大毘盧遮那成佛神變加持經 (Shubhakarasimha & Yixing 724) 5

English (machine translation) 5

Language: English

5.1

Translated by the Great Tang Tripiṭaka Master Śubhakarasiṃha together with the Śramaṇa Yixing

At that time the Bhagavat Vairocana said to the vajradhara Guhyakādhipati: "Listen attentively, Guhyakādhipati! There is an omnipresent Dharma gate. Guhyakādhipati, if a bodhisattva abides in this letter gate, all deeds will be fully accomplished.

5.22

"Guhyakādhipati, such a letter-gate path, skillfully abiding in the mantra path in accordance with the Dharma gates, empowered by the supernatural powers of all Tathāgatas, skillfully understanding the bodhisattva dance of the path of correct and universal knowledge, has been taught, will be taught, and is now taught by the Buddha Lords of past, future, and present. Guhyakādhipati, I now universally behold the Buddha lands, and there are none where I do not see this omnipresent Dharma gate, nor are there any Tathāgatas who do not proclaim it. Therefore, Guhyakādhipati, if bodhisattvas practicing the bodhisattva deeds through the mantra-naya wish to fully know it, they should diligently train in this omnipresent Dharma gate; by applying the initial, medial, and final [letters] among the ka, ca, ṭa, ta, and pa [classes], entering into them by category with equanimity, they will naturally attain bodhicitta practice, realize equal and perfect awakening, and enter parinirvāṇa. In these letter gates thus explained, together with their harmonizing mantra teachings, the initial, medial, and final are united. If mantrins know this thus, they will attain mastery according to their own mind, and by resolutely applying their intention to each and every phrase, perceiving with wisdom, they will confer the unsurpassed and supreme phrase. Thus is a wheel, the revolving wheel of letters. Because the mantrin fully understands this, he constantly illuminates the world, turning the Dharma wheel like the Great Sun Lord."

5.23

Chapter 11: The Secret Maṇḍala

5.24

At that time the Bhagavat Vairocana contemplated the entire dharmadhātu with the Tathāgata eye, entered the treasury of the dharmadhātu, and by means of the Tathāgata's Lion-Stride Equal Adornment Matrix Samādhi—in order to manifest the inexhaustible adornment of the dharmadhātu, and to deliver the remainderless realm of sentient beings through this practice-gate of mantras, fulfilling his original vows—at that time, the Buddha while in samādhi, toward such an inexhaustible realm of sentient beings, produced sounds according to their categories from the multitude of sound-gates: in accordance with their original nature, maturity born of karma, and enjoyed retributions, he preached the Dharma displaying shapes and colors, varied languages, and mental reflections, causing all sentient beings to rejoice. Furthermore, from each and every pore, the augmenting body of the dharmadhātu emerged; having emerged, it became equal to space, and within immeasurable realms, with a single voice and through dharmadhātu speech, he proclaimed and expounded the verse of the Tathāgata's arising:

5.25

"Capable of producing forms according to category,
And the Dharma-characteristics of all dharmas;
The Buddhas and the Śrāvakas,
The Pratyekabuddhas who save the world,
The multitude of striving Bodhisattvas,
And the Benevolent Lords likewise;
The sentient beings and the vessel world
Are established in successive order;
Arising, abiding, and all such dharmas
Are always and ever produced in this way.
Because by possessing wisdom and upāya,
Free from doubts born of lack of wisdom,
One contemplates this path,
All the Correctly and Universally Knowing Ones have spoken."

5.26

At that time, the Tathāgata body born of the dharmadhātu, with all dharmadhātu clouds manifested from his own body completely filling Lord Vairocana, in merely an instant of thought, immeasurable Buddhas issued forth from all his pores, and having mutually empowered one another, they returned into the dharmadhātu palace. Thereupon the Great Sun Lord once again addressed the vajradhara Guhyakādhipati, saying: "Guhyakādhipati, there are seeds and emblems for the positions of the noble deities in making a maṇḍala. Listen attentively and reflect upon them well; I shall now proclaim them." The vajradhara Guhyakādhipati said: "So be it, Lord! We wish and desire to hear." Then the Bhagavat spoke in verse:

5.27

"The mantrin's circular altar
Is first established in one's own body:
From one's feet up to the navel
Forms the great vajra cakra;
From there up to the heart,
One should contemplate the water cakra;
Above the water cakra is the fire cakra;
Above the fire cakra is the wind cakra;
Next, one should mentally maintain the ground
And depict the various figures."

5.28

At that time Vajrapāṇi ascended to the contemplation of the equality of dharmas in the ground of body, speech, and mind of the Great Sun Lord, and thinking of those future sentient beings, in order to sever all doubts, spoke the great king of mantras:

5.30

When the vajradhara Guhyakādhipati had spoken this king of mantras, all the Tathāgatas residing in the worlds of the ten directions each extended their right hand and rubbed the crown of the vajradhara's head, praising him with the sound 'Sādhu!': "Well done, well done, child of the Buddha! You have ascended to the ground of body, speech, and mind of the Lord Vairocana, and for the sake of bodhisattvas who abide in the equal mantra path in order to illuminate all regions, you have spoken this king of mantras. Why is this? The Lord Vairocana, the Arhat, the Samyaksambuddha, sitting on the bodhi-seat, contemplated the twelve-phrase dharmadhātu and subdued the four Māras; this birth of the dharmadhātu flowed forth in three places and destroyed the heavenly host of Māra's army. Next, he attained the equality of the Lord's body, speech, and mind; the measure of his body became equal to space, and the measure of his speech and mind was likewise. He attained the arising of boundless wisdom, and having mastery over all dharmas, he expounded the Dharma, namely this king of mantras in twelve phrases. Child of the Buddha, because you now directly realize the equal body, speech, and mind of the Lord Vairocana, you are known to the multitude and equal to the Correctly and Universally Knowing One." And they spoke a verse:

5.31

"You asked the Omniscient One,
The Great Sun Perfectly Awakened Lord;
Concerning the supreme mantra practice,
He shall expound the Dharma teachings.
By this, in the past,
I awakened to wondrous bodhi
And revealed all dharmas,
Leading them to extinction;
The Buddhas now in the realms of the ten directions
All bear witness and know."

5.32

At that time, the virtuous Vajrapāṇi greatly rejoiced in his heart, and empowered by the majesty of all the Buddhas, he spoke a verse:

5.33

"This Dharma is inexhaustible,
Without intrinsic nature and without abode;
Liberated from karma-born existence,
It is equal to the Correctly and Universally Knowing One.
The upāyas that save the world
Turn according to the vows of compassion;
Awakening the unborn wisdom,
All dharmas have such characteristics."

5.34

Then the vajradhara Guhyakādhipati again spoke an udāna verse, asking the Lord Vairocana to resolve doubts regarding this great maṇḍala born of the matrix of great compassion, for the sake of sentient beings of future ages.

5.35

"Having severed all doubt, your omniscient wisdom free from distress, / for the sake of sentient beings I inquire of the Guide: / In the maṇḍala, what comes first? May the Great Muni speak. / How many kinds of ācāryas are there, and how many kinds of disciples? / How are the characteristics of the site known, and how is it selected and prepared? / How is purification to be done? How is it made firm, / and the disciples purified? May the Guide speak. / What are the signs of having been purified? With what is protection performed? / How is the ground empowered, and which activity comes first? / How many lines are there, and how are the ground divisions made? / How many kinds of worship are cultivated? How are the flowers, incense, and the like offered— / to whom should these flowers be offered? Incense is also likewise; / how should they be offered, and with what flowers and incense? / With what rituals are the food offerings and homa performed? / And as for the seats of the holy deities, pray expound this teaching. / Manifesting physical marks, shapes, and colours, pray unfold them in sequence. / The secret mudrās of the venerated ones and their spread seats— / why are they called mudrās, and from what do these mudrās arise? / How many kinds of abhiṣeka are there? How many samayas? / For how long must the mantrin diligently cultivate the practice of mantras / to become endowed with the bodhisattva path? How is the true reality seen? / How many kinds of siddhis are there, and at the time of attainment, / how does one ascend to the great space? How, by the secret of the body, / without casting off this body, is a divine body achieved? / Manifold transformations—from what do they arise? / From the sun, moon, fire, directions, planets, lunar mansions, stars, and divisions of time, / arise inauspicious signs, and beings endure many sufferings in saṃsāra— / how are these prevented from arising, and those arisen completely eradicated, / so that one may constantly be close to the Buddhas, the two-footed honoured ones? / How many kinds of homa fires are there, and by how many matters is majesty increased? / The distinct natures of the Buddhas—may the Guide pray speak. / Across all worldly realms without remainder and the supramundane, / their fruits and their numbers, and the sublime samādhis: / where does maturation occur, and what of the unripened? / Furthermore, after how long is liberation from karmic rebirth attained?"

The Sambuddha, the omniscient one, the Lord free from distress, / addressed Vajrapāṇi, saying: "Excellent, great energetic one! / The secret maṇḍala, the determination of the ranks of holy deities, / arising from the root of great compassion, the unsurpassed Mahāyāna, / the supreme secret of all Buddhas, is just as you have asked. / Vajradhara of great power, I shall now briefly proclaim it; / the initial acts of the maṇḍala, let the Buddha-son listen attentively.
Arising from the twelve limbs and phrases, the Vidyārāja of great power / is what should be made first. Abiding in one's own fundamental samādhi, / understanding the path of yoga, one performs the manifold activities.
Ācāryas are of two kinds, who have penetrated the mudrās and mantras; / their characteristics are also like this, divided broadly into deep secrets and the manifest.
One who knows the deep and broad meaning should transmit it only to one worthy of transmission; / he is the eldest son of the Sambuddha, far removed from worldly pleasures.
The second seeks the present life, deeply attached in delusion to grasping conditions; / the worldly maṇḍalas are all made for this one.
The Buddhas, the two-footed honoured ones, who bestow abhiṣeka and transmit the teachings, / speak of four kinds of disciples, distinguished by time and non-time:
One who recites at the [proper] time, at non-times, both, and neither; / possessing all characteristics, the Buddha calls him a close disciple.
First, to know the characteristics of the ground means the ground of the mind; / I have already spoken of purification, performing activities as before.
If free from faults, the ground of the mind is fearless; / it will attain true purity, free from all faults.
Abiding firmly in knowing thus, one sees one's own sambodhi; / if it is other than this, it cannot purify the ground.
If abiding in false discrimination, the practitioner purifies the ground, / O Guhyakādhipati, it is not pure, because it is separated from bodhicitta; / therefore one should abandon discrimination and purify all grounds.
In the extensive Dharma teachings that I have spoken, of all maṇḍalas, / the initial activities therein—the foolish do not understand or comprehend;
they are not called worldly awakened ones, nor are they omniscient, / and they cannot even abandon the causes of suffering that are discriminations.
For the disciple one should purify the bodhicitta, / protecting it with Acala or with Trailokyavijaya.
If the disciple is not moved by false grasping, / he will achieve supreme sambodhi, immaculate like empty space.
Empowering this ground initially relies on the teachings of all Buddhas; / second, the mind is sovereign—this alone, and no other teaching.
There are four kinds of cords: white, yellow, red, and black; / the fifth to be contemplated is the color of empty space.
In equipoise within space, one seals and establishes the maṇḍala.
Second, holding the measuring lines, one lays them out on the ground of the bodhimanda.
The seats of all Tathāgatas and the sons of the Buddha's wisdom / are delightful, sublime lotuses, renowned in the world as auspicious;
for pratyekabuddhas and śrāvakas, the so-called marginal wise ones, / you should know that their laid seats are leaves of blue water-lilies;
for the gods and spirits of the world, with the retinue of Brahmā at their head, / the red padma flower is called the king of seats;
below this, as appropriate, one contemplates their dwelling in their ground divisions.
Worship is of four kinds: making prostrations, joining the palms, / and benevolence, compassion, and so forth, as well as worldly flowers and incense.
From the hands generating flowers, one offers them to the saviours of the world, / binding the mudrā born of the limbs, and contemplating the bodhicitta.
To the respective Tathāgatas and their offspring, / with these faultless flowers, fragrant, exquisite, and radiant.
With the dharmadhātu as the king of trees, one worships the honoured ones among benevolent beings; / empowered with true words, moving freely in samādhi,
exquisite and vast clouds arise within the dharmadhātu.
From them rain down manifold flowers, constantly pervading before the Buddhas; / to the remaining worldly gods and others, one should also scatter these flowers.
Offerings are presented according to appropriateness, in accord with the nature of their fundamental mantras; / ointments and the like are also offered as appropriate.
Holding together the space and water cakras is called the auspicious mudrā; / the flowers and such offered by it should be offered from one's own heart.
For the worldly gods and spirits, know that it is at the position of the navel; / or with the vajra-fist mudrā, or a garland of lotus flowers,
offering them in the air to the Guides and saviours of the world, / down to the worldly gods, each according to their sequence.
Homa is of two kinds: internal and external.
Karmic rebirth is liberated, and there is the arising of sprouts and seeds; / because it burns away karma, it is spoken of as internal homa.
External application has three positions; abiding in the three within the three positions, / accomplishing the path of the three karmas, it is the world's supreme homa.
If performed differently from this, one does not understand the act of homa; / that foolish person does not attain the fruit, having abandoned mantra wisdom.
The mantras of the Tathāgata family, as spoken by the Sambuddhas, / you should know to be white and yellow; the vajra possesses various colors.
The mantras of Avalokiteśvara are pure white, changing according to the activity;
square, layered, and extensive; circular in sequence; / triangular, and a half-moon disc—their shapes are also described thus.
First one should know their colored images, namely male and female forms, / or everywhere according to their class, shape, and color;
they arise from inconceivable wisdom, and are therefore inconceivable.
Accommodating beings, there are distinctions, yet the wisdom of wisdom realizes constant oneness; / as far as the mind is expansive, know that to be its measure.
The seats and mudrās are also like this, as well as the gods;
as the Buddhas are born, the mudrās and the rest are born like them.
Using this mudrā born of the Dharma, one seals and upholds all disciples; / therefore, briefly speaking of the dharmadhātu, it serves as the emblem.
Abhiṣeka is of three kinds; Buddha-sons, listen with single mind.
If through the upāya of the secret mudrā one is freed from activity, / this is called the first supreme teaching, the abhiṣeka bestowed by Tathāgatas;
the second causes one to arise and perform manifold activities;
the third is transmitted through the mind, entirely transcending time and direction.
To cause the honoured ones to rejoice, one should act as taught; / abhiṣeka directly in the presence of the Buddha is the most sublime.
The Sambuddha briefly explains five kinds of samayas:
first, seeing the maṇḍala, one is complete in the samaya, / but the true words are not yet transmitted, nor is the secret mudrā conferred;
the second samaya is entering to behold the assembly of holy deities;
the third possesses the altar and mudrās, cultivating sublime activities according to the teaching, / and further, being permitted to transmit the teaching, is said to possess the samaya.
Although endowed with the ranks of mudrās and altars as taught in the teachings, / if one has not attained the abhiṣeka of the mind, secret wisdom does not arise.
Therefore, the mantrin in the secret bodhimaṇḍa / is endowed with the fifth solemn vow and receives abhiṣeka according to the Dharma; / know that if it is other than this, it is not called samaya.
If firmly abiding and contemplating the mind, the mantrin's awakening mind / is not apprehended in the three places, he is called a bodhisattva.
Attaining practice of objectless contemplation, benefiting beings through upāya, / planting roots of goodness for all, he is therefore called the honoured one among benevolent beings.
In the fundamental tranquility of all phenomena, constantly without intrinsic nature, / abiding firmly like Mount Sumeru—this is called seeing the truth.
This emptiness is the limit of reality, not false speech; / what is seen is like that of the Buddha, as seen by previous Buddhas.
Attaining the bodhicitta, siddhi is supreme and unsurpassed; / from this there are five kinds, the distinctions among siddhis:
namely, entering practice and the stages of supreme progress, / the five worldly supernormal powers, the Buddhas, pratyekabuddhas, and the like.
Practicing activities without interruption until the mental continuum is purified, / making the unripened ripen—at that time siddhi is accomplished.
In that single moment, pure karma and mind being equal, / the mantrin will attain siddhi arising according to his intention.
Ascending to the realm of space through siddhi is like an illusion, free from fear; / deluded by a network of sorcery, it is like the net of Śakra, / or like the citizens of a gandharva city.
The secret of the body is like this: neither body nor consciousness; / again, it is like roaming in divine palaces during a dream— / without casting off this body, nor going to that one.
Such is the yogic dream; for the practitioner who abides in mantra practice, / the meritorious karma generated has a bodily form like a rainbow.
The mantra is a wish-fulfilling gem, giving birth to a body of mind and speech; / raining down manifold things according to thought, yet without discriminatory ideation.
Like empty space in the ten directions, free from all conditioned activities, / the mantrin is unstained by any discriminatory activity;
understanding that there is only ideation, contemplating everywhere in this way, / at that time, of that speaker of true words all Buddhas approve in unison.
The Sambuddha, the two-footed honoured one, spoke of two kinds of homa, / namely internal and external; the increase of majesty is also like this.
The distinct natures of the deities should be realized through observation; / regarding all worldly mantras, I now declare their limits.
Merit, sovereignty, and the like, the gods of the spiritual friends— / the luminous mantras and powerful mudrās spoken by them / all yield fruits in the present life, and are therefore said to have limits;
though accomplished, they do not abide firmly, all being phenomena that arise and cease; / supramundane mantras are uncreated and fundamentally unarisen.
Karmic rebirth is entirely severed; victorious in battle, one is free from the three faults; / of the solitary rhinoceros-like ones without a teacher, the Buddha's śrāvakas, / and the mantras of the bodhisattvas—I shall declare their measure.
Transcending the three times, arisen from manifold conditions, / visible and invisible fruits are born from the body of mind and speech.
What is transmitted in the world has a measure of fruit lasting one kalpa; / the mantras spoken by the Sambuddha transcend the count of kalpas.
The samādhis of the Great Ṛṣi, the Sambuddha, and the assembly of Buddha-sons, / are pure and free from conceptual ideation; having ideation belongs to the world;
reaping fruits from karma, there is a time of maturation and non-maturation.
If siddhi is attained, one turns all karma with sovereignty; / because the mind lacks intrinsic nature, it is far removed from cause and effect, / liberated from karmic rebirth, rebirth being equal to empty space."

5.36

"Furthermore, Guhyakādhipati! Listen attentively to those secret mudrās, forms, the arrangement of the positions of the noble deities, manifest efficacy, and the destination of samādhi. These five were vows originally made by the Buddhas of the past upon attaining bodhi, coursing through the space of the dharmadhātu, to liberate the realm of sentient beings without exception, and for the sake of benefiting and bringing peace and happiness to those bodhisattvas who cultivate bodhisattva practice in the mantra-naya." Vajrapāṇi said, "So it is, Lord! We wish with joy to hear." Then the Bhagavat spoke in verse:

5.37

"The initial, truly and fully awakened one arranges the maṇḍala,
secret of the secrets, born of the great compassion Womb-realm,
as well as immeasurable mundane and supramundane maṇḍalas.
Listen as I explain the order of their diagrams.
Surrounded completely on four sides, with one gate and passage,
adorned all around with vajra-mudrās, with a karma-vajra in the center.
Upon it is a wondrous lotus blossom, fully bloomed and bearing fruit;
on that great lotus mudrā, it is adorned with the great empty bindu (anusvāra).
Its eight petals are completely round and regular, exquisitely possessing stamens and pistils;
the phrases arising from the twelve links pervade the lotus core.
Above it is the Two-Footed Honoured One, the Guide who has achieved correct awakening;
having entered the maṇḍala, he is naturally surrounded by his retinue.
You should know this initial, compassion-born maṇḍala;
from this flow the various altars, each according to its fundamental teaching,
installing the sons of the Buddha with actions, forms, and siddhis.
Furthermore, Guhyakādhipati! The maṇḍala of the Tathāgata
is like the pure, round moon, internally manifesting the color of a conch.
The triangle of all the Buddhas is upon the white lotus;
marked with the empty bindu, it is surrounded by vajra-mudrās.
From that Lord of Mantras, light is radiated all around,
flowing forth universally with a mind free of doubt and hesitation.
Furthermore, Guhyakādhipati! As for the secret maṇḍala
of the Lord of the World's Contemplation (Avalokiteśvara), son of the Buddha, listen with one mind.
Universally square in form, in the center is an auspicious conch,
bringing forth a padma lotus, opened and bearing fruit.
Above it symbolizes vajra-wisdom, supported by the great lotus mudrā;
lay out all the bījas, skillfully making them the seeds.
Tārā, Bhṛkuṭī, and the Honoured One in White (Pāṇḍaravāsinī),
the vidyārājñī Master of Wealth (Vilokinī), as well as Mahāsthāmaprāpta,
all the auspicious attendants who receive commands are in the maṇḍala;
the mudrās of those who have attained mastery are exquisitely made as their emblems.
Hayagrīva, according to rule, abides in a triangle,
surrounded by a maṇḍala, adorned like the radiance of the morning sun;
he should be beside the Vidyārāja; the skillfully wise one establishes him thus.
Furthermore, Guhyakādhipati! I now explain the second altar.
Perfect and square in form, surrounded by vajra-mudrās,
all of a wondrous golden color, with a blossomed lotus at the inner heart.
Upon the core appears a kalaśa, its radiance and color like the pure moon;
it is also self-adorned all around with the great empty bindu.
Above it symbolizes the great wind mudrā, dense like dark clouds,
with the appearance of fluttering banners, marked with the empty bindu.
Above it blaze fierce flames, like the fire at the destruction of an aeon;
making a triangular shape, it is enclosed by triangles.
A garland of light surrounds it, the color of the morning sun's radiance;
in its center is a padma, crimson-black like the aeon-ending fire.
Above it is the vajra-mudrā, scattering and emitting blazing radiance,
sustained by the sound of the syllable HŪṂ, the supremely wondrous bīja-syllable.
The previous Buddhas taught this Dharma, the maṇḍala of the Diligent Hero (Vajrasattva);
the family mother Śaṅkarā, as well as the Lord of the Vajra Family,
the limbs of the vajra-aṅkuśa and vajra-pāśa, and the venerable Vidyārājas,
all are present here within this great maṇḍala.
The mudrās and altars of all sons of the Buddha have forms and colors in their respective orders;
corresponding according to their types, all rites are successfully accomplished.
Furthermore, those Vajra Masters of Mastery whom I speak of
are: Gagana-amala (Skylike Immaculate), Vajracakra, and Vajradaṃṣṭra,
Supratiṣṭhita, Yaśas, Mahākrodha, and Śīghra,
Śānta-mahāvajra, together with Nīlavajra,
Padma and Viśālākṣa, Supravajra-vajra,
and the one dwelling in Niṣprapañca, and Anantākāśakrama;
their maṇḍalas are described as white, yellow, red,
down to black, and so forth; as for their mudrā forms and the rest:
a trident, a single-pronged mudrā, two ends both with five points,
or holding a garland of vajras; distinguished according to color and class,
all are made as bījas, which you of great fortune should know.
The maṇḍala of Acala has the wind cakra together with fire,
relying on the southwest direction, beneath Mahāvairocana Tathāgata,
and surrounded by bījas; the subtly wondrous great wisdom sword,
or the snare mudrā, the wise one arranges.
Trailokyavijaya is distinctive: namely, residing in the wind cakra,
surrounded by vajra-mudrās, and abiding in three places.
Furthermore, Guhyakādhipati! Next I describe the maṇḍala
where the Mother of All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is placed, with its altar figures.
Square, of true golden color, surrounded by vajra-mudrās,
the most supreme maṇḍala; I will now reveal the honored forms.
In its center is a great lotus, its blazing brilliance completely yellow;
in the middle is placed the Tathāgata-uṣṇīṣa, transcending the middle portion.
And reaching the position of the three divisions, one should make the Tathāgata-locanā (Buddhalocanā),
dwelling herself within light and flames, with her bīja distributed all around.
Next, of all bodhisattvas, the honored Great Wish-fulfilling Jewel (Cintāmaṇi),
whose maṇḍala is round, white, and projecting on four sides,
universally tranquil and supremely pure, fulfilling all hopes and desires.
Furthermore, listen attentively to the altar of the Lion of the Śākyas (Śākyamuni).
Namely, the great Indra[-cakra], wondrous and of true golden color,
with four equal sides, surrounded by vajra-mudrās as before.
Above appears a padma, entirely with yellow radiance;
a great alms bowl endowed with blazing light, surrounded by vajra-mudrās.
Kaṣāya robes, a锡杖 (khakkhara), and so forth, are placed in order;
the five kinds of Tathāgata-uṣṇīṣas, listen attentively as I now declare them.
Sitātapatrā (White Parasol) with the parasol mudrā; the supreme uṣṇīṣa of the wise one (Jayoṣṇīṣa),
surrounded by the great sword of wisdom, universally radiating light;
the supreme uṣṇīṣa-cakra mudrā (Vijayocchīṣma / Vijayātapatra), the obstacle-removing uṣṇīṣa hook mudrā (Abhyudgatoṣṇīṣa),
and the uṣṇīṣa form of the Great Being, which is called the mass-of-fire mudrā (Tejorāśi).
Vyāpaka-vajra, blossoming as a lotus,
Anantasvara as a conch: observe and know their forms and classes.
The ūrṇā hair-circle is a cintāmaṇi jewel; next listen regarding Buddhalocanā:
her uṣṇīṣa is entirely yellow, surrounded by vajras.
The mudrā of the Aparājitā Vidyārājñī holds a lotus in her hand;
the great mouth of Aparājita is upon a black lotus.
The practitioners of pure realms, namely the Śuddhāvāsa gods,
place their various mudrā marks; son of the Buddha, listen attentively:
namely, the pondering hand, the good hand, and the smiling hand,
the flower hand, and the empty space hand, painted according to rule.
The earth deity is a kalaśa, round, white, and surrounded by vajras;
the mudrā for invoking Agni should be the hand of a great ṛṣi.
Kāśyapa, Gautama, Mārkaṇḍeya, Garga,
Vasiṣṭha, and Bharadvāja, each in their proper sequence,
one should paint with Veda hands, abiding within the fire altar.
Yama has the daṇḍa mudrā, constantly situated in the wind cakra.
Mṛtyu has the bell mudrā, Kālarātri has the ketu mudrā,
Raudra has the śūla, the consort of Brahmā (Brahmāṇī) has the lotus.
Kumārī has the śakti, Vaiṣṇavī has the cakra mudrā;
you should know the consort of Yama has the mudgara mudrā.
The consort of Kauverī (Kauverī) uses the kapāla mudrā.
All such deities reside in the wind maṇḍala,
surrounded by crows, vultures, foxes (śivā), jackals, and the like.
If one wishes to accomplish siddhi, depict them according to the rules:
Nairṛti has a great sword, Viṣṇu has the supreme and wondrous cakra,
Kumāra has the śakti, Nanda and Upananda,
accompanied by dense clouds and lightning, all possessing the color of a clear pool,
flank the gates to guard and protect them in the altar of the Lion of the Śākyas.
Śaṅkara has a trident, and his consort makes the paṭṭiśa mudrā.
Candra has a kalaśa, blossoming upon a pure white lotus.
Sūrya has a vajracakra, represented by the image of a chariot.
Jaya and Vijaya, know that these two mighty ones
both have the great bow mudrā. In the Indra-cakra,
the wind quarter has the wind-banner mudrā and the wondrous musical instrument mudrā;
Varuṇa has the noose, abiding in a circular altar.
You should know the Great Self (Mahātman), surrounded by bīja-syllables;
such emblems as these in their respective maṇḍalas,
the retinue of the Lion of the Śākyas, have now been briefly explained.
Son of the Buddha, next listen attentively to the wish-granting vajra altar,
universally square and equal, protected by vajra-mudrās.
Within it one should make a fire-born maṇḍala,
and inside at the heart place the wondrous blue lotus (utpala) mudrā.
Surrounded by the fundamental mantra of the wise Mañjughoṣa,
distribute the bījas according to rule, taking them as seeds.
Furthermore, adorn its four sides with blue lotuses,
depicting the host of diligent heroes, each in their proper order.
Jālinīprabha has the hook mudrā; Ratnacūḍa holds the jewel mudrā;
the youth Vimalaprabha has an unblossomed blue lotus.
Of the messengers proclaimed by Mañjughoṣa, who possesses great wisdom,
know their secret mudrās, each according to what is appropriate:
Keśinī has the sword mudrā; Upakeśinī has the śūla mudrā;
Citrā has the staff mudrā; Vasumatī has the banner mudrā;
the summoning messenger (Ākarṣaṇī) has the aṅkuśa mudrā;
all are made in this manner, surrounded by blue lotuses.
All those who receive commands have the kiṅkarī mudrā.
Furthermore, as for the southern mudrās, Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin's
bīja of great energy is the cintāmaṇi,
dwelling within the fire cakra, attended by a dignified host;
know the secret emblems of his retinue.
They should be painted in order; I will now explain them at length.
Abhayapradāna has a jewel vase topped with a single-pronged vajra;
the noble Abhayaṃdada makes the fearlessness-granting hand;
Apāyajaha takes the uplifting hand as his emblem.
Bodhisattva Paritrāṇāśayamati has his hand of compassion constantly at his heart.
Bodhisattva Mahāmaitryabhyudgata should hold a flower in his hand,
his compassionate thought upon his heart, with the hand of the fire cakra bent downwards;
Sarvadāhapraśāmin makes the wish-granting hand,
with streams of ambrosia water pouring from all his fingertips;
Acintyamati has the hand holding a cintāmaṇi jewel;
all abide upon lotuses, within the maṇḍala.
Next I shall explain the secret mudrās of the honored Kṣitigarbha of the north:
first make an adorned seat in the Indra altar;
the great lotus radiates flames, intermixed with all varieties of colors.
Upon it erect a great banner, with a great jewel at its peak;
this is called the most supreme form of secret mudrā.
Furthermore, one should diligently make the foremost retinue,
an immeasurable and innumerable assembly, and their mudrās.
Ratnākara has a three-pronged vajra mudrā upon a jewel;
Ratnapāṇi has a single-pronged vajra mudrā upon a jewel;
Dharaṇīṃdhara has a double-headed vajra mudrā upon a jewel;
Ratnamudrāhasta has a five-pronged vajra mudrā upon a jewel;
Dṛḍhadhyāśaya has a karma-vajra mudrā upon a jewel;
all should abide within that maṇḍala.
In the west is Ākāśagarbha, in a round, white, delightful altar;
upon a great white lotus seat, place the great wisdom sword mudrā.
Such a hard and sharp blade, its edge keen like ice and frost;
with his own bīja as the seed, the wise one should arrange it,
and depict the retinue with mudrā forms according to ritual teaching.
The honored Gaganāmala should have the cakra mudrā,
surrounded by cakra forms, complete within the wind altar;
Gaganamati has a conch in the wind maṇḍala;
Viśuddhamati has a white lotus in the wind maṇḍala;
the mudrā mark of Caritramati should be a vase of mother-of-pearl,
with a blue lotus inserted above, in the wind maṇḍala;
Sthiramati has a vajra-lotus in the wind maṇḍala.
Thus the Buddha's secret treasury is briefly explained. The secret mudrās of the honored ones are complete."

5.38

Chapter 12: The Method for Entering the Secret Maṇḍala

5.39

At that time, the Lord further pronounced the udāna for the method of entering the secret maṇḍala, saying:

5.40

"One who has thoroughly learned the mantras and penetrated the secret altar
shall, in accordance with the Dharma, burn away all sins for the disciple.
Their lifespan is entirely incinerated, causing it not to arise again;
having been reduced to ashes, that lifespan is then restored.
That is, through a syllable one burns the syllable, and by cause of the syllable one is reborn;
all life and rebirth become pure and completely stainless.
Using the twelve-limbed formula, one makes [them] a receptacle.
Such is the samaya of all the Tathāgatas,
the bodhisattvas who rescue the world, and the Buddha's assembly of śrāvakas,
and even all worldly realms, equal and unobtrusive.
Understanding this equal vow and the secret maṇḍala,
one enters all teachings of the Dharma and attains sovereignty over all altars.
My body is identical to theirs, and so is the mantrin's;
because they are not different, it is called samaya."

5.41

Chapter 13: Entering the Station of the Secret Maṇḍala

5.42

At that time, the Lord Mahāvairocana entered the samādhi of equipoise, and for the sake of observing sentient beings of future ages, he remained within concentration. Instantly, all the buddha lands became as flat as the palm of a hand, inlaid with the five kinds of jewels, with great jeweled parasols suspended, gates and emblems adorning them, multicolored tassels of broad and expansive appearance, and jeweled bells, white whisks, splendid garments, banners, and pendants hung and arranged in decoration. In the eight directions and intermediate corners, mani-jewel banners were erected. Waters possessing the eight virtues were full and fragrant, and countless flocks of birds—mandarin ducks, geese, and swans—emitted harmonious, delicate sounds. Various bathing ponds, seasonal flowers, and mixed trees blossomed and stood in rows, luxuriant and beautifully adorned. In the eight directions, strings of pearls of the five kinds of jewels were bound together. The ground was as soft as cotton and silk floss, so that anyone treading upon it experienced pleasure. Countless musical instruments harmonized spontaneously, their sounds subtle, wondrous, and pleasing to human ears. Countless bodhisattvas occupied palaces, halls, and mind-born seats produced by the merits they had accumulated, born of the Tathāgata's power of resolved faith and vows. A great lotus king, the emblem of the dharmadhātu, appeared, and the Tathāgata's body of the nature of the dharmadhātu was seated within it, bringing joy to sentient beings according to their various dispositions and desires. Then the Tathāgata's all-limbed unimpeded power, born from the resolved faith in the ten powers of knowledge, with marks of adornment in countless shapes and forms, and a body nurtured and grown through the merits of the perfections of giving, ethical discipline, patience, vigor, meditation, and wisdom across countless hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of kalpas, appeared at that very moment. Having appeared, he emitted a great voice in the midst of the vast assemblies throughout the realms of the world and spoke in verse:

5.43

"The Buddhas are most extraordinary; their expedient wisdom is inconceivable.
With wisdom devoid of an ālaya,
they explain all dharmas as a storehouse.
If one understands the dharma-character of all dharmas as without attainment,
then without attaining one attains,
attaining the Buddhas, the Teachers."

5.44

Having uttered these sounds, he returned and entered into the inconceivable dharmakāya of the Tathāgata.

5.45

Then the Lord again addressed the vajradhara Guhyakādhipati, saying: "O son of good family! Listen attentively to the inner-mind maṇḍala. Guhyakādhipati! That ground of the body is itself the self-nature of the dharmadhātu, empowered by the mantra and the secret mudrā through adhiṣṭhāna. Because its original nature is pure and it is protected by the karmavajra, it clears away all defilements and impurities, and the faults and obstacles of self, person, sentient being, living soul, mind-born one, youth, creator, and so forth. The square altar has four gates, opening toward the west, encircled by boundary pathways. Inside appears a mind-born eight-petaled great lotus king, with raised stem and blossoming calyx, colorful and elegant. Within it is the most venerable and distinguished body of the Tathāgata in all the worlds, transcending the grounds of body, speech, and mind, arriving at the ground of mind, and attaining the sublime and delightful fruit. In the east is the Tathāgata Ratnaketu; in the south is the Tathāgata Saṃkusumitarāja; in the north is the Tathāgata Dundubhinirghoṣa; in the west is the Tathāgata Amitāyus. In the southeast is the bodhisattva Samantabhadra; in the northeast is the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara; in the southwest is the youth Mañjuśrī; and in the northwest is the bodhisattva Maitreya. Within all the petals, the mother of the buddhas and bodhisattvas and the retinues of the six pāramitās and samādhis adorn themselves. Below, the wrathful Vidyādharas and the lord of vajradharas, the bodhisattva, serve as its stem, positioned upon an inexhaustible great ocean. All the terrestrial deities and others, countless in number, encircle it.

5.46

"Then, in order to accomplish the samaya, the practitioner should offer mind-born incense, flowers, lamps, fragrant unguents, and various delicacies—offering them all. An udāna says:

5.47

"'The mantrin, with sincere truth, draws the maṇḍala,
making their own body the great self, with the syllable RA purifying all defilements.
Firmly seated on the yoga seat, meditating upon all the Tathāgatas,
they confer upon the crown of the disciples the syllable A with the great space dot.
The wise one transmits the wondrous flower, causing it to be scattered upon their own body,
and explains what is seen within, the object of veneration for the practitioner.
Because this is the supreme altar, one should bestow the samaya.'"

5.48

Chapter 14: The Eight Secret Mudrās

5.49

At that time, the Lord Vairocana again surveyed the vast assembly and addressed the vajradhara Guhyakādhipati, saying: "O son of the Buddha! There are eight secret mudrās, most secret of all. Sharing the spiritual power of the stations of the noble devas, using their own mantra-paths as their emblems, the maṇḍalas are drawn in accordance with the corresponding iṣṭadevatā. If in accordance with the Dharma-teachings, bodhisattvas practicing the bodhisattva deeds in the mantra-naya should know them thus: their own bodies abide firmly and unmovingly in the form of the iṣṭadevatā. Having known the iṣṭadevatā, they abide like the iṣṭadevatā and attain siddhi. What are the eight mudrās? Making a hollow-palmed añjali with the prajñā- and samādhi-hands, one extends the wind cakras and earth cakras like emitting blazing flames; this is the mudrā of the arising of the Lord's original majesty. Its maṇḍala is triangular and possessed of radiance. Its mantra is:

5.51

"Using this same mudrā, bend the wind cakras over the space cakras like the shape of the syllable VA; this is the Lord's adamantine indestructible mudrā. Its maṇḍala is like the form of the syllable VA, possessing adamantine radiance. Its mantra is:

5.53

"Again, from the initial mudrā, extend the water cakras and fire cakras; this is called the padmagarbha mudrā. Its maṇḍala is like the form of a lunar disc, encircled with padma flowers. Its mantra is:

5.55

"Using this same mudrā, bend the two earth cakras into the palms; this is the Tathāgata's mudrā of adornment with myriad virtues. Its maṇḍala is like the shape of a half-moon, encircled with great space dots. Its mantra is:

5.57

"Again, with the samādhi- and prajñā-hands, make an unblossomed-flower añjali, erect the two space cakras, and bend them slightly; this is the mudrā of the arising of all limbs of the Tathāgata. Its maṇḍala is like the form of a kalaśa full moon, encircled with vajras. Its mantra is:

5.59

"Using this same mudrā, bend its fire cakras while the remaining features are as before; this is the Lord's dhāraṇī mudrā. Its maṇḍala is like a rainbow, entirely encircled by hanging vajra banners. Its mantra is:

5.61

"Again, with a hollow-palmed añjali, open and spread the fire cakras, with the earth cakras and space cakras joined and supporting one another; this is called the Tathāgata's mudrā of abiding in the Dharma. Its maṇḍala is like space, encircled with variegated colors, having two space dots. Its mantra is:

5.63

"With the hollow-palmed añjali as before, the prajñā- and samādhi-hands mutually empower and revolve around each other; this is called the Lord's swift-holding mudrā. Its maṇḍala is likewise like space, adorned with blue dots. Its mantra is:

5.65

"Guhyakādhipati! These are called the secret mudrās of the Tathāgata, the supreme secrets. They should not be casually conferred upon people, except for those who have received abhiṣeka, whose nature is gentle and subdued, who are diligent and firm, who have generated sublime vows, who revere their masters, who are mindful of kindness and virtue, who are pure inwardly and outwardly, and who seek the Dharma even at the cost of their own lives."

5.66

Chapter 15: The Vidyādhara Disciplines and Precepts

5.67

At that time, Vajrapāṇi again questioned the Lord Mahāvairocana in verse concerning the vidyādhara disciplines and precepts, for the sake of the bodhisattvas practicing the bodhisattva deeds in the mantra-naya:

5.68

"How are the disciplines accomplished? How does one abide in śīla?
How, wherever one abides,
does one practice free from all attachments?
Practicing for how many months
are the disciplines brought to completion?
Abiding in what Dharma-teaching
does one know their spiritual power?
Free from the actions of time and place,
as well as dharma and adharma,
how is it swiftly accomplished?
May the Buddha explain its measure.
That which was proclaimed by previous Buddhas
to cause the attainment of siddhi,
I ask of the All-Knowing One,
the Sammāsaṃbuddha, the Two-Footed Honored One,
for the sake of future sentient beings,
recognized and known by the Honored One among the Benevolent."

5.69

At that time, the Bhagavat Vairocana, out of compassion for sentient beings, spoke in verse:

5.70

"Excellent, heroic warrior,
O greatly virtuous vajradhara!
The sublime precepts you speak of
were expounded by the ancient Buddhas.
The precepts arising with vidyā as condition,
abiding in precepts like the Sambuddha,
cause the attainment of siddhi
for the benefit of the world.
Arising equally from the truth itself,
generating no doubtful thoughts,
always abiding in equipoise,
the practice of the precepts will be completed.
Bodhicitta, the Dharma,
and the fruition of practicing and learning,
harmoniously unite into a single mark,
far removed from all conceptual fabrications.
Endowed with precepts like the Buddha's wisdom—
differing from this, one is not endowed with precepts.
Attaining mastery over all dharmas,
penetrating and benefiting sentient beings,
always practicing unattached actions,
viewing gravel and diverse jewels as equal.
Until completing a lakṣa
as taught in the mantra-teachings,
concluding in the proper time and months,
the measure of the disciplines is completed.
First, the contemplation of the gold cakra,
abiding in the great Indra;
one should form the vajra mudrā
and drink milk to sustain the body.
When the practitioner has completed one month,
they can regulate inhalation and exhalation.
Next, in the second month,
within the strictly pure water cakra,
one should use the lotus mudrā
and consume pure, unadulterated water.
Next, in the third month,
with the sublime contemplation of the fire cakra,
eating food that was not sought after,
one then, by the power of great wisdom,
burns away all sins
and brings forth body, mind, and speech.
In the fourth month, with the wind cakra,
the practitioner constantly feeds upon wind,
forming the mudrā of turning the wheel of the Dharma,
concentrating the mind to recite and uphold.
With the contemplation of the adamantine water cakra,
relying and abiding in yoga,
this is the fifth month,
far removed from gain and non-gain.
The practitioner is without attachment,
equal to saṃbodhi,
harmonizing the wind and fire cakras,
transcending all faults and obstacles.
For another month of recitation and upholding,
one also casts aside benefit and non-benefit.
The heavenly hosts of Brahmā, Śakra, and others,
mahoragas and piśācas,
stand at a distance and pay homage,
all acting as guardians
and wholly obeying commands.
They always attain such assistance:
humans, devas, yakṣas, spirits,
vidyādharas, and divine sages
attend upon their left and right,
doing whatever they are commanded.
Those who are unwholesome and cause hindrances—
rākṣasas, the seven mothers, and so forth—
seeing the mantra-holder,
reverently keep their distance.
Seeing the radiance of this place,
they flee and scatter like fierce fire.
In whatever Dharma-teaching they abide,
all rely on the vidyā-discipline;
the true sons of the Sambuddha
attain mastery over all things.
Subduing those difficult to tame,
like the great vajradhara,
they bring benefit to all living beings,
identical to Avalokiteśvara.
After more than six months have passed,
results will be achieved according to their vows;
they should constantly, toward themselves and others,
rescue and protect with compassion."

5.71

Chapter 16: The Realized Knowledge of the Ācārya

5.72

At that time, the vajradhara next questioned the Lord Mahāvairocana regarding the heart of the mantras of the various maṇḍalas, speaking in verse:

5.73

"What is the heart of all mantras and true words?
How does one understand it so as to be called an ācārya?"
Then the Bhagavat Mahāvairocana,
consoling Vajrapāṇi, the excellent mahāsattva,
made his heart rejoice. He further spoke these words:
"Understanding the most secret of secrets, the great heart of mantra wisdom,
I shall now proclaim it to you; listen attentively with single mind.
The letter A is the heart of all mantras;
from it flow forth everywhere immeasurable mantras,
all conceptual proliferation ceases, and it can generate skilful wisdom.
Lord of Secrets, what is the heart of all true speech?
The Buddha, Supreme among Two-Legged Beings, spoke of the letter A as the bīja;
therefore, being all thus, it abides in the various limbs,
and having arranged them according to correspondence, one transmits them everywhere according to the Dharma.
Because of that primal letter, it is omnipresent in the augmented letters;
when the manifold letters form sounds, the limbs are thereby produced.
Therefore, this pervades all; from the body arise various virtues.
Now I speak of their distribution; sons of the Buddha, listen with single mind.
Using the mind to make the heart, distribute the rest among the limbs;
when all is performed thus, one is identical with my body.
Abiding on the yoga seat, mindfully recalling the Tathāgatas,
if one understands this vast wisdom in this teaching,
with the great merit of a fully enlightened one, he is called an ācārya;
he is indeed a Tathāgata, and is also called a Buddha.
Bodhisattvas and Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśvara,
the gods of the sun and moon, Varuṇa, Śakra, the worldly lords,
Kālarātri, Yama, and the rest, the earth deity and Sarasvatī,
brahmacārins and nityasnāyins, also named pure practitioners,
the saṅgha of monks with defilements exhausted, auspicious holders of secrets,
those with all-knowing vision, rich in mastery over phenomena—
if one abides in bodhicitta and the nature of sound-wisdom,
not attached to any phenomena, one is called 'all-pervading.'
He is a speaker of truth, holding auspicious mantras,
a king of true speech, holding the seal of the vajradhara.
All the wheels of letters, when located on the limbs:
know that between the eyebrows abides the letter HŪṂ, the vajra phrase;
the letter SA is below the lip, which is called the lotus phrase.
I am identical with the state of the heart, sovereign in all places,
pervading manifold sentient and insentient beings.
The letter A is the supreme life; the letter VA is called water;
the letter RA is called fire; the letter HŪṂ is called wrath;
the letter KHA is identical to space, the so-called supreme space-dot (bindu);
knowing this supreme reality, one is called an ācārya.
Therefore one should possess upāya, thoroughly comprehend what the Buddha taught,
and ever practice with diligent energy; then one will attain the state of the deathless."

First 46 of 51 passages. Read on

Translations (1)

The Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi Sutra — Rolf W. Giebel 2005, English

Linked texts (1)

大毘盧遮那成佛神變加持經 (Śubhakarasiṃha & Yixing 724) — Classical Chinese