大般若波羅蜜多經般若理趣分述讚 2.19

2.19

The Commentary says: Below, this is fifth, the faculties reached by the teaching. Now, in this sūtra, [the audience] actually encompasses both ordinary beings and noble ones, as a later section of the sūtra states: 'Vajrapāṇi and the other great bodhisattvas, as well as the host of gods and others, upon hearing what the Buddha spoke, faithfully accepted and carried it out.' Vajrapāṇi and the others are the assembly of noble ones; the host of gods and others are the assembly of ordinary beings. Thus we know that in this gathering, both ordinary beings and noble ones assembled together. Furthermore, based on the place of transformation being in the Palace of Paranirmitavaśavartin, it shows that he resides in a transformation land. In principle, a heavenly palace is not a pure land. If one judges by the great bodhisattvas of the ten grounds, then the place of transformation should not be described as a heavenly palace; from this, both the persons and the place can be known by mutual implication. Describing the place as a heavenly palace reveals that ordinary beings all dwell in an impure land; designating the assembly as bodhisattvas clarifies that the great beings all dwell in a pure realm. Yet the traces of the teaching are profound and obscure, beyond the fathoming of the foolish; thus it merely mentions bodhisattvas to correspond to this shared faculty. For the place of transformation, it selects the superior and speaks of a heavenly palace; for the listening assembly, it designates the venerable and speaks only of bodhisattvas: in principle, both are encompassed. Furthermore, the dharma gate is profound and only reaches persons of the One Vehicle, and the profound doctrine is vast, thus shutting out the assembly of the two vehicles. Within this section on the faculties reached, the textual movement has four parts: first, citing the number; second, detailing the virtues; third, listing the names; and fourth, displaying the deportment. This [sentence] cites the number. 'Together with' (yǔ) has the meaning of combining, uniting, and assembling. One hundred thousand is an yì; eighty yì is eight million. As for the term 'great' (mahā), it has roughly four meanings: first, greatness in number, because an assembly of eight million bodhisattvas gathered to hear the Dharma; second, greatness in virtue, because all possess the great virtues such as dhāraṇīs; third, greatness in action, because all are fully endowed with marvelous eloquence to expound the Dharma and benefit sentient beings; fourth, greatness in renown, because they have full renown on the ten grounds, such as Vajrapāṇi and the others. 'Bodhisattvas together' reveals that the teaching is profound and wondrous, reaching only superior faculties, desiring to enable sentient beings to attain the rare Dharma, so that with diligence and thirsting reverence they may faithfully accept and carry it out.