維摩經疏卷第三．第六 3.67

3.67

The four sentences below explain that the Buddha has only dharmatā as his body and does not fall into any worldly categories, thereby proving that the Tathāgata is ultimately free from illness. Within this passage there are three parts: first, addressing him to make him understand; second, starting from 'not a body of desire,' properly clarifying the four virtues; third, starting from 'how could this body have illness,' clarifying the clear understanding of illnesslessness. First, addressing him to make him understand: 'Ānanda, the bodies of the Tathāgatas are dharmakāya' explains that the Buddha's nirmāṇakāya is itself the body of dharmatā, because it takes the functions of the transformative Dharma as its substance. Alternatively, the empty nature of the nirmāṇakāya is itself the dharmakāya. Second, properly clarifying the four virtues: 'not a body of desire' means that because the dharmakāya is not born from the conditioned karma of desire, it is not a body of desire. With the bond of karma severed, there is self-mastery and non-obstruction, which is the meaning of the [virtue of] Self. 'Transcending the three realms' means that in the fruition land of birth-and-death there are no longer any sufferings, which is the meaning of the [virtue of] Bliss. 'All defilements have been eradicated' without any further taint, which is the meaning of the [virtue of] Purity. 'Does not fall into any categories' means that the Buddha's body is asaṃskṛta and does not fall into the categories of the four marks—arising, abiding, decaying, and ceasing—which is the meaning of the [virtue of] Permanence. Alternatively, not falling into categories means surpassing all conditioned categories; thus the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra says: 'This body is asaṃskṛta, detached from all conditioned states, and surpasses all categories.' Master Zhuang says: 'Not falling into categories means not falling into the category of sentient beings.' Master Yuan says: 'Not a body of desire means being free from the causes of delimited transmigration; transcending the three realms means being free from the fruits of delimited transmigration; all defilements eradicated means being free from the causes of transformational transmigration; not falling into categories means being free from the fruits of transformational transmigration,' and so forth. 'How could such a body have illness?'—this third [part] concludes that it is free from illness. Since it already possesses the four virtues of permanence and bliss, how could it have illness? Third, revealing his own deficiency: 'truly feeling shame.' Ānanda, having heard the above about the Buddha's body being permanent and free from illness, felt ashamed of his own foolish ignorance—having served the Buddha all day without knowing the Buddha's permanence, and falsely seeing illness and thereby begging for milk. What was it if not an error? Fourth, the guiding voice from empty space: Ānanda clung to the response-body and was confused about the true, while the householder discussed the true and neglected the response-body. Now, by means of an impartial voice issuing from empty space, it guides them, harmonizing both sides and not allowing one-sided clinging. Discussing the reality of the matter: it advises Ānanda, as the householder said, to understand that the Buddha has no illness; but because the Buddha appeared in the five defilements and evil [world], as stated below, he accords with transformation without disobeying Ānanda's begging for milk. Therefore, it was necessary to manifest illness in order to put an end to illness. The five defilements are: first, the defilement of life span; second, the defilement of the kalpa; third, the defilement of views; fourth, the defilement of afflictions; fifth, [the defilement of] sentient beings. When the degraded kalpa nears its end, the five dharmas including life span form dregs; hence, like oil on the verge of exhaustion, it is called 'defilement.' The defilement of life span refers to a short life of ten years, with the life-faculty during an evil kalpa as its essence. The defilement of the kalpa refers to the time when the kalpas of weapons, epidemics, and famine arise, with the non-concomitant dharmas as its essence, or taking the internal and external defiled five aggregates as its essence. The defilement of views takes the five views during the three evil kalpas as its essence. The defilement of afflictions takes the remaining dull and heavy afflictions beyond the five views of the aggregates during the three evil kalpas as its essence. The defilement of sentient beings refers to the lack of right mindfulness during the three evil kalpas, taking the eighth consciousness as its essence, or generally taking the five aggregates as its nature. These five exist only in the desire realm, not in the upper two realms. When these five are fulfilled, it is called an evil world. 'Currently practicing this dharma to deliver sentient beings': the Tathāgata throughout his life practiced the dharma of begging for food to deliver sentient beings. According to the Sūtra on the Light of Milk, when the Buddha was in the world, he was gathered beneath a grove of joy in the city of Vaiśālī, surrounded by the fourfold assembly, preaching the Dharma. At that time the Buddha had a wind affliction and required cow's milk. In Vaiśālī there was a brahmacārin named Mayūri, who was a teacher to five hundred disciples. Out of stinginess, he always covered his residence and courtyard with nets to prevent flying birds from encroaching upon and eating his grains; he held wrong views and lacked faith. His household had a milk cow that would viciously gore and trample people, so that no one dared approach it. In order to deliver this brahmacārin, the Buddha manifested the statement that he had an illness and needed milk to treat the wind affliction. He then sent Ānanda holding a bowl to go beg, arriving at his gate. The brahmacārin saw him, became angry, and asked, 'What do you need?' Ānanda replied, 'The Buddha is ill and needs milk; therefore I have come to beg for it.' Hearing this, the man thought: 'I can let him take it himself, so the cow will trample him to death.' He then said to Ānanda, 'If you need it, draw it yourself.' Ānanda went to the cow. The cow voluntarily opened its legs and allowed him to draw the milk, standing still and no longer daring to move. At that time, all the people were astonished. Then the mother cow spoke a verse: