佛頂尊勝陀羅尼經教跡義記 2.121

2.121

興善寺大廣智三藏和尚以義解曰：「娑嚩賀者，是涅槃義，所謂四種涅槃，敵對顯句。言四種涅槃，一者有餘依涅槃，二者無餘依涅槃，三者無住處涅槃，四者自性清淨涅槃，是為四種涅槃也。標釋令知少分，若字一字密句解釋，皆實相勝義，般若波羅蜜義，無量三摩地門相應，仍總釋一切世間一切佛法，具三身功德四智菩提故。所謂大圓鏡智、平等、妙觀、成所作智等綣誦憶持，及塵影霑身皆得滅罪，延壽增福不墮惡趣，獲得人天淨妙佛剎。若依法則受持念誦，一切災禍皆得消除，所求世間果報亦成就，證無上菩提。」又解：我誦此一切如來心心所持大印，印我身心，所有罪障皆得消滅。如是智印，由如智火一發之後草木俱焚，觸斯光者罪無不滅。如經所說，罪從心生，還從心滅，火從木生，還從木滅。持誦功力福智無邊悉地皆成，名為娑嚩賀矣。《地持論》云：「有四種陀羅尼者，一、法；二、義；三、忍；四、呪也。言法者，文句中攝無量法。言義者，教所詮義，於一義中攝無量義也。言忍者，證忍真俗智也，以能證忍一切真俗也。言呪者，述也，密語之言。」《大智度論》云：「如來有三種密，一、身密；二、口密；三、意密。言身密者，或見如金，或見如銀，或見如雜寶色，或見長三尺，或見長丈六，或見長一里，或見長十里，或見百里，或見千里，或見萬億，或見無邊虛空身，或見百千契印，名為身密。言口密者，所出音聲，或大或小，或一念廣開，或多聞遍滿虛空，盡法界四生六趣一時普聞，是名曰口密百千陀羅尼也。言意密者，唯佛與佛乃能知之百千三摩地。」今此陀羅尼者，即是如來密意中說，為攝多功德故，所以除災却障也。又解：陀羅尼略有三門分別：一、名義；二、體性；三、問答。陀羅尼翻為總持，總持有其四種：一、法；二、義；三、呪；四、忍，忍亦名聞。法者為名，義者為理，呪者為詞，忍者為智。初三當體得名，由持法持義持呪故也；後一若當體得名，忍即是慧，為無生忍，般若為體，若云聞者方便得名，因聞故得。第二體性者，上古諸師三皆不同，一、以定為體故，《智度論》云：「由禪定力故得大智慧。」二、云以念為體，故《智度論》云：「由念力故得命不失。」三、以慧為體，故《智度論》云：「在菩薩心中名為般若，在妄人心中名陀羅尼。」真諦三藏云：「以慧為體，其間取捨，如理應思。」第三問答者，問：「此陀羅尼品類有幾？」答：「依《莊嚴論》，有其三意：一、報得，由先世業力得故。二、習得，由現在聞持力故。三、修得，由依定力故。」問：「此陀羅尼有何業因？」答：「持法為立聞，持義為釋相，持呪為除障，持忍為入理。持法成法無礙，持義成義無礙，持呪成詞無礙，持忍成樂說無礙。」問：「此陀羅尼具幾因緣？」答：「《地持論》云：『具四功德乃能得之。一、不習愛欲，多欲心惛故不習愛欲。二、不嫉彼勝，嫉有其二種，嫉貴則賤，嫉富則貧，嫉智則愚，愚則無智。三、等施無悔，施食得辨，施法得智云云。四、樂法深厚。』《地持論》云：『持法義之陀羅尼菩薩，度初僧祇，入淨心地，得因此法義修習三昧；因發善願，得後辭忍二陀羅尼。』諸餘問答，如《玄樞》述。」

The Tripiṭaka Master and Upādhyāya Amoghavajra of Xingshan Temple explained the meaning, saying: "'Svāhā' has the meaning of nirvāṇa, namely the four kinds of nirvāṇa, corresponding directly to explicit phrases. Speaking of the four kinds of nirvāṇa: first is sopadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa; second is nirupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa; third is apratiṣṭhita-nirvāṇa; fourth is prakṛti-viśuddha-nirvāṇa. These are the four kinds of nirvāṇa. They are indexed and explained to make a small portion known; if explained syllable by syllable as secret phrases, all are the superior meaning of the true mark, the meaning of prajñāpāramitā, corresponding to immeasurable samādhi gates, yet synthetically explaining all worldly phenomena and all Buddha-dharmas, because they are endowed with the merits of the trikāya and the bodhi of the four cognitions: namely, the mirror-like cognition, cognition of equality, sublime discerning cognition, and action-accomplishing cognition. Earnestly reciting and mindfully upholding them, or even when dust and shadows touch one's body, all eradicate transgressions, lengthen life, increase blessings, prevent falling into durgati, and attain the pure, wondrous Buddha realms of humans and devas. If one receives, upholds, and recites according to the rules, all calamities are eliminated, the worldly retributions sought are also accomplished, and one realizes unsurpassed bodhi." Another explanation states: When I recite this great mudrā upheld by the mind of all Tathāgatas to seal my body and mind, all sinful obstacles are eradicated. Such a wisdom mudrā is like the fire of wisdom: once it blazes, grass and trees are burned together; whoever is touched by this light has no transgression that is not eradicated. As the sūtra says: transgressions arise from the mind and are eradicated back through the mind; fire arises from wood and is extinguished back through the wood. The power of upholding and reciting brings boundless blessings and wisdom and all siddhis are accomplished; this is called svāhā. The Bodhisattvabhūmi-sūtra states: "There are four kinds of dhāraṇī: first, Dharma; second, meaning; third, receptivity (kṣānti); fourth, incantation (mantra). As for Dharma, immeasurable dharmas are subsumed within the phrases. As for meaning, it is the meaning expressed by the teachings, subsuming immeasurable meanings within a single meaning. As for receptivity, it is the wisdom that realizes and is receptive to the ultimate and conventional truths, because it can realize and be receptive to all ultimate and conventional truths. As for incantation, it means expression, the words of secret speech." The Dàzhìdù lùn states: "The Tathāgata has three kinds of mysteries: first, the body mystery; second, the speech mystery; third, the mind mystery. As for the body mystery, one may see it as gold, or as silver, or as the color of various jewels; or see it as three feet tall, or sixteen feet tall, or one li tall, or ten li tall, or a hundred li tall, or a thousand li tall, or ten thousand koṭis, or see an infinite space-like body, or see hundreds of thousands of mudrās—this is called the body mystery. As for the speech mystery, the sound emitted may be large or small, or widely unfolded in a single thought-moment, or widely heard filling empty space, heard universally at once by all the four modes of birth and six destinies throughout the entire Dharma realm—this is called the speech mystery of hundreds of thousands of dhāraṇīs. As for the mind mystery, only Buddha and Buddha can know its hundreds of thousands of samādhis." Now this dhāraṇī was spoken from the Tathāgata's secret intention, because it gathers manifold virtues, thereby dispelling calamities and turning away obstacles. Another explanation states: The dhāraṇī is briefly analyzed through three gates: first, name and meaning; second, essence; third, questions and answers. Dhāraṇī is translated as retention. Retention has four kinds: first, Dharma; second, meaning; third, incantation; fourth, receptivity—receptivity is also called hearing. Dharma is the name; meaning is the principle; incantation is the phrase; receptivity is wisdom. The first three take their names from their actual entity, because of retaining Dharma, retaining meaning, and retaining incantations; if the latter one takes its name from its actual entity, receptivity is wisdom, which is anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti, with prajñā as its essence; if it is called hearing, it takes its name from the expedient means, because it is attained through hearing. As for the second, essence, the ancient masters all had three different views: first, taking concentration as the essence, hence the Dàzhìdù lùn states: "Due to the power of dhyāna-concentration, one attains great wisdom"; second, taking mindfulness as the essence, hence the Dàzhìdù lùn states: "Due to the power of mindfulness, one's life is not lost"; third, taking wisdom as the essence, hence the Dàzhìdù lùn states: "In the bodhisattva's mind it is called prajñā; in the mind of a deluded person it is called dhāraṇī." The Tripiṭaka Master Paramārtha said: "It takes wisdom as its essence; between these options of acceptance and rejection, one should reflect according to principle." As for the third, questions and answers: Question: "How many categories of this dhāraṇī are there?" Answer: "According to the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra, there are three meanings: first, attained through retribution, because of being obtained through the karmic power of previous lives; second, attained through habituation, because of the power of hearing and upholding in the present; third, attained through cultivation, because of relying on the power of concentration." Question: "What karmic cause does this dhāraṇī have?" Answer: "Upholding Dharma establishes hearing; upholding meaning explains characteristics; upholding incantations removes obstacles; upholding receptivity enters principle. Upholding Dharma accomplishes unhindered analytical knowledge of Dharma; upholding meaning accomplishes unhindered analytical knowledge of meaning; upholding incantations accomplishes unhindered analytical knowledge of phrasing; upholding receptivity accomplishes unhindered analytical knowledge of ready speech." Question: "With how many causes and conditions is this dhāraṇī endowed?" Answer: "The Bodhisattvabhūmi-sūtra states: 'Endowed with four virtues, one is then able to attain it: first, not habituating sensual desire, because much desire makes the mind benighted, hence one does not habituate sensual desire; second, not envying others' superiority—envy has two kinds: envying nobility brings baseness, envying wealth brings poverty, envying wisdom brings foolishness, and foolishness means lacking wisdom; third, giving equally without regret: giving food yields eloquence, giving Dharma yields wisdom, and so forth; fourth, deep and solid delight in the Dharma.' The Bodhisattvabhūmi-sūtra states: 'Bodhisattvas who uphold the dhāraṇī of Dharma and meaning cross the first asaṃkhyeya [kalpa] and enter the ground of pure mind; relying on this Dharma and meaning they are able to cultivate samādhi; by generating good vows, they attain the subsequent two dhāraṇīs of phrasing and receptivity.' All other questions and answers are as set forth in the Xuanshu."