Buddhism : Critical Concepts in Religious Studies, Vol. VI

(Brent) #1
TANTRIC BUDDHISM (INCLUDING CHINA AND JAPAN)

commentaries^20 of Buddhaguhya (c. 800 A.D.), we find another possible
way of interpreting the word tt•C.' which enables us to reconstruct the structure
of the individual existence, on the basis of which we can describe the
structure of the world precisely, and at the same time determine our practical
behaviour logically. Actually, tt•C.'& means 'the chapter of one hundred and
sixty minds'.
In the Tibetan version, the title of the first chapter is "sems kyi khyad par rim
par phye ba" (Skt. cittavise!ja-pa(ala?) which means 'the chapter of various
minds' or 'the chapter of distinctions of mind' (<C.'~~IJ&). On the other hand,
the Unrevised Longer Commentary of Buddhaguhya gives the title "sems kyi
rgyud rim par phye ba (Skt. cittasamtiinapatala or cittasamtatipatala?) which
means 'the chapter of the continuation of mind' or 'the chapter of minds as con-
tinuations' (•C.,;f§~& ). As it is our fundamental premise that these two words,
viz. sems kyi khyad par and sems kyi rgyud should indicate one and the same
thing, even if it is difficult to find a Sanskrit equivalent common to these two
Tibetan words, we can easily determine the passage which indicates the meaning
of the chapter by comparing the quotations from the Unrevised Longer
Commentary of Buddhaguhya, which cover the siitra nearly completely, with
the Tibetan version of the siitra, and locating the place where these two words,
viz. sems hyi rgyud of Buddhaguhya's commentary and sems hyi khyad par of
the Tibetan version of the siitra correspond. These two words correspond in only
one paragraph, which enumerates and explains each of the sixty experiential
minds actually occurring in our minds.
To Vajrapii.Ql's question abovementioned (see p. 183), the Lord Vairocana
answers that "the enlightenment and the state of the omniscient are to be sought
after from one's own mind" and subsequently describes the state of mind which
is at the very bottom of our mind and is nothing other than the enlightenment
itself. This state of mind is called 'the mind of enlightenment of the first stages
of the bodhisattvas' (W:tt!f~m~c.'), or 'the first course of the realm where the
truth is realized' Wi'*!IJH~). Subsequently, Vajrapii.Qi asks the Lord questions as
follows:


"0 Reverend Lord! How does the mind of enlightenment arise?
How shall I look for the characteristics of this mind (thus) arisen
from which the enlightenment occurs?
0 the most excellent of the people who know this mind!
0 the great hero who has arisen from the wisdom!
Tell me, after overcoming how many minds does this mind arise?
0 the protector! Tell me broadly the aspects of minds and the time
(to be spent to overcome these minds).
0 great saint! How are the merits of these (minds)?
How are the practices (to be practised in each of the stages) of these
(minds)?
Tell me the distinctions of each (of these) minds."^21
Free download pdf