金光明經文句 2.7

2.7

As for the profound meaning: 'Lifespan' (āyus) means life; namely, the life-faculty obtained as karmic retribution continuously maintained without interruption is called 'lifespan', and the duration and number of periods is called 'measure' (pramāṇa); hence it is called 'span of life'. This explains the span of life of causes and conditions of the response-buddha. Furthermore, 'lifespan' (shou) means 'reception' (shou): object and wisdom unite and mutually contain and receive each other. That is, the non-discriminating wisdom contains and receives the non-discriminating object, and the non-discriminating object contains and receives the non-discriminating wisdom, just as a large box matches a large lid; therefore 'lifespan' has the sense of 'reception'. 'Measure' means correspondence: because object and wisdom correspond, it is called 'measure'. This explains the span of life of the retribution-buddha. Furthermore, 'lifespan' means enduring: being constant and unchanging is called enduring. 'Measure' means appraisal and estimation: the constantly enduring lifespan is neither a large number nor a small number, neither completely known through correspondence nor not completely known through correspondence, neither expressible nor inexpressible; there is no way to name it, and one merely forces appraisal and estimation to speak of its enduring length. This explains the span of life of the dharma-body. The first turn has two [aspects]: first, the measure of the measurable, such as Śākyamuni's lifespan being merely eighty [years]; second, the immeasurable of the measurable, such as Amitābha's lifespan being in reality measurable, yet beyond the calculation of humans and devas; hence it is called the immeasurable of the measurable. Both of these—the measurable and the immeasurable—are what the response-buddha performs. The second turn also has two meanings: the Buddha matches the suchness-object with suchness-wisdom; when the object is non-discriminating, the wisdom is also non-discriminating; if the object matches the wisdom, when the wisdom has distinctions, the object also has distinctions. Both this knowing and not knowing are what the retribution-buddha clarifies. The third turn also has two meanings: first, it is profoundly tranquil and inexpressible; second, through compassionate skillful means, it can also be expressed. Both this expressibility and inexpressibility are the dharma of the dharma-buddha.