大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 19.3

19.3

At that time Vajrapāṇi, Lord of Mysteries, said to the Buddha: "Extraordinary, Bhagavat!" He spoke in verse below: "The savior of the world through mantra (referring to the king of the hundred syllables above), that is, able to generate the mantras. The savior of the world through mantra: knowing the generation of the mantras from mantras. How? By whom? In what place? From whom are the mantras of the Great Sage generated? How? Who speaks [them]? May the Great Hero speak of all this; may the Granter of Wishes speak." The above is the sūtra text. At that time the Lord of Mysteries, hearing what the Buddha had spoken, attained what he had never had before, and said: "Extraordinary, Bhagavat! Speak of this savior of the world through mantra." "Savior of the world" is the Buddha. Just as the Buddha is a place of great refuge and salvation among all sentient beings, so too is this mantra: among all mantras, it is identical to the savior of the world, being the place of salvation for those mantras. Just as the Buddha is the refuge of all, so too is this mantra the refuge of all mantras. When this great holy one heard what the Buddha taught—that by means of a single syllable one can generate the immeasurable distinctions of the body, speech, and mind of mantras, manifest various bodies in accordance with the natures of sentient beings, preach various teachings, and display various vikurvitas—he accordingly asked: How is this mantra generated? Furthermore, who realizes and knows it? Where is it generated? He asks these three matters. (Further inquiring, yet undetermined.) "Great Sage" is praise. How to know is the first; who the knower is, the second; in what place (meaning through what it is obtained), the third; who generates the mantras, the fourth. The preceding asked who comes to know it, while this fourth subsequently asks who the generator is. "Great Hero" is the Buddha. "May [the Buddha] speak of all this as wished." The superior speaks of it. "May the all-knowing Granter of Wishes speak"—this praises the Buddha's virtue, being able to grant all wishes and fulfill them, hence called "Granter of Wishes"; thus he requested the Buddha to speak: "The Buddha, the Great Dharma-Master, the Sage who fulfills." Having spoken thus, the Bhagavat, the Great Dharma-Master, the Sage who universally pervades all worlds, Vairocana Buddha, the All-Knowing One, addressed [him], saying: "Good indeed, good indeed, mahāsattva, virtuous Vajrapāṇi! I shall speak of all (meaning, I shall speak of all of it for your sake): the mystery, most extraordinary, the secret essence of the Buddhas, which cannot be known by any non-Buddhists, the abhiṣeka of the Great Vehicle, the maṇḍala born of compassion (the abhiṣeka of the altar born from this). 'One who is gentle, compliant, endowed with good deeds, always compassionate, and benefiting others; those who observe bodhi through conditions are ever unable to see it (it cannot be seen).' Universally pervading all worlds, entirely pervading." At that time, wishing to speak of this heart-dharma of the mantra, through the adhiṣṭhāna of supernatural power the Buddha caused this speech to pervade the entire dharmadhātu, addressing Vajrapāṇi. The All-Knowing Vairocana [said]: "Good indeed, good indeed, great being, Vajrapāṇi, Venerable One! I speak of all my mysteries, the foremost and extraordinary, the utmost secret of the Buddhas, unknown to all non-Buddhists." The above is the sūtra text. The Buddha praised Vajrapāṇi: "Good indeed, good indeed, Vajradhara, Venerable One." "Venerable One" means endowed with myriad virtues. This dharma is the mystery among mysteries of all Tathāgatas, highest above all secret treasuries, guarded together and not given recklessly to people, a foremost, extraordinary, and hard-to-obtain dharma. Now, this secret of all dharmas cannot be known by any non-Buddhists. However, there are two kinds of non-Buddhists: first, the various worldly non-Buddhists; second, those considered non-Buddhists within the Buddha's teaching. For although they have entered into the Buddha's teaching, they are not yet able to know the Tathāgata's mystery; their minds still engage in wrong views outside the principle, hence they are also called "external." This dharma cannot be known by either kind of non-Buddhist. These non-Buddhists within the Buddha's teaching are the people of the two vehicles. Since the Buddha does not give it recklessly to people, having remained silent on this essence for long to await the proper capacity before giving it, what kind of person is fit to hear this dharma now? Therefore, it is next said that if someone within the Great Vehicle is able to enter the rite of abhiṣeka born of great compassion, they are fit to hear it; otherwise, they may not. Next it is also asked: Who is to be led into abhiṣeka and then must be anointed? If the person's nature is gentle, compliant, straightforward, and endowed with all good deeds, such a person may be led into the rite of abhiṣeka. Furthermore, one who has constant compassion is fit to be led into the maṇḍala. "Constant compassion" means: for example, some people have compassion at this time but not at that time, or have it in this place but not in that place, or have it toward relatives but not toward enemies. Now it is not like that: at all times and in all places, they constantly have a mind of compassion, which is also vast, universal, and equal; such a person is fit to be led into abhiṣeka. Having obtained abhiṣeka, only then are they fit to hear this; it is not like the sutras in ordinary circulation. This is also explained at length in the verses of the Lotus Sūtra regarding selecting people, which may be cited. Furthermore, those who observe through conditions are also not fit to hear this dharma. The Buddha's teaching is free from all marks and free from all conditions. If there are marks and conditions, one does not transcend the views of annihilation and permanence; therefore, they may not hear this dharma. Now, in saying "without conditions," does it mean rejecting all dharmas as completely non-existent and having nothing at all? It is not like that. Although the Buddha's teaching is free from conditions and free from marks, through upāya it is fully endowed with all wholesome merits, supernatural powers, and inconceivable, diverse realms: being in marks it is markless, and being markless it is fully endowed with all marks; being in conditions it is conditionless, and being conditionless it is fully endowed with all conditions; it does not mean mere emptiness or being simply non-existent. The general import is that one who is endowed with the great practices and great vows of a bodhisattva and has brought forth the great mind—to such a person it may be expounded. To the previous question of where it is generated from, it is now answered: it is generated from the Buddha's mind. "Guide" is the Buddha. If following the guide wherever he abides, this mantra has someone there who can know it. The "great self of the inner mind" refers to praising this mind. "Generated following that" means generated from all limbs and parts. "In accordance with the position of one's own mind, / The place where the Guide abides: / An eight-petaled [lotus] born from the mind, / A lotus flower exceedingly dignified and magnificent. / Within a full lunar disc, / Spotless like a mirror, / Ever abiding there, / Is the mantra, the World-Savior Bhagavat, / Golden-colored, endowed with radiant flames, / Banishing poison, abiding in samādhi, / Blazing like the sun, difficult to gaze upon." For all those sentient beings, such an eight-petaled, mind-born lotus flower is exceedingly dignified and magnificent; within the full moon, like a spotless mirror. There abides and constantly dwells the mantra, the World-Savior, the Great Virtuous One. "Golden-colored, endowed with radiant flames, abiding in samādhi" means that this floral dais is generated from the mind. That is, observing the eight-petaled lotus flower of one's own mind, this flower is not born from any other place; it is born from the mind. The mind is the flower, without duality and without distinction. This floral dais is round and bright like the moon, pure and stainless like a round mirror. Since in the world there is nothing else that can serve as a metaphor, only a round mirror can be used as an illustration to make them grasp the meaning and forget the words. Yet in reality it surpasses that by hundreds of thousands of times and cannot be compared. Now within this circle is the mantra, the savior of the world, endowed with great merit, true golden in color, possessing blazing light, abiding in samādhi, dwelling here in tranquil stillness. One should visualize this single-syllable mantra king; from this mantra king one then visualizes the fundamental deity or Mahāvairocana, as explained above in the yoga rite. It has not yet been spoken clearly, so it should be inquired further, but the text above can be cited and inspected. "Harm" refers to all afflictions, all of which are removed and eliminated. Its awe-inspiring radiance is fierce and powerful like a hundred thousand suns joined together, like a seven-day-old infant who cannot gaze directly at the blazing sun to behold its brilliance. Now this light is also like that: all those sentient beings look upon the solar disc yet cannot see its true nature. Now this Buddha light is also like this. "Constantly within and without, / Universally and everywhere adhiṣṭhāna-empowering. / With such an eye of wisdom, / One knows the mirror of the mind." It is also acceptable to write "mind mirror." The mantra practitioner's eye of wisdom, observing this round mirror, shall see their own form and color (seeing one's own bodily form), the tranquil mark of true awakening. The body and the reflected image produced from the body; the image produced from body to body. The upper body is conditioned and with outflows; the lower body is unconditioned. Mind generating mind means the defiled mind generates the pure mind. "Constantly bringing forth purity, / Various self-created karmas (karmas of the defiled ālayavijñāna can generate pure karma)." When impure karma is eliminated, pure karma will become manifest. When pure karma has manifested, it generates light like lightning, illuminating universally. "Next, when that light appears, / Roundly illuminating like a flame of lightning." It also does not take the literal sense of lightning, but only takes the perfection of various multicolored lights, roundly illuminating with multicolored light. "The mantra practitioner can perform / All Buddha deeds." Universally within and without, known through the mirror-mind: "mirror" is the floral dais within the round brightness; one should know that this mirror is the mind, and one should know that this mirror is one's own mind. By what upāya does one come to observe and know it? It means, through the upāya explained above, placing the syllable RA on the two eyes; with this eye of wisdom observing the mind of the round mirror of dharmatā, it appears clearly before one. Who can observe it? It refers to the mantra practitioner. This practitioner, using the eye of the syllable RA with its wonderful wisdom and brilliance, observes the mirror of the floral dais. First making an external observation, distinct and shining brightly, within this round brightness the Tathāgata, even sounds, forms, and images, are entirely boundless. Having made it clear like this, one then draws this inward to become the internal body. That is, the previously visualized body of Vairocana, the visualization of tranquil proper reception and boundless awe-inspiring brilliance, becomes one's own body. One causes one's own body to be identical to that deity, abiding in tranquil stillness within the round brightness, identical to that Buddha. Because it manifests marks while being free from all marks, it is called the true mark. Why is this? This lotus is born from the mind: first placing the syllable RA on the eyes and observing the mirror of the heart's floral dais is external seeing; then through external seeing one accomplishes internal seeing, understanding one's own mind. Therefore the sūtra says: "With an eye of wisdom such as this." The reciter with the eye of wisdom, observing in the mirror, sees his own form and color, the tranquil Buddha mark. Body producing body, conditioning the mental consciousness to produce, constantly purifying various self-karmas. Next, that light, that lightning flame, encloses the mantra practitioner, performing all Buddha deeds. If seeing the pure self, it also means performing all deeds. The above is the sūtra text. What is called "generating" means generating body, speech, and mind. First visualizing the round and bright Buddha image, golden in color and so forth, one should know it is born from the mind; one then directs the external inward, such that the body is identical to the Buddha's mudrā, speech is identical to the Buddha's mantra sound, and mind is identical to the Buddha's mind—generation all arises from the mind. Thus, by generating this birth, one can purify all karmas; hence it is said "constantly purifying various self-karmas," meaning being free from all karmas. If one is free from all karmas, one is called the Buddhas. If one realizes thus, one is able to illuminate universally with a round light. Illuminating universally is performing Buddha deeds. In accordance with the universal illumination and adornment of body, speech, and mind, one shall perform all Buddha deeds, being identical to Vairocana. Who can perform these Buddha deeds? It refers to the holder of mantras. These are all the Buddha's answers to Vajrapāṇi regarding the place where mantras are generated. That is, this mantra is generated from the practitioner's body, speech, and mind. If known like this, it is internal and external purity, performing Buddha deeds. What the sūtra calls "self-karma" is Buddha deeds. It refers to universally manifesting physical bodies, or demonstrating the practice of the bodhisattva path in various places, the eight phases of attaining Buddhahood, and immeasurable and boundless deeds of past births (jātakas). In summary, all are the Tathāgata's self-karma. If one can know thus, this is attaining Buddhahood. Because the holder of mantras abides in the preceding successive upāyas of visualization, this mantra practice is the conditioned arising of this body, no different or superior to the Buddha. Therefore the sūtra says: "If those who see it become pure, hearing and so forth are also likewise." Those who see, hear, touch, or know all attain purity. The word "can" here encompasses multiple meanings. "Just as conceived in the mind, / One can perform all deeds." Next, that light, that lightning flame, encloses the mantra practitioner, performing all Buddha deeds. If the self is purified, it also means performing all deeds; the intention of the mind is also like this.