大乘法苑義林章 7.18

7.18

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.