妙法蓮華經玄義 10.76

10.76

Based on the Immeasurable Meanings Sūtra saying, 'Next preaching the Mahāprajñā, the ocean-emptiness of the Avataṃsaka, and cultivating through kalpas,' this clarifies the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā after the Vaipulya. The Pañcaviṃśati sometimes speaks of impermanence and non-self, sometimes of emptiness, and sometimes of non-arising and non-perishing, running through form and mind up to the knowledge of all aspects, revolving sentence by sentence to clarify the method of practice, which is the meaning of cultivating through kalpas. It also says, 'Hundreds of thousands of monks and myriads of millions of humans and devas attained stream-enterer and arhat, or remained as pratyekabuddhas,' which proves that it is the shared Prajñā. As for mentioning the ocean-emptiness of the Avataṃsaka, if one takes it to be the Avataṃsaka of the tranquil place of awakening, this would not be in sequence. Now, relying on the Treatise on Dharma Nature, it says: 'Bodhisattvas of dull capacity enter the dharma realm in three places: first in Prajñā, next in the Lotus, and later in Nirvāṇa.' Entering the dharma realm through Prajñā is precisely the ocean-emptiness of the Avataṃsaka. Furthermore, the duration of the Avataṃsaka was long; in the past, those of small capacity did not enter, being like the deaf and dumb; now hearing Prajñā, they are able to enter, which is its meaning. The Pañcaviṃśati is shared by people of the three vehicles, so it can have the four fruits; the Avataṃsaka excluded the small, so it lacks this meaning. Therefore, after the Vaipulya, Prajñā was next preached, being the teaching of the fourth period.