大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 19.26

19.26

In the external scriptures of pure conduct, the Veda treatises, there are methods of fire sacrifice; however, the Great Vehicle's mantra gateway also contains fire rites. The reason for this is to subdue and gather a certain class [of beings]; by speaking of Vedic matters, it subdues and gathers them. Nevertheless, their underlying significances are as far apart as heaven and earth and cannot be compared. Wishing now to distinguish the marks of the heterodox and the orthodox so that practitioners may have no further doubts, the transmitter of the Dharma extensively sets forth the origins in this chapter. Because the Buddha wished to eliminate the conceited minds of those of pure conduct in future ages, he himself spoke of his past birth when, as King Brahmā, he expounded the outer Vedic teachings, causing those heterodox schools to submit in heart; only after that did he speak of the correct practice of this mantra gateway. 'Furthermore, Secret Lord! In the past, once I was a bodhisattva, dwelling in the Brahma Heaven and practicing the bodhisattva path'—that is, the Brahma abodes, this Brahma Heaven. 'At that time the Brahma deities asked of Mahābrahmā, wishing to know how many kinds of fire there were. At that time I spoke thus'—meaning, he spoke thus to them: 'That fire is named Conceit, Spontaneity. Next, the fire produced by the sons of Brahmā is named Pāvaka; it is the earliest fire in the world.' This means: When in past lives I practiced the bodhisattva path, I manifested as King Brahmā. At that time students of pure conduct came and asked me, 'In the rites of fire sacrifice, how many kinds of fire are there?' I explained them in full. Now, having attained perfect awakening, I testify that what was previously spoken was incorrect, and what is spoken now is correct. Therefore practitioners should follow the fire rites of the present correct practice, and ought not to employ the previous false and incorrect methods. Below, the fire sacrifice methods of the heterodox schools are enumerated in succession; all are explained in the Vedic scriptures. First, he speaks of the origin of the fire deities. The earliest was King Mahābrahmā, because he conceived the notion, 'All things are produced from me.' Due to having such conceit, and furthermore conceiving that what he himself spoke was eternal, he obtained the name Conceit and the appellation Spontaneity; this is King Mahābrahmā. Next, 'the sons of Brahmā' are those sentient beings who were born corresponding to Brahmā's mental wish to have sentient beings. King Brahmā regarded them as sons born of himself; this was the beginning of the fires of those heavens, being spontaneously born. The text from 'the sons of Brahmā' onward is verse. 'The produced Pāvaka'—this is the name of the worldly fire. From this point onward, they are born in succession; all are fire deities in their system, which are merely worshipped without functional utility: Brahma-bhojanasuta (name of a fire god, that is, the son of Brahmā's son), Pitara (also his son), Vaiśvānara (also his son), Havya (also his son), Vibhāvāsu (also his son), Paśusamśramitu (also his son), Atharvaṇa (also a son), Pratīta (also a son), Puṣkaroda (also a son)—all the above are those worshipped. 'Used at the time of placing the embryo' (used by those of pure conduct when first marrying a wife and placing the embryo; Māruta fire is used, empowered by using this fire deity's name; the fire names are in the sūtra and are not cited here; the same below); 'used at the time of bathing after desire' (when she has conceived for six months, the husband bathes her and braids her hair as a sign; empowered with this fire deity's name-mantra; Vahamāna fire); 'when bathing the wife, Jagadalu fire is used' (after giving birth to a child; seven days after the child is born, when bathing the wife, and also when the mother unbinds her hair, this fire deity is used; Bhagapū fire); 'at the time of conferring the name' (used after the child is born, when inviting a sage to perform rites to confer the name; Pṛthvī fire); 'this fire is used at the time of eating' (meaning when the child is able to eat, the parents first empower the ghee and so forth with this fire deity's mantra and then eat it; in the Vedas, each has its specific formula; Roci fire); 'when cutting the hair for the child' (meaning when the child gradually grows up and has the fetal hair shaved, leaving the cūḍā hair tuft, this fire deity is used; Kṣānti fire); 'at the time of receiving the restrictive precepts' (when the boy gradually grows up and is given the precepts of his own lineage; there is muñja grass, which resembles the 'Buddha-arrow bamboo' of this land; twisting it into a cord, a three-ply thread is tied across the body and back, and a crooked staff is held, which is the triple-forked staff of antiquity; Samubhava fire); carrying a kamaṇḍalu and wearing a deer skin, in accord with his clothing precepts. Observing the precepts for twelve years, he constantly begs for food, holding a red-copper bowl to beg. He says: 'Let the donor abide.' If he receives nothing after a short while, he departs immediately. Returning to the fire hearth, he divides the food into three portions. Having bathed himself, he takes one portion of food to offer to the fire, and takes ashes to imprint three places [on his body]; having visited his parents and teacher, he gives them one portion of food, leaving it to their wish whether to eat it or not; thereafter he eats one portion himself. For twelve years he studies the Vedic teachings with diligent toil; when the twelve years are fulfilled, he emerges into the Brahma lineage—meaning he takes a wife. 'When, the prohibitions fulfilled, he donates a cow' means after the twelve years of precepts are fulfilled, to repay the teacher's kindness, he rewards him with goods, donating both a milch cow and a calf to the teacher. After receiving them, the teacher bids him marry, and explains the origins of marrying a wife, saying: 'At the beginning of the past eon, King Mahābrahmā of the Sūrya fire descended into the world in the form of a bull and engaged in lustful union, whereby he produced the lineage; from this arose the brāhmaṇa caste. Now this cow and calf are his physical remains; you should follow this model to perpetuate the Brahma lineage'—and so forth at length. At that time, this fire is used to protect them; all are names of fire deities. When the youth marries—the marriage rite consists of reciting the original mantra of the fire deity Brahmā at the time of taking a wife, the general meaning being that Brahmā's original intent was such-and-such, whereupon they enact the conduct of cattle (using the Yojaka fire). 'At the time of construction' refers to the various rites such as making offerings below. When first receiving this rite, the fire deity's name is distinct; subsequently for construction, there are also distinct fire deity mantras corresponding to the matters. 'Using the Upānaka fire to make offerings to the gods' means that when offering in that system, a copper bowl with a handle is filled to capacity with flowers, fruits, leaves, and various such foods. Its rule says: all the gods are worshipped together. Pāvaka fire is used [when going through the house]: the well, hearth, gates, doors, and chambers are visited one by one, each place receiving a handful of food offered to it while reciting the mantra of that deity. After making offerings up to the household gates, the remaining food is placed upon the roof to give to the ancestors and hungry ghosts. Next, when constructing a house, Brahma fire is used (it is also required when building chambers and the like); Pralabha-Brahma fire. It is empowered according to the ritual to make it pure; otherwise it is impure. 'When practicing charitable giving,' this means giving only to his own kind. These people of pure conduct do not speak with the three [other] castes, nor do they give them goods; they practice giving only among their own kind. When giving, they invoke this fire deity's name and empower it with a mantra. The original intention says: the Śānta fire—because this object was obtained from Brahmā, it is now given back to Brahmā, and you also give it to Brahmā. The concluding phrase also says svāhā.