Summary
s.1As the title suggests, this sūtra describes the three bodies of the Buddha. While the Buddha is dwelling on Vulture Peak in Rājgṛha, the Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha asks whether the Tathāgata has a body, to which the Buddha replies that the Tathāgata has three bodies: a dharmakāya, a saṃbhogakāya, and a nirmāṇakāya. The Buddha goes on to describe what constitutes these three bodies and their associated meaning. The Buddha explains that the dharmakāya is like space, the saṃbhogakāya is like clouds, and the nirmāṇakāya is like rain. At the end of the Buddha’s elucidation, Kṣitigarbha expresses jubilation, and the Buddha declares that whoever upholds this Dharma teaching will obtain immeasurable merit.
s.1如經題所示，本經描述了佛陀的三身。當佛陀住在王舍城的鷲峰山時，地藏菩薩提問如來是否具有身體，佛陀回答說如來有三身：法身、報身和化身。佛陀接著描述了這三身的構成及其相應的含義。佛陀解釋說法身如同虛空，報身如同雲彩，化身如同雨水。在佛陀的闡述結束時，地藏菩薩表達了歡喜，佛陀宣佈凡是受持此法教的人將獲得無量的功德。