TEXT 74

阿字贊語

Words in Praise of the Letter “A”

(JPN: Aji Sango)

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Translated into English by Rev. Jikai 慈海 Tyler Dehn

©Translation by Jikai Tyler Dehn @ The Saichō Repository 最澄典藏 Project, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Available at: [insert URL of specific text page].

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ENGLISH	UNPUNCTUATED TEXT	PUNCTUATED TEXT
A text states:   “This Contemplation, is Lord of the ten thousand practices; And King of all the perfections (pāramitā). It is the Proper-means for leaving the worldly; And the Direct-path for entering among the Buddhas.”   [Through it, those who] doubt, slander or [enact] conditions which are contrary [to the Dharma], are still able to surpass [those who otherwise cultivate] Vows, the Teachings, Precepts, and the Cultivations. How then could one [even] compare [those who cultivate this contemplation, also have] faith, and [who enact] conditions conducive [to the Dharma], with the Wisdom and Insight [achieved in] the Exoteric Vehicle!? How much more so then, is this the case with those who have Faith, and who also cultivate [the practices]!? [And even further], how much more so is this the case for the those who deeply cultivate!?	文曰。此觀者萬行之尊主。諸度之帝王。出凡之正門。入佛之直道。疑謗逆縁。猶優誓教戒行。信歸順因。誰比顯乘智觀。何況信修。何況深行。	文曰: “此觀者，萬行之尊主; 諸度之帝王。 出凡之正門; 入佛之直道。”   疑謗逆縁，猶優誓、教、戒、行。信歸順因，誰比顯乘智觀!? 何況信、修!? 何況深行!?
[Through this contemplation]:   The Three Poisons and the Ten Unwholesome [Acts], are transformed into the merits of the Maṇḍala; The Four Grave [Offenses] and Five Heinous [Misdeeds], are converted back into [the very] Yoga of cultivation; The One hundred and sixty Deluded Attachments, are of themselves cut off, without resorting to the Path of Severance (Prahāṇa-mārga); The Eighty Four Thousand Afflictions (kleśa), are remedied, without relying upon their [respective] remedies; The Three Lengthy Asaṃkhya Kalpas, are condensed into half a thought-moment (kṣaṇa); The extensive cultivation of the Six Pāramitās, is contained within a single contemplation; The Dark-slumber that is Afflictive Birth-and-Death (saṃsāra), is in the present severed forever; And the Luminous Moon that is the Bodhi of Nirvāṇa, forthwith begins to manifest [its light].	三毒十惡。變爲曼荼功徳。四重五逆。轉歸瑜伽行業。一百 六十妄執。不假斷道自絶。八萬四千煩惱。弗待對治。三祇長劫。縮之半念。六度廣行。攝之一觀。煩惱生死暗睡今永斷。菩提涅槃覺月。斯始彰。	三毒、十惡，變爲曼荼功徳; 四重、五逆，轉歸瑜伽行業; 一百六十妄執，不假斷道自絶; 八萬四千煩惱，弗待對治; 三祇長劫，縮之半念; 六度廣行，攝之一觀; 煩惱生死暗睡，今永斷; 菩提涅槃覺月，斯始彰。
[Through it, even] those who contemplate [merely] superficially and practice it [but] sparingly, will transformationally attain the highest of the highest grade of rebirth in the [Land of] Utmost Bliss (Sukhāvatī), without giving up the present body; And those who cultivate it deeply with great diligence, will revolutively become the Highly-adorned and Greatly-luminous Mahāvairocana (lit. ‘great-sun’) [Tathāgata], without altering their present mind.   [Among those] paths which are easy to cultivate and easy to realise, there can be nothing which surpasses this practice; [And among] those dharmas which are difficult to encounter and difficult to hear, how could there be any that are more so than this method!?	淺觀小行人。不捨此身。轉得極樂之上品上生。深修大 勤類。不改彼心。變成密嚴大明大日。易修易證之道。既無超斯行。難値難聞之法。豈有過此門。	淺觀、小行人，不捨此身，轉得極樂之上品上生; 深修大勤類，不改彼心，變成密嚴，大明大日。   易修、易證，之道，既無超斯行。難値、難聞，之法，豈有過此門!?
When this is already understood, then the letter “A” and the Moon of the Mind, are the [very] essential nature of Bodhicitta. But when this is not yet understood, this [same] mind  possesses the myriad distinctions.	乃至已知。阿字與心月。既菩提心體性。未知。此心有幾差別。	乃至已知，阿字、與心月，既菩提心體性。未知，此心有幾差別。
[If these distinctions were to be] explained in full, then they would be boundless. But in summary, they do not go beyond [these] two:  1) the Bodhicitta which seeks (i.e. the seeking mind/subject), and 2) the Bodhicitta which is sought (i.e. the perceptual objects).	答廣則無邊。略不過二。一能求菩提心。二所求菩提心。	答廣則無邊。略不過二: 一，能求菩提心。 二，所求菩提心。
On the Bodhicitta which seeks (i.e. the seeking mind/subject), the Mahāvairocana Sūtra states:   “One’s own mind which seeks after Bodhi, is equal to Sarvajña (i.e. the omniscient knowledge of Buddhahood). Wherefore? Because its fundamental nature is pure.”   And the Bodhicitta Śāstra states:   “My present will [is that which] seeks Anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi, [for it] does not seek after other fruits. ” etc.	能求道心者。大日經曰。自心尋求菩提及一切智。何以。本性清淨故。菩提心論云。我今志求阿耨菩提。不求餘果（云云）。	能求道心者，大日經曰: “自心尋求菩提，及一切智。何以? 本性清淨故。” 菩提心論云: “我今志求阿耨菩提，不求餘果” 云云。
[And this is why] a text [also] states:   “The mind (citta) which seeks, is like unto when a person desires to do good or evil. [That is,] he must first pin his mind [to it,] and then act in accordance with it (其行=隨行)” etc.	文曰。能求心者。譬如有人。欲爲善與惡。必先標其心而復行其行（云云）。	文曰: “ 能求心者，譬如有人，欲爲善、與惡。必先標其心，而復行其行” 云云。
The Mind that seeks Bodhi is also like this. And when this is already understood, Vairocana, the Four Kinds of Dharmakāya (i.e. Dharma-bodies), and the Four Kinds of Maṇḍala, are in their entirety equal to all sentient beings.	求菩提之心。亦復如是。既知乃至。毘盧遮那。四種法身。四種曼荼羅。皆是一切衆生平等。	求菩提之心，亦復如是。既知乃至，毘盧遮那，四種法身、四種曼荼羅，皆是一切衆生平等。

右天台霞標所録。