A CRITICAL TANTRISMHere, with this fifth mantra, "the truth of all the tathiigatas", that is, the ulti-
mate truth is indicated. This mantra is nothing other than the universal formula
through which anyone can attain enlightenment quickly and easily within his
very lifetime (ihaiva janmani). As was mentioned above (see p. 171 ), this
formula was interpreted by the subsequent Tantrists as follows:
"If the individual existence and the ultimate reality are homologous,
they are one and the same."therefore:
"If the individual existence successfully reorganizes itself to be
homologous with the ultimate reality, the former can unite itself with
the latter."This is what we call 'the logic ofTantrism' or 'the logic of yoga'. This entire
process of five steps itself provides an example of this logic. As the bodhisattva
Sarvarthasiddhi recited the fourth mantra "Om vajriitmako 'ham" (Om I am of
the essence of the adamant), which controls the world of reality, the entire
adamantine sphere (vajradhiitu {2JijrjJF. ), the ultimate reality itself, entered into
"the adamantine existence" which is the symbolic representation imagined in his
mind. Thus, "the adamantine existence" was completed as a symbolic system
representing the adamantine sphere in miniature. Then, he imagines himself as
identical with this symbol which is "equipped with all the most excellent
aspects" (sarviihiiravaropetam ). It is to be noted that the word sarviikiir-
avaropetam refers to the dharmakiiya of a buddha or the whole world of reality,
while the word buddhabimbam ("equipped with the figure of a buddha") refers
to a buddha of sambhogakiiya (the body of enjoyment) which is the centre of the
world and is equipped with thirty-two lalcym;as (~-t-=if§) and eighty anuvyaii-
janas ( 1\ -t-1!ff). Recitation of the fifth mantra "Om yathii sarvatathiigatiis
tathiiham" (Om as all the tathiigatas are, so am I) makes him realize that he
himself is homologous with, and therefore identical with the aggregate of all the
tathiigatas or the entire adamantine sphere as he is identical with the symbolic
figure which is the miniature of the adamantine sphere. Thus, he, while retaining
the individual "figure" as the centre of the world, becomes the entire world of
reality itself. In this manner, he, the individual existence, successfully united
himself with the ultimate reality through the catalytic action of "the adamantine
existence", a system of symbols constructed mechanically through the recitation
of mantras and the imagination of symbolic figures. After this, anyone can reor-
ganize himself mechanically through reciting mantras and imagining symbolic
figures into a symbolic system which is homologous with the ultimate reality,
and consequently unite himself easily and quickly with the ultimate reality.
Thus, the secret of the quick attainent of enlightenment was revealed.
The bodhisattva Sarvarthasiddhi attained enlightenment in this manner and