中觀論疏 10.8

10.8

From "The World-Honoured One, knowing this dharma" downward is the fourth verse, clarifying that people with acquisition do not skillfully comprehend the preceding three approaches, and therefore hindered the Tathāgata when he first attained enlightenment so that he could not preach the Mahāyāna teaching of non-acquisition early on. The preceding texts described the outsider hindering the bodhisattva from preaching the teaching of non-acquisition; now it describes the outsider hindering the Buddha from preaching the teaching of non-acquisition. Furthermore, connecting to the preceding context as it arises: above, it explained that if incantations are difficult to perform, it is better not to do them; now, if the characteristics of dharmas are difficult to explain, it is better not to explain them. The first half-verse directly clarifies that the meaning of emptiness is extremely profound, as the Lotus [Sūtra] says: "The wisdom I have attained is subtle and supreme." The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā also says: "When I first attained Buddhahood, I constantly delighted in silence and did not delight in preaching the Dharma." The second half-verse clarifies that sentient beings have dull faculties, hindering the Buddha from preaching the Mahāyāna early on. It is also as the Lotus [Sūtra] says: "Sentient beings' faculties are dull; clinging to pleasure, they are blinded by delusion. How could beings such as these ever be saved?" Some say that this treatise only comments on the Prajñā[pāramitā] and does not comment on the Lotus [Sūtra]; this is simply because they have not read the treatise.