Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā prajñāpāramitā

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Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā prajñāpāramitā. (T. Shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa stong phrag nyi shu lnga pa; C. Mohe bore boluomi jing; J. Maka hannya haramitsukyō; K. Maha panya paramil kyŏng 摩訶般若波羅蜜經). In English, “Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-five Thousand Lines”.[1]

This is one of the most important of the "large" prajnaparamita sutras.[1] Commentators have noted the similarity in structure between this sutra and the Abhisamayalankara.[1]

In the Tibetan tradition, this sutra is known as one of the so-called 'six mother scriptures' of the prajnaparamita.

Summary

The 84000 translation group writes:

The Perfection of Wisdom in 25,000 Lines is the second longest of the six ‘mother’ Prajñāpāramitā texts (yum drug). It comprises three entire volumes of the Kangyur (vols. 26-28) and is divided into 76 chapters relating dialogues between the Buddha and senior disciples, notably Śāriputra, Subhūti and Ānanda.

With some exceptions, the text parallels the structure of the other Perfection of Wisdom sūtras, especially the Prajñāpāramitā in 10,000 Lines, yet it has traditionally been regarded as more influential, analyzing the bodhisattvas’ transcendent perfections in considerably greater detail, and showing how bodhisattvas should practise them without ever considering either their practice, or any other phenomena whatsoever, as truly existing.

An original Sanskrit version found in Gilgit exists, as well as four distinct Chinese translations. There is also an important recast Sanskrit manuscript, possibly of 5th century origin, which divides the text according to the eight sections of Asaṅga-Maitreya’s famous treatise, the Abhisamayālaṃkāra. The Tibetan text dates from the 9th century. There are several important commentaries on the text in the Tengyur, by Haribhadra, Smṛtijñānakīrti, Vimuktasena and others.[2]

Commentaries

Indian

Chinese

Translations

  • Edward Conze, The Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom, 1975

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Robert E. Buswell Jr., Donald S. Lopez Jr., The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism (Princeton: 2014), s.v. Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikāprajñāpāramitāsūtra
  2. 84000.png Prefection of Wisdom


Further reading