維摩經疏卷第三．第六 6.43

6.43

From here on, [the text] explains one's personal virtues. Within the text there are three [parts]. First, two lines subsume the wholesomeness of ordinary beings. Next, two lines explain subsuming the wholesomeness of Buddhas. Afterwards, three lines subsume the wholesomeness of bodhisattvas. "[Practising] the ten wholesome [actions] to receive the blessings of devas and humans" explains subsuming the wholesomeness of ordinary beings: this is the cause consisting of the precepts; receiving the blessings of devas and humans explains possessing the fruits of the precepts; receiving the eight supreme retributions among humans and devas is called "the blessings of devas and humans"; this is the wholesomeness of the desire realm. Cultivating the four immeasurables explains cultivating the cause of dhyāna; opening the path to the Brahmā heaven explains subsuming the fruit of dhyāna; the four impartial states of mind are able to generate rebirth in the Brahmā heaven, which is called "opening the Brahmā path"; this is the wholesomeness of the higher realms. "Exhorting and requesting the preaching of the Dharma, rejoicing in accord and praising the wholesome, attaining the Buddha's voice" explains subsuming the wholesomeness of Buddhas. Because the bodhisattva manifests as the Brahmā King to exhort the Buddha to preach the Dharma, they attain retribution in the form of the Buddha's voice. It is also said: because they see the wholesome deeds performed by all sentient beings and rejoice in accord and praise them, they attain retribution in the Buddha's eight voices. As for the eight voices: first, subtle; second, soft; third, harmonious; fourth, clear and distinct; fifth, non-feminine; sixth, without error; seventh, deep and far-reaching; eighth, inexhaustible. "Wholesomeness of body, speech, and mind, attaining the Buddha's deportment": through the wholesomeness of the three karmas, one attains the supreme retribution of the Buddha's deportment; all four of the Buddha's deportments are Buddha-activities; although the bodhisattva does not yet possess them fully, because they enter their sphere in part, it is said to be "attained." It is also said: because their deportment resembles that of a Buddha, it is likewise called "attaining." "Deeply cultivating wholesome dharmas, their conduct becoming ever more superior" explains subsuming the wholesomeness of bodhisattvas: one's own practice according with principle is called "deeply cultivating"; gradually increasing benefit to others is called "conduct becoming ever more superior." "Using the Mahāyāna teaching to accomplish the bodhisattva saṅgha": relying on the Mahāyāna teaching to give rise to practice and accomplish the bodhisattva saṅgha. There are two kinds of bodhisattva saṅgha: first, the householders, who possess only harmony in principle; second, the renunciants, who possess both harmony in principle and in practice. Both of these two kinds are subsumed within the bodhisattva saṅgha. The śrāvakas must necessarily be renunciants possessing both harmony in principle and in practice before they are called a saṅgha; householders are not a saṅgha. "The mind free from negligence, not losing the manifold wholesome [qualities]": greed for the five desires is called negligence; alternatively, grasping at signs and making distinctions is called negligence; because of negligence, one immediately loses the manifold wholesome [qualities]; when the mind is free from negligence, there is no wholesome [quality] that is not gathered. Among these three lines, the first line is excellence of cultivation, the second is excellence of Dharma, and the third is excellence of mind. The extensive explanation of practice above was like this; below, it concludes generally.