大毘盧遮那經阿闍梨真實智品中阿闍梨住阿字觀門 1.8

1.8

Furthermore, the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* states: 'Such a syllabary can, with respect to all mundane and supramundane skilful arts, thoroughly penetrate through wisdom and reach the other shore, mastering diverse fields and extraordinary crafts without omission; letters and mathematics are deeply comprehended in their store; medical formulas and incantations skillfully cure all diseases. For all living beings possessed by ghosts and spectres, targeted by enmity, curses, malevolent astrological portents, galloping corpses, epilepsy, and emaciation—it can rescue them all and bring about recovery. Furthermore, one skillfully discerns the places of origin of all treasures such as gold, jade, pearls, cowries, coral, lapis lazuli, mani jewels, mother-of-pearl, and saffron, along with their different varieties and values; in villages, encampments, towns, small and large capitals, palaces, parks, crags, springs, marshes, and all places where human multitudes dwell, the bodhisattva can protect and gather them according to region. Furthermore, one skillfully observes astronomy, geography, human physiognomy for fortune and misfortune, the calls of birds and beasts, clouds and weather, abundance and famine of harvests, and the peace and danger of the state. There are no mundane crafts of this kind that one does not thoroughly master to their very source.' Thus the sūtra states: 'Master of Mysteries! Therefore, the syllable *A* is taken as the head; the syllable *A* is the heart of mantras, the syllable of the Buddha-mind.' What was stated above concerning the *ācārya* dwelling in the Buddha-stage was not yet complete; it is precisely this contemplation gate of dwelling in the syllable *A*. This syllable *A* is also named *śamatha*, also named the wisdom of *vipaśyanā*, also named the wisdom of the true jewel, and also named the wisdom of omniscience. Therefore the sūtra states: 'Omniscience, the wisdom of fundamental wisdom, and subsequent wisdom; from subsequent wisdom arises great compassion, and from great compassion arise the three kinds of transformation bodies.'