維摩經疏卷第三．第六 6.39

6.39

From here on, the second section contains twenty-three phrases explaining practice upon the grounds. In the text there are two parts: first, four phrases cultivate vast practices; second, from “innumerable kalpas of birth-and-death” onward, nineteen phrases explain cultivating superior practices. As for “generating and cultivating roots of goodness without limits”: above concerned the initial planting of roots of goodness; here it explains cultivating, practicing, and expanding them. From the first ground onward, generating vast vows and cultivating whatever practices there are is called “generating roots of goodness”; practicing all ten thousand goods throughout the realms of sentient beings, not limited by numbers of kalpas, is therefore called “without limits.” As for “using the adornments of all pure lands to accomplish one's own buddha-land”: contemplating the adornments of the buddhas' lands serves as the conditioning cause; cultivating one's own practice serves as the direct cause; because the direct and conditioning causes are complete, one elicits a pure land; contemplating another's to accomplish one's own is called “accomplishing one's own land.” As for “opening the gate of great giving and obtaining the marks and signs”: Master Man says: Opening the gate of giving without discriminating whether the recipient is good or bad or what the material wealth is—giving in this way is the cause of the marks and signs; speaking of the fruit while in the causal stage, it is therefore said that “great giving is endowed with the marks and signs.” Furthermore, opening the four gates and granting whatever is sought without obstruction: great giving has four propositions: first, mind sufficient but wealth deficient; second, wealth sufficient but mind deficient; third, mind and wealth both deficient; these three propositions are not unobstructed giving; fourth, mind and wealth both sufficient, able to grant without restriction whatever beings seek; this is called unobstructed great giving. “Endowed with the marks and signs” refers to the thirty-two marks, and “signs” refers to the eighty minor signs; because unobstructed giving brings about the fruition of the marks and signs, it is said to be “endowed with the marks and signs.” As for “eradicating all evil and purifying body, speech, and mind”: unless one eradicates evil, the three karmic activities cannot be purified.