[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [淨名玄論](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780) › 2.27 # 淨名玄論 2.27 淨名玄論 2.27 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.27](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780.2.27) 經云「開閇一切諸惡趣門，而生六道以現其身」。夫法身無生，而無處不生。以無生故，諸趣門閇；無處不生故，而生五道。生五道則有五生：一息苦生、二隨類生、三者勝生、四增上生、五最後生。息苦生者，菩薩以自在力及與願力受生三界，隨所生處為息物苦，名息苦生。言隨類生者，菩薩願力、自在力與物同生，教令離惡、化之住善，名隨類生。言勝生者，菩薩自以功德善業，於人天中受諸勝報，謂壽、命、色、力並皆殊勝，故云勝生。增上生者，初地已上、十地王果報，名增上生。最後生者，菩薩學位已窮，受生剎利婆羅門家，得無上道，作一切佛事，名最後生。問：淨名五生之中何生攝耶？答：據本而言，久成種覺，位在法身，故非五生攝。就迹論者，適化無方，淺深隨物，則具五生。就位而言，此之五生通遍諸地，約其階級，則前之三生在地前，後之二生則歡喜以上。淨名既得無生忍，則屬後二生。但後之二生，受十王果報，名增上生；最後身作佛，稱後邊生。淨名迹居長者報，非十王果報；非作佛身，異最後生。就事言之，謂勝生也。五生之說，《地持》廣明也。 > The sūtra says: "\[He\] opened and closed the gates to all evil destinies, yet was born into the six paths to manifest his body." Now, the dharmakāya is without birth, yet there is nowhere it is not born. Because it is without birth, the gates to the various destinies are closed; because there is nowhere it is not born, it is born into the five destinies. Being born into the five destinies entails five kinds of birth: first, birth to alleviate suffering; second, birth according with species; third, superior birth; fourth, sovereign birth; fifth, the final birth. "Birth to alleviate suffering" means that a bodhisattva, through the power of sovereignty and the power of vows, takes birth in the triple world, wherever they are born, in order to alleviate the suffering of beings; this is called "birth to alleviate suffering." "Birth according with species" means that a bodhisattva, through the power of vows and the power of sovereignty, is born together with beings, teaching them to abandon evil and transforming them so that they abide in good; this is called "birth according with species." "Superior birth" means that a bodhisattva, by means of their own merit and wholesome karma, receives various superior retributions among humans and gods—namely, lifespan, bodily appearance, and strength are all uniquely superior; hence it is called "superior birth." "Sovereign birth" refers to the retribution of being a king from the first bhūmi upward through the tenth bhūmi; this is called "sovereign birth." "Final birth" means that a bodhisattva, having exhausted the stages of learning, takes birth in a kṣatriya or brāhmaṇa household, attains the unexcelled path, and performs all the Buddha's deeds; this is called the "final birth." Question: Among the five births, which birth subsumes Vimalakīrti? Answer: Speaking in terms of the root, he has long since achieved all-inclusive awakening and his position is in the dharmakāya; hence he is not subsumed under the five births. Discussing it in terms of the traces, adapting his transformations without fixed direction and adjusting his depth according to beings, he possesses all five births. Speaking in terms of stages, these five births pervade all the bhūmis; regarding their levels, the first three births are prior to the bhūmis, while the latter two births are from the Stage of Joy upward. Since Vimalakīrti has already attained the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas, he belongs to the latter two births. However, of the latter two births, receiving the retribution of the ten kinds of kings is called sovereign birth; the final body becoming a Buddha is called the last birth. Vimalakīrti's trace occupies the retribution of an elder, not the retribution of the ten kinds of kings; nor does it take the body of a Buddha, which differs from the final birth. Speaking in terms of the actual facts, it is called superior birth. The teaching of the five births is explained in detail in the Bodhisattvabhūmi. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.26](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780.2.26) - [Next: 2.28](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780.2.28) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780~en-mt.2.27) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780.2.27](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1780.2.27) · Pramāṇa