金剛般若論會釋 2.27

2.27

Third, regarding dispelling the fault of indolence due to relishing gain and producing shame in order to avoid regressing in vigor, there are four parts: first, citing the sūtra to explain the reason for its coming; next, revealing the characteristics of producing shame; next, explaining the absence of the two apprehensions; and finally, explaining and establishing the avoidance of regressing in vigor. The meaning of the text is intelligible. Here, citing the sūtra's phrase "if discerning or if having faith and understanding" is explained in the text below; it is absent in all other sūtras and present only in this recension. Vasubandhu says: "Moreover, this Dharma-gate is solid, profound, and subtle. Why? Because those who accept, uphold, reflect upon, and practice this sūtra do not give rise to notions of a self and so forth." Because the sūtra is profound and subtle, future upholders of it will lack the characteristic of a self. Here, the two characteristics of selflessness are specifically coordinated with the sūtra text, whereas that treatise is slightly different. The phrase "not giving rise to notions of a self and so forth" indicates the non-perverted characteristic of the objective realm that is grasped. The phrase "the notion of a self and so forth is itself non-characteristic" indicates the non-perverted characteristic of the subjective apprehension of the objective realm. Both of these together illuminate the wisdom of selflessness in the emptiness of self and the emptiness of phenomena; future upholders of the sūtra will generate these two wisdoms. Thus, synthesizing the two treatises, the sūtra is interpreted with two meanings. The Buddha confirms this meaning, saying: "Why? Freedom from all characteristics is named 'all Buddhas'"; hence, they are combined into a single passage. Now, here it is divided into two. The Vajracchedikā-sūtra says: "If in the future time, in the final era, in the final period, in the final five hundred years, when the True Dharma is about to be destroyed and the periods turn..." Kumārajīva's translation is the same, which refers to when the Dharma of practice is about to be destroyed. Why did the preceding two explain the sūtra in terms of upholding and expounding? Because both are practices, and all ten Dharma practices are subsumed therein. When the time of the Final Dharma arrives, because such practice is absent, there is no need to question it. At the time of direct realization, there is practice without doubt; for the initial vessel of the Dharma of practice, there is practice without delusion. Therefore, it speaks of when the Dharma of practice is about to be destroyed. Other recensions are all abbreviated, stating generally "in the future." This treatise states: "In the future, one accepts and upholds"; Bodhiruci and Kumārajīva say two: "faith and understanding, and accepting and upholding." Faith and understanding is indeed the practice of hearing among the ten Dharma practices. Paramārtha's recension has three: "reverencing, accepting and upholding, and explaining to others"; reverencing is bodily offering. The Vajracchedikā-sūtra also says: first, "comprehending with faith and understanding," which is hearing; second, "accepting and upholding"; third, "reading"; fourth, "reciting, so as to attain ultimate mastery"; fifth, "explaining to others"; and sixth, "appropriate mental engagement." The recitations have both abbreviated and expanded versions. The explanation of avoiding regressing in vigor is divided into three parts: first, explaining the sūtra's statement that freedom from all characteristics leads bodhisattvas to train—"characteristic" refers to grasping appearances, which is the cause of verbal discourse and the cause of conceptual differentiation; that is, it is the perversion of characteristic among the seven perversions, corresponding to the ultimate deployment of the perversion of ideation, and such ideational differentiation is extensive; next, explaining the causes that give rise to the sūtra; and finally, explaining the sūtra's words "if discerning or if having faith and understanding" from the third section above. Kumārajīva and Bodhiruci state "having faith and understanding, and accepting and upholding"; Paramārtha states only "having faith and understanding"; the Vajracchedikā states "comprehending and having faith," also lacking "accepting and upholding." Since the explanation of the meaning of accepting and upholding is given in the citation of the sūtra without a separate commentary, "embracing" is indeed "upholding"; it should say that upholding has the meaning of embracing. The text was erroneously copied in transmission. "Faith and understanding" is indeed "discerning"; the latter clause explains the former clause.