金光明最勝王經疏 2.9

2.9

Regarding the explanation of the title: The Buddhas of the three bodies are all called tathāgata. 'Span' (壽) is life. 'Measure' (量) means limit, or it means measurement. That is, measuring and assessing the limits of the Buddha's life-span; it is the Tathāgata's life-measure, or the measure of the Tathāgata's life—both are genitive determinative compounds (tatpuruṣa). That is, it abides continuously by resting in the Dharma-nature, it continues in succession in accordance with vows and conditions, and it is uninterrupted in responding to the capacities of beings; the virtue of this life-span is hard to fathom. Resting upon the Dharma-nature to uphold the aspects of virtue, decisively tranquil and clear—this is the life-faculty of the Dharma body. Just as the Buddha and the land differ in nature and characteristics, so too should this be understood. Or, the aspects of virtue themselves, abiding calmly, are able to uphold their own substance, which is called the life-measure. Resting upon the seeds of the mirror-like wisdom, through the power of the seeds of the great vow, it causes the four categories of wisdom to continue in decisive succession to the end of the realm of sentient beings; this is the life-span of the reward body. Through the power of the seeds of great compassion, in accordance with the conditions of beings' responses, it manifests a body of the form aggregate with decisive limits; this is the life-span of the two bodies of other-enjoyment and transformation. Since their substance is conceded to be conventionally established, volition (cetanā) is also included under vow, which does not contradict Vijñaptimātra's doctrine that it is drawn by karma.