維摩經抄 1.7

1.7

The sūtra says: "Good sirs, this body is not something the wise rely upon." All of the above are three-character phrases. "Rely" (hu) means to depend on and rely upon. This body is frail and unreliable; wise persons do not rely on it. Furthermore, throughout the Expedient Means chapter, the householder Vimalakīrti mostly intends to teach and transform ordinary sentient beings and newly practicing bodhisattvas with five kinds of contemplative gateways: 1. contemplating the body as suffering; 2. contemplating the body as empty; 3. contemplating the body as impermanent; 4. contemplating the body as non-self; 5. contemplating the body as impure. The sūtra says: "Subject to illness and vexation, an accumulation of multiple sufferings"—this is the contemplation of suffering. "This body is like a cluster of foam" and so on—this is the contemplation of emptiness. "This body is like a floating cloud" and so on—this is the contemplation of impermanence. "This body has no master, being like the earth" and so on—this is the contemplation of non-self. "This body is impure, filled with filth and evil" and so on—this is the contemplation of impurity. These five contemplations are the initial gateway of practice for both the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna, stopping greed and anger and giving rise to wisdom.