大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 16.34

16.34

"Guarded by the adhiṣṭhāna of the vajrasattva of action, free from all dust, the faults of the tree-stumps of sentient being, life-span, born of Manu, born of Manas-ṛṣi, agent, and so forth": There are two kinds of vajra: first, the wisdom-vajra; second, the action-vajra, which in Sanskrit is vajrakarma, referring to the activities performed. Because of adhiṣṭhāna through this vajra-action, one is able to purify that ground. "Free from all dust": "dust" refers to faults and the like. Wishing to level the ground, one must first remove gravel, tree-stumps, and the like, which refers to all defiled views. Next, to explain their characteristics briefly: the views of a sentient being, life-span, and so forth, as well as being born of Manu, are the views of a class of non-Buddhists. "Manu" is the self, asserting that all things are produced in reliance upon the self. "Born of Manas-ṛṣi" asserts that all things are produced from him; this is also the view of a class of non-Buddhists. These are the uneven natures of defilements and hindrances. One also employs the vajra activity to eliminate those uneven faults; only after removing those tree-stumps does one purify and demarcate this mind-ground and establish the secret great maṇḍala. Four corners, four gates, with the westward-facing gate always open for entry and exit. "Adorned with bordering edges running all around": this is like the aforementioned outer signs, the marking banners of the gates and such. Together with eight great jeweled pillars all around, hung with various ornaments such as jeweled necklaces and white flywhisks upon the pillars, so that the inner-mind yoga is also no different from it. Yet each and every one of these is a Dharma gateway of the inner mind; their names and meanings should be inquired about further. Within it, there is a great lotus king born of mind, with eight petals, a stem, and stamens, all around exquisitely painted. Within it is the Tathāgata, the Most Honoured among all humans. "Transcendence within speech and mind; ascending the body-mind ground; reaching the mind-ground, one receives the bestowal of the supreme and delightful fruit": this means that upon this ornamentation of the great leveled ground of the inner mind, there is the throne of the great lotus king. As for the great flower king manifested above, its essence is pure and wondrous, and its measure is equal to the dharmadhātu. What is contemplated in this inner mind is just like that, hence it is called the great flower king. This flower has a stem and stamens, with various colours intermixed and exquisitely painted—all referring to what is visualized and produced within the inner mind. Just as a painter deploys and arranges various colours to create diverse forms and images: though composed of a conjunction of conditions without self-nature, the features appear distinct and vivid. Above this is the Most Honoured among all humans, who is Vairocana. This is the practitioner's own nature, the uninstructed wisdom, the great Vairocana Buddha; it does not come from the outside. Transcending body, speech, and mind, the body-speech-mind ground attains the pure mind-ground and obtains the delightful and supreme fruit; transcending the defiled mind-ground, one attains the fruit-ground of the pure mind. "Ascending the body-mind ground": just as all worldly people have not yet attained the equality of the three [actions] of body, speech, and mind, and therefore cannot enter this Dharma gateway of the mind-ground. The Tathāgata has completely abandoned all faults of the three karmas, attained the three equalities, and reached the ground of all Buddhas—that is, because he has attained the delightful mind-ground of Vairocana Tathāgata of pure bodhicitta, he is the most honoured among all. Furthermore, all sentient beings equally possess this nature; the Tathāgata's secret treasury is fully complete without defect, yet they cannot believe in it or understand it themselves. Only the Tathāgata has clearly understood and self-realized it, and awakens all universally to it, also causing them to attain this equally; hence he is called the Most Honoured among all sentient beings. The "delightful fruit" refers to the ultimate fruit; one should know that one who attains this mind-ground is indeed Vairocana Tathāgata. "Bestowed": it means that someone transmits it. Further, contemplating and practicing on one's own, one attains this fruit; as if bestowed by someone, it is truly self-awakened and not obtained from another. As stated above, Vairocana is upon the flower platform. Following this, on the eight petals: in the east, one contemplates Ratnaketu Buddha, also named Ratnatārā Buddha; in the south, Saṃkusumitarāja Buddha—"Indra" also has the meaning of "king", but if "king" were repeated it would be clumsy, so the Sanskrit sound is retained; in the north, Dundubhisvaranirghoṣa Buddha (previously Akṣobhya was placed here, but now it is changed to this name); in the west, Amitābha Buddha. As for the petals at the four intermediate corners: southeast is Samantabhadra, northeast is Avalokiteśvara, northwest is Maitreya, and southwest is Mañjuśrī. In the stamens of this flower, one places the Buddhamātṛs, the various pāramitā samādhis, and so forth; the Buddhamātṛs are Gaganakāra and others. Beneath these flower petals, one places the various vidyādharas, wrathful deities, and so forth; all are beneath the petals. As for the stem of the flower, Vajrapāṇi Guhyakādhipati holds it, making it its stem. Further, there is an assembly vast as an ocean, namely the vajradharas. There are also various offering implements, flowers, incense, and the like; they are only briefly mentioned here, and their deployment and upāya will be naturally detailed in the text below. Beneath the stem of the flower, one contemplates it as the water of a great ocean. Beyond the shore of the ocean, in order to accomplish the samaya, one must prepare flowers and the like. Because one wishes to allow all to enter the maṇḍala, one mentally conceives the flowers and causes them to enter. The assemblies of earth-dwelling devas are each contemplated and arranged according to their directions. Furthermore, from the lamps and flowers onward are verses. "Born of mind" means that the flowers and so forth are produced from the mind. "Painted with diligent devotion" means that the reciter arranges them in body and mind just like a fine painting. Above this mind maṇḍala, there is a Buddha in the center; hence it is called "Great Self". "Great Self" is another name for the Buddha. "Created by oneself" means that one contemplates and creates it within oneself with clear and distinct comprehension. However, as for this secret maṇḍala: when a master observes that a disciple is truly a profound Dharma vessel with a sincere wish and vow, but lacks the ability to assemble the numerous conditions to perform the extensive rites as above, the master may perform this method to deliver him. For all others, the numerous conditions are required, and this [method] may not be used. However, if the disciple has already attained yoga and the master wishes to introduce him into the secret Buddha assembly, he also performs this. "Purified with the syllable RA": having previously performed the purification with the syllable A and the syllable RA, one purifies the disciple just as in the previous method. That is, using the previous upāya, one contemplates the fire of the syllable RA to burn away and eliminate that person's hindrances, dharmas, and accumulated karma, making them completely pure; only then does one sprinkle them with the amṛta Dharma-water, allowing the sprout of the path to emerge from amidst the dead ashes. Therefore, next, one transmits the syllable AṂ to him. The master should abide on the seat of yoga, contemplate the dot added atop the syllable A, and place it at the junction of the cross seam atop the disciple's head. One should know that the dot above this is the amṛta Dharma-water used to sprinkle upon his crown. "Mindful of the Tathāgatas": this means that because the master is about to guide the disciple to enter the secret treasury, he is mindful of the upāyas practiced by the Buddhas of the three times, wishing to cause him to realize and safeguard them together. Since the master himself abides on the seat of yoga, using his body and mind to form the assembly of the Buddha-ocean, he alone clearly comprehends it, and it is unseen by others. Next, he hands a flower to the disciple, having him cast it onto the master's body to make an offering to the Buddhas of the inner mind; he then observes the original affinity and contemplates the Dharma according to that original affinity. If the root deity receives the flower, the master contemplates it unerringly within; yet the disciple, who has not yet attained yoga, merely sees it upon the master's body. Where the flower falls: roughly speaking, the heart is the place of the eight petals; from the navel to the heart is the vajra platform; the navel is the ocean; and from the navel downward are the places of the earth-dwelling deities. What is the meaning of this? It means that from the ocean of great compassion of all Buddhas arises vajra wisdom, and from vajra wisdom arises the entire Buddha assembly. Among all maṇḍalas, this is the most supreme, without equal. "Having seen it oneself, one speaks of it to him": this refers to the place where it falls as seen within the master's heart. The text above states that the reciter contemplates the eight portions of his physical body and inner mind, making them into the blossoming of eight petals, and placing the syllable RA upon the eyes, etc. If a practitioner does not practice and achieve this, yet presumes to perform this secret [rite] to deliver people, there is no justification. One must first achieve it oneself, be capable of abiding in the station of a yoga master, and also receive the sanction of the ācārya; only then can one accomplish this. Although what is done here is an upāya for delivering people, nevertheless, when a practitioner recites and contemplates on his own, he must also practice according to the Dharma. Using this internal abhiṣeka to sprinkle upon oneself is for the sake of eliminating all hindrances and swiftly entering the Buddha assembly. The previous chapter was named 'Entering the Secret'; now it speaks of 'entering' again. This 'entering' is the entry of experiential realization: just like a person who has already entered a house, clearly comprehending and discerning every detail, entering and exiting freely, knowing everything inside the home, unlike one who has just entered the door.