金光明經文句記 3.349

3.349

Third, explaining the marks of the Dharma-nature [body]. This is the body of the marks of wisdom of the ultimate truth of all Buddhas. Ordinary beings and [practitioners of] the two vehicles do not even know its name, so how could they perceive it? If we speak of the ultimate realization, even [a bodhisattva of] equal enlightenment cannot fathom it. Furthermore, the first ground does not know the second ground; therefore the tree deity wept shedding tears and pleaded for the Buddha to manifest his body—namely, this very body. All these may be termed 'not seen by lower grounds.' The phrase 'only those who ought to be saved, etc.' refers to the Great Vehicle's ultimate siddhānta. When responsive capacity stimulates the Buddha, he responds with this body and enables them to see it. This is precisely the meaning of 'at one time' explained in the earlier commentary: the wisdom of all modes is simultaneous with the middle truth. As for 'having no body, etc.': it is not a body of physical obstruction, but an exquisitely wondrous body; it is not of differentiated marks, but is the mark of purity of wisdom. The wisdom of all modes is the head of the myriad practices, hence it is taken as the head. The ultimate truth is foremost among all dharmas, hence it is taken as the topknot. The eighty thousand defilements are transformed into Dharma gates, and their vast number is called the hair. Great compassion is the eyes, which on seeing suffering immediately uproot it. The white curl of the Middle Way is unbiased and unstained. Non-outflow is the nose, smelling the fragrance of merit. The tongue of eighteen tastes universally tastes the emptiness of principle. The unshared [dharmas] are the teeth, equal in number to forty. The Da zhidu lun takes the eighteen unshared dharmas, the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, great loving-kindness, great compassion, and the three foundations of mindfulness to make forty, because none of them are shared with the lower grounds. The four universal vows are the shoulders, bearing [sentient beings] without cessation. The three samādhis stop distraction, like a belt fastening a robe around the waist. The three round samādhis are simply the threefold contemplation: emptiness is the contemplation of emptiness; signlessness is the contemplation of provisionality, because it does not grasp the mark of emptiness; wishlessness is the contemplation of the middle, because it makes no wishful seeking with respect to the two extremes. The Tathāgatagarbha is the belly, because it contains the three thousand. The hands of expedient and real wisdom universally pull out sentient beings. The feet of equal concentration and wisdom exhaustively tread upon the ground of principle. Now, the third body here is not without slight difference from listings elsewhere. As the Commentary on the Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra states: 'The physical-mark body correspond in meaning to the manifested body and [the body of] enjoyment for others, together being the response body. Next, the Dharma-gate body, which is the various Dharma gates listed now, corresponds in meaning to the reward body, which is [the body of] enjoyment for oneself. Third, the real-mark body takes the principle adorned by the Dharma gates as the third body.' Here, we combine those two bodies of principle and wisdom into the Dharma-nature body, and open that response body into the manifested body and the exalted-special body. Opening and combining vary mutually, but the three bodies are not deficient. Furthermore, one should know that the Dharma gates such as the head of the present Dharma-nature body are precisely the marks praised by the Dragon King: because mind is form, they are named the previous two bodies; because form is mind, they are named Dharma gates. But now, in traversing the teachings, from the perspective of the gate of differentiation according to what is seen by individual capacities, the preceding does not see the succeeding; therefore the succeeding are given names based on their superiority, which causes the three bodies to have marks of superiority and inferiority. Furthermore, both the exalted-special and the Dharma-nature bodies are seen by the karmic consciousness. Because the marks of the exalted-special [body] also combine distinct cultivation, it is shown in terms of the height and vastness of the physical marks. The present Dharma-nature Buddha clarifies nature through cultivation, and therefore conceals physical marks and speaks in terms of Dharma gates. Lecturers and students should examine this with precision and detail.