萬善同歸集 3.26

3.26

答：「今所論眾善者，秖為成就般若故。教中或訶有為，但是破其貪執。如若取捨不生，一切無閡；若未明般若，以萬行為助緣。《法華經》云：『佛名聞十方，廣饒益眾生；一切具善根，以助無上心。』《華嚴經》云：『譬如一切法，眾緣故生起；見佛亦復然，必假眾善業。』若已明般若，用眾行為嚴飾。《法華經》云：『其車高廣，眾寶裝校，乃至又多僕從，而侍衛之。』故云『萬善同歸集』。離般若外，更無一法。如眾川投滄海，皆同一味；雜鳥近妙高，更無異色。或不謂般若，但習有為，秖成生死之因，豈得涅槃之果？若布施無般若，惟得一世榮，後受餘殃債；若持戒無般若，暫生上欲界，還墮泥犁中；若忍辱無般若，報得端正形，不證寂滅忍；若精進無般若，徒興生滅功，不趣真常海；若禪定無般若，但行色界禪，不入金剛定；若萬善無般若，空成有漏因，不契無為果。故知般若是險惡徑中之導師、迷闇室中之明炬、生死海中之智檝、煩惱病中之良醫、碎邪山之大風、破魔軍之猛將、照幽途之赫日、驚昏識之迅雷、抉愚盲之金鎞、沃渴愛之甘露、截癡網之慧刃、給貧乏之寶珠。若般若不明，萬行虛設。祖師云：『不識玄旨，徒勞念靜；不可剎那忘照，率爾相違。』乃至成佛究竟位中，定慧力莊嚴，以此度含識。故佛云：『我於二夜中間，常說般若。』」

Answer: 'The manifold goods discussed now are solely for the sake of accomplishing prajñā. When the teachings occasionally reprove the conditioned, it is merely to shatter greedy attachment. If grasping and rejecting do not arise, everything is unobstructed; if prajñā is not yet illuminated, one takes the myriad practices as auxiliary conditions. The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra says: "The Buddha's name is heard in the ten directions, extensively benefiting living beings; all are endowed with good roots, to assist the unexcelled mind." The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: "Just as all dharmas arise from manifold conditions, seeing the Buddha is also like this, necessarily relying on manifold good karmas." If one has already illuminated prajñā, one uses the manifold practices as adornments. The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra says: "That carriage was high and broad, adorned with manifold jewels, down to having many servants attending and guarding it." Therefore it is called the Collection on the Common Return of the Myriad Good Practices. Outside of prajñā, there is not a single dharma. Just as manifold streams flowing into the blue sea all share the same flavor, and varied birds approaching Mount Meru have no different color. If one disregards prajñā and merely trains in the conditioned, it only becomes the cause of saṃsāra; how could one attain the fruit of nirvāṇa? If giving lacks prajñā, one merely obtains glory for a single lifetime and later incurs the debts of remaining calamities; if observing precepts lacks prajñā, one is temporarily born in the higher desire realm and falls back into hell; if patience lacks prajñā, one obtains the retribution of an upright appearance but does not realize the patience of cessation; if vigor lacks prajñā, one futilely stirs up the effort of arising and ceasing and does not head toward the ocean of true eternity; if meditation lacks prajñā, one merely practices the dhyānas of the form realm and does not enter the adamantine samādhi; if the myriad goods lack prajñā, they vainly become causes with outflows and do not accord with the unconditioned fruit. Therefore we know that prajñā is a guide on a perilous path, a bright torch in a dark room, a wise oar in the ocean of saṃsāra, a good physician for the sickness of afflictions, a great wind shattering the mountain of heresy, a fierce general breaking the demon army, a blazing sun illuminating the dark path, a swift thunderclap awakening drowsy consciousness, a golden probe clearing the blind, sweet dew soaking thirsty craving, a blade of wisdom severing the net of delusion, and a wish-fulfilling jewel providing for the destitute. If prajñā is not understood, the myriad practices are established in vain. The ancestral teacher said: "Failing to know the profound principle, one calms thoughts in vain; one must not forget illumination for a single kṣaṇa, lest one hastily run contrary to it." All the way to the ultimate stage of buddhahood, one is adorned with the power of samādhi and wisdom, thereby liberating sentient beings. Thus the Buddha said: "Between the two nights, I constantly expounded prajñā."'