大般涅槃經義記 1.116

1.116

初「無邊身即受教」等，是初段也。「應時此」下第二段也。「六種動」者，如《地經》說，所謂動、涌、振、覺、吼、起。「於是眾」下是第三段，明眾驚怖。何故如是？以此菩薩威德尊重，深可驚畏，故令眾怖。又彼來已，如來定滅，大苦將至，事理如此，故使眾畏。下瑠璃來，何故不爾？彼來為欲開發實義，令人證入，又欲導人往生淨土，勝益將至，故令眾樂。無邊今來，眾意未純，為增戀仰，故使驚畏，化隨時變，不可一定。「時文殊」下是第四段，文殊安慰，初勸莫怖，「何以」下釋，「是故」下結。「爾時大眾悉遙見」下是第五段，尋言見彼。「文殊師利復告」已下是第六段，文殊預記，明以佛力當見九方。何處得見？謂下如來變土中見，彼乃汎見十方佛國，非唯見於無邊來處，無邊來處唯在四方。「爾時大眾各相謂」下是第七段，大眾傷歎「大人既來，聖滅不遙」，故歎世空。「是時大眾一切悉」下是第八段，明眾以彼無邊之力見其神變，於中有二：一見其神變、二「以是菩薩神通力」下明見所由。前中有三：一見其身并及眷屬、二「一一毛」下見其身中國土人民、三「爾時無邊與無量菩薩圍遶」已下見其所持供養之具。初段可知。第二段中，初見國土，「是一一城各有八萬四千王」下見其人民，於中三有：一見其受樂、二「是中」已下見其修善、三「安止」已下見其傷歎。初中先見人王受樂，後見人民，文顯可知。見修善中，初明所聞，純聞大乘；「華中各有師子座」下，明其所說，純說大乘；「其衣微妙，出三界」者，出世淨報，故過三界；「或有眾生書持」已下明其所修，純修大乘。見傷歎中，「安止無量，於自身已」，牒前起後，令捨世樂，生其厭心。「皆言世空」，增其戀心，戀聖懼滅，發言傷歎。此等所見，為實？為化？釋言：應實。若實，何故在於無邊身中而住？釋言：身土相依不定，或身依土，如常所見；或土依身，如《華嚴》說「諸佛國土所依不定，或依菩薩天冠中住、或在菩薩衣文中住、或在力士掌中而住、或依普賢願力而住。」今在無邊毛孔中住，何足可怪？上來第二，見其身中國土人民。自下第三，見所持供。「爾時無邊示神通已」，牒前起後。下明供事，先明香華、幡蓋等事，種種，多也，無量，廣也，謂一一種皆有無量。下明飲食上妙，香美食體勝也。若聞垢滅，資用勝也。上來第一見其神變。「以是菩薩神通力」下是第二段，結明大眾得見所由。從眾悉見無邊身來合為第八，自下第九明其無邊身量分齊，唯佛所覩，餘不能見。「身大無邊，量同空」者，量同彼界虛空佛也，亦可同於法性虛空。上來大眾唯覩其化，實則寬廣，如於法界三世諸佛，法身體同，故唯佛知，餘不能見。等行菩薩亦應見之，今略不論。上來九段合為第三承命來此。第四獻供、第五不受、第六却住，文顯可知。

The opening words, "Anantakāya then received the instruction," and so forth, constitute the first section. From "At that time, this [world]" onward is the second section. The "six kinds of quaking" are as explained in the Daśabhūmika Sūtra: namely, quaking, welling up, trembling, stirring, roaring, and rising. From "Thereupon the assembly" onward is the third section, which explains the terror of the assembly. Why was it like this? Because this bodhisattva's majestic virtue was so august and deeply awe-inspiring, it caused the assembly to be terrified. Furthermore, once he had arrived, the Tathāgata would definitely pass into extinction, and great suffering was about to arrive; such was the reality of the situation, and this is why the assembly was made afraid. Below, when Vaiḍūrya comes, why is it not like this? His coming was in order to disclose the true meaning and cause people to realize and enter it, and also to guide people toward rebirth in a pure land, so that supreme benefits were about to arrive; therefore, he caused the assembly to rejoice. Now, when Anantakāya came, the minds of the assembly were not yet purified; in order to intensify their longing and veneration, he caused them to be awestruck and afraid. Transformation adapts to circumstances and cannot be fixed. From "At that time Mañjuśrī" onward is the fourth section, Mañjuśrī's comfort. First, he encourages them not to be afraid; from "Why?" onward, he explains; from "Therefore" onward, he concludes. From "At that time the great assembly all saw from afar" onward is the fifth section: following his words, they saw him. From "Mañjuśrī spoke again" onward is the sixth section: Mañjuśrī's prediction, explaining that through the Buddha's power they would see the nine directions. Where were they able to see them? It means below, when the Tathāgata transforms the land, they see them; there, they generally see the buddha-lands of the ten directions, not merely seeing the place from which Anantakāya came—the places from which Anantakāya came were only in the four directions. From "At that time the great assembly said to one another" onward is the seventh section: the great assembly grieves and laments, saying, "Since the Great Person has arrived, the Holy One's extinction is not far off"; hence they lament that the world is empty. From "At that time the great assembly all..." onward is the eighth section, explaining that through the power of Anantakāya the assembly saw his spiritual transformations. Within this, there are two parts: first, they saw his spiritual transformations; second, from "Through this bodhisattva's supernatural power" onward, it explains the cause of their seeing them. Within the former, there are three parts: first, they saw his body and his retinue; second, from "Within each and every pore" onward, they saw the lands and sentient beings within his body; third, from "At that time Anantakāya, surrounded by immeasurable bodhisattvas" onward, they saw the articles of offering that he held. The first section is understandable. In the second section, first they saw the lands; from "In each and every city there were eighty-four thousand kings" onward, they saw the people. Within this there are three points: first, they saw them experiencing pleasure; second, from "Within them" onward, they saw them cultivating good; third, from "Having settled" onward, they saw their grief and lamentation. In the first part, they first saw the kings of men experiencing pleasure, and afterward saw the people; the text is clear and understandable. In seeing them cultivate good, it first explains what they heard—they heard solely the Mahāyāna; from "Within the flowers there were lion seats" onward, it explains what they preached—they preached solely the Mahāyāna; as for "Their garments were subtle and wonderful, transcending the three realms," these were pure supramundane retributions, and therefore surpassed the three realms; from "Some sentient beings copied and maintained" onward, it explains what they cultivated—they cultivated solely the Mahāyāna. In seeing their grief and lamentation: "Having settled immeasurable [beings] within his own body" summarizes what preceded to introduce what follows, causing them to renounce worldly pleasures and give rise to an attitude of revulsion. "They all said the world is empty" increases their attitude of longing; longing for the Holy One and fearing his extinction, they uttered words of grief and lamentation. Were these things they saw real, or were they illusory transformations? An explanation states: They must be real. If they were real, why did they abide within Anantakāya's body? An explanation states: The mutual reliance between body and land is not fixed. In some cases a body relies on a land, as is ordinarily seen; in other cases a land relies on a body, as the Avataṃsaka states: "The reliance of the buddha-lands is not fixed: some abide within a bodhisattva's heavenly crown, some abide within the folds of a bodhisattva's robes, some abide within the palm of a wrestler, and some abide relying on the power of Samantabhadra's vows." Now, that they abide within Anantakāya's pores—what is there to wonder at? The above was the second part, seeing the lands and people within his body. From here down is the third, seeing the offerings he held. "At that time, Anantakāya, having manifested supernatural transformations" summarizes what preceded to introduce what follows. Below, it explains the matter of the offerings: first, it explains matters such as incense, flowers, banners, and canopies; "various kinds" means many, and "immeasurable" means vast, meaning that each and every kind was immeasurable. Below, it explains that the food and drink were supremely wonderful; their fragrance and deliciousness were the excellence of the substance of the food. If smelled, defilements were extinguished—this was the excellence of their utility. The above was the first part, seeing his spiritual transformations. From "Through this bodhisattva's supernatural power" onward is the second section, concluding by explaining the cause of the great assembly's being able to see them. From the assembly all seeing Anantakāya's arrival together constitutes the eighth section. From here down, the ninth explains the extent and dimensions of Anantakāya's body, which only the Buddha could behold, while others were unable to see it. "His body was boundless and vast, equal in measure to space" means equal in measure to the space-buddha of that realm; it may also mean equal to the space of the dharma-nature. Above, the great assembly only beheld his transformation body; in reality, it is broad and vast, identical with the dharmakāya of the buddhas of the three periods throughout the dharmadhātu, and therefore only the Buddha knows it, while others are unable to see it. Bodhisattvas of equal practice should also have seen it, but that is briefly omitted here. The above nine sections together constitute the third part, receiving the command and coming here. The fourth is presenting the offerings, the fifth is not accepting them, and the sixth is stepping back and standing still; the text is clear and understandable.