大乘起信論廣釋卷第三．四．五 5.24

5.24

論。以見法身至入於涅槃　釋曰。此顯利他德也。謂於十住發心住中。隨本發心。利眾生願。能現八相。權作佛身。故花嚴云。云何菩薩一身作無量身。悉於一切世界示現成佛故。由得道故。成此佛事。是佛菩薩常行之道。示現成佛道之相故。總名為八相成道。故對法論業大性云。窮生死際。示現一切成菩提等諸佛事故。就諸教說多少不同。如花嚴經說二十相。彼經為成十數法門。仍一一相皆顯十義。而不別說。入胎一相。佛本行經所現更多多同。花嚴少有差別。智論說。有化身成佛則無入住出胎等相。悲花經說。天王世尊自右成道。則無出家。法花龍女作成界子速得成佛。無苦行等。悲花又說。有佛成道都不說法。便入涅槃。此等諸教所說異者。或總通顯一切佛事。或但一佛隨宜所現。或隨義類開合有殊。若約大位多分而說故。有說言。八相成道。既初住上皆能示現於中故。有任不任運遍不遍義。應作四句。有遍不任運。謂初地上一念作意。至十方故。有任運不遍。謂十地來隨位自在現身土故。有非任運非遍。謂三賢位依以觀門少分見故。有遍而任運。謂依世尊。依大法身起妙用故。恐文繁廣略示方□。於中委細如別章辨。

[Treatise:] Because of seeing the dharmakāya [… down to:] entering into nirvāṇa.
[Commentary:] This reveals the virtue of benefiting others. It means that within the stage of the initial resolve among the ten abidings, in accordance with the original aspiration and the vow to benefit sentient beings, one is able to manifest the eight characteristics and provisionally take on the body of a Buddha. Therefore, the Avataṃsaka states: 'How does a bodhisattva make countless bodies from a single body, universally manifesting the attainment of Buddhahood in all worlds?' Because of attaining the path, one accomplishes these Buddha-deeds; this is the path constantly practiced by Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Because it manifests the characteristics of the path of attaining Buddhahood, it is collectively named 'attaining the path through the eight characteristics'. Therefore, the Abhidharmasamuccaya-bhāṣya on the greatness of karmic activity says: 'To the end of saṃsāra, manifesting all Buddha-deeds such as attaining bodhi.' Regarding the expositions across the teachings, there are differences in quantity. For instance, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra speaks of twenty characteristics; because that sūtra aims to complete the ten-number Dharma-gates, each single characteristic reveals ten meanings, yet it does not separately mention the characteristic of entering the womb. The Buddhacarita-sūtra presents even more, mostly similar to the Avataṃsaka with minor differences. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says that when there is a manifestation-body attaining Buddhahood, there are no characteristics of entering, abiding in, or emerging from the womb. The Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka-sūtra says that Devarāja the World-Honoured One attained the path directly from his right [side], and thus had no leaving the household. In the Lotus Sūtra, the dragon girl became a prince of the world and swiftly attained Buddhahood without ascetic practices and the like. The Karuṇāpuṇḍarīka also says that there is a Buddha who, having attained the path, did not teach the Dharma at all and immediately entered into nirvāṇa. The differences stated in these various teachings either generally and comprehensively reveal all Buddha-deeds, or are merely manifested by a single Buddha according to suitability, or differ in their opening and merging according to semantic categories. If spoken in terms of broad stages for the most part, therefore, there is the explanation of attaining the path through the eight characteristics. Since from the initial abiding onward one is able to manifest within them, there are meanings of spontaneous vs. non-spontaneous and pervasive vs. non-pervasive. Four propositions should be formulated: (1) pervasive and non-spontaneous—referring to the first bhūmi and above, reaching the ten directions in a single thought-conception; (2) spontaneous and non-pervasive—referring to the ten bhūmis onward, manifesting bodies and lands with mastery according to their stage; (3) neither spontaneous nor pervasive—referring to the stages of the three grades of worthies, seeing [the dharmakāya] in a minor portion based on the contemplation gate; (4) pervasive and spontaneous—referring to the World-Honoured One, giving rise to wondrous function based on the great dharmakāya. Fearing the text would become overly expansive, I have merely indicated the general direction. The fine details within this are analyzed in a separate chapter.