大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 10.3

10.3

"Lord of Secrets! If the colors of the maṇḍalas and the colors of the respective honored ones are spoken of, they were taught by past Buddhas" means that the fundamental deities each have their own forms and colors, which will be explained further below. As explained above, rites are performed according to their fundamental positions; now colors are explained further. That is to say, among all the honored ones in the assembly, if one sees yellow, he should sit in a golden wheel; white, in a water wheel; red, in fire; and black, in wind. Next, the character for "color" below has a distinct Sanskrit meaning: it refers to physical form. For instance, if one sees a tranquil appearance, he must sit on a circular altar, and so on by analogy. Each and every one must be painted in accordance with the teaching. These were spoken by the ancient Buddhas; their path is mysteriously identical and not spoken by me anew, for the purpose of causing sentient beings to give rise to resolute faith. "Lord of Secrets! In future times there will be sentient beings of inferior wisdom who lack faith; hearing this teaching, because they previously lacked the faculty of faith, they will hear this and be able to disbelieve it." "Those lacking wisdom will have many doubts increase" because such sentient beings have dull faculties, little wisdom, and incomplete faith; therefore, hearing of these extremely profound matters, they cannot comprehend them, and the net of doubts increases further. This explains the source of obstacles. These mantra drawings, recitations, and the like all have profound meanings; they are entirely the inconceivable deeds of the Tathāgata. Just as when a person obtains such a medicine, he can ascend into the sky or enter fire and the like—this is simply because the assembly of conditions is fulfilled, and it is definitely not in vain. It is not something that people ought to calculate and explain the reasons for. As with such painted colors and the like, if one relies on the Dharma without doubt, one can deeply enter the inconceivable realm of the dharmadhātu. This can only be entered by those with faith; if one wishes to calculate and speculate with mental functions, how could one know the reasons without doubting? Just as when worldly people obtain medicine and fly into the sky, you cannot even fully comprehend this matter, yet with a foolish mind you disparage it, claiming it is not the Tathāgata's Dharma of true emptiness and marklessness—you only harm yourself in vain. "Hearing it, they merely remain stubbornly attached and do not cultivate; they harm themselves and harm others. Speaking thus of heterodox teachings and the like, [claiming] such is not taught by the Buddha" means that although such a person hears this Dharma, he cannot with resolute faith cultivate as taught to seek immediate efficacy; unable to do so, he generates slander, saying: "How can one attain bodhi through such teachings that cling to marks? This must be the teaching of non-Buddhists, not the Buddha's Dharma!" Just as when someone obtains divine amṛta, he should simply resolve his mind, generate faith, and consume it, and he will naturally see immediate efficacy. If he does not consume it by mouth yet seeks to ascend to heaven in broad daylight, and because he does not become an immortal slanders this medicine, one should know he is not a wise person; thus do those unwise people form such interpretations. "The all-knowing Buddha has already attained mastery over all dharmas for the benefit of sentient beings." This word "already" also means "thoroughly penetrated," which is the correct meaning, referring to being endowed with upāya such that there is no matter one does not comprehend. "Already those prior to this taught all of them"; the Sanskrit word order is inverted. The preceding text already clarified the Buddhas; only in this following line does it say that past Buddhas gave such teachings. "Having taught all of them to benefit those who seek; those fools do not know the empty marks of all dharmas, and teach all marks of dharmas. One should constantly abide in mantras, performing virtuous actions without doubt": this means that the Tathāgata is endowed with sarvajñāna and has attained mastery among all dharmas. Because sentient beings have inferior wisdom and are not yet capable of having the inconceivable power and function of the Tathāgata's own essence revealed to them all at once, he employs these upāyas of painting colors and the like, so that sentient beings, in whatever they undertake, may fulfill what they seek and gain benefit. Why is this? Because sentient beings have not yet comprehended the empty marks of all dharmas, therefore amid the markless he expounds through upāyas that possess marks. If a person grasps the Buddha's profound intention, he should abide in the practice of the truly eternal; all that he undertakes will enter the essence of the principle and become identical with the mind of sarvajñajñāna. For one who is without doubt and anxiety like this, no obstructive dharmas can gain an advantage over him.