大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 3.40

3.40

經云「復次祕密主！彼阿闍梨若見眾生堪為法器、遠離諸垢，有大信解、勤勇深信、常念利他」者，即是阿闍梨支分中明攝受弟子儀式也。此中眾生有二種：或已發菩提心，往詣善知識所求請真言行法；或未發菩提心，而師自鑒別之，知彼堪為法器能持是法。或於瑜伽中見彼根緣，或諸佛菩薩之所囑累，令為灌頂而教授之。或親見眾聖為其作灌頂法，然後付囑令其教授。有如是相乃可傳法也。如貧里穢食不可置於寶器，輪王妙藥不可使薄福之人輒爾服之，以不消故、或能斷命故，須函蓋相稱則授受皆得其宜。又如弊衣垢膩滋甚，則不可頓加染色，先當教令澣灌，然後可以施綵繪之功。眾生亦爾，若先習垢染，則不染法界之色，故須遠離諸垢也。有大信解者，此信解，梵音阿毘目底，謂明見是理心無疑慮。如鑿井已漸至泥，雖未見水必知在近，故名信解也。下云深信者，此信，梵音捨攞馱，是依事依人之信。如聞長者之言，或出常情之表，但以是人未甞欺誑故，即便諦受依行，亦名為信。與上文信諸佛菩薩義同。梵語本是兩名，唐音無以甄別，故同名言信耳。若人聞說如上不思議法界，以宿殖善本，神情明利故，即能忍受其言，知眾生心中決有此理，名為信解。又先世已曾親近善知識故，於三寶緣深，雖不可比量籌度處，即能懸信，故曰深信。勤勇，是精進別名。《釋論》云「譬如穿井，以見濕泥，轉加精勤必望得水。又如鑽火，已得見煙，倍復力勵必望得火。」故次信解而明勤勇也。所以然者？今此自然智慧，要因瑜伽。而此瑜伽，必須大精進力。故《釋論》云「禪定智慧，不可以福願求，亦非麁觀能得，要須身心精勤急著不懈爾乃成辨。如佛所說：血肉脂髓皆使竭盡，但令皮骨筋在，不捨精進。如是乃得定慧，得是二事則眾事皆辨。」故須具精進性者，方可傳授也。復次精進是一切善法之根本，能發動先世福德，如雨潤種能令必生。若無勤勇之心，則雖有宿殖之業，無由發起，乃至今世利樂尚不可得，何況菩提道耶？是故由發行因緣便得深信，以深心故即能志求勝法、荷負眾生，須養以大悲胎藏令得增廣，故云有常念利他之性者方可傳授也。復次阿闍梨於瑜伽中，見聞諸佛菩薩稱其具如斯德，或見在眾聖前至誠懃懇希求道要，經歷多時初不懈退，乃行利他之事救攝眾生，本尊哀愍遣令教授。諸如是例，可以意知。又深行阿闍梨六根淨故，見彼無量劫來障道成道因緣無有錯謬，又於普門漫荼羅根緣相攝之處亦悉知之，乃名善觀弟子也。

The sūtra says: "Furthermore, Lord of Secrets, if that ācārya sees that a sentient being is suitable to be a Dharma vessel, is far removed from all defilements, has great faith and understanding, is diligent and of profound faith, and is constantly mindful of benefiting others": this is the branch of the ācārya that explains the ritual for accepting disciples. Here, sentient beings are of two kinds: either they have already generated the bodhicitta and go to a good friend to request the practice of mantras; or they have not yet generated the bodhicitta, but the master discerns this on his own, knowing that they are suitable to be a Dharma vessel and able to uphold this Dharma. Either in yoga he sees their capacity and conditions, or he is entrusted by the buddhas and bodhisattvas to confer the consecration and teach them. Or, he directly sees the multitude of noble ones perform the rite of consecration for them and then entrust them to his instruction. Only when there are such signs may he transmit the Dharma. Just as impure food from a poor village must not be placed in a jewelled vessel, and a wheel-turning king's wondrous medicine must not be rashly consumed by a person of meager merit—because it will not be digested or may even end life—so the box and lid must match, and then giving and receiving will both be appropriate. Again, just as worn clothes that are exceedingly soiled and greasy cannot be dyed all at once, but one must first teach [the person] to wash and cleanse them, and only then apply the decorative painting, sentient beings are also like this: if they have previously habitualized defilements, they will not be dyed by the colour of the dharmadhātu; therefore, they must be far removed from all defilements. Regarding "having great faith and understanding": this "faith and understanding" is in Sanskrit adhimukti, meaning to see this principle clearly without doubt or hesitation in the mind. Just as when digging a well one gradually reaches the mud, and though one has not yet seen water one certainly knows it is near, so it is called faith and understanding. Where it says below "profound faith": this "faith" is in Sanskrit śraddhā; it is faith relying on matters and relying on persons. Just as hearing an elder's words which may transcend ordinary sentiments, yet solely because this person has never deceived, one accepts them as true and acts accordingly, this is also called faith. It has the same meaning as "having faith in the buddhas and bodhisattvas" above. In Sanskrit they were originally two terms, but the language of the Tang does not distinguish them, so they are both called "faith". If someone hears the aforementioned inconceivable dharmadhātu spoken of, and because of having planted good roots in the past his spirit is clear and keen, he is immediately able to bear these words and know that this principle definitely exists within the minds of sentient beings; this is called faith and understanding. Furthermore, because in past lifetimes he has already been close to good friends, his connection with the Three Jewels is deep; even in things that cannot be inferred or calculated, he can have advance faith; hence it is called "profound faith". "Diligent" is an alternative name for vīrya (vigor). The Treatise says: "Just as in digging a well, seeing wet mud, one redoubles one's diligence, certainly hoping to obtain water; and just as in drilling for fire, having seen smoke, one exerts double the effort, certainly hoping to obtain fire." Therefore, following faith and understanding, diligence is explained. Why is this? This natural wisdom must rely on yoga. And this yoga must rely on the power of great vigor. Therefore the Treatise says: "Dhyāna and wisdom cannot be sought through meritorious wishes, nor can they be obtained by coarse contemplation; one must be vigorous in body and mind, urgent and unflagging, and only then will they be accomplished. As the Buddha said: 'Even if blood, flesh, fat, and marrow are all exhausted, leaving only skin, bones, and sinews, I will not abandon vigor.' In this way one attains samādhi and wisdom, and when these two things are attained, all matters are accomplished." Therefore, only one endowed with a vigorous nature may be transmitted [the Dharma]. Furthermore, vigor is the root of all wholesome dharmas; it can activate the merit of past lives, just as rain moistening seeds can make them sprout without fail. If one lacks a diligent mind, then even if one has past karma planted, there is no way for it to arise, and one cannot even obtain benefits and happiness in this life, let alone the path to bodhi. Therefore, due to the conditions of engaging in practice, one attains profound faith; because of a profound mind, one can aspire to seek the supreme Dharma and shoulder sentient beings; one must nurture them with the womb of mahākaruṇā to make them expand; hence it says that only one who possesses the nature of constantly being mindful of benefiting others can be transmitted [the Dharma]. Furthermore, in yoga the ācārya sees and hears the buddhas and bodhisattvas praising him as being endowed with such virtues, or sees him before the multitude of noble ones earnestly and sincerely aspiring for the essentials of the path, passing through a long time without ever slacking or falling back, and engaging in acts of benefiting others to save and gather sentient beings, so that the deity takes pity and sends instructions to teach him. Examples such as these can be known by inference. Moreover, because the ācārya of profound practice has purified the six sense faculties, he sees the conditions of his obstructing the path and realizing the path throughout immeasurable kalpas without error, and he also fully knows the place where capacity and conditions correspond in the Universal Gateway maṇḍala; only then is he called one who observes disciples well.