淨名經關中釋抄 2.25

2.25

無垢稱云。見如來品准前半品應云見如來。准後半品即云見阿閦。亦無異義　以何等相觀如來乎者。大乘真宗遺相離著。而諸聽求皆取相生信。故上文殊入室淨名空室以待之。不思議品身子求床淨名。遣求以誨之。今二大士歸園方將見佛。而諸聽者多著相求真依身起信。故問其來觀。使陳無之相以覺悟故。文殊入室不來相而來之。淨名見佛不見相而見之。身子求法絕求心以求之。彌勒得記離得記而得之　妙絕常境者。六塵之境尋常境也。如來即色非色故云妙絕也　則真者同真者。謂淨名達悟遣自相而見佛無相。是同法偽者同為謂未悟之流自執己身相之有實見如來身有相亦同斯。則兩執名為同失。兩亡名之同得　不此不彼者。此彼體空也　不以此不以彼者。以用也。謂其心不執用此彼也　不在方者。明法身不偏在方也　不離方者。遍一切處也　等諸智者。上無上也　同眾生者。下而無下。以斯觀者離前百非。故明正見。若他觀者同前百非故名邪也　舍利弗問維摩詰者。身子迦葉二尊者迹處聲聞誘小進大。故始會已來或託迷以陳問。或假悟以悲悔。皆菩薩方便勸之至也。其事者何。如佛國品。未答二問已。眾既未悟。故身子假執果疑因令眾發悟。文殊師利入室問疾。空室無侍表諸佛國土亦復皆空。不思議品身子假念床以啟無求之緣。因借座以明不思議解脫之用。復次身子迦葉領旨自傷。明聲聞皆應號叫三千菩薩忻慶頂受此法也。觀眾生品二大士論眾生性空即真空具足慈悲喜捨。因天女散花身子對揚。廣明可思議解脫不可思議解脫二種力用不同。佛道品二大士廣明非道行於佛道。身子迦葉示居不及自歎領解云。凡夫於佛覆聲聞無也。無數聲聞迴心向大卑鄙小乘。香積品明淨穢二土法門不同。舍利弗食佛餘飯。至菩薩品對佛自云。非意所圖非度所測。兼假阿難伏過。從今已往不敢自謂以為多聞。即令無數聲聞捨小忻大。此中復假問淨名沒生。今自陳法身應用。非沒非生能示沒生。令無數眾生發菩薩心願生淨土。此上諸說皆文殊淨名亦其勝二大聲聞伏其劣。以此方便引進無數小乘方便行人。或即座悟無生忍。或至大品法花涅槃方得無生忍。雖述有優劣而化功一也　汝於何沒而來至此者。所以有此問答者。成前即相無相義也。惑者謂事外別有理應身之外別有法身。所以問答者令知即生非生即相無相也。又前橫破百非名橫遍。此生即生沒明竪牒。遍而且深。法身之理圓矣　日光出時者。此明應身也。前既即生不生為真身。此明不生而生辨應身。又日光自明闍不可蔽。此喻真身本覺處染不染。能破諸闇此喻化身。應物返迷從悟也　忉利者。梵音也。此云三十三天也　阿迦膩吒者。梵音也。此云色究竟天。此色界天頂故云也。

The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa calls this the Chapter on Seeing the Tathāgata. Following the first half of the chapter, it should be called "Seeing the Tathāgata"; following the second half of the chapter, it is called "Seeing Akṣobhya"—nor is there any difference in meaning. / Regarding "With what kind of marks do you view the Tathāgata?": the true principle of the Great Vehicle leaves behind marks and departs from attachment, yet listeners and seekers all seize upon marks to generate faith. Therefore, above, when Mañjuśrī entered the room, Vimalakīrti emptied the room to await him; and in the Inconceivable Chapter, when Śāriputra sought couches, Vimalakīrti dismissed the seeking to instruct him. Now, the two great beings were returning to the park and about to see the Buddha, yet the listeners mostly clung to marks in seeking the true, generating faith based on the physical body. Therefore [the Buddha] asked about his viewing as he arrived, causing him to expound the marks of non-existence in order to enlighten [them]. Mañjuśrī's entering the room was coming by the mark of non-coming; Vimalakīrti's seeing the Buddha was seeing him by the mark of non-seeing; Śāriputra's seeking the Dharma was seeking it by ending the seeking mind; Maitreya's obtaining the prediction was obtaining it by departing from obtaining a prediction. / "Wondrously transcendent of ordinary realms": the realms of the six sense objects are ordinary realms. The Tathāgata is identical with form yet non-form; hence it is called "wondrously transcendent." / "Those who conform to the true are identical with the true": this means Vimalakīrti attained realization, dismissed his own marks, and saw that the Buddha is without marks; this is being identical with the Dharma. As for "those who are false are identical with the false," this means those who are not yet realized hold firmly that the marks of their own bodies are real, and seeing that the Tathāgata's body has marks, they are likewise like this. Thus both clingings are called being identical in loss, and both dissolutions are called being identical in attainment. / "Neither this nor that": the substances of "this" and "that" are empty. / "Neither using this nor using that": "using" is function; it means their minds do not grasp at or use "this" or "that." / "Not in a direction": this clarifies that the dharmakāya is not biased toward any direction. / "Not departing from direction": it is omnipresent in all places. / "Equal to all wisdoms": above, there is nothing higher. / "Identical with sentient beings": below, there is nothing lower. Viewing with this [insight] departs from the aforementioned hundred negations; hence it clarifies right view. If viewed otherwise, it conforms to the aforementioned hundred negations; hence it is called wrong [view]. / Regarding "Śāriputra asked Vimalakīrti": the two venerables Śāriputra and Kāśyapa trace their manifest role to the śrāvakas, enticing the lesser to advance to the great. Therefore, from the beginning of the assembly onward, they either relied on confusion to put forward questions, or feigned realization to express grief and repentance; these are all the bodhisattvas' skillful means urging them to the utmost. What are these instances? In the Buddha Land Chapter, before answering the two questions, the assembly was not yet awakened, so Śāriputra falsely clung to the result and doubted the cause to make the assembly awaken. When Mañjuśrī entered the room to inquire after the illness, the empty room without attendants signified that the buddha lands are also entirely empty. In the Inconceivable Chapter, Śāriputra falsely thought of couches to open the condition of non-seeking, and borrowing seats was used to clarify the function of the inconceivable liberation. Furthermore, Śāriputra and Kāśyapa grasped the meaning and lamented themselves, clarifying that śrāvakas should all wail, while three thousand bodhisattvas rejoice and uphold this Dharma atop their heads. In the Viewing Sentient Beings Chapter, the two great beings discussed that the nature of sentient beings is empty, which is true emptiness replete with kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity; and due to the heavenly maiden scattering flowers, Śāriputra conversed with her, broadly clarifying that conceivable liberation and inconceivable liberation have two different powers and functions. In the Buddha Path Chapter, the two great beings broadly clarified that walking the non-path is walking the Buddha path; Śāriputra and Kāśyapa demonstrated residing in inability and sighed in appreciation, saying: "Sentient beings can [produce the seed of] the Buddha, but śrāvakas cannot." Countless śrāvakas turned their minds toward the great and held the lesser vehicle in low regard. The Fragrance Accumulation Chapter clarified that the Dharma gates of the pure and impure lands are different; Śāriputra ate the leftover rice of the Buddha, and in the Bodhisattva Chapter, he said before the Buddha: "It was beyond my thoughts and past my estimation"; and relying on Ānanda to subdue faults, [they said] from now on they would not dare to regard themselves as having heard much. This caused countless śrāvakas to abandon the small and rejoice in the great. Here, [Śāriputra] again falsely asked where Vimalakīrti passed away to be born here, and now [Vimalakīrti] himself declared the responsive application of the dharmakāya: neither passing away nor being born, yet able to manifest passing away and being born, causing countless sentient beings to arouse the bodhisattva mind and vow to be born in the pure land. All these expositions above show Mañjuśrī and Vimalakīrti manifesting their superiority, while the two great śrāvakas subdued their inferiority; using these skillful means, they guided and advanced countless practitioners of the lesser vehicle and skillful means, who either awakened to the forbearance of non-arising dharmas right on their seats, or only attained the forbearance of non-arising dharmas when reaching the Large Prajñāpāramitā, the Lotus Sūtra, or the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. Although the expositions have superior and inferior, their transformative efficacy is one. / Regarding "Where did you pass away to come here?": the reason for this question and answer is to establish the previous meaning that identity with marks is marklessness. Deluded people say that apart from phenomena there is a separate principle, and apart from the response body there is a separate dharmakāya. The question and answer were made to make them know that identity with birth is non-birth, and identity with marks is marklessness. Furthermore, the previous horizontal refutation of the hundred negations is called horizontally pervasive; this [exposition of] birth as being passing away and birth clarifies vertical progression, being both pervasive and profound, so that the principle of the dharmakāya is fully complete. / Regarding "When sunlight emerges": this clarifies the response body. Previously, identity with birth as non-birth was taken as the true body; this clarifies non-birth while being born to distinguish the response body. Furthermore, sunlight is naturally luminous and darkness cannot conceal it; this illustrates that the original enlightenment of the true body abides in defilement without being defiled. Being able to destroy all darkness illustrates the transformation body, which responds to things, turning confusion into enlightenment. / "Trāyastriṃśa": a Sanskrit term; here translated as "Heaven of the Thirty-Three." / "Akaniṣṭha": a Sanskrit term; here translated as "Ultimate Form Heaven." This is the summit of the form realm heavens; hence the name.