金光明經文句 4.5

4.5

This chapter has forty-five lines of verse, divided into two: the first four and a half lines recount the intention to speak of emptiness; the next forty and a half lines are the main discourse on emptiness. "Immeasurable other sūtras" refers to the extensive to clarify the brief, and also marks the brief to reveal the extensive. If it refers to the *Prajñāpāramitā*, then this sūtra would not be subsumed under the vaipulya; if it does not refer to the *Prajñāpāramitā*, other sūtras do not extensively clarify the meaning of emptiness. How is this again explained? Answer: For the earlier portions of the various sūtras, the compilers should have arranged an order, whereas their later portions were all subsumed under the preceding categories. Let us raise one case to analogize the rest. As the *Āgama-sūtra* says: "When the Buddha was about to enter nirvāṇa, Śāriputra could not bear to see the Buddha's extinction, so he departed prior to the Buddha. Cunda, carrying the robes and bowl upon his head, came to where the Buddha was." This is an event at the very end; yet it was compiled in the *Āgamas* of the first twelve years. One should know that the later portion of the *Āgamas* extends up to the *Nirvāṇa-sūtra*. Furthermore, the sequential order of vaipulya comes before the *Lotus Sūtra*, yet it says: "Previously on Vulture Peak predictions were already bestowed upon the śrāvakas"—does this not mean vaipulya extends up to the *Nirvāṇa-sūtra*? Furthermore, the sequential order of the *Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā* comes before the *Lotus Sūtra*, yet the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* says: "Because Subhūti received a prediction in the *Lotus Sūtra*, are all bodhisattvas definitive or not definitive?" One should know that the *Prajñāpāramitā* also extends up to the *Nirvāṇa-sūtra*. Deducing from this: what is called "sequence" pertains to the earlier portions, whereas mutual cross-references pertain to the later portions. Because the compilers saw that the principles and flavors in the later portions were similar, they compiled them forward; deluded people do not know this and say it contradicts sequence, but in truth it does not contradict it. This sūtra belongs to the later portion of the vaipulya, and pointing to the *Prajñāpāramitā* as the extensive exposition presents no obstacle in principle. As for "briefly explained", the Buddha has two gates, brief and extensive, which should be analyzed through a tetralemma: either the names and meanings are both extensive, as in the eighteen emptinesses, twenty emptinesses, and twenty-four emptinesses; or the names and meanings are both brief, as in the single solitary emptiness; or the names are extensive and the meaning is brief, as in dharmatā, true mark, reality-limit, thusness, and dharmadhātu—many names jointly naming a single meaning; or the names are brief and the meanings are extensive, as in the names "emptiness of sentient beings" and "emptiness of dharmas", yet their meanings are vastly broad. Extending from the stage of an ordinary person up to the ultimate Buddha, all are called "sentient beings". The *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* says: "The unexcelled among sentient beings is the Buddha." From an ordinary person's five aggregates up to the Buddha stage, they are also called the liberation of form, and the liberation of feeling, perception, karmic formations, and consciousness. The *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* says: "The unexcelled among dharmas is nirvāṇa." Now, speaking briefly of the two emptinesses of sentient beings and dharmas, the text below says: "The house of the five aggregates, when contemplated, is completely empty and quiescent. Good woman, you should contemplate: where is there a person or a sentient being?"—this is that meaning. As for "sentient beings of dull faculties": faculties and conditions differ. Some awaken through extensive exposition, called sharp faculties; some awaken through brief exposition, called dull faculties. Does this statement seem inverted? Śāriputra awakened upon hearing once, which was brief and sharp; Maudgalyāyana awakened upon hearing twice, which was extensive and dull. The intent of this sūtra does not clarify sharp and dull on the side of attaining awakening, but discusses sharp and dull on the side of hearing and retaining. Sharp persons, upon hearing extensively, are able to retain; dull persons, upon hearing briefly, only then are able to retain. The present capacity only has the capacity to attain awakening, and lacks the capacity to retain extensively; therefore it says they cannot know extensively. "Immeasurable meanings of emptiness": the absolute truth of the two vehicles is measurable meaning of emptiness; the Middle Way of the bodhisattva is immeasurable meaning of emptiness. This sūtra clarifies dharmatā and the true mark, which is precisely the immeasurable meaning of emptiness. "Extraordinary and wondrous expedient means": these are precisely the siddhānta expedients, skillfully producing the aforesaid results and clarifying causes, destroying evil and generating good through various analyses and so forth. "Giving rise to great compassion": this group of sentient beings is heavily afflicted with the disease of clinging to existence; therefore, great compassion is also heavy. "I now expound": expounding denotes being extensive, which is contrary to being brief. Above, the discussion of the two emptinesses of sentient beings and dharmas was brief in name; now, discussing the two meanings of sentient beings and dharmas, it is therefore called "expounding". "Knowing the minds of sentient beings": knowing that this capacity delights in the brief and is suited to the brief, facing the brief and awakening to the brief, hence it says "knowing the minds". Recounting the intention to speak of emptiness is finished.