釋淨土群疑論 6.5

6.5

The explanation says: Now three explanations are provided. The first explanation states: The Buddha has the saṃbhogakāya and the nirmāṇakāya. What the Guan jing speaks of is the saṃbhogakāya; what the Guyinshengwang jing speaks of is the nirmāṇakāya. Furthermore, when among the saṃbhogakāya he transforms bodhisattvas of the stages subject to saṃsāra of fragmented lifetimes, he manifests a womb-born body with parents and the like; when transforming those in the stages of inconceivable transformation, he manifests a transformationally born body and thus has no parents. The second explanation states: These parents, cities, and so on are entirely dharmas of various merits. As the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra states: "Prajñāpāramitā is the mother of the bodhisattva; expedient means is the father," and so forth. Merits are also used to make various personal names and expound various teachings, just as Mañjuśrī met the youth Sudhana to the east of the City of Awakening; this "east of the City of Awakening" is likewise the name of a merit. Here it is also like this: the various merits serve as the names of the parents and the like. Saying that the country is named Qīngtài ("Pure and Tranquil") reveals the Tathāgata's utmost pure dharmadhātu. Being inherently pure is called "pure" (qīng); its essence being vast is called "tranquil" (tài); because myriad virtues reside therein, it is called a "country." That its city is ten thousand yojanas in length and breadth reveals the Tathāgata's ādarśajñāna. This wisdom fully contains the ten knowledges, is capable of possessing the ten powers, and is completed by means of the ten pāramitās; therefore, it is called ten thousand yojanas. That it is filled within with the kṣatriya clan means: the kṣatriya clan is the royal lineage. Within the ādarśajñāna there are the seeds of all dharmas of the Dharma King's Ganges-sands of merits; hence it is said to be filled with the kṣatriya clan. The father being named Candrordgata ("Moon-Arisen") signifies the vajrasamādhi. Now, the moon takes dispelling darkness as its capability, and samādhi takes eliminating afflictions as its function. As for "wheel-turning sage king": now, a golden-wheel-turning king is revered above all minor kings; the vajra illustrates the absorption that surpasses all other samādhis. "Sublime and Marvelous Countenance" (Viśiṣṭasurūpā): now, within a single body the face is foremost; within the six pāramitās prajñā is held supreme; prajñā is sublime, serving as the mother of the Great Master. The son being named Moon-Bright (Candraprabha): the Buddha is likened to the sun, foremost in radiance; the merits of the bodhisattva are designated as the son, and next named Moon-Bright. The attendant disciple being named Vimalakīrti ("Spotless Fame") reveals the Tathāgata's samatājñāna: constantly contemplating the ādarśajñāna is called "attending"; not being associated with defilement is called "Spotless Fame." The disciple of wisdom being named Grasping Radiance reveals the Tathāgata's pratyavekṣaṇājñāna: of all dharmas there is none that is not clearly comprehended; hence he is called "Grasping Radiance." The disciple of supernatural power being named Great Transformation reveals the Tathāgata's kṛtyānuṣṭhānajñāna: giving rise to various transformations of body, speech, and mind; hence he is named "supernatural power." These three knowledges, residing subsequent to the ādarśajñāna, are called younger brothers, and being born from the ādarśajñāna are called sons. The Māra King being named Aparājita ("Invincible") reveals the merit of the Tathāgata's great compassion. With great compassion the Buddha pities sentient beings and constantly abides in birth and death to pull out the suffering of sentient beings. Māra delights in birth and death; hence he is called "Māra King." This great compassion surpasses the compassion of the two vehicles; therefore, it is called "Invincible." Devadatta being named Quiet Mind (Śāntamati): afflictions are clamorous and agitated, perturbing practitioners, which is likened to Devadatta. The Tathāgata contemplates all afflictions as being nirvāṇa itself; hence Devadatta is named "Quiet." This is establishing the names of parents and the like in terms of various merits; it is not that Amitābha has separate womb-born parents in the pure land. The third explanation states: As the Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka Sūtra and other texts state, the various Buddhas' attainment of the Way in pure and defiled lands, and their manifested attainments of the Way, are of various different kinds. Some bodhisattvas are born in that land, cultivate the bodhisattva practices, and in that very land attain equal and perfect awakening, with the world not changing, and their name and kalpa also being no different. Some bodhisattvas are born in that land, and in that very land attain equal and perfect awakening, with the world not changing, while a different name and kalpa are established. Some bodhisattvas are born in that land, cultivate the bodhisattva practices, and in that very land attain equal and perfect awakening, and when they are about to become Buddhas the world immediately changes to surpass the previous world, with their name and kalpa all being transformed, as is fully explained in the Guanxiyin shouji jing. Some bodhisattvas, having been born in this world, go to another world to attain equal and perfect awakening, fully as the Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka Sūtra explains. These are all due to differences in the bodhisattvas' vows made on the causal stage; hence there are such distinctions. Furthermore, as in various sūtras, some bodhisattvas go forth as youths to attain equal and perfect awakening. Some bodhisattvas take wives and father sons, and then abandon the five desires to attain equal and perfect awakening. Some are born in this world and attain the Way within it, while others are born in another world and attain the Way in another world, as the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra states. For instance, the Dragon Maiden was born in this Sahā world in the animal destiny, and later went to the Spotless World in the south, shed that female body, immediately became a man, and attained equal and perfect awakening. Furthermore, the Tathāgata Prabhāśrī was womb-born and attained equal and perfect awakening in a pure land. Hence the sūtra states: "When the Buddha was a prince, he abandoned the realm and cast off worldly glory; in his final body, he left home and accomplished the Buddha Way." From this we may infer that the Buddha Prabhāśrī underwent womb-birth in another world and attained equal and perfect awakening in a pure land. If he were not womb-born, how could he have been a prince, abandoning the realm and casting off worldly glory? Now Amitābha is likewise so: he underwent womb-birth in the land of Qīngtài, and attained equal and perfect awakening in the land of Sukhāvatī.