..續本文上一頁that of the moon. And so the essentual body (dharma-kaaya) is an unarisen body. The body of skillful means conforms to the world, displaying of infinite roots of karmic circumstances. In every place, he makes a show of being birth, just as does the moon. What is the meaning of this

　　 The Tathaagata constantly abides, devoid of any change or difference.

　　"Furthermore, Good son, it is just as when Ruhula the Asura king blocks the moon with his hand and the people of the world all claim that the moon has been eaten. The Asura king, however, in reality cannot eat the moon. It is simply that the Asura king has obstructed its light. The moon is perfectly round and full and does not wane and become smaller. It is only because of the obstructing hand that it does not appear so. And when he retracts his hand, the worldly people all claim that the moon is again reborn. Their claims that the moon has suffered numerous injuries is a convention. One hundred thousand Asura kings could not harm it.

　　"The Tathaagata is also so. Appearing to be a sentient being, the beings of coarse and wicked minds regard the Tathaagata as a produced Buddha body, their blood rising to the five wicked deeds and becoming icchantikas. Because of these sentient beings” future lives, there thus will be displayed the destruction of the sangha and end of the Dharma, and putting a stop to this will be difficult. It the case, however, that the infinite hundeds of thousands of kotis of maras are unable to harm the production of body or blood of the Tathaagata. And why is that

　　 The Tathaagata”s body has no blood, flesh, muscle, veins, bone, or marrow. The Tathaagata in reality really is invulnerable.

　　Sentient beings who say that the Dharma and Sangha is harmed or destroyed and the Tathaagata dead. However, the Tathaagata”s nature in reality is changeless and indestructible. It is in conformance to the worldly that he thus is displayed.

　　"Furthermore, Good son, it is like two people fight. Suppose one uses a blade to defend himself wounds the other, causing him to bleed. Although the other may die, he did not give rise to a murderous thought. Thus, the mark of his karma would be light and not heavy. If it were the Tathaagata, he himself has no murderous thoughts. Although he might cause [the Tathaagata”s] body to bleed, the karma also would be so; light and not heavy. The Tathaagata thusly in a future life would transform into a sentient being, appearing as a karmic reward.

　　"Furthermore, Good son, it is just like a physician who endevours to teach his son the medical uses of roots, saying, “These are the medicinal roots, the medicinal stalks, and other medicinal materials. The variety of characteristics

　　and appearances of them you should be well know.” His son respectfully recieved his father”s admonition to endevour and constantly studied the skillful understanding of the medicines. And after the physician”s lifespan was done and his life ended, his son fondly remembered him and said, “Father himself taught me, "Thus are the medicinal roots, thus the medicinal stalks, thus the medicinal flowers, and thus the form and characteristics of them."” "The Tathaagata is also so. In order to transform the sentient beings, he shows them the commandments and precepts which they must thusly recieve, uphold, and not transgress, nor commit the five wicked deeds or slander the true Dharma and be an icchantika. It is so that in future lives there arises these matters that he appears. He wishes to lead the bhiksus so that after the Buddha has passed on they might thus know the recorded Suutras” deep and profound meaning, the marks of the vinaya precepts slight and grave, and the abhidharma”s which discernment of the Dharma words, so they will be just like that physician”s son.

　　"Furthermo…

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