大乘法苑義林章 7.31

7.31

Third, the retinue: The Buddhabhūmi-sūtra says: 'Immeasurable devas, nāgas, humans, non-humans, and others constantly attend and follow.' The dharmatā land and the self-enjoyment land have no supporters, being signless as described before. In the other-enjoyment land, there are only devas and humans as the retinue, with no other classes. Although it surpasses the three realms, devas and the like are still subsumed under the three realms. That the pure consciousness embraces and transforms in this way to adorn the pure land is therefore not contradictory. Or, in order to ripen the sentient beings to be transformed, it manifests such transformation classes. For example, in order to subdue King Kapphina, it manifested immeasurable assemblies of wheel-turning kings as retinues surrounding him. Either the Buddha transforms them himself, or the bodhisattvas transform into such classes, sustaining the pure land, adorning it with offerings, and guiding those from other directions to attend and follow the Tathāgata. The Sukhāvatīvyūha-sūtra also says: 'Jīvañjīvaka birds and others are all transformed by Amitābha Buddha'; transforming into those of the two vehicles to adorn the pure land is also like this. In the transformation land, it is also supported by the real eight classes of beings. In the other-enjoyment land, bodhisattvas are real, while the two vehicles and the eight classes of beings are provisional manifestations, not genuinely born within it. In the transformation land, the two vehicles and the eight classes of beings are real, while the bodhisattvas of the ten stages are provisional traces, because those of the ten stages should not be born in a transformation land, manifesting provisional forms to be born within it.