大般若波羅蜜多經般若理趣分述讚 2.35

2.35

Commentary: From here down he states its meaning. Within this there are two parts: first, he explains its meaning; next, he explains the reason. If according to Bhāviveka, conventionally there may be existence, but in the ultimate truth all is empty; here the correct meaning is stated to be empty and quiescent. If according to Dharmapāla, one should follow the explanation below. In explaining the meaning, altogether forty-one phrases and meanings explain the bodhisattva's phrase and meaning. These are further divided into two: first, there are ten gates clarifying the pure phrases and meanings of the bodhisattva's fruit of cultivation to reveal all the bodhisattva's phrases and meanings; later, from 'the form aggregate is empty and quiescent' onward, thirty-one gates, based on the intrinsic nature of all phenomena and the pure phrases and meanings of their being empty and quiescent, reveal all the bodhisattva's phrases and meanings. Within the first ten gates clarifying the pure phrases and meanings of the bodhisattva's fruit of cultivation to reveal the bodhisattva's phrases and meanings, they are further divided into five. Now, the bodhisattva's cultivation is briefly of five kinds: namely, collective cultivation, signless cultivation, effortless cultivation, blazing cultivation, and non-contented cultivation. Gathering all together into one aggregate for concise cultivation—a beginner eliminating all evils, cultivating all goods, and delivering all living beings; or contemplating everything as a skeleton and so forth, or contemplating this body from head to foot as nothing but pus and blood—is called 'collective cultivation'. Because one eliminates specific distinctions of phenomena within the true realm of reality free from the ten marks to cultivate, it is called 'signless cultivation'. One who cultivates gradually should contemplate signlessness; to make this cultivation mature, sovereign, not relying on exertion, and spontaneously manifesting, is called 'effortless cultivation'. Although it is effortless, cultivation has superior and inferior degrees; to make it increase and become superior, 'blazing cultivation' is spoken of. Or, though blazing, it is feared that one might be satisfied with attaining a little, saying: 'For now let me cultivate this; what use is the rest?' To keep one from weariness all the way to awakening, it is called 'non-contented cultivation'. Now, to reveal the bodhisattva's attainment of the transformation of the basis: prior to the grounds it is called the transformation of increasing power and decreasing capability; by cultivating shame and resolute conviction, one increases the power of the noble path and decreases the capability of the two obscurations, and can also partially attain the fruits of the five cultivations; on the ten grounds one directly realizes and directly practices the five cultivations. Now, these ten phrases reveal the fruits of the five cultivations, which will be understood when reaching the text. This is the first, 'conforming to the pure portion': nonconceptual, signless current manifestation of the future Buddha-fruit is called the 'pure portion'. Since this can lead to that, it is called 'conforming'. Like the Buddha or a wheel-turning king's immaculate white canopy and so forth, it is a nonconceptual, signless current manifestation. Through attaining this conforming to the pure portion, because of nonconceptuality one awakens to supreme bliss, which is uncontaminated wisdom. It is directly realized on the grounds, and partially attained prior to the grounds. If there is conceptual discrimination, it does not conform to the pure portion, and one obtains bitter, evil fruits. Now, being nonconceptual, it conforms to the pure portion; therefore there is supreme bliss, bitter fruits are forever absent, and one contacts signless bliss. This supreme bliss is not induced by conceptual discrimination; hence it is called 'pure'. The phrase that expresses this, and what is expressed by this phrase, is precisely the bodhisattva's phrase and meaning. What expresses and discriminates hearing and practicing is just this. The bodhisattva's phrases and meanings expounded in the text below should all be understood by this rule, and will not be explained repeatedly.