仁王護國般若波羅蜜多經疏 3.608

3.608

Explanation: As for *mahā*, this means "great." *Prajñā* means "culmination of cognition." *Pāramite* means "transcendence" and "reaching." Explaining it by parsing the words according to the treatises on grammar (śabdavidyā), it is *pāram* and *ita*. *Ita* is this shore, and *pāram* is the other shore. Mounted upon the culmination of great cognition, one departs from this shore of birth-and-death, reaches that other shore of nirvāṇa, and attains great nirvāṇa without fixed abode (apratiṣṭhita-nirvāṇa). *Svāhā* means "accomplishment"; it also means "auspiciousness"; it also means "complete quiescence"; it also means "pacifying calamities and increasing benefits"; and it also means "non-abiding." Here we take the meaning of non-abiding, which is apratiṣṭhita-nirvāṇa. Relying on this nirvāṇa, one benefits and gladdens sentient beings through the end of future limits without end; therefore it is called *svāhā*. The "seed-syllable" mentioned above has two meanings: first, the meaning of drawing forth and generating; second, the meaning of gathering and retaining. Take, for instance, ten syllables combining to form a single phrase: with the initial syllable as the seed, all the contemplations and cognitions of the lower nine syllables are generated separately relying upon the first. Furthermore, the lower nine syllables are gathered into the first syllable, which means that the first syllable gathers and retains the remaining nine. Thus it is said that if one knows a single phenomenon, one knows all phenomena; if one knows that a single phenomenon is empty, one knows that all phenomena are empty. Being able to concentrate one's observation upon a single syllable and practice all vows and practices, all vows and practices will be completely fulfilled, which is the meaning of dhāraṇī as total retention. Furthermore, regarding the distinction of meanings above: gathering the preceding prose yields sixteen phrases; gathering the sixteen phrases yields twelve syllables; gathering the twelve syllables yields the ten syllables; and gathering those ten syllables brings them back to the single syllable "dhīḥ". From the extensive to the concise, it gradually diminishes and becomes gradually deeper; when the single syllable appears before one, it pervades the dharmadhātu, and nature and characteristics are equal up to the ultimate state. The sequence of contemplation practice is explained extensively in the separate ritual manuals. From here, the third section is the World-Honoured One's seal of approval and repetition.