[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [維摩經抄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2773) › 1.16 # 維摩經抄 1.16 維摩經抄 1.16 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2773.1.16) 經曰。是疾何所因起。問病因也　經曰。從癡有愛則我病生　述曰。淨名答也。夫論病因有其二種。一凡夫病。則癡愛為因。二菩薩病。即大悲為本。且凡夫病癡愛因者。即是不了。不了即受。受即染著。染著故入生死。生死故何病而不生。故云則我病生。此言我者雖即淨名意道眾生。大悲因者。菩薩悲心不避生死。不避苦惱。假名癡也。隨逐眾生不敢捨離。假名愛也。示同凡苦故云病也。苦從悲起故云生也。言其生久如者問近遠也。此之如字多。是助詞。其猶乘鳥斑如泣涕漣也（亦可如者不定之詞意云其生久耶）經曰。諸佛國土亦復皆空　述曰。以勝況劣故有亦聲。非但小室。是空諸佛國土。亦復皆空　問。佛土何空　答曰。土有二。一法性真土。即以真如法性而為其體。無形無相無有方所。二有相假土。即碧池蓮金沙寶地等四塵為體。有其形相。有其處所。十方差別真土即法性本空相土。即因緣無主所以是空　經曰。以何為空　述曰。重問。前空真土湛然相土宛然云何空耶　經曰。以空空　述曰。答也。上之空字是能觀空智。下之空字是所觀空境。凡夫小乘未得空智心外境界皆成實有不知外境。從妄心起反於其中而生怖畏。猶如驢畜見水中自影反生驚怖。菩薩大士轉識成智智無分別了知心外萬境皆空以者用也。則用其能觀空智令彼所觀境空智空境空。故云空空亦可能所皆空。故曰空空　經曰。空何用空　述曰。此重問前也。法體自空何須空智觀竟始空　經曰。以無分別故空　述曰。答也。法體雖空妄心分別不。是知空要藉空智斷。其分別方始見空。此乃分別即有無分別。即空故者因由之義。因無分別法始空也。已下諸句義相連帶。六十二見分別妄有見性本空。故云。於六十二見中求。解脫生死皆從心起。故云。解脫心行中求一念本心即成解脫　經曰。說身無常不說厭離於身　述曰。說身此下明慰喻。初發心菩薩凡夫小乘而未了悟無常性空。恒為無常之所迫逼。深生厭畏。速求寂滅不度眾生。菩薩了知無常性空。曰施恒沙身命不足為難。所以出生入死隨形六道廣度眾生。不欣寂滅下皆准此　經曰。說悔先罪而不說入於過去　述曰。罪若有體滅已入於過去罪性本空何物名為過去　經曰。又此病起皆由著我　述曰。執身有我。我為身主。身既有主。即受病苦。我空准法。法中無主。誰其病故。故云。當起法想伿空其我得人空理果成羅漢法之所是空得法空。空理乃成菩薩。是故經云。此之法想亦是顛倒　經曰。我及涅槃此二皆空。但以名字故空　述曰。我體本空。假立我名尋名謂有。涅槃性空。言語斷故離名字。故假名涅槃引眾生也　經曰。唯有空病空病亦空　述曰。執有成病。以空破有。定執其空。空亦是病。有空雙遣乃真定也　經曰。內見外見　述曰。境外見心名為內見。心外見境名為外見　經曰。菩薩斷除客塵煩惱而起大悲　述曰。悲上起愛名曰客塵。寄居悲上名之為客塵污真。悲名之曰塵。起於悲心廣度眾生。不了眾生空見可度名曰愛見　經曰。貪著禪味是菩薩縛　述曰。世間八禪輕安適悅。凡夫耽嗜故云禪味　經曰。無方便惠縛。有方便惠解　述曰。出世真智名之為惠。世間俗智名為方便。有真而無俗。闕方便之門。既無方便。觸途罣礙名之為縛。有俗而無真觸途染著亦成其縛。真俗相濟悲智雙融。方無縛矣　經曰。身不離病。病不離身。是病是身。非新非故　述曰。身從病有故云身不離病。病從身起故云病不離身。異名一體故云是病。是身無始舊有故曰非新。念念續生故云非故　經曰。住於生死不為污行。住於涅槃不永滅度　述曰。住生死而不染污。異凡夫。住涅槃而不滅。異二乘。凡夫起污滯生死而不出。二乘住滅灰身智以長眠。菩薩悟之乃成大行　經曰。非凡夫行非賢聖行。是菩薩行　述曰。凡夫則造罪而自苦。二乘乃自利而棄眾生。故皆非也　經曰。雖樂遠離而不依身心盡　述曰。二乘以灰身滅心二皆永盡方為遠離。故皆非也　經曰。雖行三界而不壞法性　述曰。雖遊三界之妄境不失真如之法性　經曰。雖行四無量心而不貪著生於梵世　述曰。四無量者慈悲喜捨也。為利生故而行之。非求報故而起之。梵世者色界初禪大梵王之世界。修慈心等得生彼天。壽命六十劫　經曰。雖行禪定而不隨禪生　述曰。息心湛如行無漏之禪定。超出三界不隨禪生。 > The sūtra says: "From what cause did this illness arise?" This asks about the cause of the illness. The sūtra says: "Because there is ignorance and craving, my illness arises." Commentary: This is Vimalakīrti's answer. In discussing the causes of illness, there are two kinds: first, the illness of ordinary persons, which takes ignorance and craving as its cause; second, the illness of bodhisattvas, which takes great compassion as its basis. Now, as for ordinary persons' illness taking ignorance and craving as its cause: it is non-understanding; non-understanding entails reception; reception entails defiled attachment; because of defiled attachment they enter saṃsāra; and within saṃsāra what illness could fail to arise? Therefore it says: "my illness arises." Although the word "my" refers to Vimalakīrti, in meaning it refers to sentient beings. As for taking great compassion as its cause: the bodhisattva's compassionate mind does not avoid saṃsāra, does not avoid suffering and affliction—this is nominally called "ignorance." Constantly following sentient beings and not daring to abandon them is nominally called "craving." Manifesting the same suffering as ordinary persons is called "illness." Suffering arising from compassion is called "arises." As for the words "how long has it arisen?": this asks about near or distant \[duration\]. This character \*ru\* (如) is mostly an auxiliary particle, just as in "riding on a bird speckled (\*banru\* 斑如), weeping tears flowing (\*lian\* 漣)" (it may also be that \*ru\* is a word of uncertainty, meaning "has its arising been long?"). The sūtra says: "The buddha-lands of all the buddhas are also entirely empty." Commentary: Using the superior to illustrate the inferior, it therefore has the word "also": not only is the small room empty, but the buddha-lands of all the buddhas are also entirely empty. Question: How are buddha-lands empty? Answer: There are two kinds of lands. First, the true land of dharmatā: it takes tathatā and dharmatā as its essence; it has no form, no characteristics, and no spatial location. Second, the provisional land with characteristics: it takes the four dusts—such as blue ponds, lotuses, golden sand, and jeweled ground—as its essence; it has forms and characteristics, and it has locations with distinctions in the ten directions. The true land is originally empty in its dharmatā; the land with characteristics has causes and conditions without an owner, and for this reason is empty. The sūtra says: "By means of what are they empty?" Commentary: This questions the preceding again: the true land is serene and clear, and the land with characteristics is fully manifest—how then are they empty? The sūtra says: "They are empty through emptiness." Commentary: This is the answer. The upper character "emptiness" is the wisdom capable of contemplating emptiness; the lower character "emptiness" is the objective realm of emptiness that is contemplated. Ordinary persons and those of the small vehicle have not yet attained the wisdom of emptiness; the realms outside their minds all become real existents to them; they do not know that external realms arise from the deluded mind, and on the contrary give rise to fear within them, just as an ass upon seeing its own reflection in the water gives rise to fright. Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas transform consciousness into wisdom; wisdom is non-conceptual, fully knowing that the myriad realms outside the mind are all empty. "By means of" means to use: that is, using their wisdom capable of contemplating emptiness to make that contemplated realm empty. Wisdom is empty and the realm is empty; therefore it says "empty through emptiness." It can also mean that both subject and object are empty, hence it says "empty through emptiness." The sūtra says: "For what purpose does emptiness need to be made empty?" Commentary: This questions the preceding again: the essence of phenomena is of itself empty; why is it necessary to contemplate it with the wisdom of emptiness before it becomes empty? The sūtra says: "It is empty because of non-conceptuality." Commentary: This is the answer. Although the essence of phenomena is empty, the deluded mind's conceptualization does not recognize emptiness; one must rely on the wisdom of emptiness to cut off its conceptualization before one first sees emptiness. This means: when there is conceptualization there is existence; when there is non-conceptuality there is emptiness. "Because of" (\*gu\* 故) has the sense of a reason: because there is non-conceptuality, phenomena first become empty. The subsequent phrases are connected in meaning. The sixty-two views are conceptualized and falsely exist, yet the nature of the views is originally empty; therefore it says: "seek within the sixty-two views." Liberation and saṃsāra both arise from the mind; therefore it says: "liberation is sought within mental activity"; a single thought of the original mind is at once liberation. The sūtra says: "Teaching that the body is impermanent without teaching weariness and revulsion toward the body." Commentary: From "teaching that the body..." downward explains consoling words. Bodhisattvas of initial aspiration, ordinary persons, and those of the small vehicle who have not yet understood that the nature of impermanence is empty are constantly pressed by impermanence, deeply give rise to weariness and fear, quickly seek quiescence and extinction, and do not save sentient beings. Bodhisattvas fully know that the nature of impermanence is empty, saying that giving away bodies and lives \[as numerous as\] the sands of the Ganges is not difficult; therefore they go out of life and enter death, following bodily forms in the six destinies to broadly save sentient beings, not rejoicing in quiescence and extinction. The following are all on this model. The sūtra says: "Teaching repentance of past transgressions without teaching entering into the past." Commentary: If a transgression had a substantial essence, once extinguished it would enter into the past; but since the nature of transgressions is originally empty, what thing could be called the past? The sūtra says: "Furthermore, the arising of this illness is entirely due to attachment to a self." Commentary: Grasping the body as having a self, the self is the master of the body; since the body has a master, it receives the suffering of illness. Self-emptiness conforms to phenomena: within phenomena there is no master, so who is ill? Therefore it says: "One should give rise to the notion of phenomena." Merely emptying the self, one attains the principle of the emptiness of persons and in result becomes an arhat; that which is empty of phenomena attains the emptiness of phenomena, and through the principle of emptiness one becomes a bodhisattva. For this reason the sūtra says: "This notion of phenomena is also an inversion." The sūtra says: "Self and nirvāṇa—both of these are empty. They are empty merely by virtue of names." Commentary: The substance of the self is originally empty; conventionally establishing the name "self," one follows the name and regards it as existent. Nirvāṇa is empty in its nature; because language is cut off and it is free from names, one conventionally names it "nirvāṇa" to guide sentient beings. The sūtra says: "There is only the illness of emptiness; the illness of emptiness is also empty." Commentary: Grasping existence becomes an illness; using emptiness breaks existence; if one fixates on grasping emptiness, emptiness is also an illness. Only when both existence and emptiness are dispelled is there true concentration. The sūtra says: "Internal views and external views." Commentary: Seeing the mind outside of objects is called an internal view; seeing objects outside of the mind is called an external view. The sūtra says: "The bodhisattva cuts off adventitious defilements and gives rise to great compassion." Commentary: Giving rise to craving upon compassion is called adventitious defilement. Residing on top of compassion is called "adventitious"; defiling true compassion is called "defilement." Giving rise to a compassionate mind to broadly save sentient beings, yet not understanding that sentient beings are empty and seeing them as salvageable, is called "craving-views." The sūtra says: "Greedy attachment to the savor of dhyāna is the bondage of a bodhisattva." Commentary: The eight worldly dhyānas are pliant and delightful; ordinary persons indulge in them, hence it is called "the savor of dhyāna." The sūtra says: "Wisdom without skillful means is bondage; wisdom with skillful means is liberation." Commentary: Supramundane true wisdom is called "wisdom"; worldly conventional wisdom is called "skillful means." Having the true but lacking the conventional lacks the gateway of skillful means; having no skillful means, encountering anything causes obstruction, which is called "bondage." Having the conventional but lacking the true, encountering anything causes defiled attachment, which also constitutes bondage. When the true and the conventional assist each other, and compassion and wisdom are harmoniously unified, only then is there no bondage. The sūtra says: "The body is not separate from illness, and illness is not separate from the body; this illness and this body are neither new nor old." Commentary: The body exists because of illness, hence it says "the body is not separate from illness." Illness arises from the body, hence it says "illness is not separate from the body." Different names for a single entity, hence it says "is this illness, is this body." Existing since beginningless time, hence it is called "neither new." Arising continuously thought after thought, hence it is called "nor old." The sūtra says: "Abiding in saṃsāra without engaging in defiled actions; abiding in nirvāṇa without perpetual extinction." Commentary: Abiding in saṃsāra without being defiled is distinct from ordinary persons; abiding in nirvāṇa without extinction is distinct from the two vehicles. Ordinary persons give rise to defilements and stagnate in saṃsāra without emerging; the two vehicles abide in extinction, reducing the body to ashes and annihilating consciousness to sleep forever. When a bodhisattva awakens to this, it becomes the great practice. The sūtra says: "It is not the practice of ordinary persons, nor is it the practice of worthy and noble ones; it is the bodhisattva practice." Commentary: Ordinary persons create transgressions and bring suffering upon themselves; the two vehicles pursue self-benefit and abandon sentient beings; therefore both are not it. The sūtra says: "Though delighting in detachment, they do not rely on the exhaustion of body and mind." Commentary: The two vehicles take reducing the body to ashes and annihilating the mind—both being permanently exhausted—to be detachment; therefore neither is it. The sūtra says: "Though practicing within the three realms, they do not destroy the dharmatā." Commentary: Though wandering within the deluded realms of the three realms, they do not lose the dharmatā of tathatā. The sūtra says: "Though practicing the four immeasurables, they do not greedily attach to being born in the Brahmā world." Commentary: The four immeasurables are loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. They practice them for the benefit of sentient beings; they do not give rise to them seeking retribution. The Brahmā world is the world of the Great Brahmā King of the first dhyāna of the form realm; by cultivating the mind of loving-kindness and so forth, one attains rebirth in that heaven, with a lifespan of sixty kalpas. The sūtra says: "Though practicing dhyāna concentration, they do not take birth in accordance with dhyāna." Commentary: Calming the mind in serenity, they practice undefiled dhyāna concentration, transcending the three realms and not taking birth in accordance with dhyāna. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2773.1.15) - [Next: 1.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2773.1.17) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2773.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2773~en-mt.1.16) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [注維摩詰經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1775.5.329) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2773.1.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2773.1.16) · Pramāṇa