顯密圓通成佛心要集 1.28.3

1.28.3

To speak truly of it, any single syllable may be used everywhere, for one syllable truly possesses all syllables and all functions, and is all buddhas and bodhisattvas.) Question: "Why do all Sanskrit syllables have such inconceivable, wondrous functions?" Answer: "Because the substance of each and every syllable is the body and mind of the buddhas and bodhisattvas; and because its substance is the markless dharmadhātu; and because its substance is the teachings, principles, practices, and fruits. Therefore they have inconceivable, wondrous functions." (The Sanskrit syllables of the Western Heavens exist fundamentally as their dharma nature; when the world was first formed, they were transmitted by King Brahmā. They are not like the characters of this land, which were newly invented by Cangjie and others.) "If so, all Sanskrit syllables of the Western Heavens should have inconceivable, wondrous functions; why do you speak specifically only of syllables in mantras?" Answer: "The syllables in mantras possess unique, wondrous functions because they are naturally empowered by the inconceivable power of the buddhas, and because such is the dharma nature. Just like the language of this land: words such as 'Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances' cause fire not to burn when chanted over, and water not to scald when chanted over, precisely because words used as incantations have a specific efficacy; it is not that all other speech has such efficacy. The characters of the West are also like this: although they are one and the same kind of character, when serving as syllables in mantras they have unique, wondrous functions, whereas not all other characters have such wondrous functions." Question: "Does not facing an altar, forming mudrās, and reciting incantations as described above have marks?" Answer: "Within the substance of the unhindered dharmadhātu of the Perfect School, infinite dharma-gates are inherently complete; the markless dharma-gate of the Chan school is merely one gate among the infinite gates. Now, the altar methods, hand mudrās, and mantras of the Esoteric school are themselves identical in substance to the unhindered dharmadhātu." (As explained in the Huayan jing shuchao regarding the gate of relying on phenomena to reveal the Dharma among the Ten Profound Gates: the golden world is our fundamental nature, Maitreya's tower is the dharma-gate, and the Brahmin Jayoṣmīṣa's heap of fire and mountain of knives are the non-discriminating wisdom of prajñā, and so on. Today, some say: 'Reciting incantations, forming mudrās, and facing an altar is clinging to marks.' This is discussing it solely in terms of the Chan school; it is seeking signlessness outside of marks, which ancient masters pointed out as a heterodox view, not the meaning of the Buddhist teaching. Moreover, the Commentary on the Śūraṅgama Sūtra states: 'Reciting dhāraṇī-mantras can repel all evils and gather all goods.' The ignorant multitude does not know this import; seeing those who recite incantations, they often give rise to slander, saying it is not practice. There has never been a single buddha who did not attain the Way and liberate sentient beings by relying on dhāraṇī-mantras. Please examine this closely so as to reform this defect.) Question: "The ancient masters cited above all say: 'Incantations are the secret dharma of the buddhas, incomprehensible to those in the causal stages.' Why, then, did you previously explain that the syllable A is the body of Vairocana Buddha, the syllable Hūṃ is the three gates of liberation, and so forth?" Answer: "According to Xianshou's Commentary on the Heart Sūtra and Commentary on the Transformation of Spiritual Powers, when distinguishing the intent of the various dhāraṇī sūtras of the esoteric treasury, there are two approaches: First, the approach of the ineffable. This means that incantations are the secret dharma of the buddhas, transmitted between buddhas and beyond the comprehension of others; one should simply recite them without trying to forcibly explain them. Second, the approach of provisional exposition. This means that when taking any single syllable from a mantra, whether explaining it in terms of persons or dharmas, one comprehensively encompasses and freely expounds it horizontally and vertically. To state the essential point, only when all infinite dharma-gates are completely expounded within a single syllable is it the true meaning of a dhāraṇī syllable. In terms of this, even if the buddhas of the ten directions spent kalpas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges together explaining the meaning within a single mantra syllable, they could not exhaust it; how much less could other people. It is difficult even for the speaker, let alone the receiver! Therefore, one temporarily explains a fraction within a single syllable, either as a person or as a dharma. What was previously explained—that the syllable A is the body of Vairocana Buddha, and that the syllable Hūṃ is the three gates of liberation—is merely one fraction and one aspect of provisional exposition. Passages elsewhere that interpret the meanings of syllables and phrases of mantras are all just one fraction and one aspect within this approach of provisional exposition. (If within a single syllable of a mantra one explains two meanings, five meanings, ten meanings, or up to a hundred meanings, it is called a fractional meaning. If one explains a single meaning, it is called a single-aspect meaning.) The previous statement that it is 'known only to buddhas and incomprehensible to others' was spoken on the basis of the ineffable approach of the Esoteric teaching itself." (The meaning of this ineffable approach corresponds to the ocean of fruit-stage realization beyond words in the Perfect Teaching; the meaning of this approach of provisional exposition corresponds to the causal stage endowed with words in the Perfect Teaching.) Question: "If there are sentient beings who wish to eliminate various disasters and hindrances, or wish to increase their blessings and wisdom, or wish to pray to realize the holy fruit, should they merely recite in accordance with the previous ritual manual, or is there another method?" Answer: "Simply recite in accordance with the previous ritual manual; whatever is sought will certainly be accomplished." However, for those who wish to perform separate rituals according to the specific matters sought, I now briefly show the ritual forms. According to the Practice Ritual Sūtra of the Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, the Saptakoṭi Mahāvidyā Dhāraṇī Sūtra, the Commentary on the Transformation of Spiritual Powers Sūtra, and various mantra ritual manuals, there are five kinds of altar methods: namely, the method for pacifying disasters, the method for increasing benefits, the method for subjugation and attraction (vaśīkaraṇa), the method for subjugation (abhicāraka), and the supramundane method.