大智度論 善知識品Dazhidulun — Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa · The Good Friend
善知識品：須菩提問新學菩薩云何學六波羅蜜，佛答先當親近供養能說深般若之善知識，善知識教以一切迴向而莫以諸法為菩提、莫貪諸法；須菩提歎於性空中求菩提為難事，佛列安隱世間乃至世間趣九種發心利世之義，廣示一切法趣空、趣無相、趣無作乃至趣佛皆是趣不過，末問誰能信解；論主釋性空二種、金翅鳥子與小火喻、良藥與暴風歸舍與四流船喻、依止二種、虛空但有名喻、斷有二種（經＋論）
前品連設五譬，明取深般若、捨餘經之得失——那是『法』的一邊。本品一開卷，須菩提問的卻是最實際的一件事：「新學菩薩摩訶薩云何應學般若波羅蜜、禪波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、尸羅波羅蜜、檀波羅蜜？」六度倒著數過來，從般若數到檀——初學的人該從哪裡下手？佛的答法不從法說起，先從人說起：「先當親近、供養善知識能說是深般若波羅蜜者。」善知識之所以是善知識，判準只有一條——能說這個深般若。不是神異，不是名位，不是年臘。而這位善知識所教的，又幾乎全是遮：所有布施持戒乃至智慧，一切迴向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；然後一路說「莫」——「汝莫以色是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」，莫以五眾、六度、諸空、道品、四禪、十力乃至十八不共法為是；反過來說，「不取色便得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」。再換一個字重來一遍：莫貪色，莫貪六度，莫貪四果辟支佛道，乃至「莫貪菩薩法位，莫貪阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」。最後一句收得極短：「阿耨多羅三藐三菩提非可貪者。所以者何？諸法性空故。」
論主替讀者把疑問問出來了：「須菩提問新學所行，佛何以乃答菩薩久行微妙事」——問的是初學，答的卻是久行菩薩才做得到的不取一切法，這不是躐等嗎？論的回答只用一句就把門打開：「諸法性空有二種：一者、大菩薩所得；二者、小菩薩所學柔順忍，以智慧發心。」同一個「性空」，在大菩薩那裡是所得，在小菩薩這裡是所學；「此中但說小菩薩所學空。」接著又立一個更硬的判準：「有實智慧氣分，佛數為菩薩」——氣分、氣味，分量雖小而體性已真，如同聲聞法中頂法，於佛是小，於凡夫是大。所以佛拿久行的法教新學，不是難他，是認他。兩個譬喻緊接著來：「譬如金翅鳥子始生，從一須彌至一須彌」，鳥子才生，一飛已越須彌；「初學能生如是深智，何況久學！」又說「又如小火能燒，何況大者！」——都在「小」字上立言。而佛之所以不劈頭就說性空，論也點破了：「佛不直說諸法性空，先教供養、親近善知識……」性空這件事，不是可以直接遞過去的，要有人遞。
第二段經文轉了一個很大的彎。須菩提歎：「諸菩薩摩訶薩能為難事——於一切性空法中求阿耨多羅三藐三菩提……」一切都空了，還要在其中求菩提，這才是難。佛印可之後，隨即列出九件事作為發心的理由：為安隱世間、為安樂世間、為救世間、為世間歸、為世間依處、為世間洲、為世間將導、為世間究竟道、為世間趣。九個名字看似九件事，其實是一顆菩提心對眾生九種苦相的九種應。而每一門的給法，都不是世間所期待的那種給法。世間求歸依，佛「為眾生說一切法無依處」；須菩提追問「云何一切法無依處？」佛答「色不相續即是色無生，色無生即是色不滅，色不滅即是色無依處」。論主逐門下訓，訓得極具體：安隱者「能破一切煩惱，究竟不變失」，「譬如良藥能破病，不問甘苦」；安隱與安樂的分別，一個苦藥的比方就分清了——「如服苦藥，腹中安穩、口中不美」，腹中的安是安隱，口中的美是安樂，佛兩樣都給。救世間者「如人為怨賊所逐，若親戚、若官力能救」；世間歸者「如人遇暴風疾雨，必歸房舍」。
九門裡最曲折的是「依處」。論說：「一切有為法從和合因緣生故，無有自力、不可依止」，所以「眾生為苦所逼來依止佛，佛為說無依止法」。這裡立刻有人要問——論主自己問了出來：「若無依止處，何以說依止？」如果什麼都不可依，那佛為眾生說法豈不也成空話。答得極有分寸：「依止有二種：一者、以愛、見等諸煩惱依止有為法，二者、清淨智慧說依止涅槃。」所遮的是煩惱那一重依，不是智慧這一重依；「煩惱見故說無依止。」一句話分開兩層，「無依處」才不至於落成斷見。洲與將導兩門則共用一片水景：經說「若江河大海，四邊水斷，是名為洲」，論說四邊的水就是三漏四流諸煩惱，中間那塊地就是前後際斷處，而洲就是畢竟空無所取的涅槃——「即是寂滅、即是妙寶——所謂空、無所得、愛盡無餘、離欲、涅槃」。有洲還要有船：「眾生沒在四流水中，佛以八正道船引著涅槃洲上。」洲是所至，船是能至，引之者就叫將導。
九事的第九件「趣」，佛留到最後，一說就佔了全品一半的篇幅。句式極整齊：「一切法趣空，是趣不過。何以故？空中，趣、非趣不可得故。」然後換目再來：趣無相、趣無作、趣無起、趣無所有；「一切法趣夢，是趣不過」，趣幻趣嚮趣影趣化；趣無量無邊、趣不與不取、趣不舉不下、趣不增不減、趣不來不去；趣我眾生壽命人；趣常樂淨我，也趣無常苦不淨無我；趣欲瞋癡見事；趣如、法性、實際、不可思議性、平等、不動相；趣五眾十二處十八界、趣六度、趣諸空、趣道品、趣十力乃至一切種智；一路趣到「一切法趣須陀洹乃至佛，是趣不過」。讀到後來會發現，這不是在說諸法奔向某處。論主自己解釋為什麼獨獨這一門說得這麼廣：「是總上九事之會歸，是故多說」，又說「安樂等及趣皆同一義，俱出眾生著涅槃故」——九事同一義，舉一門廣說，其餘可以例知。而「不過」二字的意思，論用虛空點破：「如虛空但有名而無法」，「如人初雖有善言，久久乃知情實」，末了一句最直：「一切法無有過出空等諸相，如人欲出過虛空不可得。」不是諸法都奔向空，是沒有一法能出到空的外面去。趣到極處，正是無所趣。
品末又繞回開卷那個人。須菩提問：「是深般若波羅蜜誰能信解者？」佛答的四個條件裡，最後一個仍是善知識——「先於諸佛所久行六波羅蜜、善根純熟、供養無數百千萬億諸佛、與善知識相隨」。再問這人「有何等性、何等相、何等貌？」佛答：「欲、瞋、癡斷離是性、相、貌……」論主在這裡下了全品最後一問：「是人未得無生忍法」，還沒到無生忍的位次，憑什麼說斷三毒？答曰：「斷有二種：一者、根本斷，二者、薄少斷。此中說薄少斷。」——與開卷「性空有二種」是同一副手法：同一個名字，位次不同，不可一概而論。然而論主沒有停在分位上，最後又退一步遣掉能斷之相：「行者不分別是斷、是煩惱。何以故？煩惱相顛倒不定故，煩惱即是斷，是故言離。」全品就收在這一句。開卷從一個人起——先去親近能說深般若的善知識；收尾也落在一個人身上——與善知識相隨、三毒薄離的人。中間那一大段「是趣不過」，說的正是這條路上沒有一處是可以停下來認作終點的地方；而唯一不被遮掉的，是那個把這件事告訴你的人。
The preceding chapter set five parables in a row to show the gain and loss of taking up deep prajñā and setting aside the other sūtras—that was the side of ‘the Dharma’. As this chapter opens, what Subhūti asks is the most practical thing of all: ‘How should bodhisattva-mahāsattvas new to the training train in prajñāpāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, vīryapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, śīlapāramitā, and dānapāramitā?’ The six perfections are counted backwards, from prajñā down to dāna—where is a beginner to start? The Buddha's answer does not begin from the Dharma; it begins from a person: ‘He should first draw near to and make offerings to a good friend who can expound this deep prajñāpāramitā.’ What makes a good friend a good friend is a single criterion—being able to expound this deep prajñā. Not marvels, not rank, not seniority in years. And what this good friend teaches is almost entirely negation: all giving and keeping of precepts and so on up to wisdom are dedicated wholly to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; and then comes a long run of ‘do not’—‘you must not take form to be anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi’, must not take the five aggregates, the six perfections, the emptinesses, the limbs of the path, the four dhyānas, the ten powers, and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas to be it; and then, turned around, ‘not grasping form, one obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.’ Then one Chinese character is changed and the whole run comes again: do not crave form, do not crave the six perfections, do not crave the four fruits or the path of the pratyekabuddha, and so on up to ‘do not crave the bodhisattva's Dharma-position, do not crave anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.’ The last sentence closes very short: ‘Anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi is not something that can be craved. Why? Because all dharmas are empty of nature.’
The treatise-author asks the reader's question for him: ‘Subhūti asked about what those new to the training practise; why does the Buddha answer with the subtle matters practised by bodhisattvas of long practice?’—the question was about beginners, but the answer is the not-grasping of any dharma, which only a bodhisattva of long practice can do; is this not skipping grades? The treatise's reply opens the gate with a single sentence: ‘The emptiness of nature of all dharmas is of two kinds: one, what the great bodhisattvas attain; two, what the small bodhisattvas train in, compliant acceptance, arousing the mind by wisdom.’ One and the same ‘emptiness of nature’ is, for the great bodhisattva, something attained, and for the small bodhisattva, something trained in; ‘here only the emptiness that the small bodhisattvas train in is spoken of.’ Then it sets up a still harder criterion: ‘one who has a share of the flavour of real wisdom the Buddha counts as a bodhisattva’—a share, a flavour: the quantity is small but the substance is already real, as with the dharma of the summit in the śrāvaka teaching, which is small beside the Buddha and great beside the ordinary person. So when the Buddha teaches beginners with the Dharma of long practice, he is not making it hard for them; he is acknowledging them. Two similes follow at once: ‘It is like the chick of the golden-winged bird just born, which goes from one Mount Sumeru to another’—the chick is only just born, and one flight already crosses Sumeru; ‘if one new to the training can give rise to such deep wisdom, how much more one long in the training!’ And again, ‘as a small fire can burn, how much more a great one!’—both make their point on the one Chinese character rendered here as ‘small’. And why the Buddha does not expound the emptiness of nature at the very outset, the treatise also points out: ‘the Buddha does not expound the emptiness of nature of all dharmas directly; he first teaches making offerings to and drawing near to a good friend…’ The emptiness of nature is not a thing that can simply be handed across; there must be someone to hand it.
The second passage of the sūtra takes a very wide turn. Subhūti exclaims: ‘Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas can do what is hard—within all dharmas empty of nature, they seek anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi…’ Everything has been emptied, and still one seeks awakening within it; this is what is hard. After the Buddha confirms it, he at once lists nine matters as the reason for arousing the mind: to make the world safe, to make the world at ease, to save the world, to be the world's refuge, to be the world's place of support, to be the world's island, to be the world's guide, to be the world's ultimate path, to be that toward which the world tends. Nine names look like nine matters, but in truth they are the nine responses of one mind of awakening to nine marks of suffering in beings. And the way each gate gives is never the way the world expects to be given to. The world seeks a refuge, and the Buddha ‘expounds to beings that all dharmas are without a place of support’; Subhūti presses, ‘how are all dharmas without a place of support?’, and the Buddha answers, ‘form not continuing is form's non-arising; form's non-arising is form's non-ceasing; form's non-ceasing is form's being without a place of support.’ The treatise-author glosses gate by gate, and glosses very concretely: safety ‘can break all afflictions, and is ultimately unchanging and unfailing’, ‘like a good medicine that can break an illness, regardless of whether it is sweet or bitter’; the difference between safety and ease is settled by one comparison of bitter medicine—‘as when one takes bitter medicine, the belly is settled, but the mouth is not pleased’: the settledness in the belly is safety, the sweetness in the mouth is ease, and the Buddha gives both. Saving the world is ‘as when a person is pursued by an enemy and thief, and either kin or the power of officials can save him’; being the world's refuge is ‘as when a person meets violent wind and sudden rain, he is sure to take refuge in a house.’
Of the nine gates the most winding is ‘place of support’. The treatise says: ‘all conditioned dharmas are born from the coming together of causes and conditions, and so have no power of their own and cannot be taken as support’, and therefore ‘beings, pressed by suffering, come to take support in the Buddha, and the Buddha expounds to them the dharma without support.’ At once someone will want to ask—and the treatise-author asks it himself: ‘If there is no place of support, why speak of support?’ If nothing at all can be relied on, then the Buddha's expounding the Dharma to beings would be empty talk too. The answer is very finely measured: ‘Support is of two kinds: one, taking support in conditioned dharmas by way of the afflictions, love, views, and the rest; two, pure wisdom speaks of taking support in nirvāṇa.’ What is negated is the one layer of support, that of the afflictions, not the other, that of wisdom; ‘it is because of the afflictions and views that no support is spoken of.’ One sentence separates the two layers, and only then does ‘without a place of support’ not collapse into the view of annihilation. The two gates of island and guide share one stretch of water: the sūtra says, ‘as with rivers and the great sea, when the water is cut off on four sides, this is called an island’, and the treatise says the water on the four sides is the afflictions, the three outflows and the four floods, the ground in the middle is the place where the prior and later limits are cut off, and the island is the nirvāṇa that is ultimately empty and with nothing grasped—‘it is quiescence, it is the wondrous treasure—that is, emptiness, nothing to be attained, the exhaustion of love without remainder, separation from desire, nirvāṇa.’ With an island there must also be a ship: ‘beings are sunk in the waters of the four floods, and the Buddha, with the ship of the eightfold noble path, draws them onto the island of nirvāṇa.’ The island is where one arrives; the ship is what brings one there; and the one who draws is called the guide.
The ninth of the nine matters, ‘tending’, the Buddha keeps for last, and once he speaks of it, it takes up half the chapter. The pattern is extremely regular: ‘All dharmas tend toward emptiness; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within emptiness, tending and not tending are unfindable.’ Then the heading changes and it comes again: tending toward the signless, toward non-action, toward non-origination, toward being without anything existent; ‘all dharmas tend toward a dream; this tending does not pass beyond’, tending toward an illusion, an echo, a shadow, a transformation; tending toward being without measure and without limit, toward not given and not taken, toward not raised and not lowered, toward not increased and not decreased, toward not coming and not going; tending toward self, being, life, and person; tending toward permanence, happiness, purity, and self, and also toward impermanence, suffering, impurity, and non-self; tending toward the matters of desire, hatred, delusion, and views; tending toward suchness, the nature of dharmas, the limit of reality, the nature of the inconceivable, equality, the mark of immovability; tending toward the five aggregates, the twelve sense-fields, the eighteen elements, toward the six perfections, toward the emptinesses, toward the limbs of the path, toward the ten powers and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds; tending all the way to ‘all dharmas tend toward the srota-āpanna and so on up to the Buddha; this tending does not pass beyond.’ Reading on, one comes to see that this is not saying that dharmas rush toward some place. The treatise-author himself explains why this one gate alone is spoken of so broadly: ‘it gathers up the nine matters above and is where they return, and so it is spoken of at length’, and again, ‘ease and the rest, and tending, are all of one meaning: all of them draw beings out and set them in nirvāṇa’—the nine matters are of one meaning; one gate is taken up and spoken of broadly, and the rest can be known by analogy. And the meaning of the two Chinese characters rendered here as ‘does not pass beyond’ the treatise brings out with space: ‘as space has only a name and no dharma’, ‘as with a person who at first speaks well, and only after a long time is his real disposition known’, and at the end the most direct sentence of all: ‘No dharma passes out beyond the marks of emptiness and the rest, as a person who wishes to pass out beyond space cannot do so.’ It is not that all dharmas rush toward emptiness; it is that no dharma can get outside emptiness. Tending carried to its limit is precisely tending nowhere.
At the end of the chapter it circles back to the person of the opening. Subhūti asks: ‘Who can believe in and understand this deep prajñāpāramitā?’ Of the four conditions the Buddha answers with, the last is still the good friend—‘one who has long practised the six perfections under the buddhas of the past, whose roots of goodness are fully ripened, who has made offerings to countless hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭi of buddhas, and who keeps company with good friends.’ Asked further what nature, what mark, what appearance this person has, the Buddha answers: ‘the severance and separation from desire, hatred, and delusion is his nature, mark, and appearance…’ Here the treatise-author sets the last question of the chapter: ‘this person has not yet obtained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas’—he has not yet reached the station of the acceptance of non-arising; on what ground is he said to have severed the three poisons? The answer: ‘Severance is of two kinds: one, severance at the root; two, severance that thins and lessens. Here it is severance that thins and lessens that is meant.’—the same device as the ‘emptiness of nature is of two kinds’ of the opening: one and the same name, at different stations, is not to be taken all in one way. Yet the treatise-author does not stop at the division of stations; at the last he steps back once more and dismisses the mark of a severer: ‘The practitioner does not discriminate that this is severance and this is affliction. Why? Because the mark of the afflictions is inverted and not fixed, the afflictions are themselves severance, and so it says separation.’ The whole chapter closes on this sentence. The opening begins from a person—first go and draw near to the good friend who can expound deep prajñā; the close also lands on a person—the one who keeps company with good friends and whose three poisons have thinned and fallen away. The long passage in between, ‘this tending does not pass beyond’, says precisely that on this road there is no place that can be stopped at and taken for the end; and the one thing that is not negated is the person who tells you so.
卷71 〔T25 0557b13〕
大智度論釋善知識品第五十二 【經】 爾時，須菩提白佛言：「世尊！新學菩薩摩訶薩云何應學般若波羅蜜、禪波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、尸羅波羅蜜、檀波羅蜜？」 佛告須菩提：「新學菩薩摩訶薩若欲學般若波羅蜜，禪、精進、忍、戒、檀波羅蜜，先當親近、供養善知識能說是深般若波羅蜜者。是人作是教：『汝善男子！所有布施，一切迴向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；善男子！所有持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定、智慧，一切迴向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。汝莫以色是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，莫以受、想、行、識是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；莫以檀波羅蜜是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，莫以尸羅波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、禪波羅蜜、般若波羅蜜是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；莫以內空乃至無法有法空是阿耨多〔T25 0557c〕羅三藐三菩提；莫以四念處、四正勤、四如意足、五根、五力、七覺分、八聖道分是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；莫以四禪、四無量心、四無色定、五神通是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；莫以佛十力乃至十八不共法是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。所以者何？不取色便得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，不取受、想、行、識便得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；不取檀波羅蜜乃至般若波羅蜜便得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；不取內空乃至無法有法空；不取四念處乃至十八不共法便得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。善男子！行是深般若波羅蜜時莫貪色。何以故？善男子！是色非可貪者。莫貪受、想、行、識。何以故？受、想、行、識非可貪者。善男子！莫貪檀波羅蜜、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；莫貪內空乃至無法有法空，莫貪四念處乃至八聖道分，莫貪四禪、四無量心、四無色定、五神通，莫貪佛十力乃至一切種智。何以故？一切種智非可貪者。善男子！莫貪須陀洹果乃至阿羅漢果，莫貪辟支佛道，莫貪菩薩法位，莫貪阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。何以故？阿耨多羅三藐三菩提非可貪者。所以者何？諸法性空故。』」 【論】 問曰： 須菩提問新學所行，佛何以乃答菩薩久行微妙事——所謂「不取一切法，一切法性空故」？ 答曰： 諸法性空有二種：一者、大菩薩所得；二者、小菩薩所學柔順忍，以智慧發心。此中但說小菩薩所學空。 復次，有實智慧氣分，佛數為菩薩；若無者，雖久行餘〔T25 0558a〕功德，不數為菩薩。譬如佛說聲聞法中頂法相：於三寶中有少信是名頂法；是信過煖法，修禪定生，以色界心得；於佛無礙解脫是為小，於凡夫為大。如是新發意菩薩得般若波羅蜜氣味故能受化，名為新學；過五波羅蜜功德；於凡夫為大，於佛為小。 復次，佛不直說諸法性空，先教供養、親近善知識；善知識為說五波羅蜜功德。善知識雖種種教化，佛但稱其不壞法，所謂於色等諸法不貪、不著、不取。譬如金翅鳥子始生，從一須彌至一須彌；菩薩亦如是，初學能生如是深智，何況久學！又如小火能燒，何況大者！菩薩亦如是，新學時能以般若轉世間法令畢竟空，燒諸煩惱，何況得力具足！ 【經】 須菩提白佛言：「世尊！諸菩薩摩訶薩能為難事——於一切性空法中求阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，欲得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。」 佛言：「如是！如是！須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩能為難事——於一切性空法中求阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，欲得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。須菩提！諸菩薩摩訶薩為安隱世間故，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心；為安樂世間故、為救世間故、為世間歸故、為世間依處故、為世間洲故、為世間將導故、為世間究竟道故、為世間趣故，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。 「須菩提！云何菩薩摩訶薩為安隱世間故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提時，拔出六道眾生，著無畏岸涅槃〔T25 0558b〕處。須菩提！是為菩薩摩訶薩為安隱世間故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。 「云何菩薩摩訶薩為安樂世間故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提時，拔出眾生種種憂苦愁惱，著無畏岸涅槃處。須菩提！是為菩薩摩訶薩為安樂世間故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。 「云何菩薩摩訶薩為救世間故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提時，救眾生生死中種種苦，亦為斷是苦故而為說法；眾生聞法，漸以三乘而得度脫。須菩提！是為菩薩摩訶薩為救世間故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。 「云何菩薩摩訶薩為世間歸故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提時，拔出眾生生老病死相、憂悲愁惱法，著無畏岸涅槃處。須菩提！是為菩薩摩訶薩為世間歸故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。 「云何菩薩摩訶薩為世間依處故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提時，為眾生說一切法無依處。須菩提！是為菩薩摩訶薩為世間依處故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。」 須菩提白佛言：「世尊！云何一切法無依處？」 佛言：「色不相續即是色無生，色無生即是色不滅，色不滅即是色無依處；受、想、行、識乃至一切種智亦如是。須菩提！是為菩薩摩訶薩為世間依處故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。云何菩薩摩訶薩為世間究竟道故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？〔T25 0558c〕須菩提！若菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提時，為眾生說如是法：色究竟相非是色，受、想、行、識，乃至一切種智究竟相非是一切種智。須菩提！如究竟相，一切法相亦如是。」 須菩提言：「世尊！若一切法如究竟相者，諸菩薩摩訶薩皆應得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。何以故？世尊！色究竟相中無有分別，受、想、行、識究竟相中無有分別，乃至一切種智究竟相中無有分別——所謂是色，是受、想、行、識，乃至是一切種智。」 佛告須菩提：「如是！如是！色究竟相中無有分別，受、想、行、識乃至一切種智究竟相中無有分別——所謂是色乃至是一切種智。須菩提！是為菩薩摩訶薩難事。如是觀諸法寂滅相而心不沒不却。何以故？是菩薩摩訶薩作是念：『是諸深法，我應如是知，得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；如是寂滅微妙法，當為眾生說。』是為菩薩摩訶薩為世間究竟道故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。 「云何菩薩摩訶薩為世間洲故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！若江河大海，四邊水斷，是名為洲。須菩提！色亦如是前後際斷，受、想、行、識前後際斷，乃至一切種智前後際斷。以是前後際斷故，一切法亦斷。須菩提！是一切法前後際斷故，即是寂滅、即是妙寶——所謂空、無所得、愛盡無餘、離欲、涅槃。須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提時，以寂滅微妙法為眾生說。須菩提！是為菩薩摩訶薩為世間洲故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。 「云何菩薩摩訶薩為世間將導故發阿耨多〔T25 0559a〕羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提時，為眾生說色不生不滅、不垢不淨，說受想行識不生不滅、不垢不淨；說十二處、十八界、四念處乃至八聖道分、四禪、四無量心、四無色定、五神通不生不滅、不垢不淨；說須陀洹果乃至阿羅漢果、辟支佛道不生不滅、不垢不淨；說佛十力乃至一切種智不生不滅、不垢不淨。須菩提！是為菩薩摩訶薩為世間將導故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。」 【論】 釋曰： 須菩提發希有心白佛言：「諸菩薩未斷煩惱、大悲未具、未得阿鞞跋致，知諸法本性空而能發無上道心，是事甚難。」 佛可其言：「如是！」 更讚菩薩希有因緣，所謂菩薩安穩世間故發心。 「安穩」者，能破一切煩惱，究竟不變失；譬如良藥能破病，不問甘苦，以能究竟除病、安穩故。佛能使眾生常安穩，不期一世、二世。世間樂者，有法雖安穩而不樂，有法今世苦、後世樂。如服苦藥，腹中安穩、口中不美。是故說：「佛能與今世、後世樂。」六道無常相故非安穩，是故說出六道名安穩。 世間樂著因緣故，久後必生憂惱，不名為樂；涅槃樂，始終無變，故說離憂苦為樂。 「救世間」者，如人為怨賊所逐，若親戚、若官力能救；眾生亦如是，惡罪諸煩惱因緣及魔民所逐，惟諸佛能說法救護。 「世間歸」者，如人遇暴風疾雨，必歸房舍；世間種種邪見煩惱等、身心內外苦惱老病死諸憂苦等，若歸佛，佛以種種因緣拔其憂〔T25 0559b〕悲苦惱。 「依處」者，一切有為法從和合因緣生故，無有自力、不可依止。眾生為苦所逼來依止佛，佛為說無依止法。無依止法者是真實，所謂無餘涅槃，色等五眾滅，更不相續；不相續即是不生不滅，不生不滅即是畢竟空，無依止處。 問曰： 若無依止處，何以說依止？ 答曰： 依止有二種：一者、以愛、見等諸煩惱依止有為法，二者、清淨智慧說依止涅槃。煩惱見故說無依止。 「究竟道」者，所謂諸法實相、畢竟空。色等法，前際中無，後際中亦無；現在中，凡夫人憶想分別，業果報諸情力故有顛倒見；聖人以智慧眼觀之皆虛誑不實。如前、後，中亦爾；若無先後，云何有中？能如是為眾生說法，則安處眾生於究竟第一道中。 「世間洲」者，如洲四邊無地，色等法亦如是，前、後皆不可得；中間，如究竟道中破。入前、後空故，中間亦空。「水」者，三漏、四流諸煩惱及業果報中一切法。畢竟空、無所取，所謂涅槃，是為洲。 眾生沒在四流水中，佛以八正道船引著涅槃洲上。如是種種因緣接度眾生名為「將導」。 【經】 「云何菩薩摩訶薩為世間趣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提時，為眾生說色趣空，說受、想、行、識趣空，乃至說一切種智趣空。為眾生說色非趣非不趣。何以故？是色空相，非趣非不趣。說受、想、行、識非趣非不趣。何以故？是受、想、行、識空相，非趣非不趣。乃至一切種智非趣非不趣。何以故？是一切種智空相，〔T25 0559c〕非趣非不趣。如是，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩為世間趣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。何以故？一切法趣空，是趣不過。何以故？空中，趣、非趣不可得故。須菩提！一切法趣無相，是趣不過。何以故？無相中，趣、非趣不可得故。須菩提！一切法趣無作，是趣不過。何以故？無作中，趣、非趣不可得故。須菩提！一切法趣無起，是趣不過。何以故？無起中，趣、非趣不可得故。須菩提！一切法趣無所有、不生不滅、不垢不淨，是趣不過。何以故？無所有、不生不滅、不垢不淨中，趣、非趣不可得故。 「須菩提！一切法趣夢，是趣不過。何以故？夢中，趣、非趣不可得故。須菩提！一切法趣幻、趣嚮、趣影、趣化，趣是趣不過。何以故？是化等中，趣、非趣不可得故。 「須菩提！一切法趣無量、無邊，是趣不過。何以故？無量、無邊中，趣、非趣不可得故。 「須菩提！一切法趣不與不取，是趣不過。何以故？不與不取中，趣、非趣不可得故。須菩提！一切法趣不舉不下，是趣不過。何以故？不舉不下中，趣、非趣不可得故。 須菩提！一切法趣不增不減，是趣不過。何以故？無增無減中，趣、非趣不可得故。須菩提！一切法趣不來不去，是趣不過。何以故？不來不去中，趣、非趣不可得故。須菩提！一切法趣不入不出、不合不散、不著不斷，是趣不過。何以故？不著不斷中，趣、非趣不可得故。 「須菩提！一切法趣我、眾生、壽命、人、起、使起、作、使作、知者、見者，是趣不過。何以故？我乃至知者、見者畢竟不可得，何況當有趣、非趣！ 「須菩提！一切法〔T25 0560a〕趣有常，是趣不過。何以故？常畢竟不可得，云何當有趣、非趣？須菩提！一切法趣樂、淨、我，是趣不過。何以故？樂、淨、我畢竟不可得，云何當有趣、非趣？須菩提！一切法趣無常、苦、不淨、無我，是趣不過。何以故？無常、苦、不淨、無我畢竟不可得，云何當有趣、非趣？ 「須菩提！一切法趣欲事，是趣不過。何以故？欲事畢竟不可得，何況當有趣、非趣？須菩提！一切法趣瞋事、癡事、見事，是趣不過。何以故？瞋事、癡事、見事畢竟不可得，何況當有趣、非趣？ 「須菩提！一切法趣如，是趣不過。何以故？如中無來無去故。須菩提！一切法趣法性、實際、不可思議性，是趣不過。何以故？法性、實際、不可思議性中無來無去故。須菩提！一切法趣平等，是趣不過。何以故？平等中，趣、非趣不可得故。須菩提！一切法趣不動相，是趣不過。何以故？不動相中，趣、非趣不可得故。 「須菩提！一切法趣色，是趣不過。何以故？色畢竟不可得，云何當有趣、非趣？須菩提！一切法趣受、想、行、識，是趣不過。何以故？受、想、行、識畢竟不可得，云何當有趣、非趣？十二處、十八界亦如是。 「須菩提！一切法趣檀波羅蜜，是趣不過。何以故？檀畢竟不可得故，云何當有趣、非趣？須菩提！一切法趣尸羅波羅蜜，是趣不過。何以故？尸羅畢竟不可得故，云何當有趣、非趣？須菩提！一切法趣羼提波羅蜜，是趣不過。何以故？羼提畢竟不可得故，云何當有趣、非趣？須菩提！一切法趣毘梨耶波羅蜜，是趣不過。何以故？毘梨耶畢竟不可得故，云何當有趣、非趣？〔T25 0560b〕須菩提！一切法趣禪波羅蜜，是趣不過。何以故？禪畢竟不可得故，云何當有趣、非趣？須菩提！一切法趣般若波羅蜜，是趣不過。何以故？般若畢竟不可得故，云何當有趣、非趣？ 「須菩提！一切法趣內空，是趣不過。何以故？內空畢竟不可得故，云何當有趣、非趣？須菩提！一切法趣外空，是趣不過。何以故？外空畢竟不可得故，云何當有趣、非趣？須菩提！一切法趣內外空，是趣不過。何以故？內外空畢竟不可得故，云何當有趣、非趣？乃至一切法趣無法有法空，是趣不過。何以故？無法有法空畢竟不可得故，云何當有趣、非趣？ 「須菩提！一切法趣四念處乃至八聖道分，是趣不過。何以故？四念處乃至八聖道分畢竟不可得故，云何當有趣、非趣？ 「須菩提！一切法趣佛十力乃至一切種智，是趣不過。何以故？一切種智中，趣、非趣不可得故。 「須菩提！一切法趣須陀洹果、斯陀含果、阿那含果、阿羅漢果、辟支佛道，是趣不過。何以故？須陀洹果乃至辟支佛道中，趣、非趣不可得故。須菩提！一切法趣阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，是趣不過。何以故？阿耨多羅三藐三菩提中，趣、非趣不可得故。須菩提！一切法趣須陀洹乃至佛，是趣不過。何以故？須陀洹乃至佛中，趣、非趣不可得故。」 須菩提白佛言：「世尊！是深般若波羅蜜誰能信解者？」 佛告須菩提：「有菩薩摩訶薩先於諸佛所久行六波羅蜜、善根純熟、供養無數百千萬億諸佛、與善知識相隨，是輩人能信解深般若波羅蜜。」 須菩提白佛言：「世尊！能信解是〔T25 0560c〕深般若波羅蜜者，有何等性、何等相、何等貌？」 佛言：「欲、瞋、癡斷離是性、相、貌，是菩薩摩訶薩則能信解深般若波羅蜜。」 【論】 問曰： 上諸事中略說，今「趣」中何以廣說？ 答曰： 「趣」是總上九事之會歸，是故多說。 復次，安樂等及趣皆同一義，俱出眾生著涅槃故。若事事廣說則不可盡，「趣」最在後故廣說；當知餘者亦皆應廣說。 「色等法趣空」者，如虛空但有名而無法；色等法亦爾，終歸於空。諸法究竟相必空故，餘者皆虛妄。如人初雖有善言，久久乃知情實；色等諸法亦如是，入無餘涅槃時與虛空無異，當知先亦如是，但凡夫顛倒果報故見異。一切法無有過出空等諸相，如人欲出過虛空不可得。 我等十六名，皆因五眾和合假有此名，無有實法，云何當有趣、非趣？ 若常、淨、樂、我等四顛倒破四聖行。如常等四法不可得，以顛倒故；色等諸法亦如是。如常等不可得，無常等從常等出故亦不可得。是故說：「一切法趣常等、趣無常等。」 須菩提問佛：「是法甚深微細，誰當信解者？」 佛答說：「久行等因緣能信。」 更問：「久行等人有何等相？」 佛答：「是人離三毒心，亦不見是離，深入諸法實相故。」 問曰： 是人未得無生忍法，云何言「斷三毒」？ 答曰： 斷有二種：一者、根本斷，二者、薄少斷。此中說薄少斷。行者不分別是斷、是煩惱。何以故？煩惱相顛倒不定故，煩惱即是斷，是故言離。
《大智度論》卷71 · T25n1509 0557b13–0560c29
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.
本品題為《大智度論》釋〈善知識品〉第五十二，聖者龍樹所造，後秦龜茲國三藏鳩摩羅什所譯，在卷七十一。
經①：新學菩薩云何學六波羅蜜——先當親近供養善知識，善知識教以迴向、莫以諸法為菩提、莫貪諸法
那時，須菩提向佛稟白：『世尊！新學的菩薩摩訶薩應當怎樣學般若波羅蜜、禪波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、尸羅波羅蜜、檀波羅蜜？』
佛告訴須菩提：『新學的菩薩摩訶薩若想學般若波羅蜜，以及禪、精進、忍、戒、檀波羅蜜，先當親近、供養能宣說這深般若波羅蜜的善知識。這人便這樣教他：『善男子！你所有的布施，一切都迴向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；善男子！你所有的持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定、智慧，一切都迴向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。你不要以色是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，不要以受、想、行、識是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；不要以檀波羅蜜是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，不要以尸羅波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、禪波羅蜜、般若波羅蜜是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；不要以內空乃至無法有法空是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；不要以四念處、四正勤、四如意足、五根、五力、七覺分、八聖道分是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；不要以四禪、四無量心、四無色定、五神通是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；不要以佛十力乃至十八不共法是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。什麼緣故呢？不取色便得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，不取受、想、行、識便得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；不取檀波羅蜜乃至般若波羅蜜便得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；不取內空乃至無法有法空；不取四念處乃至十八不共法便得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。善男子！行這深般若波羅蜜的時候不要貪色。什麼緣故呢？善男子！這色不是可貪的。不要貪受、想、行、識。什麼緣故呢？受、想、行、識不是可貪的。善男子！不要貪檀波羅蜜、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；不要貪內空乃至無法有法空，不要貪四念處乃至八聖道分，不要貪四禪、四無量心、四無色定、五神通，不要貪佛十力乃至一切種智。什麼緣故呢？一切種智不是可貪的。善男子！不要貪須陀洹果乃至阿羅漢果，不要貪辟支佛道，不要貪菩薩法位，不要貪阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。什麼緣故呢？阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不是可貪的。什麼緣故呢？因為諸法自性是空的。』』
論①：何以答久行微妙事——性空二種、實智氣分與頂法喻、善知識先教親近供養、金翅鳥子喻與小火喻
論主問道：
須菩提所問的是新學菩薩的所行，佛為什麼卻回答菩薩久行的微妙之事——所謂「不取一切法，一切法性空故」？
論主答道：
諸法性空有兩種：一是大菩薩所證得的，二是小菩薩所學的柔順忍，以智慧發心。這裡只說小菩薩所學的空。
再者，有真實智慧的氣分，佛便把他算入菩薩之數；若是沒有，雖然久行其餘的功德，也不算入菩薩之數。譬如佛在聲聞法中宣說頂法之相：在三寶之中有少分的信，這名為頂法；這信超過煖法，由修禪定而生，以色界心而得；對佛的無礙解脫來說這是小，對凡夫來說這是大。像這樣，新發意的菩薩得了般若波羅蜜的氣味所以能受教化，名為新學；他超過五波羅蜜的功德；對凡夫來說是大，對佛來說是小。
再者，佛不直接宣說諸法性空，先教人供養、親近善知識；善知識為他宣說五波羅蜜的功德。善知識雖然種種教化，佛卻只稱許其中不壞之法，所謂對色等諸法不貪、不著、不取。譬如金翅鳥的雛鳥才生下來，就能從一座須彌飛到另一座須彌；菩薩也是如此，初學便能生起這樣的深智，何況久學！又如小火也能燒，何況大火！菩薩也是如此，新學的時候就能以般若轉世間法令它畢竟空，燒掉諸煩惱，何況等到力量具足！
經②：於性空法中求菩提為難事——安隱世間、安樂世間、救世間、世間歸、世間依處、世間究竟道、世間洲、世間將導
須菩提向佛稟白：『世尊！諸菩薩摩訶薩能做難做的事——在一切自性空的法中求阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，想要得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。』
佛說：『是這樣！是這樣！須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩能做難做的事——在一切自性空的法中求阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，想要得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。須菩提！諸菩薩摩訶薩為了安隱世間的緣故，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心；為了安樂世間的緣故、為了救世間的緣故、為了作世間歸處的緣故、為了作世間依處的緣故、為了作世間洲渚的緣故、為了作世間將導的緣故、為了作世間究竟道的緣故、為了作世間趣向的緣故，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。
須菩提！怎樣是菩薩摩訶薩為了安隱世間的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提的時候，拔出六道眾生，安著在無畏彼岸的涅槃之處。須菩提！這就是菩薩摩訶薩為了安隱世間的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。
怎樣是菩薩摩訶薩為了安樂世間的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提的時候，拔出眾生種種憂苦愁惱，安著在無畏彼岸的涅槃之處。須菩提！這就是菩薩摩訶薩為了安樂世間的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。
怎樣是菩薩摩訶薩為了救世間的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提的時候，救眾生生死之中的種種苦，也為了斷除這苦的緣故而為他們說法；眾生聽聞了法，漸漸依三乘而得度脫。須菩提！這就是菩薩摩訶薩為了救世間的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。
怎樣是菩薩摩訶薩為了作世間歸處的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提的時候，拔出眾生的生老病死之相、憂悲愁惱之法，安著在無畏彼岸的涅槃之處。須菩提！這就是菩薩摩訶薩為了作世間歸處的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。
怎樣是菩薩摩訶薩為了作世間依處的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提的時候，為眾生宣說一切法無依處。須菩提！這就是菩薩摩訶薩為了作世間依處的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。』
須菩提向佛稟白：『世尊！怎樣是一切法無依處？』
佛說：『色不相續就是色無生，色無生就是色不滅，色不滅就是色無依處；受、想、行、識乃至一切種智也是如此。須菩提！這就是菩薩摩訶薩為了作世間依處的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。怎樣是菩薩摩訶薩為了作世間究竟道的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！若菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提的時候，為眾生宣說這樣的法：色的究竟相不是色，受、想、行、識，乃至一切種智的究竟相不是一切種智。須菩提！如同究竟相，一切法相也是如此。』
須菩提說：『世尊！若一切法如同究竟相，那麼諸菩薩摩訶薩都應當得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。什麼緣故呢？世尊！色的究竟相中沒有分別，受、想、行、識的究竟相中沒有分別，乃至一切種智的究竟相中沒有分別——所謂這是色，這是受、想、行、識，乃至這是一切種智。』
佛告訴須菩提：『是這樣！是這樣！色的究竟相中沒有分別，受、想、行、識乃至一切種智的究竟相中沒有分別——所謂這是色乃至這是一切種智。須菩提！這就是菩薩摩訶薩的難事。這樣觀察諸法寂滅之相而心不沈沒、不退却。什麼緣故呢？這位菩薩摩訶薩這樣念著：這些深法，我應當這樣了知，得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；這樣寂滅微妙的法，應當為眾生宣說。這就是菩薩摩訶薩為了作世間究竟道的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。
怎樣是菩薩摩訶薩為了作世間洲渚的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！若江河大海，四邊的水斷絕，這名為洲。須菩提！色也是如此，前際後際斷絕，受、想、行、識前際後際斷絕，乃至一切種智前際後際斷絕。因為這前後際斷絕的緣故，一切法也斷絕。須菩提！這一切法前後際斷絕的緣故，就是寂滅、就是妙寶——所謂空、無所得、愛盡無餘、離欲、涅槃。須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提的時候，以寂滅微妙的法為眾生宣說。須菩提！這就是菩薩摩訶薩為了作世間洲渚的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。
怎樣是菩薩摩訶薩為了作世間將導的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提的時候，為眾生宣說色不生不滅、不垢不淨，宣說受想行識不生不滅、不垢不淨；宣說十二處、十八界、四念處乃至八聖道分、四禪、四無量心、四無色定、五神通不生不滅、不垢不淨；宣說須陀洹果乃至阿羅漢果、辟支佛道不生不滅、不垢不淨；宣說佛十力乃至一切種智不生不滅、不垢不淨。須菩提！這就是菩薩摩訶薩為了作世間將導的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。』
論②：釋曰——良藥喻釋安穩、涅槃樂、怨賊喻釋救世間、暴風歸舍喻釋世間歸、依處二種之問答、究竟道、洲之四邊水斷、四流船引釋將導
論主解釋說：
須菩提生起希有之心，向佛稟白：『諸菩薩還沒有斷煩惱、大悲還沒有具足、還沒有得阿鞞跋致，卻知道諸法本性是空而能發起無上道心，這事甚難。』
佛許可他的話：『是這樣！』
又更讚歎菩薩希有的因緣，所謂菩薩為了安穩世間的緣故而發心。
所謂「安穩」，是能破一切煩惱，究竟不變失；譬如良藥能破病，不問它是甘是苦，因為它能究竟除病、使人安穩的緣故。佛能使眾生常安穩，不只期於一世、二世。說到世間的樂，有的法雖然安穩卻不樂，有的法今世苦而後世樂。如同服苦藥，腹中安穩而口中不美。所以說：「佛能與今世、後世樂。」六道是無常之相的緣故所以不是安穩，因此說出離六道名為安穩。
世間的樂因為貪著的因緣，久後必定生起憂惱，不名為樂；涅槃的樂，始終沒有變異，所以說離憂苦為樂。
所謂「救世間」，如同人被怨賊追逐，若是親戚、若是官府之力便能救他；眾生也是如此，被惡罪諸煩惱的因緣以及魔民所追逐，唯有諸佛能說法救護。
所謂「世間歸」，如同人遇到暴風疾雨，必定歸向房舍；世間種種邪見煩惱等、身心內外的苦惱老病死諸憂苦等，若歸向佛，佛便以種種因緣拔除他的憂悲苦惱。
所謂「依處」，一切有為法都是從和合因緣而生的緣故，沒有自力、不可依止。眾生被苦所逼迫而來依止佛，佛便為他宣說無依止之法。無依止的法才是真實，所謂無餘涅槃，色等五眾滅盡，不再相續；不相續就是不生不滅，不生不滅就是畢竟空，無依止之處。
論主問道：
若沒有依止之處，為什麼又說依止？
論主答道：
依止有兩種：一是以愛、見等諸煩惱依止有為法，二是以清淨智慧說依止涅槃。因為煩惱見的緣故說無依止。
所謂「究竟道」，就是諸法實相、畢竟空。色等法，前際之中沒有，後際之中也沒有；在現在之中，凡夫人以憶想分別，因為業果報諸情之力的緣故而有顛倒之見；聖人以智慧眼觀察它們都是虛誑不實。如同前際、後際，中間也是如此；若沒有先後，怎麼會有中間？能這樣為眾生說法，便是安置眾生於究竟第一之道中。
所謂「世間洲」，如同洲的四邊沒有地，色等法也是如此，前際、後際都不可得；中間，如同在究竟道中所破的。因為進入前際、後際皆空的緣故，中間也空。所謂「水」，是三漏、四流諸煩惱以及業果報中的一切法。畢竟空、無所取，所謂涅槃，這就是洲。
眾生沈沒在四流之水中，佛以八正道之船引導他們到涅槃洲上。像這樣種種因緣接引度脫眾生名為「將導」。
經③：世間趣——一切法趣空、趣無相、趣無作乃至趣佛皆是趣不過，末問誰能信解及其性相貌
『怎樣是菩薩摩訶薩為了作世間趣向的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心？須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提的時候，為眾生宣說色趣向空，宣說受、想、行、識趣向空，乃至宣說一切種智趣向空。為眾生宣說色非趣非不趣。什麼緣故呢？這色是空相，非趣非不趣。宣說受、想、行、識非趣非不趣。什麼緣故呢？這受、想、行、識是空相，非趣非不趣。乃至一切種智非趣非不趣。什麼緣故呢？這一切種智是空相，非趣非不趣。像這樣，須菩提！菩薩摩訶薩為了作世間趣向的緣故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。什麼緣故呢？一切法趣向空，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在空之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。須菩提！一切法趣向無相，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在無相之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。須菩提！一切法趣向無作，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在無作之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。須菩提！一切法趣向無起，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在無起之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。須菩提！一切法趣向無所有、不生不滅、不垢不淨，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在無所有、不生不滅、不垢不淨之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。
須菩提！一切法趣向夢，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在夢之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。須菩提！一切法趣向幻、趣向嚮、趣向影、趣向化，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在這化等之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。
須菩提！一切法趣向無量、無邊，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在無量、無邊之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。
須菩提！一切法趣向不與不取，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在不與不取之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。須菩提！一切法趣向不舉不下，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在不舉不下之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。
須菩提！一切法趣向不增不減，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在無增無減之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。須菩提！一切法趣向不來不去，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在不來不去之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。須菩提！一切法趣向不入不出、不合不散、不著不斷，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在不著不斷之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。
須菩提！一切法趣向我、眾生、壽命、人、起、使起、作、使作、知者、見者，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為我乃至知者、見者畢竟不可得，何況還會有趣與非趣！
須菩提！一切法趣向有常，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為常畢竟不可得，怎麼會有趣與非趣？須菩提！一切法趣向樂、淨、我，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為樂、淨、我畢竟不可得，怎麼會有趣與非趣？須菩提！一切法趣向無常、苦、不淨、無我，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為無常、苦、不淨、無我畢竟不可得，怎麼會有趣與非趣？
須菩提！一切法趣向欲事，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為欲事畢竟不可得，何況還會有趣與非趣？須菩提！一切法趣向瞋事、癡事、見事，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為瞋事、癡事、見事畢竟不可得，何況還會有趣與非趣？
須菩提！一切法趣向如，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在如之中無來無去的緣故。須菩提！一切法趣向法性、實際、不可思議性，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在法性、實際、不可思議性之中無來無去的緣故。須菩提！一切法趣向平等，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在平等之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。須菩提！一切法趣向不動相，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在不動相之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。
須菩提！一切法趣向色，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為色畢竟不可得，怎麼會有趣與非趣？須菩提！一切法趣向受、想、行、識，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為受、想、行、識畢竟不可得，怎麼會有趣與非趣？十二處、十八界也是如此。
須菩提！一切法趣向檀波羅蜜，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為檀畢竟不可得的緣故，怎麼會有趣與非趣？須菩提！一切法趣向尸羅波羅蜜，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為尸羅畢竟不可得的緣故，怎麼會有趣與非趣？須菩提！一切法趣向羼提波羅蜜，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為羼提畢竟不可得的緣故，怎麼會有趣與非趣？須菩提！一切法趣向毘梨耶波羅蜜，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為毘梨耶畢竟不可得的緣故，怎麼會有趣與非趣？須菩提！一切法趣向禪波羅蜜，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為禪畢竟不可得的緣故，怎麼會有趣與非趣？須菩提！一切法趣向般若波羅蜜，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為般若畢竟不可得的緣故，怎麼會有趣與非趣？
須菩提！一切法趣向內空，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為內空畢竟不可得的緣故，怎麼會有趣與非趣？須菩提！一切法趣向外空，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為外空畢竟不可得的緣故，怎麼會有趣與非趣？須菩提！一切法趣向內外空，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為內外空畢竟不可得的緣故，怎麼會有趣與非趣？乃至一切法趣向無法有法空，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為無法有法空畢竟不可得的緣故，怎麼會有趣與非趣？
須菩提！一切法趣向四念處乃至八聖道分，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為四念處乃至八聖道分畢竟不可得的緣故，怎麼會有趣與非趣？
須菩提！一切法趣向佛十力乃至一切種智，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在一切種智之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。
須菩提！一切法趣向須陀洹果、斯陀含果、阿那含果、阿羅漢果、辟支佛道，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在須陀洹果乃至辟支佛道之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。須菩提！一切法趣向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在阿耨多羅三藐三菩提之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。須菩提！一切法趣向須陀洹乃至佛，這趣沒有超過的。什麼緣故呢？因為在須陀洹乃至佛之中，趣與非趣都不可得的緣故。』
須菩提向佛稟白：『世尊！這深般若波羅蜜有誰能信解呢？』
佛告訴須菩提：『有菩薩摩訶薩先前在諸佛之處久行六波羅蜜、善根純熟、供養無數百千萬億諸佛、與善知識相隨，這一類人能信解深般若波羅蜜。』
須菩提向佛稟白：『世尊！能信解這深般若波羅蜜的人，有什麼樣的性、什麼樣的相、什麼樣的貌？』
佛說：『欲、瞋、癡斷離就是他的性、相、貌，這位菩薩摩訶薩便能信解深般若波羅蜜。』
論③：趣何以獨廣說、趣是九事之會歸、虛空但有名喻、我等十六名、常等四顛倒、久行能信與離三毒、斷有二種
論主問道：
上面諸事之中都是略說，如今在「趣」之中為什麼廣說？
論主答道：
「趣」是總攝上面九事的會歸之處，所以說得多。
再者，安樂等事以及趣都是同一個意義，都是拔出眾生、安著於涅槃的緣故。若是事事都廣說便說不能盡，「趣」排在最後的緣故所以廣說；應當知道其餘的也都應當廣說。
所謂「色等法趣空」，如同虛空只有名稱而沒有實法；色等法也是如此，終究歸於空。因為諸法的究竟相必定是空的緣故，其餘的都是虛妄。如同人起初雖然有善言，久久之後纔知道他的實情；色等諸法也是如此，進入無餘涅槃的時候與虛空沒有差別，應當知道先前也是如此，只是凡夫因為顛倒果報的緣故而見得有異。一切法沒有能超出空等諸相的，如同人想要超出虛空之外也不可得。
我等十六個名字，都是因為五眾和合而假有這些名字，沒有實法，怎麼會有趣與非趣？
若是常、淨、樂、我等四顛倒便破壞四聖行。如同常等四法不可得，是因為顛倒的緣故；色等諸法也是如此。如同常等不可得，無常等是從常等而出的緣故所以也不可得。所以說：「一切法趣常等、趣無常等。」
須菩提問佛：『這法甚深微細，誰能信解？』
佛回答說：『久行等因緣的人能信。』
又更問：『久行等人有什麼樣的相？』
佛回答：『這人離了三毒之心，也不見有這個離，因為深入諸法實相的緣故。』
論主問道：
這人還沒有得無生忍法，怎麼說「斷三毒」？
論主答道：
斷有兩種：一是根本斷，二是薄少斷。這裡說的是薄少斷。行者不分別這是斷、這是煩惱。什麼緣故呢？因為煩惱之相顛倒不定的緣故，煩惱就是斷，所以說離。
This chapter is titled the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa's commentary on the fifty-second chapter, "The Good Friend", composed by the noble Nāgārjuna and translated by the Tripiṭaka master Kumārajīva of the land of Kucha under the Later Qin; it is in the seventy-first fascicle.
Sūtra ①: How Bodhisattvas New to the Training Train in the Six Perfections—First Draw Near to and Make Offerings to a Good Friend; the Good Friend Teaches Dedication, Not Taking Any Dharma to Be Awakening, and Not Craving Any Dharma
At that time Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! How should bodhisattva-mahāsattvas new to the training train in prajñāpāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, vīryapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, śīlapāramitā, and dānapāramitā?’
The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘If bodhisattva-mahāsattvas new to the training wish to train in prajñāpāramitā, and in meditation, vigour, patience, morality, and dānapāramitā, they should first draw near to and make offerings to a good friend who can expound this deep prajñāpāramitā. This person then teaches him thus: ‘Good man! All the giving you do, dedicate all of it to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; good man! All the keeping of precepts, patience, vigour, meditative concentration, and wisdom you practise, dedicate all of it to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. You must not take form to be anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, must not take feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness to be anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; must not take dānapāramitā to be anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, must not take śīlapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, vīryapāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, or prajñāpāramitā to be anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; must not take inner emptiness and so on up to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas to be anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; must not take the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven limbs of awakening, or the eightfold noble path to be anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; must not take the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, or the five supernormal powers to be anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; must not take the ten powers of the Buddha and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas to be anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Why? Not grasping form, one obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; not grasping feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, one obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; not grasping dānapāramitā and so on up to prajñāpāramitā, one obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; not grasping inner emptiness and so on up to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas; not grasping the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, one obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Good man! When you practise this deep prajñāpāramitā, do not crave form. Why? Good man! This form is not something that can be craved. Do not crave feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness. Why? Feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are not something that can be craved. Good man! Do not crave dānapāramitā, śīlapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, vīryapāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, or prajñāpāramitā; do not crave inner emptiness and so on up to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas, do not crave the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path, do not crave the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, or the five supernormal powers, do not crave the ten powers of the Buddha and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds. Why? The omniscience of all kinds is not something that can be craved. Good man! Do not crave the fruit of srota-āpanna and so on up to the fruit of arhat, do not crave the path of the pratyekabuddha, do not crave the bodhisattva's Dharma-position, do not crave anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Why? Anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi is not something that can be craved. Why? Because all dharmas are empty of their own nature.’’
Treatise ①: Why the Answer Gives the Subtle Matters of Long Practice—the Two Kinds of Emptiness of Nature, a Share of Real Wisdom and the Simile of the Dharma of the Summit, Drawing Near to and Making Offerings to the Good Friend Taught First, the Simile of the Chick of the Golden-winged Bird and the Simile of the Small Fire
The treatise-author asks:
What Subhūti asked about was the practice of bodhisattvas new to the training; why does the Buddha instead answer with the subtle matters of the bodhisattva's long practice—namely 「不取一切法，一切法性空故」 tr. "not grasping any dharma, because all dharmas are empty of nature"?
The treatise-author answers:
The emptiness of nature of all dharmas is of two kinds: one is what the great bodhisattvas attain; the other is the compliant acceptance that the small bodhisattvas train in, arousing the mind by wisdom. Here only the emptiness that the small bodhisattvas train in is spoken of.
Furthermore, one who has a share of the flavour of real wisdom the Buddha counts among the number of bodhisattvas; one who has none, even though he has long practised the other merits, is not counted among the number of bodhisattvas. It is like the Buddha, within the śrāvaka teaching, expounding the mark of the dharma of the summit: to have a small share of faith in the Three Jewels is called the dharma of the summit; this faith surpasses the dharma of warmth, is born from cultivating meditative concentration, and is obtained with a mind of the form realm; beside the Buddha's unobstructed liberation it is small, beside ordinary people it is great. Just so, the bodhisattva who has newly aroused the mind obtains the flavour of prajñāpāramitā and so can receive teaching and transformation, and is called new to the training; he surpasses the merits of the five perfections; beside ordinary people he is great, beside the Buddha he is small.
Furthermore, the Buddha does not expound the emptiness of nature of all dharmas directly; he first teaches people to make offerings to and draw near to a good friend; the good friend expounds for him the merits of the five perfections. Though the good friend teaches and transforms him in all kinds of ways, the Buddha approves only the indestructible dharma within it, namely not craving, not clinging to, and not grasping form and the other dharmas. It is like the chick of the golden-winged bird, which, just born, can fly from one Mount Sumeru to another Mount Sumeru; the bodhisattva is also like this: at the very beginning of his training he can give rise to such deep wisdom—how much more one long in the training! Again, as a small fire can also burn—how much more a great fire! The bodhisattva is also like this: while new to the training he can already, by prajñā, turn worldly dharmas and make them ultimately empty, burning up the afflictions—how much more when his power is complete!
Sūtra ②: Seeking Awakening within Dharmas Empty of Nature Is a Hard Thing—To Make the World Safe, To Make the World at Ease, To Save the World, the World's Refuge, the World's Place of Support, the World's Ultimate Path, the World's Island, the World's Guide
Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! The bodhisattva-mahāsattvas can do what is hard to do—within all dharmas empty of their own nature they seek anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi and wish to obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.’
The Buddha said: ‘Just so! Just so! Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattvas can do what is hard to do—within all dharmas empty of their own nature they seek anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi and wish to obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Subhūti! The bodhisattva-mahāsattvas arouse the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of making the world safe; for the sake of making the world at ease, for the sake of saving the world, for the sake of being the world's refuge, for the sake of being the world's place of support, for the sake of being the world's island, for the sake of being the world's guide, for the sake of being the world's ultimate path, for the sake of being that toward which the world tends, they arouse the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi.
‘Subhūti! How is it that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva arouses the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of making the world safe? Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, he draws out the beings of the six destinies and sets them in the place of nirvāṇa, the fearless further shore. Subhūti! This is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's arousing the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of making the world safe.
‘How is it that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva arouses the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of making the world at ease? Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, he draws beings out of their various sorrows, sufferings, griefs, and vexations and sets them in the place of nirvāṇa, the fearless further shore. Subhūti! This is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's arousing the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of making the world at ease.
‘How is it that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva arouses the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of saving the world? Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, he saves beings from the various sufferings within birth and death, and also, for the sake of cutting off this suffering, expounds the Dharma for them; beings, having heard the Dharma, gradually attain deliverance by relying on the three vehicles. Subhūti! This is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's arousing the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of saving the world.
‘How is it that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva arouses the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of being the world's refuge? Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, he draws beings out of the marks of birth, old age, sickness, and death and the dharmas of sorrow, grief, distress, and vexation, and sets them in the place of nirvāṇa, the fearless further shore. Subhūti! This is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's arousing the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of being the world's refuge.
‘How is it that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva arouses the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of being the world's place of support? Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, he expounds for beings that all dharmas are without a place of support. Subhūti! This is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's arousing the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of being the world's place of support.’
Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! How are all dharmas without a place of support?’
The Buddha said: ‘Form not continuing is form's non-arising; form's non-arising is form's non-ceasing; form's non-ceasing is form's being without a place of support; feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds, are also like this. Subhūti! This is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's arousing the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of being the world's place of support. How is it that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva arouses the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of being the world's ultimate path? Subhūti! If, when the bodhisattva-mahāsattva obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, he expounds for beings such a Dharma: the ultimate mark of form is not form; the ultimate mark of feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to the ultimate mark of the omniscience of all kinds, is not the omniscience of all kinds. Subhūti! As with the ultimate mark, so too are the marks of all dharmas.’
Subhūti said: ‘World-Honored One! If all dharmas are like the ultimate mark, then the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas should all obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Why? World-Honored One! Within the ultimate mark of form there is no discrimination; within the ultimate mark of feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness there is no discrimination; and so on up to within the ultimate mark of the omniscience of all kinds there is no discrimination—namely: this is form; this is feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness; and so on up to this is the omniscience of all kinds.’
The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘Just so! Just so! Within the ultimate mark of form there is no discrimination; within the ultimate mark of feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds, there is no discrimination—namely: this is form, and so on up to this is the omniscience of all kinds. Subhūti! This is the hard thing of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva: contemplating thus the quiescent mark of all dharmas, his mind does not sink and does not shrink back. Why? This bodhisattva-mahāsattva reflects thus: these deep dharmas I should know thus, and obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; such quiescent and subtle dharmas should be expounded for beings. This is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's arousing the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of being the world's ultimate path.
‘How is it that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva arouses the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of being the world's island? Subhūti! As with rivers and the great sea, when the water on the four sides is cut off, this is called an island. Subhūti! Form is also like this: its prior limit and later limit are cut off; the prior limit and later limit of feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are cut off; and so on up to the prior limit and later limit of the omniscience of all kinds are cut off. Because these prior and later limits are cut off, all dharmas too are cut off. Subhūti! Because the prior and later limits of all these dharmas are cut off, this is quiescence, this is the wondrous treasure—namely emptiness, nothing to be attained, the exhaustion of love without remainder, separation from desire, nirvāṇa. Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, he expounds the quiescent and subtle Dharma for beings. Subhūti! This is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's arousing the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of being the world's island.
‘How is it that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva arouses the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of being the world's guide? Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, he expounds for beings that form is non-arising and non-ceasing, neither stained nor pure, expounds that feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are non-arising and non-ceasing, neither stained nor pure; expounds that the twelve sense-fields, the eighteen elements, the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path, the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, and the five supernormal powers are non-arising and non-ceasing, neither stained nor pure; expounds that the fruit of srota-āpanna and so on up to the fruit of arhat, and the path of the pratyekabuddha, are non-arising and non-ceasing, neither stained nor pure; expounds that the ten powers of the Buddha and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds are non-arising and non-ceasing, neither stained nor pure. Subhūti! This is the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's arousing the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of being the world's guide.’
Treatise ②: The Explanation—the Simile of Good Medicine Explains Safety, the Happiness of Nirvāṇa, the Simile of the Enemy and Thief Explains Saving the World, the Simile of Taking Refuge in a House from Violent Wind Explains the World's Refuge, the Question and Answer on the Two Kinds of Support, the Ultimate Path, the Water Cut Off on the Four Sides of the Island, the Ship across the Four Floods Explains the Guide
The treatise-author explains:
Subhūti gave rise to a mind that found this rare, and said to the Buddha: ‘The bodhisattvas have not yet cut off the afflictions, their great compassion is not yet complete, they have not yet obtained avaivartika, and yet they know that the original nature of all dharmas is empty and can arouse the mind of the unsurpassed path; this matter is very hard.’
The Buddha approved his words: ‘Just so!’
And further he praised the causes and conditions of the bodhisattva's rareness, namely that the bodhisattva arouses the mind for the sake of making the world safe.
What is called 「安穩」 tr. "safety" is being able to break all afflictions, ultimately unchanging and unfailing; it is like a good medicine that can break an illness, regardless of whether it is sweet or bitter, because it can ultimately remove the illness and make a person safe. The Buddha can make beings constantly safe, not only looking to one life or two lives. As for the happiness of the world, some dharmas, though safe, are not happy; some dharmas are suffering in this life and happiness in the next life. As when one takes bitter medicine, the belly is settled, but the mouth is not pleased. Therefore it is said: 「佛能與今世、後世樂。」 tr. "The Buddha can give the happiness of this life and of the next life." Because the six destinies have the mark of impermanence, they are not safe; therefore it is said that leaving the six destinies is called safety.
Worldly happiness, because of the causes and conditions of craving and clinging, is sure after a long time to give rise to sorrow and vexation, and is not called happiness; the happiness of nirvāṇa never changes from beginning to end, and so it is said that being apart from sorrow and suffering is happiness.
What is called 「救世間」 tr. "saving the world" is as when a person is pursued by an enemy and thief, and either kin or the power of officials can save him; beings are also like this: pursued by the causes and conditions of evil sins and the afflictions, and by Māra's people, only the buddhas can expound the Dharma to save and protect them.
What is called 「世間歸」 tr. "the world's refuge" is as when a person meets violent wind and sudden rain, he is sure to take refuge in a house; the world's various wrong views, afflictions, and the rest, the pains and vexations inside and outside body and mind, old age, sickness, death, and the various sorrows and sufferings—if they take refuge in the Buddha, the Buddha by various causes and conditions draws out their sorrow, grief, suffering, and vexation.
What is called 「依處」 tr. "place of support" is this: all conditioned dharmas are born from the coming together of causes and conditions, and so have no power of their own and cannot be taken as support. Beings, pressed by suffering, come to take support in the Buddha, and the Buddha expounds for them the dharma without support. The dharma without support alone is real, namely nirvāṇa without remainder: form and the rest of the five aggregates are extinguished and no longer continue; not continuing is non-arising and non-ceasing; non-arising and non-ceasing is ultimate emptiness, with no place of support.
The treatise-author asks:
If there is no place of support, why is support spoken of again?
The treatise-author answers:
Support is of two kinds: one, taking support in conditioned dharmas by way of the afflictions, love, views, and the rest; two, pure wisdom speaks of taking support in nirvāṇa. It is because of the afflictions and views that no support is spoken of.
What is called 「究竟道」 tr. "the ultimate path" is precisely the real mark of all dharmas, ultimate emptiness. Dharmas such as form do not exist within the prior limit, and do not exist within the later limit either; in the present, ordinary people, by recollection, imagining, and discrimination, and through the power of the faculties that are the fruit and retribution of deeds, have inverted views; the holy ones, with the eye of wisdom, contemplate them all as false, deceptive, and unreal. As with the prior limit and the later limit, so too is the middle; if there is no before and after, how could there be a middle? To be able to expound the Dharma thus for beings is to set beings in the ultimate and foremost path.
What is called 「世間洲」 tr. "the world's island" is this: as an island has no land on its four sides, dharmas such as form are also like this: the prior limit and the later limit are both unfindable; the middle is as was refuted under the ultimate path. Because one enters the emptiness of both the prior limit and the later limit, the middle too is empty. What is called 「水」 tr. "water" is the afflictions, the three outflows and the four floods, and all the dharmas within the fruit and retribution of deeds. Ultimate emptiness, with nothing grasped, namely nirvāṇa—this is the island.
Beings are sunk in the waters of the four floods, and the Buddha, with the ship of the eightfold noble path, draws them onto the island of nirvāṇa. Receiving, drawing, and delivering beings by such various causes and conditions is called 「將導」 tr. "the guide".
Sūtra ③: That toward Which the World Tends—All Dharmas Tend toward Emptiness, toward the Signless, toward Non-action, and So On up to toward the Buddha, and This Tending Does Not Pass Beyond; at the End, the Question of Who Can Believe in and Understand It, and of His Nature, Mark, and Appearance
‘How is it that the bodhisattva-mahāsattva arouses the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of being that toward which the world tends? Subhūti! When the bodhisattva-mahāsattva obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, he expounds for beings that form tends toward emptiness, expounds that feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness tend toward emptiness, and so on up to expounds that the omniscience of all kinds tends toward emptiness. He expounds for beings that form neither tends nor does not tend. Why? This form is the mark of emptiness; it neither tends nor does not tend. He expounds that feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness neither tend nor do not tend. Why? These—feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness—are the mark of emptiness; they neither tend nor do not tend. And so on up to: the omniscience of all kinds neither tends nor does not tend. Why? This omniscience of all kinds is the mark of emptiness; it neither tends nor does not tend. Thus, Subhūti! the bodhisattva-mahāsattva arouses the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi for the sake of being that toward which the world tends. Why? All dharmas tend toward emptiness; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within emptiness, tending and not tending are unfindable. Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward the signless; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within the signless, tending and not tending are unfindable. Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward non-action; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within non-action, tending and not tending are unfindable. Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward non-origination; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within non-origination, tending and not tending are unfindable. Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward being without anything existent, toward non-arising and non-ceasing, toward neither stained nor pure; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within being without anything existent, non-arising and non-ceasing, neither stained nor pure, tending and not tending are unfindable.
‘Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward a dream; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within a dream, tending and not tending are unfindable. Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward an illusion, tend toward an echo, tend toward a shadow, tend toward a transformation; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within these, transformation and the rest, tending and not tending are unfindable.
‘Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward being without measure and without limit; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within being without measure and without limit, tending and not tending are unfindable.
‘Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward not given and not taken; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within not given and not taken, tending and not tending are unfindable. Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward not raised and not lowered; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within not raised and not lowered, tending and not tending are unfindable.
‘Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward not increased and not decreased; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within being without increase and without decrease, tending and not tending are unfindable. Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward not coming and not going; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within not coming and not going, tending and not tending are unfindable. Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward not entering and not leaving, not joined and not scattered, not clinging and not severed; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within not clinging and not severed, tending and not tending are unfindable.
‘Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward self, being, life, person, the one who initiates, the one who causes to initiate, the maker, the one who causes to make, the knower, the seer; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because self and so on up to the knower and the seer are ultimately unfindable—how much less could there still be tending and not tending!
‘Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward permanence; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because permanence is ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending? Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward happiness, purity, and self; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because happiness, purity, and self are ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending? Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward impermanence, suffering, impurity, and non-self; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because impermanence, suffering, impurity, and non-self are ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending?
‘Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward the matters of desire; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because the matters of desire are ultimately unfindable—how much less could there still be tending and not tending? Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward the matters of hatred, the matters of delusion, and the matters of views; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because the matters of hatred, the matters of delusion, and the matters of views are ultimately unfindable—how much less could there still be tending and not tending?
‘Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward suchness; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within suchness there is no coming and no going. Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward the nature of dharmas, the limit of reality, and the nature of the inconceivable; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within the nature of dharmas, the limit of reality, and the nature of the inconceivable there is no coming and no going. Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward equality; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within equality, tending and not tending are unfindable. Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward the mark of immovability; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within the mark of immovability, tending and not tending are unfindable.
‘Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward form; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because form is ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending? Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending? The twelve sense-fields and the eighteen elements are also like this.
‘Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward dānapāramitā; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because dāna is ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending? Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward śīlapāramitā; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because śīla is ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending? Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward kṣāntipāramitā; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because kṣānti is ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending? Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward vīryapāramitā; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because vīrya is ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending? Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward dhyānapāramitā; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because dhyāna is ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending? Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward prajñāpāramitā; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because prajñā is ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending?
‘Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward inner emptiness; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because inner emptiness is ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending? Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward outer emptiness; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because outer emptiness is ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending? Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward inner-and-outer emptiness; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because inner-and-outer emptiness is ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending? And so on up to: all dharmas tend toward the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas is ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending?
‘Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path are ultimately unfindable; how could there be tending and not tending?
‘Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward the ten powers of the Buddha and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within the omniscience of all kinds, tending and not tending are unfindable.
‘Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward the fruit of srota-āpanna, the fruit of sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of anāgāmin, the fruit of arhat, and the path of the pratyekabuddha; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within the fruit of srota-āpanna and so on up to the path of the pratyekabuddha, tending and not tending are unfindable. Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, tending and not tending are unfindable. Subhūti! All dharmas tend toward the srota-āpanna and so on up to the Buddha; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within the srota-āpanna and so on up to the Buddha, tending and not tending are unfindable.’
Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! Who can believe in and understand this deep prajñāpāramitā?’
The Buddha told Subhūti: ‘There are bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who have long practised the six perfections in the presence of the buddhas before, whose roots of goodness are fully ripened, who have made offerings to countless hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭi of buddhas, and who keep company with good friends; people of this kind can believe in and understand deep prajñāpāramitā.’
Subhūti said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One! One who can believe in and understand this deep prajñāpāramitā—what nature, what mark, what appearance does he have?’
The Buddha said: ‘The severance and separation from desire, hatred, and delusion is his nature, mark, and appearance; this bodhisattva-mahāsattva can then believe in and understand deep prajñāpāramitā.’
Treatise ③: Why Tending Alone Is Spoken of at Length, Tending as the Place Where the Nine Matters Return, the Simile of Space Having Only a Name, the Sixteen Names Such as Self, the Four Inversions Such as Permanence, Those of Long Practice Being Able to Believe and the Separation from the Three Poisons, Severance Being of Two Kinds
The treatise-author asks:
Among the matters above, all was spoken of briefly; why now, within 「趣」 tr. "tending", is it spoken of at length?
The treatise-author answers:
「趣」 tr. "Tending" gathers up the nine matters above and is the place where they return, and so much is said of it.
Furthermore, ease and the other matters, and tending, are all of one meaning: all of them draw beings out and set them in nirvāṇa. If every matter were spoken of at length, the speaking could never be finished; because 「趣」 tr. "tending" comes last, it is spoken of at length; know that all the rest ought likewise to be spoken of at length.
What is called 「色等法趣空」 tr. "dharmas such as form tend toward emptiness" is like space, which has only a name and no real dharma; dharmas such as form are also like this, in the end returning to emptiness. Because the ultimate mark of all dharmas is certainly empty, all the rest is false. As with a person who at first speaks well, and only after a long time is his real disposition known; form and the other dharmas are also like this: when they enter nirvāṇa without remainder they are no different from space, and one should know that before it was also so; only ordinary people, because of the retribution of inversion, see them as different. No dharma can pass out beyond the marks of emptiness and the rest, as a person who wishes to pass out beyond space cannot do so.
The sixteen names such as self are all names that provisionally exist because of the coming together of the five aggregates; there is no real dharma—how could there be tending and not tending?
If there are the four inversions such as permanence, purity, happiness, and self, they break the four noble practices. As the four dharmas such as permanence are unfindable, because of inversion, form and the other dharmas are also like this. As permanence and the rest are unfindable, impermanence and the rest, because they come out of permanence and the rest, are also unfindable. Therefore it is said: 「一切法趣常等、趣無常等。」 tr. "All dharmas tend toward permanence and the rest, tend toward impermanence and the rest."
Subhūti asked the Buddha: ‘This Dharma is very deep and subtle; who can believe in and understand it?’
The Buddha answered: ‘Those with causes and conditions such as long practice can believe.’
He asked further: ‘What mark do those of long practice and the rest have?’
The Buddha answered: ‘This person is separated from the mind of the three poisons, and also does not see that there is this separation, because he has deeply entered the real mark of all dharmas.’
The treatise-author asks:
This person has not yet obtained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas; how can it be said 「斷三毒」 tr. "he has severed the three poisons"?
The treatise-author answers:
Severance is of two kinds: one, severance at the root; two, severance that thins and lessens. Here it is severance that thins and lessens that is meant. The practitioner does not discriminate that this is severance and this is affliction. Why? Because the mark of the afflictions is inverted and not fixed, the afflictions are themselves severance, and so it says separation.
善知識品：問新學所行何以答久行微妙事，性空何以分大小二種，善知識何以先教供養而後說五度，金翅鳥子初生何以能從一須彌至一須彌，於性空中求菩提何以是難事，九事何以皆名利世，說無依處何以又說依止，究竟相中無分別何以不即是人人皆得，四邊水斷何以名洲，九事之後何以獨於趣中廣說，未得無生忍何以得言斷三毒
在問什麼
這一品從一個極平實的問題起頭。須菩提向佛稟白：新學的菩薩摩訶薩，應當怎樣學般若波羅蜜，怎樣學禪、精進、忍、戒、檀波羅蜜？問的是入門處——一個剛發心的人，第一步該把力氣放在哪裡。
佛的回答出人意表，卻正是本品得名之處：先當親近、供養能宣說這深般若波羅蜜的善知識。不是先教你觀什麼、坐什麼，是先教你找對人。而善知識所教的內容更出人意表：一切布施、持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定、智慧，都迴向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；然後是一長串的「莫以」——莫以色是菩提，莫以受想行識是菩提，莫以六波羅蜜是菩提，莫以內空乃至無法有法空是菩提，莫以三十七品是菩提，莫以四禪四無量心四無色定五神通是菩提，莫以佛十力乃至十八不共法是菩提；接著又是一長串的「莫貪」，一路貪到不可貪處，收在一句「諸法性空故」。
問題就在這裡：須菩提問的是新學所行，佛答的卻是不取一切法、一切法性空——這是久行菩薩的微妙境界。論主開卷第一問，問的正是這件事。全品的第一條義脈由此拉開：新學與久行之間，究竟是隔開的兩段路，還是同一條路的兩處？
第二段由須菩提的一句讚歎轉入：諸菩薩摩訶薩能做難做的事——在一切自性空的法中求阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。既然一切法性空，所求的菩提也空，能求的人也空，那麼這「求」是怎麼成立的？佛可其言，隨即列出九件事來答：菩薩為安隱世間、安樂世間、救世間、作世間歸、作世間依處、作世間洲、作世間將導、作世間究竟道、作世間趣向，而發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。九件事逐一開示，中間兩次被須菩提追問打斷——一問「云何一切法無依處」，一問『若一切法如究竟相，諸菩薩豈不都應得菩提』。第九事「趣」被留到最後，然後廣說得極長極密：一切法趣空、趣無相、趣無作、趣無起，趣夢、趣幻、趣嚮、趣影、趣化，趣我乃至知者見者，趣常樂淨我、趣無常苦不淨無我，趣六波羅蜜、趣諸空、趣三十七品、趣佛十力乃至一切種智，趣須陀洹乃至佛——句句都結在同一句：是趣不過。
末後一轉最要緊。這樣的法，誰信得了？佛答：久行六波羅蜜、善根純熟、供養無數諸佛、與善知識相隨的人。四樣之中的最後一樣，正是本品開頭的那一樣——善知識。首尾在此扣合：善知識不是新學的臨時扶手，是一路到能信深般若為止的同行者。再問這樣的人有什麼相貌，佛答：欲、瞋、癡斷離，就是他的性、相、貌。論主末後替我們問了最後一個難處：這人還沒得無生法忍，怎麼談得上「斷三毒」？
逐段解明
一、問新學之所行。 須菩提所問，措辭極有次第：般若、禪、毘梨耶、羼提、尸羅、檀——從般若倒數回布施。問的不是六度各自的修法，是新學的人面對這六件事該從何下手。要留意發問的人是誰：須菩提是深達空義的長老，他替新學者問，不是自己不會；這是為初心人問路。
二、佛答之第一著：先當親近供養善知識。 佛不先答觀法，先指人：先當親近、供養能宣說這深般若波羅蜜的善知識。這裡有一道限定不可略過——「能說是深般若波羅蜜者」。善知識之為善知識，不在名位、不在親厚，在他能不能把深般若說出來。這一句是全品的定盤星：本品講的善知識，是以所說之法為判準的。
三、善知識所教之一：一切迴向。 善知識開口教的第一件事，不是空，是迴向：所有布施，一切迴向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；所有持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定、智慧，一切迴向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。要看見這個次序：先把六度的果實整個交出去，指向無上菩提，然後纔說不取。先有迴向之大，纔堪受不取之空；若無迴向而先聞不取，便成斷滅。
四、善知識所教之二：莫以諸法是菩提。 接著是一串否定：莫以色、受、想、行、識是菩提，莫以六波羅蜜是菩提，莫以內空乃至無法有法空是菩提，莫以四念處乃至八聖道分是菩提，莫以四禪、四無量心、四無色定、五神通是菩提，莫以佛十力乃至十八不共法是菩提。所否定的不是這些法，是把這些法當成菩提本身這件事。佛隨即給出理由，而且理由是正面的：不取色便得菩提，不取受想行識便得菩提，不取六度、不取諸空、不取三十七品乃至十八不共法便得菩提。「不取」不是不修，是修而不執為所得。
五、善知識所教之三：莫貪，乃至莫貪菩提。 第三串更進一層，從「莫以」轉成「莫貪」：行深般若時莫貪色，因為色不是可貪的；莫貪受想行識、莫貪六度、莫貪諸空、莫貪三十七品、莫貪四禪四無量四無色五神通、莫貪佛十力乃至一切種智；再往上，莫貪須陀洹果乃至阿羅漢果，莫貪辟支佛道，莫貪菩薩法位，莫貪阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。連菩薩法位與無上菩提都列在莫貪之內——這一串不留餘地。理由只有一句：諸法性空故。要看清這裡的「非可貪者」四字：不是說貪它不好，是說它根本不是一件可貪之物；貪心落空，不是被禁止，是無處可落。
六、論主之問：問新學何以答久行？ 論主開卷即問：須菩提問的是新學所行，佛為什麼回答菩薩久行的微妙之事——所謂「不取一切法，一切法性空故」？這一問問得極準，也極替讀者著想：新學的人聽到『連菩提都莫貪』，第一反應必是無從下手。若不先立此問，後文的分判便無處安放。
七、答：性空有大小二種。 論主的答語是一個分判：諸法性空有兩種，一是大菩薩所證得的，二是小菩薩所學的柔順忍、以智慧發心的；這裡只說小菩薩所學的空。一詞兩義，難處立解——同說「性空」，久行者是所得，新學者是所學；同一個字，在兩個階位上有兩種分量。佛答的不是久行境界，是新學可學的那一分空。
八、實智氣分與頂法之喻。 論主再進一解：有真實智慧的氣分，佛便把他算入菩薩之數；沒有，雖久行其餘功德也不算入菩薩之數。隨即引聲聞法中的頂法為喻：於三寶之中有少分信名為頂法；這信超過煖法，由修禪定而生，以色界心而得；對佛的無礙解脫來說是小，對凡夫來說是大。喻意極貼切：頂法之信在凡夫為大、在佛為小，新發意菩薩得般若之氣味亦然——他超過五波羅蜜的功德，於凡夫為大，於佛為小。「氣分」「氣味」二字是這一段的關鍵：不是已得，是已沾；而已沾便已入數。
九、何以先教供養親近，及金翅鳥子與小火二喻。 論主第三解，正面回答本品的體例：佛不直接說諸法性空，先教供養、親近善知識；善知識為他說五波羅蜜的功德。要注意這裡的分工——善知識說的是五度功德，佛所稱許的只是其中不壞之法，所謂對色等諸法不貪、不著、不取。善知識種種教化是入手，佛所印可的是那一味不壞。隨後兩喻，是全品最有力的兩句：金翅鳥的雛鳥才生下來，就能從一座須彌飛到另一座須彌——菩薩初學便能生起這樣的深智，何況久學；小火也能燒，何況大火——菩薩新學時就能以般若轉世間法令它畢竟空、燒諸煩惱，何況力量具足之時。二喻所立的是同一個道理：種性一旦是那個種性，初生之力已不可以小視。答佛何以答久行事者，至此圓滿——不是佛答非所問，是新學者本來就承得起。
十、須菩提歎難事，佛可其言。 第二段經文由須菩提的讚歎起：諸菩薩摩訶薩能做難做的事——在一切自性空的法中求阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，想要得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。佛直接可其言：如是！如是！並把這句話原樣重說一遍。要留意這裡的難處落在哪裡：不在事相之勞苦，在義理之相違——所求既空，而求心不歇。
十一、九事之總標。 佛隨即列出九事：為安隱世間、為安樂世間、為救世間、為世間歸、為世間依處、為世間洲、為世間將導、為世間究竟道、為世間趣，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。九事是一組答語：性空中何以有求？因為所求不在自身，在世間。九事的共同結構是『為……故發心』，主語始終是菩薩，受益始終是眾生。
十二、安隱世間。 第一事：菩薩得菩提時，拔出六道眾生，安著在無畏彼岸的涅槃之處。「六道」與「無畏岸」相對——所拔的是輪轉，所安的是無畏。
十三、安樂世間。 第二事與第一事只差一字，所拔者不同：拔出眾生種種憂苦愁惱，安著無畏岸涅槃處。前一事拔其處所，此一事拔其受苦。安隱與安樂之別在此，不可讀成重複。
十四、救世間。 第三事多出一段：菩薩救眾生生死中種種苦，並且為了斷此苦的緣故而為他們說法；眾生聞法，漸漸依三乘而得度脫。要看見「亦為斷是苦故而為說法」一句——救不止於拔苦之事，更在於授斷苦之法；也要看見「漸以三乘而得度脫」——所度是三乘之機，不是一概齊等。
十五、世間歸。 第四事所拔者又不同：拔出眾生生老病死之相、憂悲愁惱之法。生老病死是相，憂悲愁惱是法；歸處之所以為歸處，正因為它能接住這兩樣。
十六、世間依處，與「一切法無依處」之問答。 第五事說得最短，也最奇：菩薩得菩提時，為眾生說一切法無依處。說「無依處」而名為「依處」——須菩提立刻追問：世尊！云何一切法無依處？佛的答語是一串相即：色不相續就是色無生，色無生就是色不滅，色不滅就是色無依處；受想行識乃至一切種智也是如此。四句層層相即，把「無依處」從一個否定詞落實成一串法義：不相續故無生，無生故不滅，不滅故無所依。所謂依處，是指出一切法本無可依——這正是最穩的依處。
十七、世間究竟道之經說。 第六事：菩薩得菩提時，為眾生說這樣的法——色的究竟相不是色，受想行識乃至一切種智的究竟相不是一切種智；如同究竟相，一切法相也是如此。「究竟相非是色」一句是全段的樞紐：一法推到究竟，所得的不是那一法。
十八、須菩提之難：究竟相中無分別，豈不人人皆得？ 須菩提就此設難：若一切法如同究竟相，那麼諸菩薩摩訶薩都應當得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。理由是：色的究竟相中沒有分別，受想行識乃至一切種智的究竟相中都沒有分別——所謂這是色、這是受想行識、乃至這是一切種智，這些分別在究竟相中都立不住。這一難提得極利：若究竟相中無分別，則得與未得之分別亦不應立。
十九、佛可其難而轉出難事：觀寂滅而心不沒不却。 佛不駁這一難，反而先承認：如是！如是！究竟相中確實無有分別。然後把落點一轉：須菩提！這就是菩薩摩訶薩的難事——這樣觀諸法寂滅之相而心不沈沒、不退却。難事之所以為難事，正在此處：見了寂滅還肯發心。佛並說出菩薩此時的心念：這些深法，我應當這樣了知而得菩提；這樣寂滅微妙的法，應當為眾生宣說。難處不在理不通，在見理之後不逃——理上人人皆是究竟相，事上肯不退轉的纔叫菩薩。
二十、世間洲。 第七事立一新喻：若江河大海，四邊的水斷絕，這名為洲。色也是如此前後際斷，受想行識乃至一切種智前後際斷；因為前後際斷的緣故，一切法也斷；一切法前後際斷的緣故，就是寂滅、就是妙寶——所謂空、無所得、愛盡無餘、離欲、涅槃。菩薩得菩提時，以此寂滅微妙之法為眾生說。要看清這個喻的巧處：洲之所以為洲，不是因為它比水多了什麼，是因為水在它四邊斷了。前後際斷之處，就是可以立足之處。
二十一、世間將導。 第八事以「不生不滅、不垢不淨」貫穿一切法目：色、受想行識、十二處、十八界、四念處乃至八聖道分、四禪、四無量心、四無色定、五神通、須陀洹果乃至阿羅漢果、辟支佛道、佛十力乃至一切種智，一概不生不滅、不垢不淨。將導者，是在前引路的人；所引的路，就是這一句四不。
二十二、論主起釋，並第三人稱重述問答。 論主以「釋曰」起論，隨即以第三人稱重述前段經文：須菩提生起希有之心而白佛——諸菩薩未斷煩惱、大悲未具、未得阿鞞跋致，卻知諸法本性空而能發無上道心，這事甚難；佛許可他的話，說是這樣；又更讚歎菩薩希有的因緣，所謂菩薩為安穩世間故發心。這三句要合看：論主替經文標出了難事的三個所以然——煩惱未斷、大悲未具、阿鞞跋致未得。三樣都還沒有，卻已知本性空而肯發心，難處正在這個「未」字上。
二十三、「安穩」之訓與良藥之喻。 論主逐門訓釋，第一門是「安穩」：能破一切煩惱，究竟不變失。喻為良藥能破病，不問它是甘是苦，只因它能究竟除病、使人安穩。這一喻的用力處在「不問甘苦」四字——判斷一法好不好，不看入口的滋味，看它能不能究竟除病。佛能使眾生常安穩，不只期於一世、二世；又分辨：有的法雖安穩而不樂，有的法今世苦而後世樂，如服苦藥，腹中安穩而口中不美。所以說：「佛能與今世、後世樂。」最後收在一句：六道是無常之相所以不是安穩，因此說出離六道名為安穩。
二十四、樂之訓：世間樂與涅槃樂。 論主續釋第二門：世間的樂因為貪著的因緣，久後必定生起憂惱，所以不名為樂；涅槃之樂始終沒有變異，所以說離憂苦為樂。判樂不判樂的準繩，在「始終無變」四字，不在當下的受用強弱。
二十五、「救世間」之訓與怨賊追逐之喻。 第三門：如同人被怨賊追逐，若是親戚、若是官府之力便能救他；眾生也是如此，被惡罪諸煩惱的因緣以及魔民所追逐，唯有諸佛能說法救護。喻中有兩層：追逐者分內外——惡罪煩惱是自內，魔民是自外；能救者卻只有一種，就是說法。
二十六、「世間歸」之訓與暴風歸舍之喻。 第四門：如同人遇到暴風疾雨，必定歸向房舍。所歸之處要能擋得住風雨；世間種種邪見煩惱、身心內外的苦惱老病死諸憂苦，若歸向佛，佛便以種種因緣拔其憂悲苦惱。歸的動作是急難中的本能，這一喻把歸依說得極平實——不是儀式，是風雨中人自然的一步。
二十七、「依處」之訓。 第五門說得最深：一切有為法都從和合因緣而生的緣故，沒有自力、不可依止。眾生被苦所逼而來依止佛，佛卻為他說無依止之法。無依止的法纔是真實，所謂無餘涅槃——色等五眾滅盡，不再相續；不相續就是不生不滅，不生不滅就是畢竟空，無依止處。眾生來求一個可靠的東西，佛給他的是『沒有一個東西可靠』這件真實。
二十八、夾問答：若無依止處，何以說依止？ 論主在此門中自設一問，這是本段唯一的一組問曰答曰：若沒有依止之處，為什麼又說依止？答語是分判：依止有兩種，一是以愛、見等諸煩惱依止有為法，二是以清淨智慧說依止涅槃；因為煩惱見的緣故說無依止。一字兩用，難處即解——所破的是煩惱之依，所存的是清淨智慧之依。讀「無依處」而以為連涅槃也不可依，是把兩種依止混成一種。
二十九、「究竟道」之訓。 第六門：究竟道就是諸法實相、畢竟空。論主以三世推之：色等法前際之中沒有，後際之中也沒有；在現在之中，凡夫以憶想分別、因業果報諸情之力而有顛倒見，聖人以智慧眼觀之都是虛誑不實。隨後一句是全段的骨：如同前際後際，中間也是如此；若沒有先後，怎麼會有中間？能這樣為眾生說法，便是安置眾生於究竟第一之道中。前後既無，中間自倒——這是本品最簡淨的一個推法。
三十、「世間洲」之訓與「水」之訓。 第七門承前而立：如同洲的四邊沒有地，色等法也是如此，前際後際都不可得；中間，如同在究竟道中所破的——進入前後皆空的緣故，中間也空。論主又特別訓「水」字：所謂水，是三漏、四流諸煩惱以及業果報中的一切法。三漏，論主於卷二十三自列：欲漏、有漏、無明漏——欲界煩惱、色無色界煩惱、及貫三界之無明；四流，論主此處未開其目，經中通說欲流、有流、見流、無明流：欲流是欲界之貪等煩惱，有流是色無色界之愛著於有，見流是諸邪見，無明流是貫三界之癡——即同一煩惱從『漂流眾生』一面立名。漏是漏泄不止，流是漂沒不停：兩名合說，正是「水」之所以為水。畢竟空、無所取，所謂涅槃，這就是洲。經文只說洲，論主補出水；有水纔顯洲，煩惱業報之流不解，涅槃之為洲便無著落。
三十一、「將導」之訓與四流之船。 第八門收在一個動作上：眾生沈沒在四流之水中，佛以八正道之船引導他們到涅槃洲上；像這樣種種因緣接引度脫眾生名為「將導」。洲、水、船三喻至此接成一串——前門立洲，此門立船；所立之洲是涅槃，所乘之船是八正道。
三十二、第九事「趣」之經說起：色趣空，非趣非不趣。 第三段經文承前段佛的開示續說第九事。菩薩得菩提時為眾生說色趣空，說受想行識趣空，乃至說一切種智趣空；又說色非趣非不趣，因為色是空相的緣故；受想行識乃至一切種智亦然。一句之中先說「趣空」再說「非趣非不趣」，不是自相矛盾：說趣空，是就一切法的歸處說；說非趣非不趣，是就空相之中無有趣相說。前句遣其散，後句遣其執。
三十三、趣空、無相、無作、無起、無所有——是趣不過。 接著是本品最長的一串排比，句式固定：一切法趣某某，是趣不過；何以故？某某之中，趣、非趣不可得故。先列空、無相、無作三解脫門，再加無起，再加無所有、不生不滅、不垢不淨。「是趣不過」四字是全段的眼：趣到這裡就沒有再往前的了。不是被攔住，是無處可過——因為所趣之處本身無有趣相。
三十四、趣夢、幻、嚮、影、化，趣無量無邊。 排比續行，改以喻法為所趣：一切法趣夢，是趣不過，因為夢中趣、非趣不可得；趣幻、趣嚮、趣影、趣化亦然，因為這化等之中趣、非趣不可得。再列無量、無邊。從三解脫門轉到夢幻嚮影化，所趣之物換了，結論一字不改——這正是排比體的用意：法目千變，理只一條。
三十五、趣不與不取、不舉不下、不增不減、不來不去、不入不出不合不散不著不斷。 排比再進，所趣者全是成對的遮詞。這一組值得單看：不與不取、不舉不下、不增不減、不來不去、不入不出、不合不散、不著不斷——每一對都是把兩端同時否掉。一切法趣向這樣的兩端俱遣之處，而在這樣的地方，連趣與非趣也不可得。
三十六、趣我、眾生、壽命乃至知者見者。 這一條換了理由的措辭：一切法趣我、眾生、壽命、人、起、使起、作、使作、知者、見者，是趣不過；何以故？我乃至知者見者畢竟不可得，何況還會有趣與非趣。前面諸條說「趣、非趣不可得」，此條先說所趣者本身「畢竟不可得」，再用「何況」推進一層。所趣既是假名，趣之有無更無從談起。
三十七、趣常樂淨我、趣無常苦不淨無我，趣欲瞋癡見事。 這一組最堪玩味：一切法趣有常、趣樂淨我，是趣不過；一切法趣無常、苦、不淨、無我，也是趣不過。四倒與四聖行的對治語被放在同一個句式裡同樣遣除。接著是趣欲事、趣瞋事、癡事、見事，理由同前——畢竟不可得。連煩惱之事也在「是趣不過」之列，可見此處說的不是價值高下，是一切法的歸處。
三十八、趣如、法性、實際、不可思議性、平等、不動相。 這一組的理由換了說法：一切法趣如，是趣不過，因為如中無來無去；趣法性、實際、不可思議性亦然，因為其中無來無去。趣平等、趣不動相，則仍用「趣、非趣不可得」。「無來無去」是就實相自身說，「趣、非趣不可得」是就趣這件事說；兩種理由並存，不必強為劃一。
三十九、趣色受想行識、十二處十八界，趣六波羅蜜。 排比回到最基本的法目：趣色、趣受想行識，因為色與受想行識畢竟不可得；十二處、十八界也是如此。再逐一列六波羅蜜：趣檀、趣尸羅、趣羼提、趣毘梨耶、趣禪、趣般若，每一條都以該度「畢竟不可得故」為由。六度一一點名而不用「乃至」略過，這是本經行文的莊重處——所修之法，一件也不含糊地放進這句話裡。
四十、趣內空、外空、內外空乃至無法有法空，趣四念處乃至八聖道分。 諸空門與三十七品同樣入列：趣內空、趣外空、趣內外空，乃至趣無法有法空，皆是趣不過，因為諸空畢竟不可得；趣四念處乃至八聖道分，亦是趣不過，因為三十七品畢竟不可得。連「空」本身也在所趣而不可得之列——這是本段不可略讀的一句。
四十一、趣佛十力乃至一切種智，趣四果、辟支佛道乃至佛。 排比收束於果地：趣佛十力乃至一切種智，是趣不過，因為一切種智之中趣、非趣不可得；趣須陀洹果、斯陀含果、阿那含果、阿羅漢果、辟支佛道，趣阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，趣須陀洹乃至佛，皆是趣不過。從最初的色一路排到佛，句式始終不變。一部排比讀下來，所得的不是法目的清單，是一個貫徹到底的結論：任一法推到極處，都到同一個沒有趣相的地方。
四十二、誰能信解——四相之答。 須菩提在此收問：世尊！這深般若波羅蜜有誰能信解？佛答出四樣：先於諸佛所久行六波羅蜜、善根純熟、供養無數百千萬億諸佛、與善知識相隨。四樣之中，前三樣是自己的行與福，第四樣是外緣——而這外緣，正是本品起頭佛所教的第一著。首尾至此相扣：善知識不是新學階段的過渡，是能信深般若者的常隨之緣。
四十三、性、相、貌之問與三毒斷離之答。 須菩提再問：能信解的人有什麼樣的性、什麼樣的相、什麼樣的貌？佛答得極短：欲、瞋、癡斷離就是他的性、相、貌。問了三樣，答只一樣；三毒之離，既是他的體性，也是他的表相，也是他的容貌。信深般若的驗處不在言說，在三毒的分量。
四十四、論主之問：九事皆略說，何以獨於趣中廣說？ 第三段論釋起於一問：上面諸事之中都是略說，如今在「趣」之中為什麼廣說？這一問替讀者問出了讀經時的實際困惑——前八事各只數行，第九事卻鋪排了整整一大段。論主的答語只一句：「趣」是總攝上面九事的會歸之處，所以說得多。安隱、安樂、救、歸、依處、究竟道、洲、將導，八事說的都是菩薩對世間所作的事；趣說的是一切法的歸處——歸處既總攝，文字自然獨多。
四十五、復次：諸事同一義，趣最在後故廣說。 論主再補一解：安樂等事以及趣都是同一個意義，都是拔出眾生、安著於涅槃的緣故——此「著」與經文「著無畏岸涅槃處」之「著」同，是安置義；若事事都廣說便說不能盡，「趣」排在最後的緣故所以廣說；應當知道其餘的也都應當廣說。這一句解除了一個可能的誤會：不是趣比前八事重要，是文字之勢須有一處鋪開；前八事之略，讀者當以趣之廣例知。
四十六、「色等法趣空」之訓與虛空但有名之喻。 論主訓釋經文的第一句：所謂色等法趣空，如同虛空只有名稱而沒有實法；色等法也是如此，終究歸於空。因為諸法的究竟相必定是空的緣故，其餘的都是虛妄。隨即一個極平常的人事之喻：如同人起初雖然有善言，久久之後纔知道他的實情；色等諸法也是如此，進入無餘涅槃的時候與虛空沒有差別，應當知道先前也是如此，只是凡夫因為顛倒果報的緣故而見得有異。這個喻最值得記：不是入涅槃時色法纔變成空，是本來如此而久後方知——如同人的實情本來如此，只是初時未見。末後又以虛空立一反證：一切法沒有能超出空等諸相的，如同人想要超出虛空之外也不可得。經文「是趣不過」四字，至此得一正解。
四十七、我等十六名，五眾和合假有。 論主釋經文中「趣我、眾生、壽命」一組：我等十六個名字，都是因為五眾和合而假有這些名字，沒有實法，怎麼會有趣與非趣。經文舉我、眾生、壽命、人、起、使起、作、使作、知者、見者為例，論主以「十六名」總之，判為五眾和合上的假名。名既是假，趣之有無自然無從說起。
四十八、四顛倒破四聖行，常與無常俱不可得。 論主釋經文「趣常等、趣無常等」一組：若是常、淨、樂、我等四顛倒便破壞四聖行。如同常等四法不可得，是因為顛倒的緣故；色等諸法也是如此。再進一層：如同常等不可得，無常等是從常等而出的緣故所以也不可得。所以說：「一切法趣常等、趣無常等。」這一段是本品最精微的一轉——無常之所以也不可得，不是因為它不對，是因為它是對著常說的；能治之藥依所治之病而立，病空則藥亦空。
四十九、論主以敘事體重述末段問答。 論主末後不用問曰答曰的格式，改以第三人稱重述經文的問答：須菩提問佛，這法甚深微細，誰能信解；佛回答說，久行等因緣的人能信；又更問，久行等人有什麼樣的相；佛回答，這人離了三毒之心，也不見有這個離，因為深入諸法實相的緣故。要留意論主在佛的答語上補出的一句——「亦不見是離」。經文只說欲瞋癡斷離，論主點出：若見有一個「離」，那就還沒真離。深入實相故不見離，這一句是全品收束前最要緊的一筆。
五十、末問答：未得無生忍，何以言斷三毒？斷有二種。 論主替讀者提出最後一難：這人還沒有得無生忍法，怎麼說「斷三毒」？答語是本品最後一個分判：斷有兩種，一是根本斷，二是薄少斷；這裡說的是薄少斷。隨即說出薄少斷的相狀：行者不分別這是斷、這是煩惱；因為煩惱之相顛倒不定的緣故，煩惱就是斷，所以說離。一難一答收全品：斷不是先斷盡了纔算，是不再於煩惱上作實有之分別；煩惱相既顛倒不定，於此不取，即名為離。與本品開頭善知識所教的「莫貪」「不取」一線相通——全品始於不取，終於不取。
不要讀錯
不要把「先當親近、供養善知識」讀成把責任交給別人。經文的限定在「能說是深般若波羅蜜者」——善知識之為善知識，判在他所說之法，不判在關係。論主又特地說明：善知識雖種種教化，佛但稱其不壞法，所謂於色等諸法不貪、不著、不取。親近善知識不是把判斷權讓渡出去，是去領受那一味不壞之法；學人自己仍須認得哪一句是不壞的。末後佛答能信解者的四相，善知識只居其一，前三樣仍是自己的久行、善根與供養。
不要把『莫以諸法是菩提』『莫貪諸法』讀成不必修六度、三十七品。經文的正面理由說得明白：不取色便得菩提，不取六度乃至十八不共法便得菩提——是『不取而得』，不是『不修而得』。而且善知識所教的第一件事是把六度的果實一切迴向菩提，先有這一步，纔有後面的莫以與莫貪。若讀成六度可廢，則迴向無物可迴，全段自壞。
不要把性空的兩種讀成高下之爭。論主分出大菩薩所得之空與小菩薩所學柔順忍之空，是為了安頓新學者的下手處，不是判一真一假。頂法之喻已把分寸說盡：同一分信，於凡夫為大、於佛為小。金翅鳥子初生能從一須彌至一須彌，正是說新學之力不可小視——分大小是為了讓人肯下手，不是讓人自輕。
不要把「一切法無依處」讀成連涅槃也不可依。論主在此門中自設的那一組問答，正是為防這一誤：依止有二種，以愛見等煩惱依止有為法者，是所破；以清淨智慧說依止涅槃者，是所立；「煩惱見故說無依止」。經文說無依處，破的是有為法上的倚靠，不是把眾生推到無處可去。同理，「究竟相中無有分別」也不可讀成得與未得無別——佛可其言之後隨即轉出「是為菩薩摩訶薩難事」，落點在觀寂滅而心不沒不却，正是在無分別中不失發心。
不要把那一長串「是趣不過」讀成單調的重複而跳過。句式雖同，所趣之物層層更換，理由也有兩式：一式說「趣、非趣不可得」，一式說所趣者「畢竟不可得，何況當有趣、非趣」，趣如、法性一組又別作「無來無去」。尤其不可把趣常樂淨我與趣無常苦不淨無我等量讀過即算——論主特為此立一釋：無常等從常等出故亦不可得。能治之法隨所治而立，這一句若跳過，本品最精微的一轉便失了。
不要把「欲、瞋、癡斷離」讀成已斷盡無餘。論主末後的問答正為此設：這人未得無生忍法，所說的是薄少斷，不是根本斷。而薄少斷的相狀也不在分量上計較，在「不分別是斷、是煩惱」——煩惱相顛倒不定故，煩惱即是斷。再合論主前面補出的「亦不見是離」一句同讀：若心中存著一個已離的相，那正是還未離。本品說斷說離，處處指向不取，不指向計量。
修行作用
本品給用功人的第一件受用，是把『找對人』擺回第一位。佛答新學所問的第一句不是觀法，是先當親近、供養能說深般若的善知識。日用中揀擇親近之處，可用經文自帶的那把尺：他說不說得出深般若？他所教的，是不是把一切所行迴向無上菩提、而於諸法不貪不著不取？尺子不在名望與熱鬧上，在所說之法上。而末後佛列能信解者的四相，仍把「與善知識相隨」放在裡面——這不是入門一時之事，是長劫同行之事。
第二件受用，是新學者的自信與分寸。論主的頂法之喻、金翅鳥子之喻、小火之喻，三喻同教一事：初發心而得般若氣味者，其力已不可小視——鳥子初生已能從一須彌至一須彌，小火已能燒。用功人常以『我還不夠』而遲遲不肯下手深法；此三喻正可作回勘：所欠的是久行，不是資格。同時分寸也在：於凡夫為大，於佛為小——不自輕，亦不自足。
第三件受用，是九事可作發心的自檢。安隱、安樂、救、歸、依處、究竟道、洲、將導、趣——這九樣全是對著世間說的。日用中發心若乾了、行門若變成自家的事業，可以把這九句逐一問過：我此刻所行，於眾生是安隱嗎？是安樂嗎？是救嗎？能作歸、作依、作道、作洲、作將導嗎？九事之設，本就是佛用來回答『性空中何以有求』的——求心不在自身有所得，在世間有所濟。
第四件受用，在洲、水、船三喻的合看。眾生沒在四流水中，佛以八正道船引到涅槃洲上；而洲之所以為洲，是四邊水斷。行人日用中若覺無處著力，此三喻可作方向：不必先問腳下有沒有地，先問四邊之水是什麼——三漏四流諸煩惱及業果報中的一切法；水識得了，斷處即是洲，而渡去的船是八正道，不是別的。
第五件受用，是「是趣不過」可作止心之處。一切法趣空、趣無相、趣無作，乃至趣色、趣六度、趣諸空、趣三十七品、趣佛果，句句結在是趣不過。用功人心念奔逐時，可用這句回勘：此念所趣何處？趣到那裡，還有得過沒有？若所趣之處本身趣、非趣不可得，奔逐自然歇下。而論主的虛空之喻更給出一個平常的下手法：一切法無有過出空等諸相，如人欲出過虛空不可得——不是壓住念頭，是認得它無處可出。
第六件受用，是三毒之驗與「不見是離」之戒。佛說能信解深般若者的性相貌，只是欲瞋癡斷離；判自己於般若有沒有相應，最實在的驗處就在三毒的分量，不在解得多少。而論主兩句話同時防住兩邊：一邊是『未得無生忍云何言斷』——答以薄少斷，用功人不必因未斷根本而自廢；一邊是「亦不見是離」——用功人也不可因稍薄而自以為了。行者不分別是斷、是煩惱，煩惱相顛倒不定故，煩惱即是斷；於此不取，便是本品從頭教到尾的那一味。
承衍
本品的骨幹，是三段經文與三段論釋。經①自須菩提問新學菩薩云何學六波羅蜜起，佛答以先當親近、供養能說深般若之善知識，並出善知識所教三事：一切迴向、莫以諸法是菩提而不取便得、莫貪諸法乃至莫貪菩提，結以諸法性空故。論①先設一問——問新學所行何以答久行微妙事，答以性空二種：大菩薩所得、小菩薩所學柔順忍；次以實智氣分與頂法之喻明新學已入菩薩之數；末釋佛何以先教供養親近、佛但稱其不壞法，出金翅鳥子與小火二喻。經②自須菩提歎於性空中求菩提為難事起，佛可其言而總標九事，逐條開示安隱世間、安樂世間、救世間、世間歸、世間依處（中夾須菩提問一切法無依處，佛答色不相續即無生無滅無依處）、世間究竟道（中夾須菩提難究竟相中無分別，佛可其言而轉出難事：觀寂滅相而心不沒不却）、世間洲、世間將導。論②以「釋曰」起論，第三人稱重述須菩提希有心之白佛與佛之可許，逐門訓釋安穩（良藥喻）、樂、救世間（怨賊追逐喻）、世間歸（暴風歸舍喻）、依處（中夾一組問曰答曰：依止二種）、究竟道、世間洲與水、將導（四流八正道船喻）。經③承前續說第九事世間趣，先立色趣空與非趣非不趣，次以「是趣不過」句式廣列空無相無作無起無所有、夢幻嚮影化、無量無邊、不與不取、不舉不下、不增不減、不來不去、不入不出不合不散不著不斷、我等十六名、常樂淨我與無常苦不淨無我、欲瞋癡見事、如法性實際不可思議性平等不動相、色受想行識十二處十八界、六波羅蜜、諸空、三十七品、佛十力乃至一切種智、四果辟支佛道乃至佛，末以誰能信解之問答與性相貌之問答收束。論③問答釋趣何以獨廣說（趣為九事之會歸、趣最在後故廣說），訓「色等法趣空」出虛空但有名與善言久知情實二喻，釋我等十六名之假有、常等四顛倒與無常等俱不可得，末以敘事體重述信解之問答並補「亦不見是離」一句，終以未得無生忍云何言斷三毒之問答、斷有二種之分判收全品。
本品與前後諸品的義脈，可見者有三線。其一，本品承前此諸品廣明般若功德與魔事之後，轉入最切近行人的一事：入門者從何下手。前品所說中道衰耗之相多而可畏，本品所答只一著——先得能說深般若的善知識；而末後所列能信解深般若之四相，仍以與善知識相隨居其一。說難與說入手，前後相待。其二，九事利世之說，與此前諸品反覆申明的般若不離大悲、觀空而不捨眾生之義互為表裡：正因所求畢竟空，發心之所以能立，全在為世間故；「於一切性空法中求阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」之為難事，其解不在理上通不通，在肯不肯不退。其三，本品唯第九事「趣」廣說，前八事從略——論主明言「當知餘者亦皆應廣說」，是把前八事之略交給讀者以趣例知；斷有二種之分判，論主於本品只說薄少斷。讀者可合前後觀之，以見善知識之教與畢竟空之教的一貫。
本品品題於諸本之間有異稱，古德之疏亦有以異名稱引本品者——如慧影於其疏中回指本品，稱「上善知識品中已廣釋也」，可證古德所見本品之名；諸本品題異同與其次第之差、卷帙分合與後世徵引之考，並錄不判，詳考據層。
The Good Friend: Why, Asked What Those New to the Training Practise, the Buddha Answers with the Subtle Matters of Long Practice; Why the Emptiness of Nature Is Divided into Two Kinds, Great and Small; Why, in the Matter of the Good Friend, Making Offerings Is Taught First and the Five Perfections Spoken of Afterwards; Why the Chick of the Golden-winged Bird, Just Born, Can Go from One Mount Sumeru to Another; Why Seeking Awakening within the Emptiness of Nature Is a Hard Thing; Why the Nine Matters Are All Called Benefiting the World; Why, Having Spoken of No Place of Support, He Speaks Again of Support; Why, There Being No Discrimination within the Ultimate Mark, It Does Not Follow That Everyone Obtains It; Why Water Cut Off on Four Sides Is Called an Island; Why, after the Nine Matters, Tending Alone Is Spoken of at Length; and Why One Who Has Not Yet Obtained the Acceptance of Non-arising Can Be Said to Have Severed the Three Poisons
What Is Being Asked
This chapter begins from an exceedingly plain question. Subhūti addresses the Buddha: how should bodhisattva-mahāsattvas new to the training train in prajñāpāramitā, and how should they train in meditation, vigour, patience, morality, and dānapāramitā? What he asks about is the place of entry—where a person who has only just aroused the mind should put his strength at the first step.
The Buddha’s answer is unexpected, and yet it is exactly where this chapter gets its name: he should first draw near to and make offerings to a good friend who can expound this deep prajñāpāramitā. He is not first taught what to contemplate or how to sit; he is first taught to find the right person. And what the good friend teaches is more unexpected still: all giving, keeping of precepts, patience, vigour, meditative concentration, and wisdom are dedicated to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; then comes a long run of 「莫以」 tr. "do not take … to be"—do not take form to be awakening, do not take feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness to be awakening, do not take the six perfections to be awakening, do not take inner emptiness and so on up to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas to be awakening, do not take the thirty-seven limbs of the path to be awakening, do not take the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, and the five supernormal powers to be awakening, do not take the ten powers of a Buddha and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas to be awakening; and after that comes another long run of 「莫貪」 tr. "do not crave," craving pursued all the way to the place that cannot be craved, closing in the one sentence 「諸法性空故」 tr. "because all dharmas are empty of nature."
The problem lies right here: what Subhūti asks about is what those new to the training practise, but what the Buddha answers is the not-grasping of all dharmas and the emptiness of nature of all dharmas—and this is the subtle realm of bodhisattvas of long practice. The treatise-author’s first question at the opening of the treatise section asks precisely about this. The first vein of meaning of the whole chapter unrolls from here: between those new to the training and those of long practice, are there after all two separate stretches of road, or two places on one and the same road?
The second passage turns in by way of a single exclamation of praise from Subhūti: the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas can do what is hard to do—within dharmas that are all empty of self-nature they seek anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Since all dharmas are empty of nature, the awakening that is sought is empty too, and the person who can seek is empty too; how then is this 「求」 tr. "seeking" established? The Buddha approves his words and at once lists nine matters in answer: the bodhisattva arouses the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi to make the world safe, to make the world at ease, to save the world, to be the world’s refuge, to be the world’s place of support, to be the world’s island, to be the world’s guide, to be the world’s ultimate path, and to be that toward which the world tends. The nine matters are set forth one by one, and in the middle they are twice interrupted by Subhūti’s pressing questions—once asking 「云何一切法無依處」 tr. "how are all dharmas without a place of support," once asking ‘if all dharmas are like the ultimate mark, should not the bodhisattvas all obtain awakening?’ The ninth matter, 「趣」 tr. "tending," is kept to the very last, and then it is spoken of at great length and in great density: all dharmas tend toward emptiness, tend toward the signless, tend toward non-action, tend toward non-origination; tend toward a dream, tend toward an illusion, tend toward an echo, tend toward a shadow, tend toward a transformation; tend toward self and so on up to the knower and the seer; tend toward permanence, happiness, purity, and self, tend toward impermanence, suffering, impurity, and non-self; tend toward the six perfections, tend toward the emptinesses, tend toward the thirty-seven limbs of the path, tend toward the ten powers of a Buddha and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds, tend toward the srota-āpanna and so on up to the Buddha—and every sentence ties off in the same sentence: this tending does not pass beyond.
The last turn at the end matters most. Such a Dharma—who can believe it? The Buddha answers: a person who has long practised the six perfections, whose roots of goodness are fully ripened, who has made offerings to countless buddhas, and who keeps company with good friends. The last of the four is exactly the one thing at the beginning of this chapter—the good friend. Head and tail clasp together here: the good friend is not a temporary handrail for those new to the training; he is the companion on the road all the way to the point of being able to believe deep prajñā. Asked further what appearance such a person has, the Buddha answers: the severance and separation from desire, hatred, and delusion is his nature, mark, and appearance. At the very end the treatise-author asks on our behalf the last difficulty: this person has not yet obtained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas; how can one speak of 「斷三毒」 tr. "severing the three poisons"?
Passage by Passage
1. The question about what those new to the training practise. The wording of Subhūti’s question has a strict order: prajñā, dhyāna, vīrya, kṣānti, śīla, dāna—counting backwards from prajñā to giving. What he asks about is not the way each of the six perfections is cultivated, but where a person new to the training, facing these six things, should set his hand. One must notice who the questioner is: Subhūti is an elder who has deeply penetrated the meaning of emptiness; he asks on behalf of those new to the training, not because he himself does not know; this is asking the way for those at the beginning of the mind.
2. The first move of the Buddha’s answer: he should first draw near to and make offerings to a good friend. The Buddha does not first answer with a method of contemplation; first he points to a person: he should first draw near to and make offerings to a good friend who can expound this deep prajñāpāramitā. There is a qualification here that must not be passed over—「能說是深般若波羅蜜者」 tr. "one who can expound this deep prajñāpāramitā." What makes a good friend a good friend lies not in name and rank, not in closeness and warmth, but in whether he can speak deep prajñā out. This sentence is the fixed star of the whole chapter: the good friend spoken of in this chapter takes the Dharma he speaks as the criterion.
3. The first thing the good friend teaches: dedicating everything. The first thing the good friend opens his mouth to teach is not emptiness but dedication: all one’s giving, all of it dedicated to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi; all one’s keeping of precepts, patience, vigour, meditative concentration, and wisdom, all of it dedicated to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. One must see this order: first the fruits of the six perfections are handed over entire, pointed toward unsurpassed awakening, and only then is not-grasping spoken of. Only when there is first the greatness of dedication can one bear to receive the emptiness of not-grasping; if one first hears of not-grasping without dedication, it becomes annihilation.
4. The second thing the good friend teaches: do not take the dharmas to be awakening. Next comes a run of negations: do not take form, feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness to be awakening, do not take the six perfections to be awakening, do not take inner emptiness and so on up to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas to be awakening, do not take the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path to be awakening, do not take the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, and the five supernormal powers to be awakening, do not take the ten powers of a Buddha and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas to be awakening. What is negated is not these dharmas; it is the taking of these dharmas to be awakening itself. The Buddha at once gives the reason, and the reason is positive: not grasping form, one obtains awakening; not grasping feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, one obtains awakening; not grasping the six perfections, not grasping the emptinesses, not grasping the thirty-seven limbs of the path and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, one obtains awakening. 「不取」 tr. "Not grasping" is not not cultivating; it is cultivating without clinging to anything as attained.
5. The third thing the good friend teaches: do not crave, and so on up to: do not crave awakening. The third run goes one layer further, turning from 「莫以」 tr. "do not take … to be" to 「莫貪」 tr. "do not crave": when practising deep prajñā, do not crave form, because form is not something that can be craved; do not crave feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, do not crave the six perfections, do not crave the emptinesses, do not crave the thirty-seven limbs of the path, do not crave the four dhyānas, the four immeasurables, the four formless absorptions, and the five supernormal powers, do not crave the ten powers of a Buddha and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds; and further up, do not crave the fruit of the srota-āpanna and so on up to the fruit of the arhat, do not crave the path of the pratyekabuddha, do not crave the bodhisattva’s Dharma-position, do not crave anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Even the bodhisattva’s Dharma-position and unsurpassed awakening are listed within ‘do not crave’—this run leaves nothing over. The reason is only one sentence: because all dharmas are empty of nature. One must see clearly the four Chinese characters 「非可貪者」 tr. "not something that can be craved" here: it is not saying that craving it is bad; it is saying that it is not at all a thing that can be craved; the craving mind falls into emptiness, not because it is forbidden, but because it has nowhere to land.
6. The treatise-author’s question: asked about those new to the training, why answer about long practice? At the opening of the treatise section the treatise-author asks at once: what Subhūti asks about is what those new to the training practise; why does the Buddha answer with the subtle matters of bodhisattvas of long practice—what is called 「不取一切法，一切法性空故」 tr. "not grasping all dharmas, because all dharmas are empty of nature"? This question is asked with great precision, and with great consideration for the reader: a person new to the training who hears ‘do not crave even awakening’ will surely react first by having nowhere to set his hand. If this question were not first set up, the division that follows would have nowhere to rest.
7. The answer: the emptiness of nature is of two kinds, great and small. The treatise-author’s answer is a division: the emptiness of nature of all dharmas is of two kinds—one, what the great bodhisattvas realise and attain; two, what the small bodhisattvas train in, compliant acceptance, arousing the mind by wisdom; here only the emptiness that the small bodhisattvas train in is spoken of. One word, two meanings, and the difficulty resolves at the hard place—both speak of 「性空」 tr. "the emptiness of nature," but for one of long practice it is what is attained, and for one new to the training it is what is trained in; the same word, at two stations, has two different weights. What the Buddha answers with is not the realm of long practice, but that share of emptiness which one new to the training can train in.
8. A share of real wisdom, and the simile of the dharma of the summit. The treatise-author advances a further explanation: one who has a share of real wisdom the Buddha counts among the bodhisattvas; one who has none, though he has long practised the other merits, is not counted among the bodhisattvas. At once he takes as a simile the dharma of the summit in the śrāvaka teaching: having a small measure of faith in the Three Jewels is called the dharma of the summit; this faith passes beyond the dharma of warmth, is born from cultivating meditative concentration, and is obtained with a mind of the form realm; beside the Buddha’s unobstructed liberation it is small, and beside the ordinary person it is great. The point of the simile fits exactly: the faith of the dharma of the summit is great beside the ordinary person and small beside the Buddha, and so it is with a bodhisattva who has newly aroused the mind obtaining the flavour of prajñā—it passes beyond the merit of the five perfections, is great beside the ordinary person, and is small beside the Buddha. The two words 「氣分」 tr. "share" and 「氣味」 tr. "flavour" are the key to this passage: it is not yet attained, it is already tasted; and once tasted, he is already counted.
9. Why making offerings and drawing near are taught first, and the two similes of the chick of the golden-winged bird and the small fire. The treatise-author’s third explanation answers head-on the pattern of this chapter: the Buddha does not directly expound the emptiness of nature of all dharmas; he first teaches making offerings to and drawing near to a good friend; the good friend expounds for him the merits of the five perfections. One must notice the division of labour here—what the good friend expounds is the merit of the five perfections, while what the Buddha commends is only the indestructible dharma within it, that is, not craving, not clinging to, and not grasping form and the other dharmas. The good friend’s various teachings are the way in; what the Buddha seals is that single flavour of the indestructible. The two similes that follow are the two most powerful sentences in the whole chapter: the chick of the golden-winged bird, just born, can fly from one Mount Sumeru to another—if a bodhisattva, at the beginning of his training, can give rise to such deep knowledge, how much more one long in the training; a small fire too can burn, how much more a great fire—a bodhisattva, when new to the training, can already with prajñā turn worldly dharmas and make them ultimately empty and burn up the afflictions, how much more when his strength is complete. The two similes establish one and the same principle: once the lineage is that lineage, the strength at first birth is not to be made light of. The answer to why the Buddha answered with matters of long practice is complete here—it is not that the Buddha answers beside the question; it is that one new to the training can bear it from the start.
10. Subhūti exclaims at the hard thing, and the Buddha approves his words. The second passage of the sūtra begins from Subhūti’s praise: the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas can do what is hard to do—within dharmas that are all empty of self-nature they seek anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, wishing to obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. The Buddha approves his words directly: Just so! Just so!—and says the sentence over again just as it was. One must notice where the hardness here falls: not in the toil and suffering of affairs, but in the contradiction in principle—what is sought is already empty, and yet the seeking mind does not rest.
11. The general heading of the nine matters. The Buddha at once lists the nine matters: to make the world safe, to make the world at ease, to save the world, to be the world’s refuge, to be the world’s place of support, to be the world’s island, to be the world’s guide, to be the world’s ultimate path, to be that toward which the world tends—for these the bodhisattva arouses the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. The nine matters are a single answer: why, within the emptiness of nature, is there seeking? Because what is sought does not lie in oneself; it lies in the world. The shared structure of the nine matters is ‘arousing the mind for the sake of …’; the subject is always the bodhisattva, the one who benefits is always beings.
12. Making the world safe. The first matter: when the bodhisattva obtains awakening, he draws out the beings of the six destinies and sets them in the place of nirvāṇa, the shore of fearlessness. 「六道」 tr. "The six destinies" and 「無畏岸」 tr. "the shore of fearlessness" stand over against each other—what is drawn out of is the turning round, what is set in is fearlessness.
13. Making the world at ease. The second matter differs from the first by only one Chinese character, and what is drawn out of is different: he draws beings out of all kinds of sorrow, suffering, grief, and vexation, and sets them in the place of nirvāṇa, the shore of fearlessness. The former matter draws them out of their place; this matter draws them out of their suffering. The difference between safety and ease lies here, and it must not be read as repetition.
14. Saving the world. The third matter has a passage more: the bodhisattva saves beings from all the various sufferings within birth and death, and moreover, for the sake of severing this suffering, expounds the Dharma for them; beings hear the Dharma and, gradually relying on the three vehicles, obtain crossing over and liberation. One must see the sentence 「亦為斷是苦故而為說法」 tr. "and also, for the sake of severing this suffering, expounds the Dharma for them"—saving does not stop at the act of drawing out of suffering; it lies further in handing over the Dharma that severs suffering; and one must also see 「漸以三乘而得度脫」 tr. "gradually, by the three vehicles, they obtain crossing over and liberation"—those crossed over are of the capacities of the three vehicles, not all levelled as one.
15. Being the world’s refuge. In the fourth matter what is drawn out of is different again: he draws beings out of the marks of birth, old age, sickness, and death and the dharmas of sorrow, grief, distress, and vexation. Birth, old age, sickness, and death are marks; sorrow, grief, distress, and vexation are dharmas; a place of refuge is a place of refuge precisely because it can catch these two things.
16. Being the world’s place of support, and the question and answer on 「一切法無依處」 tr. "all dharmas are without a place of support" . The fifth matter is spoken of most briefly, and most strangely: when the bodhisattva obtains awakening, he expounds for beings that all dharmas are without a place of support. It speaks of 「無依處」 tr. "without a place of support" and calls it 「依處」 tr. "a place of support"—Subhūti at once presses: World-Honored One! How are all dharmas without a place of support? The Buddha’s answer is a chain of identities: form not continuing is form’s non-arising, form’s non-arising is form’s non-ceasing, form’s non-ceasing is form’s being without a place of support; feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds are likewise. The four clauses, identical layer upon layer, bring 「無依處」 tr. "without a place of support" down from a word of negation into a chain of Dharma-meaning: because it does not continue, it does not arise; because it does not arise, it does not cease; because it does not cease, there is nothing for it to rest on. What is called a place of support is pointing out that all dharmas have from the first nothing that can be relied on—and this is precisely the steadiest place of support.
17. The sūtra’s account of being the world’s ultimate path. The sixth matter: when the bodhisattva obtains awakening, he expounds for beings such a Dharma as this—the ultimate mark of form is not form, the ultimate mark of feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds is not the omniscience of all kinds; like the ultimate mark, so too is the mark of all dharmas. The sentence 「究竟相非是色」 tr. "the ultimate mark is not form" is the pivot of the whole passage: when one dharma is pushed to the ultimate, what is obtained is not that dharma.
18. Subhūti’s difficulty: if there is no discrimination within the ultimate mark, does not everyone obtain it? Subhūti on this sets a difficulty: if all dharmas are like the ultimate mark, then the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas should all obtain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. The reason: within the ultimate mark of form there is no discrimination, and within the ultimate mark of feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds there is no discrimination—the discriminations called ‘this is form, this is feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and so on up to this is the omniscience of all kinds’ cannot stand within the ultimate mark. This difficulty is raised very sharply: if there is no discrimination within the ultimate mark, then the discrimination between obtaining and not yet obtaining ought not to stand either.
19. The Buddha approves the difficulty and turns out the hard thing: contemplating quiescence while the mind does not sink and does not shrink back. The Buddha does not refute this difficulty; on the contrary, he first acknowledges it: Just so! Just so! Within the ultimate mark there is indeed no discrimination. Then he turns the point of landing: Subhūti! This is the hard thing of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva—to contemplate in this way the mark of quiescence of all dharmas while the mind does not sink and does not shrink back. The hard thing is a hard thing precisely here: having seen quiescence, one is still willing to arouse the mind. The Buddha also states the bodhisattva’s thought at this time: these deep dharmas I should know in this way and obtain awakening; such a quiescent and subtle Dharma should be proclaimed for beings. The hardness lies not in the principle failing to go through, but in not fleeing after seeing the principle—in principle everyone is the ultimate mark; in fact, only one who is willing not to retrogress is called a bodhisattva.
20. Being the world’s island. The seventh matter sets up a new simile: as with rivers and the great sea, when the water on four sides is cut off, this is called an island. Form too is thus, with its prior and later limits cut off; feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds have their prior and later limits cut off; because the prior and later limits are cut off, all dharmas are cut off too; because the prior and later limits of all dharmas are cut off, it is quiescence, it is the wondrous treasure—that is, emptiness, nothing to be attained, the exhaustion of love without remainder, separation from desire, nirvāṇa. When the bodhisattva obtains awakening, he expounds this quiescent and subtle Dharma for beings. One must see clearly the skill of this simile: an island is an island not because it has something more than the water, but because the water is cut off on its four sides. The place where the prior and later limits are cut off is exactly the place where one can stand.
21. Being the world’s guide. The eighth matter runs 「不生不滅、不垢不淨」 tr. "non-arising and non-ceasing, neither stained nor pure" through every heading of the dharmas: form, feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, the twelve sense-fields, the eighteen elements, the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path, the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, the five supernormal powers, the fruit of the srota-āpanna and so on up to the fruit of the arhat, the path of the pratyekabuddha, the ten powers of a Buddha and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds—all alike non-arising and non-ceasing, neither stained nor pure. The guide is the one who leads the way in front; the road he leads along is precisely this one sentence of four negations.
22. The treatise-author begins his explanation, and retells the question and answer in the third person. The treatise-author opens the treatise section with 「釋曰」 tr. "The explanation says," and at once retells the preceding sūtra text in the third person: Subhūti gave rise to a mind of wonder and addressed the Buddha—the bodhisattvas have not yet severed the afflictions, their great compassion is not yet complete, they have not yet obtained avaivartika, and yet they know that all dharmas are empty in their original nature and can arouse the mind of the unsurpassed path; this is very hard; the Buddha approved his words, saying it is so; and further praised the rare causes and conditions of the bodhisattva, namely that the bodhisattva arouses the mind to make the world safe. These three sentences must be read together: the treatise-author marks out for the sūtra text the three reasons for the hardness—the afflictions not yet severed, great compassion not yet complete, avaivartika not yet obtained. None of the three is yet there, and yet he already knows the original nature is empty and is willing to arouse the mind; the hardness lies precisely in this word 「未」 tr. "not yet."
23. The gloss on 「安穩」 tr. "safety" , and the simile of good medicine. The treatise-author glosses gate by gate, and the first gate is 「安穩」 tr. "safety": it can break all afflictions and is ultimately unchanging and unfailing. The simile is a good medicine that can break an illness, regardless of whether it is sweet or bitter, simply because it can ultimately remove the illness and make a person safe. The force of this simile lies in the four Chinese characters 「不問甘苦」 tr. "regardless of whether it is sweet or bitter"—in judging whether a dharma is good, one does not look at its taste in the mouth; one looks at whether it can ultimately remove the illness. The Buddha can make beings always safe, not looking only to one life or two; he also distinguishes: some dharmas are safe but not pleasant, some dharmas are suffering in this life and happiness in later lives, as when one takes bitter medicine, the belly is settled, but the mouth is not pleased. Therefore it says: 「佛能與今世、後世樂。」 tr. "The Buddha can give the happiness of this life and of later lives." At the end it closes in one sentence: the six destinies are of the mark of impermanence and therefore are not safety; therefore leaving the six destinies is said to be safety.
24. The gloss on ease: worldly happiness and the happiness of nirvāṇa. The treatise-author goes on to explain the second gate: the happiness of the world, because of the causes and conditions of craving and clinging, is sure after long to give rise to sorrow and vexation, and therefore is not called happiness; the happiness of nirvāṇa is without change from beginning to end, and therefore separation from sorrow and suffering is said to be happiness. The measure for judging what is happiness and what is not lies in the four Chinese characters 「始終無變」 tr. "without change from beginning to end," not in the strength or weakness of present enjoyment.
25. The gloss on 「救世間」 tr. "saving the world" , and the simile of pursuit by an enemy and thief. The third gate: as when a person is pursued by an enemy and thief, either kin or the power of officials can save him; beings too are thus, pursued by the causes and conditions of evil sins and the afflictions and by Māra’s people, and only the buddhas can expound the Dharma to save and protect them. The simile has two layers: the pursuers are of within and without—evil sins and the afflictions come from within, Māra’s people come from without; but the one who can save is of only one kind, namely expounding the Dharma.
26. The gloss on 「世間歸」 tr. "the world’s refuge" , and the simile of taking refuge in a house from violent wind. The fourth gate: as when a person meets violent wind and sudden rain, he is sure to take refuge in a house. The place of refuge must be able to keep out the wind and rain; the various wrong views and afflictions of the world, the suffering and vexation within and without body and mind, old age, sickness, death, and all sorrow and suffering—if one takes refuge in the Buddha, the Buddha with various causes and conditions draws out his sorrow, grief, suffering, and vexation. The act of taking refuge is an instinct in the midst of danger; this simile speaks of taking refuge very plainly—it is not a ceremony; it is a person’s natural step in wind and rain.
27. The gloss on 「依處」 tr. "place of support" . The fifth gate is spoken of most deeply: because all conditioned dharmas are born from the coming together of causes and conditions, they have no power of their own and cannot be taken as support. Beings, pressed by suffering, come to take support in the Buddha, but the Buddha expounds for them the dharma without support. Only the dharma without support is real, namely nirvāṇa without remainder—form and the rest of the five aggregates are extinguished entirely and do not continue again; not continuing is non-arising and non-ceasing, non-arising and non-ceasing is ultimate emptiness, with no place of support. Beings come seeking something reliable, and what the Buddha gives them is the reality that ‘there is not one thing that is reliable’.
28. An interposed question and answer: if there is no place of support, why speak of support? Within this gate the treatise-author sets a question himself; this is the only pair of Question: and Answer: in this passage: if there is no place of support, why speak again of support? The answer is a division: support is of two kinds—one, taking support in conditioned dharmas by way of the afflictions, love, views, and the rest; two, pure wisdom speaks of taking support in nirvāṇa; it is because of the afflictions and views that no support is spoken of. One word, two uses, and the difficulty resolves at once—what is broken is the support of the afflictions; what is kept is the support of pure wisdom. To read 「無依處」 tr. "without a place of support" and take it that even nirvāṇa cannot be relied on is to mix the two kinds of support into one.
29. The gloss on 「究竟道」 tr. "the ultimate path" . The sixth gate: the ultimate path is the real mark of all dharmas, ultimate emptiness. The treatise-author pushes it through the three times: form and the other dharmas are not within the prior limit, nor within the later limit; in the present, ordinary people, through recollection, imagining, and discrimination and through the power of the faculties that are the retribution of deeds as causes, have inverted views, while the sages, contemplating them with the eye of wisdom, see them all as false, deceptive, and unreal. The sentence that follows is the bone of the whole passage: as with the prior limit and the later limit, so too is the middle; if there is no before and after, how could there be a middle? To be able to expound the Dharma for beings in this way is to set beings in the ultimate and foremost path. Before and after being absent, the middle falls of itself—this is the most simple and clean of the lines of reasoning in this chapter.
30. The gloss on 「世間洲」 tr. "the world’s island" , and the gloss on 「水」 tr. "water" . The seventh gate is set up carrying on from the one before: as there is no land on the four sides of an island, so too with form and the other dharmas, whose prior limit and later limit are both unfindable; as for the middle, it is as broken in the ultimate path—because one enters the emptiness of before and after, the middle is empty too. The treatise-author further glosses the word 「水」 tr. "water" in particular: what is called water is the afflictions of the three outflows and the four floods and all the dharmas within the retribution of deeds. The three outflows the treatise-author himself lists in fascicle twenty-three: the outflow of desire, the outflow of existence, and the outflow of ignorance—the afflictions of the desire realm, the afflictions of the form and formless realms, and the ignorance that runs through the three realms; the four floods the treatise-author does not open out here; the sūtras commonly speak of the flood of desire, the flood of existence, the flood of views, and the flood of ignorance: the flood of desire is craving and the other afflictions of the desire realm, the flood of existence is the love and clinging to existence of the form and formless realms, the flood of views is the various wrong views, and the flood of ignorance is the delusion that runs through the three realms—that is, the same afflictions named from the side of ‘sweeping beings away’. An outflow leaks without stopping; a flood sweeps away and submerges without ceasing: the two names spoken together are precisely why 「水」 tr. "water" is water. Ultimate emptiness, nothing grasped, namely nirvāṇa—this is the island. The sūtra text speaks only of the island; the treatise-author supplies the water; only where there is water does the island show, and if the flood of the afflictions and of the retribution of deeds is not understood, nirvāṇa’s being an island has nothing to rest on.
31. The gloss on 「將導」 tr. "guide" , and the ship on the four floods. The eighth gate closes on a single action: beings are sunk in the waters of the four floods, and the Buddha, with the ship of the eightfold noble path, guides them onto the island of nirvāṇa; drawing in and ferrying beings across by various causes and conditions like this is called 「將導」 tr. "guiding." The three similes of island, water, and ship here join into one string—the preceding gate set up the island, this gate sets up the ship; the island set up is nirvāṇa, the ship boarded is the eightfold noble path.
32. The sūtra’s account of the ninth matter, 「趣」 tr. "tending" , begins: form tends toward emptiness, neither tends nor does not tend. The third passage of the sūtra carries on from the Buddha’s teaching in the preceding passage and continues with the ninth matter. When the bodhisattva obtains awakening, he expounds for beings that form tends toward emptiness, expounds that feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness tend toward emptiness, and so on up to expounding that the omniscience of all kinds tends toward emptiness; he also expounds that form neither tends nor does not tend, because form is of the mark of emptiness; feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds are likewise. Within one sentence, first saying 「趣空」 tr. "tends toward emptiness" and then saying 「非趣非不趣」 tr. "neither tends nor does not tend" is not self-contradiction: saying it tends toward emptiness is spoken from the side of where all dharmas return; saying it neither tends nor does not tend is spoken from the side of there being no mark of tending within the mark of emptiness. The former sentence dispels their scattering; the latter dispels clinging.
33. Tending toward emptiness, the signless, non-action, non-origination, and being without anything existent—this tending does not pass beyond. Next comes the longest run of parallel sentences in this chapter, in a fixed pattern: all dharmas tend toward such-and-such; this tending does not pass beyond; why? Because within such-and-such, tending and not tending are unfindable. First the three gates of liberation—emptiness, the signless, and non-action—are listed, then non-origination is added, then being without anything existent, non-arising and non-ceasing, and neither stained nor pure are added. The four Chinese characters 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond" are the eye of the whole passage: tending, having come here, has nowhere further to go. It is not that it is blocked; it is that there is nowhere to pass—because the place tended toward itself has no mark of tending.
34. Tending toward a dream, an illusion, an echo, a shadow, a transformation; tending toward being without measure and without limit. The run continues, now taking similes as what is tended toward: all dharmas tend toward a dream; this tending does not pass beyond, because within a dream tending and not tending are unfindable; tending toward an illusion, tending toward an echo, tending toward a shadow, tending toward a transformation are likewise, because within transformation and the rest tending and not tending are unfindable. Then without measure and without limit are listed. From the three gates of liberation it turns to dream, illusion, echo, shadow, and transformation; the thing tended toward has changed, and the conclusion does not change by one word—this is exactly the purpose of the parallel style: the headings of the dharmas change a thousand ways, the principle is only one.
35. Tending toward not given and not taken, not raised and not lowered, not increased and not decreased, not coming and not going, not entering and not leaving, not joined and not scattered, not clinging and not severed. The run advances again, and what is tended toward is entirely paired negations. This group deserves to be looked at on its own: not given and not taken, not raised and not lowered, not increased and not decreased, not coming and not going, not entering and not leaving, not joined and not scattered, not clinging and not severed—each pair denies both ends at once. All dharmas tend toward such a place where both ends are dispelled together, and in such a place even tending and not tending are unfindable.
36. Tending toward self, being, life, and so on up to the knower and the seer. This entry changes the wording of the reason: all dharmas tend toward self, being, life, person, the one who initiates, the one who causes to initiate, the maker, the one who causes to make, the knower, the seer; this tending does not pass beyond; why? Self and so on up to the knower and the seer are ultimately unfindable—how much less could there be tending and not tending. The preceding entries say 「趣、非趣不可得」 tr. "tending and not tending are unfindable"; this entry first says that what is tended toward is itself 「畢竟不可得」 tr. "ultimately unfindable," and then with 「何況」 tr. "how much less" pushes one layer further. What is tended toward being a provisional name, whether there is tending or not is still less to be spoken of.
37. Tending toward permanence, happiness, purity, and self, tending toward impermanence, suffering, impurity, and non-self, tending toward the matters of desire, hatred, delusion, and views. This group is the most worth savouring: all dharmas tend toward permanence, tend toward happiness, purity, and self; this tending does not pass beyond; all dharmas tend toward impermanence, suffering, impurity, and non-self; this too is a tending that does not pass beyond. The four inversions and the counteracting words of the four noble practices are placed in the same sentence-pattern and dispelled alike. Next come tending toward the matters of desire, tending toward the matters of hatred, the matters of delusion, the matters of views, with the same reason as before—ultimately unfindable. Even the matters of the afflictions are within the range of 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond"; from this it can be seen that what is spoken of here is not a ranking of value but the place where all dharmas return.
38. Tending toward suchness, the nature of dharmas, the limit of reality, the nature of the inconceivable, equality, the mark of immovability. The reason in this group is put another way: all dharmas tend toward suchness; this tending does not pass beyond, because within suchness there is no coming and no going; tending toward the nature of dharmas, the limit of reality, and the nature of the inconceivable are likewise, because within them there is no coming and no going. Tending toward equality and tending toward the mark of immovability still use 「趣、非趣不可得」 tr. "tending and not tending are unfindable." 「無來無去」 tr. "No coming and no going" is spoken from the side of the real mark itself; 「趣、非趣不可得」 tr. "tending and not tending are unfindable" is spoken from the side of the matter of tending; the two kinds of reason stand side by side, and there is no need to force them into one.
39. Tending toward form, feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, the twelve sense-fields and the eighteen elements, tending toward the six perfections. The run returns to the most basic headings of the dharmas: tending toward form, tending toward feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, because form and feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness are ultimately unfindable; the twelve sense-fields and the eighteen elements are likewise. Then the six perfections are listed one by one: tending toward dāna, tending toward śīla, tending toward kṣānti, tending toward vīrya, tending toward dhyāna, tending toward prajñā, each entry taking 「畢竟不可得故」 tr. "because it is ultimately unfindable" of that perfection as the reason. The six perfections are named one by one without skipping over them with 「乃至」 tr. "and so on up to"; this is the gravity of this sūtra’s writing—the dharmas that are cultivated are put into this sentence one by one, not one of them left vague.
40. Tending toward inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, and so on up to the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas; tending toward the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path. The gates of the emptinesses and the thirty-seven limbs of the path enter the list alike: tending toward inner emptiness, tending toward outer emptiness, tending toward inner-and-outer emptiness, and so on up to tending toward the emptiness of non-existent and existent dharmas—all are a tending that does not pass beyond, because the emptinesses are ultimately unfindable; tending toward the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eightfold noble path is also a tending that does not pass beyond, because the thirty-seven limbs of the path are ultimately unfindable. Even 「空」 tr. "emptiness" itself is within the range of what is tended toward and unfindable—this is a sentence in this passage that must not be read lightly.
41. Tending toward the ten powers of a Buddha and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds; tending toward the four fruits, the path of the pratyekabuddha, and so on up to the Buddha. The run closes on the grounds of fruition: tending toward the ten powers of a Buddha and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds is a tending that does not pass beyond, because within the omniscience of all kinds tending and not tending are unfindable; tending toward the fruit of the srota-āpanna, the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin, the fruit of the anāgāmin, the fruit of the arhat, the path of the pratyekabuddha, tending toward anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, tending toward the srota-āpanna and so on up to the Buddha—all are a tending that does not pass beyond. From form at the very beginning all the way to the Buddha, the sentence-pattern never changes. Reading the whole run through, what one obtains is not a list of the headings of the dharmas but a conclusion carried through to the end: any dharma, pushed to its extreme, arrives at the same place that has no mark of tending.
42. Who can believe and understand—the answer of four marks. Here Subhūti draws in his question: World-Honored One! Who can believe in and understand this deep prajñāpāramitā? The Buddha answers with four things: having long practised the six perfections under the buddhas of the past, roots of goodness fully ripened, having made offerings to countless hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭi of buddhas, and keeping company with good friends. Of the four, the first three are one’s own practice and merit; the fourth is an outer condition—and this outer condition is exactly the first move the Buddha taught at the beginning of this chapter. Head and tail clasp together here: the good friend is not a transition for the stage of the new trainee; he is the constant condition accompanying the one who can believe deep prajñā.
43. The question about nature, mark, and appearance, and the answer of the severance and separation from the three poisons. Subhūti asks again: what kind of nature, what kind of mark, what kind of appearance does the person who can believe and understand have? The Buddha answers very briefly: the severance and separation from desire, hatred, and delusion is his nature, mark, and appearance. Three things are asked, and only one is answered; separation from the three poisons is at once his substance and nature, his outward mark, and his appearance. The proof of believing deep prajñā lies not in words but in the weight of the three poisons.
44. The treatise-author’s question: the nine matters are all spoken of briefly; why is tending alone spoken of at length? The third passage of the treatise section begins from a question: among the matters above all are spoken of briefly; why now within 「趣」 tr. "tending" is it spoken of at length? This question asks out for the reader the actual puzzlement of reading the sūtra—the first eight matters have only a few lines each, while the ninth matter is laid out in a whole great passage. The treatise-author’s answer is only one sentence: 「趣」 tr. "tending" is the place where the nine matters above are gathered up and return, and therefore much is said of it. Safety, ease, saving, refuge, place of support, the ultimate path, island, guide—what the eight matters speak of are all things the bodhisattva does for the world; tending speaks of the place where all dharmas return—since the place of return gathers up everything, the words are naturally many.
45. Furthermore: the matters are all of one meaning, and tending, being last, is spoken of at length. The treatise-author supplies one more explanation: ease and the other matters, and tending, are all of one and the same meaning, all for the sake of drawing beings out and setting them in nirvāṇa—this 「著」 tr. "set" is the same as in the sūtra text’s 「著無畏岸涅槃處」 tr. "sets them in the place of nirvāṇa, the shore of fearlessness"—its 「著」 tr. "set"—with the meaning of placing; if every matter were spoken of at length, the speaking could not be exhausted, and because 「趣」 tr. "tending" is placed last, it is spoken of at length; one should know that the rest too all ought to be spoken of at length. This sentence removes a possible misunderstanding: it is not that tending is more important than the first eight matters; it is that the momentum of the writing needs one place where it spreads out; the brevity of the first eight matters the reader should know by analogy from the breadth of tending.
46. The gloss on 「色等法趣空」 tr. "form and the other dharmas tend toward emptiness" , and the simile of space that has only a name. The treatise-author glosses the first sentence of the sūtra text: what is called form and the other dharmas tending toward emptiness is as space has only a name and no real dharma; form and the other dharmas are likewise, and in the end return to emptiness. Because the ultimate mark of all dharmas is necessarily empty, all the rest is false. At once comes a very ordinary simile from human affairs: as with a person who at first, though he has good words, only after a long time has his real disposition known; form and the other dharmas are likewise: at the time of entering nirvāṇa without remainder they are no different from space, and one should know that before too they were thus, only ordinary people, because of the retribution of inversion, see them as different. This simile is most worth remembering: it is not that form becomes empty only at the time of entering nirvāṇa; it is that it was so from the first and is known only after long—as a person’s real disposition was so from the first and only at first was not seen. At the end he sets up a counter-proof with space: no dharma can pass out beyond the marks of emptiness and the rest, as a person who wishes to pass out beyond space cannot do so. The four Chinese characters of the sūtra text, 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond," here obtain a right explanation.
47. The sixteen names, such as self, provisionally existing through the coming together of the five aggregates. The treatise-author explains the group in the sūtra text, 「趣我、眾生、壽命」 tr. "tending toward self, being, life": the sixteen names, such as self, are all names provisionally existing because of the coming together of the five aggregates, with no real dharma; how could there be tending and not tending? The sūtra text gives as examples self, being, life, person, the one who initiates, the one who causes to initiate, the maker, the one who causes to make, the knower, the seer; the treatise-author sums them up as 「十六名」 tr. "the sixteen names," and judges them provisional names upon the coming together of the five aggregates. The names being provisional, whether there is tending or not naturally cannot be spoken of.
48. The four inversions break the four noble practices; permanence and impermanence are alike unfindable. The treatise-author explains the group in the sūtra text, 「趣常等、趣無常等」 tr. "tending toward permanence and the rest, tending toward impermanence and the rest": if one holds the four inversions—permanence, purity, happiness, self, and the rest—they break the four noble practices. As the four dharmas, permanence and the rest, are unfindable because they are inversions, so too are form and the other dharmas. Going one layer further: as permanence and the rest are unfindable, impermanence and the rest, because they come out of permanence and the rest, are also unfindable. Therefore it says: 「一切法趣常等、趣無常等。」 tr. "All dharmas tend toward permanence and the rest, tend toward impermanence and the rest." This passage is the subtlest turn in this chapter—the reason impermanence too is unfindable is not that it is wrong, but that it is spoken over against permanence; the medicine that cures is set up according to the illness it cures, and when the illness is empty, the medicine too is empty.
49. The treatise-author retells the question and answer of the last passage in narrative form. At the end the treatise-author does not use the form of Question: and Answer:, but retells in the third person the question and answer of the sūtra text: Subhūti asked the Buddha, this Dharma is very deep and subtle; who can believe and understand it? The Buddha answered that those with causes and conditions such as long practice can believe it; he asked further, what marks do those of long practice and the rest have? The Buddha answered, this person has separated from the mind of the three poisons, and also does not see this separation, because he has deeply entered the real mark of all dharmas. One must notice the sentence the treatise-author supplies to the Buddha’s answer—「亦不見是離」 tr. "and also does not see this separation." The sūtra text says only the severance and separation from desire, hatred, and delusion; the treatise-author points out: if one sees that there is a 「離」 tr. "separation," then one has not yet truly separated. Because he has deeply entered the real mark, he does not see separation—this sentence is the most important stroke before the whole chapter closes.
50. The last question and answer: one who has not yet obtained the acceptance of non-arising—how can he be said to sever the three poisons? Severance is of two kinds. The treatise-author raises for the reader the last difficulty: this person has not yet obtained the dharma of the acceptance of non-arising; how can one say 「斷三毒」 tr. "he severs the three poisons"? The answer is the last division in this chapter: severance is of two kinds—one, severance at the root; two, severance that thins and lessens; what is spoken of here is severance that thins and lessens. At once he states the aspect of severance that thins and lessens: the practitioner does not discriminate that this is severance and this is affliction; because the mark of the afflictions is inverted and not fixed, the afflictions are themselves severance, and so it says separation. One difficulty and one answer close the whole chapter: severance does not count only after everything has been severed first; it is no longer making, upon the afflictions, the discrimination that they really exist; the mark of the afflictions being inverted and not fixed, not grasping here is called separation. It runs through in one line with the 「莫貪」 tr. "do not crave" and 「不取」 tr. "not grasping" taught by the good friend at the beginning of this chapter—the whole chapter begins in not-grasping and ends in not-grasping.
Do Not Misread
Do not read 「先當親近、供養善知識」 tr. "he should first draw near to and make offerings to a good friend" as handing over responsibility to someone else. The qualification in the sūtra text lies in 「能說是深般若波羅蜜者」 tr. "one who can expound this deep prajñāpāramitā"—what makes a good friend a good friend is judged by the Dharma he speaks, not by the relationship. The treatise-author also makes a point of explaining: though the good friend teaches in various ways, the Buddha commends only his indestructible dharma, namely not craving, not clinging to, and not grasping form and the other dharmas. Drawing near to a good friend is not ceding the power of judgement; it is going to receive that single flavour of the indestructible dharma; the learner himself must still recognise which sentence is the indestructible one. At the end, among the four marks of the one who can believe and understand that the Buddha answers with, the good friend occupies only one; the first three are still one’s own long practice, roots of goodness, and offerings.
Do not read ‘do not take the dharmas to be awakening’ and ‘do not crave the dharmas’ as meaning there is no need to cultivate the six perfections and the thirty-seven limbs of the path. The positive reason in the sūtra text is stated plainly: not grasping form, one obtains awakening; not grasping the six perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, one obtains awakening—it is ‘obtaining by not grasping’, not ‘obtaining by not cultivating’. And the first thing the good friend teaches is to dedicate the fruits of the six perfections entirely to awakening; only with this step first is there afterwards ‘do not take … to be’ and ‘do not crave’. If one reads it as meaning the six perfections can be abandoned, then dedication has nothing to dedicate, and the whole passage destroys itself.
Do not read the two kinds of the emptiness of nature as a contest of high and low. The treatise-author divides the emptiness attained by the great bodhisattvas from the emptiness of compliant acceptance trained in by the small bodhisattvas in order to settle the place where those new to the training set their hand, not to judge one true and one false. The simile of the dharma of the summit has already said the measure fully: the same share of faith is great beside the ordinary person and small beside the Buddha. The chick of the golden-winged bird, just born, can go from one Mount Sumeru to another—this says precisely that the strength of one new to the training is not to be made light of; the division into great and small is to make people willing to set their hand, not to make people belittle themselves.
Do not read 「一切法無依處」 tr. "all dharmas are without a place of support" as meaning that even nirvāṇa cannot be relied on. The question and answer the treatise-author sets himself within this gate are there precisely to prevent this mistake: support is of two kinds; taking support in conditioned dharmas by way of the afflictions, love, views, and the rest is what is broken; pure wisdom speaking of taking support in nirvāṇa is what is established; 「煩惱見故說無依止」 tr. "it is because of the afflictions and views that no support is spoken of." When the sūtra text says without a place of support, what it breaks is leaning upon conditioned dharmas, not pushing beings out to where there is nowhere to go. In the same way, 「究竟相中無有分別」 tr. "within the ultimate mark there is no discrimination" must not be read as meaning there is no difference between obtaining and not yet obtaining—after the Buddha approves the words, he at once turns out 「是為菩薩摩訶薩難事」 tr. "this is the hard thing of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva," landing on contemplating quiescence while the mind does not sink and does not shrink back, which is precisely not losing the arousing of the mind within non-discrimination.
Do not read that long run of 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond" as monotonous repetition and skip it. Though the sentence-pattern is the same, the things tended toward change layer upon layer, and the reason too takes two forms: one form says 「趣、非趣不可得」 tr. "tending and not tending are unfindable," one form says that what is tended toward is 「畢竟不可得，何況當有趣、非趣」 tr. "ultimately unfindable—how much less could there be tending and not tending," and the group of tending toward suchness and the nature of dharmas further puts it as 「無來無去」 tr. "no coming and no going." Above all, one must not read tending toward permanence, happiness, purity, and self and tending toward impermanence, suffering, impurity, and non-self as of equal weight and count it done—the treatise-author sets up an explanation especially for this: impermanence and the rest, because they come out of permanence and the rest, are also unfindable. The dharma that cures is set up according to what it cures; if this sentence is skipped, the subtlest turn in this chapter is lost.
Do not read 「欲、瞋、癡斷離」 tr. "the severance and separation from desire, hatred, and delusion" as already severed entirely without remainder. The treatise-author’s question and answer at the end are set up precisely for this: this person has not yet obtained the dharma of the acceptance of non-arising, and what is spoken of is severance that thins and lessens, not severance at the root. And the aspect of severance that thins and lessens also does not lie in reckoning quantities, but in 「不分別是斷、是煩惱」 tr. "not discriminating that this is severance and this is affliction"—because the mark of the afflictions is inverted and not fixed, the afflictions are themselves severance. Read this together with the sentence the treatise-author supplied earlier, 「亦不見是離」 tr. "and also does not see this separation": if the mind keeps a mark of already having separated, that is exactly not yet having separated. Wherever this chapter speaks of severance and of separation, it points toward not-grasping, not toward measuring.
Bearing on Practice
The first benefit this chapter gives the one who applies himself is to put ‘finding the right person’ back in first place. The Buddha’s first sentence in answer to the question of those new to the training is not a method of contemplation; it is that he should first draw near to and make offerings to a good friend who can expound deep prajñā. In daily life, in choosing whom to draw near to, one can use the measuring-rod the sūtra text carries with it: can he speak deep prajñā out or not? What he teaches—is it dedicating all that is practised to unsurpassed awakening, while not craving, not clinging to, and not grasping any dharma? The rod lies not in reputation and bustle but in the Dharma spoken. And at the end, among the four marks the Buddha lists of the one who can believe and understand, he still includes 「與善知識相隨」 tr. "keeping company with good friends"—this is not a matter of a moment at the entrance; it is a matter of walking together through long kalpas.
The second benefit is the confidence and the measure of one new to the training. The treatise-author’s simile of the dharma of the summit, simile of the chick of the golden-winged bird, and simile of the small fire—the three similes teach one and the same thing: one who has first aroused the mind and obtained the flavour of prajñā already has a strength not to be made light of—the chick, just born, can already go from one Mount Sumeru to another; the small fire can already burn. Those who apply themselves often put off setting their hand to the deep Dharma with ‘I am not yet good enough’; these three similes can serve exactly as a check against this: what is lacking is long practice, not qualification. At the same time the measure is there too: great beside the ordinary person, small beside the Buddha—neither belittling oneself nor being self-satisfied.
The third benefit is that the nine matters can serve as a self-examination of the arousing of the mind. Safety, ease, saving, refuge, place of support, the ultimate path, island, guide, tending—these nine are all spoken with the world in view. In daily life, if the aroused mind has dried up, if the gate of practice has turned into one’s own enterprise, one can ask through these nine sentences one by one: what I am practising at this moment—is it safety for beings? Is it ease? Is it saving? Can it be a refuge, a support, a path, an island, a guide? The setting-up of the nine matters was from the first what the Buddha used to answer ‘why is there seeking within the emptiness of nature’—the seeking mind lies not in attaining something for oneself but in bringing relief to the world.
The fourth benefit lies in reading together the three similes of island, water, and ship. Beings are sunk in the water of the four floods, and the Buddha, with the ship of the eightfold noble path, leads them onto the island of nirvāṇa; and the island is an island because the water on its four sides is cut off. If the practitioner in daily life feels he has nowhere to apply his strength, these three similes can serve as a direction: there is no need first to ask whether there is ground under one’s feet; first ask what the water on the four sides is—the afflictions of the three outflows and the four floods and all the dharmas within the retribution of deeds; once the water is recognised, the place where it is cut off is the island, and the ship that crosses over is the eightfold noble path and nothing else.
The fifth benefit is that 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond" can serve as a place for stilling the mind. All dharmas tend toward emptiness, tend toward the signless, tend toward non-action, and so on up to tending toward form, tending toward the six perfections, tending toward the emptinesses, tending toward the thirty-seven limbs of the path, tending toward the fruit of buddhahood—every sentence ties off in this tending does not pass beyond. When the thoughts of one who applies himself are racing, he can check them with this sentence: where is this thought tending? Having tended there, is there still any passing beyond? If in the place tended toward itself tending and not tending are unfindable, the racing naturally comes to rest. And the treatise-author’s simile of space gives an ordinary way to set one’s hand: no dharma passes out beyond the marks of emptiness and the rest, as a person who wishes to pass out beyond space cannot do so—it is not pressing the thought down; it is recognising that it has nowhere to get out to.
The sixth benefit is the test of the three poisons and the warning of 「不見是離」 tr. "not seeing this separation." The nature, mark, and appearance the Buddha gives for the one who can believe and understand deep prajñā are only the severance and separation from desire, hatred, and delusion; in judging whether one accords with prajñā or not, the most solid proof lies in the weight of the three poisons, not in how much one understands. And the treatise-author’s two sentences guard both sides at once: on one side is ‘not having obtained the acceptance of non-arising, how can it be said that he severs?’—answered with severance that thins and lessens, so that the one who applies himself need not give himself up because he has not severed at the root; on the other side is 「亦不見是離」 tr. "and also does not see this separation"—so that the one who applies himself must also not, because the poisons have thinned a little, take himself to have finished. The practitioner does not discriminate that this is severance and this is affliction; because the mark of the afflictions is inverted and not fixed, the afflictions are themselves severance; not grasping here is the single flavour this chapter teaches from beginning to end.
Further Resonances
The backbone of this chapter is three passages of sūtra text and three passages of treatise explanation. Sūtra ① begins from Subhūti asking how bodhisattvas new to the training train in the six perfections; the Buddha answers that one should first draw near to and make offerings to a good friend who can expound deep prajñā, and gives the three things the good friend teaches: dedicating everything, not taking the dharmas to be awakening and obtaining it by not grasping, and not craving the dharmas and so on up to not craving awakening, concluding with because all dharmas are empty of nature. Treatise ① first sets a question—asked about what those new to the training practise, why answer with the subtle matters of long practice—and answers with the two kinds of the emptiness of nature: what the great bodhisattvas attain, and the compliant acceptance the small bodhisattvas train in; next, with a share of real wisdom and the simile of the dharma of the summit, it makes clear that one new to the training has already entered the count of bodhisattvas; last, it explains why the Buddha first teaches making offerings and drawing near, and that the Buddha commends only the indestructible dharma, and gives the two similes of the chick of the golden-winged bird and the small fire. Sūtra ② begins from Subhūti exclaiming that seeking awakening within the emptiness of nature is a hard thing; the Buddha approves his words and gives the general heading of the nine matters, setting forth one by one making the world safe, making the world at ease, saving the world, being the world’s refuge, being the world’s place of support (with Subhūti’s question interposed on how all dharmas are without a place of support, and the Buddha’s answer that form not continuing is non-arising, non-ceasing, and without a place of support), being the world’s ultimate path (with Subhūti’s difficulty interposed that there is no discrimination within the ultimate mark, and the Buddha approving his words and turning out the hard thing: contemplating the mark of quiescence while the mind does not sink and does not shrink back), being the world’s island, and being the world’s guide. Treatise ② opens with 「釋曰」 tr. "The explanation says," retells in the third person Subhūti’s addressing the Buddha with a mind of wonder and the Buddha’s approval, and glosses gate by gate safety (the simile of good medicine), ease, saving the world (the simile of pursuit by an enemy and thief), the world’s refuge (the simile of taking refuge in a house from violent wind), place of support (with one pair of Question: and Answer: interposed: the two kinds of support), the ultimate path, the world’s island and water, and guide (the simile of the ship of the eightfold noble path on the four floods). Sūtra ③ carries on to continue with the ninth matter, being that toward which the world tends: first it establishes that form tends toward emptiness and neither tends nor does not tend; next, in the pattern of 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond," it lists broadly emptiness, the signless, non-action, non-origination, being without anything existent; dream, illusion, echo, shadow, and transformation; without measure and without limit; not given and not taken; not raised and not lowered; not increased and not decreased; not coming and not going; not entering and not leaving, not joined and not scattered, not clinging and not severed; the sixteen names, such as self; permanence, happiness, purity, and self, and impermanence, suffering, impurity, and non-self; the matters of desire, hatred, delusion, and views; suchness, the nature of dharmas, the limit of reality, the nature of the inconceivable, equality, and the mark of immovability; form, feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, the twelve sense-fields, and the eighteen elements; the six perfections; the emptinesses; the thirty-seven limbs of the path; the ten powers of a Buddha and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds; the four fruits, the path of the pratyekabuddha, and so on up to the Buddha; and it closes at the end with the question and answer on who can believe and understand and the question and answer on nature, mark, and appearance. Treatise ③ explains by question and answer why tending alone is spoken of at length (tending is where the nine matters return; tending, being last, is spoken of at length), glosses 「色等法趣空」 tr. "form and the other dharmas tend toward emptiness" and gives the two similes of space having only a name and of good words whose real disposition is known after long, explains the provisional existence of the sixteen names, such as self, and that the four inversions, permanence and the rest, and impermanence and the rest are alike unfindable, retells at the end in narrative form the question and answer on believing and understanding and supplies the sentence 「亦不見是離」 tr. "and also does not see this separation," and finally closes the whole chapter with the question and answer on how one who has not yet obtained the acceptance of non-arising can be said to sever the three poisons, and the division of severance into two kinds.
In the vein of meaning linking this chapter with the chapters before and after it, three lines can be seen. First, after the preceding chapters have set forth broadly the merits of prajñā and the deeds of Māra, this chapter turns to the one matter closest to the practitioner: where the one entering is to set his hand. The marks of wasting away midway spoken of in the preceding chapter are many and fearful; this chapter answers with only one move—first obtain a good friend who can expound deep prajñā; and at the end, among the four marks listed of the one who can believe deep prajñā, keeping company with good friends still occupies one place. Speaking of the difficulty and speaking of setting one’s hand depend on each other, before and after. Second, the teaching of the nine matters that benefit the world and the meaning, set forth again and again in the preceding chapters, that prajñā is not apart from great compassion and that one contemplates emptiness without abandoning beings, are outside and inside of each other: precisely because what is sought is ultimately empty, the arousing of the mind can stand entirely because it is for the sake of the world; that 「於一切性空法中求阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」 tr. "within all dharmas empty of nature, seeking anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi" is a hard thing finds its resolution not in whether the principle goes through, but in whether one is willing not to retrogress. Third, in this chapter only the ninth matter, 「趣」 tr. "tending," is spoken of at length, and the first eight are abbreviated—the treatise-author says plainly 「當知餘者亦皆應廣說」 tr. "one should know that the rest too all ought to be spoken of at length," handing the brevity of the first eight matters over to the reader to know by analogy from tending; as for the division of severance into two kinds, the treatise-author in this chapter speaks only of severance that thins and lessens. The reader may view the chapters before and after together, to see the single continuity of the teaching of the good friend and the teaching of ultimate emptiness.
The title of this chapter has variant names among the texts, and the ancient masters’ commentaries also cite this chapter under a variant name—for example Huiying, in his commentary, pointing back to this chapter, says 「上善知識品中已廣釋也」 tr. "It has already been explained at length above in the chapter on the Good Friend," which can attest the name of this chapter as the ancient masters saw it; the differences in the chapter titles among the texts and the discrepancies in their order, the division and joining of fascicles, and the account of later citations are recorded side by side without judgement, and 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，全在卷七十一之中段，單一單元。卷七十一起於〔T25 0552c18〕（卷七十末題在〔T25 0552c15〕），其時尚在品五十〈大事起品〉之前分（該品起〔T25 0552c23〕）；卷七十二起於〔T25 0562b08〕（卷七十一末題在〔T25 0562b05〕），其時品五十三〈趣一切智品〉已訖、品五十四方起——故本品前後皆無卷題、無卷末題、無造署譯署，品題「大智度論釋善知識品第五十二」〔T25 0557b13〕逕接前品〈譬喻品第五十一〉之末而起（前品起〔T25 0555b10〕），訖於「煩惱即是斷，是故言離」〔T25 0560c27〕句迄〔T25 0560c28〕，次品品題「大智度論釋趣一切智品第五十三」〔T25 0560c29〕緊接其後。此與品四十六〈魔事品〉之『卷首起題·卷內未竟即續次品』異型，亦與品四十八〈佛母品〉之跨卷型異：本品居卷中·單卷·不涉卷界，為釋餘品諸型中最單純之一型。
全品純漢字四千九百九十四（機械重計值·與底稿所載相合）。品內結構三【經】三【論】交替、單一單元：【經】〔T25 0557b14〕、【論】〔T25 0557c24〕、【經】〔T25 0558a16〕、【論】〔T25 0559a11〕、【經】〔T25 0559b22〕、【論】〔T25 0560c04〕。三枚【論】標記各有校記，宋、宮、聖三本無此三枚結構標記；三枚【經】標記無校記——標記存否屬底本傳承層，結構計數仍依底本標籤為準（全帳見第八目）。
問答之數與說者結構：經①以須菩提問「新學菩薩摩訶薩云何應學般若波羅蜜、禪波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、尸羅波羅蜜、檀波羅蜜？」〔T25 0557b14〕發端，佛以「先當親近、供養善知識能說是深般若波羅蜜者」〔T25 0557b19〕開示作答，全段一問一答，無他說者。論①正式問答一組（「須菩提問新學所行，佛何以乃答菩薩久行微妙事」〔T25 0557c24〕）；答後續以二「復次」補足，屬論主自身鋪陳，非另一說者。經②以須菩提歎難事起〔T25 0558a16〕，佛印可而列九事發心〔T25 0558a18〕，中間須菩提二度插問（「云何一切法無依處？」〔T25 0558b24〕、「若一切法如究竟相者」〔T25 0558c05〕），佛二度續答（〔T25 0558b24〕「佛言」、〔T25 0558c10〕「佛告須菩提」），各轉折皆有明文。論②以「釋曰」〔T25 0559a11〕起論（起論標記，不計入問答對數），六門逐條訓釋，僅「依處」門內夾一組問答（「若無依止處，何以說依止？」〔T25 0559b06〕／答〔T25 0559b07〕）。經③承經②未竟之第九事「世間趣」逕續開示〔T25 0559b22〕，末以「是深般若波羅蜜誰能信解者？」〔T25 0560b25〕一往復收束，中間四處轉折（〔T25 0560b24〕「白佛言」、〔T25 0560b26〕「佛告」、〔T25 0560b29〕「白佛言」、〔T25 0560c02〕「佛言」）皆有明文。論③正式問答二組（「上諸事中略說」〔T25 0560c04〕、「是人未得無生忍法」〔T25 0560c24〕），末段另以第三人稱敘事體重述經文問答四句（「須菩提問佛」〔T25 0560c20〕、「佛答說」〔T25 0560c21〕、「更問」〔T25 0560c22〕、「佛答」〔T25 0560c23〕）——此非「問曰」「答曰」之正式格式，亦非另一說者介入，如實分記，不計入問答對數。全品無「有人言」（與品四十八之十五見成對比），論釋純為論主自問自答與復次訓釋，未引異說並陳，如實誌錄。
義理兩軸循經論之分：經①明新學菩薩當先親近善知識、善知識所教在『不取』『不貪』；經②明菩薩發心之九種利世義；經③廣示『一切法趣某某·是趣不過』之通式並收於信解人相。論隨文釋之，論②六門訓釋、論③釋「趣」何以獨廣。
二、術語考
善知識。 全品之總名。佛答新學所問，首標其人：「先當親近、供養善知識能說是深般若波羅蜜者」〔T25 0557b19〕——善知識之為善知識，判準在「能說是深般若波羅蜜」，不在餘德。品末復以之為信解之緣：「先於諸佛所久行六波羅蜜、善根純熟、供養無數百千萬億諸佛、與善知識相隨」〔T25 0560b26〕——開卷以善知識為入門之始，品末以善知識為信解之終，一品首尾相扣。論釋其次第：「佛不直說諸法性空，先教供養、親近善知識；善知識為說五波羅蜜功德」〔T25 0558a07〕。
不取·不貪（善知識所教之體）。 善知識之教，經以三重遮詮出之：其一，迴向——「所有布施，一切迴向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」〔T25 0557b21〕；其二，莫以為是——「汝莫以色是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」〔T25 0557b24〕，歷五眾、六度、諸空、道品、四禪、十力乃至十八不共法皆云莫以為是；其三，不取便得——「不取色便得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」〔T25 0557c06〕。繼以「莫貪」一輪重申：「行是深般若波羅蜜時莫貪色」〔T25 0557c11〕，乃至「莫貪菩薩法位，莫貪阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」〔T25 0557c21〕，總結其故：「阿耨多羅三藐三菩提非可貪者。所以者何？諸法性空故。」〔T25 0557c22〕
諸法性空二種。 論①開卷之訓，亦本品義理之樞：「諸法性空有二種：一者、大菩薩所得；二者、小菩薩所學柔順忍，以智慧發心。此中但說小菩薩所學空。」〔T25 0557c26〕——同一「性空」之名，所得與所學分屬二位；佛答新學而舉久行之事，其疑由此解。
實智慧氣分·頂法（新學之判準）。 論①第二重釋：「有實智慧氣分，佛數為菩薩；若無者，雖久行餘功德，不數為菩薩」〔T25 0557c28〕。以聲聞法中頂法為比：「於三寶中有少信是名頂法；是信過煖法，修禪定生，以色界心得」〔T25 0558a02〕，「於佛無礙解脫是為小，於凡夫為大」〔T25 0558a03〕；例之於菩薩：「如是新發意菩薩得般若波羅蜜氣味故能受化，名為新學；過五波羅蜜功德；於凡夫為大，於佛為小」〔T25 0558a04〕。氣分／氣味二語同指一事——分位雖小而體性已真，故佛以久行之法答新學之問。
九事發心（本品之綱）。 經②總標：「諸菩薩摩訶薩為安隱世間故，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心；為安樂世間故、為救世間故、為世間歸故、為世間依處故、為世間洲故、為世間將導故、為世間究竟道故、為世間趣故，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。」〔T25 0558a21〕——九事之名於總標處為一序，於下文逐條開示處次第微異（開示序為安隱、安樂、救、歸、依處、究竟道、洲、將導、趣），如實誌錄。論②逐門訓釋其義，第九「趣」門獨於經③廣示、論③別釋（見第五目）。
安隱·安樂。 論②之訓：「安穩」二字論本作「穩」（宮本作「隱」，見第八目）——「能破一切煩惱，究竟不變失」〔T25 0559a15〕，其驗在「佛能使眾生常安穩，不期一世、二世」〔T25 0559a17〕。安隱與安樂之別，論以苦藥為喻分之：「有法雖安穩而不樂，有法今世苦、後世樂」〔T25 0559a18〕，「如服苦藥，腹中安穩、口中不美」〔T25 0559a19〕；又「六道無常相故非安穩，是故說出六道名安穩」〔T25 0559a21〕。樂之訓則以無變為體：「世間樂著因緣故，久後必生憂惱，不名為樂；涅槃樂，始終無變，故說離憂苦為樂。」〔T25 0559a22〕
救·歸·依處。 論②三門相次。救者，「如人為怨賊所逐，若親戚、若官力能救」〔T25 0559a24〕，例之於眾生：「惡罪諸煩惱因緣及魔民所逐，惟諸佛能說法救護」〔T25 0559a25〕。歸者，「如人遇暴風疾雨，必歸房舍」〔T25 0559a27〕。依處者，其訓最曲——「一切有為法從和合因緣生故，無有自力、不可依止」〔T25 0559b01〕，故「眾生為苦所逼來依止佛，佛為說無依止法」〔T25 0559b02〕；無依止法之體即畢竟空：「不相續即是不生不滅，不生不滅即是畢竟空，無依止處」〔T25 0559b05〕。經之所答與此相值：「色不相續即是色無生，色無生即是色不滅，色不滅即是色無依處」〔T25 0558b24〕。
依止二種（依處門內之問答）。 論②唯一之正式問答：問「若無依止處，何以說依止？」〔T25 0559b06〕，答「依止有二種：一者、以愛、見等諸煩惱依止有為法，二者、清淨智慧說依止涅槃。煩惱見故說無依止。」〔T25 0559b07〕——「無依止」之遮，遮在煩惱見之依止，不遮清淨智慧之依止；一句分開兩重依止，本品「依處」一門之關鍵在此。
究竟道·世間洲·將導。 究竟道者，「所謂諸法實相、畢竟空」〔T25 0559b09〕，其推法在三際同破：「色等法，前際中無，後際中亦無」〔T25 0559b10〕，現在則「凡夫人憶想分別，業果報諸情力故有顛倒見；聖人以智慧眼觀之皆虛誑不實」〔T25 0559b11〕，收之曰「若無先後，云何有中？」〔T25 0559b13〕。世間洲者，經先立喻：「若江河大海，四邊水斷，是名為洲」〔T25 0558c20〕；論不複述其喻而逕訓其水與其洲——水者，即「三漏、四流諸煩惱及業果報中一切法」〔T25 0559b18〕，洲者，「畢竟空、無所取，所謂涅槃，是為洲」〔T25 0559b18〕。將導者，「眾生沒在四流水中，佛以八正道船引著涅槃洲上」〔T25 0559b19〕——洲與將導兩門共一水喻，相貫成一景。
趣·非趣·是趣不過。 經③之通式，全品字數之半屬之。其式三分：先示「為眾生說色趣空」〔T25 0559b24〕，次示「是色空相，非趣非不趣」〔T25 0559b26〕，後立通則「一切法趣空，是趣不過。何以故？空中，趣、非趣不可得故」〔T25 0559c03〕。所趣之目凡十餘類，自空、無相、無作、無起、無所有，歷夢幻嚮影化、無量無邊、不與不取、不舉不下、不增不減、不來不去、不入不出、我等十六名、常樂淨我與無常苦不淨無我、欲瞋癡見四事、如法性實際不可思議性平等不動相、五眾十二處十八界、六波羅蜜、諸空、道品、十力乃至一切種智、四果辟支佛道、阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，終於「一切法趣須陀洹乃至佛，是趣不過」〔T25 0560b23〕。「是趣不過」之句式為本品獨有之標記語，後世天台諸家屢引之以證法界互攝（見第七目）。
斷二種（品末之收）。 論③末問：「是人未得無生忍法」〔T25 0560c24〕而經云斷三毒，何以言斷？答曰「斷有二種：一者、根本斷，二者、薄少斷。此中說薄少斷。」〔T25 0560c25〕——復進一步遣其能斷之相：「行者不分別是斷、是煩惱。何以故？煩惱相顛倒不定故，煩惱即是斷，是故言離。」〔T25 0560c26〕全品以此句訖。
三、譬喻與故事
本品要喻凡九，經一論八；經之喻唯「洲」一事，餘皆論主自出，用以訓九門之名義。
金翅鳥子喻（論①·新學而能生深智）。 「譬如金翅鳥子始生，從一須彌至一須彌；菩薩亦如是，初學能生如是深智，何況久學！」〔T25 0558a10〕——鳥子始生而力已越須彌，喻新學而智已能受深法。
小火喻（論①·與前喻同證一事）。 「又如小火能燒，何況大者！菩薩亦如是，新學時能以般若轉世間法令畢竟空，燒諸煩惱，何況得力具足！」〔T25 0558a12〕——二喻連設，皆就「小」處立言，正為答『新學何以得聞久行之法』之疑。
良藥喻（論②·訓「安隱」）。 「譬如良藥能破病，不問甘苦，以能究竟除病、安穩故」〔T25 0559a16〕——安隱之義在究竟除病，不在口中之甘苦。
苦藥喻（論②·分「安隱」與「安樂」）。 「如服苦藥，腹中安穩、口中不美」〔T25 0559a19〕——一喻分出兩名：腹中之安是安隱，口中之美是安樂；佛能與今世、後世樂，故二名並立。
怨賊所逐喻（論②·訓「救世間」）。 「如人為怨賊所逐，若親戚、若官力能救」〔T25 0559a24〕——親戚與官力二救相對於煩惱魔民之逐，唯佛能救。
暴風疾雨歸房舍喻（論②·訓「世間歸」）。 「如人遇暴風疾雨，必歸房舍」〔T25 0559a27〕——歸之義在有所投止，故下文言佛「以種種因緣拔其憂悲苦惱」〔T25 0559a29〕。
江河四邊水斷喻（經②·論②共訓「世間洲」）。 經立其喻：「若江河大海，四邊水斷，是名為洲」〔T25 0558c20〕；論收其法：「如洲四邊無地，色等法亦如是，前、後皆不可得」〔T25 0559b15〕——四邊之水即三漏四流，中間之地即前後際斷處，故「入前、後空故，中間亦空」〔T25 0559b17〕。
四流船渡喻（論②·訓「將導」）。 「眾生沒在四流水中，佛以八正道船引著涅槃洲上」〔T25 0559b19〕，論即以此種種因緣接度眾生為將導之名——與前洲喻共一水景：洲是所至，船是能至，將導即引之者。
虛空但有名喻（論③·訓「色等法趣空」）。 「如虛空但有名而無法；色等法亦爾，終歸於空」〔T25 0560c09〕；復以久知情實為助喻：「如人初雖有善言，久久乃知情實；色等諸法亦如是，入無餘涅槃時與虛空無異」〔T25 0560c11〕；末以出過虛空為不可得之驗：「一切法無有過出空等諸相，如人欲出過虛空不可得」〔T25 0560c14〕——「是趣不過」四字之所以然，即在此喻。
四、所釋經文
品名三造網（並錄不判）。 本品品名於三造之間各有出入，逐一據底本誌之，不代定孰正。
其一，本論底本一系。品題〔T25 0557b13〕「大智度論釋善知識品第五十二」【大】；明本無「大智度論」四字；宋、宮二本無「度」字；宋、元、明三本無「善」字；宮本「二」下增「品」字；明本於「二」下有細註「經作善智識品」（校記逐字見第八目）。其二，聖本／石本一系（經題式·-1 階·異名）。聖本作「摩訶般若波羅蜜智識教發心品第五十一」（無「善」字，作「智識」，「教發心」入名）；石本作「摩訶般若波羅蜜品第五十一善智識教發心品」（有「善」字而作「智識」，「教發心品」置於品次之後）。其三，所釋經與古德疏一系（皆無「善」字）。所釋經 T223 之品題〔T08 0331b08〕作「摩訶般若波羅蜜經知識品第五十二」，其目次亦作「52 知識品」〔T08 0331b08〕；吉藏疏目次「知識品第五十二」〔X24n0451 0302a03〕。
三造之名並錄如上。明本細註稱「經作善智識品」，而今本 T223 逐字實作「知識品」——既無「善」字，「知」亦非「智」；兩處與細註之稱不合。 此為明本夾註與今存經本之實況落差，如實誌錄，不強解，亦不以細註改經、不以經改細註。又吉藏疏於次品目次作「趣智品第五十三」〔X24n0451 0302b17〕，本論作「趣一切智品第五十三」〔T25 0560c29〕，同款省字——X24 一系於相鄰兩品之題名皆見省稱，如實分記。
品次 -1 階（聖、石續存·品題與品末兩層皆見）。 聖本「第五十一」、石本「第五十一」皆較底本少一，與品四十四以來逐品順推、同向同幅——-1 階鏈於本品續存無斷。本品之異於前品者，在 -1 階於兩層皆得端點對證：一在品題〔T25 0557b13〕（上引），一在品末〔T25 0560c28〕——「離【大】｜離釋五十一品竟【聖】【石】」，聖、石二本於品末增「釋五十一品竟」六字，其品次亦作五十一，與品題之 -1 階首尾相符。品四十六範圍內僅得品題一層，本品兩層俱全，如實分記。又次品品題注〔T25 0560c29〕載聖本作「摩訶般若波羅蜜驗知品第五十二」、石本作「摩訶般若波羅蜜經品第五十二驗知品趣一切智」——-1 階續入次品，本品非鏈之末端。
T223 mulu n 屬性 +1 偏移（承既誌·不重判）。 所釋經 T223 側 mulu 編碼層：本品 mulu 之 n 屬性標「53」而顯文標「52 知識品」〔T08 0331b08〕；次品 mulu n 屬性標「54」而顯文標「53 趣智品」〔T08 0334a02〕——+1 偏移於品四十八〈佛母品〉之 n 重出收斂後以 +1 型態逐品延續，本品續存。此偏移於品四十六以來各品 apparatus 已逐次誌錄、已裁常設，本品承之不重判。又本論 T25 側自身之 mulu 作「52 善知識品」〔T25 0557b13〕，n 屬性亦作「52」——論側無偏移，偏移唯在經側，如實分記。
卷界與品界之分合。 本論側：卷七十一起〔T25 0552c18〕、訖於卷七十一末題〔T25 0562b05〕，涵品五十之前分、品五十一、品五十二、品五十三全品——本品居卷中，品界不繫卷界。所釋經側：本品經文起〔T08 0331b08〕、訖〔T08 0334a01〕，其間無卷題、無卷末題，經卷第十四之中段——兩傳承於本品皆為『品居卷中』，與品四十六之『本論跨品·所釋經品卷合一』異型，如實分記。
全量牒經對讀（兩側對勘·對照組四串·兩讀之別）。 本論經①開篇與所釋經〈知識品〉逐字幾近同文：本論「新學菩薩摩訶薩云何應學般若波羅蜜、禪波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、尸羅波羅蜜、檀波羅蜜？」〔T25 0557b14〕；T223 同段作「新學菩薩摩訶薩，云何應學般若波羅蜜、禪那波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、尸羅波羅蜜、檀那波羅蜜？」〔T08 0331b09〕——同一發端、同一場景結構（誰問、問何事、佛答何相），差在 T223 之六度音譯作「禪那」「檀那」（本論作「禪」「檀」），及 T223 前置「爾時」。對照組：「拔出六道眾生」一串於 T1509 全論與 T223 全經各唯一見（各一處、皆本品），對位唯一；另三串則兩藏字面有異——「善知識能說是深般若波羅蜜者」T223 無此句式（0 見）、本論「愛盡無餘、離欲、涅槃」T223 作「愛盡、無餘、離欲、涅槃」、本論「善根純熟、供養無數百千萬億諸佛」T223 作「善根純熟，供養無數百千萬億諸佛」——皆同段同位之句讀／構詞之異，如實並錄；場景結構（誰問、問何事、佛答何相）對位仍唯一。判為「同品異名」（品身逐字幾近同文，品名一有「善」一無「善」）。本論三【論】層為論體之結構性擴增，所釋經無此層，非異文。
兩讀之別（趣、非趣／趣不趣·兩藏各自一貫）。 經③通式之關鍵語，兩藏讀法一貫而互異：本論作「趣、非趣不可得故」，凡本品所見皆然；T223 多作「趣不趣不可得故」（自〔T08 0332c27〕至〔T08 0333c21〕之通式），間亦作「趣非趣不可得故」（如〔T08 0333a13〕、〔T08 0333b10〕），兩式並見；本帳以容錯法重掃，不以素樸計數立「唯一例外」之斷言。兩讀之別屬兩藏各自傳承之一貫用語，非孤例訛寫，如實並錄，不判孰正。
跨藏校記互印一例（兩側對勘兩造·洲喻）。 本論〔T25 0558c19〕作「若江河大海，四邊水斷，是名為洲」；T223 底本作「譬如江河大海四邊水斷是名為洲」〔T08 0332b25〕——底本一作「若」、一作「譬如」。兩造校記互印：T223 側〔T08 0332b25〕校記「譬如【大】，若【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【中】」——T223 之宋元明宮聖中六本正作「若」，與本論底本合；本論側〔T25 0558c20〕校記「名【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】」，T223 側〔T08 0332b26〕校記「名【大】，〔－〕【中】」——「名」字之有無，兩藏各自亦有異本。兩造皆已逐條查驗，非單向斷言。
所釋經 witness 統計（本帳逐條實查·非估值）。 T223 側於本品對讀範圍〔T08 0331b08–0334a01〕內之標外校記（standoff app）逐條實計：合計五十九條，內含 star-corresp 重引十二條，唯一編號注四十七條。其品題注一條逐字：「摩訶般若波羅蜜經」【大】｜〔－〕【明】〔T08 0331b08〕——明本無「摩訶般若波羅蜜經」七字，與本論明本無「大智度論」四字同型（兩藏明本皆省書名，如實誌錄不判）。此目與品四十六「未展開·誌闕待補」之處置不同，本品已展開逐條實計，據實誌其數。
五、般若義眼
本品之眼，在「趣」之一字被般若翻透——世間法法有趣向，般若則於一切趣處示其「是趣不過」；而入此門之緣，唯在善知識。其義可約為五重。
其一，入門唯善知識，善知識之判準唯般若。佛答新學所問不從法說起，先從人說起：「先當親近、供養善知識能說是深般若波羅蜜者」〔T25 0557b19〕——善知識非以神異、非以名位，唯以「能說是深般若波羅蜜」為判。而善知識之教，全在遮遣：一切迴向而莫以為是，不取不貪而便得菩提。論釋此次第之意：「佛不直說諸法性空，先教供養、親近善知識」〔T25 0558a07〕——性空之法非可徑授，須人授之。品末復以「與善知識相隨」〔T25 0560b28〕為信解深般若四緣之一，一品首尾同歸此人。
其二，性空一名而位有二，故新學可聞久行之法。論①之疑最切近學人：須菩提問新學所行，佛乃答以不取一切法之久行事。論分之曰「諸法性空有二種：一者、大菩薩所得；二者、小菩薩所學柔順忍」〔T25 0557c26〕——所學與所得同名而異位，故新學聞之不為躐等。復以「有實智慧氣分，佛數為菩薩」〔T25 0557c28〕立其判準：分量雖小而體性已真，如金翅鳥子始生、如小火能燒。
其三，九事發心即大悲之九面。安隱、安樂、救、歸、依處、究竟道、洲、將導、趣——九名非九事，是一菩提心對眾生九種苦相之九種應。論②逐門皆以喻訓之，喻皆取世間急難之境（怨賊所逐、暴風疾雨、沒在流水），而所與者皆非世間之救：歸而說無依止法，救而以三乘度脫，洲而是畢竟空無所取。世間所求者安處，般若所與者無處——九門之訓，門門如是。
其四，依止之遮不遮清淨智慧。論②「若無依止處，何以說依止」〔T25 0559b06〕一問最見分寸：若一味言無依止，則佛為眾生說法亦成戲論。答以二種依止——愛見依有為法、清淨智慧依涅槃，「煩惱見故說無依止」〔T25 0559b09〕。所遮者是煩惱之依，非智慧之依；此與經文「為眾生說一切法無依處」〔T25 0558b21〕並讀，方不落斷見。
其五，「是趣不過」為畢竟空之總相語。經③十六類趣，類類收於一句：「一切法趣空，是趣不過。何以故？空中，趣、非趣不可得故」〔T25 0559c03〕。論③釋其所以獨廣：「是總上九事之會歸，是故多說」〔T25 0560c05〕，復曰「安樂等及趣皆同一義，俱出眾生著涅槃故。若事事廣說則不可盡」〔T25 0560c06〕——九事同一義，故舉一廣說而餘可例知。而「不過」之義，論以虛空為喻：「一切法無有過出空等諸相，如人欲出過虛空不可得」〔T25 0560c14〕——非謂諸法皆奔向空，是謂無有一法能出空外；趣之極即無所趣。品末以「煩惱即是斷，是故言離」〔T25 0560c27〕收全品：斷非斷去一物，離非離開一處——與「是趣不過」同一理路，遮遣至於能遮之相亦不立。
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。本品古德覆讀二家：釋所釋經之吉藏疏存完整專章；釋論之慧影疏於本品無逐句疏解，唯於遠品之疏文中回指本品（非零覆蓋，與品四十四至四十八一貫之零命中模式異型）；均正書中無本品之引。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）。 於所釋經〈知識品〉之逐文疏，起〔X24n0451 0302a03〕（mulu「知識品第五十二」，緊接品五十一〈譬喻品〉疏訖處），迄〔X24n0451 0302b17〕前（次 mulu「趣智品第五十三」起前，本目依 mulu 連續序列判定），覆本品經全篇。其可誌者四。
其一，品位來意與善知識之二分——「此下第二觀中，下根人憑善知識習成妙行。善知識二，謂人及法。上品示得失是法善知識，今是人善知識。」〔X24n0451 0302a04〕：吉藏以前品〈譬喻品〉為「法善知識」、本品為「人善知識」，二品相對成義。其二，善知識三品之科——「善知識三品，上是佛欲滅四依，三是凡夫人中能說無所得大乘法者是也。法中謂大乘正經、大乘正論、大乘巧說無所得義。」〔X24n0451 0302a06〕。其三，全品三分之科——「品三：初、依善知識習成自行；二、依善知識習成化他行；三、二行既成，出信解人相也。」〔X24n0451 0302a08〕：此三分與本論之三經三論相值——初分對經①（親近善知識而學六度）、二分對經②（九事發心以化他）、三分對經③末「誰能信解」之問答；吉藏自標其分界曰「白佛希有下，第二、明習成化他行」〔X24n0451 0302a14〕、「白佛誰能信解下，第三、明二行既成出信解人相」〔X24n0451 0302b14〕。其四，九門逐門之訓與趣門之科——「先問，次答。答中，善知識！先示其小大，合其小大善根」〔X24n0451 0302a11〕；九門之目吉藏作「安隱者，能破煩惱故令得安隱也」〔X24n0451 0302a15〕、「云救世間者，眾生內為煩惱罪業所遂，外為魔民所遂，唯佛救之，餘無能救也」〔X24n0451 0302a17〕、「五、世間依者，餘一切有為顛倒人法不可依止」〔X24n0451 0302a20〕、「六、究竟者，為眾生說法實相是究竟」〔X24n0451 0302a21〕、「七、為世間門者，非是涅槃四邊，即是四流令離」〔X24n0451 0302a23〕、「八、將道者，佛以心八正道引眾生置涅槃門者，名為將道也」〔X24n0451 0302a24〕——吉藏以「乘世間」當本論之「安樂世間」、以「世間門」當本論之「世間洲」、以「將道」當本論之「將導」，措辭與本論略異而九門框架一致。其釋第九門曰「次釋第九歸趣廣者，論二義：一者趣是九會法歸，故廣釋；二者以後廣例前亦廣，前略例後亦略」〔X24n0451 0302b01〕——與本論「是總上九事之會歸，是故多說」〔T25 0560c05〕、「當知餘者亦皆應廣說」〔T25 0560c08〕二義逐一相值。吉藏又自計趣之類數曰「此中凡二十四類也」〔X24n0451 0302b03〕——本帳不代為換算比對，如實誌錄其數。末釋三毒斷離曰「所言三毒斷離者，悟無所得人顛倒亦薄，無得觀強耳非常斷也，得無生現前時斷也」〔X24n0451 0302b14〕——與本論「斷有二種：一者、根本斷，二者、薄少斷」〔T25 0560c25〕同趣而科法自成一家，誌錄不判。
慧影《大智度論疏》（X46n0791）·回指型覆帶一條（非逐句疏本品）。 為釋本論之唯一古疏，僅殘卷存世。本品所繫論卷七十一不在殘卷逐句疏解之覆蓋範圍；然慧影於《釋夢中不證品第六十一之餘》段內回指本品：「如上說者，上善知識品中已廣釋也，文等當說。」〔X46n0791 0904a11〕——此為古德稱名回指，非逐字引本品經論之文。其可誌者一：慧影一系稱本品用全稱「善知識品」（與本論底本合），不同於 T223 與吉藏疏之省稱「知識品」——品名三造網之外，復得古德稱名一造，並錄之（分析見第四目）。品名兩形（「善知識品」「知識品」）於 X46n0791 全檔各一命中，即此一處，如實誌其量。
均正《大乘四論玄義》（X46n0784）·零命中（如實誌）。 本品品名兩形及本品獨有語「安隱世間」「世間洲」「薄少斷」於 X46n0784 全檔回搜零命中，均正於本品無具名引，如實誌錄負結果。
天台系（T46n1911／T46n1912／T33n1716／T33n1717）·品題詞零命中而句式非零（見第七目）。 本品品名兩形及「安隱世間」「世間洲」「薄少斷」於天台四書全數零命中；然本品經文之標記語「是趣不過」於《摩訶止觀》七見、《止觀輔行傳弘決》四見、《法華玄義》五見、《法華玄義釋籤》零見——品題層零命中不等於義理層零涉，詳第七目。
七、互讀與承衍
本品之義脈，前後相承者有四，皆此目所誌，不代定讀。
其一，法善知識與人善知識之品次承衍（吉藏自證）。 前品〈譬喻品第五十一〉以五譬明取捨得失，本品以人明所依。吉藏疏於本品開卷自標二品之相承：「上品示得失是法善知識，今是人善知識」〔X24n0451 0302a05〕——法與人分屬兩品，合成「善知識二，謂人及法」〔X24n0451 0302a04〕之全。此為古德就品次所立之科，誌錄不判。
其二，九事發心與品內自證之貫串。 經②總標九事而唯開示八門，第九「趣」門逕入經③廣示；論③自述其故：「是總上九事之會歸，是故多說」〔T25 0560c05〕、「若事事廣說則不可盡」〔T25 0560c07〕、「最在後故廣說；當知餘者亦皆應廣說」〔T25 0560c07〕——論主自判全品體例：前八門略、第九門廣，廣者可例前，略者可例後。全量教義對帳見義疏層。
其三，天台「是趣不過」之句式承用（義引為主·誌關聯不判逐字）。 本品經③之標記語「是趣不過」，為天台諸家證「一切法趣某某」即法界互攝之常用經證。智顗《摩訶止觀》引之曰：「一切法趣欲事，是趣不過。欲事尚不可得，何況當有趣不趣？」〔T46 0046c02〕，並自釋其三諦：「趣即是有，有能趣、所趣故，即辯俗諦」〔T46 0046c04〕，「欲事不可得，即是明空」〔T46 0046c05〕，「即是辯中道」〔T46 0046c07〕——所引「趣欲事」一目正是本品經③之一類〔T25 0560a06〕，而「趣不趣」之讀合於 T223 一系（本論作「趣、非趣」，見第四目），其「尚不可得」則與兩藏之「畢竟不可得」異——屬義引，非逐字同文。《摩訶止觀》他處復以此式配十界、配十二因緣（「一切法趣念處，是趣不過」〔T46 0088b15〕、「一切法趣病，是趣不過」〔T46 0110c20〕、「一切法趣無明，是趣不過」〔T46 0127a27〕），所趣之目已出本品之外，屬天台自立之用，如實分記。《法華玄義》三處引「一切法趣色，是趣不過」〔T33 0701c14〕〔T33 0777a12〕〔T33 0804c22〕——「趣色」一目正是本品經③之文〔T25 0560a17〕，其下文「色尚不可得，何況有趣、有不趣」〔T33 0701c15〕仍屬義引。湛然《止觀輔行傳弘決》所涉最深：其於〔T46 0199c08〕以下逐句櫽括本品經③之文（「菩薩為眾生說色趣空」〔T46 0199c08〕、「為眾生故說色非趣非不趣」〔T46 0199c09〕、「為眾生故說一切法趣空無相願是趣不過」〔T46 0199c10〕），並以能趣為假、所趣為空、趣不趣不可得為中而配三諦〔T46 0199c14〕；又自述其判之所本曰「中假二意全依論文」〔T46 0199c16〕。本品（並其所釋之經）為天台「是趣不過」一語之出處段，誌關聯，不判逐字承用。
其四，寶庫掛鏈（穩定徵引·軟引）。 本品「善知識能說是深般若波羅蜜者」之判準、九事發心之大悲九面、依止二種之分、「是趣不過」之總相語與斷二種之收束，為後世論善知識、論法界互攝、論斷惑分齊之所本，落穩定徵引〔T25n1509 善知識品·卷七十一〕；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》卷七十一〔T25 0557b13–0560c29〕（品身正文自品題〔T25 0557b13〕起，終於「是故言離」句迄〔T25 0560c28〕，次品品題〔T25 0560c29〕前；本品範圍內無卷題、無卷末題、無造署譯署）；所釋經校本為《摩訶般若波羅蜜經》〈知識品〉〔T08 0331b08–0334a01〕；古德疏校本為吉藏《大品經義疏》（X24n0451，覆本品〔X24n0451 0302a03–0302b17〕前）；慧影《大智度論疏》（X46n0791）於本品無逐句疏、唯回指一條〔X46n0791 0904a11〕、均正《大乘四論玄義》（X46n0784）本品零命中（見第六目）。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 CBETA 校之異——本品範圍內未見聖乙本入帳（與品四十五至四十八異，如實分記）。
品題校記（品名三造網與 -1 階、明本細註之底據·專列）。 品題〔T25 0557b13〕一處四注——「大智度論釋善知識品第五十二【大】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜智識教發心品第五十一【聖】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜品第五十一善智識教發心品【石】｜釋善知識品第五十二【明】」（注 0557008）、「度【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【宮】」（注 0557009）、「善【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【明】」（注 0557010）、「二【大】｜二（經作善智識品）【明】｜二品【宮】」（注 0557011）——此即品名三造網、品次 -1 階、明本細註之底據，如實並錄，不強加調解（析論見第四目）。注 0557008 之 orig 型校記另載其字數對位——聖本以十七字易底本十三字、石本以十九字易底本十三字，如實誌錄。
品末校記（-1 階第二端點·專列）。 品末〔T25 0560c28〕一注——「離【大】｜離釋五十一品竟【聖】【石】」（注 0560010，orig 型作「離＋（釋五十一品竟）【聖】【石】」）——聖、石二本於品末增「釋五十一品竟」六字，其品次與品題之 -1 階相符，為本品 -1 階之第二層端點（析論見第四目）。
六本增文一條（「乃至品竟」·專列）。 論③〔T25 0560c05〕「『趣』是總上九事之會歸」之「是」字下，宋、元、明、宮、聖、石六本增「乃至品竟」四字（注 0560009，mod 型作「是【大】，是乃至品竟【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】」，orig 型作「是＋（乃至品竟）【三】【宮】【聖】【石】」）。本帙如實誌錄其字，不代定其為省錄標記抑或正文之一部——六本於此下皆有此四字，而聖、石二本於品末〔T25 0560c28〕復有「釋五十一品竟」之記，兩記並存之實況如上，並錄不判。
CBETA 校訂特殊型一條（未載所據·專列）。 經①〔T25 0557b21〕一條，屬 CBETA 現代校勘層特殊型、非傳統諸本並陳型，本帳逐字核底本原檔，專列：lem 作「子」【CB】、【大】本原作「于」（「汝善男子」之「子」）。校記未載其所據之藏本或依據（與品四十六依《高麗藏》補一字而明載所據者異型），如實誌錄其型與其闕，不代為補充依據；本版讀者面從 CBETA 現行文本讀法。
結構標記存否注三條（宋宮聖無論標·專列）。 本品三枚【論】結構標記各有校記：【論】〔T25 0557c24〕、【論】〔T25 0559a11〕、【論】〔T25 0560c04〕，宋、宮、聖三本皆無此標（三枚共用一注，後二枚為 star-corresp 重引，見下帳）；三枚【經】標記〔T25 0557b14〕〔T25 0558a16〕〔T25 0559b22〕無校記。僅底本明立經論分界，屬底本傳承層，如實誌錄，非義理問題。
巢狀 app 一例（抽取正確性之驗證案例·專列）。 經③〔T25 0559c19〕外層 app（word-count 12，lemma 為全句「不舉不下中，趣、非趣不可得故。」對宮本之刪節）之內，另巢內層 app 一層〔T25 0559c20〕（單字「可」對石本之刪節）。兩層之 lem／rdg 逐字核對與 verbatim 抽取結果 byte 相符，兩層皆正確抽出、未見合併或遺漏——如實誌錄此為抽取正確處理巢狀 app 之驗證案例，非缺陷。下帳依底本出現序分列兩條（第四十四、四十五條）。
校勘總帳（六十三條全量對帳·底本原樣）。 下依工作底本原樣傳錄——本品校記合計六十三條 app，與機械重計值 app 63 機械相合。app 條依底本出現序全量列之，內含 star-corresp 重引九條（同一異讀於文中重複出現共用一注），隨條標明——本品九條 star 之 corresp 目標七條跨品、二條品內（跨品者五指品五十〈大事起品〉、二指品五十一〈譬喻品〉），與品四十六之「全數品內原生」異型，如實誌錄。異本讀法並列保存，正文仍從現行底本讀法：
app 條（六十三·底本出現序·star-corresp 隨條標明）
- 〔T25 0557b13〕大智度論釋善知識品第五十二【大】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜智識教發心品第五十一【聖】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜品第五十一善智識教發心品【石】｜釋善知識品第五十二【明】（品題一注四造·善知識／智識教發心／善智識教發心三名並錄＋聖石 -1 階·見第四目）
- 〔T25 0557b13〕度【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【宮】
- 〔T25 0557b13〕善【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【明】
- 〔T25 0557b13〕二【大】｜二（經作善智識品）【明】｜二品【宮】（明本細註「經作善智識品」·與今本 T223「知識品」不合·見第四目）
- 〔T25 0557b21〕子【CB】｜于【大】（CBETA 校訂特殊型·未載所據·專列見上）
- 〔T25 0557c10〕不取【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】｜取不【聖】
- 〔T25 0557c20〕果【大】｜果者【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0557c23〕性【大】｜自性【宋】【元】【明】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0557c24〕【論】【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【宮】【聖】（結構標記存否注·star·corresp→note(0554008)＝品五十〈大事起品〉〔T25 0554b23〕注·跨品共用）
- 〔T25 0557c28〕實【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0558a01〕德【大】｜德說【元】【明】
- 〔T25 0558a04〕凡夫【大】｜凡人【宋】【元】【明】【宮】｜凡夫人【聖】
- 〔T25 0558a25〕故【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】（star·corresp→note(0557001)＝品五十一〈譬喻品〉〔T25 0557a02〕注·跨品共用）
- 〔T25 0558b06〕安【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0558b16〕愁【大】｜苦【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0558c01〕若【大】｜〔－〕【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0558c04〕如【大】｜如是【聖】
- 〔T25 0558c06〕得【大】｜行【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0558c14〕却【大】｜怯【宋】【元】【明】
- 〔T25 0558c14〕是【大】｜〔－〕【石】（star·corresp→note(0554005)＝品五十〔T25 0554a24〕注·跨品共用）
- 〔T25 0558c20〕名【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】（與 T223 側〔T08 0332b26〕「名【大】，〔－〕【中】」互印·見第四目）
- 〔T25 0558c24〕寶【大】｜實【聖】
- 〔T25 0558c29〕導【大】｜道【聖】
- 〔T25 0558c29〕故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】｜發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心【聖】
- 〔T25 0559a04〕處【大】｜入【聖】
- 〔T25 0559a11〕【論】【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【宮】【聖】（結構標記存否注·star·corresp→note(0554008)＝品五十〔T25 0554b23〕注·跨品共用）
- 〔T25 0559a15〕穩【大】｜隱【宮】（「安穩」／「安隱」兩形·經作「安隱」論作「安穩」·宮本論側亦作「隱」）
- 〔T25 0559a18〕期【大】｜其【石】
- 〔T25 0559a26〕惟【大】｜唯【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】（star·corresp→note(0555004)＝品五十〔T25 0555a14〕注·跨品共用）
- 〔T25 0559a28〕邪【大】｜耶【聖】（star·corresp→note(0556006)＝品五十一〔T25 0556b05〕注·跨品共用）
- 〔T25 0559a29〕歸【大】｜歸依【明】
- 〔T25 0559b02〕有【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0559b11〕凡【大】｜亦無凡【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0559b18〕四流【大】｜四流等【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0559b22〕何【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0559b28〕相【大】｜想【聖】
- 〔T25 0559b29〕是【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0559c03〕非【大】｜不【宋】【元】【明】【宮】（「非趣」／「不趣」兩讀·宋元明宮論側作「不」與 T223 一系合·見第四目）
- 〔T25 0559c07〕起【大】｜趣【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0559c08〕起【大】｜趣【聖】【石】（star·corresp→note(0559014)＝品內〔T25 0559c07〕注）
- 〔T25 0559c12〕夢【大】｜如夢【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0559c13〕嚮【大】｜響【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0559c14〕趣【大】｜〔－〕【元】【明】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0559c19〕不舉不下中，趣、非趣不可得故。【大】｜〔－〕【宮】（巢狀 app 外層·word-count 12·內巢下一條·見上專列）
- 〔T25 0559c20〕可【大】｜〔－〕【石】（巢狀 app 內層·單字「可」·見上專列）
- 〔T25 0559c20〕須菩提！一切法趣不增不減，是趣不過。何以故？【大】｜〔－〕【宮】
- 〔T25 0559c23〕不來不去中【大】｜〔－〕【宮】【石】
- 〔T25 0559c24〕不可得【大】｜中無來無去【宮】【石】
- 〔T25 0559c27〕起【大】｜起者【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0559c27〕作【大】｜作者【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0559c29〕當【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0560a01〕有【大】｜〔－〕【明】【聖】
- 〔T25 0560a01〕常【大】｜有常【石】
- 〔T25 0560a18〕得【大】｜得故【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0560a23〕故【大】｜〔－〕【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0560b27〕純【大】｜淳【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0560b28〕萬【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【宮】
- 〔T25 0560c02〕貌【大】｜𦴭【聖】
- 〔T25 0560c02〕瞋【大】｜恚【聖】
- 〔T25 0560c02〕貌【大】｜𦴭【聖】（star·corresp→note(0560007)＝品內〔T25 0560c02〕注）
- 〔T25 0560c04〕【論】【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【宮】【聖】（結構標記存否注·star·corresp→note(0554008)＝品五十〔T25 0554b23〕注·跨品共用）
- 〔T25 0560c05〕是【大】｜是乃至品竟【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】（六本增文·並錄不判·見上專列）
- 〔T25 0560c28〕離【大】｜離釋五十一品竟【聖】【石】（品末 -1 階第二端點·見第四目）
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; it falls wholly in the middle portion of Fascicle 71, as a single unit. Fascicle 71 begins at〔T25 0552c18〕 (the end-title of Fascicle 70 is at〔T25 0552c15〕), at which point one is still in the earlier part of Chapter 50, "The Great Matter Arises" (that chapter begins at〔T25 0552c23〕); Fascicle 72 begins at〔T25 0562b08〕 (the end-title of Fascicle 71 is at〔T25 0562b05〕), by which point Chapter 53, "Tending toward Omniscience", has already ended and Chapter 54 is just beginning—hence before and after this chapter there is no fascicle title, no fascicle-end title, and no signature of author or translator; the chapter title 「大智度論釋善知識品第五十二」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on the Good Friend, the Fifty-second"〔T25 0557b13〕 begins directly from the end of the preceding chapter, "Parables", Chapter 51 (the preceding chapter begins at〔T25 0555b10〕), and the chapter ends at the sentence 「煩惱即是斷，是故言離」 tr. "the afflictions are themselves severance, and so it says separation"〔T25 0560c27〕, running to〔T25 0560c28〕; the title of the next chapter, 「大智度論釋趣一切智品第五十三」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on Tending toward Omniscience, the Fifty-third"〔T25 0560c29〕, follows immediately after it. This differs in type from Chapter 46, "The Deeds of Māra", with its ‘title at the head of the fascicle · the fascicle not yet finished and continuing into the next chapter’, and also differs from the fascicle-crossing type of Chapter 48, "The Mother of the Buddhas": this chapter lies within a fascicle · in a single fascicle · touching no fascicle boundary, one of the simplest types among the chapters of the Commentary on the Remaining Chapters.
The whole chapter has four thousand nine hundred and ninety-four pure Chinese characters (a mechanically recounted value · agreeing with the figure recorded in the preparatory materials). Within the chapter the structure is three Sūtra 【經】 and three Treatise 【論】 sections alternating, a single unit: 【經】〔T25 0557b14〕, 【論】〔T25 0557c24〕, 【經】〔T25 0558a16〕, 【論】〔T25 0559a11〕, 【經】〔T25 0559b22〕, 【論】〔T25 0560c04〕. Each of the three 【論】 markers has a collation note: the three texts Song, Palace, and Shōgozō lack these three structural markers; the three 【經】 markers have no collation note—whether the markers are present belongs to the layer of the base text's transmission, and the structural count still follows the tags of the base text (see the full ledger in Section VIII).
The number of questions and answers and the structure of speakers: Sūtra ① opens with Subhūti asking 「新學菩薩摩訶薩云何應學般若波羅蜜、禪波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、尸羅波羅蜜、檀波羅蜜？」 tr. "How should bodhisattva-mahāsattvas new to the training train in prajñāpāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, vīryapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, śīlapāramitā, and dānapāramitā?"〔T25 0557b14〕, and the Buddha answers with the instruction 「先當親近、供養善知識能說是深般若波羅蜜者」 tr. "he should first draw near to and make offerings to a good friend who can expound this deep prajñāpāramitā"〔T25 0557b19〕; the whole passage is one question and one answer, with no other speaker. Treatise ① has one formal pair of Question and Answer (「須菩提問新學所行，佛何以乃答菩薩久行微妙事」 tr. "Subhūti asked about what those new to the training practise; why does the Buddha answer with the subtle matters practised by bodhisattvas of long practice?"〔T25 0557c24〕); after the answer it continues with two passages of 「復次」 tr. "furthermore" to complete it, which belong to the treatise-author's own unfolding and are not another speaker. Sūtra ② begins with Subhūti exclaiming at what is hard〔T25 0558a16〕; the Buddha confirms it and lists the nine matters for arousing the mind〔T25 0558a18〕; in the middle Subhūti twice inserts a question (「云何一切法無依處？」 tr. "How are all dharmas without a place of support?"〔T25 0558b24〕 and 「若一切法如究竟相者」 tr. "if all dharmas are like the ultimate mark"〔T25 0558c05〕), and the Buddha twice continues his answer (〔T25 0558b24〕 「佛言」 tr. "the Buddha said", 〔T25 0558c10〕 「佛告須菩提」 tr. "the Buddha told Subhūti"); every transition has an explicit marker. Treatise ② opens the treatise with 「釋曰」 tr. "The explanation says"〔T25 0559a11〕 (a marker opening the treatise, not counted among the pairs of question and answer), and glosses six gates one by one; only within the gate of 「依處」 tr. "place of support" is one pair of question and answer enclosed (「若無依止處，何以說依止？」 tr. "If there is no place of support, why speak of support?"〔T25 0559b06〕 / answer〔T25 0559b07〕). Sūtra ③ carries straight on from the ninth matter left unfinished in Sūtra ②, 「世間趣」 tr. "that toward which the world tends", continuing the exposition〔T25 0559b22〕, and at the end closes with one exchange, 「是深般若波羅蜜誰能信解者？」 tr. "Who can believe in and understand this deep prajñāpāramitā?"〔T25 0560b25〕; the four transitions in between (〔T25 0560b24〕 「白佛言」 tr. "said to the Buddha", 〔T25 0560b26〕 「佛告」 tr. "the Buddha told", 〔T25 0560b29〕 「白佛言」 tr. "said to the Buddha", 〔T25 0560c02〕 「佛言」 tr. "the Buddha said") all have explicit markers. Treatise ③ has two formal pairs of Question and Answer (「上諸事中略說」 tr. "among the matters above they are spoken of briefly"〔T25 0560c04〕, 「是人未得無生忍法」 tr. "this person has not yet obtained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas"〔T25 0560c24〕); in its final passage it further restates, in third-person narration, four sentences of the sūtra's question and answer (「須菩提問佛」 tr. "Subhūti asks the Buddha"〔T25 0560c20〕, 「佛答說」 tr. "the Buddha answers, saying"〔T25 0560c21〕, 「更問」 tr. "he asks further"〔T25 0560c22〕, 「佛答」 tr. "the Buddha answers"〔T25 0560c23〕)—this is not the formal pattern of 「問曰」 tr. "Question" and 「答曰」 tr. "Answer", nor the intervention of another speaker; it is recorded separately as it is and not counted among the pairs of question and answer. In the whole chapter there is no 「有人言」 tr. "someone says" (in contrast with the fifteen occurrences in Chapter 48); the treatise's explanation is purely the treatise-author's own question and own answer and glosses introduced by "furthermore", with no divergent views cited and set side by side; this is recorded as it is.
The line of meaning runs on two axes following the division of sūtra and treatise: Sūtra ① makes clear that the bodhisattva new to the training should first draw near to the good friend, and that what the good friend teaches lies in ‘not grasping’ and ‘not craving’; Sūtra ② makes clear the nine meanings of benefiting the world in the bodhisattva's arousing of the mind; Sūtra ③ displays at length the general pattern ‘all dharmas tend toward such-and-such · this tending does not pass beyond’ and closes with the marks of the person who believes and understands. The treatise explains them following the text: Treatise ② glosses six gates, and Treatise ③ explains why 「趣」 tr. "tending" alone is spoken of at length.
II. Terms Examined
The good friend. The general name of the whole chapter. In answering what the one new to the training asked, the Buddha first names this person: 「先當親近、供養善知識能說是深般若波羅蜜者」 tr. "he should first draw near to and make offerings to a good friend who can expound this deep prajñāpāramitā"〔T25 0557b19〕—what makes a good friend a good friend is judged by 「能說是深般若波羅蜜」 tr. "can expound this deep prajñāpāramitā", not by other virtues. At the end of the chapter the good friend is again made a condition of believing and understanding: 「先於諸佛所久行六波羅蜜、善根純熟、供養無數百千萬億諸佛、與善知識相隨」 tr. "one who has long practised the six perfections under the buddhas before, whose roots of goodness are fully ripened, who has made offerings to countless hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭi of buddhas, and who keeps company with good friends"〔T25 0560b26〕—at the opening of the chapter the good friend is the start of entering the gate, at its end the good friend is the completion of believing and understanding; the head and tail of the one chapter are clasped together. The treatise explains the order: 「佛不直說諸法性空，先教供養、親近善知識；善知識為說五波羅蜜功德」 tr. "The Buddha does not expound the emptiness of nature of all dharmas directly; he first teaches making offerings to and drawing near to a good friend; the good friend expounds for him the merits of the five perfections"〔T25 0558a07〕.
Not grasping · not craving (the substance of what the good friend teaches). The good friend's teaching the sūtra sets out in three layers of negating expression: first, dedication—「所有布施，一切迴向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」 tr. "whatever giving there is, dedicate all of it to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi"〔T25 0557b21〕; second, do not take it to be so—「汝莫以色是阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」 tr. "you must not take form to be anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi"〔T25 0557b24〕, and through the five aggregates, the six perfections, the emptinesses, the limbs of the path, the four dhyānas, the ten powers, and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, it says each time that one must not take them to be so; third, not grasping, one obtains—「不取色便得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」 tr. "not grasping form, one obtains anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi"〔T25 0557c06〕. It follows with a round of 「莫貪」 tr. "do not crave" to state it again: 「行是深般若波羅蜜時莫貪色」 tr. "when practising this deep prajñāpāramitā, do not crave form"〔T25 0557c11〕, and so on up to 「莫貪菩薩法位，莫貪阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」 tr. "do not crave the bodhisattva's Dharma-position, do not crave anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi"〔T25 0557c21〕, summing up its reason: 「阿耨多羅三藐三菩提非可貪者。所以者何？諸法性空故。」 tr. "Anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi is not something that can be craved. Why? Because all dharmas are empty of nature."〔T25 0557c22〕
The emptiness of nature of all dharmas is of two kinds. The gloss that opens Treatise ①, and also the pivot of the meaning of this chapter: 「諸法性空有二種：一者、大菩薩所得；二者、小菩薩所學柔順忍，以智慧發心。此中但說小菩薩所學空。」 tr. "The emptiness of nature of all dharmas is of two kinds: one, what the great bodhisattvas attain; two, what the small bodhisattvas train in, compliant acceptance, arousing the mind by wisdom. Here only the emptiness that the small bodhisattvas train in is spoken of."〔T25 0557c26〕—one and the same name, 「性空」 tr. "emptiness of nature", is assigned to two stations, what is attained and what is trained in; the doubt about the Buddha answering one new to the training with the matters of long practice is resolved by this.
A share of real wisdom · the dharma of the summit (the criterion for one new to the training). The second layer of explanation in Treatise ①: 「有實智慧氣分，佛數為菩薩；若無者，雖久行餘功德，不數為菩薩」 tr. "one who has a share of the flavour of real wisdom the Buddha counts as a bodhisattva; one who has none, though he has long practised other merits, is not counted as a bodhisattva"〔T25 0557c28〕. It takes the dharma of the summit in the śrāvaka teaching as a comparison: 「於三寶中有少信是名頂法；是信過煖法，修禪定生，以色界心得」 tr. "to have a little faith in the Three Jewels is called the dharma of the summit; this faith surpasses the dharma of warmth, arises from cultivating meditative concentration, and is obtained with a mind of the form realm"〔T25 0558a02〕, 「於佛無礙解脫是為小，於凡夫為大」 tr. "beside the Buddha's unobstructed liberation it is small; beside the ordinary person it is great"〔T25 0558a03〕; and applies it to the bodhisattva: 「如是新發意菩薩得般若波羅蜜氣味故能受化，名為新學；過五波羅蜜功德；於凡夫為大，於佛為小」 tr. "so too a bodhisattva who has newly aroused the mind, because he has obtained the flavour of prajñāpāramitā, can receive the teaching, and is called new to the training; it surpasses the merits of the five perfections; beside the ordinary person it is great, beside the Buddha it is small"〔T25 0558a04〕. A share and a flavour, the two words, point to one and the same thing—though the station is small, the substance is already real; therefore the Buddha answers the question of one new to the training with the Dharma of long practice.
The nine matters for arousing the mind (the framework of this chapter). Sūtra ② gives the general heading: 「諸菩薩摩訶薩為安隱世間故，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心；為安樂世間故、為救世間故、為世間歸故、為世間依處故、為世間洲故、為世間將導故、為世間究竟道故、為世間趣故，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。」 tr. "Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas arouse the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi to make the world safe; to make the world at ease, to save the world, to be the world's refuge, to be the world's place of support, to be the world's island, to be the world's guide, to be the world's ultimate path, to be that toward which the world tends, they arouse the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi."〔T25 0558a21〕—the names of the nine matters are in one order at the general heading and in a slightly different order where they are expounded one by one below (the order of exposition is safety, ease, saving, refuge, place of support, ultimate path, island, guide, tending); this is recorded as it is. Treatise ② glosses their meaning gate by gate; the ninth gate, 「趣」 tr. "tending", alone is displayed at length in Sūtra ③ and explained separately in Treatise ③ (see Section V).
Safety · ease. In Treatise ②'s gloss, of the two Chinese characters 「安穩」 tr. "safe", the treatise text writes the second as 「穩」 tr. "steady" (the Palace edition writes 「隱」 tr. "secure"; see Section VIII)—「能破一切煩惱，究竟不變失」 tr. "can break all afflictions, and is ultimately unchanging and unfailing"〔T25 0559a15〕, and its proof lies in 「佛能使眾生常安穩，不期一世、二世」 tr. "the Buddha can make beings always safe, not expecting it for one life or two"〔T25 0559a17〕. The difference between safety and ease the treatise divides with the simile of bitter medicine: 「有法雖安穩而不樂，有法今世苦、後世樂」 tr. "there are dharmas that, though safe, are not at ease; there are dharmas that are suffering in this life and ease in the next life"〔T25 0559a18〕, 「如服苦藥，腹中安穩、口中不美」 tr. "as when one takes bitter medicine, the belly is settled, but the mouth is not pleased"〔T25 0559a19〕; and further, 「六道無常相故非安穩，是故說出六道名安穩」 tr. "because the six destinies have the mark of impermanence they are not safe; therefore it is said that going out of the six destinies is called safety"〔T25 0559a21〕. The gloss of ease takes changelessness as its substance: 「世間樂著因緣故，久後必生憂惱，不名為樂；涅槃樂，始終無變，故說離憂苦為樂。」 tr. "Because of the causes and conditions of clinging to worldly pleasure, after a long time sorrow and vexation are sure to arise, and so it is not called ease; the ease of nirvāṇa is unchanging from beginning to end, and so separation from sorrow and suffering is said to be ease."〔T25 0559a22〕
Saving · refuge · place of support. Three gates of Treatise ② in succession. Saving: 「如人為怨賊所逐，若親戚、若官力能救」 tr. "as when a person is pursued by an enemy and thief, and either kin or the power of officials can save him"〔T25 0559a24〕, applied to beings: 「惡罪諸煩惱因緣及魔民所逐，惟諸佛能說法救護」 tr. "pursued by evil sins, by the causes and conditions of the afflictions, and by Māra's people, only the buddhas can expound the Dharma to save and protect them"〔T25 0559a25〕. Refuge: 「如人遇暴風疾雨，必歸房舍」 tr. "as when a person meets violent wind and sudden rain, he is sure to take refuge in a house"〔T25 0559a27〕. Place of support: its gloss is the most winding—「一切有為法從和合因緣生故，無有自力、不可依止」 tr. "all conditioned dharmas are born from the coming together of causes and conditions, and so have no power of their own and cannot be taken as support"〔T25 0559b01〕, and therefore 「眾生為苦所逼來依止佛，佛為說無依止法」 tr. "beings, pressed by suffering, come to take support in the Buddha, and the Buddha expounds to them the dharma without support"〔T25 0559b02〕; the substance of the dharma without support is ultimate emptiness: 「不相續即是不生不滅，不生不滅即是畢竟空，無依止處」 tr. "not continuing is non-arising and non-ceasing; non-arising and non-ceasing is ultimate emptiness, without a place of support"〔T25 0559b05〕. What the sūtra answers matches this: 「色不相續即是色無生，色無生即是色不滅，色不滅即是色無依處」 tr. "form not continuing is form's non-arising; form's non-arising is form's non-ceasing; form's non-ceasing is form's being without a place of support"〔T25 0558b24〕.
Support is of two kinds (the question and answer within the gate of the place of support). The only formal question and answer of Treatise ②: the question, 「若無依止處，何以說依止？」 tr. "If there is no place of support, why speak of support?"〔T25 0559b06〕; the answer, 「依止有二種：一者、以愛、見等諸煩惱依止有為法，二者、清淨智慧說依止涅槃。煩惱見故說無依止。」 tr. "Support is of two kinds: one, taking support in conditioned dharmas by way of the afflictions, love, views, and the rest; two, pure wisdom speaks of taking support in nirvāṇa. It is because of the afflictions and views that no support is spoken of."〔T25 0559b07〕—the negation 「無依止」 tr. "without support" negates the support of the afflictions and views; it does not negate the support of pure wisdom; one sentence separates the two layers of support, and the key to the one gate of 「依處」 tr. "place of support" in this chapter lies here.
Ultimate path · the world's island · guide. The ultimate path is 「所謂諸法實相、畢竟空」 tr. "namely the real mark of all dharmas, ultimate emptiness"〔T25 0559b09〕; its reasoning lies in breaking the three limits together: 「色等法，前際中無，後際中亦無」 tr. "form and the other dharmas do not exist in the prior limit, nor do they exist in the later limit"〔T25 0559b10〕, while as for the present, 「凡夫人憶想分別，業果報諸情力故有顛倒見；聖人以智慧眼觀之皆虛誑不實」 tr. "ordinary people, through recollection, imagining, and discrimination, and through the power of the faculties that are the retribution of deeds, have inverted views; the holy ones, contemplating them with the eye of wisdom, see them all as false, deceptive, and unreal"〔T25 0559b11〕, gathering it up with 「若無先後，云何有中？」 tr. "If there is no before and after, how can there be a middle?"〔T25 0559b13〕. The world's island: the sūtra first sets up the simile, 「若江河大海，四邊水斷，是名為洲」 tr. "as with rivers and the great sea, when the water is cut off on four sides, this is called an island"〔T25 0558c20〕; the treatise does not repeat the simile but glosses directly its water and its island—the water is 「三漏、四流諸煩惱及業果報中一切法」 tr. "the three outflows, the four floods, the afflictions, and all dharmas within the retribution of deeds"〔T25 0559b18〕, and the island is 「畢竟空、無所取，所謂涅槃，是為洲」 tr. "ultimately empty, with nothing grasped, namely nirvāṇa—this is the island"〔T25 0559b18〕. The guide: 「眾生沒在四流水中，佛以八正道船引著涅槃洲上」 tr. "beings are sunk in the waters of the four floods, and the Buddha, with the ship of the eightfold noble path, draws them onto the island of nirvāṇa"〔T25 0559b19〕—the two gates of island and guide share one simile of water, running through each other to form one scene.
Tending · not tending · this tending does not pass beyond. The general pattern of Sūtra ③, to which half the characters of the whole chapter belong. The pattern has three parts: first it shows 「為眾生說色趣空」 tr. "for beings he expounds that form tends toward emptiness"〔T25 0559b24〕, next it shows 「是色空相，非趣非不趣」 tr. "this form, with the mark of emptiness, neither tends nor does not tend"〔T25 0559b26〕, and last it sets up the general rule 「一切法趣空，是趣不過。何以故？空中，趣、非趣不可得故」 tr. "All dharmas tend toward emptiness; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within emptiness, tending and not tending are unfindable"〔T25 0559c03〕. The headings of what is tended toward come to more than ten kinds: from emptiness, the signless, non-action, non-origination, and being without anything existent, through a dream, an illusion, an echo, a shadow, a transformation, without measure and without limit, not given and not taken, not raised and not lowered, not increased and not decreased, not coming and not going, not entering and not leaving, the sixteen names such as self, permanence, happiness, purity, and self together with impermanence, suffering, impurity, and non-self, the four matters of desire, hatred, delusion, and views, suchness, the nature of dharmas, the limit of reality, the nature of the inconceivable, equality, the mark of immovability, the five aggregates, the twelve sense-fields, the eighteen elements, the six perfections, the emptinesses, the limbs of the path, the ten powers and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds, the four fruits and the path of the pratyekabuddha, and anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, ending with 「一切法趣須陀洹乃至佛，是趣不過」 tr. "all dharmas tend toward the srota-āpanna and so on up to the Buddha; this tending does not pass beyond"〔T25 0560b23〕. The sentence pattern 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond" is a marker phrase peculiar to this chapter; the Tiantai masters of later ages repeatedly cite it to prove the mutual inclusion of the dharma-realms (see Section VII).
Severance is of two kinds (the close of the chapter). At the end Treatise ③ asks: 「是人未得無生忍法」 tr. "this person has not yet obtained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas"〔T25 0560c24〕, and yet the sūtra says he has severed the three poisons; why speak of severance? The answer: 「斷有二種：一者、根本斷，二者、薄少斷。此中說薄少斷。」 tr. "Severance is of two kinds: one, severance at the root; two, severance that thins and lessens. Here it is severance that thins and lessens that is meant."〔T25 0560c25〕—and it goes one step further and dismisses the mark of a severer: 「行者不分別是斷、是煩惱。何以故？煩惱相顛倒不定故，煩惱即是斷，是故言離。」 tr. "The practitioner does not discriminate that this is severance and this is affliction. Why? Because the mark of the afflictions is inverted and not fixed, the afflictions are themselves severance, and so it says separation."〔T25 0560c26〕 The whole chapter ends with this sentence.
III. Similes and Stories
Of this chapter's principal similes there are nine, one in the sūtra and eight in the treatise; the only simile of the sūtra is the one matter of the 「洲」 tr. "island"; all the rest the treatise-author puts forward himself, to gloss the names and meanings of the nine gates.
The simile of the chick of the golden-winged bird (Treatise ① · new to the training and yet able to give rise to deep wisdom). 「譬如金翅鳥子始生，從一須彌至一須彌；菩薩亦如是，初學能生如是深智，何況久學！」 tr. "It is like the chick of the golden-winged bird just born, which goes from one Mount Sumeru to another; the bodhisattva is also like this: if one new to the training can give rise to such deep wisdom, how much more one long in the training!"〔T25 0558a10〕—the chick is only just born and its strength already crosses Sumeru; it illustrates that one new to the training already has wisdom able to receive the deep Dharma.
The simile of the small fire (Treatise ① · proving one and the same thing with the preceding simile). 「又如小火能燒，何況大者！菩薩亦如是，新學時能以般若轉世間法令畢竟空，燒諸煩惱，何況得力具足！」 tr. "Again, as a small fire can burn, how much more a great one! The bodhisattva is also like this: when new to the training he can, by prajñā, turn worldly dharmas and make them ultimately empty, burning up the afflictions—how much more when he has obtained his full power!"〔T25 0558a12〕—the two similes are set up one after the other, both making their point at the place of 「小」 tr. "small", precisely to answer the doubt ‘how can one new to the training get to hear the Dharma of long practice?’
The simile of good medicine (Treatise ② · glossing 「安隱」 tr. "safety"). 「譬如良藥能破病，不問甘苦，以能究竟除病、安穩故」 tr. "It is like a good medicine that can break an illness, regardless of whether it is sweet or bitter, because it can ultimately remove the illness and make one safe"〔T25 0559a16〕—the meaning of safety lies in ultimately removing the illness, not in sweetness or bitterness in the mouth.
The simile of bitter medicine (Treatise ② · dividing 「安隱」 tr. "safety" from 「安樂」 tr. "ease"). 「如服苦藥，腹中安穩、口中不美」 tr. "as when one takes bitter medicine, the belly is settled, but the mouth is not pleased"〔T25 0559a19〕—one simile separates out two names: the settledness in the belly is safety, the pleasantness in the mouth is ease; the Buddha can give the ease of this life and of the next life, and so the two names stand side by side.
The simile of being pursued by an enemy and thief (Treatise ② · glossing 「救世間」 tr. "saving the world"). 「如人為怨賊所逐，若親戚、若官力能救」 tr. "as when a person is pursued by an enemy and thief, and either kin or the power of officials can save him"〔T25 0559a24〕—the two saviours, kin and the power of officials, are set against the pursuit by the afflictions and Māra's people, from which only the Buddha can save.
The simile of taking refuge in a house from violent wind and sudden rain (Treatise ② · glossing 「世間歸」 tr. "the world's refuge"). 「如人遇暴風疾雨，必歸房舍」 tr. "as when a person meets violent wind and sudden rain, he is sure to take refuge in a house"〔T25 0559a27〕—the meaning of refuge lies in having somewhere to go and stay, and so the text below says that the Buddha 「以種種因緣拔其憂悲苦惱」 tr. "by various causes and conditions pulls out their sorrow, grief, suffering, and vexation"〔T25 0559a29〕.
The simile of rivers with the water cut off on four sides (Sūtra ② · Treatise ② glossing 「世間洲」 tr. "the world's island" together). The sūtra sets up the simile: 「若江河大海，四邊水斷，是名為洲」 tr. "as with rivers and the great sea, when the water is cut off on four sides, this is called an island"〔T25 0558c20〕; the treatise gathers up its Dharma: 「如洲四邊無地，色等法亦如是，前、後皆不可得」 tr. "as an island has no land on its four sides, so too with form and the other dharmas: before and after are both unfindable"〔T25 0559b15〕—the water on the four sides is the three outflows and the four floods, the ground in the middle is the place where the prior and later limits are cut off, and so 「入前、後空故，中間亦空」 tr. "because it enters the emptiness of before and after, the middle is also empty"〔T25 0559b17〕.
The simile of the ship crossing the four floods (Treatise ② · glossing 「將導」 tr. "guide"). 「眾生沒在四流水中，佛以八正道船引著涅槃洲上」 tr. "beings are sunk in the waters of the four floods, and the Buddha, with the ship of the eightfold noble path, draws them onto the island of nirvāṇa"〔T25 0559b19〕; the treatise takes this receiving and carrying across of beings by various causes and conditions as the name of the guide—it shares one scene of water with the preceding simile of the island: the island is where one arrives, the ship is what brings one there, and the guide is the one who draws.
The simile of space having only a name (Treatise ③ · glossing 「色等法趣空」 tr. "form and the other dharmas tend toward emptiness"). 「如虛空但有名而無法；色等法亦爾，終歸於空」 tr. "as space has only a name and no dharma; form and the other dharmas are likewise: in the end they return to emptiness"〔T25 0560c09〕; further, knowing a person's real disposition after a long time is used as a supporting simile: 「如人初雖有善言，久久乃知情實；色等諸法亦如是，入無餘涅槃時與虛空無異」 tr. "as with a person who at first speaks well, and only after a long time is his real disposition known; form and the other dharmas are also like this: when one enters nirvāṇa without remainder they are no different from space"〔T25 0560c11〕; at the end, passing out beyond space is used as the proof of unfindability: 「一切法無有過出空等諸相，如人欲出過虛空不可得」 tr. "No dharma passes out beyond the marks of emptiness and the rest, as a person who wishes to pass out beyond space cannot do so"〔T25 0560c14〕—the reason for the four Chinese characters 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond" lies precisely in this simile.
IV. The Sūtra Passage Explained
The network of chapter names across three collections (recorded side by side without judgement). The name of this chapter varies among the three collections; each is recorded in turn according to the base text, and which is correct is not fixed on anyone's behalf.
First, the line of the base text of this treatise. The chapter title〔T25 0557b13〕 is 「大智度論釋善知識品第五十二」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on the Good Friend, the Fifty-second"【大】; the Ming edition lacks the four characters 「大智度論」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa"; the Song and Palace editions lack the character 「度」 tr. "du (crossing)"; the Song, Yuan, and Ming editions lack the character 「善」 tr. "good"; the Palace edition adds, after 「二」 tr. "two", the character 「品」 tr. "chapter"; the Ming edition has, after 「二」 tr. "two", the interlinear note 「經作善智識品」 tr. "the sūtra has Chapter on the Good Friend (written with the ‘wisdom’ character)" (for the word-for-word collation notes see Section VIII). Second, the line of the Shōgozō / Ishiyama texts (sūtra-title type · the -1 step · variant names). The Shōgozō text reads 「摩訶般若波羅蜜智識教發心品第五十一」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā, Chapter on the Friend (written with the ‘wisdom’ character) Teaching the Arousing of the Mind, the Fifty-first" (without the character 「善」 tr. "good", writing 「智識」 tr. "friend (written with the ‘wisdom’ character)", with 「教發心」 tr. "teaching the arousing of the mind" entering the name); the Ishiyama text reads 「摩訶般若波羅蜜品第五十一善智識教發心品」 tr. "Chapter on Mahāprajñāpāramitā, the Fifty-first, Chapter on the Good Friend (written with the ‘wisdom’ character) Teaching the Arousing of the Mind" (having the character 「善」 tr. "good" but writing 「智識」 tr. "friend (written with the ‘wisdom’ character)", with 「教發心品」 tr. "Chapter on Teaching the Arousing of the Mind" placed after the chapter number). Third, the line of the sūtra explained and the ancient master's commentary (all without the character 「善」 tr. "good"). The chapter title of the sūtra explained, T223〔T08 0331b08〕, reads 「摩訶般若波羅蜜經知識品第五十二」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra, Chapter on the Friend, the Fifty-second", and its mulu likewise reads 「52 知識品」 tr. "52 Chapter on the Friend"〔T08 0331b08〕; the mulu of Jizang's commentary reads 「知識品第五十二」 tr. "Chapter on the Friend, the Fifty-second"〔X24n0451 0302a03〕.
The names of the three collections are recorded side by side as above. The interlinear note of the Ming edition says 「經作善智識品」 tr. "the sūtra has Chapter on the Good Friend (written with the ‘wisdom’ character)", whereas the present text of T223 actually reads, word for word, 「知識品」 tr. "Chapter on the Friend"—it has no character 「善」 tr. "good", and 「知」 tr. "zhi (knowing)" is not 「智」 tr. "zhi (wisdom)"; in two places it does not agree with what the interlinear note says. This is the actual gap between the interlinear note of the Ming edition and the sūtra text extant today; it is recorded as it is, with no forced explanation, and neither is the sūtra altered by the interlinear note nor the interlinear note by the sūtra. Further, Jizang's commentary in the mulu of the next chapter reads 「趣智品第五十三」 tr. "Chapter on Tending toward Knowledge, the Fifty-third"〔X24n0451 0302b17〕, whereas this treatise reads 「趣一切智品第五十三」 tr. "Chapter on Tending toward Omniscience, the Fifty-third"〔T25 0560c29〕, the same kind of dropped characters—in the X24 line the titles of the two neighbouring chapters both appear in abbreviated names; recorded separately as it is.
The -1 step in the chapter number (continuing in the Shōgozō and Ishiyama · seen at both layers, chapter title and chapter end). The Shōgozō's 「第五十一」 tr. "the fifty-first" and the Ishiyama's 「第五十一」 tr. "the fifty-first" are both one less than the base text, advancing chapter by chapter in the same direction and by the same amount as from Chapter 44 onward—the chain of the -1 step continues unbroken in this chapter. Where this chapter differs from the preceding chapters is that the -1 step finds evidence at its end points on both layers: one at the chapter title〔T25 0557b13〕 (cited above), and one at the chapter end〔T25 0560c28〕—「離【大】｜離釋五十一品竟【聖】【石】」 tr. "‘separation’ in the Taishō; ‘separation. End of the commentary on the fifty-first chapter’ in the Shōgozō and Ishiyama"; the Shōgozō and Ishiyama texts add at the chapter end the six characters 「釋五十一品竟」 tr. "End of the commentary on the fifty-first chapter", whose chapter number is likewise fifty-one, head and tail agreeing with the -1 step of the chapter title. Within the range of Chapter 46 only the one layer of the chapter title was found; in this chapter both layers are complete; each is recorded separately as it is. Further, the note on the title of the next chapter〔T25 0560c29〕 records that the Shōgozō text reads 「摩訶般若波羅蜜驗知品第五十二」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā, Chapter on Testing and Knowing, the Fifty-second" and the Ishiyama text reads 「摩訶般若波羅蜜經品第五十二驗知品趣一切智」 tr. "Chapter of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra, the Fifty-second, Chapter on Testing and Knowing, Tending toward Omniscience"—the -1 step continues into the next chapter; this chapter is not the end of the chain.
The +1 offset of the n attribute in the T223 mulu (as already recorded · not judged again). On the mulu encoding layer of the sūtra explained, T223: the n attribute of this chapter's mulu is marked 「53」 tr. "fifty-three" while the displayed text is marked 「52 知識品」 tr. "52 Chapter on the Friend"〔T08 0331b08〕; the n attribute of the next chapter's mulu is marked 「54」 tr. "fifty-four" while the displayed text is marked 「53 趣智品」 tr. "53 Chapter on Tending toward Knowledge"〔T08 0334a02〕—after the recurrence of n at Chapter 48, "The Mother of the Buddhas", converged, the +1 offset continues chapter by chapter in the +1 form, and it continues in this chapter. This offset has been recorded time after time in the apparatus of each chapter from Chapter 46 onward and has been settled as standing; this chapter follows it and does not judge it again. Further, the mulu on the T25 side of this treatise itself reads 「52 善知識品」 tr. "52 Chapter on the Good Friend"〔T25 0557b13〕, and its n attribute also reads 「52」 tr. "fifty-two"—on the treatise side there is no offset; the offset is only on the sūtra side; recorded separately as it is.
How fascicle boundaries and chapter boundaries divide and coincide. On the side of this treatise: Fascicle 71 begins at〔T25 0552c18〕 and ends at the end-title of Fascicle 71〔T25 0562b05〕, covering the earlier part of Chapter 50 and the whole of Chapters 51, 52, and 53—this chapter lies within the fascicle, and the chapter boundary is not tied to the fascicle boundary. On the side of the sūtra explained: the sūtra text of this chapter begins at〔T08 0331b08〕 and ends at〔T08 0334a01〕, with no fascicle title and no fascicle-end title in between, in the middle portion of Fascicle 14 of the sūtra—in both transmissions this chapter is of the type ‘the chapter lies within the fascicle’, differing in type from Chapter 46's ‘in this treatise the chapter crosses a boundary · in the sūtra explained chapter and fascicle coincide’; recorded separately as it is.
Full comparative reading of the cited sūtra (collation of the two sides · a control group of four strings · the difference between two readings). The opening of Sūtra ① of this treatise is nearly identical, word for word, with "The Friend" in the sūtra explained: this treatise reads 「新學菩薩摩訶薩云何應學般若波羅蜜、禪波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、尸羅波羅蜜、檀波羅蜜？」 tr. "How should bodhisattva-mahāsattvas new to the training train in prajñāpāramitā, dhyānapāramitā, vīryapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, śīlapāramitā, and dānapāramitā?"〔T25 0557b14〕; the same passage of T223 reads 「新學菩薩摩訶薩，云何應學般若波羅蜜、禪那波羅蜜、毘梨耶波羅蜜、羼提波羅蜜、尸羅波羅蜜、檀那波羅蜜？」 tr. "Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas new to the training—how should they train in prajñāpāramitā, dhyānapāramitā (full transliteration), vīryapāramitā, kṣāntipāramitā, śīlapāramitā, and dānapāramitā (full transliteration)?"〔T08 0331b09〕—the same opening, the same structure of the scene (who asks, what is asked, what marks the Buddha answers with); the difference lies in T223's transliterations of the six perfections being 「禪那」 tr. "dhyāna (full transliteration)" and 「檀那」 tr. "dāna (full transliteration)" (this treatise has 「禪」 tr. "dhyāna (short form)" and 「檀」 tr. "dāna (short form)"), and in T223 placing 「爾時」 tr. "at that time" before it. Control group: the one string 「拔出六道眾生」 tr. "pull beings out of the six destinies" is seen only once in the whole of T1509 and in the whole of T223 (one place each, both in this chapter); the alignment is unique; the other three strings differ in wording between the two collections—「善知識能說是深般若波羅蜜者」 tr. "a good friend who can expound this deep prajñāpāramitā" has no such sentence pattern in T223 (zero occurrences); this treatise's 「愛盡無餘、離欲、涅槃」 tr. "the exhaustion of love without remainder, separation from desire, nirvāṇa" reads in T223 「愛盡、無餘、離欲、涅槃」 tr. "the exhaustion of love, without remainder, separation from desire, nirvāṇa"; this treatise's 「善根純熟、供養無數百千萬億諸佛」 tr. "roots of goodness fully ripened, having made offerings to countless hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭi of buddhas (with an enumerating comma)" reads in T223 「善根純熟，供養無數百千萬億諸佛」 tr. "roots of goodness fully ripened, having made offerings to countless hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭi of buddhas (with a full comma)"—all are differences of punctuation or word-formation in the same passage at the same position, recorded side by side as they are; the structure of the scene (who asks, what is asked, what marks the Buddha answers with) still aligns uniquely. It is judged to be 「同品異名」 tr. "same chapter, different name" (the chapter body nearly identical word for word, the chapter name having 「善」 tr. "good" in the one and lacking 「善」 tr. "good" in the other). The three 【論】 layers of this treatise are a structural expansion belonging to the treatise form; the sūtra explained has no such layer, and it is not a variant reading.
The difference between two readings (tending, non-tending / tending, not tending · each consistent within its own collection). At the key phrase of the general pattern of Sūtra ③, the two collections are each consistent in their reading and differ from each other: this treatise reads 「趣、非趣不可得故」 tr. "because tending and non-tending are unfindable", and so it is everywhere seen in this chapter; T223 mostly reads 「趣不趣不可得故」 tr. "because tending and not tending are unfindable" (the general pattern from〔T08 0332c27〕 to〔T08 0333c21〕), and occasionally also 「趣非趣不可得故」 tr. "because tending and non-tending are unfindable (unpunctuated)" (as at〔T08 0333a13〕 and〔T08 0333b10〕), the two forms seen side by side; this ledger rescanned the text and does not, on a naive count, set up the assertion of 「唯一例外」 tr. "the single exception". The difference between the two readings belongs to the consistent usage of each collection's own transmission, not to an isolated miswriting; it is recorded side by side as it is, and which is correct is not judged.
One case of the two collections' collation notes attesting each other (collation of the two sides · the simile of the island). This treatise〔T25 0558c19〕 reads 「若江河大海，四邊水斷，是名為洲」 tr. "as with rivers and the great sea, when the water is cut off on four sides, this is called an island"; the base text of T223 reads 「譬如江河大海四邊水斷是名為洲」 tr. "it is like rivers and the great sea: when the water is cut off on four sides, this is called an island"〔T08 0332b25〕—the base texts have 「若」 tr. "as with" in the one and 「譬如」 tr. "it is like" in the other. The collation notes of the two collections attest each other: the T223-side collation note〔T08 0332b25〕 reads 「譬如【大】，若【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【中】」 tr. "‘it is like’ in the Taishō; ‘as with’ in the Song, Yuan, Ming, Palace, Shōgozō, and Zhong"—the six T223 texts Song, Yuan, Ming, Palace, Shōgozō, and Zhong read exactly 「若」 tr. "as with", agreeing with the base text of this treatise; the collation note on this treatise's side〔T25 0558c20〕 reads 「名【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】」 tr. "‘called’ in the Taishō; absent in the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Palace", and the T223-side collation note〔T08 0332b26〕 reads 「名【大】，〔－〕【中】」 tr. "‘called’ in the Taishō; absent in the Zhong"—on the presence or absence of the character 「名」 tr. "called", each collection also has its own variant texts. Both collections have been checked entry by entry; it is not a one-directional assertion.
Witness statistics for the sūtra explained (checked entry by entry in this ledger · not an estimate). The standoff collation notes (standoff app) on the T223 side within the range of the comparative reading for this chapter〔T08 0331b08–0334a01〕, counted entry by entry: fifty-nine in all, including twelve star-corresp repeated citations and forty-seven notes with unique numbers. The one note on the chapter title, word for word: 「摩訶般若波羅蜜經」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra"【大】｜〔－〕【明】〔T08 0331b08〕—the Ming edition lacks the seven characters 「摩訶般若波羅蜜經」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra", the same type as the Ming edition of this treatise lacking the four characters 「大智度論」 tr. "Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa" (the Ming editions of both collections omit the book title; recorded as it is without judgement). This section's handling differs from the 「未展開·誌闕待補」 tr. "not unfolded · the gap recorded for later supplementing" of Chapter 46; for this chapter the notes have been unfolded and counted entry by entry, and their number is recorded according to the facts.
V. The Prajñā Eye
The eye of this chapter lies in the one Chinese character 「趣」 tr. "tending" being turned inside out by prajñā—worldly dharmas, each and every one, have a tending toward something; prajñā, at every place of tending, shows its 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond"; and the condition for entering this gate lies only in the good friend. Its meaning can be summed up in five layers.
First, the gate is entered only through the good friend, and the good friend's only criterion is prajñā. In answering what one new to the training asked, the Buddha does not begin from the Dharma; he begins from a person: 「先當親近、供養善知識能說是深般若波羅蜜者」 tr. "he should first draw near to and make offerings to a good friend who can expound this deep prajñāpāramitā"〔T25 0557b19〕—the good friend is judged not by marvels, not by name or rank, but only by 「能說是深般若波羅蜜」 tr. "can expound this deep prajñāpāramitā". And the good friend's teaching lies wholly in negating and dismissing: dedicating everything and yet not taking it to be so, not grasping and not craving and so obtaining awakening. The treatise explains the intent of this order: 「佛不直說諸法性空，先教供養、親近善知識」 tr. "The Buddha does not expound the emptiness of nature of all dharmas directly; he first teaches making offerings to and drawing near to a good friend"〔T25 0558a07〕—the Dharma of the emptiness of nature cannot simply be handed over; there must be a person to hand it over. At the end of the chapter 「與善知識相隨」 tr. "keeps company with good friends"〔T25 0560b28〕 is again one of the four conditions for believing in and understanding deep prajñā; the head and tail of the one chapter return alike to this person.
Second, the emptiness of nature is one name but has two stations, and so one new to the training may hear the Dharma of long practice. The doubt of Treatise ① comes closest to the learner: Subhūti asked about what those new to the training practise, and the Buddha answered with the matter of long practice, the not grasping of all dharmas. The treatise divides it: 「諸法性空有二種：一者、大菩薩所得；二者、小菩薩所學柔順忍」 tr. "The emptiness of nature of all dharmas is of two kinds: one, what the great bodhisattvas attain; two, what the small bodhisattvas train in, compliant acceptance"〔T25 0557c26〕—what is trained in and what is attained share one name but differ in station, and so for one new to the training to hear it is not skipping grades. Further, with 「有實智慧氣分，佛數為菩薩」 tr. "one who has a share of the flavour of real wisdom the Buddha counts as a bodhisattva"〔T25 0557c28〕 it sets up its criterion: though the measure is small, the substance is already real, like the chick of the golden-winged bird just born, like a small fire that can burn.
Third, the nine matters for arousing the mind are the nine faces of great compassion. Safety, ease, saving, refuge, place of support, ultimate path, island, guide, tending—the nine names are not nine matters; they are the nine responses of one mind of awakening to nine marks of suffering in beings. Treatise ② glosses every gate with a simile, and the similes all take scenes of urgent danger in the world (pursued by an enemy and thief, violent wind and sudden rain, sunk in flowing water), yet what is given is never the world's kind of rescue: refuge, and it expounds the dharma without support; saving, and it carries across by the three vehicles; island, and it is ultimate emptiness with nothing grasped. What the world seeks is a place of rest; what prajñā gives is no place—in the gloss of the nine gates, every gate is so.
Fourth, the negation of support does not negate pure wisdom. The question of Treatise ②, 「若無依止處，何以說依止」 tr. "If there is no place of support, why speak of support?"〔T25 0559b06〕, shows the finest sense of measure: if one spoke only of no support, the Buddha's expounding the Dharma to beings would also become idle discourse. It answers with two kinds of support—love and views take support in conditioned dharmas, pure wisdom takes support in nirvāṇa; 「煩惱見故說無依止」 tr. "it is because of the afflictions and views that no support is spoken of"〔T25 0559b09〕. What is negated is the support of the afflictions, not the support of wisdom; only when this is read together with the sūtra's 「為眾生說一切法無依處」 tr. "for beings he expounds that all dharmas are without a place of support"〔T25 0558b21〕 does one not fall into the view of annihilation.
Fifth, 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond" is a phrase for the general mark of ultimate emptiness. Of the sixteen kinds of tending in Sūtra ③, every kind is gathered into one sentence: 「一切法趣空，是趣不過。何以故？空中，趣、非趣不可得故」 tr. "All dharmas tend toward emptiness; this tending does not pass beyond. Why? Because within emptiness, tending and not tending are unfindable"〔T25 0559c03〕. Treatise ③ explains why it alone is spoken of at length: 「是總上九事之會歸，是故多說」 tr. "it gathers up the nine matters above and is where they return, and so it is spoken of at length"〔T25 0560c05〕, and again says 「安樂等及趣皆同一義，俱出眾生著涅槃故。若事事廣說則不可盡」 tr. "ease and the rest, and tending, are all of one meaning: all of them draw beings out and set them in nirvāṇa. If each matter were spoken of at length, it could not be exhausted"〔T25 0560c06〕—the nine matters are of one meaning, so one is taken up and spoken of at length and the rest can be known by analogy. And the meaning of 「不過」 tr. "does not pass beyond" the treatise gives by the simile of space: 「一切法無有過出空等諸相，如人欲出過虛空不可得」 tr. "No dharma passes out beyond the marks of emptiness and the rest, as a person who wishes to pass out beyond space cannot do so"〔T25 0560c14〕—it does not mean that all dharmas rush toward emptiness; it means that no dharma can get outside emptiness; tending carried to its limit is tending nowhere. At the end of the chapter 「煩惱即是斷，是故言離」 tr. "the afflictions are themselves severance, and so it says separation"〔T25 0560c27〕 gathers up the whole chapter: severance is not severing and removing a thing, separation is not leaving a place—the same line of reasoning as 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond"; negation and dismissal reach the point where even the mark of the one who negates is not set up.
VI. Divergent Readings of the Masters
The Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa has no tradition of a complete line-by-line commentary, and the ancient masters' citations and explanations are, as a matter of fact, partial and uneven. For this chapter two ancient masters are read: Jizang's commentary on the sūtra explained preserves a complete chapter devoted to it; Huiying's commentary on the treatise has no line-by-line commentary on this chapter and only refers back to it within the commentary on a distant chapter (not zero coverage, differing in type from the consistent pattern of zero hits from Chapter 44 to Chapter 48); Junzheng's book has no citation of this chapter. This section records the correspondence between what they comment on and cite and this chapter, without judging the relative merit of the masters' interpretations.
Jizang's Commentary on the Larger Sūtra (X24n0451). Its line-by-line commentary on "The Friend" in the sūtra explained begins at〔X24n0451 0302a03〕 (the mulu 「知識品第五十二」 tr. "Chapter on the Friend, the Fifty-second", immediately following the point where the commentary on Chapter 51, "Parables", ends) and runs to just before〔X24n0451 0302b17〕 (before the start of the next mulu, 「趣智品第五十三」 tr. "Chapter on Tending toward Knowledge, the Fifty-third"; this section determines this according to the continuous sequence of the mulu), covering the whole of the sūtra of this chapter. Four things in it may be recorded.
First, the purpose of the chapter's position and the twofold division of the good friend—「此下第二觀中，下根人憑善知識習成妙行。善知識二，謂人及法。上品示得失是法善知識，今是人善知識。」 tr. "From here, within the second contemplation, the person of low faculties relies on the good friend to train in and accomplish wondrous practice. The good friend is of two kinds, namely the person and the Dharma. The chapter above, showing gain and loss, is the good friend of the Dharma; this one is the good friend who is a person."〔X24n0451 0302a04〕: Jizang takes the preceding chapter, "Parables", as 「法善知識」 tr. "the good friend of the Dharma" and this chapter as 「人善知識」 tr. "the good friend who is a person", the two chapters forming a meaning in pairing. Second, the division of the good friend into three grades—「善知識三品，上是佛欲滅四依，三是凡夫人中能說無所得大乘法者是也。法中謂大乘正經、大乘正論、大乘巧說無所得義。」 tr. "The good friend is of three grades: the highest is the Buddha; when he is about to pass into extinction, the four reliances; the third is one among ordinary people who can expound the Great Vehicle Dharma of nothing to be attained. As for the Dharma, it means the right sūtras of the Great Vehicle, the right treatises of the Great Vehicle, and the Great Vehicle's skilful expounding of the meaning of nothing to be attained."〔X24n0451 0302a06〕. Third, the division of the whole chapter into three parts—「品三：初、依善知識習成自行；二、依善知識習成化他行；三、二行既成，出信解人相也。」 tr. "The chapter has three parts: first, relying on the good friend to train in and accomplish one's own practice; second, relying on the good friend to train in and accomplish the practice of transforming others; third, the two practices having been accomplished, it brings out the marks of the person who believes and understands."〔X24n0451 0302a08〕: these three parts match the three sūtra and three treatise sections of this treatise—the first part corresponds to Sūtra ① (drawing near to the good friend and training in the six perfections), the second part to Sūtra ② (arousing the mind with the nine matters in order to transform others), and the third part to the question and answer 「誰能信解」 tr. "who can believe and understand" at the end of Sūtra ③; Jizang himself marks the boundaries of his parts: 「白佛希有下，第二、明習成化他行」 tr. "From ‘said to the Buddha: rare!’ onward is the second: making clear the training in and accomplishing of the practice of transforming others"〔X24n0451 0302a14〕, 「白佛誰能信解下，第三、明二行既成出信解人相」 tr. "From ‘said to the Buddha: who can believe and understand’ onward is the third: making clear that, the two practices having been accomplished, the marks of the person who believes and understands are brought out"〔X24n0451 0302b14〕. Fourth, the gate-by-gate gloss of the nine gates and the division of the gate of tending—「先問，次答。答中，善知識！先示其小大，合其小大善根」 tr. "First the question, next the answer. Within the answer: the good friend! first he shows its small and great, and joins its small and great roots of goodness"〔X24n0451 0302a11〕; for the headings of the nine gates Jizang has 「安隱者，能破煩惱故令得安隱也」 tr. "Safety: because it can break the afflictions, it lets one obtain safety"〔X24n0451 0302a15〕, 「云救世間者，眾生內為煩惱罪業所遂，外為魔民所遂，唯佛救之，餘無能救也」 tr. "As for saving the world: beings are pursued within by the afflictions and sinful deeds and pursued without by Māra's people; only the Buddha saves them, and no one else can save them"〔X24n0451 0302a17〕, 「五、世間依者，餘一切有為顛倒人法不可依止」 tr. "Fifth, the world's support: all other conditioned and inverted persons and dharmas cannot be taken as support"〔X24n0451 0302a20〕, 「六、究竟者，為眾生說法實相是究竟」 tr. "Sixth, the ultimate: expounding for beings the real mark of dharmas is the ultimate"〔X24n0451 0302a21〕, 「七、為世間門者，非是涅槃四邊，即是四流令離」 tr. "Seventh, being the world's gate: it is not the four sides of nirvāṇa; it is the four floods, which it causes one to leave"〔X24n0451 0302a23〕, 「八、將道者，佛以心八正道引眾生置涅槃門者，名為將道也」 tr. "Eighth, leading along the path: the Buddha, with the eightfold noble path of the mind, draws beings and sets them at the gate of nirvāṇa; this is called leading along the path"〔X24n0451 0302a24〕—Jizang takes 「乘世間」 tr. "to be the world's vehicle" as corresponding to this treatise's 「安樂世間」 tr. "to make the world at ease", 「世間門」 tr. "the world's gate" as corresponding to this treatise's 「世間洲」 tr. "the world's island", and 「將道」 tr. "leading along the path" as corresponding to this treatise's 「將導」 tr. "guide"; the wording differs slightly from this treatise, but the framework of the nine gates is the same. He explains the ninth gate thus: 「次釋第九歸趣廣者，論二義：一者趣是九會法歸，故廣釋；二者以後廣例前亦廣，前略例後亦略」 tr. "Next, explaining why the ninth, the tending of return, is broad, the treatise gives two meanings: first, tending is where the nine gather and the Dharma returns, and so it is explained at length; second, the broad later one shows by example that the former are also broad, and the brief former ones show by example that the later is also brief"〔X24n0451 0302b01〕—matching one by one the two meanings of this treatise, 「是總上九事之會歸，是故多說」 tr. "it gathers up the nine matters above and is where they return, and so it is spoken of at length"〔T25 0560c05〕 and 「當知餘者亦皆應廣說」 tr. "know that the rest also should all be spoken of at length"〔T25 0560c08〕. Jizang further counts the kinds of tending himself: 「此中凡二十四類也」 tr. "here there are twenty-four kinds in all"〔X24n0451 0302b03〕—this ledger does not convert and compare it on anyone's behalf; the number is recorded as it is. At the end he explains the severance and separation from the three poisons: 「所言三毒斷離者，悟無所得人顛倒亦薄，無得觀強耳非常斷也，得無生現前時斷也」 tr. "What is called the severance and separation from the three poisons: in a person who has awakened to nothing to be attained, the inversions too are thin; it is only that the contemplation of non-attainment is strong, not a permanent severance; when non-arising is obtained and manifest, then they are severed"〔X24n0451 0302b14〕—tending the same way as this treatise's 「斷有二種：一者、根本斷，二者、薄少斷」 tr. "Severance is of two kinds: one, severance at the root; two, severance that thins and lessens"〔T25 0560c25〕, while its method of division forms a school of its own; recorded without judgement.
Huiying's Commentary (X46n0791) · one entry of the back-reference type (not a line-by-line commentary on this chapter). The only ancient commentary explaining this treatise, surviving only in fragmentary fascicles. Fascicle 71 of the treatise, to which this chapter belongs, is not within the coverage of the line-by-line commentary of the fragments; yet within the section ‘Commentary on the Remainder of "Not Realising It in a Dream", the Sixty-first’, Huiying refers back to this chapter: 「如上說者，上善知識品中已廣釋也，文等當說。」 tr. "As said above: it has already been explained at length above in the Chapter on the Good Friend; the text and the rest will be spoken of."〔X46n0791 0904a11〕—this is an ancient master's back-reference by name, not a word-for-word citation of the sūtra or treatise text of this chapter. One thing in it may be recorded: Huiying's line calls this chapter by the full name 「善知識品」 tr. "Chapter on the Good Friend" (agreeing with the base text of this treatise), unlike the abbreviated name 「知識品」 tr. "Chapter on the Friend" of T223 and Jizang's commentary—outside the network of the chapter names of the three collections, one more form, an ancient master's naming, is obtained and recorded side by side (for the analysis see Section IV). The two forms of the chapter name (「善知識品」 tr. "Chapter on the Good Friend" and 「知識品」 tr. "Chapter on the Friend") each give one hit in the whole file of X46n0791, namely this one place; the quantity is recorded as it is.
Junzheng's Profound Meaning of the Four Mahāyāna Treatises (X46n0784) · zero hits (recorded as it is). The two forms of this chapter's name and the words peculiar to this chapter, 「安隱世間」 tr. "to make the world safe", 「世間洲」 tr. "the world's island", and 「薄少斷」 tr. "severance that thins and lessens", searched back through the whole file of X46n0784, give zero hits; Junzheng has no citation by name of this chapter; the negative result is recorded as it is.
The Tiantai line (T46n1911 / T46n1912 / T33n1716 / T33n1717) · zero hits for the chapter-title words, but not zero for the sentence pattern (see Section VII). The two forms of this chapter's name and 「安隱世間」 tr. "to make the world safe", 「世間洲」 tr. "the world's island", and 「薄少斷」 tr. "severance that thins and lessens" give zero hits in all four Tiantai books; yet the marker phrase of this chapter's sūtra text, 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond", is seen seven times in the Great Calming and Contemplation, four times in the Supporting Practice and Broad Resolution of Calming and Contemplation, five times in the Profound Meaning of the Lotus, and zero times in the Annotations on the Profound Meaning of the Lotus—zero hits at the layer of the chapter title does not mean zero involvement at the layer of meaning; for details see Section VII.
VII. Cross-reading and Further Resonances
The line of meaning of this chapter has four connections running before and after it, all of which this section records, without fixing a reading on anyone's behalf.
First, the further resonance in the chapter order of the good friend of the Dharma and the good friend who is a person (Jizang's own attestation). The preceding chapter, "Parables", Chapter 51, makes clear with five parables the gain and loss of taking up and setting aside; this chapter makes clear through a person what one relies on. Jizang's commentary, at the opening of this chapter, itself marks how the two chapters continue each other: 「上品示得失是法善知識，今是人善知識」 tr. "The chapter above, showing gain and loss, is the good friend of the Dharma; this one is the good friend who is a person"〔X24n0451 0302a05〕—the Dharma and the person belong to two chapters and together form the whole of 「善知識二，謂人及法」 tr. "the good friend is of two kinds, namely the person and the Dharma"〔X24n0451 0302a04〕. This is a division that an ancient master established on the chapter order; recorded without judgement.
Second, the nine matters for arousing the mind and the thread running through the chapter's own attestation. Sūtra ② lists the nine matters in general but expounds only eight gates; the ninth gate, 「趣」 tr. "tending", goes straight into Sūtra ③ to be displayed at length; Treatise ③ itself states the reason: 「是總上九事之會歸，是故多說」 tr. "it gathers up the nine matters above and is where they return, and so it is spoken of at length"〔T25 0560c05〕, 「若事事廣說則不可盡」 tr. "if each matter were spoken of at length, it could not be exhausted"〔T25 0560c07〕, 「最在後故廣說；當知餘者亦皆應廣說」 tr. "because it comes last it is spoken of at length; know that the rest also should all be spoken of at length"〔T25 0560c07〕—the treatise-author himself judges the method of the whole chapter: the first eight gates brief, the ninth gate broad; the broad one can exemplify the former, and the brief ones can be exemplified by the latter. For the full ledger of the teaching see the Exposition layer.
Third, the Tiantai use of the sentence pattern 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond" (mainly citation by meaning · the connection recorded, word-for-word identity not judged). The marker phrase of this chapter's Sūtra ③, 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond", is a scriptural proof commonly used by the Tiantai masters to show that 「一切法趣某某」 tr. "all dharmas tend toward such-and-such" is the mutual inclusion of the dharma-realms. Zhiyi's Great Calming and Contemplation cites it: 「一切法趣欲事，是趣不過。欲事尚不可得，何況當有趣不趣？」 tr. "All dharmas tend toward the matter of desire; this tending does not pass beyond. The matter of desire is itself unfindable; how much less could there be tending and not tending?"〔T46 0046c02〕, and itself explains the three truths: 「趣即是有，有能趣、所趣故，即辯俗諦」 tr. "Tending is existence: because there is that which tends and that which is tended toward, this discriminates the mundane truth"〔T46 0046c04〕, 「欲事不可得，即是明空」 tr. "the matter of desire is unfindable: this makes emptiness clear"〔T46 0046c05〕, 「即是辯中道」 tr. "this discriminates the middle path"〔T46 0046c07〕—the one heading it cites, 「趣欲事」 tr. "tending toward the matter of desire", is exactly one of the kinds of this chapter's Sūtra ③〔T25 0560a06〕, while its reading 「趣不趣」 tr. "tending and not tending" agrees with the T223 line (this treatise has 「趣、非趣」 tr. "tending and non-tending"; see Section IV), and its 「尚不可得」 tr. "is itself unfindable" differs from the 「畢竟不可得」 tr. "ultimately unfindable" of the two collections—it is citation by meaning, not word-for-word identity. Elsewhere the Great Calming and Contemplation again applies this pattern to the ten realms and to the twelve links (「一切法趣念處，是趣不過」 tr. "all dharmas tend toward the foundations of mindfulness; this tending does not pass beyond"〔T46 0088b15〕, 「一切法趣病，是趣不過」 tr. "all dharmas tend toward sickness; this tending does not pass beyond"〔T46 0110c20〕, 「一切法趣無明，是趣不過」 tr. "all dharmas tend toward ignorance; this tending does not pass beyond"〔T46 0127a27〕); the headings tended toward already go beyond this chapter, a usage established by Tiantai itself; recorded separately as it is. The Profound Meaning of the Lotus cites 「一切法趣色，是趣不過」 tr. "all dharmas tend toward form; this tending does not pass beyond" in three places〔T33 0701c14〕〔T33 0777a12〕〔T33 0804c22〕—the heading 「趣色」 tr. "tending toward form" is exactly the text of this chapter's Sūtra ③〔T25 0560a17〕, and the text that follows, 「色尚不可得，何況有趣、有不趣」 tr. "form is itself unfindable, how much less is there tending or not tending"〔T33 0701c15〕, is still citation by meaning. Zhanran's Supporting Practice and Broad Resolution of Calming and Contemplation engages it most deeply: from〔T46 0199c08〕 onward it paraphrases the text of this chapter's Sūtra ③ sentence by sentence (「菩薩為眾生說色趣空」 tr. "the bodhisattva expounds for beings that form tends toward emptiness"〔T46 0199c08〕, 「為眾生故說色非趣非不趣」 tr. "for the sake of beings he expounds that form neither tends nor does not tend"〔T46 0199c09〕, 「為眾生故說一切法趣空無相願是趣不過」 tr. "for the sake of beings he expounds that all dharmas tend toward emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; this tending does not pass beyond"〔T46 0199c10〕), and matches it to the three truths, taking that which tends as the provisional, that which is tended toward as emptiness, and the unfindability of tending and not tending as the middle〔T46 0199c14〕; and he himself states the basis of his judgement: 「中假二意全依論文」 tr. "the two meanings of the middle and the provisional rely entirely on the text of the treatise"〔T46 0199c16〕. This chapter (together with the sūtra it explains) is the source passage of the Tiantai phrase 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond"; the connection is recorded, and word-for-word borrowing is not judged.
Fourth, the link to the treasury (stable citation · soft citation). This chapter's criterion 「善知識能說是深般若波羅蜜者」 tr. "a good friend who can expound this deep prajñāpāramitā", the nine faces of great compassion in the nine matters for arousing the mind, the division of support into two kinds, the general-mark phrase 「是趣不過」 tr. "this tending does not pass beyond", and the closing division of severance into two kinds, are what later ages rely on in discussing the good friend, the mutual inclusion of the dharma-realms, and the limits of severing delusion; a stable citation is set down〔T25n1509 善知識品·卷七十一〕; the places in the volumes on the Heart Sūtra, the Diamond Sūtra, and Consciousness-only that cite this treatise are not yet in final form, so the citation is soft, awaiting word-for-word checking and preservation. This belongs to the further resonance of the meaning of prajñā running down into the various sūtras; recorded without judgement.
VIII. Witnesses and Editions
The base text of this chapter is Fascicle 71 of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa〔T25 0557b13–0560c29〕 (the main text of the chapter body begins from the chapter title〔T25 0557b13〕 and ends with the sentence 「是故言離」 tr. "and so it says separation", running to〔T25 0560c28〕, before the title of the next chapter〔T25 0560c29〕; within the range of this chapter there is no fascicle title, no fascicle-end title, and no signature of author or translator); the collation text for the sūtra explained is "The Friend" in the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra〔T08 0331b08–0334a01〕; the ancient-master commentary text for collation is Jizang's Commentary on the Larger Sūtra (X24n0451, covering this chapter at〔X24n0451 0302a03–0302b17〕, up to just before the end point); Huiying's Commentary (X46n0791) has no line-by-line commentary on this chapter and only one back-reference〔X46n0791 0904a11〕, and Junzheng's Profound Meaning of the Four Mahāyāna Treatises (X46n0784) has zero hits for this chapter (see Section VI). The variant collation notes follow the Taishō collation, covering differences between the Taishō base text and the Song, Yuan, Ming, Palace, and Shōgozō editions and the Ishiyama text (the Ishiyama-dera manuscript), as well as the CBETA collation—within the range of this chapter no entry from the Shōgozō B text is seen (unlike Chapters 45 to 48; recorded separately as it is).
Collation notes on the chapter title (the evidential basis of the network of chapter names across three collections, the -1 step, and the Ming interlinear note · listed separately). At the chapter title〔T25 0557b13〕 there are four notes at one place—「大智度論釋善知識品第五十二【大】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜智識教發心品第五十一【聖】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜品第五十一善智識教發心品【石】｜釋善知識品第五十二【明】」 tr. "‘Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, Commentary on the Chapter on the Good Friend, the Fifty-second’ in the Taishō; ‘Mahāprajñāpāramitā, Chapter on the Friend (written with the ‘wisdom’ character) Teaching the Arousing of the Mind, the Fifty-first’ in the Shōgozō; ‘Chapter on Mahāprajñāpāramitā, the Fifty-first, Chapter on the Good Friend (written with the ‘wisdom’ character) Teaching the Arousing of the Mind’ in the Ishiyama; ‘Commentary on the Chapter on the Good Friend, the Fifty-second’ in the Ming" (note 0557008), 「度【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【宮】」 tr. "‘du’ in the Taishō; absent in the Song and Palace" (note 0557009), 「善【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【明】」 tr. "‘good’ in the Taishō; absent in the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Ming" (note 0557010), 「二【大】｜二（經作善智識品）【明】｜二品【宮】」 tr. "‘two’ in the Taishō; ‘two (the sūtra has Chapter on the Good Friend, written with the ‘wisdom’ character)’ in the Ming; ‘two, chapter’ in the Palace" (note 0557011)—these are the evidential basis of the network of chapter names across three collections, the -1 step in the chapter number, and the Ming interlinear note; they are recorded side by side as they are, with no reconciliation forced upon them (for the analysis see Section IV). The orig-type collation note of note 0557008 further records the alignment of its character counts—the Shōgozō replaces the thirteen characters of the base text with seventeen characters, and the Ishiyama replaces the thirteen characters of the base text with nineteen characters; recorded as it is.
Collation note at the end of the chapter (the second end point of the -1 step · listed separately). At the end of the chapter〔T25 0560c28〕 there is one note—「離【大】｜離釋五十一品竟【聖】【石】」 tr. "‘separation’ in the Taishō; ‘separation. End of the commentary on the fifty-first chapter’ in the Shōgozō and Ishiyama" (note 0560010, the orig type reading 「離＋（釋五十一品竟）【聖】【石】」 tr. "‘separation’ + ‘(End of the commentary on the fifty-first chapter)’ in the Shōgozō and Ishiyama")—the Shōgozō and Ishiyama texts add at the end of the chapter the six characters 「釋五十一品竟」 tr. "End of the commentary on the fifty-first chapter", whose chapter number agrees with the -1 step of the chapter title; it is the second-layer end point of this chapter's -1 step (for the analysis see Section IV).
One addition in six texts (「乃至品竟」 tr. "and so on up to the end of the chapter" · listed separately). In Treatise ③〔T25 0560c05〕, in 「『趣』是總上九事之會歸」 tr. "‘tending’ gathers up the nine matters above and is where they return", after the character 「是」 tr. "is", the six texts Song, Yuan, Ming, Palace, Shōgozō, and Ishiyama add the four characters 「乃至品竟」 tr. "and so on up to the end of the chapter" (note 0560009, the mod type reading 「是【大】，是乃至品竟【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】」 tr. "‘is’ in the Taishō; ‘is, and so on up to the end of the chapter’ in the Song, Yuan, Ming, Palace, Shōgozō, and Ishiyama", the orig type reading 「是＋（乃至品竟）【三】【宮】【聖】【石】」 tr. "‘is’ + ‘(and so on up to the end of the chapter)’ in the Three editions, the Palace, the Shōgozō, and the Ishiyama"). This volume records the characters as they are and does not decide on anyone's behalf whether they are a mark of abridged copying or a part of the main text—the six texts all have these four characters here, and the Shōgozō and Ishiyama texts further have, at the end of the chapter〔T25 0560c28〕, the record 「釋五十一品竟」 tr. "End of the commentary on the fifty-first chapter"; the actual state in which the two records stand together is as above; recorded side by side without judgement.
One CBETA emendation of a special type (its basis not recorded · listed separately). One entry in Sūtra ①〔T25 0557b21〕 belongs to a special type of the modern CBETA collation layer, not the traditional type that sets the various texts side by side; this ledger checked it word for word against the original file of the base text and lists it separately: the lem reads 「子」 tr. "zi (son)"【CB】, while the 【大】 text originally reads 「于」 tr. "yu (at)" (in 「汝善男子」 tr. "you, son of good family", the character 「子」 tr. "zi (son)"). The collation note does not record the canon or authority on which it is based (differing in type from the case in Chapter 46, where one character was supplied from the Korean Canon and the basis was stated explicitly); its type and its gap are recorded as they are, and no basis is supplied on anyone's behalf; the reader-facing text of this edition follows the reading of the current CBETA text.
Three notes on the presence of the structural markers (the Song, Palace, and Shōgozō lack the treatise tag · listed separately). Each of the three 【論】 structural markers of this chapter has a collation note: 【論】〔T25 0557c24〕, 【論】〔T25 0559a11〕, 【論】〔T25 0560c04〕—the three texts Song, Palace, and Shōgozō all lack this tag (the three markers share one note, the latter two being star-corresp repeated citations; see the ledger below); the three 【經】 markers〔T25 0557b14〕〔T25 0558a16〕〔T25 0559b22〕 have no collation note. Only the base text clearly sets up the division between sūtra and treatise, which belongs to the layer of the base text's transmission; recorded as it is; it is not a doctrinal question.
One case of nested app (a verification case for the correctness of extraction · listed separately). Within the outer app of Sūtra ③〔T25 0559c19〕 (word-count 12, the lemma being the whole sentence 「不舉不下中，趣、非趣不可得故。」 tr. "within not raised and not lowered, tending and non-tending are unfindable.", omitted by the Palace text), another inner app is nested〔T25 0559c20〕 (the single character 「可」 tr. "can", omitted by the Ishiyama text). The lem / rdg of the two layers were checked word for word and match the verbatim extraction byte for byte; both layers were extracted correctly, with no merging or omission seen—this is recorded as it is as a verification case in which the extraction handled nested app correctly, not a defect. The ledger below lists them as two entries in the order of their appearance in the base text (the forty-fourth and forty-fifth entries).
Complete ledger of collation notes (all sixty-three entries reconciled · base text as it stands). Below, transcribed in their original form from the working base text—the collation notes of this chapter total sixty-three app entries, agreeing mechanically with app 63, the mechanically recounted value. The app entries are listed in full in the order of their appearance in the base text, including nine star-corresp repeated citations (the same variant reading recurring in the text and sharing one note), marked with each entry—of this chapter's nine star entries, seven have corresp targets across chapters and two within the chapter (of those across chapters, five point to Chapter 50, "The Great Matter Arises", and two to Chapter 51, "Parables"), differing in type from Chapter 46's 「全數品內原生」 tr. "all native within the chapter"; recorded 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:
App entries (sixty-three · in order of appearance in the base text · star-corresp marked with each entry)
- 〔T25 0557b13〕大智度論釋善知識品第五十二【大】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜智識教發心品第五十一【聖】｜摩訶般若波羅蜜品第五十一善智識教發心品【石】｜釋善知識品第五十二【明】(one note on the chapter title in four forms · the three names the Good Friend / the Friend Teaching the Arousing of the Mind / the Good Friend Teaching the Arousing of the Mind (the latter two written with the ‘wisdom’ character) recorded side by side + the Shōgozō and Ishiyama -1 step · see Section IV)
- 〔T25 0557b13〕度【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【宮】
- 〔T25 0557b13〕善【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【明】
- 〔T25 0557b13〕二【大】｜二（經作善智識品）【明】｜二品【宮】(the Ming interlinear note 「經作善智識品」 tr. "the sūtra has Chapter on the Good Friend (written with the ‘wisdom’ character)" · not agreeing with the present T223 「知識品」 tr. "Chapter on the Friend" · see Section IV)
- 〔T25 0557b21〕子【CB】｜于【大】(a CBETA emendation of a special type · its basis not recorded · listed separately above)
- 〔T25 0557c10〕不取【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】｜取不【聖】
- 〔T25 0557c20〕果【大】｜果者【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0557c23〕性【大】｜自性【宋】【元】【明】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0557c24〕【論】【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【宮】【聖】(note on the presence of the structural marker · star · corresp → note(0554008) = the note at〔T25 0554b23〕 in Chapter 50, "The Great Matter Arises" · shared across chapters)
- 〔T25 0557c28〕實【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0558a01〕德【大】｜德說【元】【明】
- 〔T25 0558a04〕凡夫【大】｜凡人【宋】【元】【明】【宮】｜凡夫人【聖】
- 〔T25 0558a25〕故【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】(star · corresp → note(0557001) = the note at〔T25 0557a02〕 in Chapter 51, "Parables" · shared across chapters)
- 〔T25 0558b06〕安【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0558b16〕愁【大】｜苦【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0558c01〕若【大】｜〔－〕【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0558c04〕如【大】｜如是【聖】
- 〔T25 0558c06〕得【大】｜行【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0558c14〕却【大】｜怯【宋】【元】【明】
- 〔T25 0558c14〕是【大】｜〔－〕【石】(star · corresp → note(0554005) = the note at〔T25 0554a24〕 in Chapter 50 · shared across chapters)
- 〔T25 0558c20〕名【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】(attesting each other with the T223 side〔T08 0332b26〕 「名【大】，〔－〕【中】」 tr. "‘called’ in the Taishō; absent in the Zhong" · see Section IV)
- 〔T25 0558c24〕寶【大】｜實【聖】
- 〔T25 0558c29〕導【大】｜道【聖】
- 〔T25 0558c29〕故發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】｜發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心【聖】
- 〔T25 0559a04〕處【大】｜入【聖】
- 〔T25 0559a11〕【論】【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【宮】【聖】(note on the presence of the structural marker · star · corresp → note(0554008) = the note at〔T25 0554b23〕 in Chapter 50 · shared across chapters)
- 〔T25 0559a15〕穩【大】｜隱【宮】(the two forms 「安穩」 tr. "safe (written with the ‘steady’ character)" / 「安隱」 tr. "safe (written with the ‘secure’ character)" · the sūtra has 「安隱」 tr. "safe (written with the ‘secure’ character)" and the treatise has 「安穩」 tr. "safe (written with the ‘steady’ character)" · the Palace edition on the treatise side also has 「隱」 tr. "secure")
- 〔T25 0559a18〕期【大】｜其【石】
- 〔T25 0559a26〕惟【大】｜唯【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】(star · corresp → note(0555004) = the note at〔T25 0555a14〕 in Chapter 50 · shared across chapters)
- 〔T25 0559a28〕邪【大】｜耶【聖】(star · corresp → note(0556006) = the note at〔T25 0556b05〕 in Chapter 51 · shared across chapters)
- 〔T25 0559a29〕歸【大】｜歸依【明】
- 〔T25 0559b02〕有【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0559b11〕凡【大】｜亦無凡【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0559b18〕四流【大】｜四流等【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0559b22〕何【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0559b28〕相【大】｜想【聖】
- 〔T25 0559b29〕是【大】｜〔－〕【聖】
- 〔T25 0559c03〕非【大】｜不【宋】【元】【明】【宮】(the two readings 「非趣」 tr. "non-tending" / 「不趣」 tr. "not tending" · the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Palace on the treatise side have 「不」 tr. "not", agreeing with the T223 line · see Section IV)
- 〔T25 0559c07〕起【大】｜趣【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0559c08〕起【大】｜趣【聖】【石】(star · corresp → note(0559014) = the note at〔T25 0559c07〕 within the chapter)
- 〔T25 0559c12〕夢【大】｜如夢【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0559c13〕嚮【大】｜響【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0559c14〕趣【大】｜〔－〕【元】【明】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0559c19〕不舉不下中，趣、非趣不可得故。【大】｜〔－〕【宮】(outer layer of the nested app · word-count 12 · the inner nest is the next entry · see the separate listing above)
- 〔T25 0559c20〕可【大】｜〔－〕【石】(inner layer of the nested app · the single character 「可」 tr. "can" · see the separate listing above)
- 〔T25 0559c20〕須菩提！一切法趣不增不減，是趣不過。何以故？【大】｜〔－〕【宮】
- 〔T25 0559c23〕不來不去中【大】｜〔－〕【宮】【石】
- 〔T25 0559c24〕不可得【大】｜中無來無去【宮】【石】
- 〔T25 0559c27〕起【大】｜起者【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0559c27〕作【大】｜作者【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0559c29〕當【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【元】【明】【宮】
- 〔T25 0560a01〕有【大】｜〔－〕【明】【聖】
- 〔T25 0560a01〕常【大】｜有常【石】
- 〔T25 0560a18〕得【大】｜得故【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】
- 〔T25 0560a23〕故【大】｜〔－〕【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0560b27〕純【大】｜淳【聖】【石】
- 〔T25 0560b28〕萬【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【宮】
- 〔T25 0560c02〕貌【大】｜𦴭【聖】
- 〔T25 0560c02〕瞋【大】｜恚【聖】
- 〔T25 0560c02〕貌【大】｜𦴭【聖】(star · corresp → note(0560007) = the note at〔T25 0560c02〕 within the chapter)
- 〔T25 0560c04〕【論】【大】｜〔－〕【宋】【宮】【聖】(note on the presence of the structural marker · star · corresp → note(0554008) = the note at〔T25 0554b23〕 in Chapter 50 · shared across chapters)
- 〔T25 0560c05〕是【大】｜是乃至品竟【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【石】(addition in six texts · recorded side by side without judgement · see the separate listing above)
- 〔T25 0560c28〕離【大】｜離釋五十一品竟【聖】【石】(the second end point of the -1 step at the chapter end · see Section IV)