Manifesting Rebirth for the Sake of Teaching
The three gates of liberation — emptiness, marklessness, wishlessness — are each held without their ordinary consequence: marks are never abandoned, vows are never abandoned. Sovereign power amid affliction, rebirth beyond birth-and-death, and entry into every destiny are all manifested purely for the sake of teaching sentient beings.
Emptiness, Marklessness, and Wishlessness, Each Held for Others' Sake
「……住四無量，不生無色，為教化者；修習止觀，不證明脫化眾生者；住空三昧，滅無見者；住無相三昧，為化眾生，不捨相者；住無願三昧，不捨菩薩一切願者；一切煩惱業中，得自在力，為教化故，示現隨順煩惱業者；離於生死，而現受生，為教化者；離一切趣，現入諸趣，化眾生者；……」
"… of one who abides in the four immeasurable states, yet is not reborn in the formless realm, for the sake of teaching; of one who cultivates calming and insight, yet does not realize liberation, for the sake of transforming sentient beings; of one who abides in the samādhi of emptiness, extinguishing the view of nothingness; of one who abides in the markless samādhi, yet, for the sake of transforming sentient beings, does not abandon marks; of one who abides in the wishless samādhi, yet does not abandon any bodhisattva vow; of one who, amid every afflictive karma, attains sovereign power, manifesting accordance with afflictive karma for the sake of teaching; of one who transcends birth-and-death, yet manifests taking rebirth for the sake of teaching; of one who transcends every destiny, yet manifests entering every destiny to transform sentient beings … [the reflection continues]"
The three gates of liberation — emptiness, marklessness, wishlessness — are the classical foundation of the śrāvaka's own path to nirvāṇa, and this passage's own careful qualification of each ("yet does not abandon marks," "yet does not abandon any vow") marks precisely where the bodhisattva's own use of them diverges from that classical goal. Fazang reads "manifesting accordance with afflictive karma for the sake of teaching" as this stretch's own most striking claim — not merely tolerating affliction but actively displaying conformity with it, entirely for others' benefit, while remaining internally sovereign and unaffected.
Part 286 In Progress
This sequence of purposeful manifestations continues. Part 287 continues with cultivating joy while grieving at beings' suffering, and attaining the nine successive absorptions without ever tiring of rebirth in the desire realm.
Continue to Part 287 →