Vimalakīrti Sutra Abridged Commentary (維摩經略疏)

Chapter 7: Contemplating Living Beings

Chapter Seven: Observing Living Beings.

This section of the text comes in three parts: first, the distant origin; second, the middle origin; third, the near origin.

**The distant origin:** This scripture is a Bodhisattva scripture, explaining the Bodhisattva's practice. The Bodhisattva's practice means making the vow to liberate all beings, putting others before oneself. Thus the great scripture says: "Though not yet liberated oneself, first liberate others—therefore I bow to the initial aspiration." Having made the aspiration to liberate all beings, one must understand the characteristics of beings. If one does not understand the characteristics of beings, one cannot liberate beings. Therefore, this section now explains contemplating beings, so that Bodhisattvas may understand the characteristics of beings. Though liberating beings, in reality there are no beings to be liberated. Thus the Diamond Sutra says: "Liberating all beings into Nirvana, yet in reality there are no beings to be liberated." These words pervade everything, hence "distant origin."

**The middle origin:** It arises from the chapter on Inquiring About Illness. That text says: "From delusion comes craving, and thus my illness arises. Because beings are ill, therefore I am ill. When beings' illness ceases, my illness ceases." Past, present, and future compassion are all equal. If so, the Bodhisattva's great compassion exists because of beings. Thus the Great Treatise says: "Prajñā is the mother of the Buddhas—who is the mother of Prajñā? The answer: Great compassion is the mother of Prajñā. Who is the mother of great compassion? Beings are the mother of great compassion." Beings, through delusion, have craving; through craving, they receive birth; through birth, they become ill. Because beings are ill, the Bodhisattva has the illness of great compassion. Through great compassion, Prajñā is taught. Therefore beings are the root of great compassion, and great compassion is the root of Prajñā. The root arises from beings, so now one must contemplate beings at the root. If one is correct, then all is correct. Named after what is contemplated by the Bodhisattva's correct contemplation, it is called the Chapter on Contemplating Beings.

**The near origin:** It arises from the chapter on the Inconceivable. The Inconceivable means the two knowledges; the two knowledges mean the ability to contemplate; beings mean what is contemplated. Moreover, the inconceivable liberation above means the teaching conditions; beings mean the conditions for the teaching. Although above the ability to contemplate and the teaching conditions were explained, what is contemplated and the teaching conditions were not yet explained. If only the teaching is explained and not the conditions, it is not complete. Therefore, above the teaching was explained, and now the conditions are distinguished.

**Question:** Now, in contemplating beings—are beings contemplated as existent, or as non-existent?

**Answer:** Interpretations of this meaning differ among the various schools. The Sarvāstivādins and others say: In reality there are no beings; there are only dharmas such as the aggregates, sense bases, and elements. "Beings" is merely a conventional name. This name does not exist in past or future—it exists only as a name because of present aggregation. Now we say: If in reality there are no beings, then there is no Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva originally made the aspiration to liberate beings. Since there are no beings to liberate, how can there be a Bodhisattva? Moreover, if there are no beings, that is the view of nihilism; if dharmas truly exist, that is the view of eternalism. Fully possessing both nihilistic and eternalist views, how can one be called a Bodhisattva? Thus Prajñā says: "Cutting off all views is called a Bodhisattva." If one has not transcended all views, how can one be called a Bodhisattva? A Bodhisattva is a person who embodies the Way. Ancient scriptures called Bodhisattvas "Dao Shi"—persons who embody the Way, hence "Dao Shi." Since one embodies the Way, one should be free from all views.

**Second,** the Vātsīputrīya teachers say: Beings exist; beings cannot be non-existent. Why? They say: When the four great elements combine, the faculty of sight arises; when the five aggregates combine, the person arises. For this reason, we know that the person truly exists. They hold that the conventional person cannot be said to be truly existent, and thus is neither unconditioned, nor of the three times, nor conditioned—it is in the fifth category. Now we say this too is not the Bodhisattva. Why? Since it is said one liberates all beings, in reality no being is liberated. Why is that? If there is a view of a being, a view of a lifespan, and so on, one is not a Bodhisattva. Not only is one not a Bodhisattva, one is not even a follower of the Two Vehicles—one is an ordinary person fully bound by delusion. Why? The view of self is the root of beings. Thus the Great Perfection of Wisdom says: "The view of the body encompasses sixty-two views." So such a one is an ordinary person through and through.

**Next,** Harivarman says: Both existent and non-existent—conventionally existent, ultimately non-existent. The Great Treatise, the Satyasiddhi Śāstra, and Aśvaghoṣa's tradition all make this statement: The five aggregates are the person; the wheel and axle are the cart—conventionally existent, ultimately non-existent. If so, this view seems good. But those who investigate this cling to this phrase as the dwelling place of their spirit, the resting place of their mind. Now we say this is still the two views of existence and non-existence. Why? Can your conventional existence be non-existent? Can your ultimate non-existence be existent? Conventional existence cannot be non-existent; ultimate non-existence cannot be existent. If so, conventional existence is definitely existent, ultimate non-existence is definitely non-existent—so this is the two views of existence and non-existence, and is not the Bodhisattva.

Now, contemplating beings is entirely free from such notions—as in the text, like an illusion. The master sees the illusion: illusory existence is not existent, illusory existence is not non-existent—the four propositions are all washed away, inside and outside both purified. Just this one phrase washes away all illnesses. Thus the master says: "Just the one phrase 'conventionally existent' breaks all illnesses."

**Question:** If contemplating beings is like the fifth great element—this means non-existence—how can you criticize others?

**Answer:** Now, contemplating beings as like the fifth great element—how could this be the same as others' views? If one contemplates the fifth great element as the fifth great element, that is like the Kaushika view. Now contemplating beings as like the fifth great element means: beings are entirely without any existence—thus "contemplating beings as like the fifth great element." Therefore the Great Perfection of Wisdom says: "The Bodhisattva liberates beings as being like empty space."

**Question:** There may be no real beings, but there should be illusory beings.

**Answer:** Illusion exists for the sake of the real—without the real, how can there be illusion? The four propositions are all pure; just this is true reality. Thus the Great Perfection of Wisdom says: "Beings are precisely the ultimate reality." Establishing beings in the ultimate reality is establishing the ultimate reality in the ultimate reality. Since true reality is without any existence, beings too are without any existence. Thus the Treatise says: "The true reality of all dharmas: the domain of mind and speech is cut off; no birth and no cessation, quiescent like Nirvana."

**Further question:** If so, why does the scripture sometimes speak of persons and sometimes speak of no persons?

**Answer:** The Buddhas sometimes speak of self, sometimes speak of non-self. In the true reality of all dharmas, there is neither self nor non-self. Therefore, beings are precisely true reality.

The text has two parts: first, Manjushri and Vimalakirti contemplate sentient beings; second, Shariputra and the goddess contemplate sentient beings. These four people represent all people — whenever one person contemplates, it is a contemplation of all beings. Why? Manjushri and Vimalakirti represent the two categories of those who have left home and those who remain in the world; the goddess and Shariputra represent the two categories of humans and gods, the two categories of male and female, the two categories of the greater and lesser vehicles, and the two categories of the hidden and the manifest. Thus these four people's contemplation encompasses all beings without exception.

Within the section on Manjushri and Vimalakirti contemplating sentient beings, there are two parts: first, clarifying the transformation of others; second, clarifying one's own practice. The first part has two sections: first, discussing the sentient beings who are contemplated; second, discussing the four immeasurable minds of the one who contemplates. The reason the text first discusses contemplating sentient beings and afterward discusses the four immeasurable minds is as explained before: because sentient beings are the foundation of the four immeasurable minds, it first discusses contemplating sentient beings and afterward discusses the four immeasurable minds. Once the contemplation of sentient beings is correct, next one brings sentient beings away from suffering, and so there is great compassion; next one gives them great joy, and so there is great loving-kindness; because they leave suffering and attain joy, there is great rejoicing; because one knows that suffering and joy are not two and realizes the equality of emptiness, there is great equanimity. For this reason, after contemplating sentient beings, the text discusses the four immeasurable minds.

At that time, Manjushri asked Vimalakirti: "How should a bodhisattva view living beings?"

Vimalakirti replied: "A bodhisattva should view living beings the way a magician sees the illusions he has conjured. Like a wise person seeing the moon in water, like seeing one's own face in a mirror, like a shimmering mirage in the heat, like an echo answering a call, like clouds in the sky, like foam gathering on water, like bubbles on the surface, like the solidity of a banana tree, like lightning lingering, like a fifth great element, like a sixth aggregate, like a seventh sense, like a thirteenth sense-field, like a nineteenth realm — that is how a bodhisattva should view living beings. Like form in the formless realm, like a sprout from scorched grain, like a stream-enterer retaining belief in a self, like a non-returner entering a womb, like an arhat still possessing the three poisons, like a bodhisattva who has attained acceptance yet clings to greed, anger, and broken precepts, like a buddha still carrying the habits of affliction, like a blind person seeing forms, like breathing in and out while in the cessation of perception and feeling, like the tracks of a bird in the sky, like the child of a barren woman, like an illusory person plagued by afflictions, like what is seen in a dream upon waking, like one who has passed into nirvana receiving a body, like fire without smoke — that is how a bodhisattva should view living beings."