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50 Pacific World the visualization practices that may have been performed by those wishing to enter the first stage of the bodhisattva path. At the beginning of the Daśabhūmika-sūtra, translated by Bodhiruci, Ratnamati, and Buddhaśānta in 508, the Bodhisattva Vajragarbha (Jin’gang zang, ) enters into the samādhi known as the “radiance of the Mahāyāna” (dacheng guangming, ). When he attained this samādhi the faces of innumerable buddhas from the ten directions, all named Vajragarbha and filling all of space, appeared before him to seal his attainment. 59 Although this section of the Daśabhūmika-sūtra suggests that through this samādhi Vajragarbha attained direct realization of reality, and thus entered the stages of the bodhisattva path, the sutra itself is somewhat vague and does not link this samādhi with the attainment of a specific stage of the path. 60 The commentary on the Daśabhūmika-sūtra attributed to Vasubandhu, the Daśabhūmikavyākhyāna, also translated by Bodhiruci in 508, is not much more specific. It only notes that the word “samādhi” indicates that Vajragarbha’s attainment “is not in the realm measurable by thought” (fei siliang jingjie, ). 61 The first specific connection of the attainment of the samādhi of the radiance of the Mahāyāna with the stages of the path is found in Fazang’s (, 643–712) commentary on the Huayen Sutra (Huayan jing, ). 62 There he connects the attainment of the radiance of the Mahāyāna, the first of the four great samādhis of the Mahāyāna, with the attainment of the first four stages of the path. 63 The alignment of these four great samādhis with the ten stages of bodhisattva practice is expanded and rearranged by Chengguan (, 738–839), the self-proclaimed fourth patriarch of the Huayan lineage. 64 Although the alignment of the radiance of the Mahāyāna and the other three samādhis with particular stages of the bodhisattva path may be innovations of the Huayan lineage, these alignments at least make explicit, I think, that the attainment of the radiance of the Mahāyāna is to be equated with the attainment of the bodhisattva path. Aside from accumulating merit, receiving teachings, or obtaining rebirth in their pure lands, the importance of visualizing buddhas filling all of space may lie in the idea that, in preparing to enter the noble path (āryamārga), the practitioner meditates on a representation of that very reality that he or she expects to perceive directly in order to facilitate that direct perception. For the non-Mahāyānist this is normally a meditation on the four noble truths. After leading the meditator through a series of meditative exercises designed to help him develop proficiency in actualizing the different levels of meditative concentration (dhyāna; often referred to generally as śamatha) as well as proficiency in insight (vipaśyanā), the meditator is finally enjoined to meditate on the four noble truths. This is to prepare him for the actual direct perception of the reality of the four noble truths. This perception constitutes entry into the path of seeing (darśana-mārga) and the noble path.
Willams: Seeing through Images 51 Analogously, for those of the Ten Stages lineages, and those influenced by them in sixth-century northeastern China, meditating on the buddhas filling all of space may prepare the practitioner for the direct realization of the first stage of bodhisattva practice. Once attained the buddhas of the ten directions will then appear before you and seal your attainment. After describing certain ritual and meditative preliminaries, the meditation of the buddhas filling all of space begins with the visualization of a single Buddha image mark by mark. 65 The practitioner may construct this visualization in reverse order, proceeding from the toes to the head, or in normal order, going from the head to the toes. For example, 66 Those who are pleased to do the visualization in reverse should visualize from the toes of the image and proceed successively upwards. First visualize the toes. Fix your mind and make it focused, passing seven days having the toes of the Buddha as support. Whether your eyes are closed or your eyes are open make it so that you clearly and distinctly see the toes of the golden image. Then gradually, next, visualize the upper portions of both feet making it so that they are seen clearly and distinctly. Next visualize the leg 67 as that of the king of the deer. After the mind has become focused [on this], next proceed successively up to the uṣṇīṣa, 68 and from the uṣṇīṣa visualize the face. Should this not be completely clear then again repent, redoubling your hard probing of yourself. When your precepts have become pure, you will see the face of the Buddha image clearly and distinctly distinguished like a likeness in a golden mirror. After you have performed this visualization, visualize the fine hairs between the eyebrows as pearls of rock crystal curling to the right. When this mark has become manifest, you will see the Buddha’s eyes and eyebrows as if they had been painted by a divine painter. After you have seen this thing, visualize the radiance of the forehead, making it distinct and totally clear. The mass of marks done this way is called a “reverse visualization.” 蘻 Since this passage summarizes the basic process to be used when visualizing these marks, few of the thirty-two major marks of the Buddha are actually
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