梵網經菩薩戒本疏 1.52

1.52

初中言「佛子」者，釋有總有別。總中有二義：一、從佛法生，謂發菩提心受菩薩戒得佛法分名為佛子，如人從父母生得彼體分一名為人子，此則佛是能生、子是所生。二、子是因義，謂以修佛行能生佛果名為佛子，如種子生果等，此即子是能生、佛是所生，從果為名。此二皆佛之子，故依主釋。何故爾者？若不從佛生，無以成佛。故梁《攝論》云：「無不從此法身流，無不還證此法身。」別中有五義，如《攝論》云：「一、方便為父，二、般若為母，三、禪定為胎，四、慈悲為養育，五、信樂大乘為種子。」又有四義，如《佛性論》：「一、淨信為種子，二、般若為母，三、禪定為胎，四、慈悲為養育。」如次即是地前四位應知。問：未知菩薩至何位得佛子名？答：諸聖教說有多種：一、約絕功用，不行同佛作用，名為佛子，如《楞伽經》八地菩薩名最勝子；二、約證得佛法分，名為佛子，如《佛性論》初地名佛子；三、約不退佛法，名為佛子，如《瓔珞》等經說十地住即名佛子；四、約入大乘，發菩提心，受菩薩戒，即名佛子，如此經說；五、約入佛法，縱入小乘，名佛子，如《四分律．序》中說。今此通前四，以諸位同持此戒故；通五，以攝小令迴故。

In the first part, as for 'disciple of the Buddha' (fozi), the explanation has both a general and a specific sense. Within the general, there are two meanings: 1. Born from the Buddha-Dharma: namely, arousing the bodhicitta, receiving the bodhisattva precepts, and obtaining a portion of the Buddha-Dharma is called a disciple of the Buddha; just as when a person is born from father and mother and obtains a portion of their physical body, they are called a human child—here, the Buddha is the producer and the child is the produced. 2. 'Child' has the sense of a cause: namely, by cultivating the practices of a Buddha, one is able to produce the fruit of Buddhahood, hence being called a disciple of the Buddha; just as a seed produces fruit, here the child is the producer and the Buddha is the produced, taking the name from the fruit. Both of these are 'the child of the Buddha', hence it is a tatpuruṣa compound. Why is it so? If not born from the Buddha, there is no way to become a Buddha. Therefore, the Liang translation of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha states: 'There is none that does not flow from this dharmakāya, and none that does not return to realize this dharmakāya.' Within the specific, there are five meanings, as the Mahāyānasaṃgraha states: '1. Upāya is the father; 2. prajñā is the mother; 3. dhyāna is the womb; 4. loving-kindness and compassion are the nurturing; 5. faithful joy in the Mahāyāna is the seed.' There are also four meanings, as in the Fo xing lun: '1. Pure faith is the seed; 2. prajñā is the mother; 3. dhyāna is the womb; 4. loving-kindness and compassion are the nurturing.' In order, these should be known as the four ranks prior to the stages. Question: It is not yet known at what stage a bodhisattva obtains the name 'disciple of the Buddha'? Answer: The various sacred teachings speak of several kinds: 1. in terms of the cessation of effort, where one's actions are identical with the Buddha's function, one is called a disciple of the Buddha, as the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra calls an eighth-stage bodhisattva the 'supreme son'; 2. in terms of realizing and obtaining a portion of the Buddha-Dharma, one is called a disciple of the Buddha, as the Fo xing lun calls the first stage a disciple of the Buddha; 3. in terms of non-retrogression from the Buddha-Dharma, one is called a disciple of the Buddha, as the Yingluo and other sūtras say that the ten abodes are immediately called disciples of the Buddha; 4. in terms of entering the Mahāyāna, arousing the bodhicitta, and receiving the bodhisattva precepts, one is immediately called a disciple of the Buddha, as stated in this sūtra; 5. in terms of entering the Buddha-Dharma, even if entering the Hīnayāna, one is called a disciple of the Buddha, as stated in the preface of the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya. Here, it encompasses the former four because all stages equally uphold this precept; and it encompasses the fifth because it gathers the Hīnayāna to cause them to turn back.