金剛般若經旨贊 1.83

1.83

Sūtra: [The Buddha said,] "Subhūti, [if someone filled the three-thousand great thousandfold world system with the seven jewels and gave them in generosity,] would [the merit gained by that person] be much?"

Commentary: Next below is the third [abode], the abode of "attaining the dharmakāya by the marks of merit," which severs the fourth doubt that "retaining and expounding is without merit," causing one to cultivate the practice of the body of supreme merit in reliance on the sūtra. Previously, one was caused to cultivate and realize the unconditioned, which will accomplish the fruit of the marks of wisdom. Wisdom does not stand alone; it necessarily requires the provision of merit. Therefore, next it clarifies the fruit of the marks of merit. However, the body of merit extends to both causal and fruitional stages. The fruit refers to the Buddha-body of myriad virtues that is produced; the cause refers to the merit of cultivating and upholding the sūtra. Even slightly upholding four lines in the cause yields merit that is already abundant and difficult to measure, how much more so extensively upholding and expounding it! This sūtra will induce the merit-fruit of the dharmakāya; therefore, one should aspire to the future fruit and single-mindedly uphold and expound this sūtra. However, bodhisattvas who have not awakened to the profound tenet, hearing what was previously said about being unable to grasp or expound dharma or non-dharma, then doubted that there was no merit and could not uphold the sūtra. Now, wishing to sever their doubting mind and cause them to uphold this sūtra in aspiration for future marks of merit, the merit of generosity is compared to upholding the sūtra. Since this sūtra text was spoken for two intentions, the two treatises each elucidate one meaning: Asaṅga, in terms of causing aspiration, calls it "desiring to obtain the dharmakāya of the marks of merit"; Vasubandhu, in terms of severing the doubt, calls it "severing [the doubt that] retaining and expounding is without merit." The text has three parts: first the question, next the answer, and later the comparison revealing its supremacy. This is the first. This presents generosity that is not embraced by the seven supremes to make the comparison, for there is a difference between generosity embraced by the seven supremes and the merit of upholding the sūtra.