大智度論 摩訶衍品Dazhidulun — Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa · Mahāyāna
這一品，佛把「摩訶衍」——大乘——整個攤開來給你看。須菩提本該問般若，卻換了個名字，問起摩訶衍；論主替他解圍，說「般若波羅蜜、摩訶衍一義，但名字異」——般若與摩訶衍所指本是一件事，只是名字不同，六波羅蜜中般若最大，所以說摩訶衍，就已經把般若說盡了。那麼摩訶衍究竟是什麼？佛先答一句「六波羅蜜是菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍」——大乘的體，就是布施、持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定、般若這六度。論主接著點明：六波羅蜜才是摩訶衍的本體，後面所開的十八空、百八三昧，都不過是就這個體再往細裡分別它的義理罷了。於是本品的下文分兩路鋪開。一路是十八空——內空、外空乃至無法有法空，一一都說「非常非滅故，何以故，性自爾」；論主解這句收尾的用意：人若不習此空，不是落在「常」，就是落在「滅」，所以要離開這兩邊，以中道行十八空，破了「有」而又不著「空」，還要以大悲心去度眾生。這一路，是拿十八空來釋般若波羅蜜。另一路，過了卷界，便是百八三昧——首楞嚴、寶印、師子遊戲、妙月，一路數到離著虛空不染，佛先一口氣列出這一百零八個名字，再自己極簡地淺釋一遍；論主怕人不易解，又逐一重新釋其名義，「首楞嚴三昧者，秦言健相」，如大將能分別知道諸兵之力的多少深淺，寶印能印定諸三昧，師子遊戲能於諸三昧中出入自在……一一都即事立喻，是全品最見教學命脈的地方。論主自標這一路的定位：「上以十八空釋般若波羅蜜，今以百八三昧釋禪波羅蜜」——十八空配著般若度，百八三昧配著禪度。可是禪度的百八三昧，終究也不外般若：論到末後叮嚀，「是諸三昧末後，皆應言用無所得，以同般若故」——每一個三昧的收梢，都要補上「用無所得」這一句，因為它們與般若同一味。這，便是摩訶衍品要你領會的：大乘之為大，不在名相之多，而在六度、十八空、百八三昧種種善法，一一以無所得為其歸，和合而成一個大乘之體——「如是等無量無邊三昧和合，名為摩訶衍」。
In this chapter the Buddha spreads the whole of ‘Mahāyāna’, the Great Vehicle, open for you to see. Subhūti ought to have asked about prajñā, yet he changes the name and asks about Mahāyāna; the treatise-author comes to his rescue, saying 「般若波羅蜜、摩訶衍一義，但名字異」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā and Mahāyāna are one in meaning; only the names differ": what prajñā and Mahāyāna point to is from the first one thing, only the names are different, and since among the six perfections prajñā is the greatest, to speak of Mahāyāna is already to have spoken prajñā to the full. What, then, is Mahāyāna after all? The Buddha first answers in one sentence, ‘the six perfections are the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's Mahāyāna’: the body of the Great Vehicle is these six perfections, giving, morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and prajñā. The treatise-author then points out that the six perfections are the very body of Mahāyāna, and that the eighteen emptinesses and the hundred and eight samādhi opened up afterward are only a finer distinguishing of its meaning upon this body. So the rest of the chapter spreads out along two roads. One road is the eighteen emptinesses, inner emptiness, outer emptiness, up to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas, of each of which it is said ‘because it is neither permanent nor destroyed; why? because its nature is so of itself’; the treatise-author explains the purpose of this closing sentence: if a person does not practise this emptiness, he falls either into ‘permanence’ or into ‘destruction’, so one must leave these two extremes and practise the eighteen emptinesses by the middle way, breaking ‘existence’ without clinging to ‘emptiness’, and further deliver beings with a mind of great compassion. This road uses the eighteen emptinesses to explain prajñāpāramitā. The other road, past the fascicle boundary, is the hundred and eight samādhi: śūraṃgama, jewel seal, lion's play, wondrous moon, all the way down to free of attachment, undefiled as space; the Buddha first lists all one hundred and eight names in one breath, then himself explains them very briefly; the treatise-author, afraid they will not be easily understood, again explains the meaning of each name one by one, 「首楞嚴三昧者，秦言健相」 tr. "the śūraṃgama samādhi, in the language of Qin, ‘the mark of valour’", like a great general able to know and distinguish the strength of all his troops, how many and how deep; the jewel seal can seal and settle all samādhi; the lion's play can enter and leave all samādhi at will; each is a simile set up upon the thing itself, and this is where the teaching lifeline of the whole chapter shows most. The treatise-author himself marks the place of this road: 「上以十八空釋般若波羅蜜，今以百八三昧釋禪波羅蜜」 tr. "above, the eighteen emptinesses explained the perfection of prajñā; now the hundred and eight samādhi explain the perfection of meditation": the eighteen emptinesses are matched to the perfection of prajñā, the hundred and eight samādhi to the perfection of meditation. Yet the hundred and eight samādhi of the perfection of meditation are in the end not outside prajñā: at the very end the treatise gives its charge, 「是諸三昧末後，皆應言用無所得，以同般若故」 tr. "at the end of each of these samādhi one should say ‘used with nothing to be attained’, because they are the same as prajñā": the closing of every samādhi must have this sentence ‘used with nothing to be attained’ added, because they are of one taste with prajñā. This is what the Chapter on Mahāyāna wants you to grasp: the greatness of the Great Vehicle lies not in the multitude of names and marks, but in the six perfections, the eighteen emptinesses, the hundred and eight samādhi, and every kind of good dharma each taking nothing to be attained as its home, and joining together to form one body of the Great Vehicle: 「如是等無量無邊三昧和合，名為摩訶衍」 tr. "measureless, boundless samādhi such as these, joined together, are named Mahāyāna".
總說
〈摩訶衍品〉一開篇，須菩提便連發數問——何等是菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍、云何發趣大乘、是乘發於何處、至於何處、住於何處、誰乘是乘而出——而本品所答唯落在第一問：大乘之體究竟是什麼。摩訶衍即是大乘，本天竺之語；問其體，佛答「六波羅蜜是菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍」。論主開篇即拈出全品樞紐——此經名般若，佛命須菩提為菩薩說般若，何以須菩提乃問摩訶衍、佛亦答摩訶衍。其解是「般若波羅蜜、摩訶衍一義，但名字異」：六度之中般若最大，說般若則攝六度，說六度則具說菩薩道，故摩訶衍之為佛道，其體正是六波羅蜜。全品之眼即在於此——一切助道善法無不入於六度，六度又攝於般若，故問「何等是菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍」，終歸於一切善法和合皆名摩訶衍。
本品循此樞紐分兩單元開展。之上（卷46）先立六波羅蜜為摩訶衍之體——檀、尸羅、羼提、毘梨耶、禪、般若逐一釋名，皆以「應薩婆若心」而行、「用無所得故」為印；次云菩薩「復有摩訶衍」，即十八空乃至四句相空，凡二十二目，逐一問答，而以「非常非滅故」「性自爾」為其一定之收束。論主於此點明：十八空正是六度中般若波羅蜜「不著諸法」之義，以中道行是諸空、以大悲為度眾生，是名摩訶衍。之下（卷47）復以百八三昧為摩訶衍，始於首楞嚴、終於離著虛空不染，經先列其名、次逐一淺釋，論主又逐一釋其義。此單元之定位，論主一句道盡——「上以十八空釋般若波羅蜜，今以百八三昧釋禪波羅蜜」：十八空配般若度，百八三昧配禪度，二者皆是廣分別六度之義，非於六度之外別立一體。故品末結穴為「如是等無量無邊三昧和合，名為摩訶衍」——諸三昧和合即是衍，正如六度和合即是衍；大乘之體，於是收於六波羅蜜一綱，而般若貫徹其中。
Overview
At the very opening of “Mahāyāna,” Subhūti puts several questions in a row—what is the Mahāyāna of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, how does one set out toward the Great Vehicle, from where does this vehicle set out, where does it arrive, where does it abide, and who rides this vehicle and goes forth—yet what this chapter answers falls on the first question alone: what, in the end, is the substance of the Great Vehicle. Mahāyāna is simply the Great Vehicle, originally a word of India; asked about its substance, the Buddha answers: 「六波羅蜜是菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍」 tr. "the six perfections are the Mahāyāna of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva". At the very opening the treatise-author picks out the pivot of the whole chapter—this sūtra is named prajñā, and the Buddha commanded Subhūti to speak prajñā for the bodhisattvas; why, then, does Subhūti ask about the Mahāyāna, and why does the Buddha too answer with the Mahāyāna? The resolution is this: 「般若波羅蜜、摩訶衍一義，但名字異」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā and Mahāyāna are one in meaning; only the names differ". Among the six perfections prajñā is greatest; to speak of prajñā is to contain the six perfections, and to speak of the six perfections is to speak fully of the bodhisattva path; therefore the Mahāyāna, as the Buddha-path, has as its substance precisely the six perfections. The eye of the whole chapter lies just here—of all the wholesome dharmas that aid the path, there is none that does not enter the six perfections, and the six perfections in turn are contained in prajñā; therefore the question “what is the Mahāyāna of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva” returns in the end to this: all wholesome dharmas in combination are called Mahāyāna.
Following this pivot, the chapter unfolds in two units. The First Part (Fascicle 46) first establishes the six perfections as the substance of the Mahāyāna—giving (dāna), morality (śīla), patience (kṣānti), vigour (vīrya), meditation (dhyāna), and prajñā have their names explained one by one, and all are practised 「應薩婆若心」 tr. "in accord with the mind of sarvajñā", omniscience, with 「用無所得故」 tr. "because of nothing to be attained" as their seal; next it says that the bodhisattva “further has a Mahāyāna,” namely the eighteen emptinesses and on to the emptinesses of marks in four statements, twenty-two items in all, taken up one by one in question and answer, with 「非常非滅故」 tr. "because it is neither permanent nor annihilated" and 「性自爾」 tr. "its nature is so of itself" as their fixed close. Here the treatise-author makes clear that the eighteen emptinesses are precisely the meaning of ‘not being attached to any dharma’ that belongs to the perfection of prajñā among the six perfections; to practise these emptinesses by the middle way, and to liberate beings by great compassion—this is called Mahāyāna. The Last Part (Fascicle 47) further takes the hundred and eight samādhi as the Mahāyāna, beginning with the Śūraṃgama and ending with Free of Attachment, Undefiled as Space; the sūtra first lists their names and next explains them briefly one by one, and the treatise-author in turn explains their meaning one by one. The placement of this unit the treatise-author states completely in a single sentence: 「上以十八空釋般若波羅蜜，今以百八三昧釋禪波羅蜜」 tr. "above, the eighteen emptinesses were used to explain the perfection of prajñā; now the hundred and eight samādhi are used to explain the perfection of meditation"—the eighteen emptinesses are matched to the perfection of prajñā, the hundred and eight samādhi to the perfection of meditation; both alike are the meaning of the six perfections set out in detail, and neither sets up a separate substance outside the six perfections. Therefore the chapter’s final knot at its end is 「如是等無量無邊三昧和合，名為摩訶衍」 tr. "such immeasurable and boundless samādhi in combination are called Mahāyāna"—the samādhi in combination are precisely the vehicle, just as the six perfections in combination are precisely the vehicle; the substance of the Great Vehicle is thereupon gathered into the single main cord of the six perfections, with prajñā running through it all.
承衍
〈摩訶衍品〉的義脈，前有所承，後有所啟。所承者是前之〈無縛無脫品〉——彼品以幻師化眾為喻，明菩薩大莊嚴雖遍施六度、教化眾生，而實無所與，諸法如幻、畢竟空故，五眾乃至一切種智皆無縛無解。既然能莊嚴、所莊嚴，乃至能乘、所乘悉歸畢竟空之無縛無脫，則菩薩所乘之大乘究竟以何為體，便成勢所必問；本品即正面答之——摩訶衍之體，是六波羅蜜、是十八空、是百八三昧。然此體仍不出畢竟空：十八空一一言「非常非滅故」，百八三昧亦末後同歸般若，論主明言「是諸三昧末後，皆應言用無所得，以同般若故」。是故本品之立體，非於前品之空外別安一物，乃即畢竟空而立大乘之體。所啟者則是其後之〈四念處品〉：摩訶衍之體既立，經文順此更舉道品，開篇即云「菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍，所謂四念處」——由摩訶衍之總綱，轉入三十七道品之首。前品破盡能所而顯無縛無脫，本品即空立體而攝六度諸空諸三昧，後品承此而入道品；三品是同一條般若之路的次第推展。
後來古德讀本品，因所據經本題名之異，於品名先有兩讀。吉藏《大品經義疏》從所釋之經一側，題本品為「問乘品」，其逐文疏於單元一之六度十八空有實質科判，觸及境空與智空之分辨；至單元二之百八三昧，則僅一句帶過——「百八三昧，如論釋定令誦解脫也」，指示讀者逕參本論之逐一釋名，未自作疏解。慧影《大智度論疏》則於本品全然無疏可徵：其疏卷十八至二十佚失不存，而本品跨卷四十六、四十七，恰整段落於此一闕卷之中；今存者唯疏卷十七一句前瞻之語——「百八三昧義，至摩訶衍品當一一釋」，然此承諾所指之疏文，已因卷佚而不見於今藏，是慧影嘗許逐一釋而其釋不存，非慧影未釋，尤不可代擬以充其闕。均正《大乘四論玄義》為教理論書而非逐文疏，兩處援引本品開宗定義為己說之經證：一則化用本品之義，謂「六波羅蜜、十八空等，即是摩訶衍法也」；一則明點「問乘品」之名，引本品開宗之問作「准當乘出者」，以證能乘之人。此處唯誌錄諸家引本品之處與其詳略存佚，以見各家如何讀本品，不判其詮釋高下，亦不取一家之判以定本品之義。
把這一路承衍帶回本品，最值得保存的不是一張更繁的摩訶衍名目表，而是它為大乘之體立法的方式。摩訶衍不在六度、十八空、百八三昧之外別有一物，正是這些善法和合、同攝於般若、同以用無所得而不離畢竟空的那個大乘；六度是其綱，諸空是其般若度之義，諸三昧是其禪度之義，乃至後品之四念處是其道品之始，無不和合而名為衍。因此本品留下一條可反覆使用的讀法：凡遇經舉一法為摩訶衍，即問此法如何收於六度、如何歸於般若、如何以用無所得而同於畢竟空——於每一處答好這三問，便知一切善法和合皆名摩訶衍，而大乘之體始終即空而立、不離般若。
Further Resonances
The vein of meaning in the chapter on Mahāyāna has something it inherits before it and something it opens after it. What it inherits is the preceding chapter, Neither Bound nor Freed: that chapter, taking as its simile a conjurer who conjures up a crowd of beings, makes clear that although the bodhisattva's great adornment gives everywhere through the six perfections and teaches and transforms beings, in reality nothing is given, because all dharmas are like an illusion and ultimately empty; the five aggregates, up to omniscience of all kinds, are all neither bound nor released. Since the adorner and the adorned, up to the one who rides and what is ridden, all return to the neither-bound-nor-freed of ultimate emptiness, then what the Great Vehicle ridden by the bodhisattva finally takes as its substance becomes a question that must be asked; this chapter answers it head-on—the substance of Mahāyāna is the six perfections, is the eighteen emptinesses, is the hundred and eight samādhi. Yet this substance still does not go outside ultimate emptiness: of the eighteen emptinesses, each one is said to be so 「非常非滅故」 tr. "because it is neither permanent nor destroyed," and the hundred and eight samādhi likewise at the very end return together to prajñā, the treatise-author stating plainly: 「是諸三昧末後，皆應言用無所得，以同般若故」 tr. "At the end of all these samādhi one should say, 'using nothing to be attained,' because they are the same as prajñā." Therefore this chapter's establishing of the substance does not set up one more thing apart from the emptiness of the preceding chapter; rather, it establishes the substance of the Great Vehicle right in ultimate emptiness. What it opens is the chapter that comes after, The Four Foundations of Mindfulness: once the substance of Mahāyāna has been established, the sūtra text, following on from this, further takes up the limbs of the path, saying at its very opening 「菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍，所謂四念處」 tr. "The bodhisattva-mahāsattva's Mahāyāna is namely the four foundations of mindfulness"—turning from the overall headline of Mahāyāna into the first of the thirty-seven limbs of the path. The preceding chapter breaks through agent and object entirely and so reveals neither bound nor freed; this chapter establishes the substance right in emptiness and gathers in the six perfections, the emptinesses, and the samādhi; the following chapter takes this up and enters the limbs of the path: the three chapters are the successive unfolding of one and the same path of prajñā.
When later ancient masters read this chapter, owing to differences in the title given in the sūtra versions they relied on, there were from the start two readings of the chapter's name. Jizang, in his Commentary on the Larger Sūtra, takes the side of the sūtra being explained and titles this chapter "Questioning the Vehicle"; his passage-by-passage commentary gives a substantive division into sections for the six perfections and eighteen emptinesses of unit one, touching on the distinction between the emptiness of objects and the emptiness of knowing; when it reaches the hundred and eight samādhi of unit two, however, it passes over them in a single sentence—「百八三昧，如論釋定令誦解脫也」 tr. "The hundred and eight samādhi: as the treatise explains, they settle the mind and enable one to recite them unto liberation"—directing the reader to consult straight away this treatise's explanation of their names one by one, without producing a commentary of its own. Huiying's Commentary, by contrast, has no commentary at all on this chapter that can be cited: fascicles eighteen to twenty of his commentary are lost and no longer extant, and this chapter, which spans fascicles forty-six and forty-seven, falls as a whole squarely within that one missing stretch of fascicles; what survives today is only a single forward-looking sentence in fascicle seventeen of his commentary—「百八三昧義，至摩訶衍品當一一釋」 tr. "The meaning of the hundred and eight samādhi will be explained one by one when we reach the chapter on Mahāyāna"—yet the commentary this promise points to, the fascicles having been lost, is no longer found in the canon as it now stands; so it is that Huiying once promised to explain them one by one and his explanation does not survive, not that Huiying left them unexplained, and still less may one draft a substitute to fill the gap. Junzheng's Profound Meaning of the Four Mahāyāna Treatises is a treatise on doctrine, not a passage-by-passage commentary, and in two places it draws on this chapter's opening definition as scriptural proof for its own teaching: in one it adapts the meaning of this chapter, saying 「六波羅蜜、十八空等，即是摩訶衍法也」 tr. "The six perfections, the eighteen emptinesses, and so on—these are the dharmas of the Mahāyāna"; in the other it names explicitly "Questioning the Vehicle," citing the question at this chapter's opening as 「准當乘出者」 tr. "going by 'the one who shall ride it out'" to prove the person who rides. Here only the places where the various masters cite this chapter, how fully or briefly they do so, and whether their works survive or are lost, are recorded, to show how each master read this chapter; their interpretations are not judged higher or lower, nor is one master's judgement taken to settle the meaning of this chapter.
Bringing this whole line of further resonances back to this chapter, what is most worth keeping is not a still more intricate table of the headings of Mahāyāna, but the way it lays down the method for the substance of the Great Vehicle. Mahāyāna is not one more thing apart from the six perfections, the eighteen emptinesses, and the hundred and eight samādhi; it is precisely that Great Vehicle in which these wholesome dharmas come together, are gathered together in prajñā, and together, using nothing to be attained, do not depart from ultimate emptiness. The six perfections are its framework; the emptinesses are the meaning of its perfection of prajñā; the samādhi are the meaning of its perfection of meditation; and even the four foundations of mindfulness of the following chapter are the beginning of its limbs of the path—there is none that does not come together and so is named yāna, the vehicle. Therefore this chapter leaves behind a way of reading that can be used again and again: whenever the sūtra takes up a dharma as Mahāyāna, ask how this dharma is gathered into the six perfections, how it returns to prajñā, and how, using nothing to be attained, it is the same as ultimate emptiness—answer these three questions well at every such place, and one knows that all wholesome dharmas coming together are named Mahāyāna, and that the substance of the Great Vehicle is always established right in emptiness and never departs from prajñā.
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，論自題「大智度論釋摩訶衍品第十八」〔T25 0393b01〕。全品跨卷四十六、卷四十七二卷，經本帙拆為二讀者單元；此一拆分恰與底本之分卷相合——單元切割點〔T25 0396b19〕正落於卷四十六收卷、卷四十七開卷之物理界上，非本專案自訂之邏輯切割。單元一〈摩訶衍品之上〉繫卷四十六〔T25 0393b01–0396b19〕，明摩訶衍以六波羅蜜為體、復開十八空；單元二〈摩訶衍品之下〉繫卷四十七〔T25 0396b19–0402c14〕，列百八三昧之名、經自淺釋、論主逐一釋名，終以諸三昧和合名摩訶衍收束。
本品之經論架構為二〈經〉二〈論〉相承，與前〈無縛無脫品〉同型，然跨物理卷界（卷46–47）而分二讀者單元。單元一（卷46）：【經】①自〔T25 0393b02〕須菩提開宗五問起，佛答六波羅蜜是摩訶衍、復列十八空乃至四句相空為衍體；【論】①自〔T25 0394b04〕「是經名為般若波羅蜜」起，釋般若與摩訶衍一義但名字異、釋六度為衍體、釋十八空非常非滅，訖卷46末〔T25 0396b18〕。單元二（卷47）：【經】②自〔T25 0396b26〕「復次，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍，所謂名首楞嚴三昧」起，列百八三昧名並附經自身淺釋，訖〔T25 0398c22〕；【論】②自〔T25 0398c23〕起，論主逐一釋各三昧之義，收於〔T25 0402c09〕「如是等無量無邊三昧和合，名為摩訶衍」。論主於論②開端自標全品義理定位，云「上以十八空釋般若波羅蜜，今以百八三昧釋禪波羅蜜」〔T25 0398c23〕——十八空所以釋般若波羅蜜（單元一），百八三昧所以釋禪波羅蜜（單元二），是全品綱骨。
本品品名於傳本間有一重須先辨之異名。本論大正底本題「摩訶衍品」，明本附注記「經作問乘品」，石本題「摩訶般若波羅蜜品第十七摩訶衍品」；所釋經後秦鳩摩羅什譯《摩訶般若波羅蜜經》於同一位置題「問乘品第十八」〔T08 0249c29〕，其起題容器內別有丹本注記「丹本名為摩訶衍品」（T08 0250a01 丹本夾注）。兩部同出羅什之手，「摩訶衍／問乘」二讀各自在對方文本內部留下互指之校本異文，構成雙向互證之閉環（詳第四目、第八目）。本目及以下讀者面正文一律隨本論題稱〈摩訶衍品〉，餘稱誌錄不判。
卷首題款隨分卷而異。單元一為卷四十六之次品（卷四十六首品為〈乘乘品第十六〉），品題後無「龍樹菩薩造」「鳩摩羅什譯」造譯題款；單元二為卷四十七之卷首，品題「大智度論釋摩訶衍品第十八之餘」後具造譯題款「龍樹菩薩造」「後秦龜茲國三藏鳩摩羅什譯」，與本專案跨卷單元卷首帶題款之慣例相符。
本品跨卷之校勘有二重須先誌之特殊格局，皆詳第八目、本目先標其存在。其一，宮本整卷缺席之界，精確止於卷四十六——單元一（卷四十六）全段校勘記逐條窮盡核驗，無一條列宮本為傳本，續卷四十六開卷〈乘乘品〉品題附語所載「此卷宮本缺」之格局；單元二（卷四十七）宮本現存且逐條可校，其開卷題有宮本異讀「十八品中百八三昧」。是宮本之缺止於卷四十六（本品之上半），非及於全品，此界須明誌，勿誤作整品宮缺。其二，石本品次負一與卷次正二之雙軌偏移——石本於本品題自報「品第十七」（較大正本第十八少一），卷四十六、卷四十七之收尾又各報石本卷次多二，二軌並存、方向相反、幅度不同。
二、術語考
摩訶衍（大乘之體）。 本品得名之所繫。論主先釋須菩提何以捨般若之名而問摩訶衍，云「般若波羅蜜、摩訶衍一義，但名字異」〔T25 0394b08〕——般若與摩訶衍所指是一，惟名字有異。復申其義云「摩訶衍名佛道，行是法得至佛，所謂六波羅蜜」〔T25 0394b09〕，又點明其為梵語之對譯，云「是『大乘』，天竺語名『摩訶衍』」〔T25 0394c14〕。摩訶衍者，即行之得至佛道之大乘，六波羅蜜、十八空、百八三昧種種善法和合而成其體。
六波羅蜜（衍之體）。 摩訶衍之體，經即以六度總標，云「六波羅蜜是菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍」〔T25 0393b06〕，逐一開檀、尸羅、羼提、毘梨耶、禪、般若六度，各繫「應薩婆若心」與「用無所得故」。論主釋六度何以能攝一切善法，云「六波羅蜜是摩訶衍體，但後廣分別其義」〔T25 0395a01〕——六度是摩訶衍之本體，十八空、百八三昧不過就此體廣分別其義而已，故經先說六波羅蜜。
十八空（釋般若波羅蜜義）。 單元一於六度後復開摩訶衍，云「所謂內空、外空、內外空、空空、大空、第一義空」〔T25 0393c02〕，歷內空、外空乃至無法有法空凡十八目，各以問答式立義，皆以「非常非滅故。何以故？性自爾」收束，後復略說法法相空等四句相空，合為二十二目。論主判其所屬，云「十八空、四十二字等，是般若波羅蜜義」〔T25 0395a02〕——十八空是般若波羅蜜義之廣分別。
百八三昧（釋禪波羅蜜義·品命脈）。 單元二之骨。經先一次列出百八三昧之名（首楞嚴、寶印、師子遊戲乃至離著虛空不染），繼以「云何名首楞嚴三昧？知諸三昧行處，是名首楞嚴三昧」之循環句式逐一作極簡淺釋，論主則於【論】中逐一重釋其名義。論主自標此重釋之由，云「百八三昧，佛自說其義」〔T25 0398c24〕而「論者重釋其義，令得易解」〔T25 0398c26〕。其釋名或訓詁其語，如首楞嚴「首楞嚴三昧者，秦言健相」〔T25 0398c27〕；或就功用立義，如寶印「寶印三昧者，能印諸三昧」〔T25 0399a02〕、師子遊戲「師子遊戲三昧者，菩薩得是三昧」〔T25 0399a10〕。百八三昧一一皆歸於般若，論末總收，云「是諸三昧末後，皆應言用無所得，以同般若故」〔T25 0402c08〕，終以「如是等無量無邊三昧和合，名為摩訶衍」〔T25 0402c09〕結全品。
論主自注之名相辨析（金剛三名）。 百八三昧中三名並含「金剛」字樣（金剛、金剛輪、如金剛），論主自設問答以辨其異，問「三種三昧，何以皆言『金剛』」〔T25 0400b17〕，答「初言『金剛』，中言『金剛輪』，後言『如金剛』」〔T25 0400b18〕，各釋其能破、能持、能貫達之別用，末云「名字分別，佛說其義亦異；論者釋其因緣亦異，不應致難」〔T25 0400c02〕。此為論本身對同名易混三昧之辨析，非版本異文，具義理負載，誌錄以明百八三昧命名之非重出。
三、譬喻與故事
《大智度論》以譬喻著稱，本品之教學命脈在論主逐一釋百八三昧時所展之連環譬喻，及釋六度、十八空時所設之數喻。皆繫於摩訶衍如幻無實、以空慧攝行而不著。
其一，明說摩訶衍即攝六度、攝般若之二喻（單元一·論）。論釋說六度即具說菩薩道，設營從之喻，云「譬如王來，必有營從，雖不說從者，當知必有」〔T25 0394b14〕——說摩訶衍雖不別舉般若，而般若必在其中，如王來必有隨從。又釋摩訶薩義中大莊嚴、摩訶衍之不可闕，設器杖駛馬之喻，云「如勇夫雖有種種器杖莊嚴，不乘駛馬，則無能為」〔T25 0394c13〕——徒有莊嚴而無所乘，猶不能濟事，故須摩訶衍為所乘。
其二，明著心取相與體實相之別（單元一·論）。論釋十八空後皆言非常非滅，明行空而不著空之難易，設草火水火之對喻，云「若水中生火，則無物能滅」〔T25 0395c28〕——初習著相之菩薩修福如草中生火，得水易滅；體得實相之菩薩以大悲行眾行，難可破壞，如水中生火，無能滅者。
其三，百八三昧逐一釋名之連環譬喻（單元二·論）。論主釋一一三昧，多即事立喻。釋師子遊戲三昧，云「譬如眾獸戲時，若見師子，率皆怖懾」〔T25 0399a12〕，明菩薩於外道強者破之、信者度之之自在；釋普照明三昧，云「如轉輪聖王寶珠，於軍眾外」〔T25 0399c27〕四邊各照，明普照諸法種種門；釋月淨三昧，云「如月從十六日漸減，至三十日都盡」〔T25 0400a28〕，以月之盈虧喻凡夫善根之漸減、菩薩善根之漸增；釋覺意三昧，云「譬如石汁一斤，能變千斤銅為金」〔T25 0401a27〕，喻此三昧能令諸三昧變成無漏。諸喻皆論主就百八三昧各別功用而展，是本品教學命脈之所在。
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》〈問乘品第十八〉逐項相承。以下逐字對位，證論所釋確係此本經文；其【論】段插入處，尤見本品義理之骨在論。
第一組，品題異名之雙向互證閉環（本品第四目之樞，兩造傳本各指對方）。本論〔T25 0393b01〕大正底本題「大智度論釋摩訶衍品第十八」，其明本異文注記「釋摩訶衍品第十八經作問乘品」——明本自標「經作問乘品」，直指所釋經之題名。所釋經 T223〔T08 0249c29〕大正底本題「問乘品第十八」，其起題容器內別有丹本注記「丹本名為摩訶衍品」——T223 自身之丹本異文，直指本論之題名。是兩部同出羅什之作，「摩訶衍／問乘」二讀各自在對方文本內部留下校本層級之交叉指涉，形成跨文本、雙向、互證之閉環；此為本論釋《大品》諸品之品題校本交叉印證中最完整、最直接之一例（不同於前諸品僅「同方向趨同」之異文分佈，本例為兩造各自內部之校本異文直接點名對方文本之品題）。石本則另題「摩訶般若波羅蜜品第十七摩訶衍品」（品次負一，詳第八目）。
第二組，開宗五問逐字近全同。本論〔T25 0393b02〕「爾時，須菩提白佛言：『世尊！何等是菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍？…』」與 T223〔T08 0250a02〕「爾時須菩提白佛言：『世尊！何等是菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍？…』」逐字相承（僅逗號有無之編輯層異，五問之餘四問略以省略號）。六度總標句，本論〔T25 0393b06〕「六波羅蜜是菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍」與 T223〔T08 0250a06〕「六波羅蜜是菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍」逐字一致，惟 T223 檀度全稱「檀那波羅蜜」、本論略稱「檀波羅蜜」，音譯詳略之差全篇貫穿。
第三組，百八三昧經淺釋層逐字全同。本論之經自身淺釋「云何名首楞嚴三昧？知諸三昧行處，是名首楞嚴三昧」與 T223〔T08 0251b13〕「知諸三昧行處，是名首楞嚴三昧」逐字全同——確證本論【經】層之百八三昧淺釋直承 T223，是同譯者手筆之內部一致。T223 亦於六度、十八空段後先出一「是名菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍」收句〔T08 0251a07〕，再入百八三昧段——是 T223 內部本具「六度十八空／百八三昧」兩段式之結構，與本論跨卷兩單元切割之底層邏輯相合，非本論獨有。
第四組，二段【論】皆本論獨有之插入。本品有二段論釋——論①〔T25 0394b04–0396b18〕（釋般若與摩訶衍一義、釋六度為衍體、釋十八空非常非滅）與論②〔T25 0398c23–0402c09〕（釋曰起、逐一重釋百八三昧、佛與論者措辭之異問答、諸三昧和合收束）——於 T223 皆全無對應：T223〈問乘品〉之全量恰與本論二段【經】之並集重合（其於論①對應處由十八空列名直過渡至收句、於論②對應處亦無論釋，詳第三組），二段【論】全落於 T223 品界之外。二段之中，論②篇幅（含百八三昧逐一釋名）為本論釋《大品》諸品中已知最大宗之單一插入段，論①次之。
第五組，旁參異譯（唯引錄不疏，逐詞對讀未盡，誠實記）。無羅叉《放光般若經》T08n0221 對應段落題「問摩訶衍品第十九」〔T08 0022c06〕，品次（十九）與本論、T223（十八）不同，品名兼取「問」「摩訶衍」二造之名；其百八三昧個別譯詞與羅什系統差異甚大，本目未逐詞對讀。竺法護《光讚經》T08n0222 對應段落題「三昧品第十六」，內含大段三昧列名，譯詞系統屬早期異譯，與羅什「首楞嚴」「寶印」全然不同，結構對應而逐詞未盡。玄奘《大般若波羅蜜多經》第二分 T07n0220c 對應段落題「三摩地品第十六」，其開宗「何等是菩薩摩訶薩大乘相」〔T07 0072c01〕以意譯「大乘相」對「摩訶衍」，六度總標句〔T07 0072c06〕逐義相應，其百八三昧多用意譯，本目未及逐一對照。三本皆誌其結構對應、逐詞未盡，供未來如需時再考。
五、般若義眼
本品之眼，在摩訶衍為大乘之體，而其體不外六波羅蜜、十八空、百八三昧種種善法之和合，一一皆歸於般若之無所得。
其一，名字異而一義，說摩訶衍即攝般若。須菩提捨般若之名而問摩訶衍，論主判其無咎，云「般若波羅蜜、摩訶衍一義，但名字異」〔T25 0394b08〕；六波羅蜜中般若最大，故「一切助道法皆是般若波羅蜜」〔T25 0394b25〕，說摩訶衍即已說般若。是摩訶衍之為大乘，正在其以般若攝一切助道之法。
其二，十八空以中道破二邊。十八空一一皆言「非常非滅故。何以故？性自爾」，論主釋此收句之意，云「若人不習此空，必墮二邊，若常、若滅」〔T25 0396a11〕——執諸法實有則墮常，貴空著空則墮斷；故「離是二邊，以中道行是十八空，以大悲心為度眾生」〔T25 0396a18〕。是十八空非徒破有，乃破有而不著空、行空而不捨大悲，此其所以為般若波羅蜜義。
其三，百八三昧配禪度，同歸般若。論主定位云「上以十八空釋般若波羅蜜，今以百八三昧釋禪波羅蜜」〔T25 0398c23〕；然禪度之百八三昧終不外般若，論末明「是諸三昧末後，皆應言用無所得，以同般若故」〔T25 0402c08〕。論復設問答明佛與論者措辭之異，云「佛多說果報，論者合因緣果報說」〔T25 0402b28〕——佛就三昧之果而說，論主合因緣果報而釋諸法，二層所詮是一。是六度、十八空、百八三昧種種名相，皆以無所得為其末後，同歸般若，「如是等無量無邊三昧和合，名為摩訶衍」〔T25 0402c09〕——是本品般若義眼之所歸。
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，然詳略懸殊——單元一（十八空、六度）有實質科判，單元二（百八三昧）僅一句帶過指讀者參論；慧影《大智度論疏》現存殘卷於本品付之闕如，且有其自身之前瞻預告可證此處本應有疏而今佚；均正《大乘四論玄義》屬教理引證型，兩處援引本品之開宗定義及品名。
吉藏《大品經義疏》（X24n0451）疏本品僅約一頁篇幅，較前品為簡，且兩單元覆蓋懸殊。其一，品題與卷首品目皆沿 T223 底本之名。逐文疏品題作「問乘品第十八」〔X24 0246a08〕，卷首品目亦列「莊嚴品第十七問乘品第十八」〔X24 0195a21〕——吉藏全篇以「問乘品」稱本品，與 T223 底本題名一致，非本論之「摩訶衍品」。其二，單元一（十八空）有實質義疏。吉藏就十八空辨境空、智空之別，云「金剛品空十八法名十八空」〔X24 0247a04〕一段，屬有內容之逐文疏。其三，單元二（百八三昧）僅一句帶過。吉藏未對百八三昧逐一作疏，僅云「百八三昧，如論釋定令誦解脫也」〔X24 0247a22〕——指示讀者參看《大智度論》之逐一釋名，其疏本身不逐一疏解。是吉藏對本品之覆蓋，單元一有實質義疏而單元二僅存在性提及。
慧影《大智度論疏》（X46n0791）於本品逐文疏零命中，且此零命中有其自身之內證。本目遍檢慧影疏，未見任何本品之逐文疏品名容器；唯一相關命中為一句前瞻性預告，慧影於疏卷第十七注釋遠早於本品之經文時，順帶引及百八三昧之名，並明言「百八三昧義，至摩訶衍品當一一釋」〔X46 0870a12〕——承諾至摩訶衍品時逐一解釋。然核校慧影疏卷第十七收卷〔X46 0875c19〕之後，下一存卷直跳至疏卷第二十一，疏卷十八、十九、二十（精確涵蓋本品所在之論本卷四十六、卷四十七）全部佚失。是慧影此一「至摩訶衍品當一一釋」之承諾，因其疏本身在此區間之實體佚失而未能兌現；本品完整地落於慧影疏之物理缺口內。誠實記錄：慧影於本品逐文疏付闕，其前瞻預告即「此處本應有疏、今已不存」之內證，不臆稱其有、不代擬其疏。
均正《大乘四論玄義》（X46n0784）為教理系統性論書，非逐文注疏體，兩處援引本品，皆屬引錄。其一，引本品開宗定義為己身「摩訶衍法」教理之經證，標舉「非摩訶衍」（其下六字底本漫漶）而釋云「謂六波羅蜜、十八空等，即是摩訶衍法也」〔X46 0642c03〕——直承本品「六波羅蜜是摩訶衍」「十八空是摩訶衍」之開宗定義。其二，明引本品之品名為「問乘品」，云「問乘品云准當乘出者」〔X46 0643a17〕，並約引本品開宗五問之一（「誰當乘是乘出者」，均正約作「准當乘出者」），作為其「能乘之人」義之經證。是均正明據 T223 一系之「問乘品」名，其援引屬教理引證，非逐文疏，誌其引不判。
七、互讀與承衍
本品之骨有二——摩訶衍以六度、十八空、百八三昧為體，及三昧和合同歸般若——皆為本論前後文及古德所承。
其一，本論內部之自繫。論主釋本品之義，屢自標其所本。釋摩訶衍之範圍，論引前文之序，云「如摩訶衍序中說：『從初發心乃至佛道，為佛道故集一切善法，皆名摩訶衍。』」〔T25 0394c17〕——自繫前序所立摩訶衍之廣義。釋十八空，自繫初品，云「菩薩摩訶薩欲住十八空，當學般若波羅蜜」〔T25 0396a08〕，明本品十八空之廣說應如初品；釋六度，亦自標「廣說如『初品』中，一一波羅蜜皆具足」〔T25 0396a05〕。是本品之義理架構，論主自繫於本論初品及摩訶衍序，其互讀之明文皆論主自立。
其二，摩訶衍體用之義為古德所承。本品「六波羅蜜、十八空是摩訶衍」之開宗定義，均正《大乘四論玄義》直承之以立己身「摩訶衍法」之目〔X46 0642c03〕；本品百八三昧逐一釋名之詳，吉藏《大品經義疏》即以「如論釋定令誦解脫也」〔X24 0247a22〕指讀者參看，是本品之百八三昧釋名反為古德所倚。此諸承衍在於義脈之相續，各家所取隨其宗趣，本目誌其相承而不代為定讀，所繫諸出處皆見第五目、第六目逐字之載。慧影疏於本品之佚失（第六目），則為此義理下傳之鏈於現存文本中之一斷處，誠實並誌。
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。本品跨卷四十六、卷四十七二卷，有二重須先誌之特殊格局——宮本整卷缺席之界止於卷四十六、石本品次負一與卷次正二之雙軌偏移，二事詳本目末段。
0393b01（品題·兩造傳本雙向互證）：大智度論釋摩訶衍品第十八【大】｜釋摩訶衍品第十八經作問乘品【明】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜品第十七摩訶衍品【石】——本論一系中，大正底本題「摩訶衍品」，明本附注「經作問乘品」（直指所釋經之題名），石本題「摩訶般若波羅蜜品第十七摩訶衍品」（品次記「十七」較大正本第十八少一，而題名兼含「摩訶衍品」與大正底本合）。與所釋經 T223 之品題形成雙向對照——T223 大正底本題「問乘品第十八」〔T08 0249c29〕，其起題容器內丹本注記「丹本名為摩訶衍品」（T08 0250a01 丹本夾注）（直指本論之題名）。是兩造各自內部之異文各指對方之讀，構成雙向互證之閉環（詳第四目）。正文從底本「摩訶衍品」。
0393c21（第一義空·涅槃／泥洹·義理負載）：涅槃涅槃涅槃【大】｜泥洹空泥洹【石】——第一義空定義句「第一義名涅槃。涅槃，涅槃空」之「涅槃」，石本作音譯「泥洹」。意譯「涅槃」與音譯「泥洹」為同詞異譯，涉涅槃義之譯名抉擇，誌錄不判。正文從底本「涅槃」。
0394c02（釋迦牟尼／釋迦文）：牟【大】｜文【石】——「娑婆世界有佛，名釋迦牟尼」之「牟」，石本作「文」（釋迦文，佛名音譯簡稱之異），屬常見異文型態，誌錄不判。正文從底本「牟」。
0396b21（卷四十七開卷題·宮本現存之證）：大智度論釋摩訶衍品第十八之餘【大】｜十八品中百八三昧【宮】——單元二（卷四十七）開卷題，大正本題「釋摩訶衍品第十八之餘」，宮本逕作「十八品中百八三昧」（不沿「摩訶衍」之名，而標舉本單元主題為「百八三昧」）。此校記即宮本於卷四十七現存之直接證據，與宮本於卷四十六整卷缺席相對（詳本目末段）。正文從底本。
0397b01（攝諸法海／海印·經自身淺釋層）：海【大】｜海印【石】——百八三昧「攝諸法海三昧」之「海」，石本作「海印」。此異讀見於經自身淺釋層〔0397b01〕與論釋層〔0399c02〕兩處（列名層〔0396c03〕該處本身無此校記），論釋層再現同一異讀（見下）。誌錄不判。正文從底本「海」。
0398a10（離曚昧·矇／曚·字形）：曚【CB】【宋】【元】【明】【聖】【石】｜矇【大】——「離曚昧三昧」之「曚」，大正本原作「矇」，CBETA 依宋元明聖石諸本校作「曚」。屬字形異文，讀者面正文依 CBETA 定本作「曚」，誌大正本原作「矇」。
0399c02（攝諸法海／海印·論釋層再現）：海【大】｜海印【石】——論釋第二十一「攝諸法海三昧」段之「海」，石本仍作「海印」，與經自身淺釋層〔0397b01〕同一異讀，兩處一致。誌錄不判。正文從底本「海」。
經列名層與論釋層名相之三例不一致（非跨傳本異文，屬本論 T25n1509 自身經、論兩層用字之異，逐字核校，誌不臆改）：其一，百八三昧第六十三，經列名及經淺釋層作「無種相三昧」〔T25 0398a06〕，論釋層作「無種三昧」〔T25 0401a09〕，論脫「相」字。其二，第七十一，經列名層作「妙淨華三昧」，經淺釋層及論釋層作「淨妙華三昧」〔T25 0401a23〕，字序倒（列名一次倒序，淺釋、論釋兩層一致作「淨妙華」；此列名位另有宋元明宮四本異文，詳工作底本）。其三，第一百零一，經列名層作「能照一切世三昧」〔T25 0396c26〕，論釋層作「能照一切世間三昧」〔T25 0402a22〕，論多「間」字。三例皆本論自身經、論兩層措辭之異，非搜尋失誤、非跨本異文，誌錄以存其實，不代為臆改。
本品跨卷之二重特殊格局，並誌如下。其一，宮本整卷缺席之界止於卷四十六。單元一（卷四十六）全段校勘記逐條窮盡核驗，無一條列宮本為傳本，即整部卷四十六（含前〈乘乘品〉、〈無縛無脫品〉及本品之上半）之宮本傳世抄本闕如；卷四十六開卷〈乘乘品〉品題附語已明「此卷宮本缺」，本品非卷首，品題不另重宣，然逐條核驗支持宮本於本品之上半亦全缺。單元二（卷四十七）則宮本現存且逐條可校，其開卷題有宮本異讀「十八品中百八三昧」〔note0396011〕，卷四十七全段校勘記多條列宮本異文。是宮本之缺止於卷四十六（本品之上半），卷四十七（本品之下半）宮本現存——本品因跨卷而恰好一半落入宮缺區間、一半否，此界須明誌，勿誤作整品宮缺。其二，石本品次負一與卷次正二之雙軌偏移。石本於本品題自報「摩訶般若波羅蜜品第十七摩訶衍品」〔0393b01〕，品次記「十七」較大正本第十八少一；於次品〈四念處品第十九〉題復報石本「摩訶般若波羅蜜品第十八四念處品」（T25 0402c14 石本品末注記），品次記「十八」較大正本第十九少一——品次負一之偏移於本品前後兩處互證。卷次則反向正二：卷四十六收尾題記「大智度論卷第四十六」之末字，石本作「八」〔T25 0396b18〕即卷四十八；卷四十七收尾題記末字石本作「九」〔T25 0402c11〕即卷四十九——卷次正二之偏移於兩卷收尾各一處確證。品次負一、卷次正二二軌並存、方向相反、幅度不同，本目誠實並存，不強行化約為單一偏移量。
本品全帙校勘記，扣除品題校記、上列義理負載諸條外，其餘各條均屬虛詞有無之增減、同音或形近假借、虛詞增字、或音譯詳略等之技術性異文（如百八三昧第三十三「堅淨諸三昧三昧」處單、雙「三昧」之異讀〔T25 0399c29〕，各本讀法未能完全消解，歸此技術類並誌），逐條核校未見義理層改變，故不逐條展開，僅統計性帶過。
本品底本為《大智度論》卷四十六之次品、卷四十七之卷首品〔T25 0393b01–0402c14〕，範圍終點取次品〈四念處品第十九〉起題（T25 0402c14），不含。所釋經校本為《摩訶般若波羅蜜經》〈問乘品第十八〉（T08n0223·品題大正底本讀「問乘品」、丹本注「摩訶衍品」）。旁參異譯有無羅叉《放光般若經》（T08n0221·「問摩訶衍品第十九」）、竺法護《光讚經》（T08n0222·「三昧品第十六」）、玄奘《大般若波羅蜜多經》第二分（T07n0220c·「三摩地品第十六」·意譯「大乘相」），皆唯引錄不疏、逐詞對讀未盡。古德疏校本為吉藏《大品經義疏》（X24n0451·單元一有實質科判、單元二一句帶過、沿「問乘品」名），別有慧影《大智度論疏》（X46n0791·本品逐文疏佚於殘卷缺口、有前瞻預告為內證）、均正《大乘四論玄義》（X46n0784·兩處引錄本品開宗定義及「問乘品」名）。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。本品全帙校勘記詳存工作底本；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 explains the Larger Sūtra, this chapter belongs to the section of the Commentary on the Remaining Chapters; the treatise gives its own title as 「大智度論釋摩訶衍品第十八」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on the Mahāyāna, the Eighteenth"〔T25 0393b01〕. The whole chapter spans two fascicles, Fascicles 46 and 47, and it has been divided into two reader units; this division coincides exactly with the fascicle division of the base text—the cutting point between the units〔T25 0396b19〕falls precisely on the physical boundary where Fascicle 46 closes and Fascicle 47 opens, and it is not a logical cut set by this project itself. Unit One, "Mahāyāna, First Part", belongs to Fascicle 46〔T25 0393b01–0396b19〕: it makes clear that the Mahāyāna takes the six perfections as its substance, and further opens the eighteen emptinesses. Unit Two, "Mahāyāna, Last Part", belongs to Fascicle 47〔T25 0396b19–0402c14〕: it lists the names of the hundred and eight samādhi, the sūtra gives its own brief explanations, and the treatise-author explains the names one by one, closing with the statement that the samādhi coming together are called the Mahāyāna.
The sūtra–treatise structure of this chapter is two Sūtra sections and two Treatise sections in succession, of the same type as the preceding chapter, "Neither Bound nor Freed"; but it crosses a physical fascicle boundary (Fascicles 46–47) and is divided into two reader units. Unit One (Fascicle 46): Sūtra ① begins at〔T25 0393b02〕with Subhūti's five questions opening the doctrinal point; the Buddha answers that the six perfections are the Mahāyāna, and further lists the eighteen emptinesses, down to the four phrases of the emptiness of marks, as the substance of the vehicle. Treatise ① begins at〔T25 0394b04〕with 「是經名為般若波羅蜜」 tr. "this sūtra is named prajñāpāramitā"; it explains that prajñā and the Mahāyāna are one in meaning and differ only in name, explains the six perfections as the substance of the vehicle, and explains the eighteen emptinesses as neither permanent nor annihilated, ending at the close of Fascicle 46〔T25 0396b18〕. Unit Two (Fascicle 47): Sūtra ② begins at〔T25 0396b26〕with 「復次，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍，所謂名首楞嚴三昧」 tr. "Furthermore, Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattva's Mahāyāna is namely the samādhi called Śūraṃgama"; it lists the names of the hundred and eight samādhi together with the sūtra's own brief explanations, ending at〔T25 0398c22〕. Treatise ② begins at〔T25 0398c23〕; the treatise-author explains the meaning of each samādhi in turn, and closes at〔T25 0402c09〕with 「如是等無量無邊三昧和合，名為摩訶衍」 tr. "the coming together of such immeasurable and boundless samādhi is called the Mahāyāna." At the opening of Treatise ② the treatise-author himself marks the doctrinal position of the whole chapter, saying 「上以十八空釋般若波羅蜜，今以百八三昧釋禪波羅蜜」 tr. "above, the eighteen emptinesses were used to explain prajñāpāramitā; now the hundred and eight samādhi are used to explain the perfection of meditation"〔T25 0398c23〕—the eighteen emptinesses serve to explain prajñāpāramitā (Unit One), and the hundred and eight samādhi serve to explain the perfection of meditation (Unit Two): this is the framework of the whole chapter.
The chapter's name has, among the transmitted texts, a variant name that must first be distinguished. The Taishō base text of this treatise titles it 「摩訶衍品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāyāna"; an appended note of the Ming edition records 「經作問乘品」 tr. "the sūtra has 'Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle'"; the Ishiyama text titles it 「摩訶般若波羅蜜品第十七摩訶衍品」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā Chapter, the Seventeenth, Chapter on the Mahāyāna." The sūtra explained, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra translated by Kumārajīva of the Later Qin, titles the same position 「問乘品第十八」 tr. "Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle, the Eighteenth"〔T08 0249c29〕, and within the container of that title there is a separate note of the Khitan edition, 「丹本名為摩訶衍品」 tr. "the Khitan edition names it 'Chapter on the Mahāyāna'" (T08 0250a01 Khitan-edition interlinear note). The two works both come from Kumārajīva's hand, and the two readings 「摩訶衍／問乘」 tr. "Mahāyāna / Asking about the Vehicle" each leave, inside the other's text, a collation variant pointing to the other, forming a closed loop of two-way mutual attestation (see Sections IV and VIII). In this section and in the reader-facing main text below, the chapter is uniformly called "Mahāyāna", following this treatise's title; the other names are recorded without judgement.
The inscription at the head of the fascicle differs with the fascicle division. Unit One is the second chapter of Fascicle 46 (the first chapter of Fascicle 46 is Chapter 16, "Riding the Vehicle"), and after its chapter title there is no inscription of composition and translation, 「龍樹菩薩造」 tr. "composed by the Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna" or 「鳩摩羅什譯」 tr. "translated by Kumārajīva." Unit Two is the head of Fascicle 47, and after its chapter title, 「大智度論釋摩訶衍品第十八之餘」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on the Mahāyāna, the Eighteenth, the Remainder", it carries the inscription of composition and translation, 「龍樹菩薩造」 tr. "composed by the Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna" and 「後秦龜茲國三藏鳩摩羅什譯」 tr. "translated by Kumārajīva, Tripiṭaka master of the kingdom of Kucha, of the Later Qin", in accord with this project's practice that a unit crossing fascicles carries the inscription at the fascicle head.
The collation of this chapter across fascicles has two special patterns that must first be noted; both are detailed in Section VIII, and this section first marks their existence. First, the boundary of the Palace edition's absence of the whole fascicle stops precisely at Fascicle 46. The collation notes of the whole of Unit One (Fascicle 46) have been checked exhaustively one by one, and not one lists the Palace edition as a witness, continuing the pattern recorded in the note appended to the chapter title of "Riding the Vehicle" at the opening of Fascicle 46, 「此卷宮本缺」 tr. "this fascicle is missing in the Palace edition"; in Unit Two (Fascicle 47) the Palace edition survives and can be collated item by item, and its opening title has a Palace-edition variant, 「十八品中百八三昧」 tr. "the hundred and eight samādhi in the eighteenth chapter." Thus the Palace edition's gap stops at Fascicle 46 (the first half of this chapter) and does not extend to the whole chapter; this boundary must be clearly recorded and must not be mistaken for a Palace gap covering the whole chapter. Second, the two-track displacement in the Ishiyama text: chapter number minus one, fascicle number plus two. At this chapter's title the Ishiyama text itself reports 「品第十七」 tr. "Chapter Seventeen" (one less than the Taishō's eighteenth), while at the close of Fascicle 46 and of Fascicle 47 it each time reports an Ishiyama fascicle number two higher; the two tracks stand side by side, in opposite directions and of different magnitudes.
II. Terms Examined
The Mahāyāna (the substance of the Great Vehicle). This is what the chapter is named for. The treatise-author first explains why Subhūti sets aside the name prajñā and asks about the Mahāyāna, saying 「般若波羅蜜、摩訶衍一義，但名字異」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā and the Mahāyāna are one in meaning; only the names differ"〔T25 0394b08〕—what prajñā and the Mahāyāna point to is one; only the names differ. He further extends the point, saying 「摩訶衍名佛道，行是法得至佛，所謂六波羅蜜」 tr. "the Mahāyāna is called the path of the Buddha; practising this dharma one reaches buddhahood—namely, the six perfections"〔T25 0394b09〕, and he also points out that it is the rendering of an Indian word, saying 「是『大乘』，天竺語名『摩訶衍』」 tr. "this is the 'Great Vehicle'; in the language of India it is called 'Mahāyāna'"〔T25 0394c14〕. The Mahāyāna is the Great Vehicle by whose practice one reaches the path of the Buddha; the six perfections, the eighteen emptinesses, the hundred and eight samādhi, and all kinds of wholesome dharmas come together to make up its substance.
The six perfections (the substance of the vehicle). For the substance of the Mahāyāna, the sūtra marks the six perfections as the whole, saying 「六波羅蜜是菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍」 tr. "the six perfections are the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's Mahāyāna"〔T25 0393b06〕, and it opens the six perfections one by one—giving, morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and prajñā—each joined to 「應薩婆若心」 tr. "with a mind in accord with sarvajñā" and 「用無所得故」 tr. "because of using nothing to be attained." Explaining why the six perfections can contain all wholesome dharmas, the treatise-author says 「六波羅蜜是摩訶衍體，但後廣分別其義」 tr. "the six perfections are the substance of the Mahāyāna; it is only that afterwards their meaning is analysed at length"〔T25 0395a01〕—the six perfections are the very substance of the Mahāyāna, and the eighteen emptinesses and the hundred and eight samādhi merely analyse the meaning of this substance at length; hence the sūtra speaks of the six perfections first.
The eighteen emptinesses (explaining the meaning of prajñāpāramitā). After the six perfections, Unit One opens the Mahāyāna once more, saying 「所謂內空、外空、內外空、空空、大空、第一義空」 tr. "namely inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of the highest meaning"〔T25 0393c02〕. It runs through eighteen items in all, from inner emptiness and outer emptiness down to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas, each establishing its meaning in question-and-answer form, and each closing with 「非常非滅故。何以故？性自爾」 tr. "because it is neither permanent nor annihilated. Why? Its nature is so of itself"; afterwards it briefly speaks of the four phrases of the emptiness of marks, beginning with the emptiness of dharmas by the mark of dharmas, making twenty-two items in all. The treatise-author decides where they belong, saying 「十八空、四十二字等，是般若波羅蜜義」 tr. "the eighteen emptinesses, the forty-two letters, and so on, are the meaning of prajñāpāramitā"〔T25 0395a02〕—the eighteen emptinesses are the analysis at length of the meaning of prajñāpāramitā.
The hundred and eight samādhi (explaining the meaning of the perfection of meditation · the lifeblood of the chapter). This is the bone of Unit Two. The sūtra first lists the names of the hundred and eight samādhi all at once (Śūraṃgama, Jewel Seal, Lion's Play, down to Free of Attachment, Unstained like Space), then gives a very brief explanation of each in turn in the circular formula 「云何名首楞嚴三昧？知諸三昧行處，是名首楞嚴三昧」 tr. "What is called the Śūraṃgama samādhi? Knowing the spheres of practice of all samādhi—this is called the Śūraṃgama samādhi"; in the Treatise the treatise-author then explains the meaning of the names once more, one by one. The treatise-author himself marks the reason for this re-explanation, saying 「百八三昧，佛自說其義」 tr. "the Buddha himself spoke the meaning of the hundred and eight samādhi"〔T25 0398c24〕 and 「論者重釋其義，令得易解」 tr. "the treatise-author explains their meaning again so that it may be easily understood"〔T25 0398c26〕. His explanations of the names sometimes gloss the word, as for Śūraṃgama, 「首楞嚴三昧者，秦言健相」 tr. "the Śūraṃgama samādhi—in the language of Qin, 'the mark of strength'"〔T25 0398c27〕; sometimes establish the meaning by function, as for Jewel Seal, 「寶印三昧者，能印諸三昧」 tr. "the Jewel Seal samādhi can seal all samādhi"〔T25 0399a02〕, and for Lion's Play, 「師子遊戲三昧者，菩薩得是三昧」 tr. "the Lion's Play samādhi: the bodhisattva who attains this samādhi…"〔T25 0399a10〕. Each of the hundred and eight samādhi returns to prajñā; at the end of the treatise they are gathered up as a whole: 「是諸三昧末後，皆應言用無所得，以同般若故」 tr. "at the very end of each of these samādhi one should say 'by using nothing to be attained', because they are the same as prajñā"〔T25 0402c08〕, and the whole chapter concludes with 「如是等無量無邊三昧和合，名為摩訶衍」 tr. "the coming together of such immeasurable and boundless samādhi is called the Mahāyāna"〔T25 0402c09〕.
The treatise-author's own analysis of names (the three names with "vajra"). Among the hundred and eight samādhi, three names all contain the word 「金剛」 tr. "vajra" (Vajra, Vajra Wheel, Like a Vajra). The treatise-author sets up his own question and answer to distinguish them, asking 「三種三昧，何以皆言『金剛』」 tr. "why do three kinds of samādhi all say 'vajra'?"〔T25 0400b17〕 and answering 「初言『金剛』，中言『金剛輪』，後言『如金剛』」 tr. "the first says 'vajra', the middle says 'vajra wheel', the last says 'like a vajra'"〔T25 0400b18〕; he explains their distinct uses of being able to break, being able to hold, and being able to pierce through, and concludes 「名字分別，佛說其義亦異；論者釋其因緣亦異，不應致難」 tr. "the names are distinguished, and the meanings the Buddha spoke are also different; the causes and conditions the treatise-author explains are also different—one should not raise difficulties"〔T25 0400c02〕. This is the treatise's own analysis of samādhi whose like names are easily confused, not a variant between editions; it carries doctrinal weight, and it is recorded to make clear that the naming of the hundred and eight samādhi does not repeat itself.
III. Similes and Stories
The Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa is renowned for its similes, and the teaching lifeblood of this chapter lies in the chain of similes the treatise-author unfolds as he explains the hundred and eight samādhi one by one, together with the several similes set out in explaining the six perfections and the eighteen emptinesses. All of them turn on the Mahāyāna being like an illusion and without reality, and on containing practice with the wisdom of emptiness without clinging.
First, two similes making clear that speaking of the Mahāyāna contains the six perfections and contains prajñā (Unit One · Treatise). Explaining that to speak of the six perfections is to speak fully of the bodhisattva path, the treatise sets out the simile of the retinue: 「譬如王來，必有營從，雖不說從者，當知必有」 tr. "just as when a king comes, he surely has a retinue; though the attendants are not mentioned, one should know they are surely there"〔T25 0394b14〕—though speaking of the Mahāyāna does not separately mention prajñā, prajñā is surely within it, as a king who comes surely has attendants. Again, explaining that within the meaning of mahāsattva neither the great adornment nor the Mahāyāna can be lacking, it sets out the simile of weapons and a swift horse: 「如勇夫雖有種種器杖莊嚴，不乘駛馬，則無能為」 tr. "as a brave man, though adorned with all kinds of weapons, can do nothing if he does not ride a swift horse"〔T25 0394c13〕—mere adornment without something to ride still cannot accomplish the task; hence the Mahāyāna is needed as what is ridden.
Second, making clear the difference between a mind that clings and grasps at marks and the realisation of the real mark (Unit One · Treatise). After explaining that every one of the eighteen emptinesses is said to be neither permanent nor annihilated, and making clear how hard or easy it is to practise emptiness without clinging to emptiness, the treatise sets out the paired simile of fire in grass and fire in water: 「若水中生火，則無物能滅」 tr. "if fire arises in water, there is nothing that can put it out"〔T25 0395c28〕—the merit cultivated by a bodhisattva first practising while clinging to marks is like fire arising in grass, easily put out by water; the bodhisattva who has realised the real mark practises all practices with great compassion and is hard to break, like fire arising in water, which nothing can put out.
Third, the chain of similes in explaining the names of the hundred and eight samādhi one by one (Unit Two · Treatise). In explaining each samādhi the treatise-author mostly sets up a simile from the matter at hand. Explaining the Lion's Play samādhi, he says 「譬如眾獸戲時，若見師子，率皆怖懾」 tr. "just as when the beasts are at play, if they see a lion, they are all struck with fear"〔T25 0399a12〕, making clear the bodhisattva's freedom in defeating the strong among those of the outside paths and liberating those who have faith. Explaining the Universal Illumination samādhi, he says 「如轉輪聖王寶珠，於軍眾外」 tr. "like the jewel of a wheel-turning sage king, outside the army"〔T25 0399c27〕 shining on all four sides, making clear the universal illumination of all the various gates of dharmas. Explaining the Moon-Purity samādhi, he says 「如月從十六日漸減，至三十日都盡」 tr. "as the moon wanes from the sixteenth day and is wholly gone by the thirtieth"〔T25 0400a28〕, using the waxing and waning of the moon as a simile for the gradual waning of the roots of goodness of ordinary people and the gradual waxing of the roots of goodness of bodhisattvas. Explaining the samādhi of the limbs of awakening, he says 「譬如石汁一斤，能變千斤銅為金」 tr. "just as one catty of stone juice can turn a thousand catties of copper into gold"〔T25 0401a27〕, a simile for this samādhi's power to make all samādhi become free of outflows. All these similes are unfolded by the treatise-author according to the distinct function of each of the hundred and eight samādhi, and they are where the teaching lifeblood of this chapter lies.
IV. The Sūtra Passage Explained
The Sūtra sections cited by this treatise correspond item by item to Chapter 18, "Asking about the Vehicle", of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra translated by Kumārajīva of the Later Qin. Below they are aligned word for word, proving that what the treatise explains is indeed the sūtra text of this version; the places where its Treatise sections are inserted show especially that the doctrinal bone of this chapter lies in the treatise.
The first group: the closed loop of two-way mutual attestation of the variant chapter names (the pivot of this section; the transmitted texts on each side point to the other). At〔T25 0393b01〕the Taishō base text of this treatise titles it 「大智度論釋摩訶衍品第十八」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on the Mahāyāna, the Eighteenth", and its Ming-edition variant note records 「釋摩訶衍品第十八經作問乘品」 tr. "'Commentary on the Chapter on the Mahāyāna, the Eighteenth'—the sūtra has 'Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle'"—the Ming edition itself marks 「經作問乘品」 tr. "the sūtra has 'Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle'", pointing directly to the title of the sūtra explained. The Taishō base text of the sūtra explained, T223, titles it at〔T08 0249c29〕 「問乘品第十八」 tr. "Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle, the Eighteenth", and within the container of that title there is a separate Khitan-edition note, 「丹本名為摩訶衍品」 tr. "the Khitan edition names it 'Chapter on the Mahāyāna'"—a Khitan-edition variant within T223 itself, pointing directly to the title of this treatise. Thus the two works both come from Kumārajīva, and the two readings 「摩訶衍／問乘」 tr. "Mahāyāna / Asking about the Vehicle" each leave, inside the other's text, a cross-reference at the level of the collated editions, forming a cross-textual, two-way, mutually attesting closed loop. Among the cross-attestations in the collated editions of the chapter titles in this treatise's explanation of the chapters of the Larger Sūtra, this is the most complete and most direct instance (unlike the earlier chapters, where the distribution of variants shows only a 「同方向趨同」 tr. "convergence in the same direction", in this instance the collation variants inside each of the two texts name the chapter title of the other text directly). The Ishiyama text, for its part, titles it 「摩訶般若波羅蜜品第十七摩訶衍品」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā Chapter, the Seventeenth, Chapter on the Mahāyāna" (chapter number minus one; see Section VIII).
The second group: the five opening questions agree almost word for word. This treatise's〔T25 0393b02〕 「爾時，須菩提白佛言：『世尊！何等是菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍？…』」 tr. "At that time Subhūti said to the Buddha: 'World-Honored One! What is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's Mahāyāna? …'" and T223's〔T08 0250a02〕 「爾時須菩提白佛言：『世尊！何等是菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍？…』」 tr. "At that time Subhūti said to the Buddha: 'World-Honored One! What is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's Mahāyāna? …'" follow each other word for word (differing only at the editorial level in the presence or absence of a comma; the remaining four of the five questions are abbreviated with an ellipsis). In the sentence marking the six perfections as a whole, this treatise's〔T25 0393b06〕 「六波羅蜜是菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍」 tr. "the six perfections are the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's Mahāyāna" and T223's〔T08 0250a06〕 「六波羅蜜是菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍」 tr. "the six perfections are the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's Mahāyāna" agree word for word, except that T223 gives the perfection of giving its full name, 「檀那波羅蜜」 tr. "dānapāramitā (the full transcription)", while this treatise abbreviates it as 「檀波羅蜜」 tr. "dān-pāramitā (the short transcription)"; this difference in the fullness of transcription runs through the whole text.
The third group: the sūtra's brief-explanation layer of the hundred and eight samādhi agrees word for word throughout. This treatise's own sūtra brief explanation, 「云何名首楞嚴三昧？知諸三昧行處，是名首楞嚴三昧」 tr. "What is called the Śūraṃgama samādhi? Knowing the spheres of practice of all samādhi—this is called the Śūraṃgama samādhi", and T223's〔T08 0251b13〕 「知諸三昧行處，是名首楞嚴三昧」 tr. "Knowing the spheres of practice of all samādhi—this is called the Śūraṃgama samādhi" agree word for word throughout—confirming that the brief explanations of the hundred and eight samādhi in this treatise's Sūtra layer come directly from T223, an internal consistency from the hand of the same translator. T223 too, after the section on the six perfections and the eighteen emptinesses, first gives a closing sentence, 「是名菩薩摩訶薩摩訶衍」 tr. "this is called the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's Mahāyāna"〔T08 0251a07〕, and only then enters the section on the hundred and eight samādhi—so T223 itself inherently has the two-section structure 「六度十八空／百八三昧」 tr. "the six perfections and the eighteen emptinesses / the hundred and eight samādhi", which agrees with the underlying logic of this treatise's division into two units across fascicles and is not peculiar to this treatise.
The fourth group: both Treatise sections are insertions peculiar to this treatise. This chapter has two sections of treatise explanation—Treatise ①〔T25 0394b04–0396b18〕(explaining that prajñā and the Mahāyāna are one in meaning, explaining the six perfections as the substance of the vehicle, explaining the eighteen emptinesses as neither permanent nor annihilated) and Treatise ②〔T25 0398c23–0402c09〕(beginning from the explanation, re-explaining the hundred and eight samādhi one by one, the question and answer on the difference in wording between the Buddha and the treatise-author, and the closing gathering-up in which the samādhi come together)—and neither has any correspondent at all in T223: the whole extent of T223's "Asking about the Vehicle" coincides exactly with the union of this treatise's two Sūtra sections (at the place corresponding to Treatise ① it passes directly from the list of the eighteen emptinesses to the closing sentence, and at the place corresponding to Treatise ② it likewise has no treatise explanation; see the third group), and both Treatise sections fall entirely outside T223's chapter boundaries. Of the two, Treatise ② in length (including the explanation of the names of the hundred and eight samādhi one by one) is the largest single inserted section known in this treatise's explanation of the chapters of the Larger Sūtra, and Treatise ① comes next.
The fifth group: other translations consulted alongside (only cited and recorded, not commented on; the word-by-word comparison is not complete, and this is honestly recorded). In Wuluocha's Emission of Light Prajñāpāramitā T08n0221 the corresponding passage is titled 「問摩訶衍品第十九」 tr. "Chapter on Asking about the Mahāyāna, the Nineteenth"〔T08 0022c06〕; its chapter number (nineteen) differs from that of this treatise and of T223 (eighteen), and its chapter name takes both names, 「問」 tr. "asking" and 「摩訶衍」 tr. "Mahāyāna"; its renderings of the individual hundred and eight samādhi differ greatly from Kumārajīva's system, and this section has not compared them word by word. In Dharmarakṣa's Praise of Light Prajñāpāramitā T08n0222 the corresponding passage is titled 「三昧品第十六」 tr. "Chapter on Samādhi, the Sixteenth" and contains a long list of samādhi; its system of renderings belongs to the early variant translations and is entirely different from Kumārajīva's 「首楞嚴」 tr. "Śūraṃgama" and 「寶印」 tr. "Jewel Seal"; the structure corresponds, but the word-by-word comparison is not complete. In the Second Assembly of Xuanzang's Great Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra T07n0220c the corresponding passage is titled 「三摩地品第十六」 tr. "Chapter on Samādhi, the Sixteenth"; its opening question, 「何等是菩薩摩訶薩大乘相」 tr. "What is the mark of the Great Vehicle of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva?"〔T07 0072c01〕, uses the meaning-translation 「大乘相」 tr. "the mark of the Great Vehicle" to answer to 「摩訶衍」 tr. "Mahāyāna"; its sentence marking the six perfections as a whole〔T07 0072c06〕 corresponds meaning for meaning; its hundred and eight samādhi mostly use meaning-translations, and this section has not compared them one by one. For all three versions the structural correspondence is recorded and the word-by-word comparison is left incomplete, for further examination should the need arise in the future.
V. The Prajñā Eye
The eye of this chapter lies in the Mahāyāna being the substance of the Great Vehicle, while that substance is nothing other than the coming together of all kinds of wholesome dharmas—the six perfections, the eighteen emptinesses, the hundred and eight samādhi—each of which returns to the nothing-to-be-attained of prajñā.
First, the names differ but the meaning is one: to speak of the Mahāyāna is to contain prajñā. Subhūti sets aside the name prajñā and asks about the Mahāyāna; the treatise-author judges him blameless, saying 「般若波羅蜜、摩訶衍一義，但名字異」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā and the Mahāyāna are one in meaning; only the names differ"〔T25 0394b08〕. Among the six perfections prajñā is the greatest, and so 「一切助道法皆是般若波羅蜜」 tr. "all the dharmas that aid the path are prajñāpāramitā"〔T25 0394b25〕; to speak of the Mahāyāna is already to have spoken of prajñā. That the Mahāyāna is the Great Vehicle lies precisely in its containing, by prajñā, all the dharmas that aid the path.
Second, the eighteen emptinesses break the two extremes by the middle way. Each of the eighteen emptinesses says 「非常非滅故。何以故？性自爾」 tr. "because it is neither permanent nor annihilated. Why? Its nature is so of itself." The treatise-author explains the intent of this closing sentence, saying 「若人不習此空，必墮二邊，若常、若滅」 tr. "if a person does not practise this emptiness, he will surely fall into the two extremes, whether permanence or annihilation"〔T25 0396a11〕—clinging to dharmas as really existent, one falls into permanence; prizing emptiness and clinging to emptiness, one falls into annihilation; therefore 「離是二邊，以中道行是十八空，以大悲心為度眾生」 tr. "leaving these two extremes, one practises these eighteen emptinesses by the middle way, and with the mind of great compassion, for the liberation of beings"〔T25 0396a18〕. So the eighteen emptinesses do not merely break existence: they break existence without clinging to emptiness, practise emptiness without abandoning great compassion; this is why they are the meaning of prajñāpāramitā.
Third, the hundred and eight samādhi are matched with the perfection of meditation and return alike to prajñā. The treatise-author fixes the position, saying 「上以十八空釋般若波羅蜜，今以百八三昧釋禪波羅蜜」 tr. "above, the eighteen emptinesses were used to explain prajñāpāramitā; now the hundred and eight samādhi are used to explain the perfection of meditation"〔T25 0398c23〕; yet the hundred and eight samādhi of the perfection of meditation are in the end nothing other than prajñā, and at the end of the treatise it is made clear that 「是諸三昧末後，皆應言用無所得，以同般若故」 tr. "at the very end of each of these samādhi one should say 'by using nothing to be attained', because they are the same as prajñā"〔T25 0402c08〕. The treatise further sets up a question and answer to make clear the difference in wording between the Buddha and the treatise-author, saying 「佛多說果報，論者合因緣果報說」 tr. "the Buddha mostly speaks of the fruit of recompense; the treatise-author speaks of causes and conditions together with the fruit of recompense"〔T25 0402b28〕—the Buddha speaks in terms of the fruit of the samādhi, while the treatise-author explains dharmas by combining causes and conditions with the fruit of recompense; what the two layers express is one. So the six perfections, the eighteen emptinesses, the hundred and eight samādhi, and all their names and marks alike take nothing-to-be-attained as their very end and return alike to prajñā: 「如是等無量無邊三昧和合，名為摩訶衍」 tr. "the coming together of such immeasurable and boundless samādhi is called the Mahāyāna"〔T25 0402c09〕—this is where the prajñā eye of this chapter comes to rest.
VI. Divergent Readings of the Masters
Of the ancient masters who cite or explain this chapter, this section records the correspondence between what they comment on or cite and this chapter, and does not judge the interpretations of the several masters. The web of ancient masters for this chapter: Jizang's Commentary on the Larger Sūtra comments directly line by line, but its fullness is very uneven—Unit One (the eighteen emptinesses, the six perfections) has a substantive structural outline, while Unit Two (the hundred and eight samādhi) is passed over in a single sentence referring the reader to the treatise; Huiying's Commentary on the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, in its surviving fragmentary fascicles, is wanting for this chapter, and has its own forward-looking announcement proving that there should have been commentary here, now lost; Junzheng's Profound Meaning of the Four Mahāyāna Treatises is of the type that cites for doctrinal proof, and in two places draws on this chapter's opening definition and chapter name.
Jizang's Commentary on the Larger Sūtra (X24n0451) comments on this chapter in only about one page, briefer than for the preceding chapter, and its coverage of the two units is very uneven. First, both its chapter title and its table of contents at the head of the fascicle follow the name in the T223 base text. In the line-by-line commentary the chapter title is given as 「問乘品第十八」 tr. "Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle, the Eighteenth"〔X24 0246a08〕, and the table of contents at the head of the fascicle likewise lists 「莊嚴品第十七問乘品第十八」 tr. "Chapter on Adornment, the Seventeenth; Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle, the Eighteenth"〔X24 0195a21〕—throughout, Jizang calls this chapter 「問乘品」 tr. "Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle", in agreement with the title in the T223 base text, not this treatise's 「摩訶衍品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāyāna." Second, Unit One (the eighteen emptinesses) has substantive commentary. On the eighteen emptinesses Jizang distinguishes the emptiness of the object from the emptiness of cognition, in a passage saying 「金剛品空十八法名十八空」 tr. "in the Vajra chapter, the emptying of eighteen dharmas is called the eighteen emptinesses"〔X24 0247a04〕, a line-by-line commentary with content. Third, Unit Two (the hundred and eight samādhi) is passed over in a single sentence. Jizang does not comment on the hundred and eight samādhi one by one, saying only 「百八三昧，如論釋定令誦解脫也」 tr. "the hundred and eight samādhi are as the treatise explains them; it is settled that one should recite them for liberation"〔X24 0247a22〕—directing the reader to consult the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's explanation of the names one by one, while his commentary itself does not explain them one by one. Thus Jizang's coverage of this chapter has substantive commentary for Unit One and only a mention of existence for Unit Two.
Huiying's Commentary on the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa (X46n0791) has zero hits for a line-by-line commentary on this chapter, and this zero has its own internal evidence. This section searched Huiying's commentary throughout and found no container of a chapter name for a line-by-line commentary on this chapter; the only relevant hit is a forward-looking announcement. In Fascicle 17 of his commentary, annotating sūtra text that comes well before this chapter, Huiying mentions in passing the name of the hundred and eight samādhi and states plainly 「百八三昧義，至摩訶衍品當一一釋」 tr. "the meaning of the hundred and eight samādhi will be explained one by one when we reach the Chapter on the Mahāyāna"〔X46 0870a12〕—a promise to explain them one by one on reaching the Chapter on the Mahāyāna. But on checking, after the close of Fascicle 17 of Huiying's commentary〔X46 0875c19〕the next surviving fascicle jumps directly to Fascicle 21 of the commentary; Fascicles 18, 19, and 20 of the commentary (covering precisely Fascicles 46 and 47 of the treatise, in which this chapter lies) are entirely lost. Thus Huiying's promise, 「至摩訶衍品當一一釋」 tr. "will be explained one by one when we reach the Chapter on the Mahāyāna", could not be fulfilled because of the physical loss of his commentary in this range; this chapter falls wholly within the physical gap in Huiying's commentary. Recorded honestly: Huiying's line-by-line commentary on this chapter is wanting, and his forward-looking announcement is itself the internal evidence that 「此處本應有疏、今已不存」 tr. "there should have been commentary here, and it no longer survives"; we do not presume to claim that it exists, nor draft a commentary on his behalf.
Junzheng's Profound Meaning of the Four Mahāyāna Treatises (X46n0784) is a systematic doctrinal treatise, not a line-by-line commentary, and it draws on this chapter in two places, both as citations. First, it cites this chapter's opening definition as scriptural proof for its own doctrine of the 「摩訶衍法」 tr. "dharma of the Mahāyāna", raising 「非摩訶衍」 tr. "not the Mahāyāna" (the six characters below it are illegible in the base text) and explaining 「謂六波羅蜜、十八空等，即是摩訶衍法也」 tr. "that is, the six perfections, the eighteen emptinesses, and so on—these are the dharma of the Mahāyāna"〔X46 0642c03〕—directly carrying on this chapter's opening definitions, 「六波羅蜜是摩訶衍」 tr. "the six perfections are the Mahāyāna" and 「十八空是摩訶衍」 tr. "the eighteen emptinesses are the Mahāyāna." Second, it explicitly cites this chapter's name as 「問乘品」 tr. "Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle", saying 「問乘品云准當乘出者」 tr. "the Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle says: 'who shall ride out'"〔X46 0643a17〕, and it cites in abridged form one of this chapter's five opening questions (「誰當乘是乘出者」 tr. "who shall ride out on this vehicle?", which Junzheng abridges as 「准當乘出者」 tr. "who shall ride out"), as scriptural proof for his meaning of 「能乘之人」 tr. "the person who is able to ride." Thus Junzheng explicitly relies on the name 「問乘品」 tr. "Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle" of the T223 line; his drawing on the chapter is a doctrinal citation, not a line-by-line commentary; his citation is recorded without judgement.
VII. Cross-reading and Further Resonances
The bone of this chapter is twofold—the Mahāyāna takes the six perfections, the eighteen emptinesses, and the hundred and eight samādhi as its substance; and the samādhi come together and return alike to prajñā—and both are carried on by the treatise before and after and by the ancient masters.
First, the treatise's own internal cross-references. In explaining the meaning of this chapter, the treatise-author repeatedly marks what it rests on. Explaining the scope of the Mahāyāna, the treatise cites the preface of an earlier passage, saying 「如摩訶衍序中說：『從初發心乃至佛道，為佛道故集一切善法，皆名摩訶衍。』」 tr. "as is said in the preface on the Mahāyāna: 'From the first arousing of the mind up to the path of the Buddha, gathering all wholesome dharmas for the sake of the path of the Buddha—all this is called the Mahāyāna.'"〔T25 0394c17〕—linking itself to the broad sense of the Mahāyāna established in the earlier preface. Explaining the eighteen emptinesses, it links itself to the first chapter, saying 「菩薩摩訶薩欲住十八空，當學般若波羅蜜」 tr. "a bodhisattva-mahāsattva who wishes to abide in the eighteen emptinesses should train in prajñāpāramitā"〔T25 0396a08〕, making clear that the full account of the eighteen emptinesses in this chapter should be as in the first chapter; explaining the six perfections, it likewise marks 「廣說如『初品』中，一一波羅蜜皆具足」 tr. "the full account is as in the 'First Chapter': each perfection is complete in all"〔T25 0396a05〕. Thus the doctrinal framework of this chapter is linked by the treatise-author himself to the treatise's first chapter and to the preface on the Mahāyāna; the explicit statements of cross-reference are all set up by the treatise-author himself.
Second, the meaning of the substance and function of the Mahāyāna is carried on by the ancient masters. This chapter's opening definition, 「六波羅蜜、十八空是摩訶衍」 tr. "the six perfections and the eighteen emptinesses are the Mahāyāna", is carried on directly by Junzheng's Profound Meaning of the Four Mahāyāna Treatises to establish its own heading, the 「摩訶衍法」 tr. "dharma of the Mahāyāna"〔X46 0642c03〕; for the detail of this chapter's explanation of the names of the hundred and eight samādhi one by one, Jizang's Commentary on the Larger Sūtra refers the reader to it with 「如論釋定令誦解脫也」 tr. "as the treatise explains them; it is settled that one should recite them for liberation"〔X24 0247a22〕—so this chapter's explanation of the names of the hundred and eight samādhi is in turn relied on by the ancient masters. These resonances lie in the continuity of the line of meaning, and what each master takes follows his own doctrinal aim; this section records the transmission and does not fix a reading on anyone's behalf, and all the sources cited are given word for word in Sections V and VI. The loss of Huiying's commentary for this chapter (Section VI) is a break, in the surviving texts, in the chain by which this meaning was handed down, and it is honestly recorded alongside.
VIII. Witnesses and Editions
Of the collation of this chapter, those items that may bear on the meaning of the sūtra are selected as follows; 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. This chapter spans two fascicles, Fascicles 46 and 47, and has two special patterns that must first be noted—the boundary of the Palace edition's absence of the whole fascicle stops at Fascicle 46, and the two-track displacement in the Ishiyama text, chapter number minus one and fascicle number plus two—both detailed in the last paragraphs of this section.
0393b01 (chapter title · two-way mutual attestation of the transmitted texts on both sides): 大智度論釋摩訶衍品第十八【大】｜釋摩訶衍品第十八經作問乘品【明】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜品第十七摩訶衍品【石】 (Taishō: "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on the Mahāyāna, the Eighteenth"; Ming: "Commentary on the Chapter on the Mahāyāna, the Eighteenth; the sūtra has 'Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle'"; Ishiyama: "Mahāprajñāpāramitā Chapter, the Seventeenth, Chapter on the Mahāyāna")—within this treatise's line, the Taishō base text titles it 「摩訶衍品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāyāna", the Ming edition appends the note 「經作問乘品」 tr. "the sūtra has 'Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle'" (pointing directly to the title of the sūtra explained), and the Ishiyama text titles it 「摩訶般若波羅蜜品第十七摩訶衍品」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā Chapter, the Seventeenth, Chapter on the Mahāyāna" (its chapter number is recorded as 「十七」 tr. "seventeen", one less than the Taishō's eighteenth, while its title also contains 「摩訶衍品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāyāna", agreeing with the Taishō base text). This forms a two-way contrast with the chapter title of the sūtra explained, T223—the Taishō base text of T223 titles it 「問乘品第十八」 tr. "Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle, the Eighteenth"〔T08 0249c29〕, and within the container of that title the Khitan-edition note reads 「丹本名為摩訶衍品」 tr. "the Khitan edition names it 'Chapter on the Mahāyāna'" (T08 0250a01 Khitan-edition interlinear note) (pointing directly to this treatise's title). Thus the variants inside each of the two texts each point to the other's reading, forming a closed loop of two-way mutual attestation (see Section IV). The main text follows the base text's 「摩訶衍品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāyāna."
0393c21 (the emptiness of the highest meaning · nirvāṇa / nihuan · doctrinally weighted): 涅槃涅槃涅槃【大】｜泥洹空泥洹【石】 (Taishō: "nirvāṇa, nirvāṇa, nirvāṇa"; Ishiyama: "nihuan, emptiness, nihuan")—in the defining sentence of the emptiness of the highest meaning, 「第一義名涅槃。涅槃，涅槃空」 tr. "the highest meaning is called nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa: the emptiness of nirvāṇa", for 「涅槃」 tr. "nirvāṇa" the Ishiyama text has the transcription 「泥洹」 tr. "nihuan." The meaning-rendering 「涅槃」 tr. "nirvāṇa" and the transcription 「泥洹」 tr. "nihuan" are different renderings of the same word and bear on the choice of a translated name for the meaning of nirvāṇa; recorded without judgement. The main text follows the base text's 「涅槃」 tr. "nirvāṇa."
0394c02 (Śākyamuni / Śākyawen): 牟【大】｜文【石】 (Taishō: "mu"; Ishiyama: "wen")—in 「娑婆世界有佛，名釋迦牟尼」 tr. "in the Sahā world there is a Buddha named Śākyamuni", for 「牟」 tr. "mu" the Ishiyama text has 「文」 tr. "wen" (Śākyawen, a variant short transcription of the Buddha's name); this is a common type of variant, recorded without judgement. The main text follows the base text's 「牟」 tr. "mu."
0396b21 (the opening title of Fascicle 47 · proof that the Palace edition survives): 大智度論釋摩訶衍品第十八之餘【大】｜十八品中百八三昧【宮】 (Taishō: "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on the Mahāyāna, the Eighteenth, the Remainder"; Palace: "the hundred and eight samādhi in the eighteenth chapter")—the opening title of Unit Two (Fascicle 47): the Taishō edition titles it 「釋摩訶衍品第十八之餘」 tr. "Commentary on the Chapter on the Mahāyāna, the Eighteenth, the Remainder", while the Palace edition simply has 「十八品中百八三昧」 tr. "the hundred and eight samādhi in the eighteenth chapter" (not following the name 「摩訶衍」 tr. "Mahāyāna", but marking the theme of this unit as 「百八三昧」 tr. "the hundred and eight samādhi"). This collation note is direct evidence that the Palace edition survives for Fascicle 47, in contrast with the Palace edition's absence for the whole of Fascicle 46 (see the last paragraphs of this section). The main text follows the base text.
0397b01 (Gathering the Ocean of All Dharmas / ocean seal · the sūtra's own brief-explanation layer): 海【大】｜海印【石】 (Taishō: "ocean"; Ishiyama: "ocean seal")—in the samādhi 「攝諸法海三昧」 tr. "the samādhi of Gathering the Ocean of All Dharmas" among the hundred and eight, for 「海」 tr. "ocean" the Ishiyama text has 「海印」 tr. "ocean seal." This variant appears in two places, the sūtra's own brief-explanation layer〔0397b01〕 and the treatise-explanation layer〔0399c02〕 (the list-of-names layer〔0396c03〕 has no such collation note at that point); the treatise-explanation layer repeats the same variant (see below). Recorded without judgement. The main text follows the base text's 「海」 tr. "ocean."
0398a10 (Free of Dimness · two graphs for "dim" · graph form): 曚【CB】【宋】【元】【明】【聖】【石】｜矇【大】 (CBETA with the Song, Yuan, Ming, Shōgozō, and Ishiyama texts: one graph for "dim"; Taishō: the other graph)—in 「離曚昧三昧」 tr. "the samādhi Free of Dimness", for 「曚」 tr. "dim" the Taishō edition originally has 「矇」 tr. "dim (the variant graph)", and CBETA, on the basis of the Song, Yuan, Ming, Shōgozō, and Ishiyama texts, corrects it to 「曚」 tr. "dim." This is a variant of graph form; the reader-facing main text follows the CBETA established text in reading 「曚」 tr. "dim", and records that the Taishō edition originally has 「矇」 tr. "dim (the variant graph)."
0399c02 (Gathering the Ocean of All Dharmas / ocean seal · recurring in the treatise-explanation layer): 海【大】｜海印【石】 (Taishō: "ocean"; Ishiyama: "ocean seal")—in the passage of the treatise's twenty-first explanation, on 「攝諸法海三昧」 tr. "the samādhi of Gathering the Ocean of All Dharmas", for 「海」 tr. "ocean" the Ishiyama text again has 「海印」 tr. "ocean seal", the same variant as in the sūtra's own brief-explanation layer〔0397b01〕; the two places agree. Recorded without judgement. The main text follows the base text's 「海」 tr. "ocean."
Three cases of inconsistency in the names between the sūtra's list-of-names layer and the treatise-explanation layer (not variants between transmitted texts, but differences of wording between the sūtra and treatise layers of this treatise, T25n1509, itself; collated word for word; recorded without presuming to emend): First, the sixty-third of the hundred and eight samādhi is 「無種相三昧」 tr. "the samādhi Without Kinds of Marks" in the sūtra's list of names and brief-explanation layer〔T25 0398a06〕, and 「無種三昧」 tr. "the samādhi Without Kinds" in the treatise-explanation layer〔T25 0401a09〕; the treatise lacks the character 「相」 tr. "marks." Second, the seventy-first is 「妙淨華三昧」 tr. "the samādhi of the Wondrous Pure Flower" in the sūtra's list-of-names layer, and 「淨妙華三昧」 tr. "the samādhi of the Pure Wondrous Flower" in the sūtra's brief-explanation layer and the treatise-explanation layer〔T25 0401a23〕; the characters are in reversed order (the list of names reverses the order once, while the brief-explanation and treatise-explanation layers agree in reading 「淨妙華」 tr. "Pure Wondrous Flower"; at this position in the list of names there is also a variant in the four editions, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Palace—see the working base text). Third, the hundred and first is 「能照一切世三昧」 tr. "the samādhi Able to Illuminate the Whole World" in the sūtra's list-of-names layer〔T25 0396c26〕, and 「能照一切世間三昧」 tr. "the samādhi Able to Illuminate the Whole Realm of the World" in the treatise-explanation layer〔T25 0402a22〕; the treatise has an additional character, 「間」 tr. "realm." All three cases are differences of wording between the sūtra and treatise layers of this treatise itself—not search errors and not variants between texts; they are recorded to preserve the facts, and not emended.
The two special patterns of this chapter across fascicles are recorded together as follows. First, the boundary of the Palace edition's absence of the whole fascicle stops at Fascicle 46. The collation notes of the whole of Unit One (Fascicle 46) have been checked exhaustively one by one, and not one lists the Palace edition as a witness; that is, for the whole of Fascicle 46 (including the preceding "Riding the Vehicle" and "Neither Bound nor Freed" and the first half of this chapter) a manuscript of the Palace edition is wanting. The note appended to the chapter title of "Riding the Vehicle" at the opening of Fascicle 46 already makes clear 「此卷宮本缺」 tr. "this fascicle is missing in the Palace edition"; this chapter is not at the head of the fascicle and its title does not declare this again, but the item-by-item check supports that the Palace edition is wholly missing for the first half of this chapter too. In Unit Two (Fascicle 47), by contrast, the Palace edition survives and can be collated item by item; its opening title has the Palace-edition variant 「十八品中百八三昧」 tr. "the hundred and eight samādhi in the eighteenth chapter"〔note0396011〕, and many of the collation notes throughout Fascicle 47 list Palace-edition variants. Thus the Palace edition's gap stops at Fascicle 46 (the first half of this chapter), while for Fascicle 47 (the second half of this chapter) the Palace edition survives—because this chapter crosses fascicles, exactly half of it falls within the range of the Palace gap and half does not; this boundary must be clearly recorded and must not be mistaken for a Palace gap covering the whole chapter. Second, the two-track displacement in the Ishiyama text, chapter number minus one and fascicle number plus two. At this chapter's title the Ishiyama text itself reports 「摩訶般若波羅蜜品第十七摩訶衍品」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā Chapter, the Seventeenth, Chapter on the Mahāyāna"〔0393b01〕, recording the chapter number as 「十七」 tr. "seventeen", one less than the Taishō's eighteenth; at the title of the next chapter, Chapter 19, "The Four Foundations of Mindfulness", the Ishiyama text again reports 「摩訶般若波羅蜜品第十八四念處品」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā Chapter, the Eighteenth, Chapter on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness" (T25 0402c14 Ishiyama-text note at the end of the chapter), recording the chapter number as 「十八」 tr. "eighteen", one less than the Taishō's nineteenth—the displacement of chapter number minus one is mutually attested at two places, before and after this chapter. The fascicle number, conversely, is displaced plus two: in the closing inscription of Fascicle 46, 「大智度論卷第四十六」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Fascicle Forty-six", for the last character the Ishiyama text has 「八」 tr. "eight"〔T25 0396b18〕, that is, Fascicle 48; in the closing inscription of Fascicle 47, for the last character the Ishiyama text has 「九」 tr. "nine"〔T25 0402c11〕, that is, Fascicle 49—the displacement of fascicle number plus two is confirmed once at the close of each of the two fascicles. The two tracks, chapter number minus one and fascicle number plus two, stand side by side, in opposite directions and of different magnitudes; this section honestly preserves both, and does not force them to reduce to a single displacement.
Of the collation notes of this whole chapter, apart from the notes on the chapter title and the doctrinally weighted items listed above, all the remaining items are technical variants—the addition or omission of particles, loan graphs of the same sound or similar form, added particles, or differences in the fullness of transcription, and the like (such as the variant, at the thirty-third of the hundred and eight samādhi, 「堅淨諸三昧三昧」 tr. "the samādhi of Firmly Purifying All Samādhi", between a single and a doubled 「三昧」 tr. "samādhi"〔T25 0399c29〕, where the readings of the editions cannot be fully reconciled; it is placed in this technical category and recorded). Collated item by item, none shows a change at the doctrinal level, so they are not set out one by one, and are passed over only statistically.
The base text of this chapter is the second chapter of Fascicle 46 and the head chapter of Fascicle 47 of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa〔T25 0393b01–0402c14〕; the end point of the range is taken at the opening title of the next chapter, Chapter 19, "The Four Foundations of Mindfulness" (T25 0402c14), which is not included. The collation text for the sūtra explained is Chapter 18, "Asking about the Vehicle", of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra (T08n0223 · the Taishō base text reads the chapter title as 「問乘品」 tr. "Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle", and the Khitan edition notes 「摩訶衍品」 tr. "Chapter on the Mahāyāna"). The other translations consulted alongside are Wuluocha's Emission of Light Prajñāpāramitā (T08n0221 · 「問摩訶衍品第十九」 tr. "Chapter on Asking about the Mahāyāna, the Nineteenth"), Dharmarakṣa's Praise of Light Prajñāpāramitā (T08n0222 · 「三昧品第十六」 tr. "Chapter on Samādhi, the Sixteenth"), and the Second Assembly of Xuanzang's Great Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (T07n0220c · 「三摩地品第十六」 tr. "Chapter on Samādhi, the Sixteenth" · the meaning-translation 「大乘相」 tr. "the mark of the Great Vehicle"), all only cited and recorded, not commented on, with the word-by-word comparison incomplete. The collation text for the ancient-master commentary is Jizang's Commentary on the Larger Sūtra (X24n0451 · Unit One has a substantive structural outline, Unit Two is passed over in a single sentence, following the name 「問乘品」 tr. "Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle"); there are also Huiying's Commentary on the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa (X46n0791 · its line-by-line commentary on this chapter is lost in the gap in the fragmentary fascicles, with a forward-looking announcement as internal evidence) and Junzheng's Profound Meaning of the Four Mahāyāna Treatises (X46n0784 · citing in two places this chapter's opening definition and the name 「問乘品」 tr. "Chapter on Asking about the Vehicle"). 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 full collation notes for this chapter are kept in 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 to judgements of the relative merit of the editions.