The Profound Meaning of the Diamond Sutra: Vijñapti-mātratā (V)

The Sutra Title — The Diamond Sutra of Prajna Paramita

Prajna is the great transcendental wisdom, entirely distinct from worldly wisdom, and thus it is not translated as "wisdom." Worldly wisdom pertains to survival within the Three Realms. In the Desire Realm, with men and women existing, there arises desire between the sexes, leading to bearing children, propagating descendants, creating wealth, manufacturing necessities for life, engaging in research and inventions, participating in politics, and managing enterprises. For heavenly beings, all necessities of life are manifested by thought, and they indulge in pleasures at all times. Beings in the Form Realm dwell in sublime states of meditative absorption, without distinctions of gender or need for food, yet they enjoy the bliss of meditation. Beings in the Formless Realm, though lacking physical form, possess profound meditative concentration, abiding in that state to enjoy the blessings of samadhi. Sentient beings in the Three Lower Realms constantly seek ways to alleviate suffering, striving for warmth, sustenance, and survival. All of this constitutes the realm and scope of wisdom within the Three Realms, none of which transcends the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

Transcendental wisdom — Prajna — is neither within nor beyond the Three Realms; it is not encompassed by the phenomena of the Three Realms. Therefore, Prajna is not directly translated as "wisdom," lest worldly people misunderstand, claiming that they too possess wisdom — excelling in politics, economics, culture, psychology, and various other fields and industries. Yet all these belong to the impermanent, arising-and-ceasing phenomena of the mundane world; they are born from Prajna wisdom and depend upon Prajna wisdom to exist and develop. The wisdom of Prajna is immeasurable, boundless, and vast. The universe and empty space are contained within it. Countless Buddha-lands, innumerable Flower Treasury Worlds, and limitless World Oceans are all established within empty space, collectively manifested by the Tathagatagarbha of immeasurable, boundless sentient beings. This is called the One True Dharma Realm. The Ten Dharma Realms (Four Holy Realms and Six Ordinary Realms) all arise from it. No matter how far human spacecraft may fly, they cannot fly beyond the bounds of empty space, yet empty space does not lie beyond the mind of Prajna.