金剛經纂要刊定記 2.56

2.56

Merit and wisdom belong to the causes: the five perfections and the sixth perfection are the adorning agents. Being complete in both is the fruit: the true body and the responsive body are what is adorned. Although the fruitional virtues of the Buddhas are limitless and boundless, to state the essentials, they do not exceed these two. Therefore the Lotus Sūtra says: "According to the Dharma they attained, / adorned with the power of concentration and wisdom, / with this they deliver sentient beings, / and themselves realize the unsurpassed path." The general meaning is that because of the absence of prajñā, giving and the rest are prevented from being pāramitās and do not constitute causes of Buddhahood. Therefore, the two adornments of merit and wisdom are necessary to bring about the wondrous essence complete in both. The former five and the sixth mutually assist one another, because both the true and responsive fruits must be complete. It is like glue and colored pigments: pigments without glue do not adhere, and glue without pigments has no color; the sixth without the five has no characteristics, and the five without the sixth have no cause. As the sūtra says: "One should not dwell anywhere," which is cultivating wisdom; "practice giving," which is cultivating merit. Again, having no self, no person, no sentient being, and no soul is cultivating wisdom; cultivating all wholesome dharmas is cultivating merit. Examples of this kind are very numerous.