般若波羅蜜多心經幽贊 2.9

2.9

Although the bodhisattva practices spoken of previously are immeasurable, they do not exceed four kinds: first, the practice of the perfections (pāramitā), which are the six and ten pāramitās; second, the practice of the aids to awakening (bodhipakṣa), all wondrous practices such as the thirty-seven factors and the four investigations; third, the practice of supernormal knowledges (abhijñā), which are the six abhijñās; fourth, the practice of maturing sentient beings, that is, the immeasurable realms of those to be tamed and the realms of skillful means to tame them. As explained above, whether the points of training, the teachings to be trained in, or the capacity to train and practice, all are bodhisattva practices. Practicing according to the preceding [instructions] with vigorous blazing energy, yet not perceiving the marks of practice, is called "practice". Why is this practiced Dharma called "profound"? Those of the Superior Emptiness school say: The wondrous principle is deep and remote, inconceivable, unintelligible to the two vehicles, and unfathomable to ordinary beings; therefore it is called profound. Those of the Appropriate Response school say: The cognitive object of ultimate truth wisdom transcends the path of words and discussion; it cannot be illustrated by metaphors; it is subtle and hard to know; it possesses the three unsurpassables, is endowed with the seven greatnesses, and is entirely supreme in essence, activity, benefit, and bliss — an ocean of pure dharmas, a fountain and pool of wondrous jewels. Unless one has great awakening and is the lord of the Dharma realm, there is no way to correspond to it. Therefore, all that is trained in is called profound, and one should strive diligently to realize it. Or again, in all these bodhisattva practices, true suchness and the dharmatā are difficult to realize fully, the contemplation of wisdom is difficult to attain, the words of the explanatory teachings are difficult to awaken to and expound, the myriad practices and their retinue are difficult to accomplish, and the realm of existence and emptiness is difficult to penetrate; taking wisdom as foremost, the other natures may support it, and all are called prajñā; therefore, they are all called profound.