大般涅槃經義記 9.121

9.121

自下第二明種性上起行不思。文別有二：一明菩薩起行不退、二「復次菩薩不可思」下嘆其所行為不思議。前中，師子先問起發，「云何菩薩自知不退」。下佛為辨，先別、後結。別中，初於無益苦中自試其心，「為破苦」下有益苦中自堅其心。益中有四：一與樂行中堅心不退；二「為法」下，求法行中堅心不退；三「為破一切眾生苦」下，救苦行中堅心不退；四「修度」下，六攝善行中堅心不退。初段可知。第二段中，初燃身求法，堅心不退；「復次菩薩具煩惱」下，餘苦求法，堅心不退。第三段中，初救飢苦，後救病苦。前中，先於餘時救飢；「於飢世」下，飢饉劫時能救物飢。前餘時中，先總、後別。總中，初明受身救物，「雖受畜身終不造」下辨定其因。於中，初明不造新業；「若未來」下明用故業，先法、次喻。過去惡業如鬼在身，悲願力故一切悉受，如以呪力鬼相悉現。下合可知。問曰：此等所受之身，分段、變易二種生中何生所攝？釋言：分段，以是有漏惡業果故。問曰：若此是分段者，何故《勝鬘》說種性上為變易死？釋言：種性以上菩薩有五種身。一法性身，如《地持》說六入殊勝無始法爾；二實報身，謂從先來修善所得；三應化身，依前起用；四變易身，所謂緣照無漏業果；五分段身，所謂三界有漏業果。五中初二是其真身，第三是應。於前真中有反易雜，於前應中有分段雜。彼《勝鬘》中言變易死，據第四門；今言分段，當第五門，不相乖背。上來總竟。「受羆」下別。救病苦中，初明菩薩於病劫時能救病苦，「若有眾生為鬼病」下於餘時中能救病苦。第四段中修善不退，文顯可知。上來別竟。「作是願時名不退」下，總以結之。上來第一明種性上起行不退。

From here below is the second [stage], explaining the inconceivability of undertaking practice on the [stage of] lineage-nature. The text has two distinct parts: 1. explaining the bodhisattva's non-retrogression in undertaking practice; 2. from "furthermore, the bodhisattva is inconceivable" below, praising their practice as inconceivable. In the first part, Lion first asks to initiate the inquiry: "How does a bodhisattva know of their own non-retrogression?" Below, the Buddha explains it for him, first individually and then concluding collectively. In the individual treatments, first, amid useless suffering, they test their own minds; from "in order to destroy suffering" below, amid beneficial suffering, they strengthen their own minds. In the beneficial, there are four: 1. amid practices that bestow happiness, strengthening the mind without retrogression; 2. from "for the Dharma" below, amid practices of seeking the Dharma, strengthening the mind without retrogression; 3. from "in order to destroy the suffering of all sentient beings" below, amid practices of rescuing from suffering, strengthening the mind without retrogression; 4. from "cultivating the perfections" below, amid the good practices of the six absorptions, strengthening the mind without retrogression. The first section is understandable. In the second section, first, burning the body to seek the Dharma, strengthening the mind without retrogression; from "furthermore, the bodhisattva is endowed with afflictions" below, undergoing other sufferings to seek the Dharma, strengthening the mind without retrogression. In the third section, first is rescuing from the suffering of hunger, and later is rescuing from the suffering of illness. In the former, first, rescuing from hunger at other times; from "in an age of famine" below, being able to rescue beings from hunger during an kalpa of famine. In the former regarding other times, first general, then specific. In the general, first explaining taking on a body to rescue beings; from "although taking an animal body, they never create..." below determines the cause. Herein, first it explains not creating new karma; from "if future..." below explains exhausting past karma, first the doctrine, then a simile. Past evil karma is like a ghost in the body: through the power of compassionate vows, one accepts all of it, just as by the power of a mantra the ghost's form fully appears. The application below is understandable. Question: Among the two kinds of birth—fragmentary and transformational—which birth encompasses these bodies that are received? Answer: Fragmentary, because it is the fruit of impure evil karma. Question: If this is fragmentary, why does the Śrīmālā[devī Sūtra] say that above the lineage-nature there is transformational death? Answer: Bodhisattvas above the lineage-nature have five kinds of bodies: 1. the dharmatā-kāya, as the Bodhisattvabhūmi says, the six sense-bases are superior, beginningless and naturally so; 2. the true retribution body, meaning that which is obtained from cultivating good from the past; 3. the manifestation and transformation body, which functions based on the former; 4. the transformational body, namely the fruit of pure karma of cognitive illumination; 5. the fragmentary body, namely the fruit of impure karma of the three realms. Among the five, the first two are the true body, and the third is the manifestation. Within the former true body there is an admixture of transformation, and within the former manifestation there is an admixture of the fragmentary. When the Śrīmālā speaks of transformational death, it is based on the fourth category; here, speaking of fragmentary, it corresponds to the fifth category, so they do not contradict each other. The general discussion above is finished. From "receiving [the body of] a brown bear" below is the specific. In rescuing from the suffering of illness, first it explains that the bodhisattva can rescue from the suffering of illness during an kalpa of illness; from "if there are sentient beings suffering from ghost illness" below, being able to rescue from the suffering of illness at other times. In the fourth section, not retrogressing in cultivating good, the text is clear and understandable. The individual treatments above are finished. From "when making such a vow, it is called non-retrogression" below concludes collectively. The above is the first [part], explaining non-retrogression in undertaking practice on the [stage of] lineage-nature.