淨名經關中釋抄 2.9.1

2.9.1

Above, outside the room, three chapters broke attachments and subjugated them. From here below, the chapters master the Dharma and embrace them. Thus the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra says: 'Those who should be subjugated, subjugate them; those who should be embraced, embrace them.' Because of subjugation and embracing, it is said that the true Dharma will long abide. For the scripture text of the six chapters from here below, Tiantai briefly uses four considerations to explain them generally: first, to clarify the reason for their coming; second, to clarify that Mañjuśrī alone is capable of inquiring after the illness; third, [there are five points: first, to answer the needs of the time...]; fourth, to take the two [teachings] to comprehensively explain the sūtra. First, regarding the reason for their coming: the thirst and longing in the minds of the assembly. Second, to clarify the embracing and guiding of the three contemplations. Third, to swiftly accomplish the Tathāgata's transformation of the pure land. Fourth, to serve in due course as an expedient means for entering the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra and Lotus Sūtra. Fifth, to return to the Buddha for confirmation. First, regarding meeting the thirst and longing of the assembly: above, the kings, officials, commoners, disciples, and bodhisattvas praised Vimalakīrti's superior wisdom and superior virtue. Although the great assembly gave rise to thirst and longing, they had not yet been able to see or hear [him]. If Mañjuśrī had not received the command to inquire after the illness, how could he meet their faithful minds, understand the two illnesses—provisional and ultimate—and awaken to the profound purport of inconceivable liberation? Second, clarifying the embracing and guiding of the three contemplations: above, the Expedient Means Chapter rebuked the minds of kings and ministers clinging to existence; the Disciples Chapter rebuked the śrāvakas' delusion of emptiness; the Bodhisattvas Chapter rebuked the expedient bodhisattvas' unconsummated practice. If Mañjuśrī and Vimalakīrti did not mutually praise and embrace [them], how could they awaken and enter the gate of consummate wondrousness? Therefore Mañjuśrī entered, and together with Vimalakīrti they praised each other and proclaimed the single-mind three contemplations, causing [the assembly] to awaken to the ultimate, inconceivable path of non-duality. Therefore these following chapters come forward. Third, regarding swiftly accomplishing the Tathāgata's transformation of the pure land: if, through Mañjuśrī inquiring after the illness, they hear the teaching of inconceivable liberation, cut off doubts through the three contemplations, and awaken and enter non-duality, they will spontaneously understand that both pure and defiled are neither defiled nor pure; defiled and pure are for beings, not true defilement or purity; and they will attain the pure land of the Dharma-nature. Fourth, regarding serving as the preparation for entering the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra and Lotus Sūtra: sharp-rooted ones among the two vehicles and expedient bodhisattvas, awakening right on their seats, attain the forbearance of non-arising dharmas, which serves as the cause of contemplating faculties. The Great Beings loudly praise consummate wondrousness; the śrāvakas wail in self-pity; the bodhisattvas' clinging gradually melts away. Reaching the expedient means of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra and Lotus Sūtra, they attain the forbearance of non-arising dharmas, open the Buddha's knowledge and vision, and even attain the marvelous fruit of eternal abiding. Fifth, regarding returning for confirmation: if through Mañjuśrī expounding the texts of the six chapters, extensively proclaiming the provisional and ultimate [...], extensively benefiting beings through the true and responsive, they immediately attain [the fruit]. Vimalakīrti leads the assembly back to the consummate, praising and confirming, distinguishing the differences in Buddha-deeds. Seeing Abhirati and benefiting beings, they accomplish the great benefit of inconceivable liberation and the pure land. Regarding Mañjuśrī alone being capable of inquiring after the illness: the reasons are many, but only five kinds are set forth. First, he is capable because his stage is high. Although Mañjuśrī and the other bodhisattvas all abide in equal awakening, between the initial mind and the final stage there is still shallow and deep. Hence the Yingluo jing says: 'Although abiding in equal awakening, one abides for hundreds of thousands of myriad kalpas to enter the gate of twofold mystery.' This means that the others who enter equal awakening have the initial mind and are therefore shallow; Mañjuśrī and Vimalakīrti have the final mind of equal awakening, and their stage is high, so they are capable. The other people's stage is low, so they are not capable. Second, he is capable because of manifesting traces. Most of the other people truly abide in equal awakening. Mañjuśrī and Vimalakīrti were originally Nāgavamśa and Golden Grain Tathāgatas, yet in their traces they abide in equal awakening. The other people who are real are not capable; Mañjuśrī likewise manifests traces, so he is capable. Third, revealing the consummate. How could the fundamental and traces of these Great Beings be definitively measured? However, the other bodhisattvas, in assisting the Buddha, mostly displayed expedient gates of teaching, and so were all subjugated by Vimalakīrti. Mañjuśrī and Vimalakīrti assist the Buddha in revealing the consummate. Since what they reveal is the same, he alone is capable. Fourth, satisfying the feelings of beings: when the other bodhisattvas practiced in assisting the Buddha, how could they not expound the consummate at all? It was merely that their affinity to transform beings was shallow; even if they went to inquire after the illness, the assembly's feelings would not be satisfied. Mañjuśrī's affinity to transform beings is deep; if he goes to inquire, they will surely rejoice and be comforted, so he alone is capable. Fifth, differences in responsive affinities: the other bodhisattvas and Vimalakīrti have the affinity of subjugation and embracing, like an anvil and hammer fashioning an object. Mañjuśrī and Vimalakīrti have the affinity of striking and resounding, like two hammers fashioning an object. Therefore, Mañjuśrī entering the room, they alternately serve as host and guest, mutually completing one another, further accomplishing the benefit to beings, where the advantages are truly manifold. Third, clarifying the illness that is inquired about: there are two kinds. First, real illness, which has defiled karma as its cause. Second, provisional illness, which arises from great compassion. Vimalakīrti, capable of transforming, is not ill yet appears ill; hence it is called provisional. Sentient beings, who are to be transformed, incur illness through affliction and karma; this is called real. Hence the text below says: 'The bodhisattva's illness arises from great compassion'—this is the provisional. 'Now these pains of mine are all born from the afflictions of erroneous marks and inversions in past lives'—this is the real. Explaining these two illnesses comprises two gates: first the real, then the provisional. Explaining the real illness briefly forms three gates: first, distinguishing cause and effect; second, the intertwining of cause and effect; third, the pairing of light and heavy. First, distinguishing cause and effect: the causes are greed, anger, delusion, and an equal proportion of these—the karma and fruit arisen from these four afflictions serve as the cause. Hence the sūtra says: 'They are all born from the afflictions of erroneous marks and inversions in past lives.' Furthermore, the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'Greed, anger, delusion, and pride are the causes of pain.' The painful aspects of the fruit: due to those defiled causes, one experiences the fruit of the body of the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—and the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness, death, and the five flourishing aggregates. In their correspondence: greed corresponds to the water element; the sūtra says: 'Water [...] arises.' Second, anger corresponds to the fire element; the sūtra says: 'Anger burns roots of goodness.' Third, delusion corresponds to the wind element; the sūtra says: 'The violent wind of the four inversions.' Fourth, an equal proportion corresponds to the earth element; the aspect of equal proportion means that the three poisons arise equally, and the earth element likewise must coexist with the other three elements. Furthermore, the Ruiying jing says: 'Greedy desire brings about old age; anger brings about sickness; delusion brings about death.' Inferring from this meaning, an equal proportion corresponds to birth. Hence the text below says: 'As long as there are birth and death, there is illness.' Second, the intertwining of cause and effect: the six sense faculties and the myriad objects mutually arouse greed and anger; then there are eighty-four thousand afflictions as causal illnesses. The four great elements each arise and rub against one another; when one element is out of harmony, there are one hundred and one illness-afflictions, culminating in the fruit-epidemic of the four hundred and four illnesses up to the myriad illnesses. Third, the pairing of light and heavy: complying with the ordinary three poisons while concurrently cultivating the refuges and precepts is called light. The ten evil acts, the four grave offenses, the five heinous sins, cutting off roots of goodness, and slandering the Dharma are called increased heaviness. Light causes bring about the retribution of the four elements and four sufferings among humans and gods; this is called a light fruit. Avīci in the three bad destinies, where the four elements and four sufferings increase in severity, is called a heavy fruit. Second, clarifying the provisional illness: the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra explains five practices, namely noble practice, heavenly practice, pure practice, infant practice, and illness practice.