維摩經抄 1.9

1.9

The sūtra says: "Now, quiet sitting means not manifesting appearances of body or mind in the three realms; that is quiet sitting." The commentary states: Here, the Upāsaka Vimalakīrti uses the Great to rebuke the Lesser. The Lesser Vehicle sees the two marks of concentration and distraction; therefore, they abandon distraction and adopt concentration. Since there is a concentration that can be grasped, clinging to marks and making distinctions, it in turn becomes non-concentration. Or they sit cross-legged in a quiet forest or pure place, closing their eyes and shutting their mouth, with mental consciousness inactive and incoming and outgoing breaths severed—these are the marks of meditation in the Lesser Vehicle. The bodhisattvas of the Great Vehicle are not like this. Concentration and distraction are both obliterated; exiting and entering are both suchlike, and the true mind is tranquil and clear. This is true concentration. How could closing the eyes, shutting the mouth, and sitting motionless in a forest be considered concentration? It does not hinder running scattered through the three realms to benefit sentient beings; being scattered does not hinder concentration's coagulation. It is unmoving in single suchness. Therefore, the sūtra says: "Not arising from the concentration of cessation, yet manifesting all deportments." The sūtra says: "Without severing afflictions, entering nirvāṇa." The commentary states: The Lesser Vehicle clings to marks and does not understand that afflictions are empty by nature, so they have afflictions to sever; they do not understand that nirvāṇa is empty by nature, so they have a nirvāṇa to enter. Having something to sever, they sever, yet do not [truly] sever; having something to enter, they enter, yet do not [truly] enter. Bodhisattvas of the Great Vehicle understand that afflictions are empty by nature, with nothing to sever that can be severed; they awaken to nirvāṇa being signless, with nothing to enter that can be entered. Having nothing to sever that can be severed is true severing; having nothing to enter that can be entered is true entering. If one can be like this, it is called quiet sitting. Quiet sitting is concentration. The sūtra says: "Dharmas have no person, because the prior and posterior limits are severed." The commentary states: "Limit" means boundary. The "prior limit" is the preceding thought; the "posterior limit" is the subsequent thought. The conditioned dharmas continuing incessantly from preceding thoughts to subsequent thoughts are called a "person." Deducing by principle, the two thoughts, prior and posterior, do not catch up with each other. When the prior thought has already perished, the posterior thought only then arises, with severance and absence in between. Since there is no reality, it is said that there is no person. The sūtra says: "Dharmas are identical with dharmatā, because they enter all dharmas." The commentary states: "Dharmatā" is tathatā. The true nature of dharmas does not surpass tathatā. When the mind awakens to tathatā, that is entering all dharmas. The sūtra says: "Dharmas abide in the true limit, because all extremities do not move." The commentary states: The "true limit" is the aforementioned tathatā and dharmatā. This dharmatā is the true boundary of all dharmas, beyond which there is nothing further; this is called the "limit." "All extremities" means the four marks of arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing, which are called extremities. This true limit is tranquil and constantly abiding, not shaken by the four marks; thus it is said that "all extremities do not move." The sūtra says: "Dharmas accord with emptiness, follow the signless, and correspond to the wishless." The commentary states: These three lines above each consist of three characters. "Follow" means to pursue. The word "correspond" is pronounced in the falling tone, meaning to accord with and meet. Within the gate of ultimate truth, all dharmas accord with empty quiescence, follow the signless, and correspond to the wishless; they neither arise nor cease, like the principle of suchness. The sūtra says: "In order to destroy the mark of combination, one should take morsel food." The commentary states: There are four kinds of food in all: first, morsel food; second, food of thought; third, food of contact; fourth, food of consciousness. Here, "morsel food" is solid food; having shape and chunks, it can be grasped into morsels. This food is the coarsest, having scent, taste, and tangibility as its substance. The nose takes the scent in the food; the tongue takes the taste in the food; the body takes the tangibility in the food. All sentient beings develop craving and attachment toward these three things combined into morsel food, unable to attain liberation. Now they are taught to contemplate this combination of causes and conditions as food by provisional designation; the causes and conditions being empty by nature, they do not give rise to craving and attachment, which is the initial condition for liberation. The sūtra passage below on causes and conditions stating "in order not to receive, one should receive that food" has the same meaning: this is receiving morsel food to treat the body's sickness; receiving it without craving and attachment is called "not receiving." The sūtra says: "Knowing all dharmas to be like illusory marks, without own-nature, without other-nature, originally not arising, and now not ceasing." The commentary states: "All dharmas" here means conditioned dharmas. Existing from conditions, they have no real nature; seeming to exist yet not true, they are like illusory marks. Arising from conditions, they have no own-nature. The causes and conditions being also empty, they have no other-nature. Being empty like this, there is originally no arising, hence "not arising." Since there is no arising, whence could there be ceasing? The sūtra says: "Without great merit, without small merit; neither bringing benefit nor bringing harm." The commentary states: Worldly people and Lesser [Vehicle practitioners] cling to marks: giving to those who uphold precepts yields great merit; giving to those who break precepts yields small merit; giving to sages yields great merit; giving to ordinary people yields small merit—and so on, extensively explaining that obtaining great merit brings benefit, while obtaining small merit brings harm. The signlessness of the Great Vehicle is not like this. Both merits are obliterated, and the three wheels are empty in substance. Because there is no great merit, there is no benefit; because there is no small merit, there is no harm. The sūtra says: "Neither having afflictions nor being separated from afflictions." The commentary states: Afflictions are empty by nature, hence "neither having"; bondage is difficult to untie, hence "nor being separated." The sūtra says: "Being equal toward food, all dharmas are also equal; all dharmas being equal, toward food one is also equal." The commentary states: Ordinary people of the Lesser Vehicle see dharmas outside of food and see food outside of dharmas, with differences of coarse and subtle, and dharmas having distinctions of superior and inferior; thus they are said to be unequal. In the wonderful principle of the Great Vehicle, dharmas and food are both suchness. Because both are suchness, food is equal to dharmas, and dharmas are equal to food. If dharmas and food are equal, how could there be poverty or wealth to choose between? The sūtra says: "Without severing lust, anger, and delusion, yet not being together with them." The commentary states: Afflictions are originally empty, hence "without severing"; the nature of the mind is originally pure, hence "not being together with them." It can also mean: since afflictions are already empty, what would one be together with? The sūtra says: "Without extinguishing delusion and craving, giving rise to clarity and liberation." The commentary states: Delusion and craving are empty and quiescent, with no delusion to be extinguished; understanding this emptiness and quiescence, the eye of wisdom is clear and one attains liberation. It can also mean: manifesting the practice of delusion and craving, hence "without extinguishing"; dwelling in them without being defiled, just like medicinal spells, why must they be extinguished? For instance, Prince Siddhārtha manifested the practice of the five desires, took a consort, and fathered a child, yet attained awakening beneath the bodhi tree. Although previously said not to have extinguished them, his was already a Buddha-body, inherently possessing clarity and liberation. The sūtra says: "By means of the marks of the five heinous deeds, attaining liberation." The commentary states: Outwardly manifesting heinous acts while the mind within is utterly pure and originally liberated, as in the case of Devadatta. It can also mean: penetrating the extinguishing of the marks of the five heinous deeds and attaining liberation, as when King Ajātaśatru heard the Dharma and awakened to the Path, the offenses of the five heinous deeds being extinguished and [him] attaining liberation. The sūtra says: "Not seeing the Buddha, not hearing the Dharma." The commentary states: The true Buddha of the Dharmakāya has no form and no marks, hence "not seeing"; the principle and Dharma of tathatā cuts off the path of words, hence "not hearing." It can also mean: dharmas with marks and Buddhas are formed by causes and conditions; causes and conditions are empty by nature, so in seeing there is nothing seen, and in hearing there is nothing heard. Only after understanding this Dharma-gate may one take food. The sūtra says: "The six tīrthika teachers, Pūraṇa and the others, are your teachers. Where those teachers fall, you also fall; only then may you take food." The commentary states: In the gate of marks, the Buddha-Dharma is correct and the tīrthikas are wrong. Ordinary people and those of the two vehicles abandon the wrong and seek the correct; their distinction between the two marks not yet eradicated, they instead fall into error. Not having tallied with true emptiness, they should not take food. The true gate of the Great Vehicle is free from distinction. Distinction having been abandoned, wrong and correct are one suchness; thus there is no wrong to abandon and no correct to take refuge in. Tallying with this universal path, only then may one take food. The sūtra says: "Being identical with afflictions, separated from pure dharmas." The commentary states: Manifesting identity with ordinary people is being identical with afflictions; manifesting entry into delusion is being separated from pure dharmas. It can also mean: reality and delusion being one substance is being identical with afflictions; defilement and purity being one suchness is being separated from pure dharmas. The sūtra says: "Those who give to you do not name a field of merit; those who make offerings to you fall into the three evil destinies." The commentary states: Having giving to give, not understanding that giving is empty, though giving, it is not merit; having offerings to offer, not understanding that offerings are empty, once delusions arise, one does not transcend saṃsāra, and without rest, ultimately falls into the three evil destinies. If one can realize that offenses and merits are both empty, then there is neither merit nor falling. The sūtra says: "Toward all sentient beings, giving rise to an attitude of enmity." The commentary states: Hatred and love are empty. Slandering all the Buddha's teachings, reviling the Dharma, and not entering the assembly: praise and blame are empty. The above mostly explains according to the principle of signlessness; if explained in terms of the gate of marks, each line reveals its opposite. The sūtra says: "If a phantom person created by the Tathāgata were questioned with these matters, would they have any fear?" The commentary states: A "phantom person" is an illusory created person. This means Vimalakīrti said to Subhūti: The Tathāgata's body has no form and no marks, no words and no speech; from reality he gives rise to phantoms, using expedients to liberate sentient beings. I and you now are also like this, just like phantoms. Questioning each other, what fear is there that you do not take the bowl? Therefore, the sūtra next says: "All dharmas have illusory marks; you should not have any fear now." The sūtra says: "He has no wound of his own; do not wound him." The commentary states: On a healthy body, do not open a hole with a thorn; on the substance of the great existence, do not chisel the wounds of the Lesser Vehicle. The sūtra says: "I observe that the wisdom of the Lesser Vehicle is slight and shallow, like a blind person, unable to distinguish the sharpness or dullness of all sentient beings' faculties." The commentary states: Arhats and pratyekabuddhas are the ultimate fruits of the Lesser Vehicle; they partially realize the emptiness of persons but have not realized the emptiness of dharmas, partially realize ultimate truth but do not understand conventional truth. Thus there was an arhat who did not recognize red salt or a white pigeon, being confused about the Dharma-gates of the Tripiṭaka, hence compared to a blind person. Moreover, the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says that Śāriputra observed eighty thousand [kalpas] before and after, yet did not know the pigeon's origin or destination; he also mistook the son of a goldsmith and the son of a washerman regarding the Dharma-gates of contemplation practice, hence it is said that they do not understand the sharpness or dullness of faculties. The sūtra says: "Kātyāyana, that dharmas ultimately neither arise nor cease is the meaning of impermanence; that the five grasping aggregates are completely unarisen is the meaning of suffering; that dharmas are ultimately non-existent is the meaning of emptiness; that self and non-self are non-dual is the meaning of non-self; that dharmas originally do not arise and now do not cease is the meaning of quiescence." The commentary states: Ordinary people and the Lesser Vehicle grasp the substances of these five dharmas—impermanence, suffering, emptiness, non-self, and quiescence—as truly existent. Now Vimalakīrti causes them to break through existence and return to emptiness. The sūtra text here is subtle and difficult to understand. For now, the five such as impermanence are delusions; only on account of delusion are there impermanence, suffering, and so on. The fifth, quiescence, is the nirvāṇa of the Lesser Vehicle; like the conjured city, it is a provisional establishment, hence also a delusion. The tathatā-dharmadhātu is what is real. The substance of this true dharmadhātu is not impermanence, not suffering, not empty, not non-self, and not present quiescence; it is tranquil in suchness, neither increasing nor decreasing. The five such as impermanence originally arise from reality, just as waves arise from water. The foolish see the waves but do not see the water; ordinary people and the Lesser Vehicle see impermanence and the rest, but do not see tathatā. Since they do not know that water is the real substance of the waves, how could they awaken to tathatā being the real meaning of impermanence and the rest? Thus we know that by turning away from reality and pursuing delusion, everything exists; by gathering delusion and returning to reality, the myriad dharmas are all empty. Pursuing delusion, one experiences suffering in impermanence; returning to reality, suffering and the rest are all suchness. The Lotus Sūtra's impoverished son drifting in suffering when abandoning his parents, and the Nirvāṇa Sūtra's poor woman suffering poverty in vain through ignorance of the hidden treasure, are both of this meaning. The tathatā-dharmadhātu neither arises nor ceases, being the matter and real meaning upon which impermanence and the rest rely; thus it is said that neither arising nor ceasing is the meaning of impermanence. The other four gates of suffering and the rest are explained by analogy to this. Awakening to this one gate opens all sūtras throughout. The sūtra says: "You should directly eliminate them; do not disturb their minds." The commentary states: Sins are conditioned dharmas with marks, arising from delusion. In a single thought of awakening to emptiness, myriad sins are all extinguished, hence called "direct." How could it be like ordinary people and the Lesser Vehicle, who face the master and merely speak of all the details? This is using marks to hate marks, merely serving to agitate the true mind; how could sins be extinguished? The sūtra says: "Just as when Upāli attained liberation by the marks of the mind, was there any defilement?" The commentary states: When the marks of the pure mind realize liberation, they are unmoving in suchness; how could one further see defilement outside the mind? The sūtra says: "I then spoke in accordance with the Dharma on the benefits of the merit of leaving household life." The commentary states: In the Lesser Vehicle, leaving household life means shaving the head and dyeing robes, attaining present ease, fame, and gain, and obtaining the joyous retribution of heavenly rebirth in the future; hence it is called "benefits of merit." The sūtra says: "Being without permanent benefit and without merit is leaving household life." The commentary states: Present ease and future joy are ultimately not final, being conditioned arising and ceasing. True leaving of household life gets rid of delusion and awakens to the unconditioned, seeing neither the present nor the future; the mind of suchness is true leaving of household life. Moreover, examining the sūtra text: understanding dharmatā, benefiting sentient beings, without self and without person, without path and without secularity, is true leaving of household life. The sūtra says: "I said: 'The World-Honoured One's body is slightly indisposed and requires cow's milk; therefore I have come here.'" The commentary states: According to the Lesser Vehicle school, the Tathāgata's physical body truly has arising and ceasing, truly has illness and suffering; therefore milk was sought to treat the heat. The sūtra says: "Vimalakīrti said: 'Stop, stop, Ānanda! Do not speak these words. The Tathāgata's body is of a vajra nature; what illness could it have? ... Do not let other people hear these coarse words, nor the gods of great majestic virtue and bodhisattvas from other lands hear these words, lest we suffer this shame.'" The commentary states: Only when illness and suffering are exhausted can one attain Buddhahood; what irregular illness could there be? "Other people" is a name for tīrthikas, non-disciples of the Buddha. The form and formless realms are called "gods of great majestic virtue." Uttering words of illness and suffering regarding the Tathāgata's body—is that not coarse? Tīrthikas cling to permanence, and gods are without illness; the Buddha surpasses humans and gods, being the most supreme. Now saying he is ill—is that not shameful? The sūtra says: "At that time, World-Honoured One, I truly felt ashamed and humiliated: could it be that being close to the Buddha, I had mistakenly misheard?" The commentary states: When Ānanda heard Vimalakīrti's rebuke, he therefore said "at that time, I." Being personally his attendant, he says "close to the Buddha." The words of being ill differing from Vimalakīrti's rebuke, doubts and wonder arose in his mind, hence he says "mistakenly misheard." The sūtra says: "Thus the five hundred great disciples each explained their circumstances to the Buddha, and all said they were not competent to go there to inquire after his illness." The commentary states: According to this sūtra text, all five hundred disciples were rebuked. The sūtra text fully recorded very many fascicles and verses; those who compiled the canon briefly related ten people. In the Western regions, the Sanskrit text should have an extensive version.