The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines
Chapter 27: Reliquary
- Jinamitra
- Surendrabodhi
- Yeshé Dé
Toh 10
Degé Kangyur, vol. 29 (shes phyin, ka), folios 1.a–300.a; vol. 30 (shes phyin, kha), folios 1.a–304.a; vol. 31 (shes phyin, ga), folios 1.a–206.a
Translated by Gareth Sparham
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
First published 2022
Current version v 1.0.18 (2023)
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Table of Contents
Summary
The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines is one version of the Long Perfection of Wisdom sūtras that developed in South and South-Central Asia in tandem with the Eight Thousand version, probably during the first five hundred years of the Common Era. It contains many of the passages in the oldest extant Long Perfection of Wisdom text (the Gilgit manuscript in Sanskrit), and is similar in structure to the other versions of the Long Perfection of Wisdom sūtras (the One Hundred Thousand and Twenty-Five Thousand) in Tibetan in the Kangyur. While setting forth the sacred fundamental doctrines of Buddhist practice with veneration, it simultaneously exhorts the reader to reject them as an object of attachment, its recurring message being that all dharmas without exception lack any intrinsic nature.
The sūtra can be divided loosely into three parts: an introductory section that sets the scene, a long central section, and three concluding chapters that consist of two important summaries of the long central section. The first of these (chapter 84) is in verse and also circulates as a separate work called The Verse Summary of the Jewel Qualities (Toh 13). The second summary is in the form of the story of Sadāprarudita and his guru Dharmodgata (chapters 85 and 86), after which the text concludes with the Buddha entrusting the work to his close companion Ānanda.
Acknowledgements
This sūtra was translated by Gareth Sparham under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The Translator’s Acknowledgments
This is a good occasion to remember and thank my friend Nicholas Ribush, who first gave me a copy of Edward Conze’s translation of The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines in 1973. I also thank the Tibetan teachers and students at the Riklam Lobdra in Dharamshala, India, where I began to study the Perfection of Wisdom, for their kindness and patience; Jeffrey Hopkins and Elizabeth Napper, who steered me in the direction of the Perfection of Wisdom and have been very kind to me over the years; and Ashok Aklujkar and others at the University of British Columbia in Canada, who taught me Sanskrit and Indian culture while I was writing my dissertation on Haribhadra’s Perfection of Wisdom commentary. I thank the hermits in the hills above Riklam Lobdra and the many Tibetan scholars and practitioners who encouraged me while I continued working on the Perfection of Wisdom after I graduated from the University of British Columbia. I thank all those who continued to support me as a monk and scholar after the violent death of my friend and mentor toward the end of the millennium. I thank those at the University of Michigan and then at the University of California (Berkeley), particularly Donald Lopez and Jacob Dalton, who enabled me to complete the set of four volumes of translations from Sanskrit of the Perfection of Wisdom commentaries by Haribhadra and Āryavimuktisena and four volumes of the fourteenth-century Tibetan commentary on the Perfection of Wisdom by Tsongkhapa. I thank Gene Smith, who introduced me to 84000. I thank everyone at 84000: Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and the sponsors; the scholars, translators, editors, and technicians; and all the other indispensable people whose work has made this translation of The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines and its accompanying commentary possible.
Around me everything I see would be part of a perfect road if I had better driving skills.Where I was born, where everything is made of concrete, it too is a perfect place.Everyone I have been with, everyone who is near me now, and even those I have forgotten—there is no one who has not helped me.So, I bow to everyone and to the world and ask for patience, and, as a boon, a smile.
Acknowledgment of Sponsors
We gratefully acknowledge the generous sponsorship of Matthew Yizhen Kong, Steven Ye Kong and family; An Zhang, Hannah Zhang, Lucas Zhang, Aiden Zhang, Jinglan Chi, Jingcan Chi, Jinghui Chi and family, Hong Zhang and family; Mao Guirong, Zhang Yikun, Chi Linlin; and Joseph Tse, Patricia Tse and family. Their support has helped make the work on this translation possible.
Chapter 27: Reliquary
Then the Lord said to Śatakratu, head of the gods, “Kauśika, if some son of a good family or daughter of a good family takes up or bears in mind or reads out loud or recites or teaches or intones or harmonizes with or properly pays attention to this deep perfection of wisdom, and if they go up to the front line of battle and have engaged in or are engaging in, or are traversing, or are sitting down or standing up in a battle that is underway, Kauśika, even if an arrow or a club or a stick or a stone or a sword is flung at that son of a good family or daughter of a good family who takes up or bears in mind or reads out loud or recites or teaches or intones or harmonizes with or properly pays attention to this deep perfection of wisdom, it is impossible that those projectiles would land on their body; it is impossible that the attacks of others would interfere with their life. And why? Kauśika, it is because that son of a good family or daughter of a good family who has practiced the perfection of wisdom for a long time has vanquished their own greed arrows and greed swords; they have vanquished others’ greed arrows and greed swords; they have vanquished their own hatred arrows and confusion arrows and their hatred swords and confusion swords; they have vanquished others’ hatred arrows and confusion arrows and hatred swords and confusion swords; they have vanquished their own arrows of instances of views and swords of instances of views, and they have vanquished others’ arrows of instances of views and swords of instances of views; they have vanquished their own obsession [F.284.b] arrows and obsession swords, and they have vanquished others’ obsession arrows and obsession swords; and they have vanquished their own proclivity arrows and proclivity swords, and they have vanquished others’ proclivity arrows and proclivity swords. Kauśika, because of this one of many explanations, even if an arrow or a sword is flung at a son of a good family or daughter of a good family, it does not land on their body.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, if someone throws non-medicine at,406 casts a harmful spell on,407 prepares408 a fire pit for, strikes with a weapon, gives poison to drink to,409 or attempts to drown410 a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who takes up, bears in mind, recites, masters, and properly pays attention to this deep perfection of wisdom without being separated from the thought of the knowledge of all aspects, none of these will have any effect on them. And why? Kauśika, it is because this perfection of wisdom is a great knowledge-mantra; Kauśika, this perfection of wisdom is an unsurpassed knowledge-mantra; Kauśika, this perfection of wisdom is a knowledge-mantra equal to the unequaled, and, Kauśika, sons of a good family or daughters of a good family training in it are not thinking about harm to themselves, are not thinking about harm to others, and are not thinking about harm to both, either.
“And why? Because they do not apprehend self, do not apprehend other, and do not apprehend both; they do not apprehend form, and they do not apprehend feelings, perceptions, volitional factors, or consciousness; they do not apprehend the constituents, the sense fields, the dependent originations, the perfections, the emptinesses, the dharmas on the side [F.285.a] of awakening, the powers, the fearlessnesses, the detailed and thorough knowledges, the buddhadharmas, up to or even the knowledge of all aspects. And because they are not apprehending anything, they are not thinking about harm to themselves, they are not thinking about harm to others, and they are not thinking about harm to both. They reach unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening and gaze down upon all beings.
“And why? Because past tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas trained in this knowledge-mantra and fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening; tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas will, having trained in this perfection of wisdom, fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening in the future; and tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas presently in world systems in the ten directions are fully awakening to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, having trained in this perfection of wisdom.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, a human or nonhuman looking for a way to infiltrate does not find a way to infiltrate where this perfection of wisdom is written out or borne in mind, even if it is not taken up, not read aloud, not recited from memory, not mastered, and not properly paid attention to. And why? Because in order to worship this perfection of wisdom all the Cāturmahārājika gods, the Trāyastriṃśa, up to the Akaniṣṭha class of gods stationed in this great billionfold world system, and all the Cāturmahārājika gods, [F.285.b] the Trāyastriṃśa, up to the Akaniṣṭha class of gods stationed in infinite countless world systems constantly and always guard, protect, and keep safe those sons of a good family and daughters of a good family; and wherever this perfection of wisdom has been written out and borne in mind those gods come and show respect to this perfection of wisdom, and they honor, revere, and worship it there and, having worshiped it, take their leave. Kauśika, given that even someone who writes out or bears in mind this perfection of wisdom gets such good qualities and benefits as this in this life, what need is there to say that those who, having written out this perfection of wisdom, take it up, bear it in mind, read it aloud, recite it from memory, master it, and properly pay attention to it do so?
“To illustrate, Kauśika, humans or nonhumans cannot inflict violence or injury on any creature born in the birthplace of a human being or an animal that has gone to the site of awakening, or into the vicinity of the site of awakening, or inside the site of awakening. And why? Because seated there, earlier tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening; and present and future tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas are fully awakening and will fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening there too. Having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening they establish all beings in fearlessness, freedom from enmity, freedom from harming, and freedom from hostility. Having established all beings in fearlessness, freedom from enmity, freedom from harming, and freedom from hostility, they establish infinite, countless beings in the perfect state of gods and humans; in the result [F.286.a] of stream enterer, the result of once-returner, and the result of non-returner; in the state of a worthy one; in a pratyekabuddha’s awakening; and in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. And why? Kauśika, it is because this very perfection of wisdom makes that place serve as a reliquary for all beings, suitable to be worshiped, honored, revered, and venerated with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners.”
Having said this, Śatakratu, head of the gods, said to the Lord, “A certain son of a good family or daughter of a good family, having borne in mind the perfection of wisdom written out in book form, respects, reveres, honors, and worships it with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, clothes, parasols, flags, and banners. Someone else deposits the physical remains411 of a tathāgata, worthy one, perfect, complete buddha who has passed into nirvāṇa in a reliquary and, having deposited them there, looks after and bears them in mind and respects, reveres, honors, and worships them with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, clothes, parasols, flags, and banners. Which of them makes the greater merit?”
Śatakratu, head of the gods having thus inquired, the Lord said to him, “So, Kauśika, here I will pose a counterquestion right to you. You should answer to the extent you can. What path do you think [F.286.b] a tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete buddha, who has acquired the knowledge of all aspects and for whom such a tathāgata’s body has come into being, has trained in, in order to awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, in order to acquire the knowledge of all aspects, and for such a tathāgata’s body to come into being?”
The Lord having asked this, Śatakratu, head of the gods, answered him, “Lord, a body like this has come into being for a tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete buddha, who, having trained in just this perfection of wisdom, has awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening and acquired the knowledge of all aspects.”
“Exactly so, Kauśika, exactly so,” said the Lord. “A body like this has come into being for a tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete buddha, who, having trained in just this perfection of wisdom, has awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening and acquired the knowledge of all aspects. Therefore, Kauśika, a tathāgata is not counted a ‘tathāgata’ because of acquiring such a body as this; a tathāgata is counted a ‘tathāgata’ because of acquiring the knowledge of all aspects. The knowledge of all aspects has come forth, Kauśika, from the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, acquiring such a tathāgata’s physical body has come forth from the perfection of wisdom as well, so it serves as a support for the knowledge of a knower of all aspects. Based on that support the existence of the knowledge of a knower of all aspects is established, and from the existence of the knowledge of a knower of all aspects, [F.287.a] the existence of the Buddha is established, the existence of the Dharma is established, and the existence of the Saṅgha is established. Thus, acquiring this body serves as a support for the knowledge of a knower of all aspects, and it is because it serves as such a support that it serves as a reliquary for all beings, suitable to be venerated, honored, worshiped, respected, revered, and attended to. So too will those physical remains of mine be worshiped when I have passed into nirvāṇa.
“Therefore, Kauśika, any son of a good family or daughter of a good family who, having borne respectfully in mind this perfection of wisdom written out in book form just by respecting, revering, honoring, worshiping, venerating, and attending to it with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and bannersand with manifold other kinds of worship produces far greater merit than that. And why? Because, Kauśika, that son of a good family or daughter of a good family would have made an offering to the knowledge of a knower of all aspects. When any son of a good family or daughter of a good family has written out in book form this perfection of wisdom and respects, reveres, honors, worships, venerates, and attends to it, just that produces far greater merit than that. And why? Because they would have made an offering to the knowledge of a knower of all aspects, and because the five other perfections issue forth from it; because inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, the applications of mindfulness, the right efforts, the legs of miraculous power, the faculties, the powers, the limbs of awakening, and the path, the ten powers, [F.287.b] the four fearlessnesses, the four detailed and thorough knowledges, and the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha issue forth from it; because all the meditative stabilizations and all the dhāraṇī gateways issue forth from it; because bringing beings to maturity issues forth from it; because the purification of a buddhafield also issues forth from it; because the perfect family, perfect enjoyments, and perfect retinue of bodhisattva great beings also issue forth from it; because great love and great compassion issue forth from it; because great sāla tree–like royal families, great sāla tree–like brahmin families, and great sāla tree–like business families also issue forth from it; because the Cāturmahārājika gods, up to Akaniṣṭha class of gods also issue forth from it; because stream enterers, once-returners, non-returners, worthy ones, and pratyekabuddhas issue forth from it; because bodhisattva great beings also issue forth from it; because tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas also issue forth from it; and because the knowledge of all aspects issues forth from it too.” [B22]
Then Śatakratu, head of the gods, inquired of the Lord, “Lord, is it that those human beings412 of Jambudvīpa who do not respect, do not revere, do not honor, do not worship, do not venerate, and do not attend to this perfection of wisdom with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners do not realize there is such a great benefit when the perfection of wisdom [F.288.a] is worshiped, such a great power when the perfection of wisdom is worshiped?”
Śatakratu, head of the gods, having thus inquired, the Lord asked him in return, “What do you think, Kauśika, from among the human beings of Jambudvīpa, how many are endowed with an unbreakable faith in the Buddha, are endowed with an unbreakable faith in the Dharma and Saṅgha, are not unsure about the Buddha, and are not unsure about the Dharma and Saṅgha, with an unquestioned certainty about the Buddha and with an unquestioned certainty about the Dharma and Saṅgha?”
The Lord having asked this, Śatakratu, head of the gods, said to him, “From among the human beings of Jambudvīpa, few are endowed with an unbreakable faith in the Buddha, are endowed with an unbreakable faith in the Dharma and Saṅgha, are not unsure about the Buddha, and are not unsure about the Dharma and Saṅgha, with an unquestioned certainty about the Buddha, and with an unquestioned certainty about the Dharma and Saṅgha.”
“Exactly so, Kauśika, exactly so,” said the Lord. “From among the human beings of Jambudvīpa, few are endowed with an unbreakable faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. Even fewer than them are those who resort to the ten wholesome actions; even fewer than them are those who apply themselves to cultivating giving and morality; even fewer than them are those who cultivate the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening; even fewer than them are those who cultivate the three gateways to liberation; even fewer than them are those who cultivate the eight deliverances; and even fewer than them are those who cultivate the nine serial absorptions. Similarly, there are even fewer who cultivate the four detailed and thorough knowledges [F.288.b] and six clairvoyances.
“Kauśika, from among the human beings of Jambudvīpa, how many have reached stream enterer because of eliminating the three fetters; once-returner because of weakening greed, hatred, and confusion; non-returner because of eliminating the five fetters that are associated with the lower realms; or worthy one because of eliminating the five fetters that are associated with the upper realms? From among the human beings of Jambudvīpa, how many have set out in the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and from among the human beings of Jambudvīpa, how many have set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening?”
“Lord,” replied Śatakratu, “from among the human beings of Jambudvīpa, few are those who resort to the ten wholesome actions. Connect this in the same way with each, up to extremely few are those who have set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.”
“Exactly so, Kauśika,” said the Lord. “It is just as you say. Fewer than them are those who practice for awakening. And why? Because those streaming through cyclic existence have not seen the Buddha, have not listened to the Dharma, and have not attended on the Saṅgha. They have not given gifts, have not been devoted to morality, have not cultivated wisdom, have not heard about the perfection of giving, have not heard about the perfections of morality, patience, perseverance, concentration, and wisdom, and have not heard about inner emptiness, up to not heard about the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. They have not heard about the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening; they have not heard about and have not cultivated the meditative stabilizations, dhāraṇī gateways, ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, and eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha; up to and they have not heard about and have not cultivated the knowledge of all aspects. For that reason, Kauśika, from among the human beings of Jambudvīpa, few are endowed with an unbreakable faith in the Buddha. [F.289.a] Connect this in the same way with each, up to few are those who have set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Even fewer than them are those who practice for awakening; fewer than them are those who produce the thought of awakening;413 fewer than them are those who do the yogic practice of the perfection of wisdom; fewer than them are those who do the practice of the perfection of wisdom; fewer than them are those who stand on the irreversible level; and fewer even than them are those who will fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.
“Kauśika, here with my unobscured buddha eye I see in the eastern direction infinite, countless beings who have produced the thought of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening and are practicing the perfection of wisdom, but among them I see only one or two bodhisattvas standing on the irreversible level. Most, without skillful means, are standing at the śrāvaka level and at the pratyekabuddha level. And why? Kauśika, it is because it is hard for those who are lazy, deficient in perseverance, deficient in fortitude, with an admiration for the deficient, and intellectually confused to accomplish unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Similarly, with my unobscured buddha eye I see in the southern, western, northern, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, northwestern directions, below and above, infinite, countless beings who have produced the thought of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening and are practicing the perfection of wisdom, but among them only one or two bodhisattvas standing on the irreversible level. Most, without skillful means, are standing at the śrāvaka level and at the pratyekabuddha level. And why? Kauśika, it is because it is hard for those who are lazy, deficient in perseverance, deficient in fortitude, with an admiration for the deficient, and intellectually confused [F.289.b] to accomplish unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.
“Therefore, Kauśika, a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who wants to quickly and easily awaken fully to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening should constantly listen to, take up, bear in mind, recite, master, set in motion, inquire about, and pay proper attention to just this perfection of wisdom, and they should respect, revere, honor, and worship it with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners. They should also take up, bear in mind, recite, master, and pay proper attention to all the other wholesome dharmas included in the perfection of wisdom—that is, the perfection of giving, perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, and perfection of concentration; inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner and outer emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature; all the meditative stabilizations, all the dhāraṇī gateways, the applications of mindfulness, the right efforts, the legs of miraculous power, the faculties, the powers, the limbs of awakening, and the eightfold noble path; the ten powers, four fearlessnesses, four detailed and thorough knowledges, and eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha; and great love and great compassion. They should also take up, bear in mind, recite, master, and pay proper attention to all the other infinite buddhadharmas included in the perfection of wisdom.
“And why? Kauśika, it is because those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family will understand, [F.290.a] ‘Tathāgatas training in this perfection of wisdom also trained in the perfection of wisdom,414 perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, and perfection of giving; in inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature; in all the meditative stabilizations, all the dhāraṇī gateways, the ten powers, the fearlessnesses, the detailed and thorough knowledges, and the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha; in great love and great compassion; and in all the other infinite buddhadharmas, so we too should follow them in training in this perfection of wisdom. This perfection of wisdom is our teacher.’ Therefore, Kauśika, whether the Tathāgata remains or passes into nirvāṇa, bodhisattva great beings fall back on just this perfection of wisdom.”
Then Śatakratu, head of the gods, asked the Lord, “How much merit does a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who worships this perfection of wisdom create?”
“Kauśika,” said the Lord, “were a son of a good family or daughter of a good family to direct that a stūpa be made of the seven precious stones415 for the worship of a tathāgata who had passed into nirvāṇa, and, having done so, were they to respect, revere, honor, and worship it with divine flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners for as long as they lived, what do you think, Kauśika, would that son of a good family or daughter of a good family create a lot of merit based on that?”
“A lot, Lord; a lot, Sugata,” [F.290.b] replied Śatakratu.
“Kauśika,” said the Lord, “were a son of a good family or daughter of a good family, inseparable from the thought of the knowledge of all aspects, to take up, bear in mind, read aloud, master, illuminate for others, and pay proper attention to just this perfection of wisdom, and, having written it out, were they to respect, revere, honor, and worship it with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners, they would create even more merit than that.
“Kauśika, let alone a stūpa made of the seven precious stones, were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family, Kauśika, to fill up this Jambudvīpa with stūpas, all of them a yojana in height, for the worship of a tathāgata who had passed into nirvāṇa, and, having done so, were they to respect, revere, honor, worship, venerate, and attend to them with divine flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners, what do you think, Kauśika, based on that would that son of a good family or daughter of a good family create even more merit than that?”
“A lot, Lord; a lot, Sugata,” replied Śatakratu.
“Kauśika,” said the Lord, “were a son of a good family or daughter of a good family, inseparable from the thought of the knowledge of all aspects, to take up, bear in mind, read aloud, master, illuminate for others, and pay proper attention to just this perfection of wisdom, and, having written it out, were they to respect, revere, honor, and worship it with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, [F.291.a] parasols, flags, and banners, and with manifold other kinds of worship, they would create even more merit than that.
“Kauśika, let alone this Jambudvīpa filled with stūpas of a tathāgata, were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family, Kauśika, to fill up this four-continent world system with stūpas made of the seven precious stones, all of them a yojana in height, for the worship of a tathāgata who had passed into nirvāṇa, and were they to respect, revere, honor, worship, venerate, and attend to them with divine flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners, what do you think, Kauśika, based on that, would that son of a good family or daughter of a good family create a lot of merit?”
“Kauśika,” said the Lord, “were a son of a good family or daughter of a good family, inseparable from the thought of the knowledge of all aspects, to take up, bear in mind, read aloud, master, illuminate for others, and pay proper attention to just this perfection of wisdom, and were they, having done nothing but make it into a book,416 to respect, revere, honor, and worship it with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners, they would create even more merit than that.
“Kauśika, let alone this four-continent world system filled with stūpas of a tathāgata, were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family, Kauśika, [F.291.b] to fill up this thousandfold world system with stūpas made of the seven precious stones, all of them a yojana in height, for the worship of a tathāgata who had passed into nirvāṇa, and, having filled them, were they to respect, revere, honor, worship, venerate, and attend to them with divine flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners, what do you think, Kauśika, based on that would that son of a good family or daughter of a good family create a lot of merit?”
“Kauśika,” said the Lord, “were a son of a good family or daughter of a good family, inseparable from the thought of the knowledge of all aspects, having done nothing but write out and make this perfection of wisdom into a book, to take up, bear in mind, read aloud, master, illuminate for others, and pay proper attention to it, and were they to respect, revere, honor, and worship it with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners, they would create even more merit than that.
“Kauśika, let alone this thousandfold world system filled with stūpas made of the seven precious stones, were some person, Kauśika, to cause this millionfold world system to be filled up with stūpas made of the seven precious stones, all of them a yojana in height, for the worship of a tathāgata who had passed into nirvāṇa, and, having done so, were they to respect, revere, honor, and worship them with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners, [F.292.a] what do you think, Kauśika, based on that, would that son of a good family or daughter of a good family create a lot of merit?”
“Kauśika,” said the Lord, “were a son of a good family or daughter of a good family, inseparable from the thought of the knowledge of all aspects, to do nothing but make this perfection of wisdom into a book and respect, revere, honor, and worship it with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners, they would create even more merit than that.
“Kauśika, let alone even this millionfold world system filled with stūpas made of the seven precious stones, were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family, Kauśika, to fill this great billionfold world system with stūpas made of the seven precious stones, all of them a yojana in height, for the worship of a tathāgata who had passed into nirvāṇa, and, having filled it, were that son of a good family or daughter of a good family to respect, revere, honor, and worship them with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners, what do you think, Kauśika, based on that would that son of a good family or daughter of a good family create a lot of merit?”
“A lot, Lord; a lot, Sugata,” replied Śatakratu.
“Kauśika,” said the Lord, “were a son of a good family or daughter of a good family, inseparable from the thought of the knowledge of all aspects, having done nothing but write out and make this perfection of wisdom into a book, to take up, bear in mind, read aloud, and master it, and to respect, revere, honor, and worship it with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, [F.292.b] powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners, they would create even more merit than that.
“Kauśika, let alone worship when this great billionfold world system has been filled with stūpas made of the seven precious stones, even were each single being included in the collection of beings standing in this great billionfold world system, Kauśika, to cause stūpas made of the seven precious stones to be made for the worship of a tathāgata who had passed into nirvāṇa and were to respect, revere, honor, and worship them with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners, still, a son of a good family or daughter of a good family, inseparable from the thought of the knowledge of all aspects, who makes this perfection of wisdom into a book, takes up, bears in mind, reads aloud, masters, and properly pays attention to it, and worships it with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners would, just by that, create even more merit than that.”
The Lord having said this, Śatakratu, head of the gods, said to him, “So it is, Lord, so it is. Lord, through having respected, revered, honored, and worshiped the perfection of wisdom, they have respected, revered, honored, and worshiped past, future, and present lord buddhas.
“Lord, were each single being of the beings in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River to the east [F.293.a] to cause stūpas made of the seven precious stones, all of them a yojana in height, to be made for the worship of a tathāgata who had passed into nirvāṇa, and for an eon or for even more than an eon were to respect, revere, honor, and worship them with divine flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, clothes, parasols, flags, and banners, based on that would those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family make a lot of merit? Similarly, Lord, were each single being of the beings in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River in each of the ten directions to cause stūpas made of the seven precious stones, all of them a yojana in height, to be made for the worship of a tathāgata who had passed into nirvāṇa, and for an eon or for even more than an eon were to respect, revere, honor, and worship them with divine flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, clothes, parasols, flags, and banners, based on that would those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family create a lot of merit?”
“Exactly so. Kauśika, exactly so. A lot, Kauśika,” replied the Lord.
“Lord,” said Śatakratu, “a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who writes out and makes this perfection of wisdom into a book; takes it up, bears it in mind, reads it aloud, masters it, and properly pays attention to it; and respects, reveres, honors, and worships it with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, clothes, parasols, flags, and banners [F.293.b] would create even more merit than that. And why? Lord, it is because all wholesome dharmas are included in the perfection of wisdom, that is, the ten wholesome actions, the four concentrations, the four immeasurables, the four formless absorptions, the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, the three gateways to liberation, the four noble truths, the six clairvoyances, the eight deliverances, and the nine serial absorptions; the perfection of giving, perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, and perfection of concentration; inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner and outer emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature; all the meditative stabilizations, all the dhāraṇī gateways, the applications of mindfulness, the ten tathāgata powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four detailed and thorough knowledges, and the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha; great love and great compassion; all-knowledge, knowledge of path aspects, and knowledge of all aspects; and all wholesome dharmas are included in the perfection of wisdom. So this, Lord, is that doctrine of the lord buddhas, having trained in which past, future, and present bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and śrāvakas have gone forth, will go forth, and are going forth.”
This was the twenty-seventh chapter, “Reliquary,” of “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines.”417