大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 17.23

17.23

次答持戒量。既有始者，可時當終，故佛答言乃至落叉見。誦真言數，常應時月禁而竟者。如淺略有持真言戒，劑爾所持戒、劑爾所持數，謂一遍十遍乃至落叉等，或一夜一月乃至年歲。故今此中佛言當至落叉乃終竟也。落叉者，若淺略說是十萬遍。今此不爾，落叉是見也。若見實之時，此真言行即得終竟，不然無有中息之義。非如世持誦者劑爾所，爾所即求其淺末之効也。然此中持誦，應如上先作三等之方便，謂真言、身印及觀本尊。見本尊時，其心相應而住，無有能動亂之者。又觀所持真言，從本尊心中流注而入其口，猶如花鬘無有間絕。即以如是佛之功德自滿其身，亦不從身更流出也。然將成滿時漸有相現，或如本部中說成就之相；或自身有種種疾苦而得瘳愈；或有諸小虫之類不止其身，悅白清淨無諸垢穢；或先鈍根劣慧而今逮得不忘總持，隨於一字能演多義，乃至合偈諷誦心無所礙，此是前相也。故佛言若見時乃竟。落叉是見義，亦是成就義也。行者心住三昧得見本尊，寂止正定，假使妙高山王崩壞震動尚不能間動其心。或種種異相，如菩提場中可畏魔事亦能安心不怖，乃至魔宮美妙婇女亦不能傾動於其志令生雜念。何以故？以住真實戒之所持故。當知爾時去見道不遠也。或時一切所食之味乃至苦澁皆如甘露，以此緣故其身適悅，麁弊五欲之味不能移之，是貪息相也。其瞋息相者，行人六根漸淨故，猶如行大曠野盛熱之時，日光沙礫欝蒸之中，忽遇清泉而自灌洗，爾時諸忿害等所不能嬈也。復次等金石者，即是三平等也。月時數者，皆是持誦之限也。又落叉是垛義，如射中齊也。如《首楞嚴》、《文殊經》習射義。若住諦理任運相應，是落叉義也。

Next is the answer regarding the measure of observing the precepts. Since it has a beginning, it must have an end; therefore the Buddha answers that it continues until seeing the lakṣa. As for the recitation count of the mantra, it always corresponds to completing the observances of the times and months. In an introductory, superficial sense, observing the mantra precepts involves limiting the precepts one keeps and limiting the count one recites—meaning once, ten times, up to a lakṣa and so forth, or for one night, one month, up to years. Thus here the Buddha says that one finishes only upon reaching the lakṣa. In a superficial sense, a lakṣa is one hundred thousand repetitions. But here it is not so: lakṣa means 'seeing'. When one sees reality, this mantra practice is then completed; otherwise, there is no stopping halfway. It is not like worldly reciters who limit it to such and such an amount, seeking merely shallow, superficial results. However, recitation here should first establish the upāya of the three equalities as explained above, namely the mantra, the mudrā of the body, and visualization of the deity. When seeing the deity, one's mind abides in resonance, and nothing can shake or disturb it. One also visualizes the recited mantra flowing from the deity's heart and entering one's own mouth without interruption, like a flower garland. One thereby fills one's body with such virtues of the Buddha, and they no longer flow out from the body. When it is about to reach fulfillment, signs gradually appear: either the signs of siddhi as spoken of in its own section; or various ailments and afflictions of one's own body being healed; or small insects and the like no longer infesting one's body, which becomes radiant, pure, and free from defilements; or having formerly had dull faculties and inferior wisdom, one now attains unforgetting dhāraṇī, able to expound multiple meanings from a single syllable, even chanting verses without any mental hindrance. These are the preliminary signs. Therefore the Buddha says that it is completed only when seen. Lakṣa has the meaning of 'seeing', and also the meaning of 'siddhi'. When the practitioner's mind abides in samādhi and sees the deity in tranquil, correct stabilization, even if Mount Sumeru, king of mountains, were to collapse and quake, it could not shake or disturb his mind. Or when facing various strange apparitions, such as the terrifying māra deeds in the bodhimaṇḍa, he can remain calm without fear; even the exquisite maidens of the māra palace cannot sway his resolve or provoke distracted thoughts. Why is this? Because he is sustained by abiding in the precepts of reality. One should know that at that time, he is not far from the path of seeing. Or at times, the taste of all food, even if bitter and astringent, becomes like amṛta; through this cause, his body is gladdened, and the coarse, vile tastes of the five desires cannot move him—this is the sign of greed being extinguished. The sign of anger being extinguished is that, because the practitioner's six faculties are gradually purified, it is like walking in a great wilderness at the height of heat, amid blazing sunlight and scorching sand, suddenly coming upon a clear spring to wash and bathe oneself; at that time, wrath, malice, and the like cannot disturb him. Furthermore, 'equal to gold and stone' refers to the three equalities. 'Months, times, and counts' are all the limits of recitation. In addition, lakṣa has the meaning of a target, like hitting the mark in archery. This is like the archery metaphor in the Śūraṅgama and the Mañjuśrī sūtras. Abiding in genuine truth and naturally according with it is the meaning of lakṣa.