三彌勒經疏 1.73

1.73

問：彼天中多死生，云何一生補處？答：秦云「薩婆多云五百菩薩，正量部云千菩薩。雖兜率天有多死生，而剡浮提並各有一生，故名一生，不言天中一生。謂五百菩薩次第生人中，唯有一生處，無餘生故。」大乘云三說。一云：天身名為一生，其人生名為後身。如《大般若經》第七云「一生所繫都史天菩薩」故。一云：人身名為一生，更受人生方佛故。故《解節經》云「觀音、文殊名一生補處」故。一云：人天多身合名一生，如極七反故。今初說為勝，以一生及最後身善說故。然聖教不定，謂或有聖教設天身名最後身，如《佛地論》第七云「都史多天後身菩薩」故。或有唯天身而名一生，名最後身，如《菩提資糧論》第一云「一生所繫菩薩者入兜率天，最後生菩薩者住兜率陀。」或有唯人身名最後身，如《喻伽》四十八云「最後身者，謂諸菩薩於此生中能現等覺。」或有唯人身而名最後及一生，如《智度》第四十所說。如是諸教既有多門，各談一邊故不違。

Question: If there are many deaths and rebirths in that heaven, how is it "one life remaining"? Answer: In the Qin it was said: "The Sarvāstivādins speak of five hundred bodhisattvas, and the Saṃmatīya school speaks of one thousand bodhisattvas. Although there are many deaths and rebirths in the Tuṣita heaven, in Jambudvīpa each has only one life; hence it is called 'one life', not referring to one life in heaven. That is, the five hundred bodhisattvas are sequentially born among humans, having only one place of life, with no remaining births." The Mahāyāna gives three explanations. One says: the heavenly body is called "one life," and that human life is called the "final body." As the seventh fascicle of the *Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra* states: "The bodhisattva bound to one life in the Tuṣita heaven." Another says: the human body is called "one life," because by receiving one more human birth he becomes a Buddha. Hence the *Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra* states: "Avalokiteśvara and Mañjuśrī are called 'bound to one life'." Another says: the multiple human and heavenly bodies combined are called "one life," just as with the limit of seven rebirths. Now the first explanation is superior, because "one life" and "final body" are well explained by it.

However, the sacred teachings are not uniform: some sacred scriptures designate the heavenly body as the "final body," as the seventh fascicle of the *Buddhabhūmyupadeśa* states: "the final-body bodhisattva in the Tuṣita heaven"; some designate only the heavenly body as "one life" and call it the "final body," as the first fascicle of the *Bodhisambhāraśāstra* states: "The bodhisattva bound to one life enters the Tuṣita heaven; the bodhisattva in his final birth abides in Tuṣita"; some designate only the human body as the "final body," as the forty-eighth fascicle of the *Yogācārabhūmiśāstra* states: "The final body refers to bodhisattvas who in this life can manifest perfect awakening"; and some designate only the human body as both the "final [body]" and "one life," as stated in the fortieth fascicle of the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa*. Since these various teachings have multiple perspectives, each discusses one aspect and they do not contradict one another.