法華玄論 9.11

9.11

答：顯身是常，必具三義，一者體無生滅、二唯一法身、三本來是有，備此三門常義乃圓矣。此據理釋之。又雖有三義，束而成兩：體無生滅唯一法身，則常義已現，但未知為始證常、為久證常，故說壽量，明久已成佛也。

Answer: To reveal that the body is eternal, it must possess three meanings: first, its essence is without birth and extinction; second, it is solely the one dharmakāya; third, it has fundamentally existed from the beginning. Only when these three gates are complete is the meaning of the eternal consummate. This explains it on the basis of principle. Furthermore, although there are three meanings, they can be compressed into two: when the essence is without birth and extinction and is solely the one dharmakāya, the meaning of the eternal is already manifested; but it is not yet known whether he newly realized the eternal or realized the eternal long ago, which is why the Lifespan is expounded to clarify that he attained buddhahood long ago.