English
English version: Taking the Dragon Girl's (Nāga-kanyā) Buddhahood in the *Lotus Sūtra* as an example, this school (Shingon) judges it as the attainment of Buddhahood at the stage of Wonderful Enlightenment (Myōkaku). The *Yoga Observation Wisdom Ritual* states: 'Because the Dragon Girl attained unsurpassed enlightenment,' therefore Shingon is the most supreme. Question: The *Lotus Sūtra*, *Avataṃsaka Sūtra*, and Shingon discussed above have different depths, but in the proof of attaining Buddhahood in this very body (sokushin jōbutsu), they all cite the Dragon Girl's Buddhahood as a judgment. Although the three meanings of Initial Abode (first stage of Bodhisattva path), Fulfillment of Cause, and Wonderful Enlightenment have three different levels of depth, regarding the Dragon Girl's attainment of Buddhahood, her attainment is only recorded in the *Lotus Sūtra*. If so, what evidence do the other two schools have? Answer: The scriptures are the wisdom of the Buddha, and cannot be limited to the viewpoint of the Tiantai school, judging the depth of the schools only based on the interpretation of the scriptures. Therefore, the *Lotus Sūtra* also has the *Yoga Observation Wisdom Ritual*, examining its practices, it belongs exclusively to Shingon and does not extend to Exoteric Buddhism. Thus, within the one *Lotus Sūtra*, the shallow is Exoteric, and the profound and secret is Esoteric. The enlightenment of Exoteric Buddhism does not reach Wonderful Enlightenment, while the thorough understanding of the profound and secret reaches the ultimate fruit. Therefore, Āchārya Ichigyō considers the *Mahāvairocana Sūtra* to be the deepest secret of the *Lotus Sūtra*. Furthermore, although there are examples of attaining Buddhahood in this very body in other scriptures of Shingon, the three schools are established with different depths regarding the Dragon Girl's Buddhahood. Question: Which other scriptures contain examples of attaining Buddhahood in this very body? Answer: The *Bodhi-maṇḍa Adornment Dhāraṇī Sūtra* records that Śākyamuni Buddha was once a Brahmin at the place of Wonderful Light Buddha (Myōkō-dō Buddha), and as a boy of seven years old, he heard this dhāraṇī, and generated pure faith in Buddhism, and then attained unsurpassed, complete, and perfect enlightenment (text). The three immortals attaining the Way in the Jeweled Pavilion is also an example of attaining Buddhahood in this very body. Furthermore, there is evidence in other scriptures, but they cannot all be listed. Moreover, in this school, those who embody the true meaning are all Buddhas of the Dharma-nature, inherently endowed with perfect virtues, not Buddhas attained through the beginning of cultivation, therefore, the sudden or gradual attainment of Buddhahood cannot be discussed. Question: If all dharmas are inherently so (dharmatā) in the true meaning of this school, then why does the verse of the Dharmakāya (Dharma Body) say: 'All dharmas arise from conditions, and these dharmas arise and cease from conditions (text)'? Answer: The arising and ceasing from conditions mentioned in this school are all arising from conditions on top of what is inherently existent. Because the nature of the cause is inherently existent, the nature of the conditions is also inherently existent. Because the nature of cause and conditions is inherently existent, the dharmas that arise are also inherently existent. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
皆同本有。所以疏云。因遍法界。缘亦遍法界。因缘所生法亦遍法界。即道理。若依诸法从缘之言单知生灭缘起法者。是小乘义相当阿鞞三谛。文言全分虽同彼说。所诠之理旨隔云泥。今宗阿字本不生理。本有常住功德之中建立本有自性因缘。故不可似余经之意。问。证理究竟法皆无相。凡此一切色相差别因缘建立。乃至所说真言印契。相所施设。皆可对机引入方便。所以大日经中说诸轨则印真言等。最后结云。甚深无相法劣惠所不堪。为应彼等故兼存有相说（文）又疏序分中云。然此自证三菩提。出过一切心地。现觉诸法本初不生。是处言语尽竟。心行亦寂（乃至）若我但住如是境界。则诸有情不能以是蒙益。是故住于自在神力加持三昧。普为一切众生亦种种诸趣所喜见身。说种种性欲所宜闻法（文）明知所有色身说法。皆是如来方便假立施设之法。然今本有法身之上许有色心。可乖此经始终之意。答。此有多义。一义云。今经所云神变加持即说如来所加持义。于内证功德四种言语尽竟。九个心行亦灭。若非佛加持力绝离凡夫之视听。依之住于自在神力加持。示现随他受用报身及以变化等流身等。次第诱引令入内证心王觉殿。凡言法身是无相者。绝离妄情所对诸相。非废六大无碍色心。下文所言甚深无相法等文者。 现代汉语译本 皆与本有相同。所以疏中说，‘因’遍及法界，‘缘’也遍及法界，因缘所生的法也遍及法界，这就是道理。如果依据‘诸法从缘’的说法，只知道生灭缘起之法，这是小乘的意义，相当于阿鞞（Avaivartika，不退转）三谛。文字表面上虽然与他们的说法相同，但所诠释的道理却有天壤之别。我们宗派的‘阿’字，本来就没有生灭的道理，在本有常住的功德之中建立本有的自性因缘，所以不可以像其他经典的意义那样理解。 问：证得真理究竟，一切法都是无相的。凡是这些色相差别、因缘建立，乃至所说的真言（mantra，咒语）印契（mudra，手印），都是为了针对不同根器的众生，引入方便之门。所以《大日经》（Mahavairocana Sutra）中说各种轨则、印、真言等，最后总结说，‘甚深无相法，劣慧所不堪’，为了适应那些根器较差的人，所以兼顾有相之说（文）。又疏序分中说，‘然此自证三菩提（bodhi，觉悟），出过一切心地，现觉诸法本初不生，是处言语尽竟，心行亦寂（乃至）若我但住如是境界，则诸有情不能以是蒙益。是故住于自在神力加持三昧（samadhi，禅定），普为一切众生亦种种诸趣所喜见身，说种种所宜闻法（文）。’明明知道所有色身说法，都是如来方便假立施设之法。然而现在在本有法身之上，允许有色心，这是否违背此经始终的意义？ 答：这里有多种解释。一种解释是，现在经中所说的神变加持，就是说如来所加持的意义。在内证功德中，四种言语已经穷尽，九种心行也已灭除。如果不是佛的加持力，就无法超越凡夫的视听。依靠安住于自在神力加持，示现随他受用报身（sambhogakaya，报身）以及变化等流身等，次第诱导众生进入内证心王觉殿。凡是说‘法身’是无相的，是指断绝妄情所对的诸相，而不是废除六大（地、水、火、风、空、识）无碍的色心。下文所说的‘甚深无相法’等文字，也是这个意思。
English
English version All are the same as the inherently existent. Therefore, the commentary says, 'The cause pervades the entire Dharmadhatu (法界, realm of reality), the condition also pervades the entire Dharmadhatu, and the Dharma (法, teachings) produced by cause and condition also pervades the entire Dharmadhatu.' This is the principle. If, based on the saying 'all Dharmas arise from conditions,' one only understands the Dharma of arising and ceasing through dependent origination, this is the meaning of the Hinayana (小乘, lesser vehicle), corresponding to the three truths of Avaivartika (阿鞞, non-retrogression). Although the words are superficially the same as their teachings, the principles they explain are as different as clouds and mud. In our school, the syllable 'A' inherently has no principle of arising. Within the inherently existent, permanent virtues, we establish the inherently existent self-nature cause and condition. Therefore, it should not be understood in the same way as the meaning of other sutras. Question: When one realizes the ultimate truth, all Dharmas are without characteristics. All these differentiations of form and characteristics, the establishment of cause and condition, and even the spoken mantras (真言, mantra) and mudras (印契, hand seals), are all expedient means to guide beings of different capacities. Therefore, the Mahavairocana Sutra (大日经) speaks of various rules, mudras, mantras, etc., and concludes by saying, 'The profound Dharma without characteristics is beyond the comprehension of inferior wisdom.' To accommodate those with lesser capacities, it also includes teachings with characteristics (text). Furthermore, in the introductory section of the commentary, it says, 'This self-realized Bodhi (菩提, enlightenment) transcends all states of mind, directly realizing that all Dharmas are originally unborn. Here, words come to an end, and mental activity ceases (and so on). If I were to remain only in such a state, sentient beings would not benefit from it. Therefore, abiding in the Samadhi (三昧, meditative absorption) of empowered divine power, I universally manifest bodies pleasing to all beings in various realms, and speak various Dharmas suitable for them to hear (text).' It is clear that all teachings through physical forms are expedient, provisional means established by the Tathagata (如来, thus-gone-one). However, now, allowing for form and mind on top of the inherently existent Dharmakaya (法身, Dharma body), does this contradict the consistent meaning of this sutra? Answer: There are multiple explanations for this. One explanation is that the divine transformation and empowerment mentioned in this sutra refer to the empowerment by the Tathagata. Within the inner realization of virtues, the four kinds of speech are exhausted, and the nine kinds of mental activity are extinguished. If it were not for the empowering power of the Buddha, it would be impossible to transcend the perception and hearing of ordinary beings. Relying on abiding in the empowerment of divine power, one manifests the Sambhogakaya (报身, enjoyment body) that accords with others' needs, as well as the Nirmanakaya (化身, emanation body) and so on, gradually guiding beings into the inner realization of the mind-king's palace of awakening. Whenever it is said that the 'Dharmakaya' is without characteristics, it refers to severing the characteristics that are objects of deluded emotions, not to abolishing the unimpeded form and mind of the six great elements (地、水、火、风、空、识, earth, water, fire, wind, space, consciousness). The passages below that speak of 'the profound Dharma without characteristics' and so on also have this meaning. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
结上所说声字之上有相之义。所遮遣也。虽云无相不可得意。如来法身毕竟寂漠。犹如虚空。色心都灭法体无有。故密严经云。得解脱智慧如来微妙身。云何为涅槃是灭坏之法（文）今此宗意如来三密遍满法界。能生六大常住三世。于其内证自觉圣旨。本有色心尚非十地菩萨智分。故住加持道俯应群机也。以此法界体智身名大遍照能生六大。是则自性本有色心故。不可云无色无形。名为法身。又义理法身者。无相寂灭。如上经说。于智法身有自觉智内证色心。凡余宗意两部曼荼共虽理智不二性德。胎藏就理法身义。金刚界者依智法身。今大日经说其理。故说无相也。问。然者二身何为殊胜。答。诸宗皆云。以理为胜。唯以真理为法身故。今此宗意如上所论。智最甚深。自觉圣智具足本有无尽庄严。常恒圆满一切功德。故金刚顶以智为本。问。金刚顶宗以智为本。其义不明。判于四种法身差别。以自性身最为殊胜。其智法身是自受用。依理加持成辨佛智。若尔何云智身殊胜。又二教论云。若依璎珞经。毗卢遮那是理法身。卢舍那名智法身。明知经意理宽智狭。答。理为究竟智为劣者。种因海意理是真如性。是一法界大总相法门体故以为殊胜。智者即是生灭门中以本觉名本有法身。二门相望。是俗门故且以为劣。彼璎珞经 现代汉语译本 结前文所说，‘声’和‘字’之上，有‘相’的含义，这是需要遮遣的。虽然说‘无相’，但不可执着于此。如来的法身毕竟是寂静空虚的，就像虚空一样。色（rupa, 物质）和心（citta, 精神）都灭尽，法体也无所有。所以《密严经》（Ghanavyūha Sūtra）说：‘获得解脱智慧的如来，其身微妙。’怎么能说涅槃是灭坏之法呢？ 现在此宗的观点是，如来的三密（身、语、意）遍满法界，能生六大（地、水、火、风、空、识），常住于三世。对于其内证的自觉圣旨，本有的色和心，尚且不是十地菩萨所能理解的。所以安住于加持之道，俯身应和众生的根机。以这法界体智身，名为大遍照（Mahāvairocana），能生六大，这就是说自性本有色和心，所以不可说无色无形，而称之为法身。 另外，义理法身是无相寂灭的，如上面的经文所说。而智法身有自觉智内证的色和心。一般其他宗派认为，两部曼荼罗（mandala）共同的理智不二，是性德。胎藏界（Garbhadhātu）侧重于理法身的含义，金刚界（Vajradhātu）则依于智法身。现在《大日经》（Mahāvairocana Sūtra）阐述其理，所以说无相。 问：那么，二身（理法身和智法身）哪个更为殊胜？ 答：各宗都说，以理为胜，因为只有真理才是法身。现在此宗的观点如上所述，智最为甚深，自觉圣智具足本有的无尽庄严，常恒圆满一切功德，所以《金刚顶经》（Vajraśekhara Sūtra）以智为本。 问：《金刚顶宗》以智为本，其含义不明。如果判别四种法身（自性身、受用身、变化身、等流身）的差别，以自性身最为殊胜，而智法身是自受用身，依理加持成就佛智。如果这样，为何说智身殊胜？又《二教论》说，如果依据《璎珞经》（Yingluo Jing），毗卢遮那（Vairocana）是理法身，卢舍那（Locana）是智法身，明显可知经文的意思是理宽智狭。 答：如果说理为究竟，智为劣，是因为种因海意的理是真如性，是一法界大总相法门之体，所以认为殊胜。而智是生灭门中，以本觉名本有法身。二门相对，是俗门，所以暂且认为劣。彼《璎珞经》...