英語訳
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This interpretation is a rare and brilliant decisive statement. It accords with the judgments of the Tiantai Mohe Zhiguan like matching halves of a tally. Generally, when the various Mahāyāna sūtras and śāstras criticize and refute the two vehicles, they invariably attack and break through this dharma gate of obstruction. They do not completely abolish the path of the two vehicles. However, throughout history there have been those who misunderstand the teaching, who completely fail to comprehend the original purpose of criticizing the two vehicles, who erroneously disparage the two vehicles and slight the worthy sages. They utterly fail to realize that the obstructions of the two vehicles are like wrapping things in gauze or floating clouds obscuring the sun. The obstructions of ordinary beings' five aggregates and three poisons are like iron plates binding the body or black clouds eclipsing the moon. This inverted view spreads throughout the universe, consequently causing all students of Buddhism to know only to fear the obstructions of the two vehicles while not knowing to fear the great obstructions of the five aggregates and three poisons. Those who truly harbor a mind to protect the dharma might shed tears of blood over this.
Fifth, regarding stages: The Buddha, with universal vision, sees that all sentient beings achieve perfect enlightenment within their own bodies and even enter nirvāṇa—all share the same nature of no-nature. Why? Because the true characteristics of all ordinary and sage beings, dependent and primary, form and mind, are originally pure and originally quiescent. From the initial dharma-illumination path onward, one can also realize and enter this path according to one's capacity. However, all sentient beings are covered by beginningless false habituation and immeasurable affliction stores, so within this pure dharma formless bodhi, they falsely generate immeasurable delusions and karma, falsely receiving immeasurable painful results. Those with thick afflictions are born in the three evil destinies within the pure dharma realm. Those whose afflictive mental defilements are light are born in the three good destinies within the pure dharma realm. Those who purify and remove afflictive mental defilements according to their capacity enter the positions of worthy sages of the three vehicles and one
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vehicle within the pure dharma realm. Those whose mental defilements are completely purified—this is precisely the Tathāgata pure dharma realm, formless quiescent bodhi. The Mahāvairocana Sūtra explains the distinctions of stages among five categories, ten minds, six fearlessnesses, three kalpas, and five types of samādhi paths. The doctrinal purport is profound and mysterious; the explanations in the commentary are brilliantly illuminating and should be examined.
In recent times, those who indiscriminately appropriate Huayan, Chan, and esoteric teachings completely fail to discuss the gradual stages of entering principle, recklessly claiming that "all sentient beings have completed buddhahood, completed entering nirvāṇa," etc., taking this as their own state. This is extreme presumption. That "all sentient beings have completed buddhahood" etc. is what Buddha-wisdom illuminates. Only when one reaches the stage of having no self-characteristics, no person-characteristics, no sentient being-characteristics, no life-span characteristics, no dharma-characteristics, no non-dharma characteristics, no mind-characteristics, no non-mind characteristics, and corresponds partially with this, can one possess these various characteristics. Otherwise, one is separated from that realm like heaven from an abyss. Yet those presumptuous ones glibly speak of "no self-characteristics, no person-characteristics," etc., or say "I am originally like a silver mountain or iron wall." The moment they are blown by the eight winds, their previous "no self-characteristics" immediately becomes "having self," and their previous "silver mountain iron wall" suddenly becomes mud. Even when the eight winds have not yet blown, the false roots of self and person are like sleeping poisonous dragons—if they had physical form, they would be larger than Mount Sumeru. This is because they do not understand that in the pure dharma realm there are stages of emerging from obstructions and manifest realization.
Sixth, regarding cultivation: The progressive cultivation of the three types of sattvas differs. First, clarifying bodhi sattvas: The Mahāvairocana Sūtra states: "When true mantra practitioners first generate the mind, they directly contemplate their own mind's true characteristics and understand original non-arising, so immediately the conceptual elaborations of persons and dharmas become pure like space, achieving natural awakening without depending on others for realization. This contemplation is also called the sudden enlightenment dharma gate." The Bodhicitta Treatise clarifies the three dharmas of ultimate meaning, practices and vows, and samaya, and reaching the samādhi dharma, reveals practitioners abiding in Samantabhadra's great bodhicitta, contemplating the mind's moon-disk, achieving the three mysteries yoga, then accomplishing the principal deity's body through the five-phase body achievement method. The end of the fascicle quotes the Mahāvairocana Offering Ritual: "If cultivation and realization emerge, one becomes a guide for all. If returning to the source, then in the Guhyaka land without rising from one's seat, one can accomplish all Buddha-activities." Praising bodhicitta it states: "If people seek Buddha-wisdom and penetrate bodhicitta, with their parents-born body they quickly realize the great enlightenment stage," etc. These various texts are the path of great-capacity bodhisattvas' advancement, fundamentally similar to the "faith-fulfillment buddhahood" taught in the Avataṃsaka. One cannot casually discuss this cultivation and realization.
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This samādhi dharma is the practice of supreme great capacity. Its expressions "cultivation and realization emerge," "return to the source," "truly knowing one's own mind," "understanding original non-arising with conceptual elaborations of persons and dharmas pure like space," "penetrating bodhicitta," etc.—all are the aim of the path of seeing truth. The so-called five-phase body achievement is the path of entering the grounds. Those who rashly apply this realm to ignorant ordinary beings create the greatest fault of misleading themselves and others.
Establishing maṇḍalas, entering the A-syllable gate, and the true meaning of empowerment samaya precepts, etc.—all actions being immediately real as events—are all the path of Vajrasattva's profound yoga. The Doctrinal Commentary
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states: "Such seals arise from the Tathāgata's faith and understanding. You should know that such seals are the emblems of bodhisattvas. Using these expedient means to show the virtues of Tathāgata's inner realization, they are called emblems. Even all bodily movements and stillness are seals. If an ācārya clearly understands the profound and secret purport of yoga and can purify bodhicitta, through mental purity penetrating the secret dharma, whatever is done is all for benefiting and subduing sentient beings. Whatever is applied accords with the Buddha's path without exception. Therefore all bodily movements and activities are without exception seals. Not just bodily karma alone—even all verbal expressions are also all true mantras. Therefore bodhisattvas cultivating the true mantra gate, having generated bodhicitta, should abide in the buddha-ground maṇḍala. If acting differently, this equals slandering buddhas and bodhisattvas, transgressing samaya, and definitely falling into evil destinies," etc.
That the appropriate recipients of esoteric teaching are not casual—the general outline is thus. However, within the sūtras and commentaries there are explanations of embracing and forming connections, texts of skillful attraction, and explanations of using phenomena to reveal dharma. Those who rashly take meaning according to text not only miss the sūtra's purport but also generate great harm.
Next, clarifying the cultivation of conscious sattvas: These sattvas have already realized selflessness of persons, transcended the aggregates, sense-fields, and elements, and entered the unconditioned realm. If they can emerge from the quiescent realm and proceed to enter great compassionate expedient means, they turn toward the bodhi sattva path. This is similar in purport to the Lotus Sūtra's decisive understanding of śrāvaka dharma. I will not elaborate further here. Later, clarifying the cultivation of childish sattvas: There are two categories. First, śraddhā; second, abhimukha. The first are those of faith-practice and conduct-practice capacity; the latter are those of dharma-practice and wisdom-practice