金光明最勝王經疏 3.45

3.45

The commentary says: Explaining the four alternatives. This explains the first alternative. "All tathāgatas" applies generally to all buddhas. "After entering parinirvāṇa" refers to after manifesting the mark of nirvāṇa among the eight marks. "Through the mastery of their vows" refers to the sovereign power of their past vows of great compassion. In accordance with the receptivity and conditions of beings, they either leave behind reflection-images or bodies of other classes; not assuming the form of a buddha, they manifest forms variably to benefit [beings]; this is an emanation and not a response. In reality, the emanation bodies performing the eight marks of attaining the Way arisen after realizing nirvāṇa also belong to this alternative. However, in order to set aside the enjoyment[-body] for others, which arises from equality wisdom solely as a buddha of physical form, and where abiding in the remainder [of conditioning] is also an emanation-response body, it therefore speaks of manifesting diverse forms. The images and so forth left behind after entering extinction, as well as the bodily relics, are emanations and not response [bodies]. Therefore the old sūtra says: "Because of the mastery of their vows, they leave behind bodily relics." If it were not so, the middle two alternatives should have spoken of after entering parinirvāṇa, since they arise only after realizing the unexcelled fruit.