大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 2.20

2.20

The sūtra says: "Master of Mysteries! Such components of self have since antiquity been associated with conceptual discrimination, seeking liberation in accordance with principle." In the sūtra, thirty cases are briefly given; if categorized by their varieties, they are limitless and boundless. For instance, when a person attains the four dhyānas through sitting [in meditation], they immediately hold this state to be the true, eternal principle. Or they give rise to this thought: "I am one who has attained dhyāna." Such instances are all associated with components of self, and the rest can be known by analogy. They all stem from not contemplating the dharmatā of the self, but merely inheriting and customarily repeating these views from long ago, each claiming for themselves: "There is a great teacher, a bhagavat, an omniscient and all-seeing one who, having practiced yoga well, has realized this dharma in the present and expounds it for the world. This alone is the ultimate path; there is no other path." For example, at the beginning of an eon, a single deity was first born in the Brahmā realm and thought: "If only more sentient beings were to come and dwell together with me, would that not be fine!" At that time, a deity from a higher realm died and was born into this realm. The first-born deity then said to him: "Due to the power of my thought, you were able to be born here; you are indeed born of me." And the other also thought: "This venerable one can give birth to us." Thus conforming to one another, they conceived him to be the first possessor of a self. From then on, it was believed that King Brahmā was capable of creating the world. In this way, different views arose through succession, too numerous to record. As for "seeking liberation in accordance with principle," "in accordance with principle" in Sanskrit is *yogin*, which refers to ancient practitioners of yoga. They claimed that attaining true liberation is the source of all things, and now by conforming to their practices they seek liberation; hence it is described thus. The above all represent minds that destroy inner and outer cause and effect and contradict principle. Next, the first mind that conforms to principle will be explained: conforming to the wholesome refers to the eight worldly minds.