大般若波羅蜜多經般若理趣分述讚 3.219

3.219

The commentary says: The above clarified that even a single phrase or word still requires prior causes; this clarifies that from beginning to end, one therefore relies on many practices. The four requirements provided together are called 'making offerings'; devout service with the three modes of karma establishes the name 'respect'; bearing upon the crown of the head with earnestness is further called 'venerating'; speaking of it beforehand unceasingly is also called 'praising'. 'Ganges' (Gaṅgā) is the name of the river goddess; 'equal to' means resembling, the number of buddhas being equal and resembling the sands. In this river there is pure sand without stones, just like the Wei River today which has no stones, only sand. A koṭi is ten million, and a nayuta is one hundred million. One grain of sand stands for one koṭi of nayutas; the buddhas require one to have made offerings to buddhas equal to eighty Ganges sands of tens of millions of hundreds of millions, before one can fully hear this profound sūtra. Otherwise, none can fully hear its profound meaning. Because the profound principle of the sūtra is not what inferior wisdom and base fools can know, it therefore requires a great cause. Now we have cultivated and encountered it; how joyful it is that today we fortunately meet these numinous words!