A Translation of the 密 Introduction and the Tenth Chapters of the Hizo Hoyaku 教 文 by Minoru Kiyota 化 Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin Preface Although the mantra and dharani literature was already known in the Nara period (710-784),it failed to occupy a respectable position in the academiccircles of the Buddhists either during the Nara period or the early Heian period. During the reign of Emperor Saga, (809-823), leading masters of Nara presented their views on Buddhism in the presence of the emperor at Shoryo-ji Temple, after which they were asked to organize their views into texts. Texts were composed and submitted to the throne at the time of the reign of Emperor Junna, (823-833). Kukai, (774-835), though not a member of the Nara priesthood, submitted the Juju Shinron, the Treatise on the Ten Stages, organized into ten chuan, and the Sokushin Jobutsu Gi, the Essence of Inherent Buddhahood, organized into one chuan. It is commonlyheld, however, that because the Juju Shinron was excessively voluminous, Kukai was asked to submit an abridged version, which is the Hizo Hoyaku, the Jewel Key to the Secret Store, organized into three chuan. It is speculated therefore, that both the Hizo Hoyaku and the Sokushin Jobutsu Gi were composed sometime in the early 830's under an imperial edict. The Hizo Hoyaku is designed to describe the doctrine of Shingon Buddhism, the Japanese version of the mantra school, and to bring about the official recognition of that school as a distinct school of Japanese Buddhism. The major literary sources to which the Hizo Hoyaku makes reference are: Mahavairocana Sutra, Vajrasekhara Sutra, Laiikavatara Sutra, Bodhicitta Sastra, Shaku-maka-en-ron (Shih- -96- mo-ho-yeh-lun) and Daichido-ron (Ta-chih-tu-lun). The significance of the Hizo Hoyaku lies in its attempt to unveil the authentic self' which it identifies as the bodhicitta. In order to do so, it traces the process of the development of the consciousness which is categorized into ten stages as follow: 1. Foolish ignorant goat Appetite and sex 2. Ignorant child who ma- Confucianism Worldly stages intains abstinence 3. Fearless child Brahmanism and Taoism 4. Only-skandhas and no- Sravaka self [pudgala] Hinayana stages 5. Plucking out karma- Pratyeka-buddha causing seed 6. Unconditional compassion Hosso CFa-hsiangJ 7. Realizing no-arising Sanron CSan-lunJ [anutpada] Mahayana Bodhisattva 8. One path [ekayana] to Tendai CT'ien-taaij stages truth [tathata] 9. No essence [svabhava] Kegon CHua-yenD in the ultimate 10. Adorned with secrets Shingon CChen-yenJ The Secret Buddha Stage The Shingon stage consists of the awareness of bodhicitta in the very body one possesses, a theory which is referred to as sokushi- jobutsu. In this context than, the ten stages are not only a diachronic arrangement of stages to prove the superiority of one doctrine over another, but a synchronic scheme in which the realization achieved in the tenth stage embraces all other stages of realization. This simply means that the inherent bodhi requires awakening and that any one of the nine stages is the instrument necessary to awaken it. Hence the first nine stages are referred to as the 'cause-stages' while the tenth is referred to as the 'result-stages', which is properly described as that adorned with secrets': Secrets here mean the secrets' of the authentic self, the bodhicitta, which is, in actuality, beclouded by ignorance [avidya]. Although the Buddhist masters of the Tendai school, in particular, viciously challenged Kukai's system of doctrinal classifica- -95- tion after his death, the composition of the Hizo Hoyaku not only established Kukai as an acnowledged master of Buddhism, but also enabled Shingon Buddhism to be recognized as a distinct school of 密 Japanese Buddhism. 教 The introduction and the tenth chapter of the Hizo Hoyaku are translated here. The introduction outlines the ten stages while the tenth 文 chapter describes the tenth stage. 化 HIZO HOYAKU: THE JEWEL KEY TO THE SECRET STORE Composed by Sramana Vairocanavajra (Taisho2426, Vol. 77, pp. 363-374) INTRODUCTION Boundless, boundless, it's infinitely boundless, [About] the Buddha and the heretics there are millions of scolls; Dark, dark, it's very dark, of the way that is spoken of, there are multitudes of roads. What is left when the writing and chanting stop? Know not, know not, I too, know not. Though they think and think, even the wise know not. The ox- headed [god of peasants] chewed grasses in compassion for the ill, And [Chou-kung], taking pity, offered a compass to [Yueh-ch'ang] so that he would not be lost. In the triple world [triloka] the madmen do not know their madness; In the four types of birth [caturyoni] the blind are unaware of their blindness. Birth, birth, birth, birth, darkness begins at birth, Death, death, death, death, darkness [dwells] even unto death. [The first stage:] A flower in the sky [i. e. fame and vanity] dazzle our sight; and a turtle's hair [though not there] dazzles our -94- mind. [So likewise it is of self,] though [the blind] as if drunken, tenaciously clings to it as real. Losing control of himself as if he were a thirsty deer or a wild house racing blindly through a village of dust' [klesa], or a ruttling elephant or a leaping ape going lewdly through a city of delusions', [the blind] finally takes delight in commi- tting the ten evils [dasfikusalani] day and night. With ears closed, no longer does he allow the six paramitas to enter his mind. Condem- ning both men and the Dharma, he does not realize that he is burning the seed [of Buddahood]; indulging in wine and women, he does. not realize the retribution that awaits him. Yama and the guards [of hell] build dungeons and examine the sinners; the hungry ghosts [preta] and beasts, with spits of fire aflame from their mouths, bodily drag along their heavy cart loads. [The blind] transmigrates through the triple world and perilously wanders through the four types of birth. Now when the greatly enlightened compassionate father [i. e. the bodhi- sattva] beheld [the miseries of the blind,] how could he remain silent? This is why he provided different kinds of medicines and pointed out the different kinds of error. Thus, [on the second stage,] by observing the three bonds and the five principles [of Confucianism] there is order and no discord in the rela- tionship between lord and subject, father and son; [on the third stage,] by cultivating the six [ascetic] practices and the four dhydnas [of the Brahmans] the meditation [designed] to frown upon the [phenomenal] world and to seek rebirth in heaven promotes one to realize the bliss of heaven; [on the fourth stage, by believing that there are] only the skan dhas [dharmas] and thereby cutting off [the notion of the reality of] self [pudgala], the eight liberations [astavimoksa] and the six super powers [sadabhijld] are realized; [on the fifth stage, by understanding] the causes and conditions, [of phenomenal life] the knowledge of emptiness [sunyata] plucks out. the seeds [of karma]. [on the sixth stage,] by rising with unconditional compassion and by [realizing that there is] only consciousness [vijiiaptimatrata] and thereby severing the sense-fields [visaya], the two obstructions [klesa varana and jneyavarana] are cut off, and [by means of asrayapar- -93- avrtti] the four jnanas are realized; [on the seventh stage,] by understanding the nature of one's own mind by means of contemplating on the essence of non-arising [anut- 密 pada] and by severing the thought of one-sided sunyata, the One Mind 教 [bhutatathata] which is quiescence [santa], non-dual and markless [alaksana] is realized 文 [on the eighth stage,] by contemplating the One Way [ekayana] in its original pure [state] Avalokitesvara reveals its delight; 化 [on the ninth stage,] by being mindful of dharmadhdtu at the time not initial awakening [pramudita], Samantabhadra beams with smiles, [and, on the tenth stage,] when one has exhausted all the dust [klesa] of the sense-fields, than at this time the grandeur of the mait- dala is finally revealed. The wisdom eyes [represented by the Shingon samadhi signs] of ma' [on the right: signifying the sun, representing compassion] and t' [on the left: signifying the moon, representing samadhi] unite and [their light] cuts through the dark night of igno- rance [avidya]. The light from the sun and moon [uniting] samadhi reveals the wisdom of Vajrasattva. The five families of Buddhas [of the Shingon pantheon] lifting their knowledge-seals [jndna-mudrd: each signifying a specific vow] are omnipresent. The four mandalas are united and rest in the embodiment of the Dharma. The winds of karma wane beneath the withering glance of Acala. The waves of ignorance subside under the three blasts of Trilokavijaya. The eight puja-devis arouse the sea of clouds as wondrous offerings [to the Tathdgata Mahdvairocana and the four Buddhas of the Vajradhatuman- dala]. The four paramita princesses [representing the bodhisattvas created by the four Buddhajndnas] inherit the bliss of the Dharma. Even [one who is on] the ten bhumis [i. e. Kukai's eighth stage] cannot catch a glimpse of [the Shingon realm] nor [one who has realized] the three aspects of the mind [i.e. its essence, marks and activities: Kukai's ninth stage] conceive it. It is the secret among secrets, the realization among realization But alas not knowing their own jewels, taking madly delusion as -92- if it were enlightenment, what else can such men be called but idiots. The though of compassion is urgent, for without the teaching [of the Dharma] how can there be salvation ? That is why various forms of medicine [stage] are provided; if men do not take them, how can they be cured? The King of Physicians [i.