維摩經疏卷第三．第六 6.19

6.19

Next, from "Vimalakīrti then magically manifested nine million [lion seats]" onward, is the third major section: obtaining that food to offer universally to the great assembly. Within the text there are two parts: first, explaining Vimalakīrti's manifestation of inconceivable power whereby the small chamber expansively accommodates them; second, from "Vimalakīrti said to Śāriputra" onward, being able to satisfy the great assembly with a small amount of food, directly explaining the offering. This transformation was performed because he wished to cause the bodhisattvas newly arrived from Sarvagandhasugandhā to feel deep reverence. Within the former part there are four sections: 1. By supernormal transformation he made lion thrones to seat the newly arrived bodhisattvas from Sarvagandhasugandhā. Question: In the chamber there were already the high thrones of Prabhāpāla; why did Vimalakīrti further manifest high thrones? Answer: The bodhisattvas of this realm had already ascended the thrones of Prabhāpāla; since the assembly from Gandhahastin had arrived, Vimalakīrti manifested high thrones. Further question: When Śāriputra thought of seats, why did Vimalakīrti not magically create them, but instead requested seats from Prabhāpāla? What was the intention here? Answer: Since Śāriputra saw that the room was empty, he gave rise to the thought. If Vimalakīrti had magically created them himself, he feared it might incur suspicion of unreality; therefore he did not magically manifest the lion thrones. Further question: If he did not manifest thrones because he feared incurring suspicion of unreality, now that the assembly from Gandhahastin had arrived, it would also incur thoughts of unreality—why did Vimalakīrti magically manifest high thrones? Answer: Vimalakīrti manifested the thrones because he wished to cause the bodhisattvas from Sarvagandhasugandhā to give rise to the notion of the inconceivable; therefore Vimalakīrti manifested high thrones. It is also said: Above, borrowing seats was explained; now, creation through magical manifestation is explained to reveal what is extraordinary. 2. The magically manifested bodhisattva gave that fragrant food to Vimalakīrti. 3. Explaining that the fragrant food universally perfumed the trichiliocosm. 4. Explaining that humans, devas, and the rest, smelling the fragrance, gathered like clouds. There are three categories of those who smelled it: First, "the brahmins who, smelling the fragrance, felt refreshed": when the extraordinary fragrance entered their bodies, their bodies and minds were delighted. Second, explaining that the elder Yuegai led the multitude of people into the ten-foot-square chamber to pay homage, after which they stayed. Third, the various spirits and devas gathered like clouds. The text is clear in all these cases. Question: It may well be so for the devas of the desire realm smelling the fragrance; but since the devas of the form realm lack the nose-consciousness, how could they smell the fragrance and enter the ten-foot-square chamber? Answer: Although the form realm lacks the nose-consciousness, it possesses the nose-indriya. When they wish to smell fragrance, they borrow the consciousness of the lower realm and rely on the upper sense faculty; therefore they smelled the fragrance and entered the chamber. Just as when a bodhisattva of the tenth stage is about to become a Buddha, passing through the form realm and relying on the fourth dhyāna to sever afflictions and latent propensities before achieving complete awakening, which induces the all-performing wisdom: since there are no five consciousnesses within the fourth dhyāna, how could the all-performing wisdom be induced? Hence, the wisdom borrows that lower consciousness and arises based on the upper sense faculty, transforming into the all-performing wisdom. That case is just like this. Or it is said: the fragrance is transformed by the concentrated mind and subsumed under the sense base of phenomena (dharmāyatana); the mental consciousness of the devas of the form realm is able to take it as an object; therefore, smelling the fragrance, they entered the ten-foot-square chamber. In the second part, offering the food to the assembly, the text is divided into two: 1. Discerning that the fragrant food is inexhaustible. 2. From "those bodhisattvas" onward, revealing the supreme excellence of the food. Within the first part, discerning that the food is inexhaustible, there are four sentences: 1. Commanding the assembly to eat. 2. From "there were certain [śrāvakas]" onward, seeing the food and thinking it is small. 3. From "the magically manifested bodhisattva" onward, rebuking their narrow minds. 4. From "thereupon" onward, concluding with inexhaustible use and enjoyment. Question: Earlier with the thrones, both the great and the small were addressed in common; why is the command to eat now addressed especially to the śrāvakas? Answer: There are four reasons: 1. The śrāvakas already had their own alms-food, so they had no intention of eating. 2. Fetching the food was precisely for those attached to the small teaching. 3. The śrāvakas had small wisdom and [thought] the food was small, whereas the great assembly had no [such petty] thoughts about eating. 4. Śāriputra's thought of food was only for the sake of the bodhisattvas and not for the śrāvakas; hence, he especially commanded them to eat. With the seats it was not so, which is why all were addressed in common. "You may eat the Tathāgata's food of the flavor of amṛta": this food can extinguish the poison of all afflictions and nourish the life of wisdom; hence it is called "the flavor of amṛta." "Perfumed by great compassion": the food of the flavor of amṛta is a great fruit; furthermore, it arises from the mind [of compassion], hence it says "perfumed by great compassion." From "do not with a limited intention" onward admonishes them to relinquish an inferior mind. Grasping at marks and discriminating is called "a limited intention." If eating brings no great benefit, that is called "not digesting." Yuanyun says: Grasping it as definitely small is called "a limited intention"; using it in a manner not in accord with the Dharma is called "not digesting." Zhuangyun says: A mind of obtaining is called "a limited intention"; grasping at the mark of the food is called "not digesting." In the second part, seeing the food and thinking it is small, "there were certain śrāvakas" indicates those who could not digest it. Outside of the four great disciples, they are called "certain śrāvakas." It may also be that outside of the five hundred people, they are called "certain śrāvakas." Or it may be that the people of the two vehicles, being distinct from the bodhisattvas, are called "certain śrāvakas." Thinking the food is small means grasping at the mark of the food being small. From "yet this great assembly" onward, they grasp at the mark of the assembly being large, not knowing the inconceivable virtue of the Buddhas, which can take countless worlds into a single minute particle of dust—the dust particle is not enlarged, and the worlds are not diminished. In the third part, rebuking their narrow mind, there are three sentences: 1. Rebuking them. 2. From "the four seas" onward, revealing that the food is inexhaustible. 3. From "why is this?" onward, explaining and answering the rebuke. "Small virtue and small wisdom" refers to the small merit and wisdom of the persons of the two vehicles. "Immeasurable merit and wisdom" refers to the abundant merit and wisdom of the Buddha. From "the four seas may dry up" onward clarifies that the food is inexhaustible. Lest one think it impossible that the four seas dry up while this food is inexhaustible, worldly affairs are hypothetically cited to reveal that the food is inexhaustible. If all people ate morsels the size of Mount Sumeru for a kalpa and it were still not exhausted, this hypothetically cites worldly people to clarify that the food is inexhaustible. "All people eating" shows the breadth of the people eating. "Morsels the size of Mount Sumeru" shows the abundance of what is eaten. Each person having a Sumeru and eating for a kalpa shows the duration of the eating time. Even if it were like this, it still would not be exhausted. From "why is this?" onward explains this. First briefly, then in detail. Why is it said that the food of one bowl is inexhaustible? Below, this is explained in response. From "inexhaustible morality" onward: the fivefold dharmakāya merits of the śrāvaka have two kinds of exhaustion: first, exhaustion through impermanence; [second,] exhaustion when entering nirvāṇa without remainder. Being distinct from those two exhaustions, they are called "inexhaustible." "Complete in merit": unlike bodhisattvas, the leftovers of what [the Buddha] ate cannot be exhausted, clarifying that the retribution and function of the Buddha's food-body are inexhaustible. From "thereupon the bowl of food" onward is the fourth part, directly clarifying inexhaustible use and enjoyment. Next, in the second part on the excellence of the food, the virtues of the food revealed are three: First, clarifying the comfort and pleasure of the body: freedom from unwholesomeness is called "comfort" (kṣema); absence of suffering and presence of delight is called "pleasure" (sukha). From "just like" onward, an analogy is next used to reveal comfort and pleasure. Finally, it explains that the bodies of those who ate emitted marvelous fragrance, also using an analogy below to reveal the mark of the fragrance.