大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 2.28

2.28

The sūtra says: “Vajrapāṇi, wandering through birth and death with this mind, one hears from a good friend such words as: ‘This is the Great God; the god gives all happiness; if you make offerings with sincere devotion, all that you desire will be fulfilled,’ namely Īśvara and so forth, until, hearing this, their heart is filled with joy, and they follow and practice with earnest reverence. Vajrapāṇi, this is called the eighth infantile mind, the fearless refuge for foolish, childlike, ordinary beings wandering in birth and death.”
Having already known that persons of venerable conduct should be approached and made offerings to, and having also seen that keeping the precepts can generate good benefits, one thereby gradually recognizes cause and effect. Now, hearing further from a spiritual friend that there are these great gods capable of granting all happiness, and that if one devoutly recognizes them and makes offerings, all wishes will be fulfilled, one is able to produce a mind of refuge. Although they have not yet heard the Buddhadharma, they nevertheless know that these gods obtained these good retributions because of having practiced good actions. Furthermore, they gradually develop faith and understanding to distinguish the superior field [of merit], and when they subsequently hear the extraordinary wondrousness of the Buddhadharma, they will certainly be able to take refuge, have faith, and accept it; therefore, this is the supreme worldly mind.
Question: Previously it was said that [adhering to] Īśvara and the like are all false attachments; now it is said again that taking refuge in them is an excellent worldly mind. What is the difference between this and the previous one?
Answer: The previous one was a mind that did not recognize cause and effect, merely positing that all phenomena were created by Īśvara and the like. Now, because the good roots have matured, one seeks a fearless refuge amidst the transmigration of birth and death, wishing to emulate their causes in the hope of accomplishing superior results; hence it is not the same as the previous attachment.
“Śaṅkara” is another name for Maheśvara. “Kāla” is in Sanskrit Rudra, an attendant of Īśvara. “Nāgendra” refers to the great nāgas. “Kubera” and so forth are all great gods revered by the world. “Brahmāṇī” is an exalted deity revered in the world; however, in the Buddhadharma the Brahmā king is free from desire and has no consort. From “Padma” onward, the so-called Takṣaka nāga, Vāsuki nāga, Śaṅkha nāga, Karkoṭaka nāga, Mahāpadma nāga, Kulika nāga, Mahāphaṇi nāga, Adideva nāga, Sadā nāga, Nanda nāga, and so forth are all exalted deities revered in the world. “Deva-ṛṣi” refers to the divine seers with the five supernormal powers, whose number is measureless, so their names are not listed. “Veda” refers to the four treatises of knowledge expounded by the Brahmā king. The “Great Veda masters” are those who uphold those scriptures and can instruct others; because they can reveal the practice of transcending desire, one should take refuge in them. Among those classes, the Brahmā king is like the Buddha, the four Vedic scriptures are like the twelve divisions of scriptures, and those who transmit this teaching are like the harmonious Saṅgha. When they hear of such worldly Three Jewels, they joyfully take refuge, follow, and practice; this is the eighth fearless refuge for ordinary persons in birth and death.