Overall Teaching

Śāntamati inquires about the three secrets of the Tathāgata: body, speech, and mind. The Buddha's body is an adaptive, guiding force for sentient beings. The Buddha's body doesn't need physical food; it consumes "Dharma food" that doesn't decrease in quantity, nourishing other beings. The Buddha's bodily characteristics inspire reverence and the aspiration to attain awakening in sentient beings. The Buddha's presence mitigates negative traits in sentient beings, enhancing positive qualities and wisdom. Despite actively teaching and manifesting to sentient beings, the Buddha's mind is described as effortlessness and non-discriminatory. Vajrapāṇi Bodhisattva's teachings on the Buddha's body lead to spiritual progress and commendation from the Buddha

Summary

1. Śāntamati Inquires about the Secrets of the Tathāgata

   • Śāntamati asks Vajrapāṇi to explain to him the Secrets of the Tathāgata.

   • Vajrapāṇi asks him to listen carefully as he shall explain.

     • There are three secrets of the Tathāgata:

       1. The Secret of the Tathāgata's Body

       2. The Secrets of the Tathāgata's Speech

       3. The Secret of the Tathāgata's Mind

2. The Secret of the Tathāgata's Body

a. The Tathāgata Manifests in Whatever form Suits Beings' Minds

2. • • Vajrapāṇi explains that the secret of the Tathāgata's body is his ability to instruct with the manifestation of any conduct, without any thought or discrimination.

     • Thus, if there is someone who wants to see the Buddha in (1) the four dispositions (sitting, standing, walking, lying), (2) teaching the Dharma in a certain way (e.g. silently, in meditation, with powers, etc.), or (3) with a certain form (e.g. made of certain substances, appearing like a deva, a plant, a gem, or even like pure space and light), then the Buddha allows each being to see the Buddha with a body manifesting in that form suited for them.

b. The Tathāgata Manifests for all Sentient Beings just like a Pure Round Mirror

• All beings are established in faith and understanding by thinking on his form (i.e. thus he manifests a physical form—duality is used as a tool to lead to non-duality).

• All beings have distinct faith and understanding, but through it, they give rise to joy and knowledge of the Buddha's conduct.

• If the mind has instability or disturbance, it is not that of the Buddha. The Buddha has no exertion and manifests in accord with beings' conditions.

• Just as a pure round mirror hanging serenely in one location reflects all things around it without any thought, discrimination, or exertion, likewise the Buddha understands and manifests in accord with sentient beings' minds without any intentionality or exertion. 

c. The Body of the Tathāgata is the Dharma-body

• All beings are established in faith and understanding by thinking on his form.

• The Tathāgata's body transcends physical states or senses, giving no rise to afflictions, and is not born or sustained in the conventional sense.

• This body is more than physical; it is the Dharma-body, free from all conceptual proliferation and without form.

• The Tathāgata's body can adapt to an observer's perspective and desires, capable of manifesting material or immaterial forms.

• Whether perceived with a form or without any marks, the Tathāgata's presence is universally accessible to all, regardless of their spiritual capabilities.(i.e. thus he manifests a physical form—duality is used as a tool to lead to non-duality).

d. Each Being sees the Same Buddha Differently

• Perception of the Tathāgata varies greatly among beings, with some perceiving him physically or non-physically, near or far, depending on their perspectives.

• The Buddha can be seen differently based on the state of an individual's mind—whether concentrated or scattered, self-observant or observing others.

• The circumstances of one's observation, whether in a dream or awake, in meditation or out of it, also influence their perception of the Tathāgata.

• Finally, the perception of the Tathāgata also depends on the nature of the observer's mindstate and the characteristics they ascribe to him, whether auspicious or inauspicious, exertive or relaxed, unified or ununified. 

e. The Dharma Body is Just like Space

• Devas of the form realm, despite their tranquil bodies and composed minds, are incapable of fully comprehending the multitude of characteristics and forms of the Tathāgata's body.

• The Tathāgata's body is like space, possessing incalculable forms and adornments, reflecting the boundless nature of the Dharma-body.

• Similar to space's omnipresence, the Tathāgata's body permeates all places and is free from conceptual limitations.

• Just as space nourishes all sentient beings without discrimination, the Tathāgata's body nurtures all beings, aligning with all characteristics and light.

• Like space, the Tathāgata's body serves as the basis for the growth of all good roots in sentient beings and is neither permanent nor impermanent, transcending verbal description. It is for this reason it is said that one cannot observe the top of a Buddha's topknot (uṣṇiṣa). 

f. A Story Illustrating the Immeasurability of the Buddha

• The Buddha relates how, after he attained awakening, a bodhisattva named Vegadhārin from an eastern world came to see the Buddha in the Sahā World, observing his immeasurably vast body and unseen uṣṇīṣa.

• Vegadhārin Bodhisattva, perplexed by the vastness of Buddha's body, attempts to calculate its height using his own supernormal powers, but even after rising upwards to numerous buddhafields, he remains unable to discern the top of his uṣṇīṣa or measure the Buddha's bodily height. 

• Upon reaching the Padmāvatī World and meeting its Buddha, Padmaśrīrājagarbha Tathāgata, Vegadhārin asks about the distance he has traversed and his inability to perceive the full extent of Śākyamuni Tathāgata's body.

• PadmaśrīrājagarbhaTathāgata replies that even with supernatural powers or countless metaphors, one would be unable to fathom Śākyamuni Tathāgata’s body height, morality, meditation, wisdom, liberation, and various other merits, which are as immeasurable as space.

• Having heard this, Vegadhārin rejoices, circumambulates PadmaśrīrājagarbhaTathāgata in homage, and receives his supernormal power in order to return to the Sahā World, acknowledging the limitless nature of Śākyamuni Tathāgata's body.

• The Teaching of the section is reiterated in verse. 

g. The Buddha's Body does not Depend on Food

• The Buddha, visible to some and revered, doesn't rely on physical food but "Dharma food". His consumption is seen as a spiritual nourishment for sentient beings, regardless of the unchanging quantity in his bowl.

• Consuming the Buddha's leftovers can bring spiritual fulfillment to sentient beings and elevate them to Nirvana and out of hell in extreme cases.

• Buddha's body is like Nārāyaṇa, indestructible, nourishing without digestion, and a source of bliss to those who touch it.

• Celestial beings, inspired by the touch and the softness of Buddha's body, aspire to attain complete awakening. The Buddha is viewed as being born free of defilement. 

h. Momentarily seeing the Tathāgata's Body Frees one of Defilements

• Seeing the Tathāgata’s body, sentient beings with various negative temperaments — greedy, hateful, dull, and so on — are transformed, shedding their flaws and developing virtuous qualities such as compassion, wisdom, and patience.

• Those with transgressions or laziness attain understanding of precepts and generate zeal, while those with scattered minds find tranquillity, and the foolish gain superior wisdom.

• Briefly witnessing the Tathāgata’s body leads all sentient beings to appreciate wholesome dharmas, repel unwholesome actions, and dissolve their polluted dharmas, resulting in a wholesome mind.

• This transformation brought by the Buddha Tathāgata's presence is part of the secret of his body.

i. The Purity of the Buddha's Bodily Activity: No Addition, Effort, or Attention

• Even as the Tathāgata conducts the activities of a Buddha, his mind does not add actions, effort, or attention. He doesn't consider himself a teacher or differentiate between himself and those he teaches.

• The Buddha's actions aim to mature sentient beings across countless worlds, known as the secret of the Tathāgata’sbody.

• The Tathāgata's body emits a vast light of countless colors, illuminating all buddha-fields in every direction and aiding the ripening of beings, without the Buddha exerting effort or attention. This is termed as the purity of bodily activity.

• These insights are just a small fraction of the secrets of the Tathāgata’sbody; explaining these in full detail would take longer than a kalpa. 

3. Śāntamati Inquires about the Secrets of the Tathāgata

• Vajrapāṇi Bodhisattva, the Great Lord of Mysteries, conveyed the unfathomable teaching of the secret of the Tathāgata’s body, leading ten thousand humans in the assembly to aspire to attain complete enlightenment, and eight thousand bodhisattvas to reach the stage of patience.

• In response, all devas and humans in the assembly showered the Buddha and Vajrapāṇi Bodhisattva with beautiful flowers.

• The Buddha, pleased with Vajrapāṇi Bodhisattva's exposition, placed his golden right arm on Vajrapāṇi Bodhisattva's head and commended him for successfully expounding the inconceivable Dharma of the Tathāgata’s body.