仁王護國般若波羅蜜多經疏 2.102

2.102

The commentary explains: 'The noble levels' clarifies those who attain them, not ordinary beings. 'The stages' refers, according to the older sūtra, to 'the three stages and nine arisings and ceasings.' 'The three stages' refers to the eighth, ninth, and tenth bhūmis; each bhūmi has initial, abiding, and final arisings, making nine arisings and ceasings. Furthermore, the four-fascicle Laṅkāvatāra says: 'When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva attains non-arising dharmakṣānti and abides in the eighth bhūmi, having transformed and abandoned the mind and the rest, they attain a mind-made body.' It also says in the fourth fascicle: 'Mahāmati! Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas have not yet realized the selflessness of dharmas, because they have not yet managed to be free from inconceivable transformational birth.' Furthermore, the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra says: 'First are arhats, second are pratyekabuddhas, third are bodhisattvas who have attained mastery; they receive transformational bodies.' 'Attained mastery' refers specifically to the eighth bhūmi, attaining mastery over characteristics and lands. Furthermore, the third fascicle of the Laṅkāvatāra says: 'There are three kinds of mind-made bodies: the mind-made body enjoying the bliss of samādhi, the mind-made body that realizes the intrinsic nature of dharmas, and the mind-made body that is born spontaneously according to its kind without deliberate action.' Correlating these with the ten bhūmis: the first to the seventh bhūmis attain the first body, the eighth bhūmi attains the second body, and the ninth to tenth bhūmis attain the third. According to this, for direct-progressing bodhisattvas, all three texts are identical; for śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, both sūtras explain that when non-learners of the two vehicles turn their minds toward [the Mahāyāna] prior to the bhūmis, they also attain the transformational body—how much more so for bodhisattvas who have entered the bhūmis! 'Untainted' clarifies the cause. Taint refers to afflictions, which give rise to limitless faults; because this cognition lacks them, it is called untainted. 'Arising and ceasing': although the fundamental cognition itself arises and ceases, because it realizes the unarisen, it is not the cause of transformation. This refers solely to the subsequently attained cognition, which, having conceptual discrimination because it cognizes arising and ceasing dharmas, is the cause of transformation. Hence the Vijñaptimātratā says: 'Untainted activities with conceptual discrimination serve as this cause.' 'The remaining habit-energy of ignorance within the three realms' serves as the condition. There are two kinds of obscurations; those who attain transformation have no afflictive obscurations, but only cognitive obscurations. These are the remnants of afflictions in the three realms; hence cognitive obscurations are ignorance. The Śrīmālādevī Sūtra calls this the 'entrenchment of ignorance'. The Master of Ci'en translated it as the 'stage of habit-energy of ignorance'—from beginningless time, due to ignorance, it has repeatedly perfumed. The eighth fascicle of the Vijñaptimātratā says: 'Aided by the power of cognitive obscurations, it serves as a condition.' With untainted [cognition] as the cause and cognitive obscurations as the condition, the exceptionally subtle ripening fruit is produced. 'Transformation' provides the name. 'Trans-' means alteration, and '-formation' means shifting; altering and shifting body and lifespan is called transformation. It has three names: the Vijñaptimātratā treatise says, 'Altering and shifting body and lifespan through the power of compassionate vows without fixed limits is called transformation. Or it is called a mind-made body, because it is completed by the intent of compassionate vows. It is also called an emanation body, because through untainted power it transforms and alters the original form, like an emanation.' 'Retribution' refers to bodhisattvas altering their bodies based on the desire and form realms, in accordance with the realms and stages, making them subtly sublime, radiant, and pure; because their nature is the ripening, indeterminate five aggregates, they are only the objects of those of their own kind and higher-level bodhisattvas, not of inferior beings. Why then use them to sustain and produce tainted fruits? To realize bodhi for oneself and benefit and bring joy to others. Because bodhisattvas and others have forever severed and suppressed afflictive obscurations, they cannot undergo them again. Fearing that undergoing future portioned bodies would neglect the prolonged cultivation of bodhisattva practice, they rely on untainted, superior meditative absorption and vow-power, just as the method for extending life sustains the cause of the present body, causing it to yield fruit continuously over a long period. Repeatedly aided by such meditative absorption and vow-power, this continues until they realize anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. Why then do they still need the aid of cognitive obscurations? Because they have not yet fully realized signless great compassion, without grasping bodhi and sentient beings as truly existent, there would be no basis to initiate fierce, sharp compassionate vows. Furthermore, cognitive obscurations obstruct great bodhi; to sever them forever, they retain their bodies to abide. Furthermore, the Laṅkāvatāra says: 'In accordance with what they recollect of the sphere of their original vows, in order to ripen sentient beings and attain self-realized noble cognition, it is through such [factors] that they sustain and produce it.' Discussing it in this way, transformational birth-and-death is subsumed under tainted ripening fruits; with respect to untainted karma, it is a sovereign fruit (adhipati-phala). If sacred teachings say it is untainted and transcends the three realms, this is spoken in accordance with the auxiliary cause. As the Buddhabhūmi says: 'There is a sublime pure land that transcends the three realms, into which bodhisattvas of the ten bhūmis are to be born.' Following this, all is clear. 'Also all empty' means: how could it merely follow that portioned [existence] is empty for lacking intrinsic nature? This, too, lacking intrinsic nature, is also empty. Next is the second part, clarifying that equal enlightenment is empty.