英語訳
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Śākyamuni pointed to that samādhi and named it "the samādhi of manifesting all physical forms." Since Mañjuśrī already didn't know this samādhi, we know that this is also not a concentration attained at the first stage.
Resolving: Medicine King is precisely a bodhisattva of the highest position. What he has currently accomplished should be sovereign even if it illuminates limitless worlds. Regarding attaining it from the first stage and above, the Xuanzan already considers this the initial attainment, so it doesn't reach the question at all.
The Xuanzan states: "Regarding the sūtra passage from 'these all sentient beings' to 'physical forms samādhi,'" the commentary says: "Below in the third cultivation there are three ○ Having attained this concentration, one can manifest bodies according to desires. At the first stage one immediately attains eighth-stage sovereignty. Among the ten equalities, one can manifest according to what sentient beings delight in. Because it's attained at the first stage."
The sūtra states: "Causing countless multitudes seeking śrāvaka [status], causing countless asaṃkhyeya people to arouse anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi mind, all enabling them to attain dwelling in the samādhi of all physical forms."
Question: When All-Beings-Delight-in-Seeing Bodhisattva burned his body as offering, was this to a karmic retribution body or what? If it was a karmic retribution body, the sūtra text below states "through supernatural powers, vowing he spontaneously ignited his body." If following this, then burning a body transformed by concentration and supernatural powers—is this truly a difficult practice? According to this, the sūtra states: "Though I find it difficult to make offerings to buddhas with spiritual power, it's not as good as offering with the body." [This appears to be] an actual body of karmic accumulation.
Resolving: There should be two interpretations. First is the karmic retribution body. The austerities are real. Because the benefits gained are vast. If it were a body resulting from concentration and supernatural powers, it actually couldn't be burned at all. However, regarding the text about "through supernatural powers, vowing he spontaneously burned his body," its meaning is undetermined. Even if it's a karmic retribution body, burning the body should still borrow supernatural power. That fierce fire burned the body without ending life and extended for 1,200 years—this cannot be achieved through karmic power alone. Or it's a body resulting from concentration and supernatural powers. The Xuanzan considers that buddha a reward body, so within the reward land one necessarily senses the body through this concentration and supernatural power ○. Though the meaning of burning the body seems like a transformation manifestation, because the inner mind is real, one should be able to endure austerities.
If following the former interpretation, though the buddha is a reward body, in reality one necessarily also has a transformation body. Did Gladly-Seen Bodhisattva burn his body while in a transformation land? After the austerities, he first attained the samādhi of manifesting all physical forms. That initial attainment is first stage and above. We know that when he burned his body he was at the pre-stage level.
The Collected Explanations states: "The commentary's 'having attained this concentration, one can manifest bodies according to desires'—the physical forms that arise are precisely the fruits of concentration. Or having attained concentration one can develop supernatural powers and manifest various physical forms. The body is precisely included in the fruits of supernatural powers—the samādhi of forms uses 'possessive' as its designation. All others should be understood similarly. Or it's a possessive compound interpretation."
The Water Commentary states: "Mixing [sources] it says: This is a manifested body. Through the vow-power of supernatural abilities it lasted 1,200 years. What doubt is there about the length? This is also uncertain. Later being born in King Pure-Virtue's family was through transformation birth."
Question: When Gladly-Seen Bodhisattva burned his body as offering, which was it among material giving and Dharma giving? There are questions on both sides. If material giving, the sūtra sometimes says "this is called true Dharma offering" or explains "because of making offerings to all tathāgatas with Dharma." By this we know it's Dharma giving.
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If it's Dharma giving, then using internal and external wealth and treasures are all material giving. Since he already abandoned his beloved body to make offerings to the buddha, how is this not material giving?
Resolving: According to Master Xing's view, Medicine King burning his body—even if it's material offering—is the beginning of repaying kindness. That master didn't resolve the text about "true Dharma offering." His mind is difficult to know. What should be said now? Even if it's material giving, when done according to Dharma it can be called Dharma giving. Like Inexhaustible Intent's necklace saying "receive this Dharma giving." How much more so Medicine King burning his entire body? Since the sūtra already says "this is called true Dharma offering" or "making offerings with Dharma," it should definitely transcend the category of material offerings. Regarding the difficulty that "it's not Buddha-Dharma," when the sūtra says "this is called true Dharma offering to the Tathāgata," though it's not ordinary Dharma offering, using this it's also called Dharma offering. The reconciling explanation first established and revealed the sūtra text, therefore there's no fault.
Master Xing's commentary states: "The Wonderful Sound chapter says: The initial coming intention has two aspects. First, to reveal Dharma offering. Medicine King burning his body—even if it's material giving offerings—is the beginning of repaying kindness. Since it already shows Wonderful Sound's practice as Dharma offering, it should constitute the head of propagating the sūtra."
The Private Record states: "Question: When Gladly-Seen Bodhisattva burned his body and light illuminated 8 billion Ganges sand worlds, all the buddhas therein simultaneously praised saying: 'Excellent, good man! This is true vigor. This is called true Dharma offering.' Regarding this, someone questions: 'Burning the body is internal wealth—what [makes it] Dharma offering?' How to explain this? Answer: Respectfully saying: 'Though burning the body is internal wealth, now it's for the sake of Dharma, therefore it's called Dharma offering.'"
Question: Regarding the sūtra text about "gaṅkāra, piṅbara, akṣobhya and other verses," how does the great master explain this?
Answer: Among the sixty numbers in the Abhidharmakośa, the 16th, 18th, and 20th are respectively called gaṅkāra, piṅbara, akṣobhya, etc. Regarding this, the sixty numbers in the Abhidharmakośa go from one to ten as ten, then progressively multiply by ten to reach sixty. Using tens as the numbering system. There's completely no use of eight as a number. But this sūtra has "eight hundred thousand million billion up to akṣobhya, etc." Since it already uses eight as a number, we know it doesn't follow the Abhidharmakośa's sixty numbers. Moreover, if following the sixty numbers, regarding the ultimate number one should only mention akṣobhya. Why necessarily bring out the numbers nayuta, gaṅkāra, etc.? Thus a master's explanation states: "Four-syllable, five-syllable, seven-syllable verse chants are respectively called gaṅkāra, piṅbara, akṣobhya verses." If so, "eight hundred thousand million billion" raises numbers, while "gaṅkāra, etc." presents three types of verses. How so?
Resolving: The Abhidharmakośa treatise presents sixty numbers. Among them, the 16th is called kiṅkara, the same as this sūtra's gaṅkāra. The 18th is called piṅbara, the same as piṅbara. The 20th is called acchubha, which is precisely this akṣobhya. Therefore the Xuanzan states: "These three types in total are precisely the 16th, 18th, and 20th numbers." Since the pronunciations are already the same, why wouldn't they correspond? However, progressive multiplication by tens is the usual practice for numerical quantities. Even so, why not say "eight hundred thousand million billion nayuta akṣobhya, etc."? The intention is probably using gaṅkāra as one number, reaching eight hundred thousand million billion. Using eight as a measure is not