御注金剛般若波羅蜜經宣演 2.20

2.20

Sūtra: "The Tathāgata says [...] are not sentient beings." / Exposition: This distinctively explains the reason. First [it explains] the selflessness of dharmas, and later the selflessness of persons. The treatise says: "Because one is unable to be free from the notion of sentient beings, through this cause and condition, when sentient beings are antagonistic, weariness and exhaustion arise. Therefore, [the sūtra] reveals the selflessness of persons and the selflessness of dharmas." The meaning here is: since there are neither real dharmas nor real sentient beings, why falsely give rise to a notion of existence regarding what is non-existent and practice giving? Furthermore, one also should not give rise to notions of antagonism and produce weariness; hence, one should practice giving without abiding. The Wei version says: "All marks of sentient beings are precisely non-marks; all sentient beings are precisely not sentient beings." The Liang, Sui, Tang, and Zhou versions all have "notion of sentient beings" first, followed simply by "sentient beings." Only in this version is there initially no "sentient beings," stating merely that "notions are precisely non-marks." The verse of that treatise says: