維摩詰所說經 弟子品第三
舍利弗坐在林中樹下，目連在里巷說法，迦葉沿門托鉢，須菩提面前是一鉢盛滿的飯。每一件事都像已走上正軌：能入定、能說法、能持律、能出家、能侍佛。維摩詰問的，卻不是『你做了沒有』，而是：你是否把所做之法，抓成了自己的位置？
坐在樹下，心若仍住在內外，宴坐便被一個坐相封住。開口說法，若把法當作自己能交給別人的東西，說者、聽者、所說、所得便一同立起。經中說幻士為幻人說法，不是叫人停止說法；它緊接著仍要說法者觀察根性利鈍，以大悲讚大乘，念報佛恩，不斷三寶。
乞食的一鉢，把平等帶到日常受取中。若只向貧里而不向富家，慈悲仍有未普之處；若把食與法分成一小一大，平等便離開了眼前。於是，入聚落如入空聚：見色如盲，聞聲如響，嗅香如風，食味不隨分別，受觸如智證。不是關閉根門，而是不再讓根境替自己劃出高下。
富樓那面前的比丘，經中有寶器、琉璃、大海與日光來形容。穢食不可置於寶器，琉璃不可當作水精；要走大道的人，不可只示小徑；大海不可收入牛跡，日光不可等同螢火。說法不只問『這句對不對』，還要先看眼前是什麼心、什麼根。錯認一顆久發大乘的心，即使口中所說有法，也可能與所對之人不相應。
阿那律看三千大千世界，如看掌中菴摩勒果。維摩詰不與他比遠近，只問這個見是作相，還是無作相。真天眼在經中仍是悉見諸佛國，卻不以二相。看見沒有被取消，被鬆開的是那個抓住『我在看』的相。
兩位犯律比丘帶著疑悔而來。此時要緊的不是再加一重罪，而是不要擾亂其心。罪性不在內、不在外、不在中間；心也如此。妄想、顛倒、取我是垢，離妄想、離顛倒、不取我是淨。一切法如幻、如電、如夢、如炎、如水中月、如鏡中像：影像分明現前，卻沒有一個固定自性可以捉住。知此，經才說是奉律、是善解。
出家也不能換算成一筆所得。經先說無利、無功德，隨後卻把離見、降魔、度五道、淨五眼、得五力、立五根、不惱他人、離過隨定逐項說盡。無所得沒有使行願變少，反而不讓人以行願建立一個可計量的我所。
最後，阿難手中仍有一隻等待取乳的鉢。維摩詰說如來法身無疾，空中聲又說佛在五濁惡世現行此法，度脫眾生。阿難沒有被命令丟下鉢，而是被命令取乳勿慚。無疾與示疾沒有互相抹去，正如本品十段所示：法不在離開宴坐、說法、飯鉢、持律、出家與侍佛之後才出現；它就在這些行中，使人不再被所行之名困住。
五百大弟子都說自己不能前往。這一聲聲『不任』留下的，不只是維摩詰辯才難當，也是一個落在自身行持上的問句：我今天所守、所說、所行的法，正在打開眾生的路，還是只把我安放在一個熟悉的位置？
Śāriputra sits beneath a tree in the forest, Maudgalyāyana teaches the Dharma in a city lane, Kāśyapa goes from door to door with his bowl, and before Subhūti is a bowl filled with rice. Each act seems already to be proceeding on the right track: they can enter absorption, teach the Dharma, observe the disciplinary code, leave home, and attend upon the Buddha. Yet Vimalakīrti does not ask, “Have you done it?” He asks: Have you grasped the Dharma you practice as a position of your own?
If the mind still abides within or without while the body sits beneath a tree, meditative sitting is sealed within a seated mark. If, while speaking the Dharma, one treats Dharma as something one can hand to others, speaker, listener, what is spoken, and what is attained all arise together. The sūtra speaks of an illusory person teaching the Dharma to another illusory person, but it does not tell people to stop teaching. It immediately continues to require the teacher to discern whether faculties are sharp or dull, praise the Great Vehicle with great compassion, remember and repay the Buddha’s kindness, and keep the Three Jewels unbroken.
The alms bowl brings equality into everyday receiving. If one goes only to poor neighborhoods and not to wealthy homes, compassion still has a place it does not reach universally. If food and Dharma are divided into the small and the great, equality has already left what is immediately before one. Thus one enters a settlement as though entering an empty settlement: seeing form as though blind, hearing sound as an echo, smelling scent as wind, tasting flavor without following discrimination, and receiving contact as wisdom realizes. This does not close the faculties, but no longer lets faculties and objects draw lines of high and low for oneself.
The bhikṣus before Pūrṇa are described in the sūtra through jeweled vessels, beryl, the great ocean, and sunlight. Impure food must not be placed in a jeweled vessel, nor beryl mistaken for crystal. Those who wish to travel the great road must not be shown only a small path. The great ocean cannot be gathered into an ox’s hoofprint, nor sunlight equated with a firefly. Teaching the Dharma does not ask only, “Is this statement correct?” One must first see what mind and what faculties stand before one. If a mind long directed toward the Great Vehicle is mistaken, even words that contain Dharma may fail to correspond to the person addressed.
Aniruddha sees the billion-world universe as one sees an āmalaka fruit in the palm. Vimalakīrti does not compete with him over distance, but asks whether this seeing is fabricated or unfabricated. The true divine eye in the sūtra still completely sees all buddha-lands, yet does not see through two marks. Seeing is not canceled; what is loosened is the mark that grasps “I am seeing.”
Two bhikṣus who have violated the disciplinary code come burdened by doubt and remorse. What matters at this point is not adding another layer of offense, but not disturbing their minds. The nature of offense is not within, not without, and not in between; mind is likewise. False conception, inversion, and grasping at self are defilement; separation from false conception and inversion and not grasping at self are purity. All dharmas are like illusion, lightning, dreams, mirages, the moon in water, and images in a mirror: the images appear distinctly, yet possess no fixed nature that can be grasped. Only knowing this does the sūtra call observing and skillfully understanding the disciplinary code.
Leaving home likewise cannot be converted into a gain. The sūtra first says that it has no benefit and no merit, then fully enumerates separation from views, subduing Māra, crossing the five paths, purifying the five eyes, attaining the five powers, establishing the five faculties, not harming others, and being apart from faults while according with meditation. Non-attainment does not diminish conduct and vows; instead, it prevents conduct and vows from establishing a calculable possession of self.
Finally, Ānanda still holds a bowl waiting to receive milk. Vimalakīrti says that the Tathāgata’s dharma-body has no illness, while a voice from the sky says that the Buddha manifests the practice of this Dharma in the evil world of the five degenerations to liberate sentient beings. Ānanda is not told to discard the bowl, but to fetch the milk without shame. Freedom from illness and manifested illness do not erase one another. So it is throughout the ten episodes of this chapter: Dharma does not appear only after meditative sitting, teaching, an alms bowl, observing the disciplinary code, leaving home, and attending upon the Buddha have been abandoned. It is within these very practices that one is no longer confined by the name of what one does.
All five hundred great disciples say that they cannot go to inquire about the illness. Their repeated “I am not capable” leaves more than the fact that Vimalakīrti’s eloquence is difficult to withstand. It leaves a question that falls directly upon one’s own practice: Is the Dharma I preserve, teach, and practice today opening a road for sentient beings, or merely placing me securely in a familiar position?
姚秦三藏鳩摩羅什譯《維摩詰所說經》卷上〈弟子品第三〉· 大正藏 T14n0475〔起 T14 0539c14〕。段/行首〔T14 …〕＝大正藏頁·欄·行錨。
〔T14 0539c14〕維摩詰所說經弟子品第三 爾時長者維摩詰，自念：「寢疾于床，世尊大慈，寧不垂愍？」 佛知其意，即告舍利弗：「汝行詣維摩詰問疾。」 舍利弗白佛言：「世尊！我不堪任詣彼問疾。所以者何？憶念我昔，曾於林中宴坐樹下，時維摩詰來謂我言：『唯，舍利弗！不必是坐，為宴坐也。夫宴坐者，不於三界現身、意，是為宴坐；不起滅定而現諸威儀，是為宴坐；不捨道法而現凡夫事，是為宴坐；心不住內亦不在外，是為宴坐；於諸見不動，而修行三十七品，是為宴坐；不斷煩惱而入涅槃，是為宴坐。若能如是坐者，佛所印可。』時我——世尊！——聞說是語，默然而止，不能加報，故我不任詣彼問疾。」 佛告大目犍連：「汝行詣維摩詰問疾。」 目連白佛言：「世尊！我不堪任詣彼問疾。所以者何？憶念我昔入毘耶離大城，於里巷中為諸居士說法。時維摩詰來謂我言：『唯，大目連！為白衣居士說法，不當如仁者所說。夫說法者，當如法說。法無眾生，離眾生垢故；法無有我，離我垢故；法無壽命，離生死故；法無有人，前後際斷故；法常寂然，滅諸相故；法離於相，無所緣故；法無名字，言語斷故；法無有說，離覺觀故；法無形相，如虛空故；法無戲論，畢竟空故；法無我所，離我所故；法無分別，離諸識故；法無有比，無相待故；法不屬因，不在緣故；法同法性，入諸法故；法隨於如，無所隨故；法住實際，諸邊不動故；法無動搖，不依六塵故；法無去來，常不住故；法順空，隨無相，應無作；法離好醜，法無增損，法無生滅，法無所歸；法過眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、心；法無高下，法常住不動，法離一切觀行。唯，大目連！法相如是，豈可說乎？夫說法者，無說無示；其聽法者，無聞無得，譬如幻士，為幻人說法，當建是意，而為說法。當了眾生根有利鈍，善於知見無所罣礙，以大悲心讚于大乘，念報佛恩不斷三寶，然後說法。』維摩詰說是法時，八百居士發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。我無此辯，是故不任詣彼問疾。」 〔T14 0540a24〕佛告大迦葉：「汝行詣維摩詰問疾。」 迦葉白佛言：「世尊！我不堪任詣彼問疾。所以者何？憶念我昔於貧里而行乞，時維摩詰來謂我言：『唯，大迦葉！有慈悲心而不能普，捨豪富從貧乞。迦葉！住平等法，應次行乞食。為不食故，應行乞食，為壞和合相故，應取揣食，為不受故，應受彼食；以空聚想，入於聚落，所見色與盲等，所聞聲與響等，所嗅香與風等，所食味不分別，受諸觸如智證，知諸法如幻相，無自性，無他性，本自不然，今則無滅。迦葉！若能不捨八邪，入八解脫，以邪相入正法，以一食施一切，供養諸佛及眾賢聖，然後可食；如是食者，非有煩惱，非離煩惱，非入定意，非起定意，非住世間，非住涅槃；其有施者，無大福，無小福，不為益，不為損，是為正入佛道，不依聲聞：迦葉！若如是食，為不空食人之施也。』時我——世尊！——聞說是語，得未曾有，即於一切菩薩深起敬心，復作是念：『斯有家名，辯才智慧乃能如是！其誰聞此不發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？』我從是來，不復勸人以聲聞、辟支佛行。是故不任詣彼問疾。」 佛告須菩提：「汝行詣維摩詰問疾。」 須菩提白佛言：「世尊！我不堪任詣彼問疾。所以者何？憶念我昔，入其舍從乞食，時維摩詰取我鉢盛滿飯，謂我言：『唯，須菩提！若能於食等者，諸法亦等，諸法等者，於食亦等；如是行乞，乃可取食。若須菩提不斷婬、怒、癡，亦不與俱；不壞於身，而隨一相；不滅癡愛，起於明脫；以五逆相而得解脫，亦不解不縛；不見四諦，非不見諦；非得果，非不得果；非凡夫，非離凡夫法；非聖人，非不聖人；雖成就一切法，而離諸法相，乃可取食。若須菩提不見佛，不聞法，彼外道六師——富蘭那迦葉、末伽梨拘賒梨子、刪闍夜毘羅胝子、阿耆多翅舍欽婆羅、迦羅鳩馱迦旃延、尼犍陀若提子等——是汝之師，因其出家，彼師所墮，汝亦隨墮，乃可取食。若須菩提入諸邪見，不到彼岸；住於八難，不得無難；同於煩惱，離清淨法；汝得無諍三昧，一切眾生亦得是定——其施汝者，不名福田；供養汝者，墮三惡道——為與眾魔共一手作諸勞侶——汝與眾魔及諸塵勞，等無有異——於一切眾生而有怨心，謗諸佛，毀於法，不入眾數，終不得滅度。汝若如是，乃可取食。』時我——世尊！——聞此語茫然，不識是何言？不知以何答？便置鉢欲出其舍。維摩詰言：『唯，須菩提！取鉢勿懼。於意云何？如來所作化人，若以是事詰，寧有懼不？』我言：『不也！』維摩詰言：『一切諸法如幻化相，汝今不應有所懼也。所以者何？一切言說不離是相，至於智者，不著文字故無所懼。何以故？文字性離，無有文字，是則解脫；解脫相者，則諸法也。』維摩詰說是法時，二百天子得法眼淨，故我不任詣彼問疾。」 佛告富樓那彌多羅尼子：「汝行詣維摩詰問疾。」 富樓那白佛言：「世尊！我不堪任詣彼問疾。所以者何？憶念我昔於大林中，在一樹下為諸新學比丘說法。時維摩詰來謂我言：『唯，富樓那！先當入定，觀此人心然後說法。無以穢食置於寶器，當知是比丘心之所念，無以琉璃同彼水精。汝不能知眾生根源，無得發起以小乘法。彼自無瘡，勿傷之也；欲行大道，莫示小徑；無以大海，內於牛跡；無以日光，等彼螢火。富樓那！此比丘久發大乘心，中忘此意，如何以小乘法而教導之？我觀小乘智慧微淺，猶如盲人，不能分別一切眾生根之利鈍。』時維摩詰即入三昧，令此比丘自識宿命：曾於五百佛所植眾德本，迴向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。即時豁然，還得本心，於是諸比丘稽首禮維摩詰足。時維摩詰因為說法，於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不復退轉。我念聲聞不觀人根，不應說法，是故不任詣彼問疾。」 〔T14 0541a12〕佛告摩訶迦旃延：「汝行詣維摩詰問疾。」 迦旃延白佛言：「世尊！我不堪任詣彼問疾。所以者何？憶念昔者，佛為諸比丘略說法要，我即於後，敷演其義，謂無常義、苦義、空義、無我義、寂滅義。時維摩詰來謂我言：『唯，迦旃延！無以生滅心行說實相法。迦旃延！諸法畢竟不生不滅，是無常義；五受陰洞達空無所起，是苦義；諸法究竟無所有，是空義；於我、無我而不二，是無我義；法本不然，今則無滅，是寂滅義。』說是法時，彼諸比丘心得解脫。故我不任詣彼問疾。」 佛告阿那律：「汝行詣維摩詰問疾。」 阿那律白佛言：「世尊！我不堪任詣彼問疾。所以者何？憶念我昔於一處經行，時有梵王，名曰嚴淨，與萬梵俱，放淨光明，來詣我所，稽首作禮問我言：『幾何阿那律天眼所見？』我即答言：『仁者！吾見此釋迦牟尼佛土三千大千世界，如觀掌中菴摩勒果。』時維摩詰來謂我言：『唯，阿那律！天眼所見，為作相耶，無作相耶？假使作相，則與外道五通等；若無作相，即是無為，不應有見。』世尊！我時默然。彼諸梵聞其言，得未曾有，即為作禮而問曰：『世孰有真天眼者？』維摩詰言：『有。佛、世尊得真天眼，常在三昧，悉見諸佛國，不以二相。』於是嚴淨梵王及其眷屬五百梵天，皆發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，禮維摩詰足已，忽然不現。故我不任詣彼問疾。」 佛告優波離：「汝行詣維摩詰問疾。」 優波離白佛言：「世尊！我不堪任詣彼問疾。所以者何？憶念昔者，有二比丘犯律行，以為恥不敢問佛，來問我言：『唯，優波離！我等犯律，誠以為恥，不敢問佛，願解疑悔，得免斯咎。』我即為其如法解說。時維摩詰來謂我言：『唯，優波離！無重增此二比丘罪！當直除滅，勿擾其心。所以者何？彼罪性不在內、不在外、不在中間，如佛所說，心垢故眾生垢，心淨故眾生淨。心亦不在內、不在外、不在中間，如其心然，罪垢亦然，諸法亦然，不出於如如。優波離！以心相得解脫時，寧有垢不？』我言：『不也！』維摩詰言：『一切眾生心相無垢，亦復如是。唯，優波離！妄想是垢，無妄想是淨；顛倒是垢，無顛倒是淨；取我是垢，不取我是淨。優波離！一切法生滅不住，如幻如電，諸法不相待，乃至一念不住；諸法皆妄見，如夢、如炎、如水中月、如鏡中像，以妄想生。其知此者，是名奉律；其知此者，是名善解。』於是二比丘言：『上智哉！是優波離所不能及，持律之上而不能說。』我即答言：『自捨如來，未有聲聞及菩薩，能制其樂說之辯，其智慧明達為若此也！』時二比丘疑悔即除，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，作是願言：『令一切眾生皆得是辯。』故我不任詣彼問疾。」 佛告羅睺羅：「汝行詣維摩詰問疾。」 羅睺羅白佛言：「世尊！我不堪任詣彼問疾。所以者何？憶念昔時，毘耶離諸長者子來詣我所，稽首作禮，問我言：『唯，羅睺羅！汝佛之子，捨轉輪王位，出家為道。其出家者，有何等利？』我即如法為說出家功德之利。時維摩詰來謂我言：『唯，羅睺羅！不應說出家功德之利。所以者何？無利、無功德，是為出家；有為法者，可說有利、有功德。夫出家者，為無為法，無為法中，無利、無功德。羅睺羅！出家者，無彼無此，亦無中間；離六十二見，處於涅槃；智者所受，聖所行處；降伏眾魔，度五道，淨五眼，得五力，立五根；不惱於彼，離眾雜惡；摧諸外道，超越假名；出淤泥，無繫著；無我所，無所受；無擾亂，內懷喜；護彼意，隨禪定，離眾過；若能如是，是真出家。』於是維摩詰語諸長者子：『汝等於正法中，宜共出家。所以者何？佛世難值！』諸長者子言：『居士！我聞佛言，父母不聽，不得出家。』維摩詰言：『然！汝等便發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，是即出家，是即具足。』爾時三十二長者子皆發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，故我不任詣彼問疾。」 〔T14 0542a01〕佛告阿難：「汝行詣維摩詰問疾。」 阿難白佛言：「世尊！我不堪任詣彼問疾。所以者何？憶念昔時，世尊身小有疾，當用牛乳，我即持鉢，詣大婆羅門家門下立。時維摩詰來謂我言：『唯，阿難！何為晨朝持鉢住此？』我言：『居士！世尊身小有疾，當用牛乳，故來至此。』維摩詰言：『止，止！阿難！莫作是語！如來身者，金剛之體，諸惡已斷，眾善普會，當有何疾？當有何惱？默往！阿難！勿謗如來，莫使異人聞此麁言；無令大威德諸天，及他方淨土諸來菩薩得聞斯語。阿難！轉輪聖王以少福故，尚得無病，豈況如來無量福會普勝者哉？行矣，阿難！勿使我等受斯恥也。外道、梵志若聞此語，當作是念：「何名為師？自疾不能救，而能救諸疾人？」可密速去，勿使人聞。當知——阿難！——諸如來身，即是法身，非思欲身。佛為世尊，過於三界；佛身無漏，諸漏已盡；佛身無為，不墮諸數。如此之身，當有何疾？當有何惱？』時我——世尊！——實懷慚愧，得無近佛而謬聽耶？即聞空中聲曰：『阿難！如居士言。但為佛出五濁惡世，現行斯法，度脫眾生。行矣，阿難！取乳勿慚。』世尊！維摩詰智慧辯才，為若此也！是故不任詣彼問疾。」 如是五百大弟子各各向佛說其本緣，稱述維摩詰所言，皆曰不任詣彼問疾。
The canonical text stands in Chinese only. This edition renders the essence, the plain reading, the exposition and the apparatus into English — never the sūtra itself. Switch to 漢讀本 or 並行雙語 above to read it.
那時，長者維摩詰臥病在床，心裡想：『我病臥在床，世尊有大慈悲，難道不垂念憐憫我嗎？』
佛知道他的心意，便依次命大弟子前往維摩詰住處探病。可是，每一位被點名的弟子，都向佛追述自己從前與維摩詰相遇的一段經過，說明自己不能承擔這項任務。
一、舍利弗：坐在樹下，未必就是宴坐
佛先告訴舍利弗：『你去維摩詰那裡探病。』
舍利弗回答佛說：『世尊，我不能勝任到他那裡探病。為什麼呢？我記得從前曾在林中一棵樹下安坐。那時維摩詰來對我說：
『舍利弗，不一定採取這種坐相，才叫作宴坐。所謂宴坐，是不在三界中顯現身與意，這才是宴坐；不用從滅盡定中起來，卻能顯現行住坐臥各種威儀，這才是宴坐；不捨離道法，卻能顯現凡夫所行的事，這才是宴坐；心既不住在內，也不住在外，這才是宴坐；對種種見不動搖，同時修行三十七道品，這才是宴坐；不斷除煩惱，卻能進入涅槃，這才是宴坐。若能這樣坐，才是佛所印可的坐。』
『世尊，我當時聽到這番話，只有沉默停住，不能再加一句回答。因此，我不能勝任到他那裡探病。』
二、大目犍連：法相不可說，仍須如法說
佛告訴大目犍連：『你去維摩詰那裡探病。』
目連回答佛說：『世尊，我不能勝任到他那裡探病。為什麼呢？我記得從前進入毘耶離大城，在里巷中為在家居士說法。那時維摩詰來對我說：
『大目連，為白衣居士說法，不應像你方才那樣說。說法的人，應當依照法的實相而說。
『法中沒有眾生，因為法遠離眾生的垢染；法中沒有一個我，因為法遠離我的垢染；法中沒有固定的壽命，因為法遠離生死；法中沒有一個人，因為前際與後際都已斷。
『法恆常寂靜，因為一切相都止滅；法離一切相，因為它沒有可以攀緣的對象；法沒有名字，因為言語的道路已斷；法沒有可說，因為它遠離覺與觀；法沒有形相，如同虛空；法沒有戲論，因為它畢竟空。
『法沒有我所，因為它遠離我所有的執取；法沒有分別，因為它遠離一切識；法沒有可以相比的事物，因為它不依相待而成立；法不屬於因，也不在緣中；法與法性相同，遍入一切法；法隨順於如，卻沒有一個可隨順的對象；法安住實際，各種邊見都不能使它動搖；法本身不動搖，因為它不依色、聲、香、味、觸、法六塵；法沒有去也沒有來，因為它從來不固定住在一處。
『法順於空，隨於無相，應於無作；法遠離好與醜；法沒有增加，也沒有減少；法沒有生，也沒有滅；法沒有歸向之處；法超過眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、心六根；法沒有高也沒有低；法恆常安住而不動；法遠離一切觀察之行。
『大目連，法相既然如此，怎麼可以說呢？說法的人，沒有一個法可說，也沒有一個法可顯示；聽法的人，沒有一個聲音可聞，也沒有一個法可得。這就像幻化的人，為另一個幻化的人說法。說法時，應當先建立這樣的用心。
『同時，還應明白眾生的根性有銳利、有遲鈍；應善於知見，沒有障礙；應以大悲心稱揚大乘；應憶念報答佛恩，使三寶不斷絕。具足這些以後，才為人說法。』
『維摩詰說這番法時，八百位居士發起無上正等正覺之心。我沒有這樣的辯才，所以不能勝任到他那裡探病。』
三、大迦葉：乞食若住平等，便不能只揀貧里
佛告訴大迦葉：『你去維摩詰那裡探病。』
迦葉回答佛說：『世尊，我不能勝任到他那裡探病。為什麼呢？我記得從前曾在貧窮的里巷中乞食。那時維摩詰來對我說：
『大迦葉，你雖有慈悲心，卻不能普遍平等；你捨開富貴人家，專向貧窮人家乞食。迦葉，應當安住平等法，按照次第沿門乞食。
『為了不以食為目的，才應行乞食；為了破除由眾緣和合而成的食相，才應取一團段食；為了不住在受取之中，才應接受別人所施的食物。進入聚落時，要把聚落觀成空聚；看見色時，像盲者一樣不隨色轉；聽到聲音時，把聲音看作回響；嗅到香氣時，把香氣看作隨風而過；吃到味道時，不生分別；領受各種觸時，如智慧親證那樣；知道一切法都像幻相，沒有自己的固定性，也沒有從他而來的固定性，本來沒有真實熾然，如今也沒有什麼可滅。
『迦葉，若能不捨八種邪行而入八解脫，以邪相進入正法，以一份食物施及一切，供養一切佛與一切賢聖，然後才可以吃。這樣吃的人，不能說有煩惱，也不能說已離煩惱；不能說正在入定，也不能說已從定起；不能說住在世間，也不能說住在涅槃。
『施食的人，不因此立大福，也不因此立小福；不說有所增益，也不說有所損減。這才是正入佛道，不依聲聞乘。迦葉，若能這樣受食，才沒有白白耗用別人的布施。』
『世尊，我當時聽到這番話，感到前所未有，立刻對一切菩薩生起很深的敬意。我又想：這位在家之名的居士，辯才與智慧竟能如此；哪一個聽到這番話的人，會不發無上正等正覺之心呢？從那時起，我不再勸人只修聲聞或辟支佛之行。因此，我不能勝任到他那裡探病。』
四、須菩提：滿鉢飯前，食等與法等互相發明
佛告訴須菩提：『你去維摩詰那裡探病。』
須菩提回答佛說：『世尊，我不能勝任到他那裡探病。為什麼呢？我記得從前進入維摩詰家乞食。他拿過我的鉢，把飯盛滿，對我說：
『須菩提，若能對食物平等，對一切法也平等；若能對一切法平等，對食物也平等。能這樣行乞，才可以取食。
『須菩提，若能不斷除貪欲、瞋怒、愚癡，卻也不與貪瞋癡共在；不破壞這個身，卻隨順一相；不消滅癡愛，卻生起明與解脫；以五逆的相而得解脫，卻又不立一個已解脫，也不立一個被繫縛；不見四諦，卻也不是不見諦；不是已得果，也不是未得果；不是凡夫，也不是離開凡夫法；不是聖人，也不是不聖人；雖成就一切法，卻遠離一切法相，那時才可以取食。
『須菩提，若能不見佛、不聞法，把外道六師富蘭那迦葉、末伽梨拘賒梨子、刪闍夜毘羅胝子、阿耆多翅舍欽婆羅、迦羅鳩馱迦旃延、尼犍陀若提子都看作你的老師，依他們而出家；他們墮落到哪裡，你也隨著墮到哪裡，那時才可以取食。
『須菩提，若能進入種種邪見，不到彼岸；住在八難之中，卻不得一個無難之處；與煩惱相同，離開清淨法；你所得的無諍三昧，一切眾生也同樣得到。這樣一來，布施給你的人不叫作在福田中下種，供養你的人反而墮入三惡道；你和群魔一同動手，作煩惱塵勞的伴侶；你與群魔以及一切塵勞平等，沒有差別；你對一切眾生懷有怨心，誹謗諸佛，毀壞正法，不進入大眾的行列，最後也不證入滅度。你若能如此，才可以取食。』
『世尊，我聽了這些話，心中茫然，不明白這是什麼話，也不知道應該怎樣回答，便放下鉢，想要離開他家。
『維摩詰對我說：須菩提，把鉢拿起來，不要害怕。你想想看，假如如來所變化出來的人，用方才這些事詰問，那位化人會害怕嗎？
『我回答：不會。
『維摩詰便說：一切法都像幻化的相，你現在不應有所畏懼。為什麼呢？一切言說也不離幻化之相。到了有智慧的人那裡，因為不執著文字，所以沒有畏懼。為什麼？文字的自性本來遠離，並沒有一個實在的文字；這就是解脫，而解脫之相也就是一切法。』
『維摩詰說這番法時，二百位天子得法眼清淨。我不能勝任到他那裡探病。』
五、富樓那：先觀根，再說法
佛告訴富樓那彌多羅尼子：『你去維摩詰那裡探病。』
富樓那回答佛說：『世尊，我不能勝任到他那裡探病。為什麼呢？我記得從前在大林一棵樹下，為一些初學比丘說法。那時維摩詰來對我說：
『富樓那，應當先入定，觀察這些人的心，然後才為他們說法。不要把不潔的食物放在珍寶器皿裡；應當知道這些比丘心中所念，不要把琉璃當作普通水精。你不能知道眾生根性的源頭，就不要用小乘法引發他們。
『他們本來沒有瘡，不要把他們刺傷；他們想走的是大道，不要指給他們一條小徑；不要把大海裝進牛蹄的小印跡；不要把日光看得和螢火相等。
『富樓那，這些比丘很久以前已發大乘心，只是在中途忘失了這個心意，怎麼可以再用小乘法教導他們？我看小乘智慧微小淺薄，好像盲人一樣，不能分辨一切眾生根性究竟銳利還是遲鈍。』
『當時，維摩詰隨即入三昧，使這些比丘自己知道宿世的經歷：他們曾在五百尊佛前種植眾多善根，並把功德迴向無上正等正覺。他們當下豁然明白，重新找回本來所發的心，於是都稽首禮拜維摩詰的足。那時維摩詰便為他們說法；經文記他們對無上正等正覺不再退轉。
『我想到，聲聞若不能觀察人的根性，就不應為人說法。因此，我不能勝任到他那裡探病。』
六、摩訶迦旃延：五義不可用生滅心來說
佛告訴摩訶迦旃延：『你去維摩詰那裡探病。』
迦旃延回答佛說：『世尊，我不能勝任到他那裡探病。為什麼呢？我記得從前佛為比丘們簡略說了法要，我就在佛說之後詳細敷演其中的義理，依次說無常義、苦義、空義、無我義、寂滅義。那時維摩詰來對我說：
『迦旃延，不要用生滅心行來解說實相法。所謂無常義，是一切法畢竟不生也不滅；所謂苦義，是洞達五受陰本來空寂，沒有一法生起；所謂空義，是一切法究竟無所有；所謂無我義，是在我與無我之間不作二分；所謂寂滅義，是法本來沒有真實熾然，如今也沒有什麼可滅。』
『說這番法時，那些比丘心得解脫。我不能勝任到他那裡探病。』
七、阿那律：天眼之見，是作相還是無作相
佛告訴阿那律：『你去維摩詰那裡探病。』
阿那律回答佛說：『世尊，我不能勝任到他那裡探病。為什麼呢？我記得從前在一處經行。當時有一位梵王，名叫嚴淨，與一萬位梵天同來；他們放出清淨光明，到我面前，稽首作禮。嚴淨梵王問我：阿那律的天眼能看見多大的範圍？
『我回答：仁者，我看見釋迦牟尼佛國土中的三千大千世界，就像觀看掌中的菴摩勒果那樣清楚。
『那時維摩詰來對我說：阿那律，天眼所見，究竟是作相，還是無作相？假使是作相，就和外道的五種神通相同；假使是無作相，它便是無為，不應當再有一個見。
『世尊，我當時沉默了。那些梵天聽到這番話，感到前所未有，便向維摩詰作禮，問他：世間究竟有誰得到真天眼？
『維摩詰回答：有。佛、世尊得到真天眼，常在三昧之中，完全看見一切佛國，而不以兩種相來看。
『當時，嚴淨梵王和他的眷屬五百位梵天都發起無上正等正覺之心；他們禮拜維摩詰的足以後，忽然不再顯現。我不能勝任到他那裡探病。』
八、優波離：不要再把罪壓到悔者心上
佛告訴優波離：『你去維摩詰那裡探病。』
優波離回答佛說：『世尊，我不能勝任到他那裡探病。為什麼呢？我記得從前有兩位比丘犯了戒律，心中羞恥，不敢去問佛。他們來問我說：優波離，我們犯了戒，實在深感羞恥，不敢請問佛；請你為我們解除疑惑和悔恨，使我們免除這項罪咎。
『我便按照戒律，為他們解說。那時維摩詰來對我說：
『優波離，不要再加重這兩位比丘的罪。應當直接除滅，不要擾亂他們的心。為什麼呢？罪的自性不在內，不在外，也不在中間。正如佛所說，因為心垢，所以眾生垢；因為心淨，所以眾生淨。
『心也不在內，不在外，不在中間。心既如此，罪垢也是如此，一切法也是如此，都不越出如如。優波離，當心相得到解脫時，其中還有垢嗎？
『我回答：沒有。
『維摩詰說：一切眾生的心相本來無垢，也是如此。優波離，妄想是垢，沒有妄想是淨；顛倒是垢，沒有顛倒是淨；執取有我的是垢，不執取有我的是淨。
『優波離，一切法生滅不停，不能安住，如幻化，也如閃電；一切法彼此不相等待，甚至連一念也不停住。一切法都是妄見所見，如夢，如陽炎，如水中的月，如鏡中的影像，都從妄想而生。知道這一點的人，才叫作奉持戒律；知道這一點的人，才叫作善於理解戒律。』
『兩位比丘聽後說：真是上等智慧！這是優波離所不能及的；優波離雖在持律者中居上，卻不能說出這樣的話。
『我便回答他們：除了如來以外，在聲聞與菩薩之中，沒有人能阻斷維摩詰樂於說法的辯才；他的智慧明白通達，正是如此。
『當時兩位比丘的疑惑與悔恨都除去了，並發起無上正等正覺之心。他們發願說：願一切眾生都得到這樣的辯才。我不能勝任到他那裡探病。』
九、羅睺羅：出家不是一筆可計算的利益
佛告訴羅睺羅：『你去維摩詰那裡探病。』
羅睺羅回答佛說：『世尊，我不能勝任到他那裡探病。為什麼呢？我記得從前，毘耶離城一些長者的兒子來到我面前，稽首作禮。他們問我：羅睺羅，你是佛的兒子，捨棄轉輪聖王之位，出家修道。出家究竟有什麼利益？
『我便依照正法，為他們解說出家功德的利益。那時維摩詰來對我說：
『羅睺羅，不應把出家說成有功德、有利益。為什麼呢？沒有利益，也沒有功德，才是出家。有為法才可以說有利益、有功德；出家是無為法，無為法中沒有利益，也沒有功德。
『羅睺羅，所謂出家，是沒有彼處，沒有此處，也沒有一個中間；遠離六十二種見，安處於涅槃；為智者所領受，是聖者所行之處；降伏一切魔，度越五道；清淨五眼，得到五力，建立五根。
『所謂出家，是不惱害他人，遠離各種混雜的惡；摧伏外道，超越假名；走出淤泥，沒有繫著；沒有我所有，也沒有一個所受；不受擾亂，內心懷有法喜；護念他人的心意，隨順禪定，遠離一切過失。若能這樣，才是真正的出家。』
『維摩詰於是對那些長者子說：你們應當在正法中一同出家。為什麼呢？有佛住世很難遇到。
『長者子回答：居士，我們聽佛說過，父母若不允許，就不能出家。
『維摩詰說：是的。那麼，你們就發起無上正等正覺之心；這便是出家，這便是具足戒。
『那時三十二位長者子都發起無上正等正覺之心。我不能勝任到他那裡探病。』
十、阿難：法身無疾，五濁世中仍現此法
佛告訴阿難：『你去維摩詰那裡探病。』
阿難回答佛說：『世尊，我不能勝任到他那裡探病。為什麼呢？我記得從前，世尊身體稍有不適，需要牛乳。我便拿著鉢，站在一位大婆羅門家的門外。
『那時維摩詰來問我：阿難，你為什麼清晨拿著鉢站在這裡？
『我回答：居士，世尊身體稍有不適，需要牛乳，所以我到這裡來。
『維摩詰說：停下，停下！阿難，不要這樣說。如來之身是金剛之體，一切惡都已斷盡，一切善都普遍會集，怎麼會有疾病？怎麼會有苦惱？阿難，默默離開吧！不要誹謗如來，不要讓別人聽到這種粗疏的話；不要讓有大威德的天眾，也不要讓從他方淨土來到這裡的菩薩，聽到這句話。
『阿難，轉輪聖王只憑少量福德，尚且能夠沒有疾病，何況如來有無量福德普遍會集，超勝一切？走吧，阿難，不要使我們承受這份羞恥。
『外道與梵志如果聽見這句話，會這樣想：這算什麼老師？自己的病尚且不能救，卻能救治一切病人？你應當祕密迅速離開，不要讓人聽見。
『阿難，應當知道，一切如來之身就是法身，不是由情欲思念所生的身。佛是世尊，超過三界；佛身沒有煩惱漏失，一切漏都已窮盡；佛身是無為，不落在一切有為數目之中。像這樣的身，怎麼會有疾病？怎麼會有苦惱？』
『世尊，我當時心裡實在慚愧，懷疑自己雖然親近佛，難道竟把佛的話聽錯了嗎？就在那時，空中傳來聲音說：
『阿難，正如居士所說。不過，佛出現在五濁惡世，示現行這樣的法，用來度脫眾生。走吧，阿難，去取牛乳，不必慚愧。』
『世尊，維摩詰的智慧與辯才就是這樣。因此，我不能勝任到他那裡探病。』
五百大弟子都說不任
像這樣，五百位大弟子各自向佛說明自己從前與維摩詰相遇的本緣，稱述維摩詰當時所說的話；每一位都說，自己不能勝任到他那裡探病。
At that time, the elder Vimalakīrti lay ill in bed and thought to himself, “As I lie sick in bed, can it be that the World-Honored One, in his great loving-kindness and compassion, does not think of me with pity?”
The Buddha knew his thought and in turn instructed his great disciples to go to Vimalakīrti’s residence and inquire about his illness. Yet every disciple he named recounted to the Buddha a former encounter with Vimalakīrti and explained why he could not undertake the task.
1. Śāriputra: Sitting beneath a Tree Is Not Necessarily Meditative Sitting
The Buddha first told Śāriputra, “Go to Vimalakīrti and inquire about his illness.”
Śāriputra answered the Buddha, “World-Honored One, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness. Why? I remember once sitting quietly beneath a tree in a forest. Vimalakīrti came to me and said:
“Śāriputra, meditative sitting is not necessarily a matter of assuming this seated posture. Meditative sitting means not manifesting body or mind within the three realms; this is meditative sitting. It means not rising from the absorption of cessation, yet manifesting all the dignified postures of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down; this is meditative sitting. It means not abandoning the dharmas of the path, yet manifesting the affairs of ordinary people; this is meditative sitting. It means that the mind abides neither within nor without; this is meditative sitting. It means remaining unmoved amid the various views while cultivating the thirty-seven factors of the path; this is meditative sitting. It means entering nirvāṇa without cutting off the afflictions; this is meditative sitting. One who can sit in this way sits as approved by the Buddha.”
“World-Honored One, when I heard these words, I could only remain silent and had nothing further to say in reply. Therefore, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness.”
2. Mahāmaudgalyāyana: The Mark of Dharma Cannot Be Spoken, Yet Dharma Must Still Be Taught in Accord with Dharma
The Buddha told Mahāmaudgalyāyana, “Go to Vimalakīrti and inquire about his illness.”
Maudgalyāyana answered the Buddha, “World-Honored One, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness. Why? I remember once entering the great city of Vaiśālī and teaching the Dharma to lay householders in one of its lanes. Vimalakīrti came to me and said:
“Mahāmaudgalyāyana, when teaching the Dharma to white-robed householders, you should not teach as you have just done. One who teaches the Dharma should teach in accord with the true mark of Dharma.
“Within Dharma there is no sentient being, because Dharma is removed from the defilement of sentient being. Within Dharma there is no self, because Dharma is removed from the defilement of self. Within Dharma there is no fixed lifespan, because Dharma is removed from birth and death. Within Dharma there is no person, because the prior and later limits have been cut off.
“Dharma is constantly quiescent, because all marks have ceased. Dharma is apart from every mark, because it has no object that can be taken as a condition. Dharma has no name, because the path of language has been cut off. Dharma cannot be spoken, because it is apart from initial and sustained thought. Dharma has no form, being like space. Dharma has no conceptual proliferation, because it is ultimately empty.
“Dharma has nothing belonging to self, because it is removed from grasping at what is mine. Dharma has no discrimination, because it is removed from all consciousness. Dharma has nothing comparable to it, because it is not established in dependence upon relativity. Dharma does not belong to a cause and is not within conditions. Dharma is identical with Dharma-nature and pervades all dharmas. Dharma accords with suchness, yet there is no object with which it accords. Dharma abides in the limit of reality, and the various extreme views cannot shake it. Dharma itself is unmoving, because it does not depend upon form, sound, scent, taste, touch, or dharmas, the six objects. Dharma neither goes nor comes, because it has never been fixed in a single place.
“Dharma accords with emptiness, follows signlessness, and corresponds to wishlessness. Dharma is removed from beautiful and ugly. Dharma neither increases nor decreases. Dharma neither arises nor ceases. Dharma has nowhere to return. Dharma surpasses the six faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Dharma is neither high nor low. Dharma constantly abides without moving. Dharma is removed from every activity of observation.
“Mahāmaudgalyāyana, since the mark of Dharma is like this, how can it be spoken? One who teaches the Dharma has no dharma to speak and no dharma to show. One who hears the Dharma has no sound to hear and no dharma to attain. It is like an illusory person teaching the Dharma to another illusory person. When teaching the Dharma, one should first establish an intention like this.
“At the same time, one should understand that the faculties of sentient beings can be sharp or dull. One should be skilled in unobstructed knowing and seeing. With great compassion one should praise the Great Vehicle. One should remember and repay the Buddha’s kindness, ensuring that the Three Jewels remain unbroken. Only after fulfilling these things should one teach the Dharma to others.”
“When Vimalakīrti taught this Dharma, eight hundred householders aroused the mind of unsurpassed perfect awakening. I do not possess such eloquence, and therefore I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness.”
3. Mahākāśyapa: If Almsround Is Grounded in Equality, One Cannot Choose Only Poor Neighborhoods
The Buddha told Mahākāśyapa, “Go to Vimalakīrti and inquire about his illness.”
Mahākāśyapa answered the Buddha, “World-Honored One, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness. Why? I remember once going for alms in a poor neighborhood. Vimalakīrti came to me and said:
“Mahākāśyapa, although you have a compassionate heart, your compassion is not universal and equal. You pass by wealthy households and seek alms only from poor households. Kāśyapa, you should abide in the Dharma of equality and go from door to door for alms in sequence.
“For the sake of not making food the aim, you should go for alms. For the sake of breaking the mark of food compounded through the convergence of conditions, you should take a morsel of food. For the sake of not abiding in reception, you should receive food given by others. When entering a settlement, regard it as an empty settlement. When seeing forms, be like a blind person and do not turn with form. When hearing sounds, regard them as echoes. When smelling scents, regard them as passing with the wind. When tasting flavors, give rise to no discrimination. When receiving the various contacts, do so as wisdom directly realizes. Know that all dharmas are like illusory appearances: they have no fixed nature of their own and no fixed nature coming from another. Originally there was no real burning, and now there is nothing to extinguish.
“Kāśyapa, if you can enter the eight liberations without abandoning the eight wrong practices, enter the true Dharma through the marks of wrongness, and with a single portion of food give to all and make offerings to all buddhas and all worthies and sages, only then may you eat. One who eats in this way cannot be said to possess afflictions or to have left afflictions behind; cannot be said to be entering absorption or to have risen from absorption; cannot be said to abide in the world or to abide in nirvāṇa.
“The giver of food does not thereby establish great merit or small merit, nor is any increase or decrease established. This is true entry into the Buddha’s path, without relying on the śrāvaka vehicle. Kāśyapa, if you can receive food in this way, you will not consume another’s offering in vain.”
“World-Honored One, when I heard these words, I experienced what I had never experienced before and immediately developed profound reverence for all bodhisattvas. I also thought: This man bears the name of a lay householder, yet his eloquence and wisdom can be like this. Who, upon hearing these words, would fail to arouse the mind of unsurpassed perfect awakening? From that time onward, I no longer encouraged people to cultivate only the conduct of a śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha. Therefore, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness.”
4. Subhūti: Before a Bowl Full of Rice, Equality of Food and Equality of Dharmas Illuminate Each Other
The Buddha told Subhūti, “Go to Vimalakīrti and inquire about his illness.”
Subhūti answered the Buddha, “World-Honored One, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness. Why? I remember once entering Vimalakīrti’s house for alms. He took my bowl and filled it with rice, then said to me:
“Subhūti, if you can be equal toward food, you are also equal toward all dharmas; if you can be equal toward all dharmas, you are also equal toward food. Only one who goes for alms in this way may take the food.
“Subhūti, if you can refrain from cutting off greed, anger, and delusion, yet not dwell together with greed, anger, and delusion; refrain from destroying this body, yet accord with the one mark; refrain from extinguishing ignorance and craving, yet give rise to understanding and liberation; attain liberation through the marks of the five heinous acts, yet establish neither one who has been liberated nor one who is bound; neither see the Four Truths nor fail to see the truths; be neither one who has attained the fruit nor one who has not attained the fruit; be neither an ordinary person nor one who has left the dharmas of ordinary people behind; be neither a sage nor a non-sage; and, though accomplishing all dharmas, remain apart from all marks of dharmas—only then may you take the food.
“Subhūti, if you can neither see the Buddha nor hear the Dharma, and regard the six non-Buddhist teachers—Pūraṇa Kāśyapa, Maskarin Gośālīputra, Sañjaya Vairaṭīputra, Ajita Keśakambala, Kakuda Kātyāyana, and Nirgrantha Jñātiputra—as your own teachers, leave home under them, and follow them wherever they fall—only then may you take the food.
“Subhūti, if you can enter the various wrong views without reaching the far shore; dwell amid the eight difficult states without attaining a state free of difficulty; become equal to the afflictions and leave the pure dharmas behind; and let all sentient beings attain the absorption of non-contention that you have attained, then those who give to you will not be called people who plant in a field of merit, while those who make offerings to you will instead fall into the three evil paths. You will join hands with the hosts of Māra and become a companion of the afflictive defilements. You will be equal and without difference from the hosts of Māra and all defilements. You will harbor enmity toward all sentient beings, slander the buddhas, destroy the true Dharma, fail to enter the company of the assembly, and in the end never enter cessation. If you can be like this, only then may you take the food.”
“World-Honored One, upon hearing these words, I became utterly bewildered. I did not understand what he was saying and did not know how to answer, so I put down my bowl and tried to leave his house.
“Vimalakīrti said to me: Subhūti, pick up your bowl and do not be afraid. Consider this: if a person conjured by the Tathāgata were questioned with the things just said, would that conjured person be afraid?
“I answered: No.
“Vimalakīrti then said: All dharmas have the marks of an illusion, so you should not be afraid now. Why? All speech likewise does not depart from the marks of an illusion. The wise are free of fear because they do not cling to written words. Why? The nature of written words is originally separate and there is no real written word. This is liberation, and the mark of liberation is also all dharmas.”
“When Vimalakīrti taught this Dharma, two hundred devas attained purity of the Dharma-eye. I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness.”
5. Pūrṇa: First Contemplate the Faculties, Then Teach the Dharma
The Buddha told Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, “Go to Vimalakīrti and inquire about his illness.”
Pūrṇa answered the Buddha, “World-Honored One, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness. Why? I remember once teaching the Dharma to some newly trained bhikṣus beneath a tree in the Great Forest. Vimalakīrti came to me and said:
“Pūrṇa, first enter absorption and contemplate these people’s minds; only then should you teach them the Dharma. Do not place impure food in a jeweled vessel. You should know what these bhikṣus have in mind; do not mistake beryl for ordinary crystal. Since you cannot know the source of sentient beings’ faculties, do not use the Lesser Vehicle Dharma to inspire them.
“They originally had no wound, so do not injure them. They wish to travel the great road, so do not point them toward a small path. Do not pour the great ocean into the hollow of an ox’s hoof. Do not regard sunlight as equal to a firefly’s glow.
“Pūrṇa, these bhikṣus aroused the mind of the Great Vehicle long ago, but forgot that intention along the way. How can you now teach them with the Lesser Vehicle Dharma? I see the wisdom of the Lesser Vehicle as minute and shallow, like that of a blind person, unable to discern whether the faculties of all sentient beings are ultimately sharp or dull.”
“At that time, Vimalakīrti immediately entered an absorption that caused these bhikṣus to know their own experiences in former lives. They had planted many roots of virtue in the presence of five hundred buddhas and dedicated the merit to unsurpassed perfect awakening. They suddenly understood, recovered the mind they had originally aroused, and all bowed their heads to Vimalakīrti’s feet. Vimalakīrti then taught them the Dharma, and the sūtra records that they became irreversible from unsurpassed perfect awakening.
“I reflected that a śrāvaka who cannot discern people’s faculties should not teach them the Dharma. Therefore, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness.”
6. Mahākātyāyana: The Five Meanings Cannot Be Taught with a Mind of Arising and Cessation
The Buddha told Mahākātyāyana, “Go to Vimalakīrti and inquire about his illness.”
Mahākātyāyana answered the Buddha, “World-Honored One, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness. Why? I remember that once, after the Buddha had briefly taught the essentials of the Dharma to the bhikṣus, I elaborated their meanings in detail, speaking in sequence of the meaning of impermanence, the meaning of suffering, the meaning of emptiness, the meaning of no-self, and the meaning of quiescent cessation. Vimalakīrti came to me and said:
“Kātyāyana, do not explain the Dharma of the true mark through mental activity that arises and ceases. The meaning of impermanence is that all dharmas ultimately neither arise nor cease. The meaning of suffering is penetrating the five aggregates subject to grasping as originally empty and quiescent, with no dharma arising. The meaning of emptiness is that all dharmas ultimately have no possession. The meaning of no-self is making no dual division between self and no-self. The meaning of quiescent cessation is that dharmas originally had no real burning and now have nothing to extinguish.”
“When this Dharma was taught, those bhikṣus’ minds were liberated. I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness.”
7. Aniruddha: Is the Seeing of the Divine Eye Fabricated or Unfabricated?
The Buddha told Aniruddha, “Go to Vimalakīrti and inquire about his illness.”
Aniruddha answered the Buddha, “World-Honored One, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness. Why? I remember once walking in meditation at a certain place. At that time a Brahmā king named Majestic Purity came with ten thousand Brahmā devas. Radiating pure light, they approached me and bowed their heads in homage. Brahmā king Majestic Purity asked me: How extensive is the range seen by Aniruddha’s divine eye?
“I answered: Good sir, I see the billion-world universe within Śākyamuni Buddha’s buddha-land as clearly as one sees an āmalaka fruit in the palm of one’s hand.
“Vimalakīrti then came and said to me: Aniruddha, is what the divine eye sees a fabricated mark or an unfabricated mark? If it is a fabricated mark, it is the same as the five superknowledges of the non-Buddhists. If it is an unfabricated mark, it is unconditioned and should not have a separate act of seeing.
“World-Honored One, I remained silent at that time. When the Brahmā devas heard these words, they experienced what they had never experienced before. They bowed to Vimalakīrti and asked him: Who in the world has attained the true divine eye?
“Vimalakīrti answered: There is one. The Buddha, the World-Honored One, has attained the true divine eye. Constantly abiding in absorption, he completely sees all buddha-lands without seeing through two marks.
“At that time, Brahmā king Majestic Purity and five hundred members of his retinue of Brahmā devas all aroused the mind of unsurpassed perfect awakening. After bowing at Vimalakīrti’s feet, they suddenly ceased to appear. I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness.”
8. Upāli: Do Not Press Still More Guilt upon the Minds of Those Who Repent
The Buddha told Upāli, “Go to Vimalakīrti and inquire about his illness.”
Upāli answered the Buddha, “World-Honored One, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness. Why? I remember that once two bhikṣus violated the precepts. Ashamed at heart, they did not dare ask the Buddha. They came to me and said: Upāli, we have violated the precepts and feel deeply ashamed. We do not dare ask the Buddha. Please dispel our doubt and remorse so that we may be freed from this offense.
“I then explained the matter to them according to the disciplinary code. Vimalakīrti came and said to me:
“Upāli, do not add still more weight to the offenses of these two bhikṣus. Eliminate them directly; do not disturb their minds. Why? The nature of an offense is not within, not without, and not in between. Just as the Buddha has said: because the mind is defiled, sentient beings are defiled; because the mind is pure, sentient beings are pure.
“The mind, too, is not within, not without, and not in between. As it is with the mind, so it is with the defilement of offense, and so it is with all dharmas: none goes beyond suchness. Upāli, when the mark of mind is liberated, is there still any defilement within it?
“I answered: No.
“Vimalakīrti said: It is likewise with the minds of all sentient beings, whose marks are originally undefiled. Upāli, false conception is defilement and the absence of false conception is purity; inversion is defilement and the absence of inversion is purity; grasping at a self is defilement and not grasping at a self is purity.
“Upāli, all dharmas arise and cease without pause and cannot abide. They are like illusions and like flashes of lightning. No dharma waits upon another, and none remains even for a single thought-moment. All dharmas are seen by false seeing; they are like dreams, mirages, the moon in water, and images in a mirror, all arising from false conception. One who knows this is called an observer of the disciplinary code. One who knows this is called skilled in understanding the disciplinary code.”
“After hearing this, the two bhikṣus said: What supreme wisdom! Upāli cannot reach this. Though Upāli stands foremost among observers of the disciplinary code, he cannot speak such words.
“I answered them: Apart from the Tathāgata, no śrāvaka or bodhisattva can interrupt Vimalakīrti’s joyful eloquence in teaching the Dharma. His wisdom is lucid and penetrating, precisely as you have heard.
“At that time, all the doubt and remorse of the two bhikṣus was dispelled, and they aroused the mind of unsurpassed perfect awakening. They vowed: May all sentient beings attain such eloquence. I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness.”
9. Rāhula: Leaving Home Is Not a Calculable Benefit
The Buddha told Rāhula, “Go to Vimalakīrti and inquire about his illness.”
Rāhula answered the Buddha, “World-Honored One, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness. Why? I remember once that some sons of elders from the city of Vaiśālī came before me and bowed their heads in homage. They asked me: Rāhula, you are the Buddha’s son. You relinquished the position of a wheel-turning king and left home to cultivate the path. What benefit does leaving home ultimately have?
“I explained to them, in accord with the true Dharma, the meritorious benefits of leaving home. Vimalakīrti then came and said to me:
“Rāhula, leaving home should not be described as possessing merit or benefit. Why? To have no benefit and no merit is to leave home. It is conditioned dharmas that can be said to possess benefit and merit. Leaving home is an unconditioned dharma, and within the unconditioned there is neither benefit nor merit.
“Rāhula, what is called leaving home has no place over there, no place over here, and no middle between them. It is removed from the sixty-two views and rests in nirvāṇa. It is received by the wise and is the domain in which sages practice. It subdues all Māras and crosses beyond the five paths. It purifies the five eyes, attains the five powers, and establishes the five faculties.
“What is called leaving home does not harm others and is removed from the various mixed evils. It subdues non-Buddhist paths and surpasses provisional names. It emerges from the mud and is without attachment. It has nothing belonging to self and nothing received. It is free of disturbance, cherishes Dharma-joy within, protects the intentions of others, accords with meditation, and is removed from every fault. One who can be like this has truly left home.”
“Vimalakīrti then said to those sons of elders: You should all leave home together within the true Dharma. Why? It is difficult to encounter a buddha dwelling in the world.
“The sons of elders answered: Layman, we have heard the Buddha say that if one’s parents do not permit it, one cannot leave home.
“Vimalakīrti said: That is so. Then arouse the mind of unsurpassed perfect awakening. This is leaving home; this is full ordination.
“At that time, all thirty-two sons of elders aroused the mind of unsurpassed perfect awakening. I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness.”
10. Ānanda: The Dharma-Body Has No Illness, Yet This Dharma Is Still Manifested in the World of Five Degenerations
The Buddha told Ānanda, “Go to Vimalakīrti and inquire about his illness.”
Ānanda answered the Buddha, “World-Honored One, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness. Why? I remember once that the World-Honored One was slightly unwell and required cow’s milk. I took my bowl and stood outside the gate of a great brahmin’s house.
“Vimalakīrti then came and asked me: Ānanda, why are you standing here early in the morning with your bowl?
“I answered: Layman, the World-Honored One is slightly unwell and requires cow’s milk, so I have come here.
“Vimalakīrti said: Stop, stop! Ānanda, do not speak this way. The Tathāgata’s body is an adamantine body. All evils have been cut off and all wholesome qualities have universally gathered within it. How could there be illness? How could there be suffering? Ānanda, leave quietly. Do not slander the Tathāgata or let others hear such coarse words. Do not let the devas of great majesty, or the bodhisattvas who have come here from pure lands in other directions, hear this statement.
“Ānanda, a wheel-turning king, on the strength of only a small amount of merit, can still be free of illness. How much more must this be true of the Tathāgata, in whom immeasurable merit has universally gathered and who surpasses all? Go, Ānanda. Do not make us bear this shame.
“If the non-Buddhists and brahmin renunciants hear this statement, they will think: What sort of teacher is this? He cannot even cure his own illness, yet he can cure all who are ill? You should leave secretly and quickly. Do not let anyone hear.
“Ānanda, you should know that the bodies of all tathāgatas are precisely the dharma-body, not bodies born of sensual thought. The Buddha is the World-Honored One and surpasses the three realms. The Buddha’s body has no outflows of affliction, and all outflows have been exhausted. The Buddha’s body is unconditioned and does not fall within any enumeration of conditioned things. How could a body like this have illness? How could it have suffering?”
“World-Honored One, I was truly ashamed at that time. Could I, though I attended closely upon the Buddha, somehow have heard the Buddha’s words incorrectly? Just then a voice came from the sky, saying:
“Ānanda, it is as the layman says. Nevertheless, the Buddha appears in the evil world of the five degenerations and manifests the practice of this Dharma in order to liberate sentient beings. Go, Ānanda. Fetch the cow’s milk and do not be ashamed.”
“World-Honored One, such are Vimalakīrti’s wisdom and eloquence. Therefore, I am not capable of going to inquire about his illness.”
The Five Hundred Great Disciples All Say They Are Unable
In this way, five hundred great disciples each explained to the Buddha the circumstances of a former encounter with Vimalakīrti, recounted the words Vimalakīrti had spoken at that time, and said that he was not capable of going to inquire about his illness.
維摩詰只是臥病自念，佛便知道他的心意。可是，佛從舍利弗一路問到阿難，十位大弟子沒有一人直接動身。他們不是推說路遠，也不是不知道維摩詰住處；每一個人都想起一段舊事：自己曾在所熟習的修行上，被維摩詰問到無言以對。
本品於是把『誰去問疾』轉成另一個問題：當一個人已能宴坐、說法、乞食、解義、見遠、持律、出家、侍佛，他所熟悉的那一法，是否仍被身相、言說、取受、分別與所得圍住？
宴坐與說法：不是離開世間以後才有法
舍利弗在林中樹下宴坐，經文沒有抹去這個事實，維摩詰卻先說：不必採取這種坐相，才叫宴坐。接下來六句，每一句都把看似互相排斥的兩面同時放進宴坐：
「夫宴坐者，不於三界現身、意，是為宴坐；」卻又不起滅定而現一切威儀；不捨道法，卻能顯現凡夫之事；心不住在內，也不落在外；在種種見中不動，而仍修三十七道品；不斷煩惱，而能入涅槃。
這裡沒有說坐不重要，也沒有另立一種姿勢。經文只讓『坐』不能停在樹下身形：若入定便不見威儀，守道便不能現凡夫事，離見便不能修道品，斷盡煩惱才准入涅槃，那麼宴坐仍被兩邊限定。舍利弗聽後默然，不能再加回答。
目連的場景從林中移到毘耶離里巷。他正在為在家居士說法，維摩詰說：「夫說法者，當如法說。」接著不是提供一套更華麗的說辭，而是把能說、所說、能聽、所得逐層鬆開。
法無眾生、無我、無壽命、無人；法寂然、離相、無名字、無說、無形、無戲論；法無我所、無分別、無比、不屬因；法同法性、隨如、住實際、不依六塵、無去來；法又順空、隨無相、應無作，離好醜、增損、生滅與歸處，超過六根，沒有高下，常住不動，離一切觀行。說法者無說無示，聽法者無聞無得，如幻士為幻人說法。
但經文沒有在『不可說』處停止。它隨即要求說法者明白眾生根性有利有鈍，知見無礙，以大悲心讚歎大乘，念報佛恩，使三寶不斷，然後說法。無說不等於閉口，無得也不等於不顧聽者；經文在無說、無聞之後，仍明列眼前人的根與說法所向。當時八百居士發菩提心，目連則自陳沒有這樣的辯才。
一鉢飯：乞者、施者與所食都不能被偏取
大迦葉走進貧里乞食。他的動機是慈悲，維摩詰指出的卻是慈悲未普：捨富從貧，仍在所乞之家作了選擇。因此，經文先說：「住平等法，應次行乞食。」不是取消乞食，而是讓乞食不再由貧富分別決定。
經文接著從三面說食：為不食而乞，為壞和合相而取揣食，為不受而受食。進入聚落，如入空聚；見色如盲，聞聲如響，嗅香如風，食味不分別，受觸如智證；知諸法如幻相，無自性、無他性；本來沒有真實熾然，如今也沒有什麼可滅。這不是把門關在聚落之外，而是在聚落、根境與受食之中，不另抓住一個實在的食相。
同樣的平等繼續推向邪與正、定與散、生死與涅槃：不捨八邪而入八解脫，以邪相入正法；以一食施一切，供養諸佛與眾賢聖；受食者非有煩惱，也非離煩惱，非入定，也非起定，非住世間，也非住涅槃；施者沒有可立的大福小福、利益損失。如此才正入佛道，不空受人之施。迦葉從此不再勸人只行聲聞、辟支佛之道。
須菩提面前也是一鉢飯，維摩詰已把飯盛滿。這一次，經文由食與法互相照見：「若能於食等者，諸法亦等，諸法等者，於食亦等；」食不是離開萬法的日常小事，萬法的平等也不能離開眼前這鉢飯另求。
後面一長串話不讓須菩提站穩在任何一個清淨身分上：不斷婬怒癡，也不與它們同在；不壞身而隨一相；不滅癡愛而起明脫；五逆與解脫、縛與不縛、見諦與不見諦、得果與不得果、凡夫與聖人，都不能成為可執著的自我位置。六師、邪見、八難、煩惱、無諍、福田、惡道、眾魔、怨心、謗佛、毀法、不入眾數與滅度，也都依經文次第列出。
須菩提聽得茫然，放下鉢想離開。維摩詰這才用如來所作的化人問他：若化人受到這樣詰問，會害怕嗎？當須菩提答不會，話頭便落回一切法與一切言說的幻化相。智者不著文字，便無所懼；文字性離，無有文字，這就是解脫，而解脫相就是一切法。經文沒有讓須菩提丟下飯鉢逃出平等，反而讓他取鉢勿懼。當時二百天子得法眼淨。
說法與解義：還要看以什麼心、對什麼根而說
富樓那在大林樹下為新學比丘說法。維摩詰先說：「先當入定，觀此人心然後說法。」接著的譬喻都指向所說與所對不可錯置：穢食不能放入寶器，琉璃不能當作水精；無瘡者不可刺傷，要走大道者不可指向小徑，大海不可裝進牛跡，日光不可與螢火等量。
經文自己交代這些比丘的本緣：他們久已發大乘心，中途忘失；曾在五百佛前植眾德本，迴向菩提。維摩詰入三昧，使他們自知宿命；他們豁然還得本心，禮拜維摩詰。維摩詰當時為他們說法，他們於無上菩提不再退轉。富樓那由此反省：不觀人的根，不應說法。
迦旃延所說的不是別處雜義，而是佛略說法要後，他對無常、苦、空、無我、寂滅五義所作的敷演。維摩詰指出的關節是：「無以生滅心行說實相法。」
經文隨即逐項重說五義：諸法畢竟不生不滅，是無常義；五受陰洞達空無所起，是苦義；諸法究竟無所有，是空義；我與無我不二，是無我義；法本不然、今則無滅，是寂滅義。五項一項未減，也沒有把第五項併入前四。當時那些比丘心得解脫；迦旃延仍以不任收束回憶。
天眼與持律：所見問作相，罪垢問內外中間
阿那律先向嚴淨梵王說，自己以天眼看釋迦牟尼佛土三千大千世界，如看掌中菴摩勒果。維摩詰沒有跟他比較所見遠近，而問：「天眼所見，為作相耶，無作相耶？」若是作相，便與外道五通相等；若是無作相，既屬無為，便不應另有一個見。
阿那律默然。梵眾轉問世間誰有真天眼，維摩詰答佛、世尊有：常在三昧，悉見諸佛國，不以二相。經文把『悉見』與『不以二相』同時保留，沒有用不見代替真見，也沒有再為阿那律補一個答案。嚴淨梵王與五百眷屬當時發菩提心，禮足後忽然不現。
優波離面對的不是遠方世界，而是兩位犯律比丘當下的羞恥與疑悔。他已依律解說，維摩詰卻先制止：「無重增此二比丘罪！當直除滅，勿擾其心。」經文把不重增其罪、直接除滅與不擾其心連在一起。
經文由罪性說到心，再說到諸法：罪性不在內、不在外、不在中間；心也不在內外中間；心如何，罪垢也如何，諸法也如何，都不出如如。心相解脫時沒有垢，一切眾生心相無垢也是如此。垢與淨又被逐項落在妄想、顛倒、取我及其遠離上：經文逐項說妄想、顛倒、取我是垢，離此為淨。
一切法生滅不住，如幻如電；彼此不相待，乃至一念不住；所見如夢、如炎、如水中月、如鏡中像，從妄想生。經文最後兩次說『知此』：知道這一點，才名奉律；知道這一點，才名善解。兩位比丘當時疑悔除去，發菩提心，並願一切眾生皆得此辯。
出家與佛身：無利不是無行，無疾也沒有刪去示現
長者子問羅睺羅出家有什麼利益。羅睺羅如法說出家功德之利，維摩詰卻說：「無利、無功德，是為出家；」因為利與功德可在有為法中計說，出家所向是無為法，不能再拿有為的收益衡量。
經文並未因此把出家說成空白。它一口氣列出真出家的行相：無彼、無此、無中間；離六十二見而處涅槃；為智者所受、聖者所行；降魔、度五道、淨五眼、得五力、立五根；不惱他人、離眾雜惡；摧外道、越假名；出淤泥、無繫著；無我所、無所受；無擾亂而內懷喜；護彼意、隨禪定、離眾過。無利、無功德，沒有取消其中任何一項。
當長者子說父母未許、不能出家時，維摩詰先答『是』，沒有抹去佛所說的條件；他接著叫眾人發菩提心，說這便是出家、這便是具足。當時三十二位長者子皆發菩提心。
阿難的一鉢原本要盛牛乳。他因世尊身小有疾，清晨到婆羅門家門外。維摩詰先說如來身金剛之體，諸惡已斷，眾善普會；又說：「諸如來身，即是法身，非思欲身。」佛身過三界、無漏、諸漏已盡、無為、不墮諸數，故不應以尋常疾惱言之。
阿難沒有就此丟下鉢。他正懷慚愧，懷疑自己近佛而聽錯時，空中聲承認維摩詰所說，又補上一面：佛出五濁惡世，現行此法，度脫眾生。最後命他取乳勿慚。法身無疾與世間示疾，在同一段經文中前後並存；牛乳仍要取，慚愧可以放下。
十次不任，把問疾交到下一位面前
十位弟子的回憶，各有不同收束：舍利弗與阿那律默然；目連自陳無此辯；迦葉不再勸二乘行；富樓那反省說法須觀根；其餘各段記下天子、比丘、梵天與長者子同時所得的法益。經文不把這些結果排成高下，只逐段傳述。
末句把鏡頭從十人推到五百大弟子：他們各向佛說自己的本緣，稱述維摩詰所言，都說不任前往。五百次『不任』把十段共同的收束擴及眾弟子，也使讀者不能只站在弟子的舊答案裡。每一段都在問：若法就在宴坐、里巷、飯鉢、樹下、經行、疑悔、出家與取乳中，眼前這一行，能否不被它自己的名字封住？
二鏡並照
以下兩鏡只在此處並錄。什門三家隨羅什本經句分署，慈恩隨玄奘本詞系開科；兩邊都幫助照見本品層次，但都不改成本經自己已說出的分類。
什門之鏡：三家分署，從十次稱美到一行不住
全品結構上，什曰說：「復命餘人者，欲令各稱其美，明兼應辯慧無方也。」（T38n1775 0344a08）這把十次命往讀作反覆稱述維摩詰之美。進入各段後，什曰、肇曰、生曰各有明署：宴坐一段，生曰由閑居、什曰由至定開義，肇曰則沿六句分疏；不可把三人的話統繫於僧肇一名。
食等一段，肇曰說：「言萬法同相，準一可知。」（T38n1775 0350a11）觀根一段，肇曰說：「此新學比丘根在大乘、應聞大道，而為說小法，故誨其入定也。」（T38n1775 0353a03）前者由一食準知萬法，後者由經中本心說其根在大乘；這些是肇曰的判釋，不改寫成經文自署。
目連段，什曰、肇曰、生曰分別承接人空與法空諸句；天眼段，什曰由色作相申真眼，肇曰從報身諸根釋作相；罪性段，生曰、什曰、肇曰分別說罪處、妄想與心相。三家各依署名並存，不合成一位注者的判決。
出家一段，生曰說：「正以無利無功德為出家理也。」（T38n1775 0357c13），肇曰則說：「無為無利無功德，當知出家亦然矣。」（T38n1775 0357c25）阿難一段，什曰另分法身三種，生曰與肇曰各說現疾度生。什門之鏡由貼句短注開出不同方向，三家同席而不混署。
慈恩之鏡：五對科判，多門義解仍守玄奘本
窺基依玄奘本總判：「十大聲聞，略為五對。」（T38n1782 1041a12）五對把內寂身心與外彰詞理、偏濟貧苦與等現慈悲、訓示初機與教成先學、隨通御善與令悔息愆、讚說出家與規乞供侍相配。這是慈恩疏的全品科判，不下灌為羅什本自列的次第。
各段義解中，宴坐分因緣、唯識、無相、真如等門；食等可分空理義與應理義；迦旃延五義則說：「應理義云：此五實義，性即真如。」（T38n1782 1050a26）優波離段又說：「應理義云：罪性者真如理，此理不依內根外境及住兩間。」（T38n1782 1052c19）兩處皆是疏家明文，不把『真如』倒填為羅什本直說。
羅睺羅段以破分別執說無德無利，又分父母未許的身出家與發心所成的心出家；阿難段則說：「真身者報身也，是實功德，從因修生，故名真身。」（T38n1782 1056c29），並由真身、化身說無疾與示疾。慈恩鏡所依始終是玄奘本詞系；與什門相照時，名相與本句仍各歸本位。
兩鏡一路貼近羅什本三家注，一路依玄奘本展開多門科釋。宴坐、說法、乞食、五義、天眼、罪性、出家與佛身，都可在兩面古鏡中見到不同開展；並照的作用是保存差異，不是替其中一面作最後裁決。承衍到今日，經文仍居先：佛所命、弟子所憶、維摩詰所問與眾人同時所得，先按本品次第完整讀過，古疏的光才不會遮住它所照的經句。
Vimalakīrti merely lies ill and reflects to himself, and the Buddha knows his thought. Yet from Śāriputra all the way to Ānanda, not one of the ten great disciples sets out directly when the Buddha asks. They are not making the excuse that the road is long, nor do they not know where Vimalakīrti lives. Each remembers a former event: amid the very practice he knew best, Vimalakīrti had questioned him until he had no words in reply.
The chapter thus turns “Who will inquire about the illness?” into another question: when a person can already sit in meditation, teach the Dharma, seek alms, explain meanings, see afar, observe the disciplinary code, leave home, and attend upon the Buddha, is the Dharma with which he is familiar still enclosed by bodily marks, speech, reception, discrimination, and attainment?
Meditative Sitting and Teaching the Dharma: Dharma Does Not Arise Only after Leaving the World
Śāriputra sits beneath a tree in the forest. The sūtra does not erase this fact, yet Vimalakīrti first says that meditative sitting does not necessarily require assuming this seated posture. Each of the next six statements simultaneously brings two apparently exclusive sides into meditative sitting:
「夫宴坐者，不於三界現身、意，是為宴坐；」 — “Meditative sitting means not manifesting body or mind within the three realms; this is meditative sitting.” Yet it also means not rising from the absorption of cessation while manifesting all the dignified postures; not abandoning the Dharma of the path while manifesting the affairs of ordinary people; letting the mind abide neither within nor without; remaining unmoved amid the various views while still cultivating the thirty-seven factors of the path; and entering nirvāṇa without cutting off the afflictions.
This does not say that sitting is unimportant, nor does it establish another posture. The sūtra simply prevents “sitting” from stopping at the bodily form beneath a tree. If entering absorption means no longer manifesting the dignified postures, keeping to the path means being unable to manifest the affairs of ordinary people, leaving views means being unable to cultivate the factors of the path, and only the complete cutting off of afflictions permits entry into nirvāṇa, then meditative sitting remains bounded by two sides. After hearing this, Śāriputra remains silent and can add no reply.
Maudgalyāyana’s setting moves from the forest to a lane in Vaiśālī. He is teaching the Dharma to lay householders when Vimalakīrti says, 「夫說法者，當如法說。」 — “One who teaches the Dharma should teach in accord with Dharma.” What follows is not a more ornate set of expressions, but a progressive loosening of speaker, spoken Dharma, listener, and attainment.
Dharma has no sentient being, no self, no lifespan, and no person. Dharma is quiescent, apart from marks, without names, without speech, without form, and without conceptual proliferation. Dharma has nothing belonging to self, no discrimination, nothing comparable, and does not belong to a cause. Dharma is identical with Dharma-nature, accords with suchness, abides at the limit of reality, does not depend upon the six objects, and neither goes nor comes. It also accords with emptiness, follows signlessness, and corresponds to wishlessness. It is apart from beauty and ugliness, increase and decrease, arising and cessation, and any place of return; it surpasses the six faculties, is neither high nor low, constantly abides without moving, and is apart from every activity of observation. The teacher has nothing to speak or show, and the listener nothing to hear or attain, like an illusory person teaching the Dharma to another illusory person.
Yet the sūtra does not stop at “it cannot be spoken.” It immediately requires the teacher to understand whether the faculties of sentient beings are sharp or dull, possess unobstructed knowing and seeing, praise the Great Vehicle with great compassion, remember and repay the Buddha’s kindness, and keep the Three Jewels unbroken before teaching the Dharma. Nothing spoken does not mean closing one’s mouth, and nothing attained does not mean disregarding the listener. After speaking of nothing taught and nothing heard, the sūtra still explicitly states the faculties of the people before one and the direction in which the teaching should lead. Eight hundred householders then arouse the mind of awakening, while Maudgalyāyana declares that he lacks such eloquence.
A Bowl of Rice: Beggar, Giver, and Food Cannot Be Selectively Grasped
Mahākāśyapa enters a poor neighborhood for alms. His motive is compassion, but Vimalakīrti points out that the compassion is not universal: by passing over the wealthy and going to the poor, he still chooses among the households from which he seeks alms. The sūtra therefore first says, 「住平等法，應次行乞食。」 — “Abiding in the Dharma of equality, one should go for alms in sequence.” It does not cancel almsround; it prevents the distinction between rich and poor from determining it.
The sūtra next speaks of food from three sides: going for alms for the sake of not eating, taking morsel-food for the sake of breaking the compounded mark, and receiving food for the sake of not receiving. Entering a settlement as though entering an empty settlement; seeing form as though blind, hearing sound as an echo, smelling scent as wind, tasting flavor without discrimination, and receiving contact as wisdom realizes; knowing all dharmas as illusory appearances, with no nature of their own and no nature from another; originally there was no real burning and now there is nothing to extinguish. This does not shut the gate outside the settlement. Within settlement, faculties and objects, and receiving food, it refrains from grasping a real mark of food.
The same equality continues into wrong and right, absorption and emergence, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa: entering the eight liberations without abandoning the eight wrong practices; entering the true Dharma through wrong marks; with one portion of food giving to all and making offerings to the buddhas and the many worthies and sages; the recipient of food neither possessing afflictions nor having left afflictions behind, neither entering absorption nor rising from it, neither abiding in the world nor in nirvāṇa; the giver having no established great or small merit, benefit or loss. This is true entry into the Buddha’s path and not consuming another’s offering in vain. From then onward, Kāśyapa no longer encourages people to practice only the śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha path.
Before Subhūti there is likewise a bowl of rice, already filled by Vimalakīrti. This time the sūtra lets food and Dharma illuminate one another: 「若能於食等者，諸法亦等，諸法等者，於食亦等；」 — “If one can be equal toward food, all dharmas are also equal; if all dharmas are equal, one is also equal toward food.” Food is not a small daily matter separate from the myriad dharmas, and the equality of the myriad dharmas cannot be sought apart from the bowl of rice before one.
The long statement that follows does not let Subhūti stand securely in any pure identity: not cutting off lust, anger, and delusion, yet not dwelling with them; not destroying the body, yet according with the one mark; not extinguishing ignorance and craving, yet giving rise to understanding and liberation; the five heinous acts and liberation, bondage and freedom from bondage, seeing and not seeing the truths, attaining and not attaining the fruit, ordinary person and sage—none can become an identity-position to which one clings. The six teachers, wrong views, the eight difficult states, afflictions, non-contention, field of merit, evil paths, hosts of Māra, enmity, slandering the Buddha, destroying the Dharma, not entering the assembly, and cessation are likewise enumerated in the sūtra’s sequence.
Subhūti becomes bewildered and puts down the bowl, intending to leave. Vimalakīrti then asks him about a person conjured by the Tathāgata: if such a conjured person were questioned in this way, would it be afraid? When Subhūti says no, the exchange returns to the illusory marks of all dharmas and all speech. The wise do not cling to written words and therefore are not afraid. The nature of written words is separate; there are no written words. This is liberation, and the mark of liberation is all dharmas. The sūtra does not let Subhūti abandon the bowl and flee equality; it instead tells him to pick up the bowl and not be afraid. Two hundred devas then attain purity of the Dharma-eye.
Teaching and Explaining Meanings: One Must Still See with What Mind and to What Faculties One Speaks
Pūrṇa teaches the Dharma to newly trained bhikṣus beneath a tree in the Great Forest. Vimalakīrti first says, 「先當入定，觀此人心然後說法。」 — “First enter absorption and contemplate these people’s minds; only then teach the Dharma.” Each simile that follows shows that what is taught and the people addressed cannot be mismatched: impure food must not be placed in a jeweled vessel, nor beryl mistaken for crystal. One who has no wound must not be injured; one who wishes to travel the great road must not be pointed toward a small path; the great ocean cannot be poured into an ox’s hoofprint, nor sunlight equated with a firefly.
The sūtra itself gives the former circumstances of these bhikṣus. They had long ago aroused the mind of the Great Vehicle but forgotten it along the way. In the presence of five hundred buddhas they had planted many roots of virtue and dedicated them to awakening. Vimalakīrti enters absorption and causes them to know their former lives. They suddenly recover the minds they had originally aroused and bow to Vimalakīrti. When Vimalakīrti then teaches them the Dharma, they become irreversible from unsurpassed awakening. Pūrṇa consequently reflects that one should not teach without discerning people’s faculties.
What Kātyāyana explains is not an assortment of meanings from elsewhere. After the Buddha briefly teaches the essentials of the Dharma, he elaborates the five meanings of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, no-self, and quiescent cessation. Vimalakīrti identifies the crucial point: 「無以生滅心行說實相法。」 — “Do not teach the Dharma of the true mark through mental activity of arising and cessation.”
The sūtra immediately restates all five meanings in sequence: all dharmas ultimately neither arise nor cease—this is the meaning of impermanence; the five aggregates subject to grasping are penetrated as empty, with nothing arising—this is the meaning of suffering; all dharmas ultimately have no possession—this is the meaning of emptiness; self and no-self are nondual—this is the meaning of no-self; dharmas originally had no real burning and now have nothing to extinguish—this is the meaning of quiescent cessation. Not one of the five is omitted, and the fifth is not merged into the first four. The minds of those bhikṣus are then liberated, while Kātyāyana still closes his recollection by declaring himself unable.
The Divine Eye and the Disciplinary Code: What Is Seen Is Questioned through Fabrication, and the Defilement of Offense through Within, Without, and In Between
Aniruddha first tells Brahmā king Majestic Purity that with his divine eye he sees the billion-world universe within Śākyamuni Buddha’s buddha-land as one sees an āmalaka fruit in the palm. Vimalakīrti does not compare how far he can see, but asks, 「天眼所見，為作相耶，無作相耶？」 — “Is what the divine eye sees a fabricated mark or an unfabricated mark?” If it is fabricated, it is equal to the five superknowledges of the non-Buddhists; if unfabricated, it is unconditioned and should not have another act of seeing.
Aniruddha remains silent. The Brahmā assembly then asks who in the world has the true divine eye. Vimalakīrti answers that the Buddha, the World-Honored One, does: constantly abiding in absorption, completely seeing all buddha-lands, and not seeing through two marks. The sūtra retains both “completely seeing” and “not through two marks.” It does not replace true seeing with not seeing, nor does it supply another answer for Aniruddha. Brahmā king Majestic Purity and five hundred members of his retinue then arouse the mind of awakening and suddenly cease to appear after bowing at Vimalakīrti’s feet.
Before Upāli are not distant worlds, but the immediate shame, doubt, and remorse of two bhikṣus who violated the disciplinary code. He has already explained the code to them when Vimalakīrti first stops him: 「無重增此二比丘罪！當直除滅，勿擾其心。」 — “Do not add still more weight to the offenses of these two bhikṣus! Eliminate them directly; do not disturb their minds.” The sūtra joins not adding to their offenses, directly eliminating them, and not disturbing their minds.
From the nature of offense the sūtra proceeds to mind, and then to all dharmas. The nature of offense is not within, not without, and not in between. Mind is likewise not within, without, or in between. As it is with mind, so it is with the defilement of offense and all dharmas; none goes beyond suchness. When the mark of mind is liberated, there is no defilement within it, and the undefiled marks of the minds of all sentient beings are likewise. Defilement and purity are then assigned in sequence to false conception, inversion, and grasping at self, and to their abandonment: the sūtra says in turn that false conception, inversion, and grasping at self are defilement, while separation from them is purity.
All dharmas arise and cease without abiding, like illusion and lightning. They do not wait upon one another, and do not abide for even a single thought-moment. What is seen is like a dream, a mirage, the moon in water, and an image in a mirror, arising from false conception. The sūtra finally says “one who knows this” twice: knowing this is called observing the disciplinary code; knowing this is called skillfully understanding the disciplinary code. The two bhikṣus’ doubt and remorse are then dispelled, they arouse the mind of awakening, and they wish for all sentient beings to attain such eloquence.
Leaving Home and the Buddha’s Body: No Benefit Does Not Mean No Practice, and Absence of Illness Does Not Delete Manifestation
The sons of elders ask Rāhula what benefit there is in leaving home. Rāhula teaches in accord with Dharma about the meritorious benefit of leaving home, yet Vimalakīrti says, 「無利、無功德，是為出家；」 — “Having no benefit and no merit is leaving home.” Benefit and merit can be counted within conditioned dharmas, whereas the direction of leaving home is the unconditioned and cannot be measured by conditioned gain.
The sūtra does not thereby make leaving home blank. In one sustained sequence, it lists the marks of true renunciation: no place there, here, or in between; separation from the sixty-two views and resting in nirvāṇa; being received by the wise and practiced by sages; subduing Māra, crossing the five paths, purifying the five eyes, attaining the five powers, and establishing the five faculties; not harming others and being apart from mixed evils; subduing non-Buddhist paths and surpassing provisional names; emerging from mud and being without attachment; having nothing belonging to self and nothing received; being free of disturbance while cherishing joy within; protecting others’ intentions, according with meditation, and being apart from every fault. No benefit and no merit cancel none of these.
When the sons of elders say that they cannot leave home because their parents have not permitted it, Vimalakīrti first answers, “That is so,” without erasing the condition stated by the Buddha. He then tells them to arouse the mind of awakening, saying that this is leaving home and this is full ordination. All thirty-two sons of elders then arouse the mind of awakening.
Ānanda’s bowl is meant to hold cow’s milk. Because the World-Honored One is slightly ill, he comes early in the morning to the gate of a brahmin household. Vimalakīrti first says that the Tathāgata’s body is adamantine, with all evil cut off and all wholesome qualities universally gathered. He also says, 「諸如來身，即是法身，非思欲身。」 — “The bodies of all tathāgatas are precisely the dharma-body, not bodies born of sensual thought.” The Buddha’s body surpasses the three realms, is free of outflows, has exhausted all outflows, is unconditioned, and does not fall within any enumeration; it therefore should not be spoken of in terms of ordinary illness and distress.
Ānanda does not therefore throw away the bowl. Just as he feels ashamed and wonders whether, despite attending closely upon the Buddha, he has heard incorrectly, a voice from the sky affirms what Vimalakīrti has said and supplies another side: the Buddha manifests the practice of this Dharma in the evil world of the five degenerations to liberate sentient beings. It finally tells him to fetch the milk without shame. The dharma-body’s freedom from illness and the manifestation of illness in the world stand one after another in the same scriptural passage. The milk must still be fetched, while the shame can be put down.
Ten Declarations of Inability Pass the Inquiry to the Next Person
The ten disciples’ recollections close in different ways. Śāriputra and Aniruddha remain silent. Maudgalyāyana says that he lacks such eloquence. Kāśyapa no longer encourages the two-vehicle practice. Pūrṇa reflects that teaching must be preceded by discerning faculties. The remaining episodes record the concurrent benefits attained by devas, bhikṣus, Brahmā devas, and sons of elders. The sūtra does not rank these results, but transmits each episode in turn.
The final sentence moves the scene from ten disciples to five hundred great disciples. Each tells the Buddha of his own former encounter, recounts Vimalakīrti’s words, and says that he cannot go. Five hundred declarations of inability extend the shared ending of the ten episodes to the many disciples and prevent the reader from standing only within the disciples’ former answers. Each episode asks: if Dharma is present precisely within meditative sitting, a city lane, a bowl of rice, beneath a tree, walking meditation, doubt and remorse, leaving home, and fetching milk, can the practice now before us avoid being sealed shut by its own name?
Two Mirrors Shining Side by Side
The two mirrors below are presented side by side only here. The three masters of the Kumārajīva line are individually attributed in accordance with the scriptural sentences of the Kumārajīva recension, while the Ci’en line classifies according to the terminology of the Xuanzang recension. Both sides help illuminate the layers of the chapter, but neither is rewritten as a classification stated by the sūtra itself.
The Kumārajīva-Line Mirror: Three Individual Attributions, from Ten Repeated Praises to Practice without Abiding
Concerning the structure of the whole chapter, Kumārajīva says, 「復命餘人者，欲令各稱其美，明兼應辯慧無方也。」 — “He further instructs the others because he wishes each to praise Vimalakīrti’s excellence and make clear that he possesses both responsive eloquence and wisdom without limit” (T38n1775 0344a08). This reads the ten instructions as repeated praise of Vimalakīrti’s excellence. Within each episode, “Kumārajīva says,” “Sengzhao says,” and “Daosheng says” are individually marked. In the episode on meditative sitting, Daosheng develops the meaning from dwelling at leisure, Kumārajīva from the utmost absorption, and Sengzhao along the six statements. The words of the three cannot all be attributed to Sengzhao alone.
In the episode on equality of food, Sengzhao says, 「言萬法同相，準一可知。」 — “This says that the myriad dharmas have the same mark and can be known by taking one as the standard” (T38n1775 0350a11). In the episode on discerning faculties, Sengzhao says, 「此新學比丘根在大乘、應聞大道，而為說小法，故誨其入定也。」 — “The faculties of these newly trained bhikṣus lie in the Great Vehicle, and they should hear the great path; yet Pūrṇa teaches them a lesser Dharma, so Vimalakīrti instructs him to enter absorption” (T38n1775 0353a03). The former uses one meal as a standard for knowing the myriad dharmas; the latter interprets the original mind stated by the sūtra as faculties rooted in the Great Vehicle. These are Sengzhao’s interpretations and are not rewritten as self-designations in the sūtra.
In the Maudgalyāyana episode, Kumārajīva, Sengzhao, and Daosheng separately take up the statements on personal and Dharma emptiness. In the divine-eye episode, Kumārajīva develops the true eye from the fabricated mark of form, while Sengzhao explains the fabricated mark through the faculties of a recompense-body. In the offense-nature episode, Daosheng, Kumārajīva, and Sengzhao separately discuss the location of offense, false conception, and the mark of mind. The three masters retain their separate attributions and are not combined into a ruling by a single commentator.
In the episode on leaving home, Daosheng says, 「正以無利無功德為出家理也。」 — “Precisely having no benefit and no merit is the principle of leaving home” (T38n1775 0357c13), while Sengzhao says, 「無為無利無功德，當知出家亦然矣。」 — “The unconditioned has no benefit and no merit; one should know that leaving home is likewise” (T38n1775 0357c25). In the Ānanda episode, Kumārajīva separately distinguishes three kinds of dharma-body, while Daosheng and Sengzhao each discuss manifesting illness to liberate sentient beings. The Kumārajīva-line mirror opens different directions through short comments close to the scriptural sentences; the three masters sit together without their attributions being mixed.
The Ci’en Mirror: Classification into Five Pairs, with Multiple Interpretive Approaches Still Kept within the Xuanzang Recension
Following the Xuanzang recension, Kuiji gives the overall classification, 「十大聲聞，略為五對。」 — “The ten great śrāvakas are arranged, in brief, into five pairs” (T38n1782 1041a12). The five pairs join inner quiescence of body and mind with outward display of words and principles; partial aid to the poor and suffering with equal manifestation of loving-kindness and compassion; instruction of beginners with teaching that brings previously trained people to completion; exercising superknowledge to guide the wholesome with causing remorse over wrongdoing to cease; and praising leaving home with correcting the search for offerings while attending upon the Buddha. This is the overall classification of the Ci’en commentary and is not poured down into the sequence explicitly listed by Kumārajīva’s sūtra.
Within the individual interpretations, meditative sitting is divided through dependent origination, consciousness-only, signlessness, suchness, and other approaches. Equality of food can be divided into emptiness-principle and correct-principle readings. On Kātyāyana’s five meanings the commentary says, 「應理義云：此五實義，性即真如。」 — “According to the correct-principle interpretation, the nature of these five true meanings is suchness” (T38n1782 1050a26). In the Upāli episode it likewise says, 「應理義云：罪性者真如理，此理不依內根外境及住兩間。」 — “According to the correct-principle interpretation, the nature of offense is the principle of suchness; this principle depends neither on inner faculties nor outer objects and does not abide between the two” (T38n1782 1052c19). Both are explicit statements of the commentator and do not backfill “suchness” as a direct statement of Kumārajīva’s sūtra.
In the Rāhula episode, Kuiji explains having neither merit nor benefit through the breaking of discriminating attachment and further distinguishes bodily renunciation when parents have not given permission from mental renunciation accomplished through arousing the mind. In the Ānanda episode he says, 「真身者報身也，是實功德，從因修生，故名真身。」 — “The true body is the recompense-body. It consists of real meritorious qualities and arises from cultivating causes; therefore it is called the true body” (T38n1782 1056c29), and explains freedom from illness and manifested illness through the true body and transformation-body. The Ci’en mirror always relies on the terminology of the Xuanzang recension; when it illuminates the Kumārajīva line, its names and scriptural sentences still return to their own recension.
One mirror follows the phrase-by-phrase comments of three masters close to the Kumārajīva recension; the other unfolds multiple approaches and classifications from the Xuanzang recension. Meditative sitting, teaching the Dharma, almsround, the five meanings, the divine eye, the nature of offense, leaving home, and the Buddha’s body all receive different developments in the two ancient mirrors. Their purpose in shining side by side is to preserve difference, not to pronounce a final ruling for either one. As this is transmitted to the present, the sūtra still comes first: the Buddha’s instructions, the disciples’ recollections, Vimalakīrti’s questions, and the benefits concurrently attained should first be read in the full sequence of this chapter, so that the light of the ancient commentaries does not obscure the scriptural sentences it illuminates.
考據Apparatus
本品起於維摩詰臥疾自念，次敘佛命十位大弟子問疾；十人各舉一段昔日與維摩詰相遇的本緣，自陳不能奉命。末以五百大弟子皆說本緣、皆稱不任作結。以下以羅什本本品實文為地，支謙本、玄奘本分欄對勘；什、肇、生三家注與窺基疏並列傳錄，不以一鏡裁定另一鏡。
一、科判定位
一、卷品與品界
本品在羅什本卷上，品題作「維摩詰所說經弟子品第三」（T14n0475 0539c14），自此起，至「如是五百大弟子各各向佛說其本緣，稱述維摩詰所言，皆曰不任詣彼問疾。」（T14n0475 0542a23）止；下一品〈菩薩品第四〉起於 T14n0475 0542a26。本品共二十二段，皆為散文，未見偈頌與呪文。
二、對話骨架
本品可依經文次第分為三層：
- 維摩詰自念臥疾，佛知其意。
- 佛先後命舍利弗、大目犍連、大迦葉、須菩提、富樓那彌多羅尼子、摩訶迦旃延、阿那律、優波離、羅睺羅、阿難問疾；每位弟子皆以『佛命—憶昔—自陳不任』為敘事骨架。
- 五百大弟子各述本緣，皆稱不任問疾。
十段昔緣並非維摩詰病室中的當下對話，而是弟子向佛追述的往事。每段所舉法門不同：宴坐、說法、乞食、食法平等、觀根授法、五義實相、天眼二相、罪性心淨、出家、佛身示疾；經文以十次『不任』連綴成品。
二、異譯對勘
一、品題與品界
| 漢本 | 品題 | 本品範圍 |
|---|---|---|
| 支謙本 T14n0474 | 「維摩詰所說經弟子品第三」（T14n0474 0521b28） | 0521b28–0523c13 |
| 羅什本 T14n0475 | 「維摩詰所說經弟子品第三」（T14n0475 0539c14） | 0539c14–0542a25 |
| 玄奘本 T14n0476 | 「聲聞品第三」（T14n0476 0561b05） | 0561b05–0564c01 |
支謙本與羅什本同題〈弟子品第三〉，玄奘本題作〈聲聞品第三〉。品次相同，只是對讀入口；三本的人名、句法、法數與得益仍各守本位。
二、十位弟子三譯名
| 序 | 支謙本 | 羅什本 | 玄奘本 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 舍利弗 | 舍利弗 | 舍利子 |
| 2 | 大目犍連 | 大目犍連，後稱目連 | 大目連 |
| 3 | 大迦葉 | 大迦葉 | 迦葉波 |
| 4 | 須菩提 | 須菩提 | 大善現 |
| 5 | 邠耨文陀尼子 | 富樓那彌多羅尼子 | 滿慈子 |
| 6 | 迦旃延 | 摩訶迦旃延 | 摩訶迦多衍那 |
| 7 | 阿那律 | 阿那律 | 大無滅 |
| 8 | 優波離 | 優波離 | 優波離 |
| 9 | 羅云 | 羅睺羅 | 羅怙羅 |
| 10 | 阿難 | 阿難 | 阿難陀 |
下文凡敘羅什本及什、肇、生三家注，沿用維摩詰與羅什本弟子名；凡敘玄奘本及窺基疏，沿用無垢稱與玄奘本弟子名。兩套詞系不作無標轉寫。
三、十段教說各守本位
| 節點 | 支謙本 | 羅什本 | 玄奘本 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 宴坐 | 「坐當如法不於三界現身意，是為宴坐；」（T14n0474 0521c05） | 「夫宴坐者，不於三界現身、意，是為宴坐；」（T14n0475 0539c20） | 「夫宴坐者，不於三界而現身心是為宴坐；」（T14n0476 0561b13） |
| 如法說法 | 「欲說法者，當為如法。」（T14n0474 0521c17） | 「夫說法者，當如法說。」（T14n0475 0540a04） | 「夫說法者應如法說。」（T14n0476 0561b29） |
| 平等乞食 | 「當知，已等法施普施於所行，已能不食哀故從乞。」（T14n0474 0522a11） | 「住平等法，應次行乞食。」（T14n0475 0540a29） | 「住平等法應次行乞食，為不食故應行乞食、為欲壞彼於食執故應行乞食、為欲受他所施食故應行乞食。」（T14n0476 0562a06） |
| 食法平等 | 「於食等者，諸法得等；」（T14n0474 0522b02） | 「若能於食等者，諸法亦等，諸法等者，於食亦等；」（T14n0475 0540b21） | 「若能於食以平等性而入一切法平等性，以一切法平等之性入于一切佛平等性，其能如是乃可取食。」（T14n0476 0562b05） |
| 觀根授法 | 「無乃反戾此摩尼之心，是已為下正行。」（T14n0474 0522c02） | 「先當入定，觀此人心然後說法。」（T14n0475 0540c26） | 「先當入定觀苾芻心，然後乃應為其說法。」（T14n0476 0562c16） |
| 五義實相 | 「無以待行有起之義為說法也。」（T14n0474 0522c19） | 「無以生滅心行說實相法。」（T14n0475 0541a17） | 「無以生滅分別心行說實相法。」（T14n0476 0563a16） |
| 天眼二相 | 「眼為受身相耶？」（T14n0474 0523a02） | 「天眼所見，為作相耶，無作相耶？」（T14n0475 0541b01） | 「所得天眼為有行相？」（T14n0476 0563b06） |
| 罪性心淨 | 「莫釋以所誨而詭其行也。」（T14n0474 0523a15） | 「彼罪性不在內、不在外、不在中間，如佛所說，心垢故眾生垢，心淨故眾生淨。」（T14n0475 0541b17） | 「彼罪性不住內、不出外、不在兩間。」（T14n0476 0563b26） |
| 出家德利 | 「匪榮匪冀，故為沙門、為道者。」（T14n0474 0523b09） | 「無利、無功德，是為出家；」（T14n0475 0541c14） | 「無有功德、無有勝利，是為出家。」（T14n0476 0564a02） |
| 佛身示疾 | 「佛身小中風，當用牛湩，故我到此。」（T14n0474 0523b25） | 「世尊身小有疾，當用牛乳」（T14n0475 0542a03） | 「世尊身現少有所疾，當用牛乳。」（T14n0476 0564a27） |
三譯在十段次第上可逐段相對，措辭卻不可合併為一條共同原文。尤其阿那律段，羅什本問『作相／無作相』，玄奘本問『有行相／無行相』；二詞系只可分本並錄。
四、本品未見
支謙本本品在迦旃延起列中未見第五項『寂滅義』；羅什本與玄奘本均列五義。玄奘本須菩提／大善現段另有「五百天子得順法忍。」（T14n0476 0562c08），支謙本與羅什本本品未見。五百弟子集體稱不任的結語，羅什本與玄奘本明載，支謙本本品未見。三本本品皆未見文殊師利／妙吉祥對話，也皆未見偈頌。未見者只記未見，不取他譯或他品補入。
三、經論宗依（眼）
本品的經眼不在一條抽離上下文的標語，而在十段反覆追問：修行之名，若仍住於所見、所說、所得，是否已盡其義？羅什本以十個可逐字坐實的轉折展開：
- 宴坐不只在身形安坐，而問三界身意、滅定威儀、道法凡夫、內外、諸見與道品、煩惱與涅槃如何不相隔絕。
- 說法不只把話說出，而先說法無眾生、無我、無壽命、無人，乃至說者無說無示、聽者無聞無得；同時仍須了知根性利鈍，以大悲讚大乘，念報佛恩而不斷三寶。
- 乞食由偏入貧里轉向平等次乞，從不食、壞和合相、不受三面說取受食，又把根境、邪正、定散、世間涅槃、施福大小一一置於平等法中。
- 一鉢飯成為食與諸法互相觀照的入口；一連串看似逆向的條件，最後由幻化、文字性離與解脫相收攝。
- 說法須先觀根；寶器、琉璃、大海、日光等譬喻，都用來防止把大乘根性誤作小乘根性。
- 無常、苦、空、無我、寂滅五義，不以生滅心行說實相。
- 天眼之見受『作相／無作相』詰問，真天眼則說常在三昧、悉見諸佛國而不以二相。
- 犯律疑悔由罪性與心相觀照；奉律與善解落在知諸法如幻、如電、如夢等，不在加重其心。
- 出家由可計量的利與功德，轉向無為法中的無利、無功德；經文仍逐項列出真出家之行。
- 佛身與示疾並陳：維摩詰先說法身、無漏、無為，空中聲再說佛於五濁惡世現行此法，命阿難取乳勿慚。
十段共同的敘事結果不是抽象判決，而是弟子各自記得曾被問到言語所不能續，故此刻皆自陳不任。目連、須菩提、富樓那、迦旃延、阿那律、優波離、羅睺羅各段另明記同時法益；經文以『說是法時』『於是』『爾時』連接，應按原敘事並錄，不另造因果層級。
四、本品釋要
一、舍利弗：宴坐
舍利弗憶昔於林中樹下宴坐。維摩詰不否定坐，而說『不必是坐』，繼而逐項開出六面：不於三界現身意；不起滅定而現威儀；不捨道法而現凡夫事；心不住內外；於諸見不動而修三十七品；不斷煩惱而入涅槃。舍利弗聞後默然，不能加報。
二、目連：如法說法
目連在毘耶離里巷為居士說法。維摩詰先說法離眾生、我、壽命、人四種執，次由寂然、離相、離名字、離說、無形、無戲論，展至無我所、無分別、無比、不屬因、同法性、隨如、住實際、不依六塵、無去來、順三解脫門，復說離好醜、無增損、無生滅、無所歸、過六根、無高下、常住不動、離觀行。說者無說無示，聽者無聞無得，卻仍須觀根、以大悲讚大乘、念佛恩而不斷三寶。經記當時八百居士發菩提心。
三、迦葉與須菩提：一食之中見平等
大迦葉偏入貧里乞食，維摩詰先指出慈悲未普，令住平等法次第而乞。乞、取、受三事都不住食相；入聚落如入空聚，於色、聲、香、味、觸不隨分別，又知諸法如幻。其後再說八邪與八解脫、邪相與正法、一食與一切供養，乃至煩惱與離煩惱、入定與起定、世間與涅槃、福之大小與益損。迦葉從此不復勸人行聲聞、辟支佛乘。
須菩提入維摩詰舍乞食，鉢中盛滿飯。維摩詰由食等與法等互說，次列婬怒癡與不相俱、身與一相、癡愛與明脫、五逆與解脫、縛解、見諦、不見諦、得果、不得果、凡聖等一連串條件；又列六師、邪見、八難、煩惱、無諍三昧、福田、三惡道、眾魔、怨心、謗佛毀法、不入眾數、不得滅度。須菩提茫然欲去，維摩詰以如來所作化人反問，再說諸法如幻、言說不離幻相、文字性離即解脫。經記二百天子得法眼淨。
四、富樓那與迦旃延：說法須知所對之根，也不可用生滅心說實相
富樓那為新學比丘說法，維摩詰令他先入定觀心。穢食與寶器、琉璃與水精、瘡與傷、大道與小徑、大海與牛跡、日光與螢火，逐一指出根性若未辨明，所說雖是法，仍可能與所對之人不相應。這些比丘曾於五百佛所植眾德本並迴向菩提，後還得本心，於菩提不復退轉。
迦旃延在佛略說法要後敷演無常、苦、空、無我、寂滅五義。維摩詰說不可用生滅心行說實相，逐項改從不生不滅、五受陰空無所起、究竟無所有、我與無我不二、本不然今無滅申明。經記彼諸比丘心得解脫。
五、阿那律與優波離：見與持律都回到心相
嚴淨梵王問阿那律天眼所見，阿那律答見三千大千世界如掌中菴摩勒果。維摩詰追問所見是作相還是無作相：若作相，與外道五通等；若無作相，則是無為，不應有見。真天眼一段只依經文說佛常在三昧、悉見諸佛國而不以二相。經記嚴淨梵王與五百梵天發菩提心。
兩位犯律比丘帶著羞恥與疑悔來問優波離。維摩詰先說不可重增其罪、擾亂其心，再說罪性、心與諸法皆不在內外中間。垢淨三對是妄想與無妄想、顛倒與無顛倒、取我與不取我；諸法又如幻、如電、如夢、如炎、如水中月、如鏡中像。經記二比丘疑悔除、發菩提心，並願一切眾生皆得此辯。
六、羅睺羅與阿難：出家與佛身
羅睺羅先為長者子說出家功德之利。維摩詰從有為可說利德、無為無利無德轉入真出家的逐項形貌：無彼此中間，離六十二見，處涅槃，為智者所受、聖所行；降魔、度五道、淨五眼、得五力、立五根；不惱彼、離雜惡、摧外道、越假名、出淤泥、無繫著、無我所、無所受、無擾亂、內懷喜、護彼意、隨禪定、離眾過。父母未許肉身出家時，維摩詰令長者子發菩提心；經記三十二人皆發心。
阿難因佛身小疾，持鉢求乳。維摩詰先以金剛之體、諸惡已斷、眾善普會、法身、出三界、無漏、無為說如來身，不許阿難以尋常病身言佛；阿難正自懷疑，空中聲即說佛出五濁惡世，現行此法度脫眾生，仍命他取乳勿慚。兩段一前一後，經文並存，不刪一面以成單義。
五、諸家異釋（雙鏡並錄）
一、全品結構
什曰解佛再命餘人，說「復命餘人者，欲令各稱其美，明兼應辯慧無方也。」（T38n1775 0344a08）此是什門由反覆命往讀出維摩詰應辯無方。窺基依玄奘本則判「十大聲聞，略為五對。」（T38n1782 1041a12），將十人配作五對。前者著眼反覆稱美，後者建立五對科判；皆是注疏之讀，不改成本經自標的分類。
二、宴坐與說法
舍利弗段，生曰由『閑居』申宴坐，什曰由『至定』申宴坐；肇曰則隨六句逐層解釋身心、定用、凡聖、內外、見與道品、煩惱與涅槃。三家各自署名，不合稱僧肇一說。窺基依玄奘本分空理義與應理義，明言聲聞所行未必即是大乘宴坐，並以因緣、唯識、無相、真如等門展開。兩鏡同讀宴坐，分類與義路並不相同。
目連段，什、肇、生依羅什本四種人空及其後諸句分釋；窺基依玄奘本則把法空段分作二十句，又可判為前後各十。數目出自注疏科釋，不回寫為羅什本經文自行標數。
三、乞食、食等與觀根
迦葉段，生曰由出家捨生業而乞食釋其事，肇曰隨平等、六根與邪正等句申義；窺基依玄奘本則說行乞有三義，涉及不為資身、破食執、受施令施度得修。羅什本『為不食、壞和合相、為不受』與玄奘本疏所析三義，應分本傳錄。
須菩提段，肇曰以「言萬法同相，準一可知。」（T38n1775 0350a11）說食與諸法相準；窺基依玄奘本則以平等性讀食、諸法與佛，並分空理義、應理義。兩鏡皆由一食申平等，所依經句與科釋層次不同，不合成一條共同釋義。
富樓那段，肇曰說「此新學比丘根在大乘、應聞大道，而為說小法，故誨其入定也。」（T38n1775 0353a03）；窺基依玄奘本也從觀根與根性展開。『根在大乘』是古注對經中本心與宿命的判釋，不改稱經文已直說的分類。
四、五義、天眼與罪性
迦旃延段，什、肇、生分釋五義如何不落生滅心行；窺基依玄奘本說「應理義云：此五實義，性即真如。」（T38n1782 1050a26）。『五義即真如』屬慈恩疏釋，不下灌為羅什本直說。
阿那律段，什曰以色作相與真眼分說，肇曰從報身諸根解作相；窺基所依玄奘本則用『行相』詞系，並說心心所與行相問題。作相與行相分本，不以相近字面判為同一術語，也不裁定哪一鏡盡天眼體性。
優波離段，生曰由罪所起處與受處申『不在三處』，什曰由罪本無相而妄想生申垢淨，肇曰隨心、罪垢與如如申解；窺基依玄奘本說「應理義云：罪性者真如理，此理不依內根外境及住兩間。」（T38n1782 1052c19）。罪性即真如是慈恩鏡的明文，與什、肇、生各說並列，不改標為經文原句。
五、出家與佛身
羅睺羅段，生曰說「正以無利無功德為出家理也。」（T38n1775 0357c13），肇曰說「無為無利無功德，當知出家亦然矣。」（T38n1775 0357c25）；窺基依玄奘本說「故真出家，破分別執，無德無利。」（T38n1782 1055a06）。窺基又以身出家、心出家分釋父母未許與發心；這一分判只置玄奘本疏欄，不跨本改寫羅什本『是即出家，是即具足』。
阿難段，什曰分法身三種，並以「非肉身即法化身」（T38n1775 0359c23）、「非三界之形」（T38n1775 0359c23）釋非思欲身；生曰則說思欲是致病之本、如來身「起不由彼」（T38n1775 0360a01），另解現疾度生；肇曰亦申五濁現疾。窺基依玄奘本則說「真身者報身也，是實功德，從因修生，故名真身。」（T38n1782 1056c29），又分真身與化身說示疾。什門的三種法身與慈恩的報身讀法等權並列，不以後一名相取代前一名相。
六、術語與譬喻
一、本品自有術語
| 詞 | 本品語境 | 傳錄界線 |
|---|---|---|
| 宴坐 | 舍利弗樹下坐，維摩詰連說六種宴坐 | 不縮成坐姿，也不把古疏科釋冒充經文自釋 |
| 如法說法 | 法相不可說而仍須觀根、大悲、讚大乘、報佛恩、不斷三寶 | 『無說』與實際說法並載，不刪一面 |
| 揣食 | 迦葉段說取食 | 底本原字保留，不逕改他本詞 |
| 食等 | 須菩提由食等互說諸法等 | 與玄奘本所增佛平等性分欄 |
| 五受陰 | 迦旃延五義中的苦義 | 『洞』依底本，異讀『通』列校勘 |
| 作相／無作相 | 羅什本天眼問句 | 不與玄奘本『行相』無標合併 |
| 罪性 | 優波離段由內、外、中間三處反問 | 什、肇、生與窺基的判釋留在注疏層 |
| 無利、無功德 | 羅睺羅段由有為與無為分說出家 | 不解作否定一切修行價值 |
| 法身 | 阿難段與金剛體、無漏、無為相連 | 與空中聲所說示疾並錄 |
二、本品自有譬喻
| 譬喻 | 所在段 | 經中作用 |
|---|---|---|
| 幻士為幻人說法 | 目連 | 說者無說無示、聽者無聞無得的譬喻 |
| 空聚、盲與色、響與聲、風與香 | 迦葉 | 入聚落及六根接境的觀法 |
| 如來所作化人 | 須菩提 | 令須菩提取鉢勿懼，轉入諸法幻化與文字性離 |
| 穢食置寶器、琉璃同水精 | 富樓那 | 說明未觀根而授法的錯置 |
| 瘡與傷、大道與小徑、大海與牛跡、日光與螢火 | 富樓那 | 逐層對照大乘本心與小乘教導不相應 |
| 掌中菴摩勒果 | 阿那律 | 阿那律自述天眼所見的尺度譬喻 |
| 幻、電、夢、炎、水中月、鏡中像 | 優波離 | 說諸法生滅不住與妄見所生 |
| 金剛之體 | 阿難 | 維摩詰說如來身諸惡已斷、眾善普會 |
這些譬喻皆出本品。讀解時先守住它們各自所在的對話，不把大海、日光、鏡像等抽離成另造的物理敘事。
七、徵引承衍
本品在兩部古疏中形成兩條完整承衍線。T1775 隨羅什本十段逐句出注，且明署什曰、肇曰、生曰；讀者遇到『什門』，仍須看清每一條究竟出自羅什、僧肇或道生，不得用一個『僧肇注』抹去三家署名。T1782 隨玄奘本十位聲聞逐段疏解，所牒經句、人名與品題皆依無垢稱、舍利子、大善現、滿慈子等玄奘詞系。
兩條承衍可相照之處，包括宴坐不止於形、說法須觀根、食與法的平等、五義不落生滅心、天眼所見的相、罪性與心淨、出家無利德、佛身與示疾；但相照不等於同詞、同科或同結論。什門常以三家短注貼近羅什本句勢，慈恩疏常以科判及多門義解開展玄奘本。雙鏡並照的原則，是讓各自的經本、署名、術語與推論層級都可辨認。
承衍至讀者層時，本品首先留下的是十位弟子的自述：每一人都把一項熟習之行重新帶到維摩詰的反問前。古德所開展的義路可幫助讀者看見句中層次，卻不能替經文代言；故經之直說、什肇生三注、慈恩疏判，始終分層傳錄。
八、校本定位
一、五部經疏座標
| 文獻 | 本品或注疏範圍 | 用途 |
|---|---|---|
| T14n0474 | 0521b28–0523c13 | 支謙本異譯對勘 |
| T14n0475 | 0539c14–0542a25 | 羅什本正文之地 |
| T14n0476 | 0561b05–0564c01 | 玄奘本異譯對勘 |
| T38n1775 | 0343c13–0360b27 | 什、肇、生三家注 |
| T38n1782 | 1040c–1057b | 窺基依玄奘本疏 |
二、羅什本本品二十一條校勘記
以下只傳底本字與見證異讀，不在此判定取捨；『無』表示該見證本品相應處未見底本字。
| 次 | 位置 | 底本字與見證 | 異讀與見證 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0539c14 | 所說【大】 | 無【宋】 |
| 2 | 0539c21 | 身【大】 | 身口【聖】 |
| 3 | 0539c26 | 語【大】 | 語已【聖】 |
| 4 | 0540a27 | 我昔【大】 | 昔者入【聖】 |
| 5 | 0540b02 | 想【大】 | 相【聖】 |
| 6 | 0540b15 | 聞此【大】 | 無【宋】【元】【明】 |
| 7 | 0540b25 | 明脫【大】 | 解脫【明】 |
| 8 | 0540b26 | 非不得果【大】 | 無【元】【聖】 |
| 9 | 0540c03 | 犍【大】 | 揵【宋】【元】【明】；乾【聖】 |
| 10 | 0540c12 | 語【大】 | 無【宋】【元】【明】 |
| 11 | 0540c29 | 源【大】 | 原【聖】 |
| 12 | 0541a18 | 洞【大】 | 通【聖】 |
| 13 | 0541b10 | 優波離【大】 | 優婆離【聖】 |
| 14 | 0541b12 | 者【大】 | 時【聖】 |
| 15 | 0541c01 | 即【大】 | 無【宋】【元】【明】【聖】 |
| 16 | 0541c16 | 出家【大】 | 夫出家【宋】【元】【明】 |
| 17 | 0541c20 | 諸【大】 | 伏【聖】 |
| 18 | 0542a15 | 人【CB】【房山-CB】【磧乙-CB】 | 仁【大】；人【宋】【元】【明】【聖】 |
| 19 | 0542a18 | 當有何惱【大】 | 無【宋】【元】【明】【聖】 |
| 20 | 0542a20 | 耶【大】 | 也【聖】 |
| 21 | 0542a22 | 慚【大】 | 漸【明】 |
本品底本保留『身』『想』『明脫』『犍』『源』『洞』『優波離』『出家』『諸』『慚』等字形；異讀只在此分欄，不把另一見證靜默回寫正文。第十八條另見古藏對讀記號，仍只作見證傳錄。
This chapter begins with Vimalakīrti lying ill and reflecting to himself. The Buddha then instructs ten great disciples to inquire about his illness. Each recounts a former encounter with Vimalakīrti and declares himself unable to obey. It concludes with all five hundred great disciples recounting their own encounters and saying that they are unable. The discussion below is grounded in the actual text of this chapter in Kumārajīva’s recension. The Zhi Qian and Xuanzang recensions are compared in separate columns, while the comments of Kumārajīva, Sengzhao, and Daosheng and the commentary of Kuiji are transmitted side by side, without using either mirror to adjudicate the other.
1. Structural Location
1. Scroll, Chapter, and Boundaries
This chapter stands in the Upper Scroll of Kumārajīva’s recension. Its title is 「維摩詰所說經弟子品第三」 — “The Vimalakīrti Sūtra, Chapter 03, ‘The Disciples’” (T14n0475 0539c14). It begins there and continues through 「如是五百大弟子各各向佛說其本緣，稱述維摩詰所言，皆曰不任詣彼問疾。」 — “In this way, five hundred great disciples each told the Buddha the circumstances of his former encounter, recounted what Vimalakīrti had said, and all declared that they were not capable of going to inquire about his illness” (T14n0475 0542a23). The next chapter, Chapter 04, “The Bodhisattvas,” begins at T14n0475 0542a26. This chapter has twenty-two sections, all in prose; no verse or dhāraṇī is found.
2. Dialogue Framework
The chapter can be divided into three levels in the sequence of the sūtra:
- Vimalakīrti reflects that he lies ill, and the Buddha knows his thought.
- The Buddha successively instructs Śāriputra, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Mahākāśyapa, Subhūti, Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, Mahākātyāyana, Aniruddha, Upāli, Rāhula, and Ānanda to inquire about the illness. Each disciple’s narrative follows the framework “the Buddha’s instruction—recollection of the past—declaration of inability.”
- The five hundred great disciples each recount a former encounter and all declare themselves unable to inquire about the illness.
The ten former encounters are not present conversations in Vimalakīrti’s sickroom. They are past events recounted by the disciples to the Buddha. Each episode presents a different Dharma-gate: meditative sitting, teaching the Dharma, almsround, equality of food and Dharma, discerning faculties before teaching, the five meanings in relation to the true mark, the two marks of the divine eye, the nature of offense and purity of mind, leaving home, and the Buddha’s body and manifested illness. The sūtra links the chapter through ten declarations of “I am not capable.”
2. Comparison of Alternative Translations
1. Chapter Titles and Boundaries
| Chinese Recension | Chapter Title | Scope of This Chapter |
|---|---|---|
| Zhi Qian recension T14n0474 | 「維摩詰所說經弟子品第三」 — “The Vimalakīrti Sūtra, Chapter 03, ‘The Disciples’” (T14n0474 0521b28) | 0521b28–0523c13 |
| Kumārajīva recension T14n0475 | 「維摩詰所說經弟子品第三」 — “The Vimalakīrti Sūtra, Chapter 03, ‘The Disciples’” (T14n0475 0539c14) | 0539c14–0542a25 |
| Xuanzang recension T14n0476 | 「聲聞品第三」 — “Chapter 03, ‘The Śrāvakas’” (T14n0476 0561b05) | 0561b05–0564c01 |
The Zhi Qian and Kumārajīva recensions share the title “Chapter 03, ‘The Disciples,’” whereas the Xuanzang recension titles it “Chapter 03, ‘The Śrāvakas.’” Their identical chapter number is only a point of entry for comparison. The personal names, syntax, numbered dharmas, and benefits in each recension remain distinct.
2. Names of the Ten Disciples in the Three Translations
| No. | Zhi Qian Recension | Kumārajīva Recension | Xuanzang Recension |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Śāriputra | Śāriputra | Śāriputra |
| 2 | Mahāmaudgalyāyana | Mahāmaudgalyāyana, later called Maudgalyāyana | Mahāmaudgalyāyana |
| 3 | Mahākāśyapa | Mahākāśyapa | Kāśyapa |
| 4 | Subhūti | Subhūti | Great Excellent Manifestation |
| 5 | Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra | Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra | Son of Full Loving-Kindness |
| 6 | Kātyāyana | Mahākātyāyana | Mahākātyāyana |
| 7 | Aniruddha | Aniruddha | Great Non-Cessation |
| 8 | Upāli | Upāli | Upāli |
| 9 | Rāhula | Rāhula | Rāhula |
| 10 | Ānanda | Ānanda | Ānanda |
In the discussion below, passages from the Kumārajīva recension and the comments of Kumārajīva, Sengzhao, and Daosheng use Vimalakīrti and the disciple names of Kumārajīva’s recension. Passages from the Xuanzang recension and Kuiji’s commentary use Stainless Renown and the disciple names of Xuanzang’s recension. The two sets of terminology are never transcribed into one another without an explicit label.
3. Each of the Ten Teachings Retains Its Own Recensional Wording
| Episode | Zhi Qian Recension | Kumārajīva Recension | Xuanzang Recension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditative sitting | 「坐當如法不於三界現身意，是為宴坐；」 — “Sitting should accord with Dharma: not manifesting body or mind within the three realms is meditative sitting” (T14n0474 0521c05) | 「夫宴坐者，不於三界現身、意，是為宴坐；」 — “Meditative sitting means not manifesting body or mind within the three realms; this is meditative sitting” (T14n0475 0539c20) | 「夫宴坐者，不於三界而現身心是為宴坐；」 — “Meditative sitting means not manifesting body and mind within the three realms; this is meditative sitting” (T14n0476 0561b13) |
| Teaching the Dharma in accord with Dharma | 「欲說法者，當為如法。」 — “One who wishes to teach the Dharma should do so in accord with Dharma” (T14n0474 0521c17) | 「夫說法者，當如法說。」 — “One who teaches the Dharma should teach in accord with Dharma” (T14n0475 0540a04) | 「夫說法者應如法說。」 — “One who teaches the Dharma should teach in accord with Dharma” (T14n0476 0561b29) |
| Equal almsround | 「當知，已等法施普施於所行，已能不食哀故從乞。」 — “You should know: having made an equal Dharma-gift, universally giving wherever you go, and already being able not to eat, you seek alms out of compassion” (T14n0474 0522a11) | 「住平等法，應次行乞食。」 — “Abiding in the Dharma of equality, one should go for alms in sequence” (T14n0475 0540a29) | 「住平等法應次行乞食，為不食故應行乞食、為欲壞彼於食執故應行乞食、為欲受他所施食故應行乞食。」 — “Abiding in the Dharma of equality, one should go for alms in sequence. For the sake of not eating one should go for alms; for the sake of breaking attachment to food one should go for alms; for the sake of receiving food given by others one should go for alms” (T14n0476 0562a06) |
| Equality of food and Dharma | 「於食等者，諸法得等；」 — “One who is equal toward food attains equality toward all dharmas” (T14n0474 0522b02) | 「若能於食等者，諸法亦等，諸法等者，於食亦等；」 — “If one can be equal toward food, all dharmas are also equal; if all dharmas are equal, one is also equal toward food” (T14n0475 0540b21) | 「若能於食以平等性而入一切法平等性，以一切法平等之性入于一切佛平等性，其能如是乃可取食。」 — “If, through the nature of equality in food, one can enter the nature of equality of all dharmas, and through the nature of equality of all dharmas enter the nature of equality of all buddhas, only one who can do this may take the food” (T14n0476 0562b05) |
| Discerning faculties before teaching | 「無乃反戾此摩尼之心，是已為下正行。」 — “Would this not run contrary to the mind of this maṇi jewel and already lead it toward an inferior course?” (T14n0474 0522c02) | 「先當入定，觀此人心然後說法。」 — “First enter absorption and contemplate these people’s minds; only then teach the Dharma” (T14n0475 0540c26) | 「先當入定觀苾芻心，然後乃應為其說法。」 — “First enter absorption and contemplate the minds of the bhikṣus; only then should you teach them the Dharma” (T14n0476 0562c16) |
| The five meanings and the true mark | 「無以待行有起之義為說法也。」 — “Do not teach the Dharma by means of meanings that depend on activity and possess arising” (T14n0474 0522c19) | 「無以生滅心行說實相法。」 — “Do not teach the Dharma of the true mark through mental activity of arising and cessation” (T14n0475 0541a17) | 「無以生滅分別心行說實相法。」 — “Do not teach the Dharma of the true mark through discriminating mental activity of arising and cessation” (T14n0476 0563a16) |
| The two marks of the divine eye | 「眼為受身相耶？」 — “Does the eye take on the mark of a body?” (T14n0474 0523a02) | 「天眼所見，為作相耶，無作相耶？」 — “Is what the divine eye sees a fabricated mark or an unfabricated mark?” (T14n0475 0541b01) | 「所得天眼為有行相？」 — “Does the divine eye attained have a mode of activity?” (T14n0476 0563b06) |
| The nature of offense and purity of mind | 「莫釋以所誨而詭其行也。」 — “Do not explain your instruction in a way that distorts their conduct” (T14n0474 0523a15) | 「彼罪性不在內、不在外、不在中間，如佛所說，心垢故眾生垢，心淨故眾生淨。」 — “The nature of that offense is not within, not without, and not in between. As the Buddha has said, because the mind is defiled, sentient beings are defiled; because the mind is pure, sentient beings are pure” (T14n0475 0541b17) | 「彼罪性不住內、不出外、不在兩間。」 — “The nature of that offense does not abide within, does not emerge without, and is not between the two” (T14n0476 0563b26) |
| Merit and benefit of leaving home | 「匪榮匪冀，故為沙門、為道者。」 — “Neither seeking honor nor hoping for gain, one becomes a renunciant and a practitioner of the path” (T14n0474 0523b09) | 「無利、無功德，是為出家；」 — “Having no benefit and no merit is leaving home” (T14n0475 0541c14) | 「無有功德、無有勝利，是為出家。」 — “Having neither merit nor superior benefit is leaving home” (T14n0476 0564a02) |
| The Buddha’s body and manifested illness | 「佛身小中風，當用牛湩，故我到此。」 — “The Buddha’s body has a slight wind disorder and requires cow’s milk, so I have come here” (T14n0474 0523b25) | 「世尊身小有疾，當用牛乳」 — “The World-Honored One is slightly ill and requires cow’s milk” (T14n0475 0542a03) | 「世尊身現少有所疾，當用牛乳。」 — “The World-Honored One’s body manifests a slight illness and requires cow’s milk” (T14n0476 0564a27) |
The ten episodes correspond in sequence across the three translations, but their wording cannot be merged into a single common original. In the Aniruddha episode especially, the Kumārajīva recension asks about a “fabricated mark / unfabricated mark,” while the Xuanzang recension asks about a “mode of activity / no mode of activity.” The two terminological systems can only be recorded separately by recension.
4. Not Found in This Chapter
In the Kātyāyana sequence of the Zhi Qian recension, the fifth item, “the meaning of quiescent cessation,” is not found; both the Kumārajīva and Xuanzang recensions list five meanings. The Subhūti / Great Excellent Manifestation episode of the Xuanzang recension additionally has 「五百天子得順法忍。」 — “Five hundred devas attained acceptance in accord with the Dharma” (T14n0476 0562c08); this is not found in this chapter of the Zhi Qian or Kumārajīva recension. The collective conclusion in which five hundred disciples declare themselves unable is explicitly recorded in the Kumārajīva and Xuanzang recensions but is not found in this chapter of the Zhi Qian recension. No dialogue involving Mañjuśrī / Wondrous Auspiciousness is found in this chapter of any of the three recensions, and no verse is found. What is not found is recorded only as not found; it is not supplied from another translation or another chapter.
3. Canonical and Treatise Foundations (The Eye)
The eye of this chapter does not lie in a slogan detached from its context, but in a question repeated through ten episodes: if the name of a practice still abides in what is seen, spoken, obtained, or attained, has its meaning been exhausted? The Kumārajīva recension unfolds the question through ten turns that can each be grounded verbatim:
- Meditative sitting is not merely the bodily posture of sitting. It asks how body and mind in the three realms, the dignified postures within the absorption of cessation, the Dharma of the path and the affairs of ordinary people, inner and outer, the various views and the factors of the path, and afflictions and nirvāṇa are not separated from one another.
- Teaching the Dharma is not merely speaking words. It first says that Dharma has no sentient being, no self, no lifespan, and no person, through to there being nothing taught or shown by the speaker and nothing heard or attained by the listener. At the same time, one must still understand whether faculties are sharp or dull, praise the Great Vehicle with great compassion, remember and repay the Buddha’s kindness, and keep the Three Jewels unbroken.
- Almsround moves from favoring poor neighborhoods to going for alms in sequence with equality. Seeking, taking, and receiving food are explained from the three perspectives of not eating, breaking the compounded mark, and not receiving. Faculties and objects, wrong and right, absorption and emergence, the world and nirvāṇa, and great or small merit in the gift are each placed within the Dharma of equality.
- A bowl of rice becomes an entrance through which food and all dharmas illuminate one another. A long sequence of seemingly contrary conditions is finally gathered through illusion, the separation of the nature of written words, and the mark of liberation.
- One must contemplate faculties before teaching. The similes of a jeweled vessel, beryl, the great ocean, and sunlight all prevent a Great Vehicle disposition from being mistaken for a Lesser Vehicle disposition.
- The five meanings of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, no-self, and quiescent cessation are not taught with mental activity of arising and cessation.
- The seeing of the divine eye is questioned through “fabricated mark / unfabricated mark,” while the true divine eye is described as constantly abiding in absorption, completely seeing all buddha-lands, and not seeing through two marks.
- The doubt and remorse of those who violated the discipline are illuminated through the nature of offense and the mark of mind. Observing and skillfully understanding the disciplinary code rest in knowing that all dharmas are like illusion, lightning, and dreams, not in adding further weight to their minds.
- Leaving home moves from calculable benefit and merit to no benefit and no merit within the unconditioned. The sūtra nevertheless enumerates each aspect of true renunciation in turn.
- The Buddha’s body and manifested illness are stated together. Vimalakīrti first speaks of the dharma-body, freedom from outflows, and the unconditioned; a voice from the sky then says that the Buddha manifests the practice of this Dharma in the evil world of the five degenerations and tells Ānanda to fetch the milk without shame.
The shared narrative result of these ten episodes is not an abstract judgment. Each disciple remembers having once been questioned until speech could no longer continue, and so now declares himself unable. The Maudgalyāyana, Subhūti, Pūrṇa, Kātyāyana, Aniruddha, Upāli, and Rāhula episodes also explicitly record concurrent benefits of the Dharma. The sūtra connects them with “when this Dharma was taught,” “thereupon,” and “at that time”; they should be transmitted according to the original narrative, without constructing another hierarchy of causation.
4. Explanation of This Chapter
1. Śāriputra: Meditative Sitting
Śāriputra recalls sitting in meditation beneath a tree in a forest. Vimalakīrti does not reject sitting, but says that “it need not be sitting” and then unfolds six aspects: not manifesting body or mind within the three realms; not rising from the absorption of cessation yet manifesting the dignified postures; not abandoning the Dharma of the path yet manifesting the affairs of ordinary people; the mind abiding neither within nor without; remaining unmoved amid the various views while cultivating the thirty-seven factors; and entering nirvāṇa without cutting off the afflictions. After hearing this, Śāriputra remains silent and cannot add a reply.
2. Maudgalyāyana: Teaching the Dharma in Accord with Dharma
Maudgalyāyana teaches the Dharma to householders in a lane of Vaiśālī. Vimalakīrti first speaks of Dharma as being apart from the four attachments of sentient being, self, lifespan, and person. He then proceeds through quiescence, separation from marks, separation from names, separation from speech, absence of form, and absence of conceptual proliferation, through to nothing belonging to self, no discrimination, nothing comparable, not belonging to a cause, identity with Dharma-nature, accord with suchness, abiding at the limit of reality, nondependence on the six objects, no going or coming, and accord with the three gates of liberation. He further speaks of being apart from beauty and ugliness, increase and decrease, arising and cessation, and any place of return; surpassing the six faculties; being neither high nor low; constantly abiding without movement; and being apart from every activity of observation. The speaker has nothing to speak or show, and the listener nothing to hear or attain, yet one must still discern faculties, praise the Great Vehicle with great compassion, remember the Buddha’s kindness, and keep the Three Jewels unbroken. The sūtra records that eight hundred householders then aroused the mind of awakening.
3. Kāśyapa and Subhūti: Seeing Equality within a Single Meal
Mahākāśyapa goes preferentially to a poor neighborhood for alms. Vimalakīrti first points out that his compassion is not universal and tells him to abide in the Dharma of equality and go for alms in sequence. Seeking, taking, and receiving are all free of abiding in the mark of food. He enters a settlement as though entering an empty settlement and does not follow discrimination with regard to form, sound, scent, taste, or touch, while also knowing that all dharmas are like illusion. He then speaks of the eight wrong practices and the eight liberations, wrong marks and the true Dharma, one portion of food and universal offering, through to afflictions and freedom from afflictions, entering and rising from absorption, the world and nirvāṇa, and the greatness or smallness and increase or decrease of merit. From then on, Kāśyapa no longer encourages others to practice only the śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha vehicle.
Subhūti enters Vimalakīrti’s house for alms, and his bowl is filled with rice. Vimalakīrti speaks reciprocally of equality toward food and equality toward dharmas. He next lists lust, anger, and delusion together with not dwelling with them; body and the one mark; ignorance and craving together with understanding and liberation; the five heinous acts and liberation; bondage and liberation; seeing and not seeing the truths; attaining and not attaining the fruit; the ordinary and the noble; and then a long sequence including the six teachers, wrong views, the eight difficult states, afflictions, the absorption of non-contention, the field of merit, the three evil paths, the hosts of Māra, enmity, slandering the Buddha, destroying the Dharma, not entering the assembly, and not attaining cessation. Bewildered, Subhūti tries to leave. Vimalakīrti questions him by means of a person conjured by the Tathāgata and then speaks of all dharmas as illusory, speech as not departing from illusion, and the separation of the nature of written words as liberation. The sūtra records that two hundred devas attained purity of the Dharma-eye.
4. Pūrṇa and Kātyāyana: Teaching Requires Knowing the Faculties Addressed and Not Using a Mind of Arising and Cessation to Speak of the True Mark
Pūrṇa teaches the Dharma to newly trained bhikṣus. Vimalakīrti tells him first to enter absorption and contemplate their minds. Impure food and a jeweled vessel, beryl and crystal, a wound and injury, a great road and a small path, the great ocean and an ox’s hoofprint, and sunlight and a firefly each show how Dharma, though truly Dharma, can fail to correspond to the people addressed if their faculties have not been discerned. These bhikṣus had planted roots of virtue in the presence of five hundred buddhas and dedicated them to awakening; afterward they recovered their original minds and became irreversible from awakening.
After the Buddha briefly teaches the essentials of Dharma, Kātyāyana elaborates the five meanings of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, no-self, and quiescent cessation. Vimalakīrti says that the true mark cannot be taught through mental activity of arising and cessation. He explains each item anew through non-arising and non-ceasing, the emptiness and non-arising of the five aggregates subject to grasping, ultimate non-possession, the nonduality of self and no-self, and there having been no original burning and now nothing to extinguish. The sūtra records that the minds of those bhikṣus were liberated.
5. Aniruddha and Upāli: Both Seeing and Observing the Discipline Return to the Mark of Mind
Brahmā king Majestic Purity asks Aniruddha about the range of his divine eye, and Aniruddha answers that he sees the billion-world universe like an āmalaka fruit in his palm. Vimalakīrti asks whether the seeing is a fabricated mark or an unfabricated mark: if fabricated, it is equal to the five superknowledges of the non-Buddhists; if unfabricated, it is unconditioned and should have no act of seeing. The passage on the true divine eye states only, in accordance with the sūtra, that the Buddha constantly abides in absorption, completely sees all buddha-lands, and does not see through two marks. The sūtra records that Brahmā king Majestic Purity and five hundred Brahmā devas aroused the mind of awakening.
Two bhikṣus who have violated the discipline come to Upāli burdened with shame, doubt, and remorse. Vimalakīrti first says not to add weight to their offenses or disturb their minds, then says that the nature of offense, mind, and all dharmas is neither within, without, nor in between. The three pairs of defilement and purity are false conception and the absence of false conception, inversion and the absence of inversion, and grasping at self and not grasping at self. Dharmas are also like illusion, lightning, dreams, mirages, the moon in water, and images in a mirror. The sūtra records that the two bhikṣus’ doubt and remorse were dispelled, that they aroused the mind of awakening, and that they wished for all sentient beings to attain this eloquence.
6. Rāhula and Ānanda: Leaving Home and the Buddha’s Body
Rāhula first teaches the sons of elders about the meritorious benefit of leaving home. Vimalakīrti moves from conditioned dharmas, of which benefit and merit can be spoken, to no benefit and no merit in the unconditioned, and then presents the characteristics of true renunciation one by one: no place there, here, or in between; separation from the sixty-two views; resting in nirvāṇa; being received by the wise and practiced by sages; subduing Māra, crossing the five paths, purifying the five eyes, attaining the five powers, and establishing the five faculties; not harming others, being apart from mixed evils, subduing non-Buddhist paths, surpassing provisional names, emerging from mud, being without attachment, having nothing belonging to self or received, being free of disturbance, cherishing joy within, protecting others’ intentions, according with meditation, and being apart from faults. When their parents have not permitted bodily renunciation, Vimalakīrti tells the sons of elders to arouse the mind of awakening; the sūtra records that all thirty-two aroused it.
Ānanda seeks milk because the Buddha’s body is slightly ill. Vimalakīrti first speaks of the Tathāgata’s adamantine body, the cutting off of all evil, the universal gathering of all wholesome qualities, the dharma-body, transcendence of the three realms, freedom from outflows, and the unconditioned, refusing to have the Buddha spoken of as an ordinary sick body. As Ānanda begins to doubt, a voice from the sky then says that the Buddha manifests the practice of this Dharma in the evil world of the five degenerations to liberate sentient beings and tells him to fetch the milk without shame. Both parts are retained one after the other in the sūtra; neither side is deleted to produce a single meaning.
5. Divergent Interpretations of the Ancient Masters (Two Mirrors Presented Side by Side)
1. Structure of the Whole Chapter
Kumārajīva explains why the Buddha repeatedly instructs the other disciples and says, 「復命餘人者，欲令各稱其美，明兼應辯慧無方也。」 — “He further instructs the others because he wishes each to praise Vimalakīrti’s excellence and make clear that he possesses both responsive eloquence and wisdom without limit” (T38n1775 0344a08). This is the Kumārajīva-line reading of the repeated instructions as displaying Vimalakīrti’s boundless responsive eloquence. Following the Xuanzang recension, Kuiji instead classifies the chapter by saying, 「十大聲聞，略為五對。」 — “The ten great śrāvakas are arranged, in brief, into five pairs” (T38n1782 1041a12). The former attends to repeated praise; the latter establishes a classification into five pairs. Both are readings of commentators and neither replaces the classification actually marked by the sūtra itself.
2. Meditative Sitting and Teaching the Dharma
In the Śāriputra episode, Daosheng develops meditative sitting through “dwelling at leisure,” while Kumārajīva develops it through “the utmost absorption.” Sengzhao explains the six statements in sequence through body and mind, the functioning of absorption, ordinary and noble, inner and outer, views and the factors of the path, and afflictions and nirvāṇa. Each of the three is individually attributed; they are not combined as one statement by Sengzhao. Following the Xuanzang recension, Kuiji distinguishes an emptiness-principle reading from a correct-principle reading and explicitly states that the practice of the śrāvakas is not necessarily Great Vehicle meditative sitting. He then unfolds the passage through dependent origination, consciousness-only, signlessness, suchness, and other approaches. The two mirrors both read meditative sitting, but their classifications and interpretive paths differ.
In the Maudgalyāyana episode, Kumārajīva, Sengzhao, and Daosheng explain the four kinds of personal emptiness and the statements that follow in accordance with Kumārajīva’s recension. Following the Xuanzang recension, Kuiji divides the Dharma-emptiness passage into twenty statements, which can also be classified as two sets of ten. These numbers arise from the commentators’ classification; they are not written back as a numbered list stated by Kumārajīva’s sūtra itself.
3. Almsround, Equality of Food, and Discerning Faculties
In the Kāśyapa episode, Daosheng explains the practice of almsround through leaving home and relinquishing a livelihood, while Sengzhao explicates the statements about equality, the six faculties, wrong and right, and related pairs. Following the Xuanzang recension, Kuiji says there are three meanings to almsround: not doing it to nourish the body, breaking attachment to food, and receiving offerings so that the giver can cultivate the perfection of giving. Kumārajīva’s phrases “for the sake of not eating, breaking the compounded mark, and for the sake of not receiving” and the three meanings distinguished by the commentary on Xuanzang’s recension must be transmitted separately by recension.
In the Subhūti episode, Sengzhao says, 「言萬法同相，準一可知。」 — “This says that the myriad dharmas have the same mark and can be known by taking one as the standard” (T38n1775 0350a11), explaining food and all dharmas by mutual analogy. Following the Xuanzang recension, Kuiji reads food, all dharmas, and the Buddha through the nature of equality and divides the interpretation into emptiness-principle and correct-principle readings. Both mirrors unfold equality from a single meal, but their scriptural wording and levels of classification differ and are not combined into one common explanation.
In the Pūrṇa episode, Sengzhao says, 「此新學比丘根在大乘、應聞大道，而為說小法，故誨其入定也。」 — “The faculties of these newly trained bhikṣus lie in the Great Vehicle, and they should hear the great path; yet Pūrṇa teaches them a lesser Dharma, so Vimalakīrti instructs him to enter absorption” (T38n1775 0353a03). Following the Xuanzang recension, Kuiji likewise develops the passage through contemplation of faculties and the dispositions of the faculties. “Their faculties lie in the Great Vehicle” is the ancient commentary’s interpretation of the original mind and past lives stated by the sūtra; it is not relabeled as a classification directly spoken by the sūtra.
4. The Five Meanings, the Divine Eye, and the Nature of Offense
In the Kātyāyana episode, Kumārajīva, Sengzhao, and Daosheng separately explain how the five meanings do not fall within mental activity of arising and cessation. Following the Xuanzang recension, Kuiji says, 「應理義云：此五實義，性即真如。」 — “According to the correct-principle interpretation, the nature of these five true meanings is suchness” (T38n1782 1050a26). “The five meanings are suchness” belongs to the Ci’en commentary; it is not poured down into the direct statement of Kumārajīva’s sūtra.
In the Aniruddha episode, Kumārajīva explains fabricated marks through form and the true eye, while Sengzhao explains fabricated marks through the faculties of a recompense-body. Kuiji’s source, the Xuanzang recension, instead uses the terminological system of “mode of activity” and also discusses the question of modes of activity in mind and mental factors. “Fabricated mark” and “mode of activity” are kept distinct by recension. Their similar wording is not used to declare them a single term, nor does this edition adjudicate which mirror exhaustively explains the nature of the divine eye.
In the Upāli episode, Daosheng explains “not in the three places” through the place where an offense arises and the place where it is experienced. Kumārajīva explains defilement and purity through offense being originally signless and arising from false conception, while Sengzhao explains mind, the defilement of offense, and suchness in sequence. Following the Xuanzang recension, Kuiji says, 「應理義云：罪性者真如理，此理不依內根外境及住兩間。」 — “According to the correct-principle interpretation, the nature of offense is the principle of suchness; this principle depends neither on inner faculties nor outer objects and does not abide between the two” (T38n1782 1052c19). The identification of the nature of offense with suchness is an explicit statement of the Ci’en mirror. It is presented beside the distinct explanations of Kumārajīva, Sengzhao, and Daosheng and is not relabeled as a sentence from the sūtra.
5. Leaving Home and the Buddha’s Body
In the Rāhula episode, Daosheng says, 「正以無利無功德為出家理也。」 — “Precisely having no benefit and no merit is the principle of leaving home” (T38n1775 0357c13), while Sengzhao says, 「無為無利無功德，當知出家亦然矣。」 — “The unconditioned has no benefit and no merit; one should know that leaving home is likewise” (T38n1775 0357c25). Following the Xuanzang recension, Kuiji says, 「故真出家，破分別執，無德無利。」 — “True leaving home therefore breaks discriminating attachment and has neither merit nor benefit” (T38n1782 1055a06). Kuiji further explains bodily renunciation and mental renunciation in relation to parental permission and the arousal of the mind. This distinction remains in the commentary column of the Xuanzang recension and is not used across recensions to rewrite Kumārajīva’s wording “this is leaving home; this is full ordination.”
In the Ānanda episode, Kumārajīva distinguishes three kinds of dharma-body and explains the body not born of sensual thought through 「非肉身即法化身」 — “not a physical body, but precisely a Dharma transformation-body” (T38n1775 0359c23) and 「非三界之形」 — “not a form belonging to the three realms” (T38n1775 0359c23). Daosheng says that sensual thought is the basis of illness, while the Tathāgata’s body 「起不由彼」 — “does not arise from that” (T38n1775 0360a01), and separately explains manifesting illness to liberate sentient beings. Sengzhao likewise expounds manifested illness amid the five degenerations. Following the Xuanzang recension, Kuiji instead says, 「真身者報身也，是實功德，從因修生，故名真身。」 — “The true body is the recompense-body. It consists of real meritorious qualities and arises from cultivating causes; therefore it is called the true body” (T38n1782 1056c29), and further distinguishes the true body and transformation-body in explaining manifested illness. The three kinds of dharma-body in the Kumārajīva line and the recompense-body reading of the Ci’en line are presented as equal witnesses; the terminology of the latter does not replace that of the former.
6. Terms and Similes
1. Terms Native to This Chapter
| Term | Context in This Chapter | Boundary of Transmission |
|---|---|---|
| Meditative sitting | Śāriputra sits beneath a tree, and Vimalakīrti speaks of six kinds of meditative sitting in succession | It is not reduced to a seated posture, and a commentator’s classification is not passed off as the sūtra’s self-explanation |
| Teaching the Dharma in accord with Dharma | The mark of Dharma cannot be spoken, yet one must still discern faculties, possess great compassion, praise the Great Vehicle, repay the Buddha’s kindness, and keep the Three Jewels unbroken | “Nothing spoken” and actual teaching are both recorded; neither side is deleted |
| Morsel-food | The Kāśyapa episode speaks of taking food | The base-text wording is retained and not summarily replaced by the term of another recension |
| Equality of food | Subhūti speaks reciprocally of equality toward food and equality toward all dharmas | The nature of equality of the Buddha added by the Xuanzang recension remains in its own column |
| Five aggregates subject to grasping | The meaning of suffering among Kātyāyana’s five meanings | “Penetrate” follows the base text; the variant “comprehend” is listed in the critical notes |
| Fabricated mark / unfabricated mark | The question about the divine eye in Kumārajīva’s recension | It is not silently combined with the Xuanzang recension’s “mode of activity” terminology |
| Nature of offense | The Upāli episode questions its location within, without, or in between | The interpretations of Kumārajīva, Sengzhao, Daosheng, and Kuiji remain in the commentary layer |
| No benefit, no merit | The Rāhula episode distinguishes leaving home through the conditioned and unconditioned | It is not interpreted as negating all value in practice |
| Dharma-body | In the Ānanda episode it is connected with the adamantine body, freedom from outflows, and the unconditioned | It is recorded together with the voice from the sky concerning manifested illness |
2. Similes Native to This Chapter
| Simile | Episode | Function in the Sūtra |
|---|---|---|
| An illusory person teaching the Dharma to another illusory person | Maudgalyāyana | A simile for the speaker having nothing to speak or show and the listener having nothing to hear or attain |
| An empty settlement; blindness in relation to form; echo in relation to sound; wind in relation to scent | Kāśyapa | Contemplation when entering a settlement and when the six faculties meet their objects |
| A person conjured by the Tathāgata | Subhūti | Tells Subhūti to take up his bowl without fear and turns toward the illusory nature of all dharmas and the separation of the nature of written words |
| Impure food placed in a jeweled vessel; beryl mistaken for crystal | Pūrṇa | Shows the misplacement involved in teaching without first discerning faculties |
| A wound and injury; a great road and a small path; the great ocean and an ox’s hoofprint; sunlight and a firefly | Pūrṇa | Successively contrasts a mind originally directed toward the Great Vehicle with an incongruous Lesser Vehicle teaching |
| An āmalaka fruit in the palm | Aniruddha | The measure used by Aniruddha to describe the range of his divine eye |
| Illusion, lightning, dream, mirage, the moon in water, and an image in a mirror | Upāli | Describes the non-abiding arising and ceasing of dharmas and their arising from false seeing |
| Adamantine body | Ānanda | Vimalakīrti’s description of the Tathāgata’s body as having cut off all evil and universally gathered all wholesome qualities |
All these similes occur in this chapter. They should first be kept within their respective dialogues rather than extracting the great ocean, sunlight, mirror image, and other images into newly invented physical narratives.
7. Citations and Transmission
This chapter forms two complete lines of transmission in the two ancient commentaries. T1775 comments on the ten episodes of Kumārajīva’s recension phrase by phrase and explicitly attributes its notes as “Kumārajīva says,” “Sengzhao says,” and “Daosheng says.” Whenever readers encounter “the Kumārajīva line,” they must still distinguish whether a given statement comes from Kumārajīva, Sengzhao, or Daosheng; a single label such as “Sengzhao’s commentary” must not erase the three individual attributions. T1782 comments on the ten śrāvakas episode by episode following the Xuanzang recension; its quoted scriptural wording, personal names, and chapter title all follow Xuanzang’s terminology, including Stainless Renown, Śāriputra, Great Excellent Manifestation, and Son of Full Loving-Kindness.
Points at which the two lines of transmission can illuminate one another include meditative sitting as more than posture, the need to discern faculties when teaching, equality of food and Dharma, the five meanings not falling within a mind of arising and cessation, the mark of what the divine eye sees, the nature of offense and purity of mind, leaving home without benefit or merit, and the Buddha’s body and manifested illness. Yet mutual illumination does not mean identical terms, classification, or conclusions. The Kumārajīva line commonly keeps the short comments of three masters close to the momentum of Kumārajīva’s wording, whereas the Ci’en commentary often develops the Xuanzang recension through structural classification and multiple interpretive approaches. To let the two mirrors shine side by side is to keep the scriptural recension, attribution, terminology, and level of inference of each clearly distinguishable.
As this transmission reaches the reader layer, what the chapter first leaves is the testimony of the ten disciples: each brings a familiar practice anew before Vimalakīrti’s question. The paths opened by the ancient masters can help readers see the layers within a sentence, but they cannot speak in place of the sūtra. The direct statements of the sūtra, the three comments of Kumārajīva, Sengzhao, and Daosheng, and the classifications of the Ci’en commentary therefore remain stratified throughout their transmission.
8. Textual Positioning
1. Coordinates of the Five Sūtra and Commentary Sources
| Source | Chapter or Commentary Scope | Use |
|---|---|---|
| T14n0474 | 0521b28–0523c13 | Comparison with the Zhi Qian recension |
| T14n0475 | 0539c14–0542a25 | Ground of the text in the Kumārajīva recension |
| T14n0476 | 0561b05–0564c01 | Comparison with the Xuanzang recension |
| T38n1775 | 0343c13–0360b27 | Comments of Kumārajīva, Sengzhao, and Daosheng |
| T38n1782 | 1040c–1057b | Kuiji’s commentary following the Xuanzang recension |
2. Twenty-One Critical Notes in This Chapter of the Kumārajīva Recension
The following table transmits only the base-text character and witnessed variants, without adjudicating among them here. “Absent” means that the base-text character is not found at the corresponding place in that witness.
| No. | Location | Base-Text Reading and Witnesses | Variant Reading and Witnesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0539c14 | 所說【大】 — “spoken,” 【Taishō】 | 無【宋】 — absent in 【Song】 |
| 2 | 0539c21 | 身【大】 — “body,” 【Taishō】 | 身口【聖】 — “body and speech,” 【Shōgozō】 |
| 3 | 0539c26 | 語【大】 — “words,” 【Taishō】 | 語已【聖】 — “when the words had ended,” 【Shōgozō】 |
| 4 | 0540a27 | 我昔【大】 — “I once,” 【Taishō】 | 昔者入【聖】 — “formerly entered,” 【Shōgozō】 |
| 5 | 0540b02 | 想【大】 — “perception,” 【Taishō】 | 相【聖】 — “mark,” 【Shōgozō】 |
| 6 | 0540b15 | 聞此【大】 — “heard this,” 【Taishō】 | 無【宋】【元】【明】 — absent in 【Song】【Yuan】【Ming】 |
| 7 | 0540b25 | 明脫【大】 — “understanding and liberation,” 【Taishō】 | 解脫【明】 — “liberation,” 【Ming】 |
| 8 | 0540b26 | 非不得果【大】 — “not one who has not attained the fruit,” 【Taishō】 | 無【元】【聖】 — absent in 【Yuan】【Shōgozō】 |
| 9 | 0540c03 | 犍【大】 — “jian,” 【Taishō】 | 揵【宋】【元】【明】；乾【聖】 — “jian,” 【Song】【Yuan】【Ming】; “qian,” 【Shōgozō】 |
| 10 | 0540c12 | 語【大】 — “words,” 【Taishō】 | 無【宋】【元】【明】 — absent in 【Song】【Yuan】【Ming】 |
| 11 | 0540c29 | 源【大】 — “source,” 【Taishō】 | 原【聖】 — “origin,” 【Shōgozō】 |
| 12 | 0541a18 | 洞【大】 — “penetrate,” 【Taishō】 | 通【聖】 — “comprehend,” 【Shōgozō】 |
| 13 | 0541b10 | 優波離【大】 — “Upāli,” 【Taishō】 | 優婆離【聖】 — “Upāli,” 【Shōgozō】 |
| 14 | 0541b12 | 者【大】 — “one who,” 【Taishō】 | 時【聖】 — “when,” 【Shōgozō】 |
| 15 | 0541c01 | 即【大】 — “then,” 【Taishō】 | 無【宋】【元】【明】【聖】 — absent in 【Song】【Yuan】【Ming】【Shōgozō】 |
| 16 | 0541c16 | 出家【大】 — “leaving home,” 【Taishō】 | 夫出家【宋】【元】【明】 — “as for leaving home,” 【Song】【Yuan】【Ming】 |
| 17 | 0541c20 | 諸【大】 — “all,” 【Taishō】 | 伏【聖】 — “subdue,” 【Shōgozō】 |
| 18 | 0542a15 | 人【CB】【房山-CB】【磧乙-CB】 — “person,” 【CBETA】【Fangshan-CBETA】【Qisha II-CBETA】 | 仁【大】；人【宋】【元】【明】【聖】 — “benevolence,” 【Taishō】; “person,” 【Song】【Yuan】【Ming】【Shōgozō】 |
| 19 | 0542a18 | 當有何惱【大】 — “what distress could there be?” 【Taishō】 | 無【宋】【元】【明】【聖】 — absent in 【Song】【Yuan】【Ming】【Shōgozō】 |
| 20 | 0542a20 | 耶【大】 — question marker, 【Taishō】 | 也【聖】 — declarative marker, 【Shōgozō】 |
| 21 | 0542a22 | 慚【大】 — “ashamed,” 【Taishō】 | 漸【明】 — “gradually,” 【Ming】 |
This chapter’s base text retains such character forms as “body,” “perception,” “understanding and liberation,” “jian,” “source,” “penetrate,” “Upāli,” “leaving home,” “all,” and “ashamed.” Variant readings are confined to their own columns and are not silently written back into the main text from another witness. The eighteenth note additionally contains ancient-canon comparison marks and remains solely a record of witnesses.