金剛般若經旨贊 1.3

1.3

Praising and explaining this sūtra is divided into five sections: first, explaining the reasons for the arising of the teaching; second, setting forth the central purport of the sūtra; third, revealing the mighty power of the sūtra; fourth, clarifying those who are addressed by the sūtra; fifth, praising the main text of the sūtra. First, explaining the arising of the teaching: based on the sūtras and treatises, this is generally opened into four meanings: first, to extract suffering; second, to bestow joy; third, to cause practice to arise; fourth, to cause the attainment of the fruit. As for extracting suffering: this is to eliminate the impermanent suffering of birth, old age, sickness, and death for sentient beings. A sūtra states: 'Due to these three matters, the Samyaksaṃbuddha appears in the world to teach the realized Dharma and so forth to sentient beings.' Although this is a general statement, it also applies specifically: because the Dharma realized by the Buddha is solely true prajñā, this sūtra is taught to eliminate these three matters, causing the four modes of birth and others to enter [the nirvāṇa] without remainder, merely extinguishing their rebirth, so that there is no old age and so forth; by not abiding in form and so forth when giving rise to the mind, mental thoughts do not arise, because they are free from the causes of rebirth. As for bestowing joy: this refers to the joy of the Buddha's vision and knowledge for sentient beings. Vision and knowledge are precisely bodhi and nirvāṇa. In the fruit and in the cause, this sūtra is taught to open and show the subject and object of vision and knowledge. Thus the Lotus Sūtra says: 'It is for one great matter alone that the Buddhas appear in the world: to open, show, awaken to, and enter the Buddha's vision and knowledge, and so forth.' All Buddhas and their Dharmas are born from this sūtra. The Tathāgata is the meaning of the tathatā of all dharmas; that marks are not marks is to see the Tathāgata; being free from all marks is called the Buddhas. In sequence, these correspond to opening, showing, awakening to, and entering. The sūtra passages are numerous and should be consulted and cited. As for causing practice to arise: this is to cause external persons and others to give rise to practice and stages in accordance with what is appropriate. Therefore, Asaṅga's commentary states six causes, saying: 'To sever doubts, to give rise to faith-and-understanding, to enter the profound meaning, to attain non-retrogression, to generate joy, and to cause the true Dharma to abide long.' This means prajñāpāramitā keeps the Buddha-seed unbroken. How does it keep this seed unbroken? Severing the doubts of the two vehicles and others who think they have no share [in Buddhahood], causing them to enter the Great Dharma, is called severing doubts. When first entering, one grasps marks and the mind is not yet settled; generating settled faith is called giving rise to faith-and-understanding. Causing settled faith means causing entry into the unconditioned principle of twofold emptiness, which is called entering the profound. Thinking that having attained an exalted state, one might delight in abiding in quiescence; causing them to advance in cultivation is called non-retrogression. Having advanced in cultivation, attaining without attainment, one rejoices in oneself; this is called generating joy. Rejoicing and being comforted upon hearing the Dharma, one explains it to others to circulate it everywhere; this is called causing the Dharma to abide long. Due to this Dharma, the benefit extends universally to oneself and others; hence it is said that prajñā keeps the Buddha-seed unbroken. One should consult the broad commentary's meanings following the cited passages. As for attaining the fruit: this is to attain the non-abiding fruit based on the two truths. Bodhisattva Guṇaprabha's treatise states: 'The Dharma taught by the Buddha all resolves into the two truths: first, conventional truth, which consists of the differentiated provisional marks of persons and phenomena; second, ultimate truth, which is the emptiness without self-nature of these very persons and phenomena.' These ultimate and conventional [truths] are not separate in essence. Because the conventional is the ultimate, existence is non-existence; because the ultimate is the conventional, emptiness is non-emptiness. Neither existence nor emptiness is the principle of the middle way. Attaining the middle way, one does not abide in the two extremes. Thereby not abiding in saṃsāra or extinction, one accomplishes the unlocated mahāparinirvāṇa. Therefore, the Buddha spoke the sūtra to cause awakening to the two truths. Observing the ultimate through the conventional, because one is free from all marks, correct wisdom arises. Observing the conventional through the ultimate, because there is nothing one does not penetrate, subsequent wisdom arises. Because compassion arises through subsequent wisdom, the four modes of birth and the three realms are all led to extinction. Because there is non-abiding through true wisdom, in reality no sentient being attains extinction. Generating wisdom and non-abiding, one does not abide in birth-and-death; giving rise to compassion and delivering beings, one does not abide in nirvāṇa. This accomplishes the fruit of unlocated mahānirvāṇa. The passages below are all like this and should be consulted and cited. The explanation of the arising is concluded.