The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines
Chapter 56: Equal Training

Then Śatakratu, head of the gods, said to the Lord, “Lord, because the perfection of wisdom is extremely isolated this perfection of wisdom is deep, hard to behold, hard to comprehend, not something about which you can speculate, not an object of speculative thought, up to subtle, and an object to be known by the brilliantly learned and wise, so those who hear, take up, bear in mind, read aloud, master, and practice this deep perfection of wisdom for suchness, not giving space to other mind or mental factor dharmas up until they have fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, do not have paltry wholesome roots.”

“Exactly so, Kauśika, exactly so!” replied the Lord. “Those who hear, take up, bear in mind, read aloud, master, and practice this deep perfection of wisdom for suchness, not giving space to other mind or mental factor dharmas up until they have fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, do not have paltry wholesome roots.

“Kauśika, what do you think, were the beings in Jambudvīpa, as many as there are, to be endowed with the ten wholesome actions, and to be endowed with the four concentrations, four immeasurables, and four formless absorptions, and yet were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family to take up, bear in mind, read aloud, [F.240.a] and master this deep perfection of wisdom, and having taken up, borne in mind, read aloud, and mastered it, also to practice it for suchness, would that earlier wholesome root not approach that wholesome root even by a hundredth part? Would it not approach it by a thousandth part, by a hundred thousandth part, or by a hundred millionth part? Would it not approach it by any number, fraction, counting, example, or comparison?”

Then a monk said to Śatakratu, head of the gods, “Kauśika, those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family who take up, bear in mind, read aloud, master, and practice this deep perfection of wisdom for suchness with an undistracted mind, not giving space to other mind and mental factor dharmas up until they have fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, surpass beings in Jambudvīpa endowed with the ten wholesome actions, endowed with the four concentrations and four immeasurables, endowed with the four formless absorptions, and endowed with the five clairvoyances.”

That monk having said this, Śatakratu, head of the gods, replied to him, “Monk, given that the bodhisattva great beings who have produced even one thought surpass beings in Jambudvīpa endowed with the ten wholesome actions, endowed with the four concentrations and four immeasurables, endowed with the four formless absorptions, and endowed with the five clairvoyances, what need is there to mention those who take up, bear in mind, read aloud, and master this deep perfection of wisdom, and having taken up, borne in mind, read aloud, and mastered it, also practice it for suchness? They will surpass the world with its gods, humans, [F.240.b] and asuras. Bodhisattva great beings will surpass the world with its gods, humans, and asuras. The bodhisattva great beings will not simply surpass the world with its gods, humans, and asuras in one respect but not another; they will surpass all the stream enterers, once-returners, non-returners, worthy ones, and pratyekabuddhas, as many as there are. The bodhisattva great beings will not simply surpass the stream enterers, up to the pratyekabuddhas in one respect but not another; they will surpass all those bodhisattva great beings without skillful means and separated from the perfection of wisdom practicing the perfection of giving. And they will not simply surpass those practicing the perfection of giving in one respect but not another; they will surpass all those bodhisattva great beings without skillful means and separated from the perfection of wisdom practicing the perfection of morality. And they will not simply surpass those practicing the perfection of morality in one respect but not another; they will surpass all those bodhisattva great beings without skillful means separated from the perfection of wisdom practicing the perfection of patience, the perfection of perseverance, and the perfection of concentration. Those bodhisattva great beings who are practicing the perfection of wisdom as it has been taught cannot be surpassed by the world with its gods, humans, [F.241.a] and asuras. Those bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom as it has been taught carry out the perfection of wisdom as it has been taught. Those bodhisattva great beings ensure that the line of the knowledge of all aspects will be unbroken. Those bodhisattva great beings do not distance themselves from the Tathāgata. Those bodhisattva great beings practicing like that will not turn back from the site of awakening. Those bodhisattva great beings want to lift up beings who are depressed. Those bodhisattvas who train like that train in a bodhisattva’s training. They do not train in the training of a śrāvaka; they do not train in the training of a pratyekabuddha.

“The Four Mahārājas will think about approaching bodhisattva great beings who train like that, and having come into their presence, they will say, ‘Make haste at training! Train quickly! The tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas of yore took possession of these four begging bowls, so you too, seated at the site of awakening, having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, should take possession of them as well.’ The Four Mahārājas together with the Cāturmahā­rājika gods think about approaching bodhisattva great beings training like that in the perfection of wisdom. I together with the Trāyastriṃśa gods think about coming. The god Suyāma together with the Yāma gods think about coming. The god Saṃtuṣita together with the Tuṣita gods think about coming. [F.241.b] Similarly, the god Sunirmita . . . , Vaśavartin . . . , Sahāṃpati . . . , and Brahmā together with the Brahmakāyika gods also think about coming. Similarly, the god Ābhāsvara together with the Ābhāsvara gods also think about coming. Similarly, the Śubhakṛtsna, Bṛhatphala, Avṛha, Atapa, Sudarśana, Sudṛśa, up to the Śuddhāvāsa gods also think about coming. The tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas continually watch over those bodhisattva great beings practicing this deep perfection of wisdom. The bodhisattva great beings practicing this deep perfection of wisdom like that do not face those ordinary physical sufferings, as many as there are, from being attacked by any others at all, in any way at all.

“These, monk, are the good qualities during this life of bodhisattva great beings practicing this deep perfection of wisdom.

“Their bodies will not be beset with disorders from the three humors in combination,600 as many as there are‍—that is, by eye diseases, ear diseases, nose diseases, tongue diseases, diseases of the teeth, physical illnesses, or mental illnesses. These too are the good qualities that can be expected when bodhisattva great beings are practicing this deep perfection of wisdom.”

Then it occurred to venerable Ānanda to think, “Are these Śatakratus, heads of the gods, teaching the perfection of wisdom through the power of their own confident readiness, or are they teaching through the power of the Buddha?”

Then Śatakratu, head of the gods, understanding in his mind the thoughts occurring to venerable Ānanda, said [F.242.a] to venerable Ānanda, “Venerable monk Ānanda, you should be aware that this teaching of mine of the perfection of wisdom is through the power of the Buddha.”

Then the Lord said to venerable Ānanda, “It is exactly so, venerable monk Ānanda, exactly so! It is through the power of the Tathāgata that Śatakratu, head of the gods, gives such a teaching of the perfection of wisdom as this. It is through the sustaining power of the Tathāgata. Ānanda, when bodhisattva great beings train in the perfection of wisdom, do the yogic practice of the perfection of wisdom, and meditate on the perfection of wisdom, then all the Māras, the wicked ones, in the great billionfold world system feel anxious, wondering, ‘Will these bodhisattvas actualize the very limit of reality, and actualizing the very limit of reality will they actualize the result of stream enterer, or will they actualize the result of once-returner, or the result of non-returner, or the state of a worthy one, or will they reach a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, or will they rather fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening?’ Furthermore, Ānanda, when bodhisattva great beings are inseparable from the perfection of wisdom, then Māra the wicked one experiences a sharp stab of pain. Moreover, Ānanda, Māra the wicked one frightens bodhisattva great beings by sending a shower of meteors to destroy their feeling of self-confidence, to make their hair stand on end, to cow them, and to distract them from producing even a single thought of paying attention to the knowledge of all aspects.” [F.242.b]

Then venerable Ānanda asked the Lord, “Lord, does Māra the wicked one come into the presence of all bodhisattva great beings bent on hurting them?”

“Ānanda, replied the Lord, “Māra the wicked one does not come into the presence of all bodhisattva great beings bent on hurting them. Ānanda, Māra the wicked one comes into the presence of some bodhisattva great beings bent on hurting them and does not come into the presence of others.”

“Lord, who are the bodhisattva great beings into whose presence Māra the wicked one comes bent on hurting them, and who are those into whose presence he does not come?” asked venerable Ānanda.

“Ānanda,” replied the Lord, “if in the past when this deep perfection of wisdom was being explained the minds of those bodhisattva great beings were not filled with belief, then Māra the wicked one will come into their presence bent on hurting them.

“Furthermore, Ānanda, if when this deep perfection of wisdom is being explained those bodhisattva great beings wonder whether this is the perfection of wisdom, or whether it is not the perfection of wisdom, then, Ānanda, Māra the wicked one will also come into the presence of those bodhisattva great beings bent on hurting them.

“Furthermore, Ānanda, when bodhisattva great beings have become separated from spiritual friends they do not see them, so they do not hear this deep perfection of wisdom. Not hearing it they do not know it, and because they do not know it, they do not practice it for suchness, thinking, ‘This is how to cultivate the perfection of wisdom.’

“Furthermore, [F.243.a] Ānanda, when bodhisattva great beings have become separated from the perfection of wisdom, they look after a false Dharma and Māra the wicked one, Ānanda, finds an opportunity to hurt those bodhisattva great beings.

“Furthermore, Ānanda, when bodhisattva great beings who have become separated from the perfection of wisdom praise a false Dharma, it occurs to Māra the wicked one to think, ‘That one praising a false Dharma is my fellow traveler. From among the many in the Bodhisattva Vehicle, in this person praising a false Dharma I have found a fellow traveler. That one will fulfill my ambition that those in the Bodhisattva Vehicle will stand on two levels, namely the śrāvaka level or the pratyekabuddha level.’

“Again, Ānanda, what sorts of bodhisattva great beings will Māra the wicked one get an opportunity to hurt? Ānanda, Māra the wicked one will get an opportunity to hurt those bodhisattvas who, when this deep perfection of wisdom is being explained, say, ‘This perfection of wisdom is so deep someone like you is not going to find the bottom of it, whether you have heard it, explained it, borne it in mind, read it aloud, mastered it, or completed it, because until now even I have not found it.’

“Furthermore, Ānanda, Māra the wicked one will get an opportunity to hurt bodhisattva great beings when the bodhisattvas falsely project superiority over other bodhisattvas, saying, ‘I am practicing the perfection of giving but you are not practicing the perfection of giving,’ and similarly, connect this with each, up to falsely project superiority, saying, [F.243.b] ‘I am practicing the perfection of wisdom but you are not practicing the perfection of wisdom.’

“Furthermore, Ānanda, when bodhisattva great beings have it in mind to brag about themselves, Māra the wicked one feels joy and is pleased, delighted, enraptured, overjoyed, and glad, and Māra the wicked one, Ānanda, gets an opportunity to hurt those bodhisattva great beings.

“Furthermore, Ānanda, when those bodhisattva great beings whose names are mentioned or whose lineage is mentioned, whose name or lineage is celebrated and mentioned, falsely project superiority over other fine bodhisattvas of virtuous character, bragging about themselves and disparaging others, they are without any of the good qualities that are the attributes, tokens, and signs of irreversible bodhisattva great beings, and in the absence of those attributes, tokens, and signs, cause affliction, bragging about themselves and disparaging others. They say, ‘You do not show yourself to be in the Bodhisattva Vehicle and bodhisattva family in the way that I show myself to be in the Bodhisattva Vehicle and bodhisattva family.’ When they look down on and disparage persons in the Bodhisattva Vehicle like that, it occurs to Māra the wicked one to think, ‘My place will not be empty, there will be an increase in the great hells, the animal world, the world of Yama, and the region of ghosts.’ Māra the wicked one employs his controlling power so that the words of those bodhisattva great beings become more and more believable. [F.244.a] Many people come to think that they should listen to those words that have become believable. Listening to them, they come to think that they should trust them. They watch them and sing the same tune as them. Having watched them, they behave in conformity with them, training just like them. Having trained just like them, they will have accomplished something just like them, so they cause affliction to increase. Thus every action of body, speech, and mind they have undertaken leads to unwanted, disagreeable, and unpleasant states because their minds have become distorted, and so the great hells also increase; the animal world, the world of Yama, and the region of ghosts also increase; and Māra the wicked one’s place also increases. Ānanda, Māra the wicked one, seeing that cause and effect, feels delighted, enraptured, overjoyed, and glad.

“Furthermore, Ānanda, if a person in the Bodhisattva Vehicle quarrels with a person in the Śrāvaka Vehicle, it occurs to Māra the wicked one to think, ‘Ah! These sons of a good family are distancing themselves from the knowledge of all aspects. They are not getting closer to the knowledge of all aspects. And why? Because battling, fault finding, fighting, and quarreling are not the path to the knowledge of all aspects; rather, because they are not the path to the knowledge of all aspects, they are the path to the great hells, the path to the animal world, and the path to the world of Yama.’

“Furthermore, Ānanda, if a person in the Bodhisattva Vehicle should battle, find fault, fight, and quarrel with another person in the Bodhisattva Vehicle, [F.244.b] it occurs to Māra the wicked one to think, ‘Ah! Both these sons of a good family are distancing themselves from the knowledge of all aspects. Both will not fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. And why? Because what these sons of a good family have undertaken is not the path to the knowledge of all aspects; rather, what these sons of a good family have undertaken is the path to the hells, the path to the animal world, and the path to the world of Yama.’

“Furthermore, Ānanda, if bodhisattvas whose awakening has not been prophesied entertain a malicious thought about other bodhisattvas who have been prophesied and battle, pick a fight with, find fault with, quarrel with, and wage war against them, if they have not given up the knowledge of all aspects, they will have to buckle on armor for as many eons as they have entertained the thought of battling, fault finding, fighting, and quarreling.”

The Lord having said this, venerable Ānanda asked him, “Lord, is there a release for those who entertain those thoughts, or do they have to buckle on armor for exactly that many eons?”601

Venerable Ānanda having asked this, the Lord replied to him, “Ānanda, I have taught a Dharma where there is a release for persons in the Śrāvaka Vehicle, in the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and in the Bodhisattva Vehicle. There, if persons in the Bodhisattva Vehicle fight with, quarrel with, intimidate, and humiliate others in the Bodhisattva Vehicle, and having fought and quarreled with, intimidated and humiliated them, still do not make a confession, letting it fester [F.245.a] and harboring a bad proclivity, I do not say, Ānanda, that there is a release for those persons. And if those persons do not give up the knowledge of all aspects, they will definitely have to buckle on armor for that many eons.

“Moreover, Ānanda, even if bodhisattva great beings have fought and quarreled, intimidated and humiliated, still, if they make a confession, do not let it fester, and do not harbor a bad proclivity, and if they think, ‘Were I, who have to remove all beings from suffering, to speak back to someone who speaks to me, and were I, who should thus act as a bridge for all beings, to speak unkind words to others and reply negatively, it would be improper, so I must not act like that. I should stay still with a sheep-like obtuseness and say nothing. I must not disturb my surpassing aspiration that I have to fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening and place all beings in complete nirvāṇa, so it is not proper that I am entertaining a malicious thought about them, that I am upsetting them, so I should not entertain a malicious thought about them and I should not upset them,’ and if from then on they also keep restraint, Ānanda, then I say that those bodhisattva great beings are those for whom there is a release and Māra the wicked one will not get an opportunity to hurt them.

“Furthermore, Ānanda, bodhisattva great beings should not live together with persons in the Śrāvaka Vehicle, and if they do live with them still they should not entertain a malicious thought toward anyone. And why? Because those who entertain a malicious thought toward them, or who would upset them, are not agreeable to me. And why? Because I think it is necessary that having fully awakened [F.245.b] to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening they should attain liberation from all suffering.”

Then venerable Ānanda asked the Lord, “Lord, how should bodhisattva great beings behave toward persons in the Bodhisattva Vehicle?”

“Ānanda,” replied the Lord, “bodhisattva great beings should behave toward persons in the Bodhisattva Vehicle just as they would behave toward the Teacher. And why? They think, ‘It is because they are my fellow travelers, they have set out in the same vehicle, and what they have to train in, I have to train in just that too‍—that perfection of giving, up to that knowledge of all aspects that they have to train in, I have to train in too. If they practice an adulterated practice separated from attention connected to the knowledge of all aspects, I will not train in that, but if this bodhisattva great being practices inseparable from attention connected to the knowledge of all aspects, I will practice like that too.’ Bodhisattva great beings training like that become those with the same training.”