大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 3.23

3.23

The sūtra says: "At that time, the Master of Secrets, Vajradhara, addressed the Buddha, saying: 'How rare, Bhagavat! You have explained this self-realized saṃbodhi of all buddhas, the inconceivable dharmadhātu surpassing the stages of mind, wherein all limbs and parts emerge, and the Tathāgata's body reaches everywhere throughout the ten directions, returning again to dwell in its original position.'" Here, Vajrapāṇi, receiving the Buddha's spiritual power, grasped and understood the preceding text, first praising the Bhagavat as exceedingly wonderful because, by possessing great upāya, he was able to expound this self-realized saṃbodhi of all buddhas—namely, one's own mind's self-awakening to the inconceivable dharmadhātu, which transcends all stages of mind and is genuinely without any support. Just as worldly people, when lifting their feet and walking, always depend upon the earth, so too the bodhisattva progresses by depending on the mind; hence this mind is termed the "ground" [or stage]. Because the mind still has that upon which it depends, it is not yet termed proper and universal knowledge. The Tathāgata has already crossed beyond these subtle prapañca, and his forward progress has completely ceased; thus it is called "surpassing the stages of mind." Although ultimately peaceful, extinguished, and ineffable, he can nonetheless, by means of various pathways of upāya, expound the Dharma for classes of sentient beings according to their original dispositions of faith and understanding; this constitutes the expression of understanding the traces of the inexhaustible adornments of the mind of all-knowledge. The inconceivable dharmadhātu is compared to the lotus dais. The various pathways of upāya are compared to the lotus petals. Although the words expressing this understanding are concise, they encompass the overarching theme and subtle tenets, leaving nothing omitted. Next, he entreats the Buddha: "We only pray that the Bhagavat next expound the great king of maṇḍalas born of the womb of great compassion for practicing mantra deeds." Now we will briefly take the womb as a metaphor. When the practitioner first generates the mind of all-knowledge, it is like the conditions of the parents coming together, when the consciousness-seed is first lodged within the womb. At that time, it gradually develops and grows, crafted by the skillful winds of karma. Up to the time of initial birth, when all sense faculties and bodily parts are completely provided, it is first born into the lineage of the parents. This is just like relying upon the mantra gateway to practice the myriad deeds of great compassion, so that the pure mind becomes manifest. Furthermore, this infant gradually acquires human capacities and learns various skills and arts. Once the arts have been mastered, he performs tasks and enterprises. This is like initiating upāya within the pure mind to cultivate and regulate one's own ground, benefiting objects in accordance with conditions to ferry across sentient beings; hence it is called "born of the womb of great compassion." Furthermore, initially entering the gateway of the pure bodhicitta and seeing the Dharma and illuminating the Path is like the consciousness-seed at the stage of the kalala. From the first to the seventh bhūmi, it is nourished by the myriad deeds of great compassion, just like being in the womb. From effortless [activity] onward, one gradually learns the Tathāgata's upāya, like the infant already born learning various skills and arts. Arriving at the Tathāgata's stage of all-knowledge is like the skills and arts having been perfected, applying them in administering governance; hence it is called "born of the womb of great compassion." This is another layer of the esoteric maṇḍala. Now we shall use the lotus to illustrate the meaning of this maṇḍala. Just as when a lotus seed is within its hard shell, the nature of the branches, flowers, and leaves is already fully and distinctly present, so it is with the worldly seed-mind. From this, it gradually grows, up until the flower bud first emerges; the lotus dais and fruit are concealed inside the receptacle of petals, just as the supramundane mind is still within the skandhas. Furthermore, because it is enveloped by this receptacle of petals, it is not damaged or ruined by various conditions such as wind and cold. Its pure colors, filaments, and pistils flourish day and night, just as the womb of great compassion is already accomplished. When it shines and opens up in the sunlight, this is like upāya being fully perfected. Now, concerning the meaning of the wondrous Lotus Maṇḍala here, Vairocana's original ground of the constant mind is the complete body of the flower dais. The fruit-virtues of the ghee of the four buddhas and four bodhisattvas are like the various fruits maturing together. The diverse jñānamudrās of the esoteric wisdom of the vajras, numbering as many as the dust motes in ten worlds, are like the filaments and pistils. The gateways of the pāramitās of the myriad deeds of great compassion, numbering as many as the dust motes in ten worlds, are like the receptacle of petals. The immeasurable response-bodies of the three vehicles and six destinies are like the roots, stalks, branches, and leaves, alternating in radiant luster. Because it is fully provided with such an entire wheel of virtues, it is called a maṇḍala. However, by virtue of the Tathāgata's adhiṣṭhāna, from the virtue of the Buddha's self-realized bodhi there appears the central womb body of the eight petals. From the esoteric vajramudrā, there appears the first tier of inner retinue members such as Vajrapāṇi. From the myriad deeds of great compassion, there appears the second tier of the great retinue members, the mahāsattvas. From the upāya of the universal gateway, there appears the third tier of bodies pleasingly seen by all sentient beings according to their classes. If this is compared to the abhiseka of a wheel-turning king, then the third tier is like the rulers of the myriad realms, the second tier is like the various ministers of the royal court, the first tier is like the imperial kin and inner counselors, and the central womb is like the sovereign who rules by non-action. Therefore, the constant wisdom of the flower dais is the king of the great maṇḍala. If viewed from the fundamental tracing to the manifested traces, then from each single gateway of the central womb, the various gateways of the first tier individually emanate. From each single gateway of the first tier, the various gateways of the second tier individually emanate. From each single gateway of the second tier, the various gateways of the third tier individually emanate. If viewed from moving from cause to fruit, then the guiding and drawing together accomplished by the third tier can lead to the second tier; the guiding and drawing together accomplished by the second tier can lead to the first tier; and the guiding and drawing together accomplished by the first tier allows one to see the central womb. Stated from this perspective, although the original dispositions of faith and understanding among the classes of sentient beings are immeasurable and boundless, the benefits effected by this maṇḍala Dharma-gateway are likewise completely inexhaustible. Therefore it says: 'In order to fulfill the needs of those immeasurable sentient beings of future ages, and for the sake of rescue, protection, and peaceful happiness.'