西方合論 10.10

10.10

三、壽量多少者，經云：「彼佛壽命無量無邊阿僧祇劫。」又云：「彼佛至般泥洹時，觀世音菩薩乃當作佛。」既當入滅，即是有量。釋：「先德云：『藏通補處彰佛有量；別圓補處顯佛無量。以十方三世一切如來，更無彼此，迭相見故；同一法身，一智慧故。菩薩機忘，如來應息，名補佛處，實異藏通，前佛定滅，後佛定生。故《金光明》四佛降室，《疏》乃釋云：「若見四佛同尊特身，一身一智慧，即是常身，弟子眾一故；若見四佛佛身不同，即是應化，弟子眾多故。」』故知全法界身，非生非滅，豈得竪分當現，橫論彼此；既非生滅，無量義成。且淨佛剎中，摩剎水樹，皆是佛身故。經中云：『是諸眾鳥，皆是阿彌陀佛變化所作。』《智度論》曰：『眾生甚多，若佛處處現身，眾生不信謂為幻化，心不敬重；有眾生從人聞法，心不開悟，若從畜生聞法，則便信受。如《本生經》說：菩薩受畜生身為人說法，人以說法希有故，無不信受。有人謂畜生是有情之物，以樹木無心而有音聲，則皆信受。』以是故水樹禽鳥，皆是佛身變現故。若佛壽量有盡者，道場國土及諸水鳥音聲，亦應有盡。若有盡者，不應有補；若無盡者，不應言滅。如虛空分齊，非有分齊，非無分齊，以不思議智照之可得。」

Third, regarding the length of the lifespan: The sūtras say: 'That Buddha's lifespan is immeasurable and boundless asaṃkhyeya kalpas.' They also say: 'When that Buddha reaches parinirvāṇa, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva will then become a Buddha.' Since he will enter extinction, his lifespan must be limited. Explanation: Former virtuous ones said: 'The successors to the Buddha according to the Tripiṭaka and Shared teachings demonstrate that the Buddha has a limit; the successors to the Buddha according to the Distinct and Perfect teachings reveal that the Buddha is immeasurable. This is because all the Tathāgatas of the ten directions and three times have no distinction of this or that and mutually see one another; they share the same Dharmakāya and the same wisdom. When the capacity of the bodhisattvas [to be taught] is fulfilled, the responsive manifestation of the Tathāgata ceases; this is called succeeding to the Buddha's place. This truly differs from the Tripiṭaka and Shared teachings, where the previous Buddha definitively perishes and the subsequent Buddha definitively arises. Thus, regarding the descent of the four Buddhas into the chamber in the Suvarṇaprabhāsa-sūtra, the Commentary explains: "If one sees the four Buddhas sharing the same noble and extraordinary body, one body and one wisdom, this is the permanent body, because the assembly of disciples is one; if one sees the bodies of the four Buddhas as different, this is responsive transformation, because the assembly of disciples is manifold." ' Therefore, one should know that the body of the entire dharmadhātu is neither arising nor perishing; how could one vertically divide it into future and present, or horizontally discuss this and that? Since it neither arises nor perishes, the meaning of immeasurability is established. Moreover, within the pure Buddha land, the ground, water, and trees are all the Buddha's body. As the sūtra says: 'All these various birds are created by the transformations of Amitābha Buddha.' The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: 'Sentient beings are exceedingly numerous; if the Buddha manifested his body everywhere, sentient beings would not believe and would consider it an illusion, and would not revere him in their minds. There are sentient beings who, upon hearing the Dharma from a human, do not open their minds to enlightenment, but if they hear the Dharma from an animal, they readily believe and accept it. As the Jātaka says: The Bodhisattva assumed the body of an animal to preach the Dharma to humans, and because preaching the Dharma [by an animal] is rare, all believed and accepted it. Some people consider animals to be sentient beings, but since trees are mindless yet produce sounds, they all believe and accept them.' Therefore, the waters, trees, and birds are all the responsive manifestations of the Buddha's body. If the Buddha's lifespan had an end, the bodhimanda, the land, and the sounds of the waters and birds would also have an end. If they have an end, there should be no succession; if they have no end, one should not speak of extinction. Like the bounds of empty space, which neither have bounds nor lack bounds, it can be grasped through inconceivable wisdom.