妙法蓮華經玄贊 9.542

9.542

贊曰：此之五位依生證得。論云「此得初地菩提離分段死，隨分得見真如佛性，名得菩提，非得果滿佛位菩提。」亦有釋言，依《涅槃經》，八生是四恒人，解十六分中之一分義；四生是五恒人，解八分義；三生是六恒人，解十二分義；二生是七恒人，解十四分義；一生是八恒人，解十六分義。雖有此釋言八恒是第十地，今依本論得初地菩提，不說得佛位，故不作是釋。

The Eulogy says: These five stages are realizations and attainments based on rebirths. The Treatise states: 'This obtaining of the bodhi of the first stage is departure from fragmented death; attaining a glimpse of the buddha-nature of tathatā according to one's share is called obtaining bodhi, not the obtaining of the bodhi of the fruition-fulfilled buddha-stage.' There is also an explanation stating that, relying on the Nirvāṇa-sūtra, eight rebirths correspond to persons of four Gaṅgās, who understand one part among sixteen parts; four rebirths correspond to persons of five Gaṅgās, who understand eight parts; three rebirths correspond to persons of six Gaṅgās, who understand twelve parts; two rebirths correspond to persons of seven Gaṅgās, who understand fourteen parts; and one rebirth corresponds to persons of eight Gaṅgās, who understand sixteen parts. Although there is this explanation stating that eight Gaṅgās is the tenth stage, we now follow the root treatise where they obtain the bodhi of the first stage and it does not speak of obtaining the buddha-stage; hence we do not adopt this explanation.