An Introduction to Tantric Buddhism c7.28

c7.28

In the Śrīguhya-samāja-tantra⁴ it has been said about the nature of the dharmas that the dharmas do not belong to the kāmadhātu (world of desire) nor to the rūpadhātu (material world) nor to the arūpadhātu (supernatural sphere of existence), neither do they belong to the four great elements.¹ It has been said about the illusory nature of the *dharmas* that as the sky remains pervading all space, yet it is mixed up with nothing, neither is it unmixed;—it is indescribable, invisible and cannot be proved in any way,—so is to be understood the nature of all the *dharmas*. This void-nature of the *dharmas* belongs to none of the three worlds (*kāma, rūpa* and *a-rūpa*),—and what is not in the three worlds cannot be produced and what cannot be produced cannot have any origination. Bodhicitta is said to be the producer of knowledge in all the Tathāgatas; but this Bodhicitta remains neither in the body nor in the word nor in the mind; and what is not in these three elements cannot be produced. The function of the three elements (*trai-dhātuka-kriyā*) is like the dream, resembling the dream and originated in the dream. Thus all the Tathāgatas, all the Buddhas of the ten quarters, all the Bodhisattvas and other beings—all are to be understood as in the dream.² Just as the well-known *cintāmaṇi* (wish-yielding) gem yields gold, silver and other riches as soon as one thinks of them, but these riches belong neither to the mind of the suitor, nor to the gem itself, yet they are produced; same is the case with the origination of all the *dharmas*.³ The Tathāgatas asked the Lord Vajrapāṇi,—‘Where do remain all the *tathāgata dharmas* and whence are they originated?’ The reply of the Lord is,—‘They remain in the body, speech and mind of the Tathāgata and are produced therefrom.’ ‘But where does the body-word-mind remain?’ ‘In the void (*ākāśa*)’ replied the Lord. ‘But where does remain the void?’ ‘Nowhere’ is the emphatic reply.⁴