法華玄論 2.44

2.44

Answer: “The Buddha’s body is free of outflows” means that seed afflictions have been severed. “The Buddha’s body is unconditioned and does not fall into any reckoning” means that fruitional bonds have been severed. Since both seeds and fruits have been severed, how could it not be permanent? Moreover, because the Buddha’s body is free of outflows, it differs from the bodies of ordinary people; because the Buddha’s body is unconditioned, it differs from the impermanent bodies of the two vehicles. Therefore, the Buddha’s body is eternal and without change. Furthermore, because the Buddha’s body is free of outflows, the five entrenchments are all overthrown; because the Buddha’s body is unconditioned, both kinds of death are transcended. This differs from the bodies of bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas, from their initial resolve up to the vajra[-samādhi], have not yet severed a single moment of fundamental ignorance and are still said to have outflows and impermanence; their suffering retribution still remains, so they are not called unconditioned. The Buddha has already transcended this; therefore, it is permanent. Furthermore, the Buddha’s body is free of outflows, so it cannot be regarded as existent; the Buddha’s body is unconditioned, so it cannot be said to be non-existent. Being neither existent nor non-existent is precisely the middle way dharmakāya, and hence is called permanent. If it were in the two extremes, it would be called impermanent. Furthermore, the Buddha’s body being free of outflows is liberation; the Buddha’s body being unconditioned refers to the dharmakāya and prajñā; though there are three dots, they do not exceed attainment and transcendence so as to possess the three virtues; therefore it is called permanent. Furthermore, the Buddha’s body being free of outflows is termed empty; the Buddha’s body being unconditioned is termed not empty; therefore, the great nirvāṇa possesses both the meanings of empty and not empty, which is precisely permanence. If the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa already discerns that the dharmakāya is permanent, how much more so the Lotus Sūtra? Moreover, the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says: “Worthy ones! This body is impermanent; you should delight in the Buddha’s body.” Since it says that this body is impermanent and one should delight in the Buddha’s body, if the Buddha’s body were still impermanent, it would be identical to one’s own body; what would there be to delight in?