不思議品
Chapter on Inconceivable Liberation
我為法來非為床坐者。身子若意云。我從菴園本為法來。非為床坐。而相此中忽然念床。非本心也 非有色受相行識之者。此一段文淨名不以法性無生故無法可求也。復次文殊奉命五百八千為法隨從。然忻法之情既慇。保著之心亦固。既情慇執固所已。前品雖略明三觀。但得天子發心而未能深悟無生法忍。今將因念座欲顯不思議品之大用。故先遣滯法之心忘彼求取之意。諸來隨從自然息機會。□遺喪滯。近即得法眼淨。遠能不二法門也。陰界處等名數廣如林苑明也 無見苦求者。四諦有二種。小乘以見苦斷集證滅修道為四。此苦實苦為深諦。乃至滅道亦然。大乘了苦無生名苦。真諦乃至集滅亦然。此之四諦即一真諦。此乃名四而體。一不同前小乘名四而體四也。思答云。知苦無生名苦諦。知集無和合名集聖諦。以不二相觀名道聖諦。法本不生今則無滅名滅聖諦。此大乘無生四諦也。若遺教經云。佛說苦諦。真實是苦。不可令異。集真是因等。此即是小乘四諦也。又大涅槃經云。凡夫有苦無諦(生樂想故)二乘有苦有諦(覺陰苦故)菩薩解苦無苦而有真諦(覺陰無生故)故迦旃延章云。五陰凋達空無所起。是苦義(此亦覺苦無生名苦義也)下文又云。依於諸法實相之義明宣無常苦空非我(此亦了苦無主名實相)上來所引若苦等無生者。即無見苦求乃至無斷集求等。若言我當見苦斷集證滅修道者。此既不了生。是乖實相。非真言論。名戲論也 由旬者。或云踰闍那。或云由延俞旬踰繕那。此云計合應爾。謂計度量合爾。同此方驛也。古聖王一日行俱舍十六里。餘經論或三十六十八十。無定數也。見應法師經音 此座高廣吾不能昇者。如來昔日鹿苑說小乘生滅四諦十二緣斷三界九地惑。至非相想九解脫床證盡無生智。名坐解脫床。如來撫接二乘乃云。我與汝等三人同坐解脫床。此諸聲聞等不了如來隨宜所說實理如來同坐此解脫床。故法花云。佛說一解脫義等不得此法。二乘既謂佛同坐。豈能進求。今將欲奪小乘解脫使知非真床。今證不思議解脫之真座。然理不可頓悟必有漸。故假燈王之床座因遣權即實也。故法花云。汝等但離虛妄名為解脫。其實未得一切解脫。何故喻床。答。解脫止息故如來床也 有神通非不思議者。二乘神通增小減大。既未證大小之本一。謂物有大小之定相故。作通運用增減於大小耳。既有作增減。故見大小之異形。故名思議也。菩薩知窮中道權觀實圓妙理大小之形智冥妙體之用。如明鏡無心而愛惡自辨。真通不運而修短自移。此法身本有之神通。豈二乘初定運力有心之神通哉。問。二乘有心之通與菩薩本有之通何。答。懸殊。二乘於有為報得自心上假定力以現通。心運即有。心亡即無。菩薩悟達法性體用剋圓。法性體常用焉生滅。法性本有用豈修成。復以寂滅而常用。用而常寂理。無異體之用。亦無離用之體。既其即體即用。豈有心於運用哉。此菩薩法性之通。豈二乘定力之通也 我等何為永絕其根者。昔聞隨宜所謂實與佛同座解脫床。今聞別有解脫名不思議。量已外用之不如。亦審內證之非實。又增大士之行數越三祇。我今斷結。生涯甚近既無進修之分。故致永絕之哀。又審已證不與佛同。即名轉酪成生蘇教(花嚴初二果乘未益名乳。阿含轉凡成聖如轉乳為酪。昔謂三乘同證第九解脫。今乃知佛不同。悔其取小。名生蘇。若至般若。佛令聲聞為菩薩。轉教既教許。傳人未蒙記。會教不教人為熟蘇。若至法花涅槃教。昔己傳人今授記。即醍醐教)又聞。聲聞執佛同解脫果理不進求。故此經偏折解脫不同。遂懷絕分之歎言。若至法花涅槃聞一毫之善理至佛果。一地所生一雨所閏。一切眾生皆有佛性。凡有心者滅皆作佛。即自悔昔折其同 佛子所應得者。我亦得之何念歎之有。理妙根麁教不同可□。故令一音之教有不同之解。而法師未能深取經旨。而聞絕分之言。便之定性二乘永無佛性。此蓋未深喻至人權實之說 凡夫下劣不能如是逼迫菩薩者。凡夫者凡夫人也。下劣者二乘及地前菩薩名下劣位人也。故無垢稱經云。凡夫劣位非其所堪也。
I have come for the Dharma, not for a seat or a bed. If Shariputra thought, "I came from Amrapali Grove for the Dharma, not for a seat or a bed," yet in this context he suddenly thought of a seat, that was not his original intention. This is not about the aggregates of form, feeling, perception, formation, or consciousness. This passage shows that Vimalakirti does not seek any Dharma because the Dharma-nature is unborn. Furthermore, Manjushri, under orders, had 500 or 800 followers accompanying him. But since their delight in the Dharma was intense, their attachment to it was also firm. Because their emotions were intense and their attachment was strong, the previous chapter only briefly explained the three contemplations, which enabled the heavenly beings to generate the resolve for enlightenment but not to deeply realize the patient acceptance of the unborn. Now, by drawing attention to the seat, they intend to reveal the great function of the Inconceivable Chapter. Therefore, they first let go of the mind that clings to the Dharma and forget the intention of seeking and grasping. All the followers naturally stop their mental activity and let go of their attachments. In the near term, they attain the pure Dharma-eye; in the long term, they enter the door of non-duality. The extensive explanation of the aggregates, sense bases, and elements is as clear as a forest garden.
**Regarding the Four Noble Truths:** There are two kinds. In the Small Vehicle, the four are: understanding suffering, abandoning the origin, realizing cessation, and cultivating the path. This suffering is truly suffering as a profound truth, and the same goes for cessation and the path. In the Great Vehicle, they understand that suffering is unborn, and that is the truth of suffering. The same goes for the origin, cessation, and the path. These four truths are actually the one true truth. This means they are four in name but one in essence, unlike the Small Vehicle, where they are four in both name and essence. As the answer says: "Knowing that suffering is unborn is called the truth of suffering. Knowing that the origin has no combination is called the truth of the origin. Observing with the mark of non-duality is called the truth of the path. The Dharma is originally unborn and now has no cessation, called the truth of cessation." This is the Great Vehicle's teaching of the four truths as unborn. For example, the *Sutra on the Bequeathed Teachings* says: "The Buddha said the truth of suffering is truly suffering and cannot be changed. The truth of origin is truly the cause, etc." This is the Small Vehicle's four truths. Also, the *Mahaparinirvana Sutra* says: "Ordinary beings have suffering but not the truth (because they delight in pleasure). The Two Vehicles have suffering and the truth (because they are aware of suffering in the aggregates). Bodhisattvas understand suffering without suffering and have the true truth (because they are aware that aggregates are unborn)." Therefore, the Katyayana chapter says: "The five aggregates operate with emptiness and no arising; this is the meaning of suffering" (this also means realizing suffering is unborn is the meaning of suffering). The text later says: "Relying on the meaning of the true nature of all dharmas, clearly proclaim impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and no-self" (this also means realizing suffering has no master is the true nature). From the above, if suffering, etc., is unborn, then there is no seeking in understanding suffering, no seeking in abandoning the origin, etc. If one says, "I should understand suffering, abandon the origin, realize cessation, and cultivate the path," this is not understanding the unborn, is contrary to the true nature, is not true speech, and is called frivolous talk.
**Yojana:** Sometimes called "yujana" or "yuyana." It means a measure or a calculation, similar to a "post station" in this world. According to an ancient sage king, it is 16 *li* per day, but other sutras and treatises say 36, 80, or an indeterminate number. See Master Ying's pronunciation guide in the sutras.
**"This seat is so high and vast that I cannot ascend"**: In the past, when the Tathagata was at Deer Park teaching the Small Vehicle's four truths of arising and cessation, the twelve links of dependent origination, and severing the afflictions of the three realms and nine stages, up to the ninth liberation bed of neither perception nor non-perception, he realized the knowledge of the exhaustion of the outflows and the knowledge of non-arising. This is called sitting on the liberation bed. The Tathagata, in comforting the Two Vehicles, said: "I and you three persons sit together on the same liberation bed." These shravakas did not understand that the Tathagata's provisional teaching was actually saying that they sit together on this liberation bed. Therefore, the *Lotus Sutra* says: "The Buddha spoke of one meaning of liberation, etc., but they could not attain this Dharma." Since the Two Vehicles thought they sat with the Buddha, how could they seek further progress? Now, to take away the Small Vehicle's liberation and make them know it is not the true bed, they are to attain the true seat of the inconceivable liberation. But the truth cannot be realized suddenly; it must be gradual. Therefore, by temporarily using the seat of the Lamp-Lighting King, they can let go of the provisional and realize the true. Hence the *Lotus Sutra* says: "You only separate from delusion and call it liberation, but you have not yet attained all liberation." Why is it compared to a seat? Answer: Because liberation is a resting place, like the Tathagata's bed.
**"There is supernormal power, but it is not inconceivable"**: The supernormal powers of the Two Vehicles can enlarge small things and reduce large things, but they have not yet realized that large and small are fundamentally one. They think things have fixed large and small marks, so they use their powers to increase or decrease them. Since there is intentional increase or decrease, they see different forms of large and small, so it is called conceivable. A Bodhisattva knows the middle way, skillfully contemplates the complete and subtle principle. The forms of large and small become one with the wondrous function of the essence. Like a clear mirror has no mind yet clearly reflects love and hate. True supernormal power does not move, yet large and small naturally transform. This is the supernormal power inherently possessed by the Dharmakaya. How can it be compared to the two vehicles' supernormal power, which arises from meditative concentration and a deliberate mind? Question: What is the difference between the Two Vehicles' supernormal power from a deliberate mind and the Bodhisattva's inherent supernormal power? Answer: They are vastly different. The Two Vehicles use their conditioned, recompensed minds to intentionally manifest powers based on meditative concentration. When the mind operates, the power appears; when the mind ceases, it disappears. A Bodhisattva realizes the Dharma-nature's essence and function are perfectly complete. The Dharma-nature's essence is constantly functioning, and there is no arising or ceasing. The Dharma-nature is inherently useful; it does not need cultivation to be accomplished. It is both tranquil and constantly functioning, functioning while constantly tranquil in principle. There is no essence separate from function, nor function separate from essence. Since it is both essence and function, how could it be deliberate in functioning? This is the Bodhisattva's supernormal power from the Dharma-nature. How can it be compared to the two vehicles' supernormal power from meditative concentration?
**"Why have we forever cut off our roots?"** : In the past, they heard the provisional teaching and thought they truly sat with the Buddha on the same liberation bed. Now they hear of a different kind of liberation called "inconceivable." They measure their own external powers as inferior and also examine that their own internal realization is not real. Moreover, they see that the practices of great beings span three countless eons. They themselves have cut off the bonds, and their lifespan is very short. Since they have no share in further progress, they lament being forever cut off. They also realize that their own realization is not the same as the Buddha's. This is called the teaching that transforms milk into curds (Note: In the *Avatamsaka Sutra*, the first and second fruits are the two vehicles, which have not yet benefited, and are called milk. In the *Agamas*, the transformation from ordinary to sage is like turning milk into curds. In the past, they thought the three vehicles all realized the same ninth liberation. Now they know the Buddha is different. They regret their Small Vehicle attainment, which is called "raw curds." When they reach the *Prajnaparamita*, the Buddha makes the shravakas become bodhisattvas, acting as teachers. They teach people but have not yet received a prediction. This is teaching people but not yet teaching them, and is called "ripe curds." When they reach the *Lotus Sutra* and *Mahaparinirvana Sutra*, they receive the prediction. This is the teaching of "clarfied butter.") Also, they hear that the shravakas clung to the idea that the Buddha and they shared the same liberation and result, so they did not seek progress. Therefore, this sutra specifically refutes the idea that liberation is the same. Thus they lament about being forever cut off. If they reach the *Lotus Sutra* and *Mahaparinirvana Sutra*, hearing that even a single good can lead to Buddhahood, that all beings share one soil and one rain, that all beings have the Buddha-nature, and that all with mind will eventually become Buddhas, then they will regret their earlier lament. They say, "What a Buddha's disciple should attain, I have also attained. Why would I lament?" The principle is subtle, but beings' faculties are coarse, so the teaching can be different. Therefore, the single voice of the teaching can be understood differently. But if a teacher does not deeply grasp the sutra's meaning and hears words about being forever cut off, they conclude that some beings of fixed nature will never have the Buddha-nature. This is because they have not deeply understood the sage's provisional and true teaching.
**"Ordinary people and those of inferior qualities cannot bear to be pressed like this by a Bodhisattva"**: Ordinary people are ordinary beings. Those of inferior qualities are the Two Vehicles and bodhisattvas before the ground. They are called people of inferior rank. Therefore, the *Vimalakirti Sutra* says: "Ordinary people and those of inferior rank cannot bear it."