English
English version: That which is called 'sentient beings' due to birth and death is the explanation of the name and meaning of sentient beings in the Three Realms according to the Hinayana school. It is not the meaning of sentient beings according to the Mahayana school. As the Mahayana school says about sentient beings, as stated in the *Anunatva Apurnatva Sutra* (The Sutra of Neither Increase Nor Decrease), 'The term 'sentient beings' means the meaning of neither birth nor death.' Why? If there is birth, and birth after birth, there would be endless faults. There would also be the fault of birth without non-birth. Therefore, there is no birth. If there is birth, there could be death. Since there is no birth, how can there be death? Therefore, no birth and no death is the meaning of sentient beings. As it says in the sutra, 'Penetrating the emptiness of the five skandhas (aggregates of existence) is the meaning of suffering.' This is similar. 'Immeasurable Great Treasure King Subtle Pure Flower Platform' these two sentences describe the merit and accomplishment of adorning the seat. Why adorn this seat? Because it is seen that there are Bodhisattvas who, in their final life, sit on grass and attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi (unsurpassed perfect enlightenment). When humans and devas see this, they do not generate increasing faith, increasing reverence, increasing love, and increasing practice. Therefore, the vow is made, 'When I become a Buddha, may I use the Immeasurable Great Treasure King Subtle Pure Flower Platform as my Buddha seat.' 'Immeasurable,' as stated in the *Amitayurdhyana Sutra* (The Sutra on Contemplation of Amitayus), 'On the ground of seven treasures, there is a great treasure lotus flower king seat. Each lotus petal has the color of a hundred treasures, with eighty-four thousand veins, like a painting in the heavens. Each vein emits eighty-four thousand rays of light. The small petals are two hundred and fifty yojanas (unit of distance) in length and width. There are eighty-four thousand such petals. Between each petal, there are hundreds of billions of mani jewel kings used as adornments. Each mani jewel emits a thousand rays of light. The light is like a canopy, made of seven treasures, covering the ground. The platform is made of Shakya-Vaidurya (beryl) treasure. This lotus platform is adorned with eighty thousand Vajra (diamond) Kalpavriksha (wish-fulfilling tree) treasures, Brahma-mani (Brahma jewel) treasures, and wonderful true pearl nets. On the platform, there are naturally four jeweled pillars and banners. Each jeweled banner is like eighty-four thousand billion Mount Sumerus (mythical mountain). The jeweled curtains on the banners are like the Yama Heaven palace, adorned with five hundred billion subtle jeweled pearls. Each jeweled pearl emits eighty-four thousand rays of light. Each ray of light creates eighty-four thousand different kinds of golden colors. Each golden light pervades the Land of Bliss, transforming everywhere, each creating different appearances, or becoming Vajra platforms.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
或作真珠网。或作杂华云。于十方面。随意变现化作佛事。如是等事出过数量。是故言无量大宝王微妙净华台。 相好光一寻色像超群生 此二句名庄严身业功德成就。佛本何故庄严如此身业。见有佛身。受一丈光明。于人身光不甚超绝。如转轮王相好亦大同。提婆达多所减唯一。致令阿阇世王以兹怀乱。删阇耶等敢如蟷螂。或如此类也。是故庄严如此身业。案此间诂训。六尺曰寻。如观无量寿经言。阿弥陀如来身高六十万亿那由他恒河沙由旬。佛圆光如百亿三千大千世界。译者以寻而言。何其晦(木代反)。乎。里舍间人不简纵横长短。咸谓横舒两手臂为寻。若译者或取此类用准阿弥陀如来舒臂为言故称一寻者。圆光亦应径六十万亿那由他恒河沙由旬。是故言相好光一寻。色像超群生。问曰。观无量寿经言。诸佛如来是法界身。入一切众生心想中。是故汝等心想佛时。是心即是三十二相八十随形好。是心作佛是心是佛。诸佛正遍知海从心想生。是义云何。答曰。身名集成界名事别。如眼界缘根色空明作意五因缘生名为眼界。是眼但自行己缘。不行他缘。以事别故。耳鼻等界亦如是。言诸佛如来是法界身者。法界是众生心法也。以心能生世间出世间一切诸法故名心为法界。法界能生诸如来相好身。亦如色等能生 现代汉语译本 或化作真珠宝网，或化作各色鲜花的云彩，在十方世界，随心所欲地变现，行种种佛事。像这样的事情多得数不清。所以说‘无量大宝王微妙净华台’。 ‘相好光一寻（古代长度单位，约八尺），色像超群生’这两句是赞叹佛庄严的身业功德成就。佛陀为何要如此庄严自己的身业呢？因为有的佛身，只放出一丈光明，在人身的光明中并不显得特别突出，比如转轮圣王，其相好也与佛陀大致相同，提婆达多（Devadatta，佛陀的堂兄弟，后背叛佛教）所缺少的只有一点点，以至于让阿阇世王（Ajatasattu，古印度摩揭陀国国王）因此心生疑惑。删阇耶（Sanjaya，古印度怀疑论者）等人也敢像螳螂一样冒犯佛陀。或者还有其他类似的情况。所以佛陀要庄严如此的身业。按照此地的训诂，六尺叫做‘寻’。如《观无量寿经》所说，阿弥陀如来（Amitabha，西方极乐世界的佛）身高六十万亿那由他（Nayuta，数量单位）恒河沙由旬（Yojana，长度单位）。佛的圆光如百亿三千大千世界。译者用‘寻’来表达，不是很晦涩吗？里巷间的人不区分纵横长短，都认为横向舒展两臂的长度为‘寻’。如果译者或许取此类比，用阿弥陀如来舒展手臂的长度来称‘一寻’，那么圆光也应该直径六十万亿那由他恒河沙由旬。所以说‘相好光一寻，色像超群生’。有人问：‘《观无量寿经》说，诸佛如来是法界身，进入一切众生的心想中。所以你们心想佛的时候，这个心就是三十二相八十随形好。是心作佛，是心是佛。诸佛正遍知海从心想生。’这是什么意思呢？回答：身是指各个部分的集合，界是指各个事物的区别。比如眼界，依靠根、色、空、明、作意这五种因缘而生，称为眼界。这个眼只能自行其缘，不能行他缘，因为事物有区别。耳鼻等界也是如此。说诸佛如来是法界身，法界是众生心法。因为心能生世间出世间一切诸法，所以称心为法界。法界能生诸如来相好身，也像色等能生眼界一样。
English
English version They may transform into nets of pearls, or clouds of various flowers, manifesting at will in the ten directions, performing all kinds of Buddha-deeds. Such occurrences are beyond number. Therefore, it is said, 'Immeasurable Great Treasure King, Subtle Pure Flower Platform'. 'The light of his marks and characteristics is one fathom (an ancient unit of length, about eight feet), his form and appearance surpass all beings.' These two lines praise the accomplished merit of the Buddha's dignified bodily karma. Why does the Buddha adorn his bodily karma in such a way? Because some Buddhas' bodies emit only a fathom of light, which is not particularly outstanding among human lights, such as that of a Chakravartin King (Universal Ruler), whose marks and characteristics are also largely the same as a Buddha's. Devadatta (Buddha's cousin who later betrayed Buddhism) lacked only a little, causing King Ajatasattu (ruler of Magadha in ancient India) to harbor doubts. Sanjaya (an ancient Indian skeptic) and others dared to offend the Buddha like mantises. Or there may be other similar situations. Therefore, the Buddha adorns his bodily karma in such a way. According to the exegesis here, six feet are called a 'fathom'. As the Contemplation Sutra says, Amitabha Tathagata (Buddha of the Western Pure Land) is sixty hundred thousand nayutas (a unit of number) of Ganges sands yojanas (a unit of length) tall. The Buddha's halo is like a hundred billion three thousand great chiliocosms. The translator uses 'fathom' to express this, is it not obscure? People in the neighborhood do not distinguish between length and width, and all consider the length of outstretched arms to be a 'fathom'. If the translator perhaps takes this analogy, using the length of Amitabha Tathagata's outstretched arms to call it 'one fathom', then the halo should also be sixty hundred thousand nayutas of Ganges sands yojanas in diameter. Therefore, it is said, 'The light of his marks and characteristics is one fathom, his form and appearance surpass all beings.' Someone asks: 'The Contemplation Sutra says, all Buddhas and Tathagatas are Dharmakaya (Dharma body), entering the minds of all beings. Therefore, when you contemplate the Buddha, this mind is the thirty-two marks and eighty minor characteristics. This mind makes Buddha, this mind is Buddha. The ocean of perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas arises from the mind.' What does this mean? The answer is: 'Body' refers to the collection of various parts, 'realm' refers to the distinction of various things. For example, the eye-realm arises from five conditions: root, color, space, light, and attention. This eye can only act on its own conditions and cannot act on other conditions, because things are distinct. The ear, nose, and other realms are also like this. To say that all Buddhas and Tathagatas are Dharmakaya, the Dharmakaya is the mind-dharma of sentient beings. Because the mind can generate all dharmas of the world and beyond, it is called the Dharmakaya. The Dharmakaya can generate the marks and characteristics of all Tathagatas, just as color and other things can generate the eye-realm. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
眼识。是故佛身名法界身。是身不行他缘。是故入一切众生心想中。心想佛时是心即是三十二相八十随形好者。当众生心想佛时。佛身相好显现众生心中也。譬如水清则色像现。水之与像不一不异。故言佛相好身即是心想也。是心作佛者。言心能作佛也。是心是佛者。心外无佛也。譬如火从木出火不得离木也。以不离木故则能烧木。木为火烧木即为火也。诸佛正遍知海从心想生者。正遍知者。真正如法界而知也。法界无相故诸佛无知也。以无知故无不知也。无知而知者是正遍知也。是知深广不可测量。故譬海也。 如来微妙声梵响闻十方 此二句名庄严口业功德成就。佛本何故兴此庄严。见有如来名似不尊。如外道軵(推车。人蒙反)。称瞿昙姓。成道日声唯彻梵天。是故愿言。使我成佛妙声遐布闻者悟忍。是故言如来微妙声梵响闻十方。 同地水火风虚空无分别 此二句名庄严心业功德成就。佛本何故兴此庄严。见有如来说法云此黑此白此不黑不白下法中法上法上上法。有如是等无量差别品似有分别。是故愿言。使我成佛如地荷负无轻重之殊如水润长无莦(恶草)。葀(瑞草。括音)。之异。如火成熟无芳臭之别如风起发无眠悟之差。如空苞受无开塞之念。得之于内物安于外。虚往实归于是于息。是故 现代汉语译本 眼识。因此佛身被称为法界身（Dharmadhatu body）。这个身不依赖其他因缘，所以能进入一切众生的心念之中。当众生心中想念佛时，这个心就是具有三十二相和八十随形好（thirty-two major marks and eighty minor marks）的佛。当众生心中想念佛时，佛的身相和美好就会显现在众生的心中。比如水清澈时，物体的影像就会显现。水和影像之间，既不是完全相同，也不是完全不同。所以说佛的相好之身就是心念所显现的。‘是心作佛’，意思是说心能够成佛。‘是心是佛’，意思是说心外没有佛。比如火从木头中产生，火不能离开木头。因为不离开木头，所以能够燃烧木头。木头被火燃烧，木头就变成了火。诸佛的正遍知海（ocean of perfect and complete knowledge）从心念中产生，正遍知的意思是真正如法界（Dharmadhatu）那样去知晓。法界没有相，所以诸佛没有知。因为没有知，所以没有不知。这种无知而知，就是正遍知。这种知深广不可测量，所以比喻为大海。 ‘如来微妙声梵响闻十方’，这两句是说庄严口业功德成就。佛最初为何要发起这种庄严？因为见到有些如来的名号不够尊崇，比如外道轻蔑地称呼释迦牟尼佛为‘瞿昙’。还有成道之日的声音只传到梵天。所以发愿说，使我成佛后，微妙的声音能够传播到远方，听到的人能够领悟并安忍。所以说‘如来微妙声梵响闻十方’。 ‘同地水火风虚空无分别’，这两句是说庄严心业功德成就。佛最初为何要发起这种庄严？因为见到有些如来说法时，会说‘此黑此白，此不黑不白，下法中法上法上上法’，有如此等等无量的差别品类，似乎有分别。所以发愿说，使我成佛后，像大地一样承载万物没有轻重之分，像水一样滋润生长没有好草坏草的区别，像火一样成熟万物没有芳香臭味的差别，像风一样吹拂万物没有睡眠觉悟的差异，像虚空一样包容万物没有开合阻塞的念头。从内心获得，外物才能安定。虚空往复，真实归还，于是得以止息。所以...