大毘盧遮那成佛神變加持經 (Shubhakarasimha & Yixing 724) 3
The Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi Sutra 3
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3.5
The well-abiding mantrin next recites for one month,
And in [this] preliminary expedient means the practitioner masters
each base. The buddhas of great renown have taught that this is the preliminary
recitation. Next, in accordance with what he has, he should offer up unguent,
flowers, and so on, And for the sake of accomplishing perfect awakening he redirects
[the merit thereof] to his own bodhi. In this manner within two months the mantra[-practitioner] will
become fearless. Then, having completed this [second] month, the practitioner
engages in recitation [proper]. A mountain peak or a cow pen, river sandbars, Crossroads, a chamber, a hallowed chamber, or the chamber of a
great god: The maṇḍala site is [made] completely like an adamantine palace, And having bound and protected the site, the practitioner performs
[rites of] accomplishment. In the middle of the night or when the sun rises The wise person should know that there may appear signs such as
these: A voice [saying] “Hūṃ,” or the sound of a drum, or again the shaking
of the earth, And he may hear words pleasing to the mind in empty space. He should know that with signs such as these siddhi will be all
as he wishes. The buddhas, honored among two-legged beings, have proclaimed
the result: If one dwells in this mantra practice, one will most certainly become
a buddha. One should in every way always keep the mantra in mind: Buddhas of yore, great seers, have taught [thus], and therefore one
should recollect it.
Chapter VI
The Manifestation of Siddhi
Thereupon the World-honored One again gazed upon the entire great assembly and, wishing to fulfill all wishes, again expounded Dharma-phrases for the consummation of knowledge determined by immeasurable gateways throughout the three ages.
Empty space is unsullied, without own-nature,
and bestows various kinds of skillful knowledge;
Because its own-nature is originally always empty,
it is dependently arisen, most profound, and difficult to see,
And in special progress over a long period of time
it grants the unsurpassed result as desired.
For example, just as dwellings in all destinies,
although dependent on empty space, are not attached to it,
So too is this pure Dharma like that,
and the three existences without exception are born pure.
Because the excellent-born, the imposing one, of yore cultivated this,
he acquired the conduct of all Tathāgatas.
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There is no other state that is as difficult to obtain,
and it completely illuminates the world just like the
World-honored One.
The method of most pure cultivation has been explained,
profound, vast, inexhaustible, and free from differentiation.
Then, when the World-honored One Vairocana had spoken these verses, he surveyed the entire great assembly of Vajrapāṇi and so on and addressed the vajradharas, saying, “Good sirs, you should each reveal phrases from which siddhi emanates through the supernatural power of the Dharma realm, such that beings, if thus seeing the Dharma, will dance for joy and attain a state of happiness.”
When he had finished speaking thus, the vajradharas made obeisance to the World-honored One Vairocana, [saying,] “So be it, O Dharma Lord, as you have commanded!” And they made a request of the Buddha, saying, “We beg you, World-honored One, to have pity on us and reveal the phrases from which siddhi emanates. Why? It would not be proper for us ourselves to proclaim in the presence of the Honored Bhagavān the Dharma as mastered by each of us. Verily, World-honored One, it is only because we wish for the weal and happiness of future beings.”
Thereupon the Bhagavān Vairocana addressed all the vajradharas, saying, “Excellent, excellent, good sirs! The Vinaya of the Dharma taught by the Tathāgata extols one dharma, namely, having modesty. If a man of good [family] or a woman of good [family] who has modesty thus sees the Dharma, two things will quickly occur: namely, they will not do what should not be done and they will be extolled by all. There are two further things [that will occur]: namely, they will attain what they have not yet attained and they will gain association with buddhas and bodhisattvas. There are two further things [that will occur]: namely, they will abide in śīla and they will be born among humans and gods. Now then, listen attentively and consider it carefully as I proclaim the phrases correspondent to the emanation of the accomplishment of mantras, phrases correspondent to emanation in which bodhisattvas cultivating bodhi via the gateway of mantras will quickly obtain mantra siddhi.
“If the practitioner sees a maṇḍala, is certified by a venerable [teacher], accomplishes mantras, generates the bodhi-mind, has deep faith and compassion, is without miserliness, dwells in the subjugation [of the passions], is well able to analyze how things arise from conditions, observes the prohibitory precepts, is well established in various disciplines, is possessed of skillful expedient means, is intrepid, knows the [proper] time and the wrong time [for doing something], readily makes gifts, has no fear in his mind, diligently cultivates mantra practices, has mastered the real meaning of mantras, always delights in sitting in meditation, and delights in performing [rites of] accomplishment[, he will indeed have success with mantras].
“Lord of Mysteries, in the realm of desire, for example, there is Īśvara’s vidyā ‘Delighting and Satisfying the Mind’: the gods in all the places of desire become intoxicated by it, producing many fine and sundry kinds of merriment as well as manifesting various sundry kinds of enjoyment and full
enjoyment, and they give what they have magically transformed to the Paranirmitavaśavartin gods and so on and also enjoy it themselves.
“Again, good sirs, the god Maheśvara, for example, has a vidyā ‘Born from the Excellent Mind’: he is able to do benefit for beings throughout the
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triple thousand great thousand world-system, creating every enjoyment and full enjoyment, and he gives them to the gods of Pure Abode (Śuddhāvāsa) and also enjoys them himself.
“Again, the mantras of an illusionist, for example, are able to manifest various gardens, woods, people, and things; the mantras of asuras, for example, produce illusory transformations; worldly magical arts, for example, counteract poison as well as fever and so on; the mantras of the Mātṛs (Mothers) are able to inflict epidemics and pestilences on beings; and mundane magical arts eliminate poisons as well as chills and fever and so on, and can transform a blazing fire, producing refreshing coolness [in its place].
“Therefore, good sirs, you should have faith in the potency of the mantras of these phrases of emanation. This potency of mantras does not come from within mantras, nor does it enter beings, nor can it be apprehended in the reciter himself. Good sirs, because of the mantras’ power of empowerment it arises naturally, and there is nothing that is passed over by it because it transcends the three ages and because of the most profound and inconceivable principle of dependent arising. Therefore, good sirs, you should follow and master Dharma-nature, which is inconceivable, and never discontinue the mantra path.”
Then the World-honored One dwelled in the samādhi “Treasury of the Purity of Adornments,” the support of power unimpeded throughout the three ages and the support of the inconceivable power of the Tathāgata’s empowerment, whereupon the World-honored One emitted from within samāpatti inexhaustible manifestations of speech in inexhaustible realms. On the basis of the power of the Dharma realm, unequaled power, and the faith-and-understanding of the Perfectly and Fully Awakened One, there flowed forth from a single sound the four stations [of the letter A], which pervaded the entire Dharma realm and were coextensive with empty space, and there was nowhere not reached by them. The mantra is: Namaḥ sarvatathāgatebhyo viśvamukhebhyaḥ, sarvathā a ā aṃ aḥ. (Homage to all Tathāgatas in all directions! In every way, a ā aṃ aḥ!) [140]
As soon as the heart[-mantra] of the Perfectly and Fully Awakened One
had spread everywhere from this [mantra], the vocal gateways of the entire
Dharma realm mutually sounded forth from the sound symbolic of the Per-
fectly and Fully Awakened One. When the bodhisattvas heard this, having
experienced something unprecedented, with wide-open eyes they uttered
sublime words and spoke these verses in front of the Omniscient One who
is free from torment:
“How marvelous is mantra practice, able to endow vast knowledge!
If pervaded by it, one becomes a buddha, honored among two-
legged beings.
Therefore one should strive energetically with regard to the essence
of the buddhas’ speech
And always perform uninterrupted practice, purifying the mind
and free from self.”
Then the Bhagavān further spoke these Dharma-phrases:
“He who would attain accomplishment in the heart[-mantras] of the
Perfectly and Fully Awakened One
Should, in a park, a monastery, or inside a cave,
Or anywhere delightful to the mind, observe the bodhi-mind
Until he reaches the first abode of repose, without engendering a
doubting mind.
He takes any one of the heart[-mantras A, Ā, Aṃ, or Aḥ], places that
heart[-mantra] on his heart,
And realizes the state of utter purity, unsullied, stable, unmoving,
Nondifferentiating like a mirror, and very subtle in its manifestation.
If he always meditates, practices, and intercorresponds [with the deity],
Then his own deity and the image of his own person will both
appear [as one].
As for the second base of the Perfectly Awakened One, in a
mirror[like] maṇḍala (circle),
On a seat of the great king of lotus flowers [the Buddha] dwells
deeply absorbed in samādhi,
Wearing a crown of hair done in a topknot and surrounded by
immeasurable light;
He is free from false attachment and [false] differentiation and is
originally quiescent, like empty space.
Meditating on this, [the practitioner] recites with his mind
concentrated,
And for one month he cultivates mental equipoise, reciting a full
one lakṣa [times].
These are the rules for reciting mantras during the first month.
Next, in the second month, he offers up unguent, flowers, and so on,
Thereby bringing benefit to various kinds of beings,
And then during another [third] month he renounces all profit,
At which time he is able to meditate freely in [a state of] yoga.
He wishes all to be without obstruction and [he wishes] to make
living beings happy;
He desires to accomplish the perfect result extolled by the Tathāgatas
And to fulfill the many wishes of all sentient beings.
In accord with reason and without any obscuration, he engenders
this notion:
‘May the sufferings of animals devouring each other be forever
removed!
May the realms of [hungry] ghosts be always all filled with food
and drink!
The experiences of suffering and the various torments of those in
hell—
I wish them to be quickly eliminated through my merit.’
And repeatedly thinking in his mind of other immeasurable gateways,
He generates vast compassion, and with the threefold statement
of empowerment
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He gives thought to all and mentally recites the mantra:
‘On account of the power of my merit, the power of the Tathāgata’s
empowerment,
And the power of the Dharma realm pervading the realms of beings,
May the objectives that they seek all be beneficial to them
And may whatever they think of be all accomplished as appropriate!’”
At this the Bhagavān then uttered the vidyārājñī “Equal to Empty Space in Power and Proceeding from the Treasury of Empty Space (Gaganagañja)”:
Namaḥ sarvatathāgatebhyo viśvamukhebhyaḥ, sarvathā khamudgate spharahīmaṃ gaganakaṃ svāhā. (Homage to all Tathāgatas in all directions! O you who have come forth from space in every way! Spread through this sky! svāhā!) [141]
“If one recites this three times, everything will be accomplished in accordance with whatever good wishes one has made.
At the full of the moon the practitioner next engages in the
performance of recitation,
On a mountain peak, inside a cow pen, in a cemetery, or on a river
sandbar,
At a crossroads, at the foot of a solitary tree, or in a shrine of the
Mātṛs.
With everything the color of the vajra (i.e., yellow), solemnly
purified, and like a vajra,
The obstructors inside [this maṇḍala] are subjugated, their minds
confused.
It is square right around with one entrance and a passageway;
Vajras are linked together [around the perimeter] in the manner of
an adamantine coupling.
In the entrances are the two guards Durdharṣa and Abhimukha,
Pointing their hands with the [index] fingers raised [menacingly],
their eyes red, and wrathful in appearance.
[The practitioner] carefully draws in the corners the seals of a śūla
(trident) with fiery light;
In the center is a fine adamantine seat, correctly aligned with the
[four] quarters,
On top of which is a large lotus flower with eight petals and spread
with stamens.
He should bind the adamantine wisdom seal of Vajrapāṇi,
And bowing down to all the buddhas, he repeatedly makes firm
his vows,
And he should protect the site and purify the drug or [other] article
[to be effectuated].
That night he recites, pure and unobstructed;
Either in the middle watch of the night or when the sun rises,
The drug or [other] article will be transformed with a circle of light
shining brightly all around.
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Taking it himself, the mantrin will roam about the open sky,
Live a long life, have great majesty, have mastery over birth
and death,
Go to the summit of the world-system, and manifest various
physical forms;
The auspicious one endowed with merit will make offerings one
after another
Of the article effectuated by mantras: this is called siddhi.
With [conceptually] differentiated drugs and [other] articles the
nondifferentiated is accomplished.
“Lord of Mysteries, the Tathāgatas of the present [age] and so on in all world-systems, worthy [of worship] and perfectly and fully awakened, have mastered the pāramitā of expedient means, and although these Tathāgatas know that all differentiation is originally empty by nature, by means of the power of the pāramitā of expedient means they bring to the fore the conditioned in the unconditioned. Responding in turn [to the circumstances of beings], they appear throughout the Dharma realm for the sake of beings, causing them to see the Dharma, dwell in happiness, and generate a joyful mind, or else they obtain long life, enjoy themselves by disporting among the five desires, and make offerings to the World-honored Buddhas. No worldlings are able to believe the realization of such a state, but because the Tathāgatas perceive its purpose, with a joyful mind they teach these procedural rules for the bodhisattva’s path of mantra practice. Why? [Because] that which cannot be obtained were one to seek it diligently for immeasurable eons, cultivating ascetic practices, those bodhisattvas who practice the path via the gateway of mantras will achieve in this lifetime.
“Next, Lord of Mysteries, if a bodhisattva cultivating bodhisattva practices via the gateway of mantras recites three lakṣa [times] and performs [rites of] accomplishment with a ketu (banner), khaḍga (sword), parasol, sandal, cintāmaṇi, añjana (collyrium) drug, or rocanā (bezoar), he will also obtain siddhi. Lord of Mysteries, if a man of good [family] or a woman of
good [family] endowed with expedient means acts in accordance with what
they desire, they will obtain success merely through mastery of the mind.
“Lord of Mysteries, those who hanker after cause and result, Lord of
Mysteries, those foolish people are unable to understand mantras and the
characteristics of mantras. Why?
It is taught that the cause is not the agent, and its result is not produced.
Even as a cause this cause is empty, and so how can there be any
result?
One should know that the results of mantras are completely
dissociated from cause and action.
When his body experiences the samādhi without characteristics,
Then the mantrin will obtain siddhi born from the mind.”
Then Vajrapāṇi said to the Buddha, “World-honored One, I but beg you
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to further explain this state of the Perfectly and Fully Awakened One, the
state of the accomplishment of siddhi. Men of good [family] and women of
good [family] who see this Dharma obtain joy in their hearts, experience a
state of happiness, and do not violate the Dharma realm. Why? World-hon-
ored One, all the Tathāgatas, worthy [of worship] and perfectly and fully
awakened, have explained that the Dharma realm is called the ‘inconceiv-
able realm.’ Therefore, World-honored One, bodhisattvas cultivating bodhi-
sattva practices via the gateway of mantras gain the understanding that the
Dharma realm cannot be divided or destroyed.”
When the vajradhara Lord of Mysteries had finished speaking thus, the
World-honored One addressed him, saying, “Excellent, excellent, Lord of
Mysteries! It is indeed excellent that you have asked the Tathāgata about this
matter. You should listen attentively and consider it carefully as I now explain.”
The Lord of Mysteries said, “So be it, World-honored One. I am eager
to listen.”
The Buddha addressed the Lord of Mysteries, [saying,] “One achieves
accomplishment by means of the letter-gateway A. Either in a place inhab-
ited by monks, or inside a mountain cave, or in a clean chamber one places
the letter A on all one’s limbs and recites three lakṣa [times]. Then at the full
of the moon one uses everything one has to make offerings until the bodhi-
sattva Samantabhadra, Mañjuśrī, Vajradhara (i.e., Vajrapāṇi), and so on or
other holy divinities appear before one and caress one’s head, exclaiming, ‘Excellent, practitioner!’ One should [then] bow down, make obeisance, and offer up argha water, whereupon one will achieve the samādhi of not forgetting the bodhi-mind. Again, if one repeatedly recites it with such lightness of body and mind, one will obtain purity of mind and purity of body wherever one is born. If one places [the letter A] on one’s ear and recites it, one will obtain purity of the organ of hearing. If one perfoms exhalation and inhalation with the letter-gateway A, meditating three times [daily], and if the practitioner is then able to maintain this, he will be longevous and live in the world for long eons. If he wishes to be loved and respected by a rāja (king) and so on, then he makes the person who is to be won over into the letter-gateway Ha, and giving him a padma flower and himself holding a śaṅkha, they look at each other, whereupon they will engender joy.”
Then the World-honored One Vairocana again gazed upon the entire great assembly and addressed the vajradhara Lord of Mysteries, saying, “Vajrapāṇi, there are born of the minds of Tathāgatas the play of activity and dance of practice which display a wide variety of forms; encompass the four elements [of earth, water, fire, and wind]; abide in the mind-king; are commensurate with empty space; accomplish vast results visible and invisible; give birth to the stages of all śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas; cause all the wishes of bodhisattvas cultivating [bodhisattva] practices via the gateway of mantras to be completely fulfilled; are endowed with various actions; and bring benefit to immeasurable beings. You should listen attentively and consider it carefully as I now explain.
“Lord of Mysteries, what is the dance of practice that produces all the vast results of becoming and decay and which the mantrin realizes for himself in its entirety?”
Thereupon the World-honored One spoke these verses:
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In accordance with [ritual] procedures the practitioner first performs
[the meditation on] the truth of the self,
And abiding as before in accordance with the rules, he properly
thinks on the Tathāgata.
He makes of his own person the letter A, to which he adds the great
dot of emptiness [resulting in Aṃ]:
It is dignified, completely golden in color, and marked with vajras
in the four corners.
Therein he imagines the Buddha honored everywhere (i.e., Vairocana):
This the Perfectly and Fully Awakened Ones have taught to be the
sign of the truth of the self.
As he practices without any misgivings, the sign of the truth of the
self will arise,
And he will obtain benefit and happiness for all in the world.
Endowed with vast marvels, he will dwell in a state like that of
an illusionist,
And oppression by ignorance and the [three] existences implanted
since beginningless time
Will completely disappear when the practitioner achieves mental
equipoise.
If he visualizes that mind, the unsurpassed bodhi-mind,
On account of the action of reciting mantras he will in pure and
impure results
Be according to reason always undefiled, just like the lotus that rises
out of mud,
And how much more so if in his own person he succeeds in becoming
one honored among people!
Then the World-honored One Vairocana further dwelled in the samādhi “Adamantine Play Which Vanquishes the Four Demons” and uttered words of adamantine syllables for vanquishing the four demons, liberating the six destinies, and satisfying the knowledge of an omniscient one: Namaḥ samantabuddhānāṃ, āḥ vi ra hūṃ khaṃ. (Homage to all Buddhas! Āḥ vi ra hūṃ khaṃ!)60 [142]
Then Vajrapāṇi, the Lord of Mysteries, and the other vajradharas, Samantabhadra and the other bodhisattvas, and the entire great multitude, having experienced something unprecedented, with wide-open eyes bowed down to the all-sarvajña (omniscient one) and spoke these verses:
“This is the treasury of buddhas and world-saving bodhisattvas,
With which all buddhas and world-saving bodhisattvas,
As well as [pratyekabuddhas,] who awaken to causes and conditions,
and śrāvakas, who slay mental afflictions,
Are able to exercise various supernatural faculties wherever they go, And they obtain unsurpassed knowledge, the unsurpassed knowledge
of the Perfectly Awakened One. Therefore we beg you to explain in full the expedient means of this
teaching, As well as various deeds such as the mental arrangement [of letters
on different parts of the body].
Those who seek after the unsurpassed mantra practices of the
Great Vehicle, Seeing the Dharma and dwelling in peace, will obtain the abode
of joy.” When they had finished speaking these verses, the World-honored
One Vairocana said: “All of you should listen attentively, dwelling singlemindedly in
mental equipoise.” Then he empowered his lower body as the great adamantine ground And in order to expound this Dharma manifested a bodhi-seat. “The supreme syllable A is a great indra (mahendra) circle And one should know that inside and outside it is the same, a vajra
maṇḍala (circle); Therein one imagines everything, and it is described as the seat
of yoga. The letter A is foremost life, and it is regarded as the syllable of
induction; Always place a great dot of emptiness on it, and it will be able to
attract and bestow all results. If for one month the practitioner binds the seal of adamantine wisdom And performs recitation three times [daily], he will demolish the
citadel of ignorance And obtain unmoving firmness, indestructible by gods and asuras. In addition, deeds for increasing benefit are accomplished
at will— All [these] the practitioner always performs in the center of the
maṇḍala. Golden in color, his body resplendent, and wearing a crown of hair
done in a topknot,
The Perfectly Awakened One dwells in samādhi: this is called
the great adamantine state.
A vajra, a lotus flower, a sword, a white goose, gold, earth,
Or a cintāmaṇi jewel—these articles
One visualizes in the great indra [circle] and performs the siddhis.
Now I shall explain the method for subduing [adversaries]: all of
you listen singlemindedly!
The practitioner concentrates his thoughts on eight-peaked
Mount Meru,
On top of which he visualizes a wondrous lotus flower and erects
[thereon] the seal of adamantine wisdom (i.e., a vajra);
On top [of this] the yogin [visualizes] the letter-gateway [A]
with awesomely blazing light,
And this he places on the crown [of his adversary],62 who will
remain still and not move.
Medicine that has been mantrafied one hundred times—this the
practitioner should ingest,
And illnesses born of actions in former lives will all be cured.
Sons of the Buddha, you should further listen to the foremost
letter-gateway Va.
It is the color of snow, milk, or a śaṅkha, and rests on
A pedestal of a fresh white lotus flower that rises up from one’s
own navel;
In most profound and serene concentration, [it resembles] the light
of a white moon on an autumn night:
Such a maṇḍala the buddhas have taught to be remarkable.
It is imagined to be pure white, [surrounded by] circles ninefold,
Resting within a haze and removing all torments.
Its pure milk, like a string of pearls, a crystal, or moonlight,
Flows everywhere, filling all places—
If the practitioner imagines this in his mind, he will escape the
poison of obstructions.
With the likes of these does he perform in the circular altar
(maṇḍala) [rites of] accomplishment while inmental equipoise:
Milk, curds, fresh butter, ghee, sphaṭika (crystal), strings of pearls,
Lotus roots, water, and such things bring about siddhi in due order. He will obtain an immeasurable lifespan and manifest an
outstanding physique, All his troubles will cease, gods and humans will all revere him, And he will be very learned, have a good memory, and be
intelligent, pure, and unsullied; Performing [rites of] accomplishment by this means, he will
quickly realize the results of siddhi. This is called the auspicious maṇḍala of the ‘pacifier’; As a sign of foremost mastery a great dot of emptiness is placed
[on top of the letter Va, resulting in Vaṃ]. The letter Ra is the supreme truth, and the Buddha has taught that
it is chief among things fiery; All sinful actions for which there is no option but to accept retribution Will all disappear when the well-practicing yogin is in mental
equipoise. The triangular figure in which it rests is pleasing to the mind and
completely red; Serene and surrounded by a wreath of flames, the triangle lies in
his heart. Intercorresponding with it, he visualizes therein the letter Ra with
a great dot of emptiness (i.e., Raṃ), And the wise person accomplishes various deeds with it as
appropriate. [Rites for] the sun and planets and their attendants, as well as all
actions involving fire, Domination, causing resentment, and desiccating all the limbs
[of an adversary]— These [deeds] to be performed are all done in the circle of the fire
of knowledge. The letter Ha is the foremost reality, born of the circle of wind;
3.26
Moreover, cause, action, and result, from which seeds grow, Are all destroyed with a great dot of emptiness [added to the letter
Ha] (i.e., Haṃ). Now I shall explain its physical form: it is deep black, has great
majesty,
Exhibits a wrathful form, and is completely surrounded by a wreath
of flames.
The wise person visualizes it residing in a maṇḍala between his
eyebrows,
Deep blue, a semilunar disc, with the characteristics of a banner
flapping [in the wind]:
There he imagines the supreme letter-gateway Ha.
Placing it in this maṇḍala, he accomplishes whatever is to be done,
Carrying out all objectives and manifesting them for beings.
Without abandoning his present body, he obtains supernatural
powers over the objective world:
He roams about the station of great space and achieves secrecy
(i.e., invisibility) of his body,
He has divine hearing, his organ of sight is pure, and he is able to
open up profoundly secret places.
Dwelling in this altar of singlemindedness, he accomplishes many
deeds.
When the bodhisattva of great renown first sat at the place of bodhi
(bodhimaṇḍa),
He vanquished the hosts of Māra’s army with the inapprehensibility
of all causes.
Cause being without [own-]nature, there is no result, and action is
likewise not born;
Since these three have no [own-]nature, one obtains the wisdom
of emptiness.
Its form as proclaimed by the perfectly all-knowing one of great virtue
Is the letter Kha with a great dot of emptiness (i.e., Khaṃ), supreme
and [representing] the emptiness of empty space (kha).
If one also displays the wisdom-sword seal, one’s actions will be
quickly accomplished.
The Dharma wheel, noose, khaḍga, nārāca (iron arrow),
Mudgara (mallet), and so on—[with these] one will achieve before
long this [excellent] state.”
Then the World-honored One Vairocana gazed upon the great assembly and addressed the vajradhara Lord of Mysteries, speaking these verses:
If bodhisattvas cultivating [bodhisattva] practices via the gateway
of mantras Make of themselves the letter A, [regard] the internal and the
external as being all the same, Abandon all objectives, [view] equally pebbles, gold, and jewels, And dissociate themselves from all sinful actions, as well as
covetousness, anger, and so on, They will all obtain purity, like the Buddhas and Munis,
Be able to bring about benefits, and be free from all faults. Next, with respect to the letter Va, the practitioner, relying on yoga And understanding the performance of rites, in order to benefit
beings Becomes a world-savior in his inner person: everything is like this. With the waters of his mind calm and full to overflowing, pure white
like snow or milk, He should engender a resolute mind and exude [the waters] throughout
his entire body So that, flowing most purely, they spread to all his pores, From where they overflow within and permeate the earth. With this water of compassion he observes the suffering beings of
the world, And any who imbibe it, or again whose body is touched by it, Will all definitely achieve bodhi. In mental equipoise, he imagines the letter-gateway Ra all [over
his body], Emitting blazing light all around which is serene and shines
everywhere. The light of the yogin turns outward and pervades all places, And benefiting the world according to [people’s] desires, the
practitioner will exercise supernatural faculties. [Visualizing] the letter-gateway Ra in his upper body and the letter
Va inside the circle at his navel, He will emit fire and cause rain to fall, manifesting them at the
same time: With the letter Ra he is able to eliminate the suffering of extreme
cold in hell,
And by abiding in the mantra method he removes fieriness with the
letter Va.
Making of his lower body the letter Ra and with the letter Ha as
an insignia,
Actions are quickly accomplished, and he saves beings with
grievous sins.
Dwelling in the great indra [circle], he performs the deeds of the
water-dragon [with the letters A and Va],
And the mantrin should not have any doubts about all subjugation
and so on.
Wind [represented by the letter Ha] is all-pervading and both instigates
and destroys all and everything;
These various and sundry deeds of every kind—
These one performs in accordance with the rules inside the maṇḍala
of form.
If one recites [the letter Ha], touching one’s heart with it, one will
obtain purity of the mental organ,
And if one recites it while walking about practicing levitation, one
will obtain supernatural faculties.
If, while sitting comfortably, one visualizes the letter A, imagining it
to be in the organ of hearing,
3.28
And recites for a full month, one will obtain purity of hearing.
“Lord of Mysteries, these are the states of siddhi born of the mind. Lord
of Mysteries, when one visualizes [these letters], various and sundry kinds
of formations (saṃskāra) are born in an instant of thought from that which
has neither shape nor form, and by merely reciting them one is able to pro-
duce the seeds of all wholesome actions such as these.
“Furthermore, Lord of Mysteries, there is nothing that the Tathāgata
does not do. For bodhisattvas cultivating [bodhisattva] practices via the gate-
way of mantras he is like a reflection: he adapts to all places, adapts to the
minds of all beings, appears before them all, and causes all beings to obtain
joy. It is all because the Tathāgata has no differentiating mind and has dis-
sociated himself from objective realms.”
Then [Vairocana] spoke these verses:
Although [the Tathāgata] is beyond time, direction, and activity,
and is dissociated from what accords with the Dharma and what
does not accord with the Dharma, He is able to bestow the states of siddhi born of mantra practices. Therefore omniscience, the result of the Tathāgata’s siddhi, Is regarded as the state most revered, and [for this] one should
perform [rites of] accomplishment.
Chapter VII
The Accomplishing of Siddhi
Then the Auspicious Vajra[dhara] opened his eyes wide in wonder, In his hand he twirled a vajra seal, which scintillated like the light
of a fire, Its brilliance illuminating all buddha fields everywhere, And with sublime sounds he extolled the Muni, sovereign over
dharmas. “You teach mantra practices, but those practices are inapprehensible. From where do mantras come, and where do they go? May the buddhas explain this state beyond which there is none
higher, The goal to which all dharmas return, just as streams proceed to
the sea!”
When the vajradhara Lord of Mysteries had finished speaking thus, the World-honored One addressed him, saying:
Mahāsattva, the sense field of the mind is described as a maṇḍala, And when the station of mantras is understood to be in the heart,
one achieves their results. Everything that is differentiated is all born of the mind; The distinguishing of white, yellow, red, and the like arises from
the mind. A fixed mind when joyful is described as the inner locus of the heart; Mantras, located in that position, are able to bestow vast results. One thinks of a lotus flower there with eight petals and spread
with stamens;
On the flowery pedestal is the letter-gateway A, with a wreath of
flames and quite fine-looking,
Its radiance all-pervading so as to illumine beings. It is like the co-occurrence of one thousand flashes of lightning and
has the variegated forms of a buddha; [Like an image reflected] in a round mirror in a deep recess, it
manifests itself in all places, And it appears everywhere before beings like the moon [reflected]
in clear water. Knowing the nature of the mind to be like this, one succeeds in abiding
in mantra practices. Next, on top of one’s head where the parietal bones meet, One imagines the letter Aṃ, marked with a great dot of emptiness. Fine-looking, pure and unsullied, like crystal, the moon, or
lightning, It is described as the tranquil Dharma body (dharmakāya) and the
support of everything. [From it] the siddhis of mantras manifest different kinds of forms, And one obtains heavenly bliss and liberation and descries the state
of a Tathāgata. Making of one’s eyes the letter Ra, radiant like a bright lamp, One bends one’s neck, lowering one’s head slightly, and brings
the tongue close to the palate, And so one observes the locus of the mind: the mind will manifest
mental equipoise. It is always present [like] a round mirror, unsullied, wondrous,
and pure: Such has been proclaimed to be the true mind by buddhas of yore. When one has illuminated the path whereby the mind becomes
clear, material objects all emit light, And the mantrin will see the Perfectly Awakened One, honored
among two-legged beings: If he sees him, he will accomplish the foremost and everlasting
essence of siddhi. Next, he then imagines that he transforms this letter-gateway Ra, Placing the letter La with a great dot of emptiness (i.e., Laṃ) in the
position of his eyes.
Seeing the state of the emptiness of everything, he achieves the state
of immortality. If, desiring vast wisdom, or the exercise of the five supernatural
faculties, Longevity with a youthful body, the accomplishment of [the state
of] a vidyādhara, and so on, The mantrin has not yet achieved them, it is because he has not
followed this [procedure]. The wisdom generated by mantras is supreme real knowledge, The treasury of all buddhas and world-saving bodhisattvas, With which Perfectly Awakened Ones, world-saving bodhisattvas,
3.34
And śrāvakas wander through other localities, And in all buddha fields they all give such teachings. Thus one obtains unsurpassed knowledge, the unsurpassed knowledge
of the Buddha.
Chapter VIII
Maṇḍala Practices for the
Revolving Wheel of Letters
Thereupon the World-honored One Vairocana surveyed the entire great assembly, surveyed the realms of beings with eyes that had cultivated great compassion, and dwelled in the samādhi “Born of Nectar.”66 From within this state of concentration the Buddha then uttered the vidyārājñī “Power Unimpeded throughout All Three Ages”: Tad yathā, gaganasame ’pratisame sarvatathāgatasamatānugate gaganasamavaralakṣaṇe svāhā. (That is to say: O you who are equal to space! you who are without equal! you who have attained equality with all Tathāgatas! you who have excellent attributes like the sky! svāhā!) [143]
“Good sirs, this vidyārājñī represents a sphere no different from the Tathāgata’s body.” And he spoke this verse:
With this empowerment by the Buddha, bodhisattvas of great renown
Are unobstructed in the Dharma and able to extinguish all suffering.
Then the World-honored One Vairocana, calling to mind the primordial non-birth of the buddhas, empowered his own person and the vajradharas and addressed the vajradharas headed by Vajrapāṇi and so on, saying, “Good sirs, listen attentively to the section on maṇḍala practices for the revolving wheel of letters, whereby bodhisattvas cultivating [bodhisattva] practices via the gateway of mantras are able to perform buddha deeds and manifest their bodies everywhere.”
Then Vajradhara descended from his adamantine lotus-flower seat, revolving [like a vajra whirling through the air], bowed his head to the World-honored One, and extolled him, saying:
I take refuge in the bodhi-mind; I take refuge in you who have
generated the bodhi-mind;
I bow down to the essence of practice, the stages and pāramitās;
I pay reverence to you who have previously done it; and I take
refuge in you who have realized emptiness.
The Lord of Mysteries, having praised [the World-honored One] in this
manner, said to the Buddha, “I but beg you, O Dharma King, to take pity on
and give thought to us, and to expound it in order to benefit beings and so
that the cultivation of mantras may be consummated in accordance with what
you have taught.”
When the vajradhara Lord of Mysteries had finished speaking thus, the
World-honored One Vairocana addressed him, saying:
I am the original beginning of everything and am called the support
of the world;
3.43
My teaching of the Dharma is peerless, originally quiescent, and
unsurpassed.
Then the Buddha, having spoken this gāthā, performed empowerment
in such a way that on account of his empowerment the vajradharas and
bodhisattvas were able to see the most excellent bodhi-seat of the Buddha,
with the World-honored One devoid of frivolous arguments like empty space
and characterized by the yoga of nondual practice, which represented the
maturation of karma. Immediately the limbs of the World-honored One’s
body all manifested this letter, which for all mundane and supramundane
śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas who diligently cultivate the accomplishment
of siddhi in contemplation and meditation is the same as life, the same as a
seed, the same as a support, and the same as a world-savior: Namaḥ
samantabuddhānāṃ, a. [144 = 73]
“Good sirs, this letter A has been empowered by all Tathāgatas. [With it]
bodhisattvas cultivating bodhisattva practices via the gateway of mantras are
able to perform buddha deeds and manifest physical bodies everywhere, and
all Dharma revolves on the letter-gateway A. Therefore, Lord of Mysteries, if
bodhisattvas cultivating bodhisattva practices via the gateway of mantras wish
to see the Buddha, wish to make offerings [to the Buddha], wish to realize the
generation of the bodhi-mind, wish to associate with [other] bodhisattvas, wish
to benefit beings, wish to seek siddhi, and wish to seek the knowledge of an
omniscient one, they should diligently practice in this essence of all buddhas.”
Then the World-honored One Vairocana again definitively explained the supernatural faculties of samādhi, the mantra practices, and the inconceivable methods for arranging the positions of the holy divinities in the king of maṇḍalas “Born of the Matrix of Great Compassion.”
“The ācārya first dwells in the letter A, the gateway to omniscience, and holding a sūtra (cord), he bows down to all the buddhas, extends it to the eastern quarter, turns round to the south and then to the western quarter, and moves around to the northern quarter. Next, he makes [himself into] Vajrasattva by empowering himself as Vajradhara, either with his seal or with the letter Va. Entering inside [the maṇḍala], he lays out the [central] maṇḍala. Likewise, in the second [concentric] maṇḍala too, because he empowers himself with original quiescence, he has the form of nondual yoga, the form of the Tathāgata, and the form of emptiness. Next, he leaves the path [where ritual deeds] are performed and the two sections corresponding to the abodes of the holy divinities, and, quitting these three sections, he dwells in the position of the Tathāgatas [in the center of the maṇḍala]. From the eastern quarter he extends the sūtra and goes around the perimeter. In the remaining two [concentric] maṇḍalas too he should perform the [ritual] deeds by this means. Then he empowers himself as Vairocana, thinks of the vast Dharma realm, and arranges the colors. The mantra-practitioner should start with immaculate white.”
[Vairocana then] spoke these verses:
With this pure Dharma realm all beings are purified,
3.48
And one’s person is like the Tathāgata, far removed from all faults.
Meditating in this manner, one imagines the letter-gateway Ra,
Serene, with a wreath of bright flames, and the color of a clear moon
or a śaṅkha.
Second, one applies the color red: the practitioner should keep it
in mind
And imagine the letter [A] shining brightly with the great dot of
emptiness of original nothingness,
Radiant with the brilliance of the sunrise, supreme, and indestructible.
Third, the mantrin next applies the color yellow:
His mind concentrated on the letter-gateway Ka, he should follow
the ritual instructions.
His physical appearance just like genuine gold, in a state of
meditation he destroys all poisons;
Rays of light spread everywhere, and he is golden in color, like
the Muni.
Next he should apply the color green, which liberates one from
birth-and-death;
He imagines the letter-gateway Va, the bodhi-seat of the great
tranquil one (mahāmuni),
And the color of his body like a rainbow, he removes all fear.
Lastly he applies the color black, its hue most mysterious:
He imagines the letter-gateway Ha, producing a circle of light
all around,
Just like the fierce flames of the [fire] calamity [at the end] of an
eon; with a jeweled crown and raising a seal in his hand,
He terrifies all evil ones and vanquishes the army of Māra.
Then the World-honored One Vairocana rose from [that] samādhi and
dwelled in the samādhi “Immeasurable Victory,” and while in [this] state of
meditation he revealed the vidyārājñī “Universally Inviolable Strength,”
born in the sphere of all Tathāgatas. The vidyā is: Namaḥ sarvatathāgateb-
hyaḥ sarvamukhebhyaḥ, asame parame acale gagane smaraṇe sarvatrānu-
gate svāhā. (Homage to all Tathāgatas in all directions! O you who are
unequaled! you who are supreme! you who are unmoving! sky! you who
remember! you who are all-pervading! svāhā!) [145]
“Next [the ācārya] prepares the colors. He bows his head to the World-
honored One and Prajñāpāramitā and recites this vidyārājñī eight times.
[Then] he rises from his seat, circumambulates the maṇḍala, enters inside,
and with the power of great kindness and great pity he thinks of his disci-
ples. The ācārya then empowers himself as Karma-Vajrasattva with the let-
ter-gateway Va as well as Varadavajra (i.e., Mañjuśrī), whereupon he should
draw the great maṇḍala ‘Born of the Matrix of Great Compassion.’
“In the center he calmly fashions [an image of] the World-honored One
Mahāvairocana, seated on a white lotus flower, wearing on his head [a crown
of] hair done in a topknot, with paṭa (cloth) for his undergarment and wear-
ing sheer silk on top, his physical appearance golden in color, and surrounded
by a wreath of flames; alternatively [he may be represented] by the seal of
the Tathāgata’s Crown or by a syllable, namely, the letter-gateway A. All the buddhas in the eastern quarter [are represented] by the letter-gateway A with a great dot of emptiness (i.e., Aṃ). For Gaganalocanā, the mother of all Tathāgatas, in the direction aiśānī (i.e., northeast) he should write the letter Ga. For all the bodhisattvas, in the direction of Agni (i.e., southeast) he draws a cintāmaṇi jewel or places the letter Ka. For Avalokiteśvara, in the direction of yakṣas (i.e., north) [he places] the seal of a lotus flower and draws bodhisattvas who will succeed to the position [of a buddha] after one more birth together with their attendants, or else he forms the letter Sa. In the direction of Yama (i.e., south), beyond the three subsections, he places the seal of adamantine wisdom (i.e., a vajra) [or] Vajradhara, the Lord of Mysteries, and his attendants, or else he writes the letter Va. Leaving these three positions, he draws the seal of all the vajradharas or writes their syllable, namely, the letter Hūṃ. Next, in the direction of Nairṛti (i.e., southwest), below Mahāvairocana, he fashions [an image of] Acalanātha, seated on a stone, holding a noose and a wisdom sword in his hands, encircled by a wreath of flames, and threatening obstructors; alternatively, he places his seal or writes his syllable, namely, the letter Hāṃ. In the direction of Vāyu (i.e., northwest) is the honored one Trailokyavijaya, who destroys great obstructors: he has bright flames above and is greatly wrathful like Yama, his figure is black in color, among those who are terrible he is the most terrifying, and in his hand he twirls a vajra; alternatively, [the ācārya] fashions his seal or writes his syllable, namely the letter Hā.
“Next, in the four quarters [the ācārya] draws the four great guardians. [The guardian] in the direction of Śakra (i.e., east) is called the protector Abhaya: he is golden in color, has white robes, his face shows a slightly wrathful appearance, and in his hand he holds a daṇḍa (staff); alternatively, [the ācārya] fashions his seal or places his syllable, namely, the letter Va. [The guardian] in the direction of yakṣas (i.e., north) is called the protector Sarvabhayavināśin: he is white in color, has white robes, holds a khaḍga (sword) in his hand, has bright flames, and is able to destroy all fears; alternatively, [the ācārya] draws his seal or places his syllable, namely, the letter Va. [The guardian] in the direction of nāgas (i.e., west) is called the protector Durdharṣa: he is red like the color of the aśoka flower, wears vermilion robes, has a smiling countenance, and is in the midst of bright flames,
gazing upon the entire assembly; alternatively, [the ācārya] places his seal
or places his syllable, namely, the letter Saḥ. [The guardian] in the direction
of Yama (i.e., south) is called the protector Vajrāparājita: he is black in color,
has dark robes, has an expression of bhṛkuṭi (frown) with a wavy pattern
between his eyebrows, and wears a crown of hair [done in a topknot] on top
[of his head], his body has an awesome splendor which illuminates the realms
of beings, and in his hand he holds a daṇḍa and is able to destroy great
obstructors; alternatively, [the ācārya] fashions his seal or places his sylla-
ble, namely, the letter Kṣaṃ. In addition, all attendants and messengers all
sit on white lotus flowers.
“After having laid out [the deities] in this manner, the mantrin should
next go outside and in the second sector draw the king of Munis of the Śākya
lineage (i.e., Śākyamuni): he wears a kāṣā[ya] robe and has the thirty-two
attributes of a Guiding Teacher in order to preach the supreme teachings and
3.51
bestow fearlessness on all beings; alternatively, [the mantrin places] seals
such as a kāṣā[ya] or almsbowl or uses his syllable, namely, the letter Bhaḥ.
“Next, in the outer maṇḍala [the mantrin] empowers himself with the
nature of the Dharma realm and generates the bodhi-mind. Leaving the three
subsections [of the outer maṇḍala], he should make obeisance three times,
thinking in his mind of the World-honored One Vairocana. Having prepared
the colors as before, in the direction of Śakra (i.e., east) in the third sector
he fashions [an image of] Varadavajra with the figure of a youth: in his left
hand he holds a blue lotus flower with a pestle of adamantine wisdom (i.e.,
vajra) placed on top, he has adorned himself with strings of jewels and has
exquisite sheer silk for an undergarment and very light and fine [silk] for an
upper garment, his body is saffron in color, and he has five topknots on top
of his head; alternatively, [the mantrin] places his mystic seal or places his
syllable. His mantra is: Namaḥ samantabuddhānāṃ, maṃ. [146 = 82]
“To his right is the youth Jālinīprabha, completely perfect in all his phys-
ical attributes and holding a jeweled net in his left hand and a hook in his
right hand; alternatively, [the mantrin] places his seal or writes his syllable,
namely, the letter Jāṃ. In the direction of Yama (i.e., south) is the bodhi-
sattva Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin: he is golden in color, has a crown of hair
[done in a topknot], and holds a wish-fulfilling jewel; alternatively, [the
mantrin] draws his seal or places his syllable, namely, the letter Āḥ. In the
direction of yakṣas (i.e., north) is the bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha: in color like the priyaṅgu flower, he holds a lotus flower in his hand and is adorned with strings of jewels; alternatively, [the mantrin] places his seal or places his syllable, namely the letter I. In the direction of nāgas (i.e., west) is Ākāśagarbha: he is white in color and has white robes, his body has [a halo of] blazing light, and he is adorned with strings of jewels and holds a khaḍga in his hand; alternatively, [the mantrin] places his seal or places his syllable, namely, the letter Ī.
The mantrin sits comfortably, abiding peacefully in the Dharma
realm;
[Thinking] ‘I am identical with the nature of the Dharma realm,’
he abides in the bodhi-mind.
Facing the direction of Śakra (i.e., east), he binds the seal of
adamantine wisdom;
Next, he makes [himself into] Vajra-Action (i.e., Karma-Vajrasattva)
and earnestly makes offerings.
He displays the samaya seals of the world-saving buddhas,
Thinking of all places and reciting the mantras three times.
Summoning the disciples in accordance with the rites, he makes
them face the altar and purifies them.
He bestows on them the Three Refuges, and as they dwell in the
supreme bodhi-mind,
He should bind for the disciples the seal of the nature of the
Dharma realm;
Next he binds the Dharma-wheel seal, singlemindedly identifying
himself with its essence.
He covers their faces with silk cloths, and generating thoughts
First 13 of 15 passages. Read on
Translations (1)
- English (machine translation) — English, machine translation
Linked texts (1)
- 大毘盧遮那成佛神變加持經 (Śubhakarasiṃha & Yixing 724) — Classical Chinese