大智度論 歎度品Dazhidulun — Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa · Praise of the Perfections
歎度品：四眾以十六名號讚般若，佛印可並自說因菩薩故世間有一切（經＋論）
前品說盡菩薩往生之相，此品便由聞法得悟的大眾回過頭來讚歎——所讚的不是別的，正是能成就這一切的般若波羅蜜。開卷是慧命舍利弗、目犍連、須菩提、摩訶迦葉四位大阿羅漢，領著菩薩與在家四眾一同從坐而起，合掌以十六個名號稱歎般若：大、尊、第一、勝、妙、無上、無等、無等等，這八名讚它在一切法中最上；如虛空、自相空、自性空、諸法空、無法有法空，這五名顯它的畢竟空體，一路空到「無所有亦無所有」，連空也不留；開一切功德、成就一切功德、不可破壞，這三名讚它空而能成就眾德、成而世間莫能傾動。名雖十六，所讚只是一法，論主自己把這一長串收束成一句話——「無比」就是「無等等」：三世諸佛都從般若中生，所以般若與諸佛平等，而再沒有一法能與它相等。何以偏舉這四人來讚？因為他們是現世的無量福田，求今世果報者供養即得如願；何況阿羅漢結使已斷、所作已辦，正因他們無所求而肯讚，這讚才堪作證——菩薩智慧雖大，結使未斷，尚不足自貴，故須借已辦者之口以證般若之真。佛聽了便印可「如是，如是」，並自己說出因由：正因有菩薩住世，世間才出生人天諸道、剎利大姓乃至一切佛陀，才有飲食珍寶種種資具，才有人間、天上、乃至離欲的種種安樂。有人要問：既然這一切因菩薩而有，人為何還得勞力耕作、辛苦求活才得？論答，飢饉之世任你費盡氣力也一無所得，可見所得實由眾生自身的福，而這福是菩薩世世讚歎布施、持戒、善心所化導出來的三福因緣，故有上中下之別——上者一起念便得，中者受人尊重供養自來，下者施功力方得，說「因菩薩得」是實而不虛。又有人難：天樂人樂本是眾生起結使、生貪恚的地方，菩薩何以還去教人求這種樂？論答菩薩無咎——好比有人好心鑿井以濟渴，盲人自己失足墮井而死，這不是鑿井者的罪；又好比有人備了好食施人，受者不知節量、多食成病，這也不是施食者的過。菩薩以慈悲清淨之心給眾生安樂的因緣、教他們修福，眾生自己不能清淨行福而招過患，於菩薩並無過失；況且若佛菩薩全不教人作福，世間便無天無人只長三惡道。到底徹底無錯無失的，唯有佛一人；菩薩尚未成佛、未得佛眼，只能就眾生可度之機先以天樂人樂涅槃樂三種樂來教化，諸佛則直以解脫樂教化眾生。通篇讀來，這一品其實只在做一件事：把前面所講菩薩往生、六度、成就眾生的種種行果，一齊歸讚到能生它們的般若——無眾生實可得而遍生度眾，無一法可與之等而生出一切諸佛，這正是「歎度」二字所歎的畢竟空而不礙妙有之般若。
The previous chapter spoke the marks of the bodhisattva’s rebirth to the end; this chapter has the assembly that heard the Dharma and awoke turn back to praise, and what they praise is nothing else than the prajñāpāramitā that accomplishes all of it. The chapter opens with four great arhats, the venerable Śāriputra, Maudgalyāyana, Subhūti, and Mahākāśyapa, leading the bodhisattvas and the fourfold assembly of householders to rise together from their seats and, with palms joined, extol prajñā by sixteen names. Great, honoured, foremost, superior, wondrous, unsurpassed, unequalled, equal to the unequalled: these eight names praise it as highest among all dharmas. Like space, empty of specific marks, empty of own-nature, empty as all dharmas are empty, empty of non-existent and existent dharmas: these five names show its body of ultimate emptiness, emptied all the way to ‘nothing whatever, and that too is nothing’, so that not even emptiness remains. Opening all merits, accomplishing all merits, indestructible: these three names praise it as empty yet able to accomplish every virtue, and once accomplished, beyond anything in the world to overturn. The names are sixteen, but what is praised is one dharma, and the treatise-author himself gathers the long string into a single sentence: ‘incomparable’ is ‘equal to the unequalled’; the Buddhas of the three times are all born from prajñā, so prajñā is equal to the Buddhas, and there is no further dharma that can equal it. Why single out these four to give the praise? Because they are the measureless fields of merit of this present world: whoever seeks a reward in this life obtains his wish by making offerings to them; and more, the arhats have cut off the fetters and done what was to be done, and it is precisely because they seek nothing and yet are willing to praise that their praise can stand as witness. The bodhisattva’s wisdom, though great, has not yet cut off the fetters and is not yet enough to make him honoured in himself; so the mouths of those who have finished their task are borrowed to bear witness to the truth of prajñā. Hearing this, the Buddha confirms it, ‘So it is, so it is’, and himself states the reason: it is because there are bodhisattvas dwelling in the world that the world brings forth the destinies of humans and gods, the great kṣatriya clans, and even all the Buddhas; that there are food and drink, treasures, and every kind of provision; that there is every kind of ease among humans, in the heavens, and even in the freedom from desire. Someone will ask: if all of this exists because of the bodhisattva, why must people still labour at the plough and struggle to make a living before they get it? The treatise answers: in a time of famine, spend all the strength you like and you get nothing, from which it is plain that what is obtained comes in truth from beings’ own merit, and that merit is the threefold cause of merit that the bodhisattva, life after life, has drawn out by praising giving, keeping the precepts, and the good mind; hence the difference of upper, middle, and lower, the upper obtaining as soon as the thought arises, the middle receiving respect and offerings that come of themselves, the lower obtaining only by effort, so that to say ‘obtained because of the bodhisattva’ is true and not false. Someone else objects: the pleasures of gods and humans are just where beings give rise to fetters and to greed and anger; why does the bodhisattva still teach people to seek such pleasure? The treatise answers that the bodhisattva is without fault. It is like a man who out of goodwill digs a well to relieve thirst, and a blind man loses his footing, falls in, and dies: this is not the crime of the one who dug the well. Or it is like a man who prepares good food and gives it away, and the receiver, not knowing measure, eats too much and falls ill: this is not the fault of the giver. The bodhisattva, with a mind of kindness, compassion, and purity, gives beings the causes and conditions of ease and teaches them to cultivate merit; that beings themselves cannot practise merit purely and so bring on misfortune is no fault of the bodhisattva’s. Besides, if the Buddhas and bodhisattvas did not teach people to make merit at all, there would be no gods and no humans in the world, and only the three evil destinies would grow. In the end the only one wholly without error or fault is the Buddha alone; the bodhisattva has not yet become a Buddha and has not obtained the Buddha eye, and can only teach according to the capacity by which beings can be delivered, first by the three pleasures, the pleasure of the gods, the pleasure of humans, and the pleasure of nirvāṇa, whereas the Buddhas teach beings directly by the pleasure of liberation. Read through, this chapter is really doing one thing only: gathering all the practices and fruits spoken of before, the bodhisattva’s rebirth, the six perfections, the perfecting of beings, into one praise of the prajñā that gives them birth. With no real being to be found, it is born everywhere to deliver beings; with no dharma able to equal it, it gives birth to all the Buddhas. This is the prajñā praised by the words ‘praise of the perfections’: ultimately empty, and no hindrance to the wondrous existent.
卷40 〔T25 0354a29〕
大智度論釋歎度品第五 〔T25 0354b〕 【經】 爾時，慧命舍利弗、慧命目犍連、慧命須菩提、慧命摩訶迦葉，如是等諸多知識比丘及諸菩薩摩訶薩、諸優婆塞、優婆夷從坐起，合掌白佛言：「世尊！摩訶波羅蜜，是菩薩摩訶薩般若波羅蜜。尊波羅蜜、第一波羅蜜、勝波羅蜜、妙波羅蜜、無上波羅蜜、無等波羅蜜、無等等波羅蜜、如虛空波羅蜜，是菩薩摩訶薩般若波羅蜜。世尊！自相空波羅蜜，是菩薩摩訶薩般若波羅蜜。世尊！自性空波羅蜜，是菩薩摩訶薩般若波羅蜜。諸法空波羅蜜、無法有法空波羅蜜、開一切功德波羅蜜、成就一切功德波羅蜜、不可壞波羅蜜，是諸菩薩摩訶薩般若波羅蜜。 「諸菩薩摩訶薩行是般若波羅蜜，無等等布施，具足無等等檀波羅蜜，得無等等身，得無等等法，所謂阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。尸羅波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、禪波羅蜜、般若波羅蜜亦如是。 「世尊本亦復行此般若波羅蜜，具足無等等六波羅蜜，得無等等法；得無等等色，無等等受、想、行、識，佛轉無等等法輪。過去佛亦如是行此般若波羅蜜，具足無等等布施，乃至轉無等等法輪。未來世佛亦行此般若波羅蜜，當作無等等布施，乃至當轉無等等法輪。以是故，世尊！菩薩摩訶薩欲度一切法彼岸，當習行般若波羅蜜！ 「唯！世尊！是行般若波羅蜜菩薩摩訶薩，一切世間天及人、阿修羅應當禮敬供養。」 佛告眾弟子及諸菩薩摩訶薩：「如是！如是！諸善男子行是般若波羅蜜者，一切世間天及人、阿修羅應當禮敬供養。何以故？因菩薩來故，〔T25 0354c〕出生人道、天道，剎利大姓、婆羅門大姓、居士大家、轉輪聖王、四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒天；出生須陀洹乃至阿羅漢、辟支佛、諸佛。因菩薩來故，世間便有飲食、衣服、臥具、房舍、燈燭、摩尼、真珠、毘琉璃、珊瑚，金銀等諸寶物生。舍利弗！世間所有樂具，若人中、若天上、若離欲樂，是一切樂具，皆由菩薩有。何以故？舍利弗！菩薩摩訶薩行菩薩道時，住六波羅蜜，自行布施，亦以布施成就眾生；乃至自行般若波羅蜜，亦以般若波羅蜜成就眾生。舍利弗！是故菩薩摩訶薩為安樂一切眾生故出現於世。」 【論】 問曰： 五千比丘中，上有千餘上座，所謂漚樓頻螺迦葉等；何以止說此四人名？ 答曰： 是四比丘，是現世無量福田。舍利弗是佛右面弟子；目揵連是佛左面弟子；須菩提修無諍定，行空第一；摩訶迦葉行十二頭陀第一，世尊施衣分坐，常深心憐愍眾生。佛在世時，若有人欲求今世果報者，供養是四人，輒得如願。是故，是多知多識比丘及四眾，讚般若波羅蜜。 問曰： 是阿羅漢最後身，所作已辦，何以復讚歎般若波羅蜜？ 答曰： 人皆知阿羅漢得無漏道，以菩薩智慧雖大，結使未斷故不貴。又以是阿羅漢有慈悲心，助佛揚化故以之為證。 佛道於世間中最大，是般若能與此事，故名為「大波羅蜜」。 一切法中智慧第一，故言「尊波羅蜜」。 能正導五度，故名「第一波羅蜜」。 五度不及，故名為「勝波羅蜜」，如五情不及意。 能自利利人，故名為「妙波羅蜜」。 一切法中無有過者，故〔T25 0355a〕名「無上波羅蜜」。 無有法與同者，故名「無等波羅蜜」。 諸佛名無等，從般若波羅蜜生，故名「無等等波羅蜜」。 是般若波羅蜜畢竟清淨，不可以戲論破壞，故名「如虛空波羅蜜」。 般若波羅蜜中一切法自相不可得，故名為「自相空波羅蜜」。 此波羅蜜中一切法自性空故，諸法因緣和合生，無有自性，故名為「自性空波羅蜜」。 諸法中無有自法，故名為「諸法空波羅蜜」。 以此眾生空、法空故破諸法令無所有，無所有亦無所有，是名「無法有法空波羅蜜」。 菩薩行是般若波羅蜜，無有功德而不攝者，如日出時華無不敷，故名「開一切功德波羅蜜」。 是菩薩心中般若波羅蜜日出，成就一切諸功德，皆令清淨；般若波羅蜜是一切善法之本，是故名為「成就一切功德波羅蜜」。 世間無有法能傾動者，故名「不可破壞波羅蜜」。 是諸阿羅漢讚歎因緣，所謂三世佛皆從般若波羅蜜生，所謂無比布施乃至無比智慧；世間中無有與等者，故言「無比」；是六波羅蜜，畢竟清淨，無有過失，故名為「無比」，「無比」即是「無等等」。 復次，「無等等」——諸佛名「無等」；與諸佛等，故名為「無等等」。 問曰： 三世諸佛中，已有釋迦文佛，何以別說？ 答曰： 今座上眾皆由釋迦文佛得度，感恩重故別說。如舍利弗說：「我師不出者，我等永為盲冥！」 諸阿羅漢知三世諸佛皆從般若波羅蜜中出，以是故諸阿羅漢說：「世尊！諸菩薩摩訶薩欲遍知一切法，當習般若波羅蜜。」 阿羅漢讚歎菩薩時，心生恭敬，是故說〔T25 0355b〕「禮敬供養」。 「天、人、阿修羅」者，說三善道；三惡道無所別知，故不說。 佛聞羅漢讚歎已，佛印可言：「如是！如是！應當禮敬供養行般若波羅蜜者。」汝雖無一切智慧，而說不錯，故重言：「如是！如是！」 何以故？此中佛自說：「因菩薩故，出生人道、天道，乃至一切諸菩薩為安樂一切眾生故說。」 剎利大姓乃至阿迦尼吒，須陀洹乃至諸佛，皆如先說。 問曰： 若因菩薩，有飲食等及諸寶物，人何以力作求生，受諸辛苦乃得？ 答曰： 飢餓劫時，人雖設其功力，亦無所得，以眾生罪重故。菩薩世世讚歎布施、持戒、善心，是三福因緣故有上、中、下。上者，念便即得；中者，人中尊重，供養自至；下者，施功力乃得。以是故說「因菩薩得」，實而不虛。 樂因緣甚多，不可稱計；今佛略說：「天樂、人樂、涅槃樂，皆由菩薩得。」 此中佛自說：「菩薩住六波羅蜜，自行布施，亦教眾生行布施。」雖眾生自行布施，無菩薩教導則不能行。 問曰： 除解脫樂，此二種樂是眾生生結使處；貪欲因緣故生恚，菩薩何以教導此結使因緣？ 答曰： 菩薩無咎！所以者何？菩薩慈悲清淨心，與眾生樂因緣，教修福事；若眾生不能清淨行福德者，於菩薩何咎！如人好心作井，盲人墮中而死，作者無罪！如人設好食施人，不知量者，多食致患，施者無罪！ 復次，若諸佛菩薩不教眾生作福德因緣，則無天、無人、無阿修羅；但長三惡道，無從罪得出者。 復次，眾生樂因緣故生貪，貪因緣故生恚，恚因緣故〔T25 0355c〕生苦，苦因緣故生罪；今欲免眾生於第五罪中，是故與樂。 復次，非定樂因緣生貪欲。或正憶念故，樂為善福因緣；邪憶念故生貪欲。今為正憶念樂故，令生福德因緣。 復次，唯佛一人無錯無失。是菩薩未成就佛道、未得佛眼故，以三種樂故教化可度眾生；諸佛但以解脫樂教化眾生。
《大智度論》卷40 · T25n1509 0354a29–0355c08
The canonical text stands in Chinese only. This edition renders the essence, the plain reading, the exposition and the apparatus into English — never the sūtra itself. Switch to 漢讀本 or 並行雙語 above to read it.
四眾從座而起：用十六個名號讚歎般若波羅蜜
那時，慧命舍利弗、慧命目犍連、慧命須菩提、慧命摩訶迦葉，以及像這樣許多有見識的比丘、還有諸位菩薩摩訶薩、諸位優婆塞與優婆夷，一同從座位上起身，合掌對佛說：『世尊！這摩訶波羅蜜、也就是最大的波羅蜜，正是菩薩摩訶薩的般若波羅蜜。尊波羅蜜、第一波羅蜜、勝波羅蜜、妙波羅蜜、無上波羅蜜、無等波羅蜜、無等等波羅蜜、如虛空波羅蜜，都是菩薩摩訶薩的般若波羅蜜。世尊！自相空波羅蜜，是菩薩摩訶薩的般若波羅蜜。世尊！自性空波羅蜜，是菩薩摩訶薩的般若波羅蜜。諸法空波羅蜜、無法有法空波羅蜜、開一切功德波羅蜜、成就一切功德波羅蜜、不可壞波羅蜜，都是諸位菩薩摩訶薩的般若波羅蜜。』
六度也是這樣：以無等等的布施，得無等等的身與法
『諸位菩薩摩訶薩修這般若波羅蜜，行無等等的布施，圓滿具足無等等的檀波羅蜜，因而得到無等等的身、得到無等等的法，這法就是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。其餘持戒的尸羅波羅蜜、忍辱的羼提波羅蜜、精進的毘梨耶波羅蜜、禪定的禪波羅蜜、智慧的般若波羅蜜，也都像這樣，以無等等而行、得無等等的果。』
三世諸佛都曾修此般若：想度到一切法的彼岸，就當修習般若
『世尊您本身也曾修這般若波羅蜜，圓滿具足無等等的六波羅蜜，得到無等等的法；得到無等等的色，以及無等等的受、想、行、識，於是佛轉起無等等的法輪。過去的佛也像這樣修這般若波羅蜜，圓滿具足無等等的布施，一直到轉起無等等的法輪。未來世的佛也將修這般若波羅蜜，將行無等等的布施，一直到將轉無等等的法輪。正因為這樣，世尊！菩薩摩訶薩若想度到一切法的彼岸，就應當修習般若波羅蜜。』
唯願世尊垂聽：修般若的菩薩，天人阿修羅都應禮敬供養
『唯願世尊垂聽！這樣修行般若波羅蜜的菩薩摩訶薩，一切世間的天、人與阿修羅，都應當禮敬他、供養他。』
佛印可並親自說明：因為有菩薩，世間才有這一切
佛告訴眾弟子以及諸位菩薩摩訶薩：『正是這樣！正是這樣！諸位善男子，修這般若波羅蜜的人，一切世間的天、人與阿修羅，都應當禮敬供養。為什麼呢？因為有菩薩來到世間的緣故，才出生人道、天道，才有剎利大姓、婆羅門大姓、居士大家、轉輪聖王、四天王天一直到色界最高的阿迦尼吒天；也才出生須陀洹一直到阿羅漢、辟支佛、乃至諸佛。因為有菩薩來的緣故，世間才有飲食、衣服、臥具、房舍、燈燭，以及摩尼、真珠、毘琉璃、珊瑚、金銀等等種種寶物生出。舍利弗！世間所有的安樂之具，無論是人間的、天上的、還是離欲之樂，這一切樂具都是因菩薩而有。為什麼呢？舍利弗！菩薩摩訶薩修菩薩道時，安住在六波羅蜜中，自己行布施，也用布施成就眾生；一直到自己修般若波羅蜜，也用般若波羅蜜成就眾生。舍利弗！正因為這樣，菩薩摩訶薩是為了安樂一切眾生而出現於世間。』
以下是論釋。
五千比丘中上座就有一千多位，為何只舉這四位
有人問：這五千比丘當中，上座就有一千多位，例如漚樓頻螺迦葉等人；為什麼只舉出這四個人的名字呢？
論主回答：這四位比丘，是現世裡無量的福田。舍利弗是佛的右面弟子；目揵連是佛的左面弟子；須菩提修無諍三昧、行空第一；摩訶迦葉修十二頭陀第一，世尊曾施衣給他、又分半座讓他同坐，他也常以深心憐愍眾生。佛在世時，若有人想求今世的果報，只要供養這四個人，往往就能如願。正因為這樣，這些多知多識的比丘以及四眾，才一同讚歎般若波羅蜜。
阿羅漢所作已辦，為什麼還要讚歎般若
有人問：這幾位阿羅漢已是最後身，所應作的都已辦妥，為什麼還要再讚歎般若波羅蜜呢？
論主回答：人人都知道阿羅漢已得無漏道；相形之下，菩薩的智慧雖然廣大，卻因結使還沒斷盡，所以世人並不看重菩薩。如今正因為這幾位阿羅漢有慈悲心、能協助佛弘揚教化，才引他們來作證——由已辦、無所求的阿羅漢出面讚歎，般若才顯得確實可貴。
論主逐一解釋十六個名號（上）：從大到無等等
第一，佛道在世間中最為廣大，而般若能成就佛道這件事，所以名為「大波羅蜜」。第二，一切法當中智慧居第一，所以叫做「尊波羅蜜」。第三，般若能端正引導其餘五度，所以名為「第一波羅蜜」。第四，其餘五度都比不上它，所以名為「勝波羅蜜」，就像眼耳鼻舌身五種感官比不上意根一樣。第五，它能自利又能利人，所以名為「妙波羅蜜」。第六，一切法當中沒有能勝過它的，所以名為「無上波羅蜜」。第七，沒有一法能與它相等，所以名為「無等波羅蜜」。第八，諸佛稱為「無等」，而諸佛都從般若波羅蜜出生，所以名為「無等等波羅蜜」。
論主逐一解釋十六個名號（下）：從如虛空到不可破壞
第九，這般若波羅蜜畢竟清淨，不能用戲論去破壞它，所以名為「如虛空波羅蜜」。第十，在般若波羅蜜當中，一切法的自相都了不可得，所以名為「自相空波羅蜜」。第十一，在這波羅蜜當中，一切法的自性本空——諸法都是眾緣和合而生、沒有自性，所以名為「自性空波羅蜜」。第十二，諸法當中並沒有它自己的定法，所以名為「諸法空波羅蜜」。第十三，正因為眾生空、法空，而破除諸法、使它一無所有，連這「一無所有」本身也一無所有，所以名為「無法有法空波羅蜜」。第十四，菩薩修這般若波羅蜜，沒有一種功德不被它含攝，就像太陽出來時百花無不開敷，所以名為「開一切功德波羅蜜」。第十五，這菩薩心中般若波羅蜜的日輪一出，就成就一切諸功德、使它們都清淨；般若波羅蜜正是一切善法的根本，所以名為「成就一切功德波羅蜜」。第十六，世間沒有一法能傾動它，所以名為「不可破壞波羅蜜」。
讚歎的總因緣：無比就是無等等
這幾位阿羅漢讚歎般若的總因緣，就在於三世諸佛都從般若波羅蜜出生；也在於這是無可比擬的布施、一直到無可比擬的智慧。世間當中沒有能與它相等的，所以說「無比」；這六波羅蜜畢竟清淨、沒有過失，所以名為「無比」，而「無比」也就是「無等等」。此外再作一層解釋：所謂「無等等」，是因為諸佛名為「無等」；般若能與諸佛相等，所以名為「無等等」。
三世諸佛裡已經有釋迦文佛，為何還要另外提
有人問：三世諸佛當中，本來就已包含釋迦文佛了，為什麼還要另外別說呢？
論主回答：因為如今在座的大眾，都是靠釋迦文佛而得度的，感念佛恩深重，所以特別別說。就像舍利弗說過的：『我的老師若不出世，我們就永遠是盲目暗冥的人！』諸阿羅漢知道三世諸佛都從般若波羅蜜當中出生，正因為這樣，諸阿羅漢才說：『世尊！諸位菩薩摩訶薩想遍知一切法，就當修習般若波羅蜜。』
阿羅漢心生恭敬，所以說應禮敬供養
阿羅漢在讚歎菩薩時，心中生起恭敬，所以才說『應當禮敬供養』。至於經文說「天、人、阿修羅」，是舉出這三善道；三惡道的眾生不能分別了知般若，所以不提。
佛聽了阿羅漢的讚歎，印可說：講得不錯
佛聽了阿羅漢的讚歎之後，就印可說：『正是這樣！正是這樣！應當禮敬供養那修行般若波羅蜜的人。』阿羅漢們雖然還沒有一切智慧，可是這番話說得並不錯，所以佛重說一次：『正是這樣！正是這樣！』為什麼要這樣印可呢？因為這當中佛親自說明：正因為有菩薩的緣故，才出生人道、天道，一直到一切諸菩薩，都是為了安樂一切眾生而說法度生。剎利大姓一直到阿迦尼吒天，須陀洹一直到諸佛，都如同前面經中所說。
既然因菩薩而有飲食寶物，人為何還要辛苦力作才求得
有人問：如果因為有菩薩，世間才有飲食等物以及種種寶物，那麼人為什麼還要出力耕作、辛苦營生，受盡種種辛勞才能得到呢？
論主回答：在飢餓的災劫時期，人縱然使出全部氣力，也一無所得，這是因為眾生的罪業深重。菩薩世世讚歎布施、持戒、善心這三種福業，正因為這三種福業的因緣有深有淺，所得才有上、中、下之別。上等的，一動念就立刻得到；中等的，受人中的尊重、供養自然送上門來；下等的，要施出功力勞作才得。正因為這樣，才說「因菩薩而得」——這話真實不虛。
三種樂：天樂、人樂、涅槃樂，都是由菩薩而得
能生起快樂的因緣多得數不清；如今佛只作簡要之說：『天上的樂、人間的樂、以及涅槃的樂，都是由菩薩而得。』這當中佛又親自說：『菩薩安住在六波羅蜜中，自己行布施，也教眾生行布施。』眾生雖然是自己在行布施，可是若沒有菩薩的教導，他們根本不會去行。
菩薩教人這些會生結使的樂因緣，難道沒有過失
有人問：除了解脫之樂以外，天樂與人樂這兩種樂，正是眾生生起結使的地方；貪欲的因緣又會引生瞋恚，那麼菩薩為什麼還要教導這種會生結使的因緣呢？
論主回答：菩薩並沒有過失！為什麼呢？菩薩以慈悲清淨的心，給予眾生快樂的因緣、教他們修福；假如眾生自己不能清淨地修福德，這於菩薩又有什麼過咎呢？就像有人好心挖了一口井，盲人卻自己失足墮井而死，挖井的人並沒有罪；又像有人備了好食施給別人，對方自己不知節量、吃得太多而致病，布施的人也並沒有罪。
再從幾個角度說明：菩薩教福無咎，唯有佛一人無錯無失
再者，假如諸佛菩薩不教眾生造作福德因緣，那麼世間就不會有天、不會有人、不會有阿修羅，只會增長三惡道，眾生更無從脫離罪苦。再者，眾生因為快樂的因緣而生貪，因為貪的因緣而生瞋恚，因為瞋恚的因緣而生苦，因為苦的因緣而生罪；如今菩薩正是想使眾生免於墮入這第五重罪之中，所以才給予快樂。再者，快樂的因緣並不一定就生貪欲——若能正憶念，快樂反而成為善福的因緣；只有邪憶念才會生貪欲。如今菩薩是為了讓眾生依正憶念而受樂，好使他們生起福德因緣。再者，唯獨佛一人是無錯無失的。這些菩薩還沒有成就佛道、還沒有得到佛眼，所以才用天樂、人樂、涅槃樂這三種樂來教化堪受度化的眾生；至於諸佛，就只用解脫之樂來教化眾生了。
The Fourfold Assembly Rises from Their Seats: Praising Prajñāpāramitā with Sixteen Names
At that time the venerable Śāriputra, the venerable Maudgalyāyana, the venerable Subhūti, the venerable Mahākāśyapa, together with many other bhikṣus of wide knowledge and understanding like them, and also the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, the upāsakas and the upāsikās, rose together from their seats, joined their palms, and said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! This mahāpāramitā, that is, the greatest perfection, is precisely the prajñāpāramitā of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva. The honoured perfection, the foremost perfection, the superior perfection, the wondrous perfection, the unsurpassed perfection, the unequalled perfection, the perfection equal to the unequalled, the perfection like empty space—all are the prajñāpāramitā of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva. World-Honored One! The perfection of the emptiness of specific marks is the prajñāpāramitā of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva. World-Honored One! The perfection of the emptiness of own-nature is the prajñāpāramitā of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva. The perfection of the emptiness of all dharmas, the perfection of the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas, the perfection that opens all merits, the perfection that accomplishes all merits, the perfection that cannot be destroyed—all are the prajñāpāramitā of the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas.’
The Six Perfections Are Likewise: Through Giving Equal to the Unequalled, One Gains a Body and a Dharma Equal to the Unequalled
‘The bodhisattva-mahāsattvas cultivate this prajñāpāramitā, practise giving equal to the unequalled, and fulfil completely the dānapāramitā equal to the unequalled, and thereby gain a body equal to the unequalled and gain a dharma equal to the unequalled, and this dharma is anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. The rest—the śīlapāramitā of upholding morality, the kṣāntipāramitā of patience under insult, the vīryapāramitā of vigour, the dhyānapāramitā of meditative absorption, and the prajñāpāramitā of wisdom—are all likewise: practised as equal to the unequalled, they gain a fruit equal to the unequalled.’
The Buddhas of the Three Times All Cultivated This Prajñā: Whoever Wishes to Cross to the Further Shore of All Dharmas Should Cultivate Prajñā
‘The World-Honored One himself also cultivated this prajñāpāramitā, fulfilled completely the six perfections equal to the unequalled, and gained a dharma equal to the unequalled; he gained form equal to the unequalled, and feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness equal to the unequalled, and so the Buddha turned the Dharma wheel equal to the unequalled. The Buddhas of the past likewise cultivated this prajñāpāramitā, fulfilled completely giving equal to the unequalled, and so on up to turning the Dharma wheel equal to the unequalled. The Buddhas of the future too will cultivate this prajñāpāramitā, will practise giving equal to the unequalled, and so on up to turning the Dharma wheel equal to the unequalled. Precisely because of this, World-Honored One, if a bodhisattva-mahāsattva wishes to cross to the further shore of all dharmas, he should cultivate and train in prajñāpāramitā.’
May the World-Honored One Deign to Listen: Gods, Humans, and Asuras Should All Pay Homage and Make Offerings to the Bodhisattva Who Cultivates Prajñā
‘May the World-Honored One deign to listen! To the bodhisattva-mahāsattva who practises prajñāpāramitā in this way, the gods, humans, and asuras of all the world should pay homage and make offerings.’
The Buddha Confirms It and Explains in Person: Because There Are Bodhisattvas, the World Has All These Things
The Buddha told the disciples and the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas: ‘So it is! So it is! Good men, to those who cultivate this prajñāpāramitā, the gods, humans, and asuras of all the world should pay homage and make offerings. Why? Because bodhisattvas come into the world, the human path and the heavenly path arise, and there are the great kṣatriya clans, the great brahmin clans, the great householder families, the wheel-turning sage kings, the heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, and so on up to the Akaniṣṭha Heaven, the highest of the form realm; and also srota-āpannas arise, and so on up to arhats, pratyekabuddhas, and even the Buddhas. Because bodhisattvas come, food and drink, clothing, bedding, dwellings, and lamps arise in the world, as well as all kinds of treasures such as maṇi jewels, pearls, vaiḍūrya, coral, gold, and silver. Śāriputra! All the means to happiness in the world—whether of the human realm, of the heavens, or the happiness of freedom from desire—all these means to happiness exist because of bodhisattvas. Why? Śāriputra! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva cultivates the bodhisattva path, he abides in the six perfections; he himself practises giving and also by giving brings beings to maturity; and so on up to: he himself cultivates prajñāpāramitā and also by prajñāpāramitā brings beings to maturity. Śāriputra! Precisely because of this, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva appears in the world in order to bring happiness to all beings.’
What follows is the treatise's explanation.
Among the Five Thousand Bhikṣus More Than a Thousand Were Elders; Why Name Only These Four?
Question: Among these five thousand bhikṣus there were more than a thousand elders, such as Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa and others; why are the names of only these four given?
Answer: These four bhikṣus are immeasurable fields of merit in the present world. Śāriputra is the Buddha's right-hand disciple; Maudgalyāyana is the Buddha's left-hand disciple; Subhūti cultivates the samādhi of non-contention and is foremost in practising emptiness; Mahākāśyapa is foremost in cultivating the twelve dhūta practices—the World-Honored One once gave him his robe and also shared half his seat to have him sit with him—and he too constantly pities beings with a deep mind. While the Buddha was in the world, if someone wished to seek recompense in this present life, he had only to make offerings to these four and would often have his wish fulfilled. Precisely because of this, these bhikṣus of wide knowledge and understanding, together with the fourfold assembly, praised prajñāpāramitā together.
The Arhats Have Done What Was to Be Done; Why Do They Still Praise Prajñā?
Question: These arhats are already in their final body, and all that was to be done has been completed; why do they still go on to praise prajñāpāramitā?
Answer: Everyone knows that arhats have already attained the undefiled path; by comparison, although the wisdom of bodhisattvas is vast, because their fetters are not yet fully cut off, worldly people do not esteem bodhisattvas. Now precisely because these arhats have a mind of kindness and compassion and are able to help the Buddha spread his teaching, they are brought forward to bear witness—it is when arhats, who have done what was to be done and seek nothing, come forward to praise it that prajñā is shown to be truly precious.
The Treatise-Author Explains the Sixteen Names One by One (First Part): From ‘Great’ to ‘Equal to the Unequalled’
First, the Buddha path is the most vast in the world, and prajñā is able to accomplish the matter of the Buddha path; therefore it is named ‘the great perfection’. Second, among all dharmas wisdom stands foremost; therefore it is called ‘the honoured perfection’. Third, prajñā is able to set right and guide the other five perfections; therefore it is named ‘the foremost perfection’. Fourth, the other five perfections all fall short of it; therefore it is named ‘the superior perfection’, just as the five sense faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body fall short of the mind faculty. Fifth, it is able to benefit oneself and also to benefit others; therefore it is named ‘the wondrous perfection’. Sixth, among all dharmas there is none that can surpass it; therefore it is named ‘the unsurpassed perfection’. Seventh, there is not a single dharma that can equal it; therefore it is named ‘the unequalled perfection’. Eighth, the Buddhas are called ‘the unequalled’, and the Buddhas are all born from prajñāpāramitā; therefore it is named ‘the perfection equal to the unequalled’.
The Treatise-Author Explains the Sixteen Names One by One (Last Part): From ‘Like Empty Space’ to ‘Cannot Be Broken or Destroyed’
Ninth, this prajñāpāramitā is ultimately pure and cannot be destroyed by idle discourse; therefore it is named ‘the perfection like empty space’. Tenth, within prajñāpāramitā the specific marks of all dharmas are altogether unfindable; therefore it is named ‘the perfection of the emptiness of specific marks’. Eleventh, within this perfection the own-nature of all dharmas is originally empty—all dharmas arise from the coming together of many conditions and have no own-nature; therefore it is named ‘the perfection of the emptiness of own-nature’. Twelfth, within all dharmas there is no fixed dharma of their own; therefore it is named ‘the perfection of the emptiness of all dharmas’. Thirteenth, precisely because beings are empty and dharmas are empty, all dharmas are broken down so that there is nothing whatsoever, and even this ‘nothing whatsoever’ itself is nothing whatsoever; therefore it is named ‘the perfection of the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas’. Fourteenth, when the bodhisattva cultivates this prajñāpāramitā, there is not a single merit that is not contained in it, just as when the sun comes out the hundred flowers all open; therefore it is named ‘the perfection that opens all merits’. Fifteenth, once the sun-disc of prajñāpāramitā comes out in this bodhisattva's mind, it accomplishes all merits and makes them all pure; prajñāpāramitā is precisely the root of all wholesome dharmas; therefore it is named ‘the perfection that accomplishes all merits’. Sixteenth, there is not a single dharma in the world that can shake it; therefore it is named ‘the perfection that cannot be broken or destroyed’.
The General Cause of the Praise: ‘Incomparable’ Is Precisely ‘Equal to the Unequalled’
The general cause and condition for these arhats' praising prajñā lies in this: the Buddhas of the three times are all born from prajñāpāramitā; it lies also in this: it is incomparable giving and so on up to incomparable wisdom. In the world there is nothing that can equal it, so it is said to be ‘incomparable’; these six perfections are ultimately pure and without fault, so they are named ‘incomparable’, and ‘incomparable’ is precisely ‘equal to the unequalled’. A further explanation: what is called ‘equal to the unequalled’ is so because the Buddhas are named ‘the unequalled’; prajñā is able to be equal to the Buddhas, so it is named ‘equal to the unequalled’.
The Buddhas of the Three Times Already Include Śākyamuni Buddha; Why Mention Him Separately?
Question: Among the Buddhas of the three times, Śākyamuni Buddha is already included; why is he spoken of separately?
Answer: Because the great assembly now present were all ferried across through Śākyamuni Buddha, and they are mindful of how deep the Buddha's kindness is, therefore he is spoken of separately. It is just as Śāriputra once said: ‘If my teacher had not appeared in the world, we would forever have been blind people in darkness!’ The arhats know that the Buddhas of the three times are all born from within prajñāpāramitā; precisely because of this, the arhats say: ‘World-Honored One! If the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas wish to know all dharmas pervasively, they should cultivate and train in prajñāpāramitā.’
The Arhats' Minds Give Rise to Reverence, So They Say One Should Pay Homage and Make Offerings
When the arhats praise the bodhisattva, reverence arises in their minds, and so they say ‘one should pay homage and make offerings’. As for the sūtra's saying ‘gods, humans, and asuras’, it names these three good paths; beings of the three evil paths are unable to discern and understand prajñā, so they are not mentioned.
Having Heard the Arhats' Praise, the Buddha Confirms It: What You Say Is Not Wrong
After hearing the arhats' praise, the Buddha confirmed it, saying: ‘So it is! So it is! One should pay homage and make offerings to those who practise prajñāpāramitā.’ Although the arhats do not yet have all wisdom, what they said here was not wrong, and so the Buddha said it once more: ‘So it is! So it is!’ Why does he confirm it in this way? Because here the Buddha himself explains: precisely because there are bodhisattvas, the human path and the heavenly path arise, and so on up to all the bodhisattvas, who all expound the Dharma and ferry beings across in order to bring happiness to all beings. The kṣatriya great clans up to the Akaniṣṭha Heaven, and srota-āpannas up to the Buddhas, are all as was said in the sūtra above.
If Food, Drink, and Treasures Exist Because of Bodhisattvas, Why Must People Still Labour Hard to Obtain Them?
Question: If it is because there are bodhisattvas that the world has food, drink, and other things, as well as all kinds of treasures, then why must people still put forth their strength in tilling and toil hard for a living, enduring all kinds of hardship before they obtain them?
Answer: In times of the calamity of famine, even if people exert all their strength they obtain nothing at all; this is because the offences of beings are deep and heavy. Life after life the bodhisattva praises the three kinds of meritorious deeds—giving, upholding morality, and a wholesome mind; precisely because the causes and conditions of these three kinds of meritorious deeds are deep or shallow, what is obtained differs as higher, middle, and lower. Those of the higher kind obtain it the moment a thought stirs; those of the middle kind are respected among humans, and offerings come to their door of themselves; those of the lower kind obtain it only by putting forth effort and labour. Precisely because of this it is said ‘obtained because of bodhisattvas’—and these words are true and not false.
Three Kinds of Happiness: Heavenly Happiness, Human Happiness, and the Happiness of Nirvāṇa Are All Obtained through Bodhisattvas
The causes and conditions that can give rise to happiness are too many to count; now the Buddha speaks only in brief: ‘The happiness of the heavens, the happiness of the human realm, and the happiness of nirvāṇa are all obtained through bodhisattvas.’ Here the Buddha himself also says: ‘The bodhisattva abides in the six perfections, himself practises giving, and also teaches beings to practise giving.’ Although it is beings who themselves practise giving, without the bodhisattva's teaching they would never do it at all.
In Teaching Others These Causes of Happiness That Give Rise to Fetters, Is the Bodhisattva Not at Fault?
Question: Apart from the happiness of liberation, the two kinds of happiness—heavenly happiness and human happiness—are precisely where beings give rise to fetters; the causes and conditions of greed in turn give rise to anger; why then does the bodhisattva still teach these causes and conditions that give rise to fetters?
Answer: The bodhisattva is not at fault! Why? The bodhisattva, with a mind of kindness, compassion, and purity, gives beings the causes and conditions of happiness and teaches them to cultivate merit; if beings themselves are unable to cultivate merit purely, what blame is that of the bodhisattva's? It is like someone who kindly digs a well, and a blind man of his own accord loses his footing, falls into the well, and dies—the one who dug the well has no offence; or again, like someone who prepares good food and gives it to another, and the other of his own accord does not know moderation, eats too much, and falls ill—the one who gave has no offence either.
Explained Again from Several Angles: The Bodhisattva Is Blameless in Teaching Merit; Only the Buddha Alone Is without Error and without Fault
Furthermore, if the Buddhas and bodhisattvas did not teach beings to create the causes and conditions of merit, then in the world there would be no gods, no humans, and no asuras; only the three evil paths would increase, and beings would have even less means of escaping offence and suffering. Furthermore, because of the causes and conditions of happiness beings give rise to greed; because of the causes and conditions of greed they give rise to anger; because of the causes and conditions of anger they give rise to suffering; because of the causes and conditions of suffering they give rise to offence; now the bodhisattva wishes precisely to keep beings from falling into this fifth layer, offence, and so he gives them happiness. Furthermore, the causes and conditions of happiness do not necessarily give rise to greed—if there is right recollection, happiness instead becomes a cause and condition of wholesome merit; only wrong recollection gives rise to greed. Now the bodhisattva does this so that beings may receive happiness in accordance with right recollection, and thereby give rise to the causes and conditions of merit. Furthermore, only the Buddha alone is without error and without fault. These bodhisattvas have not yet accomplished the Buddha path and have not yet attained the Buddha eye, and so they use these three kinds of happiness—heavenly happiness, human happiness, and the happiness of nirvāṇa—to teach and transform beings who are fit to be ferried across; as for the Buddhas, they teach and transform beings only with the happiness of liberation.
歎度品：讚般若之無上，何以落在菩薩出現於世
在問什麼
品名叫「歎度」——讚歎「度」，也就是讚歎般若波羅蜜。這一品一開場，是慧命舍利弗、目犍連、須菩提、摩訶迦葉這幾位大聲聞，連同菩薩與在家四眾，一齊從座而起，用十六個名號讚歎般若；讚罷，佛便印可「如是如是」，並親自接著說：正因為有菩薩，世間才出生人天諸道、才有種種寶物、種種安樂。表面看只是一段隆重的讚頌，底下卻壓著幾個不好回答的問題。其一，讚歎為什麼要由這幾位「所作已辦」的阿羅漢領頭？般若明明是菩薩之所行，論理該由菩薩自讚，何勞已辦、無所求的阿羅漢？其二，十六個名號堆在一起，究竟是十六種讚美的辭藻，還是同一件事的十六個面？其三，也是最重的一問——佛何以要把一段讚般若的話，立刻轉成『因菩薩故世間有一切』？讚的是般若，落點卻在菩薩與世間之樂，這中間的筋節在哪裡。這一品要回答的，正是「歎度」二字如何能既讚到般若的無上，又落到菩薩出現於世的實處。
逐段解明
第一，先看讚由誰發。五千比丘中上座逾千，經卻只舉舍利弗、目揵連、須菩提、摩訶迦葉四人。論說這四人是現世的無量福田——一位是佛的右面弟子，一位是佛的左面弟子，一位修無諍而行空第一，一位行十二頭陀第一——舉他們，是舉出聲聞中最堪為證的人。可是更深一層的問難接著來：這幾位既已「所作已辦」，還讚般若做什麼？論的回答很要緊：人人都知道阿羅漢已得無漏道，相形之下菩薩智慧雖大、結使未斷，世人並不看重；如今正要借這幾位有慈悲心、能助佛揚化的已辦者出面作證，讚才有分量。換句話說，讓阿羅漢領讚，不是抬阿羅漢在菩薩之上，恰恰是為抬起那個世人尚未看重的菩薩之道。
第二，十六個名號不是散亂的堆疊，而是層層遞進的一件事。前八個順著「比較」說：佛道最大故名「大」，智慧第一故名「尊」，能正導五度故名「第一」，五度不及故名「勝」，能自利利人故名「妙」，一切法無有過之故名「無上」，無一法與之相等故名「無等」，而諸佛稱為「無等」、又都從般若出生，故名「無等等」。中間五個轉入「空」說：畢竟清淨不可戲論破壞故名「如虛空」，一切法自相不可得故名「自相空」，眾緣和合無自性故名「自性空」，諸法中無有自法故名「諸法空」，乃至破諸法令無所有、連無所有也無所有故名「無法有法空」。末三個歸到「功用」說：無功德不攝、如日出華敷故名「開一切功德」，般若日出成就諸功德、為一切善法之本故名「成就一切功德」，世間無法能傾動故名「不可破壞」。論最後自己把這十六名收束成一句——三世佛皆從般若生，世間無與等者，故言「無比」，而「無比」即是「無等等」。可見樞紐正在「無等等」：般若之所以無上，不在它壓過了誰，而在它與諸佛相等、是諸佛之所從生。
第三，讚到這裡，佛把話頭一轉，親口說出『因菩薩故世間有一切』。因菩薩來世間，才出生人道天道、剎利婆羅門居士乃至轉輪聖王與諸天，才出生須陀洹乃至諸佛；才有飲食衣服臥具房舍、摩尼真珠珊瑚金銀種種寶物；乃至人間、天上、離欲的一切樂具，都由菩薩而有。這一轉不是離題，而是替前面的讚落地：般若的無上不是懸空的稱號，而是——依般若而行的菩薩，安住六波羅蜜、自行布施又教眾生布施，為安樂一切眾生而出現於世；世間一切善的源頭，追到底就是這依法而行、又以法教化的菩薩。讚般若，於是同時就是指認菩薩之於世間的根源地位。
第四，這根源地位隨即引出兩個要澄清的實事。其一，既然因菩薩而有財食寶物，人為何還須辛苦力作才求得？論答：飢餓劫時人縱盡氣力也一無所得，可見財食由眾生福力所感，而福力是菩薩世世讚歎布施持戒善心、教出來的；三福因緣有深有淺，所得便有上中下——上者念便即得，中者供養自至，下者施功力乃得。其二，快樂之事何以說「皆由菩薩得」？論舉天樂、人樂、涅槃樂三種，說都由菩薩而有，並引佛自說：菩薩住六度，自行布施也教眾生布施；眾生雖自己在行，若無菩薩教導則根本不會行。兩事合看，菩薩之為『一切之源』，是教化之因，不是越過眾生福業去直接給與的因。
第五，於是逼出全品最尖銳的一問：天樂人樂正是眾生生結使的地方，貪又引生瞋恚，菩薩教人這種會生結使的樂因緣，豈非有過？論斷然說「菩薩無咎」，並連下數解。先以兩個譬喻立骨：如人好心作井，盲人自己失足墮井而死，作井者無罪；如人備好食施人，受者不知節量、多食致患，施食者無罪——與樂、教福是慈悲清淨心，眾生不能清淨承受，咎不在菩薩。再從四個角度補足：若諸佛菩薩不教眾生作福，則無天無人無阿修羅、只長三惡道；眾生因樂生貪、因貪生恚、因恚生苦、因苦生罪，菩薩與樂正是要使眾生免於墮入這第五重罪；快樂本不定生貪，正憶念則樂成福因、邪憶念才生貪欲，菩薩正是為令眾生依正憶念而受樂。
第六，末了論留下一句最誠實的界限——唯有佛一人無錯無失。這些菩薩還沒成就佛道、還沒得佛眼，所以才用天樂人樂涅槃樂這三種樂來教化堪度的眾生；至於諸佛，就只用解脫之樂來教化。這一句把前面「菩薩無咎」擺回了本位：菩薩與樂、教福固然無咎，可那到底是未得佛眼者的權巧方便，不是究竟；究竟的無錯無失，只在佛。歎度歎到最高，卻以這一句自抑作結，正是這一品最見分寸的地方。
不要讀錯
不要把十六個名號讀成十六種不同的般若，或當作十六句華麗的稱頌堆在一起；它們是同一般若的十六個面，從比較之勝、空義之勝到功用之勝，終歸「無等等」一義。也不要把『因菩薩故世間有一切』讀成菩薩是憑空給與的造物者；論說得明白，財食樂具是眾生福力所感，福力則由菩薩教化而有——是教化之因，不是繞過眾生自業的直接給與。更不要把阿羅漢領讚讀成阿羅漢高於菩薩；引已辦、無所求者作證，恰恰是為抬起結使未斷、世人尚不看重的菩薩之道。最後，不要把『菩薩教樂』讀成菩薩慫恿人貪著——與樂是為正憶念之福因緣，眾生邪憶念而生貪，咎在眾生；而這方法之所以仍不究竟，論自己已用『唯佛無錯無失』點破。
修行作用
這一品可當幾面鏡子來用。讀十六名號時可問自己：我心裡真把般若擺在「大、尊、第一」的位子上，還是嘴上讚歎、實際仍以世間法為上？受用順境時可想『因菩薩故世間有一切』——我此刻享的種種善緣，追到根上都是他人依法而行、以法相教的果，於是受用時當念報恩，也當發心去作那教化之因。待人接物、給人方便時，記得好心作井與好食施人的分寸——慈悲要配上智慧的方便，顧到對方能不能清淨承受，才不至於好意反成他人的患。而最要緊的一面，是把『唯佛無錯無失』常擺在心頭：連菩薩以三種樂教化都還帶著未圓滿，何況自己；於是行善度人時，一面盡心去作，一面不敢自居無過，把那真正的無錯無失，留給佛，也留作自己趣向的方向。
承衍
後來有古德為這一品逐文作疏，最先被拈出的，正是品名何以叫「歎度」而不叫「歎般若」——古德說，度通六度，此處正歎於「度」，故以「歎度」為名。也有古德把全品判為兩分，前分是四大聲聞與菩薩四眾同聲讚歎、明標為「十六句」，後分是佛述成、印可其所讚；又循著論釋「正導五度」一句，延伸出『五度如羹、般若如鹽』之喻——羹靠鹽而後鹹，五度靠般若而後成，正合本論「能正導五度故名第一」之義。這些讀法各有脈絡，此處只誌其取徑、不判其高下。把它們帶回本品，最值得留住的並不是一張更細的科判表，而是這一品對「讚」的改寫：真正的歎度，不是為般若多添幾句好話，而是認取般若之為諸佛所從生、菩薩所依止；而讚到最高處，又肯自道「唯佛一人無錯無失」——既把般若舉到無上，又不把未圓滿的自己冒充究竟。這一放一收之間，正是「歎度」教人的分寸：向般若、向一切智盡力趣求，而不在半途自足。
Praise of the Perfections: Why Praise of the Unsurpassed Prajñā Comes to Rest on the Bodhisattva’s Appearing in the World
What Is Being Asked
The chapter is called “Praise of the Perfections”—praise of “perfection,” that is to say, praise of prajñāpāramitā. At the very opening of this chapter, the great śrāvakas—the venerable Śāriputra, Maudgalyāyana, Subhūti and Mahākāśyapa—together with the bodhisattvas and the householders of the fourfold assembly, all rise from their seats at once and praise prajñā with sixteen names; when the praise is finished, the Buddha approves it, 「如是如是」 tr. "just so, just so," and goes on in his own person to say: it is precisely because there are bodhisattvas that the paths of humans and gods are born in the world, that there are treasures of every kind and happiness of every kind. On the surface this is only a solemn passage of praise, yet beneath it lie several questions that are not easy to answer. First, why should the praise be led by these arhats, 「所作已辦」 tr. "who have done what was to be done"? Prajñā is plainly what bodhisattvas practise; by rights bodhisattvas should praise it themselves—why trouble arhats who have finished their work and seek nothing more? Second, when sixteen names are heaped together, are they in the end sixteen ornaments of praise, or sixteen faces of one and the same thing? Third, and the weightiest question: why does the Buddha at once turn a passage praising prajñā into ‘it is because of bodhisattvas that the world has everything’? What is praised is prajñā, yet the point of arrival is the bodhisattva and the happiness of the world—where is the sinew that joins them? What this chapter sets out to answer is precisely how the two words “praise of the perfections” can both reach the unsurpassed height of prajñā in their praise and come to rest on the real ground of the bodhisattva’s appearing in the world.
Passage by Passage
First, consider from whom the praise comes. Among five thousand bhikṣus the elders numbered more than a thousand, yet the sūtra names only four: Śāriputra, Maudgalyāyana, Subhūti and Mahākāśyapa. The treatise says that these four are immeasurable fields of merit in the present world—one is the Buddha’s right-hand disciple, one is the Buddha’s left-hand disciple, one cultivates non-contention and is foremost in practising emptiness, one is foremost in practising the twelve dhūta practices—and to name them is to name those among the śrāvakas most fit to bear witness. But a deeper objection follows at once: since these have already “done what was to be done,” why do they still praise prajñā? The treatise’s answer is of great importance: everyone knows that the arhats have already attained the undefiled path, while by comparison the bodhisattvas, though great in wisdom, have not yet cut off their fetters, and the world does not hold them in high regard; now these ones who have finished their work, who have a mind of kindness and compassion and are able to help the Buddha spread his teaching, are brought forward precisely to bear witness, and only so does the praise carry weight. In other words, letting the arhats lead the praise does not raise the arhats above the bodhisattvas; on the contrary, it is done to raise up the bodhisattva path, which the world does not yet hold in regard.
Second, the sixteen names are not a scattered heap but one matter advancing layer by layer. The first eight speak by way of “comparison”: because the path of the Buddha is the greatest, it is called “great”; because its wisdom is foremost, it is called “honoured”; because it can rightly guide the other five perfections, it is called “foremost”; because the five perfections do not reach it, it is called “superior”; because it can benefit oneself and benefit others, it is called “wondrous”; because no dharma surpasses it, it is called “unsurpassed”; because not a single dharma is equal to it, it is called “unequalled”; and because the buddhas are called “the unequalled,” and all are born from prajñā, it is called “equal to the unequalled.” The middle five turn to speak by way of “emptiness”: because it is ultimately pure and cannot be destroyed by idle discourse, it is called “like empty space”; because the own-mark of all dharmas cannot be found, it is called “emptiness of own-mark”; because the coming together of many conditions has no own-nature, it is called “emptiness of own-nature”; because within dharmas there is no dharma of their own, it is called “emptiness of all dharmas”; and so on up to its breaking down all dharmas so that nothing whatever exists, and even that non-existence does not exist—therefore it is called “emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas.” The last three return to speak by way of “function”: because there is no merit it does not gather in, as flowers open when the sun rises, it is called “opening all merits”; because when the sun of prajñā rises it brings all merits to accomplishment and is the root of all wholesome dharmas, it is called “accomplishing all merits”; because nothing in the world can topple or move it, it is called “indestructible.” At the end the treatise itself gathers these sixteen names up into a single sentence—the buddhas of the three times are all born from prajñā, and nothing in the world is equal to it, therefore it is said to be “incomparable,” and “incomparable” is precisely “equal to the unequalled.” It can be seen that the pivot lies exactly in 「無等等」 tr. "equal to the unequalled": the reason prajñā is unsurpassed does not lie in its having overpowered anyone, but in its being equal to the buddhas, that from which the buddhas are born.
Third, the praise having reached this point, the Buddha turns the thread of the discourse and says in his own words, ‘it is because of bodhisattvas that the world has everything.’ Because bodhisattvas come into the world, there are born the human path and the heavenly path, kṣatriyas, brahmins and householders, up to wheel-turning sage kings and the gods; there are born srota-āpannas, up to the buddhas; there are food and drink, clothing, bedding and dwellings, and treasures of every kind—maṇi jewels, pearls, coral, gold and silver; up to all the instruments of happiness among humans, in the heavens, and of freedom from desire—all come to be through bodhisattvas. This turn is no digression, but gives ground to the praise that went before: the unsurpassed height of prajñā is not a title hung in empty air; rather, the bodhisattva who practises in reliance on prajñā, abiding in the six perfections, himself practising giving and also teaching beings to give, appears in the world in order to give happiness to all beings; traced to its very bottom, the source of all that is good in the world is this bodhisattva who practises in accordance with the Dharma and also transforms others by means of the Dharma. To praise prajñā, then, is at the same time to point out the bodhisattva’s place as the source for the world.
Fourth, this place as source at once draws out two real matters that need clarifying. The first: since wealth, food and treasures come to be because of bodhisattvas, why must people still toil and labour hard before they obtain them? The treatise answers: in a kalpa of famine people obtain nothing at all even if they exhaust their strength, which shows that wealth and food are brought about by the power of beings’ merit, and that the power of merit was taught to them by bodhisattvas who, life after life, praised giving, keeping the precepts, and the good mind; the causes and conditions of these three kinds of merit are deep or shallow, and so what is obtained is superior, middling or inferior—the superior obtain it as soon as they think of it, to the middling offerings come of themselves, and the inferior obtain it only by applying effort. The second: why is it said of happy things that they 「皆由菩薩得」 tr. "are all obtained through bodhisattvas"? The treatise names three kinds—heavenly happiness, human happiness, and the happiness of nirvāṇa—and says that all come to be through bodhisattvas, and it cites the Buddha’s own words: the bodhisattva abides in the six perfections, himself practising giving and also teaching beings to give; although beings do the practising themselves, without a bodhisattva to teach them they would never practise at all. Taking the two matters together, the bodhisattva’s being ‘the source of everything’ is the cause that consists in teaching and transforming, not a cause that bypasses beings’ own merit and karma to give things to them directly.
Fifth, this forces out the sharpest question of the whole chapter: heavenly happiness and human happiness are exactly where beings give rise to fetters, and greed further gives rise to hatred—is the bodhisattva not at fault in teaching people the causes and conditions of a happiness that gives rise to fetters? The treatise says decisively, 「菩薩無咎」 tr. "the bodhisattva is without fault," and gives several explanations in succession. First it sets up the frame with two similes: as when a person with a good mind digs a well, and a blind man loses his footing of his own accord, falls into the well and dies, the one who dug the well is without offence; as when a person prepares good food and gives it to others, and the one who receives it does not know moderation, eats too much and falls ill, the one who gave the food is without offence—giving happiness and teaching merit are a pure mind of kindness and compassion; beings are unable to receive them purely, and the fault does not lie with the bodhisattva. Then it completes the argument from four angles: if the buddhas and bodhisattvas did not teach beings to make merit, there would be no gods, no humans, no asuras, and only the three evil destinies would grow; beings give rise to greed because of happiness, to hatred because of greed, to suffering because of hatred, to offence because of suffering, and the bodhisattva’s giving of happiness is precisely meant to spare beings from falling into this fifth, grave offence; happiness does not of itself necessarily give rise to greed—with right recollection happiness becomes a cause of merit, and only with wrong recollection does it give rise to greedy desire; and the bodhisattva acts precisely to let beings receive happiness in reliance on right recollection.
Sixth, at the very end the treatise leaves one most honest boundary—only the Buddha alone is without error and without fault. These bodhisattvas have not yet accomplished the path of the Buddha and have not yet obtained the buddha-eye, and that is why they use these three kinds of happiness—heavenly happiness, human happiness, the happiness of nirvāṇa—to teach and transform beings who can be liberated; as for the buddhas, they teach and transform only by the happiness of liberation. This one sentence sets the earlier “the bodhisattva is without fault” back in its proper place: the bodhisattva’s giving of happiness and teaching of merit are indeed without fault, yet in the end they are the expedient skilful means of those who have not yet obtained the buddha-eye, not the ultimate; the ultimate freedom from error and fault lies only with the Buddha. Having carried its praise of the perfections to the highest point, the chapter closes by holding itself back with this sentence, and this is exactly where the chapter shows its sense of proportion most clearly.
Do Not Misread
Do not read the sixteen names as sixteen different kinds of prajñā, or as sixteen ornate phrases of praise piled together; they are sixteen faces of one and the same prajñā, running from its superiority by comparison, through its superiority in the meaning of emptiness, to its superiority in function, and returning in the end to the single meaning of “equal to the unequalled.” Nor should you read ‘it is because of bodhisattvas that the world has everything’ as meaning that the bodhisattva is a creator who bestows things out of nothing; the treatise says it plainly: wealth, food and the instruments of happiness are brought about by the power of beings’ merit, and the power of merit comes to be through the bodhisattva’s teaching and transforming—it is the cause that consists in teaching and transforming, not a direct giving that goes around beings’ own karma. Still less should you read the arhats’ leading of the praise as meaning that arhats are higher than bodhisattvas; bringing forward those who have finished their work and seek nothing to bear witness is done precisely to raise up the bodhisattva path, whose fetters are not yet cut off and which the world does not yet hold in regard. Finally, do not read ‘the bodhisattva teaches happiness’ as the bodhisattva egging people on to greedy attachment—giving happiness is for the causes and conditions of merit under right recollection; when beings give rise to greed through wrong recollection, the fault lies with beings; and the reason this method is still not ultimate, the treatise itself has already pointed out with ‘only the Buddha is without error and without fault.’
Bearing on Practice
This chapter can be used as several mirrors. When reading the sixteen names, you can ask yourself: in my heart do I truly set prajñā in the place of “great, honoured, foremost,” or do I praise it with my lips while in fact still holding worldly dharmas to be highest? When enjoying favourable circumstances, you can think of ‘it is because of bodhisattvas that the world has everything’—the good conditions of every kind that I enjoy at this moment are, traced to the root, the fruit of others who practised in accordance with the Dharma and taught by means of the Dharma; so as you enjoy them, keep in mind the repaying of kindness, and also resolve to become that cause of teaching and transforming. In dealing with people and giving them help, remember the proportion of digging a well with a good mind and giving good food to others—kindness and compassion must be matched with the skilful means of wisdom, taking account of whether the other person can receive purely, so that good intentions do not turn instead into another’s harm. And the most important mirror of all is to keep ‘only the Buddha is without error and without fault’ always at heart: even the bodhisattvas’ teaching and transforming by the three kinds of happiness still carries something not yet complete, how much more so oneself; so when doing good and liberating others, on the one hand give yourself to it wholeheartedly, and on the other never dare to regard yourself as faultless, leaving true freedom from error and fault to the Buddha, and keeping it also as the direction toward which you yourself are heading.
Further Resonances
Later an ancient master composed a commentary on this chapter phrase by phrase, and the first thing he brought out was precisely why the chapter is named “Praise of the Perfections” and not “Praise of Prajñā”—the ancient master says that “perfection” extends to all six perfections, and that here it is precisely “perfection” that is praised, so the chapter takes “Praise of the Perfections” as its name. Another ancient master divides the whole chapter into two parts: the first part is the four great śrāvakas together with the bodhisattvas and the fourfold assembly praising with one voice, explicitly marked as “sixteen phrases”; the second part is the Buddha’s confirming and completing, approving what they praised; and, following the treatise’s explanation of the phrase “rightly guides the five perfections,” he extends it into the simile ‘the five perfections are like a broth, prajñā is like salt’—a broth becomes savoury only by means of salt, and the five perfections are accomplished only by means of prajñā, which accords exactly with this treatise’s meaning, 「能正導五度故名第一」 tr. "because it can rightly guide the five perfections, it is called foremost." These readings each have their own provenance; here only their approach is recorded, without judging which is higher. Brought back to this chapter, what is most worth keeping is not a finer outline, but this chapter’s rewriting of “praise”: true praise of the perfections is not adding a few more fine words for prajñā, but recognising prajñā as that from which the buddhas are born and on which bodhisattvas rely; and when the praise reaches its highest point, it is still willing to say of itself, 「唯佛一人無錯無失」 tr. "only the Buddha alone is without error and without fault"—raising prajñā to the unsurpassed, yet not passing off one’s own incompleteness as the ultimate. Between this letting go and this drawing in lies exactly the sense of proportion that “praise of the perfections” teaches: to strive with all one’s strength toward prajñā, toward omniscience, and not to rest content halfway.
考據Apparatus
一、科判
本品在《大智度論》釋《大品般若》之次第中屬〈釋餘品〉一段，繫卷四十，論自題「大智度論釋歎度品第五」〔T25 0354a29〕，總釋《大品般若》〈歎度品第五〉〔T08 0229c05–0230a18〕。前承〈往生品第四〉（卷三十八至卷四十），〈歎度品〉即其次品，同在卷四十之內，不別分卷，故為一卷小品。全品僅一〈經〉一〈論〉，非如〈往生品〉逐段牒經交替。
【經】段（〔T25 0354b01〕起至〔T25 0354c11〕）分二節。初，慧命舍利弗、目犍連、須菩提、摩訶迦葉等四大聲聞及諸菩薩、優婆塞、優婆夷從坐起，同聲以十六名號讚般若波羅蜜，繼明六度亦得無等等身法、三世佛皆行此般若、是行般若菩薩應受天人阿修羅禮敬供養。次，佛印可「如是！如是！」而自述成——因菩薩故世間出生人天諸道乃至諸佛、便有飲食珍寶、人天離欲諸樂，菩薩住六度自行化他，為安樂眾生故出現於世。
【論】段（〔T25 0354c12〕起至〔T25 0355c07〕）循經文次第而釋，凡五番問答貫串其間。初問「五千比丘中，上有千餘上座…何以止說此四人名」〔T25 0354c12〕，答以四比丘為現世無量福田。次問「是阿羅漢最後身，所作已辦，何以復讚歎般若波羅蜜」〔T25 0354c20〕，答以阿羅漢結使已斷可為證。中間逐一釋十六名號，收於「無比」即「無等等」一義，復以「復次」重釋無等等。三問「三世諸佛中，已有釋迦文佛，何以別說」〔T25 0355a23〕，答以座上眾感釋迦文佛得度之恩。次釋禮敬供養、三善道、佛印可不錯之義。四問「若因菩薩，有飲食等及諸寶物，人何以力作求生，受諸辛苦乃得」〔T25 0355b09〕，答以三福因緣有上中下。後明天人涅槃三種樂皆由菩薩得。五問「除解脫樂，此二種樂是眾生生結使處…菩薩何以教導此結使因緣」〔T25 0355b19〕，答以菩薩慈悲無咎，設好心作井、好食施人二喻，末以三「復次」及「唯佛一人無錯無失」收束全品。
二、術語考
般若波羅蜜（度）。 波羅蜜此言到彼岸，於六度為導首。本品經文開端即以此立讚：「摩訶波羅蜜，是菩薩摩訶薩般若波羅蜜」〔T25 0354b04〕，下列十六名皆以「◯波羅蜜」為式，所讚唯般若一法。品名「歎度」，即歎此度。
無諍定（行空第一）。 論舉須菩提之德以明四人所以為福田：「須菩提修無諍定，行空第一」〔T25 0354c15〕。無諍定者，安住空慧而不與物諍。
十二頭陀。 論舉摩訶迦葉之德：「摩訶迦葉行十二頭陀第一，世尊施衣分坐，常深心憐愍眾生」〔T25 0354c16〕。頭陀為抖擻塵勞之行。
現世無量福田。 論判四阿羅漢之位曰「是四比丘，是現世無量福田」〔T25 0354c14〕，並明「佛在世時，若有人欲求今世果報者，供養是四人，輒得如願」〔T25 0354c18〕。
三福因緣（上·中·下）。 論釋世間果報所以有差：「菩薩世世讚歎布施、持戒、善心，是三福因緣故有上、中、下。上者，念便即得；中者，人中尊重，供養自至；下者，施功力乃得」〔T25 0355b11〕。
三種樂（天樂·人樂·涅槃樂）。 論略說眾生之樂：「天樂、人樂、涅槃樂，皆由菩薩得」〔T25 0355b16〕。經文塊作「若離欲樂」〔T25 0354c06〕，論釋作「涅槃樂」，同指出離之樂〔離欲樂即涅槃之說，慧影疏有明文，見第六目〕。
阿迦尼吒（色界之頂）。 論明因菩薩故出生世間諸位，自「剎利大姓」上至「阿迦尼吒天」〔T25 0354c02〕，復自「須陀洹乃至諸佛」〔T25 0355b08〕，世間乃至出世之階位皆攝。
三、譬喻與故事
本品以讚歎為體，譬喻不如〈往生品〉之繁，然論釋名號與答問處，仍以世間之事顯法。
明五度不及般若，論設根喻：「五度不及，故名為『勝波羅蜜』，如五情不及意」〔T25 0354c27〕——五情之知不及意根之遍，喻五度之功不及般若之導。
明般若一起而眾德無不開成，論設日華之喻：「無有功德而不攝者，如日出時華無不敷」〔T25 0355a11〕，又云「是菩薩心中般若波羅蜜日出，成就一切諸功德，皆令清淨」〔T25 0355a13〕——如日出而群華無不開敷，般若現前而諸功德無不成就清淨。
明菩薩教眾生修福而眾生自造過非菩薩咎，論設二喻：「如人好心作井，盲人墮中而死，作者無罪！如人設好食施人，不知量者，多食致患，施者無罪！」〔T25 0355b24〕——好心作井者本以濟渴，盲人自墮而死，非作井者之罪；好食施人者本以與飽，受者不知量而致患，非施食者之過。二喻並明菩薩以慈悲清淨心與眾生樂因緣、教修福事，眾生不能清淨行福則自受其咎，於菩薩無咎。
又論明座上眾感釋迦文佛得度之恩，故於三世佛中別舉，引舍利弗之語為證：「我師不出者，我等永為盲冥！」〔T25 0355a25〕。
四、所釋經文
本論所牒之【經】段，與後秦鳩摩羅什譯《摩訶般若波羅蜜經》〈歎度品第五〉〔T08 0229c05–0230a18〕逐項相承。異於〈往生品〉之【經】僅是所釋經之一段節選，本品【經】幾乎逐字覆蓋 T223〈歎度品〉全品——經止一頁餘，論所牒亦止一頁餘，篇幅相當。以下九組逐字對位，證論所釋確係此本經文。
第一組，四眾啟白十六名號。本論〔T25 0354b01〕作「爾時，慧命舍利弗、慧命目犍連、慧命須菩提、慧命摩訶迦葉…不可壞波羅蜜，是諸菩薩摩訶薩般若波羅蜜」，T223〔T08 0229c06〕作「爾時慧命舍利弗、慧命大目揵連、慧命須菩提、慧命摩訶迦葉…不可壞波羅蜜是諸菩薩摩訶薩般若波羅蜜」。二本幾近逐字，唯 T223 作「慧命大目揵連」多一「大」字，「犍」「揵」互為異體；又 T223「從座起」、本論「從坐起」，「座」「坐」異體。
第二組，六度亦得無等等身法。本論〔T25 0354b13〕「諸菩薩摩訶薩行是般若波羅蜜，無等等布施，具足無等等檀波羅蜜…禪波羅蜜、般若波羅蜜亦如是」與 T223〔T08 0229c18〕逐字一致，唯 T223 用「檀那」「禪那」全稱，本論用「檀」「禪」略稱，梵語音寫全略之別。
第三組，三世佛皆行此般若轉法輪。本論〔T25 0354b17〕末句作「菩薩摩訶薩欲度一切法彼岸，當習行般若波羅蜜」，T223〔T08 0229c23〕作「菩薩摩訶薩欲度一切彼岸，當習行般若波羅蜜」——本論多一「法」字，T223 無，二本各自成文，並存不強合一。
第四組，是行般若菩薩應受禮敬供養。本論〔T25 0354b25〕作「唯！世尊！是行般若波羅蜜菩薩摩訶薩，一切世間天及人、阿修羅應當禮敬供養」，T223〔T08 0230a02〕逕作「世尊！是行般若波羅蜜菩薩摩訶薩…應當禮敬供養」——本論句首多發語詞「唯」，T223 無此字。
第五組，佛印可述成。本論〔T25 0354b27〕作「如是！如是！諸善男子行是般若波羅蜜者，一切世間天及人、阿修羅應當禮敬供養」，T223〔T08 0230a03〕作「如是，如是！諸善男子！是行般若波羅蜜者…應當作禮恭敬供養」——T223 作「應當作禮恭敬供養」四字，本論略作「應當禮敬供養」二字之對，同義而繁簡不同。
第六組，因菩薩故有飲食寶物。本論〔T25 0354c03〕「因菩薩來故，世間便有飲食、衣服、臥具、房舍、燈燭、摩尼、真珠、毘琉璃、珊瑚，金銀等諸寶物生」，T223〔T08 0230a10〕作「…燈燭、摩尼、真珠、頗梨、琉璃、珊瑚、金銀等諸寶物生」——T223 列「頗梨、琉璃」二寶，本論作「毘琉璃」一詞，寶物枚舉方式不同，非缺漏。
第七組，世間樂具皆由菩薩有。本論〔T25 0354c05〕「舍利弗！世間所有樂具，若人中、若天上、若離欲樂，是一切樂具，皆由菩薩有」與 T223〔T08 0230a12〕逐字一致。
第八組，住六度自行化他。本論〔T25 0354c07〕「菩薩摩訶薩行菩薩道時，住六波羅蜜，自行布施，亦以布施成就眾生；乃至自行般若波羅蜜，亦以般若波羅蜜成就眾生」與 T223〔T08 0230a14〕逐字一致。
第九組，為安樂眾生故出現於世。本論〔T25 0354c10〕「舍利弗！是故菩薩摩訶薩為安樂一切眾生故出現於世」與 T223〔T08 0230a17〕逐字一致。
九組除標點編輯層外，義理措辭近乎逐字或全然一致；其中第三、四、五、六組為義理不影響之措辭繁簡、虛字有無、寶名枚舉之別，皆分列並存，不強合一讀。
五、般若義眼
本品之眼，在以十六名號讚般若波羅蜜之一法——名雖十六，所讚唯一。論主循經所列，逐名立釋，其名可約為三重。
其一，價值之讚八名。般若於一切法中為最上，故論釋「大」曰「佛道於世間中最大，是般若能與此事」〔T25 0354c24〕，「尊」曰「一切法中智慧第一」〔T25 0354c26〕，「第一」曰「能正導五度」〔T25 0354c26〕，「勝」曰「五度不及」〔T25 0354c27〕，「妙」曰「能自利利人」〔T25 0354c28〕，「無上」曰「一切法中無有過者」〔T25 0354c29〕，「無等」曰「無有法與同者」〔T25 0355a01〕，「無等等」曰「諸佛名無等，從般若波羅蜜生」〔T25 0355a02〕。八名層層相躡，自「最大」而至「無等等」，皆就般若於諸法中之無上而立。
其二，空義之讚五名。此五名正顯般若之體。論釋「如虛空」曰「是般若波羅蜜畢竟清淨，不可以戲論破壞」〔T25 0355a03〕，「自相空」曰「般若波羅蜜中一切法自相不可得」〔T25 0355a05〕，「自性空」曰「此波羅蜜中一切法自性空故，諸法因緣和合生，無有自性」〔T25 0355a06〕，「諸法空」曰「諸法中無有自法」〔T25 0355a08〕，「無法有法空」曰「以此眾生空、法空故破諸法令無所有，無所有亦無所有」〔T25 0355a09〕。五名自「如虛空」之畢竟清淨，歷自相、自性、諸法之空，終於「無所有亦無所有」——空亦復空，不留空相，是般若空義之極。
其三，功德之讚三名。論釋「開一切功德」曰「無有功德而不攝者，如日出時華無不敷」〔T25 0355a11〕，「成就一切功德」曰「是菩薩心中般若波羅蜜日出，成就一切諸功德，皆令清淨；般若波羅蜜是一切善法之本」〔T25 0355a13〕，「不可破壞」曰「世間無有法能傾動者」〔T25 0355a16〕。空而能攝成一切功德，功德成而世間莫能傾動，是般若空不礙有、有不礙空之義。
十六名終，論自收其讚歎因緣於一義：「所謂三世佛皆從般若波羅蜜生，所謂無比布施乃至無比智慧；世間中無有與等者，故言『無比』；是六波羅蜜，畢竟清淨，無有過失，故名為『無比』，『無比』即是『無等等』」〔T25 0355a18〕。復以「復次」重釋：「諸佛名『無等』；與諸佛等，故名為『無等等』」〔T25 0355a22〕。是知十六名之讚，非十六事，乃就般若一法之最上、畢竟空、與成德不壞三面而反覆稱之，而總歸於「無等等」——般若生諸佛，故與諸佛等而無與之等者。此即全品讚歎所依之般若義眼。
六、諸家異釋
古德引釋本品者，此目誌錄其所疏與本品之對應，不判各家詮釋。全藏未見他家以「歎度品」題名別引本品段落，然存有兩部逐文對應本品之古德疏，一疏所釋之經，一疏所釋之論。
吉藏《大品經義疏》（X24n0451）卷四「歎度品第五」直釋所釋經段。其釋品名何以云「歎度」不云「歎般若」曰：「此是佛對身子為上根，略說般若時，會得悟竟。今第三眾聖，皆聞說歡喜，領解秤歎，證成佛命。而云歎度，不云歎般若者，今歎般若…度通於六，所以文中正歎於度，故云會般若波羅蜜也」〔X24 0225c07〕。其釋阿羅漢已辦何以歎，明引本論問答曰：「論問云：羅漢所作已辦，何故歎波若？答云：人知羅漢煩惱已盡，菩薩智慧雖勝煩惱未盡，故敬重羅漢，所以歎也。二者此羅漢有慈悲心□揚化，故引為證云：般若是真實法，能生三世佛及世間樂具」〔X24 0225c23〕。其釋十六名號前七，與本論立名之序並行：「初句摩訶者，佛道最大般若能到故名為大，一切智慧中第一故言尊…正□□五度故為第一，五度不及故云勝如，五根不及意根能自利利他故故妙也。一切□□故云無上，無有法與同故言無等，諸佛無等從般若生故言無等等也」〔X24 0226a24〕。
慧影《大智度論疏》（X46n0791）卷十七「釋嘆度品第五」直釋論段。此疏原二十四卷，今僅存卷一、六、十四、十五、十七、二十一、二十四等殘卷，卷十七恰對應論卷四十，即本品。其釋歎度何以次往生曰：「第五品釋論者，名為嘆度品。所以次往生品，後明嘆度者，上初品中明為說此波羅蜜經故，如來現九種神力…上來至此既明六波羅蜜有益無量無邊…皆由波羅蜜力故，所以能然，故次往生品，後明嘆度品也」〔X46 0854a24〕。其科判本品曰：「就此品文中，大有二分：一者、明四大聲聞及菩薩等，皆悉同聲嘆波若大德，有十六句；二者、從佛告眾弟子已下，明如來述成，可其所嘆」〔X46 0854b07〕。其釋四人偏舉，明迦葉表當來次補佛處：「摩訶迦葉已下，此人是第二大師，佛之長子。所以眾僧作法以織衣與，而如來命之分座共坐者，正表當來次補佛處為第二佛，作大依止為第二大師，是故須烈前三人」〔X46 0854c22〕。其釋「正導五度」設羹鹽之喻：「正導五波羅蜜者，明五波羅蜜如羮波若壚，如雖羮多壚少，而羮所以泔者，功於壚。五波羅蜜所以無相，亦得同常者，功由波若。波若無相，故五亦無相」〔X46 0855a10〕。其釋三樂，明經之「離欲樂」即論之「涅槃」：「樂因緣甚多已下，次釋上略說三樂經文。上言離欲樂者，即是此中涅槃也」〔X46 0855b09〕。
以上兩疏所引，皆各誌其所對本品之段落，不判其詮釋高下。
七、互讀與承衍
本品為《大品般若》一系之結讚，其讚歎之骨有二，皆為般若一系反覆承用。其一，十六名號總歸於「無等等」，而「無等等」之義在「三世佛皆從般若波羅蜜生」〔T25 0355a18〕——般若為諸佛之所從生，故稱諸佛之母；此般若生佛之義，貫通《大智度論》釋般若之綱，本品以十六名之讚為之標舉。其二，空義五名自「如虛空」歷自相、自性、諸法之空而終於「無所有亦無所有」〔T25 0355a10〕，即空亦復空之義；此般若空義為般若一系之根本，本品就般若之名而顯其空體，下承般若諸經之空觀。
就次第言，本品承〈往生品〉而來。論釋因菩薩故世間出生剎利大姓乃至諸佛、須陀洹乃至諸佛，自云「皆如先說」〔T25 0355b08〕，回指本品前文所列；慧影疏亦明本品「所以次往生品，後明嘆度」〔X46 0854a24〕，以往生品既明六度往生成就勝行皆由波羅蜜力，故次而歎此度。是〈歎度品〉之讚，正承〈往生品〉諸行之果而歸讚其能成之般若。此諸承衍在於義脈之相續，本目誌其相承，不代為定讀。
八、校本與版本說明
本品底本為《大智度論》卷四十〔T25 0354a29–0355c08〕；所釋經校本為《摩訶般若波羅蜜經》〈歎度品第五〉〔T08 0229c05–0230a18〕；古德疏校本為吉藏《大品經義疏》卷四（X24n0451·釋經段）、慧影《大智度論疏》卷十七（X46n0791·釋論段）。異讀校記依大正校勘，涉大正底本與宋、元、明、宮、石諸本及高麗再雕本之異；異本讀法並列保存，正文仍從現行底本讀法。擇與名號等核心義理措辭相涉者如下。
0354b26：體【大】｜禮【CB】【麗-CB】——底本原刻作「體」，CBETA 據高麗藏再雕本及本品自身下文用字訂為「禮」，作「一切世間天及人、阿修羅應當〔禮〕敬供養」。若從「體」則「應當體敬供養」文義不通；「禮」與 T223 該處「應當作禮恭敬供養」及本品下文兩見「禮敬供養」〔T25 0354b29〕相合。正文從校訂讀「禮」。
0355a02：等【大】｜等等【宋】【元】【明】【宮】——「諸佛名無〔等〕，從般若波羅蜜生，故名『無等等波羅蜜』」〔T25 0355a02〕。大正本作「無等」單字，保「無等→無等等」之遞進；宋元明宮本作「無等等」，則遞進之對比提前疊用。正文從底本「無等」。
0355a06：性【大】｜法【宮】【石】——「此波羅蜜中一切法自〔性〕空故…故名為『自性空波羅蜜』」〔T25 0355a06〕。大正「自性」與所釋之名一致；宮石本作「自法空」，與下一名「諸法空波羅蜜」用字相犯。正文從底本「性」。
0354c13：止【大】｜正【宋】【宮】【石】——「何以〔止〕說此四人名」〔T25 0354c13〕。「止」與「正」語意相近，皆通，屬無礙異文。
0354c12：漚【大】｜優【明】——「漚樓頻螺迦葉」〔T25 0354c13〕，明本作「優樓頻螺迦葉」（Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa）。梵音異譯用字，非義理歧異。
0355c01：免【大】｜勉【宋】【宮】【石】——「今欲〔免〕眾生於第五罪中」〔T25 0355c01〕。「免」與上文「苦因緣故生罪」語脈相承，謂欲使眾生脫離趣入第五罪之因緣；「勉」於此語境較費解。正文從底本「免」。
又，十六名末句經文作「不可壞波羅蜜」，論釋自身作「不可破壞波羅蜜」〔T25 0355a17〕，係本品內經文與論釋用字之異，非別本異讀，並錄不判。本品全帙校勘記凡二十一條，詳存工作底本檔末；本表僅傳錄與名號等核心義理措辭相涉之要目，不延伸為各本高下之判。
I. Structural Placement
Within the sequence in which the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa comments on the Larger Sūtra, this chapter belongs to the section of the Commentary on the Remaining Chapters and falls in Fascicle 40. The treatise gives its own title as 「大智度論釋歎度品第五」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on Praise of the Perfections, the Fifth"〔T25 0354a29〕, and it comments on the whole of the Larger Sūtra's Chapter 5, "Praise of the Perfections"〔T08 0229c05–0230a18〕. It follows Chapter 4, "Rebirth" (Fascicles 38 to 40); "Praise of the Perfections" is the chapter immediately after it, lying within the same Fascicle 40 and not divided into a separate fascicle. It is thus a short chapter of a single fascicle. The whole chapter has only one Sūtra section and one Treatise section; unlike "Rebirth", it does not cite the sūtra section by section with Sūtra and Treatise alternating.
The Sūtra section (from〔T25 0354b01〕to〔T25 0354c11〕) falls into two parts. First, the venerable Śāriputra, Maudgalyāyana, Subhūti, Mahākāśyapa, and the others—the four great śrāvakas—together with the bodhisattvas, upāsakas, and upāsikās, rise from their seats and with one voice praise prajñāpāramitā with sixteen names; they go on to make clear that the six perfections likewise attain the equal to the unequalled body and dharmas, that the Buddhas of the three times all practise this prajñā and turn the Dharma wheel, and that the bodhisattva who practises prajñā ought to receive the reverence, homage, and offerings of gods, humans, and asuras. Next, the Buddha confirms it with 「如是！如是！」 tr. "So it is! So it is!" and himself states and completes it: because of the bodhisattva there arise in the world the paths of humans and gods, up to the Buddhas; there come to be food and drink and precious jewels; there come to be the joys of humans and gods and of freedom from desire; the bodhisattva, abiding in the six perfections, practises them himself and transforms others, and appears in the world for the sake of the peace and joy of beings.
The Treatise section (from〔T25 0354c12〕to〔T25 0355c07〕) explains following the order of the sūtra text, and five rounds of question and answer run through it. The first question asks 「五千比丘中，上有千餘上座…何以止說此四人名」 tr. "among the five thousand bhikṣus there are more than a thousand senior elders … why are the names of only these four spoken?"〔T25 0354c12〕, and the answer is that the four bhikṣus are immeasurable fields of merit in the present world. The second question asks 「是阿羅漢最後身，所作已辦，何以復讚歎般若波羅蜜」 tr. "these arhats are in their last body, and what was to be done is done; why do they still praise prajñāpāramitā?"〔T25 0354c20〕, and the answer is that because the arhats have already cut off the fetters they can serve as witnesses. In between, the sixteen names are explained one by one and gathered into the single meaning that 「無比」 tr. "incomparable" is precisely 「無等等」 tr. "equal to the unequalled"; and with a 「復次」 tr. "furthermore" the equal to the unequalled is explained again. The third question asks 「三世諸佛中，已有釋迦文佛，何以別說」 tr. "Śākyamuni Buddha is already among the Buddhas of the three times; why is he spoken of separately?"〔T25 0355a23〕, and the answer is that the assembly on the seats is moved by gratitude to Śākyamuni Buddha, through whom they attained liberation. Next come explanations of reverence, homage, and offerings, of the three good paths, and of the meaning that the Buddha's confirmation is without error. The fourth question asks 「若因菩薩，有飲食等及諸寶物，人何以力作求生，受諸辛苦乃得」 tr. "if it is because of the bodhisattva that there are food and drink and the like and all precious things, why do people seek a living by toil, obtaining them only after undergoing hardships?"〔T25 0355b09〕, and the answer is that the causes and conditions of the three kinds of merit are superior, middling, and inferior. After this it makes clear that the three kinds of joy—of gods, of humans, and of nirvāṇa—are all obtained through the bodhisattva. The fifth question asks 「除解脫樂，此二種樂是眾生生結使處…菩薩何以教導此結使因緣」 tr. "apart from the joy of liberation, these two kinds of joy are the places where beings give rise to fetters … why does the bodhisattva teach and guide [them in] these causes and conditions of fetters?"〔T25 0355b19〕, and the answer is that the bodhisattva's kindness and compassion are blameless, setting out the two similes of digging a well with good intent and giving good food to others. Finally, with three 「復次」 tr. "furthermore" sections and 「唯佛一人無錯無失」 tr. "only the Buddha alone is without error and without fault", the whole chapter is brought to a close.
II. Terms Examined
Prajñāpāramitā (the perfection). Pāramitā means here "reaching the other shore", and among the six perfections it is the guide and head. At the very opening of the chapter's sūtra text the praise is established on this: 「摩訶波羅蜜，是菩薩摩訶薩般若波羅蜜」 tr. "the great perfection—this is the prajñāpāramitā of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva"〔T25 0354b04〕. The sixteen names listed below all take the form 「◯波羅蜜」 tr. "the ◯ perfection", and what they praise is the one dharma of prajñā alone. The chapter name, 「歎度」 tr. "praise of the perfections", is the praise of this perfection.
The samādhi of non-contention (foremost in practising emptiness). The treatise cites Subhūti's virtue to make clear why the four are fields of merit: 「須菩提修無諍定，行空第一」 tr. "Subhūti cultivates the samādhi of non-contention and is foremost in practising emptiness"〔T25 0354c15〕. The samādhi of non-contention means abiding peacefully in the wisdom of emptiness and not contending with things.
The twelve dhūta practices. The treatise cites Mahākāśyapa's virtue: 「摩訶迦葉行十二頭陀第一，世尊施衣分坐，常深心憐愍眾生」 tr. "Mahākāśyapa is foremost in practising the twelve dhūta practices; the World-Honored One gave him his robe and shared his seat with him; he always has deep compassion for beings in his heart"〔T25 0354c16〕. Dhūta is the practice of shaking off the dust of toil.
Immeasurable fields of merit in the present world. The treatise determines the standing of the four arhats: 「是四比丘，是現世無量福田」 tr. "these four bhikṣus are immeasurable fields of merit in the present world"〔T25 0354c14〕, and makes clear that 「佛在世時，若有人欲求今世果報者，供養是四人，輒得如願」 tr. "when the Buddha was in the world, if anyone wished to seek a fruit of recompense in this present life, he made offerings to these four people and at once obtained what he wished"〔T25 0354c18〕.
The causes and conditions of the three kinds of merit (superior, middling, inferior). The treatise explains why worldly fruits of recompense differ: 「菩薩世世讚歎布施、持戒、善心，是三福因緣故有上、中、下。上者，念便即得；中者，人中尊重，供養自至；下者，施功力乃得」 tr. "the bodhisattva, life after life, praises giving, keeping the precepts, and a good mind; because of the causes and conditions of these three kinds of merit there are superior, middling, and inferior. The superior obtain as soon as they think of it; the middling are honoured among people, and offerings come of themselves; the inferior obtain only by applying effort"〔T25 0355b11〕.
The three kinds of joy (the joy of gods, the joy of humans, the joy of nirvāṇa). The treatise briefly speaks of the joys of beings: 「天樂、人樂、涅槃樂，皆由菩薩得」 tr. "the joy of gods, the joy of humans, and the joy of nirvāṇa are all obtained through the bodhisattva"〔T25 0355b16〕. The sūtra passage reads 「若離欲樂」 tr. "or the joy of freedom from desire"〔T25 0354c06〕, and the treatise's explanation reads 「涅槃樂」 tr. "the joy of nirvāṇa"; both point alike to the joy of leaving the world behind〔the reading that the joy of freedom from desire is nirvāṇa is stated plainly in Huiying's commentary; see Section VI〕.
Akaniṣṭha (the summit of the form realm). The treatise makes clear that because of the bodhisattva the various stations of the world come into being, from 「剎利大姓」 tr. "great kṣatriya clans" up to 「阿迦尼吒天」 tr. "the Akaniṣṭha heaven"〔T25 0354c02〕, and further from 「須陀洹乃至諸佛」 tr. "the srota-āpanna up to the Buddhas"〔T25 0355b08〕: the stations of the world, and on up to those beyond the world, are all included.
III. Similes and Stories
This chapter takes praise as its substance, and its similes are not as numerous as those of "Rebirth"; yet where the treatise explains the names and answers the questions, it still uses worldly matters to reveal the Dharma.
To make clear that the five perfections do not reach prajñā, the treatise sets out a simile of the faculties: 「五度不及，故名為『勝波羅蜜』，如五情不及意」 tr. "the five perfections do not reach it, and therefore it is called the ‘superior perfection’, just as the five senses do not reach the mind"〔T25 0354c27〕—the knowing of the five senses does not reach the pervasiveness of the mind faculty, a simile for how the work of the five perfections does not reach the guidance of prajñā.
To make clear that once prajñā arises every virtue opens and comes to completion, the treatise sets out the simile of the sun and the flowers: 「無有功德而不攝者，如日出時華無不敷」 tr. "there is no merit that it does not include, just as when the sun rises there is no flower that does not open"〔T25 0355a11〕; and further it says 「是菩薩心中般若波羅蜜日出，成就一切諸功德，皆令清淨」 tr. "in this bodhisattva's mind the sun of prajñāpāramitā rises, accomplishing all merits and making them all pure"〔T25 0355a13〕—as when the sun rises and none of the flowers fails to open, so when prajñā is present none of the merits fails to be accomplished and purified.
To make clear that when the bodhisattva teaches beings to cultivate merit and beings themselves commit faults, the fault is not the bodhisattva's, the treatise sets out two similes: 「如人好心作井，盲人墮中而死，作者無罪！如人設好食施人，不知量者，多食致患，施者無罪！」 tr. "as when a person with good intent digs a well, and a blind man falls into it and dies, the one who dug it has no guilt! As when a person prepares good food and gives it to others, and one who does not know his measure eats too much and falls ill, the giver has no guilt!"〔T25 0355b24〕—the one who digs a well with good intent does so to relieve thirst; the blind man falls in by himself and dies, and it is not the digger's guilt; the one who gives good food to others does so to satisfy them; the recipient does not know his measure and falls ill, and it is not the giver's fault. The two similes together make clear that the bodhisattva, with a pure mind of kindness and compassion, gives beings the causes and conditions of joy and teaches them to practise works of merit; if beings cannot practise merit purely, they bear the fault themselves, and the bodhisattva is blameless.
Further, the treatise makes clear that the assembly on the seats is moved by gratitude to Śākyamuni Buddha, through whom they attained liberation, and that he is therefore singled out among the Buddhas of the three times; it cites Śāriputra's words as proof: 「我師不出者，我等永為盲冥！」 tr. "had our teacher not appeared, we would forever have been blind and in darkness!"〔T25 0355a25〕.
IV. The Sūtra Passage Explained
The Sūtra section cited by this treatise corresponds item by item to Chapter 5, "Praise of the Perfections"〔T08 0229c05–0230a18〕, of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra translated by Kumārajīva of the Later Qin. Unlike "Rebirth", whose Sūtra sections are only excerpted segments of the sūtra being explained, the Sūtra section of this chapter covers almost word for word the whole of T223's chapter "Praise of the Perfections": the sūtra runs to only a little over one page, and the treatise's citation likewise to only a little over one page, so that the two are of comparable length. Below, nine groups are aligned word for word, proving that what the treatise explains is indeed the text of this sūtra.
The first group: the fourfold assembly's declaration of the sixteen names. This treatise〔T25 0354b01〕reads 「爾時，慧命舍利弗、慧命目犍連、慧命須菩提、慧命摩訶迦葉…不可壞波羅蜜，是諸菩薩摩訶薩般若波羅蜜」 tr. "at that time, the venerable Śāriputra, the venerable Maudgalyāyana, the venerable Subhūti, the venerable Mahākāśyapa … the indestructible perfection—this is the prajñāpāramitā of the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas", and T223〔T08 0229c06〕reads 「爾時慧命舍利弗、慧命大目揵連、慧命須菩提、慧命摩訶迦葉…不可壞波羅蜜是諸菩薩摩訶薩般若波羅蜜」 tr. "at that time the venerable Śāriputra, the wisdom-life Great Maudgalyāyana, the venerable Subhūti, the venerable Mahākāśyapa … the indestructible perfection, this is the prajñāpāramitā of the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas". The two texts are nearly word for word; the only differences are that T223 reads 「慧命大目揵連」 tr. "the wisdom-life Great Maudgalyāyana", with one more character, 「大」 tr. "great", and that 「犍」 tr. "jian (one graph)" and 「揵」 tr. "jian (the other graph)" are variant forms of each other; further, T223 reads 「從座起」 tr. "rose from the seat" and this treatise 「從坐起」 tr. "rose from the seat (variant graph)", 「座」 tr. "seat" and 「坐」 tr. "seat (variant graph)" being variant forms.
The second group: the six perfections likewise attain the equal to the unequalled body and dharmas. This treatise's 「諸菩薩摩訶薩行是般若波羅蜜，無等等布施，具足無等等檀波羅蜜…禪波羅蜜、般若波羅蜜亦如是」 tr. "the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, practising this prajñāpāramitā, give equal to the unequalled gifts and fulfil the equal to the unequalled dānapāramitā … and so too with dhyānapāramitā and prajñāpāramitā"〔T25 0354b13〕agrees word for word with T223〔T08 0229c18〕, except that T223 uses the full forms 「檀那」 tr. "dāna (full transcription)" and 「禪那」 tr. "dhyāna (full transcription)", while this treatise uses the abbreviated forms 「檀」 tr. "dāna (abbreviated)" and 「禪」 tr. "dhyāna (abbreviated)": a difference between full and abbreviated transcriptions of the Sanskrit words.
The third group: the Buddhas of the three times all practise this prajñā and turn the Dharma wheel. The closing sentence of this treatise〔T25 0354b17〕reads 「菩薩摩訶薩欲度一切法彼岸，當習行般若波羅蜜」 tr. "a bodhisattva-mahāsattva who wishes to cross to the other shore of all dharmas should train in and practise prajñāpāramitā", while T223〔T08 0229c23〕reads 「菩薩摩訶薩欲度一切彼岸，當習行般若波羅蜜」 tr. "a bodhisattva-mahāsattva who wishes to cross to all the other shores should train in and practise prajñāpāramitā"—this treatise has one more character, 「法」 tr. "dharmas", which T223 lacks. Each of the two texts reads coherently on its own; they are kept side by side and not forced into one.
The fourth group: the bodhisattva who practises prajñā ought to receive reverence, homage, and offerings. This treatise〔T25 0354b25〕reads 「唯！世尊！是行般若波羅蜜菩薩摩訶薩，一切世間天及人、阿修羅應當禮敬供養」 tr. "Indeed, World-Honored One! This bodhisattva-mahāsattva who practises prajñāpāramitā—all the gods, humans, and asuras of the world ought to revere him and make offerings to him", while T223〔T08 0230a02〕reads simply 「世尊！是行般若波羅蜜菩薩摩訶薩…應當禮敬供養」 tr. "World-Honored One! This bodhisattva-mahāsattva who practises prajñāpāramitā … ought to be revered and given offerings"—this treatise has at the head of the sentence one more exclamatory particle, 「唯」 tr. "indeed", which T223 lacks.
The fifth group: the Buddha's confirmation and completion. This treatise〔T25 0354b27〕reads 「如是！如是！諸善男子行是般若波羅蜜者，一切世間天及人、阿修羅應當禮敬供養」 tr. "So it is! So it is! Good men who practise this prajñāpāramitā—all the gods, humans, and asuras of the world ought to revere them and make offerings to them", while T223〔T08 0230a03〕reads 「如是，如是！諸善男子！是行般若波羅蜜者…應當作禮恭敬供養」 tr. "So it is, so it is! Good men! Those who practise this prajñāpāramitā … ought to be bowed to, respected, revered, and given offerings"—T223 has the four characters 「應當作禮恭敬供養」 tr. "ought to be bowed to, respected, revered, and given offerings", while this treatise abbreviates them to 「應當禮敬供養」 tr. "ought to be revered and given offerings", with a counterpart of two characters: the same meaning, differing in fullness.
The sixth group: because of the bodhisattva there are food and drink and precious things. This treatise〔T25 0354c03〕reads 「因菩薩來故，世間便有飲食、衣服、臥具、房舍、燈燭、摩尼、真珠、毘琉璃、珊瑚，金銀等諸寶物生」 tr. "because the bodhisattva has come, there arise in the world food and drink, clothing, bedding, dwellings, lamps and candles, maṇi jewels, pearls, vaiḍūrya, coral, gold, silver, and all such precious things", while T223〔T08 0230a10〕reads 「…燈燭、摩尼、真珠、頗梨、琉璃、珊瑚、金銀等諸寶物生」 tr. "… lamps and candles, maṇi jewels, pearls, crystal, beryl, coral, gold, silver, and all such precious things arise"—T223 lists two jewels, 「頗梨、琉璃」 tr. "crystal, beryl", where this treatise has the single word 「毘琉璃」 tr. "vaiḍūrya". The jewels are enumerated in different ways; this is not an omission.
The seventh group: all the world's instruments of joy come about through the bodhisattva. This treatise's 「舍利弗！世間所有樂具，若人中、若天上、若離欲樂，是一切樂具，皆由菩薩有」 tr. "Śāriputra! All the instruments of joy there are in the world—whether among humans, or in the heavens, or the joy of freedom from desire—all these instruments of joy come about through the bodhisattva"〔T25 0354c05〕agrees word for word with T223〔T08 0230a12〕.
The eighth group: abiding in the six perfections, practising oneself and transforming others. This treatise's 「菩薩摩訶薩行菩薩道時，住六波羅蜜，自行布施，亦以布施成就眾生；乃至自行般若波羅蜜，亦以般若波羅蜜成就眾生」 tr. "when the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises the bodhisattva path, he abides in the six perfections: he himself practises giving and also brings beings to completion through giving; up to: he himself practises prajñāpāramitā and also brings beings to completion through prajñāpāramitā"〔T25 0354c07〕agrees word for word with T223〔T08 0230a14〕.
The ninth group: appearing in the world for the sake of the peace and joy of beings. This treatise's 「舍利弗！是故菩薩摩訶薩為安樂一切眾生故出現於世」 tr. "Śāriputra! Therefore the bodhisattva-mahāsattva appears in the world for the sake of the peace and joy of all beings"〔T25 0354c10〕agrees word for word with T223〔T08 0230a17〕.
Apart from the editorial layer of punctuation, the doctrinal wording of the nine groups is nearly or wholly word for word the same. Among them, the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth groups show differences that do not affect the doctrine—fullness of wording, the presence or absence of a particle, and the enumeration of jewel names; all are listed side by side and kept together, and they are not forced into a single reading.
V. The Prajñā Eye
The eye of this chapter lies in praising the one dharma of prajñāpāramitā with sixteen names—the names are sixteen, but what they praise is one. The treatise-author follows the order in which the sūtra lists them and establishes an explanation for each name, and the names can be summarised in three layers.
First, eight names praising its value. Prajñā is the highest among all dharmas; thus the treatise explains 「大」 tr. "great" as 「佛道於世間中最大，是般若能與此事」 tr. "the Buddha path is the greatest in the world, and this prajñā can bestow it"〔T25 0354c24〕; 「尊」 tr. "honoured" as 「一切法中智慧第一」 tr. "among all dharmas wisdom is foremost"〔T25 0354c26〕; 「第一」 tr. "foremost" as 「能正導五度」 tr. "it can rightly guide the five perfections"〔T25 0354c26〕; 「勝」 tr. "superior" as 「五度不及」 tr. "the five perfections do not reach it"〔T25 0354c27〕; 「妙」 tr. "wondrous" as 「能自利利人」 tr. "it can benefit oneself and benefit others"〔T25 0354c28〕; 「無上」 tr. "unsurpassed" as 「一切法中無有過者」 tr. "among all dharmas there is none that surpasses it"〔T25 0354c29〕; 「無等」 tr. "unequalled" as 「無有法與同者」 tr. "there is no dharma that is the same as it"〔T25 0355a01〕; and 「無等等」 tr. "equal to the unequalled" as 「諸佛名無等，從般若波羅蜜生」 tr. "the Buddhas are called the unequalled, and they are born from prajñāpāramitā"〔T25 0355a02〕. The eight names follow on from one another layer by layer, from 「最大」 tr. "the greatest" up to 「無等等」 tr. "equal to the unequalled", all established on the unsurpassedness of prajñā among all dharmas.
Second, five names praising the meaning of emptiness. These five names directly reveal the substance of prajñā. The treatise explains 「如虛空」 tr. "like empty space" as 「是般若波羅蜜畢竟清淨，不可以戲論破壞」 tr. "this prajñāpāramitā is ultimately pure and cannot be broken by idle discourse"〔T25 0355a03〕; 「自相空」 tr. "the emptiness of specific marks" as 「般若波羅蜜中一切法自相不可得」 tr. "in prajñāpāramitā the specific marks of all dharmas cannot be found"〔T25 0355a05〕; 「自性空」 tr. "the emptiness of own-nature" as 「此波羅蜜中一切法自性空故，諸法因緣和合生，無有自性」 tr. "because in this perfection all dharmas are empty of own-nature, dharmas arise from the coming together of causes and conditions and have no own-nature"〔T25 0355a06〕; 「諸法空」 tr. "the emptiness of all dharmas" as 「諸法中無有自法」 tr. "among dharmas there is no dharma of its own"〔T25 0355a08〕; and 「無法有法空」 tr. "the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas" as 「以此眾生空、法空故破諸法令無所有，無所有亦無所有」 tr. "by means of this emptiness of beings and emptiness of dharmas, all dharmas are broken so that nothing exists, and that nothing exists also does not exist"〔T25 0355a09〕. The five names begin from the ultimate purity of 「如虛空」 tr. "like empty space", pass through the emptiness of specific marks, of own-nature, and of all dharmas, and end in 「無所有亦無所有」 tr. "that nothing exists also does not exist"—emptiness too is empty, and no mark of emptiness is left behind. This is the utmost of the meaning of emptiness in prajñā.
Third, three names praising its merits. The treatise explains 「開一切功德」 tr. "opening all merits" as 「無有功德而不攝者，如日出時華無不敷」 tr. "there is no merit that it does not include, just as when the sun rises there is no flower that does not open"〔T25 0355a11〕; 「成就一切功德」 tr. "accomplishing all merits" as 「是菩薩心中般若波羅蜜日出，成就一切諸功德，皆令清淨；般若波羅蜜是一切善法之本」 tr. "in this bodhisattva's mind the sun of prajñāpāramitā rises, accomplishing all merits and making them all pure; prajñāpāramitā is the root of all wholesome dharmas"〔T25 0355a13〕; and 「不可破壞」 tr. "indestructible" as 「世間無有法能傾動者」 tr. "there is no dharma in the world that can overturn or shake it"〔T25 0355a16〕. Empty, yet able to include and accomplish all merits; the merits accomplished, and nothing in the world able to overturn or shake them: this is the meaning in prajñā that emptiness does not obstruct existence and existence does not obstruct emptiness.
When the sixteen names are finished, the treatise itself gathers the causes and conditions of its praise into one meaning: 「所謂三世佛皆從般若波羅蜜生，所謂無比布施乃至無比智慧；世間中無有與等者，故言『無比』；是六波羅蜜，畢竟清淨，無有過失，故名為『無比』，『無比』即是『無等等』」 tr. "that is to say, the Buddhas of the three times are all born from prajñāpāramitā; that is to say, incomparable giving up to incomparable wisdom; in the world there is nothing equal to them, and therefore it says ‘incomparable’; these six perfections are ultimately pure and without fault, and therefore they are called ‘incomparable’; ‘incomparable’ is precisely ‘equal to the unequalled’"〔T25 0355a18〕. It then explains again with a 「復次」 tr. "furthermore": 「諸佛名『無等』；與諸佛等，故名為『無等等』」 tr. "the Buddhas are called ‘the unequalled’; being equal to the Buddhas, it is therefore called ‘equal to the unequalled’"〔T25 0355a22〕. From this we know that the praise of the sixteen names is not a praise of sixteen things; it is the one dharma of prajñā, praised again and again in three aspects—its supremacy, its ultimate emptiness, and its accomplishing of merits that cannot be destroyed—and gathered as a whole into 「無等等」 tr. "equal to the unequalled": prajñā gives birth to the Buddhas, and so it is equal to the Buddhas, and there is nothing equal to it. This is the prajñā eye on which the praise of the whole chapter rests.
VI. Divergent Readings of the Masters
Concerning the ancient masters who cite and explain this chapter, this section records the correspondence between what they comment on and this chapter, and does not judge the masters' interpretations. Nowhere in the whole canon has any other master been found citing passages of this chapter separately under the title 「歎度品」 tr. "Chapter on Praise of the Perfections"; there do, however, survive two ancient-master commentaries that correspond to this chapter passage by passage, one commenting on the sūtra being explained, the other on the treatise.
Jizang's Commentary on the Larger Sūtra (X24n0451), Fascicle 4, 「歎度品第五」 tr. "Chapter on Praise of the Perfections, the Fifth", comments directly on the sūtra passage being explained. On why the chapter name says 「歎度」 tr. "praise of the perfections" and not 「歎般若」 tr. "praise of prajñā", it says: 「此是佛對身子為上根，略說般若時，會得悟竟。今第三眾聖，皆聞說歡喜，領解秤歎，證成佛命。而云歎度，不云歎般若者，今歎般若…度通於六，所以文中正歎於度，故云會般若波羅蜜也」 tr. "This is when the Buddha, facing Śāriputra as one of superior faculties, briefly taught prajñā, and the assembly attained awakening. Now the third assembly of sages all hear the teaching and rejoice; understanding it, they weigh it and praise it, bearing witness to and completing the Buddha's command. As for its saying 'praise of the perfections' and not 'praise of prajñā': now it praises prajñā … the perfections extend to all six, and so in the text it directly praises the perfections; hence it speaks of converging on prajñāpāramitā"〔X24 0225c07〕. On why the arhats, whose work is done, still praise, it cites this treatise's question and answer explicitly: 「論問云：羅漢所作已辦，何故歎波若？答云：人知羅漢煩惱已盡，菩薩智慧雖勝煩惱未盡，故敬重羅漢，所以歎也。二者此羅漢有慈悲心□揚化，故引為證云：般若是真實法，能生三世佛及世間樂具」 tr. "The treatise asks: the arhats' work is done; why do they praise prajñā? It answers: people know that the arhats' afflictions are already exhausted, while the bodhisattvas, though superior in wisdom, have not yet exhausted their afflictions; therefore they respect and honour the arhats, and that is why these praise. Second, these arhats have a mind of kindness and compassion [lacuna] spreading the teaching, and so they are cited as witnesses, saying: prajñā is the true and real Dharma, able to give birth to the Buddhas of the three times and to the world's instruments of joy"〔X24 0225c23〕. Its explanation of the first seven of the sixteen names runs parallel to the order in which this treatise establishes the names: 「初句摩訶者，佛道最大般若能到故名為大，一切智慧中第一故言尊…正□□五度故為第一，五度不及故云勝如，五根不及意根能自利利他故故妙也。一切□□故云無上，無有法與同故言無等，諸佛無等從般若生故言無等等也」 tr. "As for mahā in the first phrase: the Buddha path is the greatest, and prajñā can reach it, therefore it is called great; it is foremost among all wisdoms, therefore it is called honoured … rightly [lacuna][lacuna] the five perfections, therefore foremost; the five perfections do not reach it, therefore it is called superior, just as the five faculties do not reach the mind faculty; it can benefit oneself and benefit others, therefore wondrous. All [lacuna][lacuna], therefore it is called unsurpassed; there is no dharma the same as it, therefore it is called unequalled; the Buddhas are unequalled and are born from prajñā, therefore it is called equal to the unequalled"〔X24 0226a24〕.
Huiying's Commentary (X46n0791), Fascicle 17, 「釋嘆度品第五」 tr. "Explaining the Chapter on Praise of the Perfections, the Fifth", comments directly on the treatise passage. This commentary originally had twenty-four fascicles; today only fragmentary fascicles survive—Fascicles 1, 6, 14, 15, 17, 21, 24, and so on—and Fascicle 17 corresponds exactly to Fascicle 40 of the treatise, that is, to this chapter. On why "Praise of the Perfections" comes after "Rebirth" it says: 「第五品釋論者，名為嘆度品。所以次往生品，後明嘆度者，上初品中明為說此波羅蜜經故，如來現九種神力…上來至此既明六波羅蜜有益無量無邊…皆由波羅蜜力故，所以能然，故次往生品，後明嘆度品也」 tr. "The fifth chapter of the treatise's explanation is named the Chapter on Praise of the Perfections. As for why, following the Chapter on Rebirth, it then makes clear the praise of the perfections: above, in the first chapter, it made clear that in order to teach this sūtra of the perfection the Tathāgata displayed nine kinds of supernormal power … from above up to here it has already made clear that the six perfections are of immeasurable and boundless benefit … all of it is due to the power of the perfection, and that is how it can be so; therefore, following the Chapter on Rebirth, it then makes clear the Chapter on Praise of the Perfections"〔X46 0854a24〕. Its structural outline of this chapter says: 「就此品文中，大有二分：一者、明四大聲聞及菩薩等，皆悉同聲嘆波若大德，有十六句；二者、從佛告眾弟子已下，明如來述成，可其所嘆」 tr. "Within the text of this chapter there are broadly two parts: first, it makes clear that the four great śrāvakas, the bodhisattvas, and the others all with one voice praise the great virtue of prajñā, in sixteen phrases; second, from 'the Buddha told the disciples' onward, it makes clear that the Tathāgata states and completes it, approving what they praised"〔X46 0854b07〕. On why the four are singled out, it makes clear that Kāśyapa signifies the one who will next succeed to the Buddha's place: 「摩訶迦葉已下，此人是第二大師，佛之長子。所以眾僧作法以織衣與，而如來命之分座共坐者，正表當來次補佛處為第二佛，作大依止為第二大師，是故須烈前三人」 tr. "From 'Mahākāśyapa' onward: this person is the second great teacher, the Buddha's eldest son. The reason the Saṅgha, by formal procedure, gave him a woven robe, and the Tathāgata bade him share his seat and sit with him, is precisely to signify that in the future he will next succeed to the Buddha's place as a second Buddha, serving as a great support as the second great teacher; this is why the three before him had to be listed"〔X46 0854c22〕. On 「正導五度」 tr. "rightly guiding the five perfections" it sets out the simile of soup and salt: 「正導五波羅蜜者，明五波羅蜜如羮波若壚，如雖羮多壚少，而羮所以泔者，功於壚。五波羅蜜所以無相，亦得同常者，功由波若。波若無相，故五亦無相」 tr. "As for rightly guiding the five perfections: it makes clear that the five perfections are like soup and prajñā like salt. Though the soup is much and the salt little, what makes the soup savoury is the work of the salt. That the five perfections are without marks and can also be the same as the constant is the work of prajñā. Prajñā is without marks, and therefore the five are also without marks"〔X46 0855a10〕. On the three joys, it makes clear that the sūtra's 「離欲樂」 tr. "joy of freedom from desire" is the treatise's 「涅槃」 tr. "nirvāṇa": 「樂因緣甚多已下，次釋上略說三樂經文。上言離欲樂者，即是此中涅槃也」 tr. "From 'the causes and conditions of joy are very many' onward, it next explains the sūtra text above that briefly spoke of the three joys. What was called above the joy of freedom from desire is precisely nirvāṇa here"〔X46 0855b09〕.
What the two commentaries cite above is each recorded against the passage of this chapter to which it corresponds, and their interpretations are not ranked.
VII. Cross-reading and Further Resonances
This chapter is the culminating praise of the Larger Sūtra line, and the backbone of its praise is twofold; both are taken up again and again throughout the prajñā lineage. First, the sixteen names are gathered as a whole into 「無等等」 tr. "equal to the unequalled", and the meaning of 「無等等」 tr. "equal to the unequalled" lies in 「三世佛皆從般若波羅蜜生」 tr. "the Buddhas of the three times are all born from prajñāpāramitā"〔T25 0355a18〕—prajñā is that from which the Buddhas are born, and so it is called the mother of the Buddhas. This meaning, that prajñā gives birth to the Buddhas, runs through the framework of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's explanation of prajñā, and this chapter holds it up through the praise of the sixteen names. Second, the five names of the meaning of emptiness begin from 「如虛空」 tr. "like empty space", pass through the emptiness of specific marks, of own-nature, and of all dharmas, and end in 「無所有亦無所有」 tr. "that nothing exists also does not exist"〔T25 0355a10〕, which is the meaning that emptiness too is empty. This meaning of emptiness in prajñā is the root of the prajñā lineage; this chapter reveals the empty substance of prajñā by way of its names, and it carries on into the contemplation of emptiness in the prajñā sūtras.
In terms of sequence, this chapter follows on from "Rebirth". Explaining that because of the bodhisattva there arise in the world great kṣatriya clans up to the Buddhas, and the srota-āpanna up to the Buddhas, the treatise itself says 「皆如先說」 tr. "all as explained before"〔T25 0355b08〕, pointing back to what was listed earlier in this chapter; Huiying's commentary also makes clear why this chapter comes 「所以次往生品，後明嘆度」 tr. "following the Chapter on Rebirth, then making clear the praise of the perfections"〔X46 0854a24〕: since the Chapter on Rebirth has already made clear that the six perfections, rebirth, and the accomplishment of superior practices are all due to the power of the perfection, next comes the praise of this perfection. The praise of "Praise of the Perfections", then, takes up precisely the fruits of the practices of "Rebirth" and returns them to praise of the prajñā that is able to accomplish them. These resonances lie in the continuity of the line of meaning; this section records the transmission and does not fix a reading on anyone's behalf.
VIII. Witnesses and Editions
The base text of this chapter is Fascicle 40 of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa〔T25 0354a29–0355c08〕; the collation text for the sūtra explained is Chapter 5, "Praise of the Perfections", of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra〔T08 0229c05–0230a18〕; the collation texts for the ancient-master commentaries are Fascicle 4 of Jizang's Commentary on the Larger Sūtra (X24n0451, sūtra-explanation section) and Fascicle 17 of Huiying's Commentary (X46n0791, treatise-explanation section). Variant notes follow the Taishō collation, covering differences between the Taishō base text and the Song, Yuan, Ming, Palace, and Ishiyama editions, and the second carving of the Korean canon; the variant readings are preserved side by side, while the main text continues to follow the reading of the current base text. Those that bear on the core doctrinal wording, such as the names, are as follows.
0354b26: 體【大】｜禮【CB】【麗-CB】—the base text was originally carved as 「體」 tr. "embody"; CBETA, on the basis of the second carving of the Korean canon and the usage later in this very chapter, corrects it to 「禮」 tr. "revere", reading 「一切世間天及人、阿修羅應當〔禮〕敬供養」 tr. "all the gods, humans, and asuras of the world ought to 〔revere〕 him and make offerings to him". If one follows 「體」 tr. "embody", then 「應當體敬供養」 tr. "ought to embody-respect and make offerings" does not make sense; 「禮」 tr. "revere" agrees with T223's 「應當作禮恭敬供養」 tr. "ought to be bowed to, respected, revered, and given offerings" at that point, and with the twofold occurrence of 「禮敬供養」 tr. "revere and make offerings" later in this chapter〔T25 0354b29〕. The main text follows the corrected reading 「禮」 tr. "revere".
0355a02: 等【大】｜等等【宋】【元】【明】【宮】—「諸佛名無〔等〕，從般若波羅蜜生，故名『無等等波羅蜜』」 tr. "the Buddhas are called the un〔equalled〕, and they are born from prajñāpāramitā; therefore it is called the ‘equal to the unequalled perfection’"〔T25 0355a02〕. The Taishō edition has the single-character 「無等」 tr. "unequalled", preserving the progression 「無等→無等等」 tr. "unequalled → equal to the unequalled"; the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Palace editions read 「無等等」 tr. "equal to the unequalled", so that the contrast of the progression is doubled up in advance. The main text follows the base text's 「無等」 tr. "unequalled".
0355a06: 性【大】｜法【宮】【石】—「此波羅蜜中一切法自〔性〕空故…故名為『自性空波羅蜜』」 tr. "because in this perfection all dharmas are empty of own-〔nature〕 … therefore it is called the ‘perfection of the emptiness of own-nature’"〔T25 0355a06〕. The Taishō's 「自性」 tr. "own-nature" agrees with the name being explained; the Palace and Ishiyama editions read 「自法空」 tr. "emptiness of own-dharma", which clashes in wording with the next name, 「諸法空波羅蜜」 tr. "the perfection of the emptiness of all dharmas". The main text follows the base text's 「性」 tr. "nature".
0354c13: 止【大】｜正【宋】【宮】【石】—「何以〔止〕說此四人名」 tr. "why are the names of 〔only〕 these four spoken?"〔T25 0354c13〕. 「止」 tr. "only" and 「正」 tr. "precisely" are close in sense and both read well; this is an unobstructive variant.
0354c12: 漚【大】｜優【明】—for 「漚樓頻螺迦葉」 tr. "Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa"〔T25 0354c13〕, the Ming edition reads 「優樓頻螺迦葉」 tr. "Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa (variant transcription)" (Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa). This is a difference of characters in transcribing the Sanskrit sound, not a doctrinal divergence.
0355c01: 免【大】｜勉【宋】【宮】【石】—「今欲〔免〕眾生於第五罪中」 tr. "now he wishes to 〔free〕 beings from the fifth offence"〔T25 0355c01〕. 「免」 tr. "free" continues the line of the preceding 「苦因緣故生罪」 tr. "because of the causes and conditions of suffering, offences arise", meaning that he wishes to let beings escape the causes and conditions that lead into the fifth offence; 「勉」 tr. "exhort" is harder to understand in this context. The main text follows the base text's 「免」 tr. "free".
Further, the last of the sixteen names in the sūtra text is 「不可壞波羅蜜」 tr. "the indestructible perfection", while the treatise's own explanation reads 「不可破壞波羅蜜」 tr. "the perfection that cannot be broken or destroyed"〔T25 0355a17〕. This is a difference of wording between the sūtra text and the treatise's explanation within this chapter, not a variant reading of another edition; both are recorded without judgement. The collation notes for the whole of this chapter number twenty-one in all, preserved in detail at the end of the working base text; this list transcribes only the principal items bearing on the core doctrinal wording, such as the names, and does not extend into judgements of the relative merit of the editions.