大乘法苑義林章 7.18

7.18

五所化有情共不共門。自性、自受用無此分別，他受用及化有此義門。《佛地論》中略有三說：一者皆共，以一一佛皆能化生，福慧平等，多時修行同求菩提。如說一佛所化有情即一切佛，故知皆共。二者不共，以佛所化本相屬故。是故釋迦，底沙佛時曾與慈氏同事彼佛。佛觀所化，釋迦先熟、慈氏後熟，觀能化者，慈氏先成、釋迦後成，入火光定令釋迦見，七日七夜翹一足讚，令超慈氏在前成佛。又釋迦言：「我所應度皆已度訖。」又契經說「佛涅槃時，觀一所化現在有頂，當生此間應受佛化。留一化身潛住此界，身現涅槃。彼沒來生，留身方化，成無學已化身方滅。」又處處說，能化所化相屬決定，是故不共。如實義者，有共不共。《成唯識論》亦作是說「所化共者，同處同時，諸佛各變，為身為土，形狀相似不相障礙，展轉相雜為增上緣，令所化生自識變現，謂於一土有一佛身，為現神通說法饒益。於不共者，唯一佛變，諸有情類無始時來，種姓法爾更相繫屬，或多屬一、或一屬多，故所化生有共、不共。不爾，多佛久住世間，各事劬勞，實為無益，一佛能益一切生故。」此義廣如《佛地》等說。

Fifth, the gate of common and uncommon with respect to transformed sentient beings. The svabhāva-kāya and the self-enjoyment body do not have this distinction; the other-enjoyment body and the transformation body possess this aspect of meaning. In the Buddhabhūmi-sūtra-śāstra, there are briefly three explanations: First, they are all common, because every Buddha is capable of transforming sentient beings, having equal merit and wisdom, and having practiced for a long time seeking bodhi together. As it is said that the sentient beings transformed by one Buddha are precisely [those of] all Buddhas, we know they are all common. Second, they are uncommon, because those transformed by a Buddha are originally affiliated [with that Buddha]. Therefore Śākyamuni, at the time of Tiṣya Buddha, once served that Buddha together with Maitreya. That Buddha observed those to be transformed: Śākyamuni's [beings] would ripen first, and Maitreya's would ripen later; he observed the transformers: Maitreya would accomplish it first, and Śākyamuni would accomplish it later. He entered the fire-light samādhi to let Śākyamuni see it; standing on one foot for seven days and seven nights praising [the Buddha], he caused [Śākyamuni] to surpass Maitreya and achieve Buddhahood first. Furthermore, Śākyamuni said: "Those whom I ought to deliver have all been delivered." Again, a sūtra states: "When the Buddha was about to enter nirvāṇa, he observed that one being to be transformed was currently in Bhavāgra, who would be born here and should receive the Buddha's transformation. He left a transformation body concealed in this realm, while his body manifested nirvāṇa. When that being passed away and came to be born here, the retained body then transformed him; only after he achieved the state of no-more-learning did the transformation body perish." Furthermore, it is said in various places that the mutual affiliation between the transformer and the transformed is determinate; therefore it is uncommon. The true meaning is that there are both common and uncommon. The Cheng weishi lun also states this: "Regarding what is common to those transformed: in the same place and at the same time, the Buddhas each manifest bodies and lands, whose forms resemble each other without obstructing one another, mutually mingling as an overarching condition (adhipatipratyaya) to cause the transformed beings' own consciousness to manifest, believing that in one land there is one Buddha body displaying spiritual powers, teaching the Dharma, and benefiting them. Regarding what is uncommon: only one Buddha manifests them. Sentient beings from beginningless time have naturally affiliated gotras, where either many are affiliated with one or one is affiliated with many; therefore the transformed beings are both common and uncommon. Otherwise, if multiple Buddhas remained in the world for a long time, each toiling on their own, it would truly be useless, since one Buddha is capable of benefiting all beings." This meaning is explained in detail in the Buddhabhūmi-sūtra-śāstra and other texts.