[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [維摩經疏卷第三．第六](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2772) › 6.67 # 維摩經疏卷第三．第六 6.67 維摩經疏卷第三．第六 6.67 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [6.67](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2772.6.67) 第三校量顯勝之中。文別有四。一廣舉供佛之事。二返問天帝此人供養稱寧多不。三天帝正答甚多無量。四取所益約對持經明福不及。前中文分為兩。一明現前供養。二明不現前供養。前中有三。初先法說明多。二譬如苷蔗下就喻以顯。三正興供養男子女人舉供養人。或一劫等明供時節。下辯供相。恭敬尊重意業供養。讚嘆口業。奉諸所安身業供養也。第二明不現前供中。至佛滅後明供時也。言一一全身舍利辯事也。舍利梵音。此云名身。諸佛或有全身舍利。身形如本。或復為其分身舍利。如似阿難般涅槃時分身四分如是等也。或復為其碎身舍利。如此釋迦般涅槃時焚燒身骨碎如芥子。全身舍利供之最勝故偏舉之。若一劫明供久近。上來第一舉供佛事竟。自下第二返問天帝。其人殖福寧為多不。第三天帝以理正答。第四佛取所益約對持經明福不及。於中先明聞是經典信解受持讀誦修行福多前供。所以者何下釋。先徵後解。諸佛菩提皆從是生者。明佛真德由經而起。菩提之相不可限量。以是因緣福不可量。約佛真德顯經殊勝明福多。非彼財供之所能及也。 > In the third \[major division\], demonstrating superiority by comparison, the text distinctly has four parts: first, extensively citing the matter of making offerings to the Buddha; second, asking the Heavenly Emperor in return whether this person's offerings can be called many or not; third, the Heavenly Emperor directly answering that they are extremely many and measureless; fourth, taking the benefits obtained and contrasting them with upholding the sūtra to show that the \[former\] merit does not measure up. The first part is divided into two: first, explaining offerings made in person; second, explaining offerings made when not in person. In the first there are three points: first, presenting the Dharma explanation to show their multitude; second, from "Just like sugar cane" onward, illustrating by means of metaphors; third, "men or women directly initiating offerings" brings forth the persons making the offerings. "For a kalpa or..." clarifies the duration of the offering. Below, the marks of offering are distinguished: revering and honoring are offerings of mental action; praising is of vocal action; presenting all that brings comfort is an offering of bodily action. In the second part, explaining offerings made when not in person, "down to after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa" clarifies the time of offering. The phrase "each complete-body śarīra" distinguishes the objects. Śarīra is a Sanskrit sound, translated here as "body of marks" (or relic). For all Buddhas there may be complete-body śarīras, whose bodily form is as it originally was; or there may be divided-body śarīras, as when Ānanda entered parinirvāṇa his body was divided into four portions, and so forth; or there may be broken-body śarīras, as when Śākyamuni entered parinirvāṇa his bodily bones were cremated and broken like mustard seeds. Because making offerings to a complete-body śarīra is the most supreme, it is cited specifically. "Or for a kalpa" clarifies the duration of the offering. The above concludes the first part, presenting the matter of making offerings to the Buddha. From here on, the second part asks the Heavenly Emperor in return whether that person's planting of merit is much or not. Third, the Heavenly Emperor directly answers according to reason. Fourth, the Buddha takes the benefits obtained and contrasts them with upholding the sūtra to show that the \[former\] merit does not measure up. Therein, he first clarifies that hearing this scripture, believing, understanding, receiving, upholding, reading, reciting, and practicing it yields more merit than the former offerings. The explanation follows from "Why is this?", first raising the question and then explaining: "The bodhi of all Buddhas is entirely born from this" clarifies that the true virtues of a Buddha arise from the sūtra; the marks of bodhi cannot be measured, and for this reason the merit is immeasurable. By relying on the true virtues of a Buddha to show the supremacy of the sūtra, he explains that the merit is vast, and cannot be equaled by those material offerings. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 6.66](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2772.6.66) - [Next: 6.68](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2772.6.68) - [Up: 6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2772.6) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2772~en-mt.6.67) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (2) - [維摩義記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1776.4.84) — Classical Chinese - [維摩詰所說經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.vimalakirtinirdesa*zh-kumarajiva.3.85) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2772.6.67](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2772.6.67) · Pramāṇa