華嚴一乘教義分齊章 2.56

2.56

Question: "If so, why do the noble teachings state that those from the eighth stage upward rely solely on cognitive obscurations, and therefore receive a transformation body?"
Answer: "These [teachings] make this statement in order to provisionally contrast them with the two vehicles so as to reveal their superiority and inferiority. However, according to various noble teachings, this provisional contrast is briefly distinguished into ten approaches in terms of different stages:
First, saying that an arhat is identical to a Buddha, without further distinguishing stages. As stated in the Vinaya: after the Buddha converted the five persons, it was said that including the Buddha there were six. Yet an arhat has transcended the world, and also sits together [with the Buddha], and so forth; one should know that this is spoken in terms of the Hīnayāna teaching.
Second, also distinguishing the arhat at the Buddha stage. As the Abhidharmasamuccaya states: 'When attaining bodhi, one suddenly severs afflictive obscurations and cognitive obscurations, and suddenly becomes an arhat and a Tathāgata.' Although arhat is named here in terms of the exhaustion of afflictions, it is also to generate superior desire and joy in the minds of the śrāvakas; thus it provisionally relies on the Buddha fruition to distinguish the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna.
Third, the tenth stage is named arhat, because the Buddha stage surpasses it and is not that [stage], as stated in the Nirvāṇa-sūtra regarding the four reliances: 'An arhat abides in the tenth stage.' This provisionally uses the distinction between cause and fruition to differentiate the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna. These two approaches above are spoken in terms of the teaching of turning the two vehicles within the initial teaching.
Fourth, up to the seventh stage is provisionally equated with the arhat, and from the eighth stage onward is provisionally assigned to the bodhisattva stage, as the Renwang jing states: 'The Far-Reaching Bodhisattva subdues the habituations of the three realms, causal and fruitional karma is extinguished, and only in the stage of the final body does he abide in the arhat stage of the seventh stage.' This provisionally uses the stages of mastery and non-mastery within the cause to distinguish the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna. This is spoken in terms of the direct progression within the initial teaching. Since here the śrāvaka is provisionally assigned up to the seventh stage, afflictive obscurations and the fragmentary body both reach up to this stage; from the eighth stage onward, this bodhisattva practice stage is provisionally assigned as superior to the former, and therefore there are only cognitive obscurations and the transformation body.
Fifth, the first, second, and third stages are provisionally equated with the mundane, because one attains the mundane four dhyānas and so forth; the fourth stage is provisionally assigned to the srotāpanna and so forth, because one attains the factors of enlightenment and this is the initial transcendence of the world; the fifth stage is provisionally assigned to the śrāvaka and arhat, because one attains the dharma of the four noble truths; the sixth stage is provisionally assigned to the pratyekabuddha, because one attains the dharma of the twelvefold dependent origination; from the seventh stage onward is provisionally assigned to the bodhisattva, because one attains anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti. This is as spoken in the Benye jing. The above is spoken solely in terms of the Three Vehicles teaching, because it has not yet distinguished the One Vehicle dharma.
Sixth, the mundane and the two vehicles are as before up to the sixth stage; the seventh stage is provisionally assigned to the Three Vehicles bodhisattva, because mastery has not yet been attained; from the eighth stage onward is provisionally assigned to the One Vehicle dharma, because mastery has been attained. As spoken in the Liang translation of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha and others. This is spoken in terms of distinguishing the characteristics of the One Vehicle, Three Vehicles, and so forth.
Seventh, within the first stage one has already surpassed the mundane and the two vehicles, as spoken in the Daśabhūmika-śāstra and others. This is spoken in terms of the limits of inferential and direct realization within the Three Vehicles.
Eighth, the thirty stages of sages prior to the grounds have already surpassed the stages of the two vehicles, as spoken in the Awakening of Faith. Furthermore, the Renwang jing states: 'Within the lineage of practice there are ten types of mind, which have already surpassed all wholesome grounds of the two vehicles.' This is spoken in terms of non-retrogression in the final teaching.
Ninth, after the mind of perfected faith, one immediately surpasses all Hīnayāna, Three Vehicles, and so forth, as spoken in the 'Bhadraśrī Chapter'. This is spoken in terms of the One Vehicle.
Tenth, initially at the stage of the ordinary person, at the moment of first generating the mind, one immediately surpasses the two vehicles, as the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: 'An arhat bhikṣu, knowing that a novice had generated the [bodhi] mind, pushed him ahead,' and so forth. This is spoken as common to the One Vehicle and the Three Vehicles. Because there are such dharma approaches of provisional contrast, prior and subsequent explanations can be understood accordingly."