大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 3.34

3.34

「知眾生心」者，以阿闍梨善知三部上中下用，種種性類差別，及住瑜伽故，以加持方便，能了知眾生心行也。如有來求法者，師應謂言：「汝且隨所安。我當思惟。」即是持彼名字，入於靜室如法持誦，觀彼因緣。以本尊加被故，當見相貌。若是外道欲來盜法，或伺求其便而來詐親，爾時本尊或現外道等形。審觀像類自然可識，應方便遣喻言：「善男子！夫求法者，應先除斷一切惡見巧偽之心。又諸菩薩為度眾生故，能作種種難行苦行。汝今豈能為此難行事耶？」且隨本緣而作利益。若境界中，見本尊在漫荼羅，將引弟子為其灌頂，或持以付之，如是等種種善相，則應攝授。復次若本尊捨本色像而作赤色，是人性多瞋恚；黑色多癡、黃色多貪、白色多善、縹色多無記。及於漫荼羅中，觀察花所至處，上中下類種種微相，亦可知彼心機是器非器也。然於如是相中不應取著，亦以十緣生句而觀察之。於如是事一一明了，堪住師位也。復次深祕釋者，知眾生心即是如實知自心。以能知自心故，即能明識他心。如家有寶藏，即善鑒他寶。乃至諸根性欲本末因緣、心所動作戲論，無不了了通達，是名深行阿闍梨也。信諸佛菩薩者，阿闍梨言：「一切善法以信為首，當最初說之。」今順梵文語便，兼以通於後位故，作不次說耳。謂此宗初入法門時，意尤淺近難識。且三乘實相，無不離於文字。而真言者，要須口誦梵文心亦觀之，或屈申身分支節猶如戲弄，或修三昧乃觀女人之像或忿怒等形，或以水灌頂，或造作火壇。若欲以心識籌量，則加持之迹又不可見。自非具深信者，安得不疑惑耶？又此行者，於此眾緣事相皆以諦信行之，若勤苦多是未蒙現益，爾時即自思惟：「由我功行未至，或由三毒垢染惑障重故。如浣衣鑽火，但勿中途休廢，自當純淨目覩光明耳。」復當思惟幻喻，如藥物和合而得昇空住壽，亦非利根智慧所能思識，但令妙解其術無不成者。以此深心淨信離疑惑故，漸得法驗現前。復由法驗現前故，信解轉增不可爼壞。若不如是者，則同無手之人，雖至不寶藏中空無所得，況在阿闍梨位乎。復次眾生一念心中，有如來壽量長遠之身寂光海會，乃至不退諸菩薩亦復不能知。當知此法倍復難信，故《法花》中補處三請、如來四誡然後演說。今此經具有修入方便，乃至一生可成。若能諦受不疑，到於信地或度於信解，乃名深行阿闍梨也。「得傳教灌頂，善解漫荼羅畫」者，灌頂有二種，謂於弟子法中得灌頂已，漸次進修，乃至成就阿闍梨眾德。爾時得阿闍梨歡喜，更為造漫荼羅，作傳教灌頂，如法慰喻言：「佛子！汝已於祕密藏中隨順修學具足明了，堪能教授於他。汝今已得善利，乃至諸賢聖眾亦皆稱歎。今已作灌頂竟，汝當以真淨心傳持流布，使如來祕密藏久久不滅。」如是隨其所應種種慰喻已，即應為人作漫荼羅阿闍梨也。復次行者於瑜伽中阿闍梨眾德成就，爾時深行阿闍梨為作心漫荼羅，爾時弟子了了明見得蒙大毘盧遮那以大悲水作心灌頂。是事，下當更說。乃至地波羅蜜滿足時，十方諸佛現前灌頂授佛職位，皆名得傳教灌頂也。已得傳教灌頂，不應作最後斷種人，應紹先師事業度諸弟子。即此最初方便，須解漫荼羅圖像，故次明之。謂此中一一方位相貌，調布眾色繢畫莊嚴，皆應自善其事、不看他面，乃堪作阿闍梨。復次能於淨菩提心，以慧方便畫作無盡莊嚴大漫荼羅王，乃名深行阿闍梨。

"Knowing the minds of sentient beings" means that because the ācārya well knows the superior, middling, and inferior applications of the three divisions, as well as the distinctions among the various natures and classes, and because he abides in yoga, he is able through adhiṣṭhāna-upāya to clearly know the mental actions of sentient beings. If someone comes seeking the Dharma, the master should say to him: "Stay where you are comfortable for a while; I shall reflect." Thereupon he takes that person's name, enters a quiet chamber, recites in accordance with the Dharma, and contemplates that person's causes and conditions. Through the empowerment of the tutelary deity (iṣṭadevatā), signs will surely appear. If an outsider (tīrthika) has come desiring to steal the Dharma, or is watching for an opportune moment while feigning closeness, at that time the tutelary deity may appear in the form of an outsider or the like. By carefully examining such forms and types, one will naturally recognize them, and one should skillfully turn them away with an admonition, saying: "Good son! He who seeks the Dharma must first completely eliminate all wrong views and deceitful minds. Furthermore, the bodhisattvas, in order to deliver sentient beings, are able to undertake various difficult and ascetic practices. How could you now undertake these difficult practices?" One should bring benefit to him for the time being according to his underlying conditions. If, in the vision, one sees the tutelary deity in the maṇḍala leading the disciple to confer abhiṣeka upon him, or conferring [the teachings] to entrust to him, and such various auspicious signs appear, then one should accept him. Furthermore, if the tutelary deity abandons its original form and color and turns red, this person's nature has much anger; if black, much delusion; if yellow, much greed; if white, much goodness; if pale blue, much neutrality (avyākṛta). Also, within the maṇḍala, by observing where the flower lands and the various subtle signs of superior, middling, and inferior categories, one can also know whether that person's mental capacity is a fit vessel or an unfit vessel. Yet, in the face of such signs, one should not grasp at them, but should also contemplate them using the phrases of the ten conditioned arisings. He who is clearly discerning in each and every such matter is qualified to occupy the position of a master. Furthermore, in the deep esoteric explanation, to know the minds of sentient beings is precisely to know one's own mind as it truly is. Because one is able to know one's own mind, one is able to clearly recognize the minds of others. It is like having a treasure vault at home; one is then skilled at appraising the treasures of others. Extending even to the roots, natures, desires, roots and branches, causes and conditions, mental movements, and prapañca, there is nothing that is not clearly and thoroughly penetrated; this is called an ācārya of profound practice. As for "having faith in the buddhas and bodhisattvas," the ācārya says: "Faith is foremost among all wholesome dharmas and should be spoken of first." Here, following the convenience of the Sanskrit phrasing, and also because it applies to the subsequent stages, it is spoken out of sequence. That is to say, when first entering the Dharma gateway of this lineage, the purport is particularly subtle and difficult to understand. Moreover, the dharmatā of the three vehicles is invariably free from written words. Yet for mantras, one must recite the Sanskrit text with the mouth and contemplate it with the mind; or bend and stretch the limbs and joints as if at play; or cultivate samādhi by contemplating female forms or wrathful figures; or confer abhiṣeka with water; or construct fire altars. If one wishes to calculate and measure them with the conceptual mind, the traces of adhiṣṭhāna cannot be seen. Unless one is endowed with deep faith, how could one not harbor doubts? Furthermore, this practitioner undertakes all these diverse conditions and ritual forms with sincere faith. If, despite much toil and hardship, he has not yet received manifest benefit, he should then reflect to himself: "It is because my cultivation has not yet matured, or because the defilements of the three poisons and the hindrances of delusion are heavy. It is like washing clothes or drilling for fire; if only I do not give up midway, they will naturally become completely pure, and my eyes will behold the light." He should also contemplate the metaphor of an illusion: just as the blending of medicinal substances allows one to ascend into the sky and prolong life, which cannot be conceived or understood even by those with sharp faculties and wisdom, yet as long as one wondrously understands the technique there is nothing that cannot be achieved. Because he possesses such deep and pure faith and is free from doubt, signs of the Dharma's efficacy will gradually manifest before him. Furthermore, because the signs of the Dharma's efficacy manifest before him, his faith and understanding will increasingly grow and cannot be destroyed. If it were not so, he would be like a person without hands who, though reaching a treasure island, returns empty-handed with nothing gained—how much more so if he occupies the position of an ācārya! Furthermore, within a single thought-moment of a sentient being's mind, there is the ocean-like assembly of the Tathāgata's body of vast lifespan in the light of tranquility, which even the non-retrogressing bodhisattvas cannot know. You should know that this Dharma is doubly difficult to believe; therefore, in the Lotus Sūtra, the [bodhisattva] of the next life made three requests and the Tathāgata gave four admonitions before expounding it. Now, this sūtra is fully equipped with the upāya for practice and entry, even to the point that accomplishment can be attained in a single lifetime. If one can faithfully receive it without doubt and reach the stage of faith or cross beyond faith and understanding, he is called an ācārya of profound practice. Regarding "having obtained the transmission-of-teachings abhiṣeka and being skilled at drawing maṇḍalas," there are two kinds of abhiṣeka: having received the abhiṣeka in the disciple's practice, one gradually advances in cultivation until one accomplishes the numerous virtues of an ācārya. At that time, bringing joy to the ācārya, the master constructs another maṇḍala for him and performs the transmission-of-teachings abhiṣeka, consoling and encouraging him in accordance with the Dharma, saying: "Son of the Buddha! You have practiced, studied, and fully and clearly understood within the esoteric treasury, and are capable of instructing others. You have now obtained excellent benefits, which even the assembly of worthy ones and sages praise. Now the abhiṣeka has been completed; you must transmit, uphold, and disseminate it with a truly pure mind, so that the Tathāgata's esoteric treasury will not perish for a very long time." Having thus consoled and encouraged him in various ways as appropriate, he may then act as a maṇḍala ācārya for others. Furthermore, when the practitioner's numerous virtues of an ācārya are accomplished in yoga, at that time the ācārya of profound practice creates a mind-maṇḍala for him. At that time, the disciple clearly sees and receives the mind-abhiṣeka performed by Mahāvairocana with the water of mahākaruṇā. This matter will be explained further below. Extending even to when the bhūmi-pāramitās are perfected, the buddhas of the ten directions appear before him, confer abhiṣeka, and bestow the rank of Buddhahood—all of these are called obtaining the transmission-of-teachings abhiṣeka. Having obtained the transmission-of-teachings abhiṣeka, one should not become the last person to cut off the lineage; one must carry on the work of the former master and deliver disciples. For this very first upāya, one must understand the iconography of the maṇḍala; therefore, it is explained next. That is, within this, the features of each direction and position, the harmonizing and laying out of the various colors, and the painted adornments—in all of these one must be personally skilled, without relying on others; only then is one qualified to be an ācārya. Furthermore, being able to paint and produce the great king of maṇḍalas of inexhaustible adornments within the pure bodhicitta by means of the upāya of wisdom—this is called an ācārya of profound practice.