, who, because of being free of the six characteristics, walks the middle way; second, from "Whoever gives alms..." downward, it clarifies the giver, who, free of the four distinctions, attains equal merit; third, from "This is entering rightly..." downward, it concludes by revealing their superiority. As for the six characteristics in the former part, they are explained in three pairs. First, it says, "neither having defilements nor being free of defilements": this is the first pair. Ordinary beings have defilements; the two vehicles are free of defilements. Bodhisattvas realize that defilements are empty in nature: not having defilements, they are therefore not like ordinary beings; not being free [of them], they are therefore not like the two vehicles. Hence the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says: "neither having afflictive defilements nor being free of afflictive defilements." Furthermore, it is said: suddenly-awakened bodhisattvas sever the two obscurations of conceptual discrimination, hence "neither having defilements"; yet they retain innate afflictions to assist the power of their compassionate vows in taking rebirth, hence "nor being free of defilements." Alternatively, gradually-awakened bodhisattvas whose untainted practices are complete "neither have defilements"; yet following worldly conventions they manifest their arising, hence "nor are they free of defilements." If one can eat with equality in this way, that is eating the dharmakāya. Therefore the sūtra below says: "One who abides in the right path sees neither wrong nor right," and so forth. "Neither entering mental concentration nor arising from mental concentration": this is the second pair. All śrāvakas and their like collect the mind to make concentration, and arouse the mind to make distraction. Bodhisattvas are not like this: because they walk the middle way, stillness and disturbance are both merged, and at all times there is nothing that is not concentration. Furthermore, it is said: outwardly benefiting others is not like the two vehicles, hence "not entering mental concentration"; the mind being constantly undistracted is not like ordinary beings, hence "nor arising from mental concentration." [Dao]man says: when the Hīnayāna enters concentration, they do not eat; when they eat, they do not enter concentration. Before wishing to eat, they must first enter concentration, arise, and only then eat; having finished eating, they again enter concentration to generate merit for the donor. The great being recognizes that concentration and disturbance are non-dual; eating all day, they are in concentration all day, and thus there is no distinction of entering and arising. "Neither abiding in the worldly realm nor abiding in nirvāṇa": this is the third pair. Ordinary beings abide in the worldly realm; the two vehicles abide in nirvāṇa. Great beings of the dharmakāya realize that the worldly realm is empty, and therefore do not abide in the worldly realm; they understand that nirvāṇa is empty, and therefore do not abide in nirvāṇa. Thus the sūtra below says: "Self and nirvāṇa—these two are both empty." Again, the Viśeṣacinti-brahma-paripṛcchā Sūtra says: "All Buddhas and Tathāgatas attain neither saṃsāra nor nirvāṇa; the Buddha's superior disciples who have attained liberation also attain neither saṃsāra nor nirvāṇa." Furthermore, it is said: great wisdom being fulfilled, they attain nirvāṇa, hence "not abiding in the worldly realm"; great compassion being fulfilled, they constantly benefit others, hence "not abiding in nirvāṇa." Second, the giver is free of the four distinctions. "Neither great merit nor small merit": Kāśyapa's intention was that giving to a noble one yields great merit, while giving to an ordinary being yields small merit; merit is the fruit. Great beings of the dharmakāya do not see any difference between ordinary beings and noble ones; they do not see any superiority or inferiority based on them, so how could there be greatness or smallness of merit? Hence it says: "neither great nor small." The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra says: "neither a great fruit nor a small fruit." "Causing neither benefit nor harm": in principle there is neither increase nor decrease; because there is no great merit, it does not cause benefit; because there is no small merit, it does not cause harm. Third, "This is entering rightly into the Buddha path": this directly reveals and praises superiority. "The Buddha path" is the path attained by the Buddha, meaning the two wisdoms: fundamental wisdom and subsequent wisdom. Since one already knows that the recipient is free of the six characteristics and the giver is free of the four distinctions, how could this not be entering the equal Buddha path? "Not relying on the śrāvakas": this raises the inferior to distinguish the superior; because the discriminations of śrāvakas have not yet vanished, one does not rely on them. "If one eats like this, it is not eating in vain": this concludes by praising and encouraging practice. The above concludes the instruction and reprimand.