維摩經疏卷第三．第六 3.61

3.61

The four sections of text are as before. The third section first raises the question and then explains it. The explanation is divided into two parts: first, setting forth the past incident of being reprimanded; second, from "At that time Vimalakīrti..." onward, clarifying the manner of the reprimand and instruction. In the first part, "I recall that formerly..." down to "Rāhula, you are the Buddha's son; renouncing the rank of a wheel-turning king to go forth to practice the Path, what benefit is there?": this is the first part, raising the past reprimand. First comes the question, followed by the answer. "The sons of the elders of the city of Vaiśālī and others" specifies the questioners. "Came to where I was" clarifies that they requested an upāya. "Asked me..." gives the words of the question. "You are the Buddha's son": his lineage was supreme; "having renounced the royal throne": what he renounced was extremely weighty. Had the Buddha not gone forth, he would have been a gold-wheel-turning king, ruling over the four continents; had Rāhula remained at home, he would have been an iron-wheel-turning king, ruling over one continent. The sons of the elders saw that he had renounced a weighty position, so what he sought must be great. "Abandoning the white [robes of the laity] to follow the black [robes of the monastic]" is called "going forth"; settling one's mind to aspire to the Dharma is called "the Path." "In such renunciation, what benefit is there?" asks what was attained. "I then explained to them the benefit of the merits of renunciation": this is the second part, answering their question. Practicing the aids to the Path as a cause is called "merit"; the fruit of nirvāṇa is the "great benefit." Or alternatively, good is merit, and joy is called benefit. Moreover, the Sūtra on the Merit of Renunciation says: "If one permits sons, daughters, male and female slaves to go forth, the merit and benefit are inconceivable and supreme. Even if one were to build a jeweled stūpa reaching up to the Brahmā heaven... For example, if someone were to kill all the sentient beings of a three-thousandfold world or gouge out their eyes, their sin would be boundless; if one were able to save them, the merit would likewise be boundless. Yet if one allows others to go forth or can go forth oneself, the merit exceeds that." He must have spoken of such benefits. Furthermore, the Sūtra on the Discrimination of Merit says: "If one goes forth for a single day and night, it eliminates the grave sins of birth and death for sixty kalpas." Extensively citing various sūtras in this manner, he praised and spoke of the inconceivable benefits of the merits of renunciation. This is called explaining according to the Dharma the benefits of the merits of renunciation.