Vimalakīrti Sutra (維摩詰所說經)

Chapter 3: Disciples

At that time, the elder Vimalakīrti thought to himself: "I am lying here sick in bed. The World-Honored One, who is so greatly compassionate—why does he not show me his concern?"

The Buddha, knowing his thoughts, immediately said to Shariputra, "You go and visit Vimalakirti to inquire about his illness."

Shariputra said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, I am not fit to go and inquire after his health. Why? I recall that once, while I was sitting in meditation under a tree in a forest, Vimalakirti came and said to me, 'Ah, Shariputra! This is not the only way to sit in meditation. True meditation is not manifesting body or mind within the three realms. It is abiding in the state of cessation while displaying all manner of conduct. It is not abandoning the Dharma of enlightenment while engaging in ordinary affairs. It is the mind not dwelling within nor abiding without. It is practicing the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment without being moved by any views. It is entering nirvana without severing afflictions. If one can sit in meditation like this, the Buddha will give his approval.' At that time, World-Honored One, upon hearing these words, I fell silent and had no reply. Therefore, I am not fit to go and inquire after his health."

The Buddha said to Mahamaudgalyayana, "Go and visit Vimalakirti to inquire about his illness."

Maudgalyayana said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, I am not fit to go and inquire about his illness. Why? I recall that in the past, I entered the great city of Vaisali and was teaching the Dharma to some laypeople in the lanes and alleys. At that time, Vimalakirti came and said to me, 'Ah, great Maudgalyayana! When teaching the Dharma to white-robed laypeople, it should not be done as you are doing. One who teaches the Dharma should teach in accordance with the Dharma itself.

'The Dharma has no sentient beings, for it is free from the defilement of sentient beings. The Dharma has no self, for it is free from the defilement of self. The Dharma has no lifespan, for it is free from birth and death. The Dharma has no person, for it is cut off from past and future. The Dharma is eternally tranquil, for it extinguishes all appearances. The Dharma is free from characteristics, for it has no object of dependence. The Dharma has no name, for words and speech are cut off. The Dharma cannot be spoken, for it is free from perception and thought. The Dharma has no form, like empty space. The Dharma is beyond debate, for it is ultimately empty. The Dharma has no "mine," for it is free from what is mine. The Dharma has no discrimination, for it is free from all consciousness. The Dharma has no comparison, for there is nothing to contrast it with. The Dharma does not belong to causes, for it is not located in conditions. The Dharma is identical with the nature of Dharma, for it enters into all dharmas. The Dharma follows suchness, yet there is nothing to follow. The Dharma abides in reality, unmoved by any extreme. The Dharma is unmoving, for it does not depend on the six sense-objects. The Dharma does not come or go, for it never abides. The Dharma accords with emptiness, follows signlessness, and responds to non-action. The Dharma is free from beauty and ugliness; the Dharma neither increases nor decreases; the Dharma is neither born nor perishes; the Dharma has nowhere to return. The Dharma is beyond the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. The Dharma has no high or low; the Dharma eternally abides unmoving; the Dharma is free from all contemplative practices.

'Ah, great Maudgalyayana! Such is the nature of the Dharma—how can it be spoken? One who teaches the Dharma teaches without speaking or showing; one who listens to the Dharma hears without hearing or attaining. It is like an illusionist teaching the Dharma to illusory people. You should establish this understanding and then teach the Dharma. You should fully comprehend whether the faculties of beings are sharp or dull, be skilled in insight without obstruction, praise the Great Vehicle with a heart of great compassion, remember to repay the Buddha's kindness and uphold the Three Jewels without interruption, and only then teach the Dharma.'

When Vimalakirti spoke this Dharma, eight hundred laypeople awakened the mind of supreme, perfect enlightenment. I do not possess such eloquence, and therefore I am not fit to go and inquire about his illness."

The Buddha said to Mahākāśyapa, "Go and visit Vimalakīrti to ask about his illness."

Kāśyapa addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One, I am not fit to go and inquire about his illness. Why? I recall that in the past, I was begging for alms in a poor district when Vimalakīrti came and said to me: 'Ah, Great Kāśyapa! You have a compassionate heart, yet it is not universal. You forsake the wealthy and beg only from the poor. Kāśyapa, abide in the Dharma of equality and should beg for food in sequence. For the sake of not eating, you should beg for food; for the sake of breaking the notion of composite things, you should receive morsels of food; for the sake of not receiving, you should accept that food. With the thought of an empty village, enter the settlement; regard what you see as equal to a blind man, what you hear as equal to an echo, what you smell as equal to the wind, taste food without discrimination, experience all contacts as a wise one realizes, and know all phenomena as illusory appearances—without self-nature, without other-nature, originally unarisen, now without cessation. Kāśyapa, if you can, without abandoning the eight wrong paths, enter the eight liberations; with wrong appearances enter the right Dharma; with a single meal give to all, making offerings to all Buddhas and the multitude of sages and saints—only then may you eat. One who eats in this way is neither with afflictions nor apart from afflictions, neither entering concentration nor arising from concentration, neither abiding in the world nor abiding in nirvāṇa. For the one who gives, there is neither great merit nor small merit, neither benefit nor loss. This is the true entry into the Buddha Way, not relying on the Śrāvaka vehicle. Kāśyapa, if you eat in this manner, you do not eat people's offerings in vain.' At that time, World-Honored One, hearing these words, I gained what I had never had before. I immediately felt profound reverence for all bodhisattvas and further thought: 'This one bears the name of a householder, yet his eloquence and wisdom are such as this! Who, upon hearing this, would not set their mind on unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment?' From that time on, I have never again encouraged others to follow the path of Śrāvakas or Pratyekabuddhas. Therefore, I am not fit to go and inquire about his illness."

The Buddha said to Subhuti, "Go to Vimalakirti and ask after his health."

Subhuti said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness. Why? I recall that once, when I entered his house to beg for food, Vimalakirti took my bowl, filled it with rice, and said to me: 'Subhuti, if you see equality in food, then you see equality in all phenomena. If you see equality in all phenomena, then you see equality in food. Only then can you accept food while begging.

If you do not cut off desire, anger, and ignorance, yet do not remain with them; if you do not destroy this physical body yet abide in the single mark of reality; if you do not extinguish delusion and craving, yet give rise to wisdom and liberation; if you are liberated through the five heinous offenses, yet neither liberated nor bound; if you do not see the Four Noble Truths, yet are not without seeing them; if you neither attain nor fail to attain realization; if you are neither an ordinary person nor separate from ordinary personhood; if you are neither a sage nor not a sage; if you accomplish all dharmas yet transcend all marks of dharmas—only then can you accept food.

Subhuti, if you do not see the Buddha, do not hear the Dharma, and regard the six heretic teachers—Purana Kassapa, Makkhali Gosala, Sanjaya Belatthiputta, Ajita Kesakambala, Kakuda Katyayana, and Nigantha Nataputta—as your teachers; if you leave home to follow them; and if you fall into whatever they fall into—only then can you accept food.

Subhuti, if you enter all false views and do not reach the other shore; if you abide in the eight difficulties and do not attain freedom from them; if you are identical with afflictions and separate from pure dharmas; if you attain the samadhi of non-contention, and all beings also attain that concentration—then those who give you alms are not planting merit; those who make offerings to you will fall into the three evil realms; you will work side by side with demons as their companion in toil; you will be no different from demons and afflictions; you will bear enmity toward all beings; you will slander the Buddhas, destroy the Dharma, never join the assembly, and never attain nirvana. Only if you are like this can you accept food.'

At that time, World-Honored One, hearing these words, I was completely bewildered. I did not know what words these were, nor how to reply. I put down my bowl and was about to leave his house. Vimalakirti said, 'Subhuti, take your bowl and do not be afraid. What do you think? If the Buddha's magical creation were to be questioned in this way, would it be afraid?'

I said, 'No.'

Vimalakirti said, 'All dharmas are like illusions and magical creations. You should not be afraid now. Why? All words and speech never leave this nature. The wise do not cling to words, and therefore have no fear. Why? The nature of words is separate; there are no words. This is liberation. The mark of liberation is exactly the nature of all dharmas.'

When Vimalakirti taught this Dharma, two hundred heavenly beings attained the pure Dharma-eye. Therefore, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness."

The Buddha said to Purna Maitrayani-putra, "You go to Vimalakīrti and ask about his illness."

Pūrṇā said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness. Why is that? I recall that once, in a great forest, I was sitting under a tree teaching the Dharma to a group of newly ordained monks. At that time, Vimalakīrti came to me and said, ‘Pūrṇā, first enter meditative absorption and observe the minds of these people before teaching the Dharma. Do not put spoiled food into a precious vessel. You should understand what these monks are thinking. Do not mistake crystal for glass. Since you cannot see the roots and capacities of beings, do not arouse the Lesser Vehicle in them. Those who have no wound should not be injured. For those who wish to follow the Great Path, do not show a small trail. Do not try to fit the great ocean into the footprint of an ox. Do not compare sunlight to a firefly’s glow. Pūrṇā, these monks have long resolved to follow the Great Vehicle, but have temporarily forgotten this resolve. How can you teach them the Lesser Vehicle? I see that the wisdom of the Lesser Vehicle is shallow and limited, like a blind person who cannot distinguish the sharp or dull capacities of all beings.’ Then Vimalakīrti entered samādhi and caused those monks to recognize their past lives: they had planted roots of virtue under five hundred Buddhas and dedicated it all to supreme enlightenment. Suddenly they became enlightened and recovered their original aspiration. Then those monks bowed at Vimalakīrti’s feet. Vimalakīrti then taught them the Dharma, and they never again retreated from the path to supreme enlightenment. I realize that voice-hearers should not teach Dharma without first discerning the capacities of people. Therefore, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness.”

The Buddha told Mahā Kātyāyana, "Go and visit Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness."

Katyayana said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, I am not worthy to go and inquire about his illness. Why is that? I remember that once, when the Buddha had briefly explained the essential teachings to the monks, I later elaborated on their meaning—the meaning of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, non-self, and tranquil cessation. Then Vimalakirti came to me and said: 'Katyayana, do not explain the nature of ultimate reality with a mind that grasps at arising and ceasing. Katyayana, all phenomena are ultimately neither arising nor ceasing—this is the meaning of impermanence. When the five aggregates are thoroughly understood as empty and devoid of any origin—this is the meaning of suffering. When all phenomena fundamentally possess nothing at all—this is the meaning of emptiness. When there is no duality between self and non-self—this is the meaning of non-self. When dharmas originally do not ignite and now do not extinguish—this is the meaning of tranquil cessation.' While he was teaching this, those monks attained liberation of mind. Therefore, I am not worthy to go and inquire about his illness."

The Buddha said to Aniruddha, "Go to Vimalakīrti and inquire about his sickness."

Ānanda said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, I am not fit to go and inquire about his illness. Why? I recall that once, as I was walking in meditation, a Brahma king named Pure Radiance, accompanied by ten thousand Brahma beings, came to me radiating pure light. After prostrating and paying respects, he asked, 'Ananda, how far can your divine eye see?' I replied, 'Venerable sir, I see this Saha world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the entire billionfold universe, as clearly as I see an amla fruit in my palm.'

At that moment, Vimalakīrti came and said to me, 'Hey, Ananda! Does your divine eye see by creating a form, or without creating a form? If it sees by creating a form, then it is the same as the five superknowledges of non-Buddhists. If it sees without creating a form, then that is the unconditioned, which cannot be said to 'see' anything.'

World-Honored One, at that time I fell silent. When those Brahma beings heard what Vimalakīrti said, they experienced something unprecedented. They prostrated and asked him, 'In this world, who truly has the divine eye?' Vimalakīrti replied, 'There is. The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, possess the true divine eye. They are constantly in samadhi and see all Buddha lands without any duality.'

Upon hearing this, the Brahma king Pure Radiance, along with his retinue of five hundred Brahma beings, all awakened to the supreme aspiration for full enlightenment. They bowed at Vimalakīrti's feet and then suddenly vanished. Therefore, I am not fit to go and inquire about his illness."

The Buddha said to Upāli, "Go to Vimalakīrti and ask after his health."

Upali said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, I am not qualified to go and inquire about his illness. Why? I recall that once, two monks had violated the precepts. Ashamed, they did not dare to ask the Buddha, so they came to me and said, 'Upali, we have broken the precepts. We are truly ashamed and dare not ask the Buddha. Please help us resolve our doubts and remorse so we may be free from this fault.' I then explained the Dharma to them in accordance with the rules.

At that time, Vimalakīrti came and said to me, 'Upali, do not add to the burden of these two monks' offenses! You should directly remove their transgressions and not disturb their minds. Why? The nature of their offenses is not inside, not outside, and not in between. As the Buddha has said, when the mind is defiled, beings are defiled; when the mind is pure, beings are pure. The mind itself is not inside, not outside, and not in between. Just as the mind is, so too are offenses and defilements. All phenomena are likewise, never departing from Thusness. Upali, when the mind is liberated through understanding its true nature, is there any defilement or not?' I replied, 'No.' Vimalakīrti said, 'The mind-nature of all beings is free from defilement—this is exactly the same. Upali, delusive thinking is defilement; absence of delusive thinking is purity. Inversion is defilement; non-inversion is purity. Clinging to self is defilement; not clinging to self is purity. Upali, all phenomena arise and cease without abiding; they are like illusions, like lightning. All dharmas are not dependent on each other; they do not abide even for a single thought. All dharmas are false perceptions, like a dream, like a mirage, like the moon in water, like an image in a mirror—they arise from delusive thinking. One who understands this is said to uphold the precepts; one who understands this is said to have true understanding.'

Then the two monks said, 'How profound! Upali cannot reach this level. Even the foremost master of the precepts could not express it.' I replied, 'Apart from the Tathāgata, no śrāvaka or bodhisattva can match his effortless eloquence. His wisdom is brilliantly clear and penetrating like this!' At that moment, the two monks' doubts and remorse were eliminated, and they aroused the aspiration for anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, making this vow: 'May all beings attain such eloquence.' Therefore, I am not qualified to go and inquire about his illness."

The Buddha said to Rāhula, "You should go to Vimalakīrti and inquire about his illness."

Rāhula said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, I am not qualified to visit him and inquire about his illness. Why is that? I recall that once, a group of young nobles from Vaiśālī came to visit me. They bowed respectfully and asked, 'Rāhula, you are the son of the Buddha. You gave up the position of a wheel-turning king to become a monk. What benefits come from becoming a monk?' I then properly explained to them the merits and benefits of becoming a monk.

At that time, Vimalakīrti came and said to me, 'Rāhula, you should not speak of the merits and benefits of becoming a monk. Why? Because where there are no benefits and no merits—that is what true monastic life is. One can speak of benefits and merits only in the realm of conditioned phenomena. But monastic life is about the unconditioned. In the unconditioned, there are no benefits and no merits. Rāhula, true monastic life means going beyond this side, that side, and the middle; it means abandoning the sixty-two false views and abiding in nirvāṇa. It is accepted by the wise and practiced by the noble. It subdues all demons, transcends the five realms of existence, purifies the five kinds of vision, attains the five powers, establishes the five faculties, does not trouble others, leaves behind all kinds of evil, defeats all heretics, goes beyond mere labels, rises from the mud without being attached, has no sense of "mine," no grasping, is undisturbed, and is filled with inner joy. It safeguards the minds of others, follows meditative concentration, and leaves behind all faults. Only when one lives like this is it true monastic life.'

Then Vimalakīrti said to the young nobles, 'You should all become monastics within the true teaching. Why? Because it is rare to encounter a Buddha in this world.'

The young nobles replied, 'Householder, we have heard the Buddha say that if one's parents do not give permission, one cannot become a monk.'

Vimalakīrti said, 'Very well, then you should all arouse the mind of supreme perfect enlightenment. That itself is becoming a monastic, and that itself is the complete fulfillment of the monastic life.'

At that time, all thirty-two young nobles aroused the mind of supreme perfect enlightenment. Therefore, I am not qualified to visit him and inquire about his illness."

The Buddha said to Ananda, "Go and visit Vimalakirti to inquire about his illness."

Ananda said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, I am not fit to go and inquire about his illness. Why? I recall a time in the past when you, World-Honored One, had a slight ailment and needed cow's milk. I took my bowl and went to stand at the gate of a great Brahmin household. At that time, Vimalakirti came and said to me, 'Ah, Ananda! Why have you come here with your bowl so early in the morning?' I replied, 'Layman, the World-Honored One has a slight ailment and needs cow's milk, so I have come here.' Vimalakirti said, 'Stop, stop, Ananda! Do not speak like this! The Tathagata's body is a body of diamond—all evils have been cut off, all virtues are perfectly gathered. How could there be any illness? How could there be any affliction? Go quietly, Ananda! Do not slander the Tathagata. Do not let others hear these coarse words; do not allow the great and virtuous gods, or the bodhisattvas from other pure lands who have come here, to hear such talk. Ananda, even a wheel-turning sage king, due to his small merit, remains free from illness—how much more so the Tathagata, whose assembly of immeasurable merit surpasses all? Go now, Ananda! Do not make us suffer such shame. If outsiders or Brahmins hear this, they will think: "What kind of teacher is this? He cannot even heal his own illness, yet he claims to heal the illnesses of others?" Go quickly and discreetly, and do not let anyone hear. You should know, Ananda, that the bodies of all Tathagatas are Dharma bodies, not bodies born of thought and desire. The Buddha is the World-Honored One, beyond the three realms; the Buddha's body is free from outflows, all outflows have been exhausted; the Buddha's body is unconditioned, not falling into any category. Such a body—how could it have illness? How could it have affliction?' At that time, World-Honored One, I was truly filled with shame. Could it be that I had been mistaken in what I heard near the Buddha? Then I heard a voice from the sky saying, 'Ananda, it is as the layman says. However, because the Buddha has appeared in this world of five impurities, he manifests such methods to liberate beings. Go now, Ananda, take the milk and do not be ashamed.' World-Honored One, such is the wisdom and eloquence of Vimalakirti! Therefore, I am not fit to go and inquire about his illness."

Thus, each of the five hundred great disciples, one after another, recounted to the Buddha their past connections and the words spoken by Vimalakīrti, all concluding, "We are not fit to go and inquire about his illness."