觀無量壽佛經疏妙宗鈔 5.2.6

5.2.6

以座上寶幢如百千萬億須彌山大，比知座體其量難思，非第五品三觀功成，凡小事禪見莫能及。 此觀雖就經文未便許觀佛身，乃令先想一大寶像稱座而坐，及二菩薩皆想坐座。 況復悉用作是不二妙觀觀之，使心流利方令觀佛。 學者應知，日觀已來所修三觀共於事禪，良以皆須想成相起故也。 事禪既勝，三界思惑悉已被伏，妙觀觀像見破，即登第七信位。 得此位已，方令觀佛真法之身八萬相顯，乃得名為念佛三昧，即感諸佛現前授記，生彼便證無生法忍。 經文如此明圓深觀所顯之相，誠謂奇特，實匪生身凡夫小乘常所見相。 問：釋題序云「無量壽佛是所觀勝境」，豈非託彼依正色心，修乎三觀、顯三諦理。 今八萬相既是正報，義當生身，託此修觀觀成理顯，乃見藏海塵數之相，方名尊特。 豈分段生身便為尊特邪？ 答：前正釋題，以妙三身解所觀境。 今至經文，以八萬相為所觀境。 信八萬相與妙三身無二無別，二處皆用不思議境而為所觀。 故八萬相觀之令顯，顯名觀成，無別所顯。 且行人念佛，誰不託佛正報修觀？ 但境隨解，名生名法。 小機不解所觀佛身是法界用，謂正習生，故曰生身。 大機能解所觀之佛是法界用，應既有本，生即同法，是故受於法身之稱，故見佛相若多若少皆稱法身。 今經明示佛法界身入心想中，故疏標云「觀佛法身」，斯乃即三而一之法身也。 況今不是初心觀境，乃圓七信所觀境耳。 豈於座像圓觀已成，却託藏通生身修觀？ 又觀生身顯藏塵相，此乃通人被別圓接，全非頓教始終圓觀。 只如《般舟》三十二相即知心現，故相相皆中。 據所觀勝境言是生身，深不可也。 學者應知，八萬相顯即三諦顯。 良以此相法身所具，與彼三惑本不相應，故一一相即真俗中，即一而三即三而一，不可思議，名真善妙色。 今之三昧顯本妙相，故觀音觀云「真實色身」也。 問：尊特既是他受用報，須入別圓地住方見。 今八萬相，似位能見，驗非尊特，合是生身。 答：據何文義，別圓似位唯見生身？ 須知尊特地住已上分證論見，地住之前相似論見，斯乃如來以實報身應下二土。

Because the jeweled banner upon the throne is as vast as hundreds of thousands of koṭis of Mount Sumerus, by comparison we know that the measure of the throne itself is inconceivable; unless one accomplishes the threefold contemplation of the fifth grade, it is beyond the reach of the worldly dhyāna views of ordinary beings and followers of the small vehicle. Although according to the text of the sūtra one is not yet permitted to contemplate the Buddha's body in this contemplation, it directs one to first imagine a great jeweled image seated matching the throne, and imagine both bodhisattvas seated upon their thrones. How much more so when one contemplates them all with this wondrous, non-dual contemplation, causing the mind to become fluent before directing one to contemplate the Buddha! Scholars should know that the threefold contemplation cultivated from the sun contemplation onward shares in worldly dhyāna, precisely because the visualization must be completed and the marks must arise. When worldly dhyāna is superior, the thought delusions of the three realms are all subdued; and when the wondrous contemplation contemplates the image and view delusions are severed, one immediately ascends to the rank of the seventh faith. Having attained this rank, one is only then directed to contemplate the Buddha's true body of the Dharma with the eighty thousand marks revealed, which can then be called the buddhamanasikāra-samādhi; one then receives the prophecy bestowed in the presence of all Buddhas, and upon being born there one realizes anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti.

The sūtra text thus explains that the marks revealed by this perfect, deep contemplation are truly magnificent, and are genuinely not the physical body commonly seen by ordinary beings and followers of the small vehicle.

Question: The preface explaining the title says, "Amitāyus Buddha is the superior object contemplated." Does this not mean relying on that environmental and primary reward, matter and mind, to cultivate the threefold contemplation and reveal the principle of the three truths? Now the eighty thousand marks are the primary reward, meaning they correspond to the physical body. Relying on this to cultivate contemplation, when contemplation is completed and principle is revealed, one then sees marks numerous as dust motes in the ocean-like treasury, which is then called the exalted body. How could a physical body of segmented birth and death be the exalted body?

Answer: Previously, when properly explaining the title, the superior object contemplated was explained through the wondrous three bodies. Now arriving at the sūtra text, the eighty thousand marks are taken as the object contemplated. Be confident that the eighty thousand marks and the wondrous three bodies are neither two nor different; in both places, the inconceivable object is used as the object contemplated. Therefore, contemplating the eighty thousand marks causes them to be revealed; being revealed is called the completion of contemplation, and there is nothing else revealed. Moreover, among practitioners who practice buddhamanasikāra, who does not rely on the Buddha's primary reward to cultivate contemplation? However, the object corresponds to understanding, being named physical body or dharmakāya. When inferior faculties do not understand that the contemplated Buddha body is the function of the dharmadhātu, claiming that it arises from primary karma and residual habits, it is called the physical body. When great faculties are able to understand that the contemplated Buddha is the function of the dharmadhātu, since the response has its root, birth is identical to the Dharma; therefore it receives the designation of dharmakāya. Hence, whether the Buddha's marks seen are many or few, they are all called the dharmakāya.

Now this sūtra clearly reveals that the Buddha's dharmadhātu body enters the mind's thoughts; therefore the commentary designates it as "contemplating the Buddha's dharmakāya"—this is indeed the dharmakāya that is one while three. How much more so given that this is not an object contemplated by beginners, but the object contemplated by the seventh faith of the Perfect Teaching! Having already completed the perfect contemplation of the throne and image, how could one turn back to rely on the physical body of the Tripiṭaka and Common Teachings to cultivate contemplation? Furthermore, contemplating the physical body to reveal marks as numerous as dust motes in the treasury is a person of the Common Teaching being received by the Separate or Perfect Teachings; it is completely unlike the throughout-perfect contemplation of the sudden teaching. It is just as the Pratyutpanna-samādhi Sūtra's thirty-two marks are known to be manifested by the mind, so mark after mark is in the middle. Claiming that the superior object contemplated is the physical body is deeply mistaken.

Scholars should know that the manifestation of the eighty thousand marks is the manifestation of the three truths. This is because these marks are inherent to the dharmakāya and originally non-concomitant with the three delusions; hence each and every mark is identical to the conventional, ultimate, and middle truths, one while three and three while one, inconceivable, and called true, excellent, and wondrous form. The present samādhi reveals the originally wondrous marks, which is why the contemplation of Avalokiteśvara speaks of the "true physical form body."

Question: Since the exalted body is the reward for the enjoyment of others, it must be seen only upon entering the stages and abodes of the Separate and Perfect Teachings. Now that those in the resembling rank can see the eighty thousand marks, this proves it is not the exalted body and must be the physical body.

Answer: Based on what textual meaning do those in the resembling rank of the Separate and Perfect Teachings see only the physical body? You should know that regarding the exalted body, seeing is discussed in terms of partial realization from the stages and abodes upward, and seeing is discussed in terms of resemblance before the stages and abodes. This is the Tathāgata responding to the lower two lands with the real reward body.