方便品第二
🍃 CHAPTER TWO - SKILLFUL MEANS
爾時毘耶離大城中有長者，名維摩詰，已曾供養無量諸佛，深植善本，得無生忍；辯才無礙，遊戲神通，逮諸總持；獲無所畏，降魔勞怨；入深法門，善於智度，通達方便，大願成就；明了眾生心之所趣，又能分別諸根利鈍，久於佛道，心已純淑，決定大乘；諸有所作，能善思量；住佛威儀，心大如海，諸佛咨嗟！弟子、釋、梵、世主所敬。
At that time, there was an elder named Vimalakīrti in the great city of Vaiśālī. He had already offered alms to immeasurable Buddhas in the past, had deeply planted roots of goodness, and had attained the the patient tolerance of birthlessness. Unhindered in eloquence, he roamed in the transcendental powers, and commanded full retention of the teachings. He had attained the state of fearlessness, overcoming the torments and ill will of Māra. He had entered the profound gateways of the Dharma and excelled in transcendent wisdom (prajñāpāramitā), fully penetrating upāya (skillful means), he had successfully fulfilled the great vow. He could clearly discern the tendencies of the minds of sentient beings, and was also capable of distinguishing their capacities, keen or obtuse. His mind had long been clear and purified through the Path of the Buddha and he was firmly on the Great Vehicle. Everything he did was well thought out and planned. He abided with the dignity and authority of a Buddha, his mind as vast as an ocean, and all the Buddhas sighed in admiration! Disciples, Śakra, Brahmā, World Leaders, all praised him.
欲度人故，以善方便，居毘耶離；資財無量，攝諸貧民；奉戒清淨，攝諸毀禁；以忍調行，攝諸恚怒；以大精進，攝諸懈怠；一心禪寂，攝諸亂意；以決定慧，攝諸無智；雖為白衣，奉持沙門清淨律行；雖處居家，不著三界；示有妻子，常修梵行；現有眷屬，常樂遠離；雖服寶飾，而以相好嚴身；雖復飲食，而以禪悅為味；若至博弈戲處，輒以度人；受諸異道，不毀正信；雖明世典，常樂佛法；一切見敬，為供養中最；執持正法，攝諸長幼；一切治生諧偶，雖獲俗利，不以喜悅；遊諸四衢，饒益眾生；入治政法，救護一切；入講論處，導以大乘；入諸學堂，誘開童蒙；入諸婬舍，示欲之過；入諸酒肆，能立其志；若在長者，長者中尊，為說勝法；若在居士，居士中尊，斷其貪著；若在剎利，剎利中尊，教以忍辱；若在婆羅門，婆羅門中尊，除其我慢；若在大臣，大臣中尊，教以正法；若在王子，王子中尊，示以忠孝；若在內官，內官中尊，化政宮女；若在庶民，庶民中尊，令興福力；若在梵天，梵天中尊，誨以勝慧；若在帝釋，帝釋中尊，示現無常；若在護世，護世中尊，護諸眾生。長者維摩詰，以如是等無量方便饒益眾生。
Desiring to rescue others, he lived in Vaiśālī as a skillful means (upāya). With his immeasurable wealth he embraced the poor and helpless. His faultless observation of the precepts embraced all those violating prohibitions. Through the practice of patient tolerance, he embraced all rage and anger. With great determination he embraced all laziness. Single-minded in dhyānic meditation, he embraced all chaotic thought. With firm, certain Wisdom he embraced all ignorance.
Though dressed in the white robes of a layperson, he observed all the rules of pure conduct laid down for śramaṇa (mendicants), and though he lived at home, he had no attachment to the Triple Realm. One could see he had a wife and children, yet he always practiced the Pure Path of Brahma. It was obvious he had kin and household attendants, yet he always delighted in withdrawing from them. Although he wore jewels and finery, he was really adorned with the auspicious marks. Although he ate and drank like others, the joy of dhyāna meditation is what he truly savored.
If he visited gambling parlors, it was solely to rescue people. If he received some other teaching, it did not impinge upon his true faith. Though well versed in secular writings, he constantly delighted in Buddha Dharma. Respected by everyone, he was looked on as foremost among those deserving of alms. Upholding the correct Dharma, he embraced old and young alike. He conducted all kinds of business enterprises in the spirit of trust and harmony, with no delight in worldly profit. He frequented the busy crossroads in order to bring benefit to others. He entered government offices and courts of law so as to aid and rescue all those he could. He entered places of debate in order to guide others to the Great Vehicle. He entered all the study halls to further the instruction of the students. He entered all houses of licentiousness to point out the errors of desire. And he entered wine shops in order to encourage those capable of ‘standing up’.
If among elders, he was the elder most revered for explaining the superior Dharma. If among lay believers, he was the lay believer most revered for having cut off all greed and attachments. If among kṣatriya warriors, he was the kṣatriya most revered for teaching patient tolerance. If among Brahmans, he was the Brahman most revered for ridding them of the conceit of ‘self’. If among great ministers he was the great minister most revered for teaching the Correct Dharma. If among princes, he was the prince most revered for demonstrating loyalty and obedience. If among the inner palace, he was the inner palace member most revered for converting and bringing refinement to the women [of the harem/inner palace]. If among common people, he was the common person most revered for helping them gain wealth and power. If in Brahma’s heavens, he was the most revered in Brahma’s heaven for revealing superior Wisdom. If in Śakra’s heaven, he was the most revered in Śakra’s heaven for explaining impermanence. If among the guardians of the world, he was the most revered among guardians of the world for guarding all sentient beings.
The elder Vimalakīrti, thus employed immeasurable numbers of skillful means in order to bring benefit to others.
其以方便，現身有疾。以其疾故，國王大臣、長者居士、婆羅門等，及諸王子并餘官屬，無數千人，皆往問疾。其往者，維摩詰因以身疾，廣為說法：「諸仁者！是身無常、無強、無力、無堅、速朽之法，不可信也！為苦、為惱，眾病所集。諸仁者！如此身，明智者所不怙；是身如聚沫，不可撮摩；是身如泡，不得久立；是身如炎，從渴愛生；是身如芭蕉，中無有堅；是身如幻，從顛倒起；是身如夢，為虛妄見；是身如影，從業緣現；是身如響，屬諸因緣；是身如浮雲，須臾變滅；是身如電，念念不住；是身無主，為如地；是身無我，為如火；是身無壽，為如風；是身無人，為如水；是身不實，四大為家；是身為空，離我我所；是身無知，如草木瓦礫；是身無作，風力所轉；是身不淨，穢惡充滿；是身為虛偽，雖假以澡浴衣食，必歸磨滅；是身為災，百一病惱；是身如丘井，為老所逼；是身無定，為要當死；是身如毒蛇、如怨賊、如空聚，陰界諸入所共合成。
Using these skillful means, he made it appear that his body was ill. Because of his illness, the King of the country, the great ministers, elders, lay believers, and Brahmans, as well as the princes and lesser officials, numbering countless thousands, all went to see him and inquire about his illness.
Vimalakīrti then used this bodily illness to explain the Dharma to those who came. "Friends! This body is impermanent, without durability, without strength, without firmness, a thing that decays in a moment, not to be relied upon! It leads to suffering, affliction, a meeting place of manifold ills.”
“Friends! A body like this, no enlightened person could rely upon. This body is like a cluster of foam, nothing you can grasp or handle. This body is like a bubble that can not continue for very long. This body is like a flame born of longing and desire. This body is like a plantain tree that has no firmness in its trunk. This body is like a phantom, the product of error and confusion. This body is like a dream, compounded of false and empty visions. This body is like a shadow, appearing only through karmic causes. This body is like an echo, tied to causes and conditions. This body is like a drifting cloud, changing and vanishing in an instant. This body is like lightning, barely lasting from moment to moment. This body is like the earth element, which has no subjective being. This body is like the fire element, devoid of self. This body is like the wind element, which has no set life span. This body is like the water element, devoid of individuality. This body has no reality but makes these four elements its lodging. This body is empty, removed from self and the possessions of self. This body is without understanding, like plants or trees, tiles or pebbles. This body is without agency, blown about by the wind. This body is impure, crammed with defilement and evil. This body is vacuous and unreal, though you may bathe and cleanse it for a time, clothe and feed it, in the end it must crumble and fade. This body is plague-ridden, beset by a hundred and one ills and anxieties. This body is like an abandoned well on the hillside, old age pressing in on it. This body has no fixity, but is destined for certain death. This body is like poisonous snakes, vengeful bandits, and an empty village, a mere coming together of aggregates, realms, and sense-fields.
「諸仁者！此可患厭，當樂佛身。所以者何？佛身者即法身也；從無量功德智慧生，從戒、定、慧、解脫、解脫知見生，從慈、悲、喜、捨生，從布施、持戒、忍辱、柔和、勤行精進、禪定、解脫、三昧、多聞、智慧諸波羅蜜生，從方便生，從六通生，從三明生，從三十七道品生，從止觀生，從十力、四無所畏、十八不共法生，從斷一切不善法、集一切善法生，從真實生，從不放逸生；從如是無量清淨法生如來身。諸仁者！欲得佛身、斷一切眾生病者，當發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。」
“Friends! A thing like this is irksome and hateful, and therefore you should desire the body of a Buddha. Why? Because the body of a Buddha is the Dharma Body (Dharmakaya). It is born from immeasurable merits and wisdom. It is born from precepts, meditation, wisdom, liberation, and the insights of liberation. It is born of kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. It is born of the various pāramitās: generosity, discipline, patience, determination, meditation, liberation, samadhi, all the teachings, and wisdom. It is born from skillful means. It is born from the six supernatural powers. It is born from the thirty-seven aids to Awakening. Born from right observation. Born from the Ten Powers. Born from the Four Fearlessnesses. Born from the Eighteen Unique Dharmas [of a Buddha]. Born from cutting off all unvirtuous dharmas. Born from gathering all virtuous dharmas. Born from the Truth of Suchness. Born from the avoidance of indulgence and laxity. The body of the Tathāgata is born from immeasurable, pure Dharma like this.
Friends! If you want to attain the body of a buddha and cut off all the illnesses of sentient beings, you should generate anuttara-samyak-sambodhi citta.”
是長者維摩詰，為諸問疾者，如應說法，令無數千人皆發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。
So, the elder Vimalakīrti used the occasion of those coming to inquire about his illness to explain the Dharma, causing numberless thousands of people to all generate anuttara-samyak-sambodhi citta.