華嚴經探玄記 3.69

3.69

第七佛出世，別中三句：初約現身普遍，謂以二身遍滿一切差別法界，一一之處皆身全現，亦不分身亦無限分故也。壽長短者，如須扇多佛旦成暮滅、迦葉七日、釋迦八十等此謂短壽，彌勒八萬、彌陀極算等為長壽，皆由機感故致然也。又初約一切處現、後二句約一切時現，謂長短具，故為一切也。問：若爾，處何不然？答：差別法界遍多少、通有無，故云遍滿也。頌中十偈：初三頌前長行，初一頌總、次一頌身遍、後一頌脩短；後有七偈明佛出現無方勝用。此中分七：初一嚴土多少；次一說乘多少；次一救生多少；次一化現廣狹；次一圓音普應；次一主伴遍充；次一慈海普現，總結也。此中或短壽度多生、或長壽度少生，或長壽度多生、或短壽度少生，或短壽說小乘、或反上，或長壽說多、或反上，如是等與虛空法界等，皆是慈海力所現故也。

Seventh, the Buddha's appearance in the world: within the individual items, there are three clauses. The first concerns the universality of manifesting bodies, meaning filling all differentiated dharmadhātus completely with the two bodies; in each and every place the body fully manifests, without dividing the body and without limited portions. As for the length of life: such as Buddha Suśānta, who attained [enlightenment] in the morning and became extinct at dusk; Kāśyapa's seven days; Śākyamuni's eighty [years], etc.—these are called short lifespans; Maitreya's eighty thousand, Amitāyus's ultimate calculation, etc., are called long lifespans. These all come about due to the receptive capacity of beings. Furthermore, the first clause concerns manifestation in all places; the latter two clauses concern manifestation in all times—meaning because it possesses both long and short, it constitutes all [times]. Question: If so, why is it not likewise for places? Answer: Differentiated dharmadhātus pervade many and few, spanning presence and absence, hence it says "filling completely." In the verse, there are ten gāthās: the first three versify the preceding prose—the first gāthā is the summary, the next gāthā is the pervasion of the body, and the last gāthā is the long and short [lifespans]; the latter seven gāthās explain the Buddha's appearance in unhindered, supreme functions. Here there are seven divisions: the first is the quantity of adorned lands; the next is the quantity of taught vehicles; the next is the quantity of rescued sentient beings; the next is the breadth and narrowness of transformed manifestations; the next is the complete voice answering universally; the next is lord and retinue filling everywhere; the last is the ocean of compassion manifesting universally, which is the overall conclusion. Here, either a short lifespan saves many sentient beings, or a long lifespan saves few sentient beings; or a long lifespan saves many sentient beings, or a short lifespan saves few sentient beings; or with a short lifespan he expounds the Small Vehicle, or the reverse of the above; or with a long lifespan he expounds much, or the reverse of the above. Such things, equal to empty space and the dharmadhātu, are all manifested through the power of the ocean of compassion.