大智度論 摩訶薩品Dazhidulun — Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa · Mahāsattva
摩訶薩品：須菩提問何以名摩訶薩，佛答於畢定眾中為上首、是故名為摩訶薩；畢定眾九位（性地人、八人、四果、辟支佛、初發心乃至阿鞞跋致菩薩）；生大心不可壞如金剛之十番自誓與代十方眾生受苦誓；復立大快心、不動心、利益安樂心、欲法喜法樂法心、住十八空、住道品乃至十八不共法、住如金剛三昧八心，皆能為畢定眾作上首；論主起釋須菩提今問摩訶薩義，訓「摩訶」秦言大、「薩埵」秦言心或眾生，佛自說眾生三分於正定中最大，逐位釋畢定眾（大眾、性地人、八人、四果、初發意、阿鞞跋致），金剛心二釋（金剛山喻、金剛地喻）、佛自說金剛心相十事、大快心馬喻五釋、不動心樹喻、利益安樂與樂法住空住道品入金剛三昧逐釋，末結若能為大者作上首何況小者、是故名為摩訶薩（經＋論）
前品〈句義品〉問的是「菩薩」這個名字所詮的義，這一品便再進一層追問——菩薩為什麼又稱作「摩訶薩」（大菩薩）？經文一開頭，須菩提就問佛：世尊，什麼緣故名為摩訶薩？佛的回答很平實，卻是全品的樞紐——「是菩薩於畢定眾中為上首，是故名為摩訶薩」。所謂「畢定眾」，就是那些確定必入聖位的賢聖：性地人、見諦道的八人、須陀洹乃至阿羅漢四果、辟支佛，以及初發心一直到不退轉地的菩薩；菩薩能在這一大群賢聖之中做上首、領頭，所以稱「大」。接著佛一連開了八段，說一位摩訶薩應當生起的心。第一是「生大心不可壞如金剛」，這大心含著十件大願——從無量生死中大誓莊嚴、捨一切所有、等心待一切眾生、以三乘度脫眾生卻不見有一人實得度、了知諸法不生不滅、以清淨心行六度迴向一切智、通達世間出世間一切事，乃至了達諸法的一相與無量相；更進一步，願代十方一切眾生受地獄種種苦，要等眾生都入了無餘涅槃，自己才最後種善根、經無量劫成佛而心不退悔。此下又說大快心（從初發意到成佛，不生染心、瞋恚、愚癡、惱害，也不生聲聞辟支佛的小乘心）、不動心（常念一切種智而不執有此心）、利益安樂心（救濟眾生、不捨眾生）、欲法喜法樂法心、住十八空、住四念處乃至十八不共法、住如金剛三昧。這八段每一段都收在同一句上——「能為畢定眾作上首，是法用無所得故」：能做上首，並不是仗著地位高，正因為以「無所得」的心去行這一切法。到了論釋，龍樹先把「摩訶薩」三字拆開來訓解：「摩訶」譯作大，「薩埵」譯作心、或譯作眾生；這位有情在世間一切眾生中第一最上，又以大心遍知一切法、發願度盡一切眾生，所以名為「大」。他又說一句互訓的話——菩薩就是摩訶薩，摩訶薩就是菩薩，因為兩者同樣以發心趣求無上道為根據；並用三類眾生來定它的位：眾生有正定（必入涅槃）、邪定（必墮惡道）、不定三類，能在正定這一類中為最大的，就是摩訶薩。龍樹接著逐一解釋畢定眾的九位——性地人好比生在貴族家的小兒，雖然還小、還沒有本事，將來卻必望成就大事；八人是見諦道十五心中的人，因為住在八忍中而得名；初發意的菩薩好比轉輪聖王的太子剛受胎時就勝過眾子、為天人所敬，雖然還在煩惱裡，心已尊貴。然後龍樹用最大的篇幅講「金剛心」：這心一切結使煩惱都動搖不了，像金剛山不被風吹傾——縱使惡人惡魔來瞋罵、打擊、閉繫、斫刺，甚至來乞討頭目髓腦手足皮肉，菩薩都能捨、心忍而不變異，就像牢固的金剛山任人斸鑿、諸蟲齧咬也毫無虧損。這金剛心還有更深的一層：菩薩發願代三惡道所有眾生受苦，一個一個地代受地獄之苦，直到眾生都出離三惡道、集善根入了涅槃，然後才自己成就功德、久住生死而心不悔不退——這樣的心堅牢得「如金剛地能持三千大千世界令不動搖」。可是話說回來，金剛般的堅心也絕不可自恃：若菩薩生了如金剛的大心卻因此起了憍慢，那罪過反而超過凡夫；所以龍樹說要「用無所得」，因為諸法本無定相、如幻如化，這金剛的堅正是立在無所得、畢竟空上的。他又設兩個譬喻分別兩種心：牢固之心未必就是「大快心」，好比馬雖有大力卻未必大快；而牢固之外還要另立「不動心」，是因為心雖牢固有時仍會增減，好比樹雖牢固卻還可動搖，唯有常憶念一切智慧佛道，心才真不動。通篇讀下來，這一品只講一件事——菩薩之所以稱「大」，大在它的位（於畢定眾中為上首）、大在它的心（不可壞如金剛）、大在它的願（代眾生受苦、度盡方成），而這一切的大，末了全歸到一句「若能為大者作上首，何況小者！是故名為『摩訶薩』」上。它的眼，是「於畢定眾中為上首」那份領眾的大；它的樞，是「是法用無所得故」那份不執的空——心堅如金剛而不著其堅，這便是摩訶薩品要你去領會的般若。
The previous chapter, The Meaning of the Phrase, asked what meaning the name ‘bodhisattva’ expresses; this chapter presses one layer further: why is the bodhisattva also called ‘mahāsattva’ (great bodhisattva)? At the very opening of the sūtra text Subhūti asks the Buddha: World-Honored One, for what reason is he named mahāsattva? The Buddha's answer is very plain, yet it is the pivot of the whole chapter: 「是菩薩於畢定眾中為上首，是故名為摩訶薩」 tr. "this bodhisattva is the foremost leader within the assembly of the assured; therefore he is named mahāsattva". The ‘assembly of the assured’ means those worthies and sages who are certain to enter the noble stages: those at the stage of nature, the person of the eight on the path of seeing the truths, the four fruits from srota-āpanna up to arhat, the pratyekabuddha, and the bodhisattvas from the first arousing of the mind up to the stage of non-retrogression; the bodhisattva can be the foremost leader, the one at the head, among this whole company of worthies and sages, and so he is called ‘great’. The Buddha then opens eight passages in a row on the mind a mahāsattva should give rise to. The first is ‘giving rise to the great mind, indestructible like vajra’, and this great mind holds ten great vows: from the great vow-adornment amid measureless birth and death, giving away all one possesses, regarding all beings with an equal mind, delivering beings by the three vehicles yet seeing no single person really delivered, knowing that dharmas neither arise nor cease, practising the six perfections with a pure mind and dedicating them to omniscience, penetrating all worldly and world-transcending matters, up to fully understanding the one mark and the measureless marks of dharmas; and further still, vowing to undergo in place of all beings of the ten directions every suffering of the hells, and to wait until all beings have entered nirvāṇa without remainder before planting one's own roots of goodness last of all and becoming a Buddha after measureless kalpas, with a mind that does not turn back or regret. Below this it speaks of the mind of great gladness (from the first arousing of intent to buddhahood, giving rise to no defiled mind, no anger, no delusion, no harming, and no small-vehicle mind of śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha), the unmoving mind (always mindful of omniscience of all kinds without clinging to having this mind), the mind of benefit and ease (rescuing beings and not abandoning beings), the mind that desires the Dharma, delights in the Dharma, and rejoices in the Dharma, abiding in the eighteen emptinesses, abiding in the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, and abiding in the vajra-like samādhi. Each of these eight passages is gathered into the same sentence, 「能為畢定眾作上首，是法用無所得故」 tr. "he can be the foremost leader of the assembly of the assured, because these dharmas are used with nothing to be attained": being able to be the leader does not rest on a lofty position; it is precisely because he practises all these dharmas with the mind of ‘nothing to be attained’. Coming to the commentary, Nāgārjuna first takes the word ‘mahāsattva’ apart and glosses it: ‘mahā’ is translated great, ‘sattva’ is translated mind, or translated being; this sentient one is first and highest among all the beings of the world, and moreover with the great mind knows all dharmas throughout and vows to deliver all beings without exception, and so is named ‘great’. He also says a sentence that glosses each by the other: the bodhisattva is the mahāsattva and the mahāsattva is the bodhisattva, because both rest alike on the arousing of the mind that heads for the unsurpassed path; and he fixes its place by three classes of beings: beings are of three kinds, rightly assured (certain to enter nirvāṇa), wrongly assured (certain to fall into the evil destinies), and unassured, and the one who can be the greatest within the rightly assured class is the mahāsattva. Nāgārjuna then explains the nine ranks of the assembly of the assured one by one: the person at the stage of nature is like a small child born in a noble family, still small and without ability, yet certain to be looked to for great things in time to come; the person of the eight is one within the fifteen mind-moments of the path of seeing the truths, so named because they abide in the eight acceptances; the bodhisattva who has first aroused intent is like the crown prince of a wheel-turning sage king, who from the moment of conception surpasses all the other sons and is honoured by gods and humans; though still within the afflictions, his mind is already noble. Then Nāgārjuna gives the greatest space to the ‘vajra mind’: no fetter or affliction can shake this mind, like a vajra mountain not toppled by the wind; even if evil people and evil Māras come to rail, strike, bind, hack, and pierce, even come begging for head, eyes, marrow, brain, hands, feet, skin, and flesh, the bodhisattva can give them all, his mind enduring without change, just as a solid vajra mountain, however people hew and chisel it and however insects gnaw it, suffers no loss whatever. This vajra mind has a deeper layer still: the bodhisattva vows to undergo suffering in place of all the beings of the three evil destinies, taking on the sufferings of hell for them one by one until the beings have all left the three evil destinies, gathered roots of goodness, and entered nirvāṇa, and only then perfecting his own merits, dwelling long in birth and death with a mind that neither regrets nor turns back; a mind so firm that it is ‘like the vajra ground that can hold up the three-thousand great-thousand world and keep it from shaking’. But, having said that, even a vajra-firm mind must never be relied upon with pride: if a bodhisattva gives rise to the great mind like vajra and on that account grows arrogant, his fault exceeds an ordinary person's; so Nāgārjuna says it must be ‘used with nothing to be attained’, because dharmas have no fixed mark to begin with and are like illusion and transformation, and the firmness of this vajra stands precisely on nothing to be attained, on ultimate emptiness. He sets up two similes too, to distinguish two minds: a firm mind is not necessarily the ‘mind of great gladness’, as a horse may have great strength without being greatly glad; and beyond firmness the ‘unmoving mind’ must be set up separately, because a mind though firm may still increase and decrease, as a tree though firm may still sway, and only when one constantly recollects omniscience and the Buddha path is the mind truly unmoving. Read through, this chapter speaks of one thing only: why the bodhisattva is called ‘great’: great in his place (foremost leader within the assembly of the assured), great in his mind (indestructible like vajra), great in his vow (undergoing suffering in place of beings, and delivering them all before he himself is perfected); and all this greatness returns at the last to one sentence, 「若能為大者作上首，何況小者！是故名為『摩訶薩』」 tr. "if he can be the foremost leader of the great, how much more of the small! Therefore he is named ‘mahāsattva’". Its eye is the greatness of leading the assembly, ‘foremost leader within the assembly of the assured’; its pivot is the emptiness of non-clinging, ‘because these dharmas are used with nothing to be attained’: a mind firm as vajra that does not cling to its own firmness. This is the prajñā that the Chapter on the Mahāsattva wants you to grasp.
卷45 〔T25 0382b08〕
大智度論釋摩訶薩品第十三 龍樹菩薩造 後秦龜茲國三藏鳩摩羅什譯 【經】 爾時，須菩提白佛言：「世尊！何以故名為摩訶薩？」 佛告須菩提：「是菩薩於畢定眾中為上首，是故名為摩訶薩。」 須菩提白佛言：「世尊！何等為畢定眾，是菩薩摩訶薩而為上首？」 佛告須菩提：「畢定眾者，性地人、八人、須陀洹、斯陀含、阿那含、阿羅漢、辟支佛，初發心菩薩，乃至阿鞞跋致地菩薩。須菩提！是為畢定眾，菩薩為上首。菩薩摩訶薩於是中生大心不可壞如金剛，當為畢定眾作上首。」 須菩提白佛言：「世尊！何等是菩薩摩訶薩生大心不可壞如金剛？」 佛告須菩提：「菩薩摩訶薩應生如是心：我當於無量生死中大誓莊嚴；我應當捨一切所有；我應當等心於一切眾生；我應當以三乘度脫一切眾生，令入無餘涅槃；我度一切眾生已，無有乃至一人入涅槃者；我應當解一切諸法不生相；我應當純以薩婆若心行六波羅蜜；我應當學智慧，〔T25 0382c〕了達一切法；我應當了達諸法一相智門；我應當了達乃至無量相智門。須菩提！是名菩薩摩訶薩生大心不可壞如金剛。是菩薩摩訶薩住是心中，於諸畢定眾中而為上首，是法用無所得故。須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩應生如是心：我當代十方一切眾生，若地獄眾生、若畜生眾生、若餓鬼眾生，受諸苦痛；為一一眾生無量百千億劫代受地獄中苦，乃至是眾生入無餘涅槃。以是法故，為是眾生受諸勤苦；是眾生入無餘涅槃已，然後自種善根，無量百千萬億阿僧祇劫，當得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。須菩提！是為菩薩摩訶薩大心不可壞如金剛。住是心中，為畢定眾作上首。 「復次，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩生大快心，住是大快心中，為畢定眾作上首。」 須菩提白佛言：「世尊！何等是菩薩摩訶薩大快心？」 佛言：「菩薩摩訶薩從初發意乃至阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，不生染心、瞋恚心、愚癡心，不生惱心，不生聲聞、辟支佛心，是名菩薩摩訶薩大快心。住是心中，為畢定眾作上首，亦不念有是心。 「復次，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩應生不動心！」 須菩提白佛言：「云何名不動心？」 佛言：「常念一切種智心，亦不念有是心，是名菩薩摩訶薩不動心。 「復次，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩於一切眾生中，應生利益安樂心。云何名利益安樂心？救濟〔T25 0383a〕一切眾生，不捨一切眾生，是事亦不念有是心，是名菩薩摩訶薩於一切眾生中生利益安樂心。如是，須菩提！是菩薩摩訶薩行般若波羅蜜，於畢定眾中最為上首！ 「復次，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩應當行欲法、喜法、樂法心。何等是法？所謂不破諸法實相，是名為法。何等名欲法、喜法？信法、忍法、受法，是名欲法、喜法。何等名樂法？常修行是法，是名樂法。如是，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩行般若波羅蜜，於畢定眾中能為上首，是法用無所得故。 「復次，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩行般若波羅蜜時，住內空乃至無法有法空，能為畢定眾作上首，是法用無所得故。 「復次，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩行般若波羅蜜時，住四念處中乃至住十八不共法中，能為畢定眾作上首，是法用無所得故。 「復次，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩行般若波羅蜜時，住如金剛三昧乃至離著虛空不染三昧中住，於畢定眾作上首，是法用無所得故。 「如是，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩住是諸法中，能為畢定眾作上首。以是因緣故，名為摩訶薩。」 【論】 釋曰： 須菩提已從佛聞「菩薩」義，今問「摩訶薩」義。 「摩訶」者，秦言大；「薩埵」，秦言心，或言眾生。是眾生於世間諸眾生中第一最上，故名為大。又以大心知一切法，欲度一切眾生，是名為大。 復次，菩薩故名摩訶薩，摩訶薩故名菩薩，以發心為無上道故。 復次，如〈讚菩薩摩訶薩義品〉中，此中應廣說。 復次，佛此中自說摩訶薩義，眾生有三分：一者、正定，必入涅槃；二者、邪定，必入惡道；三者、不〔T25 0383b〕定。於正定眾生中當最大，故名摩訶薩。 大眾者，除佛，餘一切賢聖。 所謂「性地人」，是聖人性中生，故名為性。如小兒在貴家生，雖小未有所能，後必望成大事。是地從煖法乃至世間第一法。 「八人」，名見諦道，十五心中行。 問曰： 是十五心中，何以名為「八人」？ 答曰： 思惟道中用智多，見諦道中多用見忍，智隨於忍。所以者何？忍功大故。 復次，忍、智二事：能斷、能證；八忍中住，故名為「八人」。 「須陀洹、斯陀含、阿那含、阿羅漢、辟支佛」義，如先說。 「初發意菩薩」者，有人言：初發意者，得無生法忍，隨阿耨多羅三藐三菩提相發心，是名初發意，名真發心。了了知諸法實相及知心相，破諸煩惱故；隨阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，不破故、不顛倒故，此心名為初發心。 有人言：諸凡夫人雖住諸結使，聞佛功德，發大悲心，憐愍眾生，我當作佛。此心雖在煩惱中，心尊貴故，天人所敬。如轉輪聖王太子初受胎時，勝於諸子，諸天鬼神皆共尊貴；菩薩心亦如是，雖在結使中，勝諸天、神通聖人。 復次，菩薩初發心乃至未得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，有授記、入法位、得無生法忍者，名「阿鞞跋致」。阿鞞跋致相，後當廣說。 如是等大眾，當作上首，故名「摩訶薩」。 是菩薩欲為一切聖人主故，發大心，受一切苦，心堅如金剛不動故。 「金剛心」者，一切結使煩惱所不能動，譬如金剛山，不為風所傾搖。諸惡眾生、魔人來，不隨意行，不信受其語；瞋罵謗毀，打擊閉繫，斫刺割截，心不變異。有來乞〔T25 0383c〕索頭、目、髓、腦、手、足、皮、肉，盡能與之；求者意猶無厭足，更瞋恚罵詈，爾時心忍不動。譬如牢固金剛山，人來斸鑿毀壞，諸蟲來齧，無所虧損，是名「金剛心」。 復次，佛自說「金剛心相」，所謂菩薩應作是念： 我不應一月、一歲、一世、二世、乃至千萬劫世大誓莊嚴，我應無量無數無邊世生死中，利益度脫一切眾生。 二者、我應捨一切內、外所有貴重之物。 三者、一切眾生中等心無憎愛。 四者、我當以三乘如應度脫一切眾生。 五者、度如是眾生已，實無所度而無其功，此中心亦不悔、不沒。 六者、我應知一切法不生不滅、不來不去、不垢不淨等諸相。 七者、我應當以清淨無雜心行六波羅蜜，迴向薩婆若。 八者、我應當善知一切世間所作之事及出世間所應知事，皆悉通達了知。 九者、我應當解了諸法一相智門，所謂一切諸法畢竟空，觀一切諸法如無餘涅槃相，離諸憶想分別。 十者、我應當知諸法二相、三相乃至無量相門，通達明了。 二相者，一切法有二種：若有、若無，若生、若滅，若作、若不作，若色、若無色等。 三門者：若一、若二、若多——從三以上，皆名為多。若有、若無、若非有非無，若上、若中、若下，若過去、若未來、若現在，三界、三法，善、不善、無記等三門。 四門、五門，如是等無量法門，皆通達無礙。 是中心不悔、不怯、不疑，信受通達無礙。常行不息，滅諸煩惱及其果報，及諸障礙之事皆令敗壞，如金剛寶能摧破諸山。 住是金剛心中，當於大眾而作上首，以不可得空〔T25 0384a〕故。 「不可得空」者，若菩薩生如是大心如金剛而生憍慢者，罪過凡夫。以是故說「用無所得」，諸法無定相，如幻如化。 復次，「心如金剛」者，墮三惡道所有眾生，我當代受勤苦；為一一眾生故，代受地獄苦，乃至是眾生從三惡道出，集諸善本，至無餘涅槃已，復救一切眾生。如是展轉一切眾生盡度已，後當自為集諸功德，無量阿僧祇劫，乃當作佛，是中心不悔、不縮。 能如是代眾生受勤苦，自作諸功德，久住生死，心不悔、不沒，如金剛地能持三千大千世界令不動搖，是心堅牢故，名為「如金剛」。 「大快心」者，雖有牢固心，未是大快；如馬雖有大力，而未大快。 於眾生中得二種等心故，不生欲染心；若有偏愛，則為是賊，破我等心，為佛道之本；常行慈悲心故，無有瞋心；常觀諸法因緣和合生，無有自性故，則無癡心；愛念眾生過於赤子故，無有惱心；不捨眾生，貴佛道故，不生聲聞、辟支佛心。 問曰： 若心牢固如金剛，即是不動，今何以更說「不動心」？ 答曰： 或時雖復牢固，心猶有增減；如樹雖牢固，猶可動搖。動有二種：一者、外因緣動，如先說；二者、內因緣動，諸邪見、疑等。若常憶念一切智慧佛道，我當得是果報，故心不動。 復次，菩薩應種種因緣利益眾生，飲食乃至佛樂以利眾生；常不捨眾生，欲令離苦，是名安樂心；亦不念有是心。 復次，菩薩樂法，名為上首。「法」者，不破壞諸法相。不破壞諸法相者，無法可〔T25 0384b〕著、無法可受故，所謂不可得。是不可得空，即是涅槃，常信、受、忍，是名為「欲法」、「喜法」。常行三解脫門，名為「樂法」。 復次，菩薩住是十八空中，不隨十八意行故，不起罪業。 住四念處乃至十八不共法，滅諸煩惱、集諸善法故，能為上首。 復次，菩薩入金剛三昧等心，受快樂，厭於世樂，增長善根智慧方便故，於大聖眾而為上首。 若能為大者作上首，何況小者！是故名為「摩訶薩」。
《大智度論》卷45 · T25n1509 0382b08–0384b10
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.
須菩提問「何以故名為摩訶薩」——佛答「於畢定眾中為上首」
那時，須菩提對佛說：『世尊！為著甚麼緣故名為摩訶薩呢？』
佛告訴須菩提：『這菩薩在畢定眾當中為上首，正因為這樣，所以名為摩訶薩。』
畢定眾是哪些——性地人、八人、四果、辟支佛、初發心乃至阿鞞跋致九位；於中「生大心不可壞如金剛」
須菩提對佛說：『世尊！甚麼是畢定眾，而這菩薩摩訶薩在其中為上首呢？』
佛告訴須菩提：『所謂畢定眾，就是性地人、八人、須陀洹、斯陀含、阿那含、阿羅漢、辟支佛，初發心的菩薩，一直到阿鞞跋致地的菩薩。須菩提！這就是畢定眾，菩薩在其中為上首。菩薩摩訶薩在這畢定眾當中生起廣大的心，堅固不可破壞猶如金剛，應當為畢定眾作上首。』
何等是那不可破壞猶如金剛的大心——菩薩十番自誓之願
須菩提對佛說：『世尊！甚麼是菩薩摩訶薩生起不可破壞猶如金剛的大心呢？』
佛告訴須菩提：『菩薩摩訶薩應當生起這樣的心：我應當在無量的生死當中發大誓莊嚴；我應當捨棄一切所有；我應當以平等心對待一切眾生；我應當以三乘法度脫一切眾生，令他們入於無餘涅槃；我度脫一切眾生已，其實沒有乃至一個人是入涅槃的；我應當了解一切諸法不生之相；我應當純粹以薩婆若的心來修行六波羅蜜；我應當修學智慧，通達一切法；我應當通達諸法一相的智門；我應當通達乃至無量相的智門。須菩提！這就叫做菩薩摩訶薩生起不可破壞猶如金剛的大心。這菩薩摩訶薩安住在這心當中，於一切畢定眾當中而為上首，這是因為對此法無所得的緣故。
更誓代十方眾生受地獄苦，展轉度盡而後自成佛
『須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩應當生起這樣的心：我應當代十方一切眾生，無論是地獄眾生、畜生眾生、餓鬼眾生，領受種種苦痛；為著一一眾生，在無量百千億劫當中代受地獄裡的苦，一直到這眾生入於無餘涅槃。以這樣的法的緣故，為這眾生領受種種勤苦；這眾生入於無餘涅槃之後，然後自己種植善根，經過無量百千萬億阿僧祇劫，方才證得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。須菩提！這就是菩薩摩訶薩不可破壞猶如金剛的大心。安住在這心當中，為畢定眾作上首。』
大快心——從初發意乃至菩提，不生染、瞋、癡、惱與二乘之心
『再者，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩生起廣大暢快的心，安住在這大快心當中，為畢定眾作上首。』
須菩提對佛說：『世尊！甚麼是菩薩摩訶薩的大快心呢？』
佛說：『菩薩摩訶薩從最初發意一直到阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，不生起染污的心、瞋恚的心、愚癡的心，不生起惱害的心，不生起聲聞、辟支佛的心，這就叫做菩薩摩訶薩的大快心。安住在這心當中，為畢定眾作上首，也不執念有這樣一個心。
不動心——念念繫於一切種智，卻不執取「有此一念」
『再者，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩應當生起不動的心！』
須菩提對佛說：『怎麼叫做不動心呢？』
佛說：『常常憶念一切種智的心，也不執念有這樣一個心，這就叫做菩薩摩訶薩的不動心。
利益安樂心——救濟不捨一切眾生，「於畢定眾中最為上首」
『再者，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩對於一切眾生，應當生起利益安樂的心。怎麼叫做利益安樂心呢？救濟一切眾生，不捨棄一切眾生，這件事也不執念有這樣一個心，這就叫做菩薩摩訶薩對於一切眾生所生起的利益安樂心。像這樣，須菩提！這菩薩摩訶薩修行般若波羅蜜，在畢定眾當中最為上首！
欲法、喜法、樂法之心——法即不破諸法實相，信忍受為欲喜，常修行為樂
『再者，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩應當修行欲法、喜法、樂法的心。甚麼是「法」呢？就是所謂不破壞諸法的實相，這就叫做法。甚麼叫做欲法、喜法呢？信受此法、忍可此法、領受此法，這就叫做欲法、喜法。甚麼叫做樂法呢？常常修行這法，這就叫做樂法。像這樣，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩修行般若波羅蜜，在畢定眾當中能為上首，這是因為對此法無所得的緣故。
住十八空、住道品乃至十八不共法、住如金剛三昧，皆「能為畢定眾作上首」
『再者，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩修行般若波羅蜜的時候，安住在內空一直到無法有法空當中，能為畢定眾作上首，這是因為對此法無所得的緣故。
『再者，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩修行般若波羅蜜的時候，安住在四念處當中一直到安住在十八不共法當中，能為畢定眾作上首，這是因為對此法無所得的緣故。
『再者，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩修行般若波羅蜜的時候，安住在如金剛三昧一直到離著虛空不染三昧當中，在畢定眾當中為上首，這是因為對此法無所得的緣故。
經文收束——安住諸法、居畢定眾之首，摩訶薩之名由此而立
『像這樣，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩安住在這些法當中，能為畢定眾作上首。以這樣的因緣故，名為摩訶薩。』
以下是論釋。
論主起釋——須菩提已聞「菩薩」義，今問「摩訶薩」義
論主解釋說。須菩提先前已經從佛那裡聽聞「菩薩」的義，如今來問「摩訶薩」的義。
訓「摩訶薩」——摩訶秦言大，薩埵秦言心或眾生；於眾生中第一最上、以大心知法度生故名為大
「摩訶」，用秦地的話說就是「大」；「薩埵」，用秦地的話說是「心」，或者說是「眾生」。這眾生在世間一切眾生當中第一最上，所以名為「大」。再者，以廣大的心了知一切法、想要度脫一切眾生，這也名為「大」。
再者，因為是菩薩所以名為摩訶薩，因為是摩訶薩所以名為菩薩，這是因為以發心趣向無上道的緣故。
再者，如同〈讚菩薩摩訶薩義品〉當中所說，這裡應當廣說。
佛自說摩訶薩義——眾生三分，於正定聚中為最大故名摩訶薩
再者，佛在這裡自己說明摩訶薩的義：眾生有三分，第一是正定，必定入於涅槃；第二是邪定，必定入於惡道；第三是不定。在正定的眾生當中為最大，所以名為摩訶薩。
逐位釋畢定眾（上）——大眾者除佛餘一切賢聖；性地人如小兒生貴家；八人之問答
所謂大眾，就是除了佛之外，其餘一切的賢聖。
所謂「性地人」，是在聖人的性當中出生，所以名為「性」。就像小兒生在尊貴之家，雖然還小、還沒有甚麼能力，日後必定有望成就大事。這性地是從煖法一直到世間第一法。
「八人」，是指見諦道，在十五心當中運行。
有人問：這十五心當中，為甚麼名為「八人」呢？
論主回答：思惟道當中用智較多，見諦道當中多用見忍，智隨順於忍。這是甚麼緣故呢？因為忍的功用大的緣故。
再者，忍、智這兩件事：能斷煩惱、能證真理；因為安住在八忍當中，所以名為「八人」。
逐位釋畢定眾（下）——四果辟支佛如先說；初發意菩薩二說（轉輪聖王太子喻）；阿鞞跋致
「須陀洹、斯陀含、阿那含、阿羅漢、辟支佛」的義，如同前面所說。
所謂「初發意菩薩」，有人說：初發意的，是證得無生法忍，隨順阿耨多羅三藐三菩提之相而發心，這就叫做初發意，名為真發心。他明明了了地知道諸法的實相以及知道心的相，破除諸煩惱的緣故；隨順阿耨多羅三藐三菩提的心，因為不破壞、不顛倒的緣故，這心就名為初發心。
有人說：諸凡夫人雖然還住在種種結使當中，聽聞佛的功德，發起大悲的心，憐愍眾生，我應當作佛。這心雖然在煩惱當中，因為心尊貴的緣故，為天人所敬。就像轉輪聖王的太子最初受胎的時候，勝過其餘諸子，諸天鬼神都共同尊貴他；菩薩的心也是這樣，雖然在結使當中，勝過諸天、神通聖人。
再者，菩薩從初發心一直到還沒證得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，其中有得授記的、入法位的、得無生法忍的，名為「阿鞞跋致」。阿鞞跋致的相，後面應當廣說。
像這樣種種的大眾，菩薩應當為其作上首，所以名為「摩訶薩」。
金剛心釋（一）——「一切結使煩惱所不能動」，如金剛山不為風搖；瞋罵斫刺乃至乞索頭目髓腦而此心忍而不搖
這菩薩想要作一切聖人之主的緣故，發起大心，領受一切苦，因為心堅固猶如金剛而不動的緣故。
所謂「金剛心」，是一切結使煩惱所不能動搖的，譬如金剛山，不被風所傾動搖撼。諸惡的眾生、魔人前來，菩薩不隨順他們的意行，不信受他們的言語；他們瞋罵、謗毀，捶打、繫縛，斫刺、割截，菩薩的心也不變異。有人前來乞求頭、眼、髓、腦、手、足、皮、肉，菩薩都能夠給與他；求的人心意還是沒有滿足，更加瞋恚罵詈，這時候菩薩的心忍耐而不動。譬如牢固的金剛山，有人前來鑿掘毀壞，諸蟲前來啃齧，也沒有甚麼虧損，這就叫做「金剛心」。
佛自說金剛心相之十事——從大誓莊嚴到通達無量法門，不悔、不怯、不疑，如金剛寶能摧諸山
再者，佛自己說明「金剛心的相」，就是所謂菩薩應當作這樣的念：
我不應當只在一月、一歲、一世、二世、乃至千萬劫世發大誓莊嚴，我應當在無量無數無邊世的生死當中，利益度脫一切眾生。
第二，我應當捨棄一切內、外所有貴重的物品。
第三，對一切眾生平等而沒有憎、愛。
第四，我應當以三乘法如其所應度脫一切眾生。
第五，度脫這樣的眾生已，其實無所度脫而沒有其功用，這當中心也不悔恨、不沉沒。
第六，我應當知道一切法不生不滅、不來不去、不垢不淨等等諸相。
第七，我應當以清淨無雜的心修行六波羅蜜，迴向薩婆若。
第八，我應當善於知道一切世間所作之事以及出世間所應知之事，都能全部通達了知。
第九，我應當解了諸法一相的智門，就是所謂一切諸法畢竟空，觀一切諸法如同無餘涅槃之相，遠離種種憶想分別。
第十，我應當知道諸法二相、三相乃至無量相的法門，通達明了。
所謂二相，是一切法有兩種：若有、若無，若生、若滅，若作、若不作，若色、若無色等等。
所謂三門：若一、若二、若多——從三以上，都名為多。若有、若無、若非有非無，若上、若中、若下，若過去、若未來、若現在，三界、三法，善、不善、無記等等三門。
四門、五門，像這樣等等無量的法門，都通達無礙。
這當中心不悔恨、不怯弱、不疑惑，信受通達而無礙。常常修行不停息，滅除諸煩惱以及它的果報，還有種種障礙之事都令它敗壞，如同金剛寶能摧破諸山。
住金剛心中為上首以「不可得空」——若生憍慢罪過凡夫，故說「用無所得」、諸法如幻如化
安住在這金剛心當中，應當在大眾當中為上首，這是以不可得空的緣故。
所謂「不可得空」，若菩薩生起這樣如金剛的大心而生起憍慢，他的罪過超過凡夫。因為這緣故，所以說「用無所得」，諸法沒有決定之相，如幻、如化。
金剛心釋（二）——代三惡道眾生受勤苦，展轉度盡然後自集功德；如金剛地任持大千世界而不動搖
再者，所謂「心如金剛」，墮在三惡道的所有眾生，我應當代他們領受勤苦；為著一一眾生的緣故，代受地獄的苦，一直到這眾生從三惡道出離，聚集諸善本，到達無餘涅槃已，再救度一切眾生。像這樣展轉，一切眾生都度盡之後，然後自己方才為己聚集諸功德，經過無量阿僧祇劫，才當作佛，這當中心不悔恨、不退縮。
能夠像這樣代眾生領受勤苦，自己修作諸功德，久住在生死當中，心不悔恨、不沉沒，如同金剛大地能夠任持三千大千世界令它不動搖，因為這心堅牢的緣故，名為「如金剛」。
大快心釋——牢固未即是大快，如馬雖有大力未即大快；得二種等心故無染、無瞋、無癡、無惱、不生二乘心
所謂「大快心」，雖然有牢固的心，還不是大快；就像馬雖然有大力，卻還不是大快。
在眾生當中得到兩種平等心的緣故，不生起貪染的心；若有偏愛，就成了賊，破壞我的平等心，這平等心是佛道的根本；因為常行慈悲心的緣故，沒有瞋恚的心；因為常觀諸法從因緣和合而生、沒有自性的緣故，就沒有愚癡的心；因為愛念眾生勝過赤子的緣故，沒有惱害的心；因為不捨棄眾生、看重佛道的緣故，不生起聲聞、辟支佛的心。
何以牢固之外更說不動心——牢固猶有增減、如樹可搖；唯常繫念佛道智慧，此心方不動
有人問：若心牢固猶如金剛，就已經是不動了，如今為甚麼還要更說「不動心」呢？
論主回答：有時雖然還是牢固，心卻仍舊有增減；就像樹雖然牢固，仍舊可以動搖。動有兩種：第一是外因緣的動，如同前面所說；第二是內因緣的動，就是種種邪見、疑等等。若常常憶念一切智慧的佛道，我應當得這果報，所以心不動。
利益安樂心、樂法、住十八空、住道品、入金剛三昧——逐項釋能為上首之由
再者，菩薩應當以種種因緣利益眾生，從飲食一直到佛的快樂都用來利益眾生；常常不捨棄眾生，想要令他們離苦，這就叫做安樂心；也不執念有這樣一個心。
再者，菩薩樂於法，名為上首。所謂「法」，就是不破壞諸法之相。所以不破壞諸法之相，是因為沒有法可執著、沒有法可領受的緣故，就是所謂不可得。這不可得空，就是涅槃，常常信受、領受、忍可，這就叫做「欲法」、「喜法」。常常修行三解脫門，名為「樂法」。
再者，菩薩安住在這十八空當中，因為不隨順十八種意行的緣故，不起罪業。
安住在四念處一直到十八不共法，因為滅除諸煩惱、聚集諸善法的緣故，能為上首。
再者，菩薩入於金剛三昧，以平等心領受快樂，厭離世間之樂，因為增長善根、智慧、方便的緣故，在大聖眾當中為上首。
全品終極收束——連大者都能作其上首，何況小者，摩訶薩之名於此定讞
若能夠為大者作上首，何況是小者呢！正因為這樣，所以名為「摩訶薩」。
Subhūti Asks ‘Why Is One Called Mahāsattva?’—the Buddha Answers ‘Because He Is the Leader in the Assembly of the Assured’
At that time Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! For what reason is one called a mahāsattva?’
The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘This bodhisattva is the leader in the assembly of the assured; precisely because of this, he is called a mahāsattva.’
Who Make Up the Assembly of the Assured—Nine Positions: the Person at the Stage of Nature, the Person of the Eight, the Four Fruits, the Pratyekabuddha, and the Bodhisattva from the First Arousing of the Mind up to Avaivartika; Within Them ‘He Gives Rise to a Great Mind, Indestructible like Vajra’
Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! What is the assembly of the assured, in which this bodhisattva-mahāsattva is the leader?’
The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘The assembly of the assured is, namely: the person at the stage of nature, the person of the eight, the srota-āpanna, the sakṛdāgāmin, the anāgāmin, the arhat, the pratyekabuddha, and the bodhisattva of the first arousing of the mind, up to the bodhisattva of the avaivartika ground. Subhūti! This is the assembly of the assured, in which the bodhisattva is the leader. Within this assembly of the assured the bodhisattva-mahāsattva gives rise to a vast mind, firm and indestructible like vajra, and should become the leader of the assembly of the assured.’
What Is That Great Mind, Indestructible like Vajra—the Bodhisattva's Ten Vows to Himself
Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! What is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's giving rise to a great mind indestructible like vajra?’
The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘The bodhisattva-mahāsattva should give rise to a mind such as this: I shall, within immeasurable births and deaths, adorn myself with the great vow; I shall give up all that I possess; I shall regard all beings with an equal mind; I shall, by the dharma of the three vehicles, ferry all beings across and lead them to enter nirvāṇa without remainder; when I have ferried all beings across, in truth there is not even one person who enters nirvāṇa; I shall understand the mark of non-arising of all dharmas; I shall practise the six perfections purely with the mind of sarvajñā (omniscience); I shall train in wisdom and penetrate all dharmas; I shall penetrate the gate of knowledge of the single mark of all dharmas; I shall penetrate the gates of knowledge up to immeasurable marks. Subhūti! This is called the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's giving rise to a great mind indestructible like vajra. Abiding in this mind, this bodhisattva-mahāsattva is the leader within the whole assembly of the assured; this is because, with regard to this dharma, there is nothing to be attained.
He Further Vows to Undergo the Sufferings of Hell in Place of the Beings of the Ten Directions, Ferrying Them All Across in Turn Before Becoming a Buddha Himself
‘Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva should give rise to a mind such as this: I shall, in place of all beings of the ten directions—whether hell beings, animal beings, or hungry-ghost beings—undergo all kinds of pain; for each and every being, through immeasurable hundreds of thousands of koṭi of kalpas, I shall undergo the sufferings of hell in its place, until that being enters nirvāṇa without remainder. Because of a dharma such as this, I undergo all kinds of toil and suffering for these beings; after these beings have entered nirvāṇa without remainder, I shall then plant roots of goodness myself, and only after passing through immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭi of asaṃkhyeya kalpas shall I attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi (unsurpassed, right, and complete awakening). Subhūti! This is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's great mind indestructible like vajra. Abiding in this mind, he becomes the leader of the assembly of the assured.’
The Mind of Great Gladness—from the First Arousing of Intent up to Awakening, Giving Rise to No Mind of Defilement, Anger, Delusion, or Vexation, nor to the Mind of the Two Vehicles
‘Furthermore, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva gives rise to a vast mind of free-flowing ease; abiding in this mind of great gladness, he becomes the leader of the assembly of the assured.’
Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! What is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's mind of great gladness?’
The Buddha said: ‘From the first arousing of intent up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva does not give rise to a defiled mind, an angry mind, or a deluded mind; he does not give rise to a vexing mind; he does not give rise to the mind of the śrāvaka or the pratyekabuddha—this is called the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's mind of great gladness. Abiding in this mind, he becomes the leader of the assembly of the assured, and he does not cling to the thought that there is such a mind.
The Unmoving Mind—Moment after Moment Bound to the Omniscience of All Kinds, yet Not Grasping ‘There Is This One Thought’
‘Furthermore, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva should give rise to an unmoving mind!’
Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘What is called the unmoving mind?’
The Buddha said: ‘The mind that constantly keeps in mind the omniscience of all kinds, and yet does not cling to the thought that there is such a mind—this is called the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's unmoving mind.
The Mind of Benefit and Ease—Rescuing and Not Abandoning All Beings, ‘Foremost Leader within the Assembly of the Assured’
‘Furthermore, Subhūti! Toward all beings the bodhisattva-mahāsattva should give rise to a mind of benefit and ease. What is called the mind of benefit and ease? Rescuing all beings and not abandoning all beings, and in this matter too not clinging to the thought that there is such a mind—this is called the mind of benefit and ease that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva gives rise to toward all beings. In this way, Subhūti! This bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā and is the foremost leader within the assembly of the assured!
The Mind of Desiring the Dharma, Rejoicing in the Dharma, and Delighting in the Dharma—the Dharma Is Not Breaking the Real Mark of All Dharmas; Believing, Accepting, and Receiving It Is Desiring and Rejoicing; Constantly Practising It Is Delighting
‘Furthermore, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva should cultivate the mind of desiring the dharma, rejoicing in the dharma, and delighting in the dharma. What is the ‘dharma’? It is, namely, not breaking the real mark of all dharmas—this is called the dharma. What is called desiring the dharma and rejoicing in the dharma? Believing this dharma, accepting this dharma, and receiving this dharma—this is called desiring the dharma and rejoicing in the dharma. What is called delighting in the dharma? Constantly practising this dharma—this is called delighting in the dharma. In this way, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā and is able to be the leader within the assembly of the assured; this is because, with regard to this dharma, there is nothing to be attained.
Abiding in the Eighteen Emptinesses, in the Limbs of the Path up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, and in the Vajra-like Samādhi—in Each He ‘Is Able to Become the Leader of the Assembly of the Assured’
‘Furthermore, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he abides in inner emptiness up to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas, and is able to become the leader of the assembly of the assured; this is because, with regard to this dharma, there is nothing to be attained.
‘Furthermore, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he abides in the four foundations of mindfulness up to abiding in the eighteen unshared dharmas, and is able to become the leader of the assembly of the assured; this is because, with regard to this dharma, there is nothing to be attained.
‘Furthermore, Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva practises prajñāpāramitā, he abides in the vajra-like samādhi up to the samādhi free of attachment, like space, undefiled, and is the leader within the assembly of the assured; this is because, with regard to this dharma, there is nothing to be attained.
The Close of the Sūtra Text—Abiding in These Dharmas and Standing at the Head of the Assembly of the Assured, the Name Mahāsattva Is Established by This
‘In this way, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva abides in these dharmas and is able to become the leader of the assembly of the assured. Because of causes and conditions such as these, he is called a mahāsattva.’
What follows is the treatise's explanation.
The Treatise-Author Begins His Explanation—Subhūti Has Already Heard the Meaning of ‘Bodhisattva’ and Now Asks the Meaning of ‘Mahāsattva’
The treatise-author explains. Subhūti had earlier already heard from the Buddha the meaning of ‘bodhisattva’; now he comes to ask the meaning of ‘mahāsattva’.
Glossing ‘Mahāsattva’—Mahā in the Language of Qin Means Great, Sattva in the Language of Qin Means Mind or Being; Because He Is First and Highest among Beings, and Because with a Great Mind He Knows Dharmas and Ferries Beings Across, He Is Called Great
「摩訶」 tr. "mahā", in the language of Qin, means 「大」 tr. "great"; 「薩埵」 tr. "sattva", in the language of Qin, means 「心」 tr. "mind", or else it means 「眾生」 tr. "being". This being is first and highest among all beings in the world, and so is called ‘great’. Furthermore, knowing all dharmas with a vast mind and wishing to ferry all beings across—this too is called ‘great’.
Furthermore, because he is a bodhisattva he is called a mahāsattva, and because he is a mahāsattva he is called a bodhisattva; this is because he arouses the mind and heads toward the unsurpassed path.
Furthermore, as is said in the chapter ‘Praising the Meaning of Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva’, it should be explained at length here.
The Buddha Himself States the Meaning of Mahāsattva—Beings Fall into Three Divisions, and Because He Is Greatest among Those Rightly Assured He Is Called Mahāsattva
Furthermore, the Buddha here himself explains the meaning of mahāsattva: beings fall into three divisions—the first is the rightly assured, who will certainly enter nirvāṇa; the second is the wrongly assured, who will certainly enter the evil paths; the third is the unassured. Because he is greatest among the rightly assured beings, he is called a mahāsattva.
Explaining the Assembly of the Assured Position by Position (I)—the Great Assembly Is All the Worthies and Sages Apart from the Buddha; the Person at the Stage of Nature Is like a Small Child Born into a Noble House; Question and Answer on the Person of the Eight
The great assembly means all the rest of the worthies and sages, apart from the Buddha.
The ‘person at the stage of nature’ is born within the nature of the sages, and so is called ‘nature’. It is like a small child born into a noble house: though still small and not yet capable of anything, later he is certainly expected to accomplish great things. This stage of nature runs from the stage of heat up to the highest worldly dharma.
The ‘person of the eight’ refers to the path of seeing the truths, proceeding within the fifteen mind-moments.
Question: Within these fifteen mind-moments, why is it called ‘the person of the eight’?
Answer: In the path of contemplation knowledge is used more; in the path of seeing the truths the acceptance of seeing is used more, and knowledge follows along with acceptance. Why is this? Because the function of acceptance is great.
Furthermore, acceptance and knowledge—these two things—are able to cut off afflictions and able to realise the truth; because one abides within the eight acceptances, one is called ‘the person of the eight’.
Explaining the Assembly of the Assured Position by Position (II)—the Four Fruits and the Pratyekabuddha Are as Said Before; Two Accounts of the Bodhisattva of the First Arousing of Intent (the Simile of the Wheel-Turning Sage King's Crown Prince); Avaivartika
The meaning of ‘srota-āpanna, sakṛdāgāmin, anāgāmin, arhat, pratyekabuddha’ is as has been said earlier.
As for the ‘bodhisattva of the first arousing of intent’, some say: the one of the first arousing of intent is one who has attained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas and arouses the mind in accord with the mark of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi—this is called the first arousing of intent, and it is called the true arousing of the mind. He knows clearly and distinctly the real mark of all dharmas and knows the mark of the mind, because he has broken through the afflictions; the mind that accords with anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, because it is unbroken and not inverted—this mind is called the first arousing of the mind.
Some say: although ordinary people still dwell among all kinds of fetters, hearing of the Buddha's merits they give rise to a mind of great compassion, pitying beings: I shall become a Buddha. Although this mind is among the afflictions, because the mind is noble it is revered by gods and humans. It is like the crown prince of a wheel-turning sage king: at the moment he is first conceived he already surpasses all the other sons, and the gods, ghosts, and spirits all together honour him; the bodhisattva's mind is also like this—although it is among the fetters, it surpasses the gods and the sages with supernormal powers.
Furthermore, among bodhisattvas from the first arousing of the mind up to before attaining anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, those who have received the prediction, who have entered the dharma-position, or who have attained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas are called ‘avaivartika’. The marks of the avaivartika should be explained at length later.
Great assemblies of all these kinds—the bodhisattva should become their leader, and so he is called ‘mahāsattva’.
Explaining the Vajra Mind (I)—‘Unmoved by All Fetters and Afflictions’, like a Vajra Mountain Not Shaken by the Wind; Though Reviled, Stabbed, and Pierced, and Even Asked for Head, Eyes, Marrow, and Brain, This Mind Endures and Does Not Waver
Because this bodhisattva wishes to become the lord of all the sages, he gives rise to a great mind and undergoes all suffering, because his mind is firm like vajra and does not move.
The ‘vajra mind’ is one that no fetter or affliction can shake, like a vajra mountain that is not tilted, moved, or shaken by the wind. When evil beings and people of Māra come, the bodhisattva does not follow their intentions and does not believe and accept their words; though they are angry and revile him, slander him, beat him, bind him, stab and pierce him, cut and sever him, the bodhisattva's mind does not change. When someone comes begging for head, eyes, marrow, brain, hands, feet, skin, and flesh, the bodhisattva is able to give him all of it; the one who asks is still not satisfied and grows even angrier and more abusive, and at this time the bodhisattva's mind endures and does not move. It is like a firm vajra mountain: people come to chisel, dig, and damage it, insects come to gnaw it, yet it suffers no loss at all—this is called the ‘vajra mind’.
The Buddha Himself States the Ten Matters of the Mark of the Vajra Mind—from Adorning Himself with the Great Vow to Penetrating Immeasurable Dharma-Gates, without Regret, Timidity, or Doubt, like the Vajra Jewel That Can Shatter the Mountains
Furthermore, the Buddha himself explains ‘the mark of the vajra mind’, namely that the bodhisattva should think in this way:
I should not adorn myself with the great vow only for one month, one year, one lifetime, two lifetimes, or even a thousand myriad kalpa-lifetimes; I shall, within the births and deaths of immeasurable, countless, boundless lifetimes, benefit and ferry across all beings.
Second, I shall give up everything precious that I possess, inner and outer.
Third, I shall be equal toward all beings, without aversion or attachment.
Fourth, I shall, by the dharma of the three vehicles, ferry all beings across according to what befits each.
Fifth, when I have ferried such beings across, in truth there is nothing ferried across and there is no accomplishment in it; and here too my mind neither regrets nor sinks.
Sixth, I shall know that all dharmas neither arise nor cease, neither come nor go, are neither stained nor pure, and all such marks.
Seventh, I shall practise the six perfections with a pure, unmixed mind, dedicating it to sarvajñā.
Eighth, I shall know well all that is done in the world and what ought to be known beyond the world, and be able to penetrate and know all of it.
Ninth, I shall understand the gate of knowledge of the single mark of all dharmas, namely that all dharmas are ultimately empty, contemplating all dharmas as like the mark of nirvāṇa without remainder, and far removed from all recollection, imagining, and discrimination.
Tenth, I shall know the dharma-gates of the two marks, three marks, up to immeasurable marks of all dharmas, and penetrate them clearly.
The two marks means that all dharmas are of two kinds: existent or non-existent, arising or ceasing, made or unmade, form or formless, and so on.
The three gates means: one, two, or many—from three upward, all are called many. Existent, non-existent, or neither existent nor non-existent; upper, middle, or lower; past, future, or present; the three realms, the three dharmas; wholesome, unwholesome, and indeterminate—three gates such as these.
The four gates, the five gates—immeasurable dharma-gates of all such kinds—he penetrates without obstruction.
Here his mind does not regret, is not timid, and does not doubt; he believes, accepts, and penetrates without obstruction. He constantly practises without ceasing, extinguishes the afflictions together with their retributions, and brings all kinds of obstructing matters to ruin, as the vajra jewel is able to shatter the mountains.
Abiding in the Vajra Mind He Is the Leader by the ‘Emptiness of the Unfindable’—If Arrogance Arose His Fault Would Exceed an Ordinary Person's, So It Is Said ‘by Means of Nothing to Be Attained’, and All Dharmas Are like an Illusion, like a Conjuration
Abiding in this vajra mind, he should be the leader within the great assembly; this is by the emptiness of the unfindable.
As for the ‘emptiness of the unfindable’: if the bodhisattva, giving rise to such a vajra-like great mind, gave rise to arrogance, his fault would exceed that of an ordinary person. For this reason it is said ‘by means of nothing to be attained’: dharmas have no fixed mark; they are like an illusion, like a conjuration.
Explaining the Vajra Mind (II)—Undergoing Toil and Suffering in Place of the Beings of the Three Evil Paths, Ferrying Them All Across in Turn and Only Then Gathering Merits for Himself; like the Vajra Ground That Upholds the Great-Thousand World Without Shaking
Furthermore, as for ‘the mind like vajra’: for all the beings who have fallen into the three evil paths, I shall undergo toil and suffering in their place; for the sake of each and every being I shall undergo the sufferings of hell in its place, until this being comes forth from the three evil paths, gathers the roots of goodness, and reaches nirvāṇa without remainder; and then I shall go on to save all beings. Proceeding in turn like this, after all beings have been ferried across, only then shall I gather merits for myself, and only after passing through immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas shall I become a Buddha; and here the mind neither regrets nor shrinks back.
Being able in this way to undergo toil and suffering in place of beings, to cultivate merits himself, and to dwell long within birth and death with a mind that neither regrets nor sinks—as the vajra great ground is able to uphold the three-thousand great-thousand world and keep it from shaking—because this mind is firm and solid, it is called ‘like vajra’.
Explaining the Mind of Great Gladness—Firmness Is Not Yet Great Gladness, as a Horse with Great Strength Is Not Yet Greatly Glad; Because He Has Attained the Two Kinds of Equal Mind He Has No Defilement, No Anger, No Delusion, No Vexation, and Does Not Give Rise to the Mind of the Two Vehicles
As for the ‘mind of great gladness’: although there is a firm mind, it is not yet great gladness; just as a horse, though it has great strength, is not yet at great gladness.
Because he has attained the two kinds of equal mind toward beings, he does not give rise to a mind of greedy defilement; if there were partial love, it would become a thief, breaking my equal mind, and this equal mind is the root of the Buddha path. Because he constantly practises the mind of loving-kindness and compassion, he has no angry mind. Because he constantly contemplates that dharmas arise from the coming together of causes and conditions and have no own-nature, he has no deluded mind. Because he loves beings more than one's own infant, he has no vexing mind. Because he does not abandon beings and holds the Buddha path in high regard, he does not give rise to the mind of the śrāvaka or the pratyekabuddha.
Why, Beyond Firmness, Is the Unmoving Mind Also Spoken Of—Firmness Still Increases and Decreases, like a Tree That Can Be Shaken; Only When He Constantly Keeps the Wisdom of the Buddha Path in Mind Is This Mind Unmoving
Question: If the mind is firm like vajra, it is already unmoving; why now speak further of the ‘unmoving mind’?
Answer: At times, although it is still firm, the mind still increases and decreases; just as a tree, though firm, can still be shaken. Moving is of two kinds: the first is moving by outer causes and conditions, as said above; the second is moving by inner causes and conditions, namely all kinds of wrong views, doubt, and so on. If one constantly keeps in mind the Buddha path of all wisdom—I shall attain this fruit—then the mind does not move.
The Mind of Benefit and Ease, Delighting in the Dharma, Abiding in the Eighteen Emptinesses, Abiding in the Limbs of the Path, Entering the Vajra Samādhi—Explaining Item by Item Why He Is Able to Be the Leader
Furthermore, the bodhisattva should benefit beings through all kinds of causes and conditions, from food and drink up to the bliss of a Buddha, all used to benefit beings; constantly not abandoning beings, wishing to free them from suffering—this is called the mind of ease; and he does not cling to the thought that there is such a mind.
Furthermore, the bodhisattva delights in the dharma, and is called the leader. The ‘dharma’ is not breaking the mark of all dharmas. The reason for not breaking the mark of all dharmas is that there is no dharma that can be clung to and no dharma that can be received—that is, it is unfindable. This emptiness of the unfindable is itself nirvāṇa; constantly believing, receiving, and accepting it—this is called ‘desiring the dharma’ and ‘rejoicing in the dharma’. Constantly practising the three gates of liberation is called ‘delighting in the dharma’.
Furthermore, the bodhisattva abides in these eighteen emptinesses, and because he does not follow the eighteen kinds of mental activity, he does not give rise to wrongful deeds.
He abides in the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, and because he extinguishes the afflictions and gathers wholesome dharmas, he is able to be the leader.
Furthermore, the bodhisattva enters the vajra samādhi, receives bliss with an equal mind, and turns away from worldly pleasure; because he increases roots of goodness, wisdom, and skilful means, he is the leader within the great assembly of sages.
The Final Close of the Whole Chapter—If He Can Be the Leader Even of the Great, How Much More of the Small; the Name Mahāsattva Is Settled Here
If he is able to be the leader of the great, how much more of the small! Precisely because of this, he is called ‘mahāsattva’.
摩訶薩品：菩薩何以更名「摩訶（大）」——於畢定眾中為上首，是故名為摩訶薩；生大心不可壞如金剛，八心一貫，代眾生受苦而心無所得
在問什麼
這一品一開場，須菩提便問「何以故名為摩訶薩」——菩薩早已有其名，何以更加一個「摩訶」（大）字。佛也一開口便答「是菩薩於畢定眾中為上首，是故名為摩訶薩」。這一答，把「大」字的落處點得很準：所謂大，不在形量之大、不在勢眾之多，正在於能於「畢定眾」之中為上首。全品的幾個難處由此逼出。其一，何謂「畢定眾」，何以能於其中為上首便得名為大——佛列出性地人、八人乃至阿鞞跋致九位確定必入聖位之眾，菩薩能作這一眾之首，方見其大。其二，這「大」究竟大在何處——論主訓「摩訶」秦言大、「薩埵」秦言心或眾生，點出兩義：一是於世間諸眾生中第一最上，二是以大心知一切法、欲度一切眾生。其三，佛答此上首心是「生大心不可壞如金剛」，接著以問答起首、七番「復次」相繼，逐一列出八種心（大心如金剛、大快心、不動心、利益安樂心、欲法喜法樂法心、住十八空、住四念處乃至十八不共法、住如金剛三昧）——這八心是一是異，如何貫成一片。其四，既說「金剛心」一切結使煩惱所不能動、已是堅固不動，何以後面又別立一個「不動心」，豈不重出。這一品要回答的是這樣一件事：菩薩之名「摩訶薩」，其實只落在一處——能為畢定眾作上首；而能作上首的根，是那一片代眾生受苦、堅如金剛而又無所得的大心。
逐段解明
先看經文這一大段。須菩提問「何以故名為摩訶薩」，佛答「是菩薩於畢定眾中為上首，是故名為摩訶薩」——「大」字先落在「上首」二字上。須菩提再追問何等是畢定眾，佛便逐位列出：性地人、八人、須陀洹、斯陀含、阿那含、阿羅漢、辟支佛，初發心菩薩，乃至阿鞞跋致地菩薩——這一串都是已定方向、必入聖位之人，菩薩能為這一眾之首，這才見出「大」的分量。接著佛點出上首之所以為上首，在於「生大心不可壞如金剛」，並一口氣鋪出這大心的內容：從「大誓莊嚴」、捨一切所有、等心一切眾生、三乘度脫令入無餘涅槃，到度眾生已而無一人實入涅槃、解一切諸法不生相、純以薩婆若心行六波羅蜜、通達一相乃至無量相智門，共是十番自誓；更進一層，是「代十方一切眾生」受地獄、畜生、餓鬼諸苦，為一一眾生無量劫代受地獄之苦，直到眾生入無餘涅槃，然後自己方才種善根、經無量劫而成佛。這一段最見骨力：所謂如金剛的大心，其堅牢處不在自守，正在肯代一切眾生受苦而不悔。此下佛以問答起、七番「復次」繼，逐立八心——大快心（不生染瞋癡惱與二乘之心）、不動心（常念一切種智）、利益安樂心（救濟不捨一切眾生）、欲法喜法樂法心、住十八空、住四念處乃至十八不共法、住如金剛三昧——每一心都收於同一句「能為畢定眾作上首，是法用無所得故」。經末總收「住是諸法中，能為畢定眾作上首。以是因緣故，名為摩訶薩」——「摩訶薩」三字，就繫在這「為上首」與「無所得」上。
接著論主開釋。論主先接住須菩提的問，說他「已從佛聞菩薩義，今問摩訶薩義」，隨即訓詁：「摩訶者，秦言大」、「薩埵，秦言心，或言眾生」——「大」有兩義，一是「是眾生於世間諸眾生中第一最上，故名為大」，二是「以大心知一切法，欲度一切眾生，是名為大」。又補一層互訓「菩薩故名摩訶薩，摩訶薩故名菩薩，以發心為無上道故」。更引佛自說一義：「眾生有三分」，正定必入涅槃、邪定必入惡道、不定居中，菩薩「於正定眾生中當最大，故名摩訶薩」——這是把「大」安在正定一聚之首。此下論主逐位釋那畢定眾：大眾者除佛之外一切賢聖；性地人是聖人性中所生，如小兒生在貴家，雖小而後必成大事；八人是見諦道十五心中所行，因住八忍而名八人；四果辟支佛之義如先說；初發意菩薩則列兩說，一說是得無生法忍、隨菩提相而發之真發心，一說是凡夫雖在結使中而聞佛功德、發大悲心願作佛，如轉輪聖王太子初受胎時已勝諸子；阿鞞跋致則是得授記、入法位、得無生法忍者。釋畢定眾既畢，論主便專釋這如金剛的大心。金剛心先有一釋：「一切結使煩惱所不能動，譬如金剛山，不為風所傾搖」——魔人惡眾瞋罵打擊、斫刺割截，乃至來乞頭目髓腦手足皮肉而心忍不動，如金剛山任人鑿掘、諸蟲齧食而無所虧損。接著論主牒佛自說的「金剛心相」，把經文十番自誓再逐條展開為十事，收於「心不悔、不怯、不疑」、如金剛寶能摧破諸山；又點出「住是金剛心中，當於大眾而作上首，以不可得空故」，並釋「不可得空」：若生如是大心而更生憍慢，「罪過凡夫」，所以要「用無所得」、知諸法如幻如化。金剛心更有第二釋，就是「心如金剛」者代三惡道眾生受勤苦，展轉度盡一切眾生然後自集功德、久住生死而心不悔不沒，如「金剛地能持三千大千世界令不動搖」。其下論主再逐一釋那幾心：大快心是「雖有牢固心，未是大快，如馬雖有大力，而未大快」，須得二種等心而無染、無瞋、無癡、無惱、不生二乘之心，方是快；不動心則答一問——牢固何以更說不動，因「或時雖復牢固，心猶有增減，如樹雖牢固，猶可動搖」，須常憶念一切智慧佛道，心方真不動；末後利益安樂心、樂法、住十八空、住四念處乃至十八不共法、入金剛三昧，一一釋其所以能為上首。全品收於一句「若能為大者作上首，何況小者！是故名為摩訶薩」——既能於大者之中為首，於小者更不待言，「大」字至此收足。
不要讀錯
第一，不要把「摩訶（大）」讀成形體之大、勢眾之多。經明說「是菩薩於畢定眾中為上首，是故名為摩訶薩」，論訓「大」也只在兩處——「於世間諸眾生中第一最上」與「以大心知一切法，欲度一切眾生」。所謂大，是心大、願大、於聖眾為首，不是身量大、人數多。
第二，不要把「為上首」讀成爭勝居高、要作眾人之上。論明說這菩薩是「欲為一切聖人主故，發大心，受一切苦」，其上首的實義，正落在代十方眾生受地獄苦、展轉度盡而後自成佛。上首是荷擔在前、代眾生受苦，不是踞於眾人之頭。
第三，不要把「金剛心」讀成剛強不受、硬頂到底。論說金剛心是魔人惡眾瞋罵打擊、斫刺割截，乃至來乞頭目髓腦手足皮肉，而「爾時心忍不動」，如金剛山任人鑿掘、諸蟲齧食而無所虧損。金剛之堅，堅在忍之極、與之極，不在拒之硬。
第四，不要把「不動心」與「金剛心」讀成重出無別。論自設此問而自答：牢固「或時雖復牢固，心猶有增減，如樹雖牢固，猶可動搖」；金剛心是不為外緣所動，不動心則更須「常憶念一切智慧佛道」、於內因緣的邪見疑等亦不動。一約外緣、一約內念，兩不相掩。
第五，不要把「代眾生受苦」讀成實有一個能代之我、實有所度之眾生。論明說「住是金剛心中，當於大眾而作上首，以不可得空故」，又說若生此大心而更生憍慢則「罪過凡夫」，所以要「用無所得」、知諸法如幻如化。代苦是行、是願，而心不著能代所代，這才是如金剛而不憍慢。
修行作用
這一品最切近用功處，是把「大」字從外相收回到心上。人常把大處想成境界之高、名位之尊，本品卻只指一處——肯為一切聖人之主，肯代眾生受苦而心不悔不沒，這才是大。其次是金剛心的實下手：於逆境現前、被瞋罵打擊乃至被奪所愛之時，心忍而不動，如金剛山任人鑿齧而無所虧損——這一味忍與與，正是日用中最磨得著的功夫。再次是八心可作一條次第讀：先求心堅如金剛而不為結使所動，次求離染而得大快，次於牢固之上更求常念佛道而不動，次生利益安樂之心，次樂法而不著法，次住空、住道品，終入金剛三昧——一條心地由堅而快、而不動、而空、而定的路，歷歷可循。最後是那一味「無所得」的把柄：行如金剛的大心而不生憍慢，代眾生受苦而不認能代所度，於一切法為上首而知其如幻如化——大心與無所得並行，纔是摩訶薩的真面目。
承衍
後來有古德為這一品逐文作疏，一開卷便判此下四品，是佛、身子、須菩提、富樓那四位次第闡明「摩訶薩」的義，而本品正當其首，是「第一佛為畢定首故為摩訶薩」。這一判，恰與本論論主自說的一段相印證——論主說眾生有正定、邪定、不定三分，菩薩於正定眾生中當最大故名摩訶薩；古德「佛為畢定首」之科與本論「於正定眾生中當最大」之釋，一為就人分品、一為就義自釋，兩相會通。又有古德以「八心」科判本品，說這一品是舉八種心來釋摩訶薩——一金剛心、二大快心、三不動心、四利益安樂心、五憙法欲法樂法、六十八空心、七住諸行心、八住諸三昧心——這八心的數目與次第，恰與本品經文所列八心逐一相應，是古德科判與經文自身分節密合的一例。也有古德在前一品的逐文疏裡，先已指出此下「摩訶薩品」當明摩訶薩義，為這一品的到來預作引線。把這些讀法帶回本品，最要留住的仍是那一句——菩薩之所以名摩訶薩，正在能為畢定眾作上首；而所以能作上首，不在居高爭勝，正在那一片代眾生受苦、堅如金剛而又無所得的大心。
Mahāsattva: Why the Bodhisattva Is Further Named “Mahā” (Great)—Foremost in the Assembly of the Assured, He Is Therefore Called Mahāsattva; Giving Rise to a Great Mind Indestructible as Vajra, Eight Minds Threaded into One, Suffering in Beings’ Place while the Mind Has Nothing to Be Attained
What Is Being Asked
At the very opening of this chapter Subhūti asks, “For what reason is one called a mahāsattva?”—the bodhisattva already has his name, so why add one more word, “mahā” (great)? And the Buddha, at the very first word, answers: 「是菩薩於畢定眾中為上首，是故名為摩訶薩」 tr. "this bodhisattva is foremost in the assembly of the assured; for this reason he is called a mahāsattva." This answer pins down exactly where the word “great” comes to rest: what is called great lies not in greatness of form or measure, nor in numbers of followers, but precisely in being able to be foremost within “the assembly of the assured.” The chapter’s several difficulties are forced out from here. First, what is “the assembly of the assured,” and why does being able to be foremost within it earn the name great? The Buddha lists nine ranks of an assembly settled and bound to enter the noble stages—persons at the stage of nature, the person of the eight, and so on up to the avaivartika—and only when the bodhisattva can be the head of this assembly is his greatness seen. Second, in what, after all, does this “greatness” consist? The treatise-author glosses “mahā” as meaning great in the language of Qin, and “sattva” as meaning mind, or beings, in the language of Qin, and brings out two senses: one, being first and highest among all the beings of the world; two, knowing all dharmas with a great mind and wishing to liberate all beings. Third, the Buddha answers that this foremost mind is 「生大心不可壞如金剛」 tr. "giving rise to a great mind, indestructible as vajra," and then, opening with a question and answer and following with seven successive “furthermores,” lists eight kinds of mind one by one (the great mind like vajra, the mind of great gladness, the unmoving mind, the mind of benefit and ease, the mind that desires the Dharma, rejoices in the Dharma, and delights in the Dharma, abiding in the eighteen emptinesses, abiding in the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, and abiding in the vajra-like samādhi)—are these eight minds one or different, and how are they threaded into a single piece? Fourth, once it has been said that the “vajra mind” cannot be moved by any fetter or affliction and is already firm and unmoving, why is an “unmoving mind” set up separately later on—is that not a repetition? What this chapter sets out to answer is this one matter: the bodhisattva’s name “mahāsattva” in fact rests on one place only—being able to be foremost for the assembly of the assured; and the root of being able to be foremost is that great mind which suffers in beings’ place, firm as vajra and yet with nothing to be attained.
Passage by Passage
First look at this long section of the sūtra. Subhūti asks, “For what reason is one called a mahāsattva?” and the Buddha answers, “This bodhisattva is foremost in the assembly of the assured; for this reason he is called a mahāsattva”—the word “great” first comes to rest on the word “foremost.” Subhūti presses further, asking what the assembly of the assured is, and the Buddha lists it rank by rank: persons at the stage of nature, the person of the eight, the srota-āpanna, the sakṛdāgāmin, the anāgāmin, the arhat, the pratyekabuddha, the bodhisattva of the first arousing of the mind, and so on up to the bodhisattva at the stage of avaivartika—this whole series are people whose direction is already settled and who will certainly enter the noble stages; only when the bodhisattva can be the head of this assembly does the weight of the word “great” show. Next the Buddha points out that what makes the foremost foremost lies in “giving rise to a great mind, indestructible as vajra,” and in one breath lays out the content of this great mind: from “the adornment of the great vow,” giving up all one possesses, a mind equal towards all beings, and liberating them by the three vehicles so that they enter nirvāṇa without remainder, to having liberated beings and yet not one person really entering nirvāṇa, understanding the unarisen mark of all dharmas, practising the six perfections purely with the mind of sarvajñā, and penetrating the gates of knowledge of the single mark and so on up to immeasurable marks—ten vows of self-pledge in all; and going a layer further, “in place of all beings of the ten directions” receiving the sufferings of the hells, of animals, and of hungry ghosts, and for each single being receiving in his place the suffering of the hells for immeasurable kalpas, until beings enter nirvāṇa without remainder, and only after that planting his own roots of goodness and passing through immeasurable kalpas to become a buddha. This section shows the most backbone: the firmness of the great mind called like vajra lies not in guarding oneself but precisely in being willing to receive suffering in place of all beings without regret. Below this the Buddha, opening with a question and answer and following with seven “furthermores,” establishes the eight minds one by one—the mind of great gladness (not giving rise to tainted, angry, deluded, or vexed minds, or to the minds of the two vehicles), the unmoving mind (always keeping in mind the omniscience of all kinds), the mind of benefit and ease (rescuing and never abandoning all beings), the mind that desires the Dharma, rejoices in the Dharma, and delights in the Dharma, abiding in the eighteen emptinesses, abiding in the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, and abiding in the vajra-like samādhi—and every one of these minds is gathered under the same sentence, “he is able to be foremost for the assembly of the assured, because these dharmas are applied with nothing to be attained.” At the end the sūtra gathers it all up: “Abiding in these dharmas, he is able to be foremost for the assembly of the assured. For this cause and condition he is called a mahāsattva”—the word “mahāsattva” is tied precisely to this “being foremost” and “nothing to be attained.”
Next the treatise-author opens up the meaning. He first takes up Subhūti’s question, saying that he “has already heard from the Buddha the meaning of ‘bodhisattva,’ and now asks the meaning of ‘mahāsattva,’” and at once gives the glosses: 「摩訶者，秦言大」 tr. "‘mahā’ means, in the language of Qin, great," and 「薩埵，秦言心，或言眾生」 tr. "‘sattva’ means, in the language of Qin, mind, or else beings"—“great” has two senses: one, “these beings are first and highest among all the beings of the world, and so are called great”; two, “knowing all dharmas with a great mind and wishing to liberate all beings—this is called great.” He adds a further layer of mutual gloss: “The bodhisattva is therefore called mahāsattva, and the mahāsattva is therefore called bodhisattva, because he arouses the mind for the unsurpassed path.” He further cites a sense spoken by the Buddha himself: “beings are of three divisions”—those rightly assured, who will certainly enter nirvāṇa; those wrongly assured, who will certainly enter the evil paths; and the unassured, who stand between—and the bodhisattva “shall be the greatest among the beings rightly assured, and so is called a mahāsattva”: this sets “great” at the head of the one group rightly assured. Below this the treatise-author explains that assembly of the assured rank by rank: the great assembly is all the worthies and sages apart from the Buddha; persons at the stage of nature are those born into the lineage of the noble ones, like a small child born into a noble house, who, though small, will certainly accomplish great things later; the person of the eight is one who moves within the fifteen mind-moments of the path of seeing the truths, and is named the person of the eight because he abides in the eight acceptances; the meaning of the four fruits and of the pratyekabuddha is as stated before; for the bodhisattva of the first arousing of intent, two explanations are listed—one explanation is that it is the true arousing of the mind, attained with the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas and aroused in accordance with the mark of awakening; the other explanation is that it is an ordinary person who, though still amid the fetters, hears of the Buddha’s merits, arouses a mind of great compassion, and vows to become a buddha, just as the crown prince of a wheel-turning sage king, from the moment he is first conceived, already surpasses the other sons; and the avaivartika is one who has received the prediction, entered the Dharma-position, and attained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas. Having finished explaining the assembly of the assured, the treatise-author turns to explaining this vajra-like great mind in particular. The vajra mind first has one explanation: 「一切結使煩惱所不能動，譬如金剛山，不為風所傾搖」 tr. "it cannot be moved by any fetter or affliction, just as a vajra mountain is not tilted or shaken by the wind"—when Māra’s people and hostile crowds rage and revile, beat and strike, hack, stab, cut, and slice, and even come begging for head, eyes, marrow, brain, hands, feet, skin, and flesh, the mind endures and does not move, like a vajra mountain that lets people chisel and dig into it and insects gnaw at it and suffers no loss. Next the treatise-author cites the Buddha’s own words on “the marks of the vajra mind,” unfolding the sūtra’s ten vows of self-pledge again item by item into ten matters, gathered under “the mind does not regret, does not shrink, does not doubt,” like the vajra jewel that can shatter all mountains; and he further points out: 「住是金剛心中，當於大眾而作上首，以不可得空故」 tr. "abiding in this vajra mind, he shall be foremost in the great assembly, because of the emptiness of the unfindable"; and he explains “the emptiness of the unfindable”: if one gives rise to such a great mind and then gives rise to arrogance besides, one’s “offence exceeds an ordinary person’s,” and so one must “apply nothing to be attained” and know all dharmas to be like an illusion, like a conjuration. The vajra mind has a second explanation as well: one whose “mind is like vajra” receives toilsome suffering in place of the beings of the three evil destinies, liberates all beings one after another to the very last, and only then gathers merit for himself, abiding long in birth and death with a mind that neither regrets nor sinks, like “the vajra ground that can bear up the three-thousand great-thousand world and keep it from shaking.” Below this the treatise-author explains those several minds one by one: the mind of great gladness is that “though one has a firm mind, it is not yet great gladness, as a horse, though it has great strength, is not yet of great gladness”—one must obtain the two kinds of equal mind and be without taint, without anger, without delusion, without vexation, not giving rise to the minds of the two vehicles, and only then is there delight; the unmoving mind answers a question—why, if it is firm, is it further said to be unmoving? Because 「或時雖復牢固，心猶有增減，如樹雖牢固，猶可動搖」 tr. "at times, though firm, the mind still waxes and wanes, as a tree, though firm, can still be shaken"—one must always recollect and keep in mind the Buddha-path of all wisdom, and only then is the mind truly unmoving; and at the end, the mind of benefit and ease, delighting in the Dharma, abiding in the eighteen emptinesses, abiding in the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, and entering the vajra samādhi—each is explained as to why it is able to be foremost. The whole chapter is gathered up in one sentence: 「若能為大者作上首，何況小者！是故名為摩訶薩」 tr. "if he can be foremost for the great, how much more for the small! Therefore he is called a mahāsattva"—since he can be head among the great, among the small it goes without saying; here the word “great” is gathered up in full.
Do Not Misread
First, do not read “mahā (great)” as greatness of bodily form or numbers of followers. The sūtra says plainly, “This bodhisattva is foremost in the assembly of the assured; for this reason he is called a mahāsattva,” and the treatise glosses “great” in two places only—“first and highest among all the beings of the world” and “knowing all dharmas with a great mind and wishing to liberate all beings.” What is called great is greatness of mind, greatness of vow, being head of the noble assembly—not greatness of bodily size or of numbers.
Second, do not read “being foremost” as contending for victory and taking the high seat, wanting to be above everyone. The treatise says plainly that this bodhisattva, “wishing to be the lord of all the noble ones, arouses a great mind and receives all suffering”; the real meaning of his being foremost falls precisely on receiving the suffering of the hells in place of the beings of the ten directions, liberating them one after another to the very last, and only then himself becoming a buddha. Being foremost is shouldering the load at the front and receiving suffering in beings’ place, not sitting at the head of the crowd.
Third, do not read “the vajra mind” as hard, unyielding stiffness, butting through to the end. The treatise says that the vajra mind is this: when Māra’s people and hostile crowds rage and revile, beat and strike, hack, stab, cut, and slice, and even come begging for head, eyes, marrow, brain, hands, feet, skin, and flesh, “at that time the mind endures and does not move,” like a vajra mountain that lets people chisel and dig into it and insects gnaw at it and suffers no loss. The firmness of vajra is firm in the utmost of enduring and the utmost of giving, not in the hardness of refusing.
Fourth, do not read “the unmoving mind” and “the vajra mind” as a repetition without difference. The treatise raises this question itself and answers it itself: what is firm “at times, though firm, the mind still waxes and wanes, as a tree, though firm, can still be shaken”; the vajra mind is not moved by outer conditions, whereas the unmoving mind further requires “always recollecting and keeping in mind the Buddha-path of all wisdom,” remaining unmoved also by the inner causes and conditions of wrong views, doubts, and the like. One is framed in terms of outer conditions, the other in terms of inner recollection; neither covers over the other.
Fifth, do not read “receiving suffering in beings’ place” as though there really were a self able to take their place, and really beings who are liberated. The treatise says plainly, “Abiding in this vajra mind, he shall be foremost in the great assembly, because of the emptiness of the unfindable,” and says further that if one gives rise to this great mind and then gives rise to arrogance besides, one’s “offence exceeds an ordinary person’s,” and so one must “apply nothing to be attained” and know all dharmas to be like an illusion, like a conjuration. Receiving suffering in their place is a practice and a vow, while the mind is not attached to one who takes their place or those whose place is taken—only this is being like vajra and yet not arrogant.
Bearing on Practice
The point in this chapter that comes closest to our own effort is that it draws the word “great” back from outward appearances onto the mind. People often imagine greatness as the height of attainment or the honour of name and rank, but this chapter points to one place only—being willing to be the lord of all the noble ones, being willing to receive suffering in beings’ place with a mind that neither regrets nor sinks: this alone is great. Next is the real place to begin with the vajra mind: when adverse circumstances appear before you, when you are raged at, reviled, beaten, and struck, and even when what you love is taken from you, let the mind endure and not move, like a vajra mountain that lets people chisel and gnaw at it and suffers no loss—this one flavour of enduring and giving is precisely the effort that is most tested in daily life. Further, the eight minds can be read as a single sequence: first seek a mind firm as vajra that is not moved by the fetters; next seek to be free of taint and attain great gladness; next, on top of firmness, further seek always to keep the Buddha-path in mind and be unmoving; next give rise to the mind of benefit and ease; next delight in the Dharma yet not be attached to the Dharma; next abide in emptiness and abide in the limbs of the path; and at last enter the vajra samādhi—a single road of the mind-ground, from firmness to delight, to the unmoving, to emptiness, to absorption, that can be traced step by step. Last is the handle of that one flavour of “nothing to be attained”: practising a great mind like vajra without giving rise to arrogance, receiving suffering in beings’ place without owning one who takes their place or those who are liberated, being foremost in all dharmas while knowing them to be like an illusion, like a conjuration—the great mind and nothing to be attained going together: only this is the true face of the mahāsattva.
Further Resonances
Later an ancient master composed a phrase-by-phrase commentary on this chapter, and at the very opening of the scroll classified the four chapters that follow as the four—the Buddha, Śāriputra, Subhūti, and Pūrṇa—successively making clear the meaning of “mahāsattva,” with this chapter standing first among them as “first, the Buddha explains: because the bodhisattva is head of the assured, he is a mahāsattva.” This classification tallies exactly with a passage the treatise-author himself speaks in this treatise—the treatise-author says that beings are of three divisions, rightly assured, wrongly assured, and unassured, and that the bodhisattva shall be the greatest among the beings rightly assured and so is called a mahāsattva; the ancient master’s division “the Buddha’s explanation, “head of the assured”” and this treatise’s explanation “the greatest among the beings rightly assured,” the one dividing the chapters by person and the other explaining the meaning in its own terms, converge with each other. Another ancient master classified this chapter by “the eight minds,” saying that this chapter takes up eight kinds of mind to explain the mahāsattva—first the vajra mind, second the mind of great gladness, third the unmoving mind, fourth the mind of benefit and ease, fifth rejoicing in the Dharma, desiring the Dharma, and delighting in the Dharma, sixth the mind of the eighteen emptinesses, seventh the mind abiding in the practices, eighth the mind abiding in the samādhi—and the number and order of these eight minds correspond one by one exactly with the eight minds listed in this chapter’s sūtra text: a case of an ancient master’s classification fitting closely with the sūtra’s own division into sections. There is also an ancient master who, in his phrase-by-phrase commentary on the preceding chapter, had already pointed out that the “Chapter on the Mahāsattva” to follow would make clear the meaning of the mahāsattva, laying a guiding thread in advance for this chapter’s arrival. When these readings are brought back to this chapter, what is most to be kept is still that one sentence—the reason a bodhisattva is called a mahāsattva lies precisely in his being able to be foremost for the assembly of the assured; and the reason he can be foremost lies not in taking the high seat and contending for victory, but precisely in that great mind which suffers in beings’ place, firm as vajra and yet with nothing to be attained.
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，繫卷四十五之首，論自題「大智度論釋摩訶薩品第十三」〔T25 0382b08〕，所釋為《大品般若》相當之一品。
本品品名有一重須先辨之異名，其格局與前〈幻人無作品〉恰成反轉——彼品「幻學」為經、異譯、古德所共之通名，論題「幻人無作」反為別出；此品則「摩訶薩品」為多線之通名，而所釋經題「金剛品」反為少數。其一，本論論題作「摩訶薩品第十三」〔T25 0382b08〕。其二，所釋經後秦鳩摩羅什譯《摩訶般若波羅蜜經》於同一位置題作「金剛品第十三」〔T08 0243b09〕，其品題行下 CBETA 內嵌一校勘註，標明丹本（高麗藏所據遼丹藏系統之異本）一系此品作「摩訶薩品」（此註屬校本異文之標記，詳第八目）——是 T223 自身之傳承中，大正底本一系作「金剛品」，而丹本一系與本論同作「摩訶薩品」。其三，本經之另三種漢譯品名皆作「摩訶薩品」：無羅叉譯《放光般若經》作「摩訶薩品第十五」〔T08n0221 0019c01〕、竺法護譯《光讚經》作「摩訶薩品第十一」〔T08n0222 0178a15〕、玄奘譯《大般若波羅蜜多經》初分作「摩訶薩品第十三之一」〔T05n0220a 0263a14〕。是「摩訶薩品」為本論、丹本異文及三種旁參漢譯所共之通名，「金剛品」則為 T223 大正底本一系獨有之別題。此一別題之所以立，正緣本品經論廣說金剛之喻（金剛山、金剛地、金剛三昧、如金剛寶，詳第三目），羅什遂就其喻而題之。古德吉藏《大品經義疏》品目逕以雙題並列「金剛品第十三 亦名摩訶薩品」〔X24n0451 0242a03〕，兩名並存，與 T223 之品題及丹本註互相印證，誌錄不判。本目及以下讀者面正文仍隨本論題稱〈摩訶薩品〉。
本品前承〈句義品第十二〉（繫卷四十四之末），〈摩訶薩品第十三〉別起卷四十五，為卷四十五之首品，故品題後另有「龍樹菩薩造」〔T25 0382b11〕、「後秦龜茲國三藏鳩摩羅什譯」〔T25 0382b12〕造譯二題款——此與前〈句義品〉（繫卷四十四中段、無題款）為結構性差異，型態同〈幻人無作品〉（卷四十四之首、有題款）。本品全帙落於卷四十五之內，起品題〔T25 0382b08〕；卷四十五未於本品之末結卷，其下續入〈斷見品第十四〉，故本品無卷尾題，範圍終點取次品〈斷見品第十四〉起題〔T25 0384b10〕，不含。
本品經論俱為單卷中型，然其架構於本系列諸品中最為單純——僅【經】一大塊、【論】一大塊相承，無經論往復之交替（異於前〈幻人無作品〉之三經三論、〈句義品〉之二經二論）。【經】（〔T25 0382b13〕起）須菩提問「世尊！何以故名為摩訶薩？」〔T25 0382b13〕，佛總答「是菩薩於畢定眾中為上首，是故名為摩訶薩」〔T25 0382b14〕，繼列畢定眾之九位「畢定眾者，性地人、八人、須陀洹、斯陀含、阿那含、阿羅漢、辟支佛，初發心菩薩，乃至阿鞞跋致地菩薩」〔T25 0382b17〕，復以八段開示菩薩所生之心（生大心不可壞如金剛、大快心、不動心、利益安樂心、欲法喜法樂法心、住十八空、住四念處乃至十八不共法、住如金剛三昧），收於「住是諸法中，能為畢定眾作上首。以是因緣故，名為摩訶薩」〔T25 0383a19〕。【論】（〔T25 0383a21〕起）先訓「摩訶薩」之字義（摩訶秦言大、薩埵秦言心或眾生），復逐一釋畢定眾九位（大眾、性地人、八人、四果辟支佛、初發意菩薩、阿鞞跋致），繼廣釋金剛心（金剛山喻、代眾生受苦、金剛地喻）、大快心（馬喻）、不動心（樹喻）、利益安樂心、樂法、十八空、金剛三昧諸心，末歸「若能為大者作上首，何況小者！是故名為『摩訶薩』」〔T25 0384b08〕。全品經文範圍〔即 T223〈金剛品〉之全量〕與論釋範圍首尾相接，論釋一大塊全落於 T223 品界之外（詳第四目）。
二、術語考
摩訶薩（品命脈之名）。 本品得名之所繫。經以須菩提之問發端「世尊！何以故名為摩訶薩？」〔T25 0382b13〕，佛總答之「是菩薩於畢定眾中為上首，是故名為摩訶薩」〔T25 0382b14〕。論釋「摩訶薩」（mahāsattva）一名之字源，先分訓二語，云「『摩訶』者，秦言大；『薩埵』，秦言心，或言眾生」〔T25 0383a22〕——「摩訶」譯大，「薩埵」譯心、或譯眾生。是「摩訶薩」者，大心之有情、諸眾生中之大者。論復以互訓明其與「菩薩」一名之相成，云「菩薩故名摩訶薩，摩訶薩故名菩薩，以發心為無上道故」〔T25 0383a25〕——二名互攝，其共同之根據在發心求無上道。前〈句義品〉論①訓「菩薩」為「菩提薩埵」（菩提無上智慧、薩埵大心），本品則承之而別訓「摩訶薩」為摩訶（大）與薩埵（心）之合，二品之字義訓詁一脈相承。
大（第一最上·大心·大有情）。 「摩訶薩」之「大」，論釋有二義。其一，就其於眾之位，云「是眾生於世間諸眾生中第一最上，故名為大」〔T25 0383a23〕；其二，就其心之量，云「又以大心知一切法，欲度一切眾生，是名為大」〔T25 0383a24〕——前義明其為上首，後義明其發大心以知一切法、度一切眾生。論復以三聚眾生標其位之所以，云「佛此中自說摩訶薩義，眾生有三分：一者、正定，必入涅槃；二者、邪定，必入惡道；三者、不定」〔T25 0383a28〕，而「於正定眾生中當最大，故名摩訶薩」〔T25 0383b01〕——於正定聚眾生中為最大者，即是摩訶薩。此三聚之判，正與古德吉藏「四人釋摩訶薩」之「第一佛為畢定首故為摩訶薩」相印（詳第六目）。
畢定眾（上首所臨之眾）。 摩訶薩之為上首，其所上首者即「畢定眾」。經列畢定眾之九位，云「畢定眾者，性地人、八人、須陀洹、斯陀含、阿那含、阿羅漢、辟支佛，初發心菩薩，乃至阿鞞跋致地菩薩」〔T25 0382b17〕——自性地人、見諦八人、四沙門果、辟支佛，以至初發心乃至不退轉地之菩薩，皆確定必入聖位者。論釋「畢定眾」總為「大眾者，除佛，餘一切賢聖」〔T25 0383b01〕——除佛之外一切賢聖皆攝於此。「畢定」者，決定必入聖道之義；所釋經 T223 此詞作「必定」（詳第四目），義同。
八人（見諦道·十五心）。 畢定眾九位之一，論釋最詳者。論標其義，云「『八人』，名見諦道，十五心中行」〔T25 0383b05〕——「八人」謂見道位、十五心中所行之人。論復設問答明其得名，云「是十五心中，何以名為『八人』？答曰：思惟道中用智多，見諦道中多用見忍」〔T25 0383b06〕，又云「忍、智二事：能斷、能證；八忍中住，故名為『八人』」〔T25 0383b08〕——見道十五心中以八忍為主（智隨於忍，忍功大故），住八忍中故名「八人」。
三、譬喻與故事
《大智度論》以譬喻著稱，本品尤以「金剛」為全品之喻軸——「金剛」之喻凡三重（金剛山、金剛地、金剛三昧），而所釋經 T223 逕以此喻題本品為〈金剛品〉（詳第一目）。論釋復以馬喻大快、樹喻可動、小兒喻性地、轉輪聖王太子喻初發意諸喻明其義，皆繫於【論】一大塊，為本品義理之教學命脈。
金剛之喻，第一重為金剛山喻，明菩薩心不為結使煩惱所動。論云「『金剛心』者，一切結使煩惱所不能動，譬如金剛山，不為風所傾搖」〔T25 0383b26〕——如金剛山不為風之所搖，喻菩薩心不為一切結使煩惱之所動。論復申其不動之相，云「諸惡眾生、魔人來，不隨意行，不信受其語」〔T25 0383b27〕，乃至「有來乞索頭、目、髓、腦、手、足、皮、肉，盡能與之」〔T25 0383b29〕而心忍不動，終以喻收之，云「譬如牢固金剛山，人來斸鑿毀壞，諸蟲來齧，無所虧損」〔T25 0383c02〕——如牢固之金剛山任人斸鑿、諸蟲齧食而無所虧損，喻菩薩雖遭瞋罵打擊、乞索身分而心不變異。論復由此喻引「金剛心相」之十事，云「佛自說『金剛心相』，所謂菩薩應作是念」〔T25 0383c04〕，逐條開示（大誓莊嚴、捨內外所有、等心無憎愛、三乘度脫、實無所度、知諸法不生不滅、清淨行六度、通達世出世間、解一相智門、知無量相門），末以喻明其能摧惑，云「滅諸煩惱及其果報，及諸障礙之事皆令敗壞，如金剛寶能摧破諸山」〔T25 0383c27〕——如金剛寶之能摧諸山，喻此心能摧破煩惱障礙。
金剛之喻，第二重為金剛地喻，明菩薩代眾生受苦、久住生死而心堅牢。論云「復次，『心如金剛』者，墮三惡道所有眾生，我當代受勤苦」〔T25 0384a03〕——菩薩不但不為外緣所動，更主動代一切墮三惡道眾生受苦，展轉度盡一切眾生然後自證佛道；論收此義於金剛地之喻，云「如金剛地能持三千大千世界令不動搖，是心堅牢故，名為『如金剛』」〔T25 0384a11〕——如金剛大地能任持三千大千世界而不動搖，喻菩薩代苦度生之心堅牢不動。金剛之喻，第三重為金剛三昧，就定力言，論云「復次，菩薩入金剛三昧等心，受快樂，厭於世樂」〔T25 0384b06〕——入金剛三昧等心而受法樂、厭離世樂，以定力故於大聖眾而為上首。是金剛一喻，於本品由不動（金剛山）、堅牢持世界（金剛地）而至定力（金剛三昧），三重展開，貫串全品。
論復設三喻以別釋畢定眾之位次與菩薩諸心。其一，小兒喻，釋「性地人」之雖小而必成，云「如小兒在貴家生，雖小未有所能，後必望成大事」〔T25 0383b03〕——如貴家所生之小兒雖幼小未有所能而後必成大事，喻性地人雖在凡位而必趣聖道。其二，轉輪聖王太子喻，釋初發意菩薩之雖在煩惱而心尊貴，云「如轉輪聖王太子初受胎時，勝於諸子」〔T25 0383b18〕——如輪王太子初受胎時已勝諸子、為天人所敬，喻初發意菩薩雖在結使中而心尊貴、勝於諸天神通聖人。其三，馬喻與樹喻，別「大快心」「不動心」二者之異。論釋大快心，云「『大快心』者，雖有牢固心，未是大快；如馬雖有大力，而未大快」〔T25 0384a12〕——如馬雖有大力而未必大快，喻牢固之心未即是大快之心。論復設樹喻以明何以牢固之外別立不動，云「或時雖復牢固，心猶有增減；如樹雖牢固，猶可動搖」〔T25 0384a21〕——如樹雖牢固而猶可動搖，喻牢固之心或時猶有增減，故須別立常憶念一切智慧佛道之不動心。
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》〈金剛品第十三〉〔T08 0243b09–0244a18〕逐項相承。以下逐字對位，證論所釋確係此本經文；其論釋一大塊插入處，尤見本品義理之骨在論不在經，且此段插入之對讀零命中，為所釋經對讀中經論分層最單純之一例。
第一組，品題異名。本論〔T25 0382b08〕「大智度論釋摩訶薩品第十三」與 T223 之品題〔T08 0243b09〕「金剛品第十三」，品名用字全異——論作「摩訶薩品」，經作「金剛品」（詳第一目、第八目）。T223 品題行下 CBETA 內嵌校勘註，標丹本一系作「摩訶薩品」，是 T223 自身傳承中即與本論同名者在；此異名之全幅格局（本論、丹本、放光、光讚、玄奘初分皆作摩訶薩品，唯 T223 大正一系作金剛品）已詳第一目，誌錄不判。
第二組，開宗問答之譯語體例異文。本論〔T25 0382b13〕「爾時，須菩提白佛言：『世尊！何以故名為摩訶薩？』」佛答「是菩薩於畢定眾中為上首」〔T25 0382b14〕，與 T223〔T08 0243b11〕「爾時須菩提白佛言：『世尊！何以故名為摩訶薩？』」佛答「是菩薩於必定眾中為上首」〔T08 0243b12〕逐字相承，唯本論作「畢定眾」、T223 作「必定眾」——此為全品貫穿之譯語異文（義同：確定必入聖位之眾），與前〈幻人無作品〉之檀那／檀、〈句義品〉之五眾／五蔭對讀同型，誌錄不判。
第三組，畢定眾枚舉之標點層異。本論〔T25 0382b17〕「畢定眾者，性地人、八人、須陀洹」與 T223〔T08 0243b15〕「必定眾者，性地人八人，須陀洹」逐字相承，唯「性地人、八人」間頓號有無、必／畢異文，屬編輯層。
第四組，不退轉地之梵名音寫異文。本論〔T25 0382b19〕「乃至阿鞞跋致地菩薩」與 T223〔T08 0243b17〕「至阿惟越致地菩薩」——本論作「阿鞞跋致」、T223 作「阿惟越致」，同指不退轉（avaivartika）之二種古音寫並存於同一羅什兩譯之間，誌錄不判。
第五組，阿僧祇劫數量之實質異讀。本論〔T25 0382c10〕「然後自種善根，無量百千萬億阿僧祇劫」與 T223〔T08 0243c09〕「然後自種善根，無量百千億阿僧祇劫」——本論作「百千萬億」，T223 作「百千億」，本論較 T223 多一「萬」階，為本品少見之非純標點層異文，供譯者參考，誌錄不判。
第六組，大快心五事不生之實質異讀。本論〔T25 0382c18〕「不生染心、瞋恚心、愚癡心，不生惱心，不生聲聞、辟支佛心」與 T223〔T08 0243c17〕「不生染心、瞋恚心、愚癡心，不生慢心，不生聲聞、辟支佛心」——五事不生心枚舉之第四項，本論作「不生惱心」、T223 作「不生慢心」，惱（惱害）、慢（驕慢）用字不同，非純標點層之異；另本論此處聖本異文作「不生總心」，與 T223 之「慢」、大正之「惱」構成三方異讀（詳第八目），供譯者參考，誌錄不判。
第七組，本品所釋經對讀之關鍵——論一大塊所釋經全無對應。經之收束句本論〔T25 0383a19〕「住是諸法中，能為畢定眾作上首。以是因緣故，名為摩訶薩」與 T223〔T08 0244a16〕「能為必定眾作上首。以是因緣，故名為摩訶薩」逐字相承（必／畢異文、「因緣故」與「因緣，故」逗號位置之異）；此句為 T223〈金剛品〉範圍內之最末內容，其後 T223 零間隔直轉下一品〈樂說品第十四〉。而本論於此收束句之後方插入整段【論】〔T25 0383a21–0384b08〕（摩訶薩訓詁、畢定眾九位逐項釋、金剛心釋、金剛心相十事逐條、大快心馬喻、不動心樹喻、利益安樂心、樂法、十八空、金剛三昧諸釋），T223 於此對應處全無一字。是本品一段【經】首尾相接於 T223 而構成完整、連續之金剛品經文，其疆界〔T08 0243b09–0244a18〕恰與本論【經】段之範圍精確重合；一大塊【論】則全落於 T223 品界之外。試舉論釋獨有之三例以明：摩訶薩訓詁「『摩訶』者，秦言大；『薩埵』，秦言心，或言眾生」〔T25 0383a22〕、金剛心喻「『金剛心』者，一切結使煩惱所不能動，譬如金剛山，不為風所傾搖」〔T25 0383b26〕、金剛地喻「如金剛地能持三千大千世界令不動搖，是心堅牢故，名為『如金剛』」〔T25 0384a11〕，T223 於此三處經文層皆全無對應。本品僅一段【論】插入且落於全品之末，為本系列各品所釋經對讀中結構最單純之一例。
五、般若義眼
本品之眼，在以「畢定眾中為上首」明摩訶薩之大，而其大終歸於無所得。全品命題起於須菩提之一問——何以故名為摩訶薩。佛不以世間之大答，反以「上首」答之，云「是菩薩於畢定眾中為上首，是故名為摩訶薩」〔T25 0382b14〕。是摩訶薩之大，非形量之大，乃就其於確定入聖之眾中為首、其心大而堅、其願廣而深言之。
其一義，大在為上首而以大心度生。論釋「大」之二義：於世間諸眾生中第一最上、又以大心知一切法欲度一切眾生〔T25 0383a23〕〔T25 0383a24〕。經以八段開示菩薩所生之心，其收束之語屢繫以「能為畢定眾作上首，是法用無所得故」〔T25 0383a12〕（此語於【經】段內反覆六見）——是能為上首者，非恃其位之高，乃以無所得心行諸法故。經復收利益安樂心一段於最強之語，云「是菩薩摩訶薩行般若波羅蜜，於畢定眾中最為上首」〔T25 0383a03〕。
其二義，大在心不可壞如金剛，而金剛之堅仍歸於空。經以「生大心不可壞如金剛」〔T25 0382c03〕總十事之願（大誓莊嚴乃至了達無量相智門），論以金剛山、金剛地二喻申其不動與堅牢（第三目）。然此堅牢之心不可自恃為堅，論即以空遮之，云「『不可得空』者，若菩薩生如是大心如金剛而生憍慢者，罪過凡夫」〔T25 0384a01〕，復申其所以，云「以是故說『用無所得』，諸法無定相，如幻如化」〔T25 0384a02〕——大心如金剛而生憍慢，則其罪過於凡夫；故金剛之堅，正以無所得、諸法如幻如化而立，非別有一實堅之心可執。
其三義，大而不著其大，是般若之眼。本品廣說摩訶薩之大——大位（上首）、大心（金剛不壞）、大願（代眾生受苦）、大悲（等心度生），而其所歸唯在無所得。論末總收全品於一句，云「若能為大者作上首，何況小者！是故名為『摩訶薩』」〔T25 0384b08〕——既能於大者（畢定眾中之最上者）為上首，則於小者更不待言，此其所以名摩訶薩。是本品自無以「上首」立摩訶薩之義、以金剛顯大心之堅、以三聚明其位之最，以至於「用無所得」遮其憍慢，一線貫下，所歸唯在以無所得心行大誓、大悲、大願，心堅如金剛而不著其堅之般若義眼。
六、諸家異釋
古德引釋本品者，此目誌錄其所疏、所引與本品之對應，不判各家詮釋。本品古德之網：吉藏《大品經義疏》逐文直疏，其支持最豐（含品名雙題、四人釋摩訶薩、八心科判）；慧影《大智度論疏》現存殘卷僅於前品之疏內前瞻性提及本品，本品逐文疏本身缺；均正《大乘四論玄義》有二處疑似命中，經覈皆同名之陷阱，非本品之引用；智顗諸著查無徵引。別有品名同名之辨附於末段。
吉藏《大品經義疏》（X24n0451）直釋所釋經段，其品目逕以雙題並列，云「金剛品第十三 亦名摩訶薩品」〔X24n0451 0242a03〕——兩名並存，與所釋經 T223 之品題行及丹本註互相印證（第一目、第四目第一組）。其判本品之弧位有二。其一，以四位說法者判本品以下之四品，云「亦言摩訶薩品，此下第二四品釋摩訶薩義，隨人為論」〔X24n0451 0242a04〕，復列其四，云「四人釋摩訶薩即四：第一佛為畢定首故為摩訶薩」〔X24n0451 0242a05〕——自本品以下四品，係佛、身子、須菩提、富樓那四位依次闡明「摩訶薩」義，其中「第一佛為畢定首故為摩訶薩」直對本品內容（佛答於畢定眾中為上首故名摩訶薩），與本論論釋自設之三聚眾生辨「於正定眾生中當最大，故名摩訶薩」〔T25 0383b01〕逐義呼應——古德之獨立框架與本論自身之義理交相印證。其二，就義意判本品所歎有三，云「若遂義意分為三：第一歎其志大智深為摩訶薩」〔X24n0451 0242a14〕（歎其志大智深、無過不離、無境不修）。其復以「八心」科本品經文之八段，先總標，云「初、以八心釋摩訶薩，從初心堅固作，名之金剛也」〔X24n0451 0242a17〕，繼逐項列之，云「舉八心：一金剛心，二大快心，三不動心，四利益安樂心，五憙法欲法樂法，六十八空心，七住諸行心，八三住諸三昧心」〔X24n0451 0242b14〕——吉藏此「八心」與本品經段之八段開示（大心不可壞如金剛、大快心、不動心、利益安樂心、欲法喜法樂法心、住十八空、住四念處乃至十八不共法、住如金剛三昧，第一目）數目、次序皆一一相合。吉藏復於論十八空處自繫本品，云「金剛品空十八法名十八空」〔X24n0451 0247a04〕——明其所論之十八空即繫於本品（金剛品）之經、論二層，與本品「住內空乃至無法有法空」〔T25 0383a11〕及論釋「菩薩住是十八空中，不隨十八意行故，不起罪業」〔T25 0384b03〕相應。
慧影《大智度論疏》（X46n0791）之現存殘卷，於本品僅存前瞻性之提及，其本品逐文疏本身不存。慧影於前〈句義品〉之逐文疏內科分大段，云「就此分中復有二分，此初一品明菩薩義，次摩訶薩品明摩訶薩義」〔X46n0791 0872c06〕——此僅為慧影於句義品疏中預告本品（摩訶薩品）將明「摩訶薩義」之前瞻語，非其對本品之逐文疏釋。慧影疏原二十四卷，今存殘卷之此段總目至句義品即告一段落，其後所存細目跳越本品以下諸品，故本品之逐文疏文於此殘卷中付之闕如，如實誌錄，不臆稱其存。
均正《大乘四論玄義》（X46n0784）一書，本目以「摩訶薩品」「金剛品」「畢定眾」「大快心」諸詞遍檢，得二處疑似命中，然逐字覈其內容與出處，皆非本品之引用，誌此以防混。其一，均正引「大品經金剛品云決了義」〔X46n0784 0624b18〕，然「決了義」一詞於《大品》實見於〈大明品〉（相當本論〈寶塔校量品〉、卷五十七）而非本品〈金剛品〉（卷四十五），且均正自繫之「大論二十三卷」與其實際所在卷次亦不合——是均正此處雖用「金剛品」之名，其所指經文實不在本品範圍內，殆記誦之誤置或所據異本品分不同，非本品之引用。其二，均正引「莊嚴品云：畢定眾中干慧地」〔X46n0784 0564c21〕，然其明標所引為「莊嚴品」而非「金剛品」，且其文論十地之干慧地，與本品之畢定眾九位（無涉十地）主題全異——是「畢定眾」一詞為《大品》論聖位次第之通語，非本品所獨，均正此處亦非引本品。二處皆同名同詞之陷阱，非均正對本品之直接引用。
又，本品品名之異，多有同名而非引本品者，誌此以防混。其一，「金剛品」之名，於全庫別有麗藏目錄、《賢愚經》及他經他品之獨立同名命中，皆與本品內容無涉。其二，「畢定眾」三字，於《大般涅槃經》諸疏（如《涅槃經疏私記》《新刻涅槃會疏》）別有獨立使用，係論聖位次第之通用語，非引本品。其三，「摩訶秦言大」為漢傳文獻論「摩訶」一詞之標準梵漢對譯套語，廣見諸典，唯本論延伸之「薩埵秦言心或言眾生」乃本品所獨。其四，智顗諸著（《摩訶止觀》《法華玄義》《維摩經玄疏》等）以本品品名及本品獨有關鍵詞（畢定眾、不可壞如金剛、大快心、利益安樂心）遍檢，皆查無徵引，如實記無，不臆造。
七、互讀與承衍
本品之骨有三，皆為般若一系及後出諸疏所承。
其一，品名異名格局之承——本品「摩訶薩品／金剛品」二名並存，古德吉藏《大品經義疏》以雙題並列「金剛品第十三 亦名摩訶薩品」〔X24n0451 0242a03〕，正承本論、丹本異文及放光、光讚、玄奘初分諸譯皆作「摩訶薩品」，而 T223 大正一系別題「金剛品」之全幅格局；此別題之所以立，緣本品經論廣說金剛之喻，吉藏亦繫之，云「從初心堅固作，名之金剛也」〔X24n0451 0242a17〕——以八心之初心（金剛心）堅固，故經家題之曰金剛品。本目誌其相承，不代為定讀，所繫諸出處皆見第六目逐字之載。
其二，四人釋摩訶薩與八心科判之承——本品論釋自設三聚眾生之辨（「於正定眾生中當最大，故名摩訶薩」〔T25 0383b01〕），古德吉藏承之而立「四人釋摩訶薩」，判本品以下四品各就一說法者明摩訶薩義，其「第一佛為畢定首故為摩訶薩」〔X24n0451 0242a05〕正對本品；復以「八心」〔X24n0451 0242b14〕科本品經文之八段，數目次序與本論經段一一相合（第六目）。是本品「畢定首」「八心」之義理架構，古德以獨立之框架承而判之。本目誌其相承，不代為定讀。
其三，金剛喻與十八空之承——本品金剛之三重喻（金剛山、金剛地、金剛三昧）及十八空之義，皆為古德所繫。吉藏以金剛心之堅固釋本品得名（第六目、承衍其一），復自繫本品之十八空，云「金剛品空十八法名十八空」〔X24n0451 0247a04〕，明其所論十八空即繫本品經、論二層（本品經「住內空乃至無法有法空」〔T25 0383a11〕、論釋「菩薩住是十八空中，不隨十八意行故，不起罪業」〔T25 0384b03〕）。本目誌其相承，不代為定讀，所繫諸出處皆見第六目逐字之載。
就本論次第言，本品有內部互讀之明文，係論主自繫，非後人比附。論一大塊之開宗，自繫其與前品之相承，云「須菩提已從佛聞『菩薩』義，今問『摩訶薩』義」〔T25 0383a21〕——「菩薩」義即前〈句義品〉（本帙品十二）論主所訓「菩提薩埵」之字義，本品乃承之而別問「摩訶薩」義。此承衍在於義脈之相接（由問「菩薩句義」轉入問「摩訶薩義」），本目誌其相承，不代為定讀。
八、校本與版本說明
本品校勘可與經義相涉者，擇要如下；異本讀法並列保存，正文仍從現行底本讀法。
0382b08（品題）：大智度論釋摩訶薩品第十三（卷四十五）【大】｜大智度經論卷第四十五釋第十三品說第十四品【聖】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜品第十三摩訶薩品卷四十七【石】——品題三本並列，大正、聖、石三本皆維持「摩訶薩品」核心用字（唯治句前綴與卷號之別），與所釋經 T223 大正一系之「金剛品」形成鮮明對照（詳第一目、第四目第一組）；聖本以描述語合陳相鄰兩品（「釋第十三品說第十四品」），屬其標題行文之風格；石本卷號作「卷四十七」（大正作「卷四十五」，卷號相差二卷之異文，成因未強考，誌錄不判）。又，大正本此品題別出一條校記——宋本作「第十三品釋摩訶薩」、宮本作「第十三品釋金剛品」〔T25 0382b08 校記〕，即 T1509 之宮本亦讀「金剛品」。是「金剛品」之題非 T223 一系所獨有，T1509 宮本與 T223 大正底本各為其少數異文；然合觀 T1509 大、聖、石三本、T223 之丹本、及放光光讚玄奘初分三譯諸線，「摩訶薩品」仍為此段內容之通行本名。正文從底本「摩訶薩品」。
0382c18：惱【大】｜總【聖】——落於大快心五事不生之第四項「不生〔惱〕心」（第二目、第四目第六組）。底本作「惱」（惱害），聖本作「總」；結合所釋經 T223 此處作「慢」（驕慢，第四目第六組），此一枚舉項於大正 T1509、聖本 T1509、T223 三方各異（惱／總／慢），構成三方異讀。又，T223 此字大正本別出校記——慢【大】｜惱【元】【宮】【聖】，即 T223 之元宮聖本亦讀「惱」，與本論底本相合；是「惱」讀跨本論與所釋經兩系傳承皆見。並存誌錄、供譯者參考，不判何者為是。正文從底本「惱」。
0382c10：萬【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】——第四目第五組「無量百千〔萬〕億阿僧祇劫」之「萬」字，大正底本有之，宋元明宮四本無（作「百千億」），與所釋經 T223〔0243c09〕之「百千億」相合。是本論多數傳本此處本與 T223 齊，該「萬」階差實唯大正底本一本獨多，非兩造對立之實質異讀，並存誌錄不判。
0383a15：用無所【大】｜眾不可【聖】——「是法〔用無所〕得故」。此為本品經段貫穿之提挈短語（「是法用無所得故」於【經】段內反覆六見），聖本異文將此語作「是法眾不可得故」，屬寫本傳承中提挈語措辭之系統性異文，誌錄不判、供譯者參考。正文從底本「用無所」。
0383b14：不破【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】——「隨阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，〔不破〕故、不顛倒故」句。大正底本有「不破」二字，宋、元、明、宮、聖五本皆無此二字。五本一致無、唯大正孤本有，異文分佈之比例懸殊，或涉斷句差異，誌錄不判、供譯者裁定，不臆改。正文從底本「不破」。
0383a08：法【大】｜法信法【聖】——「何等名欲法、喜法？信法、忍法、受法，是名欲〔法〕、喜法」句。底本作「欲法、喜法」，聖本於「法」後多出「信法」二字，涉欲法喜法定義句之枚舉項數異文，誌錄不判、供譯者參考。正文從底本「法」。
本品底本為《大智度論》卷四十五〔T25 0382b08–0384b10〕，本品為卷四十五之首品，卷四十五未於本品之末結卷（續入〈斷見品第十四〉），故本品無卷尾題。所釋經校本為《摩訶般若波羅蜜經》〈金剛品第十三〉〔T08 0243b09–0244a18〕（其品題丹本一系作「摩訶薩品」，詳第一目），旁參異譯有《放光般若經》〈摩訶薩品第十五〉（T08n0221）、《光讚經》〈摩訶薩品第十一〉（T08n0222）、玄奘《大般若波羅蜜多經》初分〈摩訶薩品第十三〉（T05n0220a）。古德疏校本為吉藏《大品經義疏》（X24n0451·釋經段），別有慧影《大智度論疏》（X46n0791·本品逐文疏缺、僅前瞻提及）、均正《大乘四論玄義》（X46n0784·二見皆同名陷阱、非本品引用）。異讀校記依大正校勘，涉大正底本與宋、元、明、宮、聖、石諸本之異。本品全帙校勘記凡六十二條，詳存工作底本檔末；本表僅傳錄與本品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 stands at the head of Fascicle 45. The treatise gives its own title as 「大智度論釋摩訶薩品第十三」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on the Mahāsattva, the Thirteenth"〔T25 0382b08〕, and what it explains is the corresponding chapter of the Larger Sūtra.
The chapter name has one alternative naming that must first be distinguished, and its pattern is the exact reverse of that of the preceding chapter, "The Illusory Person Makes Nothing". There, 「幻學」 tr. "illusory training" was the common name shared by the sūtra, the variant translations, and the ancient masters, while the treatise title 「幻人無作」 tr. "the illusory person makes nothing" stood apart; here, by contrast, 「摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva" is the common name across many lines, while the title of the sūtra explained, 「金剛品」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra", is the minority. First, the treatise title in this treatise reads 「摩訶薩品第十三」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva, the Thirteenth"〔T25 0382b08〕. Second, the sūtra explained, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra translated by Kumārajīva of the Later Qin, titles the same position 「金剛品第十三」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra, the Thirteenth"〔T08 0243b09〕; below its chapter-title line CBETA embeds a collation note indicating that the Khitan edition (a variant text of the Liao Khitan canon lineage on which the Korean canon relied) reads this chapter as 「摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva" (this note belongs to the marking of variant readings among the witnesses; see Section VIII). Thus within the transmission of T223 itself, the line of the Taishō base text reads 「金剛品」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra", while the Khitan line agrees with this treatise in reading 「摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva". Third, the other three Chinese translations of this sūtra all read 「摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva" for the chapter name: the Emission of Light Prajñāpāramitā translated by Wuluocha reads 「摩訶薩品第十五」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva, the Fifteenth"〔T08n0221 0019c01〕; the Praise of Light Prajñāpāramitā translated by Dharmarakṣa reads 「摩訶薩品第十一」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva, the Eleventh"〔T08n0222 0178a15〕; and the first assembly of Xuanzang's translation of the Great Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra reads 「摩訶薩品第十三之一」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva, the Thirteenth, Part One"〔T05n0220a 0263a14〕. Thus 「摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva" is the common name shared by this treatise, the Khitan variant, and the three parallel Chinese translations consulted, while 「金剛品」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra" is a separate title found only in the line of the T223 Taishō base text. The reason this separate title was established is precisely that the sūtra and treatise of this chapter expound the simile of the vajra at length (the vajra mountain, the vajra ground, the vajra samādhi, "like the vajra jewel"; see Section III), and so Kumārajīva titled the chapter after its simile. The ancient master Jizang, in the table of contents of his Commentary on the Larger Sūtra, sets the two titles directly side by side, 「金剛品第十三 亦名摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra, the Thirteenth; also called the Chapter on the Mahāsattva"〔X24n0451 0242a03〕; the two names coexist and corroborate both the chapter title of T223 and the Khitan note. This is recorded without judgement. In this section and in the reader's main text below, the chapter continues to be called "Mahāsattva", following this treatise's title.
This chapter follows Chapter 12, "The Meaning of the Phrase" (which lies at the end of Fascicle 44). Chapter 13, "Mahāsattva", separately opens Fascicle 45 and is its first chapter; hence after the chapter title there are in addition the two authorship and translation colophons 「龍樹菩薩造」 tr. "composed by the Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna"〔T25 0382b11〕 and 「後秦龜茲國三藏鳩摩羅什譯」 tr. "translated by Kumārajīva, Tripiṭaka master of the kingdom of Kucha, Later Qin"〔T25 0382b12〕. This is a structural difference from the preceding "The Meaning of the Phrase" (which lies in the middle part of Fascicle 44 and has no colophons), and its form is the same as that of "The Illusory Person Makes Nothing" (at the head of Fascicle 44, with colophons). The whole of this chapter falls within Fascicle 45, beginning at the chapter title〔T25 0382b08〕. Fascicle 45 does not close at the end of this chapter; Chapter 14, "Cutting Off Views", continues below it. This chapter therefore has no fascicle-end title, and the end point of its range is taken at the opening title of the next chapter, Chapter 14, "Cutting Off Views"〔T25 0384b10〕, not inclusive.
In this chapter both sūtra and treatise are of middling size within a single fascicle, yet its architecture is the simplest of any chapter in this series: only one large block of Sūtra and one large block of Treatise follow each other, with no alternation back and forth between sūtra and treatise (unlike the three Sūtra and three Treatise sections of the preceding "The Illusory Person Makes Nothing", or the two Sūtra and two Treatise sections of "The Meaning of the Phrase"). In the Sūtra (beginning at〔T25 0382b13〕), Subhūti asks, 「世尊！何以故名為摩訶薩？」 tr. "World-Honored One! For what reason is one called a mahāsattva?"〔T25 0382b13〕, and the Buddha answers in general, 「是菩薩於畢定眾中為上首，是故名為摩訶薩」 tr. "this bodhisattva is the foremost in the assembly of the assured; for this reason he is called a mahāsattva"〔T25 0382b14〕. He goes on to list the nine positions of the assembly of the assured, 「畢定眾者，性地人、八人、須陀洹、斯陀含、阿那含、阿羅漢、辟支佛，初發心菩薩，乃至阿鞞跋致地菩薩」 tr. "the assembly of the assured is: the person at the stage of nature, the person of the eight, the srota-āpanna, the sakṛdāgāmin, the anāgāmin, the arhat, the pratyekabuddha, the bodhisattva of the first arousing of the mind, up to the bodhisattva of the stage of avaivartika"〔T25 0382b17〕, and then in eight sections reveals the minds a bodhisattva gives rise to (giving rise to a great mind indestructible like the vajra, the mind of great gladness, the unmoving mind, the mind of benefit and ease, the mind desiring the Dharma, rejoicing in the Dharma, and delighting in the Dharma, dwelling in the eighteen emptinesses, dwelling in the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, and dwelling in the vajra-like samādhi), closing with 「住是諸法中，能為畢定眾作上首。以是因緣故，名為摩訶薩」 tr. "dwelling in these dharmas, he can be foremost for the assembly of the assured. For this reason he is called a mahāsattva"〔T25 0383a19〕. The Treatise (beginning at〔T25 0383a21〕) first glosses the literal sense of 「摩訶薩」 tr. "mahāsattva" (mahā is in the language of Qin "great"; sattva is in the language of Qin "mind" or "being"); it then explains one by one the nine positions of the assembly of the assured (the great assembly, the person at the stage of nature, the person of the eight, the four fruits and the pratyekabuddha, the bodhisattva of the first arousing of intent, the avaivartika); it goes on to explain at length the vajra mind (the simile of the vajra mountain, receiving suffering on behalf of beings, the simile of the vajra ground), the mind of great gladness (the simile of the horse), the unmoving mind (the simile of the tree), the mind of benefit and ease, delight in the Dharma, the eighteen emptinesses, and the vajra samādhi; and at the end it returns to 「若能為大者作上首，何況小者！是故名為『摩訶薩』」 tr. "if he can be foremost for the great, how much more for the small! For this reason he is called a ‘mahāsattva’"〔T25 0384b08〕. The range of the whole chapter's sūtra text 〔that is, the whole extent of T223's "Chapter on the Vajra"〕 and the range of the treatise's explanation join end to end, and the one large block of treatise-explanation falls entirely outside the chapter boundary of T223 (see Section IV).
II. Terms Examined
Mahāsattva (the name that is the lifeline of the chapter). It is what the chapter's name rests on. The sūtra opens with Subhūti's question, 「世尊！何以故名為摩訶薩？」 tr. "World-Honored One! For what reason is one called a mahāsattva?"〔T25 0382b13〕, and the Buddha answers it in general, 「是菩薩於畢定眾中為上首，是故名為摩訶薩」 tr. "this bodhisattva is the foremost in the assembly of the assured; for this reason he is called a mahāsattva"〔T25 0382b14〕. The treatise explains the etymology of the name 「摩訶薩」 tr. "mahāsattva" (mahāsattva), first glossing the two words separately: 「『摩訶』者，秦言大；『薩埵』，秦言心，或言眾生」 tr. "‘mahā’ is in the language of Qin ‘great’; ‘sattva’ is in the language of Qin ‘mind’, or it is said ‘being’"〔T25 0383a22〕—「摩訶」 tr. "mahā" is translated "great", and 「薩埵」 tr. "sattva" is translated "mind" or translated "being". Thus a 「摩訶薩」 tr. "mahāsattva" is a sentient one of great mind, the great one among all beings. The treatise further makes clear, by mutual glossing, how this name completes the name 「菩薩」 tr. "bodhisattva", saying 「菩薩故名摩訶薩，摩訶薩故名菩薩，以發心為無上道故」 tr. "because he is a bodhisattva he is called a mahāsattva; because he is a mahāsattva he is called a bodhisattva; because he arouses the mind for the unsurpassed path"〔T25 0383a25〕—the two names include each other, and their common ground lies in arousing the mind to seek the unsurpassed path. In Treatise ① of the preceding chapter, "The Meaning of the Phrase", 「菩薩」 tr. "bodhisattva" was glossed as 「菩提薩埵」 tr. "bodhi-sattva" (bodhi, unsurpassed wisdom; sattva, the great mind); this chapter takes that up and separately glosses 「摩訶薩」 tr. "mahāsattva" as the compound of mahā (great) and sattva (mind). The literal glosses of the two chapters form one continuous line.
Great (first and highest · the great mind · the great sentient one). As for 「摩訶薩」 tr. "mahāsattva", for its 「大」 tr. "great" the treatise gives two senses. The first concerns his position among beings: 「是眾生於世間諸眾生中第一最上，故名為大」 tr. "this being is first and highest among all beings in the world; therefore he is called great"〔T25 0383a23〕. The second concerns the measure of his mind: 「又以大心知一切法，欲度一切眾生，是名為大」 tr. "further, with a great mind he knows all dharmas and wishes to liberate all beings; this is called great"〔T25 0383a24〕. The former sense makes clear that he is the foremost; the latter makes clear that he arouses the great mind in order to know all dharmas and liberate all beings. The treatise further uses the three groups of beings to mark the reason for his position, saying 「佛此中自說摩訶薩義，眾生有三分：一者、正定，必入涅槃；二者、邪定，必入惡道；三者、不定」 tr. "here the Buddha himself explains the meaning of mahāsattva: beings are of three divisions: first, the rightly assured, who will certainly enter nirvāṇa; second, the wrongly assured, who will certainly enter the evil paths; third, the unassured"〔T25 0383a28〕, and 「於正定眾生中當最大，故名摩訶薩」 tr. "among the rightly assured beings he is to be the greatest; therefore he is called a mahāsattva"〔T25 0383b01〕—the greatest among the beings of the rightly assured group is the mahāsattva. This division into three groups tallies exactly with the ancient master Jizang's 「四人釋摩訶薩」 tr. "four persons explain mahāsattva", in which 「第一佛為畢定首故為摩訶薩」 tr. "first, the Buddha explains: because he is the head of the assured, he is a mahāsattva" (see Section VI).
The assembly of the assured (the assembly over which the foremost presides). The mahāsattva is foremost, and that of which he is foremost is the 「畢定眾」 tr. "assembly of the assured". The sūtra lists its nine positions: 「畢定眾者，性地人、八人、須陀洹、斯陀含、阿那含、阿羅漢、辟支佛，初發心菩薩，乃至阿鞞跋致地菩薩」 tr. "the assembly of the assured is: the person at the stage of nature, the person of the eight, the srota-āpanna, the sakṛdāgāmin, the anāgāmin, the arhat, the pratyekabuddha, the bodhisattva of the first arousing of the mind, up to the bodhisattva of the stage of avaivartika"〔T25 0382b17〕—from the person at the stage of nature, the person of the eight who sees the truths, the four fruits of the śramaṇa, and the pratyekabuddha, to the bodhisattvas from the first arousing of the mind up to the non-retrogressing stage, all are those settled to enter the noble positions without fail. The treatise explains the 「畢定眾」 tr. "assembly of the assured" in sum as 「大眾者，除佛，餘一切賢聖」 tr. "the great assembly is all the worthies and noble ones apart from the Buddha"〔T25 0383b01〕—apart from the Buddha, all worthies and noble ones are included in it. 「畢定」 tr. "certain" means being decided to enter the noble path without fail; in the sūtra explained, T223, this term reads 「必定」 tr. "necessarily certain" (see Section IV), and the meaning is the same.
The person of the eight (the path of seeing the truths · the fifteen minds). One of the nine positions of the assembly of the assured, and the one the treatise explains in most detail. The treatise marks its meaning, saying 「『八人』，名見諦道，十五心中行」 tr. "‘the person of the eight’ is the name for the path of seeing the truths; he practises within the fifteen minds"〔T25 0383b05〕—the 「八人」 tr. "person of the eight" is the person in the position of the path of seeing, practising within the fifteen minds. The treatise further sets up a question and answer to make clear how he gets the name, saying 「是十五心中，何以名為『八人』？答曰：思惟道中用智多，見諦道中多用見忍」 tr. "within these fifteen minds, why is he named ‘the person of the eight’? Answer: in the path of contemplation knowledge is used much; in the path of seeing the truths the acceptance of seeing is used much"〔T25 0383b06〕, and again 「忍、智二事：能斷、能證；八忍中住，故名為『八人』」 tr. "acceptance and knowledge are two things: they can cut off and can realise; because he dwells within the eight acceptances, he is named ‘the person of the eight’"〔T25 0383b08〕—among the fifteen minds of the path of seeing, the eight acceptances are primary (knowledge follows acceptance, because the work of acceptance is great), and because he dwells within the eight acceptances he is named the 「八人」 tr. "person of the eight".
III. Similes and Stories
The Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa is renowned for its similes, and in this chapter above all 「金剛」 tr. "the vajra" is the axis of similes for the whole chapter—the simile of 「金剛」 tr. "the vajra" comes in three layers (the vajra mountain, the vajra ground, the vajra samādhi), and the sūtra explained, T223, titles this chapter directly after this simile as "Chapter on the Vajra" (see Section I). The treatise's explanation further uses the horse as a simile for great keenness, the tree for what can still be moved, the small child for the stage of nature, and the crown prince of a wheel-turning sage king for the first arousing of intent, making their meanings clear; all of these belong to the one large block of the Treatise and are the teaching lifeline of the chapter's doctrine.
Of the simile of the vajra, the first layer is the simile of the vajra mountain, making clear that the bodhisattva's mind is not moved by fetters and afflictions. The treatise says 「『金剛心』者，一切結使煩惱所不能動，譬如金剛山，不為風所傾搖」 tr. "the ‘vajra mind’ is one that no fetters or afflictions can move, just as a vajra mountain is not tilted or shaken by the wind"〔T25 0383b26〕—as the vajra mountain is not shaken by the wind, so the bodhisattva's mind is not moved by any fetters or afflictions. The treatise further sets out the marks of this unmovedness, saying 「諸惡眾生、魔人來，不隨意行，不信受其語」 tr. "when evil beings and Māra's people come, he does not act according to their will and does not believe or accept their words"〔T25 0383b27〕, down to 「有來乞索頭、目、髓、腦、手、足、皮、肉，盡能與之」 tr. "when some come begging for head, eyes, marrow, brain, hands, feet, skin, and flesh, he can give them all"〔T25 0383b29〕, while his mind endures unmoved; and it closes with the simile, saying 「譬如牢固金剛山，人來斸鑿毀壞，諸蟲來齧，無所虧損」 tr. "just as a firm vajra mountain, though people come to dig, chisel, and damage it and insects come to gnaw it, suffers no loss"〔T25 0383c02〕—as the firm vajra mountain, left to people's digging and chiselling and to the gnawing of insects, suffers no loss, so the bodhisattva's mind does not change even when he meets with angry abuse and blows and with begging for parts of his body. From this simile the treatise further draws the ten matters of the 「金剛心相」 tr. "marks of the vajra mind", saying 「佛自說『金剛心相』，所謂菩薩應作是念」 tr. "the Buddha himself explains the ‘marks of the vajra mind’: namely, the bodhisattva should think thus"〔T25 0383c04〕, and it reveals them item by item (the adornment of the great vow, giving up all that is inner and outer, an even mind without hatred or love, liberation by the three vehicles, in reality no one liberated, knowing that dharmas neither arise nor cease, purely practising the six perfections, penetrating the mundane and supramundane, understanding the gate of the knowledge of the single mark, knowing the gate of immeasurable marks). At the end it uses a simile to make clear that this mind can crush delusion, saying 「滅諸煩惱及其果報，及諸障礙之事皆令敗壞，如金剛寶能摧破諸山」 tr. "it extinguishes the afflictions and their fruits of recompense, and brings all obstructing matters to ruin, as the vajra jewel can crush and break the mountains"〔T25 0383c27〕—as the vajra jewel can crush the mountains, so this mind can crush and break afflictions and obstructions.
Of the simile of the vajra, the second layer is the simile of the vajra ground, making clear that the bodhisattva receives suffering on behalf of beings and, dwelling long in birth and death, his mind is firm. The treatise says 「復次，『心如金剛』者，墮三惡道所有眾生，我當代受勤苦」 tr. "furthermore, ‘the mind like the vajra’: for all the beings who have fallen into the three evil paths, I shall receive their toil and suffering in their place"〔T25 0384a03〕—the bodhisattva is not only unmoved by outer conditions but actively receives suffering on behalf of all beings fallen into the three evil paths, liberating all beings in turn until none is left, and only then himself realising the path of the Buddha. The treatise gathers this meaning into the simile of the vajra ground, saying 「如金剛地能持三千大千世界令不動搖，是心堅牢故，名為『如金剛』」 tr. "as the vajra ground can uphold the three-thousand great-thousand world and keep it from shaking, because this mind is firm it is called ‘like the vajra’"〔T25 0384a11〕—as the vajra ground can bear and uphold the three-thousand great-thousand world without shaking, so the bodhisattva's mind that receives suffering in others' place and liberates beings is firm and unmoving. Of the simile of the vajra, the third layer is the vajra samādhi, spoken with regard to the power of concentration. The treatise says 「復次，菩薩入金剛三昧等心，受快樂，厭於世樂」 tr. "furthermore, the bodhisattva enters the vajra samādhi and similar minds, receives happiness, and wearies of worldly pleasure"〔T25 0384b06〕—entering the vajra samādhi and similar minds, he receives the joy of the Dharma and wearies of and leaves worldly pleasure, and by the power of concentration he is foremost in the great noble assembly. Thus the one simile of the vajra unfolds in this chapter in three layers—from unmovedness (the vajra mountain), through firmly upholding the world (the vajra ground), to the power of concentration (the vajra samādhi)—running through the whole chapter.
The treatise further sets up three similes to explain separately the rank order of the assembly of the assured and the bodhisattva's minds. First, the simile of the small child explains that the 「性地人」 tr. "person at the stage of nature", though small, will certainly come to completion, saying 「如小兒在貴家生，雖小未有所能，後必望成大事」 tr. "like a small child born into a noble house: though small and not yet capable of anything, later he is certainly expected to accomplish great things"〔T25 0383b03〕—as a small child born into a noble house, though young and not yet capable of anything, will later certainly accomplish great things, so the person at the stage of nature, though in the ordinary position, will certainly head toward the noble path. Second, the simile of the crown prince of a wheel-turning sage king explains that the bodhisattva of the first arousing of intent, though among afflictions, is noble in mind, saying 「如轉輪聖王太子初受胎時，勝於諸子」 tr. "like the crown prince of a wheel-turning sage king: at the time he is first conceived, he surpasses the other sons"〔T25 0383b18〕—as the crown prince of a wheel-turning king already surpasses the other sons and is revered by gods and humans from the time he is first conceived, so the bodhisattva of the first arousing of intent, though among the fetters, is noble in mind and surpasses the gods, those with supernormal powers, and the noble ones. Third, the similes of the horse and of the tree distinguish the difference between the two, the 「大快心」 tr. "mind of great gladness" and the 「不動心」 tr. "unmoving mind". Explaining the mind of great gladness, the treatise says 「『大快心』者，雖有牢固心，未是大快；如馬雖有大力，而未大快」 tr. "as for the ‘mind of great gladness’: though one has a firm mind, it is not yet greatly glad; just as a horse, though it has great strength, is not yet greatly glad"〔T25 0384a12〕—as a horse, though it has great strength, is not necessarily greatly glad, so a firm mind is not thereby a mind of great gladness. The treatise further sets up the simile of the tree to make clear why an unmoving mind is established separately beyond firmness, saying 「或時雖復牢固，心猶有增減；如樹雖牢固，猶可動搖」 tr. "at times, though it is firm, the mind still has increase and decrease; just as a tree, though firm, can still be shaken"〔T25 0384a21〕—as a tree, though firm, can still be shaken, so a firm mind at times still has increase and decrease; therefore the unmoving mind, which constantly recollects omniscient wisdom and the path of the Buddha, must be established separately.
IV. The Sūtra Passage Explained
The Sūtra sections cited by this treatise correspond item by item with Chapter 13, "Chapter on the Vajra", of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra translated by Kumārajīva of the Later Qin〔T08 0243b09–0244a18〕. Below they are aligned word by word, to prove that what the treatise explains is indeed the sūtra text of this recension. The place where the one large block of treatise-explanation is inserted shows especially that the bones of this chapter's doctrine lie in the treatise and not in the sūtra; and since the collation of this inserted passage finds zero matches, this is one of the examples, among the collations of the sūtra explained, in which the layering of sūtra and treatise is simplest.
First group: the alternative chapter name. This treatise's 「大智度論釋摩訶薩品第十三」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on the Mahāsattva, the Thirteenth"〔T25 0382b08〕 and T223's chapter title 「金剛品第十三」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra, the Thirteenth"〔T08 0243b09〕 are wholly different in the wording of the chapter name—the treatise reads 「摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva", the sūtra reads 「金剛品」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra" (see Sections I and VIII). Below T223's chapter-title line CBETA embeds a collation note marking the Khitan line as reading 「摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva"; so within the transmission of T223 itself there is a witness that shares its name with this treatise. The full pattern of this alternative naming (this treatise, the Khitan edition, the Emission of Light, the Praise of Light, and Xuanzang's first assembly all read "Chapter on the Mahāsattva", and only the T223 Taishō line reads "Chapter on the Vajra") has been detailed in Section I, and is recorded without judgement.
Second group: variants in the style of wording of the opening question and answer. This treatise's 「爾時，須菩提白佛言：『世尊！何以故名為摩訶薩？』」 tr. "At that time Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! For what reason is one called a mahāsattva?’"〔T25 0382b13〕, with the Buddha's answer 「是菩薩於畢定眾中為上首」 tr. "this bodhisattva is the foremost in the assembly of the assured"〔T25 0382b14〕, corresponds word by word with T223's 「爾時須菩提白佛言：『世尊！何以故名為摩訶薩？』」 tr. "At that time Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! For what reason is one called a mahāsattva?’"〔T08 0243b11〕 with the Buddha's answer 「是菩薩於必定眾中為上首」 tr. "this bodhisattva is the foremost in the assembly of the necessarily assured"〔T08 0243b12〕, except that this treatise reads 「畢定眾」 tr. "assembly of the assured" where T223 reads 「必定眾」 tr. "assembly of the necessarily assured". This is a variant of wording that runs through the whole chapter (the meaning is the same: the assembly settled to enter the noble positions without fail), of the same type as the collation of the two transcriptions of dāna in the preceding "The Illusory Person Makes Nothing" and of the two names for the five aggregates in "The Meaning of the Phrase"; it is recorded without judgement.
Third group: a punctuation-layer difference in the enumeration of the assembly of the assured. This treatise's 「畢定眾者，性地人、八人、須陀洹」 tr. "the assembly of the assured is: the person at the stage of nature, the person of the eight, the srota-āpanna"〔T25 0382b17〕 corresponds word by word with T223's 「必定眾者，性地人八人，須陀洹」 tr. "the assembly of the necessarily assured is: the person at the stage of nature the person of the eight, the srota-āpanna"〔T08 0243b15〕, except for the presence or absence of the enumeration comma in 「性地人、八人」 tr. "the person at the stage of nature, the person of the eight" and the variant of ‘certain’ and ‘necessarily certain’; this belongs to the editorial layer.
Fourth group: a variant in the transcription of the Sanskrit name of the non-retrogressing stage. This treatise's 「乃至阿鞞跋致地菩薩」 tr. "up to the bodhisattva of the stage of avaivartika"〔T25 0382b19〕 against T223's 「至阿惟越致地菩薩」 tr. "up to the bodhisattva of the stage of avaivartika (in another transcription)"〔T08 0243b17〕—this treatise reads 「阿鞞跋致」 tr. "avaivartika", T223 reads 「阿惟越致」 tr. "avaivartika (in another transcription)". Two ancient transcriptions referring alike to non-retrogression (avaivartika) stand side by side between Kumārajīva's two translations; this is recorded without judgement.
Fifth group: a substantive variant reading in the number of asaṃkhyeya kalpas. This treatise's 「然後自種善根，無量百千萬億阿僧祇劫」 tr. "and afterwards he himself plants roots of goodness for immeasurable hundreds of thousands of ten-thousand koṭi of asaṃkhyeya kalpas"〔T25 0382c10〕 against T223's 「然後自種善根，無量百千億阿僧祇劫」 tr. "and afterwards he himself plants roots of goodness for immeasurable hundreds of thousands of koṭi of asaṃkhyeya kalpas"〔T08 0243c09〕—this treatise reads 「百千萬億」 tr. "hundreds of thousands of ten-thousand koṭi", T223 reads 「百千億」 tr. "hundreds of thousands of koṭi"; this treatise has one more step, 「萬」 tr. "ten thousand", than T223. This is one of the chapter's rare variants that is not purely of the punctuation layer; it is offered for the translator's reference and recorded without judgement.
Sixth group: a substantive variant reading among the five matters not arising in the mind of great gladness. This treatise's 「不生染心、瞋恚心、愚癡心，不生惱心，不生聲聞、辟支佛心」 tr. "he does not give rise to a defiled mind, a mind of anger, or a mind of folly; does not give rise to a mind of vexation; does not give rise to the mind of a śrāvaka or a pratyekabuddha"〔T25 0382c18〕 against T223's 「不生染心、瞋恚心、愚癡心，不生慢心，不生聲聞、辟支佛心」 tr. "he does not give rise to a defiled mind, a mind of anger, or a mind of folly; does not give rise to a mind of pride; does not give rise to the mind of a śrāvaka or a pratyekabuddha"〔T08 0243c17〕—in the fourth item of the enumeration of the five minds not arising, this treatise reads 「不生惱心」 tr. "does not give rise to a mind of vexation", T223 reads 「不生慢心」 tr. "does not give rise to a mind of pride". Vexation (harmful vexation) and pride (arrogant pride) differ in wording, and this is not a difference purely of the punctuation layer. In addition, at this point the Shōgozō variant of this treatise reads 「不生總心」 tr. "does not give rise to a ‘total’ mind", which together with T223's 「慢」 tr. "pride" and the Taishō's 「惱」 tr. "vexation" forms a three-way variant reading (see Section VIII); it is offered for the translator's reference and recorded without judgement.
Seventh group: the key to the collation of the sūtra explained in this chapter—the one large block of treatise has no counterpart whatever in the sūtra explained. The closing sentence of the sūtra, this treatise's 「住是諸法中，能為畢定眾作上首。以是因緣故，名為摩訶薩」 tr. "dwelling in these dharmas, he can be foremost for the assembly of the assured. For this reason he is called a mahāsattva"〔T25 0383a19〕, corresponds word by word with T223's 「能為必定眾作上首。以是因緣，故名為摩訶薩」 tr. "he can be foremost for the assembly of the necessarily assured. For this reason, he is therefore called a mahāsattva"〔T08 0244a16〕 (with the variant of ‘necessarily certain’ and ‘certain’, and the difference in comma position between 「因緣故」 tr. "for this reason" and 「因緣，故」 tr. "for this reason, therefore"). This sentence is the last content within the range of T223's "Chapter on the Vajra"; after it T223 turns with no gap directly into the next chapter, Chapter 14, "Eloquence". This treatise, however, only after this closing sentence inserts the whole Treatise section〔T25 0383a21–0384b08〕 (the gloss of mahāsattva, the item-by-item explanation of the nine positions of the assembly of the assured, the explanation of the vajra mind, the item-by-item ten matters of the marks of the vajra mind, the horse simile of the mind of great gladness, the tree simile of the unmoving mind, the mind of benefit and ease, delight in the Dharma, the eighteen emptinesses, and the vajra samādhi), and at the corresponding place T223 has not a single word. Thus this chapter's one Sūtra section joins end to end with T223 and constitutes a complete and continuous sūtra text of the "Chapter on the Vajra", whose boundary〔T08 0243b09–0244a18〕 coincides precisely with the range of this treatise's Sūtra section; the one large block of the Treatise falls entirely outside T223's chapter boundary. Three examples unique to the treatise's explanation may be cited to make this clear: the gloss on mahāsattva, 「『摩訶』者，秦言大；『薩埵』，秦言心，或言眾生」 tr. "‘mahā’ is in the language of Qin ‘great’; ‘sattva’ is in the language of Qin ‘mind’, or it is said ‘being’"〔T25 0383a22〕; the simile of the vajra mind, 「『金剛心』者，一切結使煩惱所不能動，譬如金剛山，不為風所傾搖」 tr. "the ‘vajra mind’ is one that no fetters or afflictions can move, just as a vajra mountain is not tilted or shaken by the wind"〔T25 0383b26〕; and the simile of the vajra ground, 「如金剛地能持三千大千世界令不動搖，是心堅牢故，名為『如金剛』」 tr. "as the vajra ground can uphold the three-thousand great-thousand world and keep it from shaking, because this mind is firm it is called ‘like the vajra’"〔T25 0384a11〕. In all three places T223 has no counterpart whatever in the sūtra layer. This chapter has only one inserted Treatise section, and it falls at the end of the whole chapter; it is the structurally simplest example among the collations of the sūtra explained across the chapters of this series.
V. The Prajñā Eye
The eye of this chapter lies in making clear the greatness of the mahāsattva by 「畢定眾中為上首」 tr. "being foremost in the assembly of the assured", while that greatness finally returns to nothing to be attained. The proposition of the whole chapter arises from one question of Subhūti—for what reason one is called a mahāsattva. The Buddha does not answer with worldly greatness; instead he answers with 「上首」 tr. "the foremost", saying 「是菩薩於畢定眾中為上首，是故名為摩訶薩」 tr. "this bodhisattva is the foremost in the assembly of the assured; for this reason he is called a mahāsattva"〔T25 0382b14〕. Thus the greatness of the mahāsattva is not a greatness of physical measure; it is spoken of with regard to his being the head among the assembly settled to enter the noble, his mind being great and firm, and his vows being broad and deep.
Its first sense: greatness lies in being foremost and liberating beings with the great mind. The treatise explains two senses of 「大」 tr. "great": being first and highest among all beings in the world, and further, with a great mind, knowing all dharmas and wishing to liberate all beings〔T25 0383a23〕〔T25 0383a24〕. The sūtra reveals in eight sections the minds a bodhisattva gives rise to, and its closing words repeatedly attach 「能為畢定眾作上首，是法用無所得故」 tr. "he can be foremost for the assembly of the assured, because these dharmas are used with nothing to be attained"〔T25 0383a12〕 (this phrase appears six times over within the Sūtra section)—thus the one who can be foremost does not rely on the height of his position, but practises the dharmas with a mind of nothing to be attained. The sūtra further closes the section on the mind of benefit and ease with its strongest words, saying 「是菩薩摩訶薩行般若波羅蜜，於畢定眾中最為上首」 tr. "this bodhisattva-mahāsattva, practising prajñāpāramitā, is the very foremost in the assembly of the assured"〔T25 0383a03〕.
Its second sense: greatness lies in the mind being indestructible like the vajra, yet the firmness of the vajra still returns to emptiness. The sūtra uses 「生大心不可壞如金剛」 tr. "giving rise to a great mind indestructible like the vajra"〔T25 0382c03〕 to sum up the vows of the ten matters (the adornment of the great vow up to penetrating the gate of the knowledge of immeasurable marks), and the treatise uses the two similes of the vajra mountain and the vajra ground to set out its unmovedness and firmness (Section III). Yet this firm mind may not rely on itself as firm, and the treatise at once screens it off with emptiness, saying 「『不可得空』者，若菩薩生如是大心如金剛而生憍慢者，罪過凡夫」 tr. "‘the emptiness of the unfindable’: if a bodhisattva gives rise to such a great mind like the vajra and gives rise to arrogance, his fault exceeds that of an ordinary person"〔T25 0384a01〕, and further sets out the reason, saying 「以是故說『用無所得』，諸法無定相，如幻如化」 tr. "for this reason it says ‘used with nothing to be attained’: dharmas have no fixed mark; they are like an illusion, like a conjuration"〔T25 0384a02〕—if with a great mind like the vajra one gives rise to arrogance, then one's fault exceeds that of an ordinary person; therefore the firmness of the vajra is established precisely on nothing to be attained and on dharmas being like an illusion, like a conjuration, and there is no separately existing, really firm mind that can be clung to.
Its third sense: to be great without clinging to one's greatness is the eye of prajñā. This chapter expounds at length the greatness of the mahāsattva—great position (the foremost), great mind (vajra and indestructible), great vow (receiving suffering on behalf of beings), great compassion (liberating beings with an even mind)—yet what it returns to lies only in nothing to be attained. At the end the treatise gathers the whole chapter into one sentence, saying 「若能為大者作上首，何況小者！是故名為『摩訶薩』」 tr. "if he can be foremost for the great, how much more for the small! For this reason he is called a ‘mahāsattva’"〔T25 0384b08〕—since he can be foremost for the great (the highest ones in the assembly of the assured), then for the small it need not even be said; this is why he is called a mahāsattva. Thus this chapter, from establishing the meaning of mahāsattva by 「上首」 tr. "the foremost", revealing the firmness of the great mind by the vajra, and making clear the supremacy of his position by the three groups, down to screening off arrogance by 「用無所得」 tr. "used with nothing to be attained", runs down in one line, and what it returns to lies only in the prajñā eye of practising the great vow, great compassion, and great aspiration with a mind of nothing to be attained—a mind firm as the vajra that does not cling to its firmness.
VI. Divergent Readings of the Masters
Of the ancient masters who cite or explain this chapter, this section records what they comment on and cite and how it corresponds to this chapter, without judging the interpretations of each school. The network of ancient masters for this chapter: Jizang's Commentary on the Larger Sūtra comments directly line by line and gives the richest support (including the double chapter title, the four persons explaining mahāsattva, and the outline of the eight minds); the surviving fragmentary fascicles of Huiying's Commentary only mention this chapter prospectively within the commentary on the preceding chapter, and the line-by-line commentary on this chapter itself is missing; Junzheng's Profound Meaning of the Four Mahāyāna Treatises has two apparent matches, both of which on checking are pitfalls of an identical name and not citations of this chapter; and in Zhiyi's works no citation was found. A separate distinction of identical chapter names is appended in the last paragraph.
Jizang's Commentary on the Larger Sūtra (X24n0451) explains the sūtra passage directly, and its table of contents sets the two titles directly side by side, saying 「金剛品第十三 亦名摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra, the Thirteenth; also called the Chapter on the Mahāsattva"〔X24n0451 0242a03〕—the two names coexist, corroborating both the chapter-title line of the sūtra explained, T223, and the Khitan note (Section I; Section IV, first group). He places the chapter in the arc in two ways. First, by four speakers of the teaching he judges the four chapters from this chapter on, saying 「亦言摩訶薩品，此下第二四品釋摩訶薩義，隨人為論」 tr. "it is also called the Chapter on the Mahāsattva; from here on, the second part, four chapters, explains the meaning of mahāsattva, discussing it according to persons"〔X24n0451 0242a04〕, and then lists the four, saying 「四人釋摩訶薩即四：第一佛為畢定首故為摩訶薩」 tr. "the four persons explaining mahāsattva are then four: first, the Buddha explains: because he is the head of the assured, he is a mahāsattva"〔X24n0451 0242a05〕—from this chapter on, four chapters in which the four, the Buddha, Śāriputra, Subhūti, and Pūrṇa, in turn make clear the meaning of 「摩訶薩」 tr. "mahāsattva". Of these, 「第一佛為畢定首故為摩訶薩」 tr. "first, the Buddha explains: because he is the head of the assured, he is a mahāsattva" corresponds directly to this chapter's content (the Buddha answers that because one is foremost in the assembly of the assured one is called a mahāsattva), and it echoes point for point the treatise's own discrimination of the three groups of beings, 「於正定眾生中當最大，故名摩訶薩」 tr. "among the rightly assured beings he is to be the greatest; therefore he is called a mahāsattva"〔T25 0383b01〕—the ancient master's independent framework and the treatise's own doctrine corroborate each other. Second, by the intent of the meaning he judges what this chapter praises to be threefold, saying 「若遂義意分為三：第一歎其志大智深為摩訶薩」 tr. "if it is divided according to the intent of the meaning, there are three: first, it praises him as a mahāsattva because his aspiration is great and his wisdom deep"〔X24n0451 0242a14〕 (praising his aspiration as great and wisdom deep, leaving no fault unabandoned, and leaving no sphere uncultivated). He further outlines the eight sections of this chapter's sūtra text by 「八心」 tr. "eight minds", first giving a general heading, saying 「初、以八心釋摩訶薩，從初心堅固作，名之金剛也」 tr. "first, mahāsattva is explained by eight minds; because the first mind is made firm, it is named vajra"〔X24n0451 0242a17〕, and then listing them item by item, saying 「舉八心：一金剛心，二大快心，三不動心，四利益安樂心，五憙法欲法樂法，六十八空心，七住諸行心，八三住諸三昧心」 tr. "he raises eight minds: first, the vajra mind; second, the mind of great gladness; third, the unmoving mind; fourth, the mind of benefit and ease; fifth, rejoicing in the Dharma, desiring the Dharma, delighting in the Dharma; sixth, the mind of the eighteen emptinesses; seventh, the mind dwelling in the practices; eighth, 〔three〕 the mind dwelling in the samādhi"〔X24n0451 0242b14〕—these 「八心」 tr. "eight minds" of Jizang agree one by one in number and order with the eight sections of revelation in this chapter's Sūtra section (giving rise to a great mind indestructible like the vajra, the mind of great gladness, the unmoving mind, the mind of benefit and ease, the mind desiring the Dharma, rejoicing in the Dharma, and delighting in the Dharma, dwelling in the eighteen emptinesses, dwelling in the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, and dwelling in the vajra-like samādhi; Section I). Where he discusses the eighteen emptinesses, Jizang further himself ties them to this chapter, saying 「金剛品空十八法名十八空」 tr. "in the Chapter on the Vajra, the emptiness of eighteen dharmas is called the eighteen emptinesses"〔X24n0451 0247a04〕—making clear that the eighteen emptinesses he discusses are tied to both the sūtra and treatise layers of this chapter (the Chapter on the Vajra), corresponding to this chapter's 「住內空乃至無法有法空」 tr. "dwelling in inner emptiness up to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas"〔T25 0383a11〕 and to the treatise's explanation 「菩薩住是十八空中，不隨十八意行故，不起罪業」 tr. "because the bodhisattva dwells in these eighteen emptinesses and does not follow the eighteen movements of mind, he does not produce deeds of offence"〔T25 0384b03〕.
The surviving fragmentary fascicles of Huiying's Commentary (X46n0791) retain only a prospective mention of this chapter; his line-by-line commentary on this chapter itself does not survive. Within his line-by-line commentary on the preceding chapter, "The Meaning of the Phrase", Huiying divides the large sections, saying 「就此分中復有二分，此初一品明菩薩義，次摩訶薩品明摩訶薩義」 tr. "within this division there are again two divisions: this first chapter makes clear the meaning of bodhisattva; next, the Chapter on the Mahāsattva makes clear the meaning of mahāsattva"〔X46n0791 0872c06〕—this is only Huiying's forward-looking announcement, within his commentary on "The Meaning of the Phrase", that this chapter (the Chapter on the Mahāsattva) will make clear the 「摩訶薩義」 tr. "meaning of mahāsattva"; it is not his line-by-line explanation of this chapter. Huiying's commentary originally had twenty-four fascicles; in the surviving fragmentary fascicles the general outline of this passage comes to a close at "The Meaning of the Phrase", and the detailed sections preserved after it skip over this chapter and the chapters following. Thus the line-by-line commentary on this chapter is lacking in these fragmentary fascicles; this is recorded as it is, and it is not presumed to survive.
For Junzheng's book, the Profound Meaning of the Four Mahāyāna Treatises (X46n0784), this section searched throughout with the terms 「摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva", 「金剛品」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra", 「畢定眾」 tr. "assembly of the assured", and 「大快心」 tr. "mind of great gladness", and obtained two apparent matches; but on checking their content and source word by word, neither is a citation of this chapter. They are recorded here to prevent confusion. First, Junzheng cites 「大品經金剛品云決了義」 tr. "the Chapter on the Vajra of the Larger Sūtra speaks of the meaning of decisive understanding"〔X46n0784 0624b18〕; but the term 「決了義」 tr. "the meaning of decisive understanding" actually appears in the Larger Sūtra in the chapter "Great Illumination" (corresponding to this treatise's "Weighing the Jewelled Stūpa", Fascicle 57), not in this chapter, the "Chapter on the Vajra" (Fascicle 45); and Junzheng's own attribution to 「大論二十三卷」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Fascicle Twenty-three" also does not agree with the fascicle where it actually lies. Thus although Junzheng here uses the name 「金剛品」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra", the sūtra text he refers to is actually not within the range of this chapter; it is probably a misplacement in recitation from memory, or the chapter divisions of the text he relied on differed, and it is not a citation of this chapter. Second, Junzheng cites 「莊嚴品云：畢定眾中干慧地」 tr. "the Chapter on Adornment says: within the assembly of the assured, the stage of dry wisdom"〔X46n0784 0564c21〕; but he explicitly marks what he cites as the 「莊嚴品」 tr. "Chapter on Adornment" and not the 「金剛品」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra", and his passage discusses the stage of dry wisdom among the ten stages, a theme wholly different from this chapter's nine positions of the assembly of the assured (which have nothing to do with the ten stages). Thus the term 「畢定眾」 tr. "assembly of the assured" is a common expression of the Larger Sūtra for discussing the sequence of noble positions, not unique to this chapter, and Junzheng here is likewise not citing this chapter. Both places are pitfalls of an identical name or identical term, not direct citations of this chapter by Junzheng.
Further, for the alternative names of this chapter there are many cases of an identical name that do not cite this chapter; they are recorded here to prevent confusion. First, the name 「金剛品」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra" has separate, independent matches of the same name elsewhere in the whole canon—in the catalogue of the Korean canon, in the Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish, and in chapters of other sūtras—none of which has anything to do with this chapter's content. Second, the three characters 「畢定眾」 tr. "assembly of the assured" are used independently in the commentaries on the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (such as the Private Notes on the Commentary on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra and the Newly Carved Assembled Commentaries on the Nirvāṇa Sūtra); it is a common expression for discussing the sequence of noble positions and does not cite this chapter. Third, 「摩訶秦言大」 tr. "mahā is in the language of Qin ‘great’" is the standard Sanskrit–Chinese equivalence formula used in Chinese literature in discussing the word 「摩訶」 tr. "mahā", widely seen in many texts; only this treatise's extension, 「薩埵秦言心或言眾生」 tr. "sattva is in the language of Qin ‘mind’, or it is said ‘being’", is unique to this chapter. Fourth, Zhiyi's works (the Great Calming and Contemplation, the Profound Meaning of the Lotus, the Profound Commentary on the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, and others) were searched throughout with this chapter's name and with key terms unique to this chapter (assembly of the assured, indestructible like the vajra, mind of great gladness, mind of benefit and ease), and no citation was found. This is recorded as none, without fabrication.
VII. Cross-reading and Further Resonances
The bones of this chapter are three, and all are taken up by the prajñā line and by later commentaries.
First, the taking-up of the pattern of alternative chapter names. This chapter's two names, 「摩訶薩品／金剛品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva / Chapter on the Vajra", coexist. The ancient master Jizang, in his Commentary on the Larger Sūtra, sets the two titles side by side, 「金剛品第十三 亦名摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra, the Thirteenth; also called the Chapter on the Mahāsattva"〔X24n0451 0242a03〕, precisely taking up the full pattern in which this treatise, the Khitan variant, and the Emission of Light, the Praise of Light, and Xuanzang's first assembly all read 「摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva", while the T223 Taishō line has the separate title 「金剛品」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra". The reason this separate title was established is that the sūtra and treatise of this chapter expound the simile of the vajra at length, and Jizang too ties it to this, saying 「從初心堅固作，名之金剛也」 tr. "because the first mind is made firm, it is named vajra"〔X24n0451 0242a17〕—because the first of the eight minds (the vajra mind) is firm, the sūtra's compilers titled it the Chapter on the Vajra. This section records the taking-up without deciding the reading on anyone's behalf; the sources cited are all given word for word in Section VI.
Second, the taking-up of the four persons explaining mahāsattva and the outline of the eight minds. The treatise's explanation of this chapter itself sets up the discrimination of the three groups of beings (「於正定眾生中當最大，故名摩訶薩」 tr. "among the rightly assured beings he is to be the greatest; therefore he is called a mahāsattva"〔T25 0383b01〕). The ancient master Jizang takes this up and establishes the 「四人釋摩訶薩」 tr. "four persons explain mahāsattva", judging that the four chapters from this one on each make clear the meaning of mahāsattva through one speaker of the teaching; his 「第一佛為畢定首故為摩訶薩」 tr. "first, the Buddha explains: because he is the head of the assured, he is a mahāsattva"〔X24n0451 0242a05〕 corresponds precisely to this chapter. He further outlines the eight sections of this chapter's sūtra text by the 「八心」 tr. "eight minds"〔X24n0451 0242b14〕, whose number and order agree one by one with this treatise's Sūtra section (Section VI). Thus the doctrinal framework of this chapter's 「畢定首」 tr. "head of the assured" and 「八心」 tr. "eight minds" is taken up and judged by the ancient master within an independent framework. This section records the taking-up without deciding the reading on anyone's behalf.
Third, the taking-up of the vajra simile and of the eighteen emptinesses. This chapter's threefold vajra simile (the vajra mountain, the vajra ground, the vajra samādhi) and the meaning of the eighteen emptinesses are both tied to it by the ancient masters. Jizang explains the naming of this chapter by the firmness of the vajra mind (Section VI; first taking-up), and further himself ties the eighteen emptinesses to this chapter, saying 「金剛品空十八法名十八空」 tr. "in the Chapter on the Vajra, the emptiness of eighteen dharmas is called the eighteen emptinesses"〔X24n0451 0247a04〕, making clear that the eighteen emptinesses he discusses are tied to both the sūtra and treatise layers of this chapter (this chapter's sūtra, 「住內空乃至無法有法空」 tr. "dwelling in inner emptiness up to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas"〔T25 0383a11〕, and the treatise's explanation, 「菩薩住是十八空中，不隨十八意行故，不起罪業」 tr. "because the bodhisattva dwells in these eighteen emptinesses and does not follow the eighteen movements of mind, he does not produce deeds of offence"〔T25 0384b03〕). This section records the taking-up without deciding the reading on anyone's behalf; the sources cited are all given word for word in Section VI.
As for the sequence of this treatise, this chapter has an explicit internal cross-reading, tied by the treatise-author himself and not a later attachment. At the opening of the one large block of treatise, the treatise ties itself to the preceding chapter, saying 「須菩提已從佛聞『菩薩』義，今問『摩訶薩』義」 tr. "Subhūti has already heard from the Buddha the meaning of ‘bodhisattva’; now he asks the meaning of ‘mahāsattva’"〔T25 0383a21〕—the meaning of 「菩薩」 tr. "bodhisattva" is the literal sense of 「菩提薩埵」 tr. "bodhi-sattva" glossed by the treatise-author in the preceding chapter, "The Meaning of the Phrase" (this project's reader unit treatise/12_ju_yi/), and this chapter takes it up and asks separately the meaning of 「摩訶薩」 tr. "mahāsattva". This further resonance lies in the joining of the vein of meaning (turning from asking about 「菩薩句義」 tr. "the meaning of the phrase ‘bodhisattva’" to asking about 「摩訶薩義」 tr. "the meaning of mahāsattva"); this section records the taking-up without deciding the reading on anyone's behalf.
VIII. Witnesses and Editions
Of this chapter's collation notes, those that may bear on the meaning of the sūtra are selected below; the readings of the variant texts are preserved side by side, while the main text continues to follow the reading of the current base text.
0382b08 (chapter title): 大智度論釋摩訶薩品第十三（卷四十五）【大】｜大智度經論卷第四十五釋第十三品說第十四品【聖】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜品第十三摩訶薩品卷四十七【石】—the chapter title in three witnesses side by side. The Taishō, Shōgozō, and Ishiyama witnesses all keep the core wording 「摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva" (differing only in the prefix of the heading phrase and in the fascicle number), forming a sharp contrast with the 「金剛品」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra" of the T223 Taishō line (see Section I; Section IV, first group). The Shōgozō uses descriptive wording to state two adjacent chapters together (「釋第十三品說第十四品」 tr. "explaining the thirteenth chapter, speaking the fourteenth chapter"), which belongs to the style of its title lines. The Ishiyama text gives the fascicle number as 「卷四十七」 tr. "Fascicle Forty-seven" (the Taishō reads 「卷四十五」 tr. "Fascicle Forty-five"; a variant in which the fascicle numbers differ by two, whose cause is not forcibly investigated; recorded without judgement). Further, the Taishō has a separate collation note on this chapter title—the Song edition reads 「第十三品釋摩訶薩」 tr. "the thirteenth chapter, explaining the mahāsattva", and the Palace edition reads 「第十三品釋金剛品」 tr. "the thirteenth chapter, explaining the Chapter on the Vajra"〔T25 0382b08 collation note〕; that is, the Palace edition of T1509 also reads 「金剛品」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra". Thus the title 「金剛品」 tr. "Chapter on the Vajra" is not unique to the T223 line: the Palace edition of T1509 and the Taishō base text of T223 each form a minority variant of it. Yet taking together all the lines—the Taishō, Shōgozō, and Ishiyama witnesses of T1509, the Khitan edition of T223, and the three translations of the Emission of Light, the Praise of Light, and Xuanzang's first assembly—「摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva" remains the current name of this stretch of content. The main text follows the base text's 「摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva".
0382c18: 惱【大】｜總【聖】—this falls on the fourth item of the five matters not arising in the mind of great gladness, 「不生〔惱〕心」 tr. "does not give rise to a mind of 〔vexation〕" (Section II; Section IV, sixth group). The base text reads 「惱」 tr. "vexation" (harmful vexation); the Shōgozō reads 「總」 tr. "total". Taken together with the sūtra explained, T223, which here reads 「慢」 tr. "pride" (arrogant pride; Section IV, sixth group), this one enumerated item differs three ways among the Taishō T1509, the Shōgozō T1509, and T223 (vexation / total / pride), forming a three-way variant reading. Further, the Taishō has a separate collation note on this character of T223—慢【大】｜惱【元】【宮】【聖】; that is, the Yuan, Palace, and Shōgozō witnesses of T223 also read 「惱」 tr. "vexation", agreeing with this treatise's base text. Thus the reading 「惱」 tr. "vexation" is found in the transmissions of both lines, the treatise and the sūtra explained. They are recorded side by side for the translator's reference, without judging which is right. The main text follows the base text's 「惱」 tr. "vexation".
0382c10: 萬【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】—in 「無量百千〔萬〕億阿僧祇劫」 tr. "immeasurable hundreds of thousands of 〔ten-thousand〕 koṭi of asaṃkhyeya kalpas" of Section IV, fifth group, the character 「萬」 tr. "ten thousand": the Taishō base text has it, while the four editions of Song, Yuan, Ming, and Palace lack it (reading 「百千億」 tr. "hundreds of thousands of koṭi"), agreeing with the 「百千億」 tr. "hundreds of thousands of koṭi" of the sūtra explained, T223〔0243c09〕. Thus most transmitted texts of this treatise here originally agree with T223, and the difference of the step 「萬」 tr. "ten thousand" is really an extra found only in the single Taishō base text, not a substantive variant between two opposed parties. They are recorded side by side without judgement.
0383a15: 用無所【大】｜眾不可【聖】—「是法〔用無所〕得故」 tr. "because these dharmas are 〔used with nothing to be〕 attained". This is the summarising phrase that runs through the Sūtra section of this chapter (「是法用無所得故」 tr. "because these dharmas are used with nothing to be attained" appears six times over within the Sūtra section); the Shōgozō variant gives this phrase as 「是法眾不可得故」 tr. "because these dharmas are all unfindable", a systematic variant in the wording of a summarising phrase within the manuscript transmission. It is recorded without judgement, for the translator's reference. The main text follows the base text's 「用無所」 tr. "used with nothing to be".
0383b14: 不破【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】—the sentence 「隨阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，〔不破〕故、不顛倒故」 tr. "following the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, because it is 〔unbroken〕, because it is not inverted". The Taishō base text has the two characters 「不破」 tr. "unbroken", while the five witnesses Song, Yuan, Ming, Palace, and Shōgozō all lack them. With five witnesses agreeing in their absence and only the Taishō alone having them, the distribution of the variant is very lopsided, and it may involve a difference in punctuating the sentence. It is recorded without judgement and left for the translator to decide, without conjectural emendation. The main text follows the base text's 「不破」 tr. "unbroken".
0383a08: 法【大】｜法信法【聖】—the sentence 「何等名欲法、喜法？信法、忍法、受法，是名欲〔法〕、喜法」 tr. "what are called desiring the Dharma and rejoicing in the Dharma? Believing the Dharma, accepting the Dharma, receiving the Dharma—these are called desiring the 〔Dharma〕 and rejoicing in the Dharma". The base text reads 「欲法、喜法」 tr. "desiring the Dharma and rejoicing in the Dharma"; the Shōgozō has, after 「法」 tr. "Dharma", the additional two characters 「信法」 tr. "believing the Dharma". This is a variant in the number of enumerated items in the defining sentence for desiring and rejoicing in the Dharma; it is recorded without judgement, for the translator's reference. The main text follows the base text's 「法」 tr. "Dharma".
The base text of this chapter is Fascicle 45 of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa〔T25 0382b08–0384b10〕. This chapter is the first chapter of Fascicle 45, and Fascicle 45 does not close at the end of this chapter (it continues into Chapter 14, "Cutting Off Views"); therefore this chapter has no fascicle-end title. The collation text for the sūtra explained is Chapter 13, "Chapter on the Vajra", of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra〔T08 0243b09–0244a18〕 (whose chapter title in the Khitan line reads 「摩訶薩品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāsattva"; see Section I); the parallel variant translations consulted are Chapter 15, "Chapter on the Mahāsattva", of the Emission of Light Prajñāpāramitā (T08n0221), Chapter 11, "Chapter on the Mahāsattva", of the Praise of Light Prajñāpāramitā (T08n0222), and Chapter 13, "Chapter on the Mahāsattva", of the first assembly of Xuanzang's Great Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (T05n0220a). The collation text for the ancient-master commentary is Jizang's Commentary on the Larger Sūtra (X24n0451, sūtra-explanation section); in addition there are Huiying's Commentary (X46n0791; the line-by-line commentary on this chapter is missing, with only a prospective mention) and Junzheng's Profound Meaning of the Four Mahāyāna Treatises (X46n0784; both appearances are pitfalls of an identical name, not citations of this chapter). Variant notes follow the Taishō collation, covering differences between the Taishō base text and the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Palace editions, the Shōgozō, and the Ishiyama-dera manuscript. The collation notes for the whole chapter number sixty-two in all, preserved in detail at the end of the working base text; this list transcribes only the principal items that bear on the wording of the chapter's core doctrine, and does not extend into judgements of the relative merit of the witnesses.