大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 6.160

6.160

The sūtra says: 'Then, having spoken these verses, the Vajradhara gazed intently at Vairocana without blinking for an instant, and remained silent.' The Vajradhara, having already heard the seal of ultimate samādhi, wished to ask about the distinct seals within the paths of samādhi. Fearing that putting it into words to address the Buddha might deviate from the ultimate principle, he remained silent, intently contemplating the Buddha with a unified mind; this itself was a profound inquiry. Furthermore, that the Vajradhara remained silent was intended to express the principle that the Tathāgata illumines [all] spiritual capacities. As ordinary teachings transmit, the Buddha contemplates the beings capable of conversion during the three periods of the day and night to deliver them. This is merely spoken in accordance with the mental capacity of śrāvakas. If the Buddha's eye sees only after contemplating, and without contemplating sees nothing; and when contemplating, wisdom arises, but when not contemplating, wisdom does not arise—then this would be a realm of arising and ceasing, light and darkness, and could not be called the great, impartial wisdom. Because the Tathāgata's markless, non-conceptual wisdom is intrinsically unobstructed and constantly illumines the roots and conditions throughout the dharmadhātu like an ocean tide that never exceeds its limit, as soon as Vajrapāṇi possessed a capacity fit to receive transmission, the Tathāgata expounded it for him, without waiting for an inquiry before responding. Furthermore, Vajrapāṇi thoroughly understood that conventional truth is itself ultimate truth, and the realm of practice is not different from the ultimate realm; therefore, he was silent and wordless. The Tathāgata thoroughly understood that ultimate truth is itself conventional truth, and the ultimate realm is not different from the realm of practice; therefore, he made extensive and distinct explanations. To lead sentient beings to penetrate the marks of the two truths, they elucidated each other, yet truly converge into a single reality. Regarding the Tathāgata's answer, there are briefly four clauses. The first clause says: 'Furthermore, Master of Mysteries! A bodhisattva bound to one more birth abides in the samādhi path of the Buddha-bhūmi, is free from deliberate activity, knows the marks of the world, abides in the bhūmi of action, and firmly abides in the Buddha-bhūmi.' Because this is the highest state of empowerment (abhiṣeka), it is elucidated first. As other sūtras explain, this is a bodhisattva tied to one more birth, who ascends from this [birth] to Tuṣita Heaven and subsequently succeeds to the Buddha position; hence the name 'bound to one more birth'. Now, according to the doctrine of this sūtra, 'one birth' means born from the One. When one first attains the pure bodhicitta, immeasurable and boundless samādhi and dhāraṇī gateways arise from the ground of the One True Reality; one should know that in each consecutive bhūmi it similarly increases progressively. Up until the completion of the tenth bhūmi, before reaching the eleventh bhūmi, all adornments arise fully from the realm of the One True Reality, lacking only the single state of the Tathāgata yet to be realized; with one more turn of birth from the dharmatā, one succeeds to the Buddha's position, and hence is called 'bound to one more birth'. This is the ultimate generation of bodhicitta, which is the most firm and vigorously enters the Buddha path among all paths of samādhi; therefore it is said, 'abides in the samādhi path of the Buddha-bhūmi.' 'Free from deliberate activity'—'activity' means cultivating and purifying the karma of the bhūmis, up to adorning Buddha lands and bringing sentient beings to maturity; because these involve a mind of conceptual wisdom, they are still worldly marks. Now this bodhisattva genuinely practices the samādhi of great emptiness and distances himself from the subtle prapañca of conditionally arisen phenomena; hence it is said, 'free from deliberate activity.' 'Knowing the marks of the world' means truly knowing that the ultimate reality of the world is ultimately not different from the reality of nirvāṇa, yet without stirring from ultimate reality, he completely perceives the original arising of worldly causes and conditions; therefore, abiding in this samādhi path, he advances toward the Tathāgata-bhūmi from thought to thought. 'Abiding in the bhūmi of action'—literally translated from the Sanskrit it should be 'bhūmi of work', which means being thoroughly skilled in practicing the vajra activities of the Tathāgata. The *Yingluo jing* also says, 'entering the profound gateway of repetition to learn the Buddha's deportment.' 'Firmly abides in the Buddha-bhūmi' means that being firm and unmoving in the Tathāgata is called 'abiding'. Its meaning is different from the previous word 'abiding'. It is like a thirsty and exhausted person seeking water for a long time who suddenly beholds a pure, cool pool; with no further obstacles between them, he simply advances with a single mind without any other conditions—this is called the samādhi path of succession. Having already arrived in the pure, cool pool, his desires completely cease—this is also the Buddha-bhūmi. Therefore, although they are both called the concentration of great emptiness, their meanings are distinct.