摩訶般若波羅蜜經釋論序
Preface to the Commentary on the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra
長安釋僧叡述
Preface by Shi Sengrui of Chang'an
夫萬有本於生生而生，生者無生；變化兆於物始而始，始者無始。然則無生、無始，物之性也。生、始不動於性，而萬有陳於外、悔吝生於內者，其唯邪思乎！正覺有以見邪思之自起故，阿含為之作；知滯有之由惑故，般若為之照。然而照本希夷，津涯浩汗，理超文表，趣絕思境。以言求之，則乖其深；以智測之，則失其旨。二乘所以顛沛於三藏，雜學所以曝鱗於龍門者，不其然乎！
All things arise from the process of arising, yet that which arises has no inherent birth. Change manifests from the beginning of phenomena, yet that beginning has no true start. Thus, no-birth and no-beginning are the very nature of things.
Birth and beginning do not disturb this nature. Yet the myriad things appear outwardly, and regret and distress arise inwardly—is this not solely due to distorted thinking?
Because the Rightly Awakened One saw how distorted thinking originates, the Āgamas were composed. Knowing that attachment to existence stems from delusion, the Prajñā teachings shine their light.
Yet this light is subtle and vast, its shores boundless. The truth transcends words; its essence lies beyond the reach of thought. To seek it through language is to miss its depth; to measure it with intellect is to lose its meaning.
Is this not why the two vehicles struggled within the three baskets of scripture, and why mixed teachings faltered like fish stranded at the Dragon Gate?
是以馬鳴起於正法之餘，龍樹生於像法之末。正餘易弘故，直振其遺風瑩拂而已。像末多端故，乃寄跡凡夫示悟物以漸，又假照龍宮以朗搜玄之慧，託聞幽祕以窮微言之妙，爾乃憲章智典作茲釋論。其開夷路也，則令大乘之駕方軌而直入；其辯實相也，則使妄見之惑不遠而自復。
In the era after the true Dharma, the great master Asvaghosa arose. In the final age of the semblance Dharma, the great master Nagarjuna appeared. The remaining influence of the true Dharma was still strong and easily propagated; thus, Asvaghosa could directly uphold its fading legacy, polishing and clarifying it. The final age of the semblance Dharma was complex and full of obstacles; therefore, Nagarjuna appeared in the guise of an ordinary person, using gradual methods to awaken beings. He drew upon the wisdom of the dragon king's palace to illuminate the search for profound truths, and relied on hearing secret teachings to exhaust the subtleties of the sublime doctrine. Thus, modeling himself on the scriptures of wisdom, he composed this commentary. In opening the smooth, broad path, he enabled the great vehicle to proceed straight ahead on a level road. In discerning true reality, he caused the delusions of false views to vanish of their own accord, without needing to travel far.
其為論也，初辭擬之，必標眾異以盡美；卒成之終，則舉無執以盡善。釋所不盡，則立論以明之；論其未辯，則寄折中以定之。使靈篇無難喻之章，千載悟作者之旨，信若人之功矣！
This treatise begins by presenting diverse views, highlighting all perspectives to reveal their beauty. In its conclusion, it transcends all fixed positions to achieve perfect harmony. Where the scriptures leave questions unanswered, it establishes clear reasoning to illuminate them. Where debates remain unresolved, it offers a balanced path to settle them. Thus, no profound chapter remains difficult to grasp; through the ages, readers awaken to the author's intent. Truly, this is the achievement of a master.
有鳩摩羅耆婆法師者，少播聰慧之聞，長集奇拔之譽，才舉則亢標萬里，言發則英辯榮枯，常杖茲論為淵鏡憑高、致以明宗。以秦弘始三年，歲次星紀，十二月二十日，自姑臧至長安。秦王虛襟既已蘊在，昔見之心豈徒則悅而已！晤言相對，則淹留終日；研微造盡，則窮年忘倦。又以晤言之功雖深，而恨獨符之心不曠；造盡之要雖玄，而惜津梁之勢未普。遂以莫逆之懷，相與弘兼忘之慧，乃集京師義業沙門，命公卿賞契之士五百餘人，集於渭濱逍遙園堂。鑾輿佇駕於洪涘，禁禦息警於林間。躬覽玄章，考正名於梵本；諮通津要，坦夷路於來踐。
There was a Dharma master named Kumārajīva. From a young age, he was renowned for his brilliant wisdom; as he grew, he gathered extraordinary praise for his remarkable talents. When his abilities were displayed, they soared above all others for ten thousand miles; when he spoke, his eloquent discourse illuminated the flourishing and the withered alike. He always relied upon this treatise as a profound mirror, using it to clarify the ultimate truth from the highest vantage.
In the third year of the Hongshi era of Qin, when the year-star was in its cycle, on the twentieth day of the twelfth month, he arrived in Chang'an from Guzang. The King of Qin, with a mind open and receptive—his admiration already harbored from times past—was not merely pleased! When they met face-to-face for discussion, they would linger together the entire day; when delving into the subtle and exhausting its depths, they would toil through the years without tiring.
Yet, though the merit of their conversations was deep, they lamented that the understanding born of their singular accord was not yet widespread; though the essential truth they had exhausted was profound, they regretted that the bridge to ferry others across was not yet universally accessible. Thus, with hearts in perfect harmony, they joined together to propagate the wisdom that transcends all dualities. They then assembled the monastic scholars devoted to meaning and practice from the capital, along with five hundred or more officials and nobles of shared insight, gathering in the hall of the Xiaoyao Garden by the banks of the Wei River.
The imperial carriage halted by the great shore; the royal guards stood watch in silence among the woods. The King personally examined the profound texts, verifying the correct terminology against the Sanskrit originals; he sought out the crucial points of passage, smoothing and leveling the road for future travelers.
經本既定，乃出此釋論。論之略本有十萬偈，偈有三十二字，并三百二十萬言。梵夏既乖，又有煩簡之異，三分除二，得此百卷。於大智三十萬言，玄章婉旨，朗然可見，歸途直達，無復惑趣之疑，以文求之無間然矣。
Once the scripture was established, this commentary was composed. The concise version of the commentary originally contained one hundred thousand verses, each verse having thirty-two characters, totaling three million two hundred thousand words. Since Sanskrit and Chinese differ, and there were variations in complexity and brevity, two-thirds were omitted, resulting in this hundred-volume work. Within the thirty thousand words of the Great Wisdom, the profound chapters and subtle meanings become clearly visible. The path of return is straight and direct, leaving no room for doubt or confusion. Seeking through its words, one finds no gaps or inconsistencies.
故天竺傳云：「像、正之末，微馬鳴、龍樹，道學之門其淪胥溺喪矣！」其故何耶？寔由二未𢍆微邪法用盛，虛言與實教並興，嶮徑與夷路爭轍，始進者化之而流離，向道者惑之而播越，非二匠其孰與正之！是以天竺諸國，為之立廟，宗之若佛。又稱而詠之曰：「智慧日已頹，斯人令再曜；世昏寢已久，斯人悟令覺。」若然者，真可謂功格十地，道侔補處者矣！傳而稱之，不亦宜乎！幸哉！此中鄙之外，忽得全有此論。
Thus the Indian tradition states: "In the later ages of the Image and Counterfeit Dharma, were it not for Aśvaghoṣa and Nāgārjuna, the gate of the true teaching would have been utterly lost and drowned!" Why is this so? It is truly because when the two periods of decline arrived, false teachings flourished widely, empty words and genuine teachings arose together, treacherous paths and level roads vied for passage. Beginners were led astray and scattered; those turning toward the Way were confused and driven far off. Who but these two masters could have corrected this! Therefore, the kingdoms of India built temples for them, revering them as Buddhas. They also praised and chanted of them: "The sun of Wisdom had already dimmed; these men made it shine again. The world had long been sunk in slumber; these men awakened it to enlightenment." If so, they can truly be said to have merits reaching the Ten Grounds and a Way equal to a Buddha's successor. To record and praise them—is this not fitting! How fortunate! Here, in this humble land beyond the center, we unexpectedly possess this treatise in its entirety.
梵文委曲，皆如初品。法師以秦人好簡故，裁而略之。若備譯其文，將近千有餘卷。法師於秦語大格，唯譯一往；方言殊好，猶隔而未通。苟言不相喻，則情無由比。不比之情，則不可以託悟懷於文表；不喻之言，亦何得委殊塗於一致。理固然矣，進欲停筆爭是，則交競終日卒無所成；退欲簡而便之，則負傷於穿鑿之譏以二三。唯案譯而書，都不備飾。幸冀明悟之賢，略其文而挹其玄也！
The Sanskrit text is intricate and detailed, much like the first volume. As the people of Qin prefer simplicity, the translator has condensed and abridged it. If the entire text were translated, it would amount to nearly a thousand scrolls. The translator's grasp of the Qin language is limited to a general understanding; the nuances and subtleties of local dialects remain unfamiliar and inaccessible. If words are not mutually understood, then meaning cannot be conveyed. Without shared understanding, how can one entrust the profound insights of the text to mere words? If the language remains unclear, how can diverse paths converge into one truth? This is the inherent challenge.
To press on and debate every detail would lead to endless disputes with no resolution. To simplify for convenience risks the criticism of distorting the meaning. Therefore, I have translated according to the text, without embellishment. May the wise and discerning reader look beyond the words and grasp the essence within!
大智度初序品中緣起義釋論第一(卷第一)
Great Perfection of Wisdom Treatise, Chapter 1: The Origin of Causes and Conditions in the Initial Prologue
龍樹菩薩造
Composed by Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna
後秦龜茲國三藏法師鳩摩羅什奉 詔譯
Translated by the Tripitaka Master Kumarajiva of Kucha, Later Qin Dynasty, under Imperial Command.