英語訳
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destroying ignorance, self-realization transcends verbal expression. Therefore it is called Tathāgata," etc. The supreme perfect enlightenment realized by Śākyamuni Buddha transcends all mind, intellect, and consciousness, and directly realizes the primordial non-arising of all dharmas. Here verbal paths are cut off, and mental activities are also quiescent. This is called the dharma-body Tathāgata. This dharma-body Tathāgata, through the power of great compassionate vows, abides in the samādhi of sovereign supernatural empowerment, and for all sentient beings manifests various bodies pleasing to see in the gateways of various destinies, opening doors of cultivation and realization according to sentient beings' faculties, desires, and natures. However, this response-transformation and the dharma-body Tathāgata are like water and waves—two yet not-two, not-two yet two. Why? Because the boundaries of arising and cessation in all times and places are unobtainable. The inner realization of Śākyamuni Buddha constantly abides in this great samādhi Vairocana secret treasury, manifesting the inexhaustible great function of the dharma realm. This Vairocana is precisely the true characteristics of the form and mind of all sentient beings. This place is called the Vajra Dharma Realm Palace Great Pavilion King. Differential wisdom seals of Tathāgatas numerous as dust motes in ten buddha-lands serve as its retinue. This is called the Universal Assembly. These fundamental secret treasury Tathāgata differential wisdom seals, through empowerment by great compassionate vow power, can enter into sentient beings' mental conceptions and manifest various representations. If practitioners are utterly sincere and earnest, they can make their three karmas identical with the principal deity, and from this one gateway enter the dharma realm. The dharma realm is precisely the Guhyaka Ocean Assembly, the Lotus Treasury World Ocean, and the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Platform.
This school expounds various ritual forms such as temporal and spatial characteristics, altar methods, mudrās, mantras, etc., but these are merely expedients for people. Its ultimate principle is the true characteristics beyond characteristics, the middle way supreme meaning truth, and although its methods differ from the perfect one-vehicle path established by Tiantai and Xianshou schools, their fundamental aims are identical.
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If someone claims that "beyond the perfect one-vehicle established by Tiantai, there exists an even more profoundly sublime perfect teaching," such a person definitely holds vulgar and narrow views and does not understand the great substance of Buddha-dharma.
Someone asks: "This school's argument for taking the formless dharma realm as the ultimate differs considerably from what ordinary esoteric practitioners think. Are there textual sources in esoteric scriptures?" Answer: There are already many textual sources. Now I will cite three to five examples. The Mahāvairocana Sūtra states: "At that time Vajrapāṇi, the Lord of Secrets, bowed his head to the World-Honored One's feet and spoke this verse: 'Buddha-dharma transcends all characteristics, dharma abides in dharma-position. What is taught has no analogies, formless and without fabrication. Why, O Great Diligent One, do you teach these forms and mantra practices? This does not accord with the natural path.' Then Bhagavat Vairocana Buddha told Vajrapāṇi: 'Listen well. The dharma of dharma's characteristics transcends discrimination and all false conceptualization. If one purifies and removes the various fabrications of deluded mental thinking, I achieve supreme perfect enlightenment, ultimately like space. What ordinary fools do not know—they erroneously grasp realms, times, places, characteristics, etc., covered by desires and ignorance. For the sake of liberating such beings, I teach according to expedient means. But in reality there is no time or place, no action, no agent. All those dharmas abide only in true characteristics. Furthermore, Lord of Secrets, in future times, sentient beings of inferior wisdom, self-obscured by delusion and craving, only in forms constantly delight in the various characteristics of eternalism, nihilism, times, places, created karma, good and bad. Blindly and darkly they enjoy seeking results, not understanding this path. To save them, I teach this dharma accordingly.'" Commentary text (etc.). Also the verse at the end of the fascicle states: "The profoundly formless dharma is unbearable for inferior wisdom; to respond to such beings, it additionally
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preserves teachings with form." Also the Commentary on the Chapter of Abiding in the Secret Maṇḍala Practice states: "In the formless dharma realm there is a great lotus king, with central platform and eight petals," etc. It also states: "From the supreme formless dharma emerge such characteristics of the great compassion treasury birth." It also states: "Buddha abides in ultimately formless dharma, and through great compassion abides in samādhi, enabling all the great assembly and immeasurable sentient beings to see this subtle dharma of the great compassion treasury maṇḍala adorned great assembly. This is having form within the formless. Although there is form, since it arises from causes and conditions, it is precisely the meaning of non-arising." It also states: "All merits and benefits of the three vehicles and mundane world are accomplished from within the formless dharma." It also states: "If one does not contemplate the dharma gate of original emptiness and quiescence transcending all characteristics, even these five supernatural powers cannot be highly achieved, much less the inconceivable activities of the ultimate dharma-body" (etc.).
Later generations of shallow esoteric students obstinately cling to ritual forms such as selecting ground and establishing altars, offerings, mudrās, dhāraṇī recitation, fire offerings, etc., taking these as the substantial meaning of symbolic virtues, disparaging formless emptiness and quiescence as provisional teaching. Their purport entirely contradicts the Mahāvairocana Sūtra Commentary, resembling the eternalist views of heretics that the sūtras and commentaries reject. This is because they do not know that the dharma gates of six elements, four maṇḍalas, three mysteries, etc., which manifest times, places, names, numbers, etc., are the profoundly secret inconceivable mystical realm—precisely wisdom seals within the formless dharma—so they erroneously assimilate them to their own conceptually constructed times, places, names, and numbers. This should be examined.
However, the fundamental samādhi quiescent light ocean assembly is the dharma realm of Buddha-to-Buddha self-realization. When bodhisattvas attain the samādhi of removing hindrances and the first dharma-illumination path true knowledge and vision, they partially realize this true dharma realm. Great ground
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bodhisattvas gradually increase in illumination, like the waxing moon brightening daily. Among the patriarchs of the dharma treasury, those who attain this samādhi can all awaken and enter this maṇḍala dharma gate. It is not that only the great master Nāgārjuna obtained this dharma. But because the great master Nāgārjuna first used names, characteristics, and written words to manifest this dharma, it is merely called "Nāgārjuna received it from Vajrasattva." This should be understood.
Fourth, selecting capacities: Regarding what this school addresses, three types of sattvas are briefly established. First, childish sattvas, meaning sentient beings of the six paths. Second, conscious sattvas, namely the two vehicles. Third, bodhi sattvas, namely great bodhisattvas. Speaking of primary recipients, vajra sattvas are the appropriate recipients of this teaching. Speaking of secondary recipients, it extends to the other two categories.
Those who study this teaching in the final age should first know that they are definitely secondary recipients of this teaching and not primary recipients. However, those who falsely adopt the esoteric vehicle completely lack such discrimination, erroneously taking the practices and positions of vajra sattvas as their own portion, generating pride and arrogance, haughtily self-aggrandizing, producing many faults. It is like using weak and inferior materials to carry heavy loads while wanting to match the tracks of dragon steeds. If not foolish, then mad.
The cultivation and entry of the first sattvas is most difficult, as will be known below. The second sattvas, with slight additional effort, become bodhi sattvas. The Doctrinal Commentary states: "The two samādhis of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are difficult places for bodhisattvas. These are merely one type of mental characteristic in the practiced path, namely the inconceivable mind-nature, which can have such samādhi characteristics. Therefore practitioners, using this dharma seal to seal and know themselves, should immediately pass through without obstruction. Without good spiritual friends, they become hindered and obstructed."