大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 6.156

6.156

The sūtra says: "Establish the gate insignia, / In measure equal to the central matrix womb; / The side wings are likewise so, / And the flower terrace has sixteen divisions." / The insignia erected at both sides of the gates of the maṇḍala are banners and flags, which are called gate insignia. The measure of distance between the two markers should be made exactly equal to the central matrix. A crossbar is placed above, its width also the same. Atop the banner poles are each placed a crescent moon, and below the moon are placed banner images, made by taking silk and cutting it square. One may cut across diagonally from the corners to make two flags, each attached outside the banner pole, pointed above and drooping below. At the four intermediate points, banner poles with crescent moons are also placed, their insignia facing both ways. Above the crescent moon of the Great Heroic Gate (Mahāvīra Gate), a wish-fulfilling jewel is placed on each; above the crescent moon of the Vajrapāṇi Gate, a vajra is placed on each; above the crescent moon of the Padmapāṇi Gate, a conch is placed on each; and upon the four intermediate corners, jewels are also placed. / The side wings flanking the gates have the shape of the character ya (亞), and the pathway is in the center; at every corner a vajra peg is placed. The head of the peg is shaped like a one-pronged vajra, and sharp below. There are six pegs for each wing, making twelve pegs on both sides [of a gate]; for the four gates and four corners there are twenty-eight pegs in total, and likewise for all three enclosures. Prepare also five-colored cords, all consecrated with the Acala Mantra or Trailokyavijaya Mantra 108 or 1,080 times. / On the night when the ācārya actually performs the rite, after finishing the painting of the maṇḍala, he first visualizes the central matrix and the first court, and knowing nothing is deficient, he then drives in the vajra pegs. Around the vajra pegs, he encircles them with the vajra cord. When reaching the open gate, he stops, not crossing it. All three enclosures are arranged thus. If one cannot do so [for all], the third court must strictly follow this method without any deficiency. When reaching the open gate, one should lift the cord, following the contour of the gate markers upward, so that it does not obstruct the head. Once the boundary is bound, one must enter and exit by the gate and must not randomly step over elsewhere. At each entrance and exit, one must still recite the Acala Mantra. / If one is a yoga ācārya, one may also encircle the perimeter with the cord continuously; when it is necessary to enter or exit, one visualizes lifting this cord and passing beneath it, and after passing, it returns to as before. Or, if one is far from the gate and urgently needs to enter or exit, one should visualize one's own body as Vairocana with an unobstructed body, generate no thought of crossing the cord, and enter or exit at will without fault. / The turns between the six pegs should all be equal in measure; there must still be walkways for circumambulation between the courts. Both sides of the outermost gate wings are also exactly equal to the central matrix; hence it is said, "The side wings are likewise so." / The flower terrace is the place of empowerment (abhiṣeka); the layout of the lotus altar is largely identical to the eight-petaled womb of the central matrix, the smallest being sixteen digits (aṅgula), the remaining meanings of which will be explained below. Only one gate is opened, and that gate should face toward the great altar. / The verse says: "One should know that the first gate / Is equal to the inner altar." / This means that the first enclosure's gate corresponds to a proportion of nine divisions, making its breadth exactly equal, so that the central path of the gate directly faces the center of the flower womb. The remaining second and third [gates] are also apportioned according to this ratio, naturally expanding by degrees, each obtaining its proper place. / In the wing recesses of the second-enclosure gate, the two brother dragon kings are placed: Nanda in the south and Upananda in the north. The rest of the many jewel adornments are largely the same as the positions of the secret maṇḍala. / The ācārya said: "If interpreted according to the deep and secret meaning: the square, straight, even, and equal aspects of the four sides represent the four applications of mindfulness; the four gates are the four dhyānas and also the four means of embracing; the gate markers are the four brahmavihāras; the wing recesses are the four right exertions; the four intermediate points are the four noble truths; the vajra cord is the sūtra. By means of this, the thirty-seven limbs [of awakening] are interconnected, making the bounds of the Dharma gates." / The reason why the length, width, and breadth of the outer gate markers are all exactly equal to the central matrix is to make clear that each and every Dharma gate of the Tathāgata corresponds to the dharmadhātu, without the slightest increase or decrease. Furthermore, the central path walked upon coincides directly with the core of the true reality of the lotus terrace, and the traces of the universal gateway grow ever wider the farther out they extend; hence it is said, "The wise one, in the outer court, / Gradually increases [them]." / The verse says: "Briefly explaining samādhi: / With single mind abiding in the object." / From this point onward, it answers concerning the samādhi component in the maṇḍala. If one has not cultivated yoga, one cannot act as an ācārya, because with a missing component, the ritual action cannot be accomplished. / In the sūtra, it first briefly explains the name and meaning of samādhi, and next explains it deeply and extensively. As for the initial brief explanation, it means that the mind is tied and focused on one object without scattering; this is the meaning of equipoise (samāpatti/samādhi). Therefore the verse says: "Briefly explaining samādhi: / With single mind abiding in the object." / Moreover, regarding yoga with signs, there are three types: superior, intermediate, and inferior. The superior refers to visualizing the bodies of the Tathāgatas such as Vairocana; the intermediate refers to visualizing the bodies of the Bodhisattvas such as Mañjuśrī; the inferior refers to visualizing the bodies corresponding to their classes, such as Indra. Each is as shown in the maṇḍala: physical form, deportment, secret emblems, mudrās, or seed syllables—simply abiding in the object with single mind without scattering further is the samādhi gateway of that deity. To put it succinctly, each and every good friend (kalyāṇamitra) throughout the ocean-like assembly of the maṇḍala, numerous as dust motes in Buddha-lands, is a samādhi gateway for entering the dharmadhātu. If one collectively visualizes such an assembly of the universal gateway, single-mindedly abiding in the object without scattering, that is the Samantacakṣu (Universal Eye) Samādhi gateway, also called the Samantamukha-lokadhātu (Universal Gate World) Samādhi gateway. / As for the "single gateway and all gateways": one may enter solely the samādhi gateway of the Tathāgata division, or enter solely the samādhi gateway of the Padma division, or enter solely the samādhi gateway of the Vajra division, or take the universal gathering of Mañjuśrī's retinue as a single samādhi gateway, and likewise for the other three Bodhisattvas; these vary in diverse ways according to the capacity of the practitioner's mind. / When a practitioner cultivates yoga, whether visualizing the fundamental deity, visualizing the secret mudrā, or visualizing the mantra, various realms may appear before him that do not accord with the fundamental visualization; all of these are false visualizations. For instance, during concentration, one might see the sun, moon, and stars shining brightly, or see a great king of lotuses filling the sky, or see jewel trees and towers wonderfully adorned like celestial palaces and various pure realms, or suddenly no longer have any appearance of body or mind, or see immeasurable assemblies of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, or hear various strange sounds, or see precipitous cliffs plunging to the Avīci Hell. Because they do not accord with the original object of focus, none of them should be grasped. Simply maintain a single mind as usual; though one attains correspondence with the sphere of concentration, one must deeply cultivate the contemplation of the ten phrases on conditioned arising and must not savor or attach to it. If one sees an unusual sphere, considers it wondrous, and grasps it, this is called concentration of pride, and also concentration of miserly attachment. Only when one corresponds with correct visualization will one naturally see kotis of Buddha-lands—here, "Buddhas" refers to hundreds of thousands of assemblies, and "lands" means pure places. When corresponding in this way, one knows that the various phenomena experienced hitherto were not without causes and conditions: because of such-and-such causes and conditions there are such-and-such phenomena, realizing this without relying on another's awakening and without any hindrance. / Next, as for the deep and secret interpretation: in the true reality of the Dharma-gate body of each and every good friend, the mind abides in the object and does not give rise to false discrimination or conceptual elaboration (prapañca); this is the meaning of equipoise. For instance, entering the syllable A gateway with a single thought of the dharmadhātu is the samādhi of Vairocana. Being undistracted in single mind upon the Dharma Lotus Mudrā is the samādhi of Avalokiteśvara. Being undistracted in single mind upon the Vajra Wisdom Mudrā is the samādhi of the Lord of Secrets. And so on, up to the various deities such as Brahmā and Śakra, each attaining mastery in one dharmadhātu gateway. If one is undistracted upon that single object of their liberation body, it is each of their pure divine eye samādhis. If one is undistracted in single mind within the ocean of clouds of the great compassion womb, it is called the Universal Eye Samādhi, also called the Samādhi of Universally Manifesting Physical Bodies. / If the Tathāgata were to explain the extensive meaning therein for immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas, it still would not be exhausted. Now, wishing to subsume it with two verses so that it is thoroughly complete without remainder, it therefore says: "The extensive meaning is further distinct; / May the great assembly listen attentively." / Herein there are again two parts: first, explaining the Tathāgata's samādhi seal; next, explaining the differentiated seals in the path of samādhi. / The verse says: "The Buddha spoke of all as empty"—this is entering the syllable A gateway. Even to the point where not the slightest dharma can be attained, nor is there any sign of concentration that can be called samādhi; abiding in such a one-mind dharmadhātu is called the "equipoise of correct awakening." Why is this? If outside this nature of mind there were an object to be focused on, it would not be a permanent sphere, being moved by the four characteristics [of conditioned phenomena]; at that time, the mind abiding in the object would also flow along with the object—how could it be called concentration? Therefore, the samādhi of correct awakening realizes that all dharmas are originally unborn; hence it is solely the mind directly realizing the mind, the mind directly knowing the mind, which from long ago has always been like the limit of reality (bhūtakoṭi) without change. Using such a mind to abide of itself in such an object, it is therefore called equipoise. This is precisely the inexhaustible adorned matrix manifested by the fundamental deity Vairocana, and is also not separate from this fundamental deity. Any other visualization is called a false visualization; therefore it next states the seal of certainty, saying: "Samādhi is solely realizing the mind, / Not attained from different objects." If expressed faithfully according to the Sanskrit text, it should say that it has no other attainment, meaning that it is not attained from anywhere else. / Next it says: "Such a realm as that / Is the concentration of all Tathāgatas." As the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra explains that all who possess mind have Buddha-nature, this Buddha-nature is named the Śūraṅgama Samādhi, also named the Vajra Samādhi, and also named the Prajñāpāramitā. The path of all Buddhas is the same, with no other road. If a practitioner, when first generating the mind, can correctly contemplate the nature of mind as spoken, this is also called entering the Tathāgata's concentration—why would one need to laboriously transcend the four stages gradually before reaching the ultimate? / Furthermore, if a yoga practitioner, through receiving the empowerment of the supernatural power of all Buddhas, fully sees in samādhi the immeasurable holy deities—numerous as dust motes in ten Buddha-lands—with their three kinds of secret mudrās unmixed with one another, or with undistracted single mind transforms into their own body: although this is extraordinary and inconceivable, because it still possesses signs and possesses conditions, it is called worldly samādhi. When this samādhi appears before him, if the practitioner contemplates the ten phrases on conditioned arising, purifies all false signs and conceptual elaborations, and corresponds with empty tranquility, he then realizes that such an ocean-like assembly of the maṇḍala is entirely born from conditions—like a mirror image, the moon in water, a gandharva city, and the like—contemplating that they lack own-nature and signs; this is called supramundane samādhi. / Yet because the sickness of emptiness has not yet been emptied, it cannot yet be called the Great Emptiness. When he sits at the site of awakening (bodhimaṇḍa) and directly realizes the nature of mind, he then knows that such spheres of adhiṣṭhāna are all the limit of reality (bhūtakoṭi) of the mind. At that time, the mind does not abide in signs nor rely on emptiness, but clearly observes that emptiness and non-emptiness are ultimately signless yet endowed with all signs; hence it is called the Great Emptiness Samādhi. One who abides in this samādhi abides in the Buddha's unhindered wisdom; the Buddha says that this person's all-inclusive wisdom (sarvajñajñāna) is ultimately perfected. Therefore the sūtra says: "Therefore it is spoken of as Great Emptiness, / Perfecting the sarvajña."