金剛經纂要刊定記 1.46

1.46

現相者，即化身相也。人中者，即現化之處也。唯向人中示相者，天上著樂無由發心，三塗極苦正當難處，唯於人中苦樂相兼，對苦必能發心，所以佛出現化，天上如病未發，豈須針艾，三塗似膏肓之病，不足醫治。人中如小瘵所縈，堪可與藥，故佛出現。然如來現相總有四種，謂：他受用報身、大化、小化、隨類化身等。今明說此教者，即小化身也。然有八相，謂：一、從兜率天退。二、入胎。三、住胎。四、出胎。五、出家，【註】年十九。【本】六、成道，【註】年二十五。【本】七、轉法輪，【註】經五十五年。【本】八、入涅槃，【註】年八十。【本】此論現身，但明成道之相，次明說法，即轉法輪相。佛成道之相，身長丈六紫磨金容，項佩圓光胸題卍字，三十二相八十種好，八部擁衛四眾欽崇，巍巍峨峨光映日月，德相繁廣不可具陳。此小化身其相劣弱，若望受用即雲泥有殊。故《法華經》說：「長者脫珍御服著弊垢衣」，珍御之服以喻受用之身，弊垢之衣即況紫磨金體。蓋以眾生垢重，不堪見勝妙之身。既不能見亦無所聞，則於眾生都無利益，大悲接物故現小化。亦如《法華經》說：「窮子見父踞師子床，寶几承足，富貴殊勝威德特尊。窮子見之竊作是念：『此或是王或是王等，非我傭力得物之處。』長者見子默而識之。」乃至云：「即脫瓔珞細軟上服嚴飾之具，更著麁弊垢膩之衣，右手執持除糞之器，以此方便得近窮子。」此喻如來隱彼勝身現於劣相也。

'Manifesting signs' refers to the signs of the transformation body. 'Among humans' refers to the place of manifesting the transformation. He manifested signs only among humans because in the heavens beings are attached to pleasure and have no cause to generate the mind [for bodhi], while the three bad paths are states of extreme suffering, being precisely places of hardship; only among humans are suffering and pleasure mixed, and confronting suffering, one is sure to be able to generate the mind [for bodhi]. Therefore, the Buddha appeared to transform them. In the heavens, it is like a disease that has not yet broken out—why would it need acupuncture and moxibustion? The three bad paths are like a disease that has reached the vitals, beyond treatment. Humans are like those afflicted by a slight ailment, capable of receiving medicine; therefore the Buddha appeared. In general, there are four kinds of manifestations of the Tathāgata: the other-enjoyment reward body, the great transformation body, the small transformation body, and the manifestation body according to species. Here, the one who taught this doctrine was the small transformation body. It has eight phases: 1. Descending from Tuṣita Heaven. 2. Entering the womb. 3. Abiding in the womb. 4. Emerging from the womb. 5. Leaving home [Note: at age nineteen]. [Root text:] 6. Attaining the Way [Note: at age twenty-five]. [Root text:] 7. Turning the wheel of the Dharma [Note: spanning fifty-five years]. [Root text:] 8. Entering nirvāṇa [Note: at age eighty]. [Root text:] This discussion of manifesting the body explains only the phase of attaining the Way; next, explaining the teaching of the Dharma refers to the phase of turning the wheel of the Dharma. The Buddha's sign of attaining the Way is a body sixteen feet tall, of purple-burnished gold complexion, his neck adorned with a circular halo and his chest marked with the svastika, having the thirty-two marks and eighty minor signs, flanked and protected by the eight classes [of beings] and revered by the four assemblies, towering and sublime, his radiance outshining the sun and moon; his virtuous marks are extensive and cannot be fully recounted. This small transformation body is inferior and frail in its marks; compared to the enjoyment body, the difference is like clouds and mud. Thus the Lotus Sūtra says: 'The elder removed his necklaces and fine garments and put on ragged, dirty clothes.' The fine garments metaphorically represent the enjoyment body; the ragged, dirty clothes illustrate the body of purple-burnished gold. Because sentient beings' defilements are heavy, they are incapable of seeing the superior and sublime body. Being unable to see it, they would also hear nothing, and thus there would be no benefit to sentient beings at all; out of great compassion to guide beings, he therefore manifested the small transformation. It is also as the Lotus Sūtra says: 'The poor son saw his father sitting on a lion throne, resting his feet on a jeweled footstool, abundantly rich and extraordinarily noble, august and especially revered. Seeing him, the poor son secretly thought: "This may be a king or someone like a king; this is no place for me to hire out my labor and earn something." The elder saw his son and recognized him in silence,' and so on, until: 'He immediately took off his necklaces, soft, fine upper garments, and adornments, and put on coarse, ragged, dirty, and greasy clothes, holding a dung-removal vessel in his right hand, by this skillful means managing to approach the poor son.' This metaphorically illustrates the Tathāgata concealing that superior body and manifesting inferior signs.