維摩經疏卷第三．第六 3.5

3.5

第三釋文義者。文別有三。初明維摩寢疾之意以為起問由致。二佛知下正命問疾。三如是五百已下總結類顯前中。爾時維摩詰自念寢疾于床者。爾時者生念時也。長者維摩詰起念人也。自念寢疾于床者正興念心。然此念意念待聖問非念為病。良以維摩悲物情深待問若渴。故興此念。維摩現病專精為物。心雖為物得佛影響化事方成。故念自已寢疾于床。于者於也。世尊大慈寧不垂愍者。佛具眾德為世欽承。故曰世尊。慈中之極餘莫能加。稱理而成豈非大也。寧者能也。慜者憐也。維摩自云。我之小子悲心尚劣猶為物纏痾。況佛高人能不垂憐而遣問也。佛知其意即告已下第二正命問疾。以其時會得蓋在今故令往問而不可止。然下文中據其正使理歸文殊而命餘者略有三意。一為彰如來心等不偏所以通告。與涅槃中並告大眾令問相似。第二為欲廣寄眾言顯維摩德尊故須通告。命不堪彰其德尊告命堪者顯其德妙。第三為欲廣寄眾言以顯維摩所說之法故須通告。故下文中先告不堪彰昔所說後告堪者明今所說。是以通告就弟子之中人別有十。先命舍利弗者。以其為使不易非通人之不可身子神惠超絕故先命也。智度論云。王舍城內有大論師名摩陀羅王。以聰明封賞一邑。其生一女。眼似舍利鳥。即以為名。亦名鶖鷺子。因鶖鷺鳥以彰其號。時南天竺國有大論師。名優婆提舍。頭戴火盆謂物愚闇銅葉葉腹恐詩書溢出。即打論鼓。國人皆集欲定優劣。摩陀羅路見鬪牛知彼勝我。於是入眾論難便墮負處。群臣共議奪其封邑以賞提舍。摩陀羅語提舍言。王以汝聰明封賞一邑。我以女為妻。後時女有娠忽然夜夢。夢見一人。身被甲冑手執金剛杵摧破一切山。然後在一山邊立。寤已即向夫說。其夫解曰。汝當有娠。所懷必男。身破甲冑者。此兒必有厚德。手執金剛杵者。此兒聰明有大智惠。摧破一切山者。此當作大論師破一切論義師也。然後在一山邊立者。當伏應一人以為弟子。其母從有娠來神智非常。昔與兄論義兄恒得勝。自妹有娠兄便論屈。即知兒智勳母聰叡。年始七歲十六大國中論義第一。從佛出家。弟子之中智惠第一。故餘經論中讚嘆舍利弗。唯除佛如來一切眾生類智慧及多聞欲比舍利弗於十六分中不能及一。即先告之。何故先告。以其惠勝為是先告。問曰。前說聲德劣故佛先告。舍利既是弟子中勝。何故先告。解云。舍利惠行雖上餘行劣他。故得先告。若如此者。餘之九人德有優劣。亦應先告。如此論量理即不通。但是大聖導引多方應告即告。何有先後。文中有四。一命問疾。二辭不堪。三釋所以。四結不堪。下文例爾。初命可知。第二辭不堪者。皆舉往昔屈辱之事彰已不堪。非謂此念以有斯恥也。然佛是大人發言如印而不可違。何故致辭者但為佛使。必須達人。憶昔被呵默不能報。今懼此失。恐有辱尊之醜。故下諸人皆致辭也。

Third, regarding the explanation of the text and its meaning: The text has three divisions: first, explaining Vimalakīrti's intention in lying ill to serve as the cause for initiating the inquiry; second, from "The Buddha knew" onward, directly commanding the inquiry about the illness; third, from "In this way, the five hundred" onward, the general conclusion and classification revealing what preceded. In the first part: "At that time, Vimalakīrti thought to himself as he lay ill in bed": "At that time" is the time when the thought arose. "Elder Vimalakīrti" is the person who gave rise to the thought. "Thought to himself as he lay ill in bed" is precisely the mind generating the thought. However, the intention of this thought was expecting the holy inquiry, not thinking about the sickness. Because Vimalakīrti's compassion for beings was deep, he awaited the inquiry as if thirsty; therefore, he gave rise to this thought. Vimalakīrti manifested illness purely for the sake of beings. Although his mind was for beings, only by receiving the Buddha's response could the work of transformation be accomplished; hence, he thought of himself lying ill in bed. "Yu" (于) means "in" (於). "The Bhagavat is of great compassion; how could he not extend his pity?": The Buddha is endowed with all virtues and revered by the world; hence he is called the "Bhagavat." His compassion is the utmost of all compassion, with nothing able to surpass it; accomplished in accordance with reality, how could it not be great? "Ning" (寧) means "could" (能). "Min" (愍) means "pity" (憐). Vimalakīrti said to himself: "I, a minor person whose compassionate mind is still inferior, am nevertheless entangled in illness for the sake of beings; how much less could the Buddha, a exalted person, not extend his pity and send inquiries?" From "The Buddha knew his intention and then told" onward is the second part, directly commanding the inquiry about the illness. Because the proper timing was precisely now, he ordered them to go and inquire, which could not be stopped. However, in the text below, regarding the primary emissary, the principle rightfully belongs to Mañjuśrī; yet there are three brief intentions in commanding the others: First, to demonstrate that the Tathāgata's mind is impartial and unbiased, he makes an announcement to all; this is similar to the announcement made to the entire assembly in the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] ordering them to inquire. Second, wishing to broadly rely on the words of the assembly to reveal the exalted virtue of Vimalakīrti, an announcement to all is necessary: commanding those incapable demonstrates the exaltedness of his virtue, and commanding those capable demonstrates the wondrousness of his virtue. Third, wishing to broadly rely on the words of the assembly to reveal the Dharma spoken by Vimalakīrti, an announcement to all is necessary. Therefore, in the text below, he first announces to those incapable to reveal what was spoken in the past, and afterward announces to those capable to clarify what is spoken now. Hence the announcement to all. Among the disciples, there are ten distinct persons. He commands Śāriputra first because being an emissary is not easy, and without a person of comprehensive ability, it is impossible; Śāriputra's spiritual wisdom was supreme, so he was commanded first. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: In Rājagṛha, there was a great master of debate named King Māṭhara. Because of his intelligence, he was enfeoffed with a town. He fathered a daughter whose eyes were like those of a śāri bird; she was named accordingly. She was also named Śāriputra (Śāri's son); the name was manifested after the śāri bird. At that time, in South India, there was a great master of debate named Upatiṣya. He wore a brazier on his head, regarding beings as ignorant and dark, and bound copper plates to his belly, fearing that scriptures and treatises would burst forth. He struck the debate drum, and the people of the country all gathered, wishing to determine who was superior. On the road, Māṭhara saw fighting bulls and knew the other would defeat him. Thereupon, entering the assembly to debate, he fell into defeat. The ministers deliberated together to strip him of his fief to reward Tiṣya. Māṭhara said to Tiṣya: "The king enfeoffed you with a town because of your intelligence; I give you my daughter as your wife." Afterward, the daughter became pregnant and suddenly had a dream at night. She dreamt of a person clad in armor, holding a vajra-pestle in hand, breaking down all mountains, and then standing beside a mountain. After awakening, she immediately spoke to her husband. Her husband interpreted: "You are pregnant, and you will certainly bear a son. Being clad in armor means this child will certainly have profound virtue. Holding a vajra-pestle in hand means this child is intelligent and possesses great wisdom. Breaking down all mountains means he will become a great master of debate and refute all debate masters. Standing beside a mountain afterward means he will submit to one person and become his disciple." From the time his mother became pregnant, her spiritual intelligence was extraordinary. Formerly, when debating with her brother, the brother always won; after his sister became pregnant, the brother was defeated in debate. He knew that the child's wisdom assisted his mother's intellect. When only seven years old, he was foremost in debate among the sixteen great kingdoms. He went forth under the Buddha and became foremost in wisdom among the disciples. Therefore, in other sūtras and treatises, Śāriputra is praised: "Except for the Buddha, the Tathāgata, if one wished to compare the wisdom and erudition of all sentient beings to Śāriputra, they could not equal one sixteenth part." Thus he was addressed first. Why was he addressed first? Because his wisdom was superior, he was addressed first. Question: Earlier it was said that because the śrāvakas' virtues are inferior, the Buddha addresses them first. Since Śāriputra is superior among the disciples, why address him first? Answer: Although Śāriputra's practice of wisdom was superior, his other practices were inferior to others'; thus he could be addressed first. If so, the other nine persons also had superior and inferior virtues, so they too should have been addressed first. Such reasoning does not hold. It is simply that the Great Sage guides in manifold ways: whenever one should be addressed, he is addressed; how could there be a rigid order? Within the text, there are four points: first, commanding the inquiry about the illness; second, declining as incapable; third, explaining the reason; fourth, concluding the incapacity. The following texts follow this pattern. The first, the command, is self-evident. Second, declining as incapable: all cite past humiliations to demonstrate their own incapacity, not that they experienced such shame only in this thought. However, the Buddha is a great man whose words are like an indelible seal and cannot be disobeyed. Why then did they decline? Simply because to be the Buddha's emissary, one must be a thoroughly realized person. Remembering being admonished in the past and rendered silent and unable to respond, now fearing this failure, they feared the disgrace of dishonoring the Venerable One. Therefore, all the persons below decline.