金剛般若經旨贊 2.258

2.258

As for the specifically explained characteristics: specifically, nine similes illustrate the nine conditioned things. 1. Contemplating the mark as a star: stars exist at night and are absent in the daytime; the aspect of the mark is also like this, because it exists in the night of ignorance and is absent in the sun of wisdom. 2. Contemplating the seeing as a cataract: with a cataract, one falsely sees hairs and so forth in the clear sky; the two views are also like this, falsely seeing self and phenomena within the true principle. 3. Contemplating consciousness as a lamp: a lamp stays lit by being infused with oil; the retributive consciousness is also like this, maintained because it is sustained by craving induced by karma. 4. Contemplating the receptacle as an illusion: with an illusion, one falsely gives rise to taste attachment through inverted views; the object of the receptacle is also like this, being falsely attached to for use without any real essence. 5. Contemplating the body as dew: dew stays for a short time and cannot remain long; the body is also like this, constantly pursued by impermanence and the past. 6. Directly contemplating feeling as a bubble: bubbles arise and perish, being unpeaceful; feeling is also like this, conforming to the three sufferings. 7. Contemplating the past as a dream: a dream is merely a memory, having no real essence whatsoever; past objects are also like this, being merely mental memories without real essence. 8. Contemplating the present as lightning: lightning suddenly exists and vanishes, not staying for long; present phenomena are also like this, perishing as soon as they arise without pausing for an instant. 9. Contemplating the future as a cloud: in the clear sky it is absent and suddenly appears; future phenomena originally have no marks within the seed and suddenly arise. Guṇaprabha's treatise contemplates the nine conditioned things as having nine essential characteristics like stars, cataracts, and so forth; its similarities and differences with this do not exceed the meaning of that treatise. The verse on the contemplated similes says: