Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
122. Two Kinds of Dharma Bodies (Dharmakaya)
(continued)
2. Explanation of the Name
Dharma Nature is another name for True Suchness. Dharma includes all phenomena in the cosmos; Nature means the nature of the whole body. The Commentary on the Treatise on Rebirth says, “True Suchness is the Correct Body of all Dharmas”. True Suchness is the fundamental body / substance of all Dharmas, so it is called Dharma Nature. Because that matches and aligns with the wonderful law of Dharma Nature, it is called the Body of Dharma Nature.
The Chapter on the Meaning of the Mahayana explains the Dharma Body with two meanings and says, “ the First is to reveal its original Dharma nature by forming the body”, and is why it is called the Dharma Body. The second is, to form the Dharma Body, which contains various merits and virtues.
With respect to “expedience”, in order to lead those who cannot believe and accept this “reality”, there is no alternative but to establish a provisional expedient means in accordance with their aptitudes and capacities. However, the expediency of the Dharma Body of Expedience is not provisional and assumptive.
Bodhisattva Vasubandhu established the three gates - of wisdom, compassion and expedience. The former two gates(wisdom and compassion) are two of the Buddha’s ultimate truths, and the latter expresses the Buddha’s compassion for and deliverance of sentient beings, which is the Buddha’s Dharma Body of Expediency.
Thus, the Commentary on the Treatise on Rebirth says, “Expedience means with straightforwardness and self-abandonment. Being straightforward, they arouse the mind of compassion for all sentient beings, and by abandoning self, they eliminate any reverential offerings to the mind and body of a “self”. This is because they have realized the truth of equality, and that they have no body to receive offerings and respect. The Dharma Body of Expediency actually plays the role of helping sentient beings to realize the Buddha’s ultimate truths and thereby be delivered.
(to be continued tomorrow)
122 二種法身(續)
二、釋名
法性是真如之異名。法指一切萬法,即將世間萬象命名為法;性是體性之義,如《往生論註》卷下所言「真如是諸法之正體」,真如乃一切萬法之本體,故名為法性。與法性之妙理相一致、相契合即名為法性身。
《大乘義章》卷十八以二義解釋法身,一是顯本法性以成其身,名為法身;二是以一切諸功德法而成其身,故名法身。
關於方便,一般認為是為了誘導未熟之機進入真實,不得已順應對方的狀態而權且施設的方法。這便是所謂的權假方便(見方便)。但方便法身的方便卻並不是權假方便,天親菩薩於《往生論》中開立智慧門、慈悲門與方便門之三門,其中之智慧與慈悲是在發揮佛實際所證得之功用,而方便門則是指愛憐和救濟眾生,方便法身的方便便是這種意思。
所以《往生論註》卷下才解釋方便言:「正直曰方,外己曰便,依正直故,生憐憫一切眾生心;依外己故,遠離供養恭敬自身心(證得無差別之平等真理,於一切眾生無差別見則名為正直;求自身之功利名為供養,愛重自身則名為恭敬)。」如此看來,所謂方便法身,就是發揮佛實際證得的智慧與慈悲的作用,以救度眾生的佛身。
Namo Amituofo!
