Commentary on the Benevolent Kings Prajñāpāramit (仁王護國般若經疏)

About 仁王護國般若經疏

Sui · by 智顗說 灌頂記

45,016 · about 150 min

The Commentary on the Benevolent Kings Prajñāpāramitā Sutra for Protecting the Nation is a significant Buddhist exegesis delivered by the Great Master Zhiyi, the de facto founder of the Tiantai school during the Sui dynasty, and recorded and compiled by his disciple Guanding. This commentary provides a profound exposition of the Benevolent Kings Prajñāpāramitā Sutra for Protecting the Nation. It emerged against the backdrop of social turmoil in the late Northern and Southern Dynasties period. Its core philosophy elucidates the intimate relationship between the wisdom of śūnyatā (emptiness) in prajñā and the protection of the nation and its people, emphasizing the idea that rulers should uphold the Dharma and implement benevolent governance to safeguard the state. Its contents encompass the ritual procedures for state-protection assemblies, the doctrine of śūnyatā in prajñā, and methods for cultivation practice. This commentary is a vital embodiment of the Tiantai school's system of doctrinal classification and its teachings on śamatha and vipaśyanā (calming and insight). It exerted a profound influence on later Buddhist thought regarding state protection and is regarded as a paradigmatic work within Mahāyāna Buddhism that integrates transcendent wisdom with worldly compassion.