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

Sutra title\: The Vajra Prajñā Pāramitā Sutra

Prajñā is the great transcendental wisdom, entirely distinct from worldly wisdom, and therefore it is not translated simply as "wisdom." Worldly wisdom pertains to survival within the Three Realms of existence. In the Desire Realm, there are males and females, hence sexual desire, bearing children to propagate the lineage, creating wealth, manufacturing necessities, engaging in research and invention, participating in politics, and managing enterprises. Celestial beings have all necessities manifesting through thought, enjoying pleasures at all times. Beings in the Form Realm dwell in sublime meditative states, without distinctions of male or female, without consuming food, yet experiencing the bliss of meditation. Beings in the Formless Realm, though lacking physical form, possess profound meditation, abiding in meditative concentration and enjoying the blessings of that state. Sentient beings in the Three Evil Realms constantly seek ways to alleviate suffering, striving for warmth, sustenance, and survival. All this constitutes the realm and scope of wisdom within the Three Realms of existence, none transcending the cycle of birth and death.

Transcendental wisdom—Prajñā—resides neither within nor outside the Three Realms; it is not encompassed by the phenomena of the Three Realms. Therefore, Prajñā is not directly translated as "wisdom" to avoid misunderstanding among worldly people who might claim, "We too possess wisdom," excelling in politics, economics, culture, psychology, and all fields and professions. However, all these belong to the impermanent phenomena of the mundane world subject to arising and ceasing; they are born from Prajñā wisdom and can only exist and develop relying upon it. The wisdom of Prajñā is immeasurable, boundless, and vast; the universe and space itself are contained within it. Countless Buddha-lands, innumerable Lotus Treasury Worlds, and numberless world-systems are established within space, all jointly manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature) of immeasurable, limitless 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 space, yet space itself does not extend beyond the mind of Prajñā.