大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 1.30

1.30

The sūtra says: “Lord of Secrets, how does one know one's own mind? That is to say, whether in distinct sections, whether in manifest color or shape color, whether in objects; whether in form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness; whether in the self or what belongs to the self; whether in the grasper or the grasped; whether in purity; whether in the realms or the bases, up to seeking it in all distinct sections, it cannot be apprehended.” The Bhagavat previously explained at length the true nature of the pure bodhicitta. Because sentient beings were not yet able to comprehend the meaning and awaken afar, he again employed upāya to teach this gateway of sudden awakening to buddhahood and entry into the true nature of the mind, and also to definitively resolve all the buddhadharmas of the ten directions and the three times. Just as across all sūtras it is taught that a self cannot be apprehended within the aggregation of the skandhas, or that all dharmas arise from conditions and are entirely devoid of self-nature—these are all gradual unfoldings of the gateway to the dharmatā. What those scriptures call the dharmatā of all dharmas is precisely the dharmatā of the mind in this sūtra. The dharmatā of the mind is none other than bodhi; there is no other principle. It is only because sentient beings of meager merit cannot have confidence that they themselves are buddhas—and those who have confidence that they themselves are buddhas are extremely rare—that the Bhagavat first had them purify all defilements and hindrances and protected their minds, requiring that time and principle accord with each other before he taught them the seal of the mind itself. The present sūtra is not like this: it points directly to all dharmas to make them recognize their own minds, which is why it is an esoteric and essential treasury.

The initial phrase, “That is to say, whether in distinct sections,” generally refers to dharmas that arise from conditions; because dharmas depend on causes and conditions to be established, they necessarily have distinct characteristics. Practitioners should know to contemplate in this way: “Within these distinct sections now, which one is the mind?” Up to analyzing and investigating, it cannot be apprehended at all. Then one knows that this mind transcends all marks and is free from all causes and conditions. Because one knows that the nature of the mind is always like this, at that time all dharmas are naturally not different from the mind.

“Manifest color” refers to blue, yellow, and so forth. “Shape color” refers to square, round, and so forth. “Objects” refers to what the six senses encounter, namely the six dusts. In order to make it easy for people to understand, one again investigates by progressing through dharmas: “Now among these various manifest and shape colors, which one is the mind?” Color by nature is non-sentient and lacks the mark of awareness; how much less could a mind be apprehended within it! As it is with manifest and shape colors, one should know that all form dusts are also like this. As it is with form dusts, so it is up to sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, and dharmas.

When the practitioner cannot apprehend the mind within external dusts, he again contemplates the five skandhas of the internal body as being like a mass of foam, bubbles, a mirage, a plantain tree, or an illusion. When, seeking their own nature, true reality is not found at all, how much less could there be a mind within them? In this way, proceeding from the coarse to the subtle and leaving the broad to approach the concise, even a single present thought of consciousness has no abiding time. Moreover, because it arises from multiple conditions, it is identical to emptiness, identical to convention, and identical to the middle, far removed from all prapañca, reaching the limit of the originally unborn. The limit of the originally unborn is precisely the mind pure by nature; the mind pure by nature is precisely the syllable A gateway. Because the mind enters the syllable A gateway, one should know that all dharmas entirely enter the syllable A gateway.

Having explained the contemplation of the dharmatā of all dharmas, he next clarifies the contemplation of the mark of the self; thus the text says: “whether in the self or what belongs to the self; whether in the grasper or the grasped; whether in purity.” As explained above, when one contemplates the mind through various upāyas within the skandhas, it cannot be apprehended; how much less could there be a mind apprehended within dharmas such as a self, a person, or a living being, which from the very beginning have had only nominal designations?

“Purity” refers to what non-Buddhists impute to be the utmost pure place, taking it to be nirvāṇa. It is like the Long-nailed Brahmacārin who did not accept any dharma, but accepted this very view. Here it is also like this: clinging to the wisdom that contemplates emptiness and generating this conception of purity, one directly within such a conception correctly contemplates one's own mind as having no place of arising, thereby gaining entry into the truly pure bodhicitta.

The above broadly addresses the five skandhas; next it again speaks of the eighteen realms, the twelve bases, up to “seeking it in all distinct sections, it cannot be apprehended.” The meanings of skandhas, realms, and bases are extensively clarified in the Abhidharma; these three dharmas already encompass all dharmas. Furthermore, stating “up to seeking it in all distinct sections, it cannot be apprehended” refers to what is broadly clarified by progressing through dharmas in the Mahāprajñāpāramitā and other sūtras. Just as when analyzing and seeking the mind within the skandhas, realms, and bases, the mind cannot be apprehended, one should know that in the six pāramitās and the ten thousand practices, up to variously seeking the mind in all gateways of dhāraṇī and samādhi, it also cannot be apprehended. Because the mind cannot be apprehended, the marks of this mind being permanent, blissful, self, and pure, or not permanent, blissful, self, and pure, and so forth, are also likewise unapprehendable.

Furthermore, just as when a śrāvaka initially contemplates the skandhas, realms, and bases, seeking the self in the skandhas or seeking the self apart from the skandhas cannot be apprehended, nor can their mutual existence be apprehended, and at that time, within the eightfold noble path, the correct Dharma eye, free from dust and defilement, is born; so too is it with the bodhisattva of the mantra gateway. When initially contemplating the skandhas, realms, and bases, seeking the mind in the skandhas or seeking the mind apart from the skandhas cannot be apprehended, nor can their mutual existence be apprehended. Therefore, he immediately awakens afar to the originally unborn limit of his own mind, and within the tathāgata's knowledge and vision of the great bodhi path, he leaves dust and defilement behind and attains the purity of the Dharma eye. If one did not employ such an upāya to first contemplate from the locus of attachment, but merely said that this mind pervades all places and is ultimately formless, then all sentient beings would have no means of awakening and entering. One should know that this contemplation is the most esoteric and essential dharma gateway.

Like other bodhisattvas who are divorced from upāya, gradually cultivating discipline, concentration, and wisdom, and over immeasurable kalpas contemplating the twofold emptiness of persons and dharmas through various gateways, they are still unable to separate from the reflections of the mind. Now, the mantra practitioner, at the moment of first generating the mind, directly contemplates the true nature of his own mind and fully understands its original non-arising. Therefore, prapañca regarding persons and dharmas is instantly purified like empty space, and he attains spontaneous awakening without relying on the realization of others. One should know that this contemplation is also called the sudden awakening dharma gateway of the path of Dharma illumination.