維摩經抄 1.20

1.20

The sūtra states: Vimalakīrti said, "How should a bodhisattva view sentient beings?" This is the question. The commentary explains: An illusionist clearly knows that an illusory person has no reality; a bodhisattva clearly knows that sentient beings are like illusions, and among them does not cling to the characteristics of sentient beings and the like. As for "like a fifth great element": the Buddhas of the three periods of time spoke only of the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind; there is no fifth great element, nor does a fifth have any real substance. Sentient beings are just the same. "Like a sixth aggregate" (there are only five aggregates, not a sixth); "like a seventh sense faculty" (there is only the sixth faculty, not a seventh); "like a thirteenth sense base" (there are only the six sense faculties and the six consciousnesses, twelve sense bases, not a thirteenth); "like a nineteenth realm" (there are only the six faculties, six consciousnesses, and six objects—three sixes make eighteen, with no nineteenth); "[like] form in the formless realm"; "[like] a sprout from scorched grain"; "like the view of selfhood in a srotāpanna"—the commentary explains: with the view of selfhood and the like, on first entering the path of vision and attaining this first fruit, the view of selfhood is severed forever and does not operate; therefore, this view is adduced to show its non-existence. "Like an anāgāmin entering the womb"—the commentary explains: an anāgāmin is one who has transcended the desire realm at the third fruit and does not enter the womb again; an arhat has departed from the three realms, their defilements being wholly exhausted, and so has no more of the three poisons: greed, anger, and delusion. "Like a bodhisattva who has attained [the forbearance of] non-arising giving way to greed, anger, or breaking the precepts"—the commentary explains: in the six levels of forbearance among the seven expedient means, having reached this in cultivating the path, one has severed the breaking of precepts forever. "Like the traces of defilement in a Buddha"—the commentary explains: "traces" means vāsanā. It is like an offensive odour penetrating clothing or the like: when it is washed and cleaned, although the dirt and grime are purified, the offensive odour still remains. Sentient beings' bodies and minds are also like this: the foul stench of defilements perfuses body and mind. Although the holy ones of the two vehicles have severed defilements, their vāsanā still remain. Only the Tathāgata has exhausted both seeds and traces alike. "A barren woman having a child"; "what is seen in a dream vanishing upon waking"; "the two vehicles of fixed nature reducing the body to ashes and annihilating consciousness, once returning to extinction, receiving no further rebirth." The sūtra states: "Practicing kindness that is not heated"—defilement is called "heat" because it burns sentient beings; kindness is pure and without affliction, so it is said to be "not heated." The sūtra states: "From the foundation of non-abiding, all phenomena are established." The commentary explains: "Non-abiding" is precisely tathatā. Therefore, we know that when delusion arises from reality, there are the inverted views and immeasurable phenomena, arising successively and abiding dependent on one another. Bringing delusion back to reality is abiding; the ten thousand phenomena abide relying on emptiness. Empty space has no reliance; all phenomena arise from reality, and tathatā has no abiding place. As for the heavenly maiden scattering flowers: they did not fall from the two vehicles, but fell from the bodhisattvas because the practitioners of the two vehicles grasped at characteristics and made discriminations, not understanding that the flowers are empty; therefore, they did not fall off. The bodhisattvas had already eliminated discrimination and did not grasp at the characteristics of the flowers; therefore, they did not adhere. As for the two vehicles using their supernatural powers to remove the flowers but being unable to make them fall: if one has not realized emptiness, what use are supernatural powers? As for "these flowers are not in accordance with the Dharma, and therefore I shake them off": Sengzhao says, "Fragrant flowers clinging to the body has the appearance of breaking the precepts, which is not the rule for a śramaṇa; therefore, they shake them off." Master Daosheng says, "The nature of flowers scattered upon the body is that they ought to fall; that they do not fall is not the nature of flowers. Do not say that these flowers are not in accordance with the Dharma; the flowers are without discrimination—it is human beings who spontaneously generate a discriminating mind!" The commentary explains: Flowers are insentient, without mental conception, and are also indeterminate; how could they have the two marks of good and evil to be discriminated? Thus we know that being in accordance with the Dharma or not arises spontaneously from the mind; how could it pertain to the matter of the flowers? The sūtra states: "As is that which is produced by the Buddha's magical transformation, so am I produced." The commentary explains: Although the Tathāgata's manifestation of magical transformations arises, it does not arise; although it ceases, it does not cease. The heavenly maiden is like the Buddha, hence she says "so am I produced." The sūtra states: "When Śāriputra becomes an ordinary person again, then [she] will attain Buddhahood." The commentary explains: Once one has realized the fruit of the sage, to become an ordinary person again is impossible. Bodhi is without attainment; realization-wisdom is without grasping and has no one able to attain it. That there is a Buddha to be achieved is impossible. The sūtra states: "Now, the Buddhas have already attained bodhi or will attain it; how can you say there is no attainment?" The commentary explains: Śākyamuni has already attained it; Maitreya will attain it. The heavenly maiden answers: "These are all because of worldly conventions and numbers, and are merely designated as 'attained'; in the ultimate truth, there is no attainment."