敘曰金剛般若經者粹極無礙之理慧也厥致有三曰實相曰觀照曰文字三者異容而同體皆般若也非相由也非相含也不可離也不可合也苟不分而分則經曰不可思議智境實相也不可思議智光觀照也不可思議智炬文字也實相也者經之體也觀照也者經之宗也文字也者經之用也宗所以導萬善會無相臻乎極者也用所以盪萬惑豁神悟盡乎際者也體則不然中道自居安安無遷寂含眾妙廓周無邊故能為萬物資始也聖人即一而修三即三而達一成斯曰波羅蜜居斯曰祕密藏廣矣大矣不可得而思也但悲夫生生著有取空籠檻異繫莫知自出故眾聖合符七會鷲頭七會祇樹一會他化一會露地凡四處十六大會斯經預祇樹也為剛杵為利钁碎二死之邪山鑿無明之磐石極五眼而洞視徹三智之融照持四句勝三河之施導三檀等十方之空信根未深聞功狂亂信哉斯言也梁真諦引六種金剛以諭經旨猶為執筆者所譏今見首軸署八神四薩埵願文梵偈首尾安雜神呪引三十二段碎而割之雖欲贊揚翻為汙瀆今並削而去之。

Preface:

The Diamond Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra is the essence of ultimate, unobstructed wisdom. Its core consists of three aspects: True Mark (the ultimate reality), Contemplative Wisdom, and Textual Teachings. Though threefold in appearance, they are one in substance—all are Prajñā. They neither produce nor contain one another. They cannot be separated, yet cannot be forced together. If we distinguish them without separating them, the sutra says: The inconceivable realm of wisdom is True Mark; the inconceivable light of wisdom is Contemplative Wisdom; the inconceivable torch of wisdom is the Textual Teachings. True Mark is the essence of the sutra; Contemplative Wisdom is its core principle; the Textual Teachings are its function. The core guides all virtues toward formlessness, reaching the ultimate. The function dispels all delusions, opening spiritual insight to the boundless. The essence, however, abides in the Middle Way—serene, unmoving, quiet yet containing all wonders, vast and limitless. Thus, it is the origin of all things.

The sage cultivates all three while dwelling in the One, and through the three realizes the One. This is called Pāramitā; dwelling in this, it is called the Secret Treasury. Vast and great! It is beyond conceptual thought. But we mourn for living beings who cling to existence, grasp at emptiness, are trapped in cages of discrimination, bound by attachments, and do not know how to free themselves. Thus, all sages have assembled in harmony: seven meetings at Vulture Peak, seven at the Jeta Grove, one in the Tushita Heaven, one on open ground—four locations and sixteen great assemblies in all. This sutra is from the Jeta Grove gathering. It is a diamond hammer, a sharp hoe, shattering the false mountains of dualistic death, breaking through the rock of ignorance. It opens the Five Eyes to see through all, penetrates the radiant union of the Three Wisdoms. Holding even a four-line verse surpasses the generosity of three rivers; guiding the three forms of giving equals the emptiness of the ten directions. For those without deep roots of faith, hearing this teaching can provoke wild confusion—this is truth!

Liang Dynasty Paramārtha referenced six kinds of diamond to illustrate the sutra's meaning, yet was criticized by scribes. Now, at the beginning of the scrolls, we see inscriptions of eight deities and four Bodhisattvas, prayer texts, Sanskrit verses, and miscellaneous dharani inserted. They split the sutra into thirty-two sections, cutting and dividing—though intended to honor, it becomes defilement. Hence, we now delete all such additions.

Preface:

Tianzhu Bieji (天竺別集)

Tianzhu Bieji (天竺別集)