大毘盧遮那經供養次第法疏 2.37

2.37

In the ninth section there are two gates: first, "Or with Acala... [up to] HAṂ," broadly indicates the gate of accomplishment; second, "Next, first pay reverent homage... [up to] mahā-bali svāhā," explains at length the gate of preparation. There are six dhāraṇīs, which can be understood. In the first, the seed-hṛdaya-mantra gate of Acala: HAṂ—HA is activity, the A sound is also activity, and the dot is great emptiness. By abiding in this state one can subdue all, providing great protection for the bodhicitta. Second, in the gate of explaining preparation at length: "incense and so forth as taught in the sūtra" means taking various incenses, flowers, the five jewels, the five medicines, and the five grains, adding them to the offered arghya water, and repeatedly sprinkling it with the secret mudrā. In the arghya water appropriately maintained and adorned, one uses Acala's wisdom sword mudrā. With the pure arghya water, one sprinkles water upon all the offerings. "Further reciting the mantra repeatedly" means reciting Acala's mantra when sprinkling the water. "Each speaking its root mantra" refers to the mantras of the incense and so forth. "And the vidyā maintained by oneself" refers to the reciter's iṣṭadevatā mantra. "Uttering the name" refers to the incense and so forth. Gate of the paste-incense mantra: Next are the six kinds of mantras for paste-incense and so forth, all of which are essential when entering the maṇḍala to cultivate offerings; hence they are taught in this chapter. In the meaning of the phrase to the right, viśuddha means purity; gandha means incense; udbhava means arising, that is, pure incense arising. Taking the initial letter VI of the phrase as the substance, adding the stroke of the letter I above the letter VA shifts the sound to VI. The letter VA has the meaning of vajra and the meaning of being free from verbal expression; samādhi has the meaning of abiding; thus when concentration and wisdom are equal, this is abiding in the vajra-holder's wisdom-precepts that are free from proliferation and unobstructed across the three times. The nature of such incense of precepts is originally quietude, without going or coming, yet constantly pervading the dharmadhātu; hence it is named pure paste-incense. Although all sentient beings equally possess it, because they have not yet aroused the mind, this incense has not yet burst forth. Having now thoroughly anointed the dharmakāya with this incense of precepts, I can universally perfume everything with pure incense. Gate of the heart-lotus mantra: In the meaning of the phrase to the right, mahāmaitrya means great compassion; abhyudgate means arising, that is, arising from great compassion. Taking the letter MAI as the substance of the mantra, it is the letter MA with the samādhi stroke added, which shifts the pronunciation. MA has the meaning of mind and the meaning of self, and is also called great emptiness. It means that this heart-lotus was entangled by a false self and could not flourish; now, having personally realized the dharmatā of mind, from within the treasury of compassion the eight petals and filaments unfold in sequence; hence it is said to arise from great compassion. Furthermore, the seed of the pure bodhicitta tree-king grows luxuriantly from the soil of compassion and blooms with the flowers of myriad virtues, ripening into fruit through skillful means; hence it is said to arise from great compassion. This should be explained extensively through the letter-doors. Gate of the burning-incense mantra: In the meaning of the phrase to the right, dharmadhātu means the realm of phenomena; anugate means following and arising, also having the meaning of pervading everywhere, the meaning of going, and the meaning of progressing without abiding. The commentary says: pervading the dharmadhātu everywhere. Taking the initial letter DHA of the phrase as the substance, because the realm of sentient beings is ādy-anutpāda, even a fixed characteristic of the dharmadhātu cannot be found; such a dharmadhātu is profound, vast, boundless, and immeasurable. And the yoga practitioner constantly makes excellent progress without resting; thus bodily, vocal, and mental actions all pervade this dharmadhātu. Down to offering a single flower to the Buddha, it also pervades this dharmadhātu; this is the meaning of burning incense. Gate of the lamp-light mantra: In the meaning of the phrase to the right, tathāgata is the Tathāgata; arciṣ is blazing light; next, spharaṇa is universal; avabhāsana is all darkness; gagana-udārya is boundless and equal to space. The meaning is that the Tathāgata's blazing light universally illumines all darkness, equal to space and without limit. This mantra takes the initial letter TA of the phrase as its substance: like the dharmatā of the mind, it is the light of Vairocana's great wisdom, universally illuminating the world with nowhere unreached. "All darkness" refers to ignorance; because ignorance is ādy-anutpāda, its substance is itself illumination; therefore the Tathāgata's light universally pervades all darkness. "Equal to space" means that because ignorance is immeasurable like space, the Tathāgata's light of wisdom is also immeasurable like space. Down to old age and death being immeasurable like space, the Tathāgata's light of wisdom is also immeasurable like space. Like the twelve links of dependent origination, all dharmas are also taught in this way; such a definitive meaning is called the lamp-light mantra. Using this to empower the lamp-light and offer it to the Buddha is the supreme among all offerings. Gate of the food-and-drink mantra: To the right, "arara" first means unpleasant sound, an unwholesome sound, like a person's loud clamour causing the listener's mind to lack tranquility. Next, "karara" stops the previous unwholesome loud sound and has the meaning of calm and quietude. Here, the joy of the Dharma and the delight of dhyāna are properly taken as the meaning of food; hence it is expressed relying on this. In terms of the characteristics of the wheel of syllables: A is the primal beginning; because there is a primal beginning, there are two kinds of defilement, namely the affliction obstacle and the cognitive obstacle. Due to these two kinds of defilement, there are the clamorous sounds of proliferation. Now, because all dharmas are ādy-anutpāda, the two kinds of defilement are also ādy-anutpāda; this is opening the door of amṛta and accomplishing the food of nirvāṇa; hence it is called arara. Furthermore, if a person diligently cultivates myriad practices hoping to obtain such a taste of the Dharma, because there is deliberate action, the two obstacles arise again, and it is not the true taste of amṛta of eternal life, physical complexion, and strength. Now, because all dharmas are free of deliberate action, the internally realized taste is not obtained from another; like eating milk-rice porridge, nothing compares to it; hence it is said to stop the previous unwholesome sound. As for "baliṃ dāmi": in the Western regions, food offered at pavilions, presented above to Buddhas and down to spirits and ghosts, is generally called bali. The meaning of the phrase is: "I offer food." Next, "baliṃ dade" means: receive the food I offer, and having eaten, give wonderful food back to me. Just as worldly people present refined meals to the field of merit so that in this life and future lives food will not be lacking, now, consecrating worldly offerings with inexhaustible Dharma food to present to the venerable ones, they will in return fulfill my wishes and constantly satisfy me with the taste of neither-death-nor-birth. Next, "mahā-bali" means doubling the vastness and abundance among all foods. Using this to qualify the preceding phrase, it says that what I now offer and what I pray for all lie in the supreme, incomparable, and unsurpassed taste, not seeking finite food.