妙法蓮華經玄義 6.151

6.151

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.