大智度論 義疏通講 · 冊5Dazhidulun — Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa · Exposition Throughout · Vol. 5
寶塔校量品Weighing the Jewelled Stūpa
全文五層 →Full five layers →寶塔校量品：般若何以勝於舍利寶塔，供養般若何以即供養三世佛
在問什麼
這一品的品名叫「寶塔校量」——寶塔，指供養佛舍利所起的七寶塔；校量，是比校、量度福德的多少。品名的眼目，正落在經文後半那一長段逐級升階的問答：從一座七寶塔，到遍滿閻浮提、四天下、小千、二千、三千大千世界，乃至三千大千世界中一一眾生各起一塔、十方恒河沙世界一一眾生各起一塔——逐階佛都說「不如」一位善男子、善女人受持供養般若波羅蜜的福多；唯末階十方恒沙一問，佛但答「甚多」，改由帝釋自陳書持般若「其福大多」。一部品，就環繞著『以寶塔校量般若』這一樞紐展開；而校量的落點，最後收在論主一句：舍利與般若，孰為本、孰為末。
底下壓著幾個難處。第一，本品開頭說受持般若的人「終不失命，刀箭不傷」，毒藥水火皆不能害——這豈不與佛自說的「業因緣，非空非海中，無有得免者」相牴觸？第二，般若何以稱作「大明呪」「無上呪」？既說般若畢竟空、一切不可得，又如何能作能護人的「呪」？第三，供養佛的舍利、起七寶塔，福德不可謂不大，何以竟「不如」受持一卷般若？舍利是佛親身所遺，難道還比不上一部經卷？第四，中段還有一整段最容易被略過的問答——帝釋問「閻浮提人不供養般若波羅蜜」，佛連環反問世間有幾人於三寶不壞信、幾人得聖果、幾人發菩提心，帝釋一一答「少所人」；佛更以佛眼觀十方，說眾生多因離般若方便而墮二乘。這一大段，才是全品講『何以世人不識般若之貴』的正面交代，不可跳過。第五，經文後半那一長段逐級升階、供養般若則「則為供養過去、未來、現在佛」、一切善法皆入般若為「一切諸佛法印」——這一長段究竟是誰在說？這幾問，正是本品要一一交代的。
逐段解明
第一，先看經初「刀箭不傷」與論主「二種業因緣」的照應。經說受持、讀誦般若、不離薩婆若心的人，兩陣交戰入軍陣中「終不失命，刀箭不傷」，乃至毒藥、蠱道、火坑、深水、刀殺諸毒都不能傷。論主先立一問：現實中確有讀誦般若的人入軍陣仍被刀兵所傷、甚至喪命，而佛又自說「業因緣，非空非海中，無有得免者」，兩處豈不相違？論主的解答是「二種業因緣」——必應受報與不必受報：《法句》所說是就必受報的定業而言，此處般若所說是就不必受報的不定業而言。他打了個重罪、輕罪的比方：大逆應死之人縱有強力財寶不可得免，罪輕而入死科者用力勢財物便得濟命。可見般若「刀箭不傷」不是許人一個金剛不壞之身，而是就不定業說——無必受報之罪者，讀誦般若則得濟度。這一分寸，正是讀本品第一段最須認清的。
第二，看「大明呪」「無上呪」何以能護。經說般若是「大明呪」「是無上呪」，於此呪中學者「自不惱身、亦不惱他、亦不兩惱」。論主與經自身都把所以然點在「不可得」上：不得我、不得眾生、不得壽命，乃至色受想行識、一切種智皆不可得；正因一切不可得，才無所惱害。可見般若之為「呪」，不在有一段神祕的咒語文句去外禦刀兵，而在其照見一切法空、無所執取的智慧本身——三世諸佛皆「學是大明呪」而得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。這一層，把「呪」從世俗的護身符，提到了般若智慧的高處。
第三，看「但書寫供養」何以也得功德，兼看諸天何以守護其止處。經說有人只是書寫經卷、安置屋舍供養，並不受持讀誦，也能使人、非人不得其可乘之機，今世即得功德。何以故？經自道其由：般若為四天王乃至阿迦尼吒諸天所守護，「是般若波羅蜜所止處，諸天皆來供養」、「恭敬、尊重、讚歎，禮拜已去」。這是說：般若經卷所安之處，本身即成諸天恭敬環繞之地，惡者自不敢近——故護人的不是那幾片經葉，而是經中所詮的般若之德感得天護。論主又設一問：不能受持讀誦、但書寫供養，云何得功德？答：其功德「亦同於上」——有人先已從師聞般若義、深愛樂而不識文字，雇人書寫、盡心供養，「意與讀誦者同」，故亦得功德。論主並以菩提樹為喻：佛於菩提樹下成無上道，其處猶有威德，眾生入中眾惡不得其便，「何況般若波羅蜜是諸佛之母」。取意在：功德的根不在文字讀誦的形跡，而在對般若的深心愛樂與恭敬，及般若自體所感的守護之德。
第四，看經②如何為『般若勝舍利』奠定義理。帝釋先問：書寫供養般若、與佛涅槃後供養舍利起塔，二者何福為多？佛不逕答，反問帝釋：佛所得的一切種智及是身，從何道學而得？帝釋自答：從般若中學得。佛於是把關鍵一句點出：「不以是身名為佛，得一切種智故名為佛」——佛身只是「一切種智所依處」，舍利之所以當得供養，正因它曾是「得一切種智」的依處。這一句，把舍利的可貴一路追溯到般若：舍利貴，貴在它與般若的關係；般若才是能生一切種智、能生五度乃至諸佛的根本。
第五，看經②末『般若能生一切善法』的長串，這一串不可概括帶過。佛歷數般若所生：「般若波羅蜜中生五波羅蜜」——布施、持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定五度皆從般若生；「生內空乃至無法有法空」——內空、外空以至無法有法空這一組觀空的智慧，也從般若生；「四念處乃至十八不共法，一切三昧、一切禪定、一切陀羅尼，皆從般若波羅蜜中生」——從三十七道品的四念處，一路到佛的十八不共法，連同一切定與總持之門，無不出自般若；「成就眾生、淨佛世界」——化度眾生、莊嚴佛土的大行，亦從般若生；乃至「菩薩家成就、色成就、資生之物成就、眷屬成就、大慈大悲成就」——菩薩受生的家世、色身、資財、眷屬與大慈大悲，皆從般若生；再往下，「剎利大姓、婆羅門大姓、居士大家」的世間尊貴，「四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒天」的諸天，「須陀洹乃至阿羅漢、辟支佛、諸菩薩摩訶薩、諸佛，諸佛一切種智，皆從是般若波羅蜜中生」。這一長串，從五度、諸空、道品，到眾生淨土、菩薩諸德、人天尊貴、三乘四果乃至諸佛種智，一切善法無不歸源於般若——這才是『書寫供養般若得福多』的真正理由：供養般若，即是供養這一切善法之所從生的根。讀這一段，須把每一項一一看過，方知般若所攝之廣，不可囫圇讀成『種種善法』四字。
第六，看經②後半帝釋與佛的問答鏈——這一整段是全品講『世人何以不識般若』的正面交代。帝釋先問：「閻浮提人不供養般若波羅蜜」，是不是「為不知供養多所利益耶」——世間人不供養般若，是不是因為不曉得供養般若有大利益？佛不逕答，反以連環之問層層逼出實情：先問閻浮提中有幾人「信佛不壞」、於三寶「無疑」、於三寶「決了」，帝釋答「少所人」；再問幾人得三十七品、三解脫門乃至六神通，幾人「斷三結故，得須陀洹道」，以至斷五上分結得阿羅漢、求辟支佛、「發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心」，帝釋仍答「少所人」。這一問一答，是佛借帝釋自己的口，把『世人不識般若之貴』的實況一層層量出來：連對三寶的不壞信都少，何況能識、能供養那更深的般若。佛隨即述其成、並道其前世因緣：這些眾生「前世不見佛、不聞法、不供養比丘僧」，「不布施、不持戒、不忍辱、不精進、不禪定、無智慧」，也不聞不修諸空、「四念處乃至十八不共法」乃至一切種智——正因宿世未曾親近三寶、未曾修集福慧，今生才於般若無信無識。可見「不供養般若」不是般若不貴，而是眾生宿因淺薄、法器未成。
第七，接看佛「以佛眼觀十方」一節，及『諸餘善法亦應聞持』的落點。佛更以佛眼親見十方：「我以佛眼見東方無量阿僧祇眾生發心」行菩提道，然而這些發了心的眾生，「遠離般若波羅蜜方便力故」，只有一二能住不退轉地，其餘「多墮聲聞、辟支佛地」——這是說，縱已發菩提心，若離了般若的方便善巧，仍多半退落二乘。這一句正反顯般若之要：般若不是可有可無的裝點，而是菩薩道能不退墮的命脈。因此佛勸：發心求無上菩提的人，理應聞持供養般若；而且「諸餘善法入般若波羅蜜中者」，也一併應聞持。「何等是諸餘善法」？佛自答：檀、尸羅、羼提、毘梨耶、禪五波羅蜜，內空乃至無法有法空，諸三昧門、諸陀羅尼門，四念處乃至十八不共法，大慈大悲——這些善法都攝在般若之中，所以也都應聞持。點出：聞持般若，不是撇開餘善法別修一物，而是修這一切善法時皆不離般若。
第八，看「一切諸佛法印」與三乘同學一印之義。佛把前面所歷的善法收成一句總斷：般若乃至一切種智，「此是諸佛法印」，也是「諸辟支佛、阿羅漢、阿那含、斯陀含、須陀洹法印」——法印，是印定聖法真偽的標準。三乘所以能各成其果，皆因學此一印：「諸佛學是般若波羅蜜乃至一切種智得度彼岸」，辟支佛、四果聲聞「亦學是般若波羅蜜乃至一切智得度彼岸」。所以佛結勸：「若佛在世、若般涅槃後，應依止般若波羅蜜」乃至一切種智。這一節把般若舉到三乘共依的高度：不是菩薩一乘的私法，而是聲聞、緣覺、佛三乘同所依止、同所學而得度的唯一法印——佛在世固當依止，佛涅槃後尤當依止，因為印還在，度脫的路便還在。
第九，轉入論②，先看論主為這場「校量」點出的兩個由來。其一，帝釋何以要拿舍利來校量般若？論主答：「信根多者，憙供養舍利；慧根多者，好讀誦經法。」——這是就眾生根性說：信根偏勝的人，情意上更樂於供養佛的舍利；慧根偏勝的人，更好於讀誦經法。帝釋設此一問，正為引出二者福德的分際。其二，佛何以不逕答二福多少，卻反問帝釋「於汝意云何」？論主答：這是「四事答」中的「反問答」——佛法答問有四種方式，此處用的是反問而令對方自省的一種。何以此處要反問？因為「或有人供養舍利得福德多，或有人供養般若波羅蜜得福德亦多，隨人心故，佛不得一定答，是故反問」。就是說：福德多少隨供養者的心而異，並無一個離心而定的死答案，所以佛不下定論，而以反問令帝釋自見其理。
第十，看論②『智人少故不知供養』與『四家辨不壞信』。論主再申帝釋所問『閻浮提人何以不供養般若』，答：「智人少故，不知供養般若，無咎；譬如金寶，盲者不識。」——不供養般若不是般若的過失，而是識貨的智人本就少；正如金寶並非不貴，盲者自看不見罷了。閻浮提人連「但信三尊者少」，何況能識而能行般若。至於佛連環反問所用的「不壞信、無疑、決了」三語有何差別，論主並錄古德四家之說而不強判：一家說「無有差別」，只是「佛莊嚴種種說，開悟人心故」，三語同指一事，佛變換其辭以開悟人心；一家說三者有次第因果——「於三寶中得不壞信」，何以知其不壞？以其無疑；何以知其無疑？以其決了，是由淺入深的三重；又問無疑與決了何異，答「初信三寶故是無疑，智慧究竟故是決了」，並以渡水為喻——「譬如渡水，初入是無疑，出彼岸是決了」，初入水信可渡是無疑，到彼岸事已究竟是決了。更有以戒身分位配之者：「三分聖戒力故信不壞，四分力故是無疑，正見分力故是決了」；又有配三道位者：「見諦道中是不壞信，思惟道中是無疑，無學道中是決了」。這幾家把同一組三語，或判為無別、或判為次第、或配戒分、或配道位——論主一一並錄，明言「如是等種種分別」，只誌其說而不判孰是，讀者當隨論主，取其開解之益，不在諸說間強生取捨。
第十一，看論②『三事果報』與『帝釋因報三能』、『轉少之因』。其一，這信、無疑、決了三事各得何種果報？論主分為兩類：「從三十七品至六神通，是有為果」——由四念處到六神通這些有造作、屬修證階位的功德，是有為的果；「三結盡乃至煩惱及習盡，是無為果」——斷盡三結乃至煩惱習氣的還滅、寂滅一面，是無為的果。一事而兼感有為、無為二果，這是論主替前面聖道階次補出的果報分判。其二，帝釋何以能一一答出世間深信者之多少？論主答：帝釋「有報生知他心」——因往昔業報而生具知他心的能力，又「以天耳聞諸道差別」，更以其為大菩薩利根，「入觀眾生心三昧故，得知諸道差別」，所以能如實答佛「深信者少」。這是說帝釋之答非臆度，而有其現量所知。其三，何以世人於般若信解轉少？論主順聖位遞減而說：「從須陀洹乃至初發心求佛道轉少」——自初果須陀洹一路數到初發菩提心的人，愈往上人數愈少；愈少，故愈少人知供養般若。何以如此少？「前世生死中，不聞三寶名，乃至不聞一切種智名」——宿世流轉中，連三寶之名、一切種智之名都不曾聽聞，今生自然難信難識。佛正為印證此事，才說「我今以佛眼觀十方」眾生離般若方便而住不退者極少之語。
第十二，看論②「諸餘善法入般若」的所指，及「須陀洹亦學般若」的問答。其一，經說「諸餘善法入般若」，論主特為點明所指之廣：這「諸餘」不限六度道品，還兼指「諸餘經」——「是諸餘經，所謂《法華經》、《密迹經》等」，凡「十二部經中義同般若者」，「雖不名為般若波羅蜜經，然義理即同般若波羅蜜」。就是說：一切十二部經中，凡義理與般若相契的，雖不掛「般若」之名，其義即同般若，皆攝入般若之中。這是本論以般若統攝群經的一個明文，讀者不可把「般若」窄看成一部經的名目。其二，論主設一問：既說般若乃至一切種智是菩薩所學，「云何須陀洹亦學般若波羅蜜乃至一切種智，得到彼岸」——須陀洹是聲聞初果，怎麼也學般若乃至一切種智而得度？論主答：「此中六波羅蜜、三解脫門、三十七品等乃至一切種智，此非獨菩薩法，三乘共有，各隨分學。」——這些法門並非菩薩獨有，而是三乘共通所有，只是三乘各就自分而學：聲聞學其分以證聲聞果，菩薩學其全以趣佛果。這正呼應前面「諸佛法印」是三乘同依之義。
第十三，看經③「塔校量」的逐級升階。這一段是品名所本：佛以七寶塔逐級加碼——一塔、滿閻浮提、滿四天下、滿小千、滿二千中、滿三千大千世界，乃至三千大千世界中一一眾生各起一塔、十方恒河沙世界一一眾生各起一塔——逐階佛都答「不如」受持供養般若的福多；唯末階十方恒沙一問，佛但答「甚多」，改由帝釋自陳書持般若「其福大多」。帝釋於段末自己承接、向佛申說：供養般若「則為供養過去、未來、現在佛」，並曆數十善道、四禪、四諦、六度乃至一切種智「一切善法皆入般若波羅蜜中」，總歸為「一切諸佛法印」，三乘與三世諸佛皆學此印得度彼岸。這一長段的升階與總攝，是帝釋領解般若總攝一切善法之後的自陳，讀時須認清這一層說者。
第十四，看論③「是塔為實、為假」與『舍利無記』的收束。論主以「人見土塔高大，即時生心，謂是塔主福德極大」何況七寶起塔高一由旬，點出佛以塔為喻之意，隨即設問：這塔是實有還是假設？答：佛只為使人「解知分別福德多小」而作譬喻，不應問其虛實；並錄「有實有假」與「皆是實有」兩家之說而不強判——迦葉佛時吉梨姞王起塔五十里、轉輪王德主一日起五百塔，是實事；「滿三千大千世界」則是假喻；另有謂梵天王、深行菩薩皆能起塔滿三千大千，是實有。末後收在全品的義理落點：「是般若中但出生佛，尚應當供養，何況出生三乘及人天中樂」；而「舍利是無記法」，只因是諸善法所依止處，「後乃能與人果報」，行般若卻「即時得果，後亦得報」。校量的結穴，正在此：舍利是所依之末、無記待緣，般若是能生之本、即時得果——寶塔校量的一場問答，最終量出的是本與末、即時與待後的分際。
不要讀錯
不要把「刀箭不傷」讀成受持般若便有一個不死之身。論說得分明：這是就「不必受報」的不定業說的，「必應受報」的定業，《法句》明說「非空非海中，無有得免者」。般若的力用在濟不定業之厄，不在保證一個金剛不壞的色身；把它讀成長生護命的神效，便錯認了定業與不定業的分際。
不要把「大明呪」讀成一段能外禦刀兵的神祕咒語。經與論都把「呪」的所以然點在「不可得」——我、眾生、壽命乃至一切種智皆不可得。般若之為呪，是照見一切法空、無所執取的智慧，不是一串有口耳相傳之音的護身符。若當作咒術靈驗去持，恰恰失了「大明」二字所指的般若光明。
不要把「閻浮提人不供養般若」讀成佛在貶責眾生，或讀成般若當真不值得供養。論主說得清楚：不供養是「智人少故」，如「金寶，盲者不識」——過在能識的人少，不在般若不貴。佛連環反問而帝釋答「少所人」，佛更述其「前世不見佛、不聞法、不供養比丘僧」的宿因——這是替眾生的不識指出病根，好教人回頭修集福慧、親近三寶，不是責怪，更不是說般若可以不供。
不要把論主並錄的「不壞信、無疑、決了」四家之說讀成論主替我們判定了哪一家對。論明說有「無有差別」一家、有次第因果一家、有配戒分一家、有配道位一家，末後只以「如是等種種分別」收之，並不判高下。這是古德對同一組三語的不同開解，論主誌錄以備參；讀時當隨論主取其開悟之益，不在諸說之間強分是非。
不要把「須陀洹亦學般若」讀成三乘所學所證全然一樣。論說得有分寸：六度、三解脫門、三十七品乃至一切種智「非獨菩薩法，三乘共有」，然而是「各隨分學」——法門共通，而所學之分、所趣之果各異。聲聞就自分學而證聲聞果，菩薩就其全學而趣佛果；讀成三乘平齊無別，便失了「隨分」二字。
最要緊的一處：不要把『般若勝於舍利』讀成輕慢佛的舍利。經明明說舍利「當得供養」，論也說舍利是「諸善法所依止處」。所以「不如」，不是貶低舍利，而是把舍利的可貴一路追到根上——舍利貴，貴在它曾是「得一切種智」的依處；而能生一切種智的是般若。校量的是本與末，不是要人輕慢佛身遺骨。舍利是無記之法、待緣後報，般若能生佛、即時得果，這一分高下，說的是所依與能生的分際。
不要把經③後半那一長段逐級升階、「則為供養過去、未來、現在佛」、一切善法皆入般若為「一切諸佛法印」讀成佛的開示。那是帝釋白佛、領解之後由帝釋自己承接向佛申說的——是帝釋陳說自己的領會，不是佛語，也不是論主之釋。認錯了說者，便會把帝釋的一家覆講，錯記成佛的金口親宣。
不要把論③「是塔為實為假」讀成論主要替我們判定塔的虛實。論恰恰說不應問其虛實，佛作此喻只為使人「解知分別福德多小」。「有實有假」與「皆是實有」兩家之說，論主並錄而不強判；讀時當隨論主，把眼光放在福德多少的校量上，不在塔的實假上生計較。
修行作用
這一品可作一面校量『本末』的鏡子。世人供養，多在有相的形跡上用心——起塔、供舍利、華香伎樂，愈多愈大愈以為福厚。本品卻把福德的根一路追到般若：舍利之可貴，貴在它與「得一切種智」的關係；能生一切種智的般若，才是本。學這一品，事上不廢供養的恭敬，心上要認得「本」在何處——不被有相的多寡所奪，才不至於捨本逐末。
「刀箭不傷」與「二種業因緣」給用功人一個切近提點：般若不是替人躲過定業的護符，而是濟不定業之厄、令人於死事來時「則得濟度」的實力。與其求一個不壞之身，不如老實讀誦、深心愛樂——「意與讀誦者同」一句尤可玩味：功德的根不在文字讀誦的形跡多寡，而在對般若那一分深心的愛樂與恭敬。
帝釋問答鏈那一段，尤堪自照。世人「少所人信佛不壞」，宿因是「前世不見佛、不聞法、不供養比丘僧」，也不曾修集福慧——反過來看，正指出今生用功的下手處：親近三寶、修集福慧，正是把自己從「少所人」中培養成識得般若之貴的人。而佛「以佛眼」見發心人「遠離般若波羅蜜方便力故」……「多墮聲聞、辟支佛地」，更是一句警策：發了心還不夠，若離般若的方便善巧，仍會退墮；行人於是當在一切善法上都不離般若，才不至半途落於小果。
帝釋末後「一切善法皆入般若波羅蜜中」的自陳，也堪自照。十善、四禪、四諦、六度乃至一切種智，凡所修的一切善法，若不歸向般若、不「不離薩婆若心」，便是散而無統的有為福；一旦攝入般若、迴向一切智，才是「諸佛法印」。時時檢點自己所修的善法，是散在有相的枝葉上，還是收歸在般若的根本上——這是本品給行人的一句叮嚀。
承衍
本品的骨幹，是一條由「校量」串起的線：經初以般若護人、為大明呪起，中經舍利與般若孰本孰末的奠基、帝釋問答鏈對『世人何以不識般若』的正面交代，終於塔校量的逐級升階與論主『舍利無記、般若出生佛』的收束。一句話貫穿始終——「是般若中但出生佛，尚應當供養，何況出生三乘及人天中樂」；供養之所以有本末，只因般若是能生之本，舍利乃至一切有相之福是所生之末。校量，不是要抑舍利而揚經卷，恰是要人於供養的形跡之外，認得那能生一切的般若。
品名一事，可附帶一提。本品在本論底本題作「寶塔校量品」，而所釋的《大品般若》同品，傳世異名頗多——或作「大明品」（取經初「大明呪」之義），或作「寶塔品」（取塔校量之事），後世經錄目錄又有作「舍利寶塔品」的，更有並取二義而作「寶塔大明品」者；一名取「校量寶塔」之事，一名取「大明呪」之義，皆本品所有，古來傳譯稱謂互見參差。這只是名目的出入，並錄以備參，不判其孰是；本版讀本從本論底本，題作「寶塔校量品」。
至於「大明呪」一語，古德於此另有一重讀法：舊有以「五果格量」判此一段者，將本品與前品〈滅諍亂品〉合為一組，前品明魔人不得便、諸天守護諸果，本品則承之而明不橫死之果與住處安無恐怖之果，以般若之力如大明呪，能令水火刀毒不能傷、住處常安，故取「大明」為目。此為古德一家科判，於本品論主自身之問答外別立綱目，錄以備參，其是非高下，非本版所判。
Weighing the Jewelled Stūpa: Why Prajñā Surpasses the Jewelled Stūpas of the Relics, and Why Making Offerings to Prajñā Is Making Offerings to the Buddhas of the Three Times
What Is Being Asked
This chapter’s name is 「寶塔校量」 tr. "weighing the jewelled stūpa"—the jewelled stūpa means the stūpa of the seven jewels raised to make offerings to the Buddha’s relics; weighing means comparing and measuring how much merit there is. The eye of the chapter’s name falls precisely on that long stretch of step-by-step ascending questions and answers in the latter half of the sūtra text: from a single stūpa of the seven jewels, to stūpas filling Jambudvīpa, the four continents, a small thousand world, a middle two-thousand world, and the three-thousand great-thousand world, and so on up to each and every being in the three-thousand great-thousand world raising a stūpa, and each and every being in worlds of the ten directions as many as the sands of the Ganges raising a stūpa—step by step the Buddha says it is 「不如」 tr. "not as good as" one good man or good woman who receives, upholds, and makes offerings to prajñāpāramitā, whose merit is greater. The whole chapter unfolds around this one pivot, ‘weighing prajñā against the jewelled stūpas’; and where the weighing lands is finally gathered into one sentence of the treatise-author: of the relics and prajñā, which is the root and which the branch.
Beneath this lie several difficulties. First, at the opening of this chapter it is said that the one who receives and upholds prajñā 「終不失命，刀箭不傷」 tr. "will never lose his life; blades and arrows will not wound him," and that poison, water, and fire cannot harm him—does this not conflict with what the Buddha himself said, 「業因緣，非空非海中，無有得免者」 tr. "karmic causes and conditions: neither in the sky nor in the sea is there anyone who can escape them"? Second, why is prajñā called 「大明呪」 tr. "the great bright spell" and 「無上呪」 tr. "the unsurpassed spell"? Since it is said that prajñā is ultimately empty and all is unfindable, how can it act as a 「呪」 tr. "spell" able to protect people? Third, making offerings to the Buddha’s relics and raising stūpas of the seven jewels—the merit cannot be called anything but great; why then is it 「不如」 tr. "not as good as" receiving and upholding a single scroll of prajñā? The relics are what the Buddha’s own body left behind; can they really fall short of a scroll of the sūtra? Fourth, in the middle part there is a whole stretch of questions and answers most easily skipped over—Śakra asks about 「閻浮提人不供養般若波羅蜜」 tr. "the people of Jambudvīpa not making offerings to prajñāpāramitā," and the Buddha asks back in a chain how many people in the world have indestructible faith in the Three Jewels, how many attain the noble fruits, how many arouse the mind of awakening, and Śakra answers each time 「少所人」 tr. "few people"; the Buddha further observes the ten directions with the Buddha eye and says that beings mostly fall into the two vehicles because they part from the skilful means of prajñā. This large stretch is the chapter’s direct account of ‘why the people of the world do not recognise how precious prajñā is,’ and it cannot be skipped. Fifth, that long step-by-step ascending stretch in the latter half of the sūtra text, where making offerings to prajñā then 「則為供養過去、未來、現在佛」 tr. "is then making offerings to the buddhas of the past, the future, and the present," and all wholesome dharmas enter prajñā as 「一切諸佛法印」 tr. "the Dharma seal of all buddhas"—who, in the end, is speaking this long stretch? These questions are exactly what this chapter must account for one by one.
Passage by Passage
First, look first at how the sūtra’s opening 「刀箭不傷」 tr. "blades and arrows will not wound him" answers to the treatise-author’s 「二種業因緣」 tr. "two kinds of karmic causes and conditions." The sūtra says that the one who receives and upholds, reads and recites prajñā, and does not part from the mind of sarvajñā (omniscience), entering the ranks of an army when two armies clash, 「終不失命，刀箭不傷」 tr. "will never lose his life; blades and arrows will not wound him," and so on: poison, sorcery, a pit of fire, deep water, killing by the blade, and all poisons cannot harm him. The treatise-author first sets up a question: in reality there are indeed people who read and recite prajñā and yet, entering the ranks of an army, are still wounded by weapons and even lose their lives; and the Buddha himself also said, 「業因緣，非空非海中，無有得免者」 tr. "karmic causes and conditions: neither in the sky nor in the sea is there anyone who can escape them"—do the two places not contradict each other? The treatise-author’s answer is 「二種業因緣」 tr. "two kinds of karmic causes and conditions"—a result that must be undergone and a result that need not be undergone: what the Dharmapada says concerns fixed karma, whose result must be undergone; what prajñā says here concerns unfixed karma, whose result need not be undergone. He draws a comparison of heavy and light crimes: a person guilty of great treason who ought to die cannot escape even with great power and treasure, while one whose crime is light but who has fallen under a capital charge can save his life by using power, influence, and wealth. It can be seen that prajñā’s 「刀箭不傷」 tr. "blades and arrows will not wound him" does not promise a person an adamantine, indestructible body, but is said with respect to unfixed karma—one who has no crime whose result must be undergone gains deliverance by reading and reciting prajñā. This measure is exactly what most needs to be clearly recognised in reading the chapter’s first passage.
Second, look at why 「大明呪」 tr. "the great bright spell" and 「無上呪」 tr. "the unsurpassed spell" are able to protect. The sūtra says that prajñā is 「大明呪」 tr. "the great bright spell," 「是無上呪」 tr. "is the unsurpassed spell," and that those who train in this spell 「自不惱身、亦不惱他、亦不兩惱」 tr. "do not afflict themselves, do not afflict others, and do not afflict both." The treatise-author and the sūtra itself both place the reason for this in 「不可得」 tr. "unfindable": not finding a self, not finding beings, not finding a life-span, and so on up to form, feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, and the omniscience of all kinds—all are unfindable; precisely because all is unfindable, there is nothing to afflict or harm. It can be seen that prajñā’s being a 「呪」 tr. "spell" does not lie in there being some mysterious string of incantatory words that wards off weapons from outside, but in the very wisdom that illuminates all dharmas as empty and grasps at nothing—the buddhas of the three times all 「學是大明呪」 tr. "trained in this great bright spell" and attained anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi, unsurpassed, right, and complete awakening. This layer lifts the 「呪」 tr. "spell" from a worldly protective amulet up to the height of the wisdom of prajñā.
Third, look at why 「但書寫供養」 tr. "merely writing it out and making offerings" also gains merit, and at the same time at why the gods guard the place where it rests. The sūtra says that someone who merely writes out the scroll of the sūtra and places it in his house to make offerings, without receiving, upholding, reading, or reciting it, can also ensure that humans and non-humans get no opening to take advantage of him, and gains merit in this very life. Why is this? The sūtra states its reason itself: prajñā is guarded by the Four Heavenly Kings and so on up to the gods of the Akaniṣṭha heaven; 「是般若波羅蜜所止處，諸天皆來供養」 tr. "to the place where this prajñāpāramitā rests, the gods all come to make offerings," 「恭敬、尊重、讚歎，禮拜已去」 tr. "they pay reverence, honour and praise it, bow, and then depart." This means: the place where the scroll of the prajñā sūtra is set becomes in itself ground that the gods reverently surround, and evil ones of themselves do not dare approach—so what protects the person is not those few leaves of the sūtra, but the virtue of the prajñā that the sūtra expresses, which calls forth the gods’ protection. The treatise-author further sets up a question: if one cannot receive, uphold, read, or recite it, but only writes it out and makes offerings, how does one gain merit? The answer: its merit 「亦同於上」 tr. "is also the same as the above"—there are people who have earlier heard the meaning of prajñā from a teacher and deeply love and delight in it, but do not know written characters; they hire someone to write it out and make offerings with all their heart, and 「意與讀誦者同」 tr. "their intent is the same as that of those who read and recite," and so they also gain merit. The treatise-author also uses the tree of awakening as a simile: the Buddha attained the unsurpassed path beneath the tree of awakening, and that place still has majestic power, so that when beings enter it, evils cannot find an opening against them—「何況般若波羅蜜是諸佛之母」 tr. "how much more so prajñāpāramitā, which is the mother of all buddhas." The point taken is this: the root of merit lies not in the outward traces of reading and reciting the written words, but in deep-minded love and delight in prajñā and reverence for it, and in the virtue of protection that prajñā itself calls forth.
Fourth, look at how Sūtra ② lays the doctrinal foundation for ‘prajñā surpasses the relics.’ Śakra first asks: writing out and making offerings to prajñā, and making offerings to the relics and raising stūpas after the Buddha’s nirvāṇa—which of the two brings more merit? The Buddha does not answer directly, but asks Śakra in return: the omniscience of all kinds that the Buddha attained, and this body—from what path did he train to attain them? Śakra answers himself: he trained within prajñā and attained them. The Buddha then points out the key sentence: 「不以是身名為佛，得一切種智故名為佛」 tr. "It is not because of this body that one is called a Buddha; it is because of attaining the omniscience of all kinds that one is called a Buddha"—the Buddha’s body is only 「一切種智所依處」 tr. "the place on which the omniscience of all kinds relies," and the reason the relics ought to receive offerings is precisely that they were once the support of 「得一切種智」 tr. "attaining the omniscience of all kinds." This sentence traces the preciousness of the relics all the way back to prajñā: the relics are precious, and their preciousness lies in their relation to prajñā; prajñā alone is the root that can give birth to the omniscience of all kinds, can give birth to the five perfections, and so on up to the buddhas.
Fifth, look at the long string at the end of Sūtra ②, ‘prajñā can give birth to all wholesome dharmas’; this string cannot be passed over with a summary. The Buddha enumerates what prajñā gives birth to: 「般若波羅蜜中生五波羅蜜」 tr. "within prajñāpāramitā the five perfections are born"—the five perfections of giving, morality, patience, vigour, and meditation are all born from prajñā; 「生內空乃至無法有法空」 tr. "it gives birth to inner emptiness and so on up to the emptiness of non-existent dharmas and existent dharmas"—this group of wisdoms contemplating emptiness, from inner emptiness and outer emptiness up to the emptiness of non-existent dharmas and existent dharmas, is also born from prajñā; 「四念處乃至十八不共法，一切三昧、一切禪定、一切陀羅尼，皆從般若波羅蜜中生」 tr. "the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, all samādhis, all dhyānas, all dhāraṇīs, are all born from within prajñāpāramitā"—from the four foundations of mindfulness among the thirty-seven limbs of the path all the way to the Buddha’s eighteen unshared dharmas, together with all the gates of concentration and of dhāraṇī, there is none that does not come forth from prajñā; 「成就眾生、淨佛世界」 tr. "bringing beings to maturity and purifying buddha-worlds"—the great practice of transforming and liberating beings and adorning buddha-lands is also born from prajñā; and so on up to 「菩薩家成就、色成就、資生之物成就、眷屬成就、大慈大悲成就」 tr. "the bodhisattva’s accomplishment of family, accomplishment of form, accomplishment of the means of livelihood, accomplishment of retinue, accomplishment of great kindness and great compassion"—the family into which the bodhisattva is born, his form-body, his wealth, his retinue, and his great kindness and great compassion are all born from prajñā; further on, the worldly nobility of 「剎利大姓、婆羅門大姓、居士大家」 tr. "great kṣatriya clans, great brahmin clans, great householder families," the gods of 「四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒天」 tr. "the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings and so on up to the Akaniṣṭha heaven," and 「須陀洹乃至阿羅漢、辟支佛、諸菩薩摩訶薩、諸佛，諸佛一切種智，皆從是般若波羅蜜中生」 tr. "the srota-āpanna and so on up to the arhat, the pratyekabuddhas, the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, the buddhas, and the omniscience of all kinds of the buddhas, are all born from within this prajñāpāramitā." This long string—from the five perfections, the emptinesses, and the limbs of the path, to beings and pure lands, the bodhisattva’s virtues, the nobility of humans and gods, the three vehicles and the four fruits, and so on up to the omniscience of the buddhas—shows that there is no wholesome dharma that does not return to prajñā as its source; this is the true reason for ‘writing out and making offerings to prajñā brings much merit’: making offerings to prajñā is making offerings to the root from which all these wholesome dharmas are born. In reading this passage one must look at each item one by one, and only then does one know how wide is what prajñā embraces; one must not swallow it whole and read it as the bare phrase ‘all kinds of wholesome dharmas.’
Sixth, look at the chain of questions and answers between Śakra and the Buddha in the latter half of Sūtra ②—this whole stretch is the chapter’s direct account of ‘why the people of the world do not recognise prajñā.’ Śakra first asks whether 「閻浮提人不供養般若波羅蜜」 tr. "the people of Jambudvīpa not making offerings to prajñāpāramitā" is 「為不知供養多所利益耶」 tr. "because they do not know that making offerings brings much benefit?"—do the people of the world not make offerings to prajñā because they do not realise that making offerings to prajñā brings great benefit? The Buddha does not answer directly, but instead, with a chain of questions, draws out the real situation layer by layer: first he asks how many people in Jambudvīpa 「信佛不壞」 tr. "have indestructible faith in the Buddha," are 「無疑」 tr. "free of doubt" toward the Three Jewels, have 「決了」 tr. "decisive clarity" toward the Three Jewels, and Śakra answers 「少所人」 tr. "few people"; then he asks how many attain the thirty-seven limbs of the path, the three gates of liberation, and so on up to the six supernormal powers, how many 「斷三結故，得須陀洹道」 tr. "because they have cut off the three fetters, attain the path of the srota-āpanna," and so on up to cutting off the five higher fetters and attaining arhatship, seeking to be a pratyekabuddha, and 「發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心」 tr. "arousing the mind of anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi," and Śakra still answers 「少所人」 tr. "few people." In this question and answer the Buddha borrows Śakra’s own mouth to measure out, layer upon layer, the real state of ‘the people of the world not recognising how precious prajñā is’: even indestructible faith in the Three Jewels is rare, how much less being able to recognise and make offerings to the deeper prajñā. The Buddha then declares and confirms it, and tells its causes in former lives: these beings 「前世不見佛、不聞法、不供養比丘僧」 tr. "in former lives did not see the Buddha, did not hear the Dharma, did not make offerings to the bhikṣu Saṅgha," 「不布施、不持戒、不忍辱、不精進、不禪定、無智慧」 tr. "did not give, did not keep the precepts, did not practise patience, did not make vigorous effort, did not practise meditation, and had no wisdom," and neither heard nor cultivated the emptinesses, 「四念處乃至十八不共法」 tr. "the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas," and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds—precisely because in past lives they never drew near to the Three Jewels and never cultivated and gathered merit and wisdom, in this life they have neither faith in prajñā nor recognition of it. It can be seen that 「不供養般若」 tr. "not making offerings to prajñā" is not because prajñā is not precious, but because beings’ past causes are shallow and they have not yet become vessels of the Dharma.
Seventh, go on to look at the passage where the Buddha 「以佛眼觀十方」 tr. "observes the ten directions with the Buddha eye," and at where ‘the other wholesome dharmas should also be heard and upheld’ lands. The Buddha further sees the ten directions in person with the Buddha eye: 「我以佛眼見東方無量阿僧祇眾生發心」 tr. "With the Buddha eye I see immeasurable asaṃkhyeyas of beings in the east arousing the mind" and practising the path of awakening; yet these beings who have aroused the mind, 「遠離般若波羅蜜方便力故」 tr. "because they are far removed from the power of skilful means of prajñāpāramitā," only one or two of them can abide in the ground of non-retrogression, while the rest 「多墮聲聞、辟支佛地」 tr. "mostly fall into the ground of the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas"—this says that even having aroused the mind of awakening, if one departs from the skilful means of prajñā, one will still mostly fall back into the two vehicles. This sentence shows the importance of prajñā from the reverse side: prajñā is not an optional ornament, but the lifeline by which the bodhisattva path can avoid falling back. Therefore the Buddha exhorts: those who arouse the mind seeking unsurpassed awakening ought to hear, uphold, and make offerings to prajñā; and moreover 「諸餘善法入般若波羅蜜中者」 tr. "the other wholesome dharmas that enter into prajñāpāramitā" should likewise all be heard and upheld. 「何等是諸餘善法」 tr. "What are the other wholesome dharmas?" The Buddha answers himself: the five perfections of dāna, śīla, kṣānti, vīrya, and dhyāna; inner emptiness and so on up to the emptiness of non-existent dharmas and existent dharmas; the gates of samādhi and the gates of dhāraṇī; the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas; great kindness and great compassion—these wholesome dharmas are all embraced within prajñā, and so all should be heard and upheld. The point made: hearing and upholding prajñā is not setting aside the other wholesome dharmas to cultivate some separate thing, but not departing from prajñā while cultivating all these wholesome dharmas.
Eighth, look at 「一切諸佛法印」 tr. "the Dharma seal of all buddhas" and the meaning of the three vehicles training in one and the same seal. The Buddha gathers the wholesome dharmas passed through above into one summary judgement: prajñā and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds—「此是諸佛法印」 tr. "this is the Dharma seal of all buddhas," and is also 「諸辟支佛、阿羅漢、阿那含、斯陀含、須陀洹法印」 tr. "the Dharma seal of all pratyekabuddhas, arhats, anāgāmins, sakṛdāgāmins, and srota-āpannas"—a Dharma seal is the standard that seals and settles what is true and what is false in the noble Dharma. The reason the three vehicles can each accomplish their fruit is that all train in this one seal: 「諸佛學是般若波羅蜜乃至一切種智得度彼岸」 tr. "the buddhas trained in this prajñāpāramitā and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds, and crossed to the other shore," and the pratyekabuddhas and the śrāvakas of the four fruits 「亦學是般若波羅蜜乃至一切智得度彼岸」 tr. "also trained in this prajñāpāramitā and so on up to omniscience, and crossed to the other shore." So the Buddha concludes with an exhortation: 「若佛在世、若般涅槃後，應依止般若波羅蜜」 tr. "whether the Buddha is in the world or after his parinirvāṇa, one should rely on prajñāpāramitā," and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds. This passage raises prajñā to the height of what the three vehicles rely on in common: not the private dharma of the bodhisattva’s one vehicle, but the one Dharma seal that the three vehicles of śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and buddhas alike rely on, alike train in, and so cross over—while the Buddha is in the world one ought of course to rely on it; after the Buddha’s nirvāṇa, all the more ought one to rely on it, because while the seal remains, the road to deliverance remains.
Ninth, turning to Treatise ②, look first at the two origins the treatise-author points out for this 「校量」 tr. "weighing." The first: why does Śakra take the relics to weigh against prajñā? The treatise-author answers: 「信根多者，憙供養舍利；慧根多者，好讀誦經法。」 tr. "Those in whom the faculty of faith is abundant delight in making offerings to the relics; those in whom the faculty of wisdom is abundant are fond of reading and reciting the sūtras and the Dharma."—this is said with respect to the dispositions of beings: those in whom the faculty of faith predominates are, in feeling, gladder to make offerings to the Buddha’s relics; those in whom the faculty of wisdom predominates are fonder of reading and reciting the sūtras and the Dharma. Śakra sets up this question precisely to draw out the boundary between the two kinds of merit. The second: why does the Buddha not answer directly how much merit each brings, but instead asks Śakra back, 「於汝意云何」 tr. "What do you think?" The treatise-author answers: this is, among the 「四事答」 tr. "four ways of answering," the 「反問答」 tr. "answer by counter-question"—the Buddha-Dharma has four ways of answering questions, and what is used here is the one that asks back so as to make the other reflect on himself. Why is a counter-question used here? Because 「或有人供養舍利得福德多，或有人供養般若波羅蜜得福德亦多，隨人心故，佛不得一定答，是故反問」 tr. "some people making offerings to the relics gain much merit, and some people making offerings to prajñāpāramitā also gain much merit; because it follows people’s minds, the Buddha cannot give one fixed answer, and therefore he asks in return." That is to say: how much merit there is differs according to the mind of the one making offerings, and there is no dead answer fixed apart from the mind; so the Buddha does not lay down a verdict, but by a counter-question lets Śakra see the principle for himself.
Tenth, look at Treatise ②’s ‘because the wise are few, they do not know to make offerings’ and ‘four schools distinguishing indestructible faith.’ The treatise-author further takes up what Śakra asked, ‘why do the people of Jambudvīpa not make offerings to prajñā,’ and answers: 「智人少故，不知供養般若，無咎；譬如金寶，盲者不識。」 tr. "Because the wise are few, they do not know to make offerings to prajñā; this is no fault of it; it is like gold and jewels, which the blind do not recognise."—not making offerings to prajñā is not the fault of prajñā, but because wise people who know its worth are few to begin with; just as gold and jewels are not without value, and it is only that the blind do not see them. The people of Jambudvīpa are such that even 「但信三尊者少」 tr. "those who merely have faith in the Three Honoured Ones are few," how much less can they recognise and practise prajñā. As for what difference there is among the three terms 「不壞信、無疑、決了」 tr. "indestructible faith, freedom from doubt, decisive clarity" used in the Buddha’s chain of counter-questions, the treatise-author records the views of four schools of the ancients side by side without forcing a judgement: one school says 「無有差別」 tr. "there is no difference," that it is only 「佛莊嚴種種說，開悟人心故」 tr. "because the Buddha adorns his speech in various ways to open and awaken people’s minds"—the three terms point to one matter, and the Buddha varies his wording to open and awaken people’s minds; one school says the three have a sequence of cause and effect—「於三寶中得不壞信」 tr. "attaining indestructible faith in the Three Jewels": how does one know it is indestructible? Because it is free of doubt; how does one know it is free of doubt? Because of decisive clarity—three layers going from shallow to deep; it further asks how freedom from doubt and decisive clarity differ, answering 「初信三寶故是無疑，智慧究竟故是決了」 tr. "because one first has faith in the Three Jewels, it is freedom from doubt; because wisdom is ultimate, it is decisive clarity," and uses crossing water as a simile—「譬如渡水，初入是無疑，出彼岸是決了」 tr. "it is like crossing water: first entering is freedom from doubt, coming out on the other shore is decisive clarity"; first entering the water trusting that it can be crossed is freedom from doubt, reaching the other shore with the matter already complete is decisive clarity. There are further those who match them with the portions of the body of morality: 「三分聖戒力故信不壞，四分力故是無疑，正見分力故是決了」 tr. "by the power of the three parts of noble morality, faith is indestructible; by the power of the four parts, it is freedom from doubt; by the power of the part of right view, it is decisive clarity"; and there are those who match them with the stages of the path: 「見諦道中是不壞信，思惟道中是無疑，無學道中是決了」 tr. "in the path of seeing the truths it is indestructible faith, in the path of contemplation it is freedom from doubt, in the path beyond training it is decisive clarity." These several schools take the same set of three terms and judge them as without difference, or as sequential, or match them with the portions of morality, or with the stages of the path—the treatise-author records each side by side, stating plainly 「如是等種種分別」 tr. "such various distinctions as these," only noting their views without judging which is right; the reader should follow the treatise-author, taking the benefit of their opening-up, and not force a choice among the views.
Eleventh, look at Treatise ②’s ‘the fruits of the three matters,’ ‘Śakra’s three abilities born of karmic result,’ and ‘the cause of their growing ever fewer.’ First: what fruits do these three matters—faith, freedom from doubt, and decisive clarity—each gain? The treatise-author divides them into two kinds: 「從三十七品至六神通，是有為果」 tr. "from the thirty-seven limbs of the path to the six supernormal powers, these are conditioned fruits"—the merits from the four foundations of mindfulness to the six supernormal powers, which involve deliberate making and belong to the stages of cultivation and realisation, are conditioned fruits; 「三結盡乃至煩惱及習盡，是無為果」 tr. "the exhaustion of the three fetters and so on up to the exhaustion of the afflictions and their habit-energies, these are unconditioned fruits"—the side of return and stillness, cutting off the three fetters and so on up to the afflictions and their habit-energies, is the unconditioned fruit. One matter at once brings about both conditioned and unconditioned fruits—this is the treatise-author supplying the division of fruits for the stages of the noble path above. Second: how is Śakra able to answer one by one how many in the world have deep faith? The treatise-author answers: Śakra 「有報生知他心」 tr. "has knowledge of others’ minds born of karmic result"—by past karmic result he is born with the ability to know others’ minds; he also 「以天耳聞諸道差別」 tr. "hears the differences among the paths with the divine ear"; and moreover, being a great bodhisattva of sharp faculties, 「入觀眾生心三昧故，得知諸道差別」 tr. "because he enters the samādhi of contemplating the minds of beings, he comes to know the differences among the paths," and so he can truthfully answer the Buddha that 「深信者少」 tr. "those with deep faith are few." This says that Śakra’s answer is not a guess but rests on what he directly knows. Third: why do the people of the world grow ever fewer in faith in and understanding of prajñā? The treatise-author speaks following the progressive decrease through the noble stages: 「從須陀洹乃至初發心求佛道轉少」 tr. "from the srota-āpanna and so on up to those who first arouse the mind seeking the Buddha path, they grow ever fewer"—counting from the first fruit, the srota-āpanna, all the way to those who first arouse the mind of awakening, the higher one goes the fewer people there are; and the fewer they are, the fewer know to make offerings to prajñā. Why so few? 「前世生死中，不聞三寶名，乃至不聞一切種智名」 tr. "in birth and death in former lives, they did not hear the name of the Three Jewels, and so on up to not hearing the name of the omniscience of all kinds"—in the wandering of past lives they never even heard the names of the Three Jewels or of the omniscience of all kinds, so in this life it is naturally hard for them to have faith in it and recognise it. It is precisely to confirm this that the Buddha speaks the words 「我今以佛眼觀十方」 tr. "I now observe the ten directions with the Buddha eye," saying that beings who depart from the skilful means of prajñā and yet abide in non-retrogression are exceedingly few.
Twelfth, look at what Treatise ②’s 「諸餘善法入般若」 tr. "the other wholesome dharmas enter prajñā" points to, and at the question and answer on 「須陀洹亦學般若」 tr. "the srota-āpanna also trains in prajñā." First: the sūtra says 「諸餘善法入般若」 tr. "the other wholesome dharmas enter prajñā," and the treatise-author specially makes clear how wide its reference is: this 「諸餘」 tr. "other" is not limited to the six perfections and the limbs of the path, but also refers to 「諸餘經」 tr. "the other sūtras"—「是諸餘經，所謂《法華經》、《密迹經》等」 tr. "these other sūtras, namely the Lotus Sūtra, the Secret Traces Sūtra, and so on"; whatever are 「十二部經中義同般若者」 tr. "among the twelve divisions of scripture, those whose meaning is the same as prajñā," 「雖不名為般若波羅蜜經，然義理即同般若波羅蜜」 tr. "although they are not named prajñāpāramitā sūtras, their meaning and principle are the same as prajñāpāramitā." That is to say: throughout the twelve divisions of scripture, whatever accords in meaning with prajñā, though it does not bear the name 「般若」 tr. "prajñā," is in meaning the same as prajñā, and all is embraced within prajñā. This is an explicit text in which this treatise has prajñā govern and embrace the whole body of sūtras; the reader must not view 「般若」 tr. "prajñā" narrowly as the name of one sūtra. Second: the treatise-author sets up a question: since it is said that prajñā and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds are what the bodhisattva trains in, 「云何須陀洹亦學般若波羅蜜乃至一切種智，得到彼岸」 tr. "how is it that the srota-āpanna also trains in prajñāpāramitā and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds, and reaches the other shore?"—the srota-āpanna is the first fruit of the śrāvakas; how does he too train in prajñā and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds and cross over? The treatise-author answers: 「此中六波羅蜜、三解脫門、三十七品等乃至一切種智，此非獨菩薩法，三乘共有，各隨分學。」 tr. "Here the six perfections, the three gates of liberation, the thirty-seven limbs of the path, and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds—these are not the bodhisattva’s dharmas alone; the three vehicles have them in common, and each trains according to its portion."—these dharma-gates are not the bodhisattva’s alone, but are held in common by the three vehicles; it is only that each of the three vehicles trains according to its own portion: the śrāvaka trains in his portion of them to realise the śrāvaka fruit, the bodhisattva trains in the whole of them to go toward the buddha fruit. This exactly echoes the meaning above that 「諸佛法印」 tr. "the Dharma seal of the buddhas" is what the three vehicles rely on in common.
Thirteenth, look at the step-by-step ascent of Sūtra ③’s 「塔校量」 tr. "weighing of stūpas." This passage is what the chapter’s name is based on: the Buddha raises the stakes step by step with stūpas of the seven jewels—one stūpa, filling Jambudvīpa, filling the four continents, filling a small thousand world, filling a middle two-thousand world, filling the three-thousand great-thousand world, and so on up to each and every being in the three-thousand great-thousand world raising a stūpa, and each and every being in worlds of the ten directions as many as the sands of the Ganges raising a stūpa—and step by step the Buddha answers that it is 「不如」 tr. "not as good as" receiving, upholding, and making offerings to prajñā, whose merit is greater; only at the last step, the question of beings in worlds as many as the sands of the Ganges, does the Buddha answer merely 「甚多」 tr. "very much", and it is Śakra himself who declares that writing and upholding prajñā 「其福大多」 tr. "its merit is far greater". At the end of the passage Śakra himself takes it up and declares to the Buddha that making offerings to prajñā 「則為供養過去、未來、現在佛」 tr. "is then making offerings to the buddhas of the past, the future, and the present," and enumerates the ten wholesome paths, the four dhyānas, the four truths, the six perfections, and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds—「一切善法皆入般若波羅蜜中」 tr. "all wholesome dharmas enter into prajñāpāramitā"—gathering them all as 「一切諸佛法印」 tr. "the Dharma seal of all buddhas," in which the three vehicles and the buddhas of the three times all train and so cross to the other shore. This long passage of ascent and total embrace is Śakra’s own declaration after he has understood that prajñā embraces all wholesome dharmas; in reading it one must clearly recognise this layer of who is speaking.
Fourteenth, look at Treatise ③’s 「是塔為實、為假」 tr. "is this stūpa real or invented?" and the conclusion ‘the relics are indeterminate.’ The treatise-author, with 「人見土塔高大，即時生心，謂是塔主福德極大」 tr. "when people see an earthen stūpa that is high and great, a thought arises in them at once, and they say that the stūpa’s master has exceedingly great merit"—how much more so a stūpa of the seven jewels one yojana high—points out the Buddha’s intent in using stūpas as a simile, and at once sets up a question: is this stūpa really existent, or an invented supposition? The answer: the Buddha makes the simile only to let people 「解知分別福德多小」 tr. "understand and distinguish how much or how little merit there is," and one should not ask whether it is real or hypothetical; and he records the two views 「有實有假」 tr. "some are real and some invented" and 「皆是實有」 tr. "all really existed" side by side without forcing a judgement: in the time of Kāśyapa Buddha King Kṛkin raised a stūpa fifty li high, and the wheel-turning king Dezhu raised five hundred stūpas in a single day—these are real events; 「滿三千大千世界」 tr. "filling the three-thousand great-thousand world" is an invented simile; and there are also those who say that the Brahmā king and bodhisattvas of deep practice are all able to raise stūpas filling the three-thousand great-thousand world, so that it really exists. At the end it closes on the doctrinal landing of the whole chapter: 「是般若中但出生佛，尚應當供養，何況出生三乘及人天中樂」 tr. "even if from within this prajñā only the Buddha were born, it should still be given offerings; how much more so since it gives birth to the three vehicles and to the happiness among humans and gods"; whereas 「舍利是無記法」 tr. "the relics are an indeterminate dharma," and only because they are the support on which wholesome dharmas rely 「後乃能與人果報」 tr. "can they afterwards give people a karmic result," while practising prajñā 「即時得果，後亦得報」 tr. "gains the fruit at once, and afterwards also gains the result." The crux of the weighing lies exactly here: the relics are the branch that is relied on, indeterminate and waiting on conditions; prajñā is the root that gives birth, gaining the fruit at once—the whole question-and-answer of weighing the jewelled stūpas in the end measures out the boundary between root and branch, between the immediate and the later.
Do Not Misread
Do not read 「刀箭不傷」 tr. "blades and arrows will not wound him" as meaning that receiving and upholding prajñā gives one a deathless body. The treatise says it clearly: this is said with respect to unfixed karma, whose result 「不必受報」 tr. "need not be undergone"; as for fixed karma, whose result 「必應受報」 tr. "must be undergone," the Dharmapada says plainly, 「非空非海中，無有得免者」 tr. "neither in the sky nor in the sea is there anyone who can escape it." The power of prajñā lies in delivering from the calamities of unfixed karma, not in guaranteeing an adamantine, indestructible physical body; read it as a miraculous effect that prolongs life and protects one’s life, and one has mistaken the boundary between fixed and unfixed karma.
Do not read 「大明呪」 tr. "the great bright spell" as a mysterious incantation that can ward off weapons from outside. Both the sūtra and the treatise place the reason for the 「呪」 tr. "spell" in 「不可得」 tr. "unfindable"—the self, beings, the life-span, and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds are all unfindable. Prajñā’s being a spell is the wisdom that illuminates all dharmas as empty and grasps at nothing, not an amulet made of a string of sounds passed down by mouth and ear. If one upholds it as the efficacy of spell-craft, one has lost exactly the light of prajñā to which the two words 「大明」 tr. "great brightness" point.
Do not read 「閻浮提人不供養般若」 tr. "the people of Jambudvīpa do not make offerings to prajñā" as the Buddha disparaging beings, nor as prajñā truly not deserving offerings. The treatise-author says it clearly: not making offerings is 「智人少故」 tr. "because the wise are few," like 「金寶，盲者不識」 tr. "gold and jewels, which the blind do not recognise"—the fault lies in there being few who can recognise it, not in prajñā not being precious. The Buddha asks back in a chain and Śakra answers 「少所人」 tr. "few people," and the Buddha further tells their past cause, 「前世不見佛、不聞法、不供養比丘僧」 tr. "in former lives they did not see the Buddha, did not hear the Dharma, did not make offerings to the bhikṣu Saṅgha"—this points out for beings the root of the sickness of their not recognising it, so as to make people turn back to cultivate and gather merit and wisdom and draw near to the Three Jewels; it is not blame, and still less is it saying that one may do without offerings to prajñā.
Do not read the four schools’ views on 「不壞信、無疑、決了」 tr. "indestructible faith, freedom from doubt, decisive clarity," which the treatise-author records side by side, as the treatise-author judging for us which school is right. The treatise states plainly that there is one school of 「無有差別」 tr. "there is no difference," one school of sequential cause and effect, one school matching them with the portions of morality, and one school matching them with the stages of the path, and at the end gathers them only with 「如是等種種分別」 tr. "such various distinctions as these," without judging higher or lower. These are the ancients’ different openings-up of the same set of three terms, which the treatise-author notes and records for reference; in reading one should follow the treatise-author in taking the benefit of their opening and awakening, and not force a division of right and wrong among the views.
Do not read 「須陀洹亦學般若」 tr. "the srota-āpanna also trains in prajñā" as meaning that what the three vehicles train in and realise is entirely the same. The treatise speaks with measure: the six perfections, the three gates of liberation, the thirty-seven limbs of the path, and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds are 「非獨菩薩法，三乘共有」 tr. "not the bodhisattva’s dharmas alone; the three vehicles have them in common," yet 「各隨分學」 tr. "each trains according to its portion"—the dharma-gates are shared, but the portion trained in and the fruit gone toward differ. The śrāvaka trains in his own portion and realises the śrāvaka fruit; the bodhisattva trains in the whole and goes toward the buddha fruit. Read the three vehicles as level and without difference, and one loses the two words 「隨分」 tr. "according to its portion."
The most important place: do not read ‘prajñā surpasses the relics’ as slighting the Buddha’s relics. The sūtra says plainly that the relics 「當得供養」 tr. "ought to receive offerings," and the treatise also says that the relics are 「諸善法所依止處」 tr. "the place on which wholesome dharmas rely." Therefore 「不如」 tr. "not as good as" does not belittle the relics, but traces the preciousness of the relics all the way to the root—the relics are precious, and their preciousness lies in their having once been the support of 「得一切種智」 tr. "attaining the omniscience of all kinds"; and what can give birth to the omniscience of all kinds is prajñā. What is weighed is root and branch; it is not meant to make people slight the remains of the Buddha’s body. The relics are an indeterminate dharma, waiting on conditions for a later result; prajñā can give birth to the Buddha and gains the fruit at once—this difference of higher and lower speaks of the boundary between what is relied on and what gives birth.
Do not read that long step-by-step ascending stretch in the latter half of Sūtra ③—「則為供養過去、未來、現在佛」 tr. "is then making offerings to the buddhas of the past, the future, and the present," and all wholesome dharmas entering prajñā as 「一切諸佛法印」 tr. "the Dharma seal of all buddhas"—as the Buddha’s instruction. That is Śakra, speaking to the Buddha, taking it up himself after he has understood and declaring it to the Buddha—it is Śakra setting out his own understanding, not the Buddha’s words, and not the treatise-author’s explanation either. Mistake the speaker, and one will misremember Śakra’s own restatement as the Buddha’s golden-mouthed proclamation in person.
Do not read Treatise ③’s 「是塔為實為假」 tr. "is this stūpa real or invented?" as the treatise-author wishing to judge for us whether the stūpa is real or hypothetical. The treatise says precisely that one should not ask whether it is real or hypothetical; the Buddha makes this simile only to let people 「解知分別福德多小」 tr. "understand and distinguish how much or how little merit there is." The two views 「有實有假」 tr. "some are real and some invented" and 「皆是實有」 tr. "all really existed" the treatise-author records side by side without forcing a judgement; in reading, one should follow the treatise-author and set one’s eyes on the weighing of how much merit there is, not raise calculations over whether the stūpa is real or invented.
Bearing on Practice
This chapter can serve as a mirror for weighing ‘root and branch.’ When the people of the world make offerings, they mostly put their minds to outward traces that have marks—raising stūpas, making offerings to relics, flowers, incense, and music—thinking that the more and the larger, the richer the merit. This chapter, however, traces the root of merit all the way to prajñā: the relics are precious, and their preciousness lies in their relation to 「得一切種智」 tr. "attaining the omniscience of all kinds"; the prajñā that can give birth to the omniscience of all kinds alone is the root. In learning this chapter, in outward matters one does not abandon the reverence of making offerings, while in the mind one must recognise where the 「本」 tr. "root" lies—only when one is not carried off by the more or less of what has marks does one avoid abandoning the root to chase the branch.
「刀箭不傷」 tr. "Blades and arrows will not wound him" and 「二種業因緣」 tr. "two kinds of karmic causes and conditions" give the one who applies effort a close-at-hand reminder: prajñā is not an amulet that lets one dodge fixed karma, but the real power that delivers from the calamities of unfixed karma and lets one, when the matter of death arrives, 「則得濟度」 tr. "then gain deliverance." Rather than seeking an indestructible body, it is better to read and recite honestly and to love and delight in it with a deep mind—the sentence 「意與讀誦者同」 tr. "their intent is the same as that of those who read and recite" is especially worth savouring: the root of merit lies not in how much of the outward traces of reading and reciting the written words there is, but in that portion of deep-minded love and delight in prajñā and reverence for it.
The stretch of Śakra’s chain of questions and answers is especially fit for holding up to oneself. That in the world 「少所人信佛不壞」 tr. "few people have indestructible faith in the Buddha" has as its past cause that 「前世不見佛、不聞法、不供養比丘僧」 tr. "in former lives they did not see the Buddha, did not hear the Dharma, did not make offerings to the bhikṣu Saṅgha," and that they never cultivated and gathered merit and wisdom—seen from the other side, this points exactly to where effort in this life takes hold: drawing near to the Three Jewels and cultivating and gathering merit and wisdom is precisely training oneself to become, from among the 「少所人」 tr. "few people," one who recognises how precious prajñā is. And that the Buddha 「以佛眼」 tr. "with the Buddha eye" sees those who have aroused the mind, 「遠離般若波羅蜜方便力故」 tr. "because they are far removed from the power of skilful means of prajñāpāramitā" … 「多墮聲聞、辟支佛地」 tr. "mostly fall into the ground of the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas"—this is all the more a sentence of warning and spur: having aroused the mind is not enough; if one departs from the skilful means of prajñā, one will still fall back; the practitioner therefore should not depart from prajñā in any wholesome dharma, so as not to fall halfway into a small fruit.
Śakra’s closing declaration, 「一切善法皆入般若波羅蜜中」 tr. "all wholesome dharmas enter into prajñāpāramitā," is also fit for holding up to oneself. The ten wholesome paths, the four dhyānas, the four truths, the six perfections, and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds—all the wholesome dharmas one cultivates, if they do not turn toward prajñā, if they are not 「不離薩婆若心」 tr. "not parting from the mind of sarvajñā," are scattered, ungoverned conditioned merit; once they are gathered into prajñā and dedicated to omniscience, they then are 「諸佛法印」 tr. "the Dharma seal of the buddhas." To check again and again whether the wholesome dharmas one cultivates are scattered over the branches and leaves of what has marks, or gathered back onto the root of prajñā—this is the chapter’s one word of counsel to the practitioner.
Further Resonances
The backbone of this chapter is a single thread strung together by 「校量」 tr. "weighing": it begins at the sūtra’s opening with prajñā protecting people and being the great bright spell, passes through the foundation laid on which of the relics and prajñā is root and which branch, and through the direct account, in Śakra’s chain of questions and answers, of ‘why the people of the world do not recognise prajñā,’ and ends with the step-by-step ascent of the weighing of stūpas and the treatise-author’s conclusion, ‘the relics are indeterminate, prajñā gives birth to the Buddha.’ One sentence runs through from beginning to end—「是般若中但出生佛，尚應當供養，何況出生三乘及人天中樂」 tr. "even if from within this prajñā only the Buddha were born, it should still be given offerings; how much more so since it gives birth to the three vehicles and to the happiness among humans and gods"; the reason offerings have a root and a branch is only that prajñā is the root that gives birth, while the relics, and so on up to all merit that has marks, are the branch that is born. Weighing is not meant to press down the relics and raise up the scroll of the sūtra; it is meant precisely to make people, beyond the outward traces of offering, recognise the prajñā that can give birth to all.
The matter of the chapter’s name may be mentioned in passing. In this treatise’s base text this chapter is titled 「寶塔校量品」 tr. "the chapter Weighing the Jewelled Stūpa," while the same chapter of the Larger Sūtra that it explains has many different names in transmission—some make it 「大明品」 tr. "the chapter Great Brightness" (taking the meaning of 「大明呪」 tr. "the great bright spell" at the sūtra’s opening), some make it 「寶塔品」 tr. "the chapter Jewelled Stūpa" (taking the event of the weighing of stūpas), later catalogues and registers also have 「舍利寶塔品」 tr. "the chapter Jewelled Stūpa of the Relics," and there are also those who take both meanings together and make it 「寶塔大明品」 tr. "the chapter Jewelled Stūpa and Great Brightness"; one name takes the event of 「校量寶塔」 tr. "weighing the jewelled stūpas," one takes the meaning of 「大明呪」 tr. "the great bright spell"; both belong to this chapter, and from of old the designations in transmission and translation have been seen to differ. This is only a divergence of names, recorded side by side for reference, without judging which is right; this edition’s reading text follows this treatise’s base text and titles it 「寶塔校量品」 tr. "the chapter Weighing the Jewelled Stūpa."
As for the phrase 「大明呪」 tr. "the great bright spell," the ancient masters have a further reading here: there was of old one who divided this passage by 「五果格量」 tr. "the weighing of the five fruits," grouping this chapter together with the preceding chapter, "Quelling Strife," as one set—the preceding chapter makes clear the fruits of Māra’s people not getting the advantage and of the gods’ guarding, while this chapter continues from it and makes clear the fruit of not dying an untimely death and the fruit of one’s dwelling-place being at peace and free of fear; because the power of prajñā is like a great bright spell, able to make water, fire, blades, and poison unable to harm, and the dwelling-place always at peace, it takes 「大明」 tr. "great brightness" as its heading. This is one ancient master’s structural division, setting up a separate outline apart from the treatise-author’s own questions and answers in this chapter; it is recorded for reference, and its right or wrong, higher or lower, is not judged by this edition.
述誠品Declaring the Truth
全文五層 →Full five layers →述誠品：佛何以親自印可帝釋所歎，般若「在世」何義，三寶又何以廣攝萬善
在問什麼
這一品的品名叫「述誠」（所釋的《大品》同品作『述成』）。「述」是述說、承接前語；『誠（成）』是確認、印可。品名的眼目，正落在論主開篇那一句：前品帝釋自行格量塔與般若之功德，說「供養般若，福德甚多」；帝釋既非一切智人，其所說或恐有謬，於是佛親自述說並印可他的話，答一句「如是！如是！」——這一『述而成之』，便是全品得名之由。一部品，就環繞著佛承帝釋之歎、再為之廣顯般若功德這一樞紐而展開。
底下壓著幾個難處。第一，經初一連五輪說「皆從般若波羅蜜中生」，從諸佛一切智、菩薩六度，到十八空、道品、五眼、三乘——為什麼一切佛法都要歸到般若這一源頭？第二，前品已作塔與般若的校量，本品何以又說受持般若之福「過出前供養七寶塔」，乃至「算數譬喻所不能及」？第三，也是全品義理最深的一問：般若的體相明明是「一切諸觀滅，語言道斷，不生不滅，如虛空相」，這樣一個寂滅無相之法，怎麼又說它「在於世」、還說它一在世三寶便不滅？第四，三寶既已總攝一切善人善法，經文何以又要另列十善道、四禪乃至一切種智，豈非重複？這幾問，正是本品經、論要一一交代的。
逐段解明
一、品名「述誠」之義——佛述說並印可帝釋之格量。 論主釋經不從大義起，先點明本品在全經脈絡中的位置：上一品帝釋自行格量，稱「供養般若，福德甚多」。此時座中「更有大天」，心生疑慮——帝釋畢竟「非一切智人」，所歎般若之福或恐言過而有錯，若無印證，眾心難安。於是佛不別開新義，只親口承接帝釋之言而確認之，答「如是！如是！」。這一「述」（承前語）、一『誠／成』（印可使定），正是品名的本義：不是佛新說一法，而是佛述說並成立帝釋已說之法，令天眾之疑得釋、令般若之福得信。全品的性格由此定調——它是一品『印可之品』，非『新議之品』。
二、一切佛法皆從般若中生——五輪「皆從般若波羅蜜中生」。 佛承帝釋之歎，先廣顯般若功德之所以無邊。書寫、受持、讀誦、正憶念般若，又以華香、瓔珞、擣香、澤香、幢蓋、伎樂供養，便「當得無量無數、不可思議、不可稱量、無邊福德」。何以福德如此無邊？經以一串排比作答：諸佛的一切智、一切種智，菩薩的禪、精進、忍辱、持戒、布施六波羅蜜，內空乃至無法有法空、四念處乃至十八不共法，諸佛五眼，成就眾生、淨佛世界、道種智、一切種智、諸佛之法，乃至聲聞、辟支佛、佛三乘——凡此一切佛法，「皆從般若波羅蜜中生」。這連續五輪的同一句，是全品經文的義理骨幹：般若是一切佛法的生處與根源，故供養般若即是供養一切佛法之本，福德所以無邊。
三、受持般若過出供養七寶塔——承前品塔校量之義。 經接著把這無邊之福，放回前品塔與般若的校量脈絡裡再作一結：受持供養般若之福，「過出前供養七寶塔」，縱以「百分、千分、千億萬分」相比，「乃至算數譬喻所不能及」。這一段不是另起爐灶，正是承前品塔校量而來——七寶塔所供養的是佛的舍利之身，般若所生的卻是諸佛之所以為佛的一切智；供養根源之福，自然過出供養枝末之福，故校量懸絕如此。
四、般若在世則三寶不滅、萬善顯於世。 顯過福德之後，經以三重「若般若波羅蜜在於世者」把般若之在世與世間一切善法的存續繫在一起：其一，「佛寶、法寶、比丘僧寶終不滅」——三寶得以住世；其二，十善道、四禪、四無量心、四無色定、六波羅蜜、四念處乃至十八不共法、一切智一切種智「皆現於世」——出世諸法得以顯現；其三，世間便有剎利、婆羅門、居士諸大姓，四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒諸天，須陀洹果乃至阿羅漢果、辟支佛道、菩薩、無上佛道、轉法輪、成就眾生淨佛世界——人天善趣與四果三乘得以相續。一句話：般若若在世間，則上自諸佛、下至人天的一切善法皆隨之而存。這正把第二段一切佛法皆從般若中生的義，推到『般若在則萬善在』的結論上。
五、難一之答——般若體性常住，「在世」是因中說果。 這是全品義理最要緊的一結。有人以般若的實相立難：般若相既是「一切諸觀滅，語言道斷，不生不滅，如虛空相」，這樣一個離相寂滅之法，本無所謂在世不在世，怎麼又說它一在世三寶便不滅？論主分兩層答。先就體性說：般若波羅蜜的體性，「有佛、無佛，常住不滅」——它不因佛之出世而生、不因佛之滅度而滅，本自常住，說它「滅」原無所滅。次就名言說：那麼經裡說的「在世」究竟指什麼？指的是「般若經卷，可修習讀誦者」——是那可以書寫讀誦的經卷在世，不是那離相的實相有出沒。以可修可誦的經卷（因），寄名為般若（果），這叫「因中說果」。認清這一層，前難自消：寂滅的是實相之體，在世的是文字之經，二者不相礙。
六、深井喻——實相如深井，經卷如綆。 論以一喻申明上義：譬如井本甚深，只因汲水的繩索（綆）太短，搆不到水，人便說『井水失了』，其實井水一直都在，失的只是及水之緣。般若波羅蜜的實相就像那口深井之水，本自常在；經卷則像那條繩索，是及取實相的憑藉。行者若不能書寫、修習經卷，繩索既斷，便說般若「滅」了——可滅的只是修習之緣，深井之水（實相）何嘗有損。這一喻把第五段『體常住、經在世』的分別說得極明白：說滅說在，皆就綆（經卷之緣）而言，非就水（實相之體）而言。
七、難二之答——三寶廣攝萬善，佛寶、法寶、僧寶各有所指。 又有人以三寶之攝立難：三寶既已盡攝一切善人善法，經何必又別列十善乃至一切種智？論主答：這些法與道，「皆廣解三寶中義」——不是三寶之外別有一批善法，正是把三寶所含之義展開來廣說而已。隨即論主逐一界定三寶之體：「佛寶」是佛法所攝的「無學五眾」（佛以無漏五蘊所成之聖身）；「法寶」是四諦中的第三諦，即涅槃（滅諦），並攝除四沙門果所收的學無學功德之外、其餘辟支佛與菩薩的功德；「僧寶」則是四向四果的學無學五眾（賢聖僧以無漏五蘊所成之身）。三寶如此界定，則經前所列的十善、諸禪、道品、一切智等，或屬佛法、或屬賢聖之所修證，無不可以收歸三寶之義中——別列而說，正為廣解，非為重出。
八、餘者皆道之方便門，是故別說。 末後論主為那別列之法補一結語：其餘的十善道、四禪、四無量等，「皆是道方便門」——它們是趣向聖道的方便階漸，尚未即是三寶之正體，所以經文才把它們從三寶中提出來、另外別說。這一句與第七段合看，義乃圓足：可攝歸三寶之義者，廣解於三寶之中；屬趣道方便而未成正體者，則別立而列——一攝一別，各有分際，於是『三寶已攝，何以復說』之難盡釋。
不要讀錯
不要把「述誠」讀成佛在另發一番新論。品名的「述」正是承前、『誠（成）』正是印可——佛所作的，只是述說並成立帝釋已歎之言。認清這一層，才知本品是一品『印可之品』，佛語處處扣著帝釋前說而確認之，不是憑空另起爐灶。
不要把般若「在於世」讀成那離相寂滅的實相有生有滅、有來有去。論說得分明：般若體性「有佛、無佛，常住不滅」，說「在世」者只是「般若經卷可修習讀誦者」——在世的是文字經卷，常住的是實相之體。深井喻更把話點死：說井水失、說般若滅，都只就那條太短的繩索（經卷之緣）說，井水（實相）何嘗真失。若把「在世」「滅」讀到實相體上去，便全盤讀反了。
不要把經文別列十善乃至一切種智，讀成與三寶重複、或讀成三寶之外別有一批善法。論說得清楚，這些「皆廣解三寶中義」——是把三寶所含展開來說；而其中「皆是道方便門」者則另行別說。一是廣解、一是別立，各有分際，不是床上疊床的重出。
修行作用
這一品先給用功人立一個根本的信解：一切佛法「皆從般若波羅蜜中生」。日常持誦供養，最易把功德寄在香華幢蓋這些外相上；本品卻把無邊之福的根源，一路收歸到般若這一源頭——供養般若之所以過出供養七寶塔者，正因所供的是諸佛之所以成佛的一切智之本。學這一品，供養讀誦之際，心要認得所貴在般若、不在外飾。
般若「在世」是因中說果一義，尤堪用功人自省。手上有經卷可讀可誦，固然是般若在世的憑藉；但若只在文字綆索上盤桓、不肯真去書寫修習，那口深井之水終究搆不到手。論以「行者不能書寫、修習故言滅」一句提醒：般若之在不在世，不在經卷之有無，而在自己修習之緣的續與斷——莫執綆而忘水，莫守經卷而不修實相。
三寶廣攝萬善這一節，可作日用歸依的一面照子。十善、諸禪、道品、一切智，看似繁多，論一一收歸佛、法、僧三寶之義；而未成正體者則判為「道方便門」。用功人於萬善之中，既要識得何者可歸依為究竟之三寶、何者只是趣道之方便階漸，便不致把方便錯認作究竟，也不致把究竟看輕為一善。
承衍
本品的骨幹，是一條由「述誠」二字串起的線：佛承帝釋「供養般若，福德甚多」之歎而親口印可，遂為之廣顯般若功德——一切佛法皆從般若中生，故受持供養之福過出供養七寶塔；復以『般若在世則三寶不滅、萬善現於世』一結，把般若之在世繫於一切善法之存續。中經二難二答收束義理：一答明般若體性常住、「在世」乃因中說果，以深井綆水之喻定其分際；二答明三寶廣攝萬善，逐一界定佛法僧三寶之體，而以『餘皆道方便門，是故別說』判其攝別。一品之義，總在『佛述而成之』一事——不新立法，只承前印可、廣為顯發，令天眾於般若無邊之福得決定信。
品名一事，可附帶一提。本品在本論底本題作「述誠品」，而所釋的《大品般若》同品傳世作『述成品』（成字），古來經錄目錄亦成、誠二字互見，同一書之內尚有兩處用字不一者。『述成』取承前印可、述說而成之義，『述誠』則兼取誠信印可之意，二名所指是同一事，古來傳譯稱謂互見參差，並錄以備參，不判其孰是；本版讀本從本論底本，題作「述誠品」。
Declaring the Truth: Why the Buddha Himself Seals What Śakra Praised, What It Means That Prajñā Is ‘In the World’, and Why the Three Jewels Broadly Gather In the Myriad Goods
What Is Being Asked
This chapter’s name is 「述誠」 tr. "declaring the truth" (in the Larger Sūtra that it explains, the same chapter is called ‘declaring and confirming’). 「述」 tr. "Declaring" means to state, taking up the words that went before; ‘truth (confirming)’ means to affirm, to seal. The eye of the chapter’s name falls exactly on the treatise-author’s opening sentence: in the previous chapter Śakra himself weighed the merit of stūpas against that of prajñā, saying 「供養般若，福德甚多」 tr. "making offerings to prajñā, the merit is very great"; since Śakra is not an omniscient person, what he said might contain error, and so the Buddha himself declared and sealed his words, answering with one line, 「如是！如是！」 tr. "Just so! Just so!"—this ‘declaring it and so confirming it’ is precisely how the whole chapter gets its name. The entire chapter unfolds around this one pivot: the Buddha takes up Śakra’s praise and then, for his sake, broadly displays the merit of prajñā.
Several difficulties press underneath. First, at the opening of the sūtra, five rounds in a row say 「皆從般若波羅蜜中生」 tr. "all are born from within prajñāpāramitā"—from the omniscience of the buddhas and the six perfections of the bodhisattvas, to the eighteen emptinesses, the limbs of the path, the five eyes, and the three vehicles: why must all the dharmas of the Buddha be traced back to prajñā as their one source? Second, the previous chapter has already weighed stūpas against prajñā; why does this chapter say again that the merit of receiving and upholding prajñā 「過出前供養七寶塔」 tr. "exceeds the earlier offering of stūpas of the seven jewels," even to the point that 「算數譬喻所不能及」 tr. "calculation and simile cannot reach it"? Third—and this is the question of deepest doctrinal meaning in the whole chapter—the substance and mark of prajñā is plainly 「一切諸觀滅，語言道斷，不生不滅，如虛空相」 tr. "all contemplations cease, the path of speech is cut off, not arising and not ceasing, like the mark of space"; how, then, can such a dharma, quiescent and signless, be said to be 「在於世」 tr. "present in the world," and further be said to be such that once it is in the world the Three Jewels do not perish? Fourth, since the Three Jewels already gather in all wholesome persons and wholesome dharmas, why does the sūtra list separately the ten wholesome paths, the four dhyānas, and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds—is this not repetition? These few questions are exactly what the sūtra and the treatise of this chapter set out to account for one by one.
Passage by Passage
1. The meaning of the chapter name 「述誠」 tr. "declaring the truth" —the Buddha declares and seals Śakra’s weighing. In explaining the sūtra, the treatise-author does not begin from the great meaning, but first points out this chapter’s place in the context of the whole sūtra: in the previous chapter Śakra himself carried out the weighing, declaring 「供養般若，福德甚多」 tr. "making offerings to prajñā, the merit is very great." At this point, in the assembly, 「更有大天」 tr. "there were further great gods," in whose minds doubts arose—Śakra is after all 「非一切智人」 tr. "not an omniscient person," and the merit of prajñā that he praised might be overstated and mistaken; without confirmation, the minds of the assembly could hardly be at ease. So the Buddha does not open a separate new meaning; he only takes up Śakra’s words with his own mouth and affirms them, answering 「如是！如是！」 tr. "Just so! Just so!" This 「述」 tr. "declaring" (taking up the preceding words) and this ‘truth / confirming’ (sealing so that it is settled) are the root meaning of the chapter’s name: it is not that the Buddha speaks a new dharma, but that the Buddha declares and establishes the dharma Śakra has already spoken, so that the doubts of the assembly of gods are resolved and the merit of prajñā is believed. The character of the whole chapter is set by this—it is a ‘chapter of sealing,’ not a ‘chapter of new argument.’
2. All the dharmas of the Buddha are born from within prajñā—the five rounds of 「皆從般若波羅蜜中生」 tr. "all are born from within prajñāpāramitā" . Taking up Śakra’s praise, the Buddha first broadly displays why the merit of prajñā is boundless. One who writes out, receives and upholds, reads and recites, and rightly recollects prajñā, and further makes offerings to it with flowers and incense, necklaces, powdered incense, scented ointment, banners and canopies, and music, 「當得無量無數、不可思議、不可稱量、無邊福德」 tr. "will gain merit immeasurable, innumerable, inconceivable, incalculable, and boundless." Why is the merit so boundless? The sūtra answers with a string of parallel clauses: the omniscience and the omniscience of all kinds of the buddhas; the six perfections of the bodhisattvas—meditation, vigour, patience, morality, and giving; inner emptiness and so on up to the emptiness of non-existent dharmas and existent dharmas; the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas; the five eyes of the buddhas; bringing beings to maturity, purifying buddha-worlds, the knowledge of the kinds of paths, the omniscience of all kinds, the dharmas of the buddhas; and so on up to the three vehicles of the śrāvaka, the pratyekabuddha, and the Buddha—all these dharmas of the Buddha 「皆從般若波羅蜜中生」 tr. "are all born from within prajñāpāramitā." This same sentence, repeated through seven successive rounds, is the doctrinal backbone of the chapter’s sūtra text: prajñā is the birthplace and root-source of all the dharmas of the Buddha, and so making offerings to prajñā is making offerings to the root of all the dharmas of the Buddha—that is why the merit is boundless.
3. Receiving and upholding prajñā exceeds offerings to stūpas of the seven jewels—continuing the meaning of the previous chapter’s weighing of stūpas. The sūtra then sets this boundless merit back into the context of the previous chapter’s weighing of stūpas against prajñā, and draws one more conclusion: the merit of receiving, upholding, and making offerings to prajñā 「過出前供養七寶塔」 tr. "exceeds the earlier offering of stūpas of the seven jewels"; even compared by 「百分、千分、千億萬分」 tr. "a hundredfold, a thousandfold, a thousand koṭi ten-thousandfold," it is such that 「乃至算數譬喻所不能及」 tr. "even calculation and simile cannot reach it." This passage does not start afresh; it comes precisely from the previous chapter’s weighing of stūpas—what the stūpa of the seven jewels receives offerings for is the Buddha’s body of relics, whereas what prajñā gives birth to is the omniscience by which the buddhas are buddhas; the merit of making offerings to the root-source naturally exceeds the merit of making offerings to the branches, and so the weighing shows so vast a gap.
4. When prajñā is in the world, the Three Jewels do not perish, and the myriad goods appear in the world. Having shown the merit that surpasses, the sūtra, with three layers of 「若般若波羅蜜在於世者」 tr. "if prajñāpāramitā is present in the world," binds the presence of prajñā in the world to the continued existence of all wholesome dharmas in the world. First, 「佛寶、法寶、比丘僧寶終不滅」 tr. "the Buddha Jewel, the Dharma Jewel, and the Jewel of the Bhikṣu Saṅgha will never perish"—the Three Jewels are able to abide in the world. Second, the ten wholesome paths, the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, the six perfections, the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, omniscience and the omniscience of all kinds 「皆現於世」 tr. "all appear in the world"—the world-transcending dharmas are able to become manifest. Third, the world then has the great clans of kṣatriyas, brahmins, and householders, the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings and so on up to the Akaniṣṭha gods, the fruit of srota-āpanna and so on up to the fruit of arhat, the path of the pratyekabuddha, the bodhisattvas, the unsurpassed Buddha path, the turning of the Dharma wheel, and the bringing of beings to maturity and the purifying of buddha-worlds—the good destinies of humans and gods, and the four fruits and the three vehicles, are able to continue. In a word: if prajñā is in the world, then all wholesome dharmas, from the buddhas above down to humans and gods below, remain along with it. This carries the meaning of the second passage—that all the dharmas of the Buddha are born from within prajñā—on to the conclusion that ‘where prajñā is, the myriad goods are.’
5. The answer to the first difficulty—the nature of prajñā abides always, and 「在世」 tr. "being in the world" is speaking of the result in the cause. This is the most crucial knot of doctrinal meaning in the whole chapter. Someone raises a difficulty from the real mark of prajñā: since the mark of prajñā is 「一切諸觀滅，語言道斷，不生不滅，如虛空相」 tr. "all contemplations cease, the path of speech is cut off, not arising and not ceasing, like the mark of space," such a dharma, apart from marks and quiescent, has from the start nothing that could be called being in the world or not being in the world; how, then, can it be said that once it is in the world the Three Jewels do not perish? The treatise-author answers in two layers. First, in terms of its nature: the nature of prajñāpāramitā, 「有佛、無佛，常住不滅」 tr. "whether there is a Buddha or no Buddha, abides always and does not perish"—it does not arise because a Buddha appears in the world, nor perish because a Buddha passes into nirvāṇa; it abides always of itself, and when one speaks of it as 「滅」 tr. "perishing," there was never anything to perish. Second, in terms of names and words: then what exactly does the 「在世」 tr. "being in the world" spoken of in the sūtra refer to? It refers to 「般若經卷，可修習讀誦者」 tr. "the scroll of the prajñā sūtra, which can be studied, read, and recited"—it is the scroll that can be written out, read, and recited that is in the world, not the real mark, apart from marks, that appears and disappears. Taking the scroll that can be studied and recited (the cause) and lending it the name prajñā (the result)—this is called 「因中說果」 tr. "speaking of the result in the cause." Once this layer is seen clearly, the earlier difficulty dissolves of itself: what is quiescent is the substance of the real mark; what is in the world is the sūtra of written words; the two do not obstruct each other.
6. The simile of the deep well—the real mark is like a deep well, the scroll like a rope. The treatise makes the above meaning plain with a simile: it is as if a well is very deep, and only because the cord for drawing water (the well-rope) is too short to reach the water, people say ‘the well-water is lost’; in fact the well-water has been there all along, and what is lost is only the condition for reaching the water. The real mark of prajñāpāramitā is like the water of that deep well, always present of itself; the scroll is like that rope, the means by which one reaches and draws up the real mark. If practitioners cannot write out and study the scroll, the rope being broken, they say that prajñā has 「滅」 tr. "perished"—what can perish is only the condition of study; when has the water of the deep well (the real mark) ever been harmed? This simile makes the distinction of the fifth passage—‘the substance abides always, the sūtra is in the world’—utterly clear: speaking of perishing and speaking of being present are both said with respect to the rope (the condition of the scroll), not with respect to the water (the substance of the real mark).
7. The answer to the second difficulty—the Three Jewels broadly gather in the myriad goods, and the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha Jewels each have their own referent. Someone further raises a difficulty from what the Three Jewels gather in: since the Three Jewels already gather in without remainder all wholesome persons and wholesome dharmas, why must the sūtra list separately the ten wholesome paths and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds? The treatise-author answers that these dharmas and these paths 「皆廣解三寶中義」 tr. "all broadly explain the meaning within the Three Jewels"—it is not that there is a separate batch of wholesome dharmas outside the Three Jewels; it is only that the meaning contained in the Three Jewels is unfolded and spoken of broadly. The treatise-author then defines the substance of the Three Jewels one by one: the 「佛寶」 tr. "Buddha Jewel" is the 「無學五眾」 tr. "five aggregates of one beyond training" gathered in the Buddha’s dharmas (the noble body the Buddha has formed from the five aggregates without outflows); the 「法寶」 tr. "Dharma Jewel" is the third of the four truths, namely nirvāṇa (the truth of cessation), and it also gathers in the remaining merits of the pratyekabuddhas and of the bodhisattvas, apart from the merits of training and beyond training included in the four śramaṇa fruits; the 「僧寶」 tr. "Saṅgha Jewel" is the five aggregates, in training and beyond training, of the four directions and four fruits (the body the Saṅgha of the worthy and noble ones has formed from the five aggregates without outflows). With the Three Jewels defined in this way, the ten wholesome paths, the dhyānas, the limbs of the path, omniscience, and the rest listed earlier in the sūtra—whether they belong to the Buddha’s dharmas or to what the worthy and noble ones cultivate and realise—can all without exception be gathered back into the meaning of the Three Jewels: listing them separately serves precisely for broad explanation, not for a second statement of the same.
8. The rest are all gates of skilful means to the path, and therefore they are spoken of separately. At the very end, the treatise-author adds a concluding word for the dharmas listed separately: the remaining ten wholesome paths, four dhyānas, four immeasurables, and the like 「皆是道方便門」 tr. "are all gates of skilful means to the path"—they are the gradual steps of skilful means that lead toward the noble path, and are not yet the proper substance of the Three Jewels itself, and that is why the sūtra draws them out of the Three Jewels and speaks of them separately. Read together with the seventh passage, this sentence makes the meaning complete: what can be gathered back into the meaning of the Three Jewels is broadly explained within the Three Jewels; what belongs to the skilful means leading to the path and has not yet become the proper substance is set up and listed separately—one gathered in, one set apart, each with its own boundary; and so the difficulty ‘the Three Jewels already gather these in, so why speak of them again?’ is entirely resolved.
Do Not Misread
Do not read 「述誠」 tr. "declaring the truth" as the Buddha putting forward a separate new discourse. The 「述」 tr. "declaring" of the chapter’s name is precisely taking up what went before, and ‘truth (confirming)’ is precisely sealing—what the Buddha does is only to declare and establish the words Śakra has already praised. Only by seeing this layer clearly does one know that this chapter is a ‘chapter of sealing’: the Buddha’s words at every point hold fast to what Śakra said before and affirm it; they do not start afresh out of nothing.
Do not read prajñā’s 「在於世」 tr. "being present in the world" as meaning that the real mark, apart from marks and quiescent, arises and ceases, comes and goes. The treatise says it plainly: the nature of prajñā 「有佛、無佛，常住不滅」 tr. "whether there is a Buddha or no Buddha, abides always and does not perish," and what is called 「在世」 tr. "being in the world" is only 「般若經卷可修習讀誦者」 tr. "the scroll of the prajñā sūtra, which can be studied, read, and recited"—what is in the world is the scroll of written words; what abides always is the substance of the real mark. The simile of the deep well pins the words down further: saying the well-water is lost, saying prajñā has perished—both are said only of that too-short rope (the condition of the scroll); when has the well-water (the real mark) ever truly been lost? If one reads 「在世」 tr. "being in the world" and 「滅」 tr. "perishing" onto the substance of the real mark, one has read the whole thing backwards.
Do not read the sūtra’s separate listing of the ten wholesome paths and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds as a repetition of the Three Jewels, or as meaning that there is a separate batch of wholesome dharmas outside the Three Jewels. The treatise says it clearly: these 「皆廣解三寶中義」 tr. "all broadly explain the meaning within the Three Jewels"—they unfold what the Three Jewels contain; and those among them that 「皆是道方便門」 tr. "are all gates of skilful means to the path" are spoken of separately. The one is broad explanation, the other is setting apart; each has its own boundary, and it is not a bed piled upon a bed, a second statement of the same.
Bearing on Practice
This chapter first sets up for the one who applies effort a fundamental faith and understanding: all the dharmas of the Buddha 「皆從般若波羅蜜中生」 tr. "are all born from within prajñāpāramitā." In daily upholding, recitation, and offering, it is all too easy to lodge one’s merit in outward marks such as incense, flowers, banners, and canopies; this chapter, however, gathers the root-source of boundless merit all the way back to prajñā as its one source—the reason making offerings to prajñā exceeds making offerings to stūpas of the seven jewels is precisely that what is offered to is the root of the omniscience by which the buddhas become buddhas. Studying this chapter, at the moment of making offerings and of reading and reciting, the mind must recognise that what is precious lies in prajñā, not in outward adornment.
The meaning that prajñā’s 「在世」 tr. "being in the world" is speaking of the result in the cause is especially worth the self-examination of the one who applies effort. Having a scroll in hand that can be read and recited is indeed the means by which prajñā is in the world; but if one only lingers on the rope of written words and is unwilling truly to write it out and study it, the water of that deep well will never come within reach. The treatise gives a reminder with the sentence 「行者不能書寫、修習故言滅」 tr. "because practitioners cannot write it out and study it, one says it has perished": whether prajñā is in the world or not lies not in whether there is a scroll, but in whether one’s own condition of study continues or is broken off—do not grasp the rope and forget the water; do not guard the scroll and fail to cultivate the real mark.
The section on the Three Jewels broadly gathering in the myriad goods can serve as a mirror for the taking of refuge in daily life. The ten wholesome paths, the dhyānas, the limbs of the path, omniscience—they look many and various, yet the treatise gathers each of them back into the meaning of the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha; and those that have not yet become the proper substance it judges to be 「道方便門」 tr. "gates of skilful means to the path." Among the myriad goods, the one who applies effort must recognise which can be taken refuge in as the ultimate Three Jewels and which are only the gradual steps of skilful means leading to the path; then one will neither mistake skilful means for the ultimate, nor make light of the ultimate as merely one good among others.
Further Resonances
The backbone of this chapter is a single thread strung on the two words 「述誠」 tr. "declaring the truth": the Buddha takes up Śakra’s praise, 「供養般若，福德甚多」 tr. "making offerings to prajñā, the merit is very great," and seals it with his own mouth, and then for its sake broadly displays the merit of prajñā—all the dharmas of the Buddha are born from within prajñā, and so the merit of receiving, upholding, and making offerings exceeds that of making offerings to stūpas of the seven jewels; and further, with the one conclusion ‘when prajñā is in the world, the Three Jewels do not perish and the myriad goods appear in the world,’ it binds prajñā’s being in the world to the continued existence of all wholesome dharmas. In the middle, two difficulties and two answers gather up the doctrinal meaning: the first answer makes clear that the nature of prajñā abides always and that 「在世」 tr. "being in the world" is speaking of the result in the cause, fixing the boundary with the simile of the deep well, the rope, and the water; the second answer makes clear that the Three Jewels broadly gather in the myriad goods, defines one by one the substance of the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, and with ‘the rest are all gates of skilful means to the path, and therefore they are spoken of separately’ judges what is gathered in and what is set apart. The meaning of the whole chapter lies altogether in the one matter ‘the Buddha declares it and so confirms it’—establishing no new dharma, only taking up what went before, sealing it, and broadly bringing it to light, so that the assembly of gods may gain decisive faith in the boundless merit of prajñā.
The matter of the chapter’s name may be mentioned in passing. In this treatise’s base text the chapter is titled 「述誠品」 tr. "the chapter Declaring the Truth," while the same chapter of the Larger Sūtra that it explains has come down under the title ‘the chapter Declaring and Confirming’ (with the character for ‘confirming’); the sūtra catalogues and registers of old likewise show the two characters, ‘confirming’ and ‘truth,’ alternating, and even within a single book there are two places where the wording differs. ‘Declaring and confirming’ takes the meaning of taking up what went before and sealing it, declaring it and so bringing it to completion; ‘declaring the truth’ also takes in the sense of sealing in truthful faith; the two names refer to one and the same matter, and from of old the designations in transmission and translation have been seen to differ; they are recorded side by side for reference, without judging which is right; this edition’s reading text follows the treatise’s base text and titles it 「述誠品」 tr. "Declaring the Truth."
勸受持品Exhortation to Receive and Uphold
全文五層 →Full five layers →勸受持品：諸天與佛何以勸人受持般若，般若何以是大明、無上、無等等三呪，受持又何以得今世後世功德
在問什麼
這一品的品名叫「勸受持」（所釋的《大品》同品作『勸持』，宋、元、明、宮諸本亦多省作二字）。「勸」是勸請、勸勉；「受持」是承受執持、讀誦正憶念。品名的眼目，正落在全品的性格上：這是一品『勸勉受持之品』——先由三千大千世界的諸天勸帝釋受持，次由佛親口勸帝釋受持，再由帝釋回歎般若是大明呪，佛又順而印可廣讚，最後歸到受持所得的今世、後世功德。一品的骨架，就環繞著『何以值得受持、如何受持、受持得何』這一條線而展開。
底下壓著幾個難處。第一，受持般若何以能令一切善法具足、三寶不斷、萬善現世，乃至一歷耳根便漸得菩提？第二，也是全品義理最核心的一問：帝釋何以稱般若為「大明呪、無上明呪、無等等明呪」——這「呪」字作何解，「大」「無上」「無等等」三名又各有何分際？第三，何以佛一印可，便接說「因是明呪故」十善諸法乃至一切種智皆現於世，還以滿月星宿為喻？第四，受持所得的今世功德（毒兵水火不害、四百四病不中、官事王臣歡喜）與後世功德（不墮惡道、身相完具、化生佛界），經既已說，論何以又設幾番問答重加分別？這幾問，正是本品經、論要一一交代的。
逐段解明
一、諸天勸持——受持故善法具足、三寶不斷、萬善現世。 論主釋經，先明勸持之首唱在諸天。三千大千世界四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒天同勸帝釋：應受持、親近、讀誦正憶念這般若。何以值得如此？經以層層因果作答：受持乃至正憶念故，一切所修集善法當具足圓滿，能增益諸天眾、減損阿修羅；更進一步，受持故佛種、法種、僧種不斷，三寶不斷故六波羅蜜、四念處乃至十八不共法、四果三道皆現於世。一句話，受持般若是一切善法與三寶住世的樞紐——這便是諸天勸持的道理所在，也是全品「勸」字的第一重根據。
二、佛勸帝釋受持——阿修羅欲鬪則誦念、五死相現則誦讀。 諸天勸後，佛親自告帝釋當受持，並舉兩事顯般若現前之力：其一，阿修羅生心欲與三十三天交戰時，帝釋若誦念般若，阿修羅的惡心當即消滅、不復更生；其二，天子天女五種死相現前、將墮不如意處時，於其前誦讀般若，彼因聞般若功德威力故，還生本處。這兩事，把般若的利益從『究竟成佛』拉到『當下轉禍』的近處來勸，正是佛勸持之所以親切有力。
三、一歷耳根漸得菩提——三世諸佛皆學般若、般若攝一切善法。 佛更就般若之極果勸持：善男子善女人乃至諸天子天女，只要聞這般若經一歷耳根，以此功德便漸當得無上正等正覺。何以聞之即有此益？因為過去、未來、現在三世諸佛及弟子，無不學此般若而得菩提、入無餘涅槃；而般若能總攝一切善法——聲聞法、辟支佛法、菩薩法、佛法，無一不在其中。聞之尚且種下菩提之因，何況受持，此勸持之義又深一層。
四、大明呪首現——帝釋自陳三呪，佛親印可。 這是全品義理的第一個核心結。帝釋承前而回歎，白佛言：般若波羅蜜是「大明呪、無上明呪、無等等明呪」，因它能除一切不善法、能與一切善法。此處『呪（明呪）』非世俗禁禱之術，乃取其『破闇除障、有大威神』之義以況般若。帝釋既非一切智人，其歎恐眾未信，於是佛親口印可：「如是！如是！」重宣般若是此三呪，並證以三世諸佛皆因是明呪而得菩提。一歎一印，正是「大明呪」義在本品的正式立名——承品32初現而至此展開，為下文三義辨析立其經據。
五、因是明呪故萬善現世——菩薩方便力皆從般若生。 佛印可後隨即廣釋「因是明呪故」的效驗：世間便有十善道、四禪、四無量心、四無色定、六波羅蜜、四念處乃至十八不共法皆現於世；更有法性、如、法相、法住、法位、實際等諸法真實之異名皆現於世。何以故？因一切世間善法正法，於諸佛不出之時皆從菩薩生，而菩薩摩訶薩的方便力又皆從般若波羅蜜生。菩薩正以此方便力，行六度、內外諸空、道品而不證二乘之地，成就眾生、淨佛世界乃至得一切種智，無不從般若生。此段把「明呪」之力落到萬善的生處上，明般若是一切法現世的根源。
六、受持得今世功德——毒兵水火四百四病所不能害。 顯過般若之德，經轉入受持之報，先明今世功德。受持般若乃至正憶念者，終不中毒死、兵刃不傷、水火不害、四百四病所不能中，唯除宿命業報（那別有因緣，非般若所能救）。又若官事起，讀誦般若故往到官所而官不譴責；到王及太子大臣所，皆歡喜問訊、和意與語。何以得此？因這善男子善女人常有慈悲喜捨之心向眾生故——今世之福，正從般若所熏的心行中來。
七、受持得後世功德——不墮惡道、身相完具、化生佛界。 經次明後世功德：受持者世世不離十善道、四禪四無量、四無色定、六度、道品乃至十八不共法；終不墮三惡道，受身完具，不生貧窮下賤工師除廁擔死人之家，常得三十二相；更常得化生現在佛界，不離菩薩神通，能隨意往來十方供養聽法，成就眾生淨佛世界，漸得菩提。今世後世兩重功德既明，經遂結勸應當受持供養、常不離薩婆若（一切智）心——此即全品「勸受持」之總歸。
八、論釋開端——多眾展轉相讚故令信心轉深。 【論】釋先解勸持何以由多方唱起：佛是法王先讚受持者，次天王帝釋讚，今復諸天讚。何以層層相讚？因多眾展轉相讚故，能令人信心轉深——一人獨歎不如眾口同歎之足以生信。論又點出諸天勸中所說受持因緣：修諸功德、增益諸天、減損阿修羅、三寶不斷、六波羅蜜等功德出現於世；佛既可諸天之讚，遂告帝釋當受持之。此段是論主為經之勸持結構所作的脈絡疏理。
九、五死相之教理——聞般若實相心清淨故還生本處。 論釋佛所舉「五死相」一事，發其教理：諸天命終時五相現前——華鬘萎、腋下汗出、蠅來著身、見他坐己坐處、自不樂本坐——彼見死相、念惜天樂、憂墮惡處。此時若聞般若所詮實相，了諸法虛誑、無常空寂，信是佛法、心得清淨故，便還生本處，且世世受福樂、漸成無上道。論並點明：此中受持得福的因緣，正如經說「般若波羅蜜為大明呪」一句所表——由此引出下文對「大明呪」之全幅辨析。
十、大明、無上、無等等——三呪義之逐重辨析。 這是本品論釋的最大子題，論主設『何以名般若為大明呪』一問，層層剖判。其一，諸外道聖人有種種呪術能役鬼神、得名聲，世人貴之，故帝釋借世所貴之呪以況般若為「大呪術」，因般若能常與眾生道德之樂，非如餘呪之樂反起煩惱墮惡道。其二，餘呪隨貪瞋自在作惡，般若呪則能滅對禪定、佛道、涅槃之著，何況貪恚粗病，故名「大明」「無上」。其三辨「無等等」：世有仙人抑叉尼呪（知他心）、揵陀梨呪（飛行變化）、住壽呪，於諸呪中已無與等，而般若過出此無等之上無量，故名「無等等」；又諸佛法名無等、般若是得佛因緣，故言無等等；又諸佛於眾生中名無等、此呪佛所作，故名無等等呪。末證以經自說之三呪因緣：是呪能捨一切不善法、能與一切善法。三名分際既明，「大明呪」一義乃盡。
十一、滿月星宿喻——諸佛破闇如滿月、菩薩如星宿。 論釋佛順帝釋所歎、更廣其讚，說『因般若故出生十善道乃至諸佛』，並為般若屬菩薩所行故設一譬喻：諸佛能大破無明之闇，如滿月之明；菩薩破闇不如諸佛，如星宿之明。猶如夜中所見皆星月之力，世間生死長夜中凡有所知見，皆是佛菩薩之力；世若無佛，菩薩為眾生說法，先著人天樂、漸令得涅槃樂——菩薩所有智慧皆是般若之力。論又補明：菩薩雖行道品、十八空、知法畢竟不可取而不證二乘，還能起善法教化眾生淨佛世界，皆是方便般若之力。此喻把般若為萬善之光源一義，喻得極顯。
十二、除業報與結勸——業報佛不能救、行者應不離薩婆若心。 論末就今世後世功德再作幾番問答收束：先辨「不橫死」何以重說，明刀毒水火有他作自作二種，前說他加、今為不自傷，故接說四百四病（四大為身、冷熱各二百二病）。次釋「除其業報」：一切法因緣和合生、無有作者，無作者故必受業報，此連佛亦不能救、何況般若——般若能除橫難而不奪定業，分際在此。又辨「人不能得便」何以復說，明國王大臣不惟不能加害、反還恭敬供養，因菩薩常有慈悲喜捨心向眾生故。終歸一句：行者應聞、受持乃至正憶念、不離薩婆若心，如是即得今世後世功德——正應全品「勸受持」之題。
不要讀錯
不要把「大明呪」的「呪」讀成世俗的禁禱術數。論說得分明：般若之為呪，非取其役使鬼神、隨貪瞋作惡之用，正取其『能滅一切不善、能與一切善』『能滅禪定佛道涅槃諸著』之破闇除障義。若把它讀成一句可持誦求驗的咒語，便把般若的實相義讀低了——般若是所詮的智慧實相，「呪」不過是借世所貴之名以況其威神無上而已。
不要把「大」「無上」「無等等」三名讀成同一意思的堆疊。論一一分判：「大呪」就般若能與眾生道德樂、令行者最尊說；「無上」就其能滅諸著、利益無上說；「無等等」則有三重——般若過出世間無等之呪、般若是得佛因緣、此呪為諸佛所作。三名各有所據，不是換字重說。認清三義的層次，才讀得懂論主何以要設『何以名大明呪』一問而反覆申答。
不要把『終不中毒死、水火不害』讀成受持般若便可違逆定業。論說得清楚：所除者是刀毒水火等橫難、他加自招之難，至於「宿命業報」「必受業報」則「佛所不能救，何況般若」。般若能除橫死之難、不能奪必受之報，二者分際不可混。若把般若讀成免一切果報的護符，便誤了『業報佛不能救』這一句的分量。
修行作用
這一品通篇是「勸受持」，用功人最當領取的，是勸持背後那一層因果的信解：受持般若何以值得？因它是三寶不斷、萬善現世的樞紐，是三世諸佛所同學、一歷耳根便種菩提之因的根本法。日常持誦，最易把心寄在卷帙儀軌的外相上；本品卻把受持之所以可貴，一路收歸到般若是一切善法生處這一源頭。持誦供養之際，心要認得所貴在般若實相，不在外飾。
『大明、無上、無等等』三呪之辨，尤堪用功人自省。世人貴呪術，圖的是役鬼神、得名聲、免橫難；本品借世所貴之呪以況般若，卻把般若之「大」定在『能與眾生道德樂、能滅諸著』上。學這一段，便知修般若不是求一句靈驗的咒，而是修那能破無明、滅諸著的實相智慧——莫把無上無等的般若，用成了求福免難的世間術。
今世後世功德一節，可作日用的一面照子。般若能除毒兵水火四百四病之橫難，卻不奪宿命必受之業報；能令官事不譴、王臣歡喜，其實是因受持者『常有慈悲喜捨心向眾生』。用功人於此當識得：外境之轉，根在自心之熏——與其求般若作免難之符，不如以般若熏成慈悲喜捨之行，今世後世之福自隨之而生。
承衍
本品的骨幹，是一條由「勸受持」三字串起的線：先諸天勸帝釋受持，明受持故善法具足、三寶不斷、萬善現世、一歷耳根漸得菩提；次佛親勸帝釋受持，舉阿修羅欲鬪、五死相現二事顯般若現前之力；帝釋回歎般若是「大明呪、無上明呪、無等等明呪」，佛親印可並廣釋「因是明呪故」萬善現世、菩薩方便力皆從般若生；復以受持所得今世功德（毒兵水火四百四病不害、官事王臣歡喜）與後世功德（不墮惡道、身相完具、化生佛界）作結，總勸應受持供養、不離薩婆若心。論釋則於『多眾讚令信深』立勸持之勢，於「五死相」發其教理，於『何以名大明呪』設全品最大之辨——大呪、無上、無等等三義逐重剖判，以滿月星宿喻申般若為萬善光源，末以『業報佛不能救、何況般若』判般若除橫難而不奪定業之分際。一品之義，總在『勸而受持、受持得果』一事。
「大明呪」一義，尤可附帶一提。此義非本品始創：般若為大明、無上二呪，已初現於前之寶塔校量一段（其時猶是二詞並舉）；至本品乃擴為『大明、無上、無等等』三詞並陳，並於論釋獲全品最大篇幅之三義辨析，遂成定說。是知般若為明呪之義，乃由前品初現、本品展開而漸次圓足，讀者可合觀二處，以見其承衍之跡（起訖出處詳考據層）。
Exhortation to Receive and Uphold: Why Do the Gods and the Buddha Urge People to Receive and Uphold Prajñā? Why Is Prajñā the Three Spells—Great Bright, Unsurpassed, and Equal to the Unequalled? And Why Does Receiving and Upholding It Bring Merit in This Life and in Later Lives?
What Is Being Asked
This chapter’s name is 「勸受持」 tr. "exhortation to receive and uphold" (the same chapter of the Larger Sūtra that it explains is titled ‘Exhortation to Uphold,’ and the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Palace editions also mostly shorten it to two characters). 「勸」 tr. "exhortation" means urging and encouraging; 「受持」 tr. "receive and uphold" means taking on and holding fast, reading, reciting, and rightly recollecting. The eye of the chapter’s name falls exactly on the character of the whole chapter: this is a chapter ‘of exhorting to receive and uphold’—first the gods of the three-thousand great-thousand world exhort Śakra to receive and uphold it, next the Buddha with his own mouth exhorts Śakra to receive and uphold it, then Śakra in return praises prajñā as the great bright spell, the Buddha goes along with this, seals it, and praises it broadly, and finally it comes home to the merits of this life and of later lives gained by receiving and upholding. The frame of the whole chapter unfolds around this one thread: ‘why it is worth receiving and upholding, how to receive and uphold it, and what receiving and upholding it gains.’
Several difficulties press underneath. First, how can receiving and upholding prajñā make all wholesome dharmas complete, keep the Three Jewels from being cut off, and make the myriad goods appear in the world—and even, once it has passed but once through the ear, lead gradually to awakening? Second, and this is the question at the very core of the whole chapter’s meaning: why does Śakra call prajñā 「大明呪、無上明呪、無等等明呪」 tr. "the great bright spell, the unsurpassed bright spell, the bright spell equal to the unequalled"—how is this word 「呪」 tr. "spell" to be understood, and what boundaries separate the three names 「大」 tr. "great," 「無上」 tr. "unsurpassed," and 「無等等」 tr. "equal to the unequalled"? Third, why is it that as soon as the Buddha seals it, he goes on to say that 「因是明呪故」 tr. "because of this bright spell" the ten wholesome paths and all dharmas up to the omniscience of all kinds appear in the world, and adds the simile of the full moon and the stars? Fourth, the merits of this life gained by receiving and upholding (poison, weapons, water, and fire do not harm one; the four hundred and four sicknesses do not strike one; in cases before the authorities, kings and ministers are glad) and the merits of later lives (not falling into the evil destinies, a body whole and complete, being born by transformation in a buddha-world)—since the sūtra has already stated them, why does the treatise set up several rounds of questions and answers to distinguish them further? These questions are exactly what the sūtra and the treatise of this chapter must account for one by one.
Passage by Passage
1. The gods exhort to uphold—because it is received and upheld, wholesome dharmas are complete, the Three Jewels are not cut off, and the myriad goods appear in the world. In explaining the sūtra, the treatise-author first makes clear that the first voice exhorting to uphold is that of the gods. The gods of the three-thousand great-thousand world, from the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings up to the Akaniṣṭha heaven, together exhort Śakra: he should receive and uphold, draw near to, read, recite, and rightly recollect this prajñā. Why is it worth this? The sūtra answers with layer upon layer of cause and result: because one receives and upholds and so on up to rightly recollects it, all the wholesome dharmas one has cultivated and gathered will be complete and full, the assemblies of the gods can be increased and the asuras diminished; going a step further, because it is received and upheld, the seed of the Buddha, the seed of the Dharma, and the seed of the Saṅgha are not cut off, and because the Three Jewels are not cut off, the six perfections, the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, and the four fruits and the three paths all appear in the world. In a word, receiving and upholding prajñā is the pivot on which all wholesome dharmas and the abiding of the Three Jewels in the world turn—this is where the reason for the gods’ exhortation lies, and it is also the first ground of the word 「勸」 tr. "exhortation" for the whole chapter.
2. The Buddha exhorts Śakra to uphold—when the asuras wish to fight, recite and recollect it; when the five signs of death appear, recite and read it. After the gods’ exhortation, the Buddha himself tells Śakra that he should receive and uphold it, and cites two matters to show the power of prajñā in the present moment. First, when the asuras give rise to the thought of wishing to do battle with the Heaven of the Thirty-three, if Śakra recites and recollects prajñā, the asuras’ evil mind at once ceases and does not arise again. Second, when the five signs of death appear before a god or goddess who is about to fall into an undesirable place, if one recites and reads prajñā in front of them, then because of the merit and majestic power of the prajñā they hear, they are born again in their own place. These two matters draw the benefit of prajñā in from ‘ultimately becoming a buddha’ to the near ground of ‘turning misfortune right now’ in order to exhort—this is exactly why the Buddha’s exhortation to uphold is so intimate and forceful.
3. Passing but once through the ear leads gradually to awakening—the buddhas of the three times all learned prajñā, and prajñā gathers in all wholesome dharmas. The Buddha further exhorts to uphold from the side of the ultimate fruit of prajñā: if good men and good women, and even gods and goddesses, hear this prajñā sūtra so that it passes but once through the ear, by this merit they will gradually attain unsurpassed, right, and complete awakening. Why does merely hearing it bring this benefit? Because the buddhas of the three times—past, future, and present—and their disciples, without exception, learned this prajñā, attained awakening, and entered nirvāṇa without remainder; and prajñā can gather in all wholesome dharmas—śrāvaka dharmas, pratyekabuddha dharmas, bodhisattva dharmas, and buddha dharmas, not one of which lies outside it. If merely hearing it still plants the cause of awakening, how much more receiving and upholding it; here the meaning of exhorting to uphold goes one layer deeper.
4. The great bright spell first appears—Śakra himself declares the three spells, and the Buddha himself seals them. This is the first core knot of the chapter’s meaning. Śakra, taking up what came before, praises in return and says to the Buddha: prajñāpāramitā is 「大明呪、無上明呪、無等等明呪」 tr. "the great bright spell, the unsurpassed bright spell, the bright spell equal to the unequalled," because it can remove all unwholesome dharmas and can give all wholesome dharmas. Here ‘spell (bright spell)’ is not the worldly craft of binding charms and prayers; it takes the meaning of ‘breaking darkness and removing obstructions, having great majestic and spiritual power’ in order to liken it to prajñā. Since Śakra is not an omniscient person, the assembly might not believe his praise, and so the Buddha seals it with his own mouth: 「如是！如是！」 tr. "Just so! Just so!" He proclaims again that prajñā is these three spells, and gives as proof that the buddhas of the three times all attained awakening because of this bright spell. One praise and one seal—this is exactly the formal establishing of the name 「大明呪」 tr. "great bright spell" in this chapter: having first appeared in Chapter 32, it here unfolds, and sets down the sūtra basis for the analysis of the three meanings below.
5. Because of this bright spell the myriad goods appear in the world—the bodhisattva’s power of skilful means is all born from prajñā. After sealing it, the Buddha at once broadly explains the efficacy of 「因是明呪故」 tr. "because of this bright spell": the world then has the ten wholesome paths, the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, the six perfections, the four foundations of mindfulness, and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, all appearing in the world; and further, the various other names for the reality of dharmas—the nature of dharmas, suchness, the mark of dharmas, the abiding of dharmas, the position of dharmas, the limit of reality—all appear in the world. Why? Because all worldly wholesome dharmas and right dharmas, at times when buddhas do not appear, are all born from the bodhisattvas, and the power of skilful means of the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas is in turn all born from prajñāpāramitā. It is precisely by this power of skilful means that the bodhisattva practises the six perfections, the inner and outer emptinesses, and the limbs of the path without realising the grounds of the two vehicles, brings beings to maturity, purifies buddha-worlds, and so on up to attaining the omniscience of all kinds—none of which is not born from prajñā. This passage brings the power of the 「明呪」 tr. "bright spell" down to the place where the myriad goods are born, making clear that prajñā is the source from which all dharmas appear in the world.
6. Receiving and upholding gains merits in this life—poison, weapons, water, fire, and the four hundred and four sicknesses cannot harm. Having shown the virtue of prajñā, the sūtra turns to the reward of receiving and upholding, and first makes clear the merits of this life. One who receives and upholds and so on up to rightly recollects prajñā never dies by poison, is not wounded by blades, is not harmed by water or fire, and cannot be struck by the four hundred and four sicknesses—excepting only the karmic results of past lives (these have causes and conditions of their own, and are not what prajñā can save from). Further, if a case before the authorities arises, because he reads and recites prajñā, when he goes to the magistrate’s office the official does not reprimand him; when he goes to the king, the crown prince, or the great ministers, they all gladly greet him and speak with him amiably. Why does he gain this? Because this good man or good woman always has the minds of kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity turned toward beings—the blessings of this life come precisely from the conduct of mind that prajñā has perfumed.
7. Receiving and upholding gains merits in later lives—not falling into the evil destinies, a body whole and complete, being born by transformation in a buddha-world. The sūtra next makes clear the merits of later lives: the one who receives and upholds is, life after life, not apart from the ten wholesome paths, the four dhyānas and the four immeasurables, the four formless absorptions, the six perfections, the limbs of the path, and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas; he never falls into the three evil destinies, receives a body whole and complete, and is not born into households that are poor and lowly, of artisans, of latrine-cleaners, or of corpse-bearers; he always gains the thirty-two marks; further, he is always born by transformation in the buddha-worlds of the present, is not apart from the bodhisattva’s supernormal powers, and can go and come at will throughout the ten directions to make offerings and hear the Dharma, bringing beings to maturity, purifying buddha-worlds, and gradually attaining awakening. Once the two layers of merit, of this life and of later lives, have been made clear, the sūtra closes its exhortation: one should receive, uphold, and make offerings to it, and always not part from the mind of sarvajñā (omniscience)—this is where the whole chapter’s 「勸受持」 tr. "exhortation to receive and uphold" finally comes to rest.
8. The opening of the treatise’s explanation—because many assemblies praise it in turn, faith is made to deepen. The treatise section first explains why the exhortation to uphold is voiced from many quarters: the Buddha, as the Dharma king, first praised those who receive and uphold; next Śakra, king of the gods, praised them; and now in turn the gods praise them. Why do they praise one after another, layer upon layer? Because many assemblies praising it in turn can make people’s faith grow deeper—one person praising alone is not as able to give rise to faith as many voices praising together. The treatise also points out the causes and conditions of receiving and upholding spoken of in the gods’ exhortation: cultivating all merits, increasing the gods, diminishing the asuras, the Three Jewels not being cut off, and the six perfections and the other merits appearing in the world; since the Buddha approves the gods’ praise, he then tells Śakra that he should receive and uphold it. This passage is the treatise-author’s ordering of the thread of the sūtra’s structure of exhorting to uphold.
9. The doctrinal principle of the five signs of death—because, hearing the real mark of prajñā, the mind becomes pure, they are born again in their own place. The treatise explains the matter of the 「五死相」 tr. "five signs of death" raised by the Buddha and brings out its doctrinal principle: when the gods’ lives are about to end, five signs appear—the flower garland withers, sweat comes from the armpits, flies come and settle on the body, one sees another sitting in one’s own seat, and one no longer delights in one’s own seat—seeing the signs of death, they think with regret of heavenly pleasures and grieve at falling to an evil place. If at this time they hear the real mark that prajñā expresses, understand that all dharmas are false and deceptive, impermanent, empty, and still, and believe this to be the Buddhadharma, then because their minds become pure they are born again in their own place, and moreover life after life receive blessings and happiness and gradually accomplish the unsurpassed path. The treatise also makes plain that the causes and conditions of gaining blessings by receiving and upholding here are exactly what the sūtra’s sentence 「般若波羅蜜為大明呪」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā is the great bright spell" expresses—and from this it leads into the full analysis of the 「大明呪」 tr. "great bright spell" below.
10. Great bright, unsurpassed, equal to the unequalled—a layer-by-layer analysis of the meaning of the three spells. This is the largest sub-topic of the treatise’s explanation in this chapter; the treatise-author sets up the question ‘why is prajñā called the great bright spell?’ and dissects it layer by layer. First: the outsiders’ paths and the holy men have spell-crafts of many kinds that can command ghosts and spirits and win fame, and worldly people prize them; so Śakra borrows the spell the world prizes to liken prajñā to 「大呪術」 tr. "the great spell-craft," because prajñā can always give beings the happiness of the path and its virtue, unlike the happiness of the other spells, which instead gives rise to afflictions and leads to falling into the evil destinies. Second: the other spells follow greed and hatred and do evil at will, whereas the spell of prajñā can extinguish attachment to dhyāna, to the Buddha path, and to nirvāṇa, let alone the coarse sicknesses of greed and hatred; therefore it is called 「大明」 tr. "great bright" and 「無上」 tr. "unsurpassed." Third, it distinguishes 「無等等」 tr. "equal to the unequalled": the world has the seers’ Īkṣaṇī spell (knowing the minds of others), the Gāndhārī spell (flying and transforming), and the life-prolonging spell, which among all spells already have no equal, and prajñā surpasses and goes beyond these unequalled ones immeasurably, and so it is called 「無等等」 tr. "equal to the unequalled"; further, the dharma of the buddhas is called unequalled, and prajñā is the cause and condition for attaining buddhahood, and so it is said to be equal to the unequalled; further, the buddhas among beings are called unequalled, and this spell is made by the Buddha, and so it is called the spell equal to the unequalled. Finally it gives as proof the cause and condition of the three spells that the sūtra itself states: this spell can cast off all unwholesome dharmas and can give all wholesome dharmas. Once the boundaries of the three names are clear, the meaning of the 「大明呪」 tr. "great bright spell" is fully set out.
11. The simile of the full moon and the stars—the buddhas break darkness like the full moon, and the bodhisattvas are like the stars. The treatise explains that the Buddha, going along with what Śakra praised and broadening his praise further, says ‘because of prajñā, the ten wholesome paths and so on up to the buddhas are brought forth,’ and, because prajñā belongs to what bodhisattvas practise, sets up a simile: the buddhas can greatly break the darkness of ignorance, like the brightness of the full moon; the bodhisattvas’ breaking of darkness does not equal theirs, like the brightness of the stars. Just as whatever is seen in the night is all by the power of the stars and the moon, so in the long night of birth and death in the world, whatever is known and seen is all by the power of the buddhas and bodhisattvas; if there is no Buddha in the world, the bodhisattvas teach the Dharma to beings, first settling them in the happiness of humans and gods, and gradually leading them to attain the happiness of nirvāṇa—all the wisdom the bodhisattvas have is the power of prajñā. The treatise further makes clear: although the bodhisattva practises the limbs of the path and the eighteen emptinesses, and knows that dharmas are ultimately ungraspable, he does not realise the two vehicles, and is still able to give rise to wholesome dharmas, teach and transform beings, and purify buddha-worlds—all of which is the power of skilful means and prajñā. This simile makes the meaning that prajñā is the source of light for the myriad goods exceedingly plain.
12. The exception of karmic results and the closing exhortation—the Buddha cannot save from karmic results, and the practitioner should not part from the mind of sarvajñā. At its end the treatise gathers things up with several more rounds of questions and answers on the merits of this life and later lives. First it distinguishes why 「不橫死」 tr. "does not die an untimely death" is said again, making clear that blades, poison, water, and fire are of two kinds, done by others and done by oneself; what was said before concerned what others inflict, and now it is so that one does not harm oneself, and so it goes on to speak of the four hundred and four sicknesses (the four great elements make up the body; the cold sicknesses and the hot sicknesses number two hundred and two each). Next it explains 「除其業報」 tr. "except for his karmic result": all dharmas are born from the coming together of causes and conditions and there is no maker; because there is no maker, one must undergo the karmic result, and from this even the Buddha cannot save, let alone prajñā—prajñā can remove untimely calamities but does not take away fixed karma; the boundary lies here. It further distinguishes why 「人不能得便」 tr. "people cannot find an opening" is said again, making clear that kings and great ministers not only cannot do harm but on the contrary pay reverence and make offerings, because the bodhisattva always has the minds of kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity turned toward beings. It ends in one sentence: the practitioner should hear, receive and uphold, and so on up to rightly recollect, not parting from the mind of sarvajñā, and in this way gains the merits of this life and later lives—answering exactly to the chapter’s title, 「勸受持」 tr. "exhortation to receive and uphold."
Do Not Misread
Do not read 「大明呪」 tr. "great bright spell"—its 「呪」 tr. "spell"—as the worldly arts of binding charms, prayers, and divination. The treatise says it plainly: prajñā’s being a spell does not take the use of commanding ghosts and spirits or of doing evil at will following greed and hatred, but takes precisely the meaning of breaking darkness and removing obstructions in ‘it can extinguish all that is unwholesome and can give all that is wholesome’ and ‘it can extinguish all attachments to dhyāna, the Buddha path, and nirvāṇa.’ If one reads it as a charm that can be chanted to seek results, one reads the meaning of the real mark of prajñā too low—prajñā is the wisdom of the real mark that is expressed, and 「呪」 tr. "spell" merely borrows a name the world prizes to liken its majestic and spiritual power as unsurpassed.
Do not read the three names 「大」 tr. "great," 「無上」 tr. "unsurpassed," and 「無等等」 tr. "equal to the unequalled" as a pile of words all meaning the same thing. The treatise distinguishes them one by one: 「大呪」 tr. "great spell" is said with respect to prajñā’s being able to give beings the happiness of the path and its virtue and to make the practitioner the most honoured; 「無上」 tr. "unsurpassed" is said with respect to its being able to extinguish all attachments and to benefit unsurpassably; 「無等等」 tr. "equal to the unequalled" has three layers—prajñā surpasses and goes beyond the world’s unequalled spells, prajñā is the cause and condition for attaining buddhahood, and this spell is made by the buddhas. Each of the three names has its own ground; it is not a change of words to say the same thing again. Only by recognising the levels of the three meanings can one understand why the treatise-author sets up the question ‘why is it called the great bright spell?’ and answers it again and again.
Do not read ‘never dies by poison, is not harmed by water or fire’ as meaning that receiving and upholding prajñā lets one go against fixed karma. The treatise says it clearly: what is removed are untimely calamities such as blades, poison, water, and fire, calamities inflicted by others or brought on oneself; as for 「宿命業報」 tr. "the karmic results of past lives" and 「必受業報」 tr. "a karmic result that must be undergone," 「佛所不能救，何況般若」 tr. "the Buddha cannot save from them, let alone prajñā." Prajñā can remove the calamity of untimely death but cannot take away a result that must be undergone; the boundary between the two must not be blurred. If one reads prajñā as a talisman exempting one from all karmic results, one mistakes the weight of the sentence ‘the Buddha cannot save from karmic results.’
Bearing on Practice
This chapter is throughout 「勸受持」 tr. "exhortation to receive and uphold," and what those who apply themselves should most take up is the faith and understanding of the layer of cause and result behind the exhortation: why is receiving and upholding prajñā worth it? Because it is the pivot by which the Three Jewels are not cut off and the myriad goods appear in the world, the root dharma that the buddhas of the three times all learned, which, passing but once through the ear, plants the cause of awakening. In daily chanting and upholding, the mind is most easily lodged in the outward forms of scrolls and ritual; this chapter, however, gathers what makes receiving and upholding precious all the way back to one source: that prajñā is where all wholesome dharmas are born. When chanting, upholding, and making offerings, the mind must recognise that what is precious lies in the real mark of prajñā, not in outward adornment.
The discernment of the three spells, ‘great bright, unsurpassed, and equal to the unequalled,’ especially deserves the self-examination of those who apply themselves. People of the world prize spell-craft for commanding ghosts and spirits, winning fame, and escaping untimely calamities; this chapter borrows the spell the world prizes to liken prajñā, yet sets the 「大」 tr. "great" of prajñā on ‘being able to give beings the happiness of the path and its virtue, and being able to extinguish all attachments.’ Learning this passage, one knows that cultivating prajñā is not seeking an efficacious charm but cultivating the wisdom of the real mark that can break ignorance and extinguish all attachments—do not turn the unsurpassed, unequalled prajñā into a worldly art for seeking blessings and escaping calamity.
The section on the merits of this life and later lives can serve as a mirror for daily use. Prajñā can remove the untimely calamities of poison, weapons, water, fire, and the four hundred and four sicknesses, yet does not take away the karmic results of past lives that must be undergone; it can make cases before the authorities bring no reprimand and kings and ministers glad, but in truth that is because the one who receives and upholds ‘always has the minds of kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity turned toward beings.’ Those who apply themselves should recognise here that the turning of outer circumstances is rooted in the perfuming of one’s own mind—rather than seeking prajñā as a talisman for escaping calamity, let prajñā perfume one into the practice of kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, and the blessings of this life and later lives will arise of themselves.
Further Resonances
The backbone of this chapter is a single thread strung together by the words 「勸受持」 tr. "exhortation to receive and uphold": first the gods exhort Śakra to receive and uphold, making clear that because it is received and upheld, wholesome dharmas are complete, the Three Jewels are not cut off, the myriad goods appear in the world, and passing but once through the ear leads gradually to awakening; next the Buddha himself exhorts Śakra to receive and uphold, citing the two matters of the asuras wishing to fight and the five signs of death appearing, to show the power of prajñā in the present moment; Śakra in return praises prajñā as 「大明呪、無上明呪、無等等明呪」 tr. "the great bright spell, the unsurpassed bright spell, the bright spell equal to the unequalled," and the Buddha himself seals it and broadly explains how, 「因是明呪故」 tr. "because of this bright spell," the myriad goods appear in the world and the bodhisattva’s power of skilful means is all born from prajñā; then it concludes with the merits of this life gained by receiving and upholding (poison, weapons, water, fire, and the four hundred and four sicknesses do not harm; in cases before the authorities, kings and ministers are glad) and the merits of later lives (not falling into the evil destinies, a body whole and complete, being born by transformation in a buddha-world), exhorting overall that one should receive, uphold, and make offerings, not parting from the mind of sarvajñā. The treatise’s explanation, for its part, sets up the momentum of exhorting to uphold in ‘many assemblies praising makes faith deepen,’ brings out its doctrinal principle in the 「五死相」 tr. "five signs of death," and in ‘why is it called the great bright spell?’ sets up the greatest discernment of the whole chapter—the three meanings of great spell, unsurpassed, and equal to the unequalled dissected layer by layer, the simile of the full moon and the stars extending the point that prajñā is the source of light for the myriad goods, and at the end, with ‘the Buddha cannot save from karmic results, let alone prajñā,’ judging the boundary by which prajñā removes untimely calamities but does not take away fixed karma. The meaning of the whole chapter lies altogether in one matter: ‘exhorted, one receives and upholds; receiving and upholding, one gains the fruit.’
The meaning of the 「大明呪」 tr. "great bright spell" deserves a further note in passing. This meaning does not originate in this chapter: that prajñā is the two spells, great bright and unsurpassed, first appeared already in the earlier passage on weighing the jewelled stūpa (where the two terms were still set side by side); in this chapter it expands to the three terms ‘great bright, unsurpassed, and equal to the unequalled’ set out together, and receives in the treatise’s explanation the analysis of three meanings that takes up the greatest length in the chapter, and so it becomes the settled account. Thus one knows that the meaning of prajñā as a bright spell first appears in the earlier chapter and unfolds in this one, gradually coming to fullness; the reader may look at the two places together to see the traces of how it is carried on (the precise start and end locations are detailed in the apparatus layer).
梵志品The Brahmin Ascetic
全文五層 →Full five layers →梵志品：外道與惡魔何以皆不得便，諸天何以化華誓護受持般若之人而視之如佛、若次佛，般若與一切智又何以不二不別
在問什麼
這一品的品名叫「梵志品」（所釋的《大品》同品，本論宋本與所釋經之底本又作『遣異品』，二名交叉互見，實為異名同品，非別是一品，其源流出處詳考據層）。「梵志」是外道出家修行之人的通稱；一品便從外道梵志來向佛求短說起，故以「梵志」標目。這一品緊接上一品〈勸受持品〉而來：上品說『聞受般若者，魔、外道不得其便』，只是懸說其理；本品則把這理當場搬到眼前，讓外道與惡魔各來一試，一一現前見其不得便，是上品之「說」轉為本品之「證驗」。
一品的骨架，環繞著三重『不得便』與其果報而展開。底下壓著幾個難處。第一，外道梵志懷惡心來求佛短，何以帝釋一誦般若，他們便只能遙遶而去、不得作礙？惡魔化四種兵來壞菩薩之意，又何以不得便？佛既無事不濟，何以竟不度化這空來的外道？第二，諸天何以化天華、發誓願，要護持般若久住閻浮提、守護受持之人，乃至「視是人即是佛、若次佛」——這「如佛」「次佛」二名，各指何等人？第三，也是全品義理最深的一問：帝釋與佛何以再三說『般若波羅蜜不異一切智，一切智不異般若波羅蜜，不二不別』——若既是「即是」，何以又立生因、說因而以乳酪為喻？這幾問，正是本品經、論要逐一交代的。
逐段解明
一、外道求短、帝釋誦念、外道遙遶而去。 論主釋經，先明本品緣起。眾多外道梵志懷惡心來向佛所，欲挑佛之短。帝釋念及，即誦念從佛所受的般若波羅蜜，作此護念：由受持般若之力故，這些外道梵志終不能中途作出障礙、斷絕佛之說般若。帝釋一誦，外道果然只能遠遠遶佛、循原路而去，一無所施。此段立起全品的第一重『不得便』——受持般若便是外道邪難所不能中的一道屏障，也點明帝釋為此番證驗的關鍵人物。
二、佛答無一念善心、一切世間持惡意者皆不得便。 舍利弗問外道遙遶而去之因緣，佛答以帝釋誦念般若之力，並直指外道之病根：我不見這些外道梵志有一念善心，他們但持惡心來欲求佛短。由此推廣：說般若之時，一切世間若天、若魔、若梵、若沙門婆羅門眾，凡持惡意來者，無一能挑得短處。此段把『外道不得便』一事，從個別外道擴為一條通則——非般若怯於邪難，乃邪心本自不能中於般若。
三、諸天二乘菩薩守護般若——皆從般若中生故。 佛續答持惡者何以皆不得便，歸到守護之眾與守護之由。其一，三千大千世界中四天王天乃至阿迦尼吒天、諸聲聞、辟支佛、諸菩薩摩訶薩皆守護般若，何以故？因這些諸天與人皆從般若波羅蜜中生。其二，更推及十方如恒河沙世界中諸佛及二乘、菩薩、諸天龍鬼神皆守護般若，何以故？因這些諸佛等亦皆從般若中生。「從般若生」故「守護般若」，此一句是全段之眼：般若既是聖凡出生之母，守護母法便是守護自身之所自出，故守護之眾遍於十方三乘。
四、惡魔化四種兵、帝釋覺其偽而誦念。 外道之後，換惡魔來試。惡魔見佛四眾集會、其中必有菩薩蒙記當得菩提，遂欲破壞其受記之意，化作四種兵來至佛所。帝釋審其嚴飾非人間頻婆娑羅、波斯匿諸王及釋子、梨唱之兵所能類，斷定是惡魔久欲索佛便、惱亂眾生所化，於是誦念般若，惡魔隨誦聞之聲漸漸退去。此段是第二重『不得便』——連惡魔傾其兵眾之力，亦不能壞一菩薩受記之心，般若之現前威神於此再驗。
五、諸天化華願般若久住——三寶不滅、書卷照明。 二試既畢，眾天轉為讚願。四天王乃至阿迦尼吒諸天子化天華散佛上，願般若久住閻浮提，其由是：閻浮提人受持般若、隨其住時，佛寶、法寶、僧寶皆住不滅。十方諸天亦散華同願，並增二義：般若久住則三寶久住、亦分別知菩薩之道；凡有善男子善女人書持般若經卷之處，其處即為照明、已離眾冥。此段明般若住世乃三寶住世之所繫、經卷所在即破闇之光，是諸天發願護持的道理所在。
六、諸天誓護受持者——魔不得便、視即是佛若次佛。 諸天再化華散佛，自陳護持之誓與其所以：善男子善女人受持般若乃至正憶念者，魔若魔天不能得其便，我等亦當擁護。何以如此看重此人？因受持般若乃至正憶念故，「我等視是人即是佛、若次佛」。此段把守護之對境從『般若法』移到『持法之人』，並以『即佛、次佛』四字定此人之分量——持般若者所以可貴，正因其身荷佛法之所寄。
七、般若與一切智不二不別——帝釋述、佛印可。 這是經段義理的結穴。帝釋更申其義：受持般若者先世於佛所作功德、多供養諸佛、為善知識所護；諸佛一切智應從般若中求，般若亦當從一切智中求。何以互求？『般若波羅蜜不異一切智，一切智不異般若波羅蜜，不二不別』故。佛親印可，重宣諸佛一切智即是般若、般若即是一切智，一切智從般若中生。一述一印，把『般若即一切智』立為本品之定義，為下文論釋之生因說因、乳酪之喻張本。
八、論釋開端——上品懸說、今品現證驗。 【論】釋先總攝經意，點出本品與上品之關係：上〈勸受持〉品已說『聞受般若者魔、魔民、外道不得其便』，然彼但是懸說其理；今品乃欲當面現前驗證此理，故以威神之力感召引致眾魔及諸外道前來，使之各試而各見其不得便。此段是論主為一品所作的定位——本品性格在「驗」不在「說」，讀者當以「現證驗」三字貫串全品。
九、外道邪見難畢竟空——如狂人傷虛空徒自疲苦。 論釋外道來難之心與其必敗之勢。外道作念：佛在耆闍崛山說般若、謂諸法畢竟空無所有以引十方眾生，我等共往難破此空論，論破則佛自退。論主判其但有邪見、惡心、憍慢而來，欲挑這畢竟清淨般若之過罪，遂設一喻：譬如狂人欲中傷虛空，徒自疲苦。畢竟空如虛空無可傷處，邪難如刀無可著力，此喻把『外道何以必不得便』一義說得極顯——不是般若強辯勝之，而是邪難本無可施之地。
十、帝釋受持誦念、外道遙繞——為驗實令人信知。 論釋帝釋一節之作用。帝釋依佛所教受持般若，外道即不能得便；此番所以令外道遙繞而去者，正為驗其實、令人信知般若之力真實不虛。論並補明帝釋之所以能爾：無量福德成就、以天之利根深信般若，即時誦念、得般若力故，外道乃遙繞復道而去。此段明帝釋非徒誦而已，其誦有福德利根深信為地，故般若之力得以現前。
十一、問答一：何以不直去而遶佛——遠處降伏、詐現供養掩其怯弱。 論設一問：外道既不得便，何以不直還而反遶佛乃去？論答：以般若神力於遠處已降伏之，外道自念佛眾威德甚大，往亦徒自困辱、無所成辦；若遙見便直去，人將謂我等怯弱、來而空去，於是詐現供養之狀繞佛而後去。此問答發明外道遶佛之曲折心行——遶佛非有敬，乃降伏之餘勉強粉飾，其怯弱正於此可見。
十二、佛答外道不蒙度之由——無善心求定相如必死之病。 論釋舍利弗一段。舍利弗本是梵志出身，見外道空還心生憐愍，念其何以不蒙度而去；佛以「是般若波羅蜜力」答之。舍利弗復疑：佛以般若無事不濟，何以令外道空來而去？佛答：這些梵志乃至無一念善心，但持惡意、邪見著心、欲求諸法定相，是故不堪度化，譬如必死之病，雖有良醫神藥不能救濟。論復推廣：非但此梵志，一切世間持惡心來者皆不得便，因諸佛菩薩諸天常守護般若、皆自念從般若生故；魔來難問破壞，亦同此理不得便。此段把『不度』之責歸於外道自絕善根，非般若不濟——如藥不救必死之病，過不在藥。
十三、諸天見證驗歡喜化華、自誓守護。 論釋諸天化華誓護一節。會中諸天子先已聞般若功德，今親見證驗、心大歡喜，化華供養、願般若久住閻浮提，佛即印可。諸天遂於佛前自誓：行者若聞受般若乃至正憶念，我等常當守護，所以者何？我等視是人如佛、若次佛。此段明諸天之護持非徒信而發，乃『先聞、今見』信與驗相合而後誓，其誓有見證為據，故格外懇切。
十四、「如佛」「次佛」義——法性身與肉身菩薩之別。 論釋諸天所云「如佛、若次佛」二名之分際。「如佛」者，謂法性身之菩薩，住阿鞞跋致不退之位、得無生法忍、乃至登於十地；此位近佛，故稱「如佛」。「次佛」者，謂肉身菩薩，雖未及法性身之階，然能宣說般若波羅蜜及其正義，紹隆佛種，故稱『次於佛』。此段把「即是佛、若次佛」一句析為二等，明諸天所重之人有淺深二品，然同以荷般若、傳般若為其可貴之所在。
十五、帝釋讚菩薩、釋二「求」義——一切種智從般若求、般若從一切智求。 論釋帝釋以先世因緣所集功德智慧讚歎菩薩，並分疏經中互求二語。「諸佛一切種智應從般若中求」者，謂菩薩行般若具足故，得佛時般若即變成一切種智，是故一切種智當從般若中求——就因中求果。「般若波羅蜜當從一切智中求」者，謂佛能說般若波羅蜜，是故般若當從一切智中求——就果上有能說之般若。此段辨二「求」各有所向，非同語重出：一就般若為因、一就一切智為說般若之處。
十六、乳酪喻——生因說因、因果不相離故不二不別。 論以乳酪之喻總結般若與一切種智之關係，答『既不二不別、何以又立二名互求』之疑。譬如乳變為酪，離乳則無酪，然亦不得言乳即是酪；般若變為一切種智，離般若則無一切種智，然亦不得言般若即是一切種智。般若與一切種智作生因、一切種智與般若作說因，因果雖有二名，然不相分離，故言「不二不別」。此喻把「即是」與『不即是』一時收攝：就因果不相離故言「不二」，就變與所變之名相故不得謂「即是」——般若與一切智之義，於此而圓。
不要讀錯
不要把『梵志品／遣異品』二名讀成兩品，或疑本品品序有錯。二名雖異，所指之品內容全同，只是本論與所釋經在各自傳本中一作「梵志」、一作『遣異』而交叉互見，屬異名同品，非別立一品、非品序錯位。以「梵志」標目者，取一品從外道梵志來求佛短說起之義；其名實之辨、諸本出處，屬考據層之事，義理上但依一品之文讀去即可。
不要把外道、惡魔之『不得便』讀成般若與之相角而勝之。論說得分明：般若如虛空，邪難如欲傷虛空之刀，本無可著力之處，故外道「徒自疲苦」；佛之不度外道，亦非般若不濟，乃外道無一念善心、如必死之病非良醫神藥所能救。若把般若讀成一種能勝邪破敵的法力，便把「畢竟清淨」『無可傷處』之義讀低了——不得便者，過在邪心自絕，不在般若逞強。
不要把『般若不異一切智、不二不別』讀成二者全無分際的一物，也不要因立生因、說因、乳酪之喻而疑其果真是二。論以乳酪喻雙關兩面：就因果不相離故言「不二不別」，不可執為二；就乳變酪、名相有異故不得言「乳即是酪」，不可混為一。般若是因位之智、一切種智是果位之智，因果一貫而位次宛然。執一則失其位次，執異則失其一貫，須雙離二執，方讀得「不二不別」四字的分寸。
修行作用
這一品把上品『魔外道不得其便』的懸說，當場搬到眼前作了一番現證驗。用功人最當領取的，是這一層信解：般若之能不受邪難、不為魔壞，不在它是一種可與外境相角的法力，而在它「畢竟清淨」『如虛空無可傷處』的實相本身。日用持誦之際，若把般若當作御難勝敵的符驗去求，便落回外道求佛短的同一路數；本品卻教人認得，持般若所以魔不得便，正因般若無隙可乘、邪心無處可著——用功處在自心之離邪著，不在向外求一種靈驗。
「即是佛、若次佛」一語，尤堪自省。諸天所以化華誓護受持般若之人，重的不是這人有何神異，而是他身荷般若、能傳般若正義。學這一段，便知受持般若之可貴，在於自身成了佛法之所寄——「如佛」是住不退、證無生的法性身，「次佛」是能說般若正義的肉身菩薩，二者同以荷法傳法為分量。用功人於此當發心：所貴者是把般若荷在身心、傳於正義，而非博一個『持經者』的外名。
般若與一切智「不二不別」而又互為生因、說因一義，可作觀行的準繩。修般若不是別求一個一切種智作果，果就在因中——「般若變成一切種智」，如乳之成酪，不離本因；然亦不可執因即果、坐失後際的圓成。用功人於此當識得：因地一念般若，已含果地一切種智之性，卻須行之具足、變之乃成——既不輕因、亦不躐果，方是「不二不別」落到用功上的分寸。
承衍
本品的骨幹，是一條由三重『不得便』串起的證驗之線：外道梵志懷惡來求佛短，帝釋誦念般若故遙遶而去；惡魔化四種兵欲壞菩薩受記之意，帝釋覺偽誦念故漸漸退去；一切世間持惡心來者，以諸佛菩薩諸天皆從般若生、常守護般若故，皆不得便。三驗既畢，諸天化天華、發誓願，願般若久住閻浮提以續三寶不滅，並自誓守護受持之人而「視是人即是佛、若次佛」；終以帝釋與佛互明『般若不異一切智、不二不別』，論以生因說因、乳酪之喻收束。論釋則於『上品懸說、今品現證驗』立一品之定位，於『如狂人傷虛空』明邪難之必不得便，於『如必死之病良醫不救』判佛不度外道之責在邪心自絕，於乳酪一喻圓「不二不別」之義。一品之義，總在『邪魔不得便、諸天誓護持、般若即一切智』一事。
『如佛、次佛』與『般若即一切智』二義，尤可附帶一提，見其承衍之跡。守護、擁護受持般若之人而許以近佛之位，並非本品始有；般若與一切智、一切種智相即而互為因果之義，亦自前品累論而來，至本品乃借外道、惡魔現證驗之機，把『守護受持者』與『般若即一切智』二線一時收攏，並以乳酪之喻為此相即之義立一定說。讀者可合觀前後諸品，以見般若『所守護、所出生、所歸極』一貫之脈（其承衍起訖、諸品出處，詳考據層）。
The Brahmin Ascetic: Why Do Those of the Outside Paths and the Evil Māra Alike Find No Opening; Why Do the Gods Conjure Flowers and Vow to Protect Those Who Receive and Uphold Prajñā, Regarding Them as a Buddha or as Next to a Buddha; and Why Are Prajñā and Omniscience Not Two and Not Different?
What Is Being Asked
This chapter’s name is 「梵志品」 tr. "the chapter The Brahmin Ascetic" (the same chapter of the Larger Sūtra that it explains is also titled ‘Dispelling the Divergent’ in this treatise’s Song edition and in the base text of the sūtra it explains; the two names cross and appear in each other’s transmissions, and are in fact different names for the same chapter, not a separate chapter; their sources and origins are examined in detail in the Apparatus). 「梵志」 tr. "brahmin ascetic" is the general name for those of the outsiders’ paths who have left home to practise; since the chapter begins from brahmin ascetics of the outsiders’ paths coming to the Buddha to seek out his faults, it takes 「梵志」 tr. "brahmin ascetic" as its heading. This chapter follows directly on the previous chapter, "Exhortation to Receive and Uphold": the previous chapter said ‘for one who hears and receives prajñā, Māra and those of the outside paths find no opening,’ but only stated the principle in advance, in the abstract; this chapter brings that principle right before one’s eyes on the spot, letting those of the outside paths and the evil Māra each come to make a trial, so that one sees, present before one, one by one, that they find no opening—the previous chapter’s 「說」 tr. "stating" turns into this chapter’s 「證驗」 tr. "verification."
The chapter’s framework unfolds around three layers of ‘finding no opening’ and their results. Beneath it lie several difficulties. First: the brahmin ascetics of the outsiders’ paths, harbouring evil minds, come to seek out the Buddha’s faults—why is it that as soon as Śakra recites prajñā, they can only circle the Buddha at a distance and leave, unable to make an obstacle? The evil Māra conjures the four kinds of troops, intending to break the bodhisattvas’ intent—why does he too find no opening? And since there is nothing the Buddha does not accomplish, why does he not, after all, deliver these people of the outside paths who came in vain? Second: why do the gods conjure heavenly flowers and make vows, wishing to protect and uphold prajñā so that it long abides in Jambudvīpa, and to guard those who receive and uphold it, even to the point of 「視是人即是佛、若次佛」 tr. "regarding this person as being the Buddha, or as next to a Buddha"—these two names, 「如佛」 tr. "as a Buddha" and 「次佛」 tr. "next to a Buddha," each refer to what kind of person? Third, and the question of deepest doctrinal meaning in the whole chapter: why do Śakra and the Buddha say again and again ‘prajñāpāramitā is not different from omniscience, omniscience is not different from prajñāpāramitā; they are not two and not different’—if it already 「即是」 tr. "is" the other, why then set up the cause that gives birth and the cause that is spoken of, and take milk and curd as a simile? These questions are exactly what the sūtra and the treatise of this chapter must account for one by one.
Passage by Passage
1. Those of the outside paths seek faults, Śakra recites, and those of the outside paths circle at a distance and leave. In explaining the sūtra, the treatise-author first makes clear how this chapter arises. Many brahmin ascetics of the outsiders’ paths, harbouring evil minds, come to where the Buddha is, wishing to pick out the Buddha’s faults. Śakra, thinking of this, at once recites the prajñāpāramitā he received from the Buddha, and makes this protective thought: by the power of receiving and upholding prajñā, these brahmin ascetics will never be able to make an obstacle midway and cut off the Buddha’s teaching of prajñā. Once Śakra recites, those of the outside paths indeed can only circle the Buddha at a distance and go away along the road they came, having accomplished nothing. This passage establishes the chapter’s first layer of ‘finding no opening’—receiving and upholding prajñā is itself a screen against which the wrong challenges of those of the outside paths cannot strike home; and it also points to Śakra as the key figure in this verification.
2. The Buddha answers: they have not a single thought of a wholesome mind, and all in the world who hold evil intent find no opening. Śāriputra asks about the causes and conditions of the outside paths’ circling at a distance and leaving; the Buddha answers with the power of Śakra’s reciting prajñā, and points directly to the root of the outside paths’ sickness: I do not see in these brahmin ascetics a single thought of a wholesome mind; they only hold evil minds and come wishing to seek out the Buddha’s faults. From this it is extended: when prajñā is being taught, of all in the world—whether gods, Māras, Brahmās, or assemblies of śramaṇas and brahmins—whoever comes holding evil intent, not one is able to pick out a fault. This passage widens the single matter of ‘those of the outside paths find no opening’ from particular people of the outside paths into a general rule—it is not that prajñā shrinks from wrong challenges, but that the wrong mind by its very nature cannot strike home against prajñā.
3. The gods, the two vehicles, and the bodhisattvas guard prajñā—because all are born from within prajñā. The Buddha continues to answer why all who hold evil find no opening, bringing it back to the assembly that guards and the reason for guarding. First: in the three-thousand great-thousand world, the gods from the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings up to the Akaniṣṭha heaven, the śrāvakas, the pratyekabuddhas, and the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas all guard prajñā. Why? Because these gods and humans are all born from within prajñāpāramitā. Second: it is further extended to the buddhas of worlds of the ten directions as many as the sands of the Ganges, together with the two vehicles, the bodhisattvas, and the gods, nāgas, ghosts, and spirits—all guard prajñā. Why? Because these buddhas and the rest are also all born from within prajñā. Because 「從般若生」 tr. "born from prajñā," therefore 「守護般若」 tr. "guarding prajñā"—this one sentence is the eye of the whole passage: since prajñā is the mother from which sages and ordinary beings are born, to guard the mother-dharma is to guard that from which one oneself has come forth, and so the assembly that guards it pervades the ten directions and the three vehicles.
4. The evil Māra conjures the four kinds of troops; Śakra perceives the deception and recites. After those of the outside paths, the evil Māra comes in turn to make a trial. The evil Māra sees the Buddha’s fourfold assembly gathered, and that among them there must be bodhisattvas who have received the prediction that they will attain awakening; so, wishing to break their intent of receiving the prediction, he conjures the four kinds of troops and comes to where the Buddha is. Śakra examines their array and adornment and finds that they are not of a kind with the troops of the human kings, King Bimbisāra and King Prasenajit, nor with those of the Śākyans or the Licchavis; he concludes that they are conjured by the evil Māra, who has long wished to seek an opening against the Buddha and to trouble beings, and so he recites prajñā; and the evil Māra, as he hears the sound of the recitation, gradually withdraws. This passage is the second layer of ‘finding no opening’—even when the evil Māra pours out the whole strength of his troops, he cannot break the mind of a single bodhisattva who has received the prediction; the present, awesome spiritual power of prajñā is here verified again.
5. The gods conjure flowers and wish that prajñā long abide—the Three Jewels do not perish, and the scrolls give illumination. The two trials completed, the gods turn to praise and vows. The gods from the Four Heavenly Kings up to the Akaniṣṭha heaven conjure heavenly flowers and scatter them over the Buddha, wishing that prajñā long abide in Jambudvīpa; the reason is: when the people of Jambudvīpa receive and uphold prajñā, for as long as it abides, the Buddha Jewel, the Dharma Jewel, and the Saṅgha Jewel all abide and do not perish. The gods of the ten directions also scatter flowers with the same wish, and add two meanings: if prajñā long abides, the Three Jewels long abide, and the path of the bodhisattva is also known distinctly; and wherever a good man or good woman writes out and upholds the scroll of the prajñā sūtra, that place is illumined and already free of all darkness. This passage makes clear that prajñā’s abiding in the world is what the abiding of the Three Jewels in the world depends upon, and that wherever the scroll is, there is a light that breaks the darkness—this is where the reason lies for the gods’ vowing to protect and uphold it.
6. The gods vow to protect those who receive and uphold it—Māra finds no opening, and they regard such a one as being the Buddha, or as next to a Buddha. The gods again conjure flowers and scatter them over the Buddha, and themselves set out their vow of protection and its reason: when a good man or good woman receives and upholds prajñā and so on up to rightly recollects it, Māra or the gods of Māra cannot find an opening, and we too shall protect them. Why do they value this person so highly? Because, owing to receiving and upholding prajñā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, 「我等視是人即是佛、若次佛」 tr. "we regard this person as being the Buddha, or as next to a Buddha." This passage moves the object of guarding from ‘the dharma of prajñā’ to ‘the person who holds the dharma,’ and with the four words ‘being the Buddha, next to a Buddha’ fixes this person’s weight—the reason the one who holds prajñā is precious is exactly that his person is where the Buddha’s Dharma is lodged.
7. Prajñā and omniscience are not two and not different—Śakra declares it, the Buddha seals it. This is where the doctrinal meaning of the sūtra portion ties its knot. Śakra further extends its meaning: one who receives and upholds prajñā has in former lives made merit in the presence of buddhas, made many offerings to the buddhas, and been protected by good friends; the omniscience of the buddhas should be sought from within prajñā, and prajñā too should be sought from within omniscience. Why seek each from the other? Because ‘prajñāpāramitā is not different from omniscience, omniscience is not different from prajñāpāramitā; they are not two and not different.’ The Buddha himself seals it, restating that the omniscience of the buddhas is prajñā, that prajñā is omniscience, and that omniscience is born from within prajñā. One declaring, one sealing—together they establish ‘prajñā is omniscience’ as this chapter’s definition, and lay the ground for the treatise’s later explanation of the cause that gives birth and the cause that is spoken of, and for the simile of milk and curd.
8. The opening of the treatise’s explanation—the previous chapter stated it in the abstract, this chapter verifies it in the present. The explanation in the treatise portion first gathers up the meaning of the sūtra as a whole, and points out this chapter’s relation to the previous one: the previous chapter, "Exhortation to Receive and Uphold," already said ‘for one who hears and receives prajñā, Māra, Māra’s people, and those of the outside paths find no opening,’ but that only stated the principle in the abstract; this chapter wishes to verify the principle face to face, in the present, and so by the power of awesome spirit it draws the hosts of Māra and those of the outside paths to come forward, so that each makes a trial and each sees that it finds no opening. This passage is the treatise-author’s placing of the chapter as a whole—the character of this chapter lies in 「驗」 tr. "verifying," not in 「說」 tr. "stating," and the reader should take the words 「現證驗」 tr. "verification in the present" as the thread running through the whole chapter.
9. Those of the outside paths, with wrong views, challenge ultimate emptiness—like a madman wounding empty space, who only wearies and pains himself. The treatise explains the minds with which those of the outside paths came to challenge and the certainty of their defeat. Those of the outside paths thought: the Buddha, on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa, teaches prajñā, saying that all dharmas are ultimately empty and without anything existent, and so draws the beings of the ten directions; let us go together and challenge and break this doctrine of emptiness, and once the doctrine is broken, the Buddha will withdraw of himself. The treatise-author judges that they come with nothing but wrong views, evil minds, and arrogance, wishing to pick out faults in this ultimately pure prajñā, and so sets out a simile: it is like a madman wishing to wound empty space, who only wearies and pains himself. Ultimate emptiness is like empty space, with no place that can be wounded; wrong challenges are like a knife with nowhere to apply its force. This simile makes the single meaning ‘why those of the outside paths are sure to find no opening’ exceedingly plain—it is not that prajñā defeats them by strong argument, but that wrong challenges have from the start no ground on which to act.
10. Śakra receives, upholds, and recites; those of the outside paths circle at a distance—to verify its reality and make people believe and know. The treatise explains the function of the section about Śakra. Śakra receives and upholds prajñā as the Buddha taught, and those of the outside paths then cannot find an opening; the reason he makes those of the outside paths circle at a distance and go on this occasion is precisely to verify its reality and make people believe and know that the power of prajñā is real and not false. The treatise also supplies why Śakra is able to do so: he has accomplished immeasurable merit, and with the sharp faculties of a god he deeply believes in prajñā; he recites it at once and gains the power of prajñā, and so those of the outside paths circle at a distance and go back along the road. This passage makes clear that Śakra does not merely recite; his recitation has merit, sharp faculties, and deep faith as its ground, and so the power of prajñā can become present.
11. Question and answer one: why not leave directly rather than circle the Buddha?—subdued from afar, they feign an offering to cover their cowardice. The treatise sets up a question: since those of the outside paths could find no opening, why did they not go straight back, but instead circle the Buddha before leaving? The treatise answers: by the spiritual power of prajñā they had already been subdued from afar; those of the outside paths thought to themselves that the awesome virtue of the Buddha’s assembly was very great, and that going on would only bring themselves distress and disgrace and accomplish nothing; if they left directly on seeing it from afar, people would say they were cowards who had come and gone away empty, and so they feigned the appearance of making an offering, circled the Buddha, and then left. This question and answer brings to light the twists in the outside paths’ minds as they circle the Buddha—the circling is not reverence, but a forced embellishment left over from being subdued, and their cowardice can be seen precisely here.
12. The Buddha answers why those of the outside paths are not delivered—without a wholesome mind, seeking a fixed mark, like a fatal sickness. The treatise explains the passage about Śāriputra. Śāriputra had originally been a brahmin ascetic; seeing those of the outside paths going back empty, he felt pity for them and wondered why they left without being delivered; the Buddha answered him with 「是般若波羅蜜力」 tr. "this is the power of prajñāpāramitā." Śāriputra doubted further: since with prajñā there is nothing the Buddha does not accomplish, why does he let those of the outside paths come empty and go away? The Buddha answered: these brahmin ascetics have not so much as a single thought of a wholesome mind; they hold only evil intent, with wrong views clinging to their minds, wishing to seek a fixed mark in dharmas, and therefore they are not fit to be delivered—like a fatal sickness which, though there be a good physician and divine medicine, cannot be saved. The treatise further extends it: not only these brahmin ascetics—all in the world who come with evil minds find no opening, because the buddhas, the bodhisattvas, and the gods constantly guard prajñā, each being mindful that they are born from prajñā; when Māra comes to challenge, question, and destroy, by the same principle he finds no opening. This passage lays the blame for ‘not delivering’ on the outside paths’ own cutting off of their wholesome roots, not on any insufficiency of prajñā—as when medicine does not save one with a fatal sickness, the fault is not in the medicine.
13. The gods, seeing the verification, rejoice, conjure flowers, and themselves vow to guard. The treatise explains the section of the gods conjuring flowers and vowing to protect. The gods in the assembly had already heard of the merits of prajñā; now, seeing its verification with their own eyes, their minds greatly rejoice; they conjure flowers as an offering and wish that prajñā long abide in Jambudvīpa, and the Buddha seals it. The gods then vow for themselves before the Buddha: if a practitioner hears and receives prajñā and so on up to rightly recollects it, we shall always guard him. Why is this? We regard this person as a Buddha, or as next to a Buddha. This passage makes clear that the gods’ protection does not issue from faith alone, but is a vow made after ‘first hearing, now seeing,’ faith and verification uniting; their vow has witnessed evidence as its ground, and so it is especially earnest.
14. The meaning of 「如佛」 tr. "as a Buddha" and 「次佛」 tr. "next to a Buddha" —the difference between the Dharma-nature body and the bodhisattva in a fleshly body. The treatise explains the boundary between the two names the gods spoke of, 「如佛、若次佛」 tr. "as a Buddha, or next to a Buddha." 「如佛」 tr. "As a Buddha" refers to the bodhisattva of the Dharma-nature body, who abides in the non-retrogressing rank of avaivartika, has attained the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, and so on up to ascending the ten grounds; this rank is near the Buddha, and so it is called 「如佛」 tr. "as a Buddha." 「次佛」 tr. "Next to a Buddha" refers to a bodhisattva in a fleshly body who, though he has not yet reached the stage of the Dharma-nature body, is nevertheless able to expound prajñāpāramitā and its right meaning and to carry on and make flourish the lineage of the Buddha, and so is called ‘next to the Buddha.’ This passage analyses the phrase 「即是佛、若次佛」 tr. "being the Buddha, or next to a Buddha" into two grades, making clear that the persons the gods value come in two classes, shallower and deeper, yet both are precious for the same thing: bearing prajñā and transmitting prajñā.
15. Śakra praises the bodhisattva, and the two meanings of 「求」 tr. "seeking" are explained—omniscience of all kinds is sought from prajñā, prajñā is sought from omniscience. The treatise explains Śakra’s praise of the bodhisattva by the merit and wisdom gathered through causes and conditions in former lives, and sorts out the two phrases in the sūtra about seeking each from the other. 「諸佛一切種智應從般若中求」 tr. "The omniscience of all kinds of the buddhas should be sought from within prajñā" means: because the bodhisattva practises prajñā to completion, on attaining buddhahood prajñā changes into omniscience of all kinds, and therefore omniscience of all kinds should be sought from within prajñā—this is seeking the result within the cause. 「般若波羅蜜當從一切智中求」 tr. "Prajñāpāramitā should be sought from within omniscience" means: the Buddha is able to expound prajñāpāramitā, and therefore prajñā should be sought from within omniscience—this is that, on the side of the result, there is the prajñā that can be expounded. This passage distinguishes that the two 「求」 tr. "seekings" each have their own direction and are not the same words repeated: one takes prajñā as the cause, the other takes omniscience as the place where prajñā is expounded.
16. The simile of milk and curd—the cause that gives birth and the cause that is spoken of: because cause and result are not apart from each other, they are not two and not different. With the simile of milk and curd the treatise concludes the relation between prajñā and omniscience of all kinds, answering the doubt ‘if they are not two and not different, why set up two names that seek each from the other?’ It is like milk changing into curd: apart from milk there is no curd, yet one also cannot say that milk is curd; prajñā changes into omniscience of all kinds: apart from prajñā there is no omniscience of all kinds, yet one also cannot say that prajñā is omniscience of all kinds. Prajñā acts for omniscience of all kinds as the cause that gives birth, and omniscience of all kinds acts for prajñā as the cause that is spoken of; though cause and result have two names, they are not separated from each other, and so it is said 「不二不別」 tr. "not two and not different." This simile gathers in 「即是」 tr. "is" and ‘is not’ at a single stroke: because cause and result are not apart from each other, it is said 「不二」 tr. "not two"; because of the difference in name and mark between what changes and what it changes into, one cannot call it 「即是」 tr. "is"—the meaning of prajñā and omniscience is here made complete.
Do Not Misread
Do not read the two names ‘The Brahmin Ascetic / Dispelling the Divergent’ as two chapters, or suspect that the order of this chapter is wrong. Though the two names differ, the chapter they refer to is wholly the same in content; it is only that this treatise and the sūtra it explains, in their respective transmitted texts, have one 「梵志」 tr. "brahmin ascetic" and the other ‘dispelling the divergent,’ crossing and appearing in each other—a case of different names for the same chapter, not a separately established chapter and not a displacement of chapter order. That it takes 「梵志」 tr. "brahmin ascetic" as its heading takes the sense that the chapter begins from brahmin ascetics of the outsiders’ paths coming to seek out the Buddha’s faults; the discrimination of its name and reality, and the sources in the various texts, are matters for the Apparatus; for the doctrinal meaning one need only read on according to the text of the chapter.
Do not read the outside paths’ and the evil Māra’s ‘finding no opening’ as prajñā contending with them and defeating them. The treatise says it plainly: prajñā is like empty space, and wrong challenges are like a knife wishing to wound empty space, with from the start no place to apply its force, and so those of the outside paths 「徒自疲苦」 tr. "only weary and pain themselves"; the Buddha’s not delivering those of the outside paths is likewise not an insufficiency of prajñā, but because those of the outside paths have not a single thought of a wholesome mind, like a fatal sickness that no good physician or divine medicine can save. If one reads prajñā as a kind of dharma-power able to conquer the wrong and break enemies, one reads the meaning of 「畢竟清淨」 tr. "ultimately pure" and ‘no place that can be wounded’ too low—in finding no opening, the fault lies in the wrong mind cutting itself off, not in prajñā flexing its strength.
Do not read ‘prajñā is not different from omniscience, not two and not different’ as the two being a single thing with no boundary at all between them; and do not, because the cause that gives birth, the cause that is spoken of, and the simile of milk and curd are set up, suspect that they really are two. The treatise’s simile of milk and curd bears on both sides at once: because cause and result are not apart from each other, it is said 「不二不別」 tr. "not two and not different," and they cannot be clung to as two; because milk changes into curd and name and mark differ, one cannot say 「乳即是酪」 tr. "milk is curd," and they cannot be merged into one. Prajñā is knowledge at the stage of the cause; omniscience of all kinds is knowledge at the stage of the result; cause and result are one continuity, and yet the ranks are distinctly present. Clinging to oneness loses the ranks; clinging to difference loses the continuity; one must leave both clingings together to read the measure of the words 「不二不別」 tr. "not two and not different."
Bearing on Practice
This chapter takes the previous chapter’s abstract statement, ‘Māra and those of the outside paths find no opening,’ and brings it right before one’s eyes on the spot as a verification in the present. What one who applies effort should most take up is this layer of faith and understanding: prajñā’s ability not to be affected by wrong challenges and not to be destroyed by Māra does not lie in its being a kind of dharma-power that can contend with outer things, but in the real mark itself, 「畢竟清淨」 tr. "ultimately pure," ‘like empty space, with no place that can be wounded.’ In the moments of daily upholding and recitation, if one seeks prajñā as a talisman for warding off difficulties and conquering enemies, one falls back onto the very same road as those of the outside paths who sought out the Buddha’s faults; this chapter instead teaches one to recognise that the reason Māra finds no opening in one who holds prajñā is exactly that prajñā has no gap to exploit and the wrong mind has nowhere to attach—the place to apply effort is in one’s own mind leaving wrong clinging, not in seeking some efficacy outside.
The phrase 「即是佛、若次佛」 tr. "being the Buddha, or next to a Buddha" is especially fit for self-examination. What the gods value, in conjuring flowers and vowing to protect the one who receives and upholds prajñā, is not any marvel in this person, but that he bears prajñā in his person and can transmit the right meaning of prajñā. Studying this passage, one knows that what is precious in receiving and upholding prajñā is that one’s own person has become the place where the Buddha’s Dharma is lodged—「如佛」 tr. "as a Buddha" is the Dharma-nature body that abides in non-retrogression and has realised non-arising; 「次佛」 tr. "next to a Buddha" is the bodhisattva in a fleshly body who can expound the right meaning of prajñā; both take bearing the Dharma and transmitting the Dharma as their weight. One who applies effort should here arouse the mind: what is precious is to bear prajñā in body and mind and to transmit it in its right meaning, not to win the outward name of ‘one who upholds the sūtra.’
The meaning that prajñā and omniscience are 「不二不別」 tr. "not two and not different" and yet act for each other as the cause that gives birth and the cause that is spoken of can serve as a plumb-line for contemplative practice. Cultivating prajñā is not seeking some separate omniscience of all kinds as a result; the result lies within the cause—「般若變成一切種智」 tr. "prajñā changes into omniscience of all kinds," as milk becomes curd, not apart from its original cause; yet one also must not cling to the cause as being the result and sit idle, losing the full accomplishment at the later limit. One who applies effort should here recognise: a single thought of prajñā at the ground of the cause already contains the nature of omniscience of all kinds at the ground of the result, yet it must be practised to completion and only through change is it accomplished—neither slighting the cause nor skipping ahead to the result: this is the measure of 「不二不別」 tr. "not two and not different" as it comes down to applying effort.
Further Resonances
The backbone of this chapter is a single thread of verification strung together by three layers of ‘finding no opening’: the brahmin ascetics of the outsiders’ paths come harbouring evil to seek out the Buddha’s faults, and because Śakra recites prajñā they circle at a distance and go; the evil Māra conjures the four kinds of troops, wishing to break the bodhisattvas’ intent of receiving the prediction, and because Śakra perceives the deception and recites, he gradually withdraws; all in the world who come with evil minds, because the buddhas, the bodhisattvas, and the gods are all born from prajñā and constantly guard prajñā, all find no opening. The three verifications completed, the gods conjure heavenly flowers and make vows, wishing that prajñā long abide in Jambudvīpa so that the Three Jewels continue without perishing, and themselves vow to guard those who receive and uphold it, and 「視是人即是佛、若次佛」 tr. "regard this person as being the Buddha, or as next to a Buddha"; it ends with Śakra and the Buddha making clear to each other that ‘prajñā is not different from omniscience; they are not two and not different,’ and the treatise closes it with the cause that gives birth, the cause that is spoken of, and the simile of milk and curd. The treatise’s explanation, for its part, establishes the placing of the chapter in ‘the previous chapter stated it in the abstract, this chapter verifies it in the present’; makes clear by ‘like a madman wounding empty space’ that wrong challenges are sure to find no opening; judges by ‘like a fatal sickness that a good physician does not save’ that the blame for the Buddha’s not delivering those of the outside paths lies in the wrong mind cutting itself off; and completes the meaning of 「不二不別」 tr. "not two and not different" with the single simile of milk and curd. The meaning of the whole chapter lies altogether in one matter: ‘the wrong and Māra find no opening, the gods vow to protect and uphold, prajñā is omniscience.’
The two meanings ‘as a Buddha, next to a Buddha’ and ‘prajñā is omniscience’ may especially be mentioned in passing, so as to see the traces of their further resonances. Guarding and protecting those who receive and uphold prajñā and granting them a rank near the Buddha does not begin only with this chapter; the meaning that prajñā and omniscience, omniscience of all kinds, are identical to each other and are cause and result for each other also comes from the accumulated discussion of the preceding chapters; in this chapter, taking the occasion of the outside paths’ and the evil Māra’s verification in the present, the two threads ‘guarding those who receive and uphold’ and ‘prajñā is omniscience’ are gathered together at once, and the simile of milk and curd establishes a settled account of this identity. The reader may view together the chapters before and after, to see the single continuous vein of prajñā as ‘that which is guarded, that which gives birth, that to which all returns as its ultimate’ (the beginning and end of its further resonances and the sources in the various chapters are detailed in the Apparatus).
阿難稱譽品Ānanda's Praise
全文五層 →Full five layers →阿難稱譽品：般若何以於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法獨為尊導，餘度何以皆依般若得名、如種子依地得生，受持書持般若又何以得今世後世如許功德，乃至供養般若何以勝供養十方諸佛而終不失敬佛
在問什麼
這一品的品名叫「阿難稱譽品」（所釋的《大品》同品，本論宋元本與所釋經之底本又作『尊導品』，二名交叉互見，實為異名同品，非別是一品，其源流出處詳考據層）。一品從慧命阿難請問『佛何以唯獨稱譽般若、而不稱譽餘五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法』說起，故以「阿難稱譽」標目。這一問看似只是稱歎之偏，底下卻壓著全品最要緊的一個判教之義。
一品的骨架，由一經一論再一經一論、共兩對經論交替展開，環繞著三重問題。第一，也是全品之綱：般若既與餘度同名波羅蜜，何以獨得「尊導」之稱？佛的答覆是——不迴向薩婆若，則布施乃至智慧皆不得稱波羅蜜；唯般若能令五事成波羅蜜，如種子必依大地方生，故般若於五度乃至一切種智為尊為導。第二，這「稱譽」落到受持之人身上，有何實利？帝釋述其功德未盡，佛乃廣顯受持、書持般若者今世後世之種種果報，乃至『當知是人為如佛』。第三，這些果報一一可疑：功德深重而書持供養輕微，何以得二世功德？諸天何以來益法師膽力？人身內既不淨，外淨何益？乃至——般若既在佛身中，何以說供養十方佛不如供養般若、卻又非不敬佛？論主以九番問答、大地寶珠等喻，逐一酬答。這幾問，正是本品經、論要逐一交代的。
逐段解明
一、阿難問偏稱之由，佛答般若為尊導。 慧命阿難請問：佛何以不稱譽檀、尸羅、羼提、毘梨耶、禪乃至十八不共法，唯獨稱譽般若？佛直答「般若波羅蜜於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法為尊導」，並以反問印定：不迴向薩婆若，布施尚不得稱檀波羅蜜，持戒乃至智慧尚不得稱般若波羅蜜。阿難兩答『不也』，佛乃結云——以是故知般若於五度乃至十八不共法為尊導，是故稱譽。此段立起全品之綱：稱譽般若非厚此薄彼，乃因餘度之得名、得成，皆繫於般若一法。
二、云何布施迴向作波羅蜜，佛答以無二、不生、不可得。 阿難更問：怎樣的布施迴向薩婆若才成檀波羅蜜乃至般若波羅蜜？佛答以三義迴向——以無二法、以不生、以不可得——迴向薩婆若，是名檀波羅蜜乃至般若波羅蜜。此段承上「尊導」而問其所以然：般若之所以能點化五度成波羅蜜，正在它以無二、不生、不可得之智照迴向一切智，故布施等一入此照，便由有盡之善轉為波羅蜜。
三、云何諸法不二，佛答色相空、諸法不二不別。 阿難再問『云何色不二乃至阿耨多羅三藐三菩提不二』，佛答「色，色相空」，檀波羅蜜與色不二不別，乃至無上菩提與檀波羅蜜不二不別，五度亦然。此段直探不二之底：不二不是把兩物強合為一，而是色相本空、能所諸法於畢竟空中本無二別，般若所迴向者正是此空。義理最深，讀者當緊扣「色相空」一句，勿把不二讀成混同。
四、種子依地喻，五度依般若得生。 佛以喻收束此經段：譬如以種子散於大地，因緣和合便生，諸種子皆依地而生；如是五波羅蜜依般若波羅蜜得生，四念處乃至一切種智亦依般若得生，故般若為五度乃至十八不共法尊導。此段以一喻總酬『何以獨稱般若』——地非種而為種所依，般若非五度而為五度所依，尊導之義於此喻中了然。
五、帝釋述受持功德未盡，世出世間諸善乃至諸佛皆由此出。 釋提桓因白佛：受持般若乃至正憶念者功德未盡，以受持般若則受三世諸佛無上道故；由此故十善道乃至四禪、四無量、四無色定、十八不共法現於世間，世間乃有剎利大姓、婆羅門大姓乃至四天王天等阿迦尼吒諸天，乃有須陀洹乃至菩薩摩訶薩，乃至諸佛出於世間。此段把「稱譽般若」之義由法推到果：般若既為尊導，則凡世出世間一切善果乃至諸佛，皆自受持般若而現，故其功德說之不盡。
六、佛顯受持者五眾成就、當知是人為如佛。 佛告憍尸迦：受持般若乃至正憶念、不離薩婆若心者，無量戒眾成就，定眾、慧眾、解脫眾、解脫知見眾成就；能如是者，「當知是人為如佛」。此段把受持之利收於五分法身之成就，並以『如佛』二字定此人之分量——荷般若者所以可貴，正因其身已成五眾功德之聚，近於佛地。
七、二乘五眾不及、以更不求大乘法故。 佛續明：一切聲聞、辟支佛所有戒眾乃至解脫知見眾，不及此善男子善女人之五眾，百分千分乃至算數譬喻所不能及；何以故？此人於二乘地中心得解脫，更不求大乘法故。此段以二乘為對照，顯般若所成之五眾非徒有無漏，更以不捨大乘、迴向薩婆若為其超勝二乘之所在。
八、書持經卷供養，亦得今世後世功德。 佛結此經段：若善男子善女人書持般若經卷，供養、恭敬、尊重，華香瓔珞乃至伎樂，亦得今世後世功德；帝釋因發願常守護是人。此段把受持之利再開一路——縱不能受持正憶念，但書持供養亦得二世功德，為下文論釋『書持供養何以得深重果』張本。
九、論釋阿難發問之由——未離欲、不數問空，因佛讚般若乃問。 【論】釋先明阿難所以發問。阿難雖多聞、力能分別空，然未離欲故不能深入，雖常侍佛而不數問難空事；今佛讚歎般若及行者，阿難乃問『何以獨稱歎般若』。此段是論主為一品緣起所作的鋪敘，點出此問出於阿難多聞而未證之地，非有疑於佛。
十、問答一：佛常說六度名何以言不稱說——雖說名字非為稱美，皆為入般若。 論設問：佛從初常說六波羅蜜名，阿難何以言「不稱說」？論答：雖說名字，不為稱美，皆為引人入般若中故說。此問答分別「說名」與「稱美」二事：佛歷說六度之名，是為導入般若，非以之為所歸讚歎之極，故阿難所言「不稱」者，謂不以之為究竟稱美耳。
十一、智慧第一、導師喻，無般若則果報有盡。 論引佛語「一切有為法中，智慧第一」，一切智慧中度彼岸般若第一，譬如行路眾伴之中導師第一；般若能示導出三界、到三乘。若無般若，雖行布施等善，隨業受報而有盡，以有盡故尚不得小乘涅槃，何況無上道。此段以導師一喻顯般若於眾善中之領率之位，並反顯離般若之善終墮有盡，故非尊導不可。
十二、觀畢竟空是名迴向薩婆若，其福不盡。 論釋：布施等善若能觀如佛道相之不二、不生不滅、不得不失、畢竟空寂，是名「迴向薩婆若」；此布施福世世受報而不盡，後當得一切種智，一切法亦如是相。此段承上『有盡／無盡』之辨，指出轉有盡為無盡之關捩正在『觀畢竟空』一著——迴向非徒發願，乃以空慧照之，福乃不盡。
十三、問答二：佛何以還以不二解不二——阿難但問何法不二。 論設問：佛何以不答「不二」之因緣，還以不二為解？論答：阿難不問不二之因緣，但問「何法不二」，故佛答色等諸法不二故。並申般若能令五事等作波羅蜜，故但稱譽般若。此問答辨明問之所在——阿難所疑在「何法」而非『何故』，故佛之答適如其問，非答非所問。
十四、大地生萬物喻，能持善法種子、因緣和合、事得成辦。 論釋佛「如大地能生萬物，般若波羅蜜亦如是」之喻，並逐句消釋：「能持一切善法種子」者，謂從發心來除般若外之一切善法；「因緣和合」者，謂佛道中一心、信、忍、精進不息乃至通達不壞等法；「事得成辦」者，謂從發心學諸波羅蜜、從一地至一地乃至佛地。此段把大地喻三支一一坐實，顯般若持善法之種、待緣而成佛地之果，正是尊導之實義。
十五、問答三：帝釋何以言功德未盡——般若無量、前被外道魔擾中斷。 論設問：帝釋何故言「佛說行者受持般若功德未盡」？論答：般若無量無邊、功德亦無量無邊，前說未究竟，中間因外道梵志及魔來故傍及異事，今還欲續聞；帝釋深愛福報、樂聞不厭。此段承上一品（梵志品）外道魔擾之事，說明「功德未盡」一語之由來——非佛說有闕，乃前緣中斷、帝釋樂聞而請續。
十六、般若中求一切種智、一切種智中求般若。 論引帝釋自說因緣：受持般若乃至正憶念則受三世諸佛無上道功德智慧，以般若中應求一切種智、一切種智中應求般若故，如上品末所說；行者受持般若、發心求菩提、為度眾生集諸功德，故十善道乃至十八不共法現於世間，乃有剎利大姓乃至諸佛。此段重申因果互求之義，並把世出世間諸善果之現，繫於行者受持般若之一因。
十七、戒眾義——於一切眾生修畢竟無畏施、施壽命，故得無量戒眾。 論釋「戒眾」：菩薩行般若，於十方三世無量無邊眾生中修畢竟無畏施，於眾生所愛之壽命施以無畏，故得無量戒眾果報；不殺等戒略說二百五十、毘尼中略說八萬四千、廣說無量，凡夫或受一日一世，菩薩則世世施無畏乃至入無餘涅槃，是名無量戒眾，乃至解脫知見眾隨義分別。此段以「無畏施」釋戒眾之所以無量——凡夫之戒有限期，菩薩之戒盡未來際遍一切眾生，故其量不可稱計。
十八、五眾勝二乘，書持供養得二世功德。 論結：此戒定慧解脫解脫知見五眾功德勝於二乘、不可計量；若人書寫供養般若，得今世後世功德。此段收束論主釋經段之義，並以『書寫供養亦得二世功德』一句，逗起下文問答四之疑。
十九、問答四：書持供養輕微，何以得深重二世功德——効他、深心二種供養。 論設問：今世後世功德深重，書持供養輕微，云何得二世功德？論答：供養有二種——一者効他供養，二者深心供養；知般若功德而深心供養故得二世功德。般若有種種門入：聞持乃至正憶念者從智慧精進門入，書寫供養者從信及精進門入；一心深信則供養經卷勝，不一心則雖受持而不如。此段以「深心」判供養之輕重——果之深重不繫於事之大小，而繫於心之一與不一。
二十、如意寶珠喻，般若是諸佛之母諸法第一寶。 論以喻申之：如意寶珠是無記色法、無心無識，尚因眾生福德因緣而生、能令供養者隨意所得，何況般若是無上智慧、諸佛之母、諸法寶中第一寶，若一心信受供養，云何不得二世功德？惟人不一心、又先世重罪故雖供養而不得如上功德，過在人而般若無咎。此段以寶珠之無心尚能與願，反顯般若之為法寶其福必應，並澄清不得果者過在己心，非般若有闕。
廿一、經顯今世功德之一二三——諸天益膽力、四眾說法無怯、不沒不畏不怖。 【經】佛告憍尸迦：讀誦說般若時無量百千諸天來聽、益其膽力，法師疲極不欲說時諸天益力便更能說；於四部眾中說般若心無怯弱，以般若中分別世出世等一切法、住內空乃至無法有法空故，不見能難者、受難者及般若，故無有能難壞者；受持乃至正憶念時不沒、不畏、不怖，以不見有沒者、恐怖者故。此段連舉三重今世功德，皆以『為般若所護持』為根——般若照法本空、無能所可得，故說者於論難之場無怯無怖。
廿二、書持者為父母諸佛所愛敬、行六度諸善不斷絕。 經續明：書持經卷、受持正憶念者，為父母所愛、宗親知識所念、諸沙門婆羅門所敬、十方諸佛菩薩乃至須陀洹所愛敬，天魔梵及阿修羅亦皆愛敬；是人行檀乃至般若無斷絕時，修內空乃至十八不共法、諸三昧陀羅尼門、神通、成就眾生淨佛世界乃至一切種智皆不斷，亦能降伏難論毀謗，得今世後世功德。此段顯受持般若者德被人天、行門相續，愛敬與不斷二義並舉，見其功德之廣續。
廿三、書卷所在處三千大千及十方諸天皆來見般若、供養禮拜。 經明：書持經卷所住之處，三千大千世界四天王天乃至色究竟、淨居諸天中發菩提心者，並十方世界諸天龍鬼神八部發心者，皆來見般若，受讀誦說、供養禮拜還去；行者應念「我則法施已」；諸天護持是人、諸惡不得便、除其宿命重罪。此段顯般若經卷所在即成天人朝宗之處，書持者不作意而成法施、且蒙護除罪，是今世功德之尤著者。
廿四、帝釋問云何知天來，佛答見光聞香、小鬼避去。 經：釋提桓因問『云何當知諸天來見般若』，佛答——見大淨光明必知大德諸天來，聞異妙香必知大德諸天來；又行淨潔故諸天來到其處，其中小鬼輩不堪大德諸天威德即時出去，以諸天來故行者生大心，故般若所住處四面應無不淨、當然燈燒香散華嚴飾。此段答『云何知天來』之驗相，並以「小鬼避去」引出下文淨住處之義，見天來之徵在光香、其效在祛穢生心。
廿五、今世功德之善夢——夢見諸佛三十二相、菩提樹、轉法輪、涅槃七寶塔等。 經明：說法終無疲極，臥覺安隱無惡夢；夢中見諸佛三十二相八十隨形好、比丘僧圍繞聽法、分別六波羅蜜四念處乃至十八不共法義，見菩提樹莊嚴、諸菩薩趣樹得菩提、諸佛轉法輪、百千萬菩薩集論法義、十方諸佛及其名號眷屬、諸佛般涅槃、七寶塔及供養塔事。此段列善夢十相，皆佛法之境現於夢寐，顯受持般若者寤寐之間所緣純是道法，是今世功德之驗於夢者。
廿六、諸天益氣力不貪四供，勝供養十方諸佛起七寶塔。 經結今世功德：見善夢者臥安覺安、諸天益其氣力、身輕不貪飲食衣服臥具湯藥，如比丘坐禪起心與定合而不貪食，以諸天以味精益其氣力故；欲得今世如是功德當受持般若，縱不能受持亦當書持供養；如是之人功德甚多，勝於供養十方諸佛及弟子衣食臥具湯藥、乃至般涅槃後起七寶塔供養。此段以「勝供養十方諸佛」總收經段，逗起論釋末番之疑（供養般若何以勝供養佛）。
廿七、問答五：天上自有般若何以來益膽力——諸天憐愍眾生故來。 【論】設問：天上自有般若，何以來至說法人所益其膽力？論答：天上雖有般若，諸天憐愍眾生故來；天來則惡鬼遠去、益法師膽力令其樂說，又使眾生益加信敬故來。復引「有人言」：天甘露味微細沾洽、能入孔孔，使善男子四大諸情柔軟輕利、樂有所說。此段釋諸天來益之由，歸於憐愍與利生，非般若有闕於天而假求於人。
廿八、問答六：一切說般若者皆得甘露味否——不也，須一心求道、折伏結使、處所清淨。 論設問：一切說般若者皆得諸天甘露味、令其樂說不？論答：不也；須行者一心求佛道、折伏結使、衣服淨潔、說法處清淨、華香幡蓋香水灑地無諸不淨，是故諸天歡喜、亦利益聽法者。此問答揀別甘露味之所應——非徒說般若便得，須內折結使、外淨處所，感應乃成。
廿九、說法者心不怯之由——般若中無定法可執可難可破。 論明：說法者雖不多讀內外經書，深入般若義故心不怯弱、不沒不畏不恐；何以故？「般若波羅蜜中無有定法可執、可難、可破」故。復次般若中亦分別說世間出世間、常無常、善不善諸法，無法不有，備有諸法故不怯不畏；若但有一法則多所闕故有恐畏。此段以『無定法可執可難可破』與「備有諸法」二義並釋不怯之根——既無定法可為敵所破，又備一切法而無所闕，故臨難無畏。
三十、菩薩威德可敬——煩惱折薄、福德薰身。 論明：是菩薩行般若，煩惱折損微薄、諸福德增益薰身故威德可敬；身是功德住處故，雖形醜無能作猶為人愛重，何況端正能利益人。此段承不怯之義，進顯般若行者之身自具可敬之威德，為下文『父母沙門所愛敬』張本。
卅一、問答七：父母愛念何足稱——菩薩恭順倍勝、德行為天人所愛敬。 論設問：諸佛沙門婆羅門愛敬可爾，父母愛念何足稱？論答：人雖父母所生，不順父母教則不愛念，菩薩於恭順之中倍復殊勝；供養恭敬尊重道德故沙門婆羅門愛敬。復列菩薩德行——平實至誠、口不妄言，深愛後世功德、不著今世樂，接養下人不自高大，見他過不說其實、必不得已終不盡說，給恤孤窮不私附己，如是等事皆般若力，功德遠聞故天人皆愛敬。此段釋「父母愛念」之可稱，在菩薩恭順倍勝於常人，並歷數其德行以實之，見人天愛敬皆由般若。
卅二、供養般若世世得六度、降伏毀謗；鬼神屬四天王故隨從共來。 論明：供養般若故世世常得六波羅蜜等無有斷絕，福德智慧名聞故有問難毀謗悉能降伏；復次諸天為供養般若故來至般若所住處；復次山河樹木土地城郭一切鬼神皆屬四天王，四天王來故皆隨從共來，鬼神中有未得般若經卷者故來供養讀誦禮拜、亦為利益善男子，此亦今世功德。此段釋諸天鬼神何以群集之由——上屬四天王故隨來，或自求經卷故來，皆歸於供養般若之功。
卅三、天帝破肉眼人疑——見光聞香、住處清淨故知天來。 論明：天帝為破肉眼凡夫之疑，故問「云何知大德天來」；答以時見大光明、若聞殊異之香、亦以如先說住處清淨故。此段承經文帝釋之問而釋其意——帝釋非自不知，乃為肉眼人破疑而問，答仍歸於光、香、淨處三驗。
卅四、問答八：人身內不淨、外淨何益——淨住處衣服則外無不淨、如國王來群庶避去。 論設問：人身不淨內充，外淨何益？論答：淨其住處及衣服則外無不淨，外無不淨故諸天歡喜；譬如國王大人來處群細庶民避去，諸大德天來、小鬼去亦如是，大天威德重故舊住小鬼避去，諸大天近故是人心則清淨廣大。行者若欲令大德天來當如經所說。此段以國王庶民一喻釋外淨之益——外淨非為身內之淨，乃為感天祛鬼、令心清淨廣大，故不可以『內既不淨』廢外淨之行。
卅五、惡鬼遠去故身心輕便、臥安覺安但夢見佛。 論明：惡鬼遠去故身心輕便；所以者何，近惡鬼令人身心漸惡，如近瞋人喜令人瞋、近美色令人好色情發；是人內外惡因緣遠離故臥安覺安、無諸惡夢，若夢但見諸佛，如經所說。此段以近惡染惡、近淨得淨之理，釋外淨感天之效終歸於行者自身之安隱——內外惡緣既離，寤寐皆安、夢唯見佛。
卅六、問答九：供養一佛即供養般若，何以言供養十方佛不如供養般若——取相與不取相之別。 論設此品義理之結穴問：般若在佛身中，供養一佛則供養般若，何以言『供養十方佛不如供養般若』？論答：關鍵在供養者之心——若供養佛則取人相，人畢竟不可得，以取相故福田雖大而功德薄少；供養般若者則如所聞般若、「不取人相、不取法相」，用是心供養故福德大。此段以『取相／不取相』判二供之優劣——非佛不及般若，乃取相之心自局其福，稱般若之無相而供，其福乃大。
卅七、般若是諸佛母、諸佛師，供養般若勝而非不敬佛。 論結全品：般若波羅蜜「是一切十方諸佛母，亦是諸佛師」，諸佛所得三十二相八十隨形好及無量光明神通變化皆是般若力，以是故供養般若勝；以是等因緣故勝供養十方諸佛，「非不敬佛」。此段以『諸佛母師』定般若之極位，並以「非不敬佛」四字收煞前疑——揚般若非抑佛，正因般若即諸佛之所從出，敬其母師即所以深敬佛，二者不相違。
不要讀錯
不要把『阿難稱譽品／尊導品』二名讀成兩品，或疑本品品序有錯。二名雖異，所指之品內容全同，只是本論與所釋經在各自傳本中一作「阿難稱譽」、一作『尊導』而交叉互見，屬異名同品，非別立一品、非品序錯位。「阿難稱譽」取一品從阿難請問稱譽般若說起之義，「尊導」取般若為五度尊導之義，二名各據一端而所指是一；其名實之辨、諸本出處與品次異讀，屬考據層之事，義理上但依一品之文讀去即可。
不要把「稱譽般若」讀成佛於六度之中偏愛一法、輕視餘五。論說得分明：不迴向薩婆若則布施乃至智慧皆不得稱波羅蜜，唯般若能令五事成波羅蜜，如種子必依地而生。故稱譽般若非厚此薄彼，正是揭出五度之得名、得成皆繫於般若一法；若把「尊導」讀成高下之情，便失了『地與種子』之喻所顯的『所依／能依』之義。
不要把「色，色相空」「不二不別」讀成把兩物強合為一。般若所迴向者是畢竟空之照，色相本空、諸法於空中本無二別，故言「不二」；這不是說檀波羅蜜與色是同一物，而是說二者於畢竟空中不相隔別。執之為一則失諸法之宛然，執之為異則失畢竟空之平等，須雙離二執，方讀得「不二不別」四字。
不要把『供養般若勝供養十方諸佛』讀成貶佛、或讀成一種可較量的福德買賣。論以『取相／不取相』判之：供養佛而取人相，則福田雖大而功德薄少；稱般若之無相而供，故福德大——所較者是『心之取相與否』，非佛與般若孰尊。且論即以『般若是諸佛母、諸佛師』與「非不敬佛」收之，正防人誤墮抑佛之見：敬般若即所以深敬諸佛之所從出，二者終不相違。
修行作用
這一品把「稱譽般若」一義，從判教之綱一路落到受持之人的今世後世實利。用功人最當領取的第一層信解，是「尊導」之義：布施、持戒乃至一切善行，若不以般若迴向薩婆若，終是隨業有盡之福，尚不能致小乘涅槃，何況無上道。日用行善之際，若只顧事相之多寡而不以空慧迴向，便如撒種而不著地，終難生果；本品卻教人於一一善行上『觀畢竟空、迴向薩婆若』，福乃由有盡轉為無盡——用功處在以般若照攝萬行，不在別修一種靈驗之法。
受持、書持般若所感之今世功德，尤堪自省。諸天益膽力、四眾說法無怯、乃至夢見諸佛菩提樹涅槃塔，這一切驗相，論主一一歸於『為般若所護持』『深入般若義故心不怯』與『一心深信深心供養』。用功人於此當識得：這些功德不是向外求得的瑞應，而是自心深入般若、折伏結使、淨其內外之後自然之效。若把讀誦書持當作博取瑞相的手段，便落回『取人相而福薄』的同一路數；本品教人所重者，是「深心供養」與『不取相』之一心，果之深重全繫於此。
『供養般若勝供養十方諸佛而非不敬佛』一義，最可作觀行之準繩。所以勝者，唯在「不取人相、不取法相」之無相心；所以「非不敬佛」者，正因般若是諸佛之母、之師，敬其所從出即所以深敬佛。用功人於一切供養、恭敬之際，當於此雙離二失——既不以取相之心局其福德，亦不因揚般若而生輕佛之慢，稱無相而供、即母師而敬佛，方是本品落到用功上的分寸。
承衍
本品的骨幹，是一條由「尊導」貫串的判教與功德之線：阿難問佛何以獨稱譽般若，佛答不迴向薩婆若則五度不得其名、唯般若能令五事成波羅蜜，如種子依地而生，故般若於五度乃至十八不共法為尊導；帝釋因述受持功德未盡，佛乃廣顯受持、書持般若者今世後世之利——五眾成就而「當知是人為如佛」，諸天益膽力、說法無怯、書卷所在天人朝宗、夢見諸佛善相，乃至勝供養十方諸佛。論釋則以九番問答與大地、如意寶珠、導師、國王庶民等喻，逐一酬釋『何以不稱說』『何以還以不二解』『功德未盡之由』『書持供養何以得二世功德』『天何以來益膽力』『何以得甘露味』『父母愛念何足稱』「外淨何益」『供養般若何以勝供養佛』諸疑。一品之義，總在『般若為尊導、受持得大利、供養般若即敬諸佛之所從出』一事。
『尊導』與『般若是諸佛母、諸佛師』二義，尤可附帶一提，見其承衍之跡。般若為餘度所依、為諸善果所出之義，自前諸品累論而來，至本品乃借阿難『偏稱』一問，把『餘度依般若得名』與『諸佛從般若生』二線一時收攏，並以『地與種子』外別立之寶珠、導師諸喻為此相依相生之義立一定說；『供養般若勝而非不敬佛』一結，又與前品『般若即一切智』之義遙相呼應——般若既即諸佛之智、又為諸佛之母師，故敬般若與敬佛終是一事。讀者可合觀前後諸品，以見般若『所依、所出、所歸極』一貫之脈（其承衍起訖、諸品出處，詳考據層）。
Ānanda's Praise: Why Prajñā Alone Is the Honoured Guide of the Five Perfections and So On up to the Eighteen Unshared Dharmas; Why the Other Perfections All Receive Their Name in Dependence on Prajñā, as Seeds Are Born in Dependence on the Earth; Why Receiving and Upholding, and Writing Out and Upholding, Prajñā Bring So Much Merit in This Life and Later Lives; and Why Making Offerings to Prajñā Surpasses Making Offerings to the Buddhas of the Ten Directions and Yet Never Fails in Reverence for the Buddha
What Is Being Asked
This chapter’s name is 「阿難稱譽品」 tr. "the chapter Ānanda's Praise" (for the same chapter of the Larger Sūtra that it explains, the Song and Yuan editions of this treatise and the base text of the sūtra it explains read instead ‘Honoured Guide’; the two names cross and appear each in the other’s witnesses, and in fact they are different names for the same chapter, not a separate chapter; their sources and origins are examined in detail in the Apparatus). The chapter begins from the venerable Ānanda’s question, ‘why does the Buddha praise prajñā alone, and not praise the other five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas,’ and so it is headed 「阿難稱譽」 tr. "Ānanda's Praise." This question looks like no more than a partiality in praising, but pressing underneath it is the single most important meaning in the whole chapter for the ranking of the teachings.
The frame of the chapter unfolds through one sūtra passage and one treatise passage, and then again one sūtra passage and one treatise passage—two pairs of sūtra and treatise in alternation—circling around three layers of question. First, and this is the guiding thread of the whole chapter: since prajñā shares with the other perfections the name pāramitā, why does it alone receive the title 「尊導」 tr. "honoured guide"? The Buddha’s answer is this—if it is not dedicated to sarvajñā, then giving and so on up to wisdom cannot be called pāramitā; only prajñā can make the five matters become pāramitā, just as seeds must depend on the great earth to be born, and so prajñā is honoured and is guide to the five perfections and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds. Second, when this 「稱譽」 tr. "praise" comes to rest on the person who receives and upholds, what real benefit does it bring? Śakra declares that the merit of receiving and upholding has not yet been told to the end, and the Buddha then broadly shows the many kinds of karmic result in this life and in later lives of the one who receives and upholds, and who writes out and upholds, prajñā, up to ‘know that this person is as a Buddha.’ Third, these results are each open to doubt: the merit is deep and weighty while writing out, upholding, and making offerings are slight—how can the merit of two lives be gained? Why do the gods come to increase the teacher of the Dharma’s courage? Since the human body is impure within, what benefit is outer purity? And so on up to this—since prajñā is within the Buddha’s body, why is it said that making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions is not equal to making offerings to prajñā, and yet that this is not a failure to revere the Buddha? The treatise-author answers them one by one, with nine rounds of question and answer and with similes such as the great earth and the jewel. These several questions are exactly what the sūtra and treatise of this chapter must account for one by one.
Passage by Passage
1. Ānanda asks the reason for the one-sided praise; the Buddha answers that prajñā is the honoured guide. The venerable Ānanda asks: why does the Buddha not praise giving, morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, but praises prajñā alone? The Buddha answers directly, 「般若波羅蜜於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法為尊導」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā is the honoured guide of the five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas," and seals it with a counter-question: if it is not dedicated to sarvajñā, giving still cannot be called dānapāramitā, and morality and so on up to wisdom still cannot be called prajñāpāramitā. Ānanda twice answers ‘No,’ and the Buddha then concludes—for this reason it is known that prajñā is the honoured guide of the five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, and therefore it is praised. This passage sets up the guiding thread of the whole chapter: praising prajñā is not favouring this and slighting that; it is because the other perfections’ receiving their name and their being accomplished are all bound to the one dharma of prajñā.
2. How giving is dedicated so as to become pāramitā: the Buddha answers with non-duality, non-arising, and unfindability. Ānanda asks further: what kind of giving, dedicated to sarvajñā, becomes dānapāramitā, and so on up to prajñāpāramitā? The Buddha answers with dedication in three senses—dedicating it to sarvajñā by the dharma of non-duality, by non-arising, and by unfindability; this is called dānapāramitā, and so on up to prajñāpāramitā. This passage follows on from 「尊導」 tr. "honoured guide" above and asks why it is so: the reason prajñā can transform the five perfections into pāramitā lies precisely in its dedicating them to omniscience by the illumination of knowledge that is non-dual, non-arising, and unfindable; so once giving and the rest enter this illumination, they turn from a wholesome deed that comes to an end into pāramitā.
3. How all dharmas are non-dual: the Buddha answers that form is empty of the mark of form, and that all dharmas are not two and not different. Ānanda asks again, ‘how is form non-dual, and so on up to anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi being non-dual?’ The Buddha answers, 「色，色相空」 tr. "Form: form is empty of the mark of form"; dānapāramitā and form are not two and not different, and so on up to unsurpassed awakening and dānapāramitā being not two and not different, and the same holds for the five perfections. This passage goes straight to the bottom of non-duality: non-duality is not forcibly merging two things into one; it is that the mark of form is originally empty, and that in ultimate emptiness the dharmas, subject and object, are originally without duality or difference—and what prajñā dedicates is exactly this emptiness. The meaning is at its deepest here; the reader should hold tightly to the one phrase 「色相空」 tr. "form is empty of the mark of form," and not read non-duality as confusing things together.
4. The simile of seeds depending on the earth: the five perfections are born in dependence on prajñā. The Buddha closes this sūtra passage with a simile: just as seeds scattered on the great earth are born when causes and conditions come together, and all the seeds are born in dependence on the earth, so the five perfections are born in dependence on prajñāpāramitā, and the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds are also born in dependence on prajñā; therefore prajñā is the honoured guide of the five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas. This passage answers ‘why praise prajñā alone’ as a whole with one simile—the earth is not a seed yet is what the seed depends on; prajñā is not the five perfections yet is what the five perfections depend on; in this simile the meaning of honoured guide is perfectly clear.
5. Śakra declares that the merit of receiving and upholding has not been told to the end: all the wholesome things of the world and beyond the world, and even the buddhas, come forth from it. Śakra Devānām Indra says to the Buddha: the merit of one who receives and upholds prajñā and so on up to rightly recollecting it has not been told to the end, because to receive and uphold prajñā is to receive the unsurpassed path of the buddhas of the three times; because of this, the ten wholesome paths and so on up to the four dhyānas, the four immeasurables, the four formless absorptions, and the eighteen unshared dharmas appear in the world; in the world there come to be great kṣatriya clans, great brahmin clans, and so on up to the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings and the other heavens up to the Akaniṣṭha heaven; there come to be srota-āpannas and so on up to bodhisattva-mahāsattvas; and so on up to buddhas appearing in the world. This passage carries the meaning of 「稱譽般若」 tr. "praising prajñā" from the dharma through to the fruit: since prajñā is the honoured guide, every wholesome fruit of the world and beyond the world, and even the buddhas, appears from the receiving and upholding of prajñā, and so its merit cannot be told to the end.
6. The Buddha shows that the one who receives and upholds accomplishes the five aggregates, and that one should know this person is as a Buddha. The Buddha tells Kauśika: the one who receives and upholds prajñā and so on up to rightly recollecting it, not parting from the mind of sarvajñā, accomplishes an immeasurable aggregate of morality, and accomplishes the aggregate of concentration, the aggregate of wisdom, the aggregate of liberation, and the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation; for one who is able to do so, 「當知是人為如佛」 tr. "know that this person is as a Buddha." This passage gathers the benefit of receiving and upholding into the accomplishment of the five-fold Dharma body, and with the words ‘as a Buddha’ settles this person’s weight—the reason one who carries prajñā is precious is precisely that his person has already become a gathering of the merits of the five aggregates, near to the ground of a buddha.
7. The five aggregates of the two vehicles do not reach this, because one does not further seek the dharma of the Great Vehicle. The Buddha continues to make clear: the aggregate of morality and so on up to the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation possessed by all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas do not reach the five aggregates of this good man or good woman—not by a hundredth part, a thousandth part, and so on up to what calculation and simile cannot reach. Why? Because this person attains liberation of mind within the grounds of the two vehicles and does not further seek the dharma of the Great Vehicle. This passage takes the two vehicles as a contrast, showing that the five aggregates accomplished by prajñā are not merely without outflows, but that their surpassing of the two vehicles lies further in not relinquishing the Great Vehicle and in dedication to sarvajñā.
8. Writing out and upholding the scroll of the sūtra and making offerings also gain the merit of this life and later lives. The Buddha concludes this sūtra passage: if a good man or good woman writes out and upholds the scroll of the prajñā sūtra and makes offerings to it, pays reverence, and honours it with flowers, incense, and necklaces, and so on up to music, he also gains the merit of this life and later lives; Śakra thereupon vows always to guard this person. This passage opens up one more road for the benefit of receiving and upholding—even if one cannot receive, uphold, and rightly recollect, merely writing out, upholding, and making offerings also gains the merit of two lives; this lays the ground for the treatise’s explanation below of ‘why writing out, upholding, and making offerings gain a deep and weighty result.’
9. The treatise explains why Ānanda asked—he was not yet free of desire and did not often ask about emptiness; because the Buddha praised prajñā, he then asked. The treatise section: In its explanation the treatise first makes clear why Ānanda asks. Although Ānanda was widely learned and had the power to discriminate emptiness, because he was not yet free of desire he could not enter it deeply; although he constantly attended the Buddha, he did not often question him about the matter of emptiness; now that the Buddha praises prajñā and those who practise it, Ānanda then asks, ‘why does he praise prajñā alone?’ This passage is the treatise-author’s setting out of how the chapter arises, pointing out that this question comes from the ground of Ānanda, widely learned but not yet realised, and not from any doubt about the Buddha.
10. Question and answer one: the Buddha constantly speaks the names of the six perfections, so why say he does not praise them?—though he speaks the names, it is not to extol them; it is all for entering prajñā. The treatise sets up a question: the Buddha has constantly spoken the names of the six perfections from the beginning, so why does Ānanda say he 「不稱說」 tr. "does not speak in praise"? The treatise answers: although he speaks the names, it is not to extol them; he speaks them all in order to lead people into prajñā. This question and answer distinguishes two matters, 「說名」 tr. "speaking the names" and 「稱美」 tr. "extolling": the Buddha’s speaking the names of the six perfections one after another is in order to lead into prajñā, not to take them as the utmost to be returned to and praised; so what Ānanda calls 「不稱」 tr. "does not praise" means only that he does not extol them as ultimate.
11. Wisdom is foremost; the simile of the guide; without prajñā the karmic result comes to an end. The treatise cites the Buddha’s words, 「一切有為法中，智慧第一」 tr. "among all conditioned dharmas, wisdom is foremost"; among all wisdom, the prajñā that crosses to the other shore is foremost, just as, among the companions on a journey, the guide is foremost; prajñā can show the way and lead out of the three realms, to arrive at the three vehicles. Without prajñā, though one practises giving and the other wholesome things, one receives a result according to one’s karma, and it comes to an end; because it comes to an end, one still cannot attain the nirvāṇa of the Small Vehicle, let alone the unsurpassed path. This passage uses the one simile of the guide to show prajñā’s place as leader among all wholesome things, and conversely shows that wholesome deeds apart from prajñā in the end fall into coming to an end—so it cannot but be the honoured guide.
12. Contemplating ultimate emptiness is called dedication to sarvajñā, and its merit does not come to an end. The treatise explains: if giving and the other wholesome things can be contemplated as the mark of the Buddha path—non-dual, not arising and not ceasing, neither gained nor lost, ultimately empty and quiescent—this is called 「迴向薩婆若」 tr. "dedication to sarvajñā"; the merit of this giving receives its result life after life without coming to an end, and afterward one will attain the omniscience of all kinds, and all dharmas are of this same mark as well. This passage follows on from the discernment of ‘coming to an end / not coming to an end’ above, pointing out that the hinge that turns what comes to an end into what does not lies precisely in the one move of ‘contemplating ultimate emptiness’—dedication is not merely making a vow; only when it is illumined by the wisdom of emptiness does the merit not come to an end.
13. Question and answer two: why does the Buddha explain non-duality again by non-duality?—Ānanda asked only which dharmas are non-dual. The treatise sets up a question: why does the Buddha not answer with the causes and conditions of 「不二」 tr. "non-duality," but explain it again by non-duality? The treatise answers: Ānanda did not ask about the causes and conditions of non-duality, but only asked 「何法不二」 tr. "which dharmas are non-dual," and so the Buddha answered that it is because form and the other dharmas are non-dual. It further states that prajñā can make the five matters and the rest become pāramitā, and so prajñā alone is praised. This question and answer makes clear where the question lies—what Ānanda doubted was 「何法」 tr. "which dharmas," not ‘why,’ and so the Buddha’s answer fits the question exactly and is not an answer beside the point.
14. The simile of the great earth giving birth to the ten thousand things: able to hold the seeds of wholesome dharmas, the coming together of causes and conditions, the matter comes to be accomplished. The treatise explains the Buddha’s simile, 「如大地能生萬物，般若波羅蜜亦如是」 tr. "as the great earth is able to give birth to the ten thousand things, prajñāpāramitā is also like this," and dissolves it phrase by phrase: 「能持一切善法種子」 tr. "able to hold the seeds of all wholesome dharmas" means all the wholesome dharmas from the arousing of the mind onward, apart from prajñā; 「因緣和合」 tr. "the coming together of causes and conditions" means such dharmas within the Buddha path as single-mindedness, faith, patience, unceasing vigour, and so on up to penetration and indestructibility; 「事得成辦」 tr. "the matter comes to be accomplished" means learning the perfections from the arousing of the mind, going from one ground to the next and so on up to the Buddha ground. This passage makes each of the three limbs of the simile of the great earth concrete, showing that prajñā holds the seeds of wholesome dharmas and, awaiting conditions, brings forth the fruit of the Buddha ground—this is exactly the real meaning of honoured guide.
15. Question and answer three: why does Śakra say the merit has not been told to the end?—prajñā is immeasurable, and before this it was broken off by the disturbance of those of the outside paths and Māra. The treatise sets up a question: why does Śakra say, 「佛說行者受持般若功德未盡」 tr. "the Buddha has not finished speaking of the merit of a practitioner who receives and upholds prajñā"? The treatise answers: prajñā is immeasurable and boundless, and its merit is also immeasurable and boundless; what was said before was not complete, and in the middle, because the brahmin ascetics of the outsiders’ paths and Māra came, it turned aside to other matters, and now he wishes to go on hearing; Śakra deeply loves the karmic result of merit and delights in hearing without tiring of it. This passage takes up the matter of the disturbance by those of the outside paths and Māra in the previous chapter ("The Brahmin Ascetic"), and explains where the words 「功德未盡」 tr. "the merit has not been told to the end" come from—it is not that the Buddha’s teaching was lacking, but that the earlier occasion was broken off, and Śakra, delighting in hearing, asks for it to be continued.
16. Within prajñā seek the omniscience of all kinds; within the omniscience of all kinds seek prajñā. The treatise cites the cause Śakra himself states: to receive and uphold prajñā and so on up to rightly recollecting it is to receive the merit and wisdom of the unsurpassed path of the buddhas of the three times, because within prajñā one should seek the omniscience of all kinds, and within the omniscience of all kinds one should seek prajñā, as was said at the end of the previous chapter; because the practitioner receives and upholds prajñā, arouses the mind to seek awakening, and gathers all merits in order to deliver beings, the ten wholesome paths and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas appear in the world, and there come to be great kṣatriya clans and so on up to the buddhas. This passage restates the meaning of cause and fruit seeking each other, and binds the appearance of all the wholesome fruits of the world and beyond the world to the single cause of the practitioner’s receiving and upholding prajñā.
17. The meaning of the aggregate of morality—cultivating the ultimate giving of fearlessness toward all beings, the giving of life, and therefore attaining an immeasurable aggregate of morality. The treatise explains 「戒眾」 tr. "the aggregate of morality": the bodhisattva practising prajñā cultivates the ultimate giving of fearlessness among the immeasurable and boundless beings of the ten directions and the three times, giving fearlessness with regard to the life that beings love, and so attains the karmic result of an immeasurable aggregate of morality; the precepts of not killing and the rest, stated briefly, number two hundred and fifty; stated briefly in the Vinaya, eighty-four thousand; stated broadly, immeasurable; ordinary people may take them for one day or one lifetime, while the bodhisattva gives fearlessness life after life and so on up to entering nirvāṇa without remainder—this is called the immeasurable aggregate of morality, and so on up to the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation, which is distinguished according to its meaning in the same way. This passage uses 「無畏施」 tr. "the giving of fearlessness" to explain why the aggregate of morality is immeasurable—the morality of ordinary people has a limited term, while the bodhisattva’s morality extends to the end of the future and to all beings, so its measure cannot be reckoned.
18. The five aggregates surpass the two vehicles; writing out, upholding, and making offerings gain the merit of two lives. The treatise concludes: the merit of these five aggregates of morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation surpasses the two vehicles and cannot be measured; if a person writes out prajñā and makes offerings to it, he gains the merit of this life and later lives. This passage gathers up the meaning of the treatise-author’s explanation of the sūtra passage, and with the one sentence ‘writing out and making offerings also gain the merit of two lives’ calls forth the doubt of question and answer four below.
19. Question and answer four: writing out, upholding, and making offerings are slight—how do they gain the deep and weighty merit of two lives?—the two kinds of offering, in imitation of others and from a deep mind. The treatise sets up a question: the merit of this life and later lives is deep and weighty, while writing out, upholding, and making offerings are slight—how are the merits of two lives gained? The treatise answers: offerings are of two kinds—first, offering in imitation of others; second, offering from a deep mind; because one knows the merit of prajñā and makes offerings from a deep mind, one gains the merit of two lives. Prajñā has many kinds of gate for entering it: those who hear and uphold and so on up to rightly recollecting it enter by the gate of wisdom and vigour; those who write it out and make offerings to it enter by the gate of faith and vigour; with single-minded deep faith, making offerings to the scroll of the sūtra is superior; without single-mindedness, even receiving and upholding is not equal to it. This passage uses 「深心」 tr. "deep mind" to judge the lightness and weight of offering—the depth and weight of the fruit are not bound to the size of the deed, but to whether the mind is single or not.
20. The simile of the wish-fulfilling jewel: prajñā is the mother of the buddhas, the foremost jewel among all dharmas. The treatise extends this with a simile: the wish-fulfilling jewel is an indeterminate form-dharma, without mind and without consciousness, and yet it is born through the causes and conditions of beings’ merit and can let those who make offerings to it obtain whatever they wish—how much more prajñā, which is unsurpassed wisdom, the mother of the buddhas, the foremost jewel among the jewels of all dharmas: if one receives it in faith with a single mind and makes offerings to it, how could one not gain the merit of two lives? Only because people are not single-minded, and also because of grave offences of former lives, do they make offerings and yet not gain the merit described above; the fault lies with the person, and prajñā is blameless. This passage uses the jewel, which though without mind can still grant wishes, to show by contrast that the merit of prajñā as the jewel of the Dharma must respond, and makes clear that where the fruit is not gained the fault lies in one’s own mind, not in any lack in prajñā.
21. The sūtra shows the first, second, and third merits of this life—the gods increase one’s courage, one expounds the Dharma to the fourfold assembly without timidity, and one does not sink, is not afraid, and is not terrified. The sūtra section: The Buddha tells Kauśika: when one reads, recites, and expounds prajñā, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of gods come to listen and increase one’s courage; when the teacher of the Dharma is utterly weary and does not wish to expound, the gods increase his strength and he is then able to expound again; expounding prajñā among the fourfold assembly, his mind has no timidity, because within prajñā all dharmas, worldly and world-transcending and the rest, are distinguished, and because he abides in inner emptiness and so on up to the emptiness of non-existent dharmas and existent dharmas, he does not see one who can challenge, one who is challenged, or prajñā, and so there is no one who can challenge and defeat him; when he receives and upholds it and so on up to rightly recollecting it, he does not sink, is not afraid, and is not terrified, because he does not see one who sinks or one who is terrified. This passage raises three layers of merit in this life in a row, all rooted in ‘being protected and upheld by prajñā’—prajñā illumines dharmas as originally empty, with no subject or object to be found, and so the one who expounds has neither timidity nor terror on the field of challenge and debate.
22. The one who writes out and upholds is loved and revered by parents and by the buddhas, and his practice of the six perfections and all wholesome things is never cut off. The sūtra continues to make clear: the one who writes out and upholds the scroll of the sūtra, receives and upholds it, and rightly recollects it is loved by his parents, remembered by his kinsfolk and acquaintances, revered by the śramaṇas and brahmins, loved and revered by the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions and so on up to the srota-āpannas, and the gods, Māra, Brahmā, and the asuras all love and revere him too; when this person practises giving and so on up to prajñā, there is no time when it is cut off; his cultivation of inner emptiness and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, of the gates of samādhi and of dhāraṇī, of the supernormal powers, of bringing beings to maturity and purifying buddha-worlds, and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds, is never cut off; he is also able to subdue challenges, disputes, and slander, and gains the merit of this life and later lives. This passage shows that the virtue of one who receives and upholds prajñā extends over humans and gods, and that his gates of practice continue without break; the two meanings, being loved and revered and not being cut off, are raised together, so that one sees how broad and continuous his merit is.
23. Wherever the scroll is, the gods of the three-thousand great-thousand world and of the ten directions all come to see prajñā, make offerings, and pay homage. The sūtra makes clear: at the place where the written and upheld scroll of the sūtra abides, those among the gods of the three-thousand great-thousand world—from the heavens of the Four Heavenly Kings up to the Heaven of Ultimate Form and the gods of the Pure Abodes—who have aroused the mind of awakening, together with those of the gods, nāgas, ghosts and spirits, and the eight classes of the worlds of the ten directions who have aroused the mind, all come to see prajñā, receive, read, recite, and expound it, make offerings and pay homage, and then go back; the practitioner should think, 「我則法施已」 tr. "I have thereby given the gift of the Dharma"; the gods protect and uphold this person, no evil can find an opening against him, and the grave offences of his past lives are removed. This passage shows that wherever the scroll of the prajñā sūtra is, it becomes a place to which gods and humans come to pay court, and that the one who writes out and upholds it, without setting out to, accomplishes the giving of the Dharma, and moreover receives protection and the removal of offences—this is the most outstanding of the merits of this life.
24. Śakra asks how one knows the gods have come; the Buddha answers: seeing light, smelling fragrance, and the petty ghosts withdrawing. The sūtra: Śakra Devānām Indra asks, ‘how should one know that the gods have come to see prajñā?’ The Buddha answers—seeing a great pure light, one knows for certain that gods of great virtue have come; smelling a strange and wondrous fragrance, one knows for certain that gods of great virtue have come; further, because one’s practice is pure and clean, the gods come to one’s place, and the petty ghosts within it, unable to bear the majestic virtue of the gods of great virtue, at once go out; because the gods come, the practitioner gives rise to a great mind; therefore on all four sides of the place where prajñā abides there should be nothing impure, and one should light lamps, burn incense, scatter flowers, and adorn it. This passage answers ‘how does one know the gods have come’ with the marks by which it is confirmed, and with 「小鬼避去」 tr. "the petty ghosts withdraw" leads into the meaning of the pure dwelling-place below, showing that the signs of the gods’ coming lie in light and fragrance, and their effect lies in dispelling defilement and giving rise to the mind.
25. The good dreams among the merits of this life—dreaming of the thirty-two marks of the buddhas, the bodhi tree, the turning of the Dharma wheel, parinirvāṇa, stūpas of the seven jewels, and so on. The sūtra makes clear: in expounding the Dharma one is never utterly weary; one lies down and wakes in peace and security, without evil dreams; in dreams one sees the buddhas with the thirty-two marks and eighty minor marks, surrounded by the bhikṣu saṅgha listening to the Dharma, distinguishing the meaning of the six perfections, the four foundations of mindfulness, and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas; one sees the adornment of the bodhi tree, the bodhisattvas going to the tree and attaining awakening, the buddhas turning the Dharma wheel, hundreds of thousands of myriads of bodhisattvas gathering to discuss the meaning of the Dharma, the buddhas of the ten directions with their names and retinues, the parinirvāṇa of the buddhas, and stūpas of the seven jewels and the offerings made at the stūpas. This passage lists ten marks of good dreams, all of them realms of the Buddhadharma appearing in sleep, showing that, waking or sleeping, what the one who receives and upholds prajñā takes as object is purely the Dharma of the path—this is the merit of this life as borne out in dreams.
26. The gods increase one’s strength and one is not greedy for the four offerings; this surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions and raising stūpas of the seven jewels. The sūtra concludes the merits of this life: the one who sees good dreams lies down at ease and wakes at ease, the gods increase his strength, his body is light, and he is not greedy for food and drink, clothing, bedding, and medicine—like a bhikṣu sitting in meditation who, rising with his mind at one with absorption, is not greedy for food—because the gods increase his strength with the essence of flavours; one who wishes to gain such merits in this life should receive and uphold prajñā, and even if one cannot receive and uphold it, one should write it out, uphold it, and make offerings to it; the merit of such a person is very great, surpassing making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions and their disciples with clothing and food, bedding, and medicine, and so on up to raising stūpas of the seven jewels after their parinirvāṇa and making offerings to them. This passage gathers up the sūtra passage as a whole with 「勝供養十方諸佛」 tr. "surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions," calling forth the doubt of the treatise’s final round (why making offerings to prajñā surpasses making offerings to the buddhas).
27. Question and answer five: since there is prajñā in the heavens already, why do the gods come to increase one’s courage?—the gods come because they have compassion for beings. The treatise section: The treatise sets up a question: since there is prajñā in the heavens already, why do they come to the place of the one who expounds the Dharma to increase his courage? The treatise answers: although there is prajñā in the heavens, the gods come because they have compassion for beings; when the gods come, evil ghosts go far away, and they increase the teacher of the Dharma’s courage, so that he delights in expounding; and they also come so that beings increase their faith and reverence. It further cites 「有人言」 tr. "someone says": the ambrosial taste of the gods, subtle and moistening, can enter every pore, making the four great elements and the faculties of the good son supple, light, and keen, so that he delights in having something to say. This passage explains why the gods come to increase him, returning it to compassion and to benefiting beings—not that prajñā is lacking to the gods so that they borrow it from humans.
28. Question and answer six: does everyone who expounds prajñā gain the ambrosial taste?—no; one must seek the path with a single mind, subdue the fetters, and keep the place pure. The treatise sets up a question: does everyone who expounds prajñā gain the ambrosial taste of the gods, which makes him delight in expounding? The treatise answers: no; the practitioner must seek the Buddha path with a single mind and subdue the fetters, his clothing must be pure and clean, and the place where the Dharma is expounded must be pure, with flowers, incense, banners, and canopies, and scented water sprinkled on the ground, without anything impure; for this reason the gods rejoice, and also benefit those who listen to the Dharma. This question and answer sifts out what the ambrosial taste responds to—it is not gained merely by expounding prajñā; only when the fetters are subdued within and the place is purified without is the response accomplished.
29. Why the one who expounds the Dharma is not timid—within prajñā there is no fixed dharma that can be grasped, challenged, or broken. The treatise makes clear: although the one who expounds the Dharma has not read much in the scriptures of our own and other traditions, because he has entered deeply into the meaning of prajñā, his mind is not timid—he does not sink, is not afraid, and is not frightened; why? Because 「般若波羅蜜中無有定法可執、可難、可破」 tr. "within prajñāpāramitā there is no fixed dharma that can be grasped, challenged, or broken." Further, within prajñā all dharmas are also distinguished and spoken of—worldly and world-transcending, permanent and impermanent, wholesome and unwholesome—there is no dharma it does not have; because it fully possesses all dharmas, one is not timid and not afraid; if it had only one dharma, then, because much would be lacking, there would be fear. This passage explains the root of not being timid through the two meanings together, ‘no fixed dharma that can be grasped, challenged, or broken’ and 「備有諸法」 tr. "fully possessing all dharmas"—since there is no fixed dharma that an opponent could break, and since it possesses all dharmas without anything lacking, one faces challenge without fear.
30. The bodhisattva’s majestic virtue is worthy of reverence—the afflictions broken and thinned, merit perfuming the body. The treatise makes clear: when this bodhisattva practises prajñā, his afflictions are broken down and thinned, and all his merits increase and perfume his body, so his majestic virtue is worthy of reverence; because the body is a dwelling-place of merit, even if his form is ugly and he is capable of nothing, he is still loved and valued by people—how much more if he is upright in appearance and able to benefit people. This passage follows on from the meaning of not being timid, and goes on to show that the body of the one who practises prajñā has in itself a majestic virtue worthy of reverence, laying the ground for ‘loved and revered by parents and śramaṇas’ below.
31. Question and answer seven: what is there worth mentioning in being loved and cherished by one’s parents?—the bodhisattva is doubly outstanding in respectful obedience, and his virtuous conduct is loved and revered by gods and humans. The treatise sets up a question: being loved and revered by the buddhas, śramaṇas, and brahmins may be so—but what is there worth mentioning in being loved and cherished by one’s parents? The treatise answers: although people are born of their parents, if they do not follow their parents’ teaching they are not loved and cherished; within respectful obedience the bodhisattva is doubly outstanding; because he makes offerings to, reveres, and honours the virtuous and those of the path, the śramaṇas and brahmins love and revere him. It further lists the bodhisattva’s virtuous conduct—plain and utterly sincere, his mouth speaking no falsehood; deeply loving the merit of later lives and not attached to the pleasures of this life; receiving and caring for those below him and not exalting himself; on seeing another’s fault, not speaking out the facts of it, and if it cannot be helped, never telling all of it; providing for the orphaned and the poor and not privately attaching them to himself; all such things are the power of prajñā, and because his merit is heard of far and wide, gods and humans all love and revere him. This passage explains why 「父母愛念」 tr. "being loved and cherished by one’s parents" is worth mentioning: it lies in the bodhisattva’s respectful obedience being doubly beyond that of ordinary people, and it confirms this by enumerating his virtuous conduct, showing that the love and reverence of humans and gods all come from prajñā.
32. By making offerings to prajñā one gains the six perfections life after life and subdues slander; the ghosts and spirits belong to the Four Heavenly Kings, and so follow them and come together. The treatise makes clear: because one makes offerings to prajñā, life after life one constantly gains the six perfections and the rest without their being cut off, and because of one’s merit, wisdom, and renown, any challenge or slander can all be subdued; further, the gods come to the place where prajñā abides in order to make offerings to prajñā; further, all the ghosts and spirits of mountains and rivers, trees, the earth, and cities and walls belong to the Four Heavenly Kings, and because the Four Heavenly Kings come, they all follow them and come together; among the ghosts and spirits there are those who have not obtained the scroll of the prajñā sūtra, and so they come to make offerings, read, recite, and pay homage, and also to benefit the good son—this too is merit of this life. This passage explains why the gods, ghosts, and spirits gather in crowds—some come following because they belong to the Four Heavenly Kings above them, some come seeking the scroll for themselves—all returning to the merit of making offerings to prajñā.
33. The lord of the heavens breaks the doubt of people of the fleshly eye—one knows the gods have come by seeing light, smelling fragrance, and the dwelling-place being pure. The treatise makes clear: the lord of the heavens asks, 「云何知大德天來」 tr. "How does one know that gods of great virtue have come?" in order to break the doubt of ordinary people with the fleshly eye; the answer is that at times one sees a great light, or smells an extraordinary fragrance, and also because, as said before, the dwelling-place is pure. This passage takes up Śakra’s question in the sūtra text and explains its intent—it is not that Śakra himself did not know; he asks in order to break the doubt of people of the fleshly eye, and the answer still returns to the three confirming signs of light, fragrance, and a pure place.
34. Question and answer eight: since the human body is impure within, what benefit is outer purity?—when the dwelling-place and clothing are purified there is nothing impure outside, as the common folk withdraw when a king comes. The treatise sets up a question: since the human body is filled with impurity within, what benefit is outer purity? The treatise answers: when one purifies one’s dwelling-place and clothing, there is nothing impure outside; because there is nothing impure outside, the gods rejoice; just as, where a king or a great person comes, the crowds of common folk withdraw, so it is when the gods of great virtue come and the petty ghosts go—because the majestic virtue of the great gods is weighty, the petty ghosts who dwelt there before withdraw, and because the great gods come near, this person’s mind becomes pure and vast. If the practitioner wishes the gods of great virtue to come, he should do as the sūtra says. This passage explains the benefit of outer purity with the one simile of the king and the common folk—outer purity is not for the purity within the body; it is for moving the gods and dispelling the ghosts, and for making the mind pure and vast, so one must not abandon the practice of outer purity because ‘within it is impure anyway.’
35. Because evil ghosts go far away, body and mind are light and at ease; one lies down at ease and wakes at ease, and dreams only of seeing the buddhas. The treatise makes clear: because evil ghosts go far away, body and mind are light and at ease; why is this? Being near evil ghosts makes a person’s body and mind gradually turn evil, just as being near an angry person tends to make one angry, and being near beautiful forms makes lustful feeling arise; because this person is far from evil causes and conditions within and without, he lies down at ease and wakes at ease, without evil dreams, and if he dreams, he sees only the buddhas, as the sūtra says. This passage uses the principle that nearness to evil stains one with evil and nearness to purity brings purity, to explain that the effect of outer purity in moving the gods returns in the end to the peace and security of the practitioner’s own person—once evil conditions within and without are gone, waking and sleeping are both at peace, and in dreams one sees only the buddhas.
36. Question and answer nine: making offerings to one Buddha is making offerings to prajñā, so why say that making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions is not equal to making offerings to prajñā?—the difference between grasping marks and not grasping marks. The treatise sets up the question in which the meaning of this chapter comes to its point: prajñā is within the Buddha’s body, and to make offerings to one Buddha is to make offerings to prajñā—why then say, ‘making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions is not equal to making offerings to prajñā’? The treatise answers: the crux lies in the mind of the one who makes offerings—if one makes offerings to the Buddha, one grasps the mark of a person, and a person is ultimately unfindable; because one grasps a mark, although the field of merit is great, the merit is thin and small; the one who makes offerings to prajñā, in accord with the prajñā he has heard, is 「不取人相、不取法相」 tr. "not grasping the mark of a person, not grasping the mark of a dharma," and because he makes offerings with this mind, his merit is great. This passage uses ‘grasping marks / not grasping marks’ to judge the superiority and inferiority of the two offerings—it is not that the Buddha falls short of prajñā; it is that the mind that grasps marks itself confines its merit, and when one makes offerings in accord with the signlessness of prajñā, the merit is then great.
37. Prajñā is the mother of the buddhas and the teacher of the buddhas; making offerings to prajñā is superior, and yet it is not that one does not revere the Buddha. The treatise concludes the whole chapter: prajñāpāramitā 「是一切十方諸佛母，亦是諸佛師」 tr. "is the mother of all the buddhas of the ten directions, and is also the teacher of the buddhas"; the thirty-two marks and eighty minor marks and the immeasurable light, supernormal powers, and transformations that the buddhas attain are all the power of prajñā, and for this reason making offerings to prajñā is superior; for such causes and conditions it surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions, and 「非不敬佛」 tr. "it is not that one does not revere the Buddha." This passage settles prajñā’s utmost position with ‘the mother and teacher of the buddhas,’ and with the words 「非不敬佛」 tr. "it is not that one does not revere the Buddha" brings the earlier doubt to a close—exalting prajñā is not suppressing the Buddha; precisely because prajñā is that from which the buddhas come forth, revering their mother and teacher is the very way of deeply revering the Buddha, and the two do not contradict each other.
Do Not Misread
Do not read the two names ‘Ānanda's Praise / Honoured Guide’ as two chapters, or suspect that the order of chapters here is wrong. Though the two names differ, the chapter they refer to is entirely the same in content; it is only that the treatise and the sūtra it explains, in their respective transmitted texts, have one 「阿難稱譽」 tr. "Ānanda's Praise" and the other ‘Honoured Guide,’ appearing each in the other’s witnesses—different names for the same chapter, not a separate chapter set up, and not a displacement in the order of chapters. 「阿難稱譽」 tr. "Ānanda's Praise" takes its meaning from the chapter’s beginning with Ānanda’s asking about the praise of prajñā; 「尊導」 tr. "honoured guide" takes its meaning from prajñā’s being the honoured guide of the five perfections; each of the two names rests on one end, but what they refer to is one. The discernment of name and reality, the sources in the various editions, and the variant readings of chapter order are matters for the Apparatus; for the meaning, one need only read on following the text of the chapter.
Do not read 「稱譽般若」 tr. "praising prajñā" as the Buddha favouring one dharma among the six perfections and slighting the other five. The treatise says it clearly: if not dedicated to sarvajñā, giving and so on up to wisdom cannot be called pāramitā; only prajñā can make the five matters become pāramitā, just as seeds must depend on the earth to be born. So praising prajñā is not favouring this and slighting that; it is exactly laying bare that the five perfections’ receiving their name and being accomplished are all bound to the one dharma of prajñā. If one reads 「尊導」 tr. "honoured guide" as a feeling of higher and lower, one loses the meaning of ‘what is depended on / what depends’ shown by the simile of ‘the earth and the seeds.’
Do not read 「色，色相空」 tr. "Form: form is empty of the mark of form" and 「不二不別」 tr. "not two and not different" as forcibly merging two things into one. What prajñā dedicates is the illumination of ultimate emptiness; the mark of form is originally empty, and all dharmas in emptiness are originally without duality or difference, and so it says 「不二」 tr. "not two"; this does not say that dānapāramitā and form are the same thing, but that the two are not separated from each other in ultimate emptiness. To cling to them as one is to lose the vivid presence of all dharmas; to cling to them as different is to lose the equality of ultimate emptiness; only by leaving both clingings can one read the words 「不二不別」 tr. "not two and not different."
Do not read ‘making offerings to prajñā surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions’ as disparaging the Buddha, or as a kind of trade in merit that can be weighed. The treatise judges it by ‘grasping marks / not grasping marks’: making offerings to the Buddha while grasping the mark of a person, although the field of merit is great, the merit is thin and small; making offerings in accord with the signlessness of prajñā, the merit is therefore great—what is being compared is ‘whether or not the mind grasps marks,’ not which of the Buddha and prajñā is more honoured. Moreover the treatise closes it with ‘prajñā is the mother of the buddhas, the teacher of the buddhas’ and 「非不敬佛」 tr. "it is not that one does not revere the Buddha," precisely to keep people from mistakenly falling into a view that suppresses the Buddha: revering prajñā is the very way of deeply revering that from which the buddhas come forth, and the two in the end do not contradict each other.
Bearing on Practice
This chapter brings the one meaning of 「稱譽般若」 tr. "praising prajñā" all the way down from the guiding thread of the ranking of the teachings to the real benefit, in this life and later lives, of the person who receives and upholds. The first layer of faith and understanding that one who applies himself should most take up is the meaning of 「尊導」 tr. "honoured guide": giving, keeping the precepts, and every wholesome deed, if not dedicated to sarvajñā through prajñā, are in the end merit that comes to an end according to karma, and cannot even bring the nirvāṇa of the Small Vehicle, let alone the unsurpassed path. In doing good in daily life, if one attends only to how much or how little is done outwardly and does not dedicate it with the wisdom of emptiness, it is like scattering seed that does not touch the earth, and it will hardly bear fruit; this chapter instead teaches one, in each and every wholesome deed, to ‘contemplate ultimate emptiness and dedicate to sarvajñā,’ and the merit then turns from what comes to an end into what does not—the place to apply oneself lies in illumining and gathering the ten thousand practices with prajñā, not in cultivating some separate efficacious method.
The merits of this life brought about by receiving and upholding, and by writing out and upholding, prajñā especially call for self-examination. The gods increasing one’s courage, expounding to the fourfold assembly without timidity, and even dreaming of the buddhas, the bodhi tree, and the stūpa of parinirvāṇa—all these confirming marks the treatise-author returns one by one to ‘being protected and upheld by prajñā,’ ‘because one has entered deeply into the meaning of prajñā, the mind is not timid,’ and ‘single-minded deep faith and offering from a deep mind.’ The one who applies himself should recognise here: these merits are not auspicious responses sought outside, but the natural effect after one’s own mind has entered deeply into prajñā, subdued the fetters, and purified within and without. If one takes reading, reciting, writing out, and upholding as a means of winning auspicious signs, one falls back onto the very same road as ‘grasping the mark of a person, so that merit is thin’; what this chapter teaches one to value is 「深心供養」 tr. "offering from a deep mind" and the single mind of ‘not grasping marks,’ and the depth and weight of the fruit are wholly bound to this.
The one meaning ‘making offerings to prajñā surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions, and yet it is not that one does not revere the Buddha’ can best serve as a measuring line for contemplative practice. The reason it surpasses lies solely in the signless mind that is 「不取人相、不取法相」 tr. "not grasping the mark of a person, not grasping the mark of a dharma"; the reason 「非不敬佛」 tr. "it is not that one does not revere the Buddha" is precisely that prajñā is the mother and the teacher of the buddhas, and revering that from which they come forth is the very way of deeply revering the Buddha. The one who applies himself, at every moment of making offerings and paying reverence, should here leave both errors behind—neither confining his merit with a mind that grasps marks, nor, through exalting prajñā, giving rise to the arrogance of slighting the Buddha; to make offerings in accord with signlessness, and to revere the Buddha by way of his mother and teacher—this is the measure of this chapter as it comes down to applying oneself.
Further Resonances
The backbone of this chapter is a single thread of the ranking of the teachings and of merit, strung together by 「尊導」 tr. "honoured guide": Ānanda asks the Buddha why he praises prajñā alone; the Buddha answers that if not dedicated to sarvajñā the five perfections do not receive their name, and only prajñā can make the five matters become pāramitā, as seeds are born in dependence on the earth, and so prajñā is the honoured guide of the five perfections and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas; Śakra then declares that the merit of receiving and upholding has not been told to the end, and the Buddha broadly shows the benefits in this life and later lives of the one who receives and upholds, and who writes out and upholds, prajñā—accomplishing the five aggregates, so that 「當知是人為如佛」 tr. "know that this person is as a Buddha," the gods increasing his courage, expounding without timidity, the place where the scroll is becoming a place to which gods and humans pay court, dreaming of the good marks of the buddhas, and so on up to surpassing making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions. The treatise’s explanation, with nine rounds of question and answer and with similes such as the great earth, the wish-fulfilling jewel, the guide, and the king and the common folk, answers one by one the doubts of ‘why say he does not speak in praise,’ ‘why explain non-duality again by non-duality,’ ‘where the merit not told to the end comes from,’ ‘why writing out, upholding, and making offerings gain the merit of two lives,’ ‘why the gods come to increase courage,’ ‘why one gains the ambrosial taste,’ ‘what is worth mentioning in being loved and cherished by one’s parents,’ 「外淨何益」 tr. "what benefit is outer purity?", and ‘why making offerings to prajñā surpasses making offerings to the Buddha.’ The meaning of the whole chapter lies altogether in the one matter: ‘prajñā is the honoured guide, receiving and upholding gains great benefit, and making offerings to prajñā is revering that from which the buddhas come forth.’
The two meanings ‘honoured guide’ and ‘prajñā is the mother of the buddhas, the teacher of the buddhas’ are especially worth mentioning in passing, to see the traces of how they carry on. The meaning that prajñā is what the other perfections depend on and that from which all wholesome fruits come forth has come down through the accumulated discussion of the preceding chapters; in this chapter, by way of Ānanda’s question about the ‘one-sided praise,’ the two threads ‘the other perfections receive their name in dependence on prajñā’ and ‘the buddhas are born from prajñā’ are drawn together at one time, and with the similes of the jewel and the guide, set up alongside ‘the earth and the seeds,’ a settled statement is established for this meaning of depending on each other and giving birth to each other; the conclusion ‘making offerings to prajñā is superior, and yet it is not that one does not revere the Buddha’ also echoes from afar the previous chapter’s meaning ‘prajñā is omniscience’—since prajñā is both the knowledge of the buddhas and the mother and teacher of the buddhas, revering prajñā and revering the Buddha are in the end one matter. The reader may view the preceding and following chapters together, to see the single continuous vein of prajñā as ‘what is depended on, that from which things come forth, and the ultimate to which they return’ (where this carrying-on begins and ends, and its sources in the various chapters, are detailed in the Apparatus).
校量舍利品Weighing the Relics
全文五層 →Full five layers →總說
〈校量舍利品〉開篇，是一場斤兩相較的抉擇。佛告釋提桓因：滿閻浮提的佛舍利作一分、書寫的般若波羅蜜經卷作一分，「二分之中，汝取何所」？帝釋逕取般若經卷，並自陳所以：舍利之所以受人供養恭敬，正因它是從般若波羅蜜中薰修而生——「舍利從般若波羅蜜中生」，故供養舍利之功德，本源皆在般若。舍利弗就此橫加質難：般若波羅蜜不可取、無色無形、「一相所謂無相」，既是無相，帝釋云何言取？帝釋便翻出「不二法相」一義答之——般若不行二法，故「不二法相是般若波羅蜜」，乃至不二法相即是檀波羅蜜。佛隨即讚可帝釋所說，申明法性、實際、不可思議性與般若波羅蜜無二無別。全品的問答，是以佛與釋提桓因（經中又稱憍尸迦）對答為主軸，舍利弗、阿難各於一處插問，當照經文所標而讀，勿慣以一人繫之。品名〈校量舍利品〉，眼目不在舍利之為供，而在這一番「舍利／般若」的斤兩相較裡，抉出般若為舍利之所依、為一切功德之所從生。
之上兩番，把「取般若」的抉擇推成「般若為首、為明導」的正命題。經①既明舍利從般若生、二分中取般若，帝釋更廣陳般若功德：以己身喻佛、般若經卷喻坐處，明經卷所在如佛所在；般若「無相無貌無言無說」，故受持者深入法中而不生怖畏；受持供養般若者不墮三惡趣及二乘地，乃至得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。經②轉入一連串的譬喻鋪陳——十二部經皆從般若中生，供養十方諸佛與書經卷供養其福正等，而後以「摩尼寶」為大喻：如意寶珠能除熱病冷病、能明闇處、能解蛇毒、能愈眼病癩瘡、能令濁水澄清，般若之能除諸煩惱亦如是；阿難就此問寶珠是天上寶抑閻浮提寶，帝釋答之。論①論②則層層釋其所以：出家貪智、在家貪福，帝釋於在家人中最尊，故佛特問之；如意珠喻逐一詳配於般若，凡十九重相對而說，是全品譬喻最密之處；末後設問——般若既有如此功德，何以說「舍利是諸功德所住處故得供養」——答以「般若波羅蜜為首、為明導」，「譬如王來必有將從，但舉其主名，餘者」已盡得，故般若如意寶而舍利如函篋，函篋所以可貴，正因其中盛的是如意寶。
之下兩番，把「般若為首」的義理推到有為無為二法皆般若所攝，再收於供養校量之最後一問。經③，帝釋問有為法相、無為法相之別，佛答以十八空乃至十八不共法為有為法相、諸法自性無所有為無為法相，並申明三世諸佛及弟子皆因般若得道，般若「非此非彼、非高非下」，不取二乘法亦不捨凡夫法；帝釋述菩薩行般若而不得眾生、不得一切法，佛可其說；復問菩薩但行般若、不行餘波羅蜜耶，佛答六波羅蜜皆以般若「為作明導」乃得具足；末以「書經卷自誦」與「書經卷施人」二者福德孰多相較，佛反以「自供養舍利」與「分舍利施人」孰福多詰帝釋，帝釋答施人福多，佛可其言。論③承此以釋——有為善法是行處、無為法是依止處，二法皆般若所攝；設「鹽」喻明但行般若不與五法和合則反墮邪見，如愚人聞鹽為眾味主便純食鹽而失味致患；設「阿那婆達多池」四大河歸海失本名合為一味之喻、樹木枝葉華果眾色別異而蔭無別之喻，明諸波羅蜜入般若則一相無差別；又答受誦難而書施易、何以書施反勝——以獨行讀誦或挾我心故功德小，經卷施人有大悲、無吾我故功德大；末申般若為勝之二因緣，收於「般若是菩薩根本因緣，菩薩是諸佛根本因緣，諸佛是一切世間大利益安樂因緣」而訖卷五十九。
全品經文與論釋各三番，經、論交替而進，同在卷五十九之內，依第二番論釋之末，分作之上、之下兩分弧。之上收前二番——二分取般若、舍利從般若生、不二法相、般若無相無畏、如意寶珠十九重配喻，以及「般若為首為明導、舉主名而餘盡得」的函篋如意寶之判；之下收後一番——有為無為二法皆般若所攝、般若非此非彼、六波羅蜜以般若為明導、鹽味與大河樹蔭之喻、書施勝於自誦之校量，訖於「般若是菩薩根本因緣」的三重根本。之上鋪的是「取般若」如何被說成「般若為首為明導」，之下鋪的是這「為首為明導」如何一路推到有為無為皆般若所攝、供養校量終歸於般若之根本。
因此，讀每一番問答時，至少可問三層。其一，這一番所校量的「二分」，正落在哪一重斤兩上——是舍利與經卷、是自誦與施人、還是有為法與無為法？而抉擇的準繩，總是般若之為「所依、所從生、為首為明導」。其二，釋提桓因、舍利弗、阿難所問的，正卡在哪一重難處上——是無相之法云何可取，是般若既有大功德何以反尊舍利，還是受誦難而書施易何以福反勝？其三，論主以何等譬喻答之，既令般若之尊不壓沒舍利之當供，又令舍利之供不奪般若之為本——是如意寶與函篋，是王與將從，是鹽味，還是大河歸海、眾樹一蔭？本品的答法總是先讓問處站穩——二分之中汝取何所、何以說舍利是所住處故得供養、書施何以勝自誦——再以「舍利從般若生」「般若為首為明導」「施人無吾我故福大」層層答之。順著這三番對答讀下去，終會落在同一處：舍利之可貴不在舍利，而在其所盛的般若；如函篋之可貴不在函篋，而在其中的如意寶。
依原論次序讀下去
Overview
"Weighing the Relics" opens with a choice made by weighing one against the other. The Buddha tells Śakra Devānām Indra: let the Buddha's relics filling Jambudvīpa be one portion, and the written scroll of prajñāpāramitā be the other portion—「二分之中，汝取何所」 tr. "of the two portions, which do you take?" Śakra takes the scroll of prajñā straight away, and himself states his reason: the relics receive the offerings and reverence of people precisely because they are born from within prajñāpāramitā, perfumed and cultivated by it—「舍利從般若波羅蜜中生」 tr. "the relics are born from within prajñāpāramitā"—and so the merit of making offerings to the relics has its source wholly in prajñā. Śāriputra here raises a sharp challenge: prajñāpāramitā cannot be taken, is without form and without shape, is 「一相所謂無相」 tr. "one mark, namely the signless"; since it is signless, how can Śakra speak of taking it? Śakra then brings out the meaning of 「不二法相」 tr. "the mark of non-dual dharmas" in answer—prajñā does not practise dual dharmas, and so 「不二法相是般若波羅蜜」 tr. "the mark of non-dual dharmas is prajñāpāramitā", and so on up to: the mark of non-dual dharmas is dānapāramitā. The Buddha at once praises and approves what Śakra has said, and makes clear that the nature of dharmas, the limit of reality, and the nature of the inconceivable are without duality and without difference from prajñāpāramitā. The questions and answers of the whole chapter have as their main axis the exchange between the Buddha and Śakra Devānām Indra (in the sūtra also called Kauśika), with Śāriputra and Ānanda each putting in a question at one place; one should read them as the sūtra text marks them, and not by habit attach them all to a single speaker. The chapter is named "Weighing the Relics", and its eye lies not in the relics as objects of offering, but in this weighing of 「舍利／般若」 tr. "relics / prajñā" one against the other, by which prajñā is singled out as that on which the relics rely and that from which all merits are born.
The two rounds of the First Part push the choice of 「取般若」 tr. "taking prajñā" forward into the positive thesis 「般若為首、為明導」 tr. "prajñā is the head, is the bright guide". Once sūtra round ① has made clear that the relics are born from prajñā and that of the two portions one takes prajñā, Śakra sets out the merits of prajñā more broadly: likening his own body to the Buddha and the scroll of prajñā to the seat, he makes clear that wherever the scroll is, it is as if the Buddha were there; prajñā is 「無相無貌無言無說」 tr. "without mark, without appearance, without words, without speech", and so the one who receives and upholds it enters deeply into the Dharma and gives rise to no fear; the one who receives, upholds, and makes offerings to prajñā does not fall into the three evil destinies or onto the grounds of the two vehicles, and so on up to attaining anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. Sūtra round ② turns to a chain of similes laid out one after another—the twelve divisions of the scriptures are all born from within prajñā, and making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions is exactly equal in merit to writing out the scroll and making offerings to it—and then takes the 「摩尼寶」 tr. "maṇi jewel" as its great simile: the wish-fulfilling jewel can remove the sickness of heat and the sickness of cold, can light up dark places, can dispel snake venom, can heal eye disease and leprous sores, can make turbid water clear; prajñā's power to remove all the afflictions is likewise. Ānanda here asks whether the jewel is a jewel of the heavens or a jewel of Jambudvīpa, and Śakra answers him. Treatise rounds ① and ② then explain, layer upon layer, why this is so: those who have left home crave wisdom, those at home crave merit, and Śakra is the most honoured among those at home, so the Buddha puts the question to him in particular; the simile of the wish-fulfilling jewel is matched to prajñā point by point, nineteen correspondences in all, the densest place of simile in the whole chapter; at the end a question is set—since prajñā has such merits, why is it said that 「舍利是諸功德所住處故得供養」 tr. "the relics receive offerings because they are the place where all merits abide"?—and the answer is that 「般若波羅蜜為首、為明導」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā is the head, is the bright guide", 「譬如王來必有將從，但舉其主名，餘者」 tr. "just as when a king comes there must be a retinue following him; only the name of the master is raised, and the rest" are already fully obtained; and so prajñā is the wish-fulfilling jewel and the relics are its casket, and the casket is precious precisely because what it holds is the wish-fulfilling jewel.
The two rounds of the Last Part push the meaning of 「般若為首」 tr. "prajñā is the head" through to this: that both dharmas, the conditioned and the unconditioned, are taken in by prajñā; and then they gather it into a last question of weighing offerings. In sūtra round ③, Śakra asks how the mark of conditioned dharmas differs from the mark of unconditioned dharmas; the Buddha answers that the eighteen emptinesses and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas are the mark of conditioned dharmas, and that the self-nature of dharmas, without anything existent, is the mark of unconditioned dharmas; and he makes clear that the buddhas of the three times and their disciples all attain the path through prajñā, that prajñā is 「非此非彼、非高非下」 tr. "neither this nor that, neither high nor low", neither taking the dharmas of the two vehicles nor relinquishing the dharmas of ordinary people. Śakra states that the bodhisattva who practises prajñā does not find beings and does not find any dharma, and the Buddha approves his words; he asks again whether the bodhisattva practises only prajñā and does not practise the other perfections, and the Buddha answers that the six perfections are made complete only because prajñā 「為作明導」 tr. "acts as the bright guide". At the end the two, 「書經卷自誦」 tr. "writing out the scroll and reciting it oneself" and 「書經卷施人」 tr. "writing out the scroll and giving it to others", are weighed as to which has more merit; the Buddha instead presses Śakra with whether 「自供養舍利」 tr. "making offerings to the relics oneself" or 「分舍利施人」 tr. "dividing the relics and giving them to others" has more merit; Śakra answers that giving to others has more merit, and the Buddha approves his words. Treatise round ③ follows on from this to explain: conditioned wholesome dharmas are the place where practice moves, unconditioned dharmas are the place on which it relies, and both dharmas are taken in by prajñā. It sets up the simile of 「鹽」 tr. "salt" to make clear that if one practises only prajñā and does not come together with the five dharmas, one falls instead into wrong view—like a foolish man who, hearing that salt is the master of all flavours, eats nothing but salt, loses the flavour, and brings on illness. It sets up the simile of the four great rivers of 「阿那婆達多池」 tr. "Lake Anavatapta" which return to the sea, lose their original names, and merge into one taste, and the simile of trees whose branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits differ in their many colours while their shade is without difference, to make clear that the perfections, once they enter prajñā, are of one mark and without distinction. It answers, too, why, though receiving and reciting is hard and writing out and giving is easy, writing out and giving should instead be superior—reading and reciting practised alone may carry the mind of self, and so its merit is small; giving the scroll to others has great compassion and is without self, and so its merit is great. At the end it sets out the two causes and conditions by which prajñā is superior, gathering them into 「般若是菩薩根本因緣，菩薩是諸佛根本因緣，諸佛是一切世間大利益安樂因緣」 tr. "prajñā is the root cause and condition of the bodhisattva, the bodhisattva is the root cause and condition of the buddhas, and the buddhas are the cause and condition of great benefit, peace, and joy for all the world", and with this fascicle fifty-nine ends.
For the whole chapter the sūtra text and the treatise's explanation each come in three rounds, sūtra and treatise advancing in alternation; all within fascicle fifty-nine, the chapter is divided at the end of the treatise's second round of explanation into two arcs, the First Part and the Last Part. The First Part takes in the first two rounds—the two portions and the taking of prajñā, the relics born from prajñā, the mark of non-dual dharmas, prajñā signless and without fear, the nineteen correspondences of the simile of the wish-fulfilling jewel, and the verdict of the casket and the wish-fulfilling jewel, 「般若為首為明導、舉主名而餘盡得」 tr. "prajñā is the head and the bright guide; when the master's name is raised, the rest are all obtained"; the Last Part takes in the last round—both dharmas, the conditioned and the unconditioned, taken in by prajñā; prajñā neither this nor that; the six perfections having prajñā as their bright guide; the similes of the taste of salt and of the great rivers and the shade of the trees; and the weighing of writing out and giving as superior to reciting oneself, ending at the threefold root of 「般若是菩薩根本因緣」 tr. "prajñā is the root cause and condition of the bodhisattva". What the First Part lays out is how 「取般若」 tr. "taking prajñā" comes to be spoken of as 「般若為首為明導」 tr. "prajñā is the head and the bright guide"; what the Last Part lays out is how this 「為首為明導」 tr. "is the head and the bright guide" is pushed all the way through, until the conditioned and the unconditioned are all taken in by prajñā and the weighing of offerings returns in the end to prajñā as the root.
Therefore, in reading each round of question and answer, one can ask at least three layers of questions. First, on which weighing does the 「二分」 tr. "two portions" weighed in this round fall—is it the relics and the scroll, is it reciting oneself and giving to others, or is it conditioned dharmas and unconditioned dharmas? And the measure of the choice is always prajñā as 「所依、所從生、為首為明導」 tr. "that on which they rely, that from which they are born, the head and the bright guide". Second, at which layer of difficulty is the question of Śakra Devānām Indra, Śāriputra, or Ānanda caught—how a signless dharma can be taken; since prajñā has great merits, why the relics should be honoured instead; or, since receiving and reciting is hard and writing out and giving is easy, why the merit should instead be superior? Third, with what kind of simile does the treatise-author answer, so that the honour of prajñā does not bury the fitness of the relics to receive offerings, and the offerings to the relics do not take away prajñā's being the root—is it the wish-fulfilling jewel and the casket, the king and his retinue, the taste of salt, or the great rivers returning to the sea and the one shade of the many trees? This chapter's way of answering always first lets the place of the question stand firm—of the two portions, which do you take; why is it said that the relics receive offerings because they are the place where all merits abide; why is writing out and giving superior to reciting oneself—and then answers it layer by layer with 「舍利從般若生」 tr. "the relics are born from prajñā", 「般若為首為明導」 tr. "prajñā is the head and the bright guide", and 「施人無吾我故福大」 tr. "giving to others is without self, and so its merit is great". Read on along these three rounds of dialogue, and one will come at last to the same place: the preciousness of the relics lies not in the relics but in the prajñā they hold; just as the preciousness of the casket lies not in the casket but in the wish-fulfilling jewel within it.
Reading On in the Order of the Treatise
校量舍利品之上Weighing the Relics, Part 1 of 2
全文五層 →Full five layers →校量舍利品之上：舍利從般若中生，二分取般若；如意寶珠喻般若功德
在問什麼
這一單元的題面是一場『二分抉擇』：佛把充滿閻浮提的佛舍利放一邊、把書寫的般若經卷放一邊，問帝釋取哪一邊。帝釋不取舍利而取般若。乍看像是輕慢舍利，其實正相反——帝釋立刻申明『我於佛舍利非不恭敬、非不尊重』，他取般若的理由只有一句：舍利之所以尊貴，是因為「從般若波羅蜜中生、般若波羅蜜薰修故」。所以真正的問題不是『舍利與般若孰貴』，而是『舍利的貴，其源頭在哪裡』。這一問一舉把供養的對象從果溯到因、從所生溯到能生。
這一問也回應了本品品名的兩面——「校量舍利」四字，一面是「校量」（權衡供養功德之遞階），一面是「舍利」（所校之物）。全單元的用力處，正是要在校量之中辨明：功德之多寡，不取決於所供物之大小、數量，而取決於所供之本是否為般若。故雖以『滿閻浮提舍利』對『一卷經卷』，量懸殊而般若反勝——這是本品「校量」二字的骨眼。
單元裡有兩處逆折把題眼逼得更緊。其一，舍利弗橫插一難：般若『無色、無形、無對，一相所謂無相』，既是無相不可取，帝釋憑什麼「取」？這一難把「取般若」逼向「不二法相」——帝釋答般若「不行二法」，取而無取相，才叫真取。其二，論主自設數問：既已用七寶塔校量過，何必再以舍利對校？既說般若無相，云何供養與佛等？既說般若功德如此之大，何以又說「舍利是五波羅蜜乃至一切種智所住處故得供養」？這三問把『能生（般若）』與『所生（舍利、經卷、諸佛功德）』之間的關係一層層剝開。全單元的骨幹，就是用一顆「如意寶珠」的譬喻，把般若如何為一切功德之所從出、又如何遠勝於它所出生的舍利，逐一配說清楚。
逐段解明
先看經①的抉擇與帝釋的理由。佛以『滿閻浮提舍利』對『書般若經卷』令帝釋取捨，帝釋取般若，並自陳因緣：舍利是「從般若波羅蜜中生、般若波羅蜜薰修故」才得供養。這一句是全品的根：舍利可貴，貴在其為般若所生所薰之果；取果不如取因，取所生不如取能生，故不取舍利而取般若，正是取其本源。到三千大千世界之量，帝釋仍取般若，理由更進一步——「是般若波羅蜜中生諸佛舍利」，乃至『若見現在佛、若見般若波羅蜜經卷，等無異』，因為「般若波羅蜜與佛無二無別故」。由『舍利從般若生』到『般若與佛無二』，能生之義一路推到極致：般若不僅生舍利，且與佛體無別，故見經卷即如見佛。這裡先立起本品的總命題：般若是舍利與佛的能生之本，供養舍利的功德實從般若而來。
舍利弗的質難與帝釋的回答，是經①的第一個關口。舍利弗說般若『無色、無形、無對，一相所謂無相』，且般若「不為取故出，不為捨故出，不為增減、聚散、損益、垢淨故出」，不與諸佛法、不捨凡人法，乃至不與一切種智、不捨凡人法——既是這樣一個離一切取捨增減之法，云何「欲取」？此難極利：般若既是絕待無相，一起「取」念便落能取所取之二，豈非自違其無相之性？帝釋順勢答出全品最要緊的一句義理：「般若波羅蜜不行二法故，不二法相是般若波羅蜜，不二法相是禪波羅蜜乃至檀波羅蜜。」他所謂「取」，不是取一個對象，而是行於不二；正因不落取捨二邊，才是真能行、真能修般若——不二法相不僅是般若之相，也是禪定乃至布施諸度之相，六度但一不二之慧貫之。佛隨即印可，並把不二推廣到法性、實際、不可思議性：凡欲得「法性二相」者即欲得『般若二相』，而「法性、般若波羅蜜，無二無別」；欲得「實際、不可思議性二相」者亦然。這就把『無相不可取』與「取般若」兩句表面相違的話，收在「不二」上會通了：無相不是空無可取，是取而不立取相；取般若不是別有所得，是契入法性之不二。
接著帝釋廣陳般若功德，一連數喻。善法堂坐喻是說：帝釋不在座時，諸天子猶為其座作禮，正如般若經卷所住之處，十方天龍八部皆來禮拜供養——因為「是般若波羅蜜中生諸佛及一切眾生樂具」。這一喻要緊的不是天神來拜，而是「所住處」即成聖所：座之受敬不在座本身，在座上曾說法之人；經卷之受敬不在紙墨，在其所詮之般若。無相無畏之義是說：受持般若、心深入法，「不見怖畏相」，因般若「無相無貌、無言無說」；更翻進一層——正因般若實是無相無說，諸佛才能「知一切諸法無相無貌、無言無說」而成正覺、而為弟子說法。這一句把「無相」從消極的「不可取」翻成積極的『成佛之所以然』：不是般若因無相而不足取，恰是諸佛因證此無相而成佛、而說法。再說受持般若之益：親近讀誦書寫正憶念供養者，不墮地獄畜生餓鬼、不墮聲聞辟支佛地，乃至得無上菩提、常見諸佛，從一佛界至一佛界供養諸佛——福之極致，全繫於一卷無相之經。
論①先解『以少勝多』之問：七寶塔本是舍利住處，如今單提舍利對校經卷，是「舍利雖不及般若，而滿閻浮提；般若妙故，但明經卷」——以充滿閻浮提之舍利尚不敵一卷般若，正見般若之妙。又解佛何以問帝釋：出家人多貪智慧（解脫因）、在家人多貪福德（樂因），出家人多貪意識所知物、在家人多貪五識所知物，帝釋「已證福樂果報最大，於在家人中最為尊勝」，故佛特問之，令這位福德之尊自陳取捨，其言更有分量。帝釋自陳因緣亦有分寸：他「不敢輕慢、不恭敬舍利」，明知供養芥子許舍利功德已無量無邊，然「菩薩受身便有舍利，人所不貴；得成佛時，舍利以般若熏修故，人所恭敬」——同是舍利，成佛前後之貴賤所別者，正在有無般若之薰，故取那能薰之勝者。論主又替舍利弗的「難」定性：帝釋身在家、為煩惱五欲所覆而能說般若，是「希有」事，舍利弗質問乃是「欲令釋提桓因更問佛深義」，並非真疑。帝釋順答「如是」，其意在『一切法中無二相，不以舍利為小、不以般若為大』；他就世諦而說般若「能令眾生心無二無分別」，是「為利益新發意菩薩」——可見帝釋一路是就世諦方便而說，其骨子仍是不二。至於「己身為喻」，論主並存兩說：一說自身喻佛、經卷喻坐處，一說自身喻般若、坐處喻舍利——前者為論主自釋，後者出「有人言」，論主並錄不判。論主末又點出佛「開其初，以舍利滿閻浮提」，帝釋既悟勝負，遂為一切眾生廣至三千大千世界，其自說因緣即「見般若波羅蜜，與見佛無異」——由閻浮提一量推至大千一量，取般若之志始終不移。
經②承前把功德鋪得更廣，並引入負債依王與摩尼寶兩大喻。三事示現、十二部經皆從般若中生；不僅本土如此，十方諸佛住三事示現、說十二部經亦「般若波羅蜜中生諸佛，亦生十二部經」，故受持般若、為他人說者與佛「等無異」。供養十方恒沙諸佛與書般若經卷，「其福正等」，因「十方諸佛皆從般若波羅蜜中生」——這是全品反覆致意的一義：功德之量取決於所依之本，本既相同，其福便等。又說聞般若受持正憶念者，「正住阿鞞跋致地中」，遠離一切苦惱衰病——受持之益不止免墮惡道，更正入不退轉位。負債依王喻最見『能生』之義：舍利如負債之人，般若如王，「負債人依王故得供養，舍利亦依般若波羅蜜修薰故得供養」；諸佛一切種智亦從般若修薰而成就。故般若中「生諸佛舍利、三十二相」，生「十力、四無所畏、四無礙智、十八不共法、大慈大悲」，生五波羅蜜之得名、生諸佛一切種智——這一長串功德的清單不是鋪張，而是把『般若為能生』一路數到佛地諸德，令人見般若所出之廣。摩尼寶喻則正式登場：寶所住處非人不得便，能除熱冷風雜諸病、除毒蛇螫、明闇處、令濁水隨色而清——阿難於此一問（本品阿難唯一出場），帝釋答此為天上寶，閻浮提亦有而「功德相少不具足」，正襯天上之寶清淨輕妙不可為比，喻般若功德之非世法可擬。帝釋更申舍利得供養「皆般若波羅蜜力」，並列舉舍利乃是「諸功德寶波羅蜜住處」「不垢不淨波羅蜜住處」以至「諸法相波羅蜜住處」，因被諸法相波羅蜜薰修，故得供養；乃至受持般若者能具足六度、四念處乃至十八不共法，過二乘地、住菩薩位、得菩薩神通，為眾生受身而成就眾生。末更說欲見十方諸佛法身色身者，當受持般若、以法相修念佛三昧——把供養之校量，收歸於「見佛」這一究竟利益上。
論②是本單元義理最密之處，環繞「如意寶珠」把般若功德逐一配說。先解『云何但受持般若即與佛等』：佛欲稱歎般若為大，「於十二部經中，般若為最勝」，因說般若多發菩薩心、說十二部經雜發三乘意，此就法身而說，故等無異。次解摩尼寶珠出處，論主並列四說（龍王腦中出／帝釋金剛碎落／過去佛舍利所變／眾生福德自然有），此亦古德異說，誌錄不判。論主又先總攝一句：般若之所以福德勝，在於「能破一切苦惱、衰病、怖畏」，且分內外二門——「無諸衰病及怖畏」以明內，『摩尼寶人非人不得其便』以明外，內外交顯，見般若護念之周。
接著是全品最綿密的『珠—般若』對配，可看作一張以珠襯般若、又處處見珠所不及的對照表。病之對配：珠除四百四病、根本四病（風熱冷雜），般若除八萬四千病、根本四病（貪瞋癡等分），並詳出對治之藥——以不淨觀除貪欲、以慈悲心除瞋恚、以觀因緣除愚癡，總合三藥以治等分病，此是把八萬四千煩惱收歸三毒、三毒收歸三觀的實修綱要。除闇除熱除冷之對配：珠除黑闇，般若除三界黑闇；珠除熱，般若除婬欲瞋恚之熱；珠除冷，般若除無明不信懈怠之冷心——外物之寒熱易除，心性之寒熱難消，故珠所除者形質、般若所除者三毒之心。毒與眼之對配：珠卻外來毒螫而不能除「四大毒蛇」（身內四大之患），般若則「畢竟除此二種毒」，且珠不能治邪見之毒而般若能除；珠治肉眼、近見眼，般若治慧眼、遠見眼，尤要者「珠能治肉眼，肉眼不作珠；般若能治慧眼，慧眼即作般若」——珠與所治者終是二物，般若與慧眼則治之即成，能所不隔。水色之對配：珠令水隨所裹之色、令濁水清，般若則能隨順心數善法、令六覺濁心與龍鬼人王之貪恚濁心清淨——珠所轉者外水，般若所轉者眾生心性。持久之對配尤關要害：珠但除所住處之闇熱、且「後病復發」，般若能滅劫盡大火、其治「畢竟清淨」——世間對治多是暫伏，般若之治乃是究竟。論主於此自設一問——四病既攝一切病，何以別說眼痛、癩病？答以「眼是身中第一，所用最貴」、「癩病最重，宿命罪因緣故難治」，故別說。末以函篋與舍利對顯，把喻收回本品題面：珠力入函篋而函篋不能與人隨意功德，舍利得般若薰修則供養者「必還得般若而得成佛」——般若是如意珠、函篋是舍利，舍利中雖無般若、卻因般若所薰而得供養；且函篋唯凡夫所貴，舍利則凡聖俱貴，其別正在有無般若之薰。最後論主自設收束之問：般若功德既如此，何以又說舍利是五波羅蜜乃至一切種智所住處故得供養？答得極精——「一切諸法，般若波羅蜜為首、為明導；譬如王來必有將從，但舉其主名，餘者已盡得」。舉般若之主名，則舍利所住之眾功德已盡攝其中，二者不相違。
不要讀錯
不要把『二分取般若』讀成貶低舍利。帝釋開口便說『我於佛舍利非不恭敬、非不尊重』，論主又代言「供養芥子許舍利，功德無量無邊」。取般若而不取舍利，不是說舍利不足貴，而是溯其所以貴——「舍利從般若波羅蜜中生」，取那能生之本而已。把它讀成『舍利不必供養』，恰違本品『舍利得供養皆般若力』之旨。
不要把『般若無相不可取』與「取般若」讀成矛盾。舍利弗以『無相不可取』設難，帝釋答以「不行二法」——所謂取，是不落取捨二邊而行於不二，不是取一個叫般若的東西。若把「取」讀成有能取所取，正是帝釋、佛所破的「二相」。
不要把摩尼寶、如意珠讀成般若真如珠。這是「以世間人貴是寶珠故，以珠為喻」的借喻，而且論主處處點出珠之不及：珠但除所住處熱、般若能滅劫盡大火，珠後病復發、般若畢竟清淨。喻是為顯般若遠勝於珠，不是說般若如珠一般是一物、有定相；讀成『般若是個能滿願的寶』，就把無相之般若坐實了。
不要把『八萬四千病、根本四病』與三藥的配對讀成醫方。論主把八萬四千煩惱收歸貪、瞋、癡、等分四病，再配以不淨觀、慈悲心、觀因緣三藥治之，這是一張修心的對治綱要，不是治身之藥方。四病是煩惱之類分、三藥是觀法之類分，重在令行者知煩惱雖多不出四類、對治雖廣不出三門，把它讀成珠能療身病一般的實效，就錯過了『般若治心』這一層。
不要把『珠出處四說』『己身二喻』讀成論主的定論或諍辯。這兩處都是論主並錄的異說（己身二喻，一為論主自釋、一出「有人言」），誌之不判。既不必在四說中強斷何者為真，也不可把並錄讀成論主自起爭端——它只是如實錄下舊說，重心仍在『般若為一切功德所從出』這一正義。
不要把「舍利是五波羅蜜乃至一切種智所住處」讀成與「取般若」相違。論主已用『舉主名而將從盡得』會通：般若為首為明導，舉般若則其所生、所住之眾功德（含舍利所住者）已盡攝。二說一是就能生說、一是就所住說，並行不悖，不是前後打架。
不要把「與佛等無異」讀成受持者已與佛齊。論主說得分明：這是『就法身而說』，是就所依之般若相同而說其福等，並非拿凡夫菩薩之功德去比佛的無量身。等的是所依之本、所發之大乘心，不是等其果位；把它讀成『持經即已成佛』，便失了『就法身說』這一分際。
不要把『舍利得供養皆般若力』讀成舍利本身無德。舍利是「先世業因緣所成」，本應償諸對報，正因般若薰修，宿業諸對及飢渴寒熱皆不能及，反得諸天世人供養——如負債人依王反為債主所敬。這是說舍利之德由般若而顯、而護，不是說舍利是空殼；貶舍利與神化舍利，都非論主之意。
修行作用
供養時守住『溯本』這把尺。禮舍利、禮塔、禮經卷，事相上一一恭敬（帝釋尚『不敢輕慢芥子許舍利』），心裡卻明白所敬之尊源在般若——『舍利從般若中生、般若薰修故得供養』。如此供養，既不失事相之福，又不滯於所生之相而忘其能生之本。這也提醒：修福不必與修慧打成兩橛，供養一卷般若、受持正憶念，其福已含攝一切種智所住之德，是即福即慧的下手處。
以『內外二護』安心。論主說般若功德「無諸衰病及怖畏」以明內、『人非人不得其便』以明外：內則身衰心病隨意能除，外則邪魔羅剎不得其便。用功時遇內擾（煩惱病苦）、遇外緣（違逆惱害），都可回到般若之照——不是求珠一般求一個護身之物，而是以無相之慧令內外諸擾無所著處，自然「不得其便」。
於「無相」處學不落二邊。日用中一遇『取捨』現前——取善捨惡、取淨捨垢、取般若捨舍利——就想起『般若不行二法故，不二法相是般若』：可以宛然行取捨之事，心不落取相捨相。這正是帝釋『取而無取』的落實。
以摩尼寶十九重之喻對治自心。珠除熱、除冷、除闇、卻毒、治眼、治癩，一一可轉觀己心之病：婬熱、瞋熱以慈悲不淨對治，無明之冷以般若之照對治，慧眼被邪見所破則以般若令其明了。用這串現成的配喻作日課的檢點表，比空說『以般若除煩惱』更有下手處。
記住般若「畢竟清淨」勝於珠之「後病復發」。世間種種對治多是壓伏，病緣一至又發；般若治慧眼是「畢竟清淨」「慧眼即作般若」。修行時若見煩惱暫伏又起，不必灰心，正好回到般若之照——求那能令病不復發的畢竟藥，而非只求一時之伏。
以『舉主名而將從盡得』安頓雜行。念佛、供養、持戒、布施種種善法看似分散，只要以般若為首為明導，如「王來必有將從」，一行般若則諸行盡攝。用心之要在『舉主』——把般若之無所得慧貫在一切善法之首，不必逐法零碎經營。
以『六度但一不二』收攝行門。布施時不見施者受者財物、持戒時不見持犯之相，種種度皆以不二之慧行之，即帝釋所謂「不二法相是禪波羅蜜乃至檀波羅蜜」。如此，一度之中已具般若、般若之外別無諸度，行者不必於六門各起一番取捨經營，唯守「不行二法」一味貫之。
於「見佛」處立究竟願。本單元把供養之校量，末後收在『欲見十方諸佛法身色身，當受持般若、以法相修念佛三昧』。念佛而以法相修，即是不取佛之色相而契佛之法身；供養般若之極致不在得福，而在能見諸佛。修行時把念佛與般若合修——念佛不離無相、觀空不廢念佛，正是本品『見佛與見般若等無異』之落實。
承衍
之上的骨架是一條『從所生溯能生』的線：經①以『二分取般若』立起舍利『從般若中生』，並藉舍利弗之難把「取般若」逼成「不行二法」的不二正義；經②以負債依王、摩尼寶兩喻把般若鋪成一切功德（舍利、諸佛相好、五度得名、一切種智）之所從出；論①②則層層釋難——以『以少勝多』解舍利對校之問，以「發菩薩心」解受持與佛等之問，以如意珠十九重配喻顯般若遠勝於它所出生之物，末以『舉主名而將從盡得』會通「取般若」與「舍利得供養」二說不相違。全單元的兩句引擎，一是帝釋的『舍利從般若薰修故得供養』，一是論主的『般若為首、為明導』：前一句管『能生』——舍利之貴溯到般若；後一句管『統攝』——舉般若則所生眾德盡在其中。之上把『舍利與般若』這對能所講到『舉主盡得』為止，也一路埋下了「攝」的伏線：般若不但生舍利、生諸佛諸德，更為一切法之首、之明導，舉般若則餘者盡得。這『攝一切法』之義在之上已呼之欲出，只待正面立說。留給之下的接口正順此而開：既然般若攝一切法，那麼『有為、無為』二法相又如何盡攝於般若、菩薩又如何以般若為明導而具足六度、書經自誦與施人校量又當如何權衡——這正是之下經③論③接著要問、要答的。之上以『舉主名而將從盡得』收，之下便以『有為無為二法相皆般若中攝』承，能生之義遂轉為能攝之義，一線相貫。合而觀之，之上所立的『舍利從般若生』與『般若與佛無二』兩柱，正是之下『般若攝一切法、為六度明導』的張本：先明般若為能生之本，再明般若為能攝之綱，本品一部校量之旨，於此上下兩單元首尾相接而後圓足。
Weighing the Relics, First Part: The Relics Are Born from Prajñā, and of the Two Portions Prajñā Is Taken; the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel as a Simile for the Merit of Prajñā
What Is Being Asked
The face of this unit's question is a ‘choice between two portions’: the Buddha sets on one side the Buddha's relics filling Jambudvīpa, and on the other side the written scroll of the prajñā sūtra, and asks Śakra which side he will take. Śakra does not take the relics but takes prajñā. At first glance this looks like slighting the relics, but in fact it is just the opposite—Śakra at once declares ‘it is not that I do not revere the Buddha's relics, not that I do not honour them’, and his reason for taking prajñā is only one sentence: the relics are noble because they are 「從般若波羅蜜中生、般若波羅蜜薰修故」 tr. "born from prajñāpāramitā and perfumed and cultivated by prajñāpāramitā". So the real question is not ‘which is nobler, the relics or prajñā’, but ‘where does the nobility of the relics have its source’. With this one question the object of offering is traced back from the fruit to the cause, from what is produced to what produces.
This question also answers to the two faces of this chapter's name—the title 「校量舍利」 tr. "weighing the relics" has on one face 「校量」 tr. "weighing" (weighing the ascending grades of the merit of offering), and on the other 「舍利」 tr. "relics" (the thing weighed). What the whole unit labours at is precisely to make clear, in the midst of the weighing, that the amount of merit is decided not by the size or number of what is offered, but by whether the root of what is offered is prajñā. Therefore, although ‘relics filling Jambudvīpa’ are set against ‘one scroll of the sūtra’, the quantities are vastly unequal and yet prajñā wins instead—this is the pivot of the word 「校量」 tr. "weighing" in this chapter.
Within the unit two reversals press the point of the question still harder. First, Śāriputra cuts in with a challenge: prajñā is ‘without form, without shape, without resistance, one mark, namely the signless’; since it is signless and cannot be taken, on what ground does Śakra 「取」 tr. "take" it? This challenge presses 「取般若」 tr. "taking prajñā" toward 「不二法相」 tr. "the mark of non-dual dharmas"—Śakra answers that prajñā 「不行二法」 tr. "does not practise dual dharmas"; taking without the mark of taking is what is called truly taking. Second, the treatise-author sets up several questions of his own: since the weighing has already been made with the stūpa of the seven jewels, why weigh again with relics? Since prajñā is said to be signless, how can offering to it be equal to offering to the Buddha? Since the merit of prajñā is said to be so great, why is it further said that 「舍利是五波羅蜜乃至一切種智所住處故得供養」 tr. "the relics receive offerings because they are the abiding-place of the five perfections and so on up to omniscience of all kinds"? These three questions peel back, layer by layer, the relation between ‘that which produces (prajñā)’ and ‘what is produced (the relics, the scroll, the merits of the buddhas)’. The backbone of the whole unit is the simile of a 「如意寶珠」 tr. "wish-fulfilling jewel", by which it is matched and explained point by point how prajñā is that from which all merits come forth, and how it far surpasses the relics it gives birth to.
Passage by Passage
First, look at the choice in Sūtra ① and Śakra's reason. The Buddha sets ‘relics filling Jambudvīpa’ against ‘the written scroll of the prajñā sūtra’ and has Śakra take one and leave the other; Śakra takes prajñā, and states his own causes and conditions: the relics receive offerings only because they are 「從般若波羅蜜中生、般若波羅蜜薰修故」 tr. "born from prajñāpāramitā and perfumed and cultivated by prajñāpāramitā". This sentence is the root of the whole chapter: the relics are precious, and their preciousness lies in their being the fruit born and perfumed by prajñā; taking the fruit is not as good as taking the cause, taking what is produced is not as good as taking what produces, so not taking the relics but taking prajñā is exactly taking their root source. When the measure reaches the three-thousand great-thousand world, Śakra still takes prajñā, and his reason goes a step further—「是般若波羅蜜中生諸佛舍利」 tr. "it is within this prajñāpāramitā that the relics of the buddhas are born", and so on to ‘whether one sees the present Buddha or sees the scroll of prajñāpāramitā, they are equal and without difference’, because 「般若波羅蜜與佛無二無別故」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā and the Buddha are without duality and without difference". From ‘the relics are born from prajñā’ to ‘prajñā and the Buddha are not two’, the meaning of that which produces is pushed all the way to its limit: prajñā not only gives birth to the relics but is also without difference from the Buddha's own body, so to see the scroll is like seeing the Buddha. Here the chapter's general proposition is first set up: prajñā is the producing root of the relics and of the Buddha, and the merit of making offerings to the relics in truth comes from prajñā.
Śāriputra's challenge and Śakra's answer are the first pass of Sūtra ①. Śāriputra says that prajñā is ‘without form, without shape, without resistance, one mark, namely the signless’, and that prajñā 「不為取故出，不為捨故出，不為增減、聚散、損益、垢淨故出」 tr. "does not come forth for the sake of taking, does not come forth for the sake of relinquishing, does not come forth for the sake of increase or decrease, gathering or scattering, loss or gain, defilement or purity"; it does not give the dharmas of the buddhas and does not relinquish the dharmas of ordinary people, and so on up to not giving omniscience of all kinds and not relinquishing the dharmas of ordinary people—since it is a dharma apart from all taking and relinquishing, increase and decrease, how can one 「欲取」 tr. "wish to take" it? This challenge is extremely sharp: since prajñā is absolute and signless, the moment a thought of 「取」 tr. "taking" arises one falls into the duality of the taker and the taken—does that not contradict its own signless nature? Śakra, following the point, answers with the most essential doctrinal sentence of the whole chapter: 「般若波羅蜜不行二法故，不二法相是般若波羅蜜，不二法相是禪波羅蜜乃至檀波羅蜜。」 tr. "Because prajñāpāramitā does not practise dual dharmas, the mark of non-dual dharmas is prajñāpāramitā, the mark of non-dual dharmas is dhyānapāramitā, and so on up to dānapāramitā." What he calls 「取」 tr. "taking" is not taking an object, but moving in non-duality; precisely because it does not fall into the two extremes of taking and relinquishing, it is truly able to practise and truly able to cultivate prajñā—the mark of non-dual dharmas is not only the mark of prajñā but also the mark of meditation and so on to giving and all the perfections, and the six perfections are threaded through by one single non-dual wisdom. The Buddha at once confirms this, and extends non-duality to the nature of dharmas, the limit of reality, and the nature of the inconceivable: whoever wishes to find 「法性二相」 tr. "two marks in the nature of dharmas" wishes to find ‘two marks in prajñā’, while 「法性、般若波羅蜜，無二無別」 tr. "the nature of dharmas and prajñāpāramitā are without duality and without difference"; so too with wishing to find 「實際、不可思議性二相」 tr. "two marks in the limit of reality and in the nature of the inconceivable". This brings the two statements that on the surface contradict each other—‘signless and cannot be taken’ and 「取般若」 tr. "taking prajñā"—to reconciliation in 「不二」 tr. "non-duality": signlessness is not an empty nothing with nothing to take, it is taking without setting up the mark of taking; taking prajñā is not attaining something else, it is entering into accord with the non-duality of the nature of dharmas.
Next Śakra sets out at length the merit of prajñā, in a string of similes. The simile of the seat in the Hall of Good Dharma says: when Śakra is not in his seat, the gods still pay homage to his seat, just as in the place where the scroll of prajñā abides the gods, nāgas, and the rest of the eight classes of the ten directions all come to worship and make offerings—because 「是般若波羅蜜中生諸佛及一切眾生樂具」 tr. "it is within this prajñāpāramitā that the buddhas and all the means of happiness of beings are born". What matters in this simile is not that gods and spirits come to worship, but that 「所住處」 tr. "the place where it abides" thereby becomes a holy place: the seat is revered not for the seat itself but for the one who taught the Dharma upon it; the scroll is revered not for its paper and ink but for the prajñā it expresses. The meaning of signlessness and fearlessness is this: one who receives and upholds prajñā and whose mind enters deeply into the Dharma 「不見怖畏相」 tr. "does not see any mark to be feared", because prajñā is 「無相無貌、無言無說」 tr. "without mark and without appearance, without words and without speech"; and it turns one layer further—precisely because prajñā truly is signless and without speech, the buddhas are able to 「知一切諸法無相無貌、無言無說」 tr. "know that all dharmas are without mark and without appearance, without words and without speech", and so attain right awakening and teach the Dharma to their disciples. This sentence turns 「無相」 tr. "signless" from the negative 「不可取」 tr. "cannot be taken" into the positive ‘that by which one becomes a Buddha’: it is not that prajñā, being signless, is not worth taking; on the contrary, it is by realising this signlessness that the buddhas become buddhas and teach the Dharma. Then the benefits of receiving and upholding prajñā are told: those who draw near to it, read, recite, write it out, rightly recollect it, and make offerings to it do not fall into the hells, the animals, or the hungry ghosts, and do not fall to the ground of the śrāvaka and the pratyekabuddha, and so on up to attaining unsurpassed awakening and always seeing the buddhas, going from one buddha-world to another buddha-world making offerings to the buddhas—the utmost of merit hangs entirely on one scroll of the signless sūtra.
Treatise ① first resolves the question of ‘the few surpassing the many’: the stūpa of the seven jewels was originally the dwelling-place of relics, and now the relics alone are set against the scroll because 「舍利雖不及般若，而滿閻浮提；般若妙故，但明經卷」 tr. "although the relics do not reach prajñā, they fill Jambudvīpa; because prajñā is wondrous, only the scroll is made clear"—since relics filling all of Jambudvīpa still cannot match one scroll of prajñā, the wonder of prajñā is seen all the more. It further explains why the Buddha asks Śakra: those who have left home mostly crave wisdom (the cause of liberation), while householders mostly crave merit (the cause of happiness); those who have left home mostly crave things known by mind-consciousness, while householders mostly crave things known by the five consciousnesses; Śakra 「已證福樂果報最大，於在家人中最為尊勝」 tr. "has already realised the greatest result of merit and happiness, and among householders is the most honoured and supreme", so the Buddha asks him in particular, letting this most honoured one in merit state for himself which to take and which to leave, so that his words carry the more weight. Śakra's statement of his own causes and conditions also has its measure: he 「不敢輕慢、不恭敬舍利」 tr. "does not dare to slight the relics or to be irreverent to them", and knows clearly that the merit of offering to relics the size of a mustard seed is already immeasurable and boundless, yet 「菩薩受身便有舍利，人所不貴；得成佛時，舍利以般若熏修故，人所恭敬」 tr. "when a bodhisattva takes on a body there are relics, but people do not value them; when he attains buddhahood, because the relics are perfumed and cultivated by prajñā, people revere them"—the relics are the same, and what separates their lowliness before buddhahood from their nobility after it is exactly whether or not they have been perfumed by prajñā; so he takes the superior one, that which perfumes. The treatise-author also settles the nature of Śāriputra's 「難」 tr. "challenge": that Śakra, living as a householder and covered over by the afflictions and the five desires, is able to speak on prajñā is a 「希有」 tr. "rare" thing; Śāriputra's questioning is 「欲令釋提桓因更問佛深義」 tr. "meant to lead Śakra Devānām Indra to ask the Buddha further about the deep meaning", not a real doubt. Śakra's answering 「如是」 tr. "just so" means ‘among all dharmas there is no mark of duality: the relics are not taken as small, nor prajñā as great’; that he speaks, in terms of worldly truth, of prajñā as 「能令眾生心無二無分別」 tr. "able to make the minds of beings without duality and without discrimination" is 「為利益新發意菩薩」 tr. "for the benefit of bodhisattvas who have newly aroused the mind"—one can see that Śakra all along speaks by way of the skilful means of worldly truth, while his bones are still non-duality. As for 「己身為喻」 tr. "taking himself as the simile", the treatise-author keeps two readings side by side: one reading has his own person stand for the Buddha and the scroll for the seat; the other has his own person stand for prajñā and the seat for the relics—the former is the treatise-author's own gloss, the latter is introduced by 「有人言」 tr. "some say", and the treatise-author records both without judgement. At the end the treatise-author points out that the Buddha 「開其初，以舍利滿閻浮提」 tr. "opened the beginning with relics filling Jambudvīpa"; once Śakra had grasped which wins and which loses, he, for the sake of all beings, extended it to the three-thousand great-thousand world, and his own statement of causes and conditions is precisely 「見般若波羅蜜，與見佛無異」 tr. "seeing prajñāpāramitā is no different from seeing the Buddha"—from the measure of Jambudvīpa pushed on to the measure of the great-thousand world, his resolve to take prajñā never shifts.
Sūtra ② carries on and spreads the merit out more widely, bringing in the two great similes of the debtor relying on the king and of the maṇi jewel. The three kinds of manifestation and the twelve divisions of the scriptures are all born from prajñā; and not only in this land—the buddhas of the ten directions, abiding in the three kinds of manifestation and teaching the twelve divisions of the scriptures, are likewise such that 「般若波羅蜜中生諸佛，亦生十二部經」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā gives birth to the buddhas, and also gives birth to the twelve divisions of the scriptures"; so one who receives and upholds prajñā and expounds it for others is 「等無異」 tr. "equal and without difference" from the Buddha. Making offerings to buddhas of the ten directions as many as the sands of the Ganges and writing out the scroll of prajñā—「其福正等」 tr. "their merit is exactly equal", because 「十方諸佛皆從般若波羅蜜中生」 tr. "the buddhas of the ten directions are all born from prajñāpāramitā"—this is the one meaning the whole chapter returns to again and again: the measure of merit is decided by the root it relies on, and when the root is the same, the merit is equal. It is further said that one who hears prajñā, receives and upholds it, and rightly recollects it 「正住阿鞞跋致地中」 tr. "abides rightly in the ground of avaivartika", far from all suffering, vexation, decline, and sickness—the benefit of receiving and upholding is not only escaping a fall into the evil destinies, but rightly entering the non-retrogressing position. The simile of the debtor relying on the king shows the meaning of ‘that which produces’ most clearly: the relics are like the debtor, prajñā is like the king; 「負債人依王故得供養，舍利亦依般若波羅蜜修薰故得供養」 tr. "the debtor receives offerings because he relies on the king; the relics too receive offerings because they rely on being cultivated and perfumed by prajñāpāramitā"; the omniscience of all kinds of the buddhas too is accomplished by the cultivating and perfuming of prajñā. So within prajñā are born 「生諸佛舍利、三十二相」 tr. "the relics of the buddhas and the thirty-two marks", born are 「十力、四無所畏、四無礙智、十八不共法、大慈大悲」 tr. "the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the eighteen unshared dharmas, great kindness and great compassion", born is the name of the five perfections, born is the omniscience of all kinds of the buddhas—this long list of merits is not display, but counts ‘prajñā as that which produces’ all the way to the virtues of the Buddha-ground, letting one see how wide is what prajñā brings forth. The simile of the maṇi jewel then formally takes the stage: in the place where the jewel abides non-humans find no opening; it can remove the sicknesses of heat, cold, wind, and their mixture, remove the stings of poisonous snakes, light up dark places, and make turbid water clear, taking on the colour it is wrapped in—Ānanda asks one question here (Ānanda's only appearance in this chapter), and Śakra answers that this is a heavenly jewel; Jambudvīpa also has it, but 「功德相少不具足」 tr. "its marks of merit are few and incomplete", which sets off the heavenly jewel as pure, light, and wondrous beyond comparison, a simile for the merit of prajñā, which no worldly dharma can match. Śakra further declares that the relics' receiving offerings is 「皆般若波羅蜜力」 tr. "entirely the power of prajñāpāramitā", and enumerates that the relics are 「諸功德寶波羅蜜住處」 tr. "the abiding-place of the pāramitā of the jewels of all merits", 「不垢不淨波羅蜜住處」 tr. "the abiding-place of the pāramitā that is neither stained nor pure", and so on to 「諸法相波羅蜜住處」 tr. "the abiding-place of the pāramitā of the marks of all dharmas"; because they are perfumed and cultivated by the pāramitā of the marks of all dharmas, they receive offerings; and so on to this, that one who receives and upholds prajñā can fulfil the six perfections, the four foundations of mindfulness, and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, passes beyond the grounds of the two vehicles, abides in the bodhisattva position, attains the supernormal powers of a bodhisattva, and takes on bodies for the sake of beings so as to bring beings to maturity. At the end it is further said that one who wishes to see the Dharma body and the form body of the buddhas of the ten directions should receive and uphold prajñā and cultivate the samādhi of recollecting the Buddha by way of the mark of dharmas—gathering the weighing of offerings back into the ultimate benefit of 「見佛」 tr. "seeing the Buddha".
Treatise ② is the densest place in the doctrine of this unit, matching and explaining the merits of prajñā one by one around the 「如意寶珠」 tr. "wish-fulfilling jewel". It first resolves ‘how can merely receiving and upholding prajñā be equal to the Buddha’: the Buddha wishes to praise prajñā as great—「於十二部經中，般若為最勝」 tr. "among the twelve divisions of the scriptures, prajñā is the most supreme"—because teaching prajñā mostly arouses the bodhisattva mind, while teaching the twelve divisions of the scriptures arouses intents of the three vehicles mixed together; this is said with reference to the Dharma body, and so it is equal and without difference. Next it explains where the maṇi jewel comes from, and the treatise-author sets four accounts side by side (it comes out of a nāga king's brain / it is a fragment broken off Śakra's vajra / it is transformed from the relics of past buddhas / it exists naturally from the merit of beings); these too are divergent accounts of the ancient masters, recorded and not judged. The treatise-author also first gathers it up in one sentence: the reason the merit of prajñā is superior lies in its 「能破一切苦惱、衰病、怖畏」 tr. "being able to break all suffering, vexation, decline, sickness, and fear"; and it is divided into the two gates of inner and outer—「無諸衰病及怖畏」 tr. "free of all decline, sickness, and fear" makes the inner clear, ‘with the maṇi jewel, neither humans nor non-humans find an opening’ makes the outer clear; inner and outer show each other, and one sees how complete is the protecting care of prajñā.
Then comes the most finely woven ‘jewel–prajñā’ matching of the whole chapter, which can be read as a table of contrasts that uses the jewel to set off prajñā, while at every point showing what the jewel falls short of. The matching of sicknesses: the jewel removes the four hundred and four sicknesses and the four root sicknesses (wind, heat, cold, and their mixture); prajñā removes the eighty-four thousand sicknesses and the four root sicknesses (greed, hatred, delusion, and their equal mixture), and the medicines that counteract them are set out in detail—the contemplation of impurity removes greed, the mind of kindness and compassion removes anger, the contemplation of causes and conditions removes delusion, and the three medicines together cure the sickness of equal mixture; this is the practical outline that gathers the eighty-four thousand afflictions back into the three poisons, and the three poisons back into the three contemplations. The matching of removing darkness, removing heat, and removing cold: the jewel removes darkness, prajñā removes the darkness of the three realms; the jewel removes heat, prajñā removes the heat of lust and anger; the jewel removes cold, prajñā removes the cold mind of ignorance, lack of faith, and indolence—the cold and heat of outer things are easily removed, the cold and heat of the mind's nature are hard to dispel, so what the jewel removes is shape and substance, what prajñā removes is the mind of the three poisons. The matching of poison and of the eye: the jewel wards off poisonous stings that come from outside but cannot remove 「四大毒蛇」 tr. "the four great poisonous snakes" (the ills of the four great elements within the body), while prajñā 「畢竟除此二種毒」 tr. "ultimately removes both these kinds of poison"; moreover the jewel cannot cure the poison of wrong view, while prajñā can remove it; the jewel cures the fleshly eye, the eye that sees near, while prajñā cures the wisdom-eye, the eye that sees far; most important of all, 「珠能治肉眼，肉眼不作珠；般若能治慧眼，慧眼即作般若」 tr. "the jewel can cure the fleshly eye, yet the fleshly eye does not become the jewel; prajñā can cure the wisdom-eye, and the wisdom-eye at once becomes prajñā"—the jewel and what it cures remain two things in the end, whereas prajñā and the wisdom-eye become one in the very curing, the curer and the cured not separated. The matching of water and colour: the jewel makes water take on the colour it is wrapped in and makes turbid water clear, while prajñā can accord with wholesome mental-factor dharmas and make pure the turbid mind of the six thoughts, and the turbid minds of greed and anger of the kings of nāgas, of ghosts and spirits, and of humans—what the jewel turns is outer water, what prajñā turns is the nature of beings' minds. The matching of endurance goes most to the vital point: the jewel only removes the darkness and heat of the place where it abides, and 「後病復發」 tr. "afterwards the sickness breaks out again", while prajñā can extinguish the great fire at the end of the kalpa, and its cure is 「畢竟清淨」 tr. "ultimately pure"—the counteractions of the world are mostly temporary suppressions, while the cure of prajñā is final. Here the treatise-author raises a question of his own—since the four sicknesses include all sicknesses, why are eye pain and leprosy spoken of separately? He answers that 「眼是身中第一，所用最貴」 tr. "the eye is foremost in the body, and most precious in use", and that 「癩病最重，宿命罪因緣故難治」 tr. "leprosy is the heaviest, and is hard to cure because of the causes and conditions of sin in past lives", and so they are spoken of separately. At the end the casket and the relics are set against each other, bringing the simile back to the face of this chapter's title: the jewel's power enters the casket, yet the casket cannot give people the merit of having their wishes fulfilled, whereas the relics, having received the perfuming and cultivating of prajñā, are such that those who make offerings to them 「必還得般若而得成佛」 tr. "will surely in turn attain prajñā and become buddhas"—prajñā is the wish-fulfilling jewel and the casket is the relics; although there is no prajñā within the relics, they receive offerings because they have been perfumed by prajñā; moreover the casket is valued only by ordinary people, while the relics are valued by ordinary people and noble ones alike, and the difference lies exactly in whether or not there is the perfuming of prajñā. Finally the treatise-author raises a question himself to close: since the merit of prajñā is such as this, why is it also said that the relics receive offerings because they are the abiding-place of the five perfections and so on up to omniscience of all kinds? The answer is extremely fine—「一切諸法，般若波羅蜜為首、為明導；譬如王來必有將從，但舉其主名，餘者已盡得」 tr. "among all dharmas, prajñāpāramitā is the head and the bright guide; just as when a king comes there is surely a retinue following, and naming only the lord, the rest are already all included". Name the lord, prajñā, and the many merits that abide in the relics are already all gathered within it; the two statements do not contradict each other.
Do Not Misread
Do not read ‘of the two portions, prajñā is taken’ as belittling the relics. At his very first words Śakra says ‘it is not that I do not revere the Buddha's relics, not that I do not honour them’, and the treatise-author also says on his behalf 「供養芥子許舍利，功德無量無邊」 tr. "making offerings to relics the size of a mustard seed, the merit is immeasurable and boundless". Taking prajñā rather than the relics does not say that the relics are not worth valuing; it traces back why they are valued—「舍利從般若波羅蜜中生」 tr. "the relics are born from prajñāpāramitā"—and takes only that producing root. To read it as ‘the relics need not be offered to’ runs exactly against this chapter's point that ‘the relics' receiving offerings is entirely the power of prajñā’.
Do not read ‘prajñā is signless and cannot be taken’ and 「取般若」 tr. "taking prajñā" as a contradiction. Śāriputra raises his challenge with ‘signless and cannot be taken’, and Śakra answers with 「不行二法」 tr. "does not practise dual dharmas"—what is called taking is moving in non-duality without falling into the two extremes of taking and relinquishing; it is not taking a thing called prajñā. If 「取」 tr. "taking" is read as having a taker and a taken, that is precisely the 「二相」 tr. "two marks" that Śakra and the Buddha refute.
Do not read the maṇi jewel, the wish-fulfilling jewel, as prajñā truly being a jewel. This is a borrowed simile, 「以世間人貴是寶珠故，以珠為喻」 tr. "because people of the world value this precious jewel, the jewel is used as a simile", and the treatise-author points out at every turn where the jewel falls short: the jewel removes only the heat of the place where it abides, prajñā can extinguish the great fire at the end of the kalpa; with the jewel the sickness breaks out again afterwards, prajñā is ultimately pure. The simile is there to show that prajñā far surpasses the jewel, not to say that prajñā, like the jewel, is a thing with a fixed mark; to read it as ‘prajñā is a treasure that can fulfil wishes’ is to make the signless prajñā into something solid.
Do not read the pairing of ‘the eighty-four thousand sicknesses and the four root sicknesses’ with the three medicines as a medical prescription. The treatise-author gathers the eighty-four thousand afflictions back into the four sicknesses of greed, hatred, delusion, and equal mixture, and then pairs them with the three medicines of the contemplation of impurity, the mind of kindness and compassion, and the contemplation of causes and conditions to cure them; this is an outline of counteraction for cultivating the mind, not a prescription for curing the body. The four sicknesses are a classification of the afflictions, the three medicines a classification of contemplations; the weight lies in letting the practitioner know that though the afflictions are many they do not go beyond four kinds, and though the counteractions are wide they do not go beyond three gates. To read it as having a real effect like the jewel's healing of bodily sickness is to miss the layer of ‘prajñā cures the mind’.
Do not read ‘the four accounts of the jewel's origin’ and ‘the two similes of his own person’ as the treatise-author's settled conclusions or as disputation. Both places are divergent accounts the treatise-author himself sets side by side (of the two similes of one's own body, one is his own gloss and the other a 「有人言」 tr. "some say"), recorded without judgement. There is no need to force a decision about which of the four accounts is true, nor may the recording side by side be read as the treatise-author starting a controversy of his own—it simply records the old accounts as they are, and the weight still lies on the right meaning that ‘prajñā is that from which all merits come forth’.
Do not read 「舍利是五波羅蜜乃至一切種智所住處」 tr. "the relics are the abiding-place of the five perfections and so on up to omniscience of all kinds" as contradicting 「取般若」 tr. "taking prajñā". The treatise-author has already reconciled them with ‘name the lord and the retinue is all included’: prajñā is the head and the bright guide, and naming prajñā already gathers in all the many merits it produces and that abide (including those abiding in the relics). Of the two statements, one speaks of what produces and one of what abides; they run side by side without conflict, not fighting each other front and back.
Do not read 「與佛等無異」 tr. "equal to the Buddha and without difference" as meaning that the one who upholds it is already level with the Buddha. The treatise-author says it plainly: this is ‘said with reference to the Dharma body’; it says their merit is equal in that the prajñā relied on is the same, not that the merit of an ordinary bodhisattva is being set against the Buddha's immeasurable body. What is equal is the root relied on and the Great Vehicle mind aroused, not the fruit-position; to read it as ‘upholding the sūtra is already becoming a Buddha’ is to lose the boundary of ‘said with reference to the Dharma body’.
Do not read ‘the relics' receiving offerings is entirely the power of prajñā’ as meaning that the relics themselves have no virtue. The relics are 「先世業因緣所成」 tr. "formed by the causes and conditions of karma in former lives", and ought to repay all their opposing retributions; precisely because of the perfuming and cultivating of prajñā, the opposing retributions of past karma and hunger, thirst, cold, and heat cannot reach them, and instead they receive offerings from the gods and the people of the world—like the debtor who, relying on the king, is instead revered by his creditors. This says that the virtue of the relics is shown and protected by prajñā, not that the relics are an empty shell; belittling the relics and deifying the relics are both not the treatise-author's meaning.
Bearing on Practice
When making offerings, hold to the measuring-rule of ‘tracing back to the root’. In worshipping relics, worshipping stūpas, and worshipping the scroll of the sūtra, be reverent in each outward act (even Śakra ‘does not dare to slight relics the size of a mustard seed’), while knowing clearly in the mind that the honoured source of what is revered lies in prajñā—‘the relics are born from prajñā, and receive offerings because they are perfumed and cultivated by prajñā’. Offering in this way, one neither loses the merit of the outward act nor gets stuck in the mark of what is produced and forgets its producing root. This is also a reminder: cultivating merit and cultivating wisdom need not be split into two separate halves; offering to one scroll of prajñā, receiving and upholding it and rightly recollecting it, the merit already contains the virtues abiding in omniscience of all kinds—this is where to set one's hand to merit that is at once wisdom.
Settle the mind with the ‘two protections, inner and outer’. The treatise-author says the merit of prajñā makes the inner clear with 「無諸衰病及怖畏」 tr. "free of all decline, sickness, and fear", and makes the outer clear with ‘neither humans nor non-humans find an opening’: inwardly, bodily decline and sickness of mind can be removed at will; outwardly, evil Māras and rākṣasas 「不得其便」 tr. "find no opening". When in one's practice one meets inner disturbance (the sickness and suffering of the afflictions) or outer conditions (opposition, vexation, and harm), one can return to the illumination of prajñā—not seeking something to protect the body the way one seeks a jewel, but, by the signless wisdom, leaving the inner and outer disturbances nowhere to attach themselves, so that naturally they ‘find no opening’.
Learn, in the place of 「無相」 tr. "the signless", not to fall into the two extremes. In daily life, as soon as ‘taking and relinquishing’ appears before one—taking good and relinquishing evil, taking the pure and relinquishing the defiled, taking prajñā and relinquishing the relics—recall ‘because prajñā does not practise dual dharmas, the mark of non-dual dharmas is prajñā’: one may plainly carry out the acts of taking and relinquishing, while the mind does not fall into the mark of taking or the mark of relinquishing. This is exactly the making real of Śakra's ‘taking without taking’.
Use the nineteenfold simile of the maṇi jewel to counteract one's own mind. The jewel removes heat, removes cold, removes darkness, wards off poison, cures the eye, cures leprosy—each of these can be turned into a contemplation of the sicknesses of one's own mind: the heat of lust and the heat of anger are counteracted by kindness and compassion and by the contemplation of impurity; the cold of ignorance is counteracted by the illumination of prajñā; when the wisdom-eye is broken by wrong view, prajñā makes it clear again. Using this ready-made string of paired similes as a checklist for daily practice gives more of a place to set one's hand than merely saying ‘remove the afflictions with prajñā’.
Remember that prajñā's 「畢竟清淨」 tr. "ultimately pure" surpasses the jewel's 「後病復發」 tr. "afterwards the sickness breaks out again". The many counteractions of the world are mostly suppressions, and as soon as the conditions of sickness arrive it breaks out again; prajñā's cure of the wisdom-eye is 「畢竟清淨」 tr. "ultimately pure", and 「慧眼即作般若」 tr. "the wisdom-eye at once becomes prajñā". In practice, if one sees the afflictions suppressed for a while and then arising again, there is no need to lose heart; that is just the time to return to the illumination of prajñā—to seek the final medicine that can keep the sickness from breaking out again, not merely a suppression for a time.
Settle the many practices with ‘name the lord and the retinue is all included’. Recollecting the Buddha, making offerings, keeping the precepts, giving—the many wholesome dharmas seem scattered, but as long as prajñā is made the head and the bright guide, then as 「王來必有將從」 tr. "when a king comes there is surely a retinue following", practising prajñā once gathers in all the practices. The key to applying the mind lies in ‘naming the lord’—threading the wisdom of prajñā, which has nothing to be attained, at the head of all wholesome dharmas, without having to manage each dharma piecemeal.
Gather the gates of practice with ‘the six perfections are threaded by one single non-duality’. In giving, not seeing a giver, a receiver, or the thing given; in keeping the precepts, not seeing the mark of keeping or breaking; each of the perfections is practised with the wisdom of non-duality, which is what Śakra calls 「不二法相是禪波羅蜜乃至檀波羅蜜」 tr. "the mark of non-dual dharmas is dhyānapāramitā, and so on up to dānapāramitā". In this way, within one perfection prajñā is already complete, and outside prajñā there are no separate perfections; the practitioner need not raise a separate round of taking, relinquishing, and managing at each of the six gates, but only keeps to 「不行二法」 tr. "does not practise dual dharmas" and threads everything through with one taste.
Set up the ultimate vow at the place of 「見佛」 tr. "seeing the Buddha". This unit finally gathers the weighing of offerings into ‘one who wishes to see the Dharma body and the form body of the buddhas of the ten directions should receive and uphold prajñā and cultivate the samādhi of recollecting the Buddha by way of the mark of dharmas’. To recollect the Buddha while cultivating by way of the mark of dharmas is not to grasp the Buddha's form-marks but to accord with the Buddha's Dharma body; the utmost of offering to prajñā lies not in gaining merit but in being able to see the buddhas. In practice, cultivate recollection of the Buddha and prajñā together—recollecting the Buddha without leaving the signless, contemplating emptiness without abandoning recollection of the Buddha—this is exactly the making real of this chapter's ‘seeing the Buddha and seeing prajñā are equal and without difference’.
Further Resonances
The skeleton of the First Part is one line ‘tracing back from what is produced to what produces’: Sūtra ① with ‘of the two portions, prajñā is taken’ sets up that the relics are ‘born from prajñā’, and by way of Śāriputra's challenge presses 「取般若」 tr. "taking prajñā" into the right meaning of non-duality, 「不行二法」 tr. "does not practise dual dharmas"; Sūtra ②, with the two similes of the debtor relying on the king and of the maṇi jewel, spreads prajñā out as that from which all merits (the relics, the marks and excellent signs of the buddhas, the naming of the five perfections, omniscience of all kinds) come forth; Treatises ① and ② resolve the difficulties layer by layer—resolving the question of weighing against the relics with ‘the few surpassing the many’, resolving the question of upholding being equal to the Buddha with 「發菩薩心」 tr. "arousing the bodhisattva mind", showing with the nineteenfold matching of the wish-fulfilling jewel how prajñā far surpasses what it gives birth to, and at the end reconciling, with ‘name the lord and the retinue is all included’, the two statements of 「取般若」 tr. "taking prajñā" and 「舍利得供養」 tr. "the relics receive offerings" as not contradicting each other. The two engine-sentences of the whole unit are, first, Śakra's ‘the relics receive offerings because they are perfumed and cultivated by prajñā’, and second, the treatise-author's ‘prajñā is the head and the bright guide’: the first governs ‘what produces’—the nobility of the relics is traced back to prajñā; the second governs ‘gathering in’—name prajñā and the many virtues it produces are all within it. The First Part carries the pair ‘relics and prajñā’, the produced and the producer, as far as ‘name the lord and all is included’, and all along lays the hidden thread of 「攝」 tr. "gathering in": prajñā not only gives birth to the relics and to the buddhas and their virtues, but is also the head and the bright guide of all dharmas, and naming prajñā includes all the rest. This meaning of ‘gathering in all dharmas’ is already on the verge of being spoken in the First Part, waiting only to be set out directly. The joint left for the Last Part opens right along this line: since prajñā gathers in all dharmas, how then are the two marks of dharmas, ‘conditioned and unconditioned’, entirely gathered into prajñā; how does the bodhisattva take prajñā as the bright guide and fulfil the six perfections; and how should writing out the sūtra and reciting it oneself be weighed against giving it to others—this is exactly what Sūtra ③ and Treatise ③ of the Last Part go on to ask and to answer. The First Part closes with ‘name the lord and the retinue is all included’, and the Last Part takes it up with ‘the two marks of dharmas, conditioned and unconditioned, are both gathered within prajñā’; the meaning of producing thus turns into the meaning of gathering in, threaded through by one line. Seen together, the two pillars set up in the First Part, ‘the relics are born from prajñā’ and ‘prajñā and the Buddha are not two’, are exactly the groundwork for the Last Part's ‘prajñā gathers in all dharmas and is the bright guide of the six perfections’: first it is made clear that prajñā is the producing root, then that prajñā is the gathering cord, and the whole purport of weighing in this chapter, with these two units, upper and lower, joined head to tail, is thereafter complete.
校量舍利品之下Weighing the Relics, Part 2 of 2
全文五層 →Full five layers →校量舍利品之下：有為無為二法相、般若為六度明導、書經施人福勝、內外二緣成大果報
在問什麼
之上一路校量舍利與般若二分，帝釋屢屢取般若，論主以如意寶珠一喻十九重詳配作結，末了一句『讚般若波羅蜜，是義先已說』把校量之義收住。之下便換了問法：不再問『二分之中取何所』，而轉入般若「攝一切法」到底攝的是什麼、怎麼攝。帝釋開口就提出有為、無為兩種法相，佛一一印可，並申明三世諸佛及弟子皆因般若得道，卻又緊接一串「非此非彼、非高非下」的遮遣——般若能生萬法、攝萬法，自己卻無一相可取。由此逼出之下真正的問題：一個「性無所有、不可得」的般若，怎麼還能作六度的明導？怎麼還堪受供養、還分得出書經自誦與書經施人的福德高下、還要佛碎身如芥子令人供養？帝釋連問三事——但行般若可不可以、書經自誦與施人孰福多、福德既在心又何用碎身——佛與論主逐一作答。答案始終扣住一個樞紐：正因般若無所得，它才不與五度爭一相，而能作五度之導、能一味融諸法之別、能以無吾我之施成大福。之下所校量的，已不是舍利與經卷的孰重孰輕，而是『有所得』與「無所得」的孰真孰妄。
逐段解明
先看有為、無為二法相。帝釋自陳兩相：有為諸法相是「內空中智慧」乃至「十八不共法中智慧」、善不善、有漏無漏、世出世間種種智慧；無為諸法相是「無生無滅、無住無異、無垢無淨、無增無減」的諸法自性。要緊的是末後對「自性」的收煞——「諸法無所有性，是諸法自性」。無為並不是有為之外另立一個實體，而是就這一切有為法「無所有」的那個性上安名。論主釋得直截：有為法相所以是有為，因它「先無今有、已有還無」，是造作之相；「與上相違，即是無為法相」。二相既立，隨即歸一——「是二法，皆般若波羅蜜中攝」。這正接上之上『般若為首、為明導』的舊義：般若之所以能攝有為無為，不是它比二法更大，而是它見得二法同歸無所有。
次看佛的印可與遮遣。佛答帝釋「如是如是」，先立般若的生成之德——三世諸佛、三世弟子，得無上菩提也好、得須陀洹乃至辟支佛道也好，『皆因般若波羅蜜』。可是這德才立，佛立刻遮住不許人取相：般若「非此非彼、非高非下、非等非不等、非相非無相」，乃至非有為非無為、非善非不善。佛自點明這是「以俗法故，非以第一義」——說般若能生能攝，是隨順世諦的方便說；就第一義而言，般若連『能生』之相也不立。帝釋隨即順此意深入：菩薩行般若「知一切眾生心，亦不得眾生」，乃至不得五陰、不得四念處十八不共法、不得菩提、不得佛。何以能知而不得？因為「般若波羅蜜，性無所有、不可得，所用法不可得，處亦不可得」——能觀之般若、所觀之法、觀照之處，三者俱不可得，這才是『知而不得』的底據。佛再印可：長夜行般若，菩提尚不可得，何況菩薩及菩薩法。
三看般若為六度作明導。帝釋起一疑：既然般若這樣殊勝，菩薩『但行般若，不行餘波羅蜜』可不可以？佛答得斬截：菩薩要「盡行六波羅蜜」，只是以無所得而行——行檀不得施者、受者、財物，行尸羅不得戒、持戒人、破戒人，乃至行般若不得智慧、智慧人、無智慧人。接著才點出六度與般若的關係不是取代而是引領：菩薩行布施、持戒、忍辱、精進、禪、觀諸法時，「般若波羅蜜為作明導」，方能使一一波羅蜜具足。經文自設閻浮提諸樹一喻——種種葉、華、果、色，其蔭卻無差別；諸波羅蜜入般若中至薩婆若，無差別也正如此。論主到論③處把這一義推足，另設鹽味一喻：愚人聞鹽是眾味之主，便單食鹽而失味致患；行者若只行般若不與五度和合，「反墮邪見，不能增進善法」。兩喻合看，帝釋「但行般若」之疑就破了——般若是味中之主而非唯一之味，是眾樹之蔭而非離樹之蔭；「雖眾行和合，般若為主」，主而不孤，導而不代。
四看書經自誦與書經施人的校量。帝釋三歎般若大功德、一切功德、無量無邊無等功德之後，提出一個很實的問題：書經卷自己供養正憶念，與書經卷施人，孰福多？佛不直答，反以舍利為例回問帝釋——自供養舍利，與分舍利如芥子與人令供養，孰福多？帝釋答『分舍利與他人』的福甚多，並自己補出佛入金剛三昧碎金剛身作末舍利、正為令後人供養得無邊福報。佛乃順此印可：書經施人令學，福甚於自書供養；更進一層，能「為他人說，開示、分別，令易解」的，又勝於但施經卷——且教人視所從聞般若之人「如佛」、如高勝梵行人，因為「般若波羅蜜即是佛」，三世諸佛皆從中學。論主釋這福德高下之由，不落在事相的多寡，而落在心地的有我無我：獨行讀誦「或以我心，故功德小」；以經施人「有大悲心，作佛道因緣，無吾我故，功德為大」。校量的秤，終究秤的是我執之有無。
五看內外二緣與收束。帝釋末一疑最切：福德既在心，佛「何用碎身如芥子，令人供養」？論主答以二因緣和合方成大果——「信淨心從二因緣生：一者、內正憶念，二者、外有良福田」；更設良田好種一喻：穀種雖好，必得良田，所收乃多；心雖好，必因舍利，然後得大果報。內心與外境不是二選一，而是相須而成。末後論主以二因緣證般若為勝：三世聖人從中學成聖道；佛自身以此法得成無上聖，「還師仰此法」——法者，即諸法實相、般若波羅蜜。全單元收於一句遞進的根本因緣：「般若是菩薩根本因緣，菩薩是諸佛根本因緣，諸佛是一切世間大利益安樂因緣」；而所謂供養之具，不過「一心聽受乃至正憶念」及華香幡蓋。以最深的實相義開頭，以最平的一心聽受作結，正是之下的收法。
不要讀錯
不要把『有為無為二法相』讀成兩個實體並立。經文末句已自破——「諸法無所有性，是諸法自性」；無為不在有為之外，是就有為「無所有」處安名，論主釋為「與上相違，即是無為法相」，相違而非別有。
不要把『般若非此非彼、非高非下』讀成般若什麼都不是的頑空。這一串遮遣的前一句正是『三世諸佛皆因般若得道』；能生萬德而不取一相，才是遮遣的用意。佛自揀明這是「以俗法故，非以第一義」——遮的是取相，不是撥無般若之用。
不要把「但行般若」讀成般若可以獨行。佛明答「菩薩盡行六波羅蜜」，鹽味喻更說但食鹽則「失味致患」、但行般若則「墮邪見」。般若是明導、是味主，導而不代五度，主而不廢眾味；讀成廢餘五度，恰是論所破的愚人。
不要把『書經施人勝於自誦』讀成事相上施人這件事本身有更大功德。論主把高下繫於心——自誦「或以我心故功德小」，施人「無吾我故功德為大」。勝的是無我的悲心，不是「施」這個動作；若施而懷我，一樣是小。
不要把「佛何用碎身如芥子」讀成福德只在外境舍利。論主答的是「二因緣」——內正憶念與外良福田缺一不可，良田好種喻正為顯相須。既不可撥無舍利只論心，也不可離心只論舍利；偏執一頭，都不是二緣和合之義。
修行作用
拿『般若為六度作明導』校自己的用功。布施、持戒、忍辱時，若一味求福、求相、記著能所，便是有所得而行，五度各成一堆差別；於一一行上照見施者受者財物皆不可得，那無所得處便是般若在導。導在行中，不在行外別提一個空。
拿鹽味喻對治偏空之病。用功稍嘗空味，最易生一念『只此便夠，餘皆不必』，於是廢施廢戒、厭一切行。記得『純食鹽則失味致患』——空是味主而非唯一之味，須與五度和合，功德乃「義味調適」。
拿「無吾我故功德為大」練施捨與說法。書經、施人、為他解說，一起我心便小，一泯吾我便大。日用中凡有所與、有所教，先鬆開那『這是我作的、我教的』一念，悲心才不被我執減損。
拿「二因緣」定內外雙修的分寸。只管內心正憶念而輕外緣福田，或只管外供事相而不返內心，都缺一緣。良田好種要並用：內以正憶念培心地，外以恭敬供養結勝緣，二緣和合，果報乃大。
拿「還師仰此法」自校慢心。修行稍有所得，最易起『法由我證』之慢。佛自身得成無上聖，尚且「還師仰此法」——所師者即諸法實相。以佛之尊尚師仰實相，學人更當於所得處放下能得之我。
承衍
之下自承之上而衍出一段完整的轉進。之上校量的是舍利與般若二分之孰重，結在『般若為首、為明導，如王必有將從』；之下承此「明導」二字，把它從校量之喻推成六度之實——般若為布施乃至禪定「作明導」，王與將從的舊喻，落成了主味與眾味、眾樹與一蔭的新喻。之上以如意寶珠顯般若之能，之下以「性無所有、不可得」顯般若之體；能而不失其空，空而不礙其能，一體一用，相承而下。中間插入的有為無為二法相，是這一衍的樞紐：唯其見二法同歸無所有，般若才攝得一切、導得五度、融得諸別為一味。末後書經施人、碎身供養、內外二緣諸問，看似落到事相校量，其實步步扣回無吾我、無所得的實相——與之上『舍利從般若薰修生』是同一條理路：舍利之可貴在般若，施人之福大在無我，二緣之果大在心境相須。之下交到後手的，就是這一線——先於六度上認得般若是導而非代，再於施福上認得無我方大，終於在內外二緣上認得心不孤成、境不獨立。之上取的是般若之分，之下顯的是般若之用；取與用兩問，答的都是同一個無所得而萬德宛然的般若。
Weighing the Relics, Last Part: The Two Marks of Conditioned and Unconditioned Dharmas; Prajñā as the Bright Guide of the Six Perfections; the Greater Merit of Writing Out the Sūtra and Giving It to Others; the Two Conditions, Inner and Outer, Yielding a Great Result
What Is Being Asked
The First Part weighed the two portions, the relics and prajñā, all the way through; Śakra took prajñā time and again, and the treatise-author concluded with the single simile of the wish-fulfilling jewel matched in detail in nineteen layers, and at the very end one sentence, ‘in praising prajñāpāramitā, this meaning has already been spoken of before’, drew the meaning of the weighing to a close. The Last Part then changes its manner of asking: it no longer asks ‘of the two portions, which is to be taken’, but turns instead to what, after all, it is that prajñā, which 「攝一切法」 tr. "gathers in all dharmas", gathers in, and how it gathers it in. Śakra opens by setting forth two kinds of marks of dharmas, conditioned and unconditioned; the Buddha confirms each one, and declares that the buddhas of the three times and their disciples all attained the path because of prajñā, yet he follows it at once with a string of negations, 「非此非彼、非高非下」 tr. "neither this nor that, neither high nor low"—prajñā can give rise to the myriad dharmas and gather in the myriad dharmas, yet in itself has not a single mark that can be grasped. From this the real question of the Last Part is pressed out: how can a prajñā whose 「性無所有、不可得」 tr. "nature is without anything existent and unfindable" still act as the bright guide of the six perfections? How can it still be worthy of receiving offerings, still distinguish degrees of merit between writing out the sūtra to recite oneself and writing it out to give to others, and still call for the Buddha to break his body into pieces like mustard seeds so that people might make offerings? Śakra asks three things in succession—whether it will do to practise prajñā alone; whether writing out the sūtra to recite oneself or giving it to others brings more merit; and, since merit lies in the mind, why the body should be broken into pieces—and the Buddha and the treatise-author answer each in turn. The answer is always fastened to one pivot: precisely because prajñā is nothing to be attained, it does not contend with the five perfections over any one mark, and so it can act as the guide of the five perfections, can fuse the differences among dharmas into one taste, and can accomplish great merit through a giving that is without self. What the Last Part weighs is no longer which of the relics and the scroll is heavier and which lighter, but which of ‘something to be attained’ and 「無所得」 tr. "nothing to be attained" is true and which false.
Passage by Passage
First, look at the two marks of dharmas, conditioned and unconditioned. Śakra himself sets out the two marks: the mark of conditioned dharmas is the 「內空中智慧」 tr. "wisdom within inner emptiness" and so on up to the 「十八不共法中智慧」 tr. "wisdom within the eighteen unshared dharmas", and every kind of wisdom within the wholesome and the unwholesome, with outflows and without outflows, the worldly and the world-transcending; the mark of unconditioned dharmas is the self-nature of dharmas that is 「無生無滅、無住無異、無垢無淨、無增無減」 tr. "without arising and without ceasing, without abiding and without changing, without stain and without purity, without increase and without decrease". What matters is the closing stroke on 「自性」 tr. "self-nature" at the end—「諸法無所有性，是諸法自性」 tr. "the nature of dharmas that is without anything existent is the self-nature of dharmas". The unconditioned is not another entity set up outside the conditioned; it is a name placed on precisely that nature of all these conditioned dharmas which is 「無所有」 tr. "without anything existent". The treatise-author explains it directly: the mark of conditioned dharmas is conditioned because it is 「先無今有、已有還無」 tr. "formerly absent and now present, already present and again absent"—it is the mark of being made; 「與上相違，即是無為法相」 tr. "what is opposite to the above is the mark of unconditioned dharmas". Once the two marks are established, they are at once returned to one—「是二法，皆般若波羅蜜中攝」 tr. "these two dharmas are both gathered within prajñāpāramitā". This connects precisely with the old meaning of the First Part, ‘prajñā is the head, is the bright guide’: the reason prajñā can gather in the conditioned and the unconditioned is not that it is greater than the two dharmas, but that it sees the two dharmas return alike to being without anything existent.
Next, look at the Buddha's confirmation and his negations. The Buddha answers Śakra, 「如是如是」 tr. "Just so, just so", and first establishes prajñā's virtue of giving rise—the buddhas of the three times and the disciples of the three times, whether attaining unsurpassed awakening or attaining the path of the srota-āpanna and so on up to the path of the pratyekabuddha, ‘all do so because of prajñāpāramitā’. Yet no sooner is this virtue established than the Buddha at once blocks it off and does not allow anyone to grasp at marks: prajñā is 「非此非彼、非高非下、非等非不等、非相非無相」 tr. "neither this nor that, neither high nor low, neither equal nor unequal, neither marked nor signless", and so on up to neither conditioned nor unconditioned, neither wholesome nor unwholesome. The Buddha himself makes clear that this is 「以俗法故，非以第一義」 tr. "by way of worldly dharma, not by way of the highest meaning"—to say that prajñā can give rise and can gather in is a skilful-means way of speaking that accords with worldly truth; in terms of the highest meaning, prajñā does not set up even the mark of ‘being able to give rise’. Śakra then goes deeper, following this intent: a bodhisattva who practises prajñā 「知一切眾生心，亦不得眾生」 tr. "knows the minds of all beings, yet does not find beings", and so on up to not finding the five aggregates, not finding the four foundations of mindfulness or the eighteen unshared dharmas, not finding awakening, not finding the Buddha. How can one know and yet not find? Because 「般若波羅蜜，性無所有、不可得，所用法不可得，處亦不可得」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā is by nature without anything existent and unfindable; the dharmas it uses are unfindable, and its place too is unfindable"—the prajñā that contemplates, the dharmas contemplated, and the place of contemplating and illuminating: all three are unfindable, and only this is the ground of ‘knowing and yet not finding’. The Buddha confirms it again: practising prajñā through the long night, even awakening is unfindable, how much more the bodhisattva and the dharmas of a bodhisattva.
Third, look at prajñā acting as the bright guide for the six perfections. Śakra raises a doubt: since prajñā is so surpassing, would it do for the bodhisattva ‘to practise prajñā alone and not practise the other perfections’? The Buddha's answer is decisive: the bodhisattva must 「盡行六波羅蜜」 tr. "practise all six perfections", only practising them with nothing to be attained—practising giving without finding a giver, a receiver, or the thing given; practising morality without finding precepts, a person who keeps the precepts, or a person who breaks them; and so on up to practising prajñā without finding wisdom, a wise person, or a person without wisdom. Only then does he point out that the relation of the six perfections to prajñā is not replacement but leading: when the bodhisattva practises giving, keeping the precepts, patience, vigour, meditation, and the contemplation of all dharmas, 「般若波羅蜜為作明導」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā acts as the bright guide", and only thus can each perfection be fully accomplished. The sūtra text itself sets up a simile of the trees of Jambudvīpa—various leaves, various flowers, various fruits, various colours, yet their shade is without difference; the perfections, entering prajñā and reaching sarvajñā, are likewise without difference. At the third treatise section the treatise-author pushes this meaning to its full, setting up a further simile of the taste of salt: a fool hears that salt is the master of all flavours and so eats salt alone, losing the flavour and bringing on sickness; if a practitioner practises prajñā alone and does not join it with the five perfections, he 「反墮邪見，不能增進善法」 tr. "instead falls into wrong view and cannot advance in wholesome dharmas". Taking the two similes together, Śakra's doubt about 「但行般若」 tr. "practising prajñā alone" is broken—prajñā is the master among the flavours, not the only flavour; it is the shade of all the trees, not a shade apart from the trees; 「雖眾行和合，般若為主」 tr. "although all practices join together, prajñā is their master"—master yet not alone, guide yet not substitute.
Fourth, look at the weighing of writing out the sūtra to recite oneself against writing it out to give to others. After Śakra has three times extolled prajñā as accomplished in great merit, in all merit, and in merit immeasurable, boundless, and without equal, he raises a very concrete question: between writing out the scroll of the sūtra, making offerings to it oneself and rightly recollecting it, and writing out the scroll and giving it to others, which brings more merit? The Buddha does not answer directly, but turns the question back on Śakra, taking the relics as an example—making offerings to relics oneself, and dividing off relics the size of a mustard seed and giving them to people so that they may make offerings: which brings more merit? Śakra answers that the merit of ‘dividing the relics and giving them to others’ is very great, and himself adds that the Buddha entered the vajra samādhi and broke his vajra body into powdered relics precisely so that later people might make offerings and obtain boundless merit and reward. The Buddha then confirms it, following this: writing out the sūtra and giving it to others so that they learn brings more merit than writing it out and making offerings oneself; and going one layer further, one who can 「為他人說，開示、分別，令易解」 tr. "speak it for others, opening and showing it, analysing it, so that it is easy to understand" surpasses one who merely gives the scroll—and people are taught to regard the person from whom they heard prajñā 「如佛」 tr. "as a Buddha", and as a person of lofty and superior pure conduct, because 「般若波羅蜜即是佛」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā is the Buddha", and the buddhas of the three times all trained within it. The treatise-author explains the reason for these degrees of merit not by the quantity of outward acts but by whether the mind-ground has a self or is without self: reading and reciting alone, 「或以我心，故功德小」 tr. "one may do it with a mind of self, and so the merit is small"; giving the sūtra to others, one 「有大悲心，作佛道因緣，無吾我故，功德為大」 tr. "has a mind of great compassion and makes a cause and condition for the Buddha path; because there is no self, the merit is great". The scale of the weighing, in the end, weighs whether self-grasping is present or absent.
Fifth, look at the two conditions, inner and outer, and the closing. Śakra's last doubt is the most pressing: since merit lies in the mind, why did the Buddha 「何用碎身如芥子，令人供養」 tr. "need to break his body into pieces like mustard seeds so that people might make offerings"? The treatise-author answers that a great fruit is accomplished only by the coming together of two causes and conditions—「信淨心從二因緣生：一者、內正憶念，二者、外有良福田」 tr. "a mind of pure faith is born from two causes and conditions: first, inward right recollection; second, an outward good field of merit"; and he further sets up a simile of a good field and good seed: though the grain seed is good, it must get a good field before the harvest is great; though the mind is good, it must rely on the relics before it obtains the great result. The inner mind and the outer object are not a choice of one out of two; each needs the other to be accomplished. At the end the treatise-author proves by two causes and conditions that prajñā is supreme: the sages of the three times learned within it and accomplished the holy path; the Buddha himself attained the unsurpassed holy state by this Dharma and yet 「還師仰此法」 tr. "still turns back to honour this Dharma as his teacher"—the Dharma being the real mark of all dharmas, prajñāpāramitā. The whole unit closes on one sentence of ascending root causes and conditions: 「般若是菩薩根本因緣，菩薩是諸佛根本因緣，諸佛是一切世間大利益安樂因緣」 tr. "prajñā is the root cause and condition of the bodhisattvas; the bodhisattvas are the root cause and condition of the buddhas; the buddhas are the cause and condition of great benefit and ease for all the world"; and what are called the necessities for offerings are nothing more than 「一心聽受乃至正憶念」 tr. "listening and receiving with one mind, and so on up to right recollection", together with flowers, incense, and so on up to banners and canopies. To open with the deepest meaning of the real mark and close with the plainest listening and receiving with one mind—this is exactly how the Last Part gathers itself up.
Do Not Misread
Do not read ‘the two marks of dharmas, conditioned and unconditioned’ as two entities standing side by side. The final sentence of the sūtra text already refutes this itself—「諸法無所有性，是諸法自性」 tr. "the nature of dharmas that is without anything existent is the self-nature of dharmas"; the unconditioned is not outside the conditioned, but is a name placed where the conditioned is 「無所有」 tr. "without anything existent", and the treatise-author explains it as 「與上相違，即是無為法相」 tr. "what is opposite to the above is the mark of unconditioned dharmas"—opposite, not something existing separately.
Do not read ‘prajñā is neither this nor that, neither high nor low’ as an inert emptiness in which prajñā is nothing at all. The sentence just before this string of negations is precisely ‘the buddhas of the three times all attained the path because of prajñā’; to be able to give rise to myriad virtues without grasping a single mark—that is the intent of the negations. The Buddha himself makes the distinction clear: this is 「以俗法故，非以第一義」 tr. "by way of worldly dharma, not by way of the highest meaning"—what is negated is the grasping at marks, not a sweeping away of the function of prajñā.
Do not read 「但行般若」 tr. "practising prajñā alone" as meaning that prajñā can be practised by itself. The Buddha answers plainly, 「菩薩盡行六波羅蜜」 tr. "the bodhisattva practises all six perfections", and the simile of the taste of salt says further that one who eats salt alone 「失味致患」 tr. "loses the flavour and brings on sickness", and one who practises prajñā alone 「墮邪見」 tr. "falls into wrong view". Prajñā is the bright guide, the master of all flavours: it guides without replacing the five perfections, and is master without discarding the many flavours; to read it as discarding the other five perfections is to be exactly the fool whom the treatise refutes.
Do not read ‘writing out the sūtra and giving it to others surpasses reciting it oneself’ as meaning that the outward act of giving to others itself has the greater merit. The treatise-author ties the degrees to the mind—reciting oneself, 「或以我心故功德小」 tr. "one may do it with a mind of self, and so the merit is small"; giving to others, 「無吾我故功德為大」 tr. "because there is no self, the merit is great". What surpasses is the compassionate mind without self, not the act of 「施」 tr. "giving"; if one gives while harbouring a self, it is small just the same.
Do not read 「佛何用碎身如芥子」 tr. "why did the Buddha need to break his body into pieces like mustard seeds" as meaning that merit lies only in the outer object, the relics. What the treatise-author answers with is 「二因緣」 tr. "two causes and conditions"—inward right recollection and an outward good field of merit, neither of which can be lacking; the simile of the good field and good seed is there exactly to show that each needs the other. One may neither sweep away the relics and speak only of the mind, nor leave the mind and speak only of the relics; clinging one-sidedly to either end is not the meaning of the two conditions coming together.
Bearing on Practice
Take ‘prajñā acts as the bright guide for the six perfections’ and check your own practice by it. When giving, keeping the precepts, or being patient, if one seeks only merit, seeks marks, and keeps hold of agent and object, that is practising with something to be attained, and the five perfections each become a heap of differences; when in each practice one sees that the giver, the receiver, and the thing given are all unfindable, that place of nothing to be attained is prajñā guiding. The guide is within the practice; it is not a separate emptiness brought up outside the practice.
Take the simile of the taste of salt and use it against the sickness of one-sided emptiness. When in one's practice one gets a slight taste of emptiness, it is easiest to give rise to the thought ‘this alone is enough; the rest is all unnecessary’, and so one discards giving, discards the precepts, and grows weary of all practices. Remember ‘eating salt alone, one loses the flavour and brings on sickness’—emptiness is the master of all flavours, not the only flavour; it must be joined with the five perfections, and only then is merit 「義味調適」 tr. "harmonious in meaning and flavour".
Take 「無吾我故功德為大」 tr. "because there is no self, the merit is great" and train giving and teaching the Dharma by it. Writing out the sūtra, giving it to others, explaining it for others—the moment the mind of self arises, it becomes small; the moment the self is effaced, it becomes great. In daily life, whenever one gives something or teaches something, first loosen that thought ‘this is what I did, what I taught’, and only then is the compassionate mind not diminished by self-grasping.
Take 「二因緣」 tr. "the two causes and conditions" and set by them the measure of cultivating inner and outer together. Attending only to right recollection in the inner mind while slighting the outer condition, the field of merit, or attending only to outward acts of offering without turning back to the inner mind—both lack one condition. Good field and good seed must be used together: inwardly, cultivate the mind-ground with right recollection; outwardly, form excellent conditions with reverent offerings; when the two conditions come together, the result is great.
Take 「還師仰此法」 tr. "still turns back to honour this Dharma as his teacher" and check your own proud mind by it. When there is a little attainment in practice, it is easiest to give rise to the pride of ‘the Dharma is realised by me’. The Buddha himself, having attained the unsurpassed holy state, still 「還師仰此法」 tr. "turns back to honour this Dharma as his teacher"—what he takes as his teacher is the real mark of all dharmas. If even the Buddha, in all his honour, still honours the real mark as his teacher, the learner all the more should, at the place of attainment, set down the self that attains.
Further Resonances
The Last Part takes over from the First Part and unfolds from it a complete forward turn. What the First Part weighed was which of the two portions, relics and prajñā, is heavier, and it concluded with ‘prajñā is the head, is the bright guide, as a king must have a retinue following’; the Last Part takes up these words, 「明導」 tr. "bright guide", and pushes them from a simile of weighing to the reality of the six perfections—prajñā 「作明導」 tr. "acts as the bright guide" for giving and so on up to meditation, and the old simile of the king with his retinue following settles into new similes: the master flavour among the many flavours, the one shade of the many trees. The First Part shows the capacity of prajñā with the wish-fulfilling jewel; the Last Part shows the substance of prajñā with 「性無所有、不可得」 tr. "by nature without anything existent and unfindable"; capacity without losing its emptiness, emptiness without obstructing its capacity—one substance and one function, handed down in succession. The two marks of dharmas, conditioned and unconditioned, inserted in the middle are the pivot of this unfolding: only because it sees the two dharmas return alike to being without anything existent can prajñā gather in all things, guide the five perfections, and fuse all differences into one taste. The final questions—writing out the sūtra and giving it to others, breaking the body into pieces for offerings, the two conditions inner and outer—seem to descend into a weighing of outward acts, but in fact step by step they are fastened back to the real mark of no self and nothing to be attained—the same line of reasoning as the First Part's ‘the relics are born from being perfumed and cultivated by prajñā’: what makes the relics precious lies in prajñā; what makes the merit of giving to others great lies in no self; what makes the fruit of the two conditions great lies in mind and object needing each other. What the Last Part hands on to what follows is just this thread—first recognising, in the six perfections, that prajñā guides and does not replace; then recognising, in the merit of giving, that only without self is it great; and finally recognising, in the two conditions inner and outer, that the mind is not accomplished alone and the object does not stand by itself. What the First Part takes is the portion of prajñā; what the Last Part shows is the function of prajñā; the two questions, of taking and of function, are both answered by one and the same prajñā—nothing to be attained, and yet myriad virtues plainly present.
校量舍利品 · 承衍Weighing the Relics · Further Resonances
全文五層 →Full five layers →承衍
〈校量舍利品〉的義脈，前有所承，後有所啟。所承者是前之〈阿難稱譽品〉：彼品因阿難問佛「何以不稱譽餘波羅蜜，但稱譽般若」，佛答以「般若波羅蜜於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法為尊導」，並以地為種所依為喻，明「五波羅蜜依般若波羅蜜得生」——般若之為五度所依、為一切善法之根本，於彼品已立。本品即順此而進：既已明般若為尊導，便以「舍利／般若」二分令帝釋校量，逼出般若之尊導不獨統攝諸波羅蜜，亦是舍利之所從生——舍利之得供養，正因它是般若薰修之果；「般若波羅蜜為首、為明導」，故舉主名而餘者盡得。前品說般若為諸行之尊導，本品便把這尊導落到舍利與經卷的斤兩相較上，說成「舍利從般若波羅蜜中生」的所依之義。所啟者，品末已露端倪：之下數番反覆較量「自誦」與「施人」、「自供養」與「分施」之福，佛可帝釋「施人得福多」之答，並申書經施人、為他演說其福尤勝。這一「法施校量」的關捩，正是其後〈挍量法施品〉的張本——彼品開篇即以「教一閻浮提人行十善道」與「書持般若波羅蜜經卷與他人」相校，謂教十善道不如書經施人得福多，一路展為十方世界、四禪五通乃至演說經義之遞階校量。由本品末的一問，展為次品通篇的法施校量，義脈便順此而下。
後來古德讀本品所釋之大經，取徑最完整的一家，為此大經作逐文之疏，於此品亦留有釋文。其書於本品之處，並存二名——一曰法稱品，又自注「亦云舍利品」，正與本論底本「校量舍利品」之名相值，可見一經異名、古德早有並陳，非後人強配。凡此皆誌其取徑與存名而已，不判高下。另有一家古德，亦嘗為此論自身作疏，其書今存殘卷；所存諸卷正覆本論卷五十九，於本品留有逐文之釋：以三周校量科本品經文之三遞階，復以舍利為迹、般若為本，釋帝釋取般若之義。至若本品之譬喻與斷語，後世流傳者亦多：如意寶珠對般若逐一詳配之喻、「般若如意寶珠，函篋是舍利」之判、鹽為眾味主而不可純食之誡、諸河歸海失本名合為一味之喻，歷代釋般若、判權實者輾轉稱述，蔚為常引。凡此皆誌其流傳之廣，不判高下。
把這一路承衍帶回本品，古德所存的與本論自說的，正是同一件事：本品之校量，不是揚般若而抑舍利，而是明舍利之可貴正在其所盛的般若。「舍利從般若波羅蜜中生」，故舍利之供養不奪般若之為本；「般若波羅蜜為首、為明導」，故「譬如王來必有將從，但舉其主名，餘者」已盡得——舍利如函篋、般若如意寶，函篋所以可貴，正因其中盛的是如意寶。而本品自身早已把這一義推到觀處與果處：有為善法是行處、無為法是依止處，二法皆般若波羅蜜所攝；但行般若而不與五度和合，反如純食鹽而失味；諸波羅蜜入般若則如眾河歸海、如眾樹一蔭，一相無差別；乃至「般若波羅蜜即是佛」「不異佛」，而「般若是菩薩根本因緣，菩薩是諸佛根本因緣，諸佛是一切世間大利益安樂因緣」。般若之尊不在舍利之外，正在舍利從其所生、諸法由其為首的當處。
因此，〈校量舍利品〉最終留下的，是一條可反覆使用的問路法：我此刻所校量、所供養的這一物，是取其為果、為末、為所住之函篋，還是識得其中所從生、所依止、為首為明導的般若？聞「二分之中取般若」時，心中生起的是輕舍利、賤形質的偏廢想，還是知舍利從般若生、函篋盛如意寶而二者不相奪的安隱？所行的六度、所修的萬善，是各自為政、隨業有盡的散法，還是入般若一味、如眾河歸海失其本名的一相？在每一番校量裡把這幾問答好，「校量舍利」便不是揚此抑彼的斤兩相爭，而是般若的正位——舍利從般若生，般若為首為明導，舉主名而餘者盡得。
Further Resonances
The vein of meaning in the chapter "Weighing the Relics" has something it inherits before it and something it opens after it. What it inherits is the preceding chapter, "Ānanda's Praise": there, because Ānanda asks the Buddha 「何以不稱譽餘波羅蜜，但稱譽般若」 tr. "Why do you not praise the other perfections, but praise only prajñā?", the Buddha answers with 「般若波羅蜜於五波羅蜜乃至十八不共法為尊導」 tr. "Prajñāpāramitā is the honoured guide among the five perfections, up to the eighteen unshared dharmas," and, with the simile of the earth as that on which seeds rely, makes clear that 「五波羅蜜依般若波羅蜜得生」 tr. "the five perfections arise in dependence on prajñāpāramitā"—that prajñā is what the five perfections rely on and is the root of all wholesome dharmas was already established in that chapter. This chapter follows on from it and advances: since prajñā has already been shown to be the honoured guide, it has Śakra weigh the two portions 「舍利／般若」 tr. "relics / prajñā," and so presses out the point that prajñā's being the honoured guide does not only govern and gather the perfections, but is also that from which the relics are born—the relics receive offerings precisely because they are the fruit of being perfumed and cultivated by prajñā; 「般若波羅蜜為首、為明導」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā is the head and acts as the bright guide," and so, when the name of the lord is raised, all the rest are included. The preceding chapter speaks of prajñā as the honoured guide of all practices; this chapter then lands that honoured guide on the weighing of the relics against the scroll of the sūtra, and speaks of it as the meaning of reliance: 「舍利從般若波羅蜜中生」 tr. "the relics are born from within prajñāpāramitā." As for what it opens, the chapter's end already shows the first signs of it: in the Last Part, the merit of 「自誦」 tr. "reciting it oneself" against 「施人」 tr. "giving it to others," and of 「自供養」 tr. "making offerings oneself" against 「分施」 tr. "sharing it out," is weighed back and forth over several rounds; the Buddha approves Śakra's answer 「施人得福多」 tr. "giving it to others gains much merit," and further states that the merit of writing out the sūtra and giving it to others.... This hinge of 「法施校量」 tr. "the weighing of the gift of Dharma" is precisely what lays the ground for the chapter after it, "Weighing the Gift of Dharma"—that chapter opens by weighing 「教一閻浮提人行十善道」 tr. "teaching the people of one Jambudvīpa to practise the ten wholesome paths" against 「書持般若波羅蜜經卷與他人」 tr. "copying and upholding the scroll of the prajñāpāramitā sūtra and giving it to others," saying that teaching the ten wholesome paths does not gain as much merit as copying the sūtra and giving it to others, and unfolds all the way into a graded weighing through the worlds of the ten directions, the four dhyānas and the five supernormal powers, up to expounding the meaning of the sūtra. From the one question at this chapter's end unfolding into the weighing of the gift of Dharma throughout the whole of the next chapter, the vein of meaning flows on downward from this.
When later ancient masters read the great sūtra that this chapter explains, the one whose approach is most complete composed a line-by-line commentary on that great sūtra, and left an explanation of this chapter as well. At the place of this chapter his work keeps two names side by side—the one is "Praise of the Dharma," and he further notes himself 「亦云舍利品」 tr. "also called the chapter on Relics," which meets exactly the name 「校量舍利品」 tr. "Weighing the Relics" in this treatise's base text; this shows that one sūtra-chapter with different names was already set out side by side by the ancient masters, and is not something later people forced into a match. All this records his approach and the names he preserved only, without judging higher or lower. There is another ancient master, who also once composed a commentary on this treatise itself; his work survives today in incomplete fascicles, and the surviving fascicles do cover fascicle fifty-nine of the treatise, so that for this chapter a line-by-line explanation remains: it divides this chapter's sūtra into three rounds of weighing, and takes the relics as the trace and prajñā as the root, so explaining why Śakra takes prajñā. As for this chapter's similes and verdicts, many have also been handed down in later ages: the simile of the wish-fulfilling jewel matched point by point in detail to prajñā, the verdict 「般若如意寶珠，函篋是舍利」 tr. "prajñā is the wish-fulfilling jewel; the casket is the relics," the warning that salt is the master of all flavours and yet cannot be eaten on its own, and the simile of the rivers returning to the sea, losing their original names and merging into one taste—these have been cited in turn, age after age, by those who explain prajñā and who distinguish the provisional from the real, until they became common citations. All this records how widely they spread, without judging higher or lower.
Bringing this whole line of further resonances back to this chapter, what the ancient masters preserved and what this treatise itself says are one and the same thing: the weighing of this chapter does not exalt prajñā and put down the relics, but makes clear that the preciousness of the relics lies precisely in the prajñā they hold. 「舍利從般若波羅蜜中生」 tr. "The relics are born from within prajñāpāramitā," and so the offerings to the relics do not take away prajñā's being the root; 「般若波羅蜜為首、為明導」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā is the head and acts as the bright guide," and so 「譬如王來必有將從，但舉其主名，餘者」 tr. "it is like a king who comes: he always has a retinue following, and one raises only the name of the lord; the rest" are already wholly included—the relics are like the casket, prajñā like the wish-fulfilling jewel, and the casket is precious precisely because what it holds is the wish-fulfilling jewel. And this chapter itself had long since pushed this meaning into the place of contemplation and the place of fruition: conditioned wholesome dharmas are the place where practice moves, the unconditioned dharma is the place on which it relies, and both dharmas are gathered in by prajñāpāramitā; yet to practise prajñā alone without coming together with the five perfections is, on the contrary, like eating salt on its own and losing the flavour; the perfections, entering prajñā, are like the many rivers returning to the sea, like the many trees under one shade—one mark, without difference; up to 「般若波羅蜜即是佛」 tr. "prajñāpāramitā is the Buddha" and 「不異佛」 tr. "not different from the Buddha," and 「般若是菩薩根本因緣，菩薩是諸佛根本因緣，諸佛是一切世間大利益安樂因緣」 tr. "prajñā is the root cause and condition of bodhisattvas, bodhisattvas are the root cause and condition of the buddhas, and the buddhas are the cause and condition of great benefit, peace, and happiness for all the world." The honour of prajñā does not lie outside the relics; it lies right in the very place where the relics are born from it and all dharmas take it as their head.
Therefore what the chapter "Weighing the Relics" finally leaves behind is a way of asking that can be used again and again: this one thing I am now weighing and making offerings to—am I taking it as fruit, as branch, as the casket in which something dwells, or do I recognise the prajñā from which it is born, on which it relies, which is its head and acts as its bright guide? When I hear 「二分之中取般若」 tr. "of the two portions, take prajñā," is what arises in my mind a one-sided thought that makes light of the relics and belittles bodily substance, or the peace and security of knowing that the relics are born from prajñā, that the casket holds the wish-fulfilling jewel, and that the two do not take from each other? The six perfections I practise and the myriad goods I cultivate—are they scattered dharmas, each going its own way and exhausted as their karma runs its course, or the one mark that enters the one taste of prajñā, like the many rivers returning to the sea and losing their original names? Answer these few questions well in every weighing, and 「校量舍利」 tr. "weighing the relics" is not a contest of weights that exalts this and puts down that, but the proper place of prajñā—the relics are born from prajñā, prajñā is the head and acts as the bright guide, and when the name of the lord is raised, all the rest are included.
挍量法施品Weighing the Gift of Dharma
全文五層 →Full five layers →挍量法施品：財施與法施何以層層校量而法施皆勝，書持般若、演說般若何以勝教眾生行十善乃至證聲聞辟支佛，有所得布施與無所得波羅蜜何以分真偽，真般若與相似般若何以判邪正，乃至教近佛道之一人何以福德最大而勝教無量眾生
在問什麼
這一品的品名叫「挍量法施品」（「挍」即校量、比較衡量之義，非『校勘』之校；此二字之異體分佈與宋元明宮諸本之省略、古疏之作『校量』，詳考據層）。「挍量」二字，正點出全品的體裁——不是平說法施之功，而是把財施與法施放在天平的兩端，一級一級地校量：教一人行十善，比不上書持般若一卷；教一國人行十善，比不上書持般若；乃至教如恒河沙世界的眾生證得聲聞、辟支佛，仍比不上為一人演說般若之義。層層加碼於財施一端，而法施一端始終居勝。
一品的骨架，由一經一論再一經一論、共兩對經論交替展開，環繞著三重問題。第一，也是全品之綱：同是布施，何以「法施」定勝「財施」？佛的答覆貫穿始終——般若中廣說無漏之法，能成三乘、入涅槃而不復還，十善等但是有漏善法，受世間無常福樂而還墮苦；故財施縱使遍及恒河沙世界、縱使令眾生證到辟支佛果，仍不及書持、演說般若。第二，法施既勝，則所施之「般若」須是真般若：於是辨有所得布施但得布施之名而不得波羅蜜，須三輪不可得方名具足；又預辨真般若與相似般若之異，令未來眾生不致聞相似而失正道。第三，法施之勝既隨所教之人而轉——教令發菩提心勝教證二乘，教一近佛道者又勝教無量發心者：何以如此？論主以『諸賢聖皆從般若中出』『二種菩薩』『太子國王供養』等義，逐一酬答。這三重，正是本品經、論要逐一交代的。
逐段解明
一、法施勝財施之綱：教十善不如書持般若。 佛問帝釋：教一閻浮提人行十善道，得福多不？帝釋答「甚多」。佛即判：仍不如書持般若經卷與人、令讀誦說得福多；以般若中廣說諸無漏法，人於中修學便入正法位、得須陀洹乃至阿羅漢、辟支佛、無上菩提故。此段立起全品之綱——財施之福雖多，終是有漏；法施所傳之般若能生三乘聖果，故校量之下法施定勝。
二、果位遞升校量：得聖果勝行十善、得菩提勝得二乘。 佛更細分：教一人得須陀洹果，勝教一閻浮提人行十善，以十善不離地獄畜生餓鬼之苦、須陀洹果則離三惡道故；乃至阿羅漢、辟支佛亦爾。又教一閻浮提人得須陀洹乃至辟支佛，不如教一人得無上菩提，「以菩薩因緣故」生須陀洹乃至阿羅漢辟支佛、生諸佛故。此段把校量從『施之事』推到『施之果』——所成之果愈高，其法施愈勝，而諸果之源皆歸於菩薩、歸於般若。
三、財施範圍逐級擴大、四禪五神通亦不及書般若。 佛置一閻浮提，展轉擴至四天下、小千、二千中、三千大千乃至恒河沙世界，教其眾生行十善，皆不如書持般若；又教眾生立四禪、四無量心、四無色定、五神通，乃至十方恒河沙世界皆立此定通，仍不如書持般若。以般若中廣說諸善法，學之便出生剎利大姓乃至諸天、四念處乃至一切種智、須陀洹乃至諸佛故。此段以『範圍雖極廣、果位雖極高，而法施終勝』，顯校量之勝不繫於施境之大小，而繫於所傳法之能生聖果與否。
四、受持親近般若，不以二法、不以不二法。 佛更判：自受持般若、書持讀誦說正憶念者，其福勝教眾生行十善、立四禪等。所謂正憶念，即受持親近般若乃至正憶念，皆「不以二法、不以不二法」；於禪乃至檀波羅蜜、於內空乃至一切種智亦然。此段把法施之「所施」收到般若正觀上——受持之要不在文句多寡，而在以不二不著之心憶念般若，離二邊而不落調和，此即正憶念之相。
五、般若義非二相非不二相、演說開示勝自受持。 佛示般若義之相：不應以二相觀、不應以不二相觀，非有相非無相、不入不出、不生不滅乃至非實際非不實際。能以此義為他人演說、開示、分別、令易解者，其福勝自受持讀誦正憶念。此段顯法施之極在『演說般若正義』——般若義本離一切相，能如是轉授於人，令人得入，其福過於獨自受持，故法施重於自利。
六、自受持復為他演說功德甚多、演說勝供養十方諸佛。 佛續明：自受持般若、復為他人演說開示令易解者功德甚多；如是演說得無量無邊阿僧祇福德，勝於盡壽供養十方無量諸佛。以過現未來諸佛皆於般若中學得菩提故。此段把法施抬到極位——演說般若勝於竭盡一生財供養無量佛，因所演之般若正是諸佛所從出、所從成之法，敬其法即敬諸佛之本。
七、演說般若勝行檀波羅蜜、以無所得故；云何有所得。 佛判：於無量阿僧祇劫行檀波羅蜜，不如以般若為他演說其義，「以無所得故」。云何有所得？菩薩用有所得心布施，作念『我與、彼受、所施者物』，是名得檀而不得波羅蜜；持戒忍辱精進禪慧亦然，各執『我持戒、此是戒』等，皆但得其名而不得波羅蜜。此段點出財施與法施深淺之分野實在『有所得／無所得』——著三輪之相而施，縱經多劫亦但成有盡之福，不成波羅蜜。
八、云何修具足波羅蜜——三輪俱不可得。 帝釋問云何修得具足六波羅蜜。佛答：布施時不得與者、不得受者、不得所施物，是人得具足檀波羅蜜；乃至修般若時不得智、不得所修智，是人得具足般若波羅蜜。此段正面立「具足」之義——波羅蜜之具足不在施物之豐、修慧之勤，而在能所俱泯、三輪體空；離此則但名布施、名智慧，非到彼岸之行。
九、憐愍未來說相似般若者、應具足演說。 佛示：未來世當有欲說般若而說相似般若者，有人發菩提心聞之而失正道；故應為是人具足演說般若義、開示分別令易解。此段轉出「相似般若」一大關目——法施既以般若為所傳，則所傳之般若須是真般若；若傳者自說相似，反令發心者失道，故佛預為料揀，令說者具足真義。
十、相似般若之一——說五眾等無常苦無我、令求相而行。 佛答何等是相似般若：「說有所得般若波羅蜜，是為相似般若波羅蜜。」其相者，說色乃至受想行識、十二入、十八界、六種、六觸、觸因緣生受皆無常苦無我，作言「能如是行，是行般若」，令行者求無常等相而行，乃至行六度、四禪、四念處、薩婆若時皆為說無常苦無我。此段揭相似般若之病根——無常苦無我本是正教，然若令人取『無常相』而執以為般若之行，便落有所得，成相似而非真。
十一、相似般若之二至六——當得十地、過二乘、無生法忍、無量功德、迴向菩提。 佛續列相似之相：說『修般若當得初地乃至十地』，以相似有所得、以總相修，是相似般若；說『修般若已當過聲聞辟支佛地』，是相似般若；說『入菩薩位得無生法忍、住菩薩神通從一佛界至一佛界供養諸佛』，是相似般若；說『學般若受持讀誦正憶念當得無量功德』，是相似般若；說『諸佛功德善本從初發心至成佛都合集迴向菩提』，是相似般若。此段廣列五相，皆義似正而心存所得——所說地位、果德、迴向無一非佛法名言，然一以『有所得、總相修』貫之，便盡成相似，見相似之病不在名言而在存心取相。
十二、云何不說相似般若——色性空非法即般若、莫有所過所住。 佛示不說相似之相：教人『莫觀色無常，色性空、是色性非法，若非法即名般若；般若中色非常非無常，色尚不可得，何況常無常』，受想行識亦然；又教『莫有所過、莫有所住，般若中無有法可過可住，一切法自性空、自性空是非法、非法即是般若，無有法可入出生滅』。此段正立真般若之說——不令取無常相，而直示色性本空、空亦非法、於中無所得無所住，與相似『取相有所得』正相違，故名不說相似。
十三、應如是演說、功德勝前。 佛結此經段：善男子善女人應如是演說般若義，若如是說，所得功德勝於前者。此段收束前來校量之義——法施之勝，至此歸結於『如是演說真般若』一著，唯傳真般若、不傳相似，其法施乃究竟勝。
十四、論釋所以勝之因緣——般若無漏成三乘入涅槃、十善有漏還墮苦。 【論】釋佛設問之意：佛更欲以異門明般若勝，故問帝釋十善福多不。此中說所以勝之因緣：般若廣說諸無漏法，成三乘道、入涅槃、不復還；十善但是有漏善法，受世間無常福樂、還復墮苦，是故不如。此段是論主為全品校量所立之總因——法施勝財施之根，在無漏與有漏、出世與世間之別，非徒事相之多寡。
十五、世間出世間五對差別、無漏法者三十七品乃至無量佛法。 論列五重差別：先世間法、後出世間法；先能生生死、後能滅生死；先無常樂因緣、後常樂因緣；先凡夫聖人共法、後但為聖人法。所謂無漏法者，三十七品、十八不共法乃至無量諸佛法。此段以五對開顯上段之『無漏／有漏』——一一相對，見十善之福終在生死無常之內，般若之法乃出生死、致常樂，故校量必勝。
十六、教得聖果乃至菩提皆從菩薩生。 論釋佛更說之因緣與譬喻：教一人得須陀洹，勝教閻浮提人行十善，以雖行十善未免三惡道故，乃至阿羅漢辟支佛亦爾；又教一閻浮提人得聲聞辟支佛道，不如教一人得無上菩提，「須陀洹至辟支佛皆從菩薩生故」。此段以『諸果皆從菩薩生』釋校量之所以——法施若能成就菩薩、成就般若，即成就一切聖果之源，故勝於但令證取一果。
十七、四禪等離欲人與十善差別、自行般若勝以經卷與人。 論明：教眾生行四禪等五神通亦如十善之例、皆不如書般若，但四禪等是離欲人、與十善有別；又自受持般若讀誦正憶念，其得福多者，以「上以般若經卷與他人，今自行般若為異」，先十善乃至五神通別說、今合說。此段釐清層次——四禪雖高於十善（離欲），仍屬有漏；又分辨「以經卷與人」與「自行般若」二事之別，見校量之中所施有自他之異而法施之勝一貫。
十八、問答一：何以但解正憶念——正憶念能具福德智慧，如服藥病愈。 論設問：何以不解『受持讀誦說』但解「正憶念」？論答：受持讀誦說福德本多，而正憶念能兼具福德、智慧二事，故別解之；如採藥合和而未服則於病無損，服乃除病，正憶念如服藥病愈。並申正憶念相即「非二非不二行般若」，二不二義如先說。此段以服藥一喻釋正憶念之獨重——受持讀誦如採藥，正憶念如服藥，福德必待正憶念之慧照方能療生死之病、成無盡之福。
十九、三重遞進、福田大故福德大；有所得不如無所得。 論明三重之勝：初以書經卷勝舍利，中以經卷與人勝教人行十善乃至五通，今於受持讀誦邊正憶念最勝，而為人解義令易解又勝自行正憶念；佛欲廣分別福德，故說盡壽供養十方佛不如為他解說般若，以三世諸佛皆學般若成無上道故；又菩薩無量劫行六度以有所得，不如為人解說般若，有所得者「以我心於諸法中取相故」。此段層層顯法施遞勝，並歸其極於「無所得」——凡有所得、取相之行，福終有盡，唯無所得之般若法施乃勝。
二十、佛更說般若正義——無所得行六度乃具足、預說相似般若相以救未來。 論明：佛更欲說般若正義，故答帝釋『菩薩以無所得行六波羅蜜則得具足』，具足即般若正義；又有人未來世說相似般若，會中人聞說正憶念而思「何者是邪憶念」，故佛說相似般若相，如知道非道乃能捨非道行正道；復憐愍未來眾生不見佛及大菩薩、但見經書，隨著音聲說相似般若——相似者『名字語言同而心義異』，以著心取相說五眾無常乃至無生無滅是相似，以不著心不取相說五眾無常但破常顛倒、不著無常乃是真實般若；故教捨相似、修真般若，是名說般若正義勝前功德。此段是論主釋相似般若之樞紐——真偽之判不在言辭而在著心與否，法施之真偽亦繫於此。
廿一、教得聲聞乃至住阿鞞跋致、皆不如為人演說般若——般若中出生諸聖。 【經】佛以般若演說與教眾生得果層層相校：教閻浮提乃至十方恒河沙世界眾生令得須陀洹、斯陀含、阿那含、阿羅漢、辟支佛道，乃至令發菩提心、令住阿鞞跋致地，皆不如以般若為他人演說其義、開示分別、勸其受持修行；以「般若波羅蜜中出生諸須陀洹」乃至出生諸阿鞞跋致菩薩故。此段承前經校量而更進——所校之財施一端由「行十善」升至『令證聖果、令住不退』，而法施一端始終居勝，其故仍在般若為一切聖之所從出。
廿二、發意求菩提、皆得阿鞞跋致仍不如為人演說；為疾得菩提者演說功德最多。 經續校：一閻浮提眾生發意求菩提，為之演說般若，不如為一阿鞞跋致菩薩演說功德甚多；又一閻浮提眾生皆得阿鞞跋致，為之演說，其中若有一菩薩疾得菩提、為此菩薩演說者功德最多。此段把校量推至極致——受法之人愈近佛道，為之法施之功德愈大，至『疾得菩提之一菩薩』而福德最多，逗起下論『近佛道者何以福最大』之問。
廿三、帝釋述應轉轉教化供養、須菩提讚帝釋以財法二施利益菩薩。 經明：帝釋白佛，菩薩轉轉近菩提時應轉轉教其行六度、內空乃至十八不共法，亦應以衣服臥具飲食湯藥供養，如是法施財施供養是菩薩、功德勝前，以菩薩疾得菩提故；慧命須菩提乃讚帝釋「汝為聖弟子」，能安慰諸菩薩以法施財施利益，並申「菩薩中生諸佛聖眾」、若菩薩不發心不學六度則無二乘、菩薩學六度得菩提故三惡道斷、諸乘皆現於世。此段由帝釋、須菩提之口，把『財法二施供養近佛道菩薩』之義揭明，並以『諸佛聖眾皆從菩薩出』為下論張本。
廿四、論釋——諸賢聖皆從般若中出、般若是諸法實相。 【論】釋前經校量之總因：教眾生得聲聞辟支佛道不如為他演說般若，以「是諸賢聖皆從般若波羅蜜中出故」。般若是諸法實相，正遍知之名為佛，其次大菩薩、辟支佛、阿羅漢，展轉至阿那含、斯陀含、須陀洹；能愛念供養知實相者，是天王人王等世間福德人；故常說般若出生諸賢聖、剎利大姓乃至一切諸天。此段以『般若即諸法實相、諸聖皆從之出』立法施勝之根本——傳般若即傳諸聖之源，故勝於但令得一果。
廿五、問答二：教發無上道得阿鞞跋致是佛道事、何故不如——二種菩薩之辨。 論明：教眾生發無上道乃至得阿鞞跋致，不如為一阿鞞跋致人解說般若正義。有人問：凡夫法二乘法不如可爾，今教人發無上道、得阿鞞跋致是佛道事，何故仍不如？論答：說般若正義有二種菩薩，一者生死肉身菩薩，二者出三界不生不死法性生身菩薩。此段設問答以破疑——同是佛道事而猶有勝劣者，正因所教之菩薩有肉身、法身二階，未可一概而論，為下文所以勝之辨立根。
廿六、過阿鞞跋致菩薩之事——教化淨土等勝教令發心。 論明：此法性生身菩薩但說過阿鞞跋致以上菩薩之事，所謂教化眾生、淨佛世界，分別眾生三世無量劫心行業因緣、分別諸世界起滅成敗劫數、大慈大悲、一切智等無量佛法；為是一人說法，勝教閻浮提乃至恒河沙世界眾生令發心、又至阿鞞跋致。此段以『所教之事愈深、所教之人愈進』釋勝劣——教過阿鞞跋致以上之深法予一人，勝於教無量人但至阿鞞跋致，見校量之勝隨受法者之深淺而轉。
廿七、近佛道疾成佛者福最多——福田大故福德大。 論明：從阿鞞跋致以上至佛道，中間更有一人近佛道、疾欲成佛；教是人般若正義者其福最多，「何以故？福田大故，福德亦大」。此段立「福田」一義為校量之樞——受法之人愈近佛地，其為福田愈大，故同一法施而福德隨之最大，此即前經『為疾得菩提菩薩演說功德最多』之所以然。
廿八、十方聖人供養喻、太子國王供養喻——福田深厚故福德亦大。 論以二喻申福田之義：譬如供養十方恒河沙世界聖人乃至欲坐道場菩薩，不如供養一佛；又如犯太子得罪過於犯一切人、供養太子得恩勝供養一切凡人，犯國王、供養國王又勝於太子。此段以佛與聖、王與太子之階差為喻，顯福田之尊卑判福德之大小——近佛道之菩薩如太子之於凡庶，故施之者福德獨大。
廿九、教化供養疾近作佛菩薩勝、福田深厚能令眾生增長。 論結喻義：如是教化、供養疾近作佛之菩薩，勝於供養、教化如恒河沙等阿鞞跋致菩薩之功德，「所以者何？福田深厚，其法能令眾生增長故」。此段把二喻收回本義——所以勝者，一在福田深厚，二在近佛菩薩之法能令眾生增長，二義並舉，見法施財施供養近佛菩薩之功所以獨勝。
三十、帝釋白佛法力大、須菩提讚帝釋——財施法施之定義。 論隨經釋：帝釋知是法力大故白佛，菩薩轉轉近無上道應如是教化供養、功德轉多；須菩提讚帝釋能安慰勸進諸菩薩「以財、法二施」。論即釋此二施之名：『財施者，供養具、衣食等；法施者，所謂教六波羅蜜等。』此段正定財施、法施之界說——財施者資身之具，法施者授以六度之教；一品「挍量法施」之「法施」，於此得其確詁。
卅一、帝釋名聖弟子、聖眾皆從菩薩中出。 論明：帝釋得道故名聖弟子，聖弟子法應安慰勸進諸菩薩；是中說因緣——是諸聖眾皆從菩薩中出，若菩薩不行六度不成無上道則無須陀洹乃至辟支佛，菩薩因緣故十善道乃至無量佛法出現於世，故三惡道斷、有剎利大姓乃至諸佛出現於世。此段重申『聖眾皆從菩薩出』之義以釋帝釋所以應勸進菩薩——菩薩既是一切聖果與世間善法之所從出，安慰勸進菩薩即護一切善之本源。
卅二、結歸——菩薩說般若正義教近佛道福德最大。 論收全品：「是故菩薩說般若波羅蜜正義，教近佛道，福德最大。」此段一句總結——通品層層校量，其歸極在此：宣說般若正義、教人近於佛道之法施，於一切校量之中福德最大，正應品名「挍量法施」之旨。
不要讀錯
不要把「挍量」讀成『校勘』之校、或疑品名用字有誤。「挍量」之「挍」在此是校量、比較衡量之義，全品正是以財施、法施兩端層層相較而立；宋元明宮諸本或逕省「挍量」二字而但作「法施品」，古疏標題則作『校量』，這些是傳本用字的異同，屬考據層之事，義理上但依『比較衡量法施之功』一義讀去即可，不可因字形之異而疑品旨。
不要把『法施勝財施』讀成佛貶抑布施、輕視財施。校量之意，不在斥財施為惡，而在顯法施所傳之般若能成三乘、出生死，財施之福則在世間有漏、終墮無常。論說得分明：十善乃至四禪縱遍恒河沙世界，仍是有漏，故不如書持、演說般若。若把「不如」讀成佛薄財施，便失了『無漏勝有漏、出世勝世間』之本義；財施自有其福，只是校於法施則有盡不敵無盡而已。
不要把「相似般若」讀成言辭上的錯說。論判真偽之準，明在『名字語言同而心義異』——說無常苦無我、說當得十地、說迴向菩提，這些名言無一非佛法，相似之病不在說了什麼，而在『以著心、取相、有所得』而說。故不可把相似般若看作用語之誤，須就存心之著相與否判之；真般若者，正是於同樣的名言上不取相、不有所得、不著無常而說。
不要把『教近佛道一人勝教無量眾生』讀成重個人、輕大眾，或讀成一種可買賣的福德較量。論以『福田大故福德亦大』與太子國王之喻判之——所校者是受法之人去佛地之遠近，如太子之於凡庶，非以人數多寡定福。且此勝之極歸於『菩薩說般若正義教近佛道』，所重仍在「說般若正義」之法施，非在挑揀施境；若讀成勢利之較量，便失了福田深厚、能令眾生增長之義。
修行作用
這一品把『法施勝財施』一義，從無漏勝有漏之綱一路落到用功人日常的取捨之間。最當領取的第一層信解是：布施、持戒乃至四禪五神通，若不迴向般若、不以無所得之心行之，終是隨業有盡之福，尚不能致小乘涅槃，何況無上道。用功人於日用行善之際，若只計事相之多寡、境界之高下，而不以般若正觀攝之，便如以恒河沙世界之財施，猶不敵一卷般若之書持；本品教人所重者，是於一一善行上迴向般若、離有所得，福乃由有盡轉為無盡。
『有所得／無所得』之辨，尤是本品給用功人的一把尺。論說得極切：作念『我與、彼受、所施者物』，便但得布施之名而不得波羅蜜；三輪不可得，方名具足。用功人布施、持戒、修慧之時，最當自省者，正是這一念取相之心——著我、著人、著法而修，縱經多劫，福終有窮；能於能所俱泯處行之，一施一戒便是到彼岸之行。這不是教人廢事相之修，而是教人於事相上不落三輪之著。
「相似般若」與「真般若」之判，最可作觀行之準繩。同說無常、同說空、同說迴向，而一落有所得、取相，便是相似，反令發心者失道；一於名言上不取相、不著、不得，便是真實。用功人聽法、說法、乃至自修觀慧之際，當於此自驗：是取一個『無常相』『空相』以為所得、以為所行，還是直照色性本空、空亦非法、於中無所住？前者是相似之路，後者方是本品所謂「說般若正義」。法施之真偽、自行之邪正，其分野全在這一念著與不著之間。
承衍
本品的骨幹，是一條由「挍量」貫串的法施勝義之線：佛以財施（教眾生行十善乃至證聲聞辟支佛、乃至令發心住不退）與法施（書持、演說般若）層層相校，法施一端始終居勝，其根在般若無漏、能成三乘出生死，十善有漏、受福還墮；法施既勝，則所傳須是真般若，故辨有所得布施但得其名、須三輪不可得方名具足，又辨真般若與相似般若之異，令未來眾生不因聞相似而失道；法施之勝復隨受法者去佛之遠近而轉，教近佛道之一人乃至福德最大。論釋則以『無漏勝有漏』『諸賢聖皆從般若出』『二種菩薩』『福田大故福德大』與太子國王供養等喻，逐一酬釋『何以法施定勝』『何以有所得不如無所得』『何以佛道事猶有不如』『何以近佛道者福最大』諸疑。一品之義，總在『傳真般若、教近佛道之法施，於一切校量之中福德最大』一事。
『財施者供養具衣食等、法施者所謂教六波羅蜜等』二句，尤可附帶一提，見其承衍之跡。全品名「挍量法施」，而「法施」之確詁至論末方由釋帝釋、須菩提之語處點出——法施非泛指說法，正指以六波羅蜜之教授人；與財施之「供養具、衣食」相對，一資色身、一資法身。般若為六度之尊導、為諸佛之所從出之義，自前〈阿難稱譽〉等品累論而來，至本品乃借財法校量一事，把『般若能成聖果』與『說般若即最勝法施』二線一時收攏。讀者可合觀前後諸品，以見般若『所依、所出、所歸極』與『法施最勝』一貫之脈（其承衍起訖、諸品出處，詳考據層）。
Weighing the Gift of Dharma: Why the Gift of Wealth and the Gift of Dharma Are Weighed Layer upon Layer and the Gift of Dharma Always Prevails; Why Writing Out and Upholding Prajñā and Expounding Prajñā Surpass Teaching Beings to Practise the Ten Wholesome Paths and Even to Realise Śrāvakahood and Pratyekabuddhahood; Why Giving with Something to Be Attained and the Pāramitā with Nothing to Be Attained Are Divided as True and False; Why True Prajñā and Resembling Prajñā Are Judged as Right and Wrong; and So On up to Why Teaching the One Person Near the Buddha Path Has the Greatest Merit and Surpasses Teaching Immeasurable Beings
What Is Being Asked
This chapter’s name is 「挍量法施品」 tr. "the chapter Weighing the Gift of Dharma" (「挍」 tr. "weigh" here has the sense of weighing, comparing and measuring, not the sense of ‘collation’; the distribution of the variant graphs of these two characters, the omission in the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Palace editions, and the old commentary writing it as ‘weighing’ with the other graph are examined in detail in the Apparatus). The two characters 「挍量」 tr. "weighing" point out exactly the form of the whole chapter—it does not plainly set out the merit of the gift of Dharma; it places the gift of wealth and the gift of Dharma at the two ends of a balance and weighs them one level after another: teaching one person to practise the ten wholesome paths does not equal writing out and upholding one scroll of prajñā; teaching the people of one country to practise the ten wholesome paths does not equal writing out and upholding prajñā; and so on up to this—teaching the beings of worlds as many as the sands of the Ganges to realise the śrāvaka and the pratyekabuddha still does not equal expounding the meaning of prajñā for one person. The weight is increased layer upon layer at the end of the gift of wealth, and yet the end of the gift of Dharma always prevails.
The frame of the chapter unfolds through one sūtra passage and one treatise passage, then another sūtra passage and another treatise passage—two pairs of sūtra and treatise in alternation—and turns around three questions. The first, which is also the guiding thread of the whole chapter: both being giving, why does 「法施」 tr. "the gift of Dharma" surely prevail over 「財施」 tr. "the gift of wealth"? The Buddha’s answer runs from beginning to end—in prajñā the dharmas without outflows are broadly taught, which can accomplish the three vehicles and enter nirvāṇa with no further return, while the ten wholesome paths and the like are only wholesome dharmas with outflows, which receive the impermanent happiness of the world and fall back into suffering; so even if the gift of wealth extends to worlds as many as the sands of the Ganges, even if it brings beings to realise the fruit of the pratyekabuddha, it still does not equal writing out and upholding, and expounding, prajñā. Second, since the gift of Dharma prevails, the 「般若」 tr. "prajñā" that is given must be true prajñā: so it distinguishes that giving with something to be attained gains only the name of giving and does not gain the pāramitā, and that only when the three wheels are unfindable is it called complete; and it also distinguishes in advance the difference between true prajñā and resembling prajñā, so that future beings will not hear what resembles it and lose the right path. Third, since the prevailing of the gift of Dharma shifts with the person who is taught—teaching one to arouse the mind of awakening surpasses teaching one to realise the two vehicles, and teaching one who is near the Buddha path again surpasses teaching immeasurable ones who have aroused the mind: why is it so? The treatise-author answers one by one with meanings such as ‘all the worthy and noble come forth from prajñā,’ ‘the two kinds of bodhisattva,’ and ‘making offerings to the crown prince and the king.’ These three are exactly what the sūtra and treatise of this chapter must account for one by one.
Passage by Passage
1. The guiding thread that the gift of Dharma surpasses the gift of wealth: teaching the ten wholesome paths does not equal writing out and upholding prajñā. The Buddha asks Śakra: if one teaches the people of one Jambudvīpa to practise the ten wholesome paths, is the merit gained great or not? Śakra answers, 「甚多」 tr. "Very great." The Buddha then judges: it still does not equal the merit gained by writing out and upholding the scroll of the prajñā sūtra and giving it to others, causing them to read, recite, and expound it; because in prajñā all the dharmas without outflows are broadly taught, and a person who studies and trains in it then enters the position of the right Dharma and gains srota-āpanna and so on up to arhat, pratyekabuddha, and unsurpassed awakening. This passage sets up the guiding thread of the whole chapter—though the merit of the gift of wealth is great, it is in the end with outflows; the prajñā transmitted by the gift of Dharma can give birth to the noble fruits of the three vehicles, so under the weighing the gift of Dharma surely prevails.
2. Weighing by the fruits rising step by step: gaining a noble fruit surpasses practising the ten wholesome paths, and gaining awakening surpasses gaining the two vehicles. The Buddha divides it more finely: teaching one person to gain the fruit of srota-āpanna surpasses teaching the people of one Jambudvīpa to practise the ten wholesome paths, because the ten wholesome paths do not part from the suffering of the hells, animals, and hungry ghosts, while the fruit of srota-āpanna parts from the three evil destinies; and so on up to arhat and pratyekabuddha, likewise. Again, teaching the people of one Jambudvīpa to gain srota-āpanna and so on up to pratyekabuddha does not equal teaching one person to gain unsurpassed awakening, because 「以菩薩因緣故」 tr. "by reason of the bodhisattva" there are born srota-āpanna and so on up to arhat and pratyekabuddha, and there are born the buddhas. This passage pushes the weighing from ‘the matter of the giving’ to ‘the fruit of the giving’—the higher the fruit accomplished, the more the gift of Dharma prevails, and the source of all the fruits returns to the bodhisattva, returns to prajñā.
3. The range of the gift of wealth enlarges level by level, and the four dhyānas and five supernormal powers also do not equal writing out prajñā. The Buddha sets aside the one Jambudvīpa and extends it in turn to the four continents, a small thousand world, a middle two-thousand world, the three-thousand great-thousand world, and so on up to worlds as many as the sands of the Ganges, teaching their beings to practise the ten wholesome paths—none of it equals writing out and upholding prajñā; again, one teaches beings to establish the four dhyānas, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless absorptions, and the five supernormal powers, and so on up to establishing these absorptions and powers in worlds as many as the sands of the Ganges in the ten directions, and it still does not equal writing out and upholding prajñā. This is because in prajñā all wholesome dharmas are broadly taught, and by studying it there come forth the great kṣatriya clans and so on up to the gods, the four foundations of mindfulness and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds, and srota-āpanna and so on up to the buddhas. This passage, with ‘though the range is utmost wide and though the fruit is utmost high, the gift of Dharma in the end prevails,’ shows that the prevailing in the weighing is not bound to the largeness or smallness of the sphere of giving, but to whether or not the dharma transmitted can give birth to the noble fruits.
4. Receiving and upholding and drawing near to prajñā—not by way of dual dharmas and not by way of non-dual dharmas. The Buddha judges further: one who himself receives and upholds prajñā, writes it out and upholds it, reads, recites, expounds, and rightly recollects it—his merit surpasses teaching beings to practise the ten wholesome paths or to establish the four dhyānas and the like. What is called right recollection is that receiving and upholding and drawing near to prajñā, and so on up to rightly recollecting it, are all 「不以二法、不以不二法」 tr. "not by way of dual dharmas and not by way of non-dual dharmas"; and it is likewise with meditation and so on up to dānapāramitā, and with inner emptiness and so on up to the omniscience of all kinds. This passage gathers 「所施」 tr. "what is given" in the gift of Dharma into the right contemplation of prajñā—the essential point of receiving and upholding lies not in how many or how few the sentences are, but in recollecting prajñā with a mind that is non-dual and unattached, leaving the two extremes without falling into a compromise between them; this is the mark of right recollection.
5. The meaning of prajñā is neither a dual mark nor a non-dual mark; expounding and revealing it surpasses receiving and upholding it oneself. The Buddha shows the mark of the meaning of prajñā: it should not be contemplated by a dual mark, it should not be contemplated by a non-dual mark; it is neither with marks nor without marks, neither entering nor exiting, neither arising nor ceasing, and so on up to neither the limit of reality nor not the limit of reality. One who can expound, reveal, and analyse this meaning for others, making it easy to understand—his merit surpasses receiving and upholding, reading, reciting, and rightly recollecting it himself. This passage shows that the utmost of the gift of Dharma lies in ‘expounding the right meaning of prajñā’—the meaning of prajñā is originally apart from all marks; to be able to pass it on to others in this way, causing them to gain entry, has merit exceeding receiving and upholding it alone, and so the gift of Dharma weighs more than benefiting oneself.
6. Receiving and upholding it oneself and further expounding it for others has very great merit; expounding surpasses making offerings to the buddhas of the ten directions. The Buddha continues to make clear: one who himself receives and upholds prajñā and further expounds and reveals it for others, making it easy to understand, has very great merit; such expounding gains immeasurable, boundless, asaṃkhyeya merit, surpassing making offerings for a whole lifetime to the immeasurable buddhas of the ten directions. This is because the buddhas of the past, present, and future all studied in prajñā and gained awakening. This passage raises the gift of Dharma to its utmost position—expounding prajñā surpasses exhausting a whole life in offerings of wealth to immeasurable buddhas, because the prajñā expounded is exactly the dharma from which the buddhas come forth and by which they are accomplished; to revere that dharma is to revere the root of the buddhas.
7. Expounding prajñā surpasses practising dānapāramitā, with nothing to be attained; what is ‘with something to be attained.’ The Buddha judges: practising dānapāramitā for immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas does not equal expounding the meaning of prajñā for others, 「以無所得故」 tr. "with nothing to be attained." What is ‘with something to be attained’? A bodhisattva gives with a mind that has something to be attained, thinking ‘I give, he receives, and this is the thing given’; this is called gaining giving and not gaining the pāramitā; keeping the precepts, patience, vigour, meditation, and wisdom are likewise—each holding to ‘I keep the precepts, this is the precept’ and the like, they all gain only its name and do not gain the pāramitā. This passage points out that the dividing line between the depth and shallowness of the gift of wealth and the gift of Dharma really lies in ‘with something to be attained / with nothing to be attained’—giving while attached to the marks of the three wheels, even through many kalpas, accomplishes only merit that comes to an end, and does not accomplish the pāramitā.
8. How to cultivate the complete pāramitā—the three wheels are all unfindable. Śakra asks how one cultivates and gains the complete six perfections. The Buddha answers: when giving, one who does not find the giver, does not find the receiver, and does not find the thing given—this person gains the complete dānapāramitā; and so on up to this: when cultivating prajñā, one who does not find wisdom and does not find the wisdom cultivated—this person gains the complete prajñāpāramitā. This passage sets up directly the meaning of 「具足」 tr. "complete"—the completeness of a pāramitā lies not in the abundance of the things given or the diligence of cultivating wisdom, but in being able to let subject and object both vanish, the three wheels empty in substance; apart from this, it is only called giving and called wisdom, not the practice of reaching the other shore.
9. Out of pity for those in the future who will teach resembling prajñā, one should expound it completely. The Buddha shows: in the future age there will be those who wish to teach prajñā but teach resembling prajñā, and some who have aroused the mind of awakening will hear it and lose the right path; therefore one should, for such people, completely expound the meaning of prajñā, revealing and analysing it and making it easy to understand. This passage turns out the one great heading of 「相似般若」 tr. "resembling prajñā"—since the gift of Dharma takes prajñā as what is transmitted, the prajñā transmitted must be true prajñā; if the one who transmits it himself teaches what resembles it, he instead causes those who have aroused the mind to lose the path; so the Buddha sifts it out in advance, causing those who teach to be complete in the true meaning.
10. Resembling prajñā, the first: teaching that the five aggregates and so on are impermanent, suffering, and without self, and causing one to seek the marks and practise. The Buddha answers what resembling prajñā is: 「說有所得般若波羅蜜，是為相似般若波羅蜜。」 tr. "To teach prajñāpāramitā with something to be attained—this is resembling prajñāpāramitā." Its marks are: teaching that form and so on up to feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness, the twelve sense-fields, the eighteen elements, the six constituents, the six contacts, and the feeling born from the condition of contact are all impermanent, suffering, and without self, and saying, 「能如是行，是行般若」 tr. "If you can practise thus, this is practising prajñā," causing the practitioner to seek the mark of impermanence and the like and practise; and so on up to this: when practising the six perfections, the four dhyānas, the four foundations of mindfulness, and sarvajñā, teaching him in every case impermanence, suffering, and no-self. This passage uncovers the root of the sickness of resembling prajñā—impermanence, suffering, and no-self are originally the right teaching, but if one causes people to grasp ‘the mark of impermanence’ and cling to it as the practice of prajñā, it then falls into having something to be attained, and becomes what resembles and is not the true.
11. Resembling prajñā, the second to the sixth: one will gain the ten grounds, pass beyond the two vehicles, the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, immeasurable merit, dedication to awakening. The Buddha continues to list the marks of resemblance: teaching ‘by cultivating prajñā one will gain the first ground and so on up to the tenth ground,’ cultivating with a resembling ‘something to be attained’ and by the general mark—this is resembling prajñā; teaching ‘having cultivated prajñā, one will pass beyond the grounds of the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha’—this is resembling prajñā; teaching ‘one enters the bodhisattva position, gains the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, abides in the bodhisattva’s supernormal powers, and goes from one buddha-realm to another making offerings to the buddhas’—this is resembling prajñā; teaching ‘by studying prajñā, receiving and upholding, reading, reciting, and rightly recollecting it, one will gain immeasurable merit’—this is resembling prajñā; teaching ‘the merit and wholesome foundations of the buddhas, from the first arousing of the mind up to becoming a buddha, are all gathered together and dedicated to awakening’—this is resembling prajñā. This passage lists five marks broadly; in meaning they all look right, while the mind holds on to something to be attained—the grounds and positions, the fruits and virtues, and the dedication taught are, without exception, names and words of the Buddha’s Dharma, but once they are strung together by ‘with something to be attained, cultivating by the general mark,’ they all become resembling; this shows that the sickness of resemblance lies not in the names and words but in the mind’s holding on and grasping marks.
12. How one does not teach resembling prajñā—the nature of form is empty and not a dharma, and that is prajñā; do not have anything passed beyond or anything abided in. The Buddha shows the mark of not teaching what resembles: teaching people, ‘do not contemplate form as impermanent; the nature of form is empty, this nature of form is not a dharma, and what is not a dharma is called prajñā; in prajñā form is neither permanent nor impermanent; form itself is unfindable, how much less permanent or impermanent,’ and feeling, perception, constructions, and consciousness likewise; and further teaching, ‘do not have anything passed beyond, do not have anything abided in; in prajñā there is no dharma that can be passed beyond or abided in; all dharmas are empty of self-nature, emptiness of self-nature is not a dharma, what is not a dharma is prajñā, and there is no dharma that can be entered or exited, arise or cease.’ This passage sets up directly the teaching of true prajñā—it does not cause one to grasp the mark of impermanence, but shows directly that the nature of form is originally empty, that emptiness too is not a dharma, and that in it there is nothing to be attained and nothing abided in; this is exactly contrary to resemblance’s ‘grasping marks, with something to be attained,’ and so it is called not teaching what resembles.
13. One should expound it thus; the merit surpasses what came before. The Buddha concludes this sūtra passage: good men and good women should expound the meaning of prajñā thus; if they teach it thus, the merit gained surpasses that of the foregoing. This passage gathers up the meaning of the weighing so far—the prevailing of the gift of Dharma here comes to rest in the one move of ‘expounding true prajñā thus’; only by transmitting true prajñā and not transmitting what resembles it is the gift of Dharma ultimately prevailing.
14. The treatise explains the causes and conditions of the prevailing—prajñā is without outflows, accomplishes the three vehicles, and enters nirvāṇa; the ten wholesome paths are with outflows and fall back into suffering. The treatise section: It explains the intent of the Buddha’s posing the question: the Buddha wished further to make clear by another approach that prajñā prevails, and so he asked Śakra whether the merit of the ten wholesome paths was great or not. Here it tells the causes and conditions of the prevailing: prajñā broadly teaches all the dharmas without outflows, accomplishes the paths of the three vehicles, enters nirvāṇa, and does not return again; the ten wholesome paths are only wholesome dharmas with outflows, which receive the impermanent happiness of the world and fall back again into suffering; therefore they do not equal it. This passage is the overall cause the treatise-author sets up for the weighing of the whole chapter—the root of the gift of Dharma’s surpassing the gift of wealth lies in the difference between without outflows and with outflows, between beyond the world and within the world, not merely in the quantity of outward deeds.
15. The five pairs of difference between the worldly and the world-transcending; the dharmas without outflows are the thirty-seven limbs of the path and so on up to immeasurable buddha-dharmas. The treatise lists five layers of difference: the former is a worldly dharma, the latter a world-transcending dharma; the former can give birth to birth and death, the latter can extinguish birth and death; the former is the cause and condition of impermanent happiness, the latter the cause and condition of permanent happiness; the former is a dharma shared by ordinary people and noble ones, the latter is a dharma only for noble ones. What are called dharmas without outflows are the thirty-seven limbs of the path, the eighteen unshared dharmas, and so on up to the immeasurable dharmas of the buddhas. This passage opens up the ‘without outflows / with outflows’ of the passage above by five pairs—setting them one against one, it shows that the merit of the ten wholesome paths lies in the end within birth and death and impermanence, while the dharma of prajñā goes out of birth and death and brings permanent happiness, so in the weighing it must prevail.
16. Teaching one to gain the noble fruits and so on up to awakening—all are born from the bodhisattva. The treatise explains the causes and conditions and the similes of the Buddha’s further teaching: teaching one person to gain srota-āpanna surpasses teaching the people of Jambudvīpa to practise the ten wholesome paths, because although they practise the ten wholesome paths they have not escaped the three evil destinies; and so on up to arhat and pratyekabuddha, likewise; again, teaching the people of one Jambudvīpa to gain the path of the śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha does not equal teaching one person to gain unsurpassed awakening, 「須陀洹至辟支佛皆從菩薩生故」 tr. "because srota-āpanna up to pratyekabuddha are all born from the bodhisattva." This passage explains the reason for the weighing by ‘all the fruits are born from the bodhisattva’—if the gift of Dharma can accomplish a bodhisattva, accomplish prajñā, it accomplishes the source of all the noble fruits, and so it surpasses merely causing one to realise and take a single fruit.
17. The difference between those free of desire through the four dhyānas and the like and the ten wholesome paths; practising prajñā oneself surpasses giving the scroll to others. The treatise makes clear: teaching beings to practise the four dhyānas and the rest up to the five supernormal powers is also like the case of the ten wholesome paths, and none of it equals writing out prajñā; but those of the four dhyānas and the like are people free of desire, which differs from the ten wholesome paths; again, the reason one who himself receives and upholds prajñā, reads, recites, and rightly recollects it gains much merit is that 「上以般若經卷與他人，今自行般若為異」 tr. "above it was giving the scroll of the prajñā sūtra to other people; now it is practising prajñā oneself—that is the difference"; before, the ten wholesome paths and so on up to the five supernormal powers were spoken of separately; now they are spoken of together. This passage sorts out the levels—though the four dhyānas are higher than the ten wholesome paths (being free of desire), they still belong to what is with outflows; and it distinguishes the two matters of 「以經卷與人」 tr. "giving the scroll to others" and 「自行般若」 tr. "practising prajñā oneself," showing that within the weighing what is given differs as for oneself or for others, while the prevailing of the gift of Dharma is consistent throughout.
18. Question and answer one: why explain only right recollection—right recollection can complete both merit and wisdom, like taking medicine and the sickness being cured. The treatise sets up a question: why does it not explain ‘receiving and upholding, reading, reciting, and expounding,’ but explains only 「正憶念」 tr. "right recollection"? The treatise answers: the merit of receiving and upholding, reading, reciting, and expounding is originally great, but right recollection can possess both of two things, merit and wisdom, and so it is explained separately; just as gathering herbs and compounding them without taking them does no harm to the sickness, while taking them removes the sickness—right recollection is like taking the medicine and the sickness being cured. And it goes on to set out that the mark of right recollection is 「非二非不二行般若」 tr. "practising prajñā neither dually nor non-dually," the meaning of dual and non-dual being as said before. This passage explains, with the one simile of taking medicine, why right recollection alone is weighty—receiving and upholding, reading, and reciting are like gathering the herbs; right recollection is like taking them; merit must wait for the illumination of the wisdom of right recollection before it can cure the sickness of birth and death and become merit without end.
19. Three layers of advance; because the field of merit is great, the merit is great; with something to be attained does not equal with nothing to be attained. The treatise makes clear the prevailing in three layers: first, writing out the scroll of the sūtra surpasses the relics; in the middle, giving the scroll of the sūtra to others surpasses teaching people to practise the ten wholesome paths and so on up to the five supernormal powers; now, on the side of receiving and upholding, reading and reciting, right recollection is the most surpassing, and explaining the meaning for others to make it easy to understand surpasses again one’s own practice of right recollection. The Buddha wished to analyse merit broadly, and so he said that making offerings for a whole lifetime to the buddhas of the ten directions does not equal explaining prajñā for others, because the buddhas of the three times all studied prajñā and accomplished the unsurpassed path; again, a bodhisattva’s practising the six perfections for immeasurable kalpas with something to be attained does not equal explaining prajñā for others, and one with something to be attained is so 「以我心於諸法中取相故」 tr. "because with the mind of self he grasps marks in all dharmas." This passage shows layer upon layer the progressive prevailing of the gift of Dharma, and brings its utmost back to 「無所得」 tr. "nothing to be attained"—every practice with something to be attained, grasping marks, has merit that in the end comes to an end; only the gift of Dharma of prajñā with nothing to be attained prevails.
20. The Buddha further teaches the right meaning of prajñā—practising the six perfections with nothing to be attained is complete; he teaches in advance the marks of resembling prajñā to save the future. The treatise makes clear: the Buddha wished further to teach the right meaning of prajñā, and so he answered Śakra, ‘a bodhisattva who practises the six perfections with nothing to be attained gains completeness,’ and completeness is the right meaning of prajñā; again, there would be people in the future age who teach resembling prajñā, and people in the assembly, hearing right recollection taught, thought, 「何者是邪憶念」 tr. "What is wrong recollection?"; so the Buddha taught the marks of resembling prajñā, just as only by knowing the path and the non-path can one relinquish the non-path and practise the right path; further, out of pity for future beings who do not see the Buddha or the great bodhisattvas but see only the sūtra books, and who, attached to the sounds, teach resembling prajñā—what resembles is ‘the names and words are the same while the meaning in the mind differs’: to teach, with an attached mind and grasping at marks, that the five aggregates are impermanent and so on up to neither arising nor ceasing, is resembling; to teach, with a mind not attached and not grasping at marks, that the five aggregates are impermanent only to break the inversion of permanence, without being attached to impermanence, is true prajñā; so it teaches one to relinquish what resembles and cultivate true prajñā, and this is called teaching the right meaning of prajñā, which surpasses the foregoing merit. This passage is the hinge of the treatise-author’s explanation of resembling prajñā—the judgement of true and false lies not in the wording but in whether or not the mind is attached, and the truth or falsity of the gift of Dharma is also bound to this.
21. Teaching one to gain śrāvakahood and so on up to abiding as avaivartika—none of it equals expounding prajñā for others; the noble ones are born from prajñā. The sūtra section: The Buddha weighs expounding prajñā against teaching beings to gain the fruits, layer upon layer: teaching the beings of Jambudvīpa and so on up to worlds as many as the sands of the Ganges in the ten directions, causing them to gain the paths of srota-āpanna, sakṛdāgāmin, anāgāmin, arhat, and pratyekabuddha, and so on up to causing them to arouse the mind of awakening and to abide in the ground of the avaivartika—none of it equals expounding its meaning for others with prajñā, revealing and analysing it, and encouraging them to receive, uphold, cultivate, and practise it; because 「般若波羅蜜中出生諸須陀洹」 tr. "from prajñāpāramitā are born the srota-āpannas," and so on up to the avaivartika bodhisattvas being born from it. This passage carries on from the weighing of the earlier sūtra passage and advances further—the end of the gift of wealth that is weighed rises from 「行十善」 tr. "practising the ten wholesome paths" to ‘causing them to realise the noble fruits, causing them to abide in non-retrogression,’ and yet the end of the gift of Dharma always prevails, and the reason still lies in prajñā’s being that from which all the noble ones come forth.
22. Those who arouse the intent to seek awakening, and all gaining avaivartika, still do not equal expounding for others; expounding for one who will quickly gain awakening has the greatest merit. The sūtra continues the weighing: the beings of one Jambudvīpa arouse the intent to seek awakening, and one expounds prajñā for them; this does not equal expounding it for one avaivartika bodhisattva, whose merit is very great; again, the beings of one Jambudvīpa all gain avaivartika, and one expounds for them; if among them there is one bodhisattva who will quickly gain awakening, the one who expounds for this bodhisattva has the greatest merit. This passage pushes the weighing to its extreme—the nearer the person who receives the Dharma is to the Buddha path, the greater the merit of the gift of Dharma made to him, until with ‘the one bodhisattva who will quickly gain awakening’ the merit is greatest; this raises the question of the treatise below, ‘why is the merit of one near the Buddha path the greatest.’
23. Śakra states that one should teach and make offerings step by step; Subhūti praises Śakra for benefiting bodhisattvas with the two gifts of wealth and Dharma. The sūtra makes clear: Śakra says to the Buddha that as a bodhisattva comes step by step nearer to awakening, one should step by step teach him to practise the six perfections, inner emptiness, and so on up to the eighteen unshared dharmas, and should also make offerings with clothing, bedding, food and drink, and medicine; making offerings to this bodhisattva with the gift of Dharma and the gift of wealth in this way has merit surpassing the foregoing, because the bodhisattva will quickly gain awakening; the venerable Subhūti then praises Śakra, 「汝為聖弟子」 tr. "You are a noble disciple," able to comfort the bodhisattvas and benefit them with the gift of Dharma and the gift of wealth, and further sets out that 「菩薩中生諸佛聖眾」 tr. "from among the bodhisattvas are born the buddhas and the noble assemblies," that if bodhisattvas did not arouse the mind and did not study the six perfections there would be no two vehicles, and that because bodhisattvas study the six perfections and gain awakening, the three evil destinies are cut off and all the vehicles appear in the world. This passage, through the mouths of Śakra and Subhūti, lays bare the meaning of ‘making offerings to bodhisattvas near the Buddha path with the two gifts of wealth and Dharma,’ and with ‘the buddhas and the noble assemblies all come forth from the bodhisattva’ sets the stage for the treatise below.
24. The treatise explains—all the worthy and noble come forth from prajñā; prajñā is the real mark of all dharmas. The treatise section: It explains the overall cause of the weighing of the preceding sūtra: teaching beings to gain the paths of the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha does not equal expounding prajñā for others, 「是諸賢聖皆從般若波羅蜜中出故」 tr. "because all these worthy and noble ones come forth from prajñāpāramitā." Prajñā is the real mark of all dharmas; the one who knows it rightly and universally is named the Buddha; next come the great bodhisattvas, the pratyekabuddhas, the arhats, and in turn down to the anāgāmin, the sakṛdāgāmin, and the srota-āpanna; those who can cherish, be mindful of, and make offerings to those who know the real mark are persons of worldly merit such as kings of gods and kings of humans; therefore it is constantly said that prajñā gives birth to the worthy and noble, to the great kṣatriya clans, and so on up to all the gods. This passage, with ‘prajñā is the real mark of all dharmas, and all the noble ones come forth from it,’ sets up the root of the gift of Dharma’s prevailing—to transmit prajñā is to transmit the source of all the noble ones, so it surpasses merely causing one to gain a single fruit.
25. Question and answer two: teaching one to arouse the unsurpassed path and gain avaivartika is the business of the Buddha path, so why does it not equal it—the distinction of the two kinds of bodhisattva. The treatise makes clear: teaching beings to arouse the unsurpassed path and so on up to gaining avaivartika does not equal explaining the right meaning of prajñā for one avaivartika person. Someone asks: that the dharmas of ordinary people and of the two vehicles do not equal it may be so, but now teaching people to arouse the unsurpassed path and to gain avaivartika is the business of the Buddha path—why does it still not equal it? The treatise answers: in teaching the right meaning of prajñā there are two kinds of bodhisattva: the first, the bodhisattva in a fleshly body within birth and death; the second, the bodhisattva who has gone out of the three realms, neither born nor dying, whose body is born of the Dharma-nature. This passage sets up a question and answer to break a doubt—that among what is equally the business of the Buddha path there are still the surpassing and the inferior is precisely because the bodhisattvas who are taught are at two levels, the fleshly body and the Dharma body, and cannot be treated all as one; it lays the root for the distinction below of why it prevails.
26. The matters of bodhisattvas beyond avaivartika—teaching and transforming beings, purifying lands, and the like surpass teaching one to arouse the mind. The treatise makes clear: to this bodhisattva whose body is born of the Dharma-nature one teaches only the matters of bodhisattvas from beyond avaivartika upward, namely teaching and transforming beings, purifying buddha-worlds, distinguishing the causes and conditions of the mental activity and karma of beings over immeasurable kalpas of the three times, distinguishing the kalpa-numbers of the arising and ceasing, formation and destruction, of all the worlds, great kindness and great compassion, omniscience, and the other immeasurable buddha-dharmas; teaching the Dharma for this one person surpasses teaching the beings of Jambudvīpa and so on up to worlds as many as the sands of the Ganges to arouse the mind, and further to reach avaivartika. This passage explains the surpassing and the inferior by ‘the deeper the matters taught, the further advanced the person taught’—teaching the deep dharmas from beyond avaivartika upward to one person surpasses teaching immeasurable people only up to avaivartika; this shows that the prevailing in the weighing shifts with the depth or shallowness of the one who receives the Dharma.
27. The one near the Buddha path who will quickly become a buddha brings the most merit—because the field of merit is great, the merit is great. The treatise makes clear: from avaivartika upward to the Buddha path, there is in between one more person, near the Buddha path, who will quickly become a buddha; the one who teaches this person the right meaning of prajñā has the most merit—「何以故？福田大故，福德亦大」 tr. "Why? Because the field of merit is great, the merit too is great." This passage sets up the one meaning of 「福田」 tr. "field of merit" as the pivot of the weighing—the nearer the person who receives the Dharma is to the ground of a buddha, the greater he is as a field of merit, so the same gift of Dharma has merit that becomes the greatest along with it; this is the reason why, in the preceding sūtra, ‘expounding for a bodhisattva who will quickly gain awakening has the greatest merit.’
28. The simile of offerings to the noble ones of the ten directions, and the simile of offerings to the crown prince and the king—because the field of merit is deep and thick, the merit too is great. The treatise extends the meaning of the field of merit with two similes: just as making offerings to the noble ones of worlds as many as the sands of the Ganges in the ten directions, and so on up to bodhisattvas about to sit on the seat of awakening, does not equal making offerings to one Buddha; and just as offending the crown prince incurs a greater offence than offending all other people, and making offerings to the crown prince earns greater favour than making offerings to all ordinary people, and offending the king or making offerings to the king again exceeds the crown prince. This passage takes as its similes the gradations between the Buddha and the noble ones, between the king and the crown prince, showing that the honour or lowliness of the field of merit decides the greatness or smallness of the merit—the bodhisattva near the Buddha path is like the crown prince in relation to the common folk, and so the one who gives to him has merit uniquely great.
29. Teaching and making offerings to the bodhisattva who will quickly and soon become a buddha surpasses; the field of merit is deep and thick and can cause beings to grow. The treatise concludes the meaning of the similes: teaching and transforming, and making offerings to, the bodhisattva who will quickly and soon become a buddha in this way surpasses the merit of making offerings to, and teaching and transforming, avaivartika bodhisattvas as many as the sands of the Ganges; 「所以者何？福田深厚，其法能令眾生增長故」 tr. "Why is that? Because the field of merit is deep and thick, and his dharma can cause beings to grow." This passage brings the two similes back to the original meaning—the reason it surpasses is, first, that the field of merit is deep and thick, and second, that the dharma of the bodhisattva near buddhahood can cause beings to grow; the two meanings are raised together, showing why the merit of making offerings to the bodhisattva near buddhahood with the gift of Dharma and the gift of wealth uniquely surpasses.
30. Śakra tells the Buddha that the power of the Dharma is great; Subhūti praises Śakra—the definitions of the gift of wealth and the gift of Dharma. The treatise explains following the sūtra: Śakra, knowing that the power of this Dharma is great, therefore tells the Buddha that as a bodhisattva comes step by step nearer to the unsurpassed path one should teach and transform him and make offerings to him in this way, and the merit becomes step by step greater; Subhūti praises Śakra for being able to comfort and encourage the bodhisattvas 「以財、法二施」 tr. "with the two gifts of wealth and Dharma." The treatise then explains the names of these two gifts: ‘the gift of wealth is necessities for offerings, clothing, food, and the like; the gift of Dharma is, namely, teaching the six perfections and the like.’ This passage settles directly the definitions of the gift of wealth and the gift of Dharma—the gift of wealth is the necessities that sustain the body; the gift of Dharma is imparting the teaching of the six perfections; in the chapter’s 「挍量法施」 tr. "Weighing the Gift of Dharma," its 「法施」 tr. "gift of Dharma" gains its exact gloss here.
31. Śakra is called a noble disciple; the noble assemblies all come forth from among the bodhisattvas. The treatise makes clear: because Śakra has attained the path he is called a noble disciple, and it is the dharma of a noble disciple to comfort and encourage the bodhisattvas; here it tells the causes and conditions—all these noble assemblies come forth from among the bodhisattvas; if bodhisattvas did not practise the six perfections and did not accomplish the unsurpassed path, there would be no srota-āpanna and so on up to pratyekabuddha; by reason of the bodhisattva, the ten wholesome paths and so on up to immeasurable buddha-dharmas appear in the world, and so the three evil destinies are cut off, and there come to be the great kṣatriya clans and so on up to buddhas appearing in the world. This passage restates the meaning of ‘the noble assemblies all come forth from the bodhisattva’ to explain why Śakra should encourage the bodhisattvas—since the bodhisattva is that from which all the noble fruits and the wholesome dharmas of the world come forth, to comfort and encourage the bodhisattva is to protect the root-source of all good.
32. Conclusion—a bodhisattva’s teaching the right meaning of prajñā and teaching one near the Buddha path has the greatest merit. The treatise gathers up the whole chapter: 「是故菩薩說般若波羅蜜正義，教近佛道，福德最大。」 tr. "Therefore a bodhisattva who teaches the right meaning of prajñāpāramitā, teaching one near the Buddha path, has the greatest merit." This passage sums up in one sentence—through the whole chapter the weighing proceeds layer upon layer, and its final return is here: the gift of Dharma of proclaiming the right meaning of prajñā and teaching people to come near the Buddha path has, among all the weighings, the greatest merit, answering exactly to the purport of the chapter’s name, 「挍量法施」 tr. "Weighing the Gift of Dharma."
Do Not Misread
Do not read 「挍量」 tr. "weighing" as the graph meaning ‘collation,’ or suspect that the graph in the chapter’s name is in error. The first graph of 「挍量」 tr. "weighing," 「挍」 tr. "weigh," has here the sense of weighing, comparing and measuring, and the whole chapter is built precisely by comparing the two ends, the gift of wealth and the gift of Dharma, layer upon layer; some of the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Palace editions simply omit the two characters 「挍量」 tr. "weighing" and read only 「法施品」 tr. "The Gift of Dharma," and the heading in the old commentary writes ‘weighing’ with the other graph; these are differences in the wording of the transmitted texts and belong to the Apparatus; for the meaning, one need only read on by the one sense ‘comparing and measuring the merit of the gift of Dharma,’ and must not, because of differences in the form of the characters, doubt the purport of the chapter.
Do not read ‘the gift of Dharma surpasses the gift of wealth’ as the Buddha disparaging giving and slighting the gift of wealth. The intent of the weighing lies not in rejecting the gift of wealth as bad, but in showing that the prajñā transmitted by the gift of Dharma can accomplish the three vehicles and go out of birth and death, while the merit of the gift of wealth lies in the world, with outflows, and in the end falls into impermanence. The treatise says it clearly: the ten wholesome paths and so on up to the four dhyānas, even if extended throughout worlds as many as the sands of the Ganges, are still with outflows, and so they do not equal writing out and upholding, and expounding, prajñā. If one reads 「不如」 tr. "does not equal" as the Buddha thinking lightly of the gift of wealth, one loses the original meaning of ‘without outflows surpasses with outflows, beyond the world surpasses within the world’; the gift of wealth has its own merit, only that, weighed against the gift of Dharma, what comes to an end cannot match what does not come to an end.
Do not read 「相似般若」 tr. "resembling prajñā" as a mistaken statement in wording. The treatise’s standard for judging true and false is clearly ‘the names and words are the same while the meaning in the mind differs’—teaching impermanence, suffering, and no-self, teaching that one will gain the ten grounds, teaching dedication to awakening: none of these names and words is not the Buddha’s Dharma; the sickness of resemblance lies not in what is said, but in saying it ‘with an attached mind, grasping marks, with something to be attained.’ So one must not regard resembling prajñā as an error of terminology, but must judge it by whether or not the mind’s intent is attached to marks; true prajñā is exactly saying the same names and words without grasping marks, without having something to be attained, without being attached to impermanence.
Do not read ‘teaching the one person near the Buddha path surpasses teaching immeasurable beings’ as valuing the individual and slighting the great multitude, or as a kind of weighing of merit that can be bought and sold. The treatise judges it by ‘because the field of merit is great, the merit too is great’ and by the simile of the crown prince and the king—what is weighed is how far or near the person who receives the Dharma is from the ground of a buddha, as the crown prince in relation to the common folk; it is not that merit is set by the number of people. Moreover the utmost of this prevailing returns to ‘a bodhisattva teaching the right meaning of prajñā and teaching one near the Buddha path’; what is valued is still the gift of Dharma of 「說般若正義」 tr. "teaching the right meaning of prajñā," not the picking and choosing of the sphere of giving; if one reads it as a snobbish weighing, one loses the meaning of the field of merit being deep and thick and being able to cause beings to grow.
Bearing on Practice
This chapter brings the one meaning of ‘the gift of Dharma surpasses the gift of wealth’ all the way down from the guiding thread of ‘without outflows surpasses with outflows’ to the daily choices of one who applies himself. The first layer of faith and understanding that one should most take up is this: giving, keeping the precepts, and so on up to the four dhyānas and the five supernormal powers, if not dedicated to prajñā and not practised with a mind of nothing to be attained, are in the end merit that comes to an end according to karma, and cannot even bring the nirvāṇa of the Small Vehicle, let alone the unsurpassed path. In doing good in daily life, if one who applies himself counts only the quantity of outward deeds and the height of the states reached, and does not gather them in with the right contemplation of prajñā, it is like a gift of wealth throughout worlds as many as the sands of the Ganges still not matching the writing out and upholding of one scroll of prajñā; what this chapter teaches one to value is, in each and every wholesome deed, dedicating it to prajñā and leaving behind having something to be attained, and the merit then turns from what comes to an end into what does not.
The distinction of ‘with something to be attained / with nothing to be attained’ is above all a measuring rule this chapter gives to one who applies himself. The treatise says it most pointedly: thinking ‘I give, he receives, and this is the thing given,’ one gains only the name of giving and does not gain the pāramitā; only when the three wheels are unfindable is it called complete. When one who applies himself gives, keeps the precepts, and cultivates wisdom, what he should most examine in himself is exactly this one thought of the mind that grasps marks—cultivating while attached to self, attached to others, attached to dharmas, even through many kalpas the merit in the end is exhausted; if one can practise where subject and object both vanish, a single gift and a single precept are then the practice of reaching the other shore. This does not teach one to abandon cultivation in outward deeds; it teaches one, in outward deeds, not to fall into attachment to the three wheels.
The judgement between 「相似般若」 tr. "resembling prajñā" and 「真般若」 tr. "true prajñā" can best serve as a plumb line for contemplative practice. Alike teaching impermanence, alike teaching emptiness, alike teaching dedication—once it falls into having something to be attained and grasping marks, it is resembling, and instead causes those who have aroused the mind to lose the path; once, on the names and words, one does not grasp marks, is not attached, does not attain, it is true and real. When one who applies himself hears the Dharma, teaches the Dharma, and even cultivates contemplative wisdom himself, he should test himself on this: is he grasping a ‘mark of impermanence,’ a ‘mark of emptiness,’ as something attained, as something practised—or is he directly illuminating that the nature of form is originally empty, that emptiness too is not a dharma, and that in it nothing is abided in? The former is the road of resemblance; only the latter is what this chapter calls 「說般若正義」 tr. "teaching the right meaning of prajñā." The truth or falsity of the gift of Dharma and the rightness or wrongness of one’s own practice are divided entirely within this one thought of attachment or non-attachment.
Further Resonances
The backbone of this chapter is a line of the surpassing meaning of the gift of Dharma threaded through by 「挍量」 tr. "weighing": the Buddha weighs the gift of wealth (teaching beings to practise the ten wholesome paths and so on up to realising śrāvakahood and pratyekabuddhahood, and so on up to causing them to arouse the mind and abide in non-retrogression) against the gift of Dharma (writing out and upholding, and expounding, prajñā) layer upon layer, and the end of the gift of Dharma always prevails; its root lies in prajñā’s being without outflows and able to accomplish the three vehicles and go out of birth and death, while the ten wholesome paths are with outflows, receive merit, and fall back; since the gift of Dharma prevails, what is transmitted must be true prajñā, and so it distinguishes that giving with something to be attained gains only its name and that only when the three wheels are unfindable is it called complete, and it also distinguishes the difference between true prajñā and resembling prajñā, so that future beings will not lose the path through hearing what resembles it; the prevailing of the gift of Dharma further shifts with how far or near the one who receives the Dharma is from buddhahood, until teaching the one person near the Buddha path has the greatest merit. The treatise’s explanation, with ‘without outflows surpasses with outflows,’ ‘all the worthy and noble come forth from prajñā,’ ‘the two kinds of bodhisattva,’ ‘because the field of merit is great, the merit is great,’ and similes such as the offerings to the crown prince and the king, answers one by one the doubts ‘why does the gift of Dharma surely prevail,’ ‘why does with something to be attained not equal with nothing to be attained,’ ‘why does the business of the Buddha path still not equal it,’ and ‘why is the merit of one near the Buddha path the greatest.’ The meaning of the chapter lies wholly in one matter: ‘the gift of Dharma that transmits true prajñā and teaches one near the Buddha path has, among all the weighings, the greatest merit.’
The two sentences ‘the gift of wealth is necessities for offerings, clothing, food, and the like; the gift of Dharma is, namely, teaching the six perfections and the like’ deserve particular mention in passing, for they show the traces of the further resonances. The whole chapter is named 「挍量法施」 tr. "Weighing the Gift of Dharma," and yet the exact gloss of 「法施」 tr. "the gift of Dharma" is pointed out only at the end of the treatise, where it explains the words of Śakra and Subhūti—the gift of Dharma does not refer loosely to teaching the Dharma, but refers precisely to imparting the teaching of the six perfections to people; set against the 「供養具、衣食」 tr. "necessities for offerings, clothing, and food" of the gift of wealth, the one sustains the form body, the other sustains the Dharma body. The meaning that prajñā is the honoured guide of the six perfections and that from which the buddhas come forth has been discussed cumulatively from earlier chapters such as "Ānanda's Praise," and in this chapter, by way of the one matter of weighing wealth against Dharma, the two lines ‘prajñā can accomplish the noble fruits’ and ‘teaching prajñā is the most surpassing gift of Dharma’ are drawn together at one time. The reader may view the preceding and following chapters together to see the consistent vein running through ‘what prajñā is relied on by, what comes forth from it, and where it finally returns’ and ‘the gift of Dharma is most surpassing’ (where these further resonances begin and end, and their sources in the various chapters, are given in detail in the Apparatus).