大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 4.48

4.48

經云「爾時金剛手祕密主復白佛言：世尊！當云何名此漫荼羅？漫荼羅者其義云何？」此因如來簡人限眾，為曉諸未悟者轉生疑問也。金剛手本請世尊稱此加持境界，演說大悲藏生大漫荼羅王，則是平等大悲無復限量。而今世尊所說，雖有德可傳者，猶不過十人，似是隨轉一明非其具體，故問當何名此漫荼羅也。又漫荼羅是輪圓之義，今既限局名數，似於理未圓，故復問此中漫荼羅者為是何義。凡有二問。世尊答中，初答名、次答義。就答名中，還復申明本旨云。夫漫荼羅者是發生義，今即名為發生諸佛漫荼羅也。下菩提心種子於一切智心地中，潤以大悲水、照以大慧日、鼓以大方便風、不礙以大空空，能令不思議法性牙次第滋長，乃至彌滿法界成佛樹王，故以發生為稱。夫雷雨作解，隨甲圻者先萠，不可以卉木滋榮性分不等，遂令平分之施亦成限量也。次答義中，梵音漫荼羅，是攢搖乳酪成蘇之義。漫荼羅是蘇中極精醇者浮聚在上之義，猶彼精醇不復變易，復名為堅。淨妙之味共相和合，餘物所不能雜，故有聚集義。是故佛言：「極無比味、無過上味，是故說為漫荼羅也。」以三種祕密方便攢搖眾生佛性之乳，乃至經歷五味成妙覺醍醐。醇淨融妙不可復增，一切金剛智印同共集會，於真常不變甘露味中最為第一，是為漫荼羅義也。

The sūtra says: "At that time, Vajrapāṇi, the Lord of Secrets, addressed the Buddha again, saying: 'World-Honoured One! What should this maṇḍala be named? What is the meaning of "maṇḍala"?'" Because the Tathāgata screened the people and limited the assembly, he raised doubts to clarify matters for those who had not yet awakened. Vajrapāṇi had originally requested the World-Honoured One to correspond to this state of adhiṣṭhāna and proclaim the Great King of Maṇḍalas Born of the Great Compassion Matrix, which is equal mahākaruṇā without any limit. Yet now what the World-Honoured One states is that even among those with virtues worthy of transmission, they still do not exceed ten people; it seemed as if he were just turning a single vidyā rather than its complete embodiment, and therefore he asked what this maṇḍala should be named. Furthermore, "maṇḍala" has the meaning of a round wheel; now that the names and numbers are restricted, it seemed that the principle was not yet complete, and therefore he again asked what "maṇḍala" means here. In all, there are two questions. In the World-Honoured One's answer, he first answers the name, and next answers the meaning. In answering the name, he again expounds the original purport, saying: A maṇḍala has the meaning of 'generating'; now it is named the 'Maṇḍala that Generates All Buddhas'. One sows the seed of bodhicitta into the ground of sarvajñajñāna, moistens it with the water of mahākaruṇā, illuminates it with the sun of great wisdom, stirs it with the wind of great upāya, leaves it unobstructed through the emptiness of great emptiness, and is able to make the sprout of inconceivable dharmatā gradually grow, until it fills the dharmadhātu and becomes the king of bodhi trees; thus it is called 'generating'. When thunder and rain bring release, whatever has split its husk sprouts first; one must not, because the flourishing of plants and trees varies according to their capacity, cause the equal distribution of charity to become limited as well. Next, in answering the meaning: The Sanskrit word maṇḍala has the meaning of churning milk and curds to make ghee. Maṇḍala has the meaning of the most refined and purest essence of ghee gathering and floating on top; because that refined purity never alters again, it is also called 'firm'. When pure and wondrous flavors harmonize together and other substances cannot mix with them, it thus has the meaning of 'gathering'. Therefore the Buddha said: "An extremely incomparable flavor, a flavor without superior; therefore it is called a maṇḍala." Churning the milk of sentient beings' Buddha-nature through the upāyas of the three mysteries, it passes through the five flavors to become the ghee of wondrous awakening. Pure, mellow, harmonious, and wondrous, nothing can be added to it; all the vajra-wisdom mudrās gather together, and among the flavours of the truly permanent, immutable amṛta, it is supreme. This is the meaning of maṇḍala.