金剛般若經疏論纂要 1

English (machine translation) 1

Language: English

1.1

Composed by Śramaṇa Zongmi of Daxingfu Monastery in the capital.

1.2

Revised and determined by Śramaṇa Zixuan of Changshui.

The mirror-mind is fundamentally pure, and forms and appearances are originally empty; yet dreaming consciousness has no beginning, and objective realms come to exist. Consequently, delusions and karmas are repeated and reinforced, retribution wheels round in cycles, and across kalpas as numerous as dust and sand it never ceases. Therefore our fully and purely Awakened One manifested his marks among humans, first expounding the causes and conditions of arising and ceasing so as to bring about the realization of suffering, origination, cessation, and the path. Although grasping at self was eliminated, emptiness of dharmas was not yet realized; wishing to extinguish the very roots of the disease, he then expounded prajñā. When mind and realm both vanish, that is the true mind; when defilement and purity are both extinguished, all is pure. Three thousand auspicious omens shone brilliantly, and sixteen assemblies were made manifest; that which is transmitted now is the ninth assembly. Its sentences and verses are concise and abbreviated, its doctrinal purport deep and subtle: its wisdom penetrates the three emptinesses, its generosity encompasses the myriad practices; abiding in eighteen stations, it secretly indicates the stages of advancement; severing twenty-seven doubts, it latently connects the doctrinal lineage. If one does not first discard the discards, how can one accord with tathatā? Thus, though one is spurred to cultivation, from beginning to end there are no characteristics. Because of this, both teaching and principle are esoteric, and practice and fruit are alike profound, so that those chanting it with their mouths are as many as cow hairs, while those who comprehend it in their minds are as rare as unicorn horns. Some match it to names and characteristics, clinging to phenomena and running counter to the ultimate principle; or others merely speak of the One Reality, looking toward the source while losing sight of its streams; as for the rest, their arbitrary discussions and subjective commentaries are not even worth addressing. That treasures as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, or giving up body and life across the three periods of the day, do not match it in metaphor—how could this be in vain?

1.4

Furthermore, Vasubandhu and Asaṅga took the Honoured One who will succeed the Buddha as their master; how could later scholars harbor doubt, or add to or discard [their teachings]? Therefore, what is expounded now does not attack differing views: the commentary is based on the treatises, just as the milk did not come from within the city walls. The meaning of the title 'Compilation of Essentials' and the sūtra title will be explained immediately below; there is no need to speak of them in advance.

1.5

I bow my head to Muni, the Great Awakened Honoured One,
Who was able to disclose the sentences of prajñā on the three emptinesses,
And to all superior beings who initiated and circulated [the teaching];
May they secretly aid what is expounded here to accord with the capacities of all beings.

1.6

Approaching the explanation of this sūtra, before entering into the text, the doctrinal divisions are set forth in advance and briefly divided into four sections: first, to discern the causes and conditions for the teaching's arising; second, to clarify the sūtra's central doctrine and essence; third, to distinguish the locations and assemblies; fourth, to interpret and penetrate the text and meaning. In the first section, there are two parts: first, a general discussion of the various teachings, namely responding to causes and responding to requests, revealing principle and delivering sentient beings. In terms of the Buddha's original intent, he appeared in the world solely for the sake of the one great causal matter, wishing to cause sentient beings to open the Buddha's vision and knowledge, and so forth. Second, distinctively revealing this sūtra through five [points]: first, to counteract the two graspings, at self and at dharmas. Due to these two graspings arise the two obscurations, afflictive and cognitive. Because the afflictive obscuration obstructs the mind, the mind is not liberated, creating karma, undergoing rebirth, and transmigrating through the five destinies. Because the cognitive obscuration obstructs wisdom, wisdom is not liberated, failing to understand one's own mind and failing to comprehend the nature and characteristics of dharmas; even if one escapes the three realms, one remains stuck in the two vehicles and cannot achieve Buddhahood, hence they are called obscurations. If the two graspings are removed, the two obscurations are consequently severed; it is to eliminate the two graspings that this sūtra was expounded. Second, to block and sever the two kinds of doubt: bīja and manifest activity. It blocks doubts whose bījas have not yet arisen, and severs doubts whose manifest activity has arisen; this refers to following up after answering questions in the sūtra, cutting off doubts point by point, through twenty-seven sections up to the end of the sūtra. Third, to transform and eradicate the two karmas, light and heavy: transforming heavy karma so that it is experienced lightly, and eradicating light karma so that it is not experienced at all. Fourth, to demonstrate the two causes, merit and wisdom. Before the Buddha attained correct awakening and expounded prajñā, because sentient beings lacked wondrous wisdom, their giving and so forth abode in characteristics and all became contaminated, or they became stuck in the two vehicles; thus he expounded prajñā, revealing wondrous wisdom as the cause of the dharmakāya and the five pāramitās as the cause of the nirmāṇakāya. If one lacks prajñā, then the five [practices], such as giving, are not pāramitās, and are not called causes of Buddhahood. Therefore, one must have both adornments of merit and wisdom to become the Honoured One with Two Feet. Fifth, to illuminate the two fruits, the true and the responsive. Before hearing prajñā, people only claimed that physical form is the Buddha, not knowing that the responsive and transformative are merely shadows of the true, and not seeing the true body and responsive body as they truly are; therefore this [sūtra] illuminates the two fruits so they may know they are realized through the preceding two causes.

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Second, clarifying the sūtra's central doctrine and essence, which has two parts: First, the central doctrine. Speaking generally of the Buddha's teachings, causes and conditions are the central doctrine; specifically revealing this sūtra, real-mark prajñā and contemplative prajñā, being neither one nor two, constitute its central doctrine. Because wisdom that is identical to principle contemplates all characteristics, like a vajra it can cut through everything; because the principle that is identical to wisdom is the real mark, like a vajra it is solid and hard to destroy. In each and every one of the myriad practices one must not be blind to this; hence they are combined to form the sūtra's central doctrine. Second, the essence. Literal prajñā is the essence of the sūtra. 'Letters' encompass sounds, names, sentences, and words; the emptiness of the nature of letters is itself prajñā, with no separate essence of letters; hence, as they contain and encompass all principles completely, they comprehensively constitute the teaching's essence.

1.8

Third, distinguishing the locations and assemblies, which has two parts. First, generally clarifying the locations and assemblies where the Buddha expounded the large collection. Its six hundred fascicles were spoken in four locations across sixteen assemblies: 1. Seven assemblies on Gṛdhrakūṭa in Rājagṛha: four assemblies on the mountain, and three assemblies at the summit; 2. Seven assemblies in Anāthapiṇḍada's Park; 3. One assembly in the Maṇi Gem Treasury Hall of the Paranirmitavaśavartin palace; 4. One assembly beside the White Heron Pond in the Veṇuvana of Rājagṛha. This sūtra belongs to the ninth assembly at the second location, in the 577th fascicle. Second, specifically clarifying transmission and translation. This fascicle had six translations at different times under different rulers: 1. Kumārajīva under the Later Qin; 2. Bodhiruci under the Later Wei; 3. Paramārtha under the Chen dynasty; 4. Dharmagupta under the Sui dynasty; 5. Xuanzang in the early Tang; 6. Yijing under the Great Zhou. The above six masters were all Tripiṭaka masters; the one transmitted here is that translated by Kumārajīva in the fourth year of the Hongshi era at Caotang Monastery in Chang'an. In India, there was the Bodhisattva Asaṅga, who entered the Sunlight Samādhi, ascended to Tuṣita, personally went to Maitreya, and received eighty lines of verses; he then transmitted these verses to Vasubandhu, who composed a prose commentary forming a three-fascicle treatise, interpreting it in terms of severing doubts and attachments. Asaṅga also composed a two-fascicle treatise, interpreting it in terms of revealing the stages of practice. Now, this analytical outline of the sūtra primarily relies on Vasubandhu's commentary, which incorporates Asaṅga, and also consults other treatises and collects various commentaries; that it is titled 'Compilation of Essentials' lies right here.

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Fourth, interpreting and penetrating the text and meaning, which has two parts: first, explaining the title.

1.10

Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra.

1.11

As for 'Vajra', in Sanskrit it is vajra, which is the pestle held by a mighty warrior and is this jewel. It is the hardest among metals, hence it is called vajra. Śakra possesses it; those of little merit find it hard to see. It is extremely hard and extremely sharp, serving as a metaphor for prajñā: nothing can destroy it, yet it can crush and destroy myriad things. The Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'Just like vajra, which none can destroy, yet it can crush and destroy all things.' Asaṅga says: 'Vajra is hard to destroy.' He also says: 'Vajra is able to cut.' He also says: 'Vajra is so called because it is fine and firm.

1.12

'Prajñā' is correctly translated as wisdom; that is, the wisdom that illuminates the empty characteristics of the five aggregates and corresponds to innate enlightenment. If spoken of from shallow to deep for practitioners, it encompasses the three wisdoms of listening, reflection, and cultivation collectively as prajñā. Thus Asaṅga says: 'That which can cut is that which is severed by listening, reflection, and cultivation within prajñāpāramitā, because it cuts as the vajra cuts.' He also says: 'As for being fine because it is the cause of wisdom, the cause of wisdom is precisely wisdom.' According to the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, at the causal stage it is called prajñā, and at the fruitional stage it is called knowledge; then listening, reflection, and cultivation are all called fine: the fine and wondrous wisdom is the cause of the Buddha's knowledge. Prajñā can cut, so it resides at the causal stage; the Buddha's fruit has nothing to cut, and in turn takes the name of knowledge. If based on the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, the character 'ruo' applies to both meanings of jñāna and prajñā; thus knowledge and wisdom differ slightly in name and meaning, but are not distinct in their essential nature.

1.13

'Pāramitā' is translated here as 'to the other shore reached', which should be 'reaching the other shore', meaning leaving this shore of saṃsāra, crossing the midstream of afflictions, and reaching the other shore of nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa is translated here as complete quiescence, and also as extinction and crossing over. All sentient beings are themselves of the characteristic of quietude and extinction, and are not to be extinguished again; it is merely that due to deluded inversion they falsely see saṃsāra, which is called being on this shore. If one realizes that saṃsāra is fundamentally empty and has always been completely quiescent, this is called reaching the other shore. If combined with prajñā by inverting the phrasing, it should be 'wisdom reaching the other shore'.

1.14

As for 'sūtra', its Sanskrit sound is sūtra, translated according to meaning as 'concordant scripture'. 'Concordant' means expressing doctrines and principles while according with people's minds; that is, according with principle and according with capacity. As for 'sūtra', the Buddhabhūmi-vyākhyāna says: 'Able to string together and able to gather, hence it is called a sūtra.' This is because the Buddha's holy teaching strings together the meanings that should be spoken, and gathers and maintains the beings to be transformed.

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Next, interpreting the text of the sūtra adheres to the customary three divisions: first, the introductory section; second, the main section; third, the dissemination section. The first text has two parts: first, the preface establishing faith; second, the preface initiating the teaching. Now, first is the preface establishing faith.

1.16

Thus have I heard: At one time the Buddha was staying in Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada's Park, together with a great assembly of bhikṣus, twelve hundred and fifty in all.

1.17

Explaining this is divided into three parts: 1. Clarifying the cause of its establishment. When the Buddha was approaching extinction, Ānanda inquired about four matters, and the Buddha answered each: 'After my extinction: 1. Abide relying on the four applications of mindfulness; 2. Take the precepts as teacher; 3. Silently ostracize evil-natured bhikṣus; 4. At the beginning of all sūtras, say: "Thus have I heard: At one time the Buddha was at such a place, together with such an assembly of so many", and so forth.'

1.18

2. Clarifying the intent of its establishment. The intent has three aspects: First, to sever doubts. At the time of the council, when Ānanda ascended the seat wishing to proclaim the Buddha's Dharma, his own body manifested marks and signs like the Buddha's, and the assembly gave rise to three doubts: 1. Doubting whether the Buddha had arisen again to expound the Dharma; 2. Doubting whether a Buddha from another realm had arrived; 3. Doubting whether Ānanda had attained Buddhahood. Therefore, by uttering these words, the three doubts were severed at once. Second, to put an end to disputes. If he did not attribute it to having heard it from the Buddha, but claimed to have composed it himself, disputes would arise. Third, to differentiate from heterodox teachings, not being like heterodox sūtras that begin with words such as 'oṃ'.

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3. Directly explaining the meaning of the text, which possesses the six fulfillments. That is to say, if the six conditions of faith, hearing, time, lord, place, and assembly are not complete, the teaching will not flourish; since it must possess all six, they are called fulfillments.

1.20

First, faith. If explained together with 'I heard', it is an expression indicating the teaching: 'Such a Dharma as this, I heard from the Buddha.' Explaining 'thus' alone, the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: 'It is the fulfillment of faith.' In the great sea of the Buddha's Dharma, faith is that by which one enters, and wisdom is that by which one crosses over. One who has faith says 'this matter is thus'; one who lacks faith says 'this matter is not thus'. Furthermore, the Sage expounded the Dharma solely to reveal suchness; only suchness is right, hence it is called 'thus'. Moreover, that existence and nonexistence are non-dual is 'as'; that 'as' is neither existence nor nonexistence is 'is'.

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Second, hearing. 'I' is Ānanda, the provisional entity of the five aggregates. 'Heard' means the ear faculty generating consciousness; discarding the specific to follow the general, it is therefore said 'I heard'. Regarding the sūtras spoken in the twenty years before Ānanda heard them, some say the Tathāgata expounded them again, while others say he obtained a deep samādhi and comprehended them all; but if traced to the source, Ānanda was a bodhisattva of great expedient manifestation—what Dharma could he not comprehend?

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Third, the time. Master and disciples assembled together, and the preaching and listening were thoroughly complete; therefore it is said, 'At one time.' Because the lengths of divisions of time in various regions are not uniform, it simply says 'one.' Furthermore, at the time of expounding the Dharma and receiving the Dharma, mind and objects are obliterated, principle and wisdom blend, ordinary people and noble ones are as one, and initial and innate [enlightenment] converge; this is the time when all these pairs of dharmas are one.

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Fourth, the master. Stated fully, [he is called] 'Buddha'; here translated as 'the Awakened One.' The Awakening of Faith says: 'What is meant by "awakening" is that the essence of the mind is free from thought. That which is free from the characteristics of thought is equal to the realm of empty space; this is the Tathāgata's universal dharmakāya.' Thus, by freedom from thought one is called 'Buddha.' However, awakening has three meanings: first, self-awakening, which is awakening to the knowledge that one's own mind is originally without arising and ceasing; second, awakening others, which is awakening to the fact that all dharmas are nothing other than tathatā; third, complete awakening, which is called 'complete' because the principle of the two awakenings is perfected. Therefore, one knows that if there is thought, one is not called awakened. The Awakening of Faith says: 'All sentient beings are not called awakened, because from beginningless time thought has succeeded thought without cease, and they have never been free from thought.' It also says: 'If there are sentient beings who can contemplate freedom from thought, then they are heading toward the Buddha's wisdom.'

1.24

Fifth, the place. Śrāvastī here is translated as 'hearing of things,' meaning it is fully endowed with sensual desires, wealth, vast learning, liberation, and so forth, and thus is heard of far and wide throughout various countries; Yijing translated it as 'the Great City of Renown.' 'Jeta's Trees,' and so on, refers to the trees donated by Crown Prince Jeta and the park purchased by Elder Anāthapiṇḍada. Jeta here translates as 'Victorious in Battle'; he was the crown prince of King Prasenajit, and when he was born the king won a victory in battle against a foreign country, hence he was named after it. In Sanskrit, Sudatta translates here as 'Generous Benefactor'; 'Anāthapiṇḍada' is precisely this 'Generous Benefactor,' and also because he constantly practiced giving. In the Western regions a monastery is called a saṅghārāma, which here translates as 'the assembly's park.'

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Sixth, the assembly. 'Together with' means 'along with' and 'and.' 'Great' means their renown was elevated and their virtue manifest. Bhikṣu is Sanskrit, containing three meanings here, so the Sanskrit is retained untranslated: first, terrifying Māra; second, mendicant; third, pure precepts. 'Assembly' means harmony in principle and harmony in events. As for 'twelve hundred and fifty,' when the Buddha first attained the Way, he delivered five people including Kauṇḍinya; next he delivered the three Kāśyapa brothers together with their disciples, totaling one thousand; next he delivered Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana each with one hundred disciples; next he delivered fifty people including the son of the elder Yaśas. The sūtra gives the round number, therefore reducing it by five people. This was the assembly that constantly followed him, and thus its number is listed specifically; it is not that there were no other assemblies, but merely that they were concealed rather than revealed. 'Together' means at one time and in one place.

1.26

Second, the opening section: this means that the deportment of begging for food is free from wrong livelihood, which is the keeping of precepts. Precepts can support concentration, and concentration can generate wisdom; therefore, through precepts and concentration the main section on prajñā is initiated. The text has two parts: first, precepts.

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'At that time, at mealtime, the World-Honoured One put on his robe, took his bowl, and entered the great city of Śrāvastī to beg for food. In that city, having begged from door to door, he returned to his original place.'

1.28

This is explained in seven clauses: First, the transforming master. The Satyasiddhi-śāstra explains that he is fully endowed with the nine epithets mentioned above and is revered by beings; therefore he is called the World-Honoured One, because he is jointly honoured in the heavens and the human realm. Second, the transforming time. 'Mealtime' is the hour of the dragon (chen, 7–9 a.m.), the initial part of the day; begging is then easily accomplished, causing no distress to oneself or others. Having finished begging, he returned to the park right at the hour of the snake (si, 9–11 a.m.), in accordance with the standard rule for meals. Third, the transforming deportment: putting on the saṅghāṭī robe and holding the bowl presented by the Four Heavenly Kings. Fourth, the transforming place: the park is five or six li southeast of the city; going from outside to inside is 'entering,' and because the place was vast and its people numerous it is called 'great.' Fifth, the transforming deed: the Buddha, wishing to display the merits of ascetic practices (dhūta) and make those who are heedless feel shame, gathered them through shared activity, and so begged for food himself. The Jewel-Necklace Maiden Sūtra says: 'The body of a transformation Buddha is like a solid piece of vajra, lacking the two viscera for raw and digested food.' What was begged here was for the benefit of others; hence the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says: 'It is for the sake of non-eating that one should accept that food.' Sixth, the transforming impartiality: first, by internally realizing the principle of equality, externally he did not see marks of poverty or wealth; second, his mind was free from greed and arrogance, and his compassion was without biased favour; third, to demonstrate his awe-inspiring virtue, not fearing ferocious elephants or the homes of wine merchants and courtesans; fourth, to put an end to the suspicions and doubts of ordinary people; fifth, to demolish the discriminations of the two vehicles. Seventh, the transforming conclusion. Now, the meaning of the character 'having' belongs to the lower clause, while the text connects to the upper clause. The meaning of the words 'had the meal' belongs to the upper clause, while the text connects to the lower clause. If one were to expand the text so that it were fully complete within the clause, it should say: 'Having begged from door to door, he returned to his original place and had his meal; having finished his meal, he put away his robe and bowl.' If the Buddha did not eat, the merit of others would not be perfected. The Ratnamegha-sūtra says: 'Whatever has been obtained from begging is divided into four portions: first, intended to be given to fellow practitioners of brahma-conduct; second, intended to be given to poor, sick, and begging people; third, for aquatic and terrestrial creatures; fourth, for oneself to eat.' The Twelve Dhūtas Sūtra speaks only of three portions, excluding practitioners of brahma-conduct. Second, concentration.

1.29

'Having finished his meal, he put away his robe and bowl, washed his feet, spread his seat, and sat down.'

1.30

This is explained in three clauses: First, gathering supporting conditions. When one is about to enter concentration, one must still associative conditions; if robe and bowl are not put away, the mind is troubled and anxious, so the Buddha manifested this as a model for later times—namely, putting away the great robe and wearing the seven-strip robe. Second, purifying bodily karma. The Āgamas say: 'When the Buddha walks, he is four finger-breadths above the ground, and lotus flowers support his feet.' His manifesting the washing of his feet now is in accord with worldly custom to signify the Dharma and serve as a model for later times. Third, properly entering concentration. Spreading the seat and sitting in meditation is because the body is upright and the mind is free from sinking and agitation. The Wei translation says: 'Spreading the seat as usual, he sat cross-legged, maintaining an upright body and keeping right mindfulness unmoved.' The Tang translation says: 'With body upright and proper aspiration, he abode in mindfulness facing before him.' Asaṅga says: 'Showing only tranquility, because within this he is capable of awakening and capable of expounding.' However, the manifestations of traces by the Great Sage necessarily have something they symbolize: they symbolize that the Buddha of innate enlightenment, in the capital of the five aggregates, awakens to the fact that the army of Māra is originally empty—this is called 'Victorious in Battle.' Illuminating the fact that mind and consciousness possess virtues is precisely 'Anāthapiṇḍada' (giving to the destitute); seeking the Dharma to nourish the spirit is called the 'mendicant assembly.' Once the awakened mind has arisen, how could one abandon worldly toils? About to contemplate universally, one thereupon enters the storehouse of consciousness, contemplating the mind and mental factors in succession; through delusion, truth is realized, and all attain the joy of the Dharma. The joy of the Dharma has no substance and merges with the awakened mind; thinking relies on false conditions, and when conditions are obliterated one can tally with the true nature. Contemplation is a trace; wiping away the traces, one reverts to the origin and returns to the source. Reverting to the origin and returning to the source, dharmas are empty and the mind is tranquil; the tranquil mind is the true essence, and prajñā is brilliant and clear. Wishing to discuss the main section on prajñā, he thus manifested this initiation. Zisheng said: 'As for the body, there are two kinds: first, the false; second, the true.' The false entity of the five aggregates relies on food and clothing to be nurtured and grown; the formless dharmakāya is illuminated and accomplished through prajñā. Sentient beings protect the false and abandon the true; the Buddhas nourish the true and cast away the false. Since sentient beings are deluded about the true and grasp at the false, I rely on the false traces to guide them to the true. Therefore, depending on the occasion of begging for food, he was about to bestow the transformation of the joy of the Dharma. Hence the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'Though you bhikṣus practice begging for food, from the beginning you have never begged for the Dharma-food of the Mahāyāna.'

1.31

Second, the main section. It is distinguished in two gates: first, tentatively assessing it according to Asaṅga's seven topics; next, outlining and explaining it based on Vasubandhu's resolving doubts through questions and answers.

1.32

Among these, as for the seven topics: First, the non-interruption of the lineage, referring to being protected, kept in mind, and entrusted. Second, the marks of initiating practice, referring to the praise and consent following the request. Third, the dwelling places of practice, referring to the eighteen dwellings; from the Buddha's direct expounding right through to the end of the sūtra, this is the dwelling place of formless practice. Fourth, antidotes, referring to the fact that each dwelling place possesses wrong practice, with two kinds of antidotes: shared view and correct practice. Fifth, non-relinquishment, referring to being free from the two extremes of increase and decrease by means of antidotes, not relinquishing the Middle Way. Sixth, grounds and stages, referring to accomplishing the stages of the worthy and the noble, the stage of practice through faith, the stage of pure mind, and the stage of the Tathāgata by not relinquishing the Middle Way. Seventh, establishing the name, referring to the fact that because the wisdom of the previous six is hard and sharp, and its stages and grounds are vast and profound, it is named vajra. The latter four are spoken of only in reference to the eighteen dwellings in the third topic, without separate sūtra text.

1.33

The eighteen dwellings are: First, the dwelling of generating the aspiration [for enlightenment], [corresponding to] the sūtra passage stating, "One should thus subdue one's mind," "as many as all," and so forth. Second, the dwelling of practice corresponding to the pāramitās, [corresponding to] "giving without abiding in form," and so forth. Third, the dwelling of wishing to obtain the physical body (rūpakāya), [corresponding to] "can [the Tathāgata] be seen by physical marks," and so forth. Fourth, the dwelling of wishing to obtain the dharmakāya; the dharmakāya has two aspects: (1) the verbal dharmakāya, [corresponding to] "will there be any sentient beings," and so forth, because the principle is revealed through words; (2) the realized dharmakāya, which again has two aspects: the mark of wisdom, [corresponding to] "the Tathāgata has attained anuttarā[-samyak-saṃbodhi]," and so forth; and the mark of merit, [corresponding to] "if a person fills three thousand," and so forth. Fifth, the dwelling of being without conceit when attaining superiority in the path of cultivation, [corresponding to] "srotāpanna," and so forth. From this up to the sixteenth dwelling, the twelve kinds of obscurations are countered in sequential order; the meaning is to clarify that in wishing to seek the physical body and dharmakāya, one must be free from these obscurations. Because the obscurations are exhausted, one enters the seventeenth dwelling of the realized path. Here it counters the first obscuration, conceit. Sixth, the dwelling of not being separated from the time of a Buddha's presence in the world, [corresponding to] "formerly when in the presence of Dīpaṅkara," and so forth, which is free from the second obscuration of having heard little; not being separated from a Buddha's presence in the world entails having heard much. Seventh, the dwelling of vowing to purify the Buddha-land, [corresponding to] "does a bodhisattva adorn a Buddha-land," and so forth, which is free from the obscuration of cultivating the path by taking small conceptual objects as objects of focus; taking lands with physical marks as objects of focus is small, while having no objects of focus is vast, because one accords with the dharmadhātu. Eighth, the dwelling of maturing sentient beings, [corresponding to] "a human body like Sumeru," and so forth, which is free from the obscuration of abandoning sentient beings; if one perceives largeness or smallness, one cannot deliver beings. Ninth, the dwelling of being far removed from the distraction of following external treatises, [corresponding to] "as many sands as there are in the Ganges," and so forth, which is free from the obscuration of distraction caused by taking delight in following external treatises; giving jewels equal to the sands of the Ganges does not match upholding this sūtra, so how could one study external teachings and fail to cultivate the true Dharma? Tenth, the dwelling of practice corresponding to breaking through the grasping of parts in forms and bodies of sentient beings through contemplation, [corresponding to] "all the atoms in the three-thousandfold world," and so forth, which is free from the obscuration of lacking skillful means in breaking through the marks of reflected images; having already abandoned distraction and corresponding to meditative concentration, through the two kinds of skillful means—pulverization into fine particles and non-conceptualization—one breaks the coarse down to the fine and dissolves the fine into emptiness, thereby eliminating the perception of marks in reflected images. Eleventh, the dwelling of making offerings and rendering service to the Tathāgata, [corresponding to] "can the Tathāgata be seen by the thirty-two marks," and so forth, which is free from the obscuration of incomplete provisions of merit; by not seeing through marks and constantly seeing the dharmakāya, this is termed rendering service, and its merit is boundless. Twelfth, the dwelling of being far removed from not arousing vigor and falling away due to gain and offering, weariness, and distress, [corresponding to] "giving bodies and lives equal to the sands of the Ganges," and so forth, which is free from the obscuration of laziness and gain through attachment to taste; giving lives equal to the sands of the Ganges is still inferior to receiving and upholding [the sūtra]—how could one, for the sake of a single body, become attached to gain and offerings, and be lazy because of physical weariness and mental distress? Thirteenth, the dwelling of enduring suffering, [corresponding to] "the forbearance pāramitā, having one's body dismembered," and so forth, which is free from the obscuration of being unable to endure suffering; without marks of self and so forth, one is able to endure accumulated suffering. Fourteenth, the dwelling of being free from the taste of tranquility, [corresponding to] "in future ages, if there is a person who can receive, uphold, read, and recite this sūtra," and so forth, which is free from the obscuration of incomplete provisions of wisdom; relinquishing one's body three times a day, each equal to the number of sands, does not match having faith in this sūtra—how could one exclusively concentrate on dhyāna, indulge in the taste of tranquility, be deficient in wisdom, and fail to uphold and explain [it]? Fifteenth, the dwelling of being far removed from the excitement of joy at the time of realizing the path, [corresponding to] "how to dwell, how to subdue," and so forth, which is free from the eleventh obscuration of failing to restrain oneself; if one thinks 'I can dwell and subdue,' the mind generates the excitement of joy, and if excited, one cannot restrain oneself. Sixteenth, the dwelling of seeking the Buddha's instruction, [corresponding to] "is there any dharma by which Dīpaṅkara Buddha attained bodhi," and so forth, which is free from the twelfth obscuration of lacking oral instruction; wishing to enter the first bhūmi requires the Buddha's oral instruction, hence it refers to meeting a Buddha and realizing the path through attaining nothing to be attained. Seventeenth, the dwelling of realizing the path, [corresponding to] "a person's body being exceptionally large," and so forth; gathering the wisdom of the lineage, one realizes the all-pervading tathatā and accomplishes the dharmakāya and saṃbhogakāya, hence it is "exceptionally large." Eighteenth, the dwelling of seeking the Buddha stage from above; within this there are again six kinds of consummation: (1) consummation of the purity of the land, [corresponding to] "I should adorn the Buddha-land," and so forth—this instructs the great bodhisattvas from the second bhūmi and above; (2) consummation of the purity of supreme vision and wisdom, [corresponding to] "is there the physical eye," and so forth—from here downward all pertain exclusively to the Buddha fruition, hence it says "supreme," and the word "supreme" runs through the remaining four below; (3) consummation of mastery over merit, [corresponding to] "if a person fills the three-thousandfold world with the seven jewels," and so forth; (4) consummation of the body, [corresponding to] "can the Buddha be seen by the consummation of the physical body," and so forth; (5) consummation of speech, [corresponding to] "do not say that the Tathāgata expounds the Dharma," and so forth; (6) consummation of mind, [corresponding to] "did the Buddha attain anuttarā-saṃbodhi by having nothing to be attained?" up to "one should contemplate in this manner."

1.34

Furthermore, the eighteen dwellings can also be summarized into eight kinds and still be complete: First, the dwelling of subsumption; second, the dwelling of purity of the pāramitās—these match the first and second above in order; third, the dwelling of desire, which subsumes the third and fourth; fourth, the dwelling of being free from obstacles, which is the aforementioned twelve obscurations, from the fifth to the sixteenth; fifth, the dwelling of the pure mind; sixth, the dwelling of the ultimate—these match the seventeenth and eighteenth above in order; seventh, the dwelling of vastness; eighth, the dwelling of profound depth—the latter two each subsume the eighteen dwellings, for within each dwelling it is both profound and vast.

1.35

Matching the text of the eighteen dwellings to the stages: The first matches the ten abodes; the second matches the first six of the ten practices; the third matches the seventh practice; the fourth matches the latter three practices; the fifth through the fourteenth match in order the ten dedications; the fifteenth matches heat and summit; the sixteenth matches forbearance and the worldly supreme; the seventeenth matches the first bhūmi; and the eighteenth matches from the second bhūmi up to the Buddha stage.

1.36

Second, the sectioning and explanation according to Vasubandhu's questions and answers to resolve doubts, which is divided in total into four sections. (1) Subhūti's request, which has two parts: First, adjusting his deportment and praising the Buddha.

1.37

At that time, the elder Subhūti, being in the midst of the great assembly, arose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee on the ground, joined his palms respectfully, and said to the Buddha: "Rare, World-Honoured One! The Tathāgata skillfully protects and is mindful of the bodhisattvas, and skillfully entrusts and charges the bodhisattvas."

1.38

"Elder" means possessing superior virtue and advanced age. The Tang translation says "possessing longevity" (āyuṣmat), where longevity is life. The Wei translation says "wisdom-life," taking wisdom as life. "Subhūti" has three translated meanings: Shanji (Well Auspicious), Shanxian (Well Appearing), and Kongsheng (Born of Emptiness). When he was born, the room became empty, and the auspicious signs of understanding emptiness appeared; the physiognomist divined: "Exclusively good, exclusively auspicious." "Arose from his seat" and below all describe the arranging of bodily deportment, the marks of cultivating reverence. "Rare" means non-existent in the world. "Tathāgata" means coming from tathatā. The treatise says: "'Skillfully protects and is mindful of' is said with respect to bodhisattvas whose faculties are mature, meaning giving them the power of wisdom to cause them to accomplish the Buddha-dharma, and giving them the power of teaching and transforming to cause them to gather sentient beings. 'Skillfully entrusts and charges' is said with respect to bodhisattvas whose faculties are not yet mature, out of fear that they might fall back." "Entrusts" means conferring to those with wisdom. "Entrusts" means handing over the lesser to the greater; "charges" means charging the greater with transforming the lesser. "Bodhisattva" is translated here as "awakened sentient being"; there are three explanations: (1) in terms of the object, what is sought and what is delivered; (2) in terms of the mind, having the wisdom of awakening while having remaining consciousness of conceptual thought; (3) in terms of the capable and the objective, that which is sought and that which is capable of seeking. All three match "awakened" and "sentient being" in sequential order.

1.39

Second, the direct raising of the question.

1.40

"World-Honoured One! When good men and good women generate the aspiration for anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi, how should they abide? How should they subdue their minds?"

1.41

The canon divides this into two: First, explaining the intended capacity. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: "Forgetting the aspiration for bodhi while cultivating wholesome karmas is something embraced by Māra." Anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi is translated here as supreme, correct, and complete awakening, meaning correct wisdom, complete wisdom, and awakening, which perceives the ultimate and the conventional without bias or deviation. Second, explaining the direct question. The Wei translation says: "How should they abide? How should they practice? How should they subdue their minds?" The meaning is: Once a person has generated the aspiration for bodhi, in what realm do they abide? What practice and conduct do they cultivate? If the deluded mind arises, how do they subdue it? Therefore, the Buddha directs them to abide peacefully in the four minds, cultivate the practices of the six pāramitās, and subdue the mind therein without allowing it to attach to marks. That the Qin translation omits "practice" means: Abiding in the path and subduing the mind is itself practice, meaning that the four minds and the six pāramitās are all termed abiding, cultivation, and subduing. Asaṅga says: "Abiding refers to wishing and aspiring; cultivation refers to corresponding samādhi; subduing refers to reining in that mind and causing it to return to abiding if it becomes scattered." Furthermore, in each of the eighteen dwellings, they are explained through abiding, cultivation, and subduing; therefore we know that although there are three meanings, the practice is one.

1.42

2. The Tathāgata's praise and consent.

1.43

The Buddha said: "Excellent, excellent! Subhūti, it is just as you have said: the Tathāgata skillfully protects and is mindful of the bodhisattvas, and skillfully entrusts and charges the bodhisattvas. Listen attentively now, and I shall explain it for you. When good men and good women generate the aspiration for anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi, they should thus abide and thus subdue their minds."

1.44

This is divided in detail into three: (1) confirming and praising what was praised. Repeating "excellent" is the utmost praise. Protecting and entrusting can ensure that the Buddha-lineage is not severed; this is necessarily so, hence he confirms and praises him by saying, "It is just as you have said." (2) Injoining to listen and assenting to speak: one should not listen to the dharma of real mark with the mental activities of arising and ceasing. A verse in the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: "The listener looks straight ahead as if drinking when thirsty, with single mind entering into the meaning of the words, leaping with joy at hearing the Dharma, their mind filled with compassion and joy—to such a person one may speak." (3) Announcing and encouraging what is about to be presented: I shall explain it for you in detailed fashion thus and thus.

1.45

3. Subhūti waiting to listen.

1.46

"Yes, World-Honoured One! We wish and delight to hear."

1.47

"Yes" (wei) is a word of compliance; a courteous response is wei, while a rustic response is a. The Daśabhūmika Sūtra says: "Like a thirsty person longing for cold water, like a hungry person longing for delicious food, like a sick person longing for good medicine, like a swarm of bees relying on honey, we too are like this, wishing to hear the nectar of the Dharma."

1.48

(4) The Tathāgata's direct exposition, which has two parts: 1. Directly answering the question, which has two parts: First, raising the general and indicating the specific to reiterate the question.

1.49

The Buddha told Subhūti: "Bodhisattvas mahāsattvas should thus subdue their minds."

1.50

Here, subduing is taken as the general, while abiding and cultivation are taken as the specific. That is, within abiding and cultivation there is in all cases subduing; the sūtra's intention lies here, hence it only indicates subduing. Some who outline this point say that raising the latter subsumes the former; this makes the sūtra text extremely awkward and turns the principles and rules upside down. Since ancient times, verbal teachings only subsume the latter by means of the former; we have never heard of subsuming the former by means of the latter. What is more, examining the sūtra text reveals no separate place where subduing is answered; thus we know that subduing is contained within abiding and cultivation. Causing all to be free from marks is answering the question about subduing. That it is not answered separately is because this sūtra takes freedom from marks as its essential theme, and freedom from marks is precisely subduing the mind. The original intention was to clarify that subduing the mind must be revealed in terms of abiding and cultivation; abiding, cultivation, and subduing the mind are originally not separate from one another, which is why all of Asaṅga's eighteen dwellings contain abiding, cultivation, and subduing the mind.

1.51

2. Revealing the general in terms of the specific to answer the question, which has two parts: 1. Answering the question on peacefully abiding and subduing the mind, which has four parts: First, the vast mind.

1.52

"As many as all the categories of sentient beings: whether born from eggs, born from a womb, born from moisture, or born miraculously; whether with form or without form; whether with perception, without perception, or neither with perception nor without perception."

1.53

The text has two parts: the first clause indicates that all beings throughout the three realms are universally delivered; from "whether born from eggs" onward is the second part, listing them, which has three sections. First, distinctions in mode of birth: gods and beings in the hells are born through apparitional birth; ghosts include both womb-birth and apparitional birth; humans and animals each have all four modes; the remaining subtle ones in water, land, the earth, and the sky cannot be exhaustively classified into categories. That egg-born [beings], which are inferior, come first has two explanations: first, in terms of objects, that which is endowed with more conditions comes first; second, in terms of mind, the sequence proceeds from base to end. Second, distinctions in basis: with form refers to the four dhyānas; without form refers to the four formless [attainments]. Third, distinctions in realm: Guṇada's [commentary] states: "'With perception' refers to the two stations of [infinite] space and [infinite] consciousness; 'without perception' refers to the station of nothingness; 'neither [with nor without perception]' refers to the peak of existence (bhavāgra)."

1.54

Second, the supreme mind.

1.55

"I will lead them all to enter nirvāṇa without remainder and attain extinction."

1.56

This is non-abiding nirvāṇa, which is not shared with the two vehicles; therefore it is called 'supreme'. Asaṅga says: "Why make this vow? Because it is subsumed under the meaning of unattainable [beings to be delivered]." He also says: "Those born from eggs, moisture, the perceptionless, and the peak of existence are unable [to enter immediately]." How then are they universally led to enter? There are three causes and conditions: first, for those born in places of difficulty, one waits for the proper time; second, for those not born in places of difficulty who are not yet mature, one matures them; third, for those already matured, one liberates them.

1.57

Third, the constant mind.

1.58

"Although immeasurable, countless, and boundless sentient beings are thus led to extinction, in truth no sentient bean attains extinction."

1.59

First, because [their] nature is empty; second, because they are of the same essence, as the treatise says: "Extinguishing oneself is not different from [extinguishing] sentient beings"; third, because they are fundamentally quiescent; fourth, because they are thought-free; fifth, because of the dharmadhātu.

1.60

Fourth, the non-inverted mind.

1.61

"Why is this? Subhūti, if a bodhisattva has the mark of a self, the mark of a person, the mark of a sentient being, or the mark of a lived life, then they are not a bodhisattva."

1.62

The treatise says: "Because they are far removed from the mark of relying on the view of a self, sentient beings, and so forth." Asaṅga says: "Having already eliminated the view of self and attained the mark of equanimity in their own practice, they have faith and understanding in the equality of self and others, showing that when distractions are gathered in the subdued mind, perceptions of sentient beings do not arise either, just like that cognizable object (jñeya)."

1.63

Second, answering the question on practicing subduing the mind, in five [parts]: first, general statement.

1.64

"Furthermore, Subhūti, regarding phenomena, a bodhisattva should practice generosity without abiding anywhere."

1.65

"'Regarding phenomena' broadly indicates all phenomena. From 'should without' onward, it directly clarifies practice. Question: The bodhisattva has ten thousand practices, why speak only of one? Answer: The ten thousand practices do not go beyond the six pāramitās, and the six pāramitās are collectively named generosity. Thus the verse says: 'The meaning of dāna subsumes the six: material resources, fearlessness, and Dharma. Among these are one, two, and three; this is called the abiding of practice.' Asaṅga says: 'If lacking vigor, due to weariness one cannot teach the Dharma; if lacking dhyāna, one covets faith, respect, and gain, teaching the Dharma with a defiled mind; if lacking wisdom, one teaches the Dharma invertedly.'"

1.66

Second, specific explanation.

1.67

"Namely: practicing generosity without abiding in forms, and practicing generosity without abiding in sounds, scents, tastes, tangible objects, or mental dharmas."

1.68

The root treatise points only to three matters, namely: oneself, repaying kindness, and karmic retribution. The verse says: 'To oneself, to repaying kindness, / And to karmic retribution, one does not cling; / Protecting and preserving oneself, one does not give; / Guarding against seeking different things.'"

1.69

Third, general conclusion.

1.70

"Subhūti, a bodhisattva should practice generosity in this way, without abiding in marks."

1.71

Previously it pointed only to three matters; now both mind and object, emptiness and existence, are completely dispelled down to the finest subtleness. Therefore the verse says: 'Far removed from the mind that grasps at marks.' The treatise says: 'Not seeing the given object, the recipient, or the giver.' Asaṅga says: 'Not abiding in the perception of marks.' Some people take this concluding text as answering the question on subduing [the mind], which is incorrect. The preceding statement, the following explanation, and the subsequent conclusion all speak of 'non-abiding', all of which are the meaning of subduing within practice; why suddenly assign this concluding passage exclusively to answer a different question?

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金剛般若經疏論纂要 — Classical Chinese