大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 17.3

17.3

At that time, Vairocana the Bhagavat, observing the great assembly, addressed Vajrapāṇi, saying: "O Guhyakādhipati, there are eight secret mudrās, which are extremely secret..." In the previous chapter, the Tathāgata finished explaining the Dharma of entering and abiding in the secret maṇḍala. At that time, the great assembly again had this thought: "For such a secret Dharma that is so difficult to understand, what further complete upāya forms are there that can swiftly cause mantra practitioners to attain siddhi?" At that time, that Tathāgata knew what the assembly was thinking: within this secret, are there yet further profound secrets, or does it stop here? Because they could not fathom it, none could ask. Therefore, the Buddha did not wait for them to ask, but spoke on his own without being asked. As for "possessing divine efficacy": when the practitioner arranges the seating positions of the root deities and others in the maṇḍala, whether internally or externally, through these eight mudrās and mantras, because of the adhiṣṭhāna of the root deities, those deities will naturally descend to the bodhimanda and fulfill his vows for correct practice. Furthermore, in placing them into the position of the root deity, there is a divine efficacy that is identical. "Identical" means equal to the divine authority of the root deity. Having done so, they then depart. This is the nature of inconceivable resonance—just as the resonance of the sun and moon in water, fire, and mirrors is still inconceivable, how much more so the resonance of the Tathāgata's inconceivable dharmadhātu! These are mudrās practiced by the ācārya; one must not practice them heedlessly. Even one who has already entered the maṇḍala must not perform them heedlessly beforehand, let alone other people. It is not merely using the realm of the fundamental mantra as a symbol; "realm" is like the six realms, etc.—this is the realm of the mantra. In addition, when the maṇḍala corresponds to the root deity: as the root deity possesses such dharmas, I too possess them, hence they are complete. (This single matter is, as above, identical with that deity, meaning that form, colour, sitting, standing, and joy are also like this.) Abiding in one's own body in the form of the root deity, one should know it in this way; by knowing and seeing according to the station of the root deity, one attains siddhi. If the practitioner assigns and abides in the stations in accordance with these eight mudrās, mantras, and maṇḍala, if he can know this, he will approach siddhi and attain it before long. As for "abiding like the root deity": although the secret maṇḍala was assigned before, if one wishes to invoke the root deity, it is said that one must perform this method to attain it; if one does not perform this, it is not yet complete. This sūtra mutually completes earlier and later passages, uniting as a single matter with interweaving text; the practitioner must carefully compare and examine them to understand it. When the practitioner recites, he must also perform this method—invoking the root deity and whatever is wished for—and then he will be able to establish it swiftly on his own.