英語訳
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Table of Contents for Saishō Mondōshō, Volume Two
Volume Two
Question: The sutra says "manifesting various bodies, this is called the transformation body." Does this include the Buddha body? (Two aspects).
Question: Does the body seen by the three vehicles include the response body?
Question: Regarding the other-enjoyment body that transforms bodhisattvas with segmented bodies before the seventh ground - is this only response and not transformation?
Question: Does the other-enjoyment body span kalpas between previous and subsequent Buddhas?
Question: Is the response body in this sutra limited only to what the four good roots perceive?
Question: Can the other-enjoyment body manifest as a child or non-Buddha body?
Question: The Buddha that transforms the four good roots - is it other-enjoyment or transformation?
Question: Does the non-empty Tathāgatagarbha in the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra encompass both defiled and undefiled seeds?
Question: At which ground is the obstruction to benefiting sentient beings eliminated? (Another aspect).
Question: This sutra says "the dharma body is revealed through the emptiness of persons and phenomena." How does the commentary master explain this distinction?
Question: The sutra text says "there is only suchness-suchness wisdom." How is this explained regarding the two benefits?
Question: Can the characteristic of Brahma voice be said to surpass the invisible crown characteristic?
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Saishō Mondōshō, Volume Two
Volume Two
Question: In the chapter distinguishing the three bodies, it says "manifesting various bodies, this is called the transformation body." Can the Buddha body be included among these various bodies? Response: The commentary (volume 3) says "it does not include the Buddha body." Regarding this, since it already says "various bodies," why doesn't it include the Buddha body? Looking at the sutra text, when clarifying the characteristics of the transformation body, it says "practicing thus until practice is perfected, through the power of practice one attains great sovereignty." Shouldn't this include the Buddha body of perfect fruition and sovereignty? Accordingly, in the commentary's explanation of the text "manifesting various bodies," it states "namely the eight phases, etc." Since it speaks of the eight-phase body, how could this not be the Buddha form? Thus, Korean and Japanese masters, whether interpreting the sutra text or explaining the commentary's meaning, have explained that it includes Buddha bodies like the sixteen-foot form. How should this be understood?
Question (another aspect): Can the transformation body described in this sutra include the Buddha body? Both aspects. If it includes it, then the great master elsewhere, explaining this sutra's meaning, calls the Buddha body seen by the three vehicles the "response body" and the bodies of the five destinies the "transformation body" - doesn't this explanation clearly exclude the Buddha form? If it doesn't include the Buddha body, then in this commentary's explanation of "manifesting various bodies," it says "namely the eight phases, etc." Since it speaks of the eight phases, how could there be no Buddha body? Moreover, the response body includes the transformative activities of the ten grounds and four good roots. Thus we know that Buddha bodies outside of this are transformation bodies. How should this be understood?
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I say: The establishment of the three bodies in this sutra differs from ordinary explanations. The reason is that in the above text "manifesting various bodies, this is called the transformation body," while the presence or absence of Buddha body is not clear, when the response body is subsequently presented, it first mentions bodies endowed with the thirty-two marks and eighty excellent characteristics. If the transformation body had the meaning of including Buddha bodies, why wouldn't it mention the thirty-two marks, etc.? Next, when distinguishing the four phrases, clarifying the phrase "transformation body but not response body," it says "all Tathāgatas, after parinirvāṇa, through the power of vows and sovereignty, benefit beings according to conditions - this is called the transformation body." Since it says "after parinirvāṇa," it excludes Buddha bodies during their lifetime, speaking of Buddha images, relics, or bodies of different types. Isn't it clear from the sutra text's context that there are no Buddha bodies? Thus this commentary and the Three Bodies chapter, with Xuanzan volume 9 being the same, explain the sutra's meaning as excluding Buddha bodies and speaking of the bodies of the five destinies. Following the sutra text and interpretations, we should say it does not speak of Buddha bodies. Next, "response body but not transformation body" takes the Buddha bodies manifested by the transformative activities of the four good roots and ground-level bodhisattvas in response to spiritual capacities, and not other types. Next, "transformation body which is also response body" refers to creating human and celestial forms for śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and ordinary beings, later attaining enlightenment under the bodhi tree - this is the body born in the royal palace. This creates human and celestial bodies, transforms to create Buddha bodies. Responding to spiritual capacities to create Buddha bodies, humans also suddenly transform to create Buddha bodies, thus having the meaning of response-transformation. Therefore it is the phrase "transformation body which is also response." In this sutra's meaning, response body refers to Buddha body, so the phrase "transformation body but not response body" specifically excludes this. However, regarding the eight-phase transformation body also being this phrase according to the commentary's explanation, in this sutra's meaning, while excluding Buddha bodies, when following conventional explanations and preserving true principle, the eight-phase
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enlightenment Buddha body should also be this phrase. This doesn't mean the sutra text explains it. We shouldn't forcibly create contradictions. It states "based on actual attainment, after nirvāṇa, the arising enlightenment and eight-phase transformation body are also this phrase." It also says that the phrase "response body but not transformation body" takes the Buddha bodies of the transformative activities of the four good roots and ground-level segmented-body beings. We know that "both response and transformation body" takes the Buddha body seen by the three vehicles. The Three Bodies chapter says "transforming the old form is called 'change,' having nothing then suddenly existing is called 'transformation.' Responding to the appropriateness of transformable spiritual capacities and manifesting Buddha body, thus called response body."
We should also consider the meaning of this commentary's explanation using two interpretations.
Further inquiry: The commentary text "arising enlightenment, eight-phase transformation body, also this phrase" undoubtedly takes Buddha body. Accordingly, the commentary explains "manifesting various bodies" as "namely the eight phases, etc." The explanations before and after seem to take Buddha body. Next, in the Three Bodies chapter, reconciling why this sutra doesn't speak of Buddha bodies during lifetime, it says "In transformation body but not response, it only speaks of Tathāgatas who have already entered parinirvāṇa and manifest through vow-power, not speaking of transformation bodies manifested when Buddha is alive. When the principal exists and creates transformations, it's easy to understand; when the principal is absent and transformations arise, it's difficult, so this is explained." The meaning is that the sutra not speaking of Buddha transformations during lifetime is because post-extinction transformations are difficult, so they're mentioned, while transformations during lifetime are easy, so they're not clarified. We know that actually the sutra's intention should permit taking Buddha bodies in transformation body. Why does this sutra's meaning not align with other teachings and ultimately say it's not permitted? Next, are response body and other-enjoyment body the same or different?
Response: The reconciliation of "eight-phase transformation body, also this phrase" is as before. The explanation of "namely the eight phases, etc." is...