維摩經疏卷第三．第六 6.80

6.80

From here below, the third part praises the Dharma heard and encourages people to cultivate and study it. In the text there are six points: 1. Praising the Dharma heard; 2. "I shall stay far away from," which explains that he himself has departed from faults; 3. From "upholding the Tathāgata's immeasurable" onward, it explains receiving the entrustment; 4. "If in future generations," encouraging people to cultivate and study; 5. From "World-Honoured One, if in the later, final age" onward, wishing to make practitioners attribute merit to its proper source and depart from the fault of arrogance; 6. From "The Buddha said: 'Excellent!'" onward, it explains the Buddha's praise and approval. "I shall stay far away from": for the sake of those who have not yet departed, he uttered these words to accomplish the various practices. Maitreya had long since departed from them; he gives them the power of mindfulness so they do not forget it: this explains the cultivation. "You should know it is by Maitreya's divine power": this is to make practitioners attribute merit to its proper source and eliminate and cast away arrogance. From "Thereupon, all the bodhisattvas" onward, the second part explains that the bodhisattvas in all realms of the ten directions vowed of themselves to broadly propagate it. Therein, it first explains propagating the Buddha's bodhi, which is the ultimate fruit-dharma; from "should open up" onward, proclaiming and propagating the teaching-dharma; because one attains the fruit by relying on the teaching, it had to be explained. Third, in explaining that the four kings protect the Dharma: it first explains that in cities and towns where this sūtra is present, the kings and their retinues provide protection for it; from "within an area of one hundred yojanas" onward, it shows the benefit of protection.