維摩經疏卷第三．第六 3.5

3.5

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.