釋摩訶衍論 6.4

6.4

The basic text states: 'Furthermore, as for the self-essence and characteristics of tathatā, they are neither increased nor decreased among all ordinary persons, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas. They are not produced at the previous limit and do not cease at the subsequent limit; they are ultimately eternal and constant. From the beginning, their nature of itself is fulfilled with all merits—that is to say, because its self-essence has the meaning of the light of great wisdom; because it has the meaning of illuminating the dharmadhātu everywhere; because it has the meaning of genuine cognitive awareness; because it has the meaning of a mind intrinsically pure by nature; because it has the meaning of constancy, bliss, ātman, and purity; because it has the meaning of coolness, changelessness, and sovereignty. Being complete with such inconceivable Buddha-dharmas exceeding the sands of the Ganges—which are not separated, not interrupted, and not different—down to being fulfilled without any deficiency, it is named the tathāgatagarbha, and it is also named the Tathāgata’s dharmakāya. Question: It was stated above that the essence of tathatā is equal and free from all characteristics; why is it now said that its essence has such manifold merits? Answer: Although it genuinely has the meanings of these various merits, yet it is without differentiated characteristics; they are equal and of one single taste, being only one tathatā. What is the meaning of this? Because it is non-conceptual and free from characteristics of differentiation, there is therefore no duality. By what meaning, then, can differentiation be stated? It is indicated based on the arising-and-ceasing characteristics of the karmic consciousness. How is this indicated? Because all dharmas are originally mind only and are genuinely free from thought, yet there is a delusionary mind that, through non-awakening, gives rise to thought and perceives various objects, this is spoken of as avidyā. The non-arising of mind's nature is itself the meaning of the light of great wisdom. If the mind gives rise to seeing, there is the characteristic of non-seeing; the mind's nature being free from seeing is itself the meaning of illuminating the dharmadhātu everywhere. If the mind has motion, it is not genuine cognitive awareness, it is without intrinsic nature, it is not constant, not blissful, not ātman, not pure; being distressed, afflicted, deteriorating, and changing, it is then not sovereign, down to possessing defiled delusionary meanings exceeding the sands of the Ganges. In contrast to these meanings, when the mind's nature is without motion, then there are manifested the meanings of pure characteristics of merit exceeding the sands of the Ganges. If the mind has arising and further sees a preceding dharma that can be thought of, then there is deficiency. Such immeasurable merits of pure dharmas are just the one mind, having nothing further to be thought of; hence, being fully complete, it is named the dharmakāya, the receptacle of the Tathāgata. Furthermore, as for the function of tathatā: all Buddha-Tathāgatas, originally in their causal stage, generated great compassion, cultivated the pāramitās, gathered and transformed sentient beings, and made great vows, wishing fully to deliver all sentient beings without remainder throughout the realm of sentient beings, without limiting the number of kalpas to the end of the future; because they regarded all sentient beings like their own bodies, yet they also did not grasp the characteristics of sentient beings. By what meaning is this? It means that they truly knew that all sentient beings and their own bodies are equal in tathatā, without any difference. Possessing such wisdom of great expedients, they extinguished avidyā, saw the original dharmakāya, and naturally possessed inconceivable actions and various functions, which are equal to tathatā and pervade all places; yet there is also no characteristic of function that can be apprehended. Why? Because Buddha-Tathāgatas are solely the dharmakāya, the body of the characteristic of wisdom, the ultimate truth, without the objects of worldly truth and free from deliberate activity; but simply in accordance with sentient beings seeing, hearing, and obtaining benefit, it is spoken of as function. This function further has two kinds. What are the two? First, based on the differentiating object-consciousness, that which is seen by the minds of ordinary persons and the two vehicles is named the manifestation body (nirmāṇakāya); because they do not know it is manifested by the evolving consciousness, they see it as coming from outside and grasp boundaries of form, being unable to know it completely. Second, based on the karmic consciousness, that which is seen by the minds of the bodhisattvas from their first aspiration up to the ultimate stage of bodhisattvahood is named the reward body (saṃbhogakāya); its body has immeasurable forms, the forms have immeasurable marks, the marks have immeasurable physical excellences, and the retributive fruits of its dwelling also have immeasurable and diverse adornments; as it manifests, it has no limits and cannot be exhausted, being free from demarcating characteristics; in accordance with what is appropriate, it is always able to sustain without decaying or being lost. Such merits are all accomplished by the perfume of uncontaminated practices such as the pāramitās and by inconceivable perfume, complete with immeasurable marks of bliss, and therefore it is spoken of as reward. Moreover, what is seen by ordinary persons is gross form; depending on the six destinies, each sees differently, being diverse kinds not bearing the characteristics of enjoying bliss, and therefore it is spoken of as manifestation. Furthermore, as for that which is seen by newly aspired bodhisattvas: because of their deep faith in the dharma of tathatā, they see a small portion of it, knowing that such matters as bodily forms and adornments have no going and coming, are free from boundaries, and manifest solely based on the mind, not separated from tathatā. Yet these bodhisattvas still have their own conceptual differentiation, because they have not yet entered the stage of the dharmakāya. If they attain the pure mind, that which is seen is subtle and wondrous, and its function becomes increasingly superior, until the end of the bodhisattva grounds, where they see it ultimately. If one is free from the karmic consciousness, then there is no characteristic of seeing, because the dharmakāyas of all Buddhas have no mutual perception of each other's bodily forms. Question: If the dharmakāya of all Buddhas is free from form-characteristics, how can it manifest form-characteristics? Answer: Because this very dharmakāya is the essence of form, it is able to manifest form. That is to say, from the beginning, form and mind have been non-dual; because the nature of form is wisdom itself, the essence of form is formless, and it is named the wisdom-body; because the nature of wisdom is form itself, it is named the dharmakāya. The forms manifested everywhere have no boundaries; in accordance with the mind, it can display the worlds of the ten directions, immeasurable bodhisattvas, immeasurable reward bodies, and immeasurable adornments, each distinct, all without boundaries and without obstructing each other. This cannot be known by the conceptual differentiation of the conscious mind, because it is the sovereign functional meaning of tathatā.'