24. Tathāgatamudrā
How then, son of good family, does the bodhisatva become skilled in knowing suchness without any differentiation (tathatāvinirbhāgajñānakuśala) as sealed with the seal of the tathāgata (tathāgatamudrāmudrita)?
With regard to what we called ‘being sealed with the seal of the tathāgata (tathāgatamudrāmudrita),’ suchness without any differentiation (tathatāvinirbhāga) is the seal, and it is without distinction, activity (apravṛtti), attachment (abhiniveśa), agitating, or being agitated, and thus it cannot be shaken (na kampayituṃ śakyate) by the world with its gods, humans, or anti-gods (sadevamānuṣāsureṇa lokena).
Why? The world with its gods, humans and anti-gods is indeed sealed with that seal,
and the seal of the tathāgata is the seal which is unoriginated, empty (śūnyatā), signless (animitta), wishless (apraṇihita), unconditioned (asaṃskṛta), free from desire (virāga), just as it is (tathatā), the limit of reality (bhūtakoṭi), and open space (gagana).
Just as the seal in the empty space (gaganamudrā) does not appear, the seal of the tathāgata does not appear to even the five kinds of sight as it is sealed by the seal having its own essential character (svalakṣaṇamudrāmudrita).
All the explanations about the dharma and the pertaining conventions (dharmavyavahāra) given by the tathāgata are sealed with the seal of the tathāgata in that way.
Among them, those which pertain to the sphere of consciousness establish the dharma;
but those which are not established in consciousness do not establish any dharma, and do not differentiate between any dharma;
those which are sealed with the seal of the tathāgata do not differentiate suchness (tathatā).
What then is the differentiation of suchness (nānātathatā)?
It is those which differentiate (kalpayanti) the dharmas of superior, mediocre, and inferior (hīnamadhyaviśiṣṭa),
those, which do not construct any dharma and do not make any differentiation, do not differentiate suchness,
and, no matter how many things are imagined and constructed (kalpitavikalpita), they do not differentiate suchness.
Just like all living beings wander about in empty space, the sphere of empty space (gaganadhātu) is not connected with them, in that way, all living beings wander about in suchness, but they do not tarnish suchness.
And here, the bodhisatva who can understand such dharmas is sealed with the seal of the tathāgata, and he does not tarnish suchness.
rigs kyi bu de la ji ltar na byaṅ chub sems dpa’ de bźin gśegs pa’i phyag rgyas btab pas | de bźin ñid dbyer med pa śes pa la mkhas pa yin źe na |
de bźin gśegs pa’i phyag rgyas btab pa źes bya ba la de bźin ñid dbyer med pa de ni phyag rgya (5) ste | phye ba med pa | ’jug pa med pa | mṅon par źe na pa med pa | mi bskyod pa | bskyod par bya ba ma yin pa ste | lha daṅ mi daṅ lha ma yin du bcas pa’i ’jig rten gyis bskyod par mi nus so ||
de ci’i phyir źe na | lha daṅ mi daṅ lha ma yin du bcas pa’i ’jig rten (6) ni phyag rgya des btab pa ñid do ||
de bźin gśegs pa’i phyag rgya de ni śin tu mi skye ba’i phyag rgya | śin tu stoṅ pa ñid kyi phyag rgya | śin tu mtshan ma med pa’i phyag rgya | śin tu smon pa med pa’i phyag rgya | śin tu ’dus ma byas pa’i phyag rgya | śin tu ’dod chags (7) daṅ bral ba’i phyag rgya | śin tu de bźin ñid kyi phyag rgya | śin tu yaṅ dag pa’i mtha’i phyag rgya | śin tu nam mkha’i phyag rgya ste |
dper na nam mkha’ phyag rgya mi snaṅ ba de bźin du de bźin gśegs pa’i phyag rgya de yaṅ spyan lṅa la mi snaṅ ste raṅ gi mtshan ñid kyi phyag (271b1) rgyas btab ba’o ||
de bźin gśegs pas chos kyi tha sñad ji sñed du ’dogs pa de dag thams cad ni de bźin gśegs pa’i phyag rgyas btaṅ ba de bźin du tha sñad ’dogs so ||
de la gaṅ dag rnam par śes pa’i spyod yul ba de dag ni chos rnam par ’jog par byed do ||
gaṅ dag rnam (2) par śes pa la mi gnas pa de dag ni chos rnam par ’jog par mi byed | chos tha dad du mi byed do ||
de dag de bźin gśegs pa’i phyag rgyas btab bas na de dag de bźin ñid ’byed par mi byed do ||
de la de bźin ñid tha dad pa gaṅ źe na |
gaṅ dag tha ma daṅ ’briṅ daṅ rab kyi chos (3) rnams su rnam par rtog pa’o ||
gaṅ dag chos thams cad la mi rtog ciṅ rnam par mi rtog pa de dag ni de bźin ñid tha dad mi byed do ||
gaṅ ji sñed maṅ por brtags śiṅ rnam par brtags kyaṅ de bźin ñid dbye bar mi nus te |
dper na sems can thams cad ni nam mkha’ la (4) rnam par rgyu yaṅ nam mkha’i khams ni ’brel par mi byed do || de bźin du sems can thams cad de bźin ñid la rnam par rgyu yaṅ de bźin ñid ni ’dres par mi byed do ||
gaṅ ’dir de lta bu’i chos rnams śes pa’i byaṅ chub sems dpa’ de lta bu ni de bźin gśegs pa’i phyag (5) rgyas btab pa yin te | de bźin ñid kyaṅ ’dres par mi byed do ||