大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 1.5

1.5

As for "vikurvitādhiṣṭhāna": older translations sometimes say "sustained by spiritual power" or "protected and minded by the Buddha". However, this self-realized saṃbodhi surpasses all stages of the mind, directly awakening to the fact that all dharmas are originally unborn; at this point language is completely exhausted and the activities of the mind are also stilled. Apart from the tathāgata's awesome spiritual power, even bodhisattvas of the ten bhūmis cannot take it as their sphere, let alone others within saṃsāra. At that time, owing to his past great compassionate vows, the bhagavat had this thought: "If I only abide in such a realm, sentient beings will not be able to receive benefit by means of it." For this reason, he abided in the adhiṣṭhāna-samādhi of sovereign spiritual power, displaying everywhere to all sentient beings bodies pleasing to behold according to their various destinies, explaining the Dharma fitting to be heard according to their various natures and desires, and opening gateways of contemplative insight in accordance with their various mental activities. Yet these manifestations do not arise from Vairocana's body, speech, or mind; neither their arising, their ceasing, nor their boundaries can be found at any time or place. Just as a magician, by the power of incantation, blesses medicinal herbs through adhiṣṭhāna so that they can display various unprecedented things, presenting to the five senses what delights the hearts of many, which then disappear when he ceases the adhiṣṭhāna, the tathāgata's vajra illusion is also like this: when conditions subside it ceases, and when faculties are aroused it arises; being identical to phenomena it is true, without ever ending. Hence it is called the Sūtra of Adhiṣṭhāna by Spiritual Power. If based on the Sanskrit text, the complete title should be "The Great Expansive Sūtra, King Indra". The "King Indra" refers to Śakra. It means that this sūtra is the secret, essential treasury of all tathāgatas, preeminently revered in awesome virtue among the various teachings of the Mahāyāna, just as the Thousand-Eyed One is the master of Śakra's heaven. Here, fearing that the title would be overly expansive, it is not kept in full.