大乘義章 12.46

12.46

五生之義，出《地持論》。受報隨物，故名為生。生別不同，一門說五。五名是何？一息苦生、二隨類生、三者勝生、四增上生、五者最後生。此五通論皆遍諸地；隨相別分，前三地前、後二地上。息苦生者，菩薩願力、自在力故，受生三界，隨所生處能除物惱，名息苦生。所息之苦略有二種：一息現苦，謂三劫時及於餘時能息物苦。二息當苦，邪見眾生奉事天神及諸惡行，教令遠離不受當苦。隨類生者，菩薩願力自在力故與物同生，教令離惡化之住善，名隨類生。言勝生者，菩薩自以功德善業，於人天中受八勝生。言八報者，如《地持》說，謂壽具足、色具足等。增上生者，初地已上十王等報，名增上生。最後生者，菩薩學窮，受生剎利、波羅門家，得阿耨菩提，作一切佛事，名最後生。問曰：此五二種生中，為是分段？為是變易？釋言：此五在地前者，亦是應化亦是分段。願力自在力故隨物現受，故是應化；隨所生處即與有漏結業相應，故是分段。所受是其六道身故、非是變易故。在地上者，惡道之身，唯是應化；惡業盡故，非是分段。善道之身亦是應化，應化如前。亦是分段，地上菩薩有漏殘氣未盡，隨所生處與之相應，故是所受亦是六道身故，非是變易。此義如前二生死中具廣分別。五生如是。

The doctrine of the five kinds of birth derives from the Bodhisattvabhūmi. Receiving retribution in accordance with [sentient] beings is termed 'birth'. Births differ in kind, and one approach explains five. What are the names of the five? The first is birth that alleviates suffering; the second is birth according with kinds; the third is superior birth; the fourth is sovereign birth; the fifth is the final birth. Speaking generally, these five pervade all grounds; distinguishing them by their specific characteristics, the first three are prior to the grounds, while the latter two are on the grounds. As for birth that alleviates suffering: by the power of vows and the power of mastery, the bodhisattva undergoes birth in the three realms and, wherever born, can eliminate the distress of beings; hence it is called 'birth that alleviates suffering'. The suffering that is alleviated is briefly of two kinds: first, alleviating present suffering, which means being able to alleviate the suffering of beings at times such as the three calamities as well as at other times; second, alleviating future suffering, which means teaching sentient beings who hold wrong views, worship devas, and commit various evil deeds to stay far away from these so as not to experience future suffering. As for birth according with kinds: by the power of vows and the power of mastery, the bodhisattva is born together with beings, teaching them to abandon evil and converting them so they abide in good; hence it is called 'birth according with kinds'. As for superior birth: through their own meritorious and wholesome karma, bodhisattvas receive eight superior births among humans and devas. The eight retributions are as explained in the Bodhisattvabhūmi, namely fullness of lifespan, fullness of physical appearance, and so forth. As for sovereign birth: the retributions such as being a king of the ten [realms] from the first ground onward are termed 'sovereign birth'. As for the final birth: the bodhisattva's training being completed, they take birth in a kṣatriya or brahmin family, attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and perform all Buddha-works; hence it is called 'the final birth'. Question: Among the two kinds of birth, are these five mortal or inconceivable-transformation? Explanation: Among these five, those prior to the grounds are both responsive manifestations and mortal. Because of the power of vows and the power of mastery, they manifest and receive them in accordance with beings; thus they are responsive manifestations. Because wherever they are born they immediately accord with sāsrava fettering karma, they are mortal. This is because the bodies received are those of the six destinies, and not of inconceivable-transformation. For those on the grounds: bodies in the evil destinies are solely responsive manifestations; because evil karma is exhausted, they are not mortal. Bodies in the good destinies are also responsive manifestations, responsive manifestations being as described before. They are also mortal: the residual traces of sāsrava in bodhisattvas on the grounds have not yet been exhausted, and wherever they are born they accord with them; therefore, the bodies received are also bodies of the six destinies, and not of inconceivable-transformation. This doctrine has been fully differentiated in detail earlier under the two kinds of birth-and-death. Such are the five births.