大乘義章 19.18

19.18

次第二門明立所以。今此且依《金光明經》所辨論之。以四種義故立三身：一起因不同、二治障有異、三所淨差別、四隨化有殊。起因不同立三身者，如彼經說「如來昔在修行地中，願為眾生修種種行。彼行滿足，得至究竟自在之地，能隨眾生多種辨了現種種形，故立化身。」彼經復說「佛昔在因，願為眾生演說真諦，通達生死涅槃一味，趣求佛身。又為眾生怖畏如來無邊佛法，求佛一種相好之形而利益之。彼行滿足，能為眾生示現佛身，演說真諦而度脫之，故立應身。又佛因中自修諸行，斷諸煩惱、具一切善，息除妄想、趣求實際。彼行滿足，得如實果，故立真身。」其真身者，謂如如法及如如智，其如如法即是法身，如如智者即是報身。此是第一起因不同故立三身。治障異者，如彼經說。一切凡夫三相所縛不得三身，翻對彼相故立三身。言三相者，一分別相，所謂煩惱妄分別心，障佛真身，斷除彼故得佛真身。二依他起相，所謂諸業依煩惱起，以此罪業，障佛如來相好之果，斷除彼故得佛應身。三成就相，謂依前業成就苦報，以此苦報定礙之形，障佛如來無障礙化，斷除彼故得佛化身。又經復言「一切凡夫有三種心，不得三身，翻對彼故建立三身。」言三心者：一起事心，所謂四住所起煩惱。此惑麁強能起業事，名起事心，障佛化身。菩薩修習伏結之道，伏除此心，故得化身。二依本心，謂四住地依無明起，名依本心，障佛應身。菩薩修習斷結之道，斷除此心，故得應身。三根本心，謂無明地，與彼四住煩惱為本，故名本心，障佛真身。菩薩修習勝拔之道，滅此本心，故得真身。此是第二治障不同故立三身。所淨別者，如彼經說「如如法性極清淨故，攝受法身。」此名真心為法身矣。「如如智慧極清淨故，攝受應身。」依真起用，故說智淨攝受應身。「以三昧門極清淨故，攝受化身。」依定起用，故三昧淨攝受化身。此是第三所淨不同故立三身。隨化不同立三身者，如彼經說「佛隨眾生多種意故示現化身」，此為凡夫。「佛隨弟子一種意故示現應身」，此為聲聞。聲聞弟子同求見佛，名為一意；佛隨此意唯現佛身，說之為應。「隨諸菩薩破相心故顯示真身」，以佛真身遮一切相，非執相境，不同應身；其唯一相，不同化身現種種相。菩薩不取一異等相，故為顯之。此是第四隨化不同故立三身。上來四門合為第二明其建立三身所以（此二門竟）。

Next is the second section: explaining the reasons for their establishment. Here we discuss this temporarily based on what is treated in the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra. The three bodies are established for four reasons: first, differences in causal origination; second, differences in counteracting obstacles; third, distinctions in what is purified; fourth, distinctions in according with transformation. Establishing the three bodies due to differences in causal origination: as that sūtra says, 'When the Tathāgata was formerly on the stage of practice, he vowed to cultivate various practices for the sake of sentient beings. When those practices were completed, he attained the ultimate stage of mastery and was able to manifest various forms according to the various discernments of sentient beings; therefore the transformation body is established.' That sūtra further says: 'When the Buddha was formerly in the causal stage, he vowed to expound the ultimate truth for sentient beings, thoroughly realize the single flavor of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, and aspire to the Buddha body. Furthermore, because sentient beings fear the Tathāgata's boundless Buddha-dharmas, they seek a single form of major and minor marks of the Buddha to benefit from. When that practice was completed, he was able to manifest a Buddha body for sentient beings, expound the ultimate truth, and liberate them; therefore the response body is established. Furthermore, the Buddha in the causal stage cultivated all practices on his own, severed all afflictions, completed all goods, pacified deluded thoughts, and aspired to the bhūtakoṭi. When that practice was completed, he attained the fruition of reality; therefore the true body is established.' The true body refers to the dharma of thusness and the wisdom of thusness: the dharma of thusness is the dharmakāya, and the wisdom of thusness is the reward body. This is the first reason, establishing the three bodies due to differences in causal origination. Difference in counteracting obstacles: as that sūtra says, all ordinary beings are bound by three characteristics and cannot attain the three bodies; the three bodies are established to invert and counteract those characteristics. The three characteristics are: first, the characteristic of discrimination, which is the mind of deluded discrimination of afflictions, which obstructs the Buddha's true body; by severing it, one attains the Buddha's true body. Second, the characteristic of other-dependence, which is all karmas arising dependent on afflictions; through this transgressive karma, the Tathāgata Buddha's fruition of major and minor marks is obstructed; by severing it, one attains the Buddha's response body. Third, the characteristic of fulfillment, which means fulfilling painful retribution based on prior karma; through this fixed and obstructive form of painful retribution, the Tathāgata Buddha's unhindered transformations are obstructed; by severing it, one attains the Buddha's transformation body. Furthermore, the sūtra states: 'All ordinary beings have three kinds of minds and do not attain the three bodies; the three bodies are established to invert and counteract them.' The three minds are: first, the mind that initiates activities, which refers to the afflictions arising from the four entrenchments. Because this affliction is coarse and powerful, able to initiate karmic activities, it is called the mind initiating activities, which obstructs the Buddha's transformation body. When a bodhisattva cultivates the path of subduing fetters and subdues this mind, they attain the transformation body. Second, the mind depending on the root, which means the four entrenchment stages arise dependent on ignorance; it is called the mind depending on the root, which obstructs the Buddha's response body. When a bodhisattva cultivates the path of severing fetters and severs this mind, they attain the response body. Third, the fundamental mind, which refers to the stage of ignorance, serving as the root for those four entrenchment afflictions; hence it is called the fundamental mind, which obstructs the Buddha's true body. When a bodhisattva cultivates the path of superior uprooting and extinguishes this fundamental mind, they attain the true body. This is the second reason: establishing the three bodies due to differences in counteracting obstacles. Distinctions in what is purified: as that sūtra says, 'Because the dharmatā of thusness is extremely pure, it embraces the dharmakāya.' Here the true mind is called the dharmakāya. 'Because the wisdom of thusness is extremely pure, it embraces the response body.' Because function arises dependent on the true, the purification of wisdom is said to embrace the response body. 'Because the samādhi-doors are extremely pure, they embrace the transformation body.' Because function arises dependent on absorption, the purification of samādhi embraces the transformation body. This is the third reason: establishing the three bodies due to distinctions in what is purified. Establishing the three bodies due to differences in according with transformation: as that sūtra says, 'Because the Buddha accords with the multiple intentions of sentient beings, he manifests the transformation body'—this is for ordinary beings. 'Because the Buddha accords with the single intention of disciples, he manifests the response body'—this is for śrāvakas. The śrāvaka disciples collectively seek to see the Buddha, which is called a single intention; the Buddha, according with this intention, only manifests the Buddha body, which is termed the response [body]. 'Because of the mind of bodhisattvas shattering characteristics, he displays the true body.' Because the Buddha's true body negates all characteristics, it is not an object grasped through characteristics, unlike the response body; possessing only a single characteristic, it is unlike the transformation body which manifests various characteristics. Bodhisattvas do not grasp at characteristics of oneness, difference, and the like, so it is revealed for them. This is the fourth reason: establishing the three bodies due to differences in according with transformation. The above four sections combine to form the second part explaining the reasons for establishing the three bodies. (This concludes the two sections.)