大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 19.9

19.9

At that time the Bhagavān further proclaimed the phrase of purifying the realm of inexhaustible sentient beings, the phrase streaming forth from samādhi, the inconceivable phrase, and the phrase of the gateway transforming others: 'If originally born, it does not exist; conforming to worldly conventions, how could one know emptiness, giving rise to practitioners? If its intrinsic nature is thus, awakening cannot be apprehended; with a mind equal to space, giving rise to the arising of bodhi, one should bring forth the arising of compassion, conforming to all worldly realms.' The above is the text of the sūtra. Abiding in purifying the realm of inexhaustible sentient beings means the original vow to purify all sentient beings in inexhaustible worlds. Because sentient beings possess defilements, they cannot liberate themselves; now [the Buddha] wishes to universally open for them the knowledge and vision of the Tathāgata to make them pure, causing their grounds of body, speech, and mind all to be purified and devoid of defilement. One should know that this phrase of purifying inexhaustible sentient beings is itself the phrase streaming forth from samādhi; the phrase streaming forth from samādhi is itself the inconceivable phrase; the inconceivable phrase is itself the phrase of the gateway transforming others. Transforming the defilements of others into intrinsic purity, and transforming the ignorance of others into the illumination of the Tathāgata—therefore it is called the phrase of the gateway transforming others. 'Others' refers to sentient beings. Because it transforms defilement into purity, this Dharma gateway is spoken. 'If originally born, it does not exist': if originally there is nothing that exists, yet arising conforms to the world, how should one know emptiness? That is to say, how should one know the emptiness of all dharmas? 'Giving rise to this yogin': the verse inherently raises a question; this question arises by relying on the Buddha's supernatural power. If one says that originally born it does not exist, yet there is that which conforms to the worldly realm, how should that practitioner cause the practitioner to give rise to this emptiness—namely, pure emptiness? If one says that it is non-existent, how could this pure emptiness arise? If originally there is nothing that exists, this arising also conforms to original non-existence, which is precisely original non-arising. How does the yogin perceive emptiness? This emptiness is itself the nature of the mantra. How does it give rise to the yogin? 'If its intrinsic nature is thus, awakening and names cannot be apprehended': this means that when contemplating, names cannot be apprehended; strictly speaking, it is 'contemplation', and contemplation is identical to awakening. 'With a mind equal to space arising' refers to the arising of the bodhicitta; this cites the previously explained ten metaphors. Because awakening is originally unborn, signless, and unobtainable, one attains this mind equal to space. Being pure, non-conceptual, and so forth, as explained above, it is not merely empty, but wisdom arises—namely, bodhi. 'One should bring forth benevolence and compassion, conforming to all worlds; abiding in the practice of mere conceptualization, one is then named the Buddhas.' This means the Tathāgata thoroughly understands that all dharmas are originally unborn and originally non-existent; speaking of conforming to worldly conventions to liberate sentient beings, 'existence' refers to universally manifesting various expedient means to benefit sentient beings, which exist through conditions of receptive capacities, yet are originally non-existent. The nature of sentient beings is intrinsically non-existent; through cultivation, one knows that this nature of sentient beings is intrinsically empty and tranquil. Because one awakens to and knows that this nature is empty, there are only names and it cannot be apprehended. That is to say, the emptiness of emptiness is merely a name, ultimately unobtainable upon search; this is unobtainable emptiness. It is not like those of inferior wisdom who cling to this emptiness as real existence. One contemplates sentient beings as identical to empty space; the intrinsic nature of empty space is free from contemplation and illumination, and free from all false thoughts and prapañca. When one thoroughly understands empty space in this way, one knows the true reality, and should not grasp at this dharma of emptiness. Because this empty space is unobtainable, it is not completely non-existent, but truly has its own nature; what is called the nature of emptiness is precisely not empty. One should know that this which is not empty is precisely the mind equal to space. The mind equal to space is precisely pure bodhi, and from this pure bodhicitta, the great compassionate mind arises. Why is this so? After the practitioner thoroughly realizes this bodhicitta, they produce this thought: 'All sentient beings are all like this, fully possessing the Tathāgata's treasure yet without being aware of it themselves. Due to these causes and conditions, they undergo exhaustion and suffering in vain without any benefit.' The bodhisattva gives rise to the great compassionate mind on account of these four conditions. Because of failing to understand this mind, birth-and-death is vast and saṃsāra is endless; understanding it, one is a bodhisattva. Because all sentient beings possess the nature that can be awakened yet cannot awaken by themselves, the bodhisattva gives rise to great compassion for this reason, and will speak expedient means to confer rescue and protection. Precisely by means of this great compassion, in order to eliminate the defilements of inexhaustible sentient beings, they conform to the world and establish expedient means. Because the categories of the realm of inexhaustible sentient beings have many mutually distinct dispositions, desires, faculties, and conditions, the bodhisattva conforms to them to transform and guide them; hence it is said, 'conforming to the world'. 'Conceptualization abides merely in mind, then one is named the Buddhas.' One should know that it arises established from conceptualization. What is called emptiness is established from within conceptualization. Having abided in mind-only, one again attains this mind-only to establish all dharmas. 'Contemplating this as the emptiness of emptiness' means that the designation 'emptiness of emptiness' exists from contemplation; it is also merely a name, emptiness arising from the mind. The method of calculating numbers below proceeds, distinguishing from one, two, and three (meaning the distinctions of one, two, etc.). Here 'distinguishing' (分) is in the falling tone. Diligent one! That emptiness is thus, up to increasing in sequential order, which is this syllable A and so forth. 'Conceptualization' means the sense of mere conceptualization. As above, this syllable A is precisely conceptualization. Spontaneous wisdom is also the Buddha, meaning empowered by the Buddha. 'If one establishes conceptualization as empty and not empty, and observes the method of calculating numbers below proceeding, beginning with distinctions from one, two, and three, so is that empty hero, up to increasing in its sequence. The syllable A is this primary syllable, corresponding to the adhiṣṭhāna of spontaneous wisdom.' This is the sūtra text. It was previously said that attaining the mind of space is precisely the arising of the bodhicitta. Bodhi is awakening; how could this mind be empty? Rather, it truly possesses merits as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Although possessing the Tathāgata's immeasurable merits, it is signless, nameless, and impossible to demonstrate. Just as the Dharma-character masters speak of the sixteen kinds of emptiness, and the Large Prajñā speaks of the eighteen kinds of emptiness, all are to clarify this meaning. If it were merely empty and entirely devoid of nature, how could it accomplish such inconceivable vikurvita virtues to liberate sentient beings? One should know that this emptiness is the principle of self-realization. Since conceptualization is empty and non-existent, names are also thus; this place cannot be indicated, and the signs of verbal expression are tranquil. If one were to speak of such a dharma of self-realization to the ordinary and foolish, it could never be grasped. One should know that this merely possesses the name of emptiness; supreme above the eighteen kinds of emptiness, it is precisely the great emptiness of the Buddhas, and is truly not vain. The metaphor of calculation here is like the worldly method of laying down counting rods: initially one draws and places the number one as its basis (calculation in the West is done by drawing in the dirt; before finishing, one redraws it), and up to millions and asaṃkhyas all arise from this; yet initially before laying down the calculation, originally these numbers did not exist. From within this empty ground originally without numbers, one lays down one count, or two, or three, up to the immeasurable. When the calculation is finished, one removes all positions, returning to emptiness as originally. Yet the counted numbers are self-realized in the mind of the calculator, clearly present without loss. Although numbers are established from original non-existence, now they have returned to the original and truly do not exist. Yet the method of numbers is retained in the mind without being lost; this is non-existence yet existence, existence yet non-existence. Now this syllable A gateway is also like this: from original non-arising, in order to conform to the world, it sequentially brings forth immeasurable Dharma gateways. Although it brings forth these immeasurable expedient means, they are nevertheless not different from the meaning of the original unborn nature of the syllable A, just as those numbers do not depart from one. Because the initial method of calculation begins from one, all numerical methods do not depart from one; even ten thousand is ten thousand ones, unable to be separated. All other numbers can be understood accordingly. Now, that all these dharmas cannot be separated from the syllable A is also due to this. However, a treatise master further cited a metaphor: like the crawl of worms, immeasurable worms follow one another continuously to form a path, having various forms such as square, round, bent, and curved; if one separates and distinguishes them, each is individually just one worm, having no signs of bending, straightness, length, shortness, and so forth. Now this Dharma is also like this: within the ultimately self-realized, inconceivable empty Dharma, it possesses all virtues. Yet arising from conditions, there is no original arising, and it does not depart from the one principle of the originally unborn nature. That this syllable A is the foremost, corresponding to the adhiṣṭhāna of spontaneous wisdom, means that because spontaneous wisdom empowers this syllable gateway, it gives rise to immeasurable speech; speech has immeasurable sounds, sounds have immeasurable principles, which is identical to the one in those numbers pervading all. The great emptiness is also like this: possessing all dharmas, it pervades all dharmas. This syllable A is also thus: all mantra gateways exist from the syllable A, just as the myriad phenomena exist from space; it does not merely generate all syllables. In each and every gateway of these generated syllables, the principle of non-arising is revealed.