金剛般若疏 2.5.5

2.5.5

Although universally delivering sentient beings, if one universally gives sentient beings the happiness of humans and gods, it is called the lower mind; if one universally gives sentient beings the happiness of the two vehicles, it is called the middling mind; now, universally giving sentient beings the happiness of great nirvāṇa is called the supreme mind. Although the bodhisattva universally gives sentient beings the happiness of great nirvāṇa, at times they may take rest: the path of saṃsāra is long, and the natures of sentient beings are manifold—how could one universally deliver them and cause them to attain constant happiness? Therefore, toward saṃsāra they give rise to a mind of weariness and disgust. Now it clarifies that the limit of saṃsāra is like space, and the limit of the nature of sentient beings is also like space; within this there is no coming and going in saṃsāra, nor are there any who are liberated. Therefore, the bodhisattva is able to constantly deliver sentient beings, instructing without weariness; this is called the constant mind. Although delivering sentient beings, one does not see any sentient beings that can be delivered; this is called the bodhisattva's non-inverted mind. Because one establishes these four minds, abides in the bodhisattva path, and attains great benefit, the treatise says: "Abiding in the profound mind of benefiting." Therefore, when one establishes these four minds, the bodhicitta is perfected; hence the treatise says: "The merits of this vehicle are perfected." Although there are four minds, they do not go beyond compassion and prajñā: the first three are the mind of compassion, and the last one is the mind of prajñā; the former is merit, and the latter is wisdom; the former is also skillful means, and the latter is called real wisdom. Therefore, in bringing forth the mind, one is endowed with blessings and wisdom, and is also endowed with the two wisdoms. As the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: "Bringing forth the mind and the ultimate [attainment] are not two or different." If compared with Kaishan's position, the emptiness of nominal designation is merely the empty mind, attaining only one of the four, and between the two wisdoms it attains only the purport of real wisdom. Question: Why is it called the vast mind? Answer: From "all classes of sentient beings" down to "neither with thought nor without thought", it universally gathers sentient beings; this is called the vast mind. Here there are two sentences: "all classes of sentient beings" universally gathers sentient beings. From "if egg-born" down, there are three sentences that separately gather sentient beings. The first sentence gathers sentient beings through one approach, namely the approach of the single [category of] birth; the second gathers sentient beings through the two approaches of with-form and formless: the desire and form realms are called with-form, and the single formless realm is called formless. The third gathers sentient beings through three approaches: "without thought" is the Heaven of Thoughtlessness in the fourth dhyāna of the form realm; "neither with thought nor without thought" is the final heaven of the formless realm; the single phrase "with thought" excludes the above two places and pervades the three realms. Question: Why not gather sentient beings through the six destinies? Answer: The six destinies do not gather the intermediate existence (antarābhava), whereas the four kinds of births gather everything; hence [it is used]. "I will cause them all to enter anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa"—from here down is the second, clarifying the supreme mind. Saying "without remainder" (anupadhiśeṣa) here is not the ash-body and extinguished-wisdom of Hīnayāna anupadhiśeṣa; this means there is no burden that is not exhausted, with no further remaining burdens, and there is no virtue that is not perfected, with no further remaining virtues; hence it is called "without remainder". Question: This is the doctrinal purport of the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra]; how can it explain the text of Prajñā? Answer: One who poses this question follows the doctrinal purport of the five periods, not the statements of the sūtras and treatises. The Prajñā Treatise says: "This sūtra directly distinguishes the unconditioned dharmakāya." What difference is there between this and the Mahāparinirvāṇa? "Having thus delivered immeasurable and boundless sentient beings"—from here down is the third, named the constant mind. Question: The Prajñā Treatise says: "Not seeing sentient beings as different from the bodhisattva, and never departing from this mind, is named the constant mind." What is the meaning of this? Answer: Now, in speaking of the constant mind, there can be two meanings: first, never departing from the mind of correct contemplation is named the constant mind; that is the intention of the treatise that one does not see sentient beings as different from the bodhisattva, and does not see the bodhisattva as different from sentient beings, so that both sentient beings and the bodhisattva are ultimately pure—constantly practicing this contemplation is named the constant mind. Second, through the mind of correct contemplation, one constantly delivers sentient beings without ceasing or resting; this is named the constant mind. Why is this? From "If a bodhisattva has the mark of a self" down is the fourth, clarifying the non-inverted mind. Although constantly delivering sentient beings, there are no sentient beings that can be delivered; this is named non-inverted. If one sees that there are sentient beings, this is the view of self. An ordinary being cannot even deliver themselves; how could they deliver others?