大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 19.10

19.10

Next, [the sūtra] says: 'Secret Lord! Contemplate this diffused conventional designation in space, empowered by the syllable A, accomplishing the path of samādhi. Secret Lord! In this way, with the syllable A arranged in various placements, up to having form or having no form, having marks or having no marks, everything is from the syllable A.' Placing the seats refers to the various adornments. 'Contemplate' means causing the Secret Lord to contemplate this. It means that while abiding in the adornments of various forms and images, their positions are distinguished. Because these dharmas are originally unborn, they display their own form; their own form is indeed the syllable A. Within their own form, they display original unbornness. 'The syllable A is thus, Secret Lord! Arranged in various placements. I contemplate abiding in the unborn; the own-forms of dharmas are displayed'—this is the text of the sūtra. Contemplating this syllable A, the myriad worldly images flow out in space; all worlds are born from this, yet it is originally unborn. The conventional establishment of the syllable A is empowered, and samādhi is accomplished. Realising samādhi, being endowed with prajñā, and accomplishing the myriad practices all stem from this syllable A; the perfection of merit and wisdom all comes from this syllable A gateway. This syllable can produce various colours—namely blue, yellow, red, white, and black, up to countless mixed varieties—and various shapes—namely triangles, squares, circles, crescents, and the like, as well as countless variations of personal deities (iṣṭadevatā) and so forth. If one recognises the true meaning herein, without exception one enters wholly into the gateway of the syllable A and becomes identical with Vairocana. The syllable A gateway explained above precisely reveals one's own self: that my own self is originally unborn and unceasing. That which is unborn and unceasing is the body of the Tathāgata; one should contemplate it in this way. Therefore it is said that the syllable A reveals its virtues through its own form. Next is the meaning of non-attainment. The meaning of unobtainability is displayed from the form of the syllable Va; this Va serves to realise original unbornness. The appearance of the form of the syllable Va is precisely the meaning below of 'the path of speech is cut off'. What meaning does this illuminate? The Buddha said: The syllable A possesses all virtues; they may be revealed directly from the syllable A gateway by way of the originally unborn, or they may be revealed through other gateways—namely the gateways of syllables such as Va. Although their meanings differ and their gateways are also distinct, there is no difference in the meaning of original unbornness of one's own self that is shown. If a dharma has a single existent [characteristic], that is an expressible mark, not the dharma wherein the path of speech is cut off. Because in the syllable Va speech is cut off and the workings of the mind are extinguished, one enters the syllable A gateway. Because of the syllable A, one knows that this Va cannot be expressed or demonstrated. All the following are the marks of distinct gateways. Or because all dharmas are free from fabrication, the form of the syllable Ka appears. This illuminates the single syllable A gateway, yet in wishing to clarify that all dharmas are originally free from fabrication, this syllable Ka appears. However, this syllable Ka precisely clarifies the meaning of the syllable A. For example, with the syllable Ka, if a horizontal stroke is not placed on top, the sound of the syllable Ka is not formed. The reason it is not formed is that the sound A is lacking within Ka. At the very top of this syllable Ka there is the form of A; one should know that all these one hundred syllables are like this, which may be understood by analogy below. If there is no sound of A within it, the mouth does not open and naturally there is no sound either. Or because all dharmas are equal to space, the form of the syllable Kha appears. Or because activity is unobtainable, the form of the syllable Ga appears. Or because the composite mark is unobtainable, the form of the syllable Gha appears (the ālayavijñāna containing all defiled and pure seeds is the meaning of storehouse). Or because dharmas are free from arising and ceasing, the form of the syllable Ca appears (ca properly translated is the meaning of death and cessation). Or because dharmas have no shadow-image, the form of the syllable Cha appears (as in worldly phenomena, where due to the conjunction of the sun, trees, and so forth, a shadow is produced). Or because in all dharmas freedom from birth is unobtainable, the form of the syllable Ja appears. Or because all dharmas are free from adversaries, the form of the syllable Jha appears (this has the meaning of 'this' and 'that'; if there is 'this' and 'that', then there are adversaries). Or because all dharmas are free from inferiority, the form of the syllable Ṭa appears (ṭa has the meaning of egotistical pride and self-elevation, opposite to which there is inferiority; if there is pride and inferiority, then there is the meaning of arising and ceasing, which does not accord with the syllable A. Because the sound A is within it, it precisely clarifies the meaning of having neither inferiority nor pride). Or because all dharmas are free from nurturing, the form of the syllable Ṭha appears (this is the meaning of nourishing and establishing, as when water and soil are regulated to nourish tree stumps and so on, whereby they receive nourishment; yet all dharmas enter the syllable A). Or because enmity is abandoned, the form of the syllable Ḍa appears (enmity refers to one's self exclusively doing evil in all places, evil being dualistically contrasted with non-evil). Or because calamity is abandoned, the form of the syllable Ḍha appears (this is the meaning of calamity; namely, the anomalies of locusts, water, and fire in the world, as well as the invasion of thieves and bandits). Or because dharmas are free from tathatā, the form of the syllable Ta appears (if one contemplates the existence of tathatā, there is an object contemplated; because there is an object contemplated, there is arising and ceasing, which does not accord with the syllable A. Therefore tathatā must also be abandoned). Or because dharmas are free from an abode, the form of the syllable Tha appears (if there is 'this place' and 'non-place', then thoughts of right and wrong arise, which do not accord with the syllable A). Or because all dharmas are free from giving, the form of the syllable Da appears (if there are giver, receiver, and given objects, it does not accord with the Path; as spoken in the Prajñāpāramitā). Or because the realm of all dharmas is unobtainable, the form of the syllable Dha appears (realm means each maintaining its original position; the images of dharmas are manifold, and 'realm' has the sense of myriad images being within it. This realm is unobtainable). Or because the truth of all dharmas is unobtainable, the form of the syllable Pa appears (the truth of the ultimate meaning is also unobtainable). Or because all dharmas are like foam and unsolid, the form of the syllable Pha appears (foam has the meaning of being unsolid; freedom even from unsolidness is the virtue of the syllable A). Or because all dharmas are free from bondage, the form of the syllable Ma appears (if one sees bondage and liberation, there is an adhering mind. Entering the syllable A there is neither bondage nor liberation, because of unbornness). Or because in all dharmas contemplation is unobtainable, the form of the syllable Bha appears (contemplation is illuminating contemplation; when illuminating contemplation is established, there is a place of rebirth. If one realises original non-existence, there is neither birth nor contemplation). The explanation of the syllable here should not explain this syllable Ma; this is a separate explanation of the meaning of emptiness, an error in the text. Or because vehicles are unobtainable in all dharmas, the form of the syllable Ya appears (vehicle refers to the three vehicles; whatever rides boats, carts, and the like to reach an arrival point has this meaning. If there is something to ride, there is something attained). Or because all dharmas are free from dust, the form of the syllable Ra appears (ra has the meaning of defilement; defilement means causing pure colours to be soiled, which is dust defilement; all dharmas are free from all defilements). Or because all dharmas are markless, the form of the syllable La appears (if there are marks, they are contrasted with marklessness, which does not accord with the syllable A). Or because all dharmas are free from speech, the form of the syllable Va appears. Or because all dharmas are free from stillness, the form of the syllable Śa appears (śa has the meaning of calm stillness; if there is calm stillness, there is distraction; without stillness and without distraction, the reality of dharmas is thus). Or because all dharmas are by nature foolish and dull, the form of the syllable Ṣa appears (ṣa has the meaning of foolish worldlings having no knowledge; folly and wisdom are faults, which do not accord with the fundamental reality). Or because truth is unobtainable, the form of the syllable Sa appears (this truth has the meaning of reality; truth and non-truth form a duality, which is a worldly dharma). These are the manifestations of the forms of the syllables. As for the manifestation of the syllables (the virtues of all dharma-gateways are contained herein), or because all dharmas are free from causes, the form of the syllable Ha appears (ha has the meaning of cause; if there is a cause, there is an effect, which is the dharma of arising and ceasing. Entering the unborn gateway, there is neither cause nor effect; others should be understood likewise).