A CRITICAL TANTRISMC~Wj!J;1;;~ 'g) of the Vairocaniibhisambodhi-siitra (see p. 196). It is to be
noticed, however, that the former is limited to the uppermost stratum of the
region of forms (akanisthadeva ts~Jt:R) which is a kind of space and is at the
same time a stage of deepness of meditation, while the latter is the unlimited
sphere of the reality (dharmadhiitu '$;~).
Here, the ultimate reality is expressed as the substantial aggregate of all the
tathiigatas. The word sarvatathiigata ( -!ii]~Q) is essential to an understand-
ing of the image of the world of the Tattvasamgraha-tantra. When it is used in
the singular, it means Vairocana Tathagata who is the central deity of the
ma!Jcjala. When it is used in the plural, it means all of the inumerable tathiigatas
filling the whole world. These tathiigatas as an aggregate constitute a substantial
matrix called "the adamantine sphere" ( vajradhiitu ~1/l!J!f.) or the world of
reality. Thirdly, the word sarvatathiigata is used in the plural or in the singular
indicating the five buddhas or each of five buddhas who constitute the whole
Vajradhiitu-ma!Jcjala as representatives of all of the innumerable tathiigatas.
In accord with the way of thinking found in the Tattvasamgraha-tantra, if
A represents a group B, A is nothing other than B. Therefore, the five tathiigatas
as five sarvatathiigatas are nothing other than all the innumerable tathiigatas.
This process of thinking was indispensable as the ultimate reality of the
Tattvasamgraha-tantra had to be limited and made visible as the Vajradhiitu-
mavqala of five tathiigatas so as to enable people living in this world Jambud-
v1pa to imitate it homologously and unite themselves with it on the basis of the
Tantric logic of yoga (see p.l71 ).
The world of reality itself is theistically called Mahavairocana; and in corre-
spondence to the idea of the dharmakiiya ofVairocana in the Vairocaniibhisam-
bodhi-siitra, it exists perpetually. However, when it was located in "the palace
of the king of the deities of the uppermost stratum of the region of forms", it was
the reality yet to be limited and was not manifested to people living in the
Jambudv1pa. There, it was a kind of imaginary or ideal existence as is assumed
from the expression "dwelt in the hearts of all the tathiigatas".
The second scene of this mystic drama is laid in this world of Jambudv1pa.
Vairocana who descended from the Akani~;>tha heaven shows himself for a
moment as Sakyamuni Tathagata on the earth.
Bodhisattva Sarvarthasiddhi ( -"W~Jilth'if~iii), that is, Sakyamuni immedi-
ately before the attainment of enlightenment, having completed entirely the
necessary process of accumulating two kinds of merits, viz. moral and intellec-
tual, was sitting on the seat of enlightenment (bodhimaiJda iif~m:l-li) and was
absorbed in the trance of no movement (iisphiinaka-samiidhi 1l!iiiJ=:II*), having
stopped all the movements of his body, speech and mind and even having
stopped breathing. All the tathiigatas make their appearance to the bodhisattva
and awaken him with the following words:
katham kulaputriinuttariim samyaksambodhim abhisambhotsyase yas
tvam sarvatathiigatatattviinabhijiiatayii sarvadubkariiiJY utsahas'iti !P^5