維摩經疏卷第三．第六 6.61

6.61

Second, explaining the chapter title: the principle, teaching, practice, and fruit which intrinsically preserve and uphold are called 'dharma.' When a practitioner cultivates and accords with the Buddha's mind, it is called 'offering.' In this chapter, offering the Dharma to the Buddha is called 'Offering of the Dharma Chapter.' Question: 'Why not use material gifts, but rather make offerings of Dharma?' Answer: 'According to the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, there are seven kinds of superiority: first, material gifts are limited, while the gift of Dharma is inexhaustible; second, material gifts have much defilement and little purity, while the gift of Dharma has much purity and little defilement; third, material goods nourish the physical body, while the Dharma fosters the dharmakāya; fourth, material goods exist whether there is a Buddha or no Buddha as a matter of course, while the Dharma requires the appearance of a Buddha before it can exist; fifth, material goods cannot reveal meaning, while the Dharma can reveal meaning, because by cultivating the Dharma one is able to understand principles and meanings; sixth, material goods cannot produce the Dharma, while the Dharma can produce material goods, because through understanding the Dharma one can give material goods; seventh, if material gifts are numerous, they must rely on the strength of many, while the gift of Dharma is exercised by the mind and does not rely on other forces.' Possessing the above seven meanings, one therefore performs the offering [of Dharma].