翻譯名義集 5.33

5.33

The Large Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra states: "Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, the Mahāyāna is the so-called equality of letters, equality of speech, and the entry-gate of all letters." The Dàzhìdù lùn states: "The forty-two letters are the root of all letters. Because of letters there is speech; because of speech there are names; because of names there is meaning. If one hears a letter, on account of the letter one is ultimately able to comprehend its meaning. These letters begin with a and end with ḍha, with forty in between." Nanyue explained 'equality of letters' as meaning that when Dharmamati explained the ten abodes, all who taught the ten abodes across the ten directions were named Dharmamati, and so on up to Vajragarbha as well. 'Equality of speech' means that the ten-direction Buddhas teaching the ten abodes is equal to Dharmamati's teaching, and so on up to the ten grounds as well. Furthermore, all letters are non-letters, yet able to produce all letters; this is termed 'equality of letters.' Utterances are non-dual; this is termed 'equality of speech.' All dharmas mutually abide in one another; this is termed 'the entry-gate of all letters', and so on. The former is an explanation in terms of phenomena; the latter is an understanding in terms of principle. In the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, the youth Sarvaśilpābhijña said to Sudhana: "I constantly chant and uphold this syllabary, entering the gate of prajñāpāramitā." The Qingliang Commentary states: "The syllabary is the most superior among all arts and the basis of writing and speaking; hence it is specifically clarified here." The Scripture on the Five-Syllable Mañjuśrī says: "Upholding this dhāraṇī, one immediately enters into all equality and swiftly achieves great prajñā. Reciting it just once is like upholding all eighty-four thousand treasuries of sūtras."