華嚴一乘教義分齊章 2.47

2.47

若依始教，修行成佛定經三僧祇。但此劫數不同小乘。何者？此取水火等大劫，數至百千，數此復至百千為一俱胝，名第一數；數此俱胝復至俱胝為第二數；如是次第以所數等數，至第一百名一阿僧祇，此即十大劫數中第一數也。依此數滿三阿僧祇。仍此教中，就釋迦身以分此義，如《優婆塞戒經》云「我於往昔寶頂佛所滿足第一阿僧祇劫，然燈佛所滿足第二阿僧祇劫，迦葉佛所滿足第三阿僧祇劫。我於往昔釋迦佛所始發阿耨菩提心。」又依《本業經》，又有百劫修相好業，但是變化，非實修也。又以一偈歎弗沙佛已，即迢九劫，但九十一劫即成佛也。問：「三無數劫修諸實行，應成報身，何故乃就化身說耶？」答：「由此始教就下機故、有二乘故、此身是彼所知見故、是權教故，作是說也。」

According to the initial teaching, cultivating practice to attain buddhahood definitely takes three asaṃkhyeyas. However, this count of kalpas differs from the Hīnayāna. How so? Here one takes great kalpas of fire, water, and so forth, counting up to a hundred thousand; counting this again up to a hundred thousand makes one koṭi, called the first number; counting this koṭi again up to a koṭi makes the second number; sequentially using the counted and so forth to count up to the one hundredth is called one asaṃkhyeya; this is the first number among the counts of ten great kalpas. Based on this, three asaṃkhyeyas are fulfilled. Still, in this teaching, this meaning is distinguished with respect to the body of Śākyamuni, as the *Upāsakaśīla-sūtra* says: 'In the past, with Ratnaśikhin Buddha, I fulfilled the first asaṃkhyeya-kalpa; with Dīpaṃkara Buddha, I fulfilled the second asaṃkhyeya-kalpa; with Kāśyapa Buddha, I fulfilled the third asaṃkhyeya-kalpa. In the past, with Śākyamuni Buddha, I first generated the thought of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.' Furthermore, according to the *Benye jing*, there is also cultivating the karma of the major marks and minor characteristics for one hundred kalpas, but this is merely transformation, not real cultivation. Also, having praised Puṣya Buddha with a single gāthā, he skipped over nine kalpas, attaining buddhahood in only ninety-one kalpas. Question: 'Cultivating real practices for three incalculable kalpas should result in a recompense body; why is it explained in terms of a transformation body?' Answer: 'Because this initial teaching is geared toward inferior capacities, because the Two Vehicles exist, because this body is what is perceived by them, and because it is an expedient teaching, it is explained in this way.'