[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1736) › 88.16 # 大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 88.16 大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 88.16 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [88.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1736.88.16) 第三眾藝中，「二我恒下顯其業用」者，疏文有三：一標章立意、二總科、三釋文。今初，言「字母為眾藝之勝書說之本」者，出偏示所以也，以標知眾藝而偏釋故。故智論云「諸陀羅尼皆從分別語生。四十二字是一切字根本。因字有語，因語有名，因名有義。菩薩若聞其字，乃至能了其義。是字，初阿後荼，中有四十。得是字陀羅尼，多所成益。」乃至廣說。又如《本行集》云「爾時菩薩為諸童子一一分別字之本末，乃至訓化三萬二千童子，勸發無上真正道意。」是知字為眾藝之本，故十地中以喻十地為諸法本。二「有標」下，總例。三「皆言般若」下，釋文。先釋總標，於中三：一暗引《毘盧遮那經》、二明引《遮那》、三引《五字經》。今初，彼有偈云「甚深相無相，劣慧所不堪，為化是等故，兼存有無說。」釋曰：因字是有、無相智是無，故念誦瑜伽之者，先觀字相、後入字義也。阿字相觀云「八葉白蓮一時開，炳現阿字素光色」，斯即字相也。而智表菩提心，悟本不生，圓滿具足猶如月輪，即是字義。相有義無，故云兼也。是以今經唱阿字時，即是相也；入般若波羅蜜門，即是無相智也。《智論》云「此字是實相門，則顯三種般若不相捨離，字即名字般若，入般若波羅蜜門即觀照般若，悟不生等即實相般若」也。 > Third, in the section on Śilpābhijña: regarding "Secondly, from 'I constantly...' down reveals his activity and function", the commentary text has three parts: first, stating the section and establishing the intention; second, the general division; third, explaining the text. Now, the first: saying "The syllabary is the supreme among all arts, and the basis of writing and speech" reveals the reason for the selective presentation, because it marks the knowledge of all arts while selectively explaining this. Thus the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: "All dhāraṇīs are born from differentiated speech. The forty-two syllables are the root of all syllables. Due to syllables there is speech; due to speech there are names; due to names there are meanings. If a bodhisattva hears these syllables, he can even understand their meanings. Of these syllables, the first is A and the last is Ṭha, with forty in between. Attaining this dhāraṇī of syllables brings many benefits," and so on extensively. Also, as the Abhiniṣkramaṇa-sūtra states: "At that time, the Bodhisattva differentiated the root and branch of the syllables one by one for the boys, up to instructing and transforming thirty-two thousand boys, encouraging them to generate the resolve for unexcelled, true, and correct awakening." From this, it is known that syllables are the root of all arts; hence in the Ten Grounds, this is used as a metaphor for the ten grounds being the root of all dharmas. Second, from "There is an indication" down, it generalizes. Third, from "all say prajñā" down, explains the text. First it explains the general heading, within which there are three parts: first, implicitly citing the Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi-sūtra; second, explicitly citing the Vairocana\[-sūtra\]; third, citing the Sūtra of the Five Syllables. In the first, that text has a verse: "The profound characteristic is signless, / Which inferior intelligence cannot endure; / In order to transform such beings, / It is explained while retaining both existence and non-existence." Exegesis: Because syllables are existence, while signless cognition is non-existence, practitioners of chanting yoga first contemplate the characteristics of the syllables and later enter their meanings. Contemplating the characteristic of the syllable A says: "An eight-petaled white lotus blooms all at once, / Radiantly manifesting the white luminous color of the syllable A." This is the characteristic of the syllable. And cognition signifies the bodhicitta: awakening to original non-arising, completely perfected just like a lunar disc—this is the meaning of the syllable. The characteristic is existence, while the meaning is non-existence, hence it says "retaining both". Therefore, in the present sūtra, when the syllable A is recited, that is the characteristic; entering the gateway of the prajñāpāramitā is the signless cognition. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: "This syllable is the gateway of the real mark, revealing that the three kinds of prajñā are not separate from each other: the syllable is nominal prajñā, entering the gateway of the prajñāpāramitā is contemplative prajñā, and awakening to non-arising, etc., is real-mark prajñā." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 88.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1736.88.15) - [Next: 88.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1736.88.17) - [Up: 88](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1736.88) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1736~en-mt.88.16) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (2) - [大智度論](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.prajnaparamita.pancavimsatisahasrika!mahaprajnaparamitopadesa*zh-kumarajiva.48.162) — Classical Chinese - [翻譯名義集](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2131.5.33) — 法雲, Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1736.88.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1736.88.16) · Pramāṇa