大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 3.9

3.9

The sūtra says: “Lord of Mysteries! If bodhisattvas who cultivate the bodhisattva conduct of the mantra gateway deeply cultivate and contemplate the ten phrases of conditioned arising, they will attain mastery and realization in mantra practice, and even know all mental characteristics as they truly are throughout.” This briefly answers the phrase on cultivation in the earlier question. As in the myriad practices and upāyas described below, there are none that do not rely on these ten phrases of conditioned arising to purify and eliminate mental defilements; therefore, one should know that they are of supreme importance, and the mantra practitioner should especially attend to and contemplate them. Broadly discussing the ten phrases of conditioned arising in this chapter, there are roughly three types: First, because the mind is submerged in the skandhas and one wishes to counter real phenomena, one contemplates these ten phrases of conditioned arising—this is the illusion that is identical to emptiness, as explained previously. Second, because the mind is submerged in phenomena and one wishes to counter sensory conditions, one contemplates these ten phrases of conditioned arising—this is the illusion that the skandhas and the ālayavijñāna are identical to mind, as explained previously. Third, because the mind is deeply attached to and submerged in the reality-limit and one wishes to transcend the conditioned and unconditioned realms, one contemplates these ten phrases of conditioned arising—this is the inconceivable illusion, as explained previously, in which one is liberated from all karma and defilements yet karma and defilements are fully grounded. The ten similes in the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra also fully contain these three meanings. Here, when it speaks of “deeply cultivating and contemplating,” it intends to clarify this third tier. Take, for example, a practitioner in yoga: using one's own mind as the resonance and the Buddha's mind as the response, through the causes and conditions of resonance and response, Vairocana instantly manifests the body one delights in seeing and preaches the Dharma one needs to hear. Yet one's own mind is ultimately pure, and the Buddha's mind is also ultimately pure. If one regards one's own mind as self, then the Buddha's mind is other. Does this present realm arise from self? Arise from other? Arise from both? Or arise without a cause? When contemplated through the various gateways of the Madhyamaka-śāstra, arising cannot be found, yet the forms and sounds are clearly distinct; this is none other than the dharmadhātu. Discussed as illusion, it is illusion; discussed as the dharmadhātu, it is the dharmadhātu; discussed as pervading all places, it pervades all places. Because it is discussed as illusion, it is called inconceivable illusion. Furthermore, “deeply cultivating” means that from the attainment of the pure mind onward, from the sprouting of the root born of mahākaruṇā up to the ultimate upāya, every single dependent origination in between must be contemplated with these ten similes. Because what is realized becomes progressively deeper, it is called “contemplating.” Moreover, take the meaning of the four noble truths: simply indicating them within the Sahā world already yields immeasurable and boundless distinct names; how much more so within the inexhaustible dharmadhātu, where upāyas adapted to beings’ capacities could never be exhausted? Now, when in a single thought-moment of the pure mind the practitioner penetrates these four truths as numerous as grains of dust and sand—empty, they are ultimately unarisen; existent, they exhaust their natures and characteristics; middle, their entire essence is permanent. Because these three truths have no fixed characteristics, they are called an inconceivable illusion. Just as with the four noble truths, so it is with all other Dharma gateways. Therefore, only the Tathāgata can thoroughly plumb these ten similes and reach their source. The reason this sūtra explains the ten similes immediately after the undefiled bodhicitta is that it encompasses beginning and end and comprehensively subsumes all the bhūmis. Since whatever condition one meets becomes contemplation, it cannot be described in detail; for now, relying on the Commentary [Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra], its general purport is clarified.