法華玄論 9.130

9.130

答：前已論之，今當更說。地論師云：報身是常。所以然者，法身即是本有佛性，報佛為修因所得。佛性顯故名報身，即是始有，亦是性淨方便淨義。若據此明報身，報身是常者，此不違《法華論》，《地論》、《金剛波若論》等宜用之。若云舍那是報佛而言舍那常者，五義不可：一者《像法決疑經》云「或見我為報身，為千萬釋迦之所圍繞。」則舍那為報身。既云為千萬釋迦圍繞，豈是常身耶？二者《菩薩戒經》明「我今盧舍那，方坐蓮華臺，周匝千華上，復現千釋迦。」常無方所，豈偏在華臺？三者《華嚴經》盛明舍那坐道場菩提樹下成佛，眷屬圍繞。云何是常身耶？四者《法華經》明長者尊豪宗親侍衛，然後脫珍御服著弊垢衣，示釋迦形。云何長者實是常身？五《攝大乘論》化菩薩故示報身，化二乘故示化身。法身佛不化，云何以化菩薩身為常身耶？

Answer: This was discussed earlier, and will now be explained again. The Dilun masters say: The reward body is permanent. Why is this? The dharmakāya is the fundamentally existing Buddha-nature, and the reward Buddha is attained through cultivating causes. Because the Buddha-nature is revealed, it is named the reward body; that is to say, it has a beginning, and it also has the meaning of purity of nature and purity through skillful means. If one explains the reward body on this basis, saying the reward body is permanent, this does not contradict the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkopadeśa, and the Dilun, the Vajracchedikā-upadeśa, and so forth may appropriately employ it. But if one says that Rocana is the reward Buddha and maintains that Rocana is permanent, this is inadmissible for five reasons: First, the Xiangfa jueyi jing says: "Some see me as the reward body, surrounded by millions of Śākyas." Thus, Rocana is the reward body. Since it says he is surrounded by millions of Śākyas, how could it be a permanent body? Second, the Bodhisattva Precepts Sūtra explains: "I am now Locana, just sitting upon the lotus pedestal; surrounding it on a thousand petals, a thousand Śākyas again appear." The permanent has no spatial location; how could it be confined to a lotus pedestal? Third, the Avataṃsaka-sūtra prominently explains that Rocana sat under the bodhi tree at the site of enlightenment to achieve Buddhahood, surrounded by his retinue. How could this be a permanent body? Fourth, the Lotus Sūtra explains that the elder was noble and honored, attended by his kinsmen, and then took off his precious robes and put on worn and dirty clothing to show the form of Śākyamuni. How could the elder genuinely be a permanent body? Fifth, the Mahāyānasaṃgraha states that to convert bodhisattvas, he displays the reward body; to convert the two vehicles, he displays the nirmāṇakāya. The dharmakāya Buddha does not convert; how could a body that converts bodhisattvas be a permanent body?