大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 14.52

14.52

時執金剛亦知佛意，今佛世尊現於希有未曾有事，非無因緣，必將更說深祕之法，謂如上所說有所未了遺闕者必將說之，誠心希仰而住。故佛即更告言：「祕密主！有造漫荼羅、造尊位分并種子作標記。諦聽善哉極善作意思念，吾為說」者，時佛為執金剛等現如上分位已，時諸尊等既作種種佛事，還從本位而入毘盧遮那如來之身，亦如出時位次無異，故彼經云「復入法界宮」也。尊分位種子者，如上諸尊皆是如來內證之德，各從一一而表如來所顯法界甚深之趣。今若有阿闍梨欲作壇，是先住此瑜伽，如彼從佛身一一位次如其形色觀已，於彼心上作圓明，於圓明中而觀彼種子，如是一一安置，方成作法。若不如是者，終不能加持建立彼諸弟子，亦不得阿闍梨名也。如前所言煩惱種子斷已，次生法界性種子，即是一切有情平等種子也。此平等法界性種子，即是如來一切智地之所生長。如世間種種草木種種，隨其性分各各差別，皆依大地而得生長，根莖枝葉種種不同，增長大小性分各異，然皆是大地之性猶地而生。雖畢竟皆歸於地，但因緣合故而有生長，然實無有自性，無生無起也。若眾生既蒙安立如是種子，即是同於如來之位。由此種子從法界性生，能生法界，故名法界生種子。法界生者，即是如來自性身也。摽幟者，如世間種子各各差別，若小草種子，有智觀之雖未成長，然已知彼性分大小所極之勢也。若見眾生行如是如是因位種子，皆亦如是。然今種子乃是法界性之種子，當知彼性必定能生如來平等法智身，是故名為摽幟也。又此漫荼羅一一分位各有種子，用摽記彼差別法界之門。當知一一入於阿字，見於內證之摽，即知如來內證之德，故名摽記也。隨彼四重分位從位出者，即是佛之摽幟，或從菩薩分位而出、或從二乘分位而出、或從天龍八部分位而出，當知階降差別各各表知種子字不同也。時佛告於祕密主已，金剛手白佛言「願樂欲聞」者，欲為普利一切眾生故流傳演布，普為一切未來眾生，亦為利益諸大眾會故，請佛演說也。上來雖說漫荼羅法，尚未說色及種子祕要之藏，故一心聽願佛演說也。

At that time Vajradhara also knew the Buddha's intention, [realising] that the Buddha, the Bhagavat, was manifesting such rare, unprecedented wonders not without cause or condition, and that he would certainly explain further the profound, secret teachings—namely, that if there were anything not yet understood or omitted in what was spoken above, he would certainly explain it—and so he remained, sincerely looking up in aspiration. Therefore the Buddha addressed him further, saying: “Lord of Mysteries! There are the making of the maṇḍala, the making of the deities' positions, and the bījas as insignia. Listen attentively, exceedingly well reflect upon and keep this in mind, and I shall explain it for you.” When the Buddha had manifested the aforementioned positions for Vajradhara and the others, and those deities, having performed their various Buddha-activities, returned from their original positions and entered the body of Vairocana Tathāgata, just as when they emerged, with the sequence unchanged, the sūtra therefore says: “They re-entered the palace of the dharmadhātu.” As for “the positions and bījas of the deities,” the aforementioned deities are all the virtues of the Tathāgata's inner realization, each expressing the profound import of the dharmadhātu manifested by the Tathāgata. Now, if an ācārya wishes to construct an altar, he must first abide in this yoga, visualizing each position from the Buddha's body according to its form and color, creating a luminous orb upon their hearts, and visualizing their bījas within the luminous orb. Arranging them one by one in this manner, the ritual practice is accomplished. If it is not done like this, he will ultimately be unable to empower and establish those disciples, nor will he attain the title of ācārya. As stated before, when the bījas of afflictions are severed, the bījas of the dharmadhātu nature are next generated; that is, the equal bīja of all sentient beings. This equal bīja of the dharmadhātu nature is nurtured and grown by the Tathāgata's ground of all-knowledge. Just as the various grasses and trees in the world, differing according to their respective natures, all depend on the great earth to grow, with roots, stems, branches, and leaves all differing, their growth in size and nature distinct, yet all are of the nature of the great earth and born from the earth. Although they ultimately return to the earth, they grow only through the conjunction of causes and conditions; yet they truly lack svabhāva, having no birth and no arising. If sentient beings are established with such bījas, they become identical to the Tathāgata's stage. Because these bījas are born from the dharmadhātu nature and can give birth to the dharmadhātu, they are called bījas born of the dharmadhātu. That which is born of the dharmadhātu is the Tathāgata's svabhāvakāya. As for “insignia”: just as worldly seeds are each distinct, if it is the seed of a small grass, a wise person observing it, though it has not yet grown, already knows the limits of its nature and size. If one observes sentient beings practicing such and such causal bījas, it is also like this. But now this bīja is the bīja of the dharmadhātu nature; one should know that its nature can definitely give birth to the Tathāgata’s equal body of Dharma-wisdom; therefore it is called an insignia. Furthermore, each division and position of this maṇḍala has its own bīja, used to mark that distinct gateway of the dharmadhātu. One should know that by entering the syllable A in each and every case and seeing the insignia of inner realization, one knows the Tathāgata's virtues of inner realization; hence they are called insignia. Those that emerge from their positions according to the fourfold division are the Buddha’s insignia; or emerging from the bodhisattva division, or emerging from the division of the two vehicles, or emerging from the division of the devas, nāgas, and eight classes, one should know that the differences in rank and gradation each indicate a different bīja letter. When the Buddha finished addressing the Lord of Mysteries, Vajrapāṇi said to the Buddha, “We wish and delight to hear it.” Wishing to transmit and propagate it widely for the universal benefit of all sentient beings, universally for all future sentient beings, and also to benefit the great assembly, he requested the Buddha to expound it. Although the ritual of the maṇḍala was explained above, the secret, essential treasury of colors and bījas had not yet been spoken; therefore, with single-minded attention, he wished the Buddha to expound it.