大智度論 阿難稱譽品Dazhidulun — Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa · Ānanda's Praise
阿難稱譽品：阿難問佛何以獨稱譽般若，佛答般若於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法為尊導，餘度依般若得名、如種子依地得生；帝釋述受持般若功德、佛廣顯今世後世諸利，論主以問答九番、大地寶珠等喻，釋般若為諸佛之母、供養般若勝供養十方諸佛而非不敬佛（經＋論）
這一品是從阿難的一個疑問講起的。他聽佛講般若，聽了許久，忍不住問出一句心裡的話：世尊為什麼總是獨獨稱譽般若波羅蜜，卻不稱譽布施、持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定這其餘五度，乃至十八不共法？佛沒有直接誇般若，反問他一句：不迴向薩婆若——不把布施迴向那一切智——這樣的布施，還能叫作「檀波羅蜜」嗎？阿難答：「不也，世尊。」持戒乃至智慧也是一樣，不迴向薩婆若，就都不成其為「波羅蜜」。佛這才點破：正因為般若能令這五事都成為波羅蜜，「般若波羅蜜於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法為尊導」，所以獨受稱譽。導引在前、諸度隨後——這「尊導」二字，是這一品的綱。
那麼這「迴向薩婆若」又憑什麼？佛答得更深：憑「不二」。布施要以「無二法」、以「不生、不可得」迴向薩婆若，才叫檀波羅蜜；而所謂不二者，是「色，色相空」——檀波羅蜜與色，不二不別，乃至阿耨多羅三藐三菩提與檀波羅蜜，也不二不別。諸法相空、彼此不二，般若之為尊導，正立在這畢竟空、不二不別的地基上。佛還打了個最樸素的比方：像大地，把種子撒在裡面，因緣和合便生出萬物來；五波羅蜜也一樣，都是依著般若這片大地而生。離了這片地，種子無處著落——這就是般若為什麼是尊導。
接著帝釋起而讚歎，說佛講受持般若的功德還沒講盡呢。佛便告訴他：受持般若、不離薩婆若心的人，成就的是無量的戒眾、定眾、慧眾、解脫眾、解脫知見眾——這五分法身一旦成就，「當知是人為如佛」。聲聞、辟支佛的五眾，比起這樣一位善男子善女人，「百分、千分、千億萬分乃至算數譬喻所不能及」。到論主釋這一段，又替我們把幾個疑點一一問透：佛從頭到尾都在說六波羅蜜的名字，怎麼能說「不稱說」呢？答：說名字不是為了稱美，都是為了引人入般若。一切有為法裡智慧第一，就像走遠路，同伴雖多，領路的導師最要緊；若沒有般若，縱行布施等善法，隨業受報、果報終有窮盡，連小乘涅槃都到不了，何況無上道。又問：帝釋憑什麼說功德未盡？答：般若本就無量無邊，加上前品外道梵志、惡魔來擾，話說到中途岔開了，如今還想接著聽——不是佛藏了什麼，是這功德本說不盡。
論主還替我們算了一筆最實在的帳。有人問：今世後世的功德這樣深重，而書寫、受持、供養般若不過是輕微的事相，怎麼一件小事能換來兩世的大功德？答：供養有兩種，一種是隨他人而供的「効他供養」，一種是真知般若功德、一心信受的「深心供養」；得二世功德的，是那份「深心」，不在事相的厚薄。就像如意寶珠，本是無心無識的無記色法，有人供養尚且能隨意所得，何況般若是無上智慧、是諸佛之母、是諸法寶中的第一寶——一心供養它，哪有不得二世功德的道理？隨後經文更細細鋪陳今世的種種相：讀誦說般若時，無量百千諸天都來聽法、暗中給說法人添膽力；在四部大眾中說法，心裡不怯、無人能難得倒；書持經卷的地方，三千大千乃至十方的諸天都來見般若、供養禮拜。人怎麼知道天來了？佛說：見到大淨光明、聞到異妙香，就知有大德諸天來；他們一來，那些小鬼便待不住，即時退去。這樣的人臥也安、覺也安，夢裡儘是諸佛的三十二相、八十隨形好——這一切功德加起來，勝過供養十方諸佛、為他們起七寶塔。
而全品真正收束的一著，在最後那個看似冒犯、實則最深的問答上。有人問：般若明明就在佛的身中，供養一尊佛就等於供養了般若，怎麼還說「供養十方佛，不如供養般若波羅蜜」？論主答得極穩：供養在於那顆心。你若供養佛，難免「取人相」——取了一個佛的形相；可人相畢竟不可得，一取相，福田雖大而功德反倒薄少。供養般若的人，如所聞般若那樣，不取人相、也不取法相，正因這顆不取相的心，福德才大。何以般若當得這樣的供養？因為「般若波羅蜜，是一切十方諸佛母，亦是諸佛師」——諸佛那三十二相、八十隨形好、無量光明、神通變化，無一不是般若波羅蜜的力量所成。所以供養般若勝過供養十方諸佛，卻並不是不敬佛——恰恰相反，敬那生佛、教佛的母與師，正是最深的敬佛。這一句「非不敬佛」收住全品，也把開篇「般若為尊導」四字，首尾扣成了一環。
This chapter begins from a question of Ānanda's. He has listened to the Buddha teach prajñā for a long while, and cannot help asking what is on his mind: why does the World-Honored One always praise prajñāpāramitā alone, and not praise the other five perfections, giving, morality, patience, vigour, and meditation, and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas? The Buddha does not directly extol prajñā but asks him back: giving that is not dedicated to sarvajñā, that does not dedicate the gift to omniscience, can such giving still be called ‘dānapāramitā’? Ānanda answers: ‘No, World-Honored One.’ Morality and so on up to wisdom are the same: not dedicated to sarvajñā, none of them counts as a ‘pāramitā’. Only then does the Buddha make it plain: precisely because prajñā can make these five all become pāramitā, ‘prajñāpāramitā is the honoured guide of the five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas’, and so it alone receives praise. Guiding in front, the perfections following behind: these words, ‘honoured guide’, are the thread of this chapter.
Then on what does this ‘dedication to sarvajñā’ rest? The Buddha answers more deeply: on ‘non-duality’. Giving must be dedicated to sarvajñā by ‘the dharma of non-duality’, by ‘non-arising and unfindability’, before it is called dānapāramitā; and what is meant by non-dual is that ‘form is empty of the mark of form’: dānapāramitā and form are not two and not different, and so on up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi and dānapāramitā, which are also not two and not different. The marks of dharmas are empty and dharmas are not two with one another; that prajñā is the honoured guide stands exactly on this ground of ultimate emptiness, not two and not different. The Buddha also gives the plainest of comparisons: like the great earth, into which seeds are sown, and when causes and conditions come together the ten thousand things are born from it; the five perfections are the same, all born in dependence on this great earth of prajñā. Apart from this earth the seeds have nowhere to settle; this is why prajñā is the honoured guide.
Next Śakra rises and praises, saying that the Buddha has not yet finished telling the merits of receiving and upholding prajñā. The Buddha then tells him: the person who receives and upholds prajñā and does not part from the mind of sarvajñā accomplishes immeasurable aggregates of morality, aggregates of concentration, aggregates of wisdom, aggregates of liberation, and aggregates of the knowledge and vision of liberation; once these five aggregates of the Dharma body are accomplished, ‘know that this person is as a Buddha’. The five aggregates of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, set beside such a good man or good woman, ‘do not reach them by a hundredth, a thousandth, a thousand koṭi ten-thousandth part, nor by any calculation or simile’. When the treatise-author explains this passage, he again asks through several points of doubt for us one by one: the Buddha from beginning to end has been speaking the names of the six perfections; how can it be said that he ‘does not praise’ them? Answer: speaking their names is not in order to extol them; it is all in order to lead people into prajñā. Among all conditioned dharmas wisdom is foremost, just as on a long journey, however many the companions, the guide who leads the way matters most; without prajñā, even if one practises giving and the other wholesome dharmas, one receives one's result according to one's karma, and the result is at last exhausted; one cannot even reach the nirvāṇa of the Small Vehicle, let alone the unsurpassed path. Again it is asked: on what ground does Śakra say the merits have not been told to the end? Answer: prajñā is by its nature immeasurable and boundless, and moreover in the previous chapter the brahmin ascetics of the outsiders' paths and the evil Māra came to disturb, and the discourse was broken off midway, and now he wishes to go on hearing; it is not that the Buddha held anything back, but that these merits can never be told to the end.
The treatise-author also reckons for us the most concrete of accounts. Someone asks: the merits in this life and the next are so deep and weighty, while writing out, receiving and upholding, and making offerings to prajñā are but slight matters of outward form; how can so small a thing be exchanged for the great merits of two lives? Answer: offerings are of two kinds, one the ‘offering in imitation of others’ made by following others, the other the ‘offering from a deep mind’ made by one who truly knows the merits of prajñā and receives it in faith with a single mind; what gains the merits of two lives is that ‘deep mind’, not the thickness or thinness of the outward form. It is like the wish-fulfilling jewel, which is by its nature an indeterminate form-dharma without mind and without consciousness, and yet if someone makes offerings to it he can still obtain whatever he wishes; how much more prajñā, which is unsurpassed wisdom, the mother of the buddhas, the foremost jewel among all the jewels of the Dharma; making offerings to it with a single mind, how could one fail to gain the merits of two lives? Then the sūtra sets out in still finer detail the many marks of this present life: when one reads, recites, and expounds prajñā, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of gods come to hear the Dharma and secretly lend the teacher courage; when one teaches the Dharma amid the fourfold assembly, one's mind is not timid and no one can pose a question that defeats one; where the scroll is written out and upheld, the gods of the three-thousand great-thousand world and even of the ten directions come to see prajñā, make offerings, and pay homage. How does a person know the gods have come? The Buddha says: when one sees a great pure light and smells a strange and wondrous fragrance, one knows that gods of great virtue have come; once they come, the petty ghosts cannot stay and at once withdraw. Such a person lies down at ease and wakes at ease, and in his dreams there are only the thirty-two marks and eighty minor marks of the buddhas; and all these merits added together surpass making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions and raising stūpas of the seven jewels for them.
And the move that truly gathers up the whole chapter lies in the final question and answer, which seems an affront and is in truth the deepest. Someone asks: prajñā is plainly right there in the Buddha's body, and to make offerings to one Buddha is to have made offerings to prajñā; how then can it be said that ‘making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions does not equal making offerings to prajñāpāramitā’? The treatise-author answers with utter steadiness: offering lies in that mind. If you make offerings to a Buddha, you can hardly avoid ‘grasping the mark of a person’, grasping a form of a Buddha; but the mark of a person is ultimately unfindable, and once a mark is grasped, though the field of merit is great, the merit is on the contrary thin and small. The person who makes offerings to prajñā, in accord with the prajñā he has heard, grasps neither the mark of a person nor the mark of a dharma, and it is precisely because of this mind that grasps no mark that the merit is great. Why does prajñā deserve such offerings? Because ‘prajñāpāramitā is the mother of all the buddhas of the ten directions and is also the teacher of the buddhas’: the thirty-two marks and eighty minor marks of the buddhas, their immeasurable light, their supernormal powers and transformations, not one of these is not accomplished by the power of prajñāpāramitā. So making offerings to prajñā surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions, and yet this is not a failure to revere the Buddha; on the contrary, to revere the mother and teacher who gives birth to the buddhas and teaches the buddhas is the deepest reverence for the Buddha. This sentence, ‘it is not that one does not revere the Buddha’, closes the whole chapter, and links the words with which it opened, ‘prajñā is the honoured guide’, end to end into a single ring.
卷58 〔T25 0471b17〕
大智度論釋阿難稱譽品第三十六 【經】 爾時，慧命阿難白佛言：「世尊！何以故不稱譽檀波羅蜜、尸羅波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、禪波羅蜜乃至十八不共法，但稱譽般若波羅蜜？」 佛告阿難：「般若波羅蜜於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法為尊導！阿難！於汝意云何？不迴向薩婆若，布施得稱檀波羅蜜不？」 「不也！世尊！」 「不迴向薩婆若，尸羅、羼提、毘梨耶、禪，智慧是般若波羅蜜不？」 「不也！世尊！」 「以是故知般若波羅蜜於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法為尊導，是故稱譽。」 阿難白佛言：「世尊！云何布施迴向薩婆若作檀波羅蜜，乃至作般若波羅蜜？」 佛告阿難：「以無二法布施〔T25 0471c〕迴向薩婆若，是名檀波羅蜜；以不生、不可得迴向薩婆若布施，是名檀波羅蜜。乃至以無二法智慧迴向薩婆若，是名般若波羅蜜；以不生、不可得迴向薩婆若智慧，是名般若波羅蜜。」 阿難白佛言：「世尊！云何以不二法迴向薩婆若布施是名檀波羅蜜，乃至以不二法迴向薩婆若智慧是名般若波羅蜜？」 佛告阿難：「以色不二法故，受、想、行、識不二法故，乃至阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不二法故。」 「世尊！云何色不二法，乃至阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不二法？」 佛言：「色，色相空。何以故？檀波羅蜜、色，不二不別；乃至阿耨多羅三藐三菩提、檀波羅蜜，不二不別。五波羅蜜亦如是。以是故，阿難！但稱譽般若波羅蜜，於五波羅蜜乃至一切種智為尊導！阿難！譬如地，以種散中，得因緣和合故便生，是諸種子依地而生。如是，阿難！五波羅蜜依般若波羅蜜得生，四念處乃至一切種智亦依般若波羅蜜得生。以是故，阿難！般若波羅蜜為五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法尊導！」 爾時，釋提桓因白佛言：「世尊！佛說善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念者，功德未盡。何以故？受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，則受三世諸佛無上道。所以者何？欲得薩婆若，當從般若波羅蜜中求；欲得般若波羅蜜，當從薩婆若中求。世尊！受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念故，十善道現於世間，四禪、四無量心、四無色定乃至十八不共法現於世間。受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念故，世間便有剎利大姓、婆羅門大姓、居士大〔T25 0472a〕家、四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒諸天。受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念故，便有須陀洹乃至阿羅漢、辟支佛、菩薩摩訶薩。受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念故，諸佛出於世間。」 爾時，佛告釋提桓因：「憍尸迦！善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，我不說但有爾所功德。何以故？憍尸迦！是善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，不離薩婆若心，無量戒眾成就，定眾、慧眾、解脫眾、解脫知見眾成就。復次，憍尸迦！是善男子、善女人能受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，不離薩婆若心，當知是人為如佛。復次，憍尸迦！一切聲聞、辟支佛所有戒眾、定眾、慧眾、解脫眾、解脫知見眾不及是善男子、善女人戒眾乃至解脫知見眾，百分、千分、千億萬分乃至算數譬喻所不能及！何以故？是善男子、善女人於聲聞、辟支佛地中心得解脫，更不求大乘法故。復次，憍尸迦！若有善男子、善女人書持般若波羅蜜經卷，供養、恭敬、尊重，華香、瓔珞乃至伎樂，亦得今世、後世功德。」 爾時，釋提桓因白佛言：「世尊！是善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，不離薩婆若心，供養般若波羅蜜，恭敬、尊重，華香乃至伎樂，我常當守護是人！」 【論】 釋曰： 阿難雖多聞，力能分別空，而未離欲故，不能深入；雖常侍佛，不數問難空事。今佛讚歎般若波羅蜜，亦讚歎行者，是故阿難白佛言：「世尊！何以不稱歎餘波羅蜜及諸法，而獨稱歎般若波羅蜜？」 問曰： 佛從初以來常說六波羅蜜名，今阿難何以言〔T25 0472b〕「不稱說」？ 答曰： 雖說名字，不為稱美，皆為入般若中故說。 佛語阿難：「一切有為法中，智慧第一；一切智慧中，度彼岸般若波羅蜜第一。」譬如行路，雖有眾伴，導師第一；般若亦如是，雖一切善法各各有力，般若波羅蜜能示導出三界、到三乘。若無般若波羅蜜，雖行布施等善法，隨受業行，果報有盡；以有盡故，尚不能得小乘涅槃，何況無上道！ 若布施等善法，能觀如佛道相不二、不生不滅、不得不失、畢竟空寂，是名「迴向薩婆若」。是布施福，世世常受果報而不盡，後當得一切種智。如布施，一切法亦如是相。 問曰： 佛何以不答不二因緣，還以「不二」解？ 答曰： 阿難不問不二因緣，但問「何法不二」，是故佛答：「色等諸法不二故。」 般若波羅蜜能令五事等作波羅蜜故，但稱譽般若波羅蜜。 佛欲令是義了了易解故作是喻譬：「如大地能生萬物，般若波羅蜜亦如是。」 「能持一切善法種子」者，從發心來，除般若波羅蜜，餘一切善法。是「因緣和合」者，是佛道中，一心、信、忍、精進不休不息、欲、受、通達、不壞，有如是等法。事得成辦者，是增長者從發心起學諸波羅蜜，從一地至一地，乃至佛地是。 問曰： 帝釋何以故言「佛說行者受持般若功德未盡」？ 答曰： 般若波羅蜜無量無邊，功德亦無量無邊。說未究竟，中間外道梵志及魔來故，傍及異事，今還欲續聞。帝釋深愛福德果報，樂聞般若功德，聽無厭足。 今更欲聞說，故自說因緣：「世尊！〔T25 0472c〕若人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，則受三世諸佛無上道功德智慧。所以者何？般若中應求一切種智，一切種智中應求般若。」如上品末說。 行者若受持般若波羅蜜，發心求阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，為度眾生故，集般若波羅蜜等諸功德，所謂十善道乃至十八不共法，現於世間。是善法因緣故，有剎利大姓，乃至諸佛。 佛告天帝：「是人不但得如上功德，亦得無量戒眾等功德。」 戒眾者，是菩薩行般若波羅蜜，於一切眾生中修畢竟無畏施。眾生十方中數無量無邊，三世中數亦無量無邊，六道、四生種類各各相亦無量無邊；於此無量無邊眾生中，施第一所愛樂物，所謂壽命，是故得無量戒眾果報。如是不殺等戒，但說名字，則二百五十。毘尼中，略說則八萬四千，廣說則無量無邊。是戒，凡夫人或一日受，或一世，或百千萬世；菩薩世世於一切眾生中施無畏，乃至入無餘涅槃，是名無量戒眾。乃至解脫知見眾，亦如是隨義分別。 是五眾功德，勝於二乘，不可計量。 若人書寫、供養般若波羅蜜，得今世、後世功德。 問曰： 今世、後世功德深重，書、持、供養輕微，云何得二世功德？ 答曰： 供養有二種：一者、効他供養，二者、深心供養。知般若功德，深心供養故，得二世功德。是般若有種種門入，若聞持乃至正憶念者，智慧、精進門入；書寫、供養者，信及精進門入。若一心深信，則供養經卷勝；若不一心，雖受持而不如。 復次，有如如意寶珠，是〔T25 0473a〕無記色法，無心、無識，以眾生福德因緣故生，有人供養者，能令人隨意所得；何況般若波羅蜜是無上智慧、諸佛之母，諸法寶中是第一寶，若人如所聞一心信受供養，云何不得二世功德？但人不一心供養，又先世重罪故，雖供養般若而不得如上功德，般若無咎。 【經】 佛告釋提桓因：「憍尸迦！是善男子、善女人欲讀、誦、說般若波羅蜜時，無量百千諸天皆來聽法。是善男子、善女人說般若波羅蜜法，諸天子益其膽力。是諸法師若疲極，不欲說法，諸天益其膽力故，便更能說。善男子、善女人受持是般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，供養華香乃至伎樂故，亦得是今世功德。 「復次，憍尸迦！是善男子、善女人於四部眾中說般若波羅蜜時，心無怯弱；若有論難，亦無畏想。何以故？是善男子、善女人為般若波羅蜜所護持故。般若波羅蜜中亦分別一切法：若世間、若出世間，若有漏、若無漏，若善、若不善，若有為、若無為，若聲聞法、若辟支佛法、若菩薩法、若佛法。善男子、善女人住內空乃至住無法有法空故，不見有能難般若波羅蜜者，亦不見受難者，亦不見般若波羅蜜。如是，善男子、善女人為般若波羅蜜所護持故，無有能難壞者。 「復次，善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念時，不沒、不畏、不怖。何以故？是善男子、善女人不見是法沒者、恐怖者。憍尸迦！善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，華香供養乃至幡蓋，亦得是今世功〔T25 0473b〕德。 「復次，憍尸迦！善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜，乃至正憶念，書持經卷，華香供養乃至幡蓋，是人為父母所愛，宗親知識所念，諸沙門、婆羅門所敬，十方諸佛及菩薩摩訶薩、辟支佛、阿羅漢乃至須陀洹所愛敬，一切世間若天、若魔、若梵及阿修羅等皆亦愛敬。是人行檀波羅蜜，檀波羅蜜無有斷絕時；尸羅波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、禪波羅蜜、般若波羅蜜亦無有斷絕時；修內空不斷，乃至修無法有法空不斷；修四念處不斷，乃至修十八不共法不斷；修諸三昧門不斷，修諸陀羅尼門不斷；諸菩薩神通不斷，成就眾生、淨佛世界不斷，乃至修一切種智不斷。是人亦能降伏難論毀謗。善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，不離薩婆若心，書持經卷，華香供養乃至幡蓋，亦得是今世、後世功德。 「復次，憍尸迦！善男子、善女人書持經卷，在所住處，三千大千世界中所有諸四天王天發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心者，皆來到是處，見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜還去。三十三天、夜摩天、兜率陀天、化樂天、他化自在天，梵眾天、梵輔天、梵會天、大梵天，光天、少光天、無量光天、光音天，淨天、少淨天、無量淨天、遍淨天，無蔭行天、福德天、廣果天發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心者，皆來到是處，見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜還去。淨居諸天，所謂無誑天、無熱天、妙見天、憙見天、色究竟天，皆來到是處，見是般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜還去。復次，憍尸迦！十方世〔T25 0473c〕界中諸四天王天乃至廣果天發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，及淨居天，并餘諸天、龍、鬼神、揵闥婆、阿修羅，迦樓羅、緊那羅、摩睺羅伽，亦來見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜還去。是善男子、善女人應作是念：『十方世界中諸四天王天乃至廣果天發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，及淨居天并餘諸天、龍、鬼神、揵闥婆、阿修羅、迦樓羅、緊那羅、摩睺羅伽，來見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜，我則法施已。』憍尸迦！三千大千世界中所有諸四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒天，乃至十方世界中諸四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒天發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心者，護持是善男子、善女人，諸惡不能得便，除其宿命重罪。憍尸迦！是善男子、善女人亦得是今世功德，所謂諸天子發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，皆來到是處。何以故？憍尸迦！諸天子發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，欲救護一切眾生、不捨一切眾生、安樂一切眾生故。」 爾時，釋提桓因白佛言：「世尊！善男子、善女人，云何當知諸四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒天來，及十方世界中諸四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒天來見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜時？」 佛告釋提桓因：「憍尸迦！若善男子、善女人見大淨光明，必知有大德諸天來，見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜時。 「復次，憍尸迦！若善男子、善女人若聞異妙香，必知有大德諸天來，見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜時。 「復次，憍尸迦！善男子、善女人，行淨潔故，諸天來到其處，見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、歡喜、〔T25 0474a〕禮拜。是中有小鬼輩即時出去，不能堪任是大德諸天威德故。以是大德諸天來故，是善男子、善女人生大心。以是故，般若波羅蜜所住處，四面不應有諸不淨，應然燈、燒香，散眾名華，眾香塗地，眾蓋幢幡種種嚴飾。 「復次，憍尸迦！善男子、善女人說法時，終無疲極，自覺身輕、心樂，隨法偃息，臥覺安隱，無諸惡夢。夢中見諸佛三十二相、八十隨形好；比丘僧恭敬圍遶而為說法，在諸佛邊聽受法教，所謂六波羅蜜，四念處乃至十八不共法；分別六波羅蜜義，四念處乃至十八不共法，亦分別其義。亦見菩提樹莊嚴殊妙；見諸菩薩趣菩提樹，得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；見諸佛成已轉法輪；見百千萬菩薩共集法論義，應如是求薩婆若，應如是成就眾生，應如是淨佛世界；亦見十方無數百千萬億諸佛，亦聞其名號，某方某界某佛，若干百千萬菩薩、若干百千萬聲聞恭敬圍繞說法；復見十方無數百千萬億諸佛般涅槃；復見無數百千萬億諸佛七寶塔；見供養諸佛塔，恭敬、尊重、讚歎，華香乃至幢蓋。 「憍尸迦！是善男子、善女人見如是善夢，臥安覺安；諸天益其氣力，自覺身體輕便，不大貪著飲食、衣服、臥具、湯藥，於此四供養，其心輕微；譬如比丘坐禪，從禪定起，心與定合，不貪著飲食，其心輕微。何以故？憍尸迦！諸天法應以諸味之精，益其氣力故。十方諸佛及天、龍、鬼、神、阿修羅、揵闥婆、迦樓羅、緊那羅、摩睺羅伽亦益其氣力。 「如是，憍尸迦！善男〔T25 0474b〕子、善女人欲得今世如是功德，應當受持般若波羅蜜，親近、讀、誦、說、正憶念，亦不離薩婆若心。憍尸迦！善男子、善女人雖不能受持乃至正憶念，應當書持經卷，恭敬、供養、尊重、讚歎，華香、瓔珞乃至幡蓋。憍尸迦！若善男子、善女人聞是般若波羅蜜，受持、讀、誦、說、正憶念、書經卷，恭敬、供養、尊重、讚歎，華香乃至幢蓋。是善男子、善女人功德甚多，勝於供養十方諸佛及弟子，恭敬、尊重、讚歎，衣服、飲食、臥具、湯藥；諸佛及弟子般涅槃後，起七寶塔，恭敬、供養、尊重、讚歎，華香乃至幢蓋。」 【論】 問曰： 天上自有般若，何以來至說法人所益其膽力？ 答曰： 天上雖有般若，諸天憐愍眾生故來；天來惡鬼遠去，益法師膽力，令其樂說。又使眾生益加信敬，以是故來。 有人言：天甘露味，微細沾洽，能入孔孔，使善男子四大諸情柔軟輕利，樂有所說。 問曰： 一切說般若者皆得諸天甘露味，令其樂說不？ 答曰： 不也！若有行者一心求佛道，折伏結使，衣服淨潔，所說法處清淨，華、香、幡、蓋，香水灑地，無諸不淨；是故諸天歡喜，亦利益諸聽法者。 說法者雖不多讀內外經書，深入般若波羅蜜義故，心不怯弱，不沒、不畏、不恐。 何以故？般若波羅蜜中無有定法可執、可難、可破故。 復次，是般若波羅蜜中，亦分別說諸法：世間出世間、常無常、善不善等，無法不有。以備有諸法故，不怯、不畏；若但有一法，則多所闕故，有恐畏。 是菩薩行般若波羅蜜，煩惱折薄，諸福德增〔T25 0474c〕益薰身故，威德可敬。身是功德住處故，雖形體醜陋，無所能作，猶為人所愛重，何況自然端正，能利益人！ 問曰： 若諸佛、沙門、婆羅門所愛敬，可爾；父母愛念，何足稱？ 答曰： 人雖父母所生，不順父母教，則不愛念；菩薩於恭順之中，倍復殊勝。 供養、恭敬、尊重道德故，沙門、婆羅門愛敬。 平實至誠，口不妄言；深愛後世功德，不著今世樂；接養下人，不自高大；若見他有過，尚不說其實，何況讒毀！若必不得已，終不盡說。給恤孤窮，不私附己。如是等事，皆是般若波羅蜜力。是人功德遠聞故，諸天、世人皆所愛敬。 是供養般若波羅蜜故，世世常得六波羅蜜等，無有斷絕時。是人福德智慧名聞故，若有問難毀謗，悉能降伏。 復次，諸天為供養般若波羅蜜故，來至般若所住處。 復次，山河、樹木、土地、城廓一切鬼神，皆屬四天王；四天王來故，皆隨從共來。 是諸鬼神中有不得般若經卷者，是故來至般若波羅蜜處供養、讀誦、禮拜，亦為利益善男子故。此亦是今世功德，以諸天善神來故。 天帝破肉眼人疑，故問：「云何知大德天來？」 答：時見大光明，若聞殊異之香，亦以如先說住處清淨故。 問曰： 人身不淨內充，外淨何益？ 答曰： 淨其住處及以衣服，則外無不淨；外無〔T25 0475a〕不淨故，諸天歡喜。譬如國王大人來處，群細庶民避去；諸大德天來，小鬼去亦如是。大天威德重故，舊住小鬼避去。是諸大天來近故，是人心則清淨廣大。 行者若欲令大德天來，當如經所說。 惡鬼遠去故，身心輕便。所以者何？近諸惡鬼，令人身心漸惡；譬如近瞋人，喜令人瞋；近美色，則令人好色情發。 是人內外惡因緣遠離故，臥安覺安，無諸惡夢；若夢，但見諸佛，如經所說。 問曰： 般若波羅蜜在佛身中，若供養一佛，則供養般若波羅蜜，何以言「供養十方佛，不如供養般若波羅蜜」？ 答曰： 供養者心，若供養佛，取人相；人畢竟不可得，以取相故，福田雖大而功德薄少。供養般若波羅蜜者，則如所聞般若中，不取人相、不取法相，用是心供養故，福德大。 復次，般若波羅蜜，是一切十方諸佛母，亦是諸佛師。諸佛得是身三十二相、八十隨形好及無量光明、神通變化，皆是般若波羅蜜力。以是故，供養般若波羅蜜勝。 以是等因緣故，勝供養十方諸佛，非不敬佛。 大智度論卷第五十八
《大智度論》卷58 · T25n1509 0471b17–0475b02
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.
阿難問佛何以獨稱譽般若——佛答般若於五度乃至十八不共法為尊導
那時，慧命阿難對佛說：世尊！為什麼您不稱譽檀波羅蜜（布施）、尸羅波羅蜜（持戒）、羼提波羅蜜（忍辱）、毘梨耶波羅蜜（精進）、禪波羅蜜（禪定），乃至十八不共法，而唯獨稱譽般若波羅蜜呢？
佛告訴阿難：般若波羅蜜在這五種波羅蜜乃至十八不共法之中，是為尊、為導！阿難！在你看來如何？若不迴向薩婆若（一切智），布施還能稱作檀波羅蜜嗎？
阿難答：不能，世尊！
佛又問：若不迴向薩婆若，持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定，乃至智慧，還能算是般若波羅蜜嗎？
阿難答：不能，世尊！
佛說：以這緣故，便知般若波羅蜜在五種波羅蜜乃至十八不共法之中為尊、為導，所以我才稱譽它。
阿難問云何布施迴向作檀波羅蜜——佛答以無二、不生、不可得迴向
阿難對佛說：世尊！怎樣的布施迴向薩婆若才成為檀波羅蜜，乃至成為般若波羅蜜呢？
佛告訴阿難：以無二之法布施、迴向薩婆若，這叫作檀波羅蜜；以不生、不可得而迴向薩婆若的布施，這叫作檀波羅蜜。乃至以無二之法的智慧迴向薩婆若，這叫作般若波羅蜜；以不生、不可得而迴向薩婆若的智慧，這叫作般若波羅蜜。
阿難又問：世尊！怎樣以不二之法迴向薩婆若的布施才叫作檀波羅蜜，乃至以不二之法迴向薩婆若的智慧才叫作般若波羅蜜？
佛告訴阿難：因為色是不二之法的緣故，受、想、行、識是不二之法的緣故，乃至阿耨多羅三藐三菩提（無上正等正覺）是不二之法的緣故。
阿難問：世尊！怎樣是色不二之法，乃至阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不二之法呢？
佛答色相空、諸法不二不別——如種子依地得生，五度依般若得生
佛說：色，其色相本空。為什麼呢？檀波羅蜜與色，不二、不別；乃至阿耨多羅三藐三菩提與檀波羅蜜，也不二、不別；其餘五種波羅蜜也是這樣。以這緣故，阿難！我才唯獨稱譽般若波羅蜜，它於五種波羅蜜乃至一切種智之中為尊、為導！阿難！譬如大地，把種子撒在其中，遇因緣和合便能生長，這些種子都是依著大地而生。就像這樣，阿難！五種波羅蜜依著般若波羅蜜才得生起，四念處乃至一切種智也依著般若波羅蜜才得生起。以這緣故，阿難！般若波羅蜜是五種波羅蜜乃至十八不共法的尊導！
帝釋述受持般若功德未盡——三世諸佛無上道、世間諸善乃至諸佛皆由此出
那時，釋提桓因（帝釋）對佛說：世尊！您說善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正確憶念的功德還沒說盡。為什麼呢？受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，便是領受三世諸佛的無上大道。所以是什麼緣故？想要得薩婆若，應當從般若波羅蜜中尋求；想要得般若波羅蜜，應當從薩婆若中尋求。世尊！由受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念的緣故，十善道顯現於世間，四禪、四無量心、四無色定乃至十八不共法顯現於世間。由受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念的緣故，世間便有剎利大姓、婆羅門大姓、居士大家、四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒諸天。由受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念的緣故，便有須陀洹乃至阿羅漢、辟支佛、菩薩摩訶薩。由受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念的緣故，諸佛出現於世間。
佛廣顯受持者功德——五眾成就、當知是人為如佛、勝於二乘
那時，佛告訴釋提桓因：憍尸迦（帝釋本姓）！善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，我不是說只有這麼一點功德。為什麼呢？憍尸迦！這善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，不離薩婆若之心，便成就無量的戒眾，也成就定眾、慧眾、解脫眾、解脫知見眾。再者，憍尸迦！這善男子、善女人能受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，不離薩婆若之心，應當知道這人便如同是佛。再者，憍尸迦！一切聲聞、辟支佛所有的戒眾、定眾、慧眾、解脫眾、解脫知見眾，都比不上這善男子、善女人的戒眾乃至解脫知見眾，百分、千分、千億萬分乃至用算數譬喻都不能相比！為什麼呢？因為這善男子、善女人在聲聞、辟支佛的地位中心得解脫，更不求大乘之法的緣故。再者，憍尸迦！若有善男子、善女人書寫執持般若波羅蜜的經卷，供養、恭敬、尊重，以華香、瓔珞乃至伎樂供養，也能得今世、後世的功德。
那時，釋提桓因對佛說：世尊！這善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，不離薩婆若之心，供養般若波羅蜜，恭敬、尊重，以華香乃至伎樂供養，我常當守護這人！
以下是論釋。
論主釋阿難發問之由——雖多聞而未離欲，因佛讚般若乃問
論主釋道：阿難雖然多聞，也有能力分別空義，然而因為尚未離欲的緣故，不能深入，雖然常在佛旁侍奉，卻不曾多次問難空的事。如今佛讚歎般若波羅蜜，也讚歎修行的人，因此阿難便對佛說：世尊！您為什麼不稱歎其餘的波羅蜜以及諸法，卻唯獨稱歎般若波羅蜜？
問答一：佛常說六度之名，何以言不稱說——雖說名字非為稱美，皆為入般若
有人問：佛從最初以來常常宣說六波羅蜜的名目，如今阿難為什麼說佛「不稱說」呢？
論主答：佛雖然說了六度的名字，卻不是為了稱美它們，都是為了引人入般若之中才說的。
佛對阿難說：一切有為法之中，智慧第一；一切智慧之中，能度到彼岸的般若波羅蜜第一。這譬如走遠路，雖然有眾多同伴，卻以帶路的導師為第一；般若也是這樣，一切善法雖然各有各的力用，唯有般若波羅蜜能指引、導引人出離三界、到達三乘。若沒有般若波羅蜜，雖然修行布施等善法，隨著所受的業行，果報終有窮盡；因為有窮盡，尚且不能得到小乘的涅槃，何況無上大道！
若布施等善法，能觀照如佛道之相那樣的不二、不生不滅、不得不失、畢竟空寂，這便叫作「迴向薩婆若」。這樣的布施之福，世世常受果報而不窮盡，將來當得一切種智。像布施這樣，一切法也都是這樣的相。
問答二：佛何以不答不二因緣還以不二解——阿難但問何法不二
有人問：佛為什麼不回答「不二」的因緣，反而還用「不二」來解說呢？
論主答：阿難並不是問「不二」的因緣，只是問『什麼法是不二』，因此佛才回答：色等諸法是不二的緣故。
般若波羅蜜能使五種事都成為波羅蜜，所以佛唯獨稱譽般若波羅蜜。
大地生萬物喻——般若能持一切善法種子，因緣和合故事得成辦
佛想使這義理明明白白、容易理解，所以作這譬喻：如同大地能生長萬物，般若波羅蜜也是這樣。
所謂『能持一切善法的種子』，是說從發心以來，除了般若波羅蜜之外的其餘一切善法。所謂「因緣和合」，是指在佛道中，有一心、信、忍、精進不休不息、欲、受、通達、不壞，有這樣種種之法。所謂「事得成辦」，是說那增長的人，從發心起修學諸波羅蜜，從一地到一地，乃至佛地。
問答三：帝釋何以言功德未盡——般若無量無邊，前被外道魔擾中斷未究竟
有人問：帝釋為什麼說『佛說修行者受持般若的功德還沒說盡』呢？
論主答：般若波羅蜜無量無邊，其功德也無量無邊。先前說得還沒究竟，中間因為外道梵志以及惡魔前來的緣故，旁涉了別的事，如今還想接著聽下去。帝釋深愛福德的果報，樂於聽聞般若的功德，聽了也不厭足。
如今更想聽佛宣說，所以自己說出因緣：世尊！若人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，便是領受三世諸佛的無上道、功德與智慧。所以是什麼緣故？般若之中應當尋求一切種智，一切種智之中應當尋求般若。這如上一品品末所說。
修行者若受持般若波羅蜜，發心求阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，為度眾生的緣故，積集般若波羅蜜等種種功德，所謂十善道乃至十八不共法，顯現於世間。由這善法的因緣，世間便有剎利大姓，乃至有諸佛。
戒眾義——菩薩於一切眾生中修畢竟無畏施，故得無量戒眾
佛告訴天帝：這人不只是得到上面所說的功德，也得到無量戒眾等的功德。
所謂戒眾，是說菩薩修行般若波羅蜜，在一切眾生之中修習畢竟的無畏施。眾生在十方之中，數量無量無邊；在三世之中，數量也無量無邊；六道、四生的種類，各各的相狀也無量無邊。在這無量無邊的眾生之中，布施最為眾生所愛樂之物，也就是壽命（施予無畏、令免死怖），因此得無量戒眾的果報。像這樣不殺等戒，若只說名字，便有二百五十條；在毘尼（戒律藏）之中，略說便有八萬四千，廣說則無量無邊。這樣的戒，凡夫之人或受持一日，或受持一世，或受持百千萬世；菩薩卻是世世在一切眾生之中施予無畏，乃至入無餘涅槃，這才叫作無量戒眾。乃至解脫知見眾，也是這樣隨義分別。
這戒、定、慧、解脫、解脫知見五眾的功德，勝過二乘，不可計量。
若人書寫、供養般若波羅蜜，能得今世、後世的功德。
問答四：功德深重而書持供養輕微，云何得二世功德——効他、深心二種供養
有人問：今世、後世的功德深重，書寫、執持、供養卻很輕微，怎麼能得二世的功德呢？
論主答：供養有兩種：一是効他供養（隨他人而供養），二是深心供養。知道般若功德、以深心供養的緣故，便得二世功德。這般若有種種門可入：若聽聞、執持乃至正憶念，是從智慧、精進之門入；書寫、供養，是從信及精進之門入。若一心深信，那麼供養經卷便殊勝；若不一心，雖然受持也不如。
如意寶珠喻——無記寶珠尚能令人隨意所得，何況般若是諸佛之母
再者，如那如意寶珠，是無記的色法，沒有心、沒有識，卻因眾生福德的因緣而生成，有人供養它，便能令人隨意所得；何況般若波羅蜜是無上的智慧、諸佛之母，在諸法寶中是第一寶，若人依照所聽聞的而一心信受供養，怎會不得二世功德？只是人若不一心供養，又因先世重罪的緣故，雖然供養般若卻不得如上的功德，這是人的過失，般若並無過咎。
佛顯今世功德之一——讀誦說法時諸天益其膽力
佛告訴釋提桓因：憍尸迦！這善男子、善女人想要讀、誦、宣說般若波羅蜜時，無量百千的諸天都來聽法。這善男子、善女人宣說般若波羅蜜之法時，諸天子增益他的膽力。這些法師若疲乏至極、不想說法，諸天增益他的膽力，便能再說下去。善男子、善女人受持這般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，以華香乃至伎樂供養的緣故，也得這今世的功德。
今世功德之二——四部眾中說法心無怯弱、無能難壞
再者，憍尸迦！這善男子、善女人在四部眾（比丘、比丘尼、優婆塞、優婆夷）之中宣說般若波羅蜜時，心中沒有怯弱；若有人來論難，也沒有畏懼之想。為什麼呢？因為這善男子、善女人被般若波羅蜜所護持的緣故。般若波羅蜜之中也分別一切法：或世間、或出世間，或有漏、或無漏，或善、或不善，或有為、或無為，或聲聞法、或辟支佛法，或菩薩法、或佛法。善男子、善女人安住內空乃至安住無法有法空的緣故，不見有能來論難般若波羅蜜的人，也不見有受難的人，也不見有般若波羅蜜。像這樣，善男子、善女人被般若波羅蜜所護持的緣故，沒有誰能論難破壞。
今世功德之三——受持者不沒不畏不怖
再者，善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念時，不沉沒、不畏懼、不驚怖。為什麼呢？因為這善男子、善女人不見有這樣沉沒之法、恐怖之法。憍尸迦！善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，以華香供養乃至幡蓋，也得這今世的功德。
今世後世功德之四——書持者為父母諸佛所愛敬，行六度不斷絕
再者，憍尸迦！善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，書寫執持經卷，以華香供養乃至幡蓋，這人便為父母所愛，宗親知識所懷念，諸沙門、婆羅門所敬重，十方諸佛及菩薩摩訶薩、辟支佛、阿羅漢乃至須陀洹所愛敬，一切世間若天、若魔、若梵及阿修羅等也都愛敬。這人修行檀波羅蜜，檀波羅蜜沒有斷絕之時；持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定、般若波羅蜜也沒有斷絕之時；修內空不斷，乃至修無法有法空不斷；修四念處不斷，乃至修十八不共法不斷；修諸三昧門不斷，修諸陀羅尼門不斷；諸菩薩神通不斷，成就眾生、清淨佛世界不斷，乃至修一切種智不斷。這人也能降伏來論難、毀謗的人。善男子、善女人受持般若波羅蜜乃至正憶念，不離薩婆若之心，書寫執持經卷，以華香供養乃至幡蓋，也得這今世、後世的功德。
今世功德之五——書卷所在處三千大千及十方諸天皆來見般若、供養禮拜
再者，憍尸迦！善男子、善女人書寫執持經卷，在他所住的地方，三千大千世界之中所有諸四天王天中發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心的，都來到這地方，見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜後還去。三十三天、夜摩天、兜率陀天、化樂天、他化自在天，梵眾天、梵輔天、梵會天、大梵天，光天、少光天、無量光天、光音天，淨天、少淨天、無量淨天、遍淨天，無蔭行天、福德天、廣果天之中發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心的，都來到這地方，見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜後還去。淨居諸天，也就是無誑天、無熱天、妙見天、憙見天、色究竟天，也都來到這地方，見這般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜後還去。再者，憍尸迦！十方世界之中諸四天王天乃至廣果天發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心的，以及淨居天，並其餘諸天、龍、鬼神、揵闥婆、阿修羅、迦樓羅、緊那羅、摩睺羅伽，也來見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜後還去。這善男子、善女人應當這樣想：十方世界之中諸四天王天乃至廣果天發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心的，以及淨居天並其餘諸天、龍、鬼神、揵闥婆、阿修羅、迦樓羅、緊那羅、摩睺羅伽，都來見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜，我這就已作了法施。憍尸迦！三千大千世界之中所有諸四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒天，乃至十方世界之中諸四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒天中發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心的，護持這善男子、善女人，使諸惡不能得便，除去他宿命的重罪。憍尸迦！這善男子、善女人也得這今世的功德，也就是諸天子發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，都來到這地方。為什麼呢？憍尸迦！諸天子發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心，是為了救護一切眾生、不捨一切眾生、安樂一切眾生的緣故。
帝釋問云何知諸天來——佛答見大淨光明、聞異妙香、小鬼避去
那時，釋提桓因對佛說：世尊！善男子、善女人怎樣才能知道諸四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒天前來，以及十方世界之中諸四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒天前來，見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜的時候呢？
佛告訴釋提桓因：憍尸迦！若善男子、善女人見到大淨光明，必定知道有大德諸天前來，見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜的時候。
再者，憍尸迦！若善男子、善女人聞到奇異妙香，必定知道有大德諸天前來，見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜的時候。
再者，憍尸迦！善男子、善女人因行事清淨潔淨的緣故，諸天來到他的處所，見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、歡喜、禮拜。這中間若有小鬼之輩，便當時退出去，因為不能承受這大德諸天的威德的緣故。因這大德諸天前來的緣故，這善男子、善女人生起廣大之心。以這緣故，般若波羅蜜所住的地方，四面不應有種種不淨，應當燃燈、燒香，散布眾多名華，以眾香塗地，以眾多蓋、幢、幡種種嚴飾。
今世功德之六——說法無疲、臥覺安隱、夢見諸佛菩提樹涅槃塔等善相
再者，憍尸迦！善男子、善女人說法時，始終沒有疲乏至極，自覺身體輕安、心中安樂，隨順法義而偃息，臥時覺時都安隱，沒有種種惡夢。夢中見到諸佛的三十二相、八十隨形好；見比丘僧恭敬圍繞而為之說法，在諸佛之旁聽受法教，也就是六波羅蜜，四念處乃至十八不共法；分別六波羅蜜的義理，四念處乃至十八不共法，也分別其義理。也見到菩提樹莊嚴殊妙；見諸菩薩趣向菩提樹，得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；見諸佛成道之後轉法輪；見百千萬菩薩共同集會論議法義，說應當這樣求薩婆若，應當這樣成就眾生，應當這樣清淨佛世界；也見到十方無數百千萬億諸佛，也聞其名號——某方某界某佛，有若干百千萬菩薩、若干百千萬聲聞恭敬圍繞而為之說法；又見十方無數百千萬億諸佛般涅槃；又見無數百千萬億諸佛的七寶塔；見人供養諸佛之塔，恭敬、尊重、讚歎，以華香乃至幢蓋供養。
今世功德之七——見善夢諸天益氣力、不貪四供，勝於供養十方諸佛起七寶塔
憍尸迦！這善男子、善女人見到這樣的善夢，臥時安、覺時安；諸天增益他的氣力，自覺身體輕便，不太貪著飲食、衣服、臥具、湯藥，對這四種供養其心輕微；譬如比丘坐禪，從禪定起身，心與定相合，不貪著飲食，其心輕微。為什麼呢？憍尸迦！諸天之法應當以種種味的精華，增益他的氣力的緣故。十方諸佛以及天、龍、鬼、神、阿修羅、揵闥婆、迦樓羅、緊那羅、摩睺羅伽也增益他的氣力。
像這樣，憍尸迦！善男子、善女人想要得今世這樣的功德，應當受持般若波羅蜜，親近、讀、誦、說、正憶念，也不離薩婆若之心。憍尸迦！善男子、善女人雖然不能受持乃至正憶念，也應當書寫執持經卷，恭敬、供養、尊重、讚歎，以華香、瓔珞乃至幡蓋供養。憍尸迦！若善男子、善女人聽聞這般若波羅蜜，受持、讀、誦、說、正憶念、書寫經卷，恭敬、供養、尊重、讚歎，以華香乃至幢蓋供養。這善男子、善女人的功德甚多，勝過供養十方諸佛及其弟子——恭敬、尊重、讚歎，以衣服、飲食、臥具、湯藥供養；勝過在諸佛及其弟子般涅槃之後，起造七寶塔，恭敬、供養、尊重、讚歎，以華香乃至幢蓋供養。
以下是論釋。
問答五：天上自有般若，何以來益法師膽力——諸天憐愍眾生故來
有人問：天上本來自有般若，為什麼還要來到說法人的處所增益他的膽力呢？
論主答：天上雖然有般若，諸天卻因憐愍眾生的緣故而來；諸天一來，惡鬼便遠去，增益法師的膽力，使他樂於宣說。又能使眾生更加信敬，以這緣故而來。
有人說：諸天的甘露之味，微細而沾潤，能進入一個一個毛孔，使善男子的四大與諸情柔軟輕利，樂於有所宣說。
問答六：一切說般若者皆得甘露味否——不也，須一心求道、折伏結使、處所清淨
有人問：一切宣說般若的人，都能得諸天的甘露之味，使他樂於宣說嗎？
論主答：不是的！若有修行者一心求佛道，折伏煩惱結使，衣服清淨潔淨，所說法的處所也清淨，備有華、香、幡、蓋，以香水灑地，沒有種種不淨；因此諸天歡喜，也利益諸位聽法的人。
說法的人雖然不曾多讀內外的經書，卻因深入般若波羅蜜之義的緣故，心不怯弱，不沉沒、不畏懼、不恐怖。
為什麼呢？因為般若波羅蜜之中沒有一定之法可執取、可論難、可破斥的緣故。
再者，這般若波羅蜜之中，也分別宣說諸法：世間出世間、常無常、善不善等，沒有一法不含攝在內。因為備有諸法的緣故，便不怯、不畏；若只有一法，便多有欠缺，因此才有恐畏。
這菩薩修行般若波羅蜜，煩惱折損微薄，種種福德增益薰習其身的緣故，威德可敬。身既是功德的住處，所以縱然形體醜陋、無所能作，尚且為人所愛重，何況本自端正、又能利益人呢！
問答七：父母愛念何足稱——菩薩於恭順之中倍復殊勝，德行為天人所愛敬
有人問：若為諸佛、沙門、婆羅門所愛敬，那還說得過去；父母愛念，又何足稱道呢？
論主答：人雖然是父母所生，若不順父母之教，父母便不愛念他；菩薩在恭順之中，更加倍地殊勝。
因供養、恭敬、尊重道德的緣故，沙門、婆羅門愛敬他。
他平實至誠，口不說妄語；深愛後世的功德，不貪著今世的快樂；接引供養身分低下的人，不自高自大；若見他人有過失，尚且不說其真實之事，何況去讒毀！若實在不得已，也終究不把話說盡。賙濟撫恤孤苦貧窮的人，不偏私依附自己。像這樣種種之事，都是般若波羅蜜之力。這人的功德傳聞於遠方的緣故，諸天、世人都愛敬他。
因供養般若波羅蜜的緣故，世世常得六波羅蜜等，沒有斷絕之時。這人因福德智慧、名聲遠聞的緣故，若有人來論難、毀謗，都能降伏。
論釋諸天鬼神何以隨從而來——皆屬四天王故，並破肉眼人之疑
再者，諸天為了供養般若波羅蜜的緣故，來到般若所住的處所。
再者，山河、樹木、土地、城郭一切鬼神，都隸屬四天王；四天王前來的緣故，鬼神便都隨從一同前來。
這些鬼神之中有還沒得般若經卷的，因此來到般若波羅蜜的處所供養、讀誦、禮拜，也是為了利益善男子的緣故。這也是今世的功德，因為諸天善神前來的緣故。
天帝為了破除肉眼凡夫之人的疑惑，所以問：怎樣知道大德天前來？
答：那時見到大光明，若聞到殊異之香，也因為如先前所說住處清淨的緣故。
問答八：人身不淨內充，外淨何益——淨住處衣服則外無不淨，如國王來群庶避去
有人問：人身之內充滿不淨，外表清淨又有什麼利益呢？
論主答：清淨他的住處以及衣服，那麼外表便沒有不淨；外表沒有不淨的緣故，諸天歡喜。譬如國王、大人所來之處，身分卑細的庶民便退避而去；諸大德天前來，小鬼退去也是這樣。因大天的威德深重的緣故，舊住的小鬼退避而去。因這些大天前來、靠近的緣故，這人之心便清淨廣大。
修行者若想使大德天前來，應當如經中所說（清淨處所衣服）。
惡鬼遠去的緣故，身心便輕便。所以是什麼緣故？親近諸惡鬼，會使人身心漸漸變惡；譬如親近瞋恚的人，容易使人生瞋；親近美色，便容易使人好色之情發動。
這人內外的惡因緣都已遠離的緣故，臥時安、覺時安，沒有種種惡夢；即使有夢，也只是見到諸佛，如經中所說。
問答九：般若在佛身中，供養一佛即供養般若，何以言供養十方佛不如供養般若
有人問：般若波羅蜜在佛的身中，若供養一佛，便是供養般若波羅蜜，為什麼說「供養十方佛，不如供養般若波羅蜜」呢？
論主答：關鍵在供養者的心。若供養佛，便取著人相；而人畢竟不可得，因為取相的緣故，福田雖然廣大，功德卻薄少。供養般若波羅蜜的人，便如所聽聞的般若那樣，不取人相、不取法相，因用這樣的心供養的緣故，福德廣大。
再者，般若波羅蜜是一切十方諸佛之母，也是諸佛之師。諸佛得這身的三十二相、八十隨形好以及無量光明、神通變化，都是般若波羅蜜之力。以這緣故，供養般若波羅蜜便更殊勝。
以這種種因緣的緣故，供養般若勝過供養十方諸佛，卻並不是不敬佛。
大智度論卷第五十八。
Ānanda Asks the Buddha Why He Praises Prajñā Alone—the Buddha Answers That Prajñā Is the Honoured Guide among the Five Perfections and So On up to the Eighteen Unshared Dharmas
At that time the venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha: World-Honored One! Why do you not praise dānapāramitā (giving), śīlapāramitā (keeping the precepts), kṣāntipāramitā (forbearance), vīryapāramitā (diligence), dhyānapāramitā (meditative concentration), and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, but praise prajñāpāramitā alone?
The Buddha told Ānanda: Among these five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, prajñāpāramitā is the honoured one, is the guide! Ānanda! What do you think? If it is not dedicated to sarvajñā (omniscience), can giving still be called dānapāramitā?
Ānanda answered: No, World-Honored One!
The Buddha asked further: If it is not dedicated to sarvajñā, can keeping the precepts, forbearance, diligence, meditative concentration, and so on up to wisdom still count as prajñāpāramitā?
Ānanda answered: No, World-Honored One!
The Buddha said: For this reason one knows that among the five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas prajñāpāramitā is the honoured one and the guide, and that is why I praise it.
Ānanda Asks How Giving Dedicated Becomes Dānapāramitā—the Buddha Answers: Dedicating by Non-Duality, Non-Arising, and Unfindability
Ānanda said to the Buddha: World-Honored One! What kind of giving, dedicated to sarvajñā, becomes dānapāramitā, and so on up to becoming prajñāpāramitā?
The Buddha told Ānanda: Giving by the dharma of non-duality and dedicating it to sarvajñā—this is called dānapāramitā; giving dedicated to sarvajñā by way of non-arising and unfindability—this is called dānapāramitā. And so on up to: wisdom of the dharma of non-duality dedicated to sarvajñā—this is called prajñāpāramitā; wisdom dedicated to sarvajñā by way of non-arising and unfindability—this is called prajñāpāramitā.
Ānanda asked further: World-Honored One! How is it that giving dedicated to sarvajñā by the dharma that is not two is called dānapāramitā, and so on up to wisdom dedicated to sarvajñā by the dharma that is not two is called prajñāpāramitā?
The Buddha told Ānanda: Because form is a dharma that is not two; because feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are dharmas that are not two; and so on up to because anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi (unsurpassed, right, and complete awakening) is a dharma that is not two.
Ānanda asked: World-Honored One! How is form a dharma that is not two, and so on up to how is anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi a dharma that is not two?
The Buddha Answers That the Mark of Form Is Empty and All Dharmas Are Not Two and Not Different—As Seeds Are Born in Dependence on the Earth, the Five Perfections Are Born in Dependence on Prajñā
The Buddha said: Form—its mark of form is by origin empty. Why? Dānapāramitā and form are not two and not different; and so on up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi and dānapāramitā are also not two and not different; the other five perfections are likewise. For this reason, Ānanda, I praise prajñāpāramitā alone; among the five perfections and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds it is the honoured one and the guide! Ānanda! It is like the great earth: seeds are scattered in it, and when they meet the coming together of causes and conditions they are able to grow; these seeds are all born in dependence on the great earth. Just so, Ānanda, the five perfections arise only in dependence on prajñāpāramitā, and the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds also arise only in dependence on prajñāpāramitā. For this reason, Ānanda, prajñāpāramitā is the honoured guide of the five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas!
Śakra States That the Merits of Receiving and Upholding Prajñā Have Not Been Told in Full—the Unsurpassed Path of the Buddhas of the Three Times, All the Good Things of the World, and So On up to the Buddhas, All Come Forth from It
At that time Śakra Devānām Indra (Śakra) said to the Buddha: World-Honored One! The merits you have spoken of, of good men and good women receiving and upholding prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, have not yet been told in full. Why? To receive and uphold prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it is to receive the unsurpassed great path of the buddhas of the three times. And why is that? Whoever wishes to attain sarvajñā should seek it within prajñāpāramitā; whoever wishes to attain prajñāpāramitā should seek it within sarvajñā. World-Honored One! Because of receiving and upholding prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, the ten wholesome paths appear in the world, and the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas appear in the world. Because of receiving and upholding prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, there are in the world great kṣatriya clans, great brahmin clans, great householder families, and the gods of the heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings and so on up to the Akaniṣṭha heaven. Because of receiving and upholding prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, there are srota-āpanna and so on up to arhats, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattva-mahāsattvas. Because of receiving and upholding prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, the buddhas appear in the world.
The Buddha Broadly Shows the Merits of One Who Receives and Upholds—the Five Aggregates of the Dharma Body Accomplished, One Should Know This Person Is as a Buddha, Surpassing the Two Vehicles
At that time the Buddha told Śakra Devānām Indra: Kauśika (Śakra's original clan name)! As for good men and good women who receive and uphold prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, I do not say they have only this much merit. Why? Kauśika! These good men and good women who receive and uphold prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, not parting from the mind of sarvajñā, accomplish an immeasurable aggregate of morality, and also accomplish the aggregate of concentration, the aggregate of wisdom, the aggregate of liberation, and the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation. Again, Kauśika! These good men and good women who are able to receive and uphold prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, not parting from the mind of sarvajñā—one should know that this person is as a Buddha. Again, Kauśika! The aggregate of morality, the aggregate of concentration, the aggregate of wisdom, the aggregate of liberation, and the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation possessed by all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas do not reach the aggregate of morality and so on up to the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation of these good men and good women—not by a hundredth part, a thousandth part, a thousand-koṭi-ten-thousandth part, and so on up to what calculation and simile cannot compare! Why? Because these good men and good women have their minds liberated within the grounds of the śrāvaka and the pratyekabuddha, and do not further seek the dharma of the Great Vehicle. Again, Kauśika! If there are good men and good women who write out and hold the scroll of the sūtra of prajñāpāramitā, make offerings to it, pay reverence to it, and honour it, making offerings with flowers and incense, necklaces, and so on up to music, they too can obtain merits in this life and in later lives.
At that time Śakra Devānām Indra said to the Buddha: World-Honored One! These good men and good women who receive and uphold prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, not parting from the mind of sarvajñā, who make offerings to prajñāpāramitā, pay reverence to it, and honour it, making offerings with flowers and incense and so on up to music—I shall always guard such a person!
What follows is the treatise's explanation.
The Treatise-Author Explains Why Ānanda Asked—Though Learned, He Was Not Yet Free of Desire; Because the Buddha Praised Prajñā, He Then Asked
The treatise-author explains: although Ānanda was greatly learned and also had the ability to discriminate the meaning of emptiness, yet because he was not yet free of desire he could not enter deeply, and although he constantly attended at the Buddha's side, he had not often questioned him on the matter of emptiness. Now the Buddha praises prajñāpāramitā and also praises those who practise it, and so Ānanda said to the Buddha: World-Honored One! Why do you not praise the other perfections and the other dharmas, but praise prajñāpāramitā alone?
Question and Answer One: The Buddha Always Speaks the Names of the Six Perfections—Why Say He Does Not Praise Them? Though He Speaks Their Names, It Is Not to Extol Them; It Is All for Entering Prajñā
Someone asks: from the very beginning the Buddha has constantly proclaimed the names of the six perfections; why does Ānanda now say that the Buddha 「不稱說」 tr. "does not praise" them?
The treatise-author answers: although the Buddha spoke the names of the six perfections, it was not in order to extol them; he spoke them all in order to lead people into prajñā.
The Buddha said to Ānanda: among all conditioned dharmas, wisdom is foremost; among all wisdoms, prajñāpāramitā, which is able to cross over to the other shore, is foremost. It is like travelling a long road: though there are many companions, the guide who leads the way is foremost. Prajñā is likewise: although all wholesome dharmas each have their own power and function, only prajñāpāramitā is able to point out the way and lead people out of the three realms and to the three vehicles. If there were no prajñāpāramitā, then although one practised giving and the other wholesome dharmas, the fruit of recompense, following the karmic deeds one has undertaken, would in the end be exhausted; because it is exhausted, one cannot even attain the nirvāṇa of the Small Vehicle—how much less the unsurpassed great path!
If giving and the other wholesome dharmas are able to contemplate, as the mark of the Buddha path is, what is not two, neither arising nor ceasing, neither gained nor lost, ultimately empty and still—this is called 「迴向薩婆若」 tr. "dedicating to sarvajñā". The merit of such giving constantly receives its fruit of recompense life after life without being exhausted, and in the future one will attain the omniscience of all kinds. As with giving, so too all dharmas have this same mark.
Question and Answer Two: Why Does the Buddha Not Answer the Causes and Conditions of Not-Two, but Explain Again by Not-Two? Ānanda Only Asked Which Dharmas Are Not Two
Someone asks: why does the Buddha not answer with the causes and conditions of 「不二」 tr. "not two", but instead explain again by means of 「不二」 tr. "not two"?
The treatise-author answers: Ānanda was not asking about the causes and conditions of 「不二」 tr. "not two"; he only asked ‘which dharmas are not two’, and therefore the Buddha answered: because form and the other dharmas are not two.
Prajñāpāramitā is able to make the five things all become perfections, and therefore the Buddha praises prajñāpāramitā alone.
The Simile of the Great Earth Giving Birth to the Ten Thousand Things—Prajñā Is Able to Hold the Seeds of All Wholesome Dharmas; Because Causes and Conditions Come Together, the Matter Is Accomplished
The Buddha wished to make this meaning plain and easy to understand, and so he made this simile: just as the great earth is able to give birth to and grow the ten thousand things, prajñāpāramitā is likewise.
What is called ‘able to hold the seeds of all wholesome dharmas’ refers to all the other wholesome dharmas apart from prajñāpāramitā, from the arousing of the mind onward. What is called 「因緣和合」 tr. "the coming together of causes and conditions" means that on the Buddha path there are single-mindedness, faith, acceptance, diligence unresting and unceasing, aspiration, receiving, penetration, and indestructibility—there are such various dharmas as these. What is called 「事得成辦」 tr. "the matter is accomplished" means that the person who is growing, from the arousing of the mind onward, trains in the perfections, from one ground to the next ground, and so on up to the ground of the Buddha.
Question and Answer Three: Why Does Śakra Say the Merits Have Not Been Told in Full? Prajñā Is Immeasurable and Boundless; Earlier, Disturbed by Those of the Outside Paths and Māra, It Was Broken Off and Not Brought to Completion
Someone asks: why does Śakra say, ‘the merits of the practitioner's receiving and upholding prajñā that the Buddha has spoken of have not yet been told in full’?
The treatise-author answers: prajñāpāramitā is immeasurable and boundless, and its merits too are immeasurable and boundless. What was said before was not yet complete; in the middle, because the brahmin ascetics of the outsiders' paths and the evil Māra came, it turned aside to other matters, and now he wishes to go on hearing it. Śakra deeply loves the fruits of recompense of merit, delights in hearing the merits of prajñā, and having heard them is never sated.
Now he wishes to hear the Buddha proclaim them further, and so he himself states the causes and conditions: World-Honored One! If a person receives and upholds prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, this is receiving the unsurpassed path, the merits, and the wisdom of the buddhas of the three times. And why is that? Within prajñā one should seek the omniscience of all kinds; within the omniscience of all kinds one should seek prajñā. This is as was said at the end of the previous chapter.
If a practitioner receives and upholds prajñāpāramitā, arouses the mind to seek anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and for the sake of delivering beings gathers prajñāpāramitā and all kinds of other merits—namely the ten wholesome paths and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas—these appear in the world. By the causes and conditions of these wholesome dharmas, there are in the world great kṣatriya clans, and so on up to there are the buddhas.
The Meaning of the Aggregate of Morality—Among All Beings the Bodhisattva Cultivates the Ultimate Giving of Fearlessness, and Therefore Obtains an Immeasurable Aggregate of Morality
The Buddha told the lord of the heavens: this person obtains not only the merits spoken of above, but also the merits of an immeasurable aggregate of morality and the rest.
What is called the aggregate of morality means that the bodhisattva, practising prajñāpāramitā, cultivates among all beings the ultimate giving of fearlessness. Beings in the ten directions are immeasurable and boundless in number; in the three times they are also immeasurable and boundless in number; the kinds of the six destinies and the four modes of birth, each with its own marks, are also immeasurable and boundless. Among these immeasurable and boundless beings, he gives what beings most love and delight in, namely life (bestowing fearlessness and freeing them from the terror of death), and therefore he obtains the fruit of recompense of an immeasurable aggregate of morality. Such precepts as not killing, if only their names are spoken, number two hundred and fifty; in the Vinaya (the collection of the precepts), stated briefly, they number eighty-four thousand, and stated at length they are immeasurable and boundless. Such precepts ordinary people may receive and uphold for one day, or for one lifetime, or for a hundred thousand ten thousand lifetimes; the bodhisattva, however, life after life bestows fearlessness among all beings, and so on up to entering nirvāṇa without remainder—only this is called an immeasurable aggregate of morality. And so on up to the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation: it too is distinguished according to its meaning in this way.
The merits of these five aggregates of the Dharma body—morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation—surpass the two vehicles and cannot be reckoned.
If a person writes out prajñāpāramitā and makes offerings to it, he can obtain merits in this life and in later lives.
Question and Answer Four: The Merits Are Deep and Weighty While Writing, Holding, and Making Offerings Are Slight—How Can One Obtain the Merits of Two Lives? The Two Kinds of Offering: in Imitation of Others and from a Deep Mind
Someone asks: the merits of this life and of later lives are deep and weighty, while writing out, holding, and making offerings are very slight; how can one obtain the merits of two lives?
The treatise-author answers: offerings are of two kinds: first, offering in imitation of others (making offerings by following others); second, offering from a deep mind. Because one knows the merits of prajñā and makes offerings from a deep mind, one obtains the merits of two lives. This prajñā has all kinds of gates by which it may be entered: hearing, holding, and so on up to rightly recollecting enter by the gate of wisdom and diligence; writing out and making offerings enter by the gate of faith and diligence. If one believes deeply with a single mind, then making offerings to the scroll of the sūtra is superior; if one is not single-minded, then even receiving and upholding it does not equal that.
The Simile of the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel—an Indeterminate Jewel Can Still Let People Obtain Whatever They Wish; How Much More Prajñā, the Mother of the Buddhas
Again, take the wish-fulfilling jewel: it is an indeterminate form-dharma, without mind and without consciousness, and yet, arising by the causes and conditions of beings' merit, when someone makes offerings to it, it can let people obtain whatever they wish. How much more prajñāpāramitā, which is unsurpassed wisdom and the mother of the buddhas, the foremost jewel among all the jewels of the Dharma—if a person, in accord with what he has heard, receives it in faith with a single mind and makes offerings to it, how could he fail to obtain the merits of two lives? Only, if a person does not make offerings with a single mind, and also because of heavy offences of former lives, then although he makes offerings to prajñā he does not obtain the merits described above; this is the person's fault, and prajñā is without blame.
The Buddha Shows the Merits of This Life, the First—When One Reads, Recites, and Teaches the Dharma, the Gods Increase One's Courage
The Buddha told Śakra Devānām Indra: Kauśika! When these good men and good women wish to read, recite, and expound prajñāpāramitā, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of gods all come to hear the Dharma. When these good men and good women expound the Dharma of prajñāpāramitā, the gods increase their courage. If these Dharma-masters are utterly exhausted and do not wish to teach the Dharma, the gods increase their courage and they are able to go on speaking. Because good men and good women receive and uphold this prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, and make offerings with flowers and incense and so on up to music, they also obtain these merits of this life.
The Merits of This Life, the Second—Teaching the Dharma amid the Fourfold Assembly, the Mind Is Not Timid, and No One Can Refute or Break It Down
Again, Kauśika! When these good men and good women expound prajñāpāramitā amid the fourfold assembly (bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās), there is no timidity in their minds; if someone comes to dispute with them, they have no thought of fear. Why? Because these good men and good women are protected by prajñāpāramitā. Within prajñāpāramitā all dharmas are also distinguished: whether worldly or world-transcending, whether with outflows or without outflows, whether wholesome or unwholesome, whether conditioned or unconditioned, whether dharmas of the śrāvaka or dharmas of the pratyekabuddha, whether dharmas of the bodhisattva or dharmas of the Buddha. Because good men and good women abide in inner emptiness and so on up to abiding in the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas, they do not see anyone who could come and dispute prajñāpāramitā, nor do they see anyone who is disputed, nor do they see prajñāpāramitā. In this way, because good men and good women are protected by prajñāpāramitā, no one can dispute and break them down.
The Merits of This Life, the Third—One Who Receives and Upholds Does Not Sink, Does Not Fear, and Is Not Terrified
Again, when good men and good women receive and uphold prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, they do not sink, do not fear, and are not alarmed. Why? Because these good men and good women do not see any such dharma of sinking or dharma of terror. Kauśika! Good men and good women who receive and uphold prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, and make offerings with flowers and incense and so on up to banners and canopies, also obtain these merits of this life.
The Merits of This Life and Later Lives, the Fourth—One Who Writes and Holds Is Loved and Revered by Parents and the Buddhas, and Practises the Six Perfections without Interruption
Again, Kauśika! Good men and good women who receive and uphold prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, who write out and hold the scroll of the sūtra and make offerings with flowers and incense and so on up to banners and canopies—such a person is loved by father and mother, cherished by kin and acquaintances, respected by the śramaṇas and brahmins, loved and revered by the buddhas of the ten directions and the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, pratyekabuddhas, arhats, and so on up to srota-āpannas, and loved and revered also by all the world, whether gods, Māra, Brahmā, asuras, and the rest. This person practises dānapāramitā, and there is no time when dānapāramitā is interrupted; for keeping the precepts, forbearance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajñāpāramitā too there is no time of interruption; he cultivates inner emptiness without interruption, and so on up to cultivating the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas without interruption; he cultivates the four foundations of mindfulness without interruption, and so on up to cultivating the eighteen unshared dharmas without interruption; he cultivates the gates of samādhi without interruption and cultivates the gates of dhāraṇī without interruption; the supernormal powers of the bodhisattvas are not interrupted, bringing beings to accomplishment and purifying buddha-worlds are not interrupted, and so on up to cultivating the omniscience of all kinds is not interrupted. This person is also able to subdue those who come to dispute and to slander. Good men and good women who receive and uphold prajñāpāramitā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, not parting from the mind of sarvajñā, who write out and hold the scroll of the sūtra and make offerings with flowers and incense and so on up to banners and canopies, also obtain these merits of this life and of later lives.
The Merits of This Life, the Fifth—Wherever the Written Scroll Is, the Gods of the Three-Thousand Great-Thousand World and of the Ten Directions All Come to See Prajñā, Make Offerings, and Pay Homage
Again, Kauśika! Where good men and good women write out and hold the scroll of the sūtra, in the place where they dwell, all those in the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings within the three-thousand great-thousand world who have aroused the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi all come to this place, see prajñāpāramitā, receive, read, recite, expound, make offerings, and pay homage, and then return. Those within the Heaven of the Thirty-three, the Yāma heaven, the Tuṣita heaven, the Heaven of Delight in Transformation, and the heaven of the gods Sovereign over Others' Transformations; the Heaven of Brahmā's Assembly, the Heaven of Brahmā's Ministers, the Heaven of Brahmā's Gathering, and the Great Brahmā heaven; the Light heaven, the Heaven of Lesser Light, the Heaven of Immeasurable Light, and the Heaven of Light-Sound; the Purity heaven, the Heaven of Lesser Purity, the Heaven of Immeasurable Purity, and the Heaven of Universal Purity; the Heaven of Going without Shade, the Merit heaven, and the Heaven of Abundant Fruit, who have aroused the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, all come to this place, see prajñāpāramitā, receive, read, recite, expound, make offerings, and pay homage, and then return. The gods of the Pure Abodes—namely the Heaven without Deceit, the Heaven without Heat, the Heaven of Wondrous Seeing, the Heaven of Joyful Seeing, and the Heaven of Ultimate Form—also all come to this place, see this prajñāpāramitā, receive, read, recite, expound, make offerings, and pay homage, and then return. Again, Kauśika! Those in the worlds of the ten directions, in the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings and so on up to the Heaven of Abundant Fruit, who have aroused the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and the gods of the Pure Abodes, together with the other gods, nāgas, ghosts and spirits, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas, also come to see prajñāpāramitā, receive, read, recite, expound, make offerings, and pay homage, and then return. These good men and good women should think thus: those in the worlds of the ten directions, in the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings and so on up to the Heaven of Abundant Fruit, who have aroused the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, and the gods of the Pure Abodes together with the other gods, nāgas, ghosts and spirits, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas, all come to see prajñāpāramitā, receive, read, recite, expound, make offerings, and pay homage—I have thereby already made the giving of the Dharma. Kauśika! All those within the three-thousand great-thousand world, in the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings and so on up to the Akaniṣṭha heaven, and so on up to those in the worlds of the ten directions, in the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings and so on up to the Akaniṣṭha heaven, who have aroused the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, protect these good men and good women, so that no evil can gain an opening against them, and remove the heavy offences of their former lives. Kauśika! These good men and good women also obtain these merits of this life, namely that the gods who have aroused the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi all come to this place. Why? Kauśika! The gods arouse the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of saving and protecting all beings, not abandoning all beings, and bringing ease and happiness to all beings.
Śakra Asks How One Knows the Gods Have Come—the Buddha Answers: One Sees a Great Pure Light, Smells a Strange and Wondrous Fragrance, and the Petty Ghosts Withdraw
At that time Śakra Devānām Indra said to the Buddha: World-Honored One! How can good men and good women know the time when the gods of the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings and so on up to the Akaniṣṭha heaven come, and when the gods of the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings and so on up to the Akaniṣṭha heaven in the worlds of the ten directions come, to see prajñāpāramitā, receive, read, recite, expound, make offerings, and pay homage?
The Buddha told Śakra Devānām Indra: Kauśika! If good men and good women see a great pure light, they will certainly know that it is the time when gods of great virtue have come to see prajñāpāramitā, receive, read, recite, expound, make offerings, and pay homage.
Again, Kauśika! If good men and good women smell a strange and wondrous fragrance, they will certainly know that it is the time when gods of great virtue have come to see prajñāpāramitā, receive, read, recite, expound, make offerings, and pay homage.
Again, Kauśika! Because good men and good women conduct their affairs purely and cleanly, the gods come to their place, see prajñāpāramitā, receive, read, recite, expound, make offerings, rejoice, and pay homage. If there are petty ghosts and their like in that place, they withdraw at once, because they cannot bear the majestic virtue of these gods of great virtue. Because these gods of great virtue come, these good men and good women give rise to a vast mind. For this reason, in the place where prajñāpāramitā abides there should be no impurity of any kind on the four sides; one should light lamps, burn incense, scatter many famous flowers, anoint the ground with many fragrances, and adorn it in all kinds of ways with many canopies, pennants, and banners.
The Merits of This Life, the Sixth—Teaching the Dharma without Weariness, at Ease Lying Down and Waking, Dreaming of the Buddhas, the Bodhi Tree, Parinirvāṇa, Stūpas, and Other Good Signs
Again, Kauśika! When good men and good women teach the Dharma, they are never utterly exhausted; they feel their bodies light and at ease and their minds happy; they rest in accord with the meaning of the Dharma; lying down and waking they are at ease, and they have no bad dreams of any kind. In their dreams they see the thirty-two marks and eighty minor marks of the buddhas; they see the bhikṣu Saṅgha reverently surrounding a Buddha while he teaches them the Dharma, and at the side of the buddhas they hear and receive the teaching of the Dharma, namely the six perfections, the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas; the meaning of the six perfections is distinguished, and of the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas the meaning too is distinguished. They also see the bodhi tree, adorned and wondrous; they see the bodhisattvas going toward the bodhi tree and attaining anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; they see the buddhas, after attaining the path, turning the Dharma wheel; they see hundreds of thousands of ten thousands of bodhisattvas gathered together discussing the meaning of the Dharma, saying that one should seek sarvajñā in this way, should bring beings to accomplishment in this way, should purify buddha-worlds in this way; they also see countless hundreds of thousands of ten thousands of koṭi of buddhas of the ten directions, and also hear their names—such-and-such a Buddha of such-and-such a world in such-and-such a direction, reverently surrounded by so many hundreds of thousands of ten thousands of bodhisattvas and so many hundreds of thousands of ten thousands of śrāvakas while he teaches them the Dharma; they also see countless hundreds of thousands of ten thousands of koṭi of buddhas of the ten directions entering parinirvāṇa; they also see the stūpas of the seven jewels of countless hundreds of thousands of ten thousands of koṭi of buddhas; they see people making offerings to the stūpas of the buddhas, paying reverence, honouring and praising, making offerings with flowers and incense and so on up to pennants and canopies.
The Merits of This Life, the Seventh—Seeing Good Dreams, the Gods Increase One's Strength, One Does Not Crave the Four Requisites; This Surpasses Making Offerings to the Buddhas of the Ten Directions and Raising Stūpas of the Seven Jewels
Kauśika! When these good men and good women see such good dreams, they are at ease lying down and at ease waking; the gods increase their strength, they feel their bodies light and nimble, they do not greatly crave food and drink, clothing, bedding, and medicine, and toward these four kinds of offerings their minds are light; it is like a bhikṣu sitting in meditation who, rising from meditative concentration, his mind at one with concentration, does not crave food and drink, and his mind is light. Why? Kauśika! It is the way of the gods to increase such a person's strength with the essence of all kinds of flavours. The buddhas of the ten directions, and gods, nāgas, ghosts, spirits, asuras, gandharvas, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas also increase his strength.
In this way, Kauśika, good men and good women who wish to obtain such merits of this life should receive and uphold prajñāpāramitā, draw near to it, read it, recite it, expound it, rightly recollect it, and also not part from the mind of sarvajñā. Kauśika! Although good men and good women may be unable to receive and uphold it and so on up to rightly recollecting it, they should still write out and hold the scroll of the sūtra, pay reverence to it, make offerings to it, honour and praise it, and make offerings with flowers and incense, necklaces, and so on up to banners and canopies. Kauśika! Suppose good men and good women hear this prajñāpāramitā, receive and uphold it, read it, recite it, expound it, rightly recollect it, write out the scroll of the sūtra, pay reverence to it, make offerings to it, honour and praise it, and make offerings with flowers and incense and so on up to pennants and canopies. The merits of these good men and good women are very many; they surpass making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions and their disciples—paying reverence, honouring and praising, making offerings with clothing, food and drink, bedding, and medicine; they surpass raising stūpas of the seven jewels after the parinirvāṇa of the buddhas and their disciples, paying reverence, making offerings, honouring and praising, and making offerings with flowers and incense and so on up to pennants and canopies.
What follows is the treatise's explanation.
Question and Answer Five: The Heavens Have Prajñā of Their Own—Why Come to Increase the Dharma-Master's Courage? The Gods Come out of Compassion for Beings
Someone asks: the heavens have prajñā of their own from the start; why do they still come to the place of the one who teaches the Dharma to increase his courage?
The treatise-author answers: although there is prajñā in the heavens, the gods come because they have compassion for beings; as soon as the gods come, the evil ghosts go far away; they increase the Dharma-master's courage and make him delight in proclaiming. They can also make beings increase in faith and reverence; for this reason they come.
Someone says: the taste of the gods' nectar is subtle and moistening; it is able to enter each and every pore, making the four great elements and the faculties of the good man supple, light, and keen, so that he delights in proclaiming.
Question and Answer Six: Do All Who Teach Prajñā Obtain the Taste of Nectar? No—One Must Seek the Path with a Single Mind, Subdue the Fetters, and Keep the Place Pure
Someone asks: does everyone who proclaims prajñā obtain the taste of the gods' nectar, so that he delights in proclaiming?
The treatise-author answers: No! If a practitioner seeks the Buddha path with a single mind, subdues the afflictions and fetters, keeps his clothing pure and clean, and the place where he teaches the Dharma is also pure, furnished with flowers, incense, banners, and canopies, the ground sprinkled with scented water, with no impurity of any kind—for this reason the gods rejoice and also benefit all those who hear the Dharma.
Although the one who teaches the Dharma has not read many of the inner and outer scriptures, yet because he has entered deeply into the meaning of prajñāpāramitā, his mind is not timid; he does not sink, does not fear, and is not terrified.
Why? Because within prajñāpāramitā there is no fixed dharma that can be grasped, disputed, or refuted.
Again, within this prajñāpāramitā all dharmas are also distinguished and proclaimed: worldly and world-transcending, permanent and impermanent, wholesome and unwholesome, and so on; there is not a single dharma that is not contained within it. Because all dharmas are furnished there, one is not timid and not fearful; if there were only one dharma, there would be much that was lacking, and therefore there would be fear.
Because this bodhisattva practises prajñāpāramitā, his afflictions are broken down and made thin, and all kinds of merits increase and perfume his body; therefore his majestic virtue is worthy of reverence. Since the body is the dwelling-place of merit, even if his form were ugly and he could do nothing, he would still be loved and valued by people—how much more if he is upright of form by nature and also able to benefit people!
Question and Answer Seven: Why Is Being Loved by Parents Worth Mentioning? Within Filial Compliance the Bodhisattva Is Doubly Superior, and His Virtuous Conduct Is Loved and Revered by Gods and Humans
Someone asks: to be loved and revered by the buddhas, the śramaṇas, and the brahmins may be worth saying; but being loved and cherished by one's parents—why is that worth mentioning?
The treatise-author answers: although a person is born of his parents, if he does not follow his parents' instruction, his parents do not love and cherish him; within respectful compliance the bodhisattva is doubly superior.
Because he makes offerings to, pays reverence to, and honours the Way and virtue, the śramaṇas and brahmins love and revere him.
He is plain and utterly sincere, and his mouth speaks no falsehood; he deeply loves the merits of later lives and does not crave the pleasures of this life; he receives and provides for people of low station and does not exalt himself; if he sees that others have faults, he does not even state the facts of them—how much less would he slander them! If he truly cannot avoid it, he still in the end does not say everything. He relieves and comforts the orphaned, the suffering, and the poor, and does not favour those who attach themselves to him. All such matters as these are the power of prajñāpāramitā. Because this person's merits are heard of far away, gods and people of the world all love and revere him.
Because he makes offerings to prajñāpāramitā, life after life he constantly obtains the six perfections and the rest, and there is no time when they are interrupted. Because this person's merit and wisdom and his fame are heard of far away, if someone comes to dispute or slander, he is able to subdue them all.
The Treatise Explains Why Gods, Ghosts, and Spirits Come Following—All Belong to the Four Heavenly Kings; It Also Dispels the Doubt of People of the Fleshly Eye
Again, the gods, in order to make offerings to prajñāpāramitā, come to the place where prajñā abides.
Again, all the ghosts and spirits of mountains and rivers, trees, the land, and cities belong to the Four Heavenly Kings; because the Four Heavenly Kings come, the ghosts and spirits all follow and come along with them.
Among these ghosts and spirits there are those who have not yet obtained the scroll of the prajñā sūtra, and so they come to the place of prajñāpāramitā to make offerings, read and recite, and pay homage; it is also for the sake of benefiting the good man. This too is a merit of this life, because the gods and good spirits come.
The lord of the heavens, in order to dispel the doubts of ordinary people of the fleshly eye, therefore asks: how does one know that gods of great virtue have come?
Answer: at that time one sees a great light, or smells an extraordinary fragrance, and it is also because, as was said before, the dwelling-place is pure.
Question and Answer Eight: The Human Body Is Filled Within with Impurity—What Good Is Outward Purity? Purifying the Dwelling and Clothing Leaves No Impurity Outside; As When a King Comes, the Common Folk Withdraw
Someone asks: the inside of the human body is filled with impurity; what benefit is there in outward purity?
The treatise-author answers: if one purifies one's dwelling-place and clothing, then outwardly there is no impurity; because outwardly there is no impurity, the gods rejoice. It is like the place where a king or a great man comes: the common folk of low and humble station withdraw and go away; when the gods of great virtue come, the petty ghosts withdraw in the same way. Because the majestic virtue of the great gods is deep and weighty, the petty ghosts who formerly lived there withdraw and go away. Because these great gods come and draw near, this person's mind becomes pure and vast.
If a practitioner wishes the gods of great virtue to come, he should do as is said in the sūtra (purifying his dwelling-place and clothing).
Because the evil ghosts go far away, body and mind become light and nimble. And why is that? Drawing near to evil ghosts makes a person's body and mind gradually turn evil; it is like drawing near to an angry person, which easily makes one give rise to anger; drawing near to beautiful forms easily stirs a person's lustful feelings.
Because this person has already left behind the evil causes and conditions within and without, he is at ease lying down and at ease waking, and has no bad dreams of any kind; even if he dreams, he sees only the buddhas, as is said in the sūtra.
Question and Answer Nine: Prajñā Is in the Buddha's Body, and Making Offerings to One Buddha Is Making Offerings to Prajñā—Why Say That Making Offerings to the Buddhas of the Ten Directions Does Not Equal Making Offerings to Prajñā?
Someone asks: prajñāpāramitā is in the body of the Buddha; if one makes offerings to one Buddha, that is making offerings to prajñāpāramitā; why then is it said: 「供養十方佛，不如供養般若波羅蜜」 tr. "making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions does not equal making offerings to prajñāpāramitā"?
The treatise-author answers: the crux lies in the mind of the one who makes offerings. If one makes offerings to the Buddha, one grasps the mark of a person; but the person is ultimately unfindable, and because one grasps a mark, although the field of merit is vast, the merit is thin and small. The one who makes offerings to prajñāpāramitā, in accord with the prajñā he has heard, does not grasp the mark of a person and does not grasp the mark of a dharma; because he makes offerings with such a mind, his merit is vast.
Again, prajñāpāramitā is the mother of all the buddhas of the ten directions and is also the teacher of the buddhas. That the buddhas attain the thirty-two marks and eighty minor marks of this body, together with immeasurable light and supernormal transformations, is all the power of prajñāpāramitā. For this reason, making offerings to prajñāpāramitā is still more superior.
Because of these various causes and conditions, making offerings to prajñā surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions, and yet it is not that one does not revere the Buddha.
Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Fascicle Fifty-Eight.
阿難稱譽品：般若何以於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法獨為尊導，餘度何以皆依般若得名、如種子依地得生，受持書持般若又何以得今世後世如許功德，乃至供養般若何以勝供養十方諸佛而終不失敬佛
在問什麼
這一品的品名叫「阿難稱譽品」（所釋的《大品》同品，本論宋元本與所釋經之底本又作『尊導品』，二名交叉互見，實為異名同品，非別是一品，其源流出處詳考據層）。一品從慧命阿難請問『佛何以唯獨稱譽般若、而不稱譽餘五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法』說起，故以「阿難稱譽」標目。這一問看似只是稱歎之偏，底下卻壓著全品最要緊的一個判教之義。
一品的骨架，由一經一論再一經一論、共兩對經論交替展開，環繞著三重問題。第一，也是全品之綱：般若既與餘度同名波羅蜜，何以獨得「尊導」之稱？佛的答覆是——不迴向薩婆若，則布施乃至智慧皆不得稱波羅蜜；唯般若能令五事成波羅蜜，如種子必依大地方生，故般若於五度乃至一切種智為尊為導。第二，這「稱譽」落到受持之人身上，有何實利？帝釋述其功德未盡，佛乃廣顯受持、書持般若者今世後世之種種果報，乃至『當知是人為如佛』。第三，這些果報一一可疑：功德深重而書持供養輕微，何以得二世功德？諸天何以來益法師膽力？人身內既不淨，外淨何益？乃至——般若既在佛身中，何以說供養十方佛不如供養般若、卻又非不敬佛？論主以九番問答、大地寶珠等喻，逐一酬答。這幾問，正是本品經、論要逐一交代的。
逐段解明
一、阿難問偏稱之由，佛答般若為尊導。 慧命阿難請問：佛何以不稱譽檀、尸羅、羼提、毘梨耶、禪乃至十八不共法，唯獨稱譽般若？佛直答「般若波羅蜜於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法為尊導」，並以反問印定：不迴向薩婆若，布施尚不得稱檀波羅蜜，持戒乃至智慧尚不得稱般若波羅蜜。阿難兩答『不也』，佛乃結云——以是故知般若於五度乃至十八不共法為尊導，是故稱譽。此段立起全品之綱：稱譽般若非厚此薄彼，乃因餘度之得名、得成，皆繫於般若一法。
二、云何布施迴向作波羅蜜，佛答以無二、不生、不可得。 阿難更問：怎樣的布施迴向薩婆若才成檀波羅蜜乃至般若波羅蜜？佛答以三義迴向——以無二法、以不生、以不可得——迴向薩婆若，是名檀波羅蜜乃至般若波羅蜜。此段承上「尊導」而問其所以然：般若之所以能點化五度成波羅蜜，正在它以無二、不生、不可得之智照迴向一切智，故布施等一入此照，便由有盡之善轉為波羅蜜。
三、云何諸法不二，佛答色相空、諸法不二不別。 阿難再問『云何色不二乃至阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不二』，佛答「色，色相空」，檀波羅蜜與色不二不別，乃至無上菩提與檀波羅蜜不二不別，五度亦然。此段直探不二之底：不二不是把兩物強合為一，而是色相本空、能所諸法於畢竟空中本無二別，般若所迴向者正是此空。義理最深，讀者當緊扣「色相空」一句，勿把不二讀成混同。
四、種子依地喻，五度依般若得生。 佛以喻收束此經段：譬如以種子散於大地，因緣和合便生，諸種子皆依地而生；如是五波羅蜜依般若波羅蜜得生，四念處乃至一切種智亦依般若得生，故般若為五度乃至十八不共法尊導。此段以一喻總酬『何以獨稱般若』——地非種而為種所依，般若非五度而為五度所依，尊導之義於此喻中了然。
五、帝釋述受持功德未盡，世出世間諸善乃至諸佛皆由此出。 釋提桓因白佛：受持般若乃至正憶念者功德未盡，以受持般若則受三世諸佛無上道故；由此故十善道乃至四禪、四無量、四無色定、十八不共法現於世間，世間乃有剎利大姓、婆羅門大姓乃至四天王天等阿迦尼吒諸天，乃有須陀洹乃至菩薩摩訶薩，乃至諸佛出於世間。此段把「稱譽般若」之義由法推到果：般若既為尊導，則凡世出世間一切善果乃至諸佛，皆自受持般若而現，故其功德說之不盡。
六、佛顯受持者五眾成就、當知是人為如佛。 佛告憍尸迦：受持般若乃至正憶念、不離薩婆若心者，無量戒眾成就，定眾、慧眾、解脫眾、解脫知見眾成就；能如是者，「當知是人為如佛」。此段把受持之利收於五分法身之成就，並以『如佛』二字定此人之分量——荷般若者所以可貴，正因其身已成五眾功德之聚，近於佛地。
七、二乘五眾不及、以更不求大乘法故。 佛續明：一切聲聞、辟支佛所有戒眾乃至解脫知見眾，不及此善男子善女人之五眾，百分千分乃至算數譬喻所不能及；何以故？此人於二乘地中心得解脫，更不求大乘法故。此段以二乘為對照，顯般若所成之五眾非徒有無漏，更以不捨大乘、迴向薩婆若為其超勝二乘之所在。
八、書持經卷供養，亦得今世後世功德。 佛結此經段：若善男子善女人書持般若經卷，供養、恭敬、尊重，華香瓔珞乃至伎樂，亦得今世後世功德；帝釋因發願常守護是人。此段把受持之利再開一路——縱不能受持正憶念，但書持供養亦得二世功德，為下文論釋『書持供養何以得深重果』張本。
九、論釋阿難發問之由——未離欲、不數問空，因佛讚般若乃問。 【論】釋先明阿難所以發問。阿難雖多聞、力能分別空，然未離欲故不能深入，雖常侍佛而不數問難空事；今佛讚歎般若及行者，阿難乃問『何以獨稱歎般若』。此段是論主為一品緣起所作的鋪敘，點出此問出於阿難多聞而未證之地，非有疑於佛。
十、問答一：佛常說六度名何以言不稱說——雖說名字非為稱美，皆為入般若。 論設問：佛從初常說六波羅蜜名，阿難何以言「不稱說」？論答：雖說名字，不為稱美，皆為引人入般若中故說。此問答分別「說名」與「稱美」二事：佛歷說六度之名，是為導入般若，非以之為所歸讚歎之極，故阿難所言「不稱」者，謂不以之為究竟稱美耳。
十一、智慧第一、導師喻，無般若則果報有盡。 論引佛語「一切有為法中，智慧第一」，一切智慧中度彼岸般若第一，譬如行路眾伴之中導師第一；般若能示導出三界、到三乘。若無般若，雖行布施等善，隨業受報而有盡，以有盡故尚不得小乘涅槃，何況無上道。此段以導師一喻顯般若於眾善中之領率之位，並反顯離般若之善終墮有盡，故非尊導不可。
十二、觀畢竟空是名迴向薩婆若，其福不盡。 論釋：布施等善若能觀如佛道相之不二、不生不滅、不得不失、畢竟空寂，是名「迴向薩婆若」；此布施福世世受報而不盡，後當得一切種智，一切法亦如是相。此段承上『有盡／無盡』之辨，指出轉有盡為無盡之關捩正在『觀畢竟空』一著——迴向非徒發願，乃以空慧照之，福乃不盡。
十三、問答二：佛何以還以不二解不二——阿難但問何法不二。 論設問：佛何以不答「不二」之因緣，還以不二為解？論答：阿難不問不二之因緣，但問「何法不二」，故佛答色等諸法不二故。並申般若能令五事等作波羅蜜，故但稱譽般若。此問答辨明問之所在——阿難所疑在「何法」而非『何故』，故佛之答適如其問，非答非所問。
十四、大地生萬物喻，能持善法種子、因緣和合、事得成辦。 論釋佛「如大地能生萬物，般若波羅蜜亦如是」之喻，並逐句消釋：「能持一切善法種子」者，謂從發心來除般若外之一切善法；「因緣和合」者，謂佛道中一心、信、忍、精進不息乃至通達不壞等法；「事得成辦」者，謂從發心學諸波羅蜜、從一地至一地乃至佛地。此段把大地喻三支一一坐實，顯般若持善法之種、待緣而成佛地之果，正是尊導之實義。
十五、問答三：帝釋何以言功德未盡——般若無量、前被外道魔擾中斷。 論設問：帝釋何故言「佛說行者受持般若功德未盡」？論答：般若無量無邊、功德亦無量無邊，前說未究竟，中間因外道梵志及魔來故傍及異事，今還欲續聞；帝釋深愛福報、樂聞不厭。此段承上一品（梵志品）外道魔擾之事，說明「功德未盡」一語之由來——非佛說有闕，乃前緣中斷、帝釋樂聞而請續。
十六、般若中求一切種智、一切種智中求般若。 論引帝釋自說因緣：受持般若乃至正憶念則受三世諸佛無上道功德智慧，以般若中應求一切種智、一切種智中應求般若故，如上品末所說；行者受持般若、發心求菩提、為度眾生集諸功德，故十善道乃至十八不共法現於世間，乃有剎利大姓乃至諸佛。此段重申因果互求之義，並把世出世間諸善果之現，繫於行者受持般若之一因。
十七、戒眾義——於一切眾生修畢竟無畏施、施壽命，故得無量戒眾。 論釋「戒眾」：菩薩行般若，於十方三世無量無邊眾生中修畢竟無畏施，於眾生所愛之壽命施以無畏，故得無量戒眾果報；不殺等戒略說二百五十、毘尼中略說八萬四千、廣說無量，凡夫或受一日一世，菩薩則世世施無畏乃至入無餘涅槃，是名無量戒眾，乃至解脫知見眾隨義分別。此段以「無畏施」釋戒眾之所以無量——凡夫之戒有限期，菩薩之戒盡未來際遍一切眾生，故其量不可稱計。
十八、五眾勝二乘，書持供養得二世功德。 論結：此戒定慧解脫解脫知見五眾功德勝於二乘、不可計量；若人書寫供養般若，得今世後世功德。此段收束論主釋經段之義，並以『書寫供養亦得二世功德』一句，逗起下文問答四之疑。
十九、問答四：書持供養輕微，何以得深重二世功德——効他、深心二種供養。 論設問：今世後世功德深重，書持供養輕微，云何得二世功德？論答：供養有二種——一者効他供養，二者深心供養；知般若功德而深心供養故得二世功德。般若有種種門入：聞持乃至正憶念者從智慧精進門入，書寫供養者從信及精進門入；一心深信則供養經卷勝，不一心則雖受持而不如。此段以「深心」判供養之輕重——果之深重不繫於事之大小，而繫於心之一與不一。
二十、如意寶珠喻，般若是諸佛之母諸法第一寶。 論以喻申之：如意寶珠是無記色法、無心無識，尚因眾生福德因緣而生、能令供養者隨意所得，何況般若是無上智慧、諸佛之母、諸法寶中第一寶，若一心信受供養，云何不得二世功德？惟人不一心、又先世重罪故雖供養而不得如上功德，過在人而般若無咎。此段以寶珠之無心尚能與願，反顯般若之為法寶其福必應，並澄清不得果者過在己心，非般若有闕。
廿一、經顯今世功德之一二三——諸天益膽力、四眾說法無怯、不沒不畏不怖。 【經】佛告憍尸迦：讀誦說般若時無量百千諸天來聽、益其膽力，法師疲極不欲說時諸天益力便更能說；於四部眾中說般若心無怯弱，以般若中分別世出世等一切法、住內空乃至無法有法空故，不見能難者、受難者及般若，故無有能難壞者；受持乃至正憶念時不沒、不畏、不怖，以不見有沒者、恐怖者故。此段連舉三重今世功德，皆以『為般若所護持』為根——般若照法本空、無能所可得，故說者於論難之場無怯無怖。
廿二、書持者為父母諸佛所愛敬、行六度諸善不斷絕。 經續明：書持經卷、受持正憶念者，為父母所愛、宗親知識所念、諸沙門婆羅門所敬、十方諸佛菩薩乃至須陀洹所愛敬，天魔梵及阿修羅亦皆愛敬；是人行檀乃至般若無斷絕時，修內空乃至十八不共法、諸三昧陀羅尼門、神通、成就眾生淨佛世界乃至一切種智皆不斷，亦能降伏難論毀謗，得今世後世功德。此段顯受持般若者德被人天、行門相續，愛敬與不斷二義並舉，見其功德之廣續。
廿三、書卷所在處三千大千及十方諸天皆來見般若、供養禮拜。 經明：書持經卷所住之處，三千大千世界四天王天乃至色究竟、淨居諸天中發菩提心者，並十方世界諸天龍鬼神八部發心者，皆來見般若，受讀誦說、供養禮拜還去；行者應念「我則法施已」；諸天護持是人、諸惡不得便、除其宿命重罪。此段顯般若經卷所在即成天人朝宗之處，書持者不作意而成法施、且蒙護除罪，是今世功德之尤著者。
廿四、帝釋問云何知天來，佛答見光聞香、小鬼避去。 經：釋提桓因問『云何當知諸天來見般若』，佛答——見大淨光明必知大德諸天來，聞異妙香必知大德諸天來；又行淨潔故諸天來到其處，其中小鬼輩不堪大德諸天威德即時出去，以諸天來故行者生大心，故般若所住處四面應無不淨、當然燈燒香散華嚴飾。此段答『云何知天來』之驗相，並以「小鬼避去」引出下文淨住處之義，見天來之徵在光香、其效在祛穢生心。
廿五、今世功德之善夢——夢見諸佛三十二相、菩提樹、轉法輪、涅槃七寶塔等。 經明：說法終無疲極，臥覺安隱無惡夢；夢中見諸佛三十二相八十隨形好、比丘僧圍繞聽法、分別六波羅蜜四念處乃至十八不共法義，見菩提樹莊嚴、諸菩薩趣樹得菩提、諸佛轉法輪、百千萬菩薩集論法義、十方諸佛及其名號眷屬、諸佛般涅槃、七寶塔及供養塔事。此段列善夢十相，皆佛法之境現於夢寐，顯受持般若者寤寐之間所緣純是道法，是今世功德之驗於夢者。
廿六、諸天益氣力不貪四供，勝供養十方諸佛起七寶塔。 經結今世功德：見善夢者臥安覺安、諸天益其氣力、身輕不貪飲食衣服臥具湯藥，如比丘坐禪起心與定合而不貪食，以諸天以味精益其氣力故；欲得今世如是功德當受持般若，縱不能受持亦當書持供養；如是之人功德甚多，勝於供養十方諸佛及弟子衣食臥具湯藥、乃至般涅槃後起七寶塔供養。此段以「勝供養十方諸佛」總收經段，逗起論釋末番之疑（供養般若何以勝供養佛）。
廿七、問答五：天上自有般若何以來益膽力——諸天憐愍眾生故來。 【論】設問：天上自有般若，何以來至說法人所益其膽力？論答：天上雖有般若，諸天憐愍眾生故來；天來則惡鬼遠去、益法師膽力令其樂說，又使眾生益加信敬故來。復引「有人言」：天甘露味微細沾洽、能入孔孔，使善男子四大諸情柔軟輕利、樂有所說。此段釋諸天來益之由，歸於憐愍與利生，非般若有闕於天而假求於人。
廿八、問答六：一切說般若者皆得甘露味否——不也，須一心求道、折伏結使、處所清淨。 論設問：一切說般若者皆得諸天甘露味、令其樂說不？論答：不也；須行者一心求佛道、折伏結使、衣服淨潔、說法處清淨、華香幡蓋香水灑地無諸不淨，是故諸天歡喜、亦利益聽法者。此問答揀別甘露味之所應——非徒說般若便得，須內折結使、外淨處所，感應乃成。
廿九、說法者心不怯之由——般若中無定法可執可難可破。 論明：說法者雖不多讀內外經書，深入般若義故心不怯弱、不沒不畏不恐；何以故？「般若波羅蜜中無有定法可執、可難、可破」故。復次般若中亦分別說世間出世間、常無常、善不善諸法，無法不有，備有諸法故不怯不畏；若但有一法則多所闕故有恐畏。此段以『無定法可執可難可破』與「備有諸法」二義並釋不怯之根——既無定法可為敵所破，又備一切法而無所闕，故臨難無畏。
三十、菩薩威德可敬——煩惱折薄、福德薰身。 論明：是菩薩行般若，煩惱折損微薄、諸福德增益薰身故威德可敬；身是功德住處故，雖形醜無能作猶為人愛重，何況端正能利益人。此段承不怯之義，進顯般若行者之身自具可敬之威德，為下文『父母沙門所愛敬』張本。
卅一、問答七：父母愛念何足稱——菩薩恭順倍勝、德行為天人所愛敬。 論設問：諸佛沙門婆羅門愛敬可爾，父母愛念何足稱？論答：人雖父母所生，不順父母教則不愛念，菩薩於恭順之中倍復殊勝；供養恭敬尊重道德故沙門婆羅門愛敬。復列菩薩德行——平實至誠、口不妄言，深愛後世功德、不著今世樂，接養下人不自高大，見他過不說其實、必不得已終不盡說，給恤孤窮不私附己，如是等事皆般若力，功德遠聞故天人皆愛敬。此段釋「父母愛念」之可稱，在菩薩恭順倍勝於常人，並歷數其德行以實之，見人天愛敬皆由般若。
卅二、供養般若世世得六度、降伏毀謗；鬼神屬四天王故隨從共來。 論明：供養般若故世世常得六波羅蜜等無有斷絕，福德智慧名聞故有問難毀謗悉能降伏；復次諸天為供養般若故來至般若所住處；復次山河樹木土地城郭一切鬼神皆屬四天王，四天王來故皆隨從共來，鬼神中有未得般若經卷者故來供養讀誦禮拜、亦為利益善男子，此亦今世功德。此段釋諸天鬼神何以群集之由——上屬四天王故隨來，或自求經卷故來，皆歸於供養般若之功。
卅三、天帝破肉眼人疑——見光聞香、住處清淨故知天來。 論明：天帝為破肉眼凡夫之疑，故問「云何知大德天來」；答以時見大光明、若聞殊異之香、亦以如先說住處清淨故。此段承經文帝釋之問而釋其意——帝釋非自不知，乃為肉眼人破疑而問，答仍歸於光、香、淨處三驗。
卅四、問答八：人身內不淨、外淨何益——淨住處衣服則外無不淨、如國王來群庶避去。 論設問：人身不淨內充，外淨何益？論答：淨其住處及衣服則外無不淨，外無不淨故諸天歡喜；譬如國王大人來處群細庶民避去，諸大德天來、小鬼去亦如是，大天威德重故舊住小鬼避去，諸大天近故是人心則清淨廣大。行者若欲令大德天來當如經所說。此段以國王庶民一喻釋外淨之益——外淨非為身內之淨，乃為感天祛鬼、令心清淨廣大，故不可以『內既不淨』廢外淨之行。
卅五、惡鬼遠去故身心輕便、臥安覺安但夢見佛。 論明：惡鬼遠去故身心輕便；所以者何，近惡鬼令人身心漸惡，如近瞋人喜令人瞋、近美色令人好色情發；是人內外惡因緣遠離故臥安覺安、無諸惡夢，若夢但見諸佛，如經所說。此段以近惡染惡、近淨得淨之理，釋外淨感天之效終歸於行者自身之安隱——內外惡緣既離，寤寐皆安、夢唯見佛。
卅六、問答九：供養一佛即供養般若，何以言供養十方佛不如供養般若——取相與不取相之別。 論設此品義理之結穴問：般若在佛身中，供養一佛則供養般若，何以言『供養十方佛不如供養般若』？論答：關鍵在供養者之心——若供養佛則取人相，人畢竟不可得，以取相故福田雖大而功德薄少；供養般若者則如所聞般若、「不取人相、不取法相」，用是心供養故福德大。此段以『取相／不取相』判二供之優劣——非佛不及般若，乃取相之心自局其福，稱般若之無相而供，其福乃大。
卅七、般若是諸佛母、諸佛師，供養般若勝而非不敬佛。 論結全品：般若波羅蜜「是一切十方諸佛母，亦是諸佛師」，諸佛所得三十二相八十隨形好及無量光明神通變化皆是般若力，以是故供養般若勝；以是等因緣故勝供養十方諸佛，「非不敬佛」。此段以『諸佛母師』定般若之極位，並以「非不敬佛」四字收煞前疑——揚般若非抑佛，正因般若即諸佛之所從出，敬其母師即所以深敬佛，二者不相違。
不要讀錯
不要把『阿難稱譽品／尊導品』二名讀成兩品，或疑本品品序有錯。二名雖異，所指之品內容全同，只是本論與所釋經在各自傳本中一作「阿難稱譽」、一作『尊導』而交叉互見，屬異名同品，非別立一品、非品序錯位。「阿難稱譽」取一品從阿難請問稱譽般若說起之義，「尊導」取般若為五度尊導之義，二名各據一端而所指是一；其名實之辨、諸本出處與品次異讀，屬考據層之事，義理上但依一品之文讀去即可。
不要把「稱譽般若」讀成佛於六度之中偏愛一法、輕視餘五。論說得分明：不迴向薩婆若則布施乃至智慧皆不得稱波羅蜜，唯般若能令五事成波羅蜜，如種子必依地而生。故稱譽般若非厚此薄彼，正是揭出五度之得名、得成皆繫於般若一法；若把「尊導」讀成高下之情，便失了『地與種子』之喻所顯的『所依／能依』之義。
不要把「色，色相空」「不二不別」讀成把兩物強合為一。般若所迴向者是畢竟空之照，色相本空、諸法於空中本無二別，故言「不二」；這不是說檀波羅蜜與色是同一物，而是說二者於畢竟空中不相隔別。執之為一則失諸法之宛然，執之為異則失畢竟空之平等，須雙離二執，方讀得「不二不別」四字。
不要把『供養般若勝供養十方諸佛』讀成貶佛、或讀成一種可較量的福德買賣。論以『取相／不取相』判之：供養佛而取人相，則福田雖大而功德薄少；稱般若之無相而供，故福德大——所較者是『心之取相與否』，非佛與般若孰尊。且論即以『般若是諸佛母、諸佛師』與「非不敬佛」收之，正防人誤墮抑佛之見：敬般若即所以深敬諸佛之所從出，二者終不相違。
修行作用
這一品把「稱譽般若」一義，從判教之綱一路落到受持之人的今世後世實利。用功人最當領取的第一層信解，是「尊導」之義：布施、持戒乃至一切善行，若不以般若迴向薩婆若，終是隨業有盡之福，尚不能致小乘涅槃，何況無上道。日用行善之際，若只顧事相之多寡而不以空慧迴向，便如撒種而不著地，終難生果；本品卻教人於一一善行上『觀畢竟空、迴向薩婆若』，福乃由有盡轉為無盡——用功處在以般若照攝萬行，不在別修一種靈驗之法。
受持、書持般若所感之今世功德，尤堪自省。諸天益膽力、四眾說法無怯、乃至夢見諸佛菩提樹涅槃塔，這一切驗相，論主一一歸於『為般若所護持』『深入般若義故心不怯』與『一心深信深心供養』。用功人於此當識得：這些功德不是向外求得的瑞應，而是自心深入般若、折伏結使、淨其內外之後自然之效。若把讀誦書持當作博取瑞相的手段，便落回『取人相而福薄』的同一路數；本品教人所重者，是「深心供養」與『不取相』之一心，果之深重全繫於此。
『供養般若勝供養十方諸佛而非不敬佛』一義，最可作觀行之準繩。所以勝者，唯在「不取人相、不取法相」之無相心；所以「非不敬佛」者，正因般若是諸佛之母、之師，敬其所從出即所以深敬佛。用功人於一切供養、恭敬之際，當於此雙離二失——既不以取相之心局其福德，亦不因揚般若而生輕佛之慢，稱無相而供、即母師而敬佛，方是本品落到用功上的分寸。
承衍
本品的骨幹，是一條由「尊導」貫串的判教與功德之線：阿難問佛何以獨稱譽般若，佛答不迴向薩婆若則五度不得其名、唯般若能令五事成波羅蜜，如種子依地而生，故般若於五度乃至十八不共法為尊導；帝釋因述受持功德未盡，佛乃廣顯受持、書持般若者今世後世之利——五眾成就而「當知是人為如佛」，諸天益膽力、說法無怯、書卷所在天人朝宗、夢見諸佛善相，乃至勝供養十方諸佛。論釋則以九番問答與大地、如意寶珠、導師、國王庶民等喻，逐一酬釋『何以不稱說』『何以還以不二解』『功德未盡之由』『書持供養何以得二世功德』『天何以來益膽力』『何以得甘露味』『父母愛念何足稱』「外淨何益」『供養般若何以勝供養佛』諸疑。一品之義，總在『般若為尊導、受持得大利、供養般若即敬諸佛之所從出』一事。
『尊導』與『般若是諸佛母、諸佛師』二義，尤可附帶一提，見其承衍之跡。般若為餘度所依、為諸善果所出之義，自前諸品累論而來，至本品乃借阿難『偏稱』一問，把『餘度依般若得名』與『諸佛從般若生』二線一時收攏，並以『地與種子』外別立之寶珠、導師諸喻為此相依相生之義立一定說；『供養般若勝而非不敬佛』一結，又與前品『般若即一切智』之義遙相呼應——般若既即諸佛之智、又為諸佛之母師，故敬般若與敬佛終是一事。讀者可合觀前後諸品，以見般若『所依、所出、所歸極』一貫之脈（其承衍起訖、諸品出處，詳考據層）。
Ānanda's Praise: Why Prajñā Alone Is the Honoured Guide of the Five Perfections and So On up to the Eighteen Unshared Dharmas; Why the Other Perfections All Receive Their Name in Dependence on Prajñā, as Seeds Are Born in Dependence on the Earth; Why Receiving and Upholding, and Writing Out and Upholding, Prajñā Bring So Much Merit in This Life and Later Lives; and Why Making Offerings to Prajñā Surpasses Making Offerings to the Buddhas of the Ten Directions and Yet Never Fails in Reverence for the Buddha
What Is Being Asked
This chapter’s name is 「阿難稱譽品」 tr. "the chapter Ānanda's Praise" (for the same chapter of the Larger Sūtra that it explains, the Song and Yuan editions of this treatise and the base text of the sūtra it explains read instead ‘Honoured Guide’; the two names cross and appear each in the other’s witnesses, and in fact they are different names for the same chapter, not a separate chapter; their sources and origins are examined in detail in the Apparatus). The chapter begins from the venerable Ānanda’s question, ‘why does the Buddha praise prajñā alone, and not praise the other five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas,’ and so it is headed 「阿難稱譽」 tr. "Ānanda's Praise." This question looks like no more than a partiality in praising, but pressing underneath it is the single most important meaning in the whole chapter for the ranking of the teachings.
The frame of the chapter unfolds through one sūtra passage and one treatise passage, and then again one sūtra passage and one treatise passage—two pairs of sūtra and treatise in alternation—circling around three layers of question. First, and this is the guiding thread of the whole chapter: since prajñā shares with the other perfections the name pāramitā, why does it alone receive the title 「尊導」 tr. "honoured guide"? The Buddha’s answer is this—if it is not dedicated to sarvajñā, then giving and so on up to wisdom cannot be called pāramitā; only prajñā can make the five matters become pāramitā, just as seeds must depend on the great earth to be born, and so prajñā is honoured and is guide to the five perfections and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds. Second, when this 「稱譽」 tr. "praise" comes to rest on the person who receives and upholds, what real benefit does it bring? Śakra declares that the merit of receiving and upholding has not yet been told to the end, and the Buddha then broadly shows the many kinds of karmic result in this life and in later lives of the one who receives and upholds, and who writes out and upholds, prajñā, up to ‘know that this person is as a Buddha.’ Third, these results are each open to doubt: the merit is deep and weighty while writing out, upholding, and making offerings are slight—how can the merit of two lives be gained? Why do the gods come to increase the teacher of the Dharma’s courage? Since the human body is impure within, what benefit is outer purity? And so on up to this—since prajñā is within the Buddha’s body, why is it said that making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions is not equal to making offerings to prajñā, and yet that this is not a failure to revere the Buddha? The treatise-author answers them one by one, with nine rounds of question and answer and with similes such as the great earth and the jewel. These several questions are exactly what the sūtra and treatise of this chapter must account for one by one.
Passage by Passage
1. Ānanda asks the reason for the one-sided praise; the Buddha answers that prajñā is the honoured guide. The venerable Ānanda asks: why does the Buddha not praise giving, morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, but praises prajñā alone? The Buddha answers directly, 「般若波羅蜜於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法為尊導」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā is the honoured guide of the five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas," and seals it with a counter-question: if it is not dedicated to sarvajñā, giving still cannot be called dānapāramitā, and morality and so on up to wisdom still cannot be called prajñāpāramitā. Ānanda twice answers ‘No,’ and the Buddha then concludes—for this reason it is known that prajñā is the honoured guide of the five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, and therefore it is praised. This passage sets up the guiding thread of the whole chapter: praising prajñā is not favouring this and slighting that; it is because the other perfections’ receiving their name and their being accomplished are all bound to the one dharma of prajñā.
2. How giving is dedicated so as to become pāramitā: the Buddha answers with non-duality, non-arising, and unfindability. Ānanda asks further: what kind of giving, dedicated to sarvajñā, becomes dānapāramitā, and so on up to prajñāpāramitā? The Buddha answers with dedication in three senses—dedicating it to sarvajñā by the dharma of non-duality, by non-arising, and by unfindability; this is called dānapāramitā, and so on up to prajñāpāramitā. This passage follows on from 「尊導」 tr. "honoured guide" above and asks why it is so: the reason prajñā can transform the five perfections into pāramitā lies precisely in its dedicating them to omniscience by the illumination of knowledge that is non-dual, non-arising, and unfindable; so once giving and the rest enter this illumination, they turn from a wholesome deed that comes to an end into pāramitā.
3. How all dharmas are non-dual: the Buddha answers that form is empty of the mark of form, and that all dharmas are not two and not different. Ānanda asks again, ‘how is form non-dual, and so on up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi being non-dual?’ The Buddha answers, 「色，色相空」 tr. "Form: form is empty of the mark of form"; dānapāramitā and form are not two and not different, and so on up to unsurpassed awakening and dānapāramitā being not two and not different, and the same holds for the five perfections. This passage goes straight to the bottom of non-duality: non-duality is not forcibly merging two things into one; it is that the mark of form is originally empty, and that in ultimate emptiness the dharmas, subject and object, are originally without duality or difference—and what prajñā dedicates is exactly this emptiness. The meaning is at its deepest here; the reader should hold tightly to the one phrase 「色相空」 tr. "form is empty of the mark of form," and not read non-duality as confusing things together.
4. The simile of seeds depending on the earth: the five perfections are born in dependence on prajñā. The Buddha closes this sūtra passage with a simile: just as seeds scattered on the great earth are born when causes and conditions come together, and all the seeds are born in dependence on the earth, so the five perfections are born in dependence on prajñāpāramitā, and the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds are also born in dependence on prajñā; therefore prajñā is the honoured guide of the five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas. This passage answers ‘why praise prajñā alone’ as a whole with one simile—the earth is not a seed yet is what the seed depends on; prajñā is not the five perfections yet is what the five perfections depend on; in this simile the meaning of honoured guide is perfectly clear.
5. Śakra declares that the merit of receiving and upholding has not been told to the end: all the wholesome things of the world and beyond the world, and even the buddhas, come forth from it. Śakra Devānām Indra says to the Buddha: the merit of one who receives and upholds prajñā and so on up to rightly recollecting it has not been told to the end, because to receive and uphold prajñā is to receive the unsurpassed path of the buddhas of the three times; because of this, the ten wholesome paths and so on up to the four dhyānas, the four immeasurables, the four formless absorptions, and the eighteen unshared dharmas appear in the world; in the world there come to be great kṣatriya clans, great brahmin clans, and so on up to the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings and the other heavens up to the Akaniṣṭha heaven; there come to be srota-āpannas and so on up to bodhisattva-mahāsattvas; and so on up to buddhas appearing in the world. This passage carries the meaning of 「稱譽般若」 tr. "praising prajñā" from the dharma through to the fruit: since prajñā is the honoured guide, every wholesome fruit of the world and beyond the world, and even the buddhas, appears from the receiving and upholding of prajñā, and so its merit cannot be told to the end.
6. The Buddha shows that the one who receives and upholds accomplishes the five aggregates, and that one should know this person is as a Buddha. The Buddha tells Kauśika: the one who receives and upholds prajñā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, not parting from the mind of sarvajñā, accomplishes an immeasurable aggregate of morality, and accomplishes the aggregate of concentration, the aggregate of wisdom, the aggregate of liberation, and the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation; for one who is able to do so, 「當知是人為如佛」 tr. "know that this person is as a Buddha." This passage gathers the benefit of receiving and upholding into the accomplishment of the five-fold Dharma body, and with the words ‘as a Buddha’ settles this person’s weight—the reason one who carries prajñā is precious is precisely that his person has already become a gathering of the merits of the five aggregates, near to the ground of a buddha.
7. The five aggregates of the two vehicles do not reach this, because one does not further seek the dharma of the Great Vehicle. The Buddha continues to make clear: the aggregate of morality and so on up to the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation possessed by all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas do not reach the five aggregates of this good man or good woman—not by a hundredth part, a thousandth part, and so on up to what calculation and simile cannot reach. Why? Because this person attains liberation of mind within the grounds of the two vehicles and does not further seek the dharma of the Great Vehicle. This passage takes the two vehicles as a contrast, showing that the five aggregates accomplished by prajñā are not merely without outflows, but that their surpassing of the two vehicles lies further in not relinquishing the Great Vehicle and in dedication to sarvajñā.
8. Writing out and upholding the scroll of the sūtra and making offerings also gain the merit of this life and later lives. The Buddha concludes this sūtra passage: if a good man or good woman writes out and upholds the scroll of the prajñā sūtra and makes offerings to it, pays reverence, and honours it with flowers, incense, and necklaces, and so on up to music, he also gains the merit of this life and later lives; Śakra thereupon vows always to guard this person. This passage opens up one more road for the benefit of receiving and upholding—even if one cannot receive, uphold, and rightly recollect, merely writing out, upholding, and making offerings also gains the merit of two lives; this lays the ground for the treatise’s explanation below of ‘why writing out, upholding, and making offerings gain a deep and weighty result.’
9. The treatise explains why Ānanda asked—he was not yet free of desire and did not often ask about emptiness; because the Buddha praised prajñā, he then asked. The treatise section: In its explanation the treatise first makes clear why Ānanda asks. Although Ānanda was widely learned and had the power to discriminate emptiness, because he was not yet free of desire he could not enter it deeply; although he constantly attended the Buddha, he did not often question him about the matter of emptiness; now that the Buddha praises prajñā and those who practise it, Ānanda then asks, ‘why does he praise prajñā alone?’ This passage is the treatise-author’s setting out of how the chapter arises, pointing out that this question comes from the ground of Ānanda, widely learned but not yet realised, and not from any doubt about the Buddha.
10. Question and answer one: the Buddha constantly speaks the names of the six perfections, so why say he does not praise them?—though he speaks the names, it is not to extol them; it is all for entering prajñā. The treatise sets up a question: the Buddha has constantly spoken the names of the six perfections from the beginning, so why does Ānanda say he 「不稱說」 tr. "does not speak in praise"? The treatise answers: although he speaks the names, it is not to extol them; he speaks them all in order to lead people into prajñā. This question and answer distinguishes two matters, 「說名」 tr. "speaking the names" and 「稱美」 tr. "extolling": the Buddha’s speaking the names of the six perfections one after another is in order to lead into prajñā, not to take them as the utmost to be returned to and praised; so what Ānanda calls 「不稱」 tr. "does not praise" means only that he does not extol them as ultimate.
11. Wisdom is foremost; the simile of the guide; without prajñā the karmic result comes to an end. The treatise cites the Buddha’s words, 「一切有為法中，智慧第一」 tr. "among all conditioned dharmas, wisdom is foremost"; among all wisdom, the prajñā that crosses to the other shore is foremost, just as, among the companions on a journey, the guide is foremost; prajñā can show the way and lead out of the three realms, to arrive at the three vehicles. Without prajñā, though one practises giving and the other wholesome things, one receives a result according to one’s karma, and it comes to an end; because it comes to an end, one still cannot attain the nirvāṇa of the Small Vehicle, let alone the unsurpassed path. This passage uses the one simile of the guide to show prajñā’s place as leader among all wholesome things, and conversely shows that wholesome deeds apart from prajñā in the end fall into coming to an end—so it cannot but be the honoured guide.
12. Contemplating ultimate emptiness is called dedication to sarvajñā, and its merit does not come to an end. The treatise explains: if giving and the other wholesome things can be contemplated as the mark of the Buddha path—non-dual, not arising and not ceasing, neither gained nor lost, ultimately empty and quiescent—this is called 「迴向薩婆若」 tr. "dedication to sarvajñā"; the merit of this giving receives its result life after life without coming to an end, and afterward one will attain the omniscience of all kinds, and all dharmas are of this same mark as well. This passage follows on from the discernment of ‘coming to an end / not coming to an end’ above, pointing out that the hinge that turns what comes to an end into what does not lies precisely in the one move of ‘contemplating ultimate emptiness’—dedication is not merely making a vow; only when it is illumined by the wisdom of emptiness does the merit not come to an end.
13. Question and answer two: why does the Buddha explain non-duality again by non-duality?—Ānanda asked only which dharmas are non-dual. The treatise sets up a question: why does the Buddha not answer with the causes and conditions of 「不二」 tr. "non-duality," but explain it again by non-duality? The treatise answers: Ānanda did not ask about the causes and conditions of non-duality, but only asked 「何法不二」 tr. "which dharmas are non-dual," and so the Buddha answered that it is because form and the other dharmas are non-dual. It further states that prajñā can make the five matters and the rest become pāramitā, and so prajñā alone is praised. This question and answer makes clear where the question lies—what Ānanda doubted was 「何法」 tr. "which dharmas," not ‘why,’ and so the Buddha’s answer fits the question exactly and is not an answer beside the point.
14. The simile of the great earth giving birth to the ten thousand things: able to hold the seeds of wholesome dharmas, the coming together of causes and conditions, the matter comes to be accomplished. The treatise explains the Buddha’s simile, 「如大地能生萬物，般若波羅蜜亦如是」 tr. "as the great earth is able to give birth to the ten thousand things, prajñāpāramitā is also like this," and dissolves it phrase by phrase: 「能持一切善法種子」 tr. "able to hold the seeds of all wholesome dharmas" means all the wholesome dharmas from the arousing of the mind onward, apart from prajñā; 「因緣和合」 tr. "the coming together of causes and conditions" means such dharmas within the Buddha path as single-mindedness, faith, patience, unceasing vigour, and so on up to penetration and indestructibility; 「事得成辦」 tr. "the matter comes to be accomplished" means learning the perfections from the arousing of the mind, going from one ground to the next and so on up to the Buddha ground. This passage makes each of the three limbs of the simile of the great earth concrete, showing that prajñā holds the seeds of wholesome dharmas and, awaiting conditions, brings forth the fruit of the Buddha ground—this is exactly the real meaning of honoured guide.
15. Question and answer three: why does Śakra say the merit has not been told to the end?—prajñā is immeasurable, and before this it was broken off by the disturbance of those of the outside paths and Māra. The treatise sets up a question: why does Śakra say, 「佛說行者受持般若功德未盡」 tr. "the Buddha has not finished speaking of the merit of a practitioner who receives and upholds prajñā"? The treatise answers: prajñā is immeasurable and boundless, and its merit is also immeasurable and boundless; what was said before was not complete, and in the middle, because the brahmin ascetics of the outsiders’ paths and Māra came, it turned aside to other matters, and now he wishes to go on hearing; Śakra deeply loves the karmic result of merit and delights in hearing without tiring of it. This passage takes up the matter of the disturbance by those of the outside paths and Māra in the previous chapter ("The Brahmin Ascetic"), and explains where the words 「功德未盡」 tr. "the merit has not been told to the end" come from—it is not that the Buddha’s teaching was lacking, but that the earlier occasion was broken off, and Śakra, delighting in hearing, asks for it to be continued.
16. Within prajñā seek the omniscience of all kinds; within the omniscience of all kinds seek prajñā. The treatise cites the cause Śakra himself states: to receive and uphold prajñā and so on up to rightly recollecting it is to receive the merit and wisdom of the unsurpassed path of the buddhas of the three times, because within prajñā one should seek the omniscience of all kinds, and within the omniscience of all kinds one should seek prajñā, as was said at the end of the previous chapter; because the practitioner receives and upholds prajñā, arouses the mind to seek awakening, and gathers all merits in order to deliver beings, the ten wholesome paths and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas appear in the world, and there come to be great kṣatriya clans and so on up to the buddhas. This passage restates the meaning of cause and fruit seeking each other, and binds the appearance of all the wholesome fruits of the world and beyond the world to the single cause of the practitioner’s receiving and upholding prajñā.
17. The meaning of the aggregate of morality—cultivating the ultimate giving of fearlessness toward all beings, the giving of life, and therefore attaining an immeasurable aggregate of morality. The treatise explains 「戒眾」 tr. "the aggregate of morality": the bodhisattva practising prajñā cultivates the ultimate giving of fearlessness among the immeasurable and boundless beings of the ten directions and the three times, giving fearlessness with regard to the life that beings love, and so attains the karmic result of an immeasurable aggregate of morality; the precepts of not killing and the rest, stated briefly, number two hundred and fifty; stated briefly in the Vinaya, eighty-four thousand; stated broadly, immeasurable; ordinary people may take them for one day or one lifetime, while the bodhisattva gives fearlessness life after life and so on up to entering nirvāṇa without remainder—this is called the immeasurable aggregate of morality, and so on up to the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation, which is distinguished according to its meaning in the same way. This passage uses 「無畏施」 tr. "the giving of fearlessness" to explain why the aggregate of morality is immeasurable—the morality of ordinary people has a limited term, while the bodhisattva’s morality extends to the end of the future and to all beings, so its measure cannot be reckoned.
18. The five aggregates surpass the two vehicles; writing out, upholding, and making offerings gain the merit of two lives. The treatise concludes: the merit of these five aggregates of morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation surpasses the two vehicles and cannot be measured; if a person writes out prajñā and makes offerings to it, he gains the merit of this life and later lives. This passage gathers up the meaning of the treatise-author’s explanation of the sūtra passage, and with the one sentence ‘writing out and making offerings also gain the merit of two lives’ calls forth the doubt of question and answer four below.
19. Question and answer four: writing out, upholding, and making offerings are slight—how do they gain the deep and weighty merit of two lives?—the two kinds of offering, in imitation of others and from a deep mind. The treatise sets up a question: the merit of this life and later lives is deep and weighty, while writing out, upholding, and making offerings are slight—how are the merits of two lives gained? The treatise answers: offerings are of two kinds—first, offering in imitation of others; second, offering from a deep mind; because one knows the merit of prajñā and makes offerings from a deep mind, one gains the merit of two lives. Prajñā has many kinds of gate for entering it: those who hear and uphold and so on up to rightly recollecting it enter by the gate of wisdom and vigour; those who write it out and make offerings to it enter by the gate of faith and vigour; with single-minded deep faith, making offerings to the scroll of the sūtra is superior; without single-mindedness, even receiving and upholding is not equal to it. This passage uses 「深心」 tr. "deep mind" to judge the lightness and weight of offering—the depth and weight of the fruit are not bound to the size of the deed, but to whether the mind is single or not.
20. The simile of the wish-fulfilling jewel: prajñā is the mother of the buddhas, the foremost jewel among all dharmas. The treatise extends this with a simile: the wish-fulfilling jewel is an indeterminate form-dharma, without mind and without consciousness, and yet it is born through the causes and conditions of beings’ merit and can let those who make offerings to it obtain whatever they wish—how much more prajñā, which is unsurpassed wisdom, the mother of the buddhas, the foremost jewel among the jewels of all dharmas: if one receives it in faith with a single mind and makes offerings to it, how could one not gain the merit of two lives? Only because people are not single-minded, and also because of grave offences of former lives, do they make offerings and yet not gain the merit described above; the fault lies with the person, and prajñā is blameless. This passage uses the jewel, which though without mind can still grant wishes, to show by contrast that the merit of prajñā as the jewel of the Dharma must respond, and makes clear that where the fruit is not gained the fault lies in one’s own mind, not in any lack in prajñā.
21. The sūtra shows the first, second, and third merits of this life—the gods increase one’s courage, one expounds the Dharma to the fourfold assembly without timidity, and one does not sink, is not afraid, and is not terrified. The sūtra section: The Buddha tells Kauśika: when one reads, recites, and expounds prajñā, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of gods come to listen and increase one’s courage; when the teacher of the Dharma is utterly weary and does not wish to expound, the gods increase his strength and he is then able to expound again; expounding prajñā among the fourfold assembly, his mind has no timidity, because within prajñā all dharmas, worldly and world-transcending and the rest, are distinguished, and because he abides in inner emptiness and so on up to the emptiness of non-existent dharmas and existent dharmas, he does not see one who can challenge, one who is challenged, or prajñā, and so there is no one who can challenge and defeat him; when he receives and upholds it and so on up to rightly recollecting it, he does not sink, is not afraid, and is not terrified, because he does not see one who sinks or one who is terrified. This passage raises three layers of merit in this life in a row, all rooted in ‘being protected and upheld by prajñā’—prajñā illumines dharmas as originally empty, with no subject or object to be found, and so the one who expounds has neither timidity nor terror on the field of challenge and debate.
22. The one who writes out and upholds is loved and revered by parents and by the buddhas, and his practice of the six perfections and all wholesome things is never cut off. The sūtra continues to make clear: the one who writes out and upholds the scroll of the sūtra, receives and upholds it, and rightly recollects it is loved by his parents, remembered by his kinsfolk and acquaintances, revered by the śramaṇas and brahmins, loved and revered by the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions and so on up to the srota-āpannas, and the gods, Māra, Brahmā, and the asuras all love and revere him too; when this person practises giving and so on up to prajñā, there is no time when it is cut off; his cultivation of inner emptiness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, of the gates of samādhi and of dhāraṇī, of the supernormal powers, of bringing beings to maturity and purifying buddha-worlds, and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds, is never cut off; he is also able to subdue challenges, disputes, and slander, and gains the merit of this life and later lives. This passage shows that the virtue of one who receives and upholds prajñā extends over humans and gods, and that his gates of practice continue without break; the two meanings, being loved and revered and not being cut off, are raised together, so that one sees how broad and continuous his merit is.
23. Wherever the scroll is, the gods of the three-thousand great-thousand world and of the ten directions all come to see prajñā, make offerings, and pay homage. The sūtra makes clear: at the place where the written and upheld scroll of the sūtra abides, those among the gods of the three-thousand great-thousand world—from the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings up to the Heaven of Ultimate Form and the gods of the Pure Abodes—who have aroused the mind of awakening, together with those of the gods, nāgas, ghosts and spirits, and the eight classes of the worlds of the ten directions who have aroused the mind, all come to see prajñā, receive, read, recite, and expound it, make offerings and pay homage, and then go back; the practitioner should think, 「我則法施已」 tr. "I have thereby given the gift of the Dharma"; the gods protect and uphold this person, no evil can find an opening against him, and the grave offences of his past lives are removed. This passage shows that wherever the scroll of the prajñā sūtra is, it becomes a place to which gods and humans come to pay court, and that the one who writes out and upholds it, without setting out to, accomplishes the giving of the Dharma, and moreover receives protection and the removal of offences—this is the most outstanding of the merits of this life.
24. Śakra asks how one knows the gods have come; the Buddha answers: seeing light, smelling fragrance, and the petty ghosts withdrawing. The sūtra: Śakra Devānām Indra asks, ‘how should one know that the gods have come to see prajñā?’ The Buddha answers—seeing a great pure light, one knows for certain that gods of great virtue have come; smelling a strange and wondrous fragrance, one knows for certain that gods of great virtue have come; further, because one’s practice is pure and clean, the gods come to one’s place, and the petty ghosts within it, unable to bear the majestic virtue of the gods of great virtue, at once go out; because the gods come, the practitioner gives rise to a great mind; therefore on all four sides of the place where prajñā abides there should be nothing impure, and one should light lamps, burn incense, scatter flowers, and adorn it. This passage answers ‘how does one know the gods have come’ with the marks by which it is confirmed, and with 「小鬼避去」 tr. "the petty ghosts withdraw" leads into the meaning of the pure dwelling-place below, showing that the signs of the gods’ coming lie in light and fragrance, and their effect lies in dispelling defilement and giving rise to the mind.
25. The good dreams among the merits of this life—dreaming of the thirty-two marks of the buddhas, the bodhi tree, the turning of the Dharma wheel, parinirvāṇa, stūpas of the seven jewels, and so on. The sūtra makes clear: in expounding the Dharma one is never utterly weary; one lies down and wakes in peace and security, without evil dreams; in dreams one sees the buddhas with the thirty-two marks and eighty minor marks, surrounded by the bhikṣu saṅgha listening to the Dharma, distinguishing the meaning of the six perfections, the four foundations of mindfulness, and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas; one sees the adornment of the bodhi tree, the bodhisattvas going to the tree and attaining awakening, the buddhas turning the Dharma wheel, hundreds of thousands of myriads of bodhisattvas gathering to discuss the meaning of the Dharma, the buddhas of the ten directions with their names and retinues, the parinirvāṇa of the buddhas, and stūpas of the seven jewels and the offerings made at the stūpas. This passage lists ten marks of good dreams, all of them realms of the Buddhadharma appearing in sleep, showing that, waking or sleeping, what the one who receives and upholds prajñā takes as object is purely the Dharma of the path—this is the merit of this life as borne out in dreams.
26. The gods increase one’s strength and one is not greedy for the four offerings; this surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions and raising stūpas of the seven jewels. The sūtra concludes the merits of this life: the one who sees good dreams lies down at ease and wakes at ease, the gods increase his strength, his body is light, and he is not greedy for food and drink, clothing, bedding, and medicine—like a bhikṣu sitting in meditation who, rising with his mind at one with absorption, is not greedy for food—because the gods increase his strength with the essence of flavours; one who wishes to gain such merits in this life should receive and uphold prajñā, and even if one cannot receive and uphold it, one should write it out, uphold it, and make offerings to it; the merit of such a person is very great, surpassing making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions and their disciples with clothing and food, bedding, and medicine, and so on up to raising stūpas of the seven jewels after their parinirvāṇa and making offerings to them. This passage gathers up the sūtra passage as a whole with 「勝供養十方諸佛」 tr. "surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions," calling forth the doubt of the treatise’s final round (why making offerings to prajñā surpasses making offerings to the buddhas).
27. Question and answer five: since there is prajñā in the heavens already, why do the gods come to increase one’s courage?—the gods come because they have compassion for beings. The treatise section: The treatise sets up a question: since there is prajñā in the heavens already, why do they come to the place of the one who expounds the Dharma to increase his courage? The treatise answers: although there is prajñā in the heavens, the gods come because they have compassion for beings; when the gods come, evil ghosts go far away, and they increase the teacher of the Dharma’s courage, so that he delights in expounding; and they also come so that beings increase their faith and reverence. It further cites 「有人言」 tr. "someone says": the ambrosial taste of the gods, subtle and moistening, can enter every pore, making the four great elements and the faculties of the good son supple, light, and keen, so that he delights in having something to say. This passage explains why the gods come to increase him, returning it to compassion and to benefiting beings—not that prajñā is lacking to the gods so that they borrow it from humans.
28. Question and answer six: does everyone who expounds prajñā gain the ambrosial taste?—no; one must seek the path with a single mind, subdue the fetters, and keep the place pure. The treatise sets up a question: does everyone who expounds prajñā gain the ambrosial taste of the gods, which makes him delight in expounding? The treatise answers: no; the practitioner must seek the Buddha path with a single mind and subdue the fetters, his clothing must be pure and clean, and the place where the Dharma is expounded must be pure, with flowers, incense, banners, and canopies, and scented water sprinkled on the ground, without anything impure; for this reason the gods rejoice, and also benefit those who listen to the Dharma. This question and answer sifts out what the ambrosial taste responds to—it is not gained merely by expounding prajñā; only when the fetters are subdued within and the place is purified without is the response accomplished.
29. Why the one who expounds the Dharma is not timid—within prajñā there is no fixed dharma that can be grasped, challenged, or broken. The treatise makes clear: although the one who expounds the Dharma has not read much in the scriptures of our own and other traditions, because he has entered deeply into the meaning of prajñā, his mind is not timid—he does not sink, is not afraid, and is not frightened; why? Because 「般若波羅蜜中無有定法可執、可難、可破」 tr. "within prajñāpāramitā there is no fixed dharma that can be grasped, challenged, or broken." Further, within prajñā all dharmas are also distinguished and spoken of—worldly and world-transcending, permanent and impermanent, wholesome and unwholesome—there is no dharma it does not have; because it fully possesses all dharmas, one is not timid and not afraid; if it had only one dharma, then, because much would be lacking, there would be fear. This passage explains the root of not being timid through the two meanings together, ‘no fixed dharma that can be grasped, challenged, or broken’ and 「備有諸法」 tr. "fully possessing all dharmas"—since there is no fixed dharma that an opponent could break, and since it possesses all dharmas without anything lacking, one faces challenge without fear.
30. The bodhisattva’s majestic virtue is worthy of reverence—the afflictions broken and thinned, merit perfuming the body. The treatise makes clear: when this bodhisattva practises prajñā, his afflictions are broken down and thinned, and all his merits increase and perfume his body, so his majestic virtue is worthy of reverence; because the body is a dwelling-place of merit, even if his form is ugly and he is capable of nothing, he is still loved and valued by people—how much more if he is upright in appearance and able to benefit people. This passage follows on from the meaning of not being timid, and goes on to show that the body of the one who practises prajñā has in itself a majestic virtue worthy of reverence, laying the ground for ‘loved and revered by parents and śramaṇas’ below.
31. Question and answer seven: what is there worth mentioning in being loved and cherished by one’s parents?—the bodhisattva is doubly outstanding in respectful obedience, and his virtuous conduct is loved and revered by gods and humans. The treatise sets up a question: being loved and revered by the buddhas, śramaṇas, and brahmins may be so—but what is there worth mentioning in being loved and cherished by one’s parents? The treatise answers: although people are born of their parents, if they do not follow their parents’ teaching they are not loved and cherished; within respectful obedience the bodhisattva is doubly outstanding; because he makes offerings to, reveres, and honours the virtuous and those of the path, the śramaṇas and brahmins love and revere him. It further lists the bodhisattva’s virtuous conduct—plain and utterly sincere, his mouth speaking no falsehood; deeply loving the merit of later lives and not attached to the pleasures of this life; receiving and caring for those below him and not exalting himself; on seeing another’s fault, not speaking out the facts of it, and if it cannot be helped, never telling all of it; providing for the orphaned and the poor and not privately attaching them to himself; all such things are the power of prajñā, and because his merit is heard of far and wide, gods and humans all love and revere him. This passage explains why 「父母愛念」 tr. "being loved and cherished by one’s parents" is worth mentioning: it lies in the bodhisattva’s respectful obedience being doubly beyond that of ordinary people, and it confirms this by enumerating his virtuous conduct, showing that the love and reverence of humans and gods all come from prajñā.
32. By making offerings to prajñā one gains the six perfections life after life and subdues slander; the ghosts and spirits belong to the Four Heavenly Kings, and so follow them and come together. The treatise makes clear: because one makes offerings to prajñā, life after life one constantly gains the six perfections and the rest without their being cut off, and because of one’s merit, wisdom, and renown, any challenge or slander can all be subdued; further, the gods come to the place where prajñā abides in order to make offerings to prajñā; further, all the ghosts and spirits of mountains and rivers, trees, the earth, and cities and walls belong to the Four Heavenly Kings, and because the Four Heavenly Kings come, they all follow them and come together; among the ghosts and spirits there are those who have not obtained the scroll of the prajñā sūtra, and so they come to make offerings, read, recite, and pay homage, and also to benefit the good son—this too is merit of this life. This passage explains why the gods, ghosts, and spirits gather in crowds—some come following because they belong to the Four Heavenly Kings above them, some come seeking the scroll for themselves—all returning to the merit of making offerings to prajñā.
33. The lord of the heavens breaks the doubt of people of the fleshly eye—one knows the gods have come by seeing light, smelling fragrance, and the dwelling-place being pure. The treatise makes clear: the lord of the heavens asks, 「云何知大德天來」 tr. "How does one know that gods of great virtue have come?" in order to break the doubt of ordinary people with the fleshly eye; the answer is that at times one sees a great light, or smells an extraordinary fragrance, and also because, as said before, the dwelling-place is pure. This passage takes up Śakra’s question in the sūtra text and explains its intent—it is not that Śakra himself did not know; he asks in order to break the doubt of people of the fleshly eye, and the answer still returns to the three confirming signs of light, fragrance, and a pure place.
34. Question and answer eight: since the human body is impure within, what benefit is outer purity?—when the dwelling-place and clothing are purified there is nothing impure outside, as the common folk withdraw when a king comes. The treatise sets up a question: since the human body is filled with impurity within, what benefit is outer purity? The treatise answers: when one purifies one’s dwelling-place and clothing, there is nothing impure outside; because there is nothing impure outside, the gods rejoice; just as, where a king or a great person comes, the crowds of common folk withdraw, so it is when the gods of great virtue come and the petty ghosts go—because the majestic virtue of the great gods is weighty, the petty ghosts who dwelt there before withdraw, and because the great gods come near, this person’s mind becomes pure and vast. If the practitioner wishes the gods of great virtue to come, he should do as the sūtra says. This passage explains the benefit of outer purity with the one simile of the king and the common folk—outer purity is not for the purity within the body; it is for moving the gods and dispelling the ghosts, and for making the mind pure and vast, so one must not abandon the practice of outer purity because ‘within it is impure anyway.’
35. Because evil ghosts go far away, body and mind are light and at ease; one lies down at ease and wakes at ease, and dreams only of seeing the buddhas. The treatise makes clear: because evil ghosts go far away, body and mind are light and at ease; why is this? Being near evil ghosts makes a person’s body and mind gradually turn evil, just as being near an angry person tends to make one angry, and being near beautiful forms makes lustful feeling arise; because this person is far from evil causes and conditions within and without, he lies down at ease and wakes at ease, without evil dreams, and if he dreams, he sees only the buddhas, as the sūtra says. This passage uses the principle that nearness to evil stains one with evil and nearness to purity brings purity, to explain that the effect of outer purity in moving the gods returns in the end to the peace and security of the practitioner’s own person—once evil conditions within and without are gone, waking and sleeping are both at peace, and in dreams one sees only the buddhas.
36. Question and answer nine: making offerings to one Buddha is making offerings to prajñā, so why say that making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions is not equal to making offerings to prajñā?—the difference between grasping marks and not grasping marks. The treatise sets up the question in which the meaning of this chapter comes to its point: prajñā is within the Buddha’s body, and to make offerings to one Buddha is to make offerings to prajñā—why then say, ‘making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions is not equal to making offerings to prajñā’? The treatise answers: the crux lies in the mind of the one who makes offerings—if one makes offerings to the Buddha, one grasps the mark of a person, and a person is ultimately unfindable; because one grasps a mark, although the field of merit is great, the merit is thin and small; the one who makes offerings to prajñā, in accord with the prajñā he has heard, is 「不取人相、不取法相」 tr. "not grasping the mark of a person, not grasping the mark of a dharma," and because he makes offerings with this mind, his merit is great. This passage uses ‘grasping marks / not grasping marks’ to judge the superiority and inferiority of the two offerings—it is not that the Buddha falls short of prajñā; it is that the mind that grasps marks itself confines its merit, and when one makes offerings in accord with the signlessness of prajñā, the merit is then great.
37. Prajñā is the mother of the buddhas and the teacher of the buddhas; making offerings to prajñā is superior, and yet it is not that one does not revere the Buddha. The treatise concludes the whole chapter: prajñāpāramitā 「是一切十方諸佛母，亦是諸佛師」 tr. "is the mother of all the buddhas of the ten directions, and is also the teacher of the buddhas"; the thirty-two marks and eighty minor marks and the immeasurable light, supernormal powers, and transformations that the buddhas attain are all the power of prajñā, and for this reason making offerings to prajñā is superior; for such causes and conditions it surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions, and 「非不敬佛」 tr. "it is not that one does not revere the Buddha." This passage settles prajñā’s utmost position with ‘the mother and teacher of the buddhas,’ and with the words 「非不敬佛」 tr. "it is not that one does not revere the Buddha" brings the earlier doubt to a close—exalting prajñā is not suppressing the Buddha; precisely because prajñā is that from which the buddhas come forth, revering their mother and teacher is the very way of deeply revering the Buddha, and the two do not contradict each other.
Do Not Misread
Do not read the two names ‘Ānanda's Praise / Honoured Guide’ as two chapters, or suspect that the order of chapters here is wrong. Though the two names differ, the chapter they refer to is entirely the same in content; it is only that the treatise and the sūtra it explains, in their respective transmitted texts, have one 「阿難稱譽」 tr. "Ānanda's Praise" and the other ‘Honoured Guide,’ appearing each in the other’s witnesses—different names for the same chapter, not a separate chapter set up, and not a displacement in the order of chapters. 「阿難稱譽」 tr. "Ānanda's Praise" takes its meaning from the chapter’s beginning with Ānanda’s asking about the praise of prajñā; 「尊導」 tr. "honoured guide" takes its meaning from prajñā’s being the honoured guide of the five perfections; each of the two names rests on one end, but what they refer to is one. The discernment of name and reality, the sources in the various editions, and the variant readings of chapter order are matters for the Apparatus; for the meaning, one need only read on following the text of the chapter.
Do not read 「稱譽般若」 tr. "praising prajñā" as the Buddha favouring one dharma among the six perfections and slighting the other five. The treatise says it clearly: if not dedicated to sarvajñā, giving and so on up to wisdom cannot be called pāramitā; only prajñā can make the five matters become pāramitā, just as seeds must depend on the earth to be born. So praising prajñā is not favouring this and slighting that; it is exactly laying bare that the five perfections’ receiving their name and being accomplished are all bound to the one dharma of prajñā. If one reads 「尊導」 tr. "honoured guide" as a feeling of higher and lower, one loses the meaning of ‘what is depended on / what depends’ shown by the simile of ‘the earth and the seeds.’
Do not read 「色，色相空」 tr. "Form: form is empty of the mark of form" and 「不二不別」 tr. "not two and not different" as forcibly merging two things into one. What prajñā dedicates is the illumination of ultimate emptiness; the mark of form is originally empty, and all dharmas in emptiness are originally without duality or difference, and so it says 「不二」 tr. "not two"; this does not say that dānapāramitā and form are the same thing, but that the two are not separated from each other in ultimate emptiness. To cling to them as one is to lose the vivid presence of all dharmas; to cling to them as different is to lose the equality of ultimate emptiness; only by leaving both clingings can one read the words 「不二不別」 tr. "not two and not different."
Do not read ‘making offerings to prajñā surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions’ as disparaging the Buddha, or as a kind of trade in merit that can be weighed. The treatise judges it by ‘grasping marks / not grasping marks’: making offerings to the Buddha while grasping the mark of a person, although the field of merit is great, the merit is thin and small; making offerings in accord with the signlessness of prajñā, the merit is therefore great—what is being compared is ‘whether or not the mind grasps marks,’ not which of the Buddha and prajñā is more honoured. Moreover the treatise closes it with ‘prajñā is the mother of the buddhas, the teacher of the buddhas’ and 「非不敬佛」 tr. "it is not that one does not revere the Buddha," precisely to keep people from mistakenly falling into a view that suppresses the Buddha: revering prajñā is the very way of deeply revering that from which the buddhas come forth, and the two in the end do not contradict each other.
Bearing on Practice
This chapter brings the one meaning of 「稱譽般若」 tr. "praising prajñā" all the way down from the guiding thread of the ranking of the teachings to the real benefit, in this life and later lives, of the person who receives and upholds. The first layer of faith and understanding that one who applies himself should most take up is the meaning of 「尊導」 tr. "honoured guide": giving, keeping the precepts, and every wholesome deed, if not dedicated to sarvajñā through prajñā, are in the end merit that comes to an end according to karma, and cannot even bring the nirvāṇa of the Small Vehicle, let alone the unsurpassed path. In doing good in daily life, if one attends only to how much or how little is done outwardly and does not dedicate it with the wisdom of emptiness, it is like scattering seed that does not touch the earth, and it will hardly bear fruit; this chapter instead teaches one, in each and every wholesome deed, to ‘contemplate ultimate emptiness and dedicate to sarvajñā,’ and the merit then turns from what comes to an end into what does not—the place to apply oneself lies in illumining and gathering the ten thousand practices with prajñā, not in cultivating some separate efficacious method.
The merits of this life brought about by receiving and upholding, and by writing out and upholding, prajñā especially call for self-examination. The gods increasing one’s courage, expounding to the fourfold assembly without timidity, and even dreaming of the buddhas, the bodhi tree, and the stūpa of parinirvāṇa—all these confirming marks the treatise-author returns one by one to ‘being protected and upheld by prajñā,’ ‘because one has entered deeply into the meaning of prajñā, the mind is not timid,’ and ‘single-minded deep faith and offering from a deep mind.’ The one who applies himself should recognise here: these merits are not auspicious responses sought outside, but the natural effect after one’s own mind has entered deeply into prajñā, subdued the fetters, and purified within and without. If one takes reading, reciting, writing out, and upholding as a means of winning auspicious signs, one falls back onto the very same road as ‘grasping the mark of a person, so that merit is thin’; what this chapter teaches one to value is 「深心供養」 tr. "offering from a deep mind" and the single mind of ‘not grasping marks,’ and the depth and weight of the fruit are wholly bound to this.
The one meaning ‘making offerings to prajñā surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions, and yet it is not that one does not revere the Buddha’ can best serve as a measuring line for contemplative practice. The reason it surpasses lies solely in the signless mind that is 「不取人相、不取法相」 tr. "not grasping the mark of a person, not grasping the mark of a dharma"; the reason 「非不敬佛」 tr. "it is not that one does not revere the Buddha" is precisely that prajñā is the mother and the teacher of the buddhas, and revering that from which they come forth is the very way of deeply revering the Buddha. The one who applies himself, at every moment of making offerings and paying reverence, should here leave both errors behind—neither confining his merit with a mind that grasps marks, nor, through exalting prajñā, giving rise to the arrogance of slighting the Buddha; to make offerings in accord with signlessness, and to revere the Buddha by way of his mother and teacher—this is the measure of this chapter as it comes down to applying oneself.
Further Resonances
The backbone of this chapter is a single thread of the ranking of the teachings and of merit, strung together by 「尊導」 tr. "honoured guide": Ānanda asks the Buddha why he praises prajñā alone; the Buddha answers that if not dedicated to sarvajñā the five perfections do not receive their name, and only prajñā can make the five matters become pāramitā, as seeds are born in dependence on the earth, and so prajñā is the honoured guide of the five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas; Śakra then declares that the merit of receiving and upholding has not been told to the end, and the Buddha broadly shows the benefits in this life and later lives of the one who receives and upholds, and who writes out and upholds, prajñā—accomplishing the five aggregates, so that 「當知是人為如佛」 tr. "know that this person is as a Buddha," the gods increasing his courage, expounding without timidity, the place where the scroll is becoming a place to which gods and humans pay court, dreaming of the good marks of the buddhas, and so on up to surpassing making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions. The treatise’s explanation, with nine rounds of question and answer and with similes such as the great earth, the wish-fulfilling jewel, the guide, and the king and the common folk, answers one by one the doubts of ‘why say he does not speak in praise,’ ‘why explain non-duality again by non-duality,’ ‘where the merit not told to the end comes from,’ ‘why writing out, upholding, and making offerings gain the merit of two lives,’ ‘why the gods come to increase courage,’ ‘why one gains the ambrosial taste,’ ‘what is worth mentioning in being loved and cherished by one’s parents,’ 「外淨何益」 tr. "what benefit is outer purity?", and ‘why making offerings to prajñā surpasses making offerings to the Buddha.’ The meaning of the whole chapter lies altogether in the one matter: ‘prajñā is the honoured guide, receiving and upholding gains great benefit, and making offerings to prajñā is revering that from which the buddhas come forth.’
The two meanings ‘honoured guide’ and ‘prajñā is the mother of the buddhas, the teacher of the buddhas’ are especially worth mentioning in passing, to see the traces of how they carry on. The meaning that prajñā is what the other perfections depend on and that from which all wholesome fruits come forth has come down through the accumulated discussion of the preceding chapters; in this chapter, by way of Ānanda’s question about the ‘one-sided praise,’ the two threads ‘the other perfections receive their name in dependence on prajñā’ and ‘the buddhas are born from prajñā’ are drawn together at one time, and with the similes of the jewel and the guide, set up alongside ‘the earth and the seeds,’ a settled statement is established for this meaning of depending on each other and giving birth to each other; the conclusion ‘making offerings to prajñā is superior, and yet it is not that one does not revere the Buddha’ also echoes from afar the previous chapter’s meaning ‘prajñā is omniscience’—since prajñā is both the knowledge of the buddhas and the mother and teacher of the buddhas, revering prajñā and revering the Buddha are in the end one matter. The reader may view the preceding and following chapters together, to see the single continuous vein of prajñā as ‘what is depended on, that from which things come forth, and the ultimate to which they return’ (where this carrying-on begins and ends, and its sources in the various chapters, are detailed in the Apparatus).
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，繫卷五十八，為前品〈梵志品第三十五〉之同卷次品。前品〈梵志品〉於卷五十八內部續起、不重署名；本品亦同此型——品身 jhead〔T25 0471b17〕即含品名全稱「大智度論釋阿難稱譽品第三十六」，其下無獨立之 mulu 元素緊鄰起 lb，緊接前品〈梵志品〉訖界「因果不相離故言『不二不別』」句之後，於同卷五十八內部續起，不重署名（前品之卷殼、署名已具於卷首，本品不再現）。
本品訖界〔T25 0475b02〕為次品之起處。品內末以「大智度論卷第五十八」句〔T25 0475a22〕收尾，屬卷閉；次品隨即續於卷五十九（本目就品身正文範圍立論，卷閉標籤層之機械細節見第八目）。
品內結構二【經】二【論】交替（異於前品〈梵志品〉之一經一論）：【經】〔T25 0471b18〕、【論】〔T25 0472a24〕、【經】〔T25 0473a08〕、【論】〔T25 0474b12〕——經①論①、經②論②四段相間，教義密度較前品明顯為高。全品純漢字五千二百五十八，問答凡九番（回搜品內「問曰」九見、「答曰」九見），論①含問答四番、論②含問答五番，屬教義密集型品，據底本各自定，不沿他品格局。
四標籤皆恰在塊首，無鑲嵌型過渡。【經】首標籤繫〔T25 0471b18〕，緊接品題之後、經文首句「爾時，慧命阿難白佛言」之前。【論】首標籤繫〔T25 0472a24〕，獨立成塊，塊首緊接「釋曰」。論之說者結構以問答為骨，逐一配對，無孤問孤答。
二、術語考
尊導。 品名異讀「尊導品」之樞語，亦本品第一義所歸。經首佛答阿難即立此語——「般若波羅蜜於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法為尊導」〔T25 0471b21〕；論釋復以行路導師喻申之（見第三目）。「尊導」者，謂般若於六度萬行中居導引尊上之位——五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法皆賴般若之迴向、方成其為「波羅蜜」，故般若獨受稱譽。品名異讀「尊導品」（宋元明本及 T223 底本、X24）即取此經義立名，與本論底本「阿難稱譽品」（取阿難發問稱譽之緣）異名而同指（見第四目）。
薩婆若（一切智）·迴向薩婆若。 本品義理之關鍵樞紐。「薩婆若」即一切智、諸佛究竟之智；「迴向薩婆若」者，謂布施乃至智慧諸行，須迴向趣求一切智，方得稱「波羅蜜」——「不迴向薩婆若，布施得稱檀波羅蜜不？」「不也！世尊！」〔T25 0471b24〕。此「迴向薩婆若」為五波羅蜜之所以成其為波羅蜜、亦般若之所以為尊導之義理骨幹。
五眾（戒眾·定眾·慧眾·解脫眾·解脫知見眾）。 即五分法身。經明受持般若不離薩婆若心者「無量戒眾成就，定眾、慧眾、解脫眾、解脫知見眾成就」〔T25 0472a08〕。論釋復就「戒眾」一目展開：菩薩行般若，於一切眾生中修畢竟無畏施，施第一所愛樂物（壽命），「是故得無量戒眾果報」〔T25 0472c14〕，乃至解脫知見眾隨義分別。此五眾功德「勝於二乘，不可計量」〔T25 0472c20〕，為受持般若者「即是佛、若次佛」之義理內涵。
効他供養·深心供養。 論釋答「書持供養輕微而得二世重功德」之疑所立二門。「供養有二種：一者、効他供養，二者、深心供養」〔T25 0472c23〕——効他者隨他而供、心不專篤，深心者知般若功德而一心信受；「知般若功德，深心供養故，得二世功德」〔T25 0472c25〕。輕微之書持供養所以得二世重果，正繫於「深心」一著，非在事相之厚薄。
如佛·大德諸天。 「如佛」者，經明受持般若不離薩婆若心者「當知是人為如佛」〔T25 0472a11〕；論釋以五眾成就、勝二乘不可計量釋其所以。「大德諸天」者，論釋諸天來見般若之相——「見大淨光明」「聞異妙香」則知有大德諸天來，來時小鬼避去，皆本品今世功德之驗（見第五目）。
三、譬喻與故事
《大智度論》以譬喻著稱，本品之要喻凡四，皆落論釋，分承「般若為尊導」「善法依般若得生」「深心供養」「淨處感天」四義。
行路導師喻（承「尊導」義）。 論釋般若獨受稱譽之所以然——「一切有為法中，智慧第一；一切智慧中，度彼岸般若波羅蜜第一」〔T25 0472b02〕，繼以喻明之：「譬如行路，雖有眾伴，導師第一」〔T25 0472b04〕；「般若波羅蜜能示導出三界、到三乘」〔T25 0472b05〕。眾伴喻布施等諸善法各各有力，導師喻般若能示導出離；若無般若，「雖行布施等善法，隨受業行，果報有盡」〔T25 0472b07〕，尚不能得小乘涅槃，何況無上道。此喻正釋品名「尊導」二字。
大地生萬物喻（承「善法依般若得生」義）。 經先立喻——「譬如地，以種散中，得因緣和合故便生，是諸種子依地而生。如是，阿難！五波羅蜜依般若波羅蜜得生」〔T25 0471c15〕；論釋復牒而申之：「佛欲令是義了了易解故作是喻譬：『如大地能生萬物，般若波羅蜜亦如是』」〔T25 0472b17〕。大地能持一切善法種子，因緣和合故事得成辦——喻般若能持一切善法種子（除般若外之一切善法），行者從發心起、從一地至一地乃至佛地，皆依般若而成。
如意寶珠喻（承「深心供養」義）。 論釋深心供養般若之功不可思議——「有如如意寶珠，是無記色法，無心、無識，以眾生福德因緣故生」〔T25 0472c29〕，有人供養尚能令人隨意所得；「何況般若波羅蜜是無上智慧、諸佛之母，諸法寶中是第一寶」〔T25 0473a02〕，若一心信受供養，云何不得二世功德。無記色法之寶珠喻其下，般若智慧之第一寶喻其上，以下況上，明深心供養般若之果必不唐捐。
國王大人來、群細庶民避去喻（承「淨處感天」義）。 論釋淨其住處衣服則諸天歡喜、小鬼避去之相——「譬如國王大人來處，群細庶民避去；諸大德天來，小鬼去亦如是」〔T25 0475a01〕。國王大人喻大德諸天，群細庶民喻舊住小鬼；大天威德重故舊住小鬼避去，喻淨潔之處大德天來、小鬼不能堪任而出。此喻明「外淨」之益——非徒事相，實感大德天來、令人心清淨廣大。
四、所釋經文
品名交叉對稱網：阿難稱譽品／尊導品（異名同品·並錄不判·古德雙標唯一例）。 本品品名於本論與所釋經兩側各呈「阿難稱譽品／尊導品」二造之異讀，兩側底本與異本恰成交叉對稱（承前品〈梵志品〉所立格局），且本品另有二事為前諸品所未見：其一，聖本、石本之品次數字作「卅五」（-1 階）；其二，X24 吉藏疏自身明文雙標二名。逐一據底本誌之。
其一，本論（T25n1509）側，五本並陳。卷端 jhead「大智度論釋阿難稱譽品第三十六」〔T25 0471b17〕，底本（大正／麗藏 lem）作「阿難稱譽品」；其品題校記五本並列——「大智度論釋阿難稱譽品第三十六【大】｜大智度論釋尊導品第三十六【宋】【元】｜釋尊導品第三十六【明】｜釋第卅五品【聖】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜經稱譽品第卅五【石】」〔T25 0471b17〕。即：宋、元本作「尊導品」（品次「三十六」同）；明本作「尊導品」（省「阿難稱譽」冠題）；聖本作「釋第卅五品」（品名省、品次「卅五」-1 階）；石本作「摩訶般若波羅蜜經稱譽品第卅五」（品名近底本「稱譽」、品次「卅五」-1 階）。另有一校記「阿難稱譽品第三十六【大】｜第三十六品尊導品【宮】」〔T25 0471b17〕，宮本亦作「尊導品」。
其二，所釋經（T223）側。羅什譯《摩訶般若波羅蜜經》此品題，底本（大正 lem）作「尊導品」〔T08 0288a14 mulu「36 尊導品」〕；其 head 內另有 inline 校記「丹阿難稱譽品」——即 T223 之丹本於同位直書「阿難稱譽品」。此為所釋經一側兩品名並存之直接 byte 證據（T223 底本「尊導」／丹本「阿難稱譽」）。
其三，交叉格局。合觀兩側——本論底本＝阿難稱譽品／本論宋元明宮本＝尊導品；T223 底本＝尊導品／T223 丹本＝阿難稱譽品——兩部經論各自之兩種傳本異讀互相對稱吻合（本論底本＝T223 丹本作「阿難稱譽」，本論宋元本＝T223 底本作「尊導」），承前品〈梵志品〉所立「雙向雙讀交叉印證」格局。
其四，古德疏之第三佐證（雙標唯一例）。吉藏《大品經義疏》（X24n0451）用「尊導品第三十六」〔X24n0451 0270c21〕（同 T223 底本名，非本論底本名「阿難稱譽品」），惟其疏文自身明文雙標二名——「亦云稱譽品，即稱譽般若為尊導也」〔X24n0451 0270c22〕。此為本論〈釋餘品〉諸品古德疏中唯一明文並陳品名雙讀者（前諸品古德疏皆各自單用一名，未見自標雙名），古德於「異名同品」現象之最直接自證，據實誌錄。
其五，判定與本版之裁。兩側四造，其別在「阿難稱譽（阿難發問稱譽之緣）／尊導（稱譽般若為尊導之義）」之取名不同，而內容完全對位（同一品之異譯／異抄，情節、人物、次第逐一相應，見下全量牒經）——判為「異名同品」，非品序錯位、非合併、非拆分，承前品既定方法論。本版品名從本論底本作「阿難稱譽品」（本版品名主軸為本論底本，既定之裁，有底本依據，本目不翻案）；「尊導品」諸名皆逐字保留於對讀敘述，並錄不判。
品次 off-by-one 與 -1 階（延續既定現象·本品新增三方一致之 -1 階實例）。 所釋經 T223 此品之 mulu 屬性標序作三十七而顯文題「36 尊導品」〔T08 0288a14〕，屬性較顯文多算一位——延續品二十七以來所釋經電子藏本之既定品次離軌現象（標序＝顯文加一）。另誌：T223 側次品之 mulu 標序亦作三十七（顯文「37 法稱品」，落〔T08 0290b09〕），標序三十七兩見，為 T223 mulu 自身內部之計數異常（中間跨越一次卷閉／卷開），與本品之 off-by-one 機制不同源，如實誌錄，本目不強解。
本論一側，品三十六 jhead 品次「三十六」與品次表 n=36 一致，主體無 off-by-one。惟本論聖本、石本異讀之品次作「卅五」（見上品名校記），構成品名數字本身之 -1 階分支（非底本 off-by-one，乃特定 witness 之品次計數落後一階）。此 -1 階與經錄索引 A097 之著錄獨立吻合——A097 於品三十二至三十七連續著錄作「述成品第三十二」「勸持品第三十三」「梵志品第三十四」「阿難稱譽品第三十五」「挍舍利品第三十六」「十善品第三十七」〔A097 0813a05–0813a12〕，其品次全數較本論底本少一（本論〈阿難稱譽品〉為第三十六，A097 作第三十五），為貫穿品三十二至三十七之系統性偏移。聖本·石本·A097 三方各自不同來源、同一方向偏差，構成「-1 階為某支傳承共性」之較強旁證（誌錄不判優劣，其機制未明，不強解）。又音義類書 C056 列「勸受持品·梵志品·阿難稱譽品」〔C056 0185c10〕，用本論底本名而不著品次，佐證「阿難稱譽品」為後世習用名，無涉 off-by-one。
全量牒經對讀（兩側對勘·本品型為雙向對稱）。 本論二【經】文與所釋經〈尊導品〉逐句對校，開篇即逐字幾近同文——本論「爾時，慧命阿難白佛言：『世尊！何以故不稱譽檀波羅蜜、尸羅波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、禪波羅蜜乃至十八不共法，但稱譽般若波羅蜜？』」〔T25 0471b18〕；T223 同段作「爾時慧命阿難白佛言：『世尊！何以不稱譽檀那波羅蜜、尸羅波羅蜜……但稱譽般若波羅蜜？』」〔T08 0288a16〕——T223 多「那」字於檀／禪諸波羅蜜、本論多「故」字一處，皆屬異譯用字習慣差異，非內容分歧。其後「不迴向薩婆若」「色相空」「不二不別」「地種喻」諸核心句、經②「今世功德」段（諸天來見般若、見大淨光明、聞異妙香、十善夢相諸節）逐一對應。本論二【論】層為論體之結構性擴增，所釋經無此層，非異文。本品之核心兩側對勘證據來自兩側各自之內部 witness 分裂且交叉對稱吻合（品名四造之交叉，見上），屬「雙向對稱型」，如實記錄。所釋經 T223 側於本品對讀範圍（〔T08 0288a14–0290b09〕）內之 <app> witness 逐條統計，未展開，據實誌錄，俟後續考據補查（見第八目）。
五、般若義眼
本品之眼，在「般若為尊導」一義之全幅展開——由「般若獨受稱譽」之問起，歷「不二不別」「五眾成就」「深心供養」「淨處感天」，終歸於「般若是諸佛母、諸佛師，供養般若勝供養十方諸佛」。其義可約為五重。
其一，般若為尊導，故獨受稱譽。阿難問佛何以獨稱譽般若而不稱譽餘五波羅蜜及十八不共法（經①首問）；佛答之樞在「迴向薩婆若」——「不迴向薩婆若，布施得稱檀波羅蜜不？」「不也！世尊！」〔T25 0471b24〕；五波羅蜜乃至智慧，非迴向薩婆若則不得「波羅蜜」之名，唯般若能令五事等作波羅蜜，「以是故知般若波羅蜜於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法為尊導，是故稱譽」〔T25 0471b26〕。此「尊導」為本品立名之義（見第二目），亦全品之綱。
其二，不二不別、色相空——般若為尊導之義理底據。阿難續問「云何布施迴向薩婆若作檀波羅蜜」，佛答以「無二法」「不生、不可得」〔T25 0471c01〕；復推其所以——「以色不二法故，受、想、行、識不二法故，乃至阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不二法故」〔T25 0471c08〕。所謂不二者，「色，色相空」〔T25 0471c11〕，「檀波羅蜜、色，不二不別；乃至阿耨多羅三藐三菩提、檀波羅蜜，不二不別」〔T25 0471c11〕。諸法相空、與波羅蜜不二不別，故五波羅蜜依般若得生（地種喻，見第三目），般若之為尊導，正立於此畢竟空、不二不別之義上。
其三，受持般若、五眾成就，是人為如佛。帝釋述受持般若功德未盡（經①末）；佛告帝釋，受持般若不離薩婆若心者「無量戒眾成就，定眾、慧眾、解脫眾、解脫知見眾成就」〔T25 0472a08〕，「當知是人為如佛」〔T25 0472a11〕；聲聞辟支佛之五眾不及是善男子善女人五眾「百分、千分、千億萬分乃至算數譬喻所不能及」〔T25 0472a14〕。論釋就「戒眾」展開：菩薩於一切眾生中修畢竟無畏施、施第一所愛樂物（壽命），「是故得無量戒眾果報」〔T25 0472c14〕，五眾功德「勝於二乘，不可計量」〔T25 0472c20〕。受持般若者所以「如佛」，正因其五分法身之成就。
其四，今世後世功德——諸天來見、淨處感天。經②詳陳受持般若之今世功德：讀誦說般若時「無量百千諸天皆來聽法」〔T25 0473a09〕、益其膽力；四部眾中說法「心無怯弱」〔T25 0473a15〕、「無有能難壞者」〔T25 0473a24〕；書持經卷處，三千大千世界及十方諸天皆來「見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜」〔T25 0473b20〕。帝釋問云何知天來，佛答「見大淨光明，必知有大德諸天來」〔T25 0473c24〕、「若聞異妙香，必知有大德諸天來」〔T25 0473c26〕，來時「小鬼輩即時出去，不能堪任是大德諸天威德故」〔T25 0474a01〕。論釋復就「淨其住處及以衣服，則外無不淨」〔T25 0474c25〕釋外淨之益（國王庶民喻，見第三目），並辨「人身不淨內充，外淨何益」之疑——外淨故諸天歡喜、大德天來、人心清淨廣大。此今世功德一段，皆歸於「淨處感天」之驗。
其五，般若是諸佛母、諸佛師——供養般若勝供養十方諸佛（本品收束之所歸）。論②末問「般若波羅蜜在佛身中，若供養一佛，則供養般若波羅蜜，何以言『供養十方佛，不如供養般若波羅蜜』」〔T25 0475a09〕；答之樞在「取相／不取相」——「供養者心，若供養佛，取人相；人畢竟不可得，以取相故，福田雖大而功德薄少」〔T25 0475a12〕；「供養般若波羅蜜者……不取人相、不取法相，用是心供養故，福德大」〔T25 0475a14〕。復推其本——「般若波羅蜜，是一切十方諸佛母，亦是諸佛師。諸佛得是身三十二相、八十隨形好及無量光明、神通變化，皆是般若波羅蜜力」〔T25 0475a16〕；「以是等因緣故，勝供養十方諸佛，非不敬佛」〔T25 0475a20〕。供養般若所以勝、而仍「非不敬佛」者，正因般若為諸佛之所從生——敬其母師，即所以敬佛。此「非不敬佛」一句收束全品，與義眼其一「般若為尊導」首尾相貫。
六、諸家異釋
《大智度論》本無逐文全疏之傳統，古德引釋率屬據實偏倚。本品古德覆讀有二型：釋所釋經之吉藏疏存完整專章且科判細密，品名之釋、品旨之科與本品經論相應；釋論之慧影疏斷層不覆本卷。此目誌錄其所疏所引與本品之對應，不判各家詮釋高下。
吉藏《大品經義疏》（X24n0451）。 於本品之逐文疏，起〔X24n0451 0270c21〕（品題「尊導品第三十六」，緊接前品〈遣異品〉訖界之後），迄〔X24n0451 0272b05〕前（次品〈法稱品第三十七 亦云舍利品〉起前），覆本品經論全篇。其可誌者三。其一，品名雙標——吉藏用「尊導品」名而自注「亦云稱譽品，即稱譽般若為尊導也」〔X24n0451 0270c22〕，為古德明文雙標品名之唯一例（見第四目）。其二，品旨五果之科——「就五果為論，即是第五住處安無恐怖果。兼明三世功德」〔X24n0451 0270c22〕：吉藏判本品為「五果」大科之第五「住處安無恐怖果」，兼明三世功德，與前品之科判大科相接續。其三，品為二之科——「品為二：第一、釋疑；二、重明二世功德，辨住處安無恐怖畏」〔X24n0451 0271a03〕：此「品為二」科判與本論自身二經二論交替結構（經①論①偏「釋疑」·經②論②偏「重明二世功德」）大體相應，對義疏具直接引用價值。
慧影《大智度論疏》（X46n0791）。 為釋本論之唯一古疏，僅殘卷存世；卷十七訖釋論卷四十五、卷二十一起釋論卷五十九，本品所繫之論卷五十八正落於此二卷之間之缺口內，慧影疏現存諸卷完全未覆本品。全庫回搜「阿難稱譽品」「尊導品」等本品獨有詞串，於本品段落皆零命中——慧影疏殘卷不覆本品，延續前諸品所誌之結論，據實誌錄。
均正《大乘四論玄義》（X46n0784）。 全書回搜「阿難稱譽品」「尊導品」諸串，本品皆零命中——與前諸品情形相同，本品未見均正之具名徵引，據實誌其闕，不強求。
經錄·音義類書（A097·C056·著錄型）。 A097 經錄於品三十二至三十七連續著錄品名（品次 -1 階，見第四目），C056 音義類書列「勸受持品·梵志品·阿難稱譽品」〔C056 0185c10〕——二者皆屬「著錄／索引」型徵引，非「引文疏解」型，本目誌其著錄事實（品名、-1 階現象）供第四目品名之辨，不作義理徵引。
近代著述（依例排除）。 凡近代學者之釋，依例排除，不採為古德權威、不引入義理徵引。
七、互讀與承衍
本品之義脈，前後相承者有三，皆此目所誌，不代定讀。
其一，「般若為尊導·諸波羅蜜依般若得生」義之承衍（承前品線·誌錄不判）。前品〈梵志品〉論釋已立「般若與一切智不二不別、互為生因說因」；本品進而明五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法「依般若波羅蜜得生」〔T25 0471c17〕、般若能令五事等作波羅蜜故獨受稱譽——由「般若＝一切智之因」下貫至「般若＝諸度之尊導」，前品明其體、本品明其用，此本論品品義脈相承之迹。
其二，「般若是諸佛母·諸佛師」義之承衍（貫般若一線·誌錄不判）。本品收束句「般若波羅蜜，是一切十方諸佛母，亦是諸佛師」〔T25 0475a16〕，與前諸品所立「諸天人佛皆從般若中生」（前品〈梵志品〉「是諸天、人皆從般若中生故」）一線相承——般若為佛之所從生，故供養般若勝供養十方諸佛而「非不敬佛」。此屬本論「般若母義」之下貫，本目誌其迹，不代定其為單一經句之結構斷言。
其三，寶庫掛鏈（穩定徵引·軟引）。本品「般若是諸佛母、諸佛師」及「供養般若波羅蜜者……不取人相、不取法相，用是心供養故，福德大」〔T25 0475a14〕之義，為般若母義、無相供養義之經論所本，落穩定徵引〔T25n1509 阿難稱譽品·卷五十八〕；心經／金剛經／唯識諸帙引本論處尚未定稿，故軟引，俟其逐字核存。此屬般若義下貫諸經之承衍，誌錄不判。
八、校本與版本說明
本品底本為《大智度論》卷五十八〔T25 0471b17–0475a22〕（品身正文自品題〔T25 0471b17〕起，終於「大智度論卷第五十八」句〔T25 0475a22〕，次品續於卷五十九，訖界〔T25 0475b02〕為次品起題前）；所釋經校本為《摩訶般若波羅蜜經》〈尊導品〉〔T08 0288a14 起〕；古德疏校本為吉藏《大品經義疏》（X24n0451，覆本品〔X24n0451 0270c21–0272b05〕前），慧影《大智度論疏》（X46n0791）殘卷不覆本品，均正《大乘四論玄義》（X46n0784）無徵引。異讀校記依大正校勘，涉大正底本與宋、元、明、宮、聖、石（石山寺本）諸本及麗藏（K）之異。
品名校記（交叉之底據·五本並陳·專列）。 品首校記並陳品名之異文凡三則，其攸關者：其一〔T25 0471b17〕——「大智度論釋阿難稱譽品第三十六【大】｜大智度論釋尊導品第三十六【宋】【元】｜釋尊導品第三十六【明】｜釋第卅五品【聖】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜經稱譽品第卅五【石】」——五本並陳，含聖本、石本之 -1 階「卅五」；其二〔T25 0471b17〕——「阿難稱譽品第三十六【大】｜第三十六品尊導品【宮】」——宮本作「尊導品」；其三〔T25 0471b17〕——「六【大】｜六（經作阿難稱譽品）【明】」——明本並注「經作阿難稱譽品」，即明本校勘者誌所釋經（T223）之丹本作「阿難稱譽品」，為四造交叉之旁證。此三則與 T223 側之底本「尊導」、丹本「阿難稱譽」（inline 校記）相合，即品名交叉對稱之底據，用於第四目品名之判——如實並錄，不強加調解。
CBETA 補字校記（麗藏 K 本校「未」為「末」·專列）。 論①有一補字校記〔T25 0472c04〕——「末（CB）｜未【大】｜末【宋】【元】【明】【宮】」——即大正底本作「未」，CBETA 依麗藏／宋元明宮諸本校訂改讀「末」（「上品末說」）。另有一特殊複合 id 條〔T25 0472c23〕——「何（K14n0549_p1081b21）〔CBETA／麗藏補字〕｜得【大】」——校記自身標注麗藏頁碼出處，異於一般異本讀法之並列，故專列。正文從 CBETA／麗藏校訂讀法，據實誌其校勘來源。
校勘總帳（一百五十條全量對帳·底本原樣）。 下依工作底本檔末原樣傳錄——本品校記合計一百五十條（同行重見者併列一行並標見數，計一百四十六行），內含本品自身錨點校記（own）與品內／跨品 refrain 遞歸重引（star）混列，star 條中並見跨品外引（多見〔T25 0473b13〕「世界／國土」等 star 回指品三十四範圍之 note(0468026)、〔T25 0474a17〕「界／國」回指 note(0469002)，跨品共用同一 canonical note，承前品〈梵志品〉之 star 跨品外引現象，據實標明）；異本讀法並列保存，正文仍從現行底本讀法：
- 〔T25 0471b17〕大智度論釋阿難稱譽品第三十六【大】｜大智度論釋尊導品第三十六【宋】【元】｜釋尊導品第三十六【明】｜釋第卅五品【聖】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜經稱譽品第卅五【石】（品名交叉之核心·見第四目）
- 〔T25 0471b17〕阿難稱譽品第三十六【大】｜第三十六品尊導品【宮】（品名·宮本尊導）
- 〔T25 0471b17〕六【大】｜六（經作阿難稱譽品）【明】（品名·明本旁注經作阿難稱譽）
- 〔T25 0471b18〕故【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0471b19〕譽【大】｜舉【聖】
- 〔T25 0471b21〕譽【大】｜舉【聖】（star·品內重引→note(0471020)）
- 〔T25 0471b22〕五【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0471b27〕譽【大】｜舉【聖】（star·品內重引→note(0471020)）
- 〔T25 0471c02〕得【大】｜得故【石】
- 〔T25 0471c12〕別【大】｜分別【石】
- 〔T25 0471c15〕譬【大】｜辟【聖】
- 〔T25 0471c16〕故【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0471c22〕者【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472a04〕正【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472a06〕正【大】｜心【聖】
- 〔T25 0472a16〕是【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0472a19〕伎【大】｜伏【聖】
- 〔T25 0472a19〕樂【大】｜樂供養【石】
- 〔T25 0472a25〕侍【大】｜持【聖】
- 〔T25 0472a25〕數【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472a28〕及【大】｜乃至【聖】
- 〔T25 0472b01〕字【大】｜守【聖】
- 〔T25 0472b02〕說【大】｜說說【石】
- 〔T25 0472b02〕語【大】｜說【聖】
- 〔T25 0472b04〕譬【大】｜辟【聖】（star·品內重引→note(0471024)）
- 〔T25 0472b05〕各【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472b12〕法【大】｜諸法【石】
- 〔T25 0472b13〕不【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0472b16〕譽【大】｜舉【聖】（star·品內重引→note(0471020)）
- 〔T25 0472b18〕亦【大】｜〔－〕【宮】
- 〔T25 0472b25〕未【大】｜來【聖】
- 〔T25 0472b28〕聞【大】｜問【石】
- 〔T25 0472b28〕愛【大】｜受【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0472c04〕末（CB）｜未【大】｜末【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0472c04〕行【大】｜諸行【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0472c04〕波羅蜜【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0472c06〕十善道乃至十八不共法，現於世間。是善法【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c08〕天帝【大】｜帝釋【石】
- 〔T25 0472c09〕但【大】｜俱【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c12〕中【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c17〕或【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c19〕知【大】｜如【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c20〕眾【大】｜眾生【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c23〕何（K14n0549_p1081b21）【CB】【麗-CB】｜得【大】（CBETA／麗藏補字·專列見上）
- 〔T25 0472c23〕答【大】｜各【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c24〕効【大】｜施【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c25〕知【大】｜智【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c25〕功【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c28〕卷【大】｜即【宮】｜養【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c29〕如【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0473a01〕無【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a10〕說【大】｜說眾【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a11〕益【大】｜答【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a11〕膽【大】｜擔【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a11〕疲【大】｜疾【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a12〕天【大】｜天子【石】
- 〔T25 0473a12〕更能【大】｜能更【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a13〕持【大】｜〔－〕【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a22〕有【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a29〕今【大】｜現【石】
- 〔T25 0473b03〕宗【大】｜守【聖】
- 〔T25 0473b13〕世界【大】｜國土【石】（star·跨品外引→note(0468026)·品三十四範圍）
- 〔T25 0473b18〕住【大】｜〔－〕【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0473b20〕受【大】｜受持【石】
- 〔T25 0473b24〕遍【大】｜遍天【聖】
- 〔T25 0473b24〕蔭【大】｜陰【明】
- 〔T25 0473b27〕熱【大】｜勢【聖】
- 〔T25 0473b28〕是【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0473c05〕世界【大】｜國土【石】（star·跨品外引→note(0468026)）
- 〔T25 0473c11〕乃至【大】｜及【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0473c11〕世界【大】｜國土【石】（star·跨品外引→note(0468026)）
- 〔T25 0473c13〕護持【大】｜擁護【石】
- 〔T25 0473c15〕諸【大】｜是諸【石】
- 〔T25 0473c16〕來到【大】｜到來【宮】
- 〔T25 0473c21〕世界【大】｜國土【石】（star·跨品外引→note(0468026)）
- 〔T25 0473c25〕若【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0473c28〕潔【大】｜絜【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a02〕是【大】｜〔－〕【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a02〕故【大】｜〔－〕【石】
- 〔T25 0474a05〕幢幡【大】｜旛幢【宋】【元】【明】【宮】｜幢【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a06〕無【大】｜不【石】
- 〔T25 0474a07〕偃【大】｜復【聖】｜𭶜【石】
- 〔T25 0474a08〕夢【大】｜〔－〕【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0474a09〕而為【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a10〕法教【大】｜教法【石】
- 〔T25 0474a12〕殊妙【大】｜〔－〕【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0474a13〕菩薩【大】｜菩提【宮】
- 〔T25 0474a15〕義【大】｜議【石】
- 〔T25 0474a16〕世界【大】｜國土【石】（star·跨品外引→note(0468026)）
- 〔T25 0474a16〕數【大】｜量【石】
- 〔T25 0474a17〕某【大】｜其【聖】（star·品內重引→note(0474013)·三見）
- 〔T25 0474a17〕界【大】｜國【石】（star·跨品外引→note(0469002)）
- 〔T25 0474a18〕干【大】｜千【聖】（star·品內重引→note(0474014)·二見）
- 〔T25 0474a18〕萬【大】｜萬億【宋】【元】【明】【宮】（star·品內重引→note(0474015)·二見）
- 〔T25 0474a19〕見【大】｜次【宮】
- 〔T25 0474a21〕佛【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a21〕華香【大】｜香華【石】
- 〔T25 0474a21〕幢【大】｜旛【宋】【元】【明】
- 〔T25 0474a23〕身【大】｜自【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a24〕具【大】｜見【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a25〕從【大】｜定【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a26〕飲【大】｜〔－〕【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a28〕那【大】｜陀【石】
- 〔T25 0474b04〕正【大】｜心正【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b05〕華香【大】｜香華【石】（star·品內重引→note(0474018)）
- 〔T25 0474b05〕瓔【大】｜纓【明】
- 〔T25 0474b07〕書【大】｜書寫【宋】【元】【明】【宮】｜書持【石】
- 〔T25 0474b09〕子【大】｜子眾【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b11〕香【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b14〕來【大】｜未【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b14〕天來【大】｜來則【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0474b14〕遠【大】｜遶【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b16〕洽【大】｜哈【石】
- 〔T25 0474b16〕孔【大】｜毛【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0474b17〕軟【大】｜濡【宋】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0474b20〕潔【大】｜絜【聖】（star·品內重引→note(0473023)）
- 〔T25 0474b22〕法【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b24〕不畏、不恐【大】｜不恐不畏【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0474b25〕執【大】｜勢【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b25〕是【大】｜〔－〕【石】
- 〔T25 0474b26〕諸【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b28〕闕【大】｜𨷂【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0474b29〕折【大】｜斷【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b29〕諸【大】｜〔－〕【石】
- 〔T25 0474c01〕薰【大】｜勤【宮】｜勳【聖】
- 〔T25 0474c03〕正【大】｜政【石】
- 〔T25 0474c04〕敬【大】｜重【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【石】
- 〔T25 0474c06〕恭【大】｜敬【聖】
- 〔T25 0474c06〕順【大】｜敬【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0474c08〕言【大】｜語【石】
- 〔T25 0474c10〕給【大】｜絡【聖】
- 〔T25 0474c11〕不【大】｜香【聖】
- 〔T25 0474c11〕事【大】｜等【聖】
- 〔T25 0474c18〕皆【大】｜〔－〕【宮】
- 〔T25 0474c22〕答【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【石】
- 〔T25 0474c24〕充【大】｜臭【宮】｜臭【南藏】
- 〔T25 0475a01〕群【大】｜羼【聖】
- 〔T25 0475a02〕民【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0475a05〕來【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0475a12〕者【大】｜著【元】【明】
- 〔T25 0475a14〕少【大】｜小【聖】
- 〔T25 0475a14〕如所【大】｜所如【聖】
- 〔T25 0475a21〕佛【大】｜佛釋第二十五品竟【石】（存疑·數字「第二十五品」與品序不合，見下）
- 〔T25 0475a22〕大智度論卷第五十八【大】｜〔－〕【石】
- 〔T25 0475a22〕論【大】｜經論【聖】
- 〔T25 0475a22〕八【大】｜八（釋第三十三品註第三十五品）【聖】
以上一百四十六行、一百五十條，與工作底本錨點校記之數機械相合（own 與 star 混列，star 之品內重引與跨品外引已隨條標明）。品名攸關之數處（品題〔0471b17〕五本並陳、宮本、明本旁注、CBETA／麗藏〔0472c04〕〔0472c23〕補字）已於上文專列，並與所釋經雙向對校（第四目）。
末條石本異讀存疑（誌錄不強解）。 校勘末段〔T25 0475a21〕「佛【大】｜佛釋第二十五品竟【石】」——石本於本品末見「釋第二十五品竟」一句，其品次「第二十五」與本品品序「三十六」（石本 -1 階作「卅五」）皆不合。疑石本卷帙劃分與大正不同、或指他品之訖語，如實誌錄此異常，本目未強解，俟後品考據或覆核。又末條〔T25 0475a22〕「八（釋第三十三品註第三十五品）【聖】」聖本注亦見品次錯落之迹，並存不判。
所釋經 witness 統計（未展開·誌闕待補）。 所釋經 T223 側於本品對讀範圍（〔T08 0288a14–0290b09〕）內之 <app> witness 逐條統計未展開（承前品格式：beg 錨落於 frag 內·逐一比對 from="#"+id），據實誌其未展開，俟後續考據補查，不以估值充數。
I. Structural Placement
Within the sequence in which the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa comments on the Larger Sūtra, this chapter belongs to the section of the Commentary on the Remaining Chapters and falls in Fascicle 58; it is the next chapter within the same fascicle after the preceding chapter, "The Brahmin Ascetic", Chapter 35. The preceding chapter, "The Brahmin Ascetic", begins partway through Fascicle 58 without a renewed signature; this chapter is of the same type—the jhead of the chapter body〔T25 0471b17〕 itself contains the full chapter name, 「大智度論釋阿難稱譽品第三十六」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on Ānanda's Praise, the Thirty-sixth", with no independent mulu element beneath it immediately adjoining the starting lb; it follows directly after the sentence at the closing boundary of the preceding chapter, "The Brahmin Ascetic", 「因果不相離故言『不二不別』」 tr. "because cause and result are not apart from each other, it says ‘not two and not different’", and begins within the same Fascicle 58 without a renewed signature (the fascicle shell and signature of the preceding chapter are already present at the head of the fascicle, and do not reappear for this chapter).
The closing boundary of this chapter〔T25 0475b02〕 is where the next chapter begins. Within the chapter it closes with the line 「大智度論卷第五十八」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Fascicle Fifty-eight"〔T25 0475a22〕, which belongs to the close of the fascicle; the next chapter follows at once in Fascicle 59 (this section argues on the scope of the main text of the chapter body; the mechanical details of the tag layer of the fascicle close are given in Section VIII).
Within the chapter the structure is two Sūtra and two Treatise sections in alternation (unlike the single Sūtra and single Treatise section of the preceding chapter, "The Brahmin Ascetic"): 【經】〔T25 0471b18〕, 【論】〔T25 0472a24〕, 【經】〔T25 0473a08〕, 【論】〔T25 0474b12〕—Sūtra ① and Treatise ①, Sūtra ② and Treatise ②, four sections alternating, with a doctrinal density clearly higher than that of the preceding chapter. The whole chapter has five thousand two hundred and fifty-eight pure Chinese characters and nine rounds of question and answer in all (searching back within the chapter, 「問曰」 tr. "Question" appears nine times and 「答曰」 tr. "Answer" nine times); Treatise ① contains four rounds of question and answer and Treatise ② five, so that this is a chapter of the doctrinally dense type; each is determined from the base text itself, not by following the pattern of other chapters.
All four tags fall exactly at the head of their blocks, with no transition of the embedded type. The first 【經】 tag is fixed at〔T25 0471b18〕, right after the chapter title and before the first sentence of the sūtra text, 「爾時，慧命阿難白佛言」 tr. "At that time the venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha". The first 【論】 tag is fixed at〔T25 0472a24〕, forming a block of its own, the head of the block followed directly by 「釋曰」 tr. "Explanation". The speaker structure of the Treatise sections takes question and answer as its skeleton, paired one by one, with no orphaned question and no orphaned answer.
II. Terms Examined
The honoured guide. The pivotal word of the chapter's variant name, 「尊導品」 tr. "Chapter on the Honoured Guide", and also where the first meaning of this chapter comes to rest. At the opening of the sūtra the Buddha's answer to Ānanda at once establishes this word—「般若波羅蜜於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法為尊導」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā is the honoured guide of the five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas"〔T25 0471b21〕; the treatise's explanation further extends it with the simile of the guide on a journey (see Section III). 「尊導」 tr. "The honoured guide" means that prajñā holds the honoured position of guide and leader among the six perfections and the myriad practices—the five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas all depend on the dedication of prajñā to become what they are as 「波羅蜜」 tr. "pāramitā", and therefore prajñā alone receives praise. The variant chapter name 「尊導品」 tr. "Chapter on the Honoured Guide" (in the Song, Yuan, and Ming editions, in the base text of T223, and in X24) takes its name from this meaning of the sūtra, and it differs in name from this treatise's base-text name 「阿難稱譽品」 tr. "Chapter on Ānanda's Praise" (which takes the occasion of Ānanda's question and praise) while pointing to the same chapter (see Section IV).
Sarvajñā (omniscience) · dedicating to sarvajñā. The key pivot of the chapter's doctrine. 「薩婆若」 tr. "Sarvajñā" is omniscience, the ultimate knowledge of the Buddhas; 「迴向薩婆若」 tr. "dedicating to sarvajñā" means that the practices from giving up to wisdom must be dedicated toward and seek omniscience before they can be called 「波羅蜜」 tr. "pāramitā"—「不迴向薩婆若，布施得稱檀波羅蜜不？」 tr. "If it is not dedicated to sarvajñā, can giving be called dānapāramitā?" 「不也！世尊！」 tr. "No, World-Honored One!"〔T25 0471b24〕. This 「迴向薩婆若」 tr. "dedicating to sarvajñā" is the doctrinal backbone both of why the five perfections become perfections and of why prajñā is the honoured guide.
The five aggregates of the Dharma body (the aggregate of morality · the aggregate of concentration · the aggregate of wisdom · the aggregate of liberation · the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation). That is, the five-fold Dharma body. The sūtra makes clear that one who receives and upholds prajñā without parting from the mind of sarvajñā has 「無量戒眾成就，定眾、慧眾、解脫眾、解脫知見眾成就」 tr. "an immeasurable aggregate of morality accomplished, and the aggregate of concentration, the aggregate of wisdom, the aggregate of liberation, and the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation accomplished"〔T25 0472a08〕. The treatise's explanation then unfolds the single item 「戒眾」 tr. "the aggregate of morality": the bodhisattva practising prajñā cultivates, among all beings, the ultimate giving of fearlessness, giving what is most loved (life itself), and 「是故得無量戒眾果報」 tr. "therefore he obtains the karmic result of an immeasurable aggregate of morality"〔T25 0472c14〕, and so on up to the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation, each distinguished according to its meaning. The merit of these five aggregates 「勝於二乘，不可計量」 tr. "surpasses the two vehicles and cannot be measured"〔T25 0472c20〕, and it is the doctrinal content of the meaning that one who receives and upholds prajñā 「即是佛、若次佛」 tr. "is the Buddha, or next to a Buddha".
Offering in imitation of others · offering from a deep mind. The two gates set up by the treatise's explanation in answering the doubt 「書持供養輕微而得二世重功德」 tr. "writing out, upholding, and making offerings are slight, and yet obtain the weighty merit of two lives". 「供養有二種：一者、効他供養，二者、深心供養」 tr. "Offerings are of two kinds: first, offering in imitation of others; second, offering from a deep mind"〔T25 0472c23〕—offering in imitation of others makes offerings by following others, the mind not single and sincere; offering from a deep mind knows the merit of prajñā and receives it in faith with a single mind; 「知般若功德，深心供養故，得二世功德」 tr. "because one knows the merit of prajñā and makes offerings from a deep mind, one obtains the merit of two lives"〔T25 0472c25〕. That the slight offering of writing out and upholding obtains the weighty result of two lives rests precisely on the one move of the 「深心」 tr. "deep mind", not on the thickness or thinness of the outward form.
As a Buddha · gods of great virtue. 「如佛」 tr. "As a Buddha": the sūtra makes clear that of one who receives and upholds prajñā without parting from the mind of sarvajñā, 「當知是人為如佛」 tr. "know that this person is as a Buddha"〔T25 0472a11〕; the treatise's explanation gives the reason by the accomplishment of the five aggregates, which surpass the two vehicles beyond measure. 「大德諸天」 tr. "Gods of great virtue": the treatise's explanation of the signs of the gods coming to see prajñā—when one 「見大淨光明」 tr. "sees a great pure light" or 「聞異妙香」 tr. "smells a strange and wondrous fragrance", one knows that gods of great virtue have come, and when they come the petty ghosts withdraw; all of these are proofs of the merit in this present life in this chapter (see Section V).
III. Similes and Stories
The Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa is renowned for its similes; the principal similes of this chapter are four, all falling in the treatise's explanation, and they carry respectively the four meanings 「般若為尊導」 tr. "prajñā is the honoured guide", 「善法依般若得生」 tr. "wholesome dharmas are born in dependence on prajñā", 「深心供養」 tr. "offering from a deep mind", and 「淨處感天」 tr. "a purified place moves the gods to come".
The simile of the guide on a journey (carrying the meaning of 「尊導」 tr. "the honoured guide"). The treatise explains why prajñā alone receives praise—「一切有為法中，智慧第一；一切智慧中，度彼岸般若波羅蜜第一」 tr. "among all conditioned dharmas, wisdom is foremost; among all wisdoms, the prajñāpāramitā that crosses to the other shore is foremost"〔T25 0472b02〕, and then makes it clear with a simile: 「譬如行路，雖有眾伴，導師第一」 tr. "just as on a journey, though there are many companions, the guide is foremost"〔T25 0472b04〕; 「般若波羅蜜能示導出三界、到三乘」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā can show the way and guide one out of the three realms, to the three vehicles"〔T25 0472b05〕. The companions stand for the wholesome dharmas such as giving, each having its own power; the guide stands for prajñā, which can show the way to leaving; without prajñā, 「雖行布施等善法，隨受業行，果報有盡」 tr. "though one practises wholesome dharmas such as giving, one receives according to one's karmic conduct, and the result comes to an end"〔T25 0472b07〕, and one cannot attain even the nirvāṇa of the Small Vehicle, let alone the unsurpassed path. This simile directly explains the two words 「尊導」 tr. "honoured guide" of the chapter name.
The simile of the great earth giving birth to the ten thousand things (carrying the meaning 「善法依般若得生」 tr. "wholesome dharmas are born in dependence on prajñā"). The sūtra first sets out the simile—「譬如地，以種散中，得因緣和合故便生，是諸種子依地而生。如是，阿難！五波羅蜜依般若波羅蜜得生」 tr. "It is like the earth: when seeds are scattered in it, they are born because causes and conditions come together; these seeds are born in dependence on the earth. Just so, Ānanda! The five perfections are born in dependence on prajñāpāramitā"〔T25 0471c15〕; the treatise's explanation takes it up again and extends it: 「佛欲令是義了了易解故作是喻譬：『如大地能生萬物，般若波羅蜜亦如是』」 tr. "Because the Buddha wished to make this meaning clear and easy to understand, he made this simile: ‘As the great earth can give birth to the ten thousand things, so too is prajñāpāramitā’"〔T25 0472b17〕. The great earth can hold the seeds of all wholesome dharmas, and by the coming together of causes and conditions the matter is accomplished—a simile for prajñā's ability to hold the seeds of all wholesome dharmas (all wholesome dharmas apart from prajñā); the practitioner, from the arousing of the mind, from one ground to the next and so on up to the Buddha ground, accomplishes everything in dependence on prajñā.
The simile of the wish-fulfilling jewel (carrying the meaning 「深心供養」 tr. "offering from a deep mind"). The treatise explains that the merit of offering to prajñā from a deep mind is inconceivable—「有如如意寶珠，是無記色法，無心、無識，以眾生福德因緣故生」 tr. "there is, for example, the wish-fulfilling jewel: it is an indeterminate form-dharma, without mind and without consciousness, born through the causes and conditions of beings' merit"〔T25 0472c29〕, and when someone makes offerings to it, it can still let him obtain whatever he wishes; 「何況般若波羅蜜是無上智慧、諸佛之母，諸法寶中是第一寶」 tr. "how much more prajñāpāramitā, which is unsurpassed wisdom, the mother of the buddhas, and among the jewels of the Dharma the foremost jewel"〔T25 0473a02〕; if one receives it in faith with a single mind and makes offerings to it, how could one fail to obtain the merit of two lives? The jewel, an indeterminate form-dharma, stands for the lower; the foremost jewel, the wisdom of prajñā, stands for the higher; reasoning from the lower to the higher, it makes clear that the result of offering to prajñā from a deep mind is surely not in vain.
The simile of the king and great men coming and the crowd of common people withdrawing (carrying the meaning 「淨處感天」 tr. "a purified place moves the gods to come"). The treatise explains the sign that when one purifies one's dwelling and clothes, the gods rejoice and the petty ghosts withdraw—「譬如國王大人來處，群細庶民避去；諸大德天來，小鬼去亦如是」 tr. "just as, where the king and great men come, the crowd of common people withdraw, so too when the gods of great virtue come, the petty ghosts depart"〔T25 0475a01〕. The king and great men stand for the gods of great virtue; the crowd of common people stand for the petty ghosts who dwelt there before; because the majestic virtue of the great gods is weighty, the petty ghosts who dwelt there withdraw—a simile for how, in a clean place, the gods of great virtue come and the petty ghosts, unable to bear it, go out. This simile makes clear the benefit of 「外淨」 tr. "outer purity"—it is not a mere matter of outward form: it truly moves the gods of great virtue to come, and makes the person's mind pure and vast.
IV. The Sūtra Passage Explained
The network of cross-symmetry in the chapter name: Chapter on Ānanda's Praise / Chapter on the Honoured Guide (different names for the same chapter · recorded side by side without judgement · the only instance of an ancient master's double marking). In this chapter the chapter name shows, on each of the two sides, this treatise and the sūtra explained, variant readings of the two forms 「阿難稱譽品／尊導品」 tr. "Chapter on Ānanda's Praise / Chapter on the Honoured Guide", and the base texts and variant texts of the two sides form an exact cross-symmetry (continuing the pattern established in the preceding chapter, "The Brahmin Ascetic"); moreover, this chapter has two further matters not seen in the earlier chapters: first, in the Shōgozō and Ishiyama texts the chapter-number figure reads 「卅五」 tr. "thirty-five" (a step of -1); second, Jizang's commentary in X24 itself explicitly marks both names. Each is recorded in turn on the basis of the base text.
First, on the side of this treatise (T25n1509), five texts are set out together. The fascicle-head jhead reads 「大智度論釋阿難稱譽品第三十六」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on Ānanda's Praise, the Thirty-sixth"〔T25 0471b17〕, and the base text (the Taishō / Korean Canon lem) reads 「阿難稱譽品」 tr. "Chapter on Ānanda's Praise"; its collation note on the chapter title sets out five texts side by side—「大智度論釋阿難稱譽品第三十六【大】｜大智度論釋尊導品第三十六【宋】【元】｜釋尊導品第三十六【明】｜釋第卅五品【聖】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜經稱譽品第卅五【石】」 tr. "‘Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on Ānanda's Praise, the Thirty-sixth’ in the Taishō; ‘Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on the Honoured Guide, the Thirty-sixth’ in the Song and Yuan; ‘Commentary on the Chapter on the Honoured Guide, the Thirty-sixth’ in the Ming; ‘Commentary on the Thirty-fifth Chapter’ in the Shōgozō; ‘Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra, Chapter on Praise, the Thirty-fifth’ in the Ishiyama"〔T25 0471b17〕. That is: the Song and Yuan editions read 「尊導品」 tr. "Chapter on the Honoured Guide" (with the same chapter number, 「三十六」 tr. "thirty-six"); the Ming edition reads 「尊導品」 tr. "Chapter on the Honoured Guide" (omitting the prefixed title 「阿難稱譽」 tr. "Ānanda's Praise"); the Shōgozō reads 「釋第卅五品」 tr. "Commentary on the Thirty-fifth Chapter" (the chapter name omitted, and the chapter number 「卅五」 tr. "thirty-five", a step of -1); the Ishiyama reads 「摩訶般若波羅蜜經稱譽品第卅五」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra, Chapter on Praise, the Thirty-fifth" (the chapter name close to the base text's 「稱譽」 tr. "praise", and the chapter number 「卅五」 tr. "thirty-five", a step of -1). There is a further collation note, 「阿難稱譽品第三十六【大】｜第三十六品尊導品【宮】」 tr. "‘Chapter on Ānanda's Praise, the Thirty-sixth’ in the Taishō; ‘Thirty-sixth Chapter, Chapter on the Honoured Guide’ in the Palace"〔T25 0471b17〕: the Palace edition too reads 「尊導品」 tr. "Chapter on the Honoured Guide".
Second, the side of the sūtra explained (T223). For the title of this chapter in Kumārajīva's translation of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra, the base text (Taishō lem) reads 「尊導品」 tr. "Chapter on the Honoured Guide"〔T08 0288a14 mulu「36 尊導品」 tr. "36 Chapter on the Honoured Guide"〕; within its head there is further an inline collation note, 「丹阿難稱譽品」 tr. "Khitan: Chapter on Ānanda's Praise"—that is, the Khitan edition of T223 writes directly at the same place 「阿難稱譽品」 tr. "Chapter on Ānanda's Praise". This is direct byte evidence for the coexistence of two chapter names on the side of the sūtra explained (the T223 base text 「尊導」 tr. "Honoured Guide" / the Khitan edition 「阿難稱譽」 tr. "Ānanda's Praise").
Third, the cross pattern. Taking the two sides together—this treatise's base text = Chapter on Ānanda's Praise / this treatise's Song, Yuan, Ming, and Palace editions = Chapter on the Honoured Guide; the T223 base text = Chapter on the Honoured Guide / the T223 Khitan edition = Chapter on Ānanda's Praise—the variant readings of the two transmissions of each of the two works, sūtra and treatise, correspond and agree symmetrically (this treatise's base text = the T223 Khitan edition, reading 「阿難稱譽」 tr. "Ānanda's Praise"; this treatise's Song and Yuan editions = the T223 base text, reading 「尊導」 tr. "Honoured Guide"), continuing the pattern of 「雙向雙讀交叉印證」 tr. "two-way, double-reading cross-confirmation" established in the preceding chapter, "The Brahmin Ascetic".
Fourth, the third supporting witness, from an ancient master's commentary (the only instance of double marking). Jizang's Commentary on the Larger Sūtra (X24n0451) uses 「尊導品第三十六」 tr. "Chapter on the Honoured Guide, the Thirty-sixth"〔X24n0451 0270c21〕 (the same as the T223 base-text name, not this treatise's base-text name 「阿難稱譽品」 tr. "Chapter on Ānanda's Praise"), yet his commentary text itself explicitly marks both names—「亦云稱譽品，即稱譽般若為尊導也」 tr. "it is also called the Chapter on Praise, that is, praising prajñā as the honoured guide"〔X24n0451 0270c22〕. Among the ancient-master commentaries on the chapters of this treatise's Commentary on the Remaining Chapters, this is the only one that explicitly sets out the double reading of a chapter name (the ancient-master commentaries on the earlier chapters each used a single name, and no self-marking of two names is seen), the most direct self-attestation by an ancient master of the phenomenon of 「異名同品」 tr. "different names for the same chapter"; recorded as it is.
Fifth, the determination and the ruling for this edition. The two sides with their four forms differ in how the name is taken—「阿難稱譽（阿難發問稱譽之緣）／尊導（稱譽般若為尊導之義）」 tr. "Ānanda's Praise (the occasion of Ānanda's question and praise) / the Honoured Guide (the meaning of praising prajñā as the honoured guide)"—while their contents correspond completely (different translations / different copies of one and the same chapter, the episodes, persons, and sequence corresponding one by one; see the full comparative reading of the cited sūtra below): it is judged to be a case of 「異名同品」 tr. "different names for the same chapter", not a displacement of chapter order, not a merging, and not a splitting, continuing the methodology established in the preceding chapter. In this edition the chapter name follows this treatise's base text, 「阿難稱譽品」 tr. "Chapter on Ānanda's Praise" (the main axis for the chapter names of this edition is this treatise's base text, an established ruling with evidence in the base text, and this section does not overturn it); the names 「尊導品」 tr. "Chapter on the Honoured Guide" are all kept word for word in the comparative narrative, recorded side by side without judgement.
Chapter-number off-by-one and the -1 step (continuing an established phenomenon · this chapter adds a new instance of a -1 step agreed on three sides). In the sūtra explained, T223, the mulu attribute ordinal for this chapter is thirty-seven, while the displayed title is 「36 尊導品」 tr. "36 Chapter on the Honoured Guide"〔T08 0288a14〕: the attribute counts one place more than the displayed text—a continuation of the established chapter-number misalignment in the electronic canon text of the sūtra explained since Chapter 27 (ordinal = displayed number plus one). Noted additionally: on the T223 side the mulu ordinal of the next chapter is also thirty-seven (displayed text 「37 法稱品」 tr. "37 Chapter on the Dharma-Praise", falling at〔T08 0290b09〕), so that the ordinal thirty-seven appears twice—an internal counting anomaly of the T223 mulu itself (crossing one fascicle close / fascicle opening in between), not of the same origin as the off-by-one mechanism of this chapter; it is recorded as it is, and this section does not force an explanation.
On this treatise's side, the chapter number 「三十六」 tr. "thirty-six" in the jhead of Chapter 36 agrees with n=36 in the chapter table, and the main body has no off-by-one. However, in the variant readings of this treatise's Shōgozō and Ishiyama texts the chapter number reads 「卅五」 tr. "thirty-five" (see the chapter-name collation note above), forming a -1-step branch in the chapter-name figure itself (not an off-by-one of the base text, but a chapter count running one step behind in particular witnesses). This -1 step agrees independently with the record of the catalogue index A097—A097 records chapters thirty-two to thirty-seven consecutively as 「述成品第三十二」 tr. "Chapter on Declaring and Confirming, the Thirty-second", 「勸持品第三十三」 tr. "Chapter on Exhortation to Uphold, the Thirty-third", 「梵志品第三十四」 tr. "Chapter on the Brahmin Ascetic, the Thirty-fourth", 「阿難稱譽品第三十五」 tr. "Chapter on Ānanda's Praise, the Thirty-fifth", 「挍舍利品第三十六」 tr. "Chapter on Weighing the Relics, the Thirty-sixth", 「十善品第三十七」 tr. "Chapter on the Ten Wholesome [Paths], the Thirty-seventh"〔A097 0813a05–0813a12〕, every chapter number one fewer than in this treatise's base text (this treatise's "Ānanda's Praise" is the thirty-sixth, A097 has the thirty-fifth), a systematic offset running through chapters thirty-two to thirty-seven. The Shōgozō, the Ishiyama, and A097—three parties, each from a different source, deviating in the same direction—form a stronger piece of collateral evidence that 「-1 階為某支傳承共性」 tr. "the -1 step is a shared feature of some branch of transmission" (recorded without judging merit; its mechanism is unclear, and no explanation is forced). Further, the phonetic-glossary compendium C056 lists 「勸受持品·梵志品·阿難稱譽品」 tr. "Chapter on Exhortation to Receive and Uphold · Chapter on the Brahmin Ascetic · Chapter on Ānanda's Praise"〔C056 0185c10〕, using this treatise's base-text names without chapter numbers, which supports 「阿難稱譽品」 tr. "Chapter on Ānanda's Praise" as the name customarily used in later ages, and has nothing to do with the off-by-one.
Full comparative reading of the cited sūtra (two-sided collation · this chapter being of the two-way symmetric type). The two Sūtra sections of this treatise were collated sentence by sentence against the sūtra explained's "Chapter on the Honoured Guide", and from the opening they are almost word for word the same text—this treatise reads 「爾時，慧命阿難白佛言：『世尊！何以故不稱譽檀波羅蜜、尸羅波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、禪波羅蜜乃至十八不共法，但稱譽般若波羅蜜？』」 tr. "At that time the venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! For what reason do you not praise dān-pāramitā, śīlapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, vīryapāramitā, dhyān-pāramitā, and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, but praise only prajñāpāramitā?’"〔T25 0471b18〕; T223 at the same passage reads 「爾時慧命阿難白佛言：『世尊！何以不稱譽檀那波羅蜜、尸羅波羅蜜……但稱譽般若波羅蜜？』」 tr. "At that time the venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! Why do you not praise dānapāramitā, śīlapāramitā … but praise only prajñāpāramitā?’"〔T08 0288a16〕—T223 has an extra 「那」 tr. "na" in the perfections of giving and meditation, and this treatise has an extra 「故」 tr. "gu (for this reason)" in one place; all are differences in the character-usage habits of the translations, not divergences of content. Thereafter the core sentences 「不迴向薩婆若」 tr. "not dedicated to sarvajñā", 「色相空」 tr. "form is empty of the mark of form", 「不二不別」 tr. "not two and not different", and 「地種喻」 tr. "the simile of the earth and seeds", and the passage of Sūtra ② on 「今世功德」 tr. "merit in this present life" (the sections on the gods coming to see prajñā, seeing a great pure light, smelling a strange and wondrous fragrance, and the ten signs of good dreams), correspond one by one. The two Treatise layers of this treatise are a structural expansion in the form of a treatise; the sūtra explained has no such layer, and this is not a textual variant. The core evidence of the two-sided collation in this chapter comes from the internal witness splits on each of the two sides and their cross-symmetric agreement (the crossing of the four forms of the chapter name; see above), which belongs to 「雙向對稱型」 tr. "the two-way symmetric type"; recorded as it is. The entry-by-entry statistics of the <app> witnesses on the T223 side within the scope of the comparative reading for this chapter (〔T08 0288a14–0290b09〕) were not unfolded; this is recorded as it is and left to later collation to check and supplement (see Section VIII).
V. The Prajñā Eye
The eye of this chapter lies in the full unfolding of the single meaning 「般若為尊導」 tr. "prajñā is the honoured guide"—it begins from the question of 「般若獨受稱譽」 tr. "prajñā alone receiving praise", passes through 「不二不別」 tr. "not two and not different", 「五眾成就」 tr. "the accomplishment of the five aggregates of the Dharma body", 「深心供養」 tr. "offering from a deep mind", and 「淨處感天」 tr. "a purified place moves the gods to come", and finally comes to rest in 「般若是諸佛母、諸佛師，供養般若勝供養十方諸佛」 tr. "prajñā is the mother of the buddhas and the teacher of the buddhas; making offerings to prajñā surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions". Its meaning can be summarised in five layers.
First, prajñā is the honoured guide, and therefore it alone receives praise. Ānanda asks the Buddha why he praises prajñā alone and does not praise the other five perfections and the eighteen unshared dharmas (the first question of Sūtra ①); the pivot of the Buddha's answer lies in 「迴向薩婆若」 tr. "dedicating to sarvajñā"—「不迴向薩婆若，布施得稱檀波羅蜜不？」 tr. "If it is not dedicated to sarvajñā, can giving be called dānapāramitā?" 「不也！世尊！」 tr. "No, World-Honored One!"〔T25 0471b24〕; the five perfections, up to wisdom, if not dedicated to sarvajñā, do not obtain the name 「波羅蜜」 tr. "pāramitā"; only prajñā can make the five matters and the rest become perfections, and 「以是故知般若波羅蜜於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法為尊導，是故稱譽」 tr. "for this reason know that prajñāpāramitā is the honoured guide of the five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas; therefore it is praised"〔T25 0471b26〕. This 「尊導」 tr. "honoured guide" is the meaning on which the chapter is named (see Section II), and also the guiding thread of the whole chapter.
Second, not two and not different, and form empty of the mark of form—the doctrinal ground of prajñā's being the honoured guide. Ānanda asks further, 「云何布施迴向薩婆若作檀波羅蜜」 tr. "how is giving dedicated to sarvajñā so as to become dānapāramitā", and the Buddha answers with 「無二法」 tr. "the dharma of non-duality" and 「不生、不可得」 tr. "non-arising, unfindable"〔T25 0471c01〕; he further pushes back to the reason—「以色不二法故，受、想、行、識不二法故，乃至阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不二法故」 tr. "because form is a dharma of non-duality, because feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are dharmas of non-duality, and so on up to because anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi is a dharma of non-duality"〔T25 0471c08〕. What is called non-dual is this: 「色，色相空」 tr. "form is empty of the mark of form"〔T25 0471c11〕; 「檀波羅蜜、色，不二不別；乃至阿耨多羅三藐三菩提、檀波羅蜜，不二不別」 tr. "dānapāramitā and form are not two and not different; and so on up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi and dānapāramitā, not two and not different"〔T25 0471c11〕. The marks of dharmas are empty and are not two and not different from the perfections; therefore the five perfections are born in dependence on prajñā (the simile of the earth and seeds; see Section III); prajñā's being the honoured guide stands precisely on this meaning of ultimate emptiness, not two and not different.
Third, receiving and upholding prajñā, the five aggregates are accomplished, and this person is as a Buddha. Śakra declares that the merit of receiving and upholding prajñā has not been fully told (the end of Sūtra ①); the Buddha tells Śakra that one who receives and upholds prajñā without parting from the mind of sarvajñā has 「無量戒眾成就，定眾、慧眾、解脫眾、解脫知見眾成就」 tr. "an immeasurable aggregate of morality accomplished, and the aggregate of concentration, the aggregate of wisdom, the aggregate of liberation, and the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation accomplished"〔T25 0472a08〕, and 「當知是人為如佛」 tr. "know that this person is as a Buddha"〔T25 0472a11〕; the five aggregates of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas do not reach the five aggregates of this good man or good woman 「百分、千分、千億萬分乃至算數譬喻所不能及」 tr. "by a hundredth part, a thousandth part, a thousand koṭi ten-thousandth part, and so on up to what calculation and simile cannot reach"〔T25 0472a14〕. The treatise's explanation unfolds 「戒眾」 tr. "the aggregate of morality": the bodhisattva cultivates, among all beings, the ultimate giving of fearlessness, giving what is most loved (life itself), and 「是故得無量戒眾果報」 tr. "therefore he obtains the karmic result of an immeasurable aggregate of morality"〔T25 0472c14〕; the merit of the five aggregates 「勝於二乘，不可計量」 tr. "surpasses the two vehicles and cannot be measured"〔T25 0472c20〕. The reason why one who receives and upholds prajñā is 「如佛」 tr. "as a Buddha" lies precisely in the accomplishment of his five-fold Dharma body.
Fourth, merit in this life and the next—the gods come to see, and a purified place moves the gods to come. Sūtra ② sets out in detail the merit in this present life of receiving and upholding prajñā: when one reads, recites, and expounds prajñā, 「無量百千諸天皆來聽法」 tr. "immeasurable hundreds of thousands of gods all come to hear the Dharma"〔T25 0473a09〕 and strengthen one's courage; expounding the Dharma amid the fourfold assembly, 「心無怯弱」 tr. "the mind is without timidity"〔T25 0473a15〕, and 「無有能難壞者」 tr. "there is none who can pose a difficulty that defeats one"〔T25 0473a24〕; where the scroll of the sūtra is written out and upheld, the gods of the three-thousand great-thousand world and of the ten directions all come to 「見般若波羅蜜，受、讀、誦、說、供養、禮拜」 tr. "see prajñāpāramitā, receive it, read it, recite it, expound it, make offerings to it, and pay homage to it"〔T25 0473b20〕. Śakra asks how one knows that the gods have come, and the Buddha answers, 「見大淨光明，必知有大德諸天來」 tr. "when one sees a great pure light, one knows for certain that gods of great virtue have come"〔T25 0473c24〕, and 「若聞異妙香，必知有大德諸天來」 tr. "if one smells a strange and wondrous fragrance, one knows for certain that gods of great virtue have come"〔T25 0473c26〕; and when they come, 「小鬼輩即時出去，不能堪任是大德諸天威德故」 tr. "the petty ghosts at once go out, because they cannot bear the majestic virtue of these gods of great virtue"〔T25 0474a01〕. The treatise's explanation further explains the benefit of outer purity from 「淨其住處及以衣服，則外無不淨」 tr. "if one purifies one's dwelling and one's clothes, then outwardly there is nothing impure"〔T25 0474c25〕 (the simile of the king and the common people; see Section III), and resolves the doubt 「人身不淨內充，外淨何益」 tr. "the human body is filled within with impurity; what is the benefit of outer purity?"—because of outer purity the gods rejoice, the gods of great virtue come, and the person's mind becomes pure and vast. This whole passage on merit in this present life comes to rest in the proof of 「淨處感天」 tr. "a purified place moves the gods to come".
Fifth, prajñā is the mother of the buddhas and the teacher of the buddhas—making offerings to prajñā surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions (where the close of the chapter comes to rest). The last question of Treatise ② asks, 「般若波羅蜜在佛身中，若供養一佛，則供養般若波羅蜜，何以言『供養十方佛，不如供養般若波羅蜜』」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā is in the Buddha's body; if one makes offerings to one Buddha, one makes offerings to prajñāpāramitā; why then is it said, ‘making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions does not equal making offerings to prajñāpāramitā’"〔T25 0475a09〕; the pivot of the answer lies in 「取相／不取相」 tr. "grasping marks / not grasping marks"—「供養者心，若供養佛，取人相；人畢竟不可得，以取相故，福田雖大而功德薄少」 tr. "as for the mind of the one who makes offerings: if he makes offerings to the Buddha, he grasps the mark of a person; the person is ultimately unfindable, and because he grasps a mark, though the field of merit is great, the merit is thin and small"〔T25 0475a12〕; 「供養般若波羅蜜者……不取人相、不取法相，用是心供養故，福德大」 tr. "one who makes offerings to prajñāpāramitā … grasps neither the mark of a person nor the mark of a dharma; because he makes offerings with this mind, the merit is great"〔T25 0475a14〕. It further pushes back to the root—「般若波羅蜜，是一切十方諸佛母，亦是諸佛師。諸佛得是身三十二相、八十隨形好及無量光明、神通變化，皆是般若波羅蜜力」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā is the mother of all the buddhas of the ten directions, and is also the teacher of the buddhas. That the buddhas obtain this body with the thirty-two marks and eighty minor marks, and immeasurable light, supernormal powers, and transformations, is all the power of prajñāpāramitā"〔T25 0475a16〕; 「以是等因緣故，勝供養十方諸佛，非不敬佛」 tr. "for such causes and conditions as these it surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions; it is not that one does not revere the Buddha"〔T25 0475a20〕. That making offerings to prajñā surpasses, and yet 「非不敬佛」 tr. "it is not that one does not revere the Buddha", is precisely because prajñā is that from which the buddhas are born—to revere their mother and teacher is precisely the way to revere the Buddha. This one sentence, 「非不敬佛」 tr. "it is not that one does not revere the Buddha", closes the whole chapter, and runs from beginning to end with the first layer of this eye, 「般若為尊導」 tr. "prajñā is the honoured guide".
VI. Divergent Readings of the Masters
The Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa has no tradition of a complete line-by-line commentary; the ancient masters' citations and explanations lean wherever the material happens to fall. The ancient masters' rereading of this chapter is of two types: Jizang's commentary, which explains the sūtra being explained, preserves a complete dedicated section with a finely detailed structural division, whose explanation of the chapter name and whose division of the chapter's purport correspond to the sūtra and treatise of this chapter; Huiying's commentary, which explains the treatise, is broken off and does not cover this fascicle. This section records the correspondence between what each commented on or cited and this chapter, and does not judge the relative merit of the interpretations.
Jizang's Commentary on the Larger Sūtra (X24n0451). Its line-by-line commentary on this chapter begins at〔X24n0451 0270c21〕 (the chapter title 「尊導品第三十六」 tr. "Chapter on the Honoured Guide, the Thirty-sixth", immediately after the closing boundary of the preceding chapter, the "Chapter on Dispelling the Divergent") and runs to just before〔X24n0451 0272b05〕 (before the start of the next chapter, the "Chapter on the Dharma-Praise, the Thirty-seventh, also called the Chapter on the Relics"), covering the whole of this chapter's sūtra and treatise. Three points are worth recording. First, the double marking of the chapter name—Jizang uses the name 「尊導品」 tr. "Chapter on the Honoured Guide" and himself notes 「亦云稱譽品，即稱譽般若為尊導也」 tr. "it is also called the Chapter on Praise, that is, praising prajñā as the honoured guide"〔X24n0451 0270c22〕, the only instance of an ancient master explicitly marking both chapter names (see Section IV). Second, the division of the chapter's purport by the five fruits—「就五果為論，即是第五住處安無恐怖果。兼明三世功德」 tr. "Discussed in terms of the five fruits, this is the fifth, the fruit of a peaceful dwelling-place without fear. It also makes clear the merit of the three times"〔X24n0451 0270c22〕: Jizang judges this chapter to be, within the great division of the 「五果」 tr. "five fruits", the fifth, 「住處安無恐怖果」 tr. "the fruit of a peaceful dwelling-place without fear", also making clear the merit of the three times, which continues the great division of his structural analysis of the preceding chapter. Third, the division of the chapter into two—「品為二：第一、釋疑；二、重明二世功德，辨住處安無恐怖畏」 tr. "The chapter is in two: first, resolving doubts; second, making clear again the merit of two lives, and distinguishing the peaceful dwelling-place without fear or dread"〔X24n0451 0271a03〕: this division, 「品為二」 tr. "the chapter is in two", broadly corresponds to this treatise's own structure of two Sūtra and two Treatise sections in alternation (Sūtra ① and Treatise ① leaning toward 「釋疑」 tr. "resolving doubts", Sūtra ② and Treatise ② leaning toward 「重明二世功德」 tr. "making clear again the merit of two lives"), and has direct citation value for the Exposition layer at the drafting stage.
Huiying's Commentary (X46n0791). It is the only ancient commentary explaining this treatise, and survives only in fragmentary fascicles; Fascicle 17 ends at the treatise's Fascicle 45, and Fascicle 21 begins at the treatise's Fascicle 59; Fascicle 58 of the treatise, to which this chapter belongs, falls exactly within the gap between these two fascicles, and the surviving fascicles of Huiying's commentary do not cover this chapter at all. A search back through the whole corpus for word-strings unique to this chapter, such as 「阿難稱譽品」 tr. "Chapter on Ānanda's Praise" and 「尊導品」 tr. "Chapter on the Honoured Guide", yields zero hits for the passages of this chapter—the fragmentary fascicles of Huiying's commentary do not cover this chapter, continuing the conclusion recorded for the preceding chapters; recorded as it is.
Junzheng's Profound Meaning of the Four Mahāyāna Treatises (X46n0784). A search back through the whole work for the strings 「阿難稱譽品」 tr. "Chapter on Ānanda's Praise" and 「尊導品」 tr. "Chapter on the Honoured Guide" yields zero hits for this chapter—as with the preceding chapters, no citation by name from Junzheng is found for this chapter; its absence is recorded as it is, without forcing the matter.
Catalogues and phonetic-glossary compendia (A097 · C056 · the recording type). The catalogue A097 records the chapter names of chapters thirty-two to thirty-seven consecutively (the chapter numbers a step of -1; see Section IV), and the phonetic-glossary compendium C056 lists 「勸受持品·梵志品·阿難稱譽品」 tr. "Chapter on Exhortation to Receive and Uphold · Chapter on the Brahmin Ascetic · Chapter on Ānanda's Praise"〔C056 0185c10〕—both belong to the 「著錄／索引」 tr. "recording / indexing" type of citation, not the 「引文疏解」 tr. "quotation-and-commentary" type; this section records the fact of their records (the chapter names, the -1-step phenomenon) for the discussion of the chapter name in Section IV, and does not use them as doctrinal citations.
Recent writings (excluded by rule). Any explanation by recent scholars is, by rule, excluded: it is neither taken as an ancient-master authority nor brought into the doctrinal citations.
VII. Cross-reading and Further Resonances
On the line of meaning of this chapter, three points carry on before and after; all are recorded in this section, and no reading is fixed on anyone's behalf.
First, the further resonance of the meaning 「般若為尊導·諸波羅蜜依般若得生」 tr. "prajñā is the honoured guide · the perfections are born in dependence on prajñā" (carrying on the line of the preceding chapter · recorded without judgement). The treatise's explanation in the preceding chapter, "The Brahmin Ascetic", had already established that 「般若與一切智不二不別、互為生因說因」 tr. "prajñā and omniscience are not two and not different, and are to each other the cause that gives birth and the cause that is spoken of"; this chapter goes further in making clear that the five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas 「依般若波羅蜜得生」 tr. "are born in dependence on prajñāpāramitā"〔T25 0471c17〕, and that prajñā alone receives praise because it can make the five matters and the rest become perfections—running down from 「般若＝一切智之因」 tr. "prajñā = the cause of omniscience" to 「般若＝諸度之尊導」 tr. "prajñā = the honoured guide of the perfections": the preceding chapter makes clear its substance, this chapter makes clear its function; this is a trace of the lines of meaning of this treatise carrying on from chapter to chapter.
Second, the further resonance of the meaning 「般若是諸佛母·諸佛師」 tr. "prajñā is the mother of the buddhas · the teacher of the buddhas" (running through the whole line of prajñā · recorded without judgement). This chapter's closing sentence, 「般若波羅蜜，是一切十方諸佛母，亦是諸佛師」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā is the mother of all the buddhas of the ten directions, and is also the teacher of the buddhas"〔T25 0475a16〕, carries on in one line from 「諸天人佛皆從般若中生」 tr. "gods, humans, and buddhas are all born from within prajñā", established in the earlier chapters (the preceding chapter, "The Brahmin Ascetic": 「是諸天、人皆從般若中生故」 tr. "because these gods and humans are all born from within prajñā")—prajñā is that from which the Buddha is born, and therefore making offerings to prajñā surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions, and yet 「非不敬佛」 tr. "it is not that one does not revere the Buddha". This belongs to the downward continuation of this treatise's 「般若母義」 tr. "meaning of prajñā as mother"; this section records its trace, and does not fix it on anyone's behalf as a structural assertion about a single sūtra sentence.
Third, linking into the treasury (stable citation · soft citation). The meaning of this chapter's 「般若是諸佛母、諸佛師」 tr. "prajñā is the mother of the buddhas and the teacher of the buddhas" and 「供養般若波羅蜜者……不取人相、不取法相，用是心供養故，福德大」 tr. "one who makes offerings to prajñāpāramitā … grasps neither the mark of a person nor the mark of a dharma; because he makes offerings with this mind, the merit is great"〔T25 0475a14〕 is the scriptural and treatise basis for the meaning of prajñā as mother and the meaning of signless offering, and is fixed at the stable citation〔T25n1509 阿難稱譽品·卷五十八〕; the places where the Heart Sūtra / the Diamond Sūtra / the Consciousness-only mirror cite this treatise are not yet finalised, so the citation is soft, awaiting word-for-word verification that it is preserved there. This belongs to the further resonances of the meaning of prajñā running down through the sūtras; recorded without judgement.
VIII. Witnesses and Editions
The base text of this chapter is Fascicle 58 of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa〔T25 0471b17–0475a22〕 (the main text of the chapter body begins from the chapter title〔T25 0471b17〕 and ends at the line 「大智度論卷第五十八」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Fascicle Fifty-eight"〔T25 0475a22〕; the next chapter continues in Fascicle 59, and the closing boundary〔T25 0475b02〕 lies before the title of the next chapter); the collation text for the sūtra explained is the "Chapter on the Honoured Guide" of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra〔T08 0288a14 起〕; the ancient-master commentary text for collation is Jizang's Commentary on the Larger Sūtra (X24n0451, covering this chapter at〔X24n0451 0270c21–0272b05〕, up to just before the end point); the fragmentary fascicles of Huiying's Commentary (X46n0791) do not cover this chapter, and Junzheng's Profound Meaning of the Four Mahāyāna Treatises (X46n0784) has no citation. The variant collation notes follow the Taishō collation, covering differences between the Taishō base text and the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Palace editions, the Shōgozō manuscript, and the Ishiyama text (the Ishiyama-dera manuscript), as well as the Korean Canon (K).
Collation notes on the chapter name (the evidential basis for the crossing · five texts set out together · listed separately). At the head of the chapter the collation notes setting out variant texts of the chapter name number three in all; those that bear on the matter are these. The first〔T25 0471b17〕—「大智度論釋阿難稱譽品第三十六【大】｜大智度論釋尊導品第三十六【宋】【元】｜釋尊導品第三十六【明】｜釋第卅五品【聖】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜經稱譽品第卅五【石】」 tr. "‘Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on Ānanda's Praise, the Thirty-sixth’ in the Taishō; ‘Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on the Honoured Guide, the Thirty-sixth’ in the Song and Yuan; ‘Commentary on the Chapter on the Honoured Guide, the Thirty-sixth’ in the Ming; ‘Commentary on the Thirty-fifth Chapter’ in the Shōgozō; ‘Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra, Chapter on Praise, the Thirty-fifth’ in the Ishiyama"—sets out five texts together, including the -1-step 「卅五」 tr. "thirty-five" of the Shōgozō and Ishiyama texts; the second〔T25 0471b17〕—「阿難稱譽品第三十六【大】｜第三十六品尊導品【宮】」 tr. "‘Chapter on Ānanda's Praise, the Thirty-sixth’ in the Taishō; ‘Thirty-sixth Chapter, Chapter on the Honoured Guide’ in the Palace"—shows that the Palace edition reads 「尊導品」 tr. "Chapter on the Honoured Guide"; the third〔T25 0471b17〕—「六【大】｜六（經作阿難稱譽品）【明】」 tr. "‘six’ in the Taishō; ‘six (the sūtra reads Chapter on Ānanda's Praise)’ in the Ming"—shows that the Ming edition adds the note 「經作阿難稱譽品」 tr. "the sūtra reads Chapter on Ānanda's Praise", that is, the collator of the Ming edition records that the Khitan edition of the sūtra explained (T223) reads 「阿難稱譽品」 tr. "Chapter on Ānanda's Praise", collateral evidence for the crossing of the four forms. These three notes agree with the T223 side's base text 「尊導」 tr. "Honoured Guide" and its Khitan edition 「阿難稱譽」 tr. "Ānanda's Praise" (the inline collation note), and are the evidential basis for the cross-symmetry of the chapter name, used for the decision on the chapter name in Section IV—recorded side by side as they are, without forcing a reconciliation.
CBETA supplied-character collation notes (the Korean Canon K text corrects 「未」 tr. "not yet (wei)" to 「末」 tr. "end (mo)" · listed separately). Treatise ① has one supplied-character collation note〔T25 0472c04〕—「末（CB）｜未【大】｜末【宋】【元】【明】【宮】」 tr. "‘end’ in CB; ‘not yet’ in the Taishō; ‘end’ in the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Palace"—that is, the Taishō base text reads 「未」 tr. "not yet", and CBETA, following the Korean Canon and the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Palace texts, corrects it to read 「末」 tr. "end" (「上品末說」 tr. "as said at the end of the preceding chapter"). There is further a special compound-id entry〔T25 0472c23〕—「何（K14n0549_p1081b21）〔CBETA／麗藏補字〕｜得【大】」 tr. "‘how’ (with its Korean Canon page reference) [supplied character from CBETA / the Korean Canon]; ‘obtain’ in the Taishō"—the collation note itself marks the Korean Canon page as its source, unlike the ordinary side-by-side setting of variant readings, and so it is listed separately. The main text follows the corrected reading of CBETA / the Korean Canon; its collation source is recorded as it is.
Complete ledger of collation notes (all one hundred and fifty entries reconciled · transcribed as they stand). Below, transcribed in their original form from the end of the working base text: the collation notes of this chapter total one hundred and fifty, in which the collation notes anchored in this chapter itself (own) and the refrain-recursive repeated citations within the chapter or across chapters (star) are listed together, and among the star entries there also appear cross-chapter external citations (several, e.g. at〔T25 0473b13〕 「世界／國土」 tr. "world / land" and others, whose star points back to note(0468026) in the range of Chapter 34, and at〔T25 0474a17〕 「界／國」 tr. "realm / land", which points back to note(0469002): the same canonical note shared across chapters, continuing the phenomenon of star cross-chapter external citation in the preceding chapter, "The Brahmin Ascetic"; marked as it is); the readings of the variant texts are preserved side by side, while the main text still follows the reading of the current base text:
- 〔T25 0471b17〕大智度論釋阿難稱譽品第三十六【大】｜大智度論釋尊導品第三十六【宋】【元】｜釋尊導品第三十六【明】｜釋第卅五品【聖】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜經稱譽品第卅五【石】(the core of the chapter-name crossing · see Section IV)
- 〔T25 0471b17〕阿難稱譽品第三十六【大】｜第三十六品尊導品【宮】(chapter name · the Palace edition reads Honoured Guide)
- 〔T25 0471b17〕六【大】｜六（經作阿難稱譽品）【明】(chapter name · the Ming edition's side note that the sūtra reads Ānanda's Praise)
- 〔T25 0471b18〕故【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0471b19〕譽【大】｜舉【聖】
- 〔T25 0471b21〕譽【大】｜舉【聖】(star · repeated citation within the chapter → note(0471020))
- 〔T25 0471b22〕五【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0471b27〕譽【大】｜舉【聖】(star · repeated citation within the chapter → note(0471020))
- 〔T25 0471c02〕得【大】｜得故【石】
- 〔T25 0471c12〕別【大】｜分別【石】
- 〔T25 0471c15〕譬【大】｜辟【聖】
- 〔T25 0471c16〕故【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0471c22〕者【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472a04〕正【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472a06〕正【大】｜心【聖】
- 〔T25 0472a16〕是【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0472a19〕伎【大】｜伏【聖】
- 〔T25 0472a19〕樂【大】｜樂供養【石】
- 〔T25 0472a25〕侍【大】｜持【聖】
- 〔T25 0472a25〕數【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472a28〕及【大】｜乃至【聖】
- 〔T25 0472b01〕字【大】｜守【聖】
- 〔T25 0472b02〕說【大】｜說說【石】
- 〔T25 0472b02〕語【大】｜說【聖】
- 〔T25 0472b04〕譬【大】｜辟【聖】(star · repeated citation within the chapter → note(0471024))
- 〔T25 0472b05〕各【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472b12〕法【大】｜諸法【石】
- 〔T25 0472b13〕不【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0472b16〕譽【大】｜舉【聖】(star · repeated citation within the chapter → note(0471020))
- 〔T25 0472b18〕亦【大】｜〔－〕【宮】
- 〔T25 0472b25〕未【大】｜來【聖】
- 〔T25 0472b28〕聞【大】｜問【石】
- 〔T25 0472b28〕愛【大】｜受【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0472c04〕末（CB）｜未【大】｜末【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0472c04〕行【大】｜諸行【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0472c04〕波羅蜜【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0472c06〕十善道乃至十八不共法，現於世間。是善法【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c08〕天帝【大】｜帝釋【石】
- 〔T25 0472c09〕但【大】｜俱【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c12〕中【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c17〕或【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c19〕知【大】｜如【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c20〕眾【大】｜眾生【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c23〕何（K14n0549_p1081b21）【CB】【麗-CB】｜得【大】(supplied character from CBETA / the Korean Canon · listed separately above)
- 〔T25 0472c23〕答【大】｜各【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c24〕効【大】｜施【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c25〕知【大】｜智【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c25〕功【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c28〕卷【大】｜即【宮】｜養【聖】
- 〔T25 0472c29〕如【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0473a01〕無【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a10〕說【大】｜說眾【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a11〕益【大】｜答【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a11〕膽【大】｜擔【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a11〕疲【大】｜疾【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a12〕天【大】｜天子【石】
- 〔T25 0473a12〕更能【大】｜能更【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a13〕持【大】｜〔－〕【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a22〕有【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0473a29〕今【大】｜現【石】
- 〔T25 0473b03〕宗【大】｜守【聖】
- 〔T25 0473b13〕世界【大】｜國土【石】(star · cross-chapter external citation → note(0468026) · range of Chapter 34)
- 〔T25 0473b18〕住【大】｜〔－〕【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0473b20〕受【大】｜受持【石】
- 〔T25 0473b24〕遍【大】｜遍天【聖】
- 〔T25 0473b24〕蔭【大】｜陰【明】
- 〔T25 0473b27〕熱【大】｜勢【聖】
- 〔T25 0473b28〕是【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0473c05〕世界【大】｜國土【石】(star · cross-chapter external citation → note(0468026))
- 〔T25 0473c11〕乃至【大】｜及【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0473c11〕世界【大】｜國土【石】(star · cross-chapter external citation → note(0468026))
- 〔T25 0473c13〕護持【大】｜擁護【石】
- 〔T25 0473c15〕諸【大】｜是諸【石】
- 〔T25 0473c16〕來到【大】｜到來【宮】
- 〔T25 0473c21〕世界【大】｜國土【石】(star · cross-chapter external citation → note(0468026))
- 〔T25 0473c25〕若【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0473c28〕潔【大】｜絜【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a02〕是【大】｜〔－〕【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a02〕故【大】｜〔－〕【石】
- 〔T25 0474a05〕幢幡【大】｜旛幢【宋】【元】【明】【宮】｜幢【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a06〕無【大】｜不【石】
- 〔T25 0474a07〕偃【大】｜復【聖】｜𭶜【石】
- 〔T25 0474a08〕夢【大】｜〔－〕【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0474a09〕而為【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a10〕法教【大】｜教法【石】
- 〔T25 0474a12〕殊妙【大】｜〔－〕【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0474a13〕菩薩【大】｜菩提【宮】
- 〔T25 0474a15〕義【大】｜議【石】
- 〔T25 0474a16〕世界【大】｜國土【石】(star · cross-chapter external citation → note(0468026))
- 〔T25 0474a16〕數【大】｜量【石】
- 〔T25 0474a17〕某【大】｜其【聖】(star · repeated citation within the chapter → note(0474013) · appears three times)
- 〔T25 0474a17〕界【大】｜國【石】(star · cross-chapter external citation → note(0469002))
- 〔T25 0474a18〕干【大】｜千【聖】(star · repeated citation within the chapter → note(0474014) · appears twice)
- 〔T25 0474a18〕萬【大】｜萬億【宋】【元】【明】【宮】(star · repeated citation within the chapter → note(0474015) · appears twice)
- 〔T25 0474a19〕見【大】｜次【宮】
- 〔T25 0474a21〕佛【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a21〕華香【大】｜香華【石】
- 〔T25 0474a21〕幢【大】｜旛【宋】【元】【明】
- 〔T25 0474a23〕身【大】｜自【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a24〕具【大】｜見【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a25〕從【大】｜定【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a26〕飲【大】｜〔－〕【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0474a28〕那【大】｜陀【石】
- 〔T25 0474b04〕正【大】｜心正【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b05〕華香【大】｜香華【石】(star · repeated citation within the chapter → note(0474018))
- 〔T25 0474b05〕瓔【大】｜纓【明】
- 〔T25 0474b07〕書【大】｜書寫【宋】【元】【明】【宮】｜書持【石】
- 〔T25 0474b09〕子【大】｜子眾【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b11〕香【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b14〕來【大】｜未【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b14〕天來【大】｜來則【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0474b14〕遠【大】｜遶【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b16〕洽【大】｜哈【石】
- 〔T25 0474b16〕孔【大】｜毛【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0474b17〕軟【大】｜濡【宋】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0474b20〕潔【大】｜絜【聖】(star · repeated citation within the chapter → note(0473023))
- 〔T25 0474b22〕法【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b24〕不畏、不恐【大】｜不恐不畏【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0474b25〕執【大】｜勢【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b25〕是【大】｜〔－〕【石】
- 〔T25 0474b26〕諸【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b28〕闕【大】｜𨷂【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0474b29〕折【大】｜斷【聖】
- 〔T25 0474b29〕諸【大】｜〔－〕【石】
- 〔T25 0474c01〕薰【大】｜勤【宮】｜勳【聖】
- 〔T25 0474c03〕正【大】｜政【石】
- 〔T25 0474c04〕敬【大】｜重【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【石】
- 〔T25 0474c06〕恭【大】｜敬【聖】
- 〔T25 0474c06〕順【大】｜敬【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0474c08〕言【大】｜語【石】
- 〔T25 0474c10〕給【大】｜絡【聖】
- 〔T25 0474c11〕不【大】｜香【聖】
- 〔T25 0474c11〕事【大】｜等【聖】
- 〔T25 0474c18〕皆【大】｜〔－〕【宮】
- 〔T25 0474c22〕答【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【石】
- 〔T25 0474c24〕充【大】｜臭【宮】｜臭【南藏】
- 〔T25 0475a01〕群【大】｜羼【聖】
- 〔T25 0475a02〕民【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0475a05〕來【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0475a12〕者【大】｜著【元】【明】
- 〔T25 0475a14〕少【大】｜小【聖】
- 〔T25 0475a14〕如所【大】｜所如【聖】
- 〔T25 0475a21〕佛【大】｜佛釋第二十五品竟【石】(doubtful · the number 「第二十五品」 tr. "the twenty-fifth chapter" does not fit the chapter order; see below)
- 〔T25 0475a22〕大智度論卷第五十八【大】｜〔－〕【石】
- 〔T25 0475a22〕論【大】｜經論【聖】
- 〔T25 0475a22〕八【大】｜八（釋第三十三品註第三十五品）【聖】
These one hundred and forty-six lines, one hundred and fifty entries, agree mechanically with the count of the anchored collation notes in the working base text (own and star listed together, with the within-chapter repeated citations and cross-chapter external citations among the star entries marked entry by entry). The several places bearing on the chapter name (the five texts set out together for the chapter title〔0471b17〕, the Palace edition, the Ming edition's side note, and the CBETA / Korean Canon supplied characters〔0472c04〕〔0472c23〕) have been listed separately above and collated in both directions against the sūtra explained (Section IV).
The doubtful Ishiyama variant in the last entry (recorded without forcing an explanation). In the final part of the collation notes,〔T25 0475a21〕 「佛【大】｜佛釋第二十五品竟【石】」 tr. "‘Buddha’ in the Taishō; ‘Buddha. End of the commentary on the twenty-fifth chapter’ in the Ishiyama"—the Ishiyama text has at the end of this chapter the line 「釋第二十五品竟」 tr. "end of the commentary on the twenty-fifth chapter", whose chapter number 「第二十五」 tr. "twenty-fifth" fits neither this chapter's position in the chapter order, 「三十六」 tr. "thirty-six", nor (with the Ishiyama's -1 step) 「卅五」 tr. "thirty-five". It may be that the Ishiyama's division of fascicles differs from the Taishō's, or that the line is the closing phrase of another chapter; this anomaly is recorded as it is, this section has not forced an explanation, and it is left to the collation of later chapters or to re-examination. Further, in the last entry〔T25 0475a22〕, 「八（釋第三十三品註第三十五品）【聖】」 tr. "‘eight (commentary on the thirty-third chapter, notes on the thirty-fifth chapter)’ in the Shōgozō"—the Shōgozō's note likewise shows traces of disordered chapter numbering; kept side by side without judgement.
Witness statistics for the sūtra explained (not unfolded · the gap recorded for later supplementing). The entry-by-entry statistics of the <app> witnesses on the T223 side within the scope of the comparative reading for this chapter (〔T08 0288a14–0290b09〕) were not unfolded (following the format of the preceding chapter: the beg anchor falls within a frag, and entries are compared one by one by from="#"+id); the fact that they were not unfolded is recorded as it is, left to later collation to check and supplement, and no estimate is used to fill the number.