顯密圓通成佛心要集 2

English (machine translation) 2

Language: English

2.1

Compiled by the Śramaṇa Daochen of Jinhe Monastery on Mount Wutai

Third, the simultaneous clarification of the exoteric and esoteric: those who cultivate by relying simultaneously on both the exoteric and esoteric traditions are of the highest of sharp capacities. That is, their minds form the contemplations such as the dharmadhātu and Indra's net, while their mouths recite mantras such as Cundī and the Six Syllables. There are two classes of these practitioners: first, long-time cultivators, who engage the exoteric and esoteric simultaneously; second, initial learners, who first perform the exoteric Samantabhadra contemplation and only then apply the adhiṣṭhāna of the three mysteries, or who first employ the three mysteries and afterward perform the contemplation—both classes are acceptable. Although I am of inferior ability, my mind aspires to cultivate both the exoteric and esoteric simultaneously. Therefore, both the Commentary on the Renwang Prajñā Dhāraṇī and the Renwang Ritual Manual say: "If one does not cultivate the gateway of the three mysteries and does not rely on Samantabhadra's vows and practices, it is impossible to attain Buddhahood." Furthermore, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra's Syllable-Wheel Ritual Manual says: "One who wishes to enter the Ekayāna abruptly and cultivate the contemplation of Vairocana's dharmakāya should first generate Samantabhadra's vows and practices, and further empower body and mind with the adhiṣṭhāna of the three mysteries; one will then be able to awaken and enter Mañjuśrī's great ocean of wisdom." Thus we know that those of high capacity must cultivate both the exoteric and esoteric together, whereas those of middling and lower capacity may follow what their hearts take joy in, and it is acceptable for them to practice either the exoteric or esoteric gateway separately. However, the exoteric perfect [teaching], the Avataṃsaka, is praised by all Buddhas and followed alike by bodhisattvas; in both the Western Heavens (India) and Eastern Xia (China), the highest wise and virtuous persons have all taken refuge in it, so that as a great teaching it is widely practiced and heard and seen by many, needing no praise. The esoteric perfect dhāraṇī-mantras are the crown of all Buddhas and the heart of bodhisattvas; their efficacy is vast and their benefit and joy boundless. Because few in the present age understand them, I shall now give a brief account, which is also divided into two: first, an account of the deep and vast merits of the esoteric mantras; second, questions and answers on the superior and inferior fitness of practitioners of esoteric mantras.

2.3

First, as for the account of the deep and vast merits of the esoteric mantras: relying broadly on the sacred teachings, I will outline ten gateways, though in their full extent they are boundless. (Because many do not know the deep superiority of the esoteric teaching, I use these ten gateways to praise it and alert those who have not heard. If one were truly to abandon the exoteric entirely and praise only the esoteric, one would not be an accomplished person either; the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: "Accepting one while rejecting the rest is being held within Māra's grasp." I advise all later students: whether exoteric or esoteric, Dharmatā or Lakṣaṇa, in practice you may choose either gateway, but your faith must have perfect interpenetration without obstruction; do not be like the blind men feeling the elephant or the disciple washing feet. I once had a verse saying: "The Great Sage personally proclaimed the scriptures of the five teachings; / A thousand doors and ten thousand portals all enter the heavenly real. / Looking all around, those who accept one while rejecting the rest / Are all people who have not fully understood in the house of the Buddha." Moreover, since Cundī completely gathers in the twenty-five classes, one knows that the following ten gateways all expound the merits of the Cundī dhāraṇī.)

2.4

1. The gateway of protecting the king and bringing peace and joy to the people; 2. The gateway of extinguishing sinful obstacles and keeping ghosts and spirits far away; 3. The gateway of eliminating physical and mental illness and increasing blessings and wisdom; 4. The gateway where all matters sought are inconceivable; 5. The gateway of benefiting and delighting sentient beings and rescuing spirits from the dark realms; 6. The gateway of being the Mother of all Buddhas and the primal source of teachings and practices; 7. The gateway of being easy to practice for the fourfold assembly and guarded by vajra [beings]; 8. The gateway of causing ordinary beings to equal the Buddhas and take refuge in the Tathāgatas; 9. The gateway of possessing both self-power and other-power to attain bodhi in the present; 10. The gateway where even all Buddha-Tathāgatas seek to study it.

2.5

First, the gateway of protecting the king and bringing peace and joy to the people: the various dhāraṇī sūtras of the Secret Store all say that dhāraṇīs can protect the king and bring peace and joy to the people. Thus the Ratnaketu Dhāraṇī Sūtra says: "In all realms, wherever dhāraṇīs circulate, the ruler of men is always protected and has sovereignty and power; his royal administration is also protected, and all the princes, consorts, prime ministers, assisting ministers, officials, and generals are protected and obtain peace and joy. All inner and outer enemies, deceitful plots, pestilences, famines, severe droughts, floods, vicious beasts, and poisonous dragons within the realm—all such inauspicious matters are eradicated; furthermore, wealth and grain become abundant, storehouses overflow, flowers and fruits flourish, and the people have peace and joy." Moreover, the Ratnagarbha Dhāraṇī Sūtra says: "Wherever dhāraṇīs circulate, they protect the king, princes, consorts, princesses, and the hundreds of ministers and counselors, causing their calamities to be extinguished, their wishes to be completely fulfilled, and good spirits to grant protection so that ghosts and demons do not come to harass them. Furthermore, ten kinds of retributions are obtained in the realm: 1. No foreign troops or hostile bandits invade or disturb the realm; 2. No calamities arise in the realm from astrological anomalies; 3. No evil ghosts or spirits spread pestilences in the realm, and good spirits protect the multitude of people in peace and joy; 4. No disasters of wind, fire, frost, hail, and the like occur in the realm; 5. Enemies can find no opening against the people in the realm; 6. The people in the realm are not oppressed by demons; 7. The people in the realm suffer no untimely deaths; 8. The five grains ripen and sweet fruits abound in the realm; 9. Good dragons enter the borders and bring rain in due season, so there are no names of drought or flood; 10. The people in the realm are not harmed by tigers, wolves, rhinoceroses, savage beasts, or various evil poisons." Again, the Saptabuddhadhāraṇī Sūtra says: "If the sun and moon lose their courses, the dhāraṇī can cause them to move properly; if crops do not ripen, it can make them yield abundantly; if ministers plot rebellion, their evil intentions are naturally extinguished; and it can repel pestilences and weapons of war." It also says: "Those rulers of men who wish to obtain peace and joy in the present life and be free from all disasters should diligently chant and recite the dhāraṇī, and should also encourage their queens, consorts, court ladies, and princes to cultivate it diligently." Again, the Sūtra on the Dhāraṇī for Protecting the Realm's Ruler says: "Why is it specifically said to protect the ruler of the realm? Because when the ruler of the realm has peace and joy, all the people have peace and joy; therefore it specifically speaks of protecting the ruler of the realm." The Parṇaśabarī Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva Sūtra says: "The dhāraṇī can eradicate all disasters, pestilences, famines, bandits, wars, irregular floods and droughts, and astrological anomalies for all sentient beings; it can also increase blessings and virtues, causing the realm to flourish, the people to have peace and joy, and the king and his sons and daughters all to attain long life." Moreover, the Subāhuparipṛcchā Sūtra says: "Apart from mantras, there is no other dharma that can bestow joy upon sentient beings, as is broadly explained in the various dhāraṇī sūtras." Formerly, Emperor Tianyou of the Liao state widely turned the wheel of the Dharma and circulated the Buddha's wisdom; firmly upholding the esoteric mantra, he soon achieved its spiritual efficacy, thereby obtaining nine ears of grain on a single stalk and wheat branching in two, with the precious reign constantly secured and the myriad people enjoying eternal peace. This is indeed the verification of the dhāraṇī.

2.6

Second, the gateway of extinguishing sinful obstacles and keeping ghosts and spirits far away: more than twenty sūtras, such as the Bodhimaṇḍavyūha Dhāraṇī Sūtra, the Paramasarvadhāraṇī Sūtra, and the Kūṭāgāra Dhāraṇī, all state: "If one writes out the dhāraṇī and places it inside a Buddha image, a stūpa, or a vajra pestle, or writes it on banners, in halls and palaces, or on paper, white silk, bamboo slips, silk fabrics, birch bark, walls, wooden boards, and the like, any sentient being who sees it, touches it with body or hand, passes through its shadow, or has the dust from the mantra letters blow onto their body; or if one writes it and wears it upon the crown of the head, on the body, or within one's clothing; or if one writes it on a banner, and the wind blows the banner so that it moves and points toward sentient beings; or if one writes it on sound-producing instruments like bells, drums, hand-bells, small bells, conches, and cymbals, and someone hears the sound—all these sentient beings described above, even if they have committed the crimes of the five uninterrupted [hells] and karma that even all Buddhas cannot repent for, will have them completely extinguished and in future lives be born in Buddha-lands, to say nothing of those who personally recite and uphold it." Therefore the ancients said: "The extreme faults of the five uninterrupted [crimes] vanish like clouds at a single thought; the immense offenses of the ten evil deeds scatter like mist upon the mere hearing." Again, the Mahāpratisarā Verses say: "Even if one commits the pārājikas and ten evil crimes, / Kills an arhat or one's revered parents, / Commits the five unpardonable acts or the seven without obstruction, / In an instant and with the sound, they are all extinguished; / The sacred power and merit of the mantra are boundless, / Therefore I praise its inconceivability." Moreover, various dhāraṇī sūtras such as the One-Syllable Mantra in the Final Age state: "Within five hundred yojanas in all four directions from one who upholds the mantra, all evil astrological stars, ghosts, spirits, and heavenly demons will entirely scatter and flee, while those who generate good intentions to protect will not leave. If any obstinately refuse to leave and cause hindrances, their heads will be split into a hundred pieces and their bodies and minds shattered into dust; thus the practitioner will be free from all demonic obstacles and reach bodhi." Question: "Some say that upholding mantras can provoke demonic obstacles. Why do you now say instead that it can keep demonic obstacles far away?" Answer: "This is mere street talk without basis in the sacred teachings. Now, the various sūtras of the esoteric division all state that dhāraṇīs can keep demonic obstacles far away—setting that aside for the moment, take for example the exoteric Lotus Sūtra: fearing that those who expound, recite, and cultivate the Lotus Sūtra might encounter demonic obstacles, it preached the 'Dhāraṇī Chapter' to eliminate evil demons. Thus that sūtra says: 'If anyone disobeys my mantra / And harasses the preacher of Dharma, / Their head will split into seven parts, / Like the branch of an arjaka tree.' Furthermore, the Treatise Explaining the Mahāyāna states: 'Those who sit in meditation must recite mantras to eliminate demons.' Also, the Mohe Zhiguan states: 'If demonic obstacles harass and disturb the practitioner sitting in meditation, one should recite the various demon-subduing mantras from the Mahāyāna Vaipulya teachings; upon emerging from meditation, one should also recite mantras.' In addition, the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra says: 'Bodhisattvas of the tenth ground are still protected by mantras, to say nothing of ordinary people.' Therefore the Śūraṅgama Sūtra says: 'If one sits in the bodhimaṇḍa without upholding mantras, to keep one's body and mind far from demonic affairs is impossible.' It also says: 'Sentient beings of the final age take joy in cultivating samādhi; fearing they may become like demonic heretics, you should encourage them to uphold my dhāraṇī-mantra. If they cannot yet recite it, write it in the meditation hall or wear it on the body, and no demons will be able to move them.' Passages such as these are extremely numerous in the canonical teachings. We see with our own eyes in this world that when people are harmed by ghosts and spirits, mantra upholders can even dispel them; how then would they dare to harm the practitioner himself?"

2.7

Third, the approach of eliminating physical and mental illnesses and increasing merit and wisdom: More than fifteen sūtras, including the *Arya-ṣaḍ-akṣara-dhāraṇī-sūtra*, the *Samantabhadra-dhāraṇī-sūtra*, and the *Mañjuśrī Single-Syllable Mantra*, all state that a mantra practitioner can eliminate all kinds of suffering from physical and mental illnesses. As for physical illnesses, they refer to all fever illnesses, cold illnesses, wind illnesses, malaria illnesses, eye illnesses, ear illnesses, nose illnesses, tongue illnesses, mouth illnesses, tooth illnesses, lip illnesses, throat illnesses, facial illnesses, head illnesses, neck illnesses, chest illnesses, flank illnesses, belly illnesses, hand illnesses, back illnesses, waist illnesses, navel illnesses, thigh illnesses, knee illnesses, foot illnesses, hemorrhoid illnesses, dysentery illnesses, phlegm illnesses, qi illnesses, numbness illnesses, boils, swelling illnesses, rash illnesses, scabies illnesses, blister illnesses, leprosy illnesses, tinea illnesses, itch illnesses, sore illnesses, madness illnesses, epilepsy illnesses, and illnesses caused by demonic apparitions. In brief, whether they are various illnesses of the four great elements, various illnesses of the five viscera, various illnesses caused by ghosts and spirits, or various illnesses induced by past karma—all such illnesses can be completely cured by the inconceivable power of the dhāraṇī-mantra. Therefore, both the *Dhāraṇī-sūtra on Upholding the Phrases* and the *Dhāraṇī-sūtra of Great Compassion* state that dhāraṇīs can make withered trees bloom and bear fruit again; how much more so then could the illnesses of sentient beings fail to be removed? (Question: "Is a mantra practitioner permitted to invoke spirits through adhiṣṭhāna to heal others' illnesses?" Answer: "The *Subāhu-kumāra-sūtra*, the *Susiddhi-sūtra*, and others all say: If one seeks the highest grade of great accomplishment, one must not use mantras to invoke spirits through adhiṣṭhāna, to banish snakes and insects, or to heal others' illnesses; doing so can hinder the great undertaking. Later students should rely on the Buddha's words and take care, take care! If one truly possesses great compassion, deep and vast, and embraces the bodhisattva mind, it is not forbidden. Thus the *Amoghapāśa-sūtra* says: 'To eliminate illnesses caused by spirits, one must have pure actions of the three karmas and possess a compassionate mind; only such bodhisattvas are able to do it.'") Moreover, all mental illnesses of greed, hatred, and delusion are naturally extinguished. Hence the *White Umbrella Dhāraṇī Sūtra* says: "If there are those who cannot eradicate greed and other afflictions due to past habits, they should single-mindedly recite my dhāraṇī-mantra. It is like the Mātanga woman and Ānanda, who had romantic affection from previous kalpas; by the power of my mantra, her lustful mind was severed forever, and she became an arhat." She was a courtesan who had no intention of practicing; the dhāraṇī-mantra invisibly assisted her to swiftly realize the state of no-learning—how much more so for one whose original intention is to seek bodhi! Furthermore, the *Great Compassion Sūtra* says: "Reciting the dhāraṇī with the utmost sincerity, the fire of lust is extinguished, and the depraved mind is eliminated." In addition, dhāraṇī sūtras such as the *Cintāmaṇicakra* state: "A mantra practitioner is presently able to increase all merit and wisdom; whenever they speak, everyone believes and accepts it; whatever clothing, wealth, and jewels they need will follow their thoughts; and they can cause humans, devas, ghosts, and spirits within five hundred yojanas to all come and take refuge in them." Furthermore, they will naturally understand all sūtras, vinayas, and treatises, as well as worldly texts, or obtain dhāraṇī and never forget, memorizing a thousand verses a day. Therefore, the *Śūraṅgama-sūtra* says: "If there are those who read and recite this dhāraṇī, even if these sentient beings do not cultivate meritorious karma by themselves, all the merits of the Tathāgatas of the ten directions will be granted to them." It also says: "If one upholds this dhāraṇī-mantra without generating doubt or regret, yet this good man, in this very body born of parents, fails to attain mental superknowledges, then the Buddhas of the ten directions would be speaking falsehoods." It also says: "It causes those who are not vigorous to become vigorous, and causes those who lack wisdom to attain wisdom, and so forth." If worldly medicines can already cause people to eliminate drowsiness and increase vigor, how could the dhāraṇī-mantra fail to give rise to wisdom? (Also, the *Amoghapāśa-dhāraṇī-hṛdaya-sūtra* says: "If members of the fourfold assembly uphold the precepts of fasting, and single-mindedly recite the dhāraṇī-mantra seven times without mixing in other speech, know that this person will certainly attain twenty kinds of triumphs in the present life. What are the twenty? First, the body is free from illnesses, tranquil, and joyful; second, although illnesses may arise due to previous karma, they are swiftly cured; third, the body is supple, the skin lustrous, and the complexion bright and clear; fourth, all people love and respect them; fifth, their faculties are secretly protected; sixth, they acquire much wealth and jewels to enjoy at will; seventh, all their wealth and jewels cannot be harmed or destroyed by kings, thieves, water, or fire; eighth, whatever undertakings they pursue are successfully accomplished; ninth, whatever they plant does not fear wicked dragons, frost, hail, wind, or rain; tenth, if crops are afflicted by disasters, chanting the dhāraṇī-mantra to empower ashes or water with adhiṣṭhāna seven times, and then scattering and sprinkling them in the eight directions, above and below, within that field, the disasters will immediately be eradicated; eleventh, they will not have their vital energy drained by violent, evil ghosts, spirits, rākṣasas, and the like; twelfth, all sentient beings rejoice upon seeing and hearing them, loving, revering, and respecting them without ever tiring; thirteenth, they are never frightened by any enemies; fourteenth, even if there are enemies, they will naturally and quickly vanish; fifteenth, humans, non-humans, and the like cannot harm them; sixteenth, black magic, curses, and gu poison cannot touch them; seventeenth, afflictive entanglements and defilements do not frequently manifest; eighteenth, weapons, poisons, water, and fire cannot harm them; nineteenth, devas and good spirits constantly follow and protect them; twentieth, life after life, they are never separated from loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity." Also, the *Eleven-Faced Avalokiteśvara Dhāraṇī Sūtra* says: "If good men and good women of pure faith recite and uphold this dhāraṇī-mantra, they will obtain ten triumphs in this present body. What are the ten? First, the body is constantly free of illness; second, they are always embraced by the Buddhas of the ten directions; third, their enjoyment of wealth, jewels, clothing, and food is inexhaustible; fourth, they can subdue enemies without fear; fifth, they cause the noble and venerable to revere them and believe their words; sixth, gu poison, demonic apparitions, and spirits cannot strike or harm them; seventh, all knives and clubs cannot harm them; eighth, water cannot drown them; ninth, fire cannot burn them; tenth, they will not meet with an untimely death in winter.")

2.8

Fourth, the approach of all sought-after aims being inconceivable: More than ten sūtras, including the *Avalokiteśvara-kalpa-sūtra*, the *Mañjuśrī-kalpa-sūtra*, and the *Ekākṣaroṣṇīṣacakra-sūtra*, all state: "When a mantra practitioner seeks siddhi, they use four kinds of objects: first, bows and arrows, battle-axes, hooks, wheels, vajra-pestles, mirrors, or prayer beads, vases, alms bowls, kaṣāyas, and other various implements used by the saṅgha; second, various medicines such as realgar and orpiment; third, taking earth from riverbanks, kneading it into mud, and making the shapes of various birds and beasts, such as lions, elephants, horses, oxen, camels, or chickens, geese, peacocks, and garuḍas; fourth, or sculpting, painting, and carving various images of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and vidyārājas. According to what one delights in, one prepares one matter; after it is completed in accordance with the Dharma and placed in the mandala, one recites the mantra according to the Dharma. If flames burst forth, one either holds it in hand, smears it on the body, or rides it, soaring into empty space together with one's companions and spiritual friends. Or if someone sees the accomplished one, or the accomplished one sees those people, all can soar into empty space and travel to various worlds, making offerings to Buddhas and bodhisattvas, all with a lifespan of one kalpa, and attaining the hundred dharma illumination doors of the first bhūmi. If smoke emerges, one uses it as before, becoming a king among the immortals and living for tens of millions of years. If warmth emerges, one will gain the respect and affection of all humans and devas, and all that is sought will be as desired. These are the marks of the three grades of siddhi: upper, middle, and lower." (Flames emerging is the upper grade; smoke emerging is the middle grade; and warmth emerging is the lower grade. It also says: "If the light of fire appears, one will obtain the constant protection of all mantra deities, the eight classes of beings will always show respect, and whenever one uses any dhāraṇī-mantra, one will obtain the most supreme spiritual efficacy. If the sign of smoke appears, wherever one goes there will be no hindrances or difficulties, and all that one seeks will be fulfilled according to one's heart. If warmth appears, one will obtain the unanimous respect and love of all people, ghosts, and spirits.") In the western lands, there was a man who attained the upper grade of accomplishment and led five hundred people to ascend into the sky. This is like the King of Huainan in this land, who concocted an elixir such that the chickens and dogs that licked the cauldron were all able to ascend into the sky. Thus an ancient author said: "When Huainan achieved the Way, dogs barked amid the clouds; when Wang Qiao attained immortality, a sword flew in the sky." Even the power of medicine is like this; how much more so the inconceivable mantra of the Buddha? The *Commentary on the Vairocana-abhisambodhi* says: "If a person holds an immortal recipe in hand, but has never compounded or taken it, and yet slanders those who ascend into the sky in broad daylight as empty talk, this is entirely impermissible." Moreover, various dhāraṇī sūtras, such as the *Great King of Teachings*, state that one may summon a nāga woman to be one's wife, subdue a yakṣa to serve as a slave, hold a lasso to enter the asura palace, chant mantras over a corpse to open hidden treasures, or achieve holy elixirs, or command wealth and treasures, and so forth. In the exoteric teaching, such matters are rarely heard of. Therefore, former worthies said: "Outside the teachings of the Three Yānas, there are distinct vidyādharas." Question: "The original intention of the Buddhas is to cause beings to sever greed, hatred, and the like; why would they instead make people give rise to greedy minds and seek worldly affairs, fame, and profit?" Answer: "The Buddhas possess inconceivable expedient means for saving sentient beings. That is, if there are sentient beings who are unwilling to seek bodhi directly, the Buddhas temporarily accord with what they delight in, causing them to uphold mantras to seek it. Due to the inconceivable power of the dhāraṇī-mantras, everything they seek is fulfilled according to their heart, and all sinful karma is also extinguished, naturally leading them to transcend the ordinary and enter the noble. It is like a sick child who refuses to take medicine, so a wise physician applies it to the mother's breast; the child naturally feeds on the mother's milk, unknowingly ingesting the good medicine and eliminating the sickness and suffering. Thus the *Amoghapāśa-hṛdaya-sūtra* says: 'If there are sentient beings who, even out of flattery and deceit, seek wealth, nobility, fame, and profit, and get to hear this mantra, those sentient beings will, life after life and in every place, accomplish the fragrance of accumulated wisdom and merit.' The *Commentary on the Vairocana-abhisambodhi* says: 'The realm of mantras is not even the domain of tenth-bhūmi bodhisattvas; how much less so for people within saṃsāra!'" (Some say: "Dhāraṇīs mostly make people harbor desires, which conversely harms and traps sentient beings." This is to separate seeking from not-seeking and specifically seize upon non-seeking, which is completely identical to the nihilistic view of outsiders. Now the Buddhist teaching says: Seeking all day without seeing any sign of seeking is true non-seeking; it is not like wood and stone having entirely no desires. Thus the *Commentary on the Avalokiteśvara Chapter* says: "Although seeking thought after thought, there is no sign of one who seeks or that which is sought." Moreover, how could the Buddhas, with their great loving-kindness and great compassion, deliberately harm sentient beings?)

2.9

Fifth, the portal of benefiting sentient beings and delivering spirits of the deceased: more than fifteen scriptures, such as the Mahāmaṇivipulavimāna Sūtra, the Mahākaruṇācitta Sūtra, and the Mauli Dhāraṇī, all state: “If sentient beings catch sight of the person holding the mantra, hear the sound of their speech, or pass through their shadow, their sins of the ten non-virtuous actions and the five heinous crimes will be entirely extinguished, and in the next life they will be born in the lands of the Buddhas. Furthermore, those sentient beings seen by the eyes or touched by the body of the person holding the mantra will likewise extinguish all sins, and in the next life be born in the lands of the Buddhas. Moreover, when the mantra-holder walks upon the road and the wind blows across their clothes, those upon whom this departed wind blows; or when they bathe in a river, those who are drifted upon by this departed water; or when rain falls from heaven and they look up toward the sky reciting the mantra, those moistened by the raindrops; or when they recite the mantra atop a mountain peak, as far as the eye can see—sentient beings such as these mentioned above shall all have all their sins extinguished, and in the next life will be born transformed upon lotuses in the pure lands of the Buddhas. Just as in the world there are poisons such that those passing downwind who are touched by the wind suffer injury—these even possess such unfathomable power, how much more so the inconceivable dhāraṇī-mantras!” Furthermore, the Amoghapāśa Sūtra states: “If one hears the dhāraṇī and gives rise to slander, one still attains benefit. It is like a person who, with malicious intent, enters a forest of camphor, sandalwood, and the like, chopping, felling, and trampling upon the camphor trees; that person’s body will still catch the fragrance.” Therefore, the Uṣṇīṣa verse states: “Supernormal powers and supreme transformations are inconceivable; the gate of dhāraṇī is foremost.” Furthermore, the Vimaloṣṇīṣa Sūtra, the Meghapāśa Sūtra, the Uṣṇīṣavijayā Sūtra, the Pratisaṃvid Sūtra, and others all state: If a deceased person has extensively committed evil deeds and upon death falls into the three evil paths, the mantra practitioner simply invokes the name of the deceased and recites the mantra with single-minded focus; the deceased will immediately be freed from the evil destinies and born in heaven. Moreover, if one empowers soil, sand, or lotus flowers with the mantra and scatters them over the deceased’s grave or corpse, the deceased will immediately attain rebirth in the pure lands of the Buddhas. Furthermore, if the clothing, articles, or bodily bones and flesh of the deceased are illuminated and touched by the shadow of the mantra-holder, they will also attain birth in the lands of the Buddhas. Furthermore, if one writes down the dhāraṇī and places it upon the bones or corpse of the deceased, the deceased will immediately attain birth in heavenly palaces. Therefore, the wise of old said: “When dust floats and shadows glance, the spirit wanders through heavenly palaces; when soil is scattered and water moistens, consciousness parts from the evil destinies.” Question: “Once the deceased’s karma has already been formed and they have fallen into the three evil paths, how can a mantra practitioner, simply by calling the deceased's name or empowering sand and soil placed upon the corpse or tomb, cause the deceased to turn away from the suffering of the bad paths and obtain the joy of the Buddha lands? Not only do laypeople harbor doubts, but even the monastic community finds this hard to believe.” Answer: “The wise gain understanding through metaphors; now let us illustrate this with metaphors. For instance, in the world, those who use incantations can forbid fire from burning, forbid knives from cutting, and forbid snakes from biting, and can even transform what is poisonous into what is non-poisonous. How much more so could the Tathāgata’s dhāraṇī-mantras not transform suffering into the attainment of joy? Moreover, as recorded in the book of Liezi: Shiwen was skilled at playing the zither; in the midst of spring, he struck the shang string to summon the nanlü tone, and cool winds arrived all around, causing the grasses and trees to bear fruit. (The shang note belongs to metal and autumn; nanlü is the tone of the eighth month; by obtaining the qi of autumn, the grasses and trees bore fruit.) In the midst of autumn, he struck the jiao string to stimulate the jiazhong tone, and cool breezes gently returned, causing the grasses and trees to flourish. (The jiao note belongs to wood and spring; jiazhong is the tone of the second month; by obtaining the qi of spring, the grasses and trees blossomed and flourished.) In the midst of summer, he struck the yu string to summon the huangzhong tone, and frost and snow fell mingled together, suddenly freezing the rivers and pools. (The yu note belongs to water and winter; huangzhong is the tone of the eleventh month; obtaining the qi of winter, the yin congealed and froze.) And in winter, he struck the zhi string to stimulate the ruibin tone, and the sunlight blazed fiercely, melting and dispersing the hard ice. (The zhi note belongs to fire and summer; ruibin is the tone of the fifth month; obtaining the qi of summer, the hard ice melted and dispersed.) If such worldly arts of playing the zither can still transform autumn into spring and alter winter into summer, how could the Tathāgata's great, inconceivable dhāraṇī-mantras not alter the suffering of evil paths into the attainment of the bliss of Buddha lands? Furthermore, Zhuangzi says: ‘Beyond the six directions, the Sage acknowledges existence but does not debate.’ The Avataṃsaka Sūtra states: ‘The measure of wisdom and merit when a bodhisattva of the tenth bhūmi lifts a single foot cannot be known by a bodhisattva of the ninth bhūmi.’ How much more so is our Tathāgata the king among all sages; how could his secret mind-seal be reckoned by the deluded sentiments of ordinary beings? It is like a fish in a well-bottom: how could it know the depth and breadth of the Eastern Sea? One ought only to believe in it with earnest truth.” Therefore, the Secret Treasury Dhāraṇī-Mantra Sūtra of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva states: “If there are those who uphold the dhāraṇī-mantra, whatever they undertake will surely be accomplished; one must only have deep faith and not give rise to doubt.” (Since the mantra-holder can benefit sentient beings and deliver spirits of the deceased, in accordance with the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva Mahākaruṇācitta Dhāraṇī Sūtra, it is said: “That mantra-holder will not suffer fifteen kinds of bad deaths: first, they will not die of starvation or destitution; second, they will not die from shackles, imprisonment, or flogging; third, they will not die at the hands of enemies or adversaries; fourth, they will not die in battle arrays slaying one another; fifth, they will not die from the mauling of tigers, wolves, or fierce beasts; sixth, they will not die struck by poisonous snakes, vipers, or scorpions; seventh, they will not die swept away by water or burned by fire; eighth, they will not die struck by poison; ninth, they will not die harmed by sorcery poisons; tenth, they will not die from madness or loss of mindfulness; eleventh, they will not die falling from mountains, trees, cliffs, or precipices; twelfth, they will not die from bewitchment by evil persons; thirteenth, they will not die at the mercy of evil spirits or malevolent ghosts; fourteenth, they will not die engulfed by evil diseases; fifteenth, they will not die from suicide out of bounds.” Furthermore, the Amoghapāśa Dhāraṇī-Hṛdaya Sūtra states: “The person who recites the mantra will obtain eight kinds of victory and benefit at the time of death: first, at the time of death they will see Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva manifesting in the form of a monk before them, joyfully consoling them; second, they will die in peace without any pain; third, when about to relinquish life, their eyes will not roll upward, their mouth will not yawn, their hands will not flail, their feet will not twitch, they will not discharge excrement or urine, and they will not tumble from the bed; fourth, when about to relinquish life, they will abide in right mindfulness without confused thoughts in mind; fifth, when dying, they will not die facing downward; sixth, when about to relinquish life, they will obtain inexhaustible eloquence; seventh, having relinquished life, they will be reborn in the pure lands of the Buddhas according to their wishes; eighth, they will never be separated from good spiritual companions.” Furthermore, the Eleven-Faced Avalokiteśvara Dhāraṇī Sūtra states: “The person who recites the mantra obtains four kinds of merit: first, at the time of death they will behold the Buddhas; second, they will never fall into the evil destinies; third, they will not die due to perils and distress; fourth, they will attain rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.”) [2.8]

2.10

Sixth, the portal of being the mother of all Buddhas and the source of doctrine and practice: all Buddhas are born from dhāraṇīs. The Vimāna Sūtra states: “Mantras are the mother of all Buddhas, the seed of attaining Buddhahood; without mantras, one can never achieve unsurpassed, perfect awakening.” Furthermore, the teachings of the Tripiṭaka all emerge from dhāraṇīs. Therefore, in the Supreme Mahāyāna Jewel King Sūtra, four vehicles are spoken of: first, the Śrāvaka Vehicle; second, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle; third, the Extensive Mahāyāna; fourth, the Supreme Vajrayāna, which is the Dhāraṇī Pitaka. All dharmas flow forth from the Vajrayāna dhāraṇīs. The Shentong chao states: “A thousand streams and myriad tributaries arise from the Kunlun and Jishi mountains; the twelvefold canon comes forth from the secret treasury of dhāraṇī.” Moreover, the myriad practices entirely flow from dhāraṇīs: each and every character in a mantra is fully the signless dharmadhātu, and of the myriad practices, none do not flow forth from the dharmadhātu. Therefore, the Vidyādhara Pitaka Kalpa Sūtra states: “The syllable oṃ is itself the signless dharmadhātu.” The Shentong shu states: “The signless dharmadhātu is entirely mantras; mantras are entirely the signless dharmadhātu.” Moreover, mantras are also called the Tripiṭaka, and those who uphold mantras are all designated Tripiṭaka: each and every character in a mantra contains the three of precepts, concentration, and wisdom; furthermore, the myriad practices do not go beyond the six perfections, and the six perfections do not depart from the three trainings. Since mantras are called the Tripiṭaka, one thereby knows that mantras entirely encompass the myriad practices; mantras are the universal practice, whereas the other Dharma portals are branch and tributary practices. (Question: “The scripture cited above states: dhāraṇīs are the treasury of meditative absorption, because hundreds of thousands of samādhis constantly manifest before one. Now it is also said that mantras entirely encompass the Tripiṭaka; one thereby knows that mantras fully contain all portals of meditative absorption. Why then do present-day Chan practitioners not allow the upholding of mantras?” Answer: “According to various chronicles, in India and China, virtuous Chan masters of antiquity practiced all good deeds, how much more so dhāraṇī-mantras, which are the signless samādhi portals and the mind-seals of the Buddhas? Therefore, the White Parasol Dhāraṇī verse states: ‘Opening the signless portal of the perfected nirvāṇa tradition, syllable by syllable contemplating the vajra samādhi.’ It also states: ‘The wondrous intent of yoga transmits the mind-seal; the practices of Mahāyāna are the portal of dhāraṇī.’ For instance, Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna, according to the Transmission of the Lamp, was the fourteenth patriarch of the Western Indian Chan lineage; he abridged the Vidyādhara Pitaka scriptures and propagated the Cundī dhāraṇī-mantra. Chan Master Yixing was a sage of China who praised and expounded the Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi mantras. Chan Master Zhiyi attained the supernormal power of recollecting past lives and extensively demonstrated the ritual procedures for holding mantras. When Chan Master Qifu was asked by people about the supreme vehicle, he directly taught them to recite esoteric words. How could ancient Chan masters not allow the upholding of mantras? Furthermore, since the Chan school states that all dharmas are tathatā, how could reciting mantras not be tathatā? Nowadays, there are those in Chan or doctrinal lecturing who, upon seeing the propagation of esoteric mantras, give rise to jealousy for fear of losing their own gain. May they beware of evil retribution in the present and the future! Thus the Dhāraṇī Sūtra of the Buddha's Uṣṇīṣa of Stainless Radiance states: ‘In antiquity, the brāhmaṇa Vimala expounded secret dhāraṇī-mantras for people. There was an elder named Radiance who previously had many people taking refuge in him. Fearing the loss of his own gain, he gave rise to an evil mind. Having generated an evil mind, he promptly contracted leprosy and suffered great distress until the end of his life, falling into the Avīci great hell to suffer torments for an eon, then falling among animals to suffer torments for an eon, and again being born into hell to suffer torments for an eon. Only then did he obtain human form, born without both eyes. Through the power of past conditions, he met the brāhmaṇa Vimala again, who had become a great monk and was expounding esoteric mantras. Hearing them, he rejoiced, and by the power of that mantra, upon death he was born in heaven.’ The earlier statement that slandering brings benefit refers only to distant benefit and does not mean there is no sin of slander, just as with the elder Radiance. Because esoteric mantras are the mind-seals of the Buddhas and are protected and maintained by immeasurable wisdom kings, devas, dragons, and spirits, those who slander them in the present life mostly contract leprosy. I respectfully advise contemporaries to be exceedingly prudent!”)

2.11

Seventh, the gate of easy practice for the four assemblies and protection by vajra [beings]: This means that any member of the four assemblies who merely understands language can easily recite and practice [the mantras] amid the four deportments of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. Moreover, merely reciting with the mouth is itself true practice, which can eliminate afflictions and bring ease to the dharmakāya without requiring a comprehensive mastery of the scriptural teachings. Just as a sick person who obtains medicine and takes it can thereby eliminate disease and make the body well without needing an extensive understanding of medical texts, so the *Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra* says: "Dhāraṇī is like a wondrous medicine, and also like divine amṛta; it can cure the diseases of all delusions, and whoever takes it is always at ease." The *Commentary on the Uṣṇīṣa Dhāraṇī* says: "The purificatory fasting and precepts are spontaneously fulfilled without being [formally] received; the realization of the fruit is not distant and cannot be obstructed; dispelling disasters and gaining benefits, practicing for oneself and transforming others—there are none among practitioners at the cause stage or beings at the fruit stage who do not accomplish their affairs through this." Furthermore, the *Commentary on the Maṇḍala* says: "Reciting the divine mantra of the Tathāgata, mind after mind implicitly accords with the Tathāgata's mind; chanting the secret words of the bodhisattva, vow after vow secretly tallies with the bodhisattva's vows. What birth and death can one not escape? What nirvāṇa can one not attain?" If one relies on other schools for practice, one must broadly understand the sacred teachings and clearly awaken to the true mind, after which practice is then correct practice; if one practices without awakening, none of it is correct practice. Just as in the world, a sick person would have to understand medical texts extensively and be thoroughly familiar with the nature of medicines before being able to cure a disease, which would make success barely one in ten thousand. Thus we know that the practice gate of the divine mantra is concise while its merit is profoundly deep, universally leading the seven assemblies to swiftly arrive at bodhi; it is the most essential path. Therefore Tripiṭaka Master Yijing said: "Ascending to heaven, riding dragons, and employing the hundred spirits—for the path of benefiting beings, only mantras are most intimate." Question: "Now, relying on the exoteric teaching, one must generate faith based on the teaching, generate understanding based on faith, initiate practice based on understanding, and attain the fruit once practice is accomplished. Now the divine mantras of the esoteric school do not require one to generate understanding, but by merely reciting and holding them one attains the fruit of the Way. Since this departs from the normal rule, it is difficult to give rise to faith." Answer: "Just as a worldly patient who does not understand medical prescriptions takes a wondrously efficacious medicine upon encountering it and thereby has the disease cured and the body made well—since that person did not understand the nature of the medicine, how could the disease be cured and the body made well? If even worldly medicines are like this, how much more so the Tathāgata's inconceivable mantras? Furthermore, the Tathāgata's teachings cannot be inferred by a single principle; since it is said that the exoteric and esoteric differ, there is no need to obstinately insist on understanding." The *Subcommentary on the Awakening of Faith* says: "Gluing the bridge while tuning the strings belongs entirely to the foolish; guarding a tree stump waiting for a hare is certainly not the act of a wise person. One should only have faith and uphold it, swiftly attaining the fruit of the Way; if one does not produce faith, one will vainly obtain nothing." The *Sūtra of the Great Compassionate Mind* states: "For one who recites and upholds the mantra, all that is sought shall bear fruit and be fulfilled, with the sole exception of giving rise to doubt regarding the mantra." It also says: "If there is one who gives rise to doubt and does not believe, that person, for millions of kalpas, will constantly abide in the evil destinies and never hear of the Three Jewels." Furthermore, various sūtras state: For the mantra practitioner, amid the four deportments, there are immeasurable gods, dragons, and the eight classes, as well as hosts of vajra [guardians], who constantly protect them. Therefore the *Sūtra of the Vast, Perfect, Unhindered Great Compassion Heart Dhāraṇī* says: "One who recites and upholds the dhāraṇī is a treasury of fearlessness, because good spirits of dragons and gods constantly protect and maintain them." It also says: "If one can recite the mantra in accordance with the Dharma, then all good spirits, dragon kings, and Vajradharas will constantly follow and guard them without leaving their side, just as they protect their own eyes or protect their own lives. Furthermore, if the mantra-reciter sleeps alone in empty mountains or vast wildernesses, these good spirits will take turns guarding during the night to ward off calamities and hindrances. If they lose their way in deep mountains, the king of good spirits will transform into a good person to show them the correct path. If they encounter a band of bandits and are plundered or fall into another country, the good spirits and dragon kings will escort them back to their native land. If they lack water or fire in mountain forests or vast wildernesses, the dragon kings, out of protection, will conjure water and fire." Therefore its verse says: "The hosts of holy ones among dragons and gods together protect with compassion; / Hundreds of thousands of samādhis are suddenly cultivated." Moreover, the *Great Buddha Uṣṇīṣa Dhāraṇī Sūtra* states: "Suppose there is a sentient being who, with a scattered mind, orally recites the divine mantra. There are constantly eighty-four thousand nayuta koṭis of Gaṅgā sands of the kinsmen of Vajragarbharāja Bodhisattvas, each possessing hosts of vajra [guardians] as their retinue, who day and night constantly follow, attend, and guard this person. Even if the Demon King seeks an opportunity [to harm them], it will ultimately be impossible to find; all petty ghosts and spirits will keep ten yojanas away from this good person. If the retinue of Māra wishes to come and trouble this good person, the hosts of vajra [guardians] will shatter their heads into fine dust with their jeweled vajra-clubs, constantly causing this person's undertakings to be fulfilled as wished." Therefore its verse says: "Eighty-four thousand vajra hosts, / Constantly follow the body in walking, standing, sitting, and lying down." The various sūtras of the esoteric division speak extensively of protection; those who recite mantras and wish to know about it, please consult the scriptural canon.

2.12

Eighth, the gate of causing ordinary beings to be equal to the Buddha and having Tathāgatas take refuge: This means that when a mantra practitioner has completed the prescribed number of recitations of the divine mantra, the good and evil karma produced by their three modes of action—body, speech, and mind—all become gates of uncontaminated meritorious Dharmas. Therefore the verse of the *White Parasol* says: "When recited a full eighteen thousand times, / In every recitation one enters the signless samādhi; / One is named as having accomplished the firm vajra banner, / At ease, one attains the name 'Buddha among humans'; / Even if one scolds and insults, it is not an offense; / The devas constantly hear the sound of the Brahmā speech." The *Great Compassion Heart Dhāraṇī Sūtra* says: "For one who recites and upholds the dhāraṇī, whether the words and sounds issued from the mouth are good or evil, all gods and dragons who hear them [regard them as] pure Dharma sounds." Another verse says: "Just as an efficacious elixir / Turns iron into gold and jewels, / Reciting and upholding the dhāraṇī / Transforms an ordinary person into a worthy and sage." Furthermore, the *Commentary on the Divine Transformations* says: "The mantra practitioner is able to make their three karmas directly identical to the three karmas of the central deity." Moreover, the mantra practitioner receives the refuge of all Buddhas; hence the verse of the *Buddha Uṣṇīṣa* says: "The Tathāgatas of the worlds of the ten directions / Protect, remember, and take refuge in those who uphold it." This is what it means.

2.13

Ninth, the gate of possessing both self-power and other-power to realize bodhi in the present life: This means that within the exoteric teaching there are the two gates of self-power and other-power. The *Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā*, the *Mirror of Buddha-Recitation*, and other texts say: First is the gate of self-power, meaning the practice of the six perfections and myriad practices, which is called the difficult path—just as a person traveling a thousand li on foot over land arrives slowly. Second is the gate of other-power, meaning mindfulness of the Buddha and the like, which is called the easy path—just as a person traveling a thousand li by boat over water arrives swiftly. Now, within mantras, both self-power and other-power are esoterically possessed. That is, various sūtras such as the *Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra* say: The mantra practitioner day by day comes to possess the complete merit of the six pāramitās. Furthermore, the verse of the *Buddha Uṣṇīṣa* says: "Those who do not observe the purificatory fast are called observers of the fast; / Those who do not observe the precepts are called observers of the precepts. / If a monk breaks the two hundred and fifty precepts, / Or a nun violates the eight pārājikas, / Upon hearing and reciting the Buddha Uṣṇīṣa Dhāraṇī, / They immediately come to possess the voice and precepts." (The *Commentary on the Buddha Uṣṇīṣa* says: "The bodhisattva's gates of practice are fulfilled according to cultivation; here, they are fully provided without cultivating, because the power of the divine mantra fully possesses the myriad practices." These words are not false.) This, then, is the gate of self-power. Furthermore, every single syllable in a mantra is the entire body of the Buddhas. The *Sūtra on the One-Syllable Mantra in the Final Dharma Age* says: "After my nirvāṇa, I transform my body to become this mantra," etc., which is the gate of other-power. Moreover, various sūtras say: The mantra practitioner can achieve unsurpassed bodhi in the present life. Therefore the *Ratnakūṭa Sūtra* says: "Though I spent immeasurable koṭis of hundreds of thousands of kalpas practicing austerities, I still did not attain bodhi; yet having merely heard the dhāraṇī, through the correspondence of preparatory practice I immediately achieved right awakening." Furthermore, the verse of the *Five-Syllable Dhāraṇī* says: "Through the power of the original vows of all Buddhas, / All holy undertakings are realized in the present; / Right upon a single seat, / One immediately achieves the most correct awakening." Moreover, the "Preface to the Dhāraṇī" says: "If awakening is harbored within the mind, the three karmic actions of the ordinary person immediately become an accumulation of merit; in this very life one attains bodhi, so why labor through many kalpas of cultivation and progress?" Furthermore, the *Commentary on the Divine Transformations* classifies dhāraṇī as the great, inconceivable vehicle of spiritual penetrations for attaining Buddhahood, stating: Attaining Buddhahood relying on other gates is like riding a sheep or a horse to travel a thousand li, arriving only after a long time; attaining Buddhahood relying on the dhāraṇī gate is like riding spiritual penetrations to travel a thousand li, arriving as soon as the thought arises. Although the destination reached is no different, the methods ridden have slowness and swiftness. Also, attaining Buddhahood through other gates is like grinding yellow stone to extract a wish-fulfilling jewel; attaining Buddhahood relying on the mantra gate is like using the power of spiritual penetrations to obtain a wish-fulfilling jewel. It also says: "Just as other bodhisattvas, for the sake of seeking bodhi, though practicing difficult practices and austerities as if saving their heads from burning, still cannot attain such accomplishment after immeasurable kalpas; the mantra practitioner, without failing the ritual rules, attains bodhi in this very life." Therefore the *Subcommentary on the Divine Transformations* says: "Suddenly transcending the bhūmis is compared to spiritual penetrations; swiftly escaping entangling afflictions is analogized to spells." Moreover, the *Great King of Teachings Sūtra* says: "If one does not cultivate practice relying on secret recitations, one will ultimately never accomplish unsurpassed bodhi."

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顯密圓通成佛心要集 — Classical Chinese