TANTRIC BUDDHISM (INCLUDING CHINA AND JAPAN)III. The Tantric view of the world and the logic of Yogai. The Tantric scenes of attaining enlightenment
First of all, we would like to pick up, from the Sanskrit text, the essential context
of the opening part of the mystical drama which represents the image of the
world of the Tattvasamgraha-tantra as follows:(1) evam maya srutam ekasmin samaye (2) bhagavan...... (3)
mahakr-pavairocanal;...... (4) sarvatathiigatadhywjita- ......
akani${hadevarajasya bhavane vijahiira I (5) navanavatibhir bod-
hisattvakotibhil; siirdham I ...... (6) ganganadiviilukasamiikhyiitais ca
tathiigatais tad yathiipi nama tilabimbam iva paripiin;am jambiidvipe
samdrsyate I ...... (7) atha bhagaviin mahiivairocanal; sarvakasadhii-
tusadiivasthitakiiyaviikcittavajral; I (8) sarvatathagatasamavasa-
rm;atayii sarvavajradhiitvavabodhanajiiiinasatival; I ...... (15) ......
jiiiinam ...... sarvatathiigatal; II ........ vairocano ...... (17) bha-
gaviin mahiibodhicittal; samantabhadro mahiibodhisattval; sarvatathii-
gatakiiye!ju vijahiira II atha sarvatathiigatair idam buddhak!jetram tad
yathii tilabimbam iva paripiin;am f3^4
"(1) Thus have I heard at one time. (2) The Reverend Lord ......
(3) Vairocana of great compassion ...... (4) dwelt in the palace of the
king of the deities of the uppermost stratum of the region of forms
( ~~ Jt:R.:E'g) resided in by all the tathiigatas ...... (5) Together
with ninety-nine kotis ({IU!t) of bodhisattvas ...... (6) and tathagatas
to be counted by (the number of) the sands of the River Ganga, he
appeared in the Jambiidvipa Continent filling (it) as (sesame seeds fill)
a sesame husk .......
(7) At that time, the Reverend Lord Mahavairocana, who is the
adamantine (aggregate of) body, speech and mind which perpetually
resides pervading the whole sphere of the sky, (8) who is, as the com-
plete aggregate of all the tathagatas ( -:WJWI*) the being of the
wisdom (!W~ ii!:W) which makes people aware of the whole of the
adamantine realm (~1'4tl!F-) ...... (15) ...... who is the wisdom itself...... who is the one and whole tathiigata ( -!1]~Q.) ...... , who is
Vairocana, ...... (17) the Reverend Lord, the great mind of enlighten-
ment (::k~:tlt'C..'), the great bodhisattva Samantabhadni (1f~::k~ii.i),
dwelt in the hearts of all the tathiigatas ( -!i!J~Il ).
Now, this district of the buddha was filled with all the tathagatas as
(sesame seeds fill) a sesame husk."
It is obvious that this "palace of the king of the deities of the uppermost
stratum of the region of forms" (akani!ithadevarajasya bhavana (~~Jl:R:E'B)
corresponds to "the palace of the grand adamantine sphere of the reality"