大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 1.34

1.34

Next, in the Tathāgata's verse replying to Vajrapāṇi, "Well done, true son of the Buddha, / Of vast mind, benefiting [beings]," he is called a "true son" because he is born from the Tathāgata lineage and born from the Buddha's body, speech, and mind. As the Great Sun Bhagavat previously manifested the realm of vast adhiṣṭhāna, now the Lord of Secrets also wishes, universally for the sake of these immeasurable sentient beings who are to be saved, to cause them to swiftly accomplish the great practice, rend the great net of doubt, and together obtain the inexhaustible adornment of the three equality clauses; therefore, the Buddha praised him, saying: "Well done, son of the Buddha! You are now able, with a vast mind and for the sake of benefiting immeasurable sentient beings, to raise such questions." Next it says: "The clause of the supreme Great Vehicle, / The characteristics of the mind's successive production, / The great secret of all buddhas, / Which the heterodox cannot know." There are briefly seven meanings, on account of which it is called the "Great Vehicle": First, because of the greatness of the Dharma, which refers to the vast, profound, and secret treasury of all buddhas, that which is mounted by the great person Vairocana who pervades all places. Second, because of the greatness of the aspiration (bodhicitta), which refers to single-mindedly aspiring to seek equal, great wisdom, giving rise to inexhaustible vows of compassion, and vowing to confer it universally upon sentient beings of the dharmadhātu. Third, because of the greatness of faith and understanding, which refers to when one first sees the path of the mind's illumination, being endowed with immeasurable merits, capable of universally reaching Buddha-lands as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and fulfilling sentient beings through this great matter of causal conditions. Fourth, because of the greatness of nature, which refers to the diamond jewel treasury of the inherently pure mind being without defect or diminution, shared equally by all sentient beings. Fifth, because of the greatness of reliance, which refers to such a wondrous vehicle being the great reliance for sentient beings of the dharmadhātu, just as a hundred rivers flow toward the ocean, or plants and trees grow relying on the earth. Sixth, because of the greatness of time, which refers to the lifespan being long and enduring, transcending the three periods of time, with the functions of the lion's sprint and secret supernatural powers never resting. Seventh, because of the greatness of wisdom, which refers to: because all phenomena are boundless, the unconditioned wondrous wisdom of the mind that equals empty space is also boundless, fathoming the profound origin of dharmatā, like a box and its lid fitting each other. Because of these seven causal conditions, among all the Dharma gateways of the Great Vehicle it is foremost like the pure flavor of clarified butter (tarpaṇa/sarpirmanda); hence it is called the most supreme Great Vehicle. "Vehicle" (yāna) means advancing and proceeding; "clause" (pada) means the place of resting; hence it is called the clause of the Great Vehicle. "The characteristics of the mind's successive production" means that although this mind is ultimately and constantly pure, like empty space free from all characteristics, it also arises from causal conditions, having characteristics of mind that arise. It is like the waves of the great ocean, which are neither permanently existing nor permanently non-existent. If they permanently existed, when the storm ceases they should not become clear and calm; if they were permanently non-existent, as soon as the storm arises they should not churn in succession. One should know that because this mind arises from conditions, it is unborn yet born, born yet unborn, the mark of marklessness, its marks constantly markless, profoundly wondrous and difficult to comprehend. The secret seal of all buddhas is not proclaimed in vain; therefore, ordinary persons, those of the two vehicles, and the two kinds of heterodox paths not only fail to know the mind free of arising and ceasing, but also fail to know the mind of arising and ceasing. Hence it says: "The great secret of all buddhas, / Which the heterodox cannot know. / I shall now fully reveal it; / With single mind you should listen attentively." Next, the verse says: "Transcending the hundred and sixty minds, / Vast merits are produced; / Its nature is ever firm— / Know that bodhi is born." This briefly answers the first question: how does one know that the bodhicitta has arisen? Now the Buddha tells him: transcending the hundred and sixty successive minds is precisely the pure bodhicitta. It is like someone asking: how does one know that clarified butter has arisen from this milk? The answer is: when the coarse, turbid, and altered characteristics of milk, curds, fresh butter, and clarified butter have all melted into subtlety with no further dregs or impurities, you should know that clarified butter has arisen. When the practitioner initially opens and reveals the diamond jewel treasury, he sees that this nature of mind is like pure empty space, surpassing all numbers; at that time, free from karmic birth caused by conditions, the sprout of the Buddha-tree is born. When this sprout is born, it already pervades the dharmadhātu, not to mention its branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit; hence it says, "vast merits are produced." Because it transcends mental activities and prapañca, it cannot be broken and cannot be diverted, like Jāmbūnada gold whose flaws no one can speak of; hence it says, "its nature is ever firm." If one knows that one's own mind possesses such a seal, one should know that this is the birth of bodhi. Next, there is a verse and a half that briefly answers the characteristics of the bodhicitta. Since in the world there is no phenomenon that can represent the characteristics of the pure bodhicitta, with only the metaphor of great empty space bearing a slight resemblance, it says: "Immeasurable like empty space." For example, empty space is not defiled by smoke, clouds, dust, or fog; its nature is permanently abiding and free from all causal conditions; even if the great winds from the eight directions were to blow away the entire world, they could not make it move. From the very beginning, it has always been tranquil, extinguished, and markless, not just recently so. The characteristics of the mind are also like this: from beginningless time it is originally unborn; because it is originally unborn, no phenomenon can defile or shake it; permanently abiding and unchanging, it is eternally tranquil and markless. Hence it says: "Undefiled and permanently abiding, / Unshakable by any phenomenon, / Originally tranquil and markless." At that time, the practitioner, illuminated by this tranquil light, naturally unfolds immeasurable knowledge and vision, like a lotus flower opening; hence it says, "immeasurable wisdom is accomplished." The accomplishment of this wisdom is precisely the mind-Buddha Vairocana appearing before him; hence it says, "the Perfectly Awakened One is made manifest"—the Sanskrit text says the bodhi of the samyaksaṃbuddha manifests. The Buddha has already briefly spoken of such a seal of the mind's dharmatā; if the practitioner accords with this, one should know that he already possesses firm power of faith. However, this power of faith originally comes from cultivating the practice in accordance with the teachings through the ritual procedures of offering in the mantra gateway, thereby reaching the pure bodhicitta; hence it says: "Cultivating the practice of offering, / Bodhicitta is first generated from this." In this, there are two kinds of offerings: first, external offerings; second, internal offerings, which will be explained below. Some might say: one should merely contemplate the nature of the mind as markless and unconditioned; one should not engage in various turbulent actions cultivating the bodhisattva path. This statement is incorrect. It is like contemplating the nature of gold within ore through the four kinds of non-arising: although present in the cause and present in the fruit, it is always without decrease or increase; yet if one does not melt away the dregs and impurities by upāya, this unborn gold cannot be obtained. The practitioner is also like this: if one does not melt away the defilements of the ore of the hundred and sixty minds through the practice gateways of the three secret upāyas, how could one obtain this pure bodhicitta? Ācārya Nāgārjuna's correct contemplation of the Middle Way establishes the meaning of non-arising precisely through dependent origination; yet you take the hair of a tortoise or the horns of a hare to be non-arising, and therefore fall into error. Furthermore, it is like worldly people seeing that genuine gold does not change after a hundred refinings, considering its wondrous nature to be the ultimate. Yet an immortal endowed with the five supernatural powers, refining and smelting it with various herbs, can transform dirt and stone entirely into gold and jewels. If someone consumes it, their lifespan becomes long and their supernatural transformations are limitless. One should know that within the nature of genuine gold there are originally such potencies and functions, but because worldly people lack the secret upāyas, they cannot obtain them. The pure bodhicitta is also like this: if it is refined and smelted through the myriad practices of mahākaruṇā, it accomplishes the inconceivable deeds of adhiṣṭhāna through vikurvita. Therefore, one must not claim to have attained what has not been attained, holding the initial mind to be the ultimate fruit.