大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 20.3

20.3

Regarding "the time of binding the sheep" (meaning that when one's precepts are fulfilled, the brahman lineage has emerged, and the four castes are fully established, one may slaughter a sheep and eat it. Their teaching states: Brahmā produced the four castes, so he took wives; taking daughters of the four castes, they each bore sons, which constitutes Brahmā's producing the four castes. However, the fire used is the Āvahana fire. The sons born have innate superior and inferior ranks: when slaughtering the sheep, the son born of the Śūdra serves; the son born of the Kṣatriya slaughters it; the son born of the Vaiśya carves it; and the son born of the Brāhmaṇa caste eats it; at that time, they also empower it with mantras. This is the rite devised by the ṛṣi Vasu). Regarding "the time of contact with defilement" (meaning the loss of pure conduct, like a monk breaking the precepts. Or, it refers to instances when, through heedlessness without realizing it, someone cuts off his hair, or the cord bound around his body is broken, or his three-forked staff snaps, or while eating he is touched by a Śūdra, and so on. Desiring to confess and penalize himself, he gathers two or three hundred people of the same caste, and in the assembly uses the Viṣṭi fire to confess. At that time, the practitioners of pure conduct say in unison: "May the sun, the moon, and the gods witness and know that from this day forward this person is restored to his original purity." At that time, the confessor uses fire to make offerings to them, and at that time this fire god's mantra-empowerment rite is used). Regarding "the time of cooked food" (in their rites, whenever they wish to prepare food, they first take raw vegetables and other items, and empower them with the name-mantra of this fire god to make them pure, and only then cook them. If one mistakenly fails to do so, one violates the rule, and it does not become pure food. The Sahasa fire is used). Regarding "worshiping the sun god" (in the brahmanical practice, before the sun rises, one joins the palms, gazes toward the sun in the east, and when the sun rises, worships it and recites mantras; one performs this through the rite of this fire god, using the Haviṣya fire. When the sun is about to set, one again sees it off toward the west, according to the rite above. Every day one acts like this. There are also assembly places where many people perform it together). Regarding worshiping the moon god: after returning, when the moon rises, at home one again welcomes the moon, and the mantra used for revering it is also different; one uses the Nidhi fire for a full burnt-offering (this is the rite of presenting food into the fire: one takes food to fill one vessel and burns it in the hearth, using the Amṛta fire). For pacifying disasters (whenever one wishes to appease calamities, one uses this fire god's mantra, using the Varuṇa fire). For enrichment (one uses mantras such as those for pacifying disasters; it is said that its majestic ferocity is like the fire of the cosmic calamity, its force fiercely potent; one uses the Kṛtānta fire, which is the name of the fire god's mantra). For removing obstacles (that is, subjugation; one uses the Sūryakrodha fire, Krodha fire being the name of the deity). For summoning (meaning whenever one wishes to accomplish whatever is sought, or make people pleased, etc., one uses the Kāmana fire). Burning forests and trees (in their practice, one must not burn forests, trees, and so forth; yet when dense groves wither and decay, if one wishes to burn them to make them renew their luxuriance, one uses this rite; one uses the Dūta fire). Warming the belly (meaning after eating, the fire element within the body digests the food; it is used for health and freedom from disease; its mantra uses the Jaṭhara fire, the meaning being: "It sustains my body; if it emerges from my body, it is my son"). Next is the Bhakṣa fire, which is used for offering various foods to the fire (to be inquired further). Next is the submarine fire, named Vaḍavāmukha; the fire at the time of cosmic destruction is named Yugānta fire, but it is only mentioned by name and has no practical use (pure-conduct practitioners have both householders and renunciants; if one begets sons, from the practice of celibacy one enters the mountains to study the Path, up to attaining the five supernormal knowledges, without these rites of marrying wives and so forth). The above are all the erroneous homa rites of those pure practitioners who serve fire. The Buddha says: "For you virtuous ones, I have already briefly explained the various fires. Practiced by those who cultivate the Vedas and transmitted and recited in pure conduct, these forty-four kinds were proclaimed by me at that time." In order to reveal the correct, having brought these forth, he then clarifies the true teaching: "Lord of Secrets! At that time, not knowing the nature of those fires, I performed the various homas; yet they were not the practice of homa." The following is again a verse (and neither did they attain the fruits of karmic action). Next, the twelve kinds of fire are explained: "When I again attained bodhi, I explained the twelve kinds of fire." Furthermore, what are they? "The fire of wisdom is the very first, named Mahā-Indra." The Buddha's intention is: At that time I was the Great Brahmā King, and because the host of brahmans came to ask about the Vedic scriptures, I expounded them, causing them to practice in reliance on them and obtain worldly attainments such as the five supernormal knowledges. Yet at that time I had not understood the self-nature of fire and its functional activity; because I did not know, it should be known that what was performed at that time was neither called well-done nor could it be named homa; it was neither practice nor karma, nor did it attain its fruit. Only when I attained bodhi did I comprehend the self-nature of fire, its skillful means, the production of fruits, and so forth. What is called the self-nature of fire is none other than the light of the Tathāgata's sarvajñajñāna. The reason why the Buddha made this statement is that, wishing to subdue the various non-Buddhists and distinguish the erroneous from the correct, he made them know that there is a true homa; for those of pure conduct had developed arrogance, considering their revered Vedic scriptures to be secret. Now the Buddha himself speaks of the origin of the Vedas, and within it further reveals the correct principle of the true homa rite. This Vedic teaching of the Buddha should be known as the foremost supreme secret treasury. Having heard it, they conceived a sense of wonder, immediately generating faith and understanding. In the past, before I attained right awakening, having no clear comprehension, I briefly explained the forty-four kinds of fire rites as above—explained extensively they are measureless, as fully clarified in the Vedic scriptures. Now having attained right awakening, I again explain the twelve kinds of rites of the fire of true wisdom, which are capable of accomplishing the great matter, completely dispelling the darkness of all defilements and obstacles to accomplish the great matter, unlike the unlawful practices of the erroneous paths in the past.