瑜伽師地論略纂 11.35

11.35

The treatise explains regarding the lower grade of bodhisattvas: "When a bodhisattva abides in lower maturation, at that time they have lower-grade desire and aspiration and lower-grade preparation, and still go to the bad destinies." This bodhisattva has actually already abandoned the karma of the bad destinies and does not take rebirth in the bad destinies; however, when benefiting sentient beings, they deliberately go to be born there, and in connection with that they give rise to defilement and experience that retributive destiny; thus during the first aeon, they may be born in the bad destinies. Just as when a garuḍa enters the ocean to eat dragons, having finished eating the dragons, it flies up and soars into the sky; because of seizing the dragons, there is mud on its feet; in truth it had no intention [of taking mud], its original purpose being to seize the dragons, but in seizing the dragons, it became stained by the mud. The bodhisattva is also like this: on account of benefiting sentient beings, they are subsequently bound by defilement, and therefore during the first aeon, they are also born in the bad destinies. If so, how does one reconcile the verse of the cited sūtra: "If one has accomplished worldly / highest-grade right view..."? The explanation says: That speaks with respect to not being born in bad destinies with right view as a condition; what prevents one who has not yet reached the bhūmis from giving rise to karma of the bad destinies and being born in the bad destinies?