金光明最勝王經疏 6.153

6.153

釋妨難者，問：此之捨身於三祇內何劫捨耶？答：未見正文。傳云：於第三僧祇中捨，以初劫中行猶劣故，不能行此捨身命故。準此應可通後二僧祇。問：準《瑜伽論》等，第三僧祇定受變易，云何得有捨身餘骸？答：是化身也。問：若爾，何不化作餘肉以施餓虎，化捨身耶？答：化自身施，益物多故。問：若爾，何故舊《金光明》云「捨身飼虎超十一劫。」答：亦是化也。問：若爾，云何《佛藏經》等云「彌勒佛在釋迦前四十劫發菩提心。」《賢劫經》等云「釋迦由精進故，超過彌勒四十劫在前成佛。」答：為所化生根熟前後，故二菩薩說有超劫。不爾，云何言八地去剎那剎那位增進耶？俱倍增進，何得有超。又釋：倍增進者，望於以前及自利行，於他利行未必倍增，故說利他不欲行障入九地斷。又解：合前二義故得說超。問：利他障斷在第九地，云何釋迦三祇修滿，於百劫內逢弗沙佛，翹足讚歎超於九劫？答：為生所宜，故無有過。問：何故捨身非成如來壽量之果，云舉苦行勸勉持經修自利耶？答：準前妙幢菩薩但疑壽命，不稱長壽之因。不疑壽長修何行得，故不須成。

Regarding resolving objections: Question: In this relinquishing of the body, during which of the three incalculable eons (asaṃkhyeya-kalpas) was it relinquished? Answer: I have not seen an explicit text. Tradition says: it was relinquished during the third incalculable eon, because during the first eon practice is still inferior and one cannot practice this relinquishment of bodily life. According to this, it should be applicable throughout the latter two incalculable eons. Question: According to the *Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra* and so on, during the third incalculable eon one definitively receives a transformational [body] (parivṛtti-kāya); how could there be residual skeletal remains from relinquishing the body? Answer: It was a manifestation body (nirmāṇakāya). Question: If so, why not transform other meat to bestow upon the hungry tigress, rather than transforming and relinquishing one's own body? Answer: Bestowing a transformation of one's own body benefits living beings more extensively. Question: If so, why does the old *Suvarṇaprabhāsa* say: "Relinquishing his body to feed the tigress transcended eleven eons"? Answer: That too was a manifestation. Question: If so, why do the *Buddhapiṭaka-sūtra* and so on state: "Maitreya Buddha generated the bodhicitta forty eons before Śākyamuni," while the *Bhadrakalpika-sūtra* and so on say: "Śākyamuni, through vigor, surpassed Maitreya by forty eons to achieve Buddhahood first"? Answer: Because the faculties of the beings to be transformed ripened earlier or later, the two bodhisattvas are said to have surpassed eons. Otherwise, how could it be said that from the eighth bhūmi onward, each stage is progressively advanced moment by moment? If both advance doubly, how could there be a surpassing? Another explanation: 'advancing doubly' is in comparison to the previous stages and to self-benefiting practices; regarding the practices of benefiting others, there is not necessarily a twofold advancement, which is why it is said that the obstacle of not wishing to practice benefiting others is severed upon entering the ninth bhūmi. Another explanation: combining the preceding two meanings, one can speak of surpassing. Question: If the obstacle to benefiting others is severed at the ninth bhūmi, why is it that after Śākyamuni completed the cultivation of the three incalculable eons, within the hundred eons he encountered Puṣya Buddha and, praising him while standing on one foot, surpassed nine eons? Answer: It was done according to what was appropriate for sentient beings; hence there is no fault. Question: Why is relinquishing the body not the fruition that establishes the Tathāgata's lifespan, yet it is said to cite asceticism to exhort upholding the sūtra and cultivating self-benefit? Answer: According to the above, Bodhisattva Ruciraketu only doubted the lifespan, without stating the cause of long life. He did not doubt what practice was cultivated to obtain long life; therefore there was no need to establish it.