宗鏡錄 89.27

89.27

Answer: Distinguishing according to meanings, the characteristics are also of many kinds. Huayan possesses ten lands, or one, two, three, and so on; expanding and contracting are not fixed. The Tiantai teachings state that Buddha-lands are four: First, the land of defilement and purity, where ordinary beings and noble ones dwell together. Second, the land with remainder, where persons of expedient means abide. Third, the land of retribution, where pure dharmakāya bodhisattvas reside, which is the unimpeded land of Indra's net. Fourth, the land of eternally tranquil light, which is where wondrous enlightenment resides. Furthermore, sūtras and treatises generally distinguish five. Ancient commentaries explain: First, the land of Dharma-nature, taking tathatā as its substance; or among the five dharmas, taking the pure dharmadhātu as its substance. Tathatā and the dharmadhātu do not differ within the gate of general characteristics, but have distinctions within the gate of specific characteristics: tathatā pervades everything, embracing both cause and effect, so in pervasion it is broad; the pure dharmadhātu is narrow, because it pertains solely to the fruit stage. Second, the land of true retribution: all the merits of the powers, fearlessnesses, and the like, and the undefiled five aggregates constitute its substantive nature; integrating characteristics into the nature, it takes tathatā as its substance. Because of cultivating myriad practices in the cause, the fruit arises to repay the cause; what is brought about by the true retribution is called the land of true retribution. In the Buddha's self-enjoyment body, it takes the four wisdoms as the body, and takes the supported merits of the ten powers and four grounds of fearlessness as the land. Third, the land of physical forms: integrating the object into the mind, it takes the post-attainment wisdom of self-benefit as its substance, and the pure consciousness of supreme mastery as its characteristic. The eighth undefiled consciousness is called the pure consciousness; it is transformed within the post-attainment wisdom of the great round mirror wisdom. Integrating characteristics into the nature, it also takes tathatā as its substance. If distinguished according to characteristics, it takes the four dusts as substance. Fourth, the land of other-enjoyment: integrating the object into the mind, it takes the post-attainment wisdom that benefits others as its substance; integrating characteristics into the nature, it takes tathatā as its substance. If distinguished according to characteristics, it takes the four dusts as substance. Fifth, the transformation land: among bodhisattvas' transformation lands, those with outflows, as before, integrate the object into the mind and take the fundamental consciousness as substance; those without outflows, as before, take the post-attainment wisdom of self-benefit as substance. The Buddha also shares this substance. In terms of nature, it takes tathatā as substance; in terms of distinct characteristics, it takes the four dusts or five dusts as substance. However, as for transformed lands: if they are produced through transformation from seeds within the eighth consciousness, with the four dusts and five dusts as actual occurrences, this is called transformation by causes and conditions. In the Buddha, it is solely undefiled; in bodhisattvas, it has outflows and encompasses both pure and defiled. If transformed by the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, this is called conceptual transformation. In the Buddha, it is solely undefiled; the two lands of retribution and transformation may encompass both pure and defiled. If in the stage with outflows of the seventh consciousness, it merely cognizes the darśanabhāga of the eighth consciousness inwardly and cannot transform lands. If it is what can be transformed within the post-attainment wisdom of the undefiled sixth and seventh consciousnesses, it only operates as reflection and cannot be enjoyed, because it is not produced from seeds; it can only manifest characteristics of pure and defiled to teach and transform sentient beings. Regarding all the bodies and lands above: speaking of their general substance, they all take the nature of the tathāgatagarbha of the one mind dharmadhātu as substance, because of dharma-as-such; in terms of specific substances, they are as distinguished above.