英語訳
[Page 12, Upper]
Regarding "flowers like Mount Sumeru": The new version says "fragrance like Sumeru, flowers like cart wheels." Regarding "naturally growing 900 million tier-flowers in front of the Buddha's seat, etc.": The first fascicle says this represents the four assemblies being able to generate wondrous causes by listening to dharma before the Buddha. Master Jizang says: Initially emitting light intends to have sentient beings break through darkness and attain brightness; next manifesting flowers intends to have sentient beings cultivate causes and attain results. Master Dōeki says: This represents that those who participate in the seat and hear the sūtra will without exception become buddhas - sitting on dharma lotus flowers. Master Wŏnch'ŭk says "tier" (jie) means "layered tier" (cengjie). Regarding earth trembling: The first fascicle says this represents the responsive movement from hearing the exposition. Master Jizang says: [This intends] to shake sentient beings' minds of grasping and make them realize no-grasping prajñā.
Sūtra: At that time all the great assemblies together uniformly gave rise to doubt, each saying to one another: "The Great Enlightened World-Honored One of four fearlessnesses, eighteen unique [dharmas], five eyes, and dharma body has already expounded for us great assemblies for twenty-nine years the Mahāprajñāpāramitā, Vajracchedikāprajñāpāramitā, Deva-rāja-paripṛcchāprajñāpāramitā, and Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā. Today the Tathāgata emits great light - what is he doing?" At that time, among the sixteen great kings, King Prasenajit, ruler of Śrāvastī, named Candraprabha (Moonlight), practicing virtue in the ten grounds, six perfections, thirty-seven factors [of enlightenment], four indestructible purities, and Mahāyāna, teaching in sequence, questioned laymen Ratnaketu, Dharma, Vimalakīrti and others - 800 people; again questioned Subhūti, Śāriputra and others - 5,000 people; again questioned Maitreya, Siṃhanāda and others - 10,000 people, but none could answer.
Master Wŏnch'ŭk says: The second "assembly's doubt" has three parts: first, showing the assembly has doubt; second, the assembly mutually doubting; third, questioning the assembly but not resolving. Regarding the four fearlessnesses: Master Jizang says: first, omniscience; second, exhaustion of outflows; third, the path of exhausting suffering; fourth, explaining obstructing paths. Generally called "fearlessnesses": The Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā says: Not fearing external challenges, hence called "fearlessness."
[Page 12, Lower]
Regarding the eighteen unique [qualities]: Master Jizang says: first, no error in body; second, no error in speech; third, no error in mind; fourth, no discriminating thoughts; fifth, no unsettled mind; sixth, no unknowing abandonment; seventh, great desire without decrease; eighth, vigor without decrease; ninth, mindfulness without decrease; tenth, wisdom without decrease; eleventh, liberation without decrease; twelfth, knowledge and vision of liberation without decrease; thirteenth, bodily actions following wisdom; fourteenth, verbal actions following wisdom; fifteenth, mental actions following wisdom; sixteenth, wisdom knowing past worlds without obstruction; seventeenth, wisdom knowing future worlds without obstruction; eighteenth, wisdom knowing present worlds without obstruction. The five eyes are: flesh eye, divine eye, wisdom eye, dharma eye, Buddha eye. Regarding "Mahāprajñā, etc.": The new version says "Mahāprajñāpāramitā, Vajracchedikāprajñāpāramitā, Deva-rāja-paripṛcchāprajñāpāramitā, Daśasāhasrikā and other countless prajñāpāramitās." The first fascicle says the five-period prajñā precisely appears in this text. "Mahā" translates as "great" - namely Daśasāhasrikā. The Deva-rāja-paripṛcchāprajñā group is very numerous. Coming to this land now, there are only the Suvikrāntavikrāmiparipṛcchāprajñāpāramitā by Brahmā and the four heavenly kings, the Akṣayamatidevaputraparipṛcchāprajñāpāramitā, and also the Śreṣṭhadeva-rāja-paripṛcchāprajñāpāramitā. Master Jizang says: At Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain he expounded the Daśasāhasrikā; arriving at Śrāvastī he expounded the Vajracchedikā and Deva-rāja-paripṛcchāprajñāpāramitā; later returning to Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain he expounded the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā, Aṣṭādaśasāhasrikā, etc. This appears fully in the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā. Master Wŏnch'ŭk says: The original record says: Now according to this sūtra, it should constitute five divisions. The old traditional transmission speaks of two types of eight divisions. First, the eight divisions circulating in this region: first, Daśasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā; second, Aṣṭasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā; third, Mañjuśrīprajñāpāramitā; fourth, Vajracchedikāprajñāpāramitā; fifth, Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā;
[Page 13, Upper]
sixth, Aṣṭādaśasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā; seventh, Śreṣṭhadeva-rāja-paripṛcchāprajñāpāramitā; eighth, Renwang (Benevolent Kings) Prajñāpāramitā. Second, according to the eight divisions explained in Bodhiruci's Vajraśekhara-śāstra: first, the 100,000-verse division; second, the 25,000-verse division - these two divisions have not yet come to this region. Third, the 18,200-verse division - the Daśasāhasrikā is this. Fourth, the 8,000-verse division - namely the Aṣṭasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā. Fifth, the 4,000-verse division - this region does not yet have this. Sixth, the 2,500-verse division - namely the Deva-rāja-paripṛcchāprajñāpāramitā. Seventh, the 600-verse division - namely the Mañjuśrīparipṛcchā. Eighth, the 300-verse division - namely the Vajracchedikāprajñāpāramitā. According to Paramārtha's Vajracchedikāprajñāpāramitā commentary explaining the eight-division prajñā, it agrees with Bodhiruci, but the difference is that the sixth division is also said not to exist in this region. Now questioning Tripiṭaka Rìzhào and Tripiṭaka Yútián, they all make this explanation, but in their regions they have not heard the names of the eight divisions. Now according to the Mahāprajñāpāramitā, there are four locations and sixteen assemblies, but it does not include the Renwang Prajñāpāramitā. Also, Tripiṭaka Cí'ēn says the West is not limited to eight divisions. Question: According to the Mahāprajñāpāramitā, among the sixteen assemblies, Mahāprajñāpāramitā is the second assembly, Vajracchedikāprajñāpāramitā is the ninth assembly, Deva-rāja-paripṛcchā is the sixth assembly, and Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā is also the second assembly. Why does this sūtra not follow that sequence of sixteen assemblies? Answer: This sūtra should reasonably follow that sequence and should also comprehensively explain the other divisions. However, the translator, following what he heard, first explained four divisions. The "four locations" are: first, Rājagṛha Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain; second, Śrāvastī Jetavana Anāthapiṇḍada's garden; third, Paranirmitavaśavartin heaven's Maṇiratna treasury hall; fourth, Rājagṛha Veṇuvana by Karaṇḍa pool, where he expounded the wisdom perfection. The first five assemblies from extensive to concise all explain the six perfections. Though the text varies in extent, the meaning has no difference in scope. Therefore
[Page 13, Lower]
Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna, following the second division, composed the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra. Next there are five assemblies that are consequently difficult to determine and select. Later there are six assemblies that, following their sequence, explain those six perfections. However, the sixteen assemblies do not include this one division because the Tathāgata established teachings according to different capacities. Master Liangben says: "Mahā" means great, referring to Mahāprajñāpāramitā. In my view, in the new version, separately from "mahā," there is the Daśasāhasrikā. Regarding Śrāvastī state: The new version says Śrāvastī state. Master Liangben says this is abbreviated. It should fully be called Śrāvastī-sindhu. This is the name of the capital city of Kośala state in central India. According to the Xiyuji (Records of the Western Regions), there are indeed northern and southern Kośala; to distinguish it from the southern state, both are mentioned. Master Kuījī's Maitreyaparipṛcchā commentary says: Śrāvastī is the capital city name of Kośala state. To distinguish it from southern Kośala, the capital city is used as the state designation. Regarding King Prasenajit, etc.: Master Jizang says: First clarifying two causes and conditions. If following the parents' naming, he was called Victorious Army (Jitasena). He was born on the same day as the Tathāgata. Later, being greatly heroic and strategic, he could defeat strong enemies. Wherever he fought, he constantly won. His parents established the name Victorious Army. Second, Moonlight is what worldly people called him. The Buddha is like sunlight, so Prasenajit's assistance to the Buddha is like moonlight. Hence named Moonlight. Master Wŏnch'ŭk says: The original record says the king's surname was Moon. After hearing the dharma, he further established the name Light. Master Jizang's explanation of the Lower Chapter also contains this meaning. Regarding "virtue practice of the ten grounds": The six perfections are: giving, precepts, patience, vigor, meditation, prajñā. The thirty-seven factors are: four foundations of mindfulness, four right efforts, four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of enlightenment, eight noble path factors. The four indestructible purities are: faith in Buddha, faith in Dharma, faith in Saṅgha, and indestructible precepts. Regarding Ratnaketu, Dharma, etc.: The new version says "namely questioning Ratnaketu, Vimalakīrti, etc." Master Wŏnch'ŭk says: Ratna refers to Ratnākara, Ketu refers to Candraketu, Dharma refers to