大毘盧遮那經阿闍梨真實智品中阿闍梨住阿字觀門 1.5

1.5

Regarding the internal sound of the syllable *A*, it is the sound from within the throat. One should know that this syllable *A* is distributed throughout all limbs and parts [of the body], which is the meaning of original non-arising (*ādyanutpāda*). In Sanskrit there are two sounds: one is called *akṣara*, which is the fundamental syllable and also signifies the meaning of immovability; immovability is the meaning of the bodhicitta. As for the first two sounds, *A* and *Ā* are fundamental syllables. Next, from *I*, *Ī*, up to *O*, *AU*, altogether twelve syllables, these are all syllables generated by addition, and all are feminine. The fundamental syllables are masculine; the masculine signifies wisdom (*prajñā*), and the feminine signifies concentration (*samādhi*). Furthermore, it is explained that there are five sounds: the essential sound of the syllable *A*; the sound of the activity of the syllable *A*; the twelve syllables from *I*, *Ī* to *O*, *AU*, which are all the sounds of samādhi; the sound of the syllable *Aṃ*, which is the sound of realizing samyaksambodhi; and the sound of the syllable *Aḥ*, which is the sound of entering great parinirvāṇa. If one sees *ṅa*, *ña*, *ṇa*, *na*, and *ma*, they are identical to the upper dot (anusvāra) and are also sounds of realizing samyaksambodhi; if one sees the eight syllables such as *ya* and *ra*, they are identical to the side dots (visarga) and are also sounds of great parinirvāṇa. The fundamental syllables are omnipresent, and the added syllables are also omnipresent; the fundamental and the added are not different from each other. They are all based on the essence of the fundamental syllables, with strokes added at their corners and sides; therefore, the fundamental and the added are neither one nor different. It is just like water held in a vessel: because of the vessel the water is held, and the water does not leave the vessel. In this way they mutually depend on and sustain each other, being able to pervade within and without. Not only is the syllable *A* omnipresent, but subsequently from *ka*, *kha*, *ga*, *gha*, *ṅa*, up to the conjunct syllable *kṣa*, they are also omnipresent. Why is this? They are all fundamental sounds, and their fundamental sound is none other than the syllable *A*.