大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 20.28

20.28

At the beginning of the sūtra, Vajrapāṇi had already questioned the Buddha about the method of recitation, and previously there were also places where brief answers were given, but it was not yet fully detailed. Now, to resolve doubts, the essential practice of this tradition is expounded again in full detail. Regarding 'secret': although what was explained in the preceding chapters was not unsecret, the essential doctrine here is the secret within secrets. 'Individual recitation' means either recitation with mental intention and sound, or recitation with inhalation and exhalation; this clarifies the differences between the distinct methods of practice. 'Individual recitation' means reciting the mantra with single-minded verbal utterance. When the sound is uttered in the mantra, each sound and syllable is clearly comprehended without interruption, cutting off external conditioning. 'Mental intention' means directly maintaining it in the mind, performing mental-contemplation recitation without uttering sound. 'Recitation with inhalation and exhalation' is as explained above, such as ingesting the wind. 'The two are corresponding' means that among the three recitations, mental intention and inhalation/exhalation are the most corresponding and supreme. 'Must not diverge' means that one should always practice according to this and not have divergent conditions or divergent thoughts. If not, one exerts effort in vain without benefit. 'Mantra practitioners using it with deficient limbs' means that a syllable has a dot (bindu) but it is not pronounced, or a syllable is missing, or what should be a long sound is pronounced with a short sound. Such varieties are very numerous, and all are called recitation deficient in limbs. The above internal and external correspondences comprise four kinds of recitation in total (which are the four colors). 'Worldly conditioned continuity' refers to syllables and phrases. 'Phrase' (pada) means lifting the feet and walking, meaning one contemplates these syllables as step by step; 'syllables' are the bīja syllables. Next, regarding the supramundane recitation explained earlier, it is achieved when the body, syllable, and mudrā merge into one. Now, worldly recitation differs from it: one contemplates either the syllable, the deity, or the mudrā. 'Phrase' means the primary deity; in the context of worldly recitation, inhalation and exhalation is supreme. The reason why inhalation and exhalation was supreme earlier is that the earlier inhalation and exhalation transformed the syllables into inhalation and exhalation. Now in worldly recitation, one sees the syllables distinctly and clearly within the inhalation and exhalation. This involves conceptual differentiation. The earlier supramundane [recitation] makes no such conceptual differentiation. Differentiating them into two within mantras: in worldly recitation, it has conditioned characteristics that take syllables and phrases as objects; herein one either takes a single syllable as object, or contemplates a phrase and the like upon the heart of the primary deity, as fully clarified earlier—this is external recitation. 'Taking a single syllable' means the bīja syllable, or the initial syllable of the mantra. If the mantra is short, one may contemplate the entire phrase. As stated above, it is arranged like an interlocking chain within the luminous circle upon the heart of the primary deity. These two kinds—either syllable or phrase—flow continuously without interruption following the inhalation and exhalation of breath, and circle around when one wishes to recite. There is a sūtra that clarifies this meaning: it is clearly seen like looking at an image in a mirror. Now, contemplating the syllable, one sees the syllable; contemplating the mudrā and deity, one sees them—this has characteristics. When the practitioner sees this true characteristic, they do not abide in having characteristics, yet they have not yet entered the signless. If one contemplates the bodhicitta, it is entirely signless. This mind is the Buddha, and the Buddha is one's own body. One's own body is the realization of buddhahood; because buddhahood is realized, it is of one single characteristic without difference, and is therefore called signless. 'Following' means coming or going in accordance with the mind. In worldly recitation, inhalation and exhalation is supreme. One should know that supramundane mental recitation is far removed from all syllables, forming a unified sign together with one's primary deity. 'Indestructible' means not dividing into dual grasping, which means conceptually clinging to characteristics. 'Unified sign' (ekasaṃjñā) means uniting into one so that one does not cling, not destroying this sign. 'Not destroying the sign of mental form' means the image and the mind do not differ, hence it is said to be 'indestructible'. 'Do not diverge from the rule' means the teaching is like this. 'Abiding in such a rule, one recites three lakṣas.' As previously stated, I have taught many kinds of recitation, referring to the number of repetitions, time periods, manifested signs, increasing benefits, and so forth. 'Three lakṣas' is a number, and number is worldly. The supramundane lakṣa is seeing the three signs—namely syllable, mudrā, and primary deity—taking each individual unified sign. The syllable, mudrā, deity, and so forth, as well as body, speech, and mind, are called 'seeing', which can purify the practitioner and eradicate all sins. If one is not purified, one adds another month and so forth, as before. What is now spoken of as the number of recitations repeats the previous text; one should not diverge from this rule. Therefore, now the ear hears the syllable emerge when the breath goes out, and causes the syllable to enter and exit following the breath when it goes in. What Tiantai calls 'reciting sūtras'—counting the breath in the Perfect and Sudden tradition—has this meaning. Now, by using this single condition of the syllable along with the inhalation and exhalation of breath, naturally, thought after thought continues without mental distraction, and one serenely and easily enters samādhi. This is the most supreme among worldly recitations. Furthermore, regarding the deities and spirits explained above: this method of reciting syllables and phrases applies to all deities, from the Buddha family above down to the eight classes below; wherever there is recitation, it should all be performed in this way. The recitation with inhalation and exhalation also possesses this practice according to each individual ritual of the primary deity. Supramundane [recitation] should be understood as the method of mental recitation, which is free from syllables. Could it be called 'free from syllables' only after discarding the aforementioned mantra syllables? It is not so. It means being able to realize that the intrinsic nature of the syllables is itself the luminous circle. 'One should abide in the originally unborn' refers to the mind. The essential nature of the mind is perfectly luminous and pure, complete with all virtues without conceptual differentiation; one should contemplate such a syllable. This syllable is none other than the syllables and phrases of the aforementioned primary deity's mantra. One simply realizes that this syllable is born from the mind; since the mind is perfectly luminous, clear, and serene, the nature of the syllable born from the mind is also like this. What is called 'free from syllable sounds and the like' means being free from the conceptually conditioning mind, perceptions of sounds, and so forth. However, at the time of recitation, there are recitation and contemplation: one may practice contemplation alone, or practice both simultaneously, or cultivate contemplative illumination alone. 'Recitation' means conditioning upon sounds, syllables, inhalation and exhalation, and so forth as described above; 'illumination' means contemplating the intrinsic nature of this syllable. However, when first contemplating, one is always in the realm of characteristics: if contemplating the single bīja syllable, its luminous circle is initially visualized small; if contemplating the full phrase and so forth, one makes a large luminous circle like an interlocking chain, using the mind to contemplate and illuminate it to make it vivid and clear, and afterward contemplates its nature based on this. 'The primary deity's single sign is made without destructive grasping' means the mind does not destroy the form. Regarding 'do not diverge from the rule': the primary deity is itself the syllable of the luminous circle initially contemplated. Next, one contemplates the primary deity as explained above. 'Single sign' refers to body, speech, and mind. Contemplating the luminous circle upon the primary deity's heart is the mind; the bodily mudrā and so forth are the body; the mantra syllables and so forth are the speech. Now, having clearly seen the primary deity, one contemplates the three matters of the primary deity as of one sign and equal, like dharmatā. Furthermore, one contemplates that the three matters of the primary deity, equal and of one sign, are identical to oneself. My own three signs are also of one sign, equal and not different from the primary deity. The nature of this luminous circle is not different from bodhicitta, and bodhicitta is not different from the primary deity—self and other are equal. Moreover, although the contemplated syllables differ, they are all samādhi gateways; if one understands the nature and characteristics of one syllable, one understands the nature and characteristics of all syllables. The syllable is the primary deity, the primary deity is the mind, and the mind is the essential nature of the dharmadhātu. Therefore, this syllable A is the inconceivable syllable. As it is with A, so it is with all of them. As it is with syllables, so it is with mudrās and the like. Regarding these three inconceivable signs—namely the sign of the syllable-mantra, the sign of the bodily mudrā, and the sign of the primary deity's mind—neither rejecting nor establishing, neither increasing nor decreasing, one should contemplate them as signs of universal equality, thereby penetrating all dharmas and accomplishing sarvajñajñāna. One should rely on this rule and not act divergently from this. This is the meaning of the three lakṣas. In Sanskrit, lakṣa means 'sign' and also means 'seeing'.