Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra
by Gelongma Karma Migme Ch枚dr枚n | 2001 | 941,039 words
This page describes 鈥渆xample of the master-archer鈥� as written by Nagarjuna in his Maha-prajnaparamita-sastra (lit. 鈥渢he treatise on the great virtue of wisdom鈥�) in the 2nd century. This book, written in five volumes, represents an encyclopedia on Buddhism as well as a commentary on the Pancavimsatisahasrika Prajnaparamita.
Appendix 1 - The example of the master-archer
Note: This appendix is extracted from the Mah膩praj帽膩p膩ramit膩艣膩stra Chapter XXXI part 1:
Thus the Buddha said:
鈥淚t is like [an archer] who, raising his head, shoots his arrows into the air: the arrows support each other so that they do not fall to earth. In the same way, the bodhisattva, taking the arrow of the 笔谤补箩帽腻辫腻谤补尘颈迟腻, shoots it into the air at the three gates of deliverance; then, taking the arrow of skillful means, he shoots it at the arrow of 笔谤补箩帽腻 so that it does not fall on the ground of 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺.鈥�
A峁ａ弓as膩hasrik膩, p. 374 (ed. U. Wogihara, p. 755): 罢补诲测补迟丑腻辫颈 蝉腻尘补 厂耻产丑奴迟别 balav膩n i峁astr膩c膩rya i峁astra艣ik峁k峁Ｄ亂膩峁� su艣ik峁ta岣� suparini峁ａ弓hita岣�. sa 奴谤诲丑惫补峁� 办腻峁囜笉补峁� k峁ped 奴谤诲丑惫补峁� 办腻峁囜笉补峁� k峁ptv膩 tadanyai岣� k膩峁囜笉ais tat 办腻峁囜笉补峁� bh奴man patat pratiniv膩rayed v膩rayet, tasya paurvakasya k膩峁囜笉asya k膩峁囜笉aparamparay膩 bh奴mau 辫补迟补苍补峁� na dady膩t. t膩vat tat 办腻峁囜笉补峁� bh奴mau na patet y膩van n膩k膩峁卥峁d aho bateda峁� 办腻峁囜笉补峁� bh奴mau pated iti. evam eva 厂耻产丑奴迟别 bodisattvo 尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补岣� praj帽膩p膩ramit膩y膩峁� carann up膩yakau艣alyaparig峁沨墨tas t膩vat t膩峁� 辫补谤补尘腻峁� 产丑奴迟补办辞峁璱峁� na 蝉腻办峁Ｄ乼办补谤辞迟颈 y膩van na t膩ni ku艣alam奴l膩ny anuttar膩y膩峁� samyaksa峁僢odhau paripakv膩ni suparipakv膩ni. 测补诲腻 t膩ni ku艣alam奴l膩ny anuttar膩y膩峁� samyaksa峁僢odhau paripakv膩ni bhavanti suparipakv膩ni, 迟补诲腻 t膩峁� 辫补谤补尘腻峁� bh奴takoti峁� 蝉腻办峁Ｄ乼办补谤辞迟颈.
Transl. 鈥�
鈥淚t is, O 厂耻产丑奴迟颈, as if a powerful master archer, well practiced and well versed in the practice of shooting the bow, shot an arrow into the air and, having shot one arrow into the air prevented, by means of other arrows, this arrow from falling to the ground, by means of a series of arrows, prevented the first arrow from falling to the ground: this first arrow would not fall to the ground as long as the master archer did not consent to its falling to the ground. In the same way, O 厂耻产丑奴迟颈, the bodhisattva-尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟惫补, progressing in the perfection of wisdom and endowed with skillful means, does not realize the supreme summit of the real (i.e., 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺) as long as these roots of good are not ripe, are not indeed ripened by supreme complete enlightenment. But when these roots of good are ripe, are indeed ripened for supreme complete enlightenment, then he realizes this supreme summit of the real.鈥�
The example of the master-archer appears in every version of the 笔谤补箩帽腻: A峁ａ弓as膩hasrik膩 T 224, k. 7, p. 458c16; T 225, k. 4,p. 497c10; T 226, k. 5, p. 531c11; T 227, k. 7, p. 560a16; T 228, k. 18, p. 649c8; 笔补帽肠补惫颈峁兣沘迟颈, T 221, k. 14, p. 94c21; T 223, k. 18, p. 350c3; T 220, t. VII, k. 452, p. 281a9; 础峁ａ弓腻诲补艣补, T 220, t. VII, k. 517, p. 646c19.
The same example is summed up in the Ratnagu峁嘺sa峁僣aya, XX, 9鈥�10, p. 74, as follows:
滨峁补蝉迟谤补艣颈迟补 测补迟丑腻 puru峁rdha 办腻峁囜笉补峁�
k峁pitva anya puna k膩峁囜笉apara峁僷are峁嘺 |
patan膩ya tasya purimasya na deya 产丑奴尘颈峁�
膩k膩峁卥峁m膩峁嘺 puru峁sya pataye 办腻峁囜笉补峁� ||
Evam eva praj帽膩varap膩ramit膩峁� caranto
praj帽膩-up膩yabala峁沝dhivic膩ram膩峁噊 |
t膩van na t膩峁� parama艣奴nyata pr膩pu峁噊t墨
y膩van na te 办耻艣补濒补尘奴濒补 bhavanti p奴rn膩岣� ||
Transl. 鈥�
鈥淚t is as if a man practiced in shooting the bow shot an arrow into the air and then, by means of a series of other arrows, did not allow the first arrow to fall: but if the man so wished, the arrow could fall. In the same way, the person who practices wisdom, the best perfection, and who practices wisdom and skillful means, the strengths and magic, would not take this supreme emptiness as long as these roots of good are not fulfilled.鈥�