大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 4.25

4.25

The intention of the verses first addresses the earth deity, saying: You goddess who personally protect this great earth have formerly made offerings to and attended upon all Buddha-guides, practicing supreme practices to purify the bhūmis, purifying and fulfilling the pāramitās and other various merits. As the Mahāprajñāpāramitā extensively explains throughout the dharmas, it is therefore said 'and so forth'. In the present translation of the verse, five characters form a line and cannot include everything, yet 'ground and pāramitās' already encompasses these many virtues. The next verse states the reason for arousing [her], speaking truthful words: Just as the Bhagavat of old, when subduing the hosts of heavenly māras in the bodhi-maṇḍala, you appeared in the great assembly to bear witness, and because of this the Bhagavat was called the Śākya Lion, able to stride alone fearlessly to rescue and protect the world. I now also wish to follow the Buddha's practice and continue the Tathāgata's deeds; therefore, I draw this maṇḍala. Although I have not yet attained everything identical to the Tathāgata, by being empowered by Mahāvairocana's three mysteries, I can also manifest the Buddha's body and universally assemble the entire maṇḍala gathering. Therefore, you should also now appear to bear witness, so that the māra hosts cannot destroy it. Furthermore, the earth deity is a goddess; 'woman' has the meaning of samādhi, which is precisely the Mahāvairocana Bhagavat's samādhi of protecting and upholding the mind-ground of all sentient beings. Just as the Dharmatā Bhagavat of old, when subduing the demon king of avidyāvāsanābhūmi and his dust-sand-like great assembly in the bodhi-maṇḍala, repeatedly extended the five powers with the hand of prajñāpāramitā to press upon the mind-ground of all sentient beings, at that time your samādhi appeared to bear witness, and thereby the four kinds of māra armies of immeasurable sentient beings to be liberated retreated and dispersed; thus he was called the Śāntakarma Lion, able to rescue the world with sovereign supernatural powers. I now also wish to level and cultivate the disciple's mind-ground and draw the mahākaruṇā-maṇḍala; you should also bear witness for me and cause the hosts of the four māras to be subdued. Furthermore, explaining through the syllable gateways, this ārṣa possesses immeasurable meanings, but when grasping its ultimate principle, it resides precisely within the syllable ta. In Sanskrit, tathatā means 'suchness'; within the prolonged sound of the syllable tā, it contains the sound of A, because all dharmas are originally unborn. Just as in dharmatā there is no increase or decrease, one uses this meaning to arouse all earth deities. When reciting that verse, one should kneel on both knees on the ground, and using the hand of wisdom, extend its five wheels to press the ground with a flat palm, and only then recite this ārṣa verse. Make the mudrā seven times, empowering seven times; this is precisely called the correspondence of mantra and mudrā. The ācārya said: "When wishing to perform this ritual, first empower one's own body with the samaya dharmadhātu vajra-svabhāva, all as explained in the ritual of offerings. Having purified one's own mind-ground and the ground of this bodhimaṇḍa with the syllable-gateway RA, in yoga one first raises the half-moon wind-wheel and empowers it with the syllable HA; next, raises the water-wheel and empowers it with the syllable VA; next, raises the vajra earth-wheel and empowers it with the syllable A. Contemplating with single-pointed focus in clear correspondence, skillfully regulate the mind and breath; recite the syllable-gateway A in a single breath without interruption. When strength is exhausted and breath returns, recite it again, for one breath or three breaths, until there is a sensible feeling. Through such upāya of single-pointed focus, one immediately enters samādhi, directly seeing the great assembly of secretly adorned Buddhas and bodhisattvas, or seeing for oneself all faults within the internal and external ground."