觀無量壽佛經疏 1.54

1.54

答曰：「是報非化。云何得知？如《大乘同性經》說：『西方安樂阿彌陀佛是報佛報土。』又《無量壽經》云：『法藏比丘在世饒王佛所行菩薩道時，發四十八願。』一一願言：『若我得佛，十方眾生稱我名號，願生我國，下至十念，若不生者不取正覺。』今既成佛，即是酬因之身也。又《觀經》中，上輩三人臨命終時，皆言阿彌陀佛及與化佛來迎此人。然報身兼化共來授手，故名為與。以此文證故知是報。然報、應二身者眼目之異名，前翻報作應，後翻應作報。凡言報者，因行不虛定招來果，以果應因故名為報。又三大僧祇所修萬行必定應得菩提，今既道成，即是應身。斯乃過現諸佛辨立三身，除斯已外更無別體。縱使無窮八相名號塵沙，剋體而論，眾歸化攝。今彼彌陀現是報也。」

I answer: It is saṃbhoga, not nirmāṇa. How is this known? As the Mahāyānābhisamaya Sūtra says: 'Amitābha Buddha of the Western Land of Peace and Bliss is a saṃbhoga buddha in a saṃbhoga land.' Also, the Larger Sūtra says: 'When the bhikṣu Dharmākara was practicing the bodhisattva path in the presence of the Buddha Lokeśvararāja, he made forty-eight vows.' In each vow he said: 'If, when I attain buddhahood, the sentient beings of the ten directions who chant my name and vow to be reborn in my land, down to ten recitations, should not be reborn there, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.' Now that he has already attained buddhahood, this is a body that rewards the cause. Furthermore, in the Dhyāna Sūtra, when the three grades of people of the upper class approach the end of life, it is always said that Amitābha Buddha together with transformation buddhas come to welcome this person. Since the saṃbhogakāya together with transformation [buddhas] comes to extend a hand, it is called 'together with'. By this textual evidence, we know it is saṃbhoga. Now, the two bodies, saṃbhoga and nirmāṇa, are different names for the same thing: earlier translations rendered saṃbhoga as response (nirmāṇa), and later translations rendered response as saṃbhoga. Whenever one speaks of 'reward' (saṃbhoga), the causal practices are not in vain and certainly invite the future fruit; because the fruit responds to the cause, it is called 'reward'. Furthermore, the myriad practices cultivated over three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas must certainly respond with the attainment of bodhi; now that the path is realized, it is a response body. These are the three bodies established by the buddhas of past and present; other than these, there is no separate essence. Even if there are limitless eight aspects and names as numerous as dust and sand, examining their essence, they are all subsumed under the transformation [body]. Now, that Amitābha is presently saṃbhoga.