觀無量壽佛經疏妙宗鈔 6.2

6.2

Therefore Jingxi said: 'The superior embraces both realms, while the inferior is confined to the Deer Park.' If those at the stages of similarity did not see it at all, why would the four faiths of the Lotus Sūtra behold the land of real reward? How could those in the remainder see the ocean of fully perfected marks? What form do those of the Shared Teaching who receive accession according to their stage see? If it were not the noble and extraordinary [body], it would fail to correspond to their bodily status. The present sūtra explicitly states that the bodily measure of the Buddha Amitāyus is boundless; how does this differ from the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa's statement that his form and features are boundless? Since that treatise's 'boundless' refers to the noble and extraordinary [body], why should this alone not be so? Furthermore, the Commentary specifically cites that passage from that treatise to corroborate the meaning of boundless bodily measure, which verifies that this Buddha's body is definitely the noble and extraordinary [body]. One must not doubt this.

Question: If it is the noble and extraordinary [body], it should properly be a permanent body. Why does the Commentary on the Lotus Sūtra judge the Sūtra on the Contemplation of the Buddha Amitāyus by saying, 'It is actually limited, yet called immeasurable'?

Answer: This is due to the Kanzheng chao mistakenly citing that commentary. That commentary actually states: 'It is actually limited, yet called immeasurable, as in the Amida [Sūtra], the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Commentary, and this commentary.' Because the shorter and longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtras do not exclusively use the noble and extraordinary [body] to reach faculties of sudden realization, that Buddha manifests the thirty-two marks to universally respond to diverse capacities. Although great capacities behold the noble and extraordinary permanent body, those habituated to the Small Vehicle along with ordinary beings—even though born in that land through dedication of merit—are not yet suited for the noble and extraordinary [body] to preach the principle of permanence to them; hence, he employs the response and transformation [body] to preach impermanent dharmas and bring them to the small fruition. Therefore, although the Buddha's lifespan is beyond counting, it ultimately remains limited. Most who are born there from the sahā world possess such capacities, for it is difficult to attain the level of those at the stages of similarity in the Separate and Perfect Teachings. Drawing upon this point, the three commentaries classified Amida among those with a limited [span]. If the Sūtra on the Contemplation of the Buddha Amitāyus exclusively receives persons of the Perfect Teaching, it explicitly states that the Buddha's body arises completely from the dharmadhātu. Since the response has its source, birth is identical to the Dharma; this definitely belongs to the noble and extraordinary [body] of dharma-nature in the Expository Treatise, truly matching the immeasurable of the immeasurable. Hence the Xiqian says: 'The teaching distinguishes two bodies; for the sake of inferior capacities, he temporarily manifests a physical body.' Here, the capacities are not inferior; how could they be faced with a physical body?

Question: The Larger Sūtra states: 'Those born in my land all have bodies fully endowed with the thirty-two marks.' Since the people of that land are endowed with these marks, the Buddha's body should properly surpass that of humans; thus we know his permanent body has eighty thousand marks. When the Pratyutpanna Sūtra mentions 'thirty-two marks,' it merely borrows Śākyamuni as the object of contemplation for beginners.

Answer: The Pratyutpanna Sūtra states: 'The bodhisattva uses this buddhamanasikāra, and therefore shall attain birth in the land of Amitābha Buddha. One should contemplate such a buddha-body, fully endowed with the thirty-two marks, its light thoroughly illuminating, upright and peerless, preaching the sūtra among the saṅgha of bhikṣus.' The sūtra points out that Amida has the thirty-two marks; what text says it borrows Śākyamuni as the object? Furthermore, the Zhiguan has no such passage, nor does the Fuxing say so; how can one assert this merely on the basis of personal views? Moreover, to say that because the people there have thirty-two marks, the Buddha's permanent body must have eighty thousand, is not correct. For in the land of common residence, the Buddha should be identical with the people; precisely because the people of the pure reward land all possess thirty-two marks, the Buddha's permanent body must manifest these marks, though within this similarity every single mark is supremely superior. In an impure land, although the Buddha's body is distinct from common, coarse beings, it also conforms to superior persons, and thus responds in accordance with all the physical marks found in this realm; hence the thirty-two marks are identical with those of a wheel-turning king, though clarity and dullness are distinguished even within this similarity. Since the thirty-two marks are identical with those of the people there, this proves they are the permanent body and permanent marks of that land. Thus one knows that the eighty thousand [marks] are specifically manifested as noble and extraordinary marks for great capacities; what further doubt can there be?

Question: As all are equally noble and extraordinary, for what causal condition are the marks divided into three grades?

Answer: It is due to the causal conditions of the siddhāntas. Because a class of capacities should attain the four benefits through the noble and extraordinary marks vast as the dust motes of the treasury, the Buddha manifests them in accord with those capacities. For those who should attain the four benefits through the eighty thousand noble and extraordinary marks, or through the thirty-two noble and extraordinary marks, the Buddha manifests them in accord with those capacities. One must also understand that regarding this ocean of marks, the Separate Teaching utilizes distinct cultivated conditional and illuminating [wisdoms] to accomplish these marks; these are the noble and extraordinary accomplished through cultivation, and are therefore called the reward body. The Perfect Teaching is able to understand that the two cultivations are identical to inherent nature, where cultivated virtue entails no deliberate effort; these are the noble and extraordinary inherently possessed by nature, and are therefore called the dharmakāya. This has already been explained in the opening chapter of this contemplation. One must realize that although the marks numbering like dust motes in the Flower Treasury of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra are manifold, because they blend with the Separate Teaching they still carry the connotation of being accomplished through cultivation. The eighty thousand discussed here are exclusively of the perfect and sudden, none being other than inherently possessed by nature; hence the commentaries on the three sages' contemplations all state 'contemplate the dharmakāya.' Practitioners must use the doctrine to establish the principle, rely on the principle to clarify contemplation, and through contemplation reveal the marks; they must not simply dismiss the lesser by means of the greater number and thereby cause the superior to become inferior. It truly lies in precise study followed by diligent practice; unable to leave it unaddressed, I have analyzed it here.