大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 11.10

11.10

Next, the signs of mantra accomplishment are explained. Someone might doubt: "Within the unconditioned dharmatā of all phenomena, how could there possibly be such various phenomenal characteristics?" Now, wishing to awaken him, [the sūtra] replies: "This fact is truly existent; you should not give rise to doubts." First, worldly matters are taken as metaphors. Moreover, [the sūtra says]: "'Master of Mysteries! For example, in the desire realm there is the vidyā of Ishvara pleasing and satisfying desires, [which extends] up to all devaputras of the places of desire.' As explained in the Mahāyāna, the desire realm has thirty-six places: the eight cold and eight hot hells together make sixteen; also the four great continents, each of which has two intermediate continents (totaling twelve continents, which together with the preceding make twenty-eight); and the six heavens, together with animals and pretas (totaling thirty-six). This lord of the heaven of Ishvara, by the power of this vidyā that pleases and satisfies desires, manifests various multifaceted articles of sensual pleasure, and is able simultaneously to fill these thirty-six places. It also says, '[they] become intoxicated by this, producing an array of wondrous varieties, up to and including personally enjoying them.' This means that for all devaputras and devakanyās, he manifests external and internal, sentient and insentient objects. Such as manifesting foods, flavors, music, and so forth, each of which can be enjoyed directly before them. If they see bodies such as female forms, they can also entertain themselves with the five desires, each according to their heart's wish. Because they encounter extremely wondrous objects of the five desires, their minds are entirely intoxicated. How much more so could the Tathāgata's mantras not universally manifest form-bodies to perform Buddha-deeds? Furthermore, good son, just as the heaven king Maheśvara has a vidyā named 'Superior Mind-born Vidyā,' by the power of this mantra he can simultaneously produce great transformations, appearing throughout this trichiliocosm to manifest for every single sentient being all the beneficial things they cherish and delight in, which, according to their enjoyment, are all real and not false; he also transforms into the bodies of the Śuddhāvāsa heavens and their subtle and wondrous enjoyments, as the sūtra explains. How much more so the power of the Tathāgata's mantras! Setting aside these matters: just as worldly illusionists can even by their mantras manifest various orchards, fruits, conveyances, humans, beasts, and so forth; and again, just as the asuras have their own mantras by which they can transform their bodies to equal Śakra and sit upon the Good Dharma Hall of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, causing all the devas to give rise to doubt and wonder; and again, just as worldly people have mantras that can neutralize all poisons and various afflictions of cold and heat; and again, there is the devī Kuntī, who has her own mantra by which she can inflict great pestilence upon all humans; up to worldly people who, at present, by means of mantras turn fire cold and turn ice hot—how much more so could the mantras empowered by the Tathāgata's sovereign divine power fail to pervade the dharmadhātu and perform Buddha-deeds on a vast scale? Therefore, one should give rise to faith, trusting that this majestic power and function is real and not false. Before the practitioner of recitation attains siddhi, he might doubt in his heart: 'Does this thing definitely exist, or does it definitely not exist?' If one discriminates such inconceivable fruits with the conceptual mind, there is ultimately no principle by which they can be attained. To remove this doubt, the preceding metaphor was spoken. However, the majesty and power of this mantra does not emerge from within the mantra, does not abide in the place of the reciter, nor does it enter into the body and speech of the person who is empowered; when one investigates its nature and characteristics, they are completely ungraspable, yet it can perform all activities, bending and accommodating to accomplish them as appropriate. This is profound dependent origination: the nature of dharmas exists based on manifold conditions, just like the inconceivable dependent origination of the moon in the water or an image in a mirror. '[Good son, through the power of mantra empowerment, it is born by dharmatā and has nothing that it oversteps, because samādhi does not overstep it.]' This means that mantra siddhi is originally accomplished. Why is that? The Tathāgata presently realizes this inconceivable Dharma: the intrinsic reality of the syllable A has from the very origin been fully endowed with immeasurable sovereign power and inconceivable power. The substance of this siddhi is permanently abiding and unchanging; it is only because practitioners do not personally understand and know it that they do not obtain such a fruit. Now, by using this practice to purify their bodily, verbal, and mental karmas, if they are able to resonate with the Dharma, it will naturally be accomplished. Dharmas are naturally thus; they are never in vain. This inconceivable fruit will spontaneously arise when conditions convene, just as the ocean tide never misses its time. Furthermore, this mantra itself is without beginning and without end; if it had a beginning and an end, it would have an exhaustion, which would make it an impermanent, perishable dharma—how could it then be called the Tathāgata's sovereign power? Because the substance of this Dharma transcends the three periods of time and is constantly present in the three periods of time, therefore the Buddha-deeds performed across the three times naturally never cease or lapse, and do not miss their appointed time. It is like ocean water: when the bright moon is completely full, it naturally surges and billows without missing its appointed time. 'The profound principle of dependent origination that is inconceivable': if the fundamental substance of the mantra were not accomplished beforehand, it would be unable to respond to stimuli without missing its appointed time. If, even though the mantra has such power, the practitioner's mental activities do not yet resonate with it, he will also be unable to make that empowerment manifest. Yet when conditions convene, it is naturally accomplished; thus we know it does not come from there, does not go from here, nor does it abide in both places. Being devoid of intrinsic nature, it can yet convene conditions and also accomplish the fruit of siddhi; nor does it exist spontaneously—one should know that it is precisely the inconceivable fruit of the profound dharmadhātu. Arising from conditions, it is eternally devoid of intrinsic nature, and inconceivable. If the practitioner practices continuously, it will certainly be the ultimate fruit harmonizing with the supreme principle. Such a supreme principle cannot be known through speculation and discrimination. This is citing the preceding metaphors to encourage faith. 'Therefore, good son, comply with and thoroughly penetrate the inconceivable dharmatā, and never interrupt the mantra path.' This inconceivable fruit of mantras cannot be known by discrimination, nor can it be realized through small counteractive practices that cling to practice-stations according to one's limited capacities; therefore, only those whose power of faith is firm can enter into it. Hence, metaphors were first cited, and next the supreme principle was further clarified, to exhort [practitioners] to rely upon this gateway, contemplate the supreme principle of inconceivable dependent origination, constantly seek to thoroughly penetrate such an inconceivable dharmatā, and, complying with this principle, cultivate the practice of mantras without allowing it to be interrupted, whereby one will naturally attain Buddhahood. This mantra path is precisely the birthplace of inconceivable dharmas. Because of an inconceivable cause, one obtains an inconceivable fruit.