金剛般若論會釋 1.2

1.2

一部分三，初、敬所師，敘標作意；次、科宗義，正釋經文；後、嘆愚深法成隱滅。初中三頌分二，初二頌半歸敬所師，後半頌敘標作意。初中復二，初二頌別顯三寶，後半頌總禮所師。初中復二，初一頌半唯敬法，後半頌敬佛、僧。法中分三，初半頌歎佛法神功，出生報、化，顯法身故，次半頌歎法深妙，詞理堅貞，群聖迷故，後半頌歎法玄約，文略義廣，威勢勝故。智者，佛也。聞已為我說者，慈氏菩薩僧也，天親論偈，彌勒菩薩為無著說，無著授與天親，令造釋故。天親偈云，「法門句義及次第，世間不解離明慧，大智通達教我等」，即明彌勒親教無著，無著轉教天親也。歸敬福田理應周普，但說此三者，是經所依及能起故，能說、所說，教依、義依，各敬勝首，攝餘一切。

The whole work is divided into three parts: first, venerating one's master and stating the intention of the composition; next, outlining the cardinal doctrines and properly commenting on the text of the sūtra; and finally, lamenting that because of foolishness the profound Dharma has become obscured and extinguished. Within the first part, the three verses are divided into two sections: the first two and a half verses take refuge in and venerate the masters, while the latter half verse states the intention of the composition. Within the first section there are again two parts: the first two verses distinctly display the Three Jewels, and the latter half verse generally pays homage to the masters. Within this first part there are again two: the first verse and a half solely venerates the Dharma, and the latter half verse venerates the Buddha and the Saṃgha. Within the veneration of the Dharma, it is divided into three: the first half verse praises the divine power of the Buddha's Dharma, because it gives birth to the saṃbhogakāya and nirmāṇakāya, and manifests the dharmakāya; the next half verse praises the depth and subtlety of the Dharma, its words and principles being firm and pure, because the host of sages are baffled by it; the latter half verse praises the profound conciseness of the Dharma, whose phrasing is brief while its meaning is vast, because its majestic power is supreme. The 'Wise One' refers to the Buddha. 'Having heard it, he explained it for me' refers to the Saṃgha of the Bodhisattva Maitreya; for the verses of Vasubandhu's treatise were spoken by the Bodhisattva Maitreya to Asaṅga, and Asaṅga transmitted them to Vasubandhu, instructing him to compose an explanation. Vasubandhu's verse states: 'The semantic topics and sequences of the Dharma approaches / Are not understood by the world without clear wisdom; / The Great Wise One who has penetrated them instructed us...' This clarifies that Maitreya directly instructed Asaṅga, and Asaṅga in turn instructed Vasubandhu. Taking refuge and paying homage to the field of merit ought in principle to be all-pervasive, but these three are spoken of here because they are what the sūtra relies upon and what generates it: the expounder and what is expounded, the basis of teaching and the basis of meaning—each is revered in its preeminent chief, thus subsuming all the rest.