維摩經疏卷第三．第六 6.71

6.71

Next, the second part reveals the functions of the Dharma. Within this there are three points: First, causing sentient beings to sit at the bodhimaṇḍa, achieve equal and complete enlightenment, and be venerated by many people. Second, from "able to cause..." onward, generating superior practices according to the Dharma and being praised by the noble ones. Third, from "turning away from birth and death..." onward, causing people to generate the aspiration [for enlightenment] and obtain the bliss of nirvāṇa.
In the first, "causing them to sit at the bodhimaṇḍa" has two meanings: first, ultimate; second, responsive. If explained in terms of the responsive, sitting on the vajra seat under the bodhi tree and attaining the realization of the Buddha way is called sitting at the bodhimaṇḍa. "Turning the wheel of Dharma": the responsive body preaches and confers all sūtra dharmas to others, causing them to realize non-retrogression, which is called turning the wheel of Dharma. If distinguished in terms of the ultimate, the bodhisattva for three incalculable eons completely cultivates the myriad practices; reaching the diamond-like samādhi at the final mind of the tenth ground, they directly generate the Buddha's virtues, which is called the bodhimaṇḍa. Because they obtain the fruit based upon it, it is called "sitting." If taken generally, all the myriad practices that can generate the Buddha's virtues are called the bodhimaṇḍa, as distinguished above in the section on Prabhāvyūha. Once the bodhisattva has become a Buddha, in the wisdom acquired after [realization] (pṛṣṭhalabdha-jñāna) they preach the Dharma for sentient beings; hence it is called "turning the wheel of Dharma." "Praised by all devas and nāgas": because they have accomplished the Buddha way, they are venerated and praised by the assembly. It praises the superiority of the Dharma, not the person, as should be understood from what follows.
In the second part, being able to generate superior practices, first it generates one's own practice; from "expounding the path of all bodhisattvas" onward, it clarifies practices that benefit others. In the practice of self-benefit, "causing them to enter the treasury of the Buddha's Dharma": this clarifies teaching and practice; all sentient beings generate understanding based on the teaching. If not for the profound sūtras, one could not cause sentient beings to enter the treasury of the Buddha's Dharma. [Seng]zhao says: "There has never been anyone who turned their back on the profound sūtras and was yet able to enter the treasury of the Buddha's Dharma." "Gathering all the wisdom of the worthy and noble ones": accomplishing the practice of realization. The "worthy" are the good, which refers to the thirty minds of the three stages of worthiness: the ten understandings, the ten practices, and the ten dedications. The "noble" are the correct; being correct in the two kinds of emptiness is called noble, which refers to the ten noble stages beginning from the Ground of Extreme Joy up to the Dharma Cloud Ground. The three worthies realize the preparatory [stage] (prayogika), while the ten nobles simultaneously realize the two wisdoms of the fundamental (mūla) and the acquired (pṛṣṭhalabdha). The profound sūtras are able to gather the wisdom of these worthy and noble ones.
In benefiting others, "light, able to preach, saving..." and so forth reveals that the preaching has immense benefit. Therein, "expounding the path of all bodhisattvas" means being able to preach the Dharma of practice; the paths traversed by bodhisattvas have no fixed direction. The eighty-thousand manifold practices are all set forth in the profound sūtras. "Relying on all dharmatā... down to the meanings of suffering and emptiness" clarifies preaching the Dharma of principle. Dharmatā is the tathatā of the two kinds of emptiness; relying on dharmatā, five dharmas are explained. Dharmatā is neither suffering nor pleasure; because it dispels feelings of pleasure, it is called suffering, not that there is [real] suffering. Down to: because it dispels feelings of existence, it is called quiescence, not that there is [real] quiescence.
Regarding the benefits of preaching, the text is divided into two: first, the benefit of causing sentient beings to abandon the heterodox, return to the correct, and eliminate hindrances; second, from "all Buddhas..." onward, the benefit of being gathered in and praised by the noble ones. "Saving those who have broken the prohibitions": this refers to breaking the four grave prohibitions and committing the five heinous sins, which the Hīnayāna Dharma cannot save. That which can save them is solely the Mahāyāna vaipulya sūtras. If one hears the profound sūtras, one immediately knows that the nature of sins and rebellions is empty. Having understood emptiness, one immediately transcends sins and rebellions. "All Māras and non-Buddhists who are greedy and attached are terrified": when they hear that the sūtras are signless, it goes against their original minds, and so they are terrified. Second, "praised by the worthy and noble ones": none other than Buddhas, worthy ones, and noble ones can profoundly awaken to this principle; because they awaken to its […] depth, they praise it.
Next, in the third part, causing sentient beings to generate the aspiration: "turning one's back on the suffering of birth and death and revealing the bliss of nirvāṇa" means that unless it is the profound sūtras, one cannot become weary of birth and death and unite with the bliss of nirvāṇa. "Spoken by the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three periods of time" summarizes the teachings previously explained. Although present and past differ, the path of enlightenment is not distinct. The ten thousand dharmas return to the same [source], and the principle has no two paths. Therefore, the *Atyantānumahākaruṇā Sūtra* says: "The words spoken by noble after noble may differ, / Yet their intent and meaning are all identical. / Letters are themselves liberation; / For the great and small, the place of principle is identical." Praising the profound sūtras concludes here. The above is the completion of the first general clarification of the Dharma's essence.