釋摩訶衍論 6.4

6.4

本曰：復次真如自體相者，一切凡夫、聲聞、緣覺、菩薩、諸佛無有增減，非前際生、非後際滅，畢竟常恒。從本已來唯性自滿足一切功德，所謂自體有大智慧光明義故，遍照法界義故，真實識知義故，自性清淨心義故，常樂我淨義故，清涼不變自在義故。具足如是過於恒沙不離不斷不異不思議佛法，乃至滿足無有所少義故，名為如來藏，亦名如來法身。問曰：上說真如其體平等、離一切相，云何復說體有如是種種功德？答曰：雖實有此諸功德義，而無差別之相，等同一味，唯一真如。此義云何？以無分別，離分別相，是故無二。復以何義得說差別？以依業識生滅相示。此云何示？以一切法本來唯心實無於念，而有妄心不覺起念見諸境界，故說無明。心性不起，即是大智慧光明義故。若心起見即有不見之相，心性離見即是遍照法界義故。若心有動非真識知，無有自性，非常非樂非我非淨，熱惱衰變則不自在，乃至具有過恒沙等妄染之義。對此義故心性無動，則有過恒沙等諸淨功德相義示現。若心有起更見前法可念者，則有所少。如是淨法無量功德，即是一心，更無所念。是故滿足名為法身如來之藏。復次真如用者，所謂諸佛如來本在因地，發大慈悲修諸波羅蜜，攝化眾生立大誓願，盡欲度脫等眾生界，亦不限劫數盡於未來，以取一切眾生如己身故，而亦不取眾生相。此以何義？謂如實知一切眾生及與己身，真如平等，無別異故。以有如是大方便智，除滅無明，見本法身自然而有不思議業種種之用，即與真如等遍一切處，又亦無有用相可得。何以故？謂諸佛如來唯是法身、智相之身，第一義諦，無有世諦境界、離於施作，但隨眾生見聞得益，故說為用。此用復有二種。云何為二？一者依分別事識，凡夫二乘心所見者名為應身，以不知轉識現故，見從外來，取色分齊不能盡知故；二者依於業識，謂諸菩薩從初發意乃至菩薩究竟地，心所見者名為報身，身有無量色、色有無量相、相有無量好，所住依果亦有無量種種莊嚴，隨所示現即無有邊不可窮盡，離分齊相，隨其所應常能住持不毀不失。如是功德皆因諸波羅蜜等無漏行熏，及不思議熏之所成就，具足無量樂相，故說為報。又凡夫所見者是其麁色，隨於六道各見不同，種種異類非受樂相，故說為應。復次初發意菩薩所見者，以深信真如法故，少分而見，知彼色相莊嚴等事，無去無來離於分齊，唯依心現不離真如。然此菩薩猶自分別，以未入法身位故。若得淨心，所見微妙其用轉勝，乃至菩薩地盡，見之究竟。若離業識則無見相，以諸佛法身無有彼此色相迭相見故。問曰：若諸佛法身離於色相者，云何能現色相？答曰：即此法身是色體故能現於色，所謂從本已來色心不二，以色性即智故色體無形，說名智身；以智性即色故，說名法身。遍一切處所現之色無有分齊，隨心能示十方世界，無量菩薩、無量報身、無量莊嚴各各差別，皆無分齊而不相妨，此非心識分別能知，以真如自在用義故。

The basic text states: 'Furthermore, as for the self-essence and characteristics of tathatā, they are neither increased nor decreased among all ordinary persons, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas. They are not produced at the previous limit and do not cease at the subsequent limit; they are ultimately eternal and constant. From the beginning, their nature of itself is fulfilled with all merits—that is to say, because its self-essence has the meaning of the light of great wisdom; because it has the meaning of illuminating the dharmadhātu everywhere; because it has the meaning of genuine cognitive awareness; because it has the meaning of a mind intrinsically pure by nature; because it has the meaning of constancy, bliss, ātman, and purity; because it has the meaning of coolness, changelessness, and sovereignty. Being complete with such inconceivable Buddha-dharmas exceeding the sands of the Ganges—which are not separated, not interrupted, and not different—down to being fulfilled without any deficiency, it is named the tathāgatagarbha, and it is also named the Tathāgata’s dharmakāya. Question: It was stated above that the essence of tathatā is equal and free from all characteristics; why is it now said that its essence has such manifold merits? Answer: Although it genuinely has the meanings of these various merits, yet it is without differentiated characteristics; they are equal and of one single taste, being only one tathatā. What is the meaning of this? Because it is non-conceptual and free from characteristics of differentiation, there is therefore no duality. By what meaning, then, can differentiation be stated? It is indicated based on the arising-and-ceasing characteristics of the karmic consciousness. How is this indicated? Because all dharmas are originally mind only and are genuinely free from thought, yet there is a delusionary mind that, through non-awakening, gives rise to thought and perceives various objects, this is spoken of as avidyā. The non-arising of mind's nature is itself the meaning of the light of great wisdom. If the mind gives rise to seeing, there is the characteristic of non-seeing; the mind's nature being free from seeing is itself the meaning of illuminating the dharmadhātu everywhere. If the mind has motion, it is not genuine cognitive awareness, it is without intrinsic nature, it is not constant, not blissful, not ātman, not pure; being distressed, afflicted, deteriorating, and changing, it is then not sovereign, down to possessing defiled delusionary meanings exceeding the sands of the Ganges. In contrast to these meanings, when the mind's nature is without motion, then there are manifested the meanings of pure characteristics of merit exceeding the sands of the Ganges. If the mind has arising and further sees a preceding dharma that can be thought of, then there is deficiency. Such immeasurable merits of pure dharmas are just the one mind, having nothing further to be thought of; hence, being fully complete, it is named the dharmakāya, the receptacle of the Tathāgata. Furthermore, as for the function of tathatā: all Buddha-Tathāgatas, originally in their causal stage, generated great compassion, cultivated the pāramitās, gathered and transformed sentient beings, and made great vows, wishing fully to deliver all sentient beings without remainder throughout the realm of sentient beings, without limiting the number of kalpas to the end of the future; because they regarded all sentient beings like their own bodies, yet they also did not grasp the characteristics of sentient beings. By what meaning is this? It means that they truly knew that all sentient beings and their own bodies are equal in tathatā, without any difference. Possessing such wisdom of great expedients, they extinguished avidyā, saw the original dharmakāya, and naturally possessed inconceivable actions and various functions, which are equal to tathatā and pervade all places; yet there is also no characteristic of function that can be apprehended. Why? Because Buddha-Tathāgatas are solely the dharmakāya, the body of the characteristic of wisdom, the ultimate truth, without the objects of worldly truth and free from deliberate activity; but simply in accordance with sentient beings seeing, hearing, and obtaining benefit, it is spoken of as function. This function further has two kinds. What are the two? First, based on the differentiating object-consciousness, that which is seen by the minds of ordinary persons and the two vehicles is named the manifestation body (nirmāṇakāya); because they do not know it is manifested by the evolving consciousness, they see it as coming from outside and grasp boundaries of form, being unable to know it completely. Second, based on the karmic consciousness, that which is seen by the minds of the bodhisattvas from their first aspiration up to the ultimate stage of bodhisattvahood is named the reward body (saṃbhogakāya); its body has immeasurable forms, the forms have immeasurable marks, the marks have immeasurable physical excellences, and the retributive fruits of its dwelling also have immeasurable and diverse adornments; as it manifests, it has no limits and cannot be exhausted, being free from demarcating characteristics; in accordance with what is appropriate, it is always able to sustain without decaying or being lost. Such merits are all accomplished by the perfume of uncontaminated practices such as the pāramitās and by inconceivable perfume, complete with immeasurable marks of bliss, and therefore it is spoken of as reward. Moreover, what is seen by ordinary persons is gross form; depending on the six destinies, each sees differently, being diverse kinds not bearing the characteristics of enjoying bliss, and therefore it is spoken of as manifestation. Furthermore, as for that which is seen by newly aspired bodhisattvas: because of their deep faith in the dharma of tathatā, they see a small portion of it, knowing that such matters as bodily forms and adornments have no going and coming, are free from boundaries, and manifest solely based on the mind, not separated from tathatā. Yet these bodhisattvas still have their own conceptual differentiation, because they have not yet entered the stage of the dharmakāya. If they attain the pure mind, that which is seen is subtle and wondrous, and its function becomes increasingly superior, until the end of the bodhisattva grounds, where they see it ultimately. If one is free from the karmic consciousness, then there is no characteristic of seeing, because the dharmakāyas of all Buddhas have no mutual perception of each other's bodily forms. Question: If the dharmakāya of all Buddhas is free from form-characteristics, how can it manifest form-characteristics? Answer: Because this very dharmakāya is the essence of form, it is able to manifest form. That is to say, from the beginning, form and mind have been non-dual; because the nature of form is wisdom itself, the essence of form is formless, and it is named the wisdom-body; because the nature of wisdom is form itself, it is named the dharmakāya. The forms manifested everywhere have no boundaries; in accordance with the mind, it can display the worlds of the ten directions, immeasurable bodhisattvas, immeasurable reward bodies, and immeasurable adornments, each distinct, all without boundaries and without obstructing each other. This cannot be known by the conceptual differentiation of the conscious mind, because it is the sovereign functional meaning of tathatā.'