佛道品第八
🍃 CHAPTER EIGHT - THE WAY OF THE BUDDHA
爾時文殊師利問維摩詰言：「菩薩云何通達佛道？」
At that time, Mañjuśrī asked Vimalakīrti, “ How do bodhisattvas enter the Way of the Buddha?”
維摩詰言：「若菩薩行於非道，是為通達佛道。」
Vimalakīrti said, “If bodhisattvas practice (tread, walk, act, behave, condition, etc..) where there is no way, this is to enter the Way of the Buddha.”
又問：「云何菩薩行於非道？」
[Mañjuśrī ] again asked, “How do bodhisattvas practice where there is no way?”
答曰：「若菩薩行五無間，而無惱恚；至于地獄，無諸罪垢；至于畜生，無有無明憍慢等過；至于餓鬼，而具足功德；行色、無色界道，不以為勝。示行貪欲，離諸染著；示行瞋恚，於諸眾生，無有恚閡；示行愚癡，而以智慧，調伏其心。示行慳貪，而捨內外所有，不惜身命；示行毀禁，而安住淨戒，乃至小罪，猶懷大懼；示行瞋恚，而常慈忍；示行懈怠，而懃修功德；示行亂意，而常念定；示行愚癡，而通達世間、出世間慧；示行諂偽，而善方便，隨諸經義；示行憍慢，而於眾生，猶如橋梁；示行諸煩惱，而心常清淨；示入於魔，而順佛智慧，不隨他教；示入聲聞，而為眾生，說未聞法；示入辟支佛，而成就大悲，教化眾生；示入貧窮，而有寶手，功德無盡；示入刑殘，而具諸相好，以自莊嚴；示入下賤，而生佛種姓中，具諸功德；示入羸劣醜陋，而得那羅延身，一切眾生之所樂見；示入老病，而永斷病根，超越死畏；示有資生，而恒觀無常，實無所貪；示有妻妾采女，而常遠離五欲淤泥；現於訥鈍，而成就辯才，總持無失；示入邪濟，而以正濟，度諸眾生；現遍入諸道，而斷其因緣；現於涅槃，而不斷生死。文殊師利！菩薩能如是行於非道，是為通達佛道。」
[Vimalakīrti] replied saying, “If bodhisattvas commit the Five Interminables (pañcānantarya), yet are without the affliction of hatred; arrive in a hell realm without the defilement of transgression; are reborn as animals without faults such as ignorance and conceit; arrive [as] hungry ghosts, yet are replete with merit; and practice (walk) ways (paths) within the realms of Form and Formlessness without considering it a victory; appear to act desirously, free of all defiling attachments; appear to act angry toward all sentient beings, without there being animosity; and appear to act ignorantly and confused, yet use wisdom to discipline their minds. Appear to act greedily, yet relinquish both interior and exterior existents without begrudging the body or life; Appear to be transgressive, yet peacefully abide in pure precepts so that even the slightest fault is considered something to be greatly feared; Appear to act hatefully, yet constantly [practice] patient tolerance (kṣānti); Appear to be lazy (kausīdya), yet diligently cultivate merit; Appear to act scatterbrained, yet are ever mindfully attentive; Appear to be ignorant, yet penetrate both mundane and transcendent wisdom; Appear to be flattering and fake, yet with excellent skillful means that are in accord with the meaning of all the sutras; Appear to be arrogant, yet are like bridges to sentient beings; Appear to behave with all of the afflictions, yet have ever pure minds; Appear to become Māras, yet heed the wisdom of the Buddha, not following another teaching; Appear to become voice-hearers, yet explain Dharma not heard before for sentient beings; Appear to become pratyekabuddhas, yet accomplish the Great Compassion and teach sentient beings; Appear to become poor, yet have the ‘Jewel Hand’ of inexhaustible merit; Appear to become maimed and/or crippled, yet become ‘self adorned’ with all of the auspicious characteristics; Appear to become lowly, yet are born within the lineage (family, seed, kind) of the Buddhas, replete with all merit; Appear to become feeble and ugly, yet have the body of Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu), which all sentient beings enjoy seeing; Appear to become old and sick, yet have eternally cut off the root of illness and transcend the fear of death; Appear to have wealth, yet only observe impermanence, truly without any desire; Appear to have spouses and lovers, yet are ever free of the filth of the mire of the five desires; Manifest as mute and dumb, yet accomplish eloquence and [dhāraṇī] retention without error; Appear to be false ‘crossings’, yet are proper (correct) ‘crossings’ by delivering (’saving’, liberating) all sentient beings; Manifest entering all destinies, yet cut off their conditionality; Manifest entering Nirvana, yet without cutting off birth & death. Mañjuśrī! Bodhisattvas able to ‘walk’ where there is no way like this, this is to enter the Way of the Buddha.”
於是維摩詰問文殊師利：「何等為如來種？」
At this, Vimalakīrti asked Mañjuśrī: “What are the ‘seeds’ (lineage, family, kind) of the Thus Come One (tathāgata-vaṃśa)?”
文殊師利言：「有身為種，無明有愛為種，貪恚癡為種，四顛倒為種，五蓋為種，六入為種，七識處為種，八邪法為種，九惱處為種，十不善道為種。以要言之，六十二見及一切煩惱，皆是佛種。」
Mañjuśrī said, “Having a body is a seed. Ignorance and Desire are seeds. Attraction, Aversion and Confusion [the ‘three poisons’] are seeds. The Four Inversions are seeds. The Five Aggregates are seeds. The Six Entrances (senses) are seeds. The Seven Bases of Consciousnesses are seeds. The Eight Ignoble Dharmas are seeds. The Nine Bases of Affliction are seeds. The Ten Non-Virtuous Ways are seeds. Essentially speaking, the Sixty-Two [erroneous] Views and each of the Afflictions are all the seeds of Buddha[hood].”
曰：「何謂也？」
Vimalakīrti replied, “Which is to say what?”
答曰：「若見無為入正位者，不能復發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心；譬如高原陸地，不生蓮華，卑濕淤泥乃生此華；如是見無為法入正位者，終不復能生於佛法；煩惱泥中，乃有眾生起佛法耳！又如殖種於空，終不得生！糞壤之地，乃能滋茂。如是入無為正位者，不生佛法；起於我見如須彌山，猶能發于阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，生佛法矣！是故當知，一切煩惱，為如來種。譬如不下巨海，不能得無價寶珠。如是不入煩惱大海，則不能得一切智寶。」
[Mañjuśrī] replied saying, “One who enters Correct Understanding, seeing the Unconditioned, is unable to attain anuttarā-saṃyak-saṃbodhi citta. Just as the dry land on a high plateau will not give rise to a lotus flower, a flower that grows in the mud and mire of low-lying places; Like this, those who enter Correct Understanding seeing the Unconditioned are forever unable to give rise to Buddha Dharma. It is only within the mud of the afflictions that sentient beings give rise to Buddha Dharma! It is also like planting a seed in the air, it will never germinate! Only in manure-enriched earth can it sprout and flourish. Like this, one who enters the Unconditioned Correct Understanding will not give rise to Buddha Dharma. It is only when one brings forth the view of themselves as being like Mt. Sumeru that they are able to generate the intention to achieve anuttarā-saṃyak-saṃbodhi citta, and give rise to Buddha Dharma. For this reason you should know, each of the afflictions are seeds of the Thus Come One. It is just like not going to the depths of the ocean, you will be unable to attain priceless jewel-pearls. Like this, if you do not enter the Great Sea of Afflictions, then you will be unable to attain any Jewels of Wisdom.
爾時大迦葉歎言：「善哉，善哉！文殊師利！快說此語。誠如所言，塵勞之疇為如來種；我等今者，不復堪任發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，乃至五無間罪，猶能發意生於佛法，而今我等永不能發。譬如根敗之士，其於五欲不能復利。如是聲聞諸結斷者，於佛法中無所復益，永不志願。是故，文殊師利！凡夫於佛法有返復，而聲聞無也。所以者何？凡夫聞佛法，能起無上道心，不斷三寶。正使聲聞終身聞佛法，力、無畏等，永不能發無上道意。」
At that time Mahākāśyapa sighed and said, “Excellent! Excellent! Mañjuśrī! These words aptly explain. Indeed, as you have said, the field of troublesome ‘dust’ is the seed of the Thus Come One. Now, we are no longer able to bear generating anuttarā-saṃyak-saṃbodhi citta. Even those who commit the Five Interminables could generate such a mind toward Buddha Dharma, however we now will forever never be able to generate [bodhi citta]. Just like someone with impaired faculties, unable to benefit from the five (sense) pleasures. Like this, Voice Hearers who have cut off all fetters are without any benefit though being among all the Buddha Dharma, and will never have a will to be so. For this reason, Mañjuśrī! The ordinary person has a response to Buddha Dharma, yet the Voice Hearer is without one. How is it so? An ordinary person hears the Buddha Dharma and they are able to give rise to an unsurpassable mind of enlightenment, without cutting off the Three Jewels. Even if a Voice Hearer spent their entire life hearing about the Dharmas of Buddha, the Powers, the Fearlessnesses, etc., they would be forever unable to generate a thought of unsurpassable enlightenment.”
爾時會中有菩薩，名普現色身，問維摩詰言：「居士！父母妻子、親戚眷屬、吏民知識，悉為是誰？奴婢僮僕、象馬車乘，皆何所在？」
Then, among the assembly a bodhisattva called Universally Manifesting Form Body (Sarvarūpasaṃdarśana) asked Vimalakīrti, “Householder (Kulapati)! Father, mother, spouse and child, kinfolk and acquaintances, messengers and friends, who are they? Your attendants and servants, elephants and horses, carriages and vehicles, where are they all?”
於是維摩詰以偈答曰：
To which Vimalakīrti replied in verse saying:
智度菩薩母， 方便以為父， 一切眾導師， 無不由是生。
Perfect Wisdom is the mother of bodhisattvas Skillful Means is the father. Of those who guide and teach, None are not born of them.
法喜以為妻， 慈悲心為女， 善心誠實男， 畢竟空寂舍。
Dharma Joy is their spouse, Loving Kindness and Compassion their daughters, A Virtuous Mind and Sincerity are their sons, And Ultimate Emptiness is their home.
弟子眾塵勞， 隨意之所轉， 道品善知識， 由是成正覺。
Their disciples are the gathering of troublesome ‘dust’ ‘Converted’ into ‘following’ their thoughts, The [37] Aids to the Way are their teacher-friends (kalyāṇamitra), Only by them do they achieve Correct Awakening.
諸度法等侶， 四攝為伎女， 歌詠誦法言， 以此為音樂。
Liberating Dharmas are their ‘group’, The Four Means of Unification their ‘back-up singers’, Who sing songs praising the Dharma, In this way making their music.
總持之園苑， 無漏法林樹， 覺意淨妙華， 解脫智慧果。
In the garden of their memory [dhāraṇīs, retention], Is a grove of Dharma with no outflows, Where pure, sublime flowers of the Enlightened Mind Fruit Liberation and Wisdom.
八解之浴池， 定水湛然滿， 布以七淨華， 浴此無垢人。
Pools of Eight Liberations, Filled with tranquil waters of concentration, Scattered with flowers of the Seven Purities, Are where the ‘stainless’ person bathes.
象馬五通馳， 大乘以為車， 調御以一心， 遊於八正路。
Their elephants and horses are racing the Five Penetrations (Powers), The Great Vehicle is their carriage. Steering them with single-mindedness, They roam the Eight Correct roads
相具以嚴容， 眾好飾其姿， 慚愧之上服， 深心為華鬘。
[The 32] Perfected Characteristics are their ‘adorned physique’ [undergarment] [The 80] Good Signs their ‘looks’ [middle garment] A sense of shame is their upper garment A profound mind their flower mala [wreath, headdress]
富有七財寶， 教授以滋息， 如所說修行， 迴向為大利。
Their wealth is the Seven Treasures, Which they bestow by teaching the taste of breathing, Cultivating practice as has been explained And transferring it for the Great Benefit.
四禪為床座， 從於淨命生， 多聞增智慧， 以為自覺音。
The Four Dhyānas are their bed, From which they perform Right Livelihood, Hearing (learning) much, their Wisdom increases By the sound of their own enlightenment.
甘露法之食， 解脫味為漿， 淨心以澡浴， 戒品為塗香。
Their food is the sweet dew of the Dharma, The flavor of Liberation, their drink. A Pure Mind is their bathing tub They use the Precepts as their perfume.
摧滅煩惱賊， 勇健無能踰， 降伏四種魔， 勝幡建道場。
Thwarting the bandits of the Afflictions, With invincible courage, They subjugate the Hordes of Mara And set their Banner of Victory upon the Site of Enlightenment.
雖知無起滅， 示彼故有生， 悉現諸國土， 如日無不見。
Though knowing there is no arising and ceasing In order to demonstrate that, they are born, Manifesting throughout all Countries, Like the sun, nowhere not seen.
供養於十方， 無量億如來， 諸佛及己身， 無有分別想。
Making offerings throughout the Ten Directions, To immeasurable millions of Thus Come Ones, Between all Buddhas and their own bodies, They do not perceive their being a difference,
雖知諸佛國， 及與眾生空， 而常修淨土， 教化於群生。
Through knowing that all Buddha lands and all sentient beings are empty, They constantly cultivate the purification of lands Teaching and transforming all kinds of beings.
諸有眾生類， 形聲及威儀， 無畏力菩薩， 一時能盡現。
All the various types of sentient beings, Their shapes, sounds, and behaviors, The fearless bodhisattva In a single moment manifests them all.
覺知眾魔事， 而示隨其行， 以善方便智， 隨意皆能現。
Enlightened to the activities of the Hordes of Mara, They appear to go along with their practices, By the Knowledge of virtuous Skillful Means They are able to manifest according to their mind.
或示老病死， 成就諸群生， 了知如幻化， 通達無有礙。
Or they appear to get old, get sick, and die, In order to mature all kinds of beings, [Performing] such comprehension of illusory transformations Penetrating without obstruction.
或現劫盡燒， 天地皆洞然， 眾人有常想， 照令知無常。
Or manifesting as the kalpa-ending conflagration, In which heaven and earth are entirely incinerated, To all beings with the perception of permanence, Making presently clear the knowledge of impermanence.
無數億眾生， 俱來請菩薩， 一時到其舍， 化令向佛道。
Incalculable millions of sentient beings, All come inquiring of the bodhisattva, At the same time arriving at their home, Being transformed to the Way of the Buddha
經書禁呪術， 工巧諸伎藝， 盡現行此事， 饒益諸群生。
Classics and books, forbidden spells and magical arts, Works and crafts and all the arts, They manifest the practice of these activities, For the benefit of all kinds of beings.
世間眾道法， 悉於中出家， 因以解人惑， 而不墮邪見。
Of all the world’s Dharmic Ways, In all of them they leave home, In order to liberate people from delusion And not fall into erroneous views.
或作日月天， 梵王世界主， 或時作地水， 或復作風火。
Or they become Gods of the Sun or Moon, Brahma Kings, or World Leaders Or at times they become Earth or Water, Or further becoming Wind or Fire.
劫中有疾疫， 現作諸藥草， 若有服之者， 除病消眾毒。
When there are epidemics in the middle of a kalpa, They become medicinal plants, Which, if someone takes them, Eliminates all illness and poisons.
劫中有飢饉， 現身作飲食， 先救彼飢渴， 却以法語人。
When there is famine in the middle of a kalpa, They make of their bodies food and drink, First saving them of hunger and thirst, Then telling them about the Dharma.
劫中有刀兵， 為之起慈心， 化彼諸眾生， 令住無諍地。
When there are armed soldiers in the middle of a kalpa, They give rise to a mind of loving kindness toward them, Transforming all sentient beings To abide in the Stage of Non-contention.
若有大戰陣， 立之以等力， 菩薩現威勢， 降伏使和安。
If there are great armies, Standing with equal power, Bodhisattvas manifest being awesome, Subjugating them and imposing peace.
一切國土中， 諸有地獄處， 輒往到于彼， 勉濟其苦惱。
To every land and nation, Anywhere there are Hell Realms, They journey to those places, And endeavor to alleviate the suffering there.
一切國土中， 畜生相食噉， 皆現生於彼， 為之作利益。
To every land and nation, Where beasts devour each other, They manifest being born everyway In order to be of benefit to them.
示受於五欲， 亦復現行禪， 令魔心憒亂， 不能得其便。
They demonstrate experiencing the Five Desires, Yet also appear to practice dhyana, Causing Mara’s mind to be confused, Unable to be in control.
火中生蓮華， 是可謂希有， 在欲而行禪， 希有亦如是。
A lotus flower born in fire, Is indeed rare to find, To practice dhyana within desire. Is as rare as this.
或現作婬女， 引諸好色者， 先以欲鉤牽， 後令入佛道。
Or they appear as prostitutes, Drawing out all those who enjoy beauty First catching them with the hook of desire, Then later having them enter the Way of the Buddha.
或為邑中主， 或作商人導， 國師及大臣， 以祐利眾生。
Or as a village master, Or the leader of craftsmen, National teacher, great minister, Providing benefit to all sentient beings
諸有貧窮者， 現作無盡藏， 因以勸導之， 令發菩提心。
For all those in poverty They manifest as inexhaustible treasuries, So as to encourage and guide them Causing them to generate bodhicitta.
我心憍慢者， 為現大力士， 消伏諸貢高， 令住無上道。
For those with the conceit of ‘self’ mind They appear as great warriors, Decimating all pretentions, Causing them to abide in the Unsurpassable Way.
其有恐懼眾， 居前而慰安， 先施以無畏， 後令發道心。
To those gathered in fear They stand before to shield and comfort, First by giving them fearlessness, Then later causing them to generate a Mind of the Way
或現離婬欲， 為五通仙人， 開導諸群生， 令住戒忍慈。
Or they manifest transcending lustful desire, As Immortals of the Five Penetrations (powers), They ‘open’ and guide all kinds of beings, Causing them to abide in precepts, patient tolerance, and loving kindness.
見須供事者， 現為作僮僕， 既悅可其意， 乃發以道心。
Seeing those in need of assistance, They manifest as servants, By delighting their minds by their capabilities, It makes them generate a Mind of the Way.
隨彼之所須， 得入於佛道， 以善方便力， 皆能給足之。
In accord with the needs of others, They attain entry to the Way of the Buddha. By the power of their virtuous skillful means, All are provided with sufficiency.
如是道無量， 所行無有涯， 智慧無邊際， 度脫無數眾。
Like this, the Ways are immeasurable, Practiced (’walked’, tread,) without boundaries (’shores’) Wisdom without limits Ferrying to liberation incalculable beings.
假令一切佛， 於無量億劫， 讚歎其功德， 猶尚不能盡。
Suppose each of the Buddhas, Throughout immeasurable billions of kalpas, Praised their virtue, They could never do so completely.
誰聞如是法， 不發菩提心， 除彼不肖人， 癡冥無智者。
Who upon hearing Dharma like this, Does not generate Bodhicitta? Who but those that are not even human, The confused and ignorant.