妙法蓮華經玄義 6.151

6.151

四、神通眷屬者，若先世值佛，發真見諦，生猶未盡，或在上界，或在他方。今佛，分段作佛：或以願力、或以通力來生下界；或為親、中、怨，輔佛行化，斷餘殘惑，而出三界。若殘惑未盡，值佛入滅，亦自能斷，或待後佛（云云）。三藏不說界外生，今以大乘意望之。昔值佛得度，三界生盡，受變易身，緣牽分段，非是業生，但是願通。願通云何異？約自報力名神通，約教名誓願。神通生者，本受報處，猶有報身，以身通力，分形來此；若願生者，報處無身，願力下生耳。三藏不說斷結，誓願受生死身，不約此教論願；通教則有誓扶餘習而生分段，依通明願，於義為便。此等未得法身，故全無應生眷屬。三藏眷屬竟。

Fourth, concerning supernormal kin: if they encountered a buddha in past lives and brought forth the true vision of the truths, their rebirths are not yet exhausted, and they may dwell in higher realms or in other regions. Now the Buddha appears as a buddha in fragmented [birth and death]; either by the power of vows or by supernormal power they come to be born in the lower realm, serving as relatives, neutrals, or enemies to assist the Buddha in carrying out his conversion, severing their remaining delusions and exiting the three realms. If their remaining delusions are not yet exhausted and they encounter the Buddha entering extinction, they can also sever them on their own, or await a later buddha (and so on). The tripiṭaka [teaching] does not speak of rebirth outside the realms; we now view it from the perspective of the Mahāyāna. If in the past they met a buddha and attained deliverance, their rebirths in the three realms being exhausted, they receive the body of change; being drawn by conditions into fragmented [birth and death], this is not retributive birth, but only volitional or supernormal. How do volitional and supernormal differ? In terms of the power of one's own retribution, it is called supernormal; in terms of the teaching, it is called a vow. For supernormal birth, in the place where retribution was originally received, there is still a retributive body, and through the supernormal power of the body, a form is divided to come here. For volitional birth, there is no body in the place of retribution; it is simply birth in the lower realm through the power of vows. The tripiṭaka [teaching] does not speak of severing bonds and vowing to receive a body in birth and death, so vows are not discussed according to this teaching; the shared teaching, however, has vowing to retain remaining habits and being born in fragmented [birth and death], so explaining vows according to the shared teaching is fitting in meaning. Since these [beings] have not yet attained the dharma-kāya, they completely lack responsive kin. The kin of the tripiṭaka [teaching] are concluded.