金剛般若疏 1.16

1.16

Seventh, determining transmission and translation. Question: The postscript to the Mahākāruṇikā-bhikṣuṇī-pūrvapraṇidhāna Sūtra says that the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā originally had eight fascicles, and now there is only one chapter, 'Appraising the Merit'. What of this? Answer: In principle, it should not be so. Why? This one-fascicle sūtra has translations by three people: First, Dharma Master Kumārajīva, in the fourth year of Hongshi, accurately translated one fascicle at the Xiaoyao Garden. If there were eight fascicles, why did he not translate them? Second, the Tripiṭaka Master Bodhiruci retranslated it in this land; the sūtra together with the commentary comprise three fascicles, and the sūtra additionally has a section on the faithful, while the commentary thoroughly explains the matter and principle from beginning to end—at the beginning it explains the origin and the meaning of taking refuge and revering, and at the end it demonstrates the merit of rejoicing in accord and praising. If there were eight fascicles, for what reason would it only explain one chapter? Third, the Tripiṭaka Master Paramārtha retranslated this sūtra south of the Ranges; the text is concise and the meaning expansive, and he did not say there were eight fascicles. Moreover, this sūtra is fully equipped with the three divisions—preface, core text, and transmission; how could one say it is only a single chapter? Question: The postscript to the Mahākāruṇikā-bhikṣuṇī-pūrvapraṇidhāna Sūtra also says: 'First he preached the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā, and the Aṣṭasāhasrikā came out of it; later he preached the Guangzan, and the Daoxing came out of it.' What of this? Answer: This is also not so. The Daoxing is simply another name for the Aṣṭasāhasrikā. The *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa first lists Guangzan, Fangguang, and Daoxing, and later lists Aṣṭasāhasrikā (Xiaopin), Fangguang, and Guangzan; thus we know that Xiaopin is just another name for Daoxing. Master Sengrui's 'Preface to the Xiaopin' states: 'This sūtra has thirty chapters, connected throughout by the Way (dao), hence it is called Daoxing.' One should know that Daoxing is simply the Xiaopin.