肇論新疏 3.352

3.352

The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, fascicle sixteen, says: 'Throughout immeasurable eons, I gave head, eyes, marrow, and brain to sentient beings to fulfill their wishes, and even with diligent exertion sought this merit, wishing to bring the five pāramitās to perfection; at that time I had not yet attained anything. Meeting Dīpaṅkara Buddha, I offered five lotuses to the Buddha and spread my hair in the mud, attained the tolerance of the unarisen dharmas, and instantly the six pāramitās were perfected,' and so forth. Commentary: Prior to the seventh stage, characteristics of intellect have not yet ended; hence the three wheels are not yet entirely empty. Practicing giving while abiding in characteristics is not true giving, because it does not accord with truth. Since giving is thus, morality and the others are all likewise; mentioning one exemplifies the rest. Reaching the stage of signlessness (animitta), characteristics of intellect have already vanished and the unarisen is also realized; giving is without anything to abide in, darkly tallying with truth. Though the gift was as scanty as five flowers, it excelled the previous vastness of bodies and lives. How could a puddle in an ox's hoofprint ever compare with the measure of an ocean? The conditions of offering flowers are as in the Benxing jing. As for 'Moreover, the Bodhisattva of Empty Action,' etc., the Fangguang [banruo jing], fascicle twenty, briefly says: 'When a bodhisattva practices the samādhis of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, now is precisely the time to practice the five pāramitās, not the time to realize.' Both show that activity and stillness do not obstruct each other.