金剛般若經旨贊 2.24

2.24

Sūtra: What the Tathāgata speaks of [...] thirty-two marks. / Commentary: This is the explanation. The thirty-two marks spoken of by the Tathāgata are the unreal, provisional marks of the transformation body, because the Buddha's true essence is the Dharma-body. Since the Dharma-body is markless, the thirty-two are non-marks; they are called the provisional bodily marks of responsive transformation. Yet the fruit of the marks and characteristics is summoned by distinct causes of merit, whereas the true Buddha's Dharma-body is brought about by the merit of upholding the sūtra. Since discussing the Dharma-body in terms of the fruit shows that the true Buddha's marks of form are not real, one knows that in terms of the cause, the merit of upholding the sūtra surpasses the merit of the causes for the marks. The merit of material giving brings contaminated recompenses and is still not equal to the causes of merit for those marks of form; how much less could it attain the virtue of upholding this sūtra! Therefore the treatise verse states: "This subdues defiled merit." Hence bodhisattvas should receive and retain it to complete the merit provision and realize the fruit of the Dharma-body.