金剛般若疏 1.12

1.12

二、釋金剛。問曰：金剛為是譬名、為是法名？答曰：有人言：金剛是譬，如世間中金剛寶堅而且利，譬於波若體堅用利。今謂不然。所以者何？汝於法譬生二見，故謂金剛但譬而非法、波若但法而非譬，則譬礙於法，不得以譬為法；法礙於譬，不得以法為譬。復次若言借世金剛喻般若者，亦應借世智慧以譬般若。若言般若自有智慧，非世間智慧，亦應自有金剛，非世間金剛也。復次若言金剛是譬喻者，摩訶之名亦應是譬喻。若言般若廣大體是摩訶，亦應般若堅利體是金剛。問：汝今何故作如此難？答：波若名為真實之法，無所依止，不可言大、不可言小，不可言法、不可言譬，過一切語言、滅一切觀行。今非小大，歎美為大；非金剛非不金剛，歎美為金剛。非小非大，寄大以宣之；大既是法，非金剛非不金剛，寄金剛以宣之，金剛亦得是法。借金剛以目之，金剛既是譬；寄大以目之，大亦是譬。故以譬言之，一切皆是譬；以法言之，一切皆是法。復次金剛是譬，般若是法，金剛是喻，非喻為喻，所喻之理非理為理。非理為理，雖理而事；非喻為喻，雖事而理。雖理而事，故知非理；雖事而理，故知非事。是以般若未曾理事，但無名相中假名相說，故金剛為事，般若為理。此是不二二義，為眾生故，假名相說二，豈定二耶？問：云何是金剛耶？答曰：《大智論》云「外國名越闍，此言金剛」，又《華嚴經》云「斫家羅，此翻金剛圍山」，又舊相傳直云「跋闍羅」，真諦三藏云「跋闍羅侈（臺履反）迦（居伽反）」。問曰：舊翻跋闍羅為金剛，出何處文？答：《賢愚經》第二卷，波斯匿王醜女，名跋闍羅，晉言金剛。問曰：汝以金剛喻般若者，此有何義？答曰：如世間寶，金剛第一；出世間寶，般若第一。復次如金剛寶，一切世人不能秤價；般若法寶所有所生功德，一切世人不能秤量。復次如金剛寶，若置山頂及在平地，直過無礙，到金剛際，同性乃住。般若金剛亦復如是，置福山頂，若罪平地直過無礙，到諸法實相，非罪非福、非有非無，同性乃住。復次如世金剛寶照徹清淨，故羅什云：方寸金剛照數十里，物皆映現。般若亦爾，照實相水，明了清淨。復次如金剛寶，除那羅延，一切眾生不能執持；般若亦爾，除信悟無依無得大力觀人，若樂小法及著見眾生，不能信持。如經說「為發大乘者說、為發最上乘者說」，若樂小法者及著諸見，不能信持。復次譬如丈夫食小金剛，終身不銷；波若亦爾，若能了悟不可朽滅，必得作佛。復次若有眾生得金剛寶，遠離一切貧窮困苦，受諸安樂；若得般若，離生死苦，得大涅槃。復次如金剛寶所在之處，能銷惡鬼及諸蠱毒；般若亦爾，所在之處，天魔外道惡鬼不能得其便。復次如金剛寶，悉摧破一切諸物，而是金剛無有折損；般若亦爾，悉能摧破一切煩惱而無折損。復次金剛，一切諸物不能摧破；般若亦爾，一切論者及諸煩惱不能摧破。復次如金剛寶，若在日中，色則不定；般若亦爾，在大眾中亦復不定，或說名因、或說名果，在小心人中則名為小、在大心人中則名為大，在境名境、在智名智，而是般若無一定相，故偈云「般若是一法，佛說種種名，隨諸眾生力，為之立異字。」復次如金剛寶，雖有如此種種勝用，未嘗有心，自言我勝；般若亦爾，雖有無量種種功德，而未當有心，是故般若不可思議。問：金剛出何處？答：《毘婆沙》云「如從鑛出金，從金出金剛」，故知金中之精名金剛。問：金剛與天如意珠，云何同異？答：《大智論》云「帝釋手執金剛與修羅鬪，碎落閻浮提，變成如意珠」，《毘婆沙》云「金剛能破頗梨山及如意珠」，故知異也。復次，此明般若與金剛同，而是般若超絕金剛，非可譬喻。金剛是世間物；般若非世間。金剛失之則憂之、得之則喜；得般若者無憂無喜。金剛是無知之物；般若無知、無所不知，無量功德，今略說而已。復次，有人言：聲聞法中，從假名空終至羅漢，通名金剛；菩薩法中，從三十心終至佛慧，通名金剛。若別而為論，從初地以去終至佛慧，始名真金剛。所以者何？而三十心人但是學妄、未得真妄，但是伏惑、未能斷惑，相由入體，所以未得秤真金剛也，亦得相從名金剛。初地以去得於真妄解，正能斷惑，相不入體，是真金剛。舊以窮學之心喻金剛者，約開善義，伏惑既周，又無明元品之惑此最難伏，唯是窮學之心而能伏之，故至佛果起佛智斷之。以是義故，窮學之心名曰金剛。復次，有人言：窮學之心正能斷惑，故名金剛。如此等說竝言有惑之可斷、有解之能斷，以是義故名有所得。有所得故不能斷惑、無有金剛。如經中說：有所得者，不從一地至一地。復次，汝言未斷惑時有惑無解，斷惑之時有解無惑。此則惑是本有而今無、解是本無而今有，是生滅觀。如經中說諸法本有今無，又言「若諸法前有後無，諸佛菩薩則有罪過。」今所明者，知惑本不有、今亦不無，解本不無、今亦不有，是故諸法不有不無、不生不滅，非縛非解、無觀無緣，乃名般若。問曰：若如是者，云何經言「一念相應慧，斷煩惱及習」？答：若見有生滅，則不能斷；以了諸法不解不惑、非斷不斷，故煩惱斷也。問：金剛但喻般若，亦喻餘法？答：借金剛種種喻，《大經》以喻法身云金剛身，又喻三昧云金剛三昧，此喻定為金剛也；今喻智慧名金剛也。問：金剛是天上寶，是人中寶耶？答：人天具有，如轉輪王金輪，是金剛寶故，所擬皆碎。帝釋執金剛與修羅鬪，即是天上寶也。

Second, explaining "vajra". Question: Is "vajra" a metaphorical name, or is it a doctrinal name? Answer: Some say that vajra is a metaphor, just as in the worldly realm the vajra-gem is hard and sharp, serving as a metaphor for prajñā's essence being firm and its function being sharp. Now I say this is not so. Why? Because you generate a dualistic view regarding doctrine and metaphor, claiming that vajra is merely a metaphor and not a doctrine, and that prajñā is merely a doctrine and not a metaphor. Thus the metaphor obstructs the doctrine, preventing the metaphor from being the doctrine; and the doctrine obstructs the metaphor, preventing the doctrine from being the metaphor. Furthermore, if you say that worldly vajra is borrowed to illustrate prajñā, then worldly wisdom should also be borrowed to illustrate prajñā. If you say that prajñā possesses its own wisdom, which is not worldly wisdom, then it should also possess its own vajra, which is not worldly vajra. Furthermore, if you say that vajra is a metaphor, the designation mahā should also be a metaphor. If you say that prajñā is vast and its essence is mahā, then prajñā is firm and sharp and its essence should be vajra. Question: Why do you now raise such an objection? Answer: Prajñā is termed the real and true dharma; it has nothing to rely upon. It cannot be called great, nor can it be called small; it cannot be called doctrine, nor can it be called metaphor; it transcends all speech and extinguishes all contemplation. Now, though neither small nor great, it is praised as great; though neither vajra nor non-vajra, it is praised as vajra. Being neither small nor great, the "great" is borrowed to proclaim it; since the "great" is already a doctrine, and being neither vajra nor non-vajra, the "vajra" is borrowed to proclaim it, so vajra may also be a doctrine. Borrowing vajra to designate it, vajra is already a metaphor; borrowing the "great" to designate it, the "great" is also a metaphor. Therefore, speaking from the perspective of metaphor, all are metaphors; speaking from the perspective of doctrine, all are doctrines. Furthermore, vajra is the metaphor and prajñā is the doctrine; vajra is the illustration—non-illustration acting as illustration—and the principle illustrated is non-principle acting as principle. Non-principle acting as principle: though principle, it is concrete fact. Non-illustration acting as illustration: though concrete fact, it is principle. Though principle, it is concrete fact; thus one knows it is non-principle. Though concrete fact, it is principle; thus one knows it is non-fact. Therefore, prajñā was never either principle or concrete fact; it is only within the absence of names and marks that names and marks are provisionally spoken. Thus vajra is concrete fact, and prajñā is principle. This is the two senses of non-duality: for the sake of sentient beings, two are provisionally designated with names and marks; how could there be a definite duality? Question: What is this vajra? Answer: The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says, "In foreign lands it is called yue-she (vajra), which here means vajra." Moreover, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says, "Zhuojialuo (cakravāḍa), translated here as the Iron Enclosing Mountains (Vajra-cakravāḍa)." Again, traditional transmission simply says bajieluo (vajra), while Tripiṭaka Master Paramārtha says bajieluochijia (vajracchedikā). Question: In what text does the old translation of bajieluo as vajra appear? Answer: In the second fascicle of the Xianyu jing (Damamūka-nidāna Sūtra), King Prasenajit's ugly daughter was named Bajieluo, which in the language of Jin is Vajra. Question: You take vajra as a metaphor for prajñā; what meaning does this have? Answer: Just as among worldly treasures, vajra is supreme, so among supramundane treasures, prajñā is supreme. Furthermore, just as all worldly people cannot appraise the value of the vajra-gem, so all worldly people cannot measure the merits possessed and produced by the Dharma-treasure of prajñā. Furthermore, just as the vajra-gem, whether placed on a mountain peak or on flat ground, passes straight through unobstructed until reaching the vajra-boundary, halting only when meeting its own nature, so too is the vajra of prajñā: placed on the mountain peak of merit or on the flat ground of sin, it passes straight through unobstructed until reaching the dharmatā of all dharmas, which is neither sin nor merit, neither existence nor non-existence, halting only when meeting its own nature. Furthermore, just as the worldly vajra-gem shines completely through with clarity and purity—as Kumārajīva said, a square-inch vajra illuminates tens of miles, and all things are reflected within it—prajñā is also like this, illuminating the water of dharmatā, clear and completely pure. Furthermore, just as no sentient being except Nārāyaṇa can wield the vajra-gem, prajñā is also like this: except for people of great contemplative power who have faith in and awakening to non-reliance and non-apprehension, sentient beings who delight in lesser teachings and cling to views cannot faithfully uphold it. As the sūtra says: "It is spoken for those who arouse the Mahāyāna; it is spoken for those who arouse the supreme vehicle." Those who delight in lesser teachings and cling to various views cannot faithfully uphold it. Furthermore, just as a man who ingests a small piece of vajra will not digest it for the rest of his life, prajñā is also like this: if one can achieve awakening to it, it can never decay or be destroyed, and one will certainly become a Buddha. Furthermore, if sentient beings obtain the vajra-gem, they leave behind all poverty, distress, and suffering, and receive all peace and joy; if they obtain prajñā, they leave behind the suffering of saṃsāra and attain great nirvāṇa. Furthermore, wherever the vajra-gem resides, it can dispel evil spirits and all sorcery poisons; prajñā is also like this: wherever it resides, heavenly Māras, non-Buddhists, and evil spirits cannot take advantage of it. Furthermore, just as the vajra-gem shatters all things while the vajra itself suffers no damage, prajñā is also like this: it can shatter all afflictions without suffering damage. Furthermore, just as nothing can shatter a vajra, prajñā is also like this: no disputants or afflictions can shatter it. Furthermore, just as the color of a vajra-gem is unfixed in the sunlight, prajñā is also like this: among the great assembly it is also unfixed, sometimes called cause and sometimes called fruition; among small-minded people it is called small, and among great-minded people it is called great; in the object it is called object, and in the wisdom it is called wisdom; yet this prajñā has no fixed lakṣaṇa. Hence the verse says: / Prajñā is a single dharma; / The Buddha speaks of it with various names, / According to the capacities of sentient beings, / Establishing distinct words for it. / Furthermore, just as the vajra-gem, though having such various superior functions, never has the intention to say of itself, "I am superior," prajñā is also like this: though having immeasurable various merits, it never has such an intention; therefore prajñā is inconceivable. Question: Where does vajra come from? Answer: The Vibhāṣā says, "Just as gold comes from ore, vajra comes from gold." Thus we know that the essence within gold is called vajra. Question: How are vajra and the heavenly wish-fulfilling jewel the same and different? Answer: The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says, "Śakra held a vajra in his hand to fight the asuras; broken fragments fell onto Jambudvīpa and turned into wish-fulfilling jewels." The Vibhāṣā says, "Vajra can shatter crystal mountains and wish-fulfilling jewels." Thus we know they are different. Furthermore, this explains that prajñā is identical with vajra, and yet prajñā transcends vajra and cannot be illustrated by metaphor. Vajra is a worldly thing; prajñā is supramundane. If one loses vajra, one grieves; if one obtains it, one rejoices. One who attains prajñā has neither grief nor joy. Vajra is an insentient thing; prajñā is without knowing, yet there is nothing it does not know, possessing immeasurable virtues—here explained only briefly. Furthermore, some say: in the śrāvaka Dharma, from provisional designations and emptiness up through the arhat, all are generally called vajra; in the bodhisattva Dharma, from the thirty stages of mind up through Buddha-wisdom, all are generally called vajra. If distinguished individually, from the first bhūmi upward through Buddha-wisdom, only then is it called the true vajra. Why? Because people of the thirty stages of mind only study delusion and have not yet attained true delusion; they only suppress afflictions and cannot yet sever afflictions; marks still enter the essence, so they cannot yet be weighed as true vajra, though following along they may also be called vajra. From the first bhūmi upward, they attain the understanding of true delusion and can correctly sever afflictions; marks do not enter the essence, so this is the true vajra. Formerly, taking the mind that exhausts training to illustrate vajra was based on Kaishan's doctrine: the suppression of afflictions being complete, there is also the fundamental affliction of ignorance, which is the most difficult to suppress; only the mind that exhausts training can suppress it, and therefore upon reaching the Buddha fruition, Buddha-wisdom arises to sever it. For this reason, the mind that exhausts training is called vajra. Furthermore, some say: the mind that exhausts training can correctly sever afflictions, and is therefore called vajra. Such explanations all assert that there are afflictions that can be severed and an understanding that can sever them; for this reason they are called apprehension. Because of apprehension, one cannot sever afflictions, and there is no vajra. As stated in the sūtra: those who possess apprehension do not proceed from one bhūmi to another bhūmi. Furthermore, you say that before severing afflictions there are afflictions and no understanding, and at the time of severing afflictions there is understanding and no afflictions. This means that afflictions originally existed and now do not, and understanding originally did not exist and now does; this is the view of arising and ceasing. As the sūtra states, all dharmas originally exist and now do not; and it also says, "If all dharmas previously existed and subsequently do not, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas would incur transgression." What is clarified now is knowing that afflictions originally do not exist and now are not non-existent; understanding originally is not non-existent and now does not exist. Therefore, all dharmas are neither existent nor non-existent, neither arising nor ceasing, neither bound nor liberated, without contemplation and without cognitive objects: only this is called prajñā. Question: If it is so, why does the sūtra say, "Wisdom corresponding in a single thought-moment severs afflictions and their residual impressions"? Answer: If one perceives arising and ceasing, one cannot sever them; by understanding that all dharmas are neither understanding nor affliction, neither severed nor unsevered, afflictions are therefore severed. Question: Does vajra only illustrate prajñā, or does it also illustrate other dharmas? Answer: Vajra is borrowed for various metaphors: the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra uses it to illustrate the dharmakāya, calling it the vajra-body, and also uses it to illustrate samādhi, calling it vajrasamādhi—this illustrates meditative concentration as vajra; here it illustrates wisdom, called vajra. Question: Is vajra a treasure of the heavens, or a treasure among humans? Answer: Both humans and devas possess it. Just as a cakravartin's gold wheel is a vajra-gem, whatever it points at is shattered. Śakra holding a vajra to fight the asuras is a treasure of the heavens.