淨名經關中釋抄 2.9.2

2.9.2

Among these five practices, the first three concern self-benefit, while the latter two concern benefiting others. Thus, aligning with the side of minor goods is called 'infant-like practice'; aligning with the side of afflictions is called 'sickly practice'. Great kindness gives rise to infant-like practice; great compassion gives rise to sickly practice. Therefore, the text below states: 'The bodhisattva's sickness arises sequentially from great compassion.' The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra states: 'The bodhisattva abides in the samādhi of the threefold truth, possesses the twenty-five samādhis, and destroys the sicknesses of sentient beings in the twenty-five realms of existence.' As for the twenty-five samādhis for the realms of existence, the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'First, the Untainted Samādhi destroys existence in hell; the Non-retrogressing Samādhi destroys existence as animals; the Joyous Mind Samādhi destroys existence as hungry ghosts; the Joyous Samādhi destroys existence as asuras; the Illusion-like Samādhi destroys existence in Jambudvīpa; the Sunlight Samādhi destroys existence in Pūrvavideha; the Moonlight Samādhi destroys existence in Aparagodānīya; the Blazing Flame Samādhi destroys existence in Uttarakuru; the Immovable Samādhi destroys existence among the Four Heavenly Kings; the Hard to Subdue Samādhi destroys existence in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven; the Delighting the Assembly Samādhi destroys existence in Yāma Heaven; the Blue Samādhi destroys existence in Tuṣita Heaven; the Yellow Samādhi destroys existence in Nirmāṇarati Heaven; the Red Samādhi destroys existence in Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven; the White Samādhi destroys existence in the First Dhyāna; the Various Samādhi destroys existence under Brahmā; the Dual Samādhi destroys existence in the Second Dhyāna; the Thunder Sound Samādhi destroys existence in the Third Dhyāna; the Pouring Rain Samādhi destroys existence in the Fourth Dhyāna; the Unobstructed Samādhi destroys existence in the realm of non-conception; the Mirror-reflecting Samādhi destroys existence as an anāgāmin; the Space-like Samādhi destroys existence in the realm of infinite space; the Eternal Samādhi destroys existence in the realm of infinite consciousness; the Blissful Samādhi destroys existence in the realm of nothingness; the Self Samādhi destroys existence in the realm of neither-conception-nor-non-conception.' Fourth, comprehensively explaining this chapter and the following five chapters through the two sicknesses of the provisional and the ultimate. Explaining this chapter: from 'Householder, from what did this sickness arise?' down to 'the sickness of sentient beings arises from the four great elements; because they are sick, I therefore am sick', it clarifies Vimalakīrti's expedient means of using the provisional sickness of great compassion to benefit living beings. From consoling beings and subduing onward, external matters serve as consolation, while internal contemplation and subjugation serve as the ultimate truth for those being transformed. The text contains three sicknesses—namely, subjugation. In the text, first, sickness of existence is regulated by means of emptiness. Second, from 'experiencing feelings without having anything received' onward, by entering the provisional with great compassion, sickness of emptiness is regulated by means of existence. Third, from 'neither real nor existent' onward, the practice not yet heard is regulated. That is to say, first, regulating existence through emptiness destroys the sickness of views and deliberations; second, exhausting emptiness through wonderful existence destroys the sickness of ignorance vast as dust and sand; third, the correct contemplation of the middle way dispels the sickness of the ground of abiding ignorance. Comprehensively explaining the text of the following five chapters: because in the Inquiry into Sickness Chapter the two sicknesses of the provisional and ultimate were briefly queried, eight thousand devaputras of light defilements gave rise to the bodhi-mind, while the other great beings were not immediately awakened. Hence, in the subsequent five chapters, Vimalakīrti and Mañjuśrī extensively expound the two sicknesses. How so? In the Inconceivable Chapter, the great beings' provisional application and vast functioning are expounded, which is called extensively explaining the provisional sickness. The Contemplating Sentient Beings Chapter extensively explains emptiness; the Buddha Path Chapter extensively explains the provisional; the Non-dual Dharma-gate and Sarvagandhasugandhā Chapters extensively explain the middle way, which is extensively explaining the ultimate sickness. The words and principles are broad, and the metaphors are plentiful; great are the path realized, the fruit attained, and the benefit derived! Thus we know that in these six chapters, although Mañjuśrī's intentions and expressions appear varied, their underlying principles coincide; all of them clarify the bodhisattva's sickly practice. 'Mañjuśrī' is translated here as 'Wondrous Virtue', and in the new translation as 'Wondrous Auspiciousness'. Under the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, it is cited that he previously manifested as a buddha named [...]. 'Deeply [moved] the sentiments of those who went' means praising Vimalakīrti so that those Dharma-companions who went with him would deeply generate faith and conviction; hence it is called 'deep'. 'Empty room': this represents the broad fundamental principle of the pure land. Śākyamuni clearly preached the Dharma and manifested the buddha-lands inside the parasol; Vimalakīrti showed non-deviation from the fundamental principle, manifesting the empty room within a ten-foot square. Thus Mañjuśrī inquired about the room being empty, and he therefore replied: 'All buddha-lands are likewise also empty.' Furthermore, in the past, because sentient beings were deluded, the pure land turned into the three realms, and the dharmakāya turned into heavenly Māras and non-Buddhists; Vimalakīrti's compassionate transformation likewise did not appear. Now Mañjuśrī enters the room to converse, and the multitudes of beings decisively awaken. When they awaken, then the nature of the three realms is empty; hence the empty room represents this. When craving and views return to the Path, there are no attendants; this represents Vimalakīrti's compassionate vow, and seeing his salvation represents coming without the mark of coming. Sengrui said: 'Dharma Master Kumārajīva rectified the profound texts and extracted the hidden meanings, whereupon we first realized how earlier translations had compromised the original text and strayed from its purport through erroneous phrasing.' For instance, 'coming without the mark of coming' had been taken as 'condescending to come'; 'seeing without the mark of seeing' as 'seeing each other'; 'dharmas not yet conditioned' as 'initiating the spirit'; and 'conditions uniting dharmas' as 'stopping the mind'. Instances like these were found in every chapter, and the Dharma Master corrected them all. Furthermore, coming from the mango grove, it is coming without coming; seeing the empty room, it is seeing without seeing. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of devas and humans were attached to existence, so they definitively saw the five hundred śrāvakas; because he taught emptiness, they did not see the bodhisattvas; abiding in the middle, it is seeing without seeing. Furthermore, sentient beings are deluded about birth, so they see coming; they are deluded about death, so they see going. Since they cannot transcend their own coming and going in birth and death, they must rely on the great being's coming and going in response to living beings before they awaken to the fact of no coming and no going. Moreover, seeing the markless reality is called true non-seeing; grasping the marks of the six sensory objects is not true seeing. In the past, sentient beings falsely clung to erroneous views; now that Mañjuśrī enters the room, he will surely cause sentient beings to see what can be seen in markless seeing, while false views of marks and inverted views will naturally not arise continuously and will no longer be visible. 'Is it indeed bearable or not?': since the bodhisattva himself has no sickness, how could there be bearable or unbearable? Since it is the sickness of sentient beings, then when the sickness of sentient beings is bearable, the bodhisattva's sickness is bearable; when the sickness of sentient beings is unbearable, the bodhisattva's sickness is also unbearable. If we discuss sickness and discern bearable and unbearable in terms of sentient beings: not falling into the eight difficulties and being born to encounter the Buddha-Dharma is called bearable; hearing the Dharma and putting it into practice is called healing with relief; once receiving it and never retrogressing is called increasing. Furthermore, the five heinous deeds, cutting off good roots, and slandering the Vaipulya sūtras cannot be expiated through repentance, which is unbearable; the rest are not in the realm of definitive falsehood, hence they are bearable. It can also be that whenever transgressing preceding precepts causes falling into the three evil paths, it is unbearable; taking the three refuges and five precepts, and already knowing to cultivate superior good roots, is bearable. Furthermore, transmigration in the three realms is all unbearable; the two vehicles' transcendence is bearable. Furthermore, the two vehicles' half-letter teaching and lingering in that conjured city are unbearable; the Mahāyāna's full-letter teaching is then called bearable. Furthermore, expedient Mahāyāna that has not yet entered the round and wondrous is called unbearable; the round, sudden, and ultimate is then called bearable. 'Healing with relief': this is also discussed in terms of sentient beings regarding whether the bodhisattva experiences relief or not. The great being heals living beings with the Dharma medicine, which may provide relief or no relief; this should be analyzed in four propositions.