仁王護國般若波羅蜜多經疏 1.30

1.30

問：《解深密經》據說空教諸《般若》等為第二時，又《大般若》數處經文諸天讚佛云第三時。答：如彼經中說非空有為第三時，如《華嚴》等。理實而言，《華嚴》十地、《金光明》等具明大乘非空非有治斷行位三賢十地，故為第三。此經亦然，豈為第二？又彼據漸次可云第二，此約頓悟故云第三，進退皎然，豈違教也。

Question: The Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra takes the teachings that speak of emptiness, such as the various Prajñā[pāramitā scriptures], to be the second period, and in several passages of the Great Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, the devas praise the Buddha, calling it the third period. Answer: As in that sūtra, expounding neither emptiness nor existence constitutes the third period, as in the Avataṃsaka and other scriptures. In terms of the actual principle, the "Ten Bhūmis" chapter of the Avataṃsaka, the Suvarṇaprabhāsa, and other scriptures fully clarify that the Great Vehicle is neither empty nor existent, with the remedies, abandonments, and stages of practice across the three levels of sages and the ten bhūmis; therefore they are the third. This sūtra is also like that; how could it be of the second? Furthermore, according to the gradual order it may be called the second, but in terms of sudden awakening it is called the third. The alternatives are crystal clear; how could this contradict the teachings?