The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines
Chapter 14: Neither Bound nor Freed
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
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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 14: Neither Bound nor Freed
Then venerable Subhūti inquired of the Lord, “Lord, you say ‘armed with great armor’ again and again. Lord, to what extent are bodhisattva great beings armed with great armor?”
The Lord said, “Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings, having become armed with great armor—that is, armed with perfection of giving armor, and armed with perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom armor; armed with applications of mindfulness armor, and armed with right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and path armor; armed with inner emptiness armor, up to armed with emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature armor; and armed with powers armor, armed with fearlessnesses armor, armed with detailed and thorough knowledges armor, and armed with distinct attributes of a buddha armor—and having become armed with the armor of the knowledge of all aspects and the body of a buddha, they pervade world systems in the great billionfold world system with light and shake the earth. Having blown out all the fires in the hell dwellings, extinguished the sufferings of the beings in the hells, and caused them to know their suffering is extinguished, those bodhisattvas [F.132.b] say, ‘I bow to you, tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete Buddha!’ proclaiming the name out loud, and then those beings in the hells, having heard the sound buddha, find pleasure and mental happiness. They emerge from those hells just because of that pleasure and mental happiness, and wherever lord buddhas are standing and can be seen and can be pleased they take birth in those world systems, reborn as gods and humans.
“Similarly, beings emerge from animal dwellings and the world of Yama and are reborn wherever lord buddhas are standing.
“Similarly, they pervade with light as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River to the south, west, and north, in the intermediate directions to the northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest, below and above, and they shake them in the six ways. Having blown out all the fires in the hell dwellings, extinguished the sufferings of the beings in the hells, and caused them to know their suffering is extinguished, those bodhisattvas say ‘I bow to you, tathāgata, worthy one, perfect complete Buddha!’ proclaiming the name out loud. Then those beings in the hells, having heard the sound buddha, find pleasure and mental happiness. They emerge from those hells just because of that pleasure and mental happiness, and wherever lord buddhas are standing and can be seen and attended to, they take birth in those world systems, reborn as gods and humans.
“Similarly, those beings die in animal dwellings and the world of Yama [F.133.a] and take birth in whichever world systems lord buddhas are standing.
“Subhūti, it is said that bodhisattva great beings are ‘armed with great armor’ in that way.
“To illustrate, Subhūti, were a clever magician or magician’s apprentice to have conjured up the hells, animal dwellings, and the worlds of Yama in front of a gathering of beings at the junction of two main roads, and having conjured them up were they to proclaim to those beings the word ‘Buddha,’ the word ‘Dharma,’ and the word ‘Saṅgha,’ then, when those they have conjured up have emerged from those hells, animal dwellings, and the worlds of Yama because of the word Buddha, the word Dharma, and the word Saṅgha, Subhūti, what do you think, would that magician or magician’s apprentice have caused any beings to emerge from the hells, animal dwellings, or the worlds of Yama?”
“Similarly, Subhūti,” said the Lord, “even though bodhisattva great beings have released beings from the three terrible forms of life in an unbounded, infinite number of world systems, still no beings at all have been released. And why? Because, Subhūti, this is just the way things are, given the illusory nature of dharmas.239 Subhūti, it is said that bodhisattva great beings are ‘armed with great armor’ in that way.
“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings stand in the perfection of giving and armed with great armor conjure up a great billionfold world system made of beryl. [F.133.b] Having conjured up a great billionfold world system made of beryl, they conjure up a splendid array of a wheel-turning emperor. Having conjured up a splendid array of a wheel-turning emperor, they give food to those seeking food, and similarly they give drink, clothes, transport, perfume, flower garlands, flowers, incense, creams, powders, requirements, houses, bedding, shawls, and requirements for sustaining themselves, as well as medicines, gold, silver, jewels, gems, corals, conch shells, crystals, pearls, and ornaments—whatever requirements are appropriate. Having given food to those seeking food, up to and having given whatever requirements are appropriate, they then teach those beings the Dharma—that is, just this Dharma conjoined with the six perfections—and, having heard that exposition of the Dharma those beings, never become separated from the six perfections right up until they fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.
“To illustrate further, Subhūti, suppose a clever magician or magician’s apprentice were to have conjured up a huge crowd of beings in front of a gathering of other beings at the junction of two main roads and given food to those seeking food, up to and given whatever requirements are appropriate. What do you think, Subhūti, would that magician or magician’s apprentice have given anything to anybody?”
“Similarly, Subhūti,” said the Lord, “even though bodhisattva great beings conjure up a splendid array of a wheel-turning emperor and give food to those seeking food, up to give whatever requirements are appropriate, still they do not give anything to any being. [F.134.a] And why? Because, Subhūti, this is just the way things are, given the illusory nature of dharmas. Subhūti, it is said that bodhisattva great beings are ‘armed with great armor’ in that way.
“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings stand in the perfection of morality and intentionally take birth. Born in the family of a wheel-turning emperor, they stand in that wheel-turning majesty, establish beings in the ten wholesome actions, establish beings in the four concentrations, the four immeasurables, and the four formless absorptions, up to establish beings in the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, and those beings never become separated from that teaching right up until they fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.
“To illustrate, Subhūti, suppose a clever magician or magician’s apprentice were to have conjured up a huge crowd of beings in front of a gathering of other beings at the junction of two main roads and established them in the ten wholesome actions, up to established them in the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha. What do you think, Subhūti, would that magician or magician’s apprentice have established any beings in the ten wholesome actions, up to would they have established them in the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha?”
“Similarly, Subhūti,” said the Lord, “even though bodhisattva great beings establish an unbounded, infinite number of beings in the ten wholesome actions, up to establish them in the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, still they do not establish any beings [F.134.b] in the ten wholesome actions, up to they do not establish any beings in the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha. And why? Because, Subhūti, this is just the way things are, given the illusory nature of dharmas. Subhūti, it is said that bodhisattva great beings are ‘armed with great armor’ in that way.
“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of patience cause beings to engage in the perfection of patience and establish them in it. And how, Subhūti, do bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of patience cause beings to engage in the perfection of patience and establish them in it? Subhūti, after bodhisattva great beings have produced their first thought of awakening they arm themselves with great armor in this way: they think, ‘Even if all beings deal me a blow with a stick, a stone, their fists, a knife, or a sword,240 I will not let myself feel any sort of mental anguish,’ and they also establish all beings in such patience.
“To illustrate, Subhūti, were a clever magician or magician’s apprentice to have conjured up a huge crowd of beings in front of a gathering of other beings at the junction of two main roads and caused them to engage in the perfection of patience and established them in it, what do you think, Subhūti, would that magician or magician’s apprentice have established any beings in the perfection of patience?”
“Similarly, Subhūti,” said the Lord, “even though bodhisattva great beings establish an unbounded, infinite number of beings in the perfection of patience, still they do not establish any beings in the perfection of patience. And why? Because, Subhūti, this is just the way things are, given the illusory nature [F.135.a] of dharmas. Subhūti, it is said that bodhisattva great beings are ‘armed with great armor’ in that way.
“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of perseverance cause beings to take up, enter into, and be established in the perfection of perseverance. And how, Subhūti, do bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of perseverance cause beings to take up, enter into, and be established in the perfection of perseverance? Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of perseverance with attention connected with the knowledge of all aspects cause beings to take up, enter into, and be established in physical and mental perseverance.241
“To illustrate, Subhūti, were a clever magician or magician’s apprentice to have conjured up a huge crowd of beings in front of a gathering of other beings at the junction of two main roads and caused them to take up, enter into, and be established in physical and mental perseverance, what do you think, Subhūti, would that magician or magician’s apprentice have caused any beings to take up, enter into, and be established in physical and mental perseverance?”
“Similarly, Subhūti,” said the Lord, “even though bodhisattva great beings establish all beings in physical and mental perseverance, still they do not cause any beings to take up, enter into, and be established in physical and mental perseverance. And why? Because, Subhūti, this is just the way things are, given the illusory nature of dharmas. [F.135.b] Subhūti, it is said that bodhisattva great beings are ‘armed with great armor’ in that way.
“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of concentration cause all beings to take up, enter into, and be established in the perfection of concentration. And how, Subhūti, do bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of concentration cause all beings to take up, enter into, and be established in the perfection of concentration? Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings standing in the sameness of all dharmas do not consider any dharma to be wavering or not wavering. Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings stand in the perfection of concentration in that way, and they cause all beings to take up, enter into, and be established in the perfection of concentration like that. And those whom they have caused to take it up never become separated from that perfection of concentration, right up until they fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.
“To illustrate, Subhūti, were a clever magician or magician’s apprentice to have conjured up a huge crowd of beings in front of a gathering of other beings at the junction of two main roads and caused them to take up, enter into, and be established in the perfection of concentration, what do you think, Subhūti, would that magician or magician’s apprentice have caused any beings to take up, enter into, and be established in the perfection of concentration?”
“Similarly, Subhūti,” said the Lord, “even though bodhisattva great beings [F.136.a] establish all beings in the perfection of concentration, still they do not cause any beings to take up, enter into, and be established in the perfection of concentration. And why? Because, Subhūti, this is just the way things are, given the illusory nature of dharmas. Subhūti, it is said that bodhisattva great beings are ‘armed with great armor’ in that way.
“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of wisdom cause all beings to take up, enter into, and be established in the perfection of wisdom. And how, Subhūti, do bodhisattva great beings standing in the perfection of wisdom cause all beings to take up, enter into, and be established in the perfection of wisdom? Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom do not apprehend the production, cessation, defilement, purification, proximity, or remoteness of any dharma. Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings stand in the perfection of wisdom in that way, and they cause all beings to take up, enter into, and be established in the perfection of wisdom like that.
“To illustrate, Subhūti, were a clever magician or magician’s apprentice to have conjured up a huge crowd of beings in front of a gathering of other beings at the junction of two main roads and caused them to take up, enter into, and be established in the perfection of wisdom, what do you think, Subhūti, would that magician or magician’s apprentice have caused any beings to take up, enter into, and be established in the perfection of wisdom?”
“Similarly, Subhūti,” said the Lord, “even though bodhisattva great beings establish all beings in the perfection of wisdom, still they do not establish any beings in the perfection of wisdom. And why? Because, Subhūti, this is just the way things are, given the illusory nature of dharmas. Subhūti, it is said that bodhisattva great beings are ‘armed with great armor’ in that way.
“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings armed with great armor, having gone242 to as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River to the east, in the same way they personally stand in the perfection of giving they cause the beings who are standing in those world systems to take up the perfection of giving, and to enter into and be established in it. Similarly, in the same way they personally stand in the perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom, they also cause those beings to take up . . . up to the perfection of wisdom, and to enter into and be established in them. They teach the Dharma—that is, just this Dharma conjoined with the six perfections—and, having heard that Dharma, those beings never become separated from the six perfections, right up until they fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.
“Similarly, having gone to as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River in each of the directions to the south, west, and north; the northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest; and below and above, in the same way that they personally stand in the perfection of giving [F.137.a] they cause the beings who are standing in those world systems to take up the perfection of giving, and to enter into and be established in it. Similarly, in the same way they personally stand in the perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom they also cause those beings to take up . . . up to the perfection of wisdom, and to enter into and be established in them. They teach the Dharma—that is, just this Dharma conjoined with the six perfections—and, having heard that Dharma, those beings never become separated from the six perfections right up until they fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.
“To illustrate, Subhūti, were a clever magician or magician’s apprentice to have conjured up a huge crowd of beings in front of a gathering of other beings at the junction of two main roads and caused them to take up, enter into, and be established in the six perfections, what do you think, Subhūti, would that magician or magician’s apprentice have caused any beings to take up, enter into, and be established in the six perfections?”
“Similarly, Subhūti,” said the Lord, “even though bodhisattva great beings establish all beings in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River to the east and in all ten directions in the six perfections, still they do not establish any beings in the six perfections. And why? Because, Subhūti, this is just the way things are, given the illusory nature of dharmas. Subhūti, it is said bodhisattva great beings are ‘armed with great armor’ in that way.
“Furthermore, [F.137.b] Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings, having become armed with great armor, stand with their thought connected with the knowledge of all aspects without giving an opportunity for the production of other thoughts, such as243 ‘I have to establish just this many in the perfection of giving; this many I do not have to establish. I have to establish just this many in the perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom; this many I do not have to establish. I have to establish just this many in the applications of mindfulness; this many I do not have to establish. I have to establish just this many in . . . up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha; this many I do not have to establish. I have to establish just this many in the result of stream enterer; this many I do not have to establish. I have to establish just this many in the result of once-returner; this many I do not have to establish. I have to establish just this many in the result of non-returner; this many I do not have to establish. I have to establish just this many in the state of a worthy one; this many I do not have to establish. I have to establish just this many in a pratyekabuddha’s awakening; this many I do not have to establish. I have to establish just this many in the knowledge of all aspects; this many I do not have to establish.’ On the contrary, they think, ‘I have to establish an unbounded, infinite number of beings in the six perfections, I have to establish them in the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, and I have to establish them in the ten tathāgata powers, four fearlessnesses, four detailed and thorough knowledges, and eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha. I have to establish them in the result of stream enterer, and I have to establish them in the result of once-returner, in the result of non-returner, [F.138.a] in the state of a worthy one, and in a pratyekabuddha’s awakening. I have to establish an unbounded, infinite number of beings in the knowledge of all aspects.’
“To illustrate, Subhūti, were a clever magician or magician’s apprentice to have conjured up a huge crowd of beings in front of a gathering of other beings at the junction of two main roads and to have produced the thought, ‘I have to establish an unbounded, infinite number of beings in the six perfections, I have to establish them in the applications of mindfulness, in the eightfold noble path, and I have to establish them in . . . up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha; I have to establish them in the result of stream enterer, up to I have to establish them in the state of a worthy one, and in a pratyekabuddha’s awakening; I have to establish them in the knowledge of all aspects,’ what do you think, Subhūti, would that magician or magician’s apprentice have established any beings in the six perfections, up to established any beings in the knowledge of all aspects?”
“Similarly, Subhūti,” said the Lord, “even if bodhisattva great beings were to produce the thought, ‘I have to establish an unbounded, infinite number of beings in the six perfections, up to the knowledge of all aspects furnished with the best of all aspects,’ they would not have produced a thought for the welfare of any being. And why? Because, Subhūti, this is just the way things are, given the illusory nature of dharmas. Subhūti, it is said that bodhisattva great beings are ‘armed with great armor’ in that way.”
Subhūti then said, “The way I understand what you, Lord, have said is that those bodhisattva great beings should be understood to be armed with no armor244 [F.138.b] because all dharmas, given the illusory nature of dharmas, are empty of their own mark. And why? Because, Lord, form is empty of form, and because feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness is empty of consciousness; because eyes are empty of eyes, and because ears . . . nose . . . tongue . . . body . . . and thinking mind is empty of thinking mind; because a form is empty of a form, and because a sound . . . a smell . . . a taste . . . a feeling . . . and a dharma is empty of a dharma; because eye consciousness is empty of eye consciousness, and because ear consciousness . . . nose consciousness . . . tongue consciousness . . . body consciousness . . . and thinking-mind consciousness is empty of thinking-mind consciousness; because eye contact is empty of eye contact, and because ear contact . . . nose contact . . . tongue contact . . . body contact . . . and thinking-mind contact is empty of thinking-mind contact; because feeling that arises from the condition of eye contact is empty of feeling that arises from the condition of eye contact, and because feeling that arises from the condition of ear contact . . . feeling that arises from the condition of nose contact . . . feeling that arises from the condition of tongue contact . . . feeling that arises from the condition of body contact . . . and feeling that arises from the condition of thinking-mind contact is empty of feeling that arises from the condition of thinking-mind contact; because the perfection of giving is empty of the perfection of giving, up to the perfection of wisdom is empty of the perfection of wisdom; because inner emptiness is empty of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature is empty of the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature; because the applications of mindfulness are empty of the applications of mindfulness, up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha are empty of the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha; and because, Lord, even a bodhisattva is empty of bodhisattva, and great armor is empty of great armor. I understand that bodhisattva great beings are armed with no armor, Lord, through this one of many explanations.” [F.139.a]
Subhūti having spoken thus, the Lord said to him, “Exactly so, Subhūti, exactly so. It is just as you say. And why? Because, Subhūti, the knowledge of all aspects is not made, is not unmade, and does not occasion anything,245 and those beings for whose sake bodhisattva great beings are armed with great armor are not made, not unmade, and do not occasion anything either.”
Subhūti then asked, “Why is the knowledge of all aspects not made, not unmade, and why does it not occasion anything? And why are those beings for whose sake bodhisattva great beings are armed with great armor not made, not unmade, and why do they not occasion anything?”
“Subhūti,” said the Lord, “given that you cannot apprehend a maker, the knowledge of all aspects is not made, not unmade, and does not occasion anything, and those beings for whose sake bodhisattva great beings are armed with great armor are also not made, not unmade, and do not occasion anything. And why? Because, Subhūti, form is not made, not unmade, and does not occasion anything, and those beings for whose sake bodhisattva great beings are armed with great armor are also not made, not unmade, and do not occasion anything.
“And why? Because, Subhūti, form does not make, does not unmake, and does not occasion anything, and feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness do not make, do not unmake, and do not occasion anything; the eyes do not make, do not unmake, and do not occasion anything, and the ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind do not make, do not unmake, and do not occasion anything; a form does not make, does not unmake, and does not occasion anything, and a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and a dharma do not make, do not unmake, and do not occasion anything; the eye consciousness does not make, does not unmake, and does not occasion anything, and the ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body [F.139.b] consciousness, and thinking-mind consciousness do not make, do not unmake, and do not occasion anything; eye contact does not make, does not unmake, and does not occasion anything, and ear contact, nose contact, tongue contact, body contact, and thinking-mind contact do not make, do not unmake, and do not occasion anything; and feeling that arises from the condition of eye contact does not make, does not unmake, and does not occasion anything, and feeling that arises from the condition of ear, nose, tongue, body, and thinking-mind contact does not make, does not unmake, and does not occasion anything. Subhūti, a self does not make, does not unmake, and does not occasion anything, and a living being, a creature, up to one who knows and one who sees246 does not make, does not unmake, and does not occasion anything. And why? Because they absolutely do not exist and absolutely cannot be apprehended. Subhūti, a dream does not make, does not unmake, and does not occasion anything, and an illusion, an echo, an apparition, a reflection in the mirror, a mirage, and a magical creation do not make, do not unmake, and do not occasion anything. And why? Because they absolutely do not exist and absolutely cannot be apprehended. Subhūti, inner emptiness does not make, does not unmake, and does not occasion anything. And why? Because it absolutely does not exist and absolutely cannot be apprehended. Subhūti, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature does not make, does not unmake, and does not occasion anything. And why? Because they absolutely do not exist and absolutely cannot be apprehended. Subhūti, the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening do not make, do not unmake, and do not occasion anything. And why? Because they absolutely do not exist and absolutely cannot be apprehended. The ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four detailed and thorough knowledges, up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha do not make, do not unmake, and do not occasion anything. And why? Because they absolutely do not exist and absolutely cannot be apprehended. [F.140.a] Subhūti, suchness does not make, does not unmake, and does not occasion anything. And why? Because it absolutely does not exist and absolutely cannot be apprehended. Similarly, Subhūti, unmistaken suchness, unaltered suchness, the true nature of dharmas, the dharma-constituent, the establishment of dharmas, the certification of dharmas, and the very limit of reality do not make, do not unmake, and do not occasion anything. And why? Because they absolutely do not exist and absolutely cannot be apprehended. Subhūti, awakening does not make, does not unmake, and does not occasion anything. All-knowledge, the knowledge of paths, and the knowledge of all aspects do not make, do not unmake, and do not occasion anything. And why? Because they absolutely do not exist and absolutely cannot be apprehended.
“Subhūti, through this one of many explanations you should understand that the knowledge of all aspects is not made, not unmade, and does not occasion anything, and those beings for whose sake bodhisattva great beings are armed with great armor are not made, not unmade, and do not occasion anything. Subhūti, it is said that bodhisattva great beings are ‘armed with great armor’ in that way.”
“Lord,” said Subhūti, “the way I understand what you have said, Lord, is that form is not bound and is not freed, and feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness, Lord, are not bound and are not freed.”
Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra then said, “Venerable Subhūti, you are saying form is not bound and is not freed? You are saying feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are not bound and are not freed?”
“Exactly so, Venerable Pūrṇa, [F.140.b] exactly so, Venerable Pūrṇa,” replied Subhūti. “Form, Venerable Pūrṇa, is not bound and is not freed; feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are not bound and are not freed.”
Pūrṇa then asked, “Venerable Subhūti, what is form that is not bound and is not freed? What is feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness that are not bound and are not freed?”
“Venerable Pūrṇa,” replied Subhūti, “dream-like form is not bound and is not freed; dream-like feeling, perception, volitional factors, and dream-like consciousness are not bound and are not freed. Similarly, form that is like an echo, like an illusion, like a mirage, like an apparition, like a reflection in the mirror, and like a magical creation is not bound and is not freed; feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness . . . that are like a magical creation are not bound and are not freed.
“Venerable Pūrṇa, past form is not bound and is not freed. Venerable Pūrṇa, past feeling, perception, volitional factors, and past consciousness are not bound and are not freed. Similarly, Venerable Pūrṇa, future form is not bound and is not freed. Venerable Pūrṇa, future feeling, perception, volitional factors, and future consciousness are not bound and are not freed. Venerable Pūrṇa, present form is not bound and is not freed. Venerable Pūrṇa, present feeling, perception, volitional factors, and present consciousness are not bound and are not freed.
“And why? Because form does not exist,247 form is not bound and is not freed. Because feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness does not exist, [F.141.a] consciousness is not bound and is not freed. Similarly, it is because form . . . feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness is isolated, calm, empty, signless, wishless, does not occasion anything, and is not produced that consciousness is not bound and is not freed. Venerable Pūrṇa, a form that is wholesome, unwholesome, with afflictions, without afflictions, with basic immorality, without basic immorality, with outflows, without outflows, ordinary, extraordinary, defiled, and purified is not bound and is not freed. And why? Because form does not exist. That is why form is not bound and is not freed. Similarly, Venerable Pūrṇa, feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness that is wholesome or unwholesome, up to purified is not bound and is not freed. And why? Because consciousness does not exist. That is why consciousness is not bound and is not freed.
“Venerable Pūrṇa, all dharmas are not bound and are not freed. And why? Because all dharmas do not exist. That is why they are not bound and are not freed. Similarly, because they are isolated and so on, they are not bound and are not freed.
“Venerable Pūrṇa, the perfection of giving is not bound and is not freed. Similarly, the perfection of morality . . . the perfection of patience . . . the perfection of perseverance . . . the perfection of concentration . . . and the perfection of wisdom is not bound and is not freed—because it does not exist it is not bound and is not freed; because it is isolated and so on it is not bound and is not freed.
“Venerable Pūrṇa, inner emptiness is also not bound and is not freed. Venerable Pūrṇa, up to emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature is also not bound and is not freed. [F.141.b] Venerable Pūrṇa, the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening are also not bound and are not freed. Venerable Pūrṇa, the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four detailed and thorough knowledges, up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha are also not bound and are not freed—because they do not exist they are not bound and are not freed, because they are isolated and so on they are not bound and are not freed.
“Venerable Pūrṇa, awakening is also not bound and is not freed, the knowledge of all aspects is also not bound and is not freed, and a bodhisattva is also not bound and is not freed—because they do not exist they are not bound and are not freed, because they are isolated they are not bound and are not freed, and because they are not produced they are not bound and are not freed.
“Venerable Pūrṇa, suchness is also not bound and is not freed. Venerable Pūrṇa, unmistaken suchness . . . , unaltered suchness . . . , the true nature of dharmas . . . , the dharma-constituent . . . , the establishment of dharmas . . . , the certification of dharmas . . . , and the very limit of reality is also not bound and is not freed—because it does not exist and is isolated it is not bound and is not freed, because it is not produced it is not bound and is not freed.
“In that way, Venerable Pūrṇa, bodhisattva great beings are not bound and are not freed. In that way the six perfections are also not bound and are not freed, up to the knowledge of all aspects is not bound and is not freed. Those beings they will lead to nirvāṇa are also not bound and are not freed, those buddhafields that they will purify are also not bound and are not freed, those lord buddhas on whom they will attend are also not bound and are not freed, the Dharma they will hear is also not bound and is not freed, the lord buddhas from whom they will never again be separated are also not bound and are not freed, and the clairvoyances from which they will not be separated, [F.142.a] the five eyes from which they will not be separated, and the meditative stabilizations from which they will not be separated are also not bound and are not freed. The knowledge of path aspects they will produce is not bound and is not freed, the knowledge of all aspects they will awaken to is not bound and is not freed, the wheel of Dharma they will turn is not bound and is not freed, and the beings they will lead to nirvāṇa in the three vehicles are not bound and are not freed.
“Thus indeed, Venerable Pūrṇa, will bodhisattva great beings who are not bound and are not freed awaken in the six perfections to all dharmas, given that they do not exist, are isolated, and are not produced.”
This was the fourteenth chapter, “Neither Bound nor Freed,” of “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines.”