法苑珠林 72.37

72.37

Furthermore, the Yogācārabhūmi says: The rebirths of bodhisattvas are, in brief, of five kinds that encompass all rebirths; all bodhisattvas receive faultless rebirths to benefit and bring ease and joy to all sentient beings. What are the five? 1. Rebirth to eliminate calamities; 2. rebirth adapting to categories; 3. rebirth of great authority; 4. sovereign rebirth; 5. most superior rebirth. Amid famines, the bodhisattva becomes a giant fish or the like, supplying everything and making all full and satisfied. Or when there is pestilence, they become a great skilled physician and eradicate the epidemic. Or when there are battles and disputes, with great sovereign power they skillfully extinguish them. Or when there is an evil king inflicting unreasonable punishments, with the power of great vows they pity all beings. Or when beings give rise to evil views, they are able to eliminate evil and vice. This is called, in brief, 'rebirth to eliminate calamities and misfortunes'. Or there are bodhisattvas who, by the power of great vows, are born into other species, and through skillful means guide and convert them, causing them to practice good deeds. This is called, in brief, 'rebirth adapting to categories'. Or there are bodhisattvas who, when born endowed with their innate nature, are most superior in their retribution of lifespan, appearance, clan, caste, sovereignty, wealth, and the like, and whose deeds benefit both themselves and others. This is called, in brief, 'rebirth of great authority'. Or there are bodhisattvas who, abiding on the ten stages, receive the retribution of being the ten kings, being most superior and having already reached fulfillment; through the sovereign influence of this karma they receive [retribution]. This is called, in brief, 'sovereign rebirth'. Or there are bodhisattvas who, in this life, have completely rounded out their provisions for bodhi, and are born into the family of a great noble king, able to manifest saṃbodhi and broadly perform Buddha-activities. This is called, in brief, 'final rebirth'. If bodhisattvas take pure, benevolent, worthy, and wondrously good rebirths in the past, future, and present, all are encompassed by these five kinds of rebirth; besides these there are none that exceed or are added, except for the rebirths of ordinary-stage bodhisattvas. Why? Because the intention here is to take the rebirths of wise bodhisattvas upon which the fruit of great bodhi relies, enabling bodhisattvas to swiftly realize bodhi.