The Previous Body and the Following Body

中文原著：隆門圓通法師
英文翻譯：張惠平
Written by Master Shih Longmen Yuantong
Translated by Huei Ping Chang

問：中陰身與意生身的區別？
答：兩者不同。中陰身是前身已死、後身未形成，還沒有投胎時的陰身。而意生身不是每個人都有的，要修行有一定功夫的人才有。
是為濟度眾生，如意受生的菩薩身。

意生身有三種；
三昧樂正受意生身
覺法自性、性意生身
種類俱足無行作意生身。

用功過程中應注意適度鍛煉：心在事、物真正不粘著了，謂：欲知山下路、須問過來人。
修心、修行是看各人所證深淺、世間法爾如是。佛法不光靠理解、更要靠自己腳踏實地修行。
共勉之……吉祥

資料來源：心靈甘露(一)，隆門圓通法師著。

The Previous Body and the Following Body
Q: What’s the difference between the Interim Body and the Intent-produced Body?
A: They are different. The Interim Body is the body after one is dead and before his following body is formed. During this period one is not reincarnated yet. As to the Intent-produced Body, not everyone has it. Only those who have cultivated to some extent possess it, which is a Bodhisattva body produced as one intends to transform living beings.

There are three kinds of the Intent-produced Body:
(1) The Body bestowed by Samadhi pleasure.
(2) The Body arising from realizing Dharma and self-nature.
(3) The Body arising from realizing all Dharmas and from non-action and non-intent.

Note that appropriate training is required in the process of cultivation. Do not cling to matters or objects. If you want to know about the path under the mountain, ask those who have climbed up from there. In the cultivation of mind or behavior, how much one has achieved will be checked, and the same is true for the worldly Dharma. Buddhist Dharma is not just for understanding, but more importantly, for one to practice realistically.

Let’s encourage each other with this. Auspiciousness to everybody.

Source: Sweet Dew for the Soul (Vol. I), Written by Master Shih Longmen Yuantong.