聖佛母般若波羅蜜多九頌精義論

The Wisdom of Prajñā-pāramitā

Embodying the treasury of merit and virtue, wholesome,

All the Pāramitās that exist—

This Dharma, from of old, is by nature ever-abiding.

Free of all conceptual elaboration, without hindrance or opposition,

Severing every discrimination, attaining peace and security,

Without self-nature, subtle, wondrous, supreme,

Free of all the various names and characteristics that appear.

By skillful means it expounds the Dharma of the Three Vehicles,

Yet the characteristics attained within the Vehicles

Are all the cause of the wisdom of omniscience.

I bow in homage to Prajñā-pāramitā.

The supreme wisdom that exists, reaching the other shore—

Like one who, with joy and longing, would practice right contemplation,

Should, in the meaning of these nine Verses,

Both in summary and in brief, investigate and discern according to principle.

The nine Verses set forth:

In accordance with karma's predominant condition, there is birth;

This is called the characteristic of the six sense-fields.

This very thing, when spoken of again, is birth—

The place that is its cause, like a reflected image appearing.

Like an illusion that has been transformed into a city,

The contemplating subject is likewise a transformation.

Just as those forms that are seen,

So too is the karmic transformation of the world.

The various sounds that proclaim the Dharma

Are precisely the sense-field of hearing.

All are like responding to an echo;

Through conditions there arise the hearer and the heard.

Smelling fragrance and tasting flavor,

The objects, like touch, are grasped through craving.

All of these are like a dream:

Though attained, they have no reality.

As an illusion is turned into a person,

The various activities it performs are not real.

This is like those activities performed:

The body's turning is likewise without self.

Like the manifold things attained,

Born in that utmost instant—

These, together with a shimmering mirage,

Once seen, are at once destroyed, without characteristic.

What is grasped is like a reflected image,

Beginningless, arising from the mind.

This characteristic, together with that consciousness,

Mutually are like a shadowed form.

Contemplating within, the seed is pure;

If wisdom dawns, the moon appears.

Like that moon within the water,

Present before one, yet having no place where it abides.

As wisdom is conjoined,

This is the characteristic of empty space.

Therefore, what wisdom comes to know

Is all like the characteristic of empty space.

As the previous Verse stated:

The supreme wisdom that exists, reaching the other shore—

Like one who, with joy and longing, would practice right contemplation,

Should, in the meaning of these nine verses,

Both in summary and in brief, investigate and discern according to principle.

+ Said to be supreme wisdom: This means the characteristics such as hearing, reflection, and cultivation.

+ The other shore: This is the meaning of the farthest bound.

+ Reaching: This is to arrive. It means attaining the ultimate bound, free of all places of discrimination. Thus on and on, to the very end of that meaning.

+ Right contemplation: This means the characteristic that is without inversion.

+ Joy and longing: This is attention; aspiration is its nature.

+ This meaning: This is the meaning that exists when speaking of those nine Verses. Meaning is the gateway of meaning.

+ Investigate and discern: This is reflection, the resolute making of a choice. How does one reflect? The Verse says: in summary and in brief.

+ In summary and in brief: This is to encompass in summary and to gather in brief.

Here one should ask: On what account is it said to be summary and brief?

Answer: Because it causes those of dull faculties to be able to understand the meaning.

The nine Verses having already been set forth above, they will now be explained in sequence.

– Verse 1 says:

In accordance with karma's predominant condition, there is birth;

This is called the characteristic of the six sense-fields.

This very thing, when spoken of again, is birth—

The place that is its cause, like a reflected image appearing.

+ Karma: This means wholesome and unwholesome karma.

+ Predominant condition: This is predominant karma. By the predominant power of those karmas, there is birth. Born in what place? The Verse says: the characteristic of the six sense-fields. Field means the field of the object that is born, the support of consciousness; hence it is called field. What, again, is this? It means the six inner sense-fields such as the eye, and so forth.

The Verse says "characteristic": this is the meaning of representation. If the characteristic of these six sense-fields has a place of birth, then those dharmas, being thus, are born again. To speak thus here is the meaning of resolute and complete accomplishment.

Question: Within the truth of ultimate meaning, what is the self-nature?

The Verse explains itself, saying: The place that is its cause, like a reflected image appearing. Since the reflected image is employed as a simile, therefore within the reflected image, the sentient beings, the agent who performs the karma, together with the object of action that is the matter—all are free of nature, empty. This meaning is brought to its very end.

Furthermore, the self-nature of the outer six sense-fields such as form and so forth arises; now it will be revealed in sequence, each one by one.

– Verse 2 says:

Like an illusion that has been transformed into a city,

The contemplating subject is likewise a transformation.

Just as those forms that are seen,

So too is the karmic transformation of the world.

Just as the illusory dharma has been conjured into a town. Afterward, the contemplating subject is likewise a transformation. These two are not existent. Why? Because their nature is not truly born. Yet the seeing subject and the seen object, in those two characteristics of form, having outwardly an obstructive resistance, are all karmic transformation. The seen object within the three realms of the world—this too is like that, so in meaning it is likewise so. Here, transformation being thus, compared with that object which is transformed, is in nature without difference. Therefore the later Verse says: Like sound responding to an echo, which bears witness to that meaning.

– Verse 3 sets forth:

The various sounds that proclaim the Dharma

Are precisely the sense-field of hearing.

All are like responding to an echo;

Through conditions there arise the hearer and the heard.

+ Said to proclaim the Dharma: this is the expounding subject, born by predominance. The sound that is responded to is the sense-field of hearing. If the sense-field of hearing here is thus, then from the other dharmas all are born in like manner; therefore the simile of sound responding to an echo is employed. That sound responding to an echo is the same as the other dharmas. To say here that it is without difference in this way is called all that is set forth in verbal expression.

+ Through conditions there arise: this is to arise through conditions, such as hearing and so forth. Hearing, like all the various things that exist, is of a nature that is produced. Thus the hearing subject and the heard object, within the place of "having something attained," are all arisen through conditions.

Therefore there are sounds, all like responding to an echo. Thus this meaning is said to be ultimate. Therefore the later Verse sets forth: All of these are like a dream, which bears witness through that meaning.

– Verse 4 sets forth:

Smelling fragrance and tasting flavor,

The objects, like touch, are grasped through craving.

All of these are like a dream:

Though attained, they have no reality.

+ Said to smell fragrance: this means the sense-field of the nose-consciousness. The objects that are produced, of a nature such as fragrance and so forth, are smelled.

+ Tasting flavor: this is the sense-field of the tongue-consciousness, clearly knowing the various flavors. Touch is the sense-field of the body-consciousness, cognizing the various contacts.

Within such sense-fields, in accordance with what is sought after and delighted in, there arises craving and grasping. Within those sense-fields, each one is bound, and in accordance with the object that is bound, the various fragrances, flavors, and contacts are each received separately. If within those sense-fields one gives rise to the characteristic of "having something attained," then it cannot be attained. Therefore the Verse says: All are like a dream.

+ All: This is precisely the import of being without difference.

Yet the inner fields such as the eye and so forth, and the outer fields such as form and so forth, are also not nonexistent. If it were not so, then how would the agent who acts give rise to the object of activity? To dispel this doubt, therefore:

– Verse 5 says:

As an illusion is turned into a person,

The various activities it performs are not real.

This is like those activities performed:

The body's turning is likewise without self.

It is like the function of the illusory dharma turned into the characteristic of a human body; that illusion forms a person with countless activities all complete. So too, like a person, there provisionally exists one who acts together with the function of the object that is acted upon. Again, there are also the various matters that are enacted, such as the characteristics of going and coming. The Verse says "various": this is the meaning of having complete the various classes of parts that are produced.

What is the object that is produced? It means the body formed by illusion. If the illusory dharma of the body is thus accomplished, then that illusory body is truly without self.

"Without" is the meaning of being free. "Self" means a sovereign agent. To say here "without self" means to be free of self. The reason there is no agent who acts here is that within the truth of ultimate meaning there is nothing at all. Therefore the Verse says: The various activities it performs are not real. "Not real" is the meaning of having no capacity. Now, here, having no such capacity, then that act has no sovereign agent. If the illusion-formed person has no sovereign agent, then though there is a manifestation, there is no reality. The dharmas are likewise so, utterly without reality. Here one should know that the import is without difference; therefore the later Verse says: Together with a shimmering mirage, and so forth, which bears witness to this meaning.

– Verse 6 says:

Like the manifold things attained,

Born in that utmost instant—

These, together with a shimmering mirage,

Once seen, are at once destroyed, without characteristic.

+ Manifold: This is the many kinds.

+ Attained (that which is attained): This is the differentiated characteristic of the field of "imagined grasping." That field of the object which is grasped is born in the utmost instant. Instant after instant is called the utmost instant.

+ Birth: This is the meaning of arising. It means the utmost instant has a place of arising. If the utmost instant has a place of birth, then those various dharmas, born from the utmost instant, are all impermanent. That meaning is brought wholly to completion.

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