• The Collection
  • The Kangyur
  • Discourses
  • Perfection of Wisdom

This rendering does not include the entire published text

The full text is available to download as pdf at:
https://read.84000.co/data/toh10_84000-the-perfection-of-wisdom-in-eighteen-thousand-lines.pdf

ཤེར་ཕྱིན་ཁྲི་བརྒྱད་སྟོང་པ།

The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines
Chapter 17: Level Purification

Aṣṭā­daśa­sāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā
འཕགས་པ་ཤེས་རབ་ཀྱི་ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ་ཁྲི་བརྒྱད་སྟོང་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
’phags pa shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa khri brgyad stong pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines”
Āryāṣṭā­daśa­sāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra
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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 1.0.13 (2022)
Generated by 84000 Reading Room v2.17.7

84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha is a global non-profit initiative to translate all the Buddha’s words into modern languages, and to make them available to everyone.

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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· The Translator’s Acknowledgments
· Acknowledgment of Sponsors
i. Introduction
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· About the Perfection of Wisdom Manuscripts
· The Title: Eighteen Thousand
· The Structure of the Eighteen Thousand
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· I. Introduction
· II. Brief Exegesis
· III. Intermediate Exegesis
· IV. Detailed Exegesis
· V. Summaries
· What Does the Eighteen Thousand Say?
· SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTERS
+ 62 sections- 62 sections
· Chapter 1
· Chapter 2
· Chapters 3–5
· Chapter 6
· Chapter 7
· Chapter 8
· Chapter 9
· Chapter 10
· Chapters 11–13
· Chapter 14
· Chapters 15–16
· Chapter 17
· Chapter 18
· Chapter 19
· Chapter 20
· Chapter 21
· Chapters 22–24
· Chapter 25
· Chapters 26–30
· Chapters 31–32
· Chapter 33
· Chapter 34
· Chapter 35
· Chapter 36
· Chapter 37
· Chapters 38–39
· Chapters 40–41
· Chapter 42
· Chapter 43
· Chapter 44
· Chapter 45
· Chapter 46
· Chapter 47
· Chapter 48
· Chapters 49–50
· Chapter 51
· Chapter 52
· Chapter 53
· Chapter 54
· Chapter 55
· Chapter 56
· Chapter 57
· Chapter 58
· Chapter 59
· Chapter 60
· Chapters 61–62
· Chapter 63
· Chapters 64–72
· Chapter 73
· Chapter 74
· Chapter 75
· Chapter 76
· Chapter 77
· Chapter 78
· Chapter 79
· Chapter 80
· Chapter 81
· Chapter 82
· Chapter 83
· Chapter 84
· Chapters 85–86
· Chapter 87
tr. The Translation
+ 87 chapters- 87 chapters
1. Chapter 1: Introduction
2. Chapter 2: Production of the Thought
3. Chapter 3: Designation
4. Chapter 4: Equal to the Unequaled
5. Chapter 5: Tongue
6. Chapter 6: Subhūti
7. Chapter 7: Entry into Flawlessness
8. Chapter 8: The Religious Mendicant Śreṇika
9. Chapter 9: Causal Signs
10. Chapter 10: Illusion-Like
11. Chapter 11: Embarrassment
12. Chapter 12: Elimination of Views
13. Chapter 13: The Six Perfections
14. Chapter 14: Neither Bound nor Freed
15. Chapter 15: Meditative Stabilization
16. Chapter 16: Dhāraṇī Gateway
17. Chapter 17: Level Purification
18. Chapter 18: The Exposition of Going Forth in the Great Vehicle
19. Chapter 19: Surpassing
20. Chapter 20: Not Two
21. Chapter 21: Subhūti
22. Chapter 22: Śatakratu
23. Chapter 23: Hard to Understand
24. Chapter 24: Unlimited
25. Chapter 25: Second Śatakratu
26. Chapter 26: Getting Hold
27. Chapter 27: Reliquary
28. Chapter 28: Declaration of the Good Qualities of the Thought of Awakening
29. Chapter 29: Different Tīrthika Religious Mendicants
30. Chapter 30: The Benefits of Taking Up and Adoration
31. Chapter 31: Physical Remains
32. Chapter 32: The Superiority of Merit
33. Chapter 33: Dedication
34. Chapter 34: Perfect Praise of the Quality of Accomplishment
35. Chapter 35: Hells
36. Chapter 36: Teaching the Purity of All Dharmas
37. Chapter 37: Nobody
38. Chapter 38: Cannot Be Apprehended
39. Chapter 39: The Northern Region
40. Chapter 40: The Work of Māra
41. Chapter 41: Not Complete Because of Māra
42. Chapter 42: Revealing the World
43. Chapter 43: Inconceivable
44. Chapter 44: Made Up
45. Chapter 45: A Boat
46. Chapter 46: Teaching the Intrinsic Nature of All Dharmas
47. Chapter 47: Taming Greed
48. Chapter 48: A Presentation of the Bodhisattvas’ Training
49. Chapter 49: Irreversibility
50. Chapter 50: Teaching the Signs of Irreversibility
51. Chapter 51: Skillful Means
52. Chapter 52: Completion of Means
53. Chapter 53: The Prophecy about Gaṅgadevī
54. Chapter 54: Teaching the Cultivation of Skillful Means
55. Chapter 55: Teaching the Stopping of Thought Construction
56. Chapter 56: Equal Training
57. Chapter 57: Practice
58. Chapter 58: Exposition of the Absence of Thought Construction
59. Chapter 59: Nonattachment
60. Chapter 60: Entrusting
61. Chapter 61: Inexhaustible
62. Chapter 62: Leaping Above Absorption
63. Chapter 63: Many Inquiries About the Two Dharmas
64. Chapter 64: Perfectly Displayed
65. Chapter 65: Worshiping, Serving, and Attending on Spiritual Friends as Skillful Means
66. Chapter 66: A Demonstration of Skillful Means
67. Chapter 67: Morality
68. Chapter 68: Growing and Flourishing
69. Chapter 69: An Explanation of Meditation on the Path
70. Chapter 70: An Explanation of Serial Action, Training, and Practice
71. Chapter 71: The True Nature of Dharmas That Cannot Be Apprehended
72. Chapter 72: Teaching the Absence of Marks
73. Chapter 73: Exposition of the Major Marks and Minor Signs and the Completion of Letters
74. Chapter 74: Exposition of the Sameness of Dharmas
75. Chapter 75: Exposition of Noncomplication
76. Chapter 76: The Armor for Bringing Beings to Maturity
77. Chapter 77: Teaching the Purification of a Buddhafield
78. Chapter 78: Teaching the Skillful Means for the Purification of a Buddhafield
79. Chapter 79: Teaching the Nonexistence of an Intrinsic Nature
80. Chapter 80: Teaching That There is No Defilement or Purification
81. Chapter 81: Yogic Practice of the Ultimate
82. Chapter 82: The Unchanging True Nature of Dharmas
83. Chapter 83: Categorization of a Bodhisattva’s Training
84. Chapter 84: Collection
85. Chapter 85: Sadāprarudita
86. Chapter 86: Dharmodgata
87. Chapter 87: Entrusting
c. Colophon
ab. Abbreviations
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· Primary Sources
· Secondary References
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Sūtras
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Indic Commentaries
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Indigenous Tibetan Works
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Secondary Literature
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

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.

s.­2

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.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

This sūtra was translated by Gareth Sparham under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

The Translator’s Acknowledgments

ac.­2

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

ac.­3

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.


i.

Introduction

i.­1

In the introduction to his translation of The Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom in Ten Thousand Lines,1 Gyurme Dorje has given a clear account of the Tibetan tradition’s explanation (1) of the origin of the Perfection of Wisdom in the words of the Buddha on Gṛdhrakūṭa Hill in Rājagṛha some 2,500 years ago, (2) of the way the Perfection of Wisdom became extant in our world through the efforts of Nāgārjuna, and (3) of the Perfection of Wisdom’s place in the vast corpus of the Buddha’s words as “the middle turning of the wheel of the Dharma.” He has also given a brief account of the conclusions arrived at by the Western research tradition, which suggest that the Perfection of Wisdom may have originated in the south of the Indian subcontinent, perhaps the Andhra region, but more likely first began circulating in the far northwest of the Indian subcontinent. A prophecy in the text translated into English here provides some support for this conclusion. In chapter 39 the Buddha says to Śāriputra, “with the passing away of the Tathāgata this perfection of wisdom will circulate in the southern region,” and “from the country Vartani [the east] this deep perfection of wisdom will circulate into the northern region.” A comparison of early fragments of a Perfection of Wisdom in the Gāndhārī language, written in Kharoṣṭhī script and dated ca. 75 ᴄᴇ, with an early translation of a Perfection of Wisdom text into Chinese by Lokakṣema in the middle of the second century ᴄᴇ has led the Western research tradition to the tentative conclusion that the Perfection of Wisdom first circulated in written form in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent some 2,000 years ago.

About the Perfection of Wisdom Manuscripts

The Title: Eighteen Thousand

The Structure of the Eighteen Thousand

I. Introduction

II. Brief Exegesis

III. Intermediate Exegesis

IV. Detailed Exegesis

V. Summaries

What Does the Eighteen Thousand Say?

SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTERS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapters 3–5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapters 11–13

Chapter 14

Chapters 15–16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapters 22–24

Chapter 25

Chapters 26–30

Chapters 31–32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapters 38–39

Chapters 40–41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapters 49–50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapters 61–62

Chapter 63

Chapters 64–72

Chapter 73

Chapter 74

Chapter 75

Chapter 76

Chapter 77

Chapter 78

Chapter 79

Chapter 80

Chapter 81

Chapter 82

Chapter 83

Chapter 84

Chapters 85–86

Chapter 87


The Translation
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra
The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines

1.

Chapter 1: Introduction

[V29] [F.1.b] [B1]


1.­1

We prostrate to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.


1.­2

Thus did I hear at one time. The Lord dwelt at Rājagṛha on Gṛdhrakūṭa Hill together with a great community of monks, numbering14 five thousand monks, all worthy ones with the exception of one single person‍—that is, venerable Ānanda‍—with outflows dried up, without afflictions, fully controlled, with their minds well freed and their wisdom well freed, thoroughbreds, great bull elephants, with their work done, their task accomplished, with their burden laid down, with their own goal accomplished, with the fetters that bound them to existence broken, with their hearts well freed by perfect understanding, in perfect15 control of their whole mind; [F.2.a] with nuns numbering five hundred‍—Yaśodharā, Mahāprajāpatī, and so on‍—and with a great many laymen and laywomen, all of them with a vision of the Dharma; and with an unbounded, infinite number of bodhisattva great beings, all of whom had acquired the dhāraṇīs, were dwellers in emptiness, their range the signless, and who had not fashioned any wishes, had acquired forbearance for the sameness of all dharmas, had acquired the dhāraṇī of nonattachment, with imperishable clairvoyant knowledges, and with speech worth listening to; who were not hypocrites, not fawners, without thoughts of reputation and gain; who were Dharma teachers without thought of compensation, with perfect forbearance for the deep dharmas, who had obtained the fearlessnesses, and who had transcended all the works of Māra, who had cut the continuum of karmic obscuration, were skillful in expounding the analysis of investigations into phenomena, with the prayer that is a vow made during an asaṃkhyeya of eons really fully carried out, with smiling countenances, forward in addressing others, without a frown on their faces, skillful in communicating with others in chanted verse, without feelings of depression, without losing the confidence giving a readiness to speak, and endowed with fearlessness when surpassing endless assemblies; who were skilled in going forth during an ananta of one hundred million eons, understanding phenomena to be like an illusion, a mirage, a reflection of the moon in water, a dream, an echo, an apparition, a reflection in the mirror, and a magical creation; who were skillful in comprehending the thoughts, conduct, and beliefs of all beings and subtle knowledge, [F.2.b] with unobstructed thoughts, and endowed with extreme patience; who were skilled in causing entry into reality just as it is, having appropriated all the endless arrays of the buddhafields through prayer and setting out, with the meditative stabilization recollecting buddhas in an infinite number of world systems constantly and always activated; who were skillful in soliciting innumerable buddhas; who were skillful in eliminating the various views, propensities, obsessions, and defilements; and who were skillful in accomplishing a hundred thousand feats through meditative concentration. That is, he was together with the bodhisattva great beings Bhadrapāla, Ratnākara, Ratnagarbha,16 Ratnadatta, Susārthavaha, Varuṇadeva, Guhyagupta, Indradatta, Uttaramatin, Viśeṣamatin, Vardhamāna­matin, Anantamati, Amoghadarśin, Anāvaraṇamatin, Susaṃprasthita, Su­vikrānta­vikrāmin, Anantavīrya, Nityodyukta, Nityaprayukta, Anikṣiptadhura, Sūryagarbha, Anupamamatin, and Avalokiteśvara, Mahā­sthāma­prāpta, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, Māra­bala­pramardin, Vajramatin, Ratna­mudrā­hasta, Nityotkṣipta­hasta, Mahā­karuṇā­cinta, Mahāvyūha, Vyūharāja, and Merukūṭa, the bodhisattva great being Maitreya, and many hundreds of thousands of one hundred million billion other bodhisattvas as well.

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2.

Chapter 2: Production of the Thought

2.­1

When the Lord understood that the world with its celestial beings, Māras and Brahmās, śramaṇas and brahmins, gods and humans, as well as bodhisattvas, most of them in youthful form, had assembled, he said to venerable Śāriputra, “Here, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to all dharmas in all forms should make an effort at the perfection of wisdom.”

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2.­2

The Lord having spoken thus, venerable Śāriputra inquired of him, “How then, Lord, [F.11.b] should bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to all dharmas in all forms make an effort at the perfection of wisdom?”

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3.

Chapter 3: Designation

3.­1

Then [F.23.a] venerable Śāriputra inquired of the Lord, “Lord, how then should bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom?”

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3.­2

Venerable Śāriputra having thus inquired, the Lord said to him, “Śāriputra, here bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom do not, even while they are bodhisattvas, see a bodhisattva. They do not see even the word bodhisattva. They do not see awakening either, and they do not see the perfection of wisdom. They do not see that ‘they practice,’ and they do not see that ‘they do not practice.’ They also do not see that ‘while practicing they practice and while not practicing do not practice,’ and they also do not see that ‘they do not practice, and do not not practice as well.’44 They do not see form. Similarly, they do not see feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness either. And why? Because, Śāriputra, the name bodhisattva is empty of the intrinsic nature of a name. The name bodhisattva is not empty because of emptiness. A bodhisattva is also empty of the intrinsic nature of a bodhisattva, but a bodhisattva is not empty because of emptiness. Awakening, too, is empty of the intrinsic nature of awakening, but awakening is not empty because of emptiness. The perfection of wisdom, too, is empty of the intrinsic nature of the perfection of wisdom, but the perfection of wisdom is not empty because of emptiness. Form, too, is empty of the intrinsic nature of form, but form is not empty because of emptiness. [F.23.b] And feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness is45 also empty of the intrinsic nature of consciousness, but consciousness is not empty because of emptiness. And why? Because the emptiness of the name bodhisattva is not the name bodhisattva, and there is no name bodhisattva apart from emptiness, because the name bodhisattva itself is emptiness and emptiness is the name bodhisattva as well. The emptiness of the bodhisattva is not the bodhisattva and there is no bodhisattva apart from emptiness, because the bodhisattva is emptiness and emptiness is the bodhisattva as well. The emptiness of the perfection of wisdom is not the perfection of wisdom and there is no perfection of wisdom apart from emptiness, because the perfection of wisdom itself is emptiness and emptiness is the perfection of wisdom as well. The emptiness of form is not form and there is no form apart from emptiness, because form itself is emptiness and emptiness is form as well. And the emptiness of feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness is not consciousness, and there is no consciousness apart from emptiness because consciousness itself is emptiness and emptiness is consciousness as well. And why? Because this‍—namely, bodhisattva‍—is just a name; because these‍—namely, the name bodhisattva, awakening, [F.24.a] the perfection of wisdom, form, feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness‍—are just names; and because this‍—namely, emptiness‍—is just a name. Why? Because where there is no intrinsic nature there is no production, stopping,46 decrease, increase, defilement, or purification. And why? Because form is like an illusion, feeling is like an illusion, perception is like an illusion, volitional factors are like an illusion, and consciousness is like an illusion. And an illusion is just a name that does not reside somewhere, does not reside in a particular place, so the sight of an illusion is mistaken and does not exist and is devoid of an intrinsic nature. Bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom like that do not see production, do not see stopping, do not see standing, do not see decrease, do not see increase, do not see defilement, and do not see purification in any dharma at all. They do not see ‘awakening,’ and they do not see a ‘bodhisattva’ anywhere. And why? Because names are made up. In the case of each of these different dharmas they are imagined,47 unreal, names plucked out of thin air working subsequently as conventional labels, and just as they are subsequently conventionally labeled, so too are they settled down on as real. Bodhisattva [F.24.b] great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom do not see any of those names as inherently existing, and because they do not see them, they do not settle down on them as real.

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4.

Chapter 4: Equal to the Unequaled

4.­1

Then venerable Śāriputra, venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, venerable Subhūti, venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra, and venerable Mahākāśyapa, as well as other monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen celebrated for the state of their clairvoyance, and very many bodhisattva great beings said to the Lord, “This, Lord‍—that is, the perfection of wisdom‍—is the great perfection of bodhisattva great beings. This perfection of wisdom, Lord, is the vast perfection of bodhisattva great beings. This perfection of wisdom, Lord, is the highest perfection of bodhisattva great beings. It is the special perfection, it is the best perfection, it is the superb perfection, it is the sublime [F.54.b] perfection, it is the unsurpassed perfection, it is the unrivaled perfection, it is the unequaled perfection, it is the perfection equal to the unequaled, it is the calm and gentle perfection, it is the matchless perfection, it is the perfection for which no example does justice, it is the space-like perfection, it is the perfection of the emptiness of particular defining marks, it is the perfection endowed with all good qualities. This, Lord‍—that is, the perfection of wisdom‍—is the uncrushable perfection of bodhisattva great beings.


5.

Chapter 5: Tongue

5.­1

Then at that time the Lord extended his tongue and with it covered the great billionfold world system. Then from his tongue light beams of many colors, various colors, issued forth. Having issued forth, a great illumination spread through as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River to the east. Similarly, a great illumination spread through 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.


6.

Chapter 6: Subhūti

6.­1

The Lord then said to venerable Subhūti, “Subhūti, starting with the perfection of wisdom, be confident in your readiness to give a Dharma discourse to the bodhisattva great beings about how bodhisattva great beings go forth in the perfection of wisdom.”

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6.­2

Then it occurred to those bodhisattva great beings, those great śrāvakas, and those gods to think, “Will venerable Subhūti instruct the bodhisattva great beings in the perfection of wisdom on account of armor in which reposes the power of his own intellect and confident readiness, or will he instruct them through the power of the Buddha?”

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7.

Chapter 7: Entry into Flawlessness

7.­1

Venerable Subhūti then said to the Lord, “Lord, bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend131 form should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend eyes should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend a form should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and a dharma should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend eye consciousness should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend up to thinking-mind consciousness should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend eye contact up to who want to comprehend thinking-mind contact should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend the feeling that arises from the condition of eye contact, up to [F.69.b] who want to comprehend the feeling that arises from the condition of thinking-mind contact should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend ignorance should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend volitional factors, consciousness, name and form, the six sense fields, contact, feeling, craving, appropriation, existence, birth, and old age and death should train in the perfection of wisdom.

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8.

Chapter 8: The Religious Mendicant Śreṇika

8.­1

Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, given that I do not find, do not apprehend, and do not see a bodhisattva or the perfection of wisdom, to which bodhisattva will I give advice and instruction in what perfection of wisdom? Lord, given that I do not find, do not apprehend, and do not see any real basis, this really is something I might be uneasy about‍—Lord, while not finding, not apprehending, and not seeing any real basis, which dharma will advise and instruct which dharma? Because, Lord, given that I do not find, do not apprehend, and do not see all dharmas, this really is something I might be uneasy about, how I might make just the name bodhisattva and just the name perfection of wisdom wax and wane.

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9.

Chapter 9: Causal Signs

9.­1

Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, if bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom without skillful means [F.87.b] practice form166 they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice ‘form is permanent’ or ‘impermanent’ they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is permanent’ or ‘impermanent’ they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice ‘form is happiness’ or ‘suffering’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is ‘happiness’ or ‘suffering’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘form is self’ or ‘no self’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is self’ or ‘no self’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘form is calm’ or ‘not calm’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is calm’ or ‘not calm’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘form is isolated’ or ‘not isolated’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is isolated’ or ‘not isolated’ they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom.

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10.

Chapter 10: Illusion-Like

10.­1

Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, suppose someone were to ask, ‘Does this illusory being, having trained in the perfection of wisdom, go forth to the knowledge of all aspects or reach the knowledge of all aspects?’ What, Lord, should be said to that questioner? And similarly, suppose someone were to ask, ‘Does this illusory being, having trained in the perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, and perfection of giving go forth to the knowledge of all aspects or reach the knowledge of all aspects?’ What, Lord, should be said to that questioner? And as to ‘Do they, having trained in, up to the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, [F.97.a] up to the knowledge of all aspects, go forth to the knowledge of all aspects or reach the knowledge of all aspects?’‍—what, Lord, should be said to that questioner?”

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11.

Chapter 11: Embarrassment

11.­1

Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, you say ‘bodhisattva’ again and again. What is its basis in reality?”201

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The Lord [F.110.b] replied to venerable Subhūti, “Subhūti, the basis in reality for bodhisattva is an absence of a basis in reality. And why? Subhūti, it is because bodhi and sattva are not produced. Awakening and a being do not have an arising or an existence. They cannot be apprehended. Subhūti, awakening has no basis in reality and a being has no basis in reality, therefore a bodhisattva’s basis in reality is an absence of a basis in reality.

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12.

Chapter 12: Elimination of Views

12.­1

Then venerable Śāriputra said to the Lord, “Lord, I too am confident in my readiness to speak the sense in which bodhisattvas are said to be ‘great beings.’ ”

12.­2

“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “be confident in your readiness to explain the sense in which bodhisattvas are said to be great beings.”

12.­3

Śāriputra then explained, “Lord, they reveal the Dharma to beings to eliminate the view of a self and, similarly, the view of a being, a living being, a person, one who lives, an individual, one born of Manu, a child of Manu, one who does, one who makes someone else do, a motivator, one who motivates, one who feels, one who makes someone else feel, one who knows, and one who sees. And by way of not apprehending anything they reveal the Dharma to beings to eliminate the view of annihilation, the view of permanence, the view of existence, and the view [F.119.b] of nonexistence; the view of aggregates, the view of constituents, the view of sense fields, the view of isolation, and the view of dependent origination; and the view of the perfections, the view of the dharmas on the side of awakening, the view of the powers and fearlessnesses, the view of the distinct attributes of a buddha, the view of bringing beings to maturity, the view of the purification of a buddhafield, the view of awakening, the view of the Buddha, the view of the Dharma, the view of the Saṅgha, the view of turning the wheel of the Dharma, and the view of complete nirvāṇa. It is in this sense bodhisattvas are said to be great beings.”

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13.

Chapter 13: The Six Perfections

13.­1

Then venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra said to the Lord, “Lord, I too am confident in my readiness to speak the sense in which bodhisattvas are said to be great beings.”

“Pūrṇa, be confident in your readiness to speak,” replied the Lord.

13.­2

Pūrṇa then said, “Lord, those beings are armed with great armor, [F.122.a] those beings have set out in a Great Vehicle, and those beings have mounted on a Great Vehicle. It is in this sense, Lord, that bodhisattvas are said to be great beings.”

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14.

Chapter 14: Neither Bound nor Freed

14.­1

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?”

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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.


15.

Chapter 15: Meditative Stabilization

15.­1

Then venerable Subhūti inquired of the Lord, “Lord, what is the Great Vehicle of bodhisattva great beings? Lord, to just what extent should bodhisattva great beings be known to have set out in the Great Vehicle?248 Where249 will the Great Vehicle have set out? Where will the Great Vehicle stand?250 Who will go forth in the Great Vehicle?”

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Subhūti having said asked this, the Lord said to him, “Subhūti, in regard to what you have asked‍—‘Lord, what is the Great Vehicle of bodhisattva great beings?‍—Subhūti, the Great Vehicle of bodhisattva great beings is this: the six perfections. And what are the six? They are the perfection of giving, perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, [F.142.b] perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom.


16.

Chapter 16: Dhāraṇī Gateway

16.­1

“Furthermore, Subhūti, the Great Vehicle of bodhisattva great beings is this: the four applications of mindfulness. What are the four? They are the application of mindfulness to the body, the application of mindfulness to feeling, the application of mindfulness to mind, and the application of mindfulness to dharmas.

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16.­2

“What is the application of mindfulness to the body? Here enthusiastic, introspective, mindful bodhisattva great beings, having cleared away ordinary covetousness and depression, dwell while viewing in a body the inner body by way of not apprehending anything, and without indulging in speculations to do with the body. They dwell while viewing in a body the outer body, and they dwell while viewing in a body [F.155.b] the inner and outer body by way of not apprehending anything, and without indulging in speculations to do with the body.

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17.

Chapter 17: Level Purification

17.­1

“Subhūti, in regard to what you have asked‍—‘How have bodhisattva great beings come to set out in the Great Vehicle?’‍—Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings practicing the six perfections change place, going from level to level. And how do bodhisattva great beings practicing the six perfections change place, going from level to level? Like this: by all dharmas not changing place. And why? Because no dharma comes, or goes, or changes place, or is close to changing places. But even though they do not falsely project the level of those dharmas,302 do not direct their thoughts toward them, they still do the purification303 for a level, and they do not view those levels.

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17.­2

“And what is the bodhisattva great beings’ purification? Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings occupying the first level, Pramuditā, have to do ten purifications for that level. What are the ten? They are purification of the surpassing aspiration, and that by way of not apprehending anything; purification of the basis for beneficial work through not apprehending causal signs;304 purification of the same state of mind toward all beings through not apprehending beings; purification of giving up things through not apprehending a gift, giver, or recipient; purification of serving spiritual friends because of not falsely projecting anything on account of them; [F.168.b] purification of seeking the doctrine through not apprehending any dharma; purification of constant renunciation through not apprehending a home; purification of longing for the body of a buddha through not apprehending the causal signs of the auspicious major and minor signs;305 purification of an exposition of dharmas through not apprehending an analysis of dharmas; purification of preventing being puffed up with pride306 through not apprehending a state of existence; and purification of making truth statements through not apprehending a statement. These, Subhūti, are the ten purifications bodhisattva great beings occupying the first level, Pramuditā, have to do.

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17.­3

“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings occupying the second level have to constantly pay attention to eight dharmas and focus on them in practice. What are the eight? They are completely pure morality, a feeling of appreciation and gratitude, a foundation of the power of patience, an experience of great delight and joy, not ignoring any being, being deeply moved by great compassion, great reverence because of venerating gurus with faith and by imagining them as the Teacher, and seeking the perfections through the practice of them. These, Subhūti, are the eight dharmas bodhisattva great beings occupying the second level have to constantly pay attention to and focus on in practice.

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17.­4

“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings occupying the third level have to keep on with five dharmas. What are the five? They have to keep on with great learning without complacency, and that without settling down on words; with expositions of the gift of Dharma without concern for material possessions but not falsely projecting anything on account of that; in raising up and transforming wholesome roots for the purification of a buddhafield but not falsely projecting anything on account of that; [F.169.a] with not feeling oppressed by immeasurable cycles of existence but not falsely projecting anything on account of that; and with an abiding sense of shame and embarrassment but not falsely projecting anything on account of those either. Bodhisattva great beings occupying the third level, Subhūti, have to keep on with these five dharmas.

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“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings occupying the fourth level have to appropriate and keep ten dharmas and should not give them up. What are the ten? Not giving up dwelling in the forest, having few desires, contentment, not giving up the qualities of the ascetic or austerity, not giving up training, abhorring sense objects, production of a thought associated with nirvāṇa,307 giving up all possessions, an unmixed mind,308 and not relying on anything. These, Subhūti, are the ten dharmas a bodhisattva great being occupying the fourth level should not give up and that they have to appropriate and keep.

17.­6

“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings occupying the fifth level have to avoid ten dharmas.309 What are the ten? They have to avoid getting tied up with householders, avoid getting tied up with monks and nuns, stop envying status families, avoid places where people get together, stop bearing malice, stop praising themselves and disparaging others, stop the ten unwholesome actions, avoid haughtiness and pride in being superior, stop distortions, avoid doubt,310 [F.169.b] and avoid the propensity for greed, hatred, and confusion. These, Subhūti, are the ten dharmas bodhisattva great beings occupying the fifth level should avoid.

17.­7

“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings occupying the sixth level have to complete six dharmas. What are the six? They have to complete the six perfections. There are also another six dharmas they have to avoid. What are the six? They have to avoid śrāvaka states of mind, avoid pratyekabuddha states of mind, avoid wearied states of mind,311 avoid feeling cowed when they see a beggar, avoid feeling unhappy about all the things they have given up, and not rebuff beggars. These, Subhūti, are the six dharmas bodhisattva great beings occupying the sixth level should avoid.

17.­8

“Furthermore, Subhūti, there are twenty dharmas that bodhisattva great beings occupying the seventh level should not do. What are the twenty? They should not seize on a self, seize on a sentient being, seize on a living being, seize on a person, seize on annihilation, seize on permanence, perceive a causal sign, view that it is a cause, settle down on name and form, settle down on the aggregates, settle down on the sense fields, settle down on the constituents, settle down on the three realms, cling to the three realms, wallow in the three realms, settle down on the view that the Buddha should be resorted to, settle down on the view that the Dharma should be resorted to, settle down on the view that the Saṅgha should be resorted to, settle down on the view that morality is a place to resort to, or get depressed that [F.170.a] ‘all dharmas are empty’ and oppose emptiness. These, Subhūti, are the twenty dharmas that bodhisattva great beings occupying the seventh level should not do.

17.­9

“Occupying the seventh level, they also have to complete exactly twenty dharmas. What are the twenty? They are the realization of emptiness, the actualization of signlessness, the knowledge of wishlessness, the purification of the three spheres, empathy and compassion for all beings, not looking down on those beings, viewing the sameness of all dharmas and not settling down on it, realizing the way things are perfect without falsely projecting anything on account of it, forbearance for nonproduction, the knowledge of nonproduction, the exposition of the one way things are, total destruction of thought constructions concerning all phenomena, reversal of views, reversal of afflictions, the level of meditation on calm abiding and skill in insight, a disciplined state of mind, a calmed state of mind, unobstructed knowledge, the attachment-free level,312 and going as they want to any buddhafield. These, Subhūti, are the twenty dharmas that bodhisattva great beings occupying the seventh level should complete.

17.­10

“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings occupying the eighth level have to complete four dharmas. What are the four? They have to read the minds of all beings, play with the clairvoyances, view the buddhafields and fully execute them exactly as they have seen them to be, and attend on the buddhas and properly contemplate the buddha bodies. These, Subhūti, are the four dharmas they should complete. Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings [F.170.b] occupying the eighth level have to complete four other dharmas. What are the four? They have to know higher and lower faculties, they have to purify a buddhafield, they have to be constantly absorbed in the illusion-like meditative stabilization, and they have to intentionally appropriate an existence and bring into being a body in line with the outcome of the wholesome roots of beings. These, Subhūti, are the four other dharmas bodhisattva great beings occupying the eighth level have to complete.

17.­11

“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings occupying the ninth level have to complete twelve dharmas. What are the twelve? They are the assistance of unending prayers; success in line with the prayers that are made; understanding knowledge of the sounds of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and ghosts; understanding a river of confidence giving a readiness to speak; and perfect entry into a womb, a perfect family, a perfect social class and lineage, a perfect retinue, a perfect birth, perfect going forth, the perfect spreading out of a Bodhi tree, and the perfect completion of good qualities. These, Subhūti, are the twelve dharmas bodhisattva great beings occupying the ninth level have to complete.

17.­12

“Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings occupying the tenth level have to be called just ‘tathāgata.’ ”

17.­13

The Lord having said this, venerable Subhūti inquired of him, “Lord, [F.171.a] what is done in purification of the surpassing aspiration of bodhisattva great beings occupying the first level?”

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17.­14

The Lord replied, “With attention connected with the knowledge of all aspects, the full accomplishment of all wholesome roots, Subhūti, is the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of the surpassing aspiration.

17.­15

“What is the purification of the same state of mind toward all beings? With attention connected with the knowledge of all aspects the full accomplishment of the four immeasurables‍—love, compassion, joy, and equanimity‍—Subhūti, is said to be the purification of the same state of mind toward all beings.

17.­16

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of giving up? Giving gifts to all beings without conceptualization, Subhūti, is said to be the purification of giving up.

17.­17

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of serving spiritual friends? There serving, attending on, and having great reverence for those spiritual friends, the spiritual friends of bodhisattva great beings who cause them to take up and enter into the knowledge of all aspects and establish them in it, Subhūti, are said to be the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of serving spiritual friends.

17.­18

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of seeking the doctrine? There with a thought connected with the knowledge of all aspects they seek the doctrine and do not fall to the śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha level. That, Subhūti, is said to be the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of seeking the doctrine. [F.171.b]

17.­19

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of constant renunciation? In all lifetimes they are aloof and renounced, they go forth to homelessness into the Tathāgata’s doctrine, and nobody hinders them. That, Subhūti, is said to be the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of constant renunciation.

17.­20

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of longing for the body of a buddha? Having seen the body of a buddha they never become separated from attention to the buddha until they reach the knowledge of all aspects. That, Subhūti, is said to be the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of longing for the body of a buddha.

17.­21

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of an exposition of doctrines? Whether the Tathāgata is here before us or whether gone into nirvāṇa, the bodhisattva great beings teach doctrine, illuminating for beings the spiritual life good at the beginning, good in the middle, and good at the end, excellent in meaning, excellent in wording, unadulterated, complete, purified, and completely pure‍—that is to say, the discourses, melodious narrations, predictions, verses, summaries, introductions, accounts, birth stories, expanded texts, marvels, tales, and expositions. That, Subhūti, is said to be the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of an exposition of doctrines.

17.­22

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of overcoming [F.172.a] being puffed up with pride? Overcoming being puffed up with pride on account of which they are not born in lower status families, Subhūti, is said to be the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of overcoming being puffed up with pride.

17.­23

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of making truth statements? That they do what they say, Subhūti, is said to be the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of making truth statements.

17.­24

“Those ten, Subhūti, are the purifications bodhisattva great beings occupying the first level have to do.

17.­25

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ completely pure morality? It is this: not paying attention to śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha states of mind, to what makes for an immorality, or to any of those dharmas that constitute a hindrance to awakening either. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ completely pure morality.

17.­26

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ feeling of appreciation and gratitude? Let alone something big, when bodhisattva great beings are doing their practice they do not consign to oblivion even a tiny benefit done, up until the end of saṃsāra. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ feeling of appreciation and gratitude.

17.­27

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ foundation of the power of patience? The absence of malicious and violent thoughts toward all beings is the bodhisattva great beings’ foundation of the power of patience.

17.­28

“What do bodhisattva great beings experience as great delight and joy? [F.172.b] Bringing beings to maturity in the three vehicles is what bodhisattva great beings experience as great delight and joy.

17.­29

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ not ignoring any being? Guarding all beings is the bodhisattva great beings’ not ignoring any being.

17.­30

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ being deeply moved by great compassion? When doing a practice it occurs to bodhisattva great beings, ‘I would stay in the hells for the sake of each being for as many eons as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River, and until I have established those beings in the knowledge of a buddha, I would undergo amputation, quartering, mutilation through torture, boiling, and being cooked, and similarly, for the sake of all beings, all the while I would be enthusiastic and not become depressed.’ That is the bodhisattva great beings’ being deeply moved by great compassion.

17.­31

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ great reverence because of venerating gurus with faith? It is this: imagining the gurus as the Teacher. That is called the bodhisattva great beings’ great reverence because of venerating gurus with faith.

17.­32

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ seeking the perfections through the practice of them? It is this: in order to bring all beings to maturity, seeking the perfections without doing other work. That is called the bodhisattva great beings’ seeking the perfections through the practice of them.

17.­33

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ [F.173.a] great learning without complacency? It is not being complacent, but rather thinking, ‘I will bear in mind whatever the lord buddhas have spoken in this world system or in world systems all around in the ten directions.’ That is the bodhisattva great beings’ great learning without complacency.

17.­34

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ exposition of the gift of Dharma without concern for material possessions? Bodhisattva great beings teach the Dharma, but without hoping for anything at all, even for personal awakening from the wholesome root that comes from the gift of Dharma. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ exposition of the gift of Dharma without concern for material possessions.

17.­35

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ raising up and transforming wholesome roots for the purification of a buddhafield? They thoroughly establish313 those wholesome roots that purify the field of their own and others’ buddhafields with whichever wholesome roots cause the purification of a buddhafield. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ raising up and transforming wholesome roots for the purification of a buddhafield.

17.­36

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ not feeling oppressed by immeasurable cycles of existence? In a stable state on account of wholesome roots, they bring beings to maturity with those wholesome roots on account of which they are stable, purify a buddhafield, and never fall into feeling oppressed up until they have completed all the buddhadharmas and the knowledge of all aspects. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ not feeling oppressed by immeasurable cycles of existence.

17.­37

“What [F.173.b] is the bodhisattva great beings’ abiding sense of shame and embarrassment? It is the abhorrence of śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha states of mind. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ abiding sense of shame and embarrassment.

17.­38

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ not giving up dwelling in the forest? It is the transcendence of the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha levels. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ not giving up dwelling in the forest.

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“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ having few desires? It is the bodhisattva great beings’ not desiring even awakening. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ having few desires.

17.­40

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ contentment? Not falsely projecting even reaching the knowledge of all aspects. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ contentment.

17.­41

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ not giving up the qualities of the ascetic or austerity? It is this: forbearance for meditation on the deep dharmas. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ not giving up the qualities of the ascetic or austerity.

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17.­42

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ not giving up training? It is where all training is without movement. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ not giving up training.

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17.­43

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ abhorrence of sense objects? It is not producing desire realm states of mind.314 That is the bodhisattva great beings’ abhorrence [F.174.a] of sense objects.

17.­44

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ production of a thought associated with nirvāṇa? It is this: not causing all the dharmas to come into being. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ production of a thought associated with nirvāṇa.

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17.­45

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ giving up all possessions? It is not grasping inner or outer dharmas. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ giving up all possessions.

17.­46

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ unmixed mind?315 Their minds not connecting with the foundations of consciousnesses is the bodhisattva great beings’ unmixed mind.

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17.­47

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ not relying on anything? Not paying attention to all things is the bodhisattva great beings’ not relying on anything.

17.­48

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ avoidance of getting tied up with householders? It is this: roaming from buddhafield to buddhafield and miraculously taking birth, appearing with a shaved head and wearing saffron-colored robes. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ avoidance of getting tied up with householders.

17.­49

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ avoidance of getting tied up with monks and nuns? They do not stay with monks and nuns even for as long as a finger snap, and when they are absent they do not worry.316 That is the bodhisattva great beings’ avoidance of getting tied up [F.174.b] with monks and nuns.

17.­50

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ stopping envying status families? Here, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings have to think as follows: ‘I have to supply all beings with their requirements for happiness. These beings here are happy just because of their own merits, so I should not think envious thoughts about this.’ That is the bodhisattva great beings’ stopping envying status families.

17.­51

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ avoiding places where people get together? Bodhisattva great beings should not get together with people in any place where there might be śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas, where the conversations might be connected with them, or where there might be the production of thoughts that are connected with them. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ avoiding places where people get together.

17.­52

“How do bodhisattva great beings stop feeling malice? They do not give an opportunity for malicious thoughts or violent thoughts, and they do not give an opportunity for thinking about fighting or thinking about quarrelling. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ stopping feeling malice.

17.­53

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ stopping praising themselves? Not viewing inner dharmas is the bodhisattva great beings’ stopping praising themselves.

17.­54

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ stopping disparaging others? It is this: [F.175.a] not viewing outer dharmas. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ stopping disparaging others.

17.­55

“How do bodhisattva great beings stop the ten unwholesome actions? Let alone the noble path, let alone awakening, because these ten unwholesome actions are even a hindrance to a good form of life, bodhisattva great beings stop them.

17.­56

“How do bodhisattva great beings avoid pride in being superior? Let alone something additional that would make them think they are superior, because they do not view any dharma at all bodhisattva great beings avoid pride in being superior.

17.­57

“How do bodhisattva great beings avoid haughtiness? It is because they do not view any real basis on which they could become haughty that bodhisattva great beings avoid haughtiness.

17.­58

“How do bodhisattva great beings stop distortions? Given that real bases are unfindable, bodhisattva great beings stop distortions.

17.­59

“How do bodhisattva great beings avoid the propensity for greed, hatred, and confusion?317 It is because of not viewing a real basis for greed, hatred, and confusion that bodhisattva great beings avoid the propensity for greed, hatred, and confusion.

17.­60

“What are the six dharmas bodhisattva great beings on the sixth level [F.175.b] have to complete? They are these six perfections: the perfection of giving, perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom. They have to complete those perfections. The lord buddhas, and śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas as well, having stood in these six perfections, have gone, are going, and will go to the other side of the five oceans of knowable things. What are the five? They are these: the past, the future, the present, the inexpressible, and the uncompounded. Thus should bodhisattva great beings complete the six perfections.

17.­61

“There bodhisattva great beings somehow have to avoid śrāvaka thought. And why? Because it is not the path to awakening.

17.­62

“They have to avoid pratyekabuddha thought. And why? Because it is not the path to awakening.

17.­63

“They have to avoid a wearied state of mind. And why? Because it is not the path to awakening.

17.­64

“They should not feel cowed when they see a beggar. And why? Because it is not the path to awakening.

17.­65

“They should not feel unhappy about all the things they have given up. And why? Because it is not the path to awakening.

17.­66

“Having produced the first thought, from then on they should always give gifts and should not let that thought be in vain.

“They have to avoid those six dharmas.

17.­67

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow not seize on a self because a self absolutely does not exist. [F.176.a] Construe seize on a sentient being, seize on a living being, and seize on a person similarly as well. And why? Because they absolutely do not exist.

17.­68

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow not seize on annihilation. And why? Because all dharmas have not been produced, so no dharma at all is annihilated.

17.­69

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow not seize on permanence, because a dharma that is not produced is not permanent and is not annihilated.

17.­70

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow not perceive a causal sign, because defilement absolutely does not exist.

17.­71

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow not view it as a cause. And why? Because they do not consider that view.

17.­72

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow not settle down on name and form. And why? Because those things cannot be apprehended. Thus should bodhisattva great beings not settle down on name and form.

17.­73

“Similarly, they should not settle down on the aggregates, constituents, and sense fields. And why? Because those dharmas do not exist through their intrinsic natures. Thus should they not settle down on the aggregates, constituents, and sense fields.

17.­74

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow not settle down on the three realms. And why? Because they do not exist through their intrinsic natures. Thus should they not settle down on the three realms.

17.­75

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow not cling to the three realms. And why? Because those things do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Thus should bodhisattva [F.176.b] great beings not cling to the three realms.

17.­76

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow not wallow in the three realms. And why? Because they have no intrinsic nature. Thus should bodhisattva great beings not wallow in the three realms.

17.­77

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow not resort to a view of the Buddha. And why? Because by resorting to a view of the Buddha they do not see the Buddha. Thus should bodhisattva great beings not resort to a view of the Buddha.

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17.­78

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow not resort to a view of the Dharma. And why? Because by resorting to a view of the Dharma they do not see the Dharma. Thus should bodhisattva great beings not resort to a view of the Dharma.

17.­79

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow not resort to a view of the Saṅgha. And why? Because by resorting to a view of the Saṅgha they do not see the Saṅgha. Thus should bodhisattva great beings not resort to a view of the Saṅgha.

17.­80

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow not settle down on the view that morality is a place to resort to. And why? Because from resorting to a view of morality, morality does not become pure. Thus should bodhisattva great beings not settle down on the view that morality is a place to resort to.

17.­81

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow not get depressed that ‘all dharmas are empty,’ because they are empty of their own particular characteristics, not empty of emptiness. Thus should bodhisattva great beings [F.177.a] not get depressed that ‘all dharmas are empty.’

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17.­82

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow not oppose emptiness, because the empty is an emptiness of its own particular characteristic, therefore emptiness does not oppose emptiness. Thus should bodhisattva great beings not oppose emptiness.

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17.­83

“There bodhisattva great beings should somehow realize emptiness, because the empty is the emptiness of emptiness, and they do not cause emptiness to be realized in emptiness. Thus should bodhisattva great beings realize emptiness.

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17.­84

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ actualization of signlessness? It is this: not paying attention to any dharma.

17.­85

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ knowledge of wishlessness? It is this: that all beings in the three realms have no fixed position.

17.­86

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of the three spheres? It is this: the completion of the ten wholesome actions.

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17.­87

“What is the completion of the bodhisattva great beings’ empathy and compassion for all beings? It is this: gaining great compassion.

17.­88

“How do bodhisattva great beings not look down on all beings? It is this: because of the purity of the field of beings.

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17.­89

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ view of the sameness of all dharmas? It is this: not adding to and not taking away from all dharmas.

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17.­90

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ realization of the way things are perfect? It is the absence of a realization of all dharmas.

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17.­91

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ [F.177.b] forbearance for nonproduction? The forbearance for all dharmas that are not produced, do not stop, and do not occasion anything is forbearance for nonproduction.

17.­92

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ knowledge of nonproduction? The knowledge that name and form are not produced is the bodhisattva great beings’ knowledge of nonproduction.

17.­93

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ exposition of the one way things are? The absence of habitual ideas about dual phenomena is the exposition of the one way things are.

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17.­94

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ total destruction of thought constructions? It is not entertaining any notion of any dharma.

17.­95

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ reversal of views? It is the reversal of all the views of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.

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17.­96

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ reversal of afflictions? It is the forsaking of all residual impressions, connections, and afflictions.

17.­97

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ level of calm abiding and insight? It is this: the knowledge of a knower of all aspects.

17.­98

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ disciplined state of mind? It is not taking pleasure in the three realms.

17.­99

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ calmed state of mind? It is when all six faculties do not radiate out.

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17.­100

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ unobstructed knowledge? It is obtaining the buddha eye.

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17.­101

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ knowledge that does not enter into attachment? It is remaining indifferent to the six sense fields.

17.­102

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ going as they want to any field? It is displaying [F.178.a] a body wherever there is a circle of retainers.

17.­103

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ reading the minds of all beings? It is knowing with their minds the minds and mental factors of all beings.

17.­104

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ play with the clairvoyances? Playing with the clairvoyances, they roam from buddhafield to buddhafield in order to see the buddhas, but without entertaining any notion of a buddha.

17.­105

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ viewing of the buddhafields? Without moving from any one buddhafield, they also appear in all buddhafields, but they do not entertain any notion of a buddhafield.

17.­106

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ viewing the buddhafields and fully executing them exactly as they have seen them to be? Bestriding the level of a majestic wheel-turning emperor of world systems in a great billionfold world system, they abdicate in all those world systems in order to bring beings to maturity, but without falsely projecting anything.

17.­107

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ attending on the buddhas? It is attending on the Dharma in order to look after beings.

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17.­108

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ properly contemplating the buddha bodies? It is properly contemplating the body of dharmas.

17.­109

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ knowledge of higher and lower faculties? It is standing in the ten powers and knowing the completion of the faculties by all beings.

17.­110

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ purification of a buddhafield? It is purifying [F.178.b] the minds of all beings by way of not apprehending anything.

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17.­111

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ illusion-like meditative stabilization? It is the meditative stabilization standing in which bodhisattva great beings do all that has to be done without mentally engaging any dharma.

17.­112

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ constantly being absorbed in meditation? It is the bodhisattva great beings’ meditative stabilization that has arisen from maturation.318

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17.­113

“How do bodhisattva great beings bring into being a body in line with the outcome of the wholesome roots of beings? Here they appropriate a body, when and as they want to, in line with the outcome of the wholesome roots of beings.

17.­114

“Why do bodhisattva great beings appropriate an existence when and as they want to? It is so they will bring beings to maturity.

17.­115

“How is it that bodhisattva great beings have success in line with the prayers they have made? Here bodhisattva great beings have success in line with the prayers they have made because they have completed the six perfections.

17.­116

“How is it that bodhisattva great beings have a knowledge that comprehends the sounds of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and ghosts? It is this: a detailed and thorough knowledge of creative explanations.

17.­117

“How is it that bodhisattva great beings understand a river of confidence giving a readiness to speak? It is this: a detailed and thorough knowledge of the confidence giving a readiness to speak.

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17.­118

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect entry into a womb? The bodhisattva great beings’ [F.179.a] taking birth here miraculously in all lifetimes is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect entry into a womb.

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17.­119

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect family? That bodhisattva great beings take birth in great families is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect family.

17.­120

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect social class? That bodhisattva great beings take birth in great sāla tree–like royal families and great sāla tree–like brahmin families is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect social class.

17.­121

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect lineage? That bodhisattva great beings descend on the mother’s side as have the bodhisattvas of the past is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect lineage.

17.­122

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect retinue? It is this, namely, having established beings in awakening, they have just a retinue of bodhisattvas. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect retinue.

17.­123

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect birth? At the moment of their birth, illumination spreads though all the world systems and causes them to shake in six ways. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect birth.

17.­124

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect going forth? Bodhisattva great beings [F.179.b] go forth to homelessness with many one hundred thousand one hundred million billion beings, and those beings become definite in the three vehicles. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect going forth.

17.­125

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect spreading out of a Bodhi tree? It has a golden root, a trunk made of beryl, and branches, leaves, and petals made of the seven precious stones. Those branches, leaves, and petals spread an illumination as far as the infinite world systems in the ten directions. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect spreading out of a Bodhi tree.

17.­126

“What is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect completion of good qualities? The bodhisattva great beings’ purification of a buddhafield through bringing beings to maturity is the bodhisattva great beings’ perfect completion of good qualities.

17.­127

“Why is it bodhisattva great beings occupying the tenth level have to be called just ‘tathāgata’? When bodhisattva great beings have completed all ten perfections, up to have completed the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, and knowledge of a knower of all aspects; have eliminated all residual impressions, connections, and afflictions; and have completed all buddha dharmas, because of that, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings occupying the tenth level have therefore to be called just ‘tathāgata.’ [F.180.a]

17.­128

“Subhūti, what are the ten levels of bodhisattva great beings? Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings practicing all six perfections with skillful means, trained in the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, up to practicing the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha pass beyond the Śuklavipaśyanā level319 and pass beyond the Gotra level, Aṣṭamaka level, Darśana level, Tanū level, Vītarāga level, Kṛtāvin level, Pratyekabuddha level, and Bodhisattva level‍—that is to say, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings pass beyond these nine levels and stand on the buddha level. Those, Subhūti, are the ten levels of bodhisattva great beings.

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“Thus, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings have set out in the Great Vehicle.”

17.­129

This was the seventeenth chapter, “Level Purification,”320 of “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines.”


18.

Chapter 18: The Exposition of Going Forth in the Great Vehicle

18.­1

“Subhūti, in regard to what you have asked‍—‘From where321 will the Great Vehicle go forth?’‍—it will go forth from the three realms and will stand wherever there is knowledge of all aspects, and it will stand, furthermore, by way of nonduality. And why? Because, Subhūti, these two dharmas‍—the Great Vehicle and the knowledge of all aspects‍—are not conjoined and not disjoined, are formless, cannot be pointed out, do not obstruct, and have only one mark‍—that is, no mark. And why? Because, Subhūti, a dharma without a mark is not going forth, nor will it go forth, nor has it gone forth. [F.180.b] Subhūti, someone who would assert that dharmas without marks go forth322 might as well assert of suchness that it goes forth. Similarly, Subhūti, someone who would assert that dharmas without marks go forth might as well assert of the very limit of reality, the inconceivable element, the abandonment element, the detachment element, and the cessation element that they go forth. And why? Because, Subhūti, the intrinsic nature of suchness does not go forth from the three realms. And why? Because suchness is empty of the intrinsic nature of suchness.”

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19.

Chapter 19: Surpassing

19.­1

Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, you say this‍—‘Great Vehicle’‍—again and again. It surpasses the world with its gods, humans, and asuras and goes forth. Is that why it is called a Great Vehicle?329

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19.­2

“Lord, that vehicle is equal to space. To illustrate, Lord, just as space has room for infinite, countless beings beyond measure, the Great Vehicle also, Lord, has room330 for infinite, countless beings beyond measure. Such, Lord, is the Great Vehicle of bodhisattva great beings. Lord, you cannot apprehend the Great Vehicle coming, going, or remaining, you cannot apprehend a prior limit, cannot apprehend a later limit, and cannot apprehend a middle either.

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20.

Chapter 20: Not Two

20.­1

Then venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra said to the Lord, “Lord, tasked343 with the perfection of wisdom by the tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete Buddha, this elder Subhūti thinks he has to give instruction in the Great Vehicle.”

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20.­2

Venerable Subhūti then said to the Lord, “Let it not be the case, Lord, that I am giving instruction in the Great Vehicle, having violated the perfection of wisdom.”

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20.­3

“No, you have not,” replied the Lord. “You are giving instruction in the Great Vehicle in harmony with the perfection of wisdom. And why? Because, Subhūti, śrāvaka dharmas, pratyekabuddha dharmas, bodhisattva dharmas, or buddha dharmas‍—or any wholesome dharmas, whatever they are‍—they all come together and stream into the perfection of wisdom.”

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21.

Chapter 21: Subhūti

21.­1

Then venerable Śāriputra inquired of venerable Subhūti, “Venerable Subhūti, how do bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom investigate these dharmas? And, Venerable Subhūti, what is a bodhisattva? What is the perfection of wisdom? What is it to investigate?”

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21.­2

“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “in regard to what you asked‍—‘What is a bodhisattva?’‍—they are called bodhisattvas because awakening is itself their state of being.357 And with that awakening they know the aspects of dharmas but they do not settle down on those dharmas.

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22.

Chapter 22: Śatakratu

22.­1

And indeed all the Four Mahārājas stationed in the great billionfold world system together with many hundreds of thousands of one hundred million billion gods were assembled in that very retinue, as were the Śatakratus,373 heads of the gods, and the Suyāmas, Saṃtuṣitas, Nirmāṇaratis, Para­nirmita­vaśa­vartins, and Brahmapurohitas, up to the Brahmās together with many hundreds of thousands of one hundred million billion gods also assembled, and as many Brahmās, up to Śuddhāvāsa classes of gods stationed in the great billionfold world system together with hundreds of thousands of one hundred million billion gods, also were assembled. The light originating from the maturation of earlier karma coming from the bodies of those Cāturmahā­rājika gods, and the light originating from the maturation of earlier karma coming from the bodies of those Trāyastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, and Para­nirmita­vaśa­vartin classes of gods, and Brahmakāyika gods, up to the Śuddhāvāsa class of gods, does not approach the natural light of the Tathāgata even by a hundredth part, or by a thousandth part, or by a hundred thousandth part, or by a hundred-thousand hundred-millionth part; it would not stand up to any number, or fraction, or counting, or example, or comparison. In the presence of374 the natural light of the Tathāgata all the lights originating from the maturation of earlier karma coming from the bodies of the gods do not gleam, do not radiate, and do not shine. [F.243.a] Among those the light of the Tathāgata reveals itself as the highest, reveals itself as special, and reveals itself as the best, superb, exemplary, unsurpassed, and unrivaled. As an analogy, just as a fired iron statue in the presence of the golden Jambū River does not gleam, does not radiate, and does not shine, similarly, in the presence of the natural light of the Tathāgata all the lights originating from the maturation of earlier karma coming from the bodies of the gods do not gleam, do not radiate, and do not shine. Among those the light of the Tathāgata reveals itself as the highest, reveals itself as special, and reveals itself as the best, superb, exemplary, unsurpassed, and unrivaled.

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23.

Chapter 23: Hard to Understand

23.­1

Then it occurred to those gods to think, “What would the elder Subhūti accept those listening to the Dharma to be like?”

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23.­2

Then venerable Subhūti, understanding in his mind the thoughts occurring to those gods, said to those gods, “Gods, I would accept those listening to the doctrine to be like illusory beings. I would accept those listening to the doctrine to be like magically created beings. They will not listen to, master, or directly realize anything at all.”

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24.

Chapter 24: Unlimited

24.­1

Then it occurred to Śatakratu, head of the gods, to think, “I will magically create flowers in order to worship this rain of Dharma being expounded by the elder Subhūti, and we will strew those flowers near, strew them in front, and strew them around the lord buddhas, the community of bodhisattva great beings, the monks, the elder Subhūti, and the perfection of wisdom.” And it occurred to all the Cāturmahā­rājika gods, up to the Akaniṣṭha class, as many as are stationed in the great billionfold world system, to think, “We will magically create flowers in [F.259.b] order to worship this rain of Dharma being expounded by the elder Subhūti, and will strew those flowers near, strew them in front, and strew them around the lord buddhas, the community of bodhisattva great beings, the monks, the elder Subhūti, and the perfection of wisdom.” Then Śatakratu, head of the gods, and all the Cāturmahā­rājika gods, up to the Akaniṣṭha class, as many as are stationed in the great billionfold world system, did magically create coral tree flowers and strewed them near, strewed them in front, and strewed them around the lord buddhas, the community of bodhisattva great beings, the monks, the elder Subhūti, and the perfection of wisdom. Immediately after Śatakratu, head of the gods, and the gods up to the Akaniṣṭha class had strewed those flowers, they matted together and spread out over the great billionfold world system and stayed there suspended in the sky, a second story of flowers delightful and pleasing to the mind.


25.

Chapter 25: Second Śatakratu

25.­1

The women and men and masses of seers, together with the gods‍—those with the Indras,397 those with the Brahmās, and those with the Prajāpatis as their leaders‍—cried out three times cries of delight in the Dharma that the elder Subhūti, through the might of the Tathāgata, through the sustaining power of the Tathāgata, had pointed out, taught, thrown light on, and illuminated: “Ah! How well it has been explained. Ah! How well this Dharma has been explained. Ah! How well the true dharmic nature of this Dharma has been explained.” And they said, “Lord, we shall treat those bodhisattva great beings who do not become separated from the perfection of wisdom, who do not apprehend any dharma, be it form, or feeling, or perception, or volitional factors, or consciousness, up to or the knowledge of all aspects, but still make known the presentation of the three vehicles‍—the vehicle of the śrāvakas, the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas, and the vehicle of the perfectly complete buddhas‍—exactly like tathāgatas.”


26.

Chapter 26: Getting Hold

26.­1

Then Śatakratu, head of the gods, said to the Lord, “It is amazing, Lord, how these bodhisattva great beings who have taken up or borne in mind or read aloud or mastered or properly paid attention to this perfection of wisdom in this very life get hold of good qualities; how they bring beings to maturity, purify a buddhafield, and pass on from buddhafield to buddhafield in order to attend on the lord buddhas; how, if they still want to revere, demonstrate reverence for, show honor to, and worship those lord buddhas on account of wholesome roots, those wholesome roots establish it accordingly; how they go into the presence of those lord buddhas and listen to the Dharma; how they never forget their Dharma right up until they fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening; [F.275.b] how they take possession of a perfect family, perfect celebrity,399 a perfect life, a perfect retinue, perfect major marks, perfect radiance, perfect eyes, a perfect voice, perfect concentration, and perfect dhāraṇī; how they go from world system to world system where the lord buddhas have not appeared and with skillful means magically produce themselves in the shape a buddha assumes; how they speak in praise of the perfection of giving and speak in praise of the perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom; how they speak in praise of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature; how they speak in praise of the concentrations, speak in praise of the immeasurables and formless absorptions, speak in praise of the applications of mindfulness, and speak in praise of the right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and eightfold noble path; how they speak in praise of the ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha; and how with skillful means they tame beings in the three vehicles‍—the Śrāvaka Vehicle, Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and Great Vehicle‍—teaching them the Dharma.”

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27.

Chapter 27: Reliquary

27.­1

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.


28.

Chapter 28: Declaration of the Good Qualities of the Thought of Awakening

28.­1

Śatakratu, head of the gods, having said this, the Lord then said to him, “Exactly so. Kauśika, exactly so. Those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family [F.294.a] who write out and make this perfection of wisdom into a book; take it up, bear it in mind, read it aloud, master it, and properly pay attention to it and on top of that respect, revere, honor, and worship it with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners would, based on that, make a lot of merit, an immeasurable, countless, inconceivable, infinite, incomparable amount. And why? Kauśika, it is because the knowledge of all aspects of tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas issues forth from the perfection of wisdom. Kauśika, the five perfections, all the emptinesses, the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, the ten powers, the fearlessnesses, the detailed and thorough knowledges, the distinct attributes of a buddha, the five eyes, the six clairvoyances, bringing beings to maturity, and the perfect purification of a buddhafield issue forth from the perfection of wisdom. Kauśika, all-knowledge, knowledge of path aspects, and knowledge of all aspects issue forth from the perfection of wisdom. Kauśika, the Śrāvaka Vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and the Great Vehicle issue forth from the perfection of wisdom, and unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening issues forth from the perfection of wisdom too.


29.

Chapter 29: Different Tīrthika Religious Mendicants

29.­1

Then, many different tīrthika religious mendicants intent on criticizing, a hundred of them, specifically approached the Lord to level criticism.

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Then it occurred to Śatakratu, head of the gods, to think, “These many different tīrthika religious mendicants intent on criticizing the doctrine, a hundred of them, have specifically approached the Lord to level criticism. I will certainly recite as much of the perfection of wisdom as I have taken up in order that these different tīrthika religious mendicants will not get at all close to the Lord to hinder the teaching of the perfection of wisdom.”


30.

Chapter 30: The Benefits of Taking Up and Adoration

30.­1

Then venerable Ānanda said to the Lord, “Lord, you do not praise422 the perfection of giving, and you do not praise the perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, or perfection of concentration. Similarly, up to you do not proclaim the names of the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha as you proclaim the name of the perfection of wisdom.”

30.­2

Venerable Ānanda having said this, the Lord then said to him, “Ānanda, these‍—that is, the [F.2.a] five perfections, connect this in the same way with each, up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha‍—are preceded by the perfection of wisdom.

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31.

Chapter 31: Physical Remains

31.­1

Then the Lord asked Śatakratu, head of the gods, “Kauśika, which of these two options would you choose: to have this Jambudvīpa filled right to the top with the physical remains of tathāgatas and to respect, revere, honor, and worship them with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners, or to be given this perfection of wisdom?”

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“Lord,” replied Śatakratu, “were I to be offered this Jambudvīpa filled right to the top with the physical remains of the tathāgatas and to be offered this perfection of wisdom written out in book form‍—were I to be presented with these two options‍—I would want the perfection of wisdom. And why? Lord, it is not that I do not venerate those physical remains of the tathāgatas. Lord, I do indeed venerate them. It is not that I do not respect those physical remains of the tathāgatas, or do not revere, do not honor, and do not worship them. But I respect, revere, honor, and worship those physical remains of the tathāgatas because they come about from the perfection of wisdom. The physical remains of the tathāgatas [F.10.a] are suffused by the perfection of wisdom. That is why the physical remains of the tathāgatas get to be worshiped.”

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32.

Chapter 32: The Superiority of Merit

32.­1

“Kauśika, [F.22.b] there is infinitely great merit from establishing one being in the result of stream enterer, but not so much from establishing the beings in Jambudvīpa in the ten wholesome actions. And why? Kauśika, those who have been established in the ten wholesome actions have not totally got out from the forms of life in the hells, in the animal realms, in the worlds of Yama, or as asuras. A being established in the result of stream enterer is freed from all the terrible forms of life. Similarly, there is infinitely great merit from establishing one being in a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, but not so much from establishing the beings in Jambudvīpa in the ten wholesome actions. Kauśika, a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who establishes one being in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening creates infinitely greater merit than that. And why? Because it is established specifically so the way of buddhas is not brought to an end.

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33.

Chapter 33: Dedication

33.­1

Then the bodhisattva great being Maitreya said to the elder Subhūti, “Venerable monk Subhūti, when the basis of meritorious action arisen from a bodhisattva great being’s rejoicing that has been made into something shared in common by all beings has been dedicated to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening‍—and dedicated, furthermore, by way of not apprehending anything‍—that basis of meritorious action arisen from a bodhisattva great being’s rejoicing [F.36.a] that has been made into something shared in common by all beings and dedicated to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening is the highest, the most excellent, the foremost, the best, the most superb, sublime, unsurpassed, and unrivaled in comparison to the bases of meritorious action arisen from all beings’ rejoicing, and in comparison to the bases of meritorious action arisen from giving, the bases of meritorious action arisen from morality, and the bases of meritorious action arisen from meditation of those who have set out in the Śrāvaka Vehicle and those who have set out in the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle. And why? Because all the bases of meritorious action arisen from giving, arisen from morality, and arisen from meditation of those in the Śrāvaka Vehicle and those in the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle are made for personal disciplining, for personal calming, and for a personal complete nirvāṇa; the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, up to emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness are for personal disciplining, personal calming, and a personal complete nirvāṇa, but that basis of meritorious action arisen from a bodhisattva’s rejoicing is for disciplining all beings, for calming all beings, and for the complete nirvāṇa of all beings, because it has been dedicated to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.”

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34.

Chapter 34: Perfect Praise of the Quality of Accomplishment

34.­1

Then venerable Śāriputra said to the Lord, “Lord, the perfection of wisdom makes things clear because of absolute purity. Lord, the perfection of wisdom makes you want to bow. Lord, I bow to the perfection of wisdom. Lord, the perfection of wisdom is untainted by all three realms. Lord, the perfection of wisdom corrects visual distortions because of having eliminated all the darkness of afflictive emotion and views. Lord, the perfection of wisdom works as the highest of the dharmas on the side of awakening. Lord, the perfection of wisdom provides security because it has eliminated all hazards, terrors, and persecution. Lord, the perfection of wisdom gives light because then all beings easily appropriate [F.52.b] the five eyes. Lord, the perfection of wisdom shows the ruts449 because beings caught in the ruts avoid the two edges. Lord, the perfection of wisdom works as the knowledge of all aspects because of having eliminated all residual impressions, connections, and afflictions. Lord, the perfection of wisdom is the mother of great bodhisattvas because she gives birth to all the buddhadharmas. Lord, the perfection of wisdom is unproduced and unceasing because of being empty of its own mark. Lord, the perfection of wisdom counteracts saṃsāra because it is not unmoved and not destroyed. Lord, the perfection of wisdom works as the protector of all unprotected beings because it is the giver of all precious dharmas. Lord, the perfection of wisdom works as the ten powers because it deals with those who are untamed. Lord, the perfection of wisdom works as repeating and thus turning the wheel of the Dharma that has twelve aspects three times because it does not go forward and does not turn back.450 Lord, the perfection of wisdom works to show the intrinsic nature of all dharmas because of the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. Since this is the case, Lord, how does one stand in the perfection of wisdom?”

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35.

Chapter 35: Hells

35.­1

Then venerable Śāriputra inquired of the Lord, “Where did they die, Lord, bodhisattva great beings who have come here and believe in this perfection of wisdom? How long has it been since a son of a good family or daughter of a good family believing in this perfection of wisdom as the meaning and method455 set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening? On how many tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas have they attended? For how long have they been practitioners of the perfection of giving? For how long have they been practitioners of the perfection of morality, patience, perseverance, and concentration? For how long have they been practitioners of the perfection of wisdom?”


36.

Chapter 36: Teaching the Purity of All Dharmas

36.­1

Then venerable Śāriputra said to the Lord, “Lord, this purity is deep.”

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“It is deep, Śāriputra, because it is extremely pure,” said the Lord.

36.­2

“On account of what being extremely pure is it deep?” asked Śāriputra.

“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, [F.67.a] “it is deep because form is extremely pure. It is deep because feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are extremely pure. It is deep because the earth element, water element, fire element, wind element, space element, and consciousness element are extremely pure. It is deep because the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind are extremely pure. It is deep because a form, a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and dharmas are extremely pure. It is deep because the perfection of giving is extremely pure. It is deep because the perfections of morality, patience, perseverance, concentration, and wisdom are extremely pure. It is deep because inner emptiness is extremely pure, up to it is deep because the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature is extremely pure. It is deep because the applications of mindfulness are extremely pure. It is deep because the right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and path are extremely pure. It is deep because the ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, and distinct attributes of a buddha are extremely pure. It is deep because awakening is extremely pure, up to the knowledge of all aspects is extremely pure.”


37.

Chapter 37: Nobody

37.­1

Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, the perfection of wisdom is not an agent.”

37.­2

The Lord responded, “Subhūti, the perfection of wisdom is the nonapprehender of all dharmas.”

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“Lord, how do bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom?” asked Subhūti

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“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “here when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, if they do not practice form, they practice the perfection of wisdom; if they do not practice feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness, they practice the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, if they do not practice the constituents, sense fields, dependent originations, perfections, emptinesses, dharmas on the side of awakening, powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, distinct attributes of a buddha, up to or the knowledge of all aspects, [F.75.b] they practice the perfection of wisdom.

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38.

Chapter 38: Cannot Be Apprehended

38.­1

Then [F.86.b] venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, this perfection of wisdom is a perfection of a nonexistent thing.”

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“Because space is a nonexistent thing, Subhūti,” replied the Lord.

38.­2

“Lord, this perfection of wisdom is a perfection of equality,” said Subhūti.

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“Because all dharmas are equally nonapprehendable, Subhūti,” replied the Lord.

38.­3

“Lord, this perfection of wisdom is a perfection of isolation,” said Subhūti.

“Because of the emptiness that transcends limits,” replied the Lord.


39.

Chapter 39: The Northern Region

39.­1

Then it occurred to Śatakratu, head of the gods, to think, “Those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family must have served the earlier victors well for the proclamation of this perfection of wisdom to be within their range of hearing; their wholesome roots must be sprung from the Tathāgata, and they must have been assisted by spiritual friends for the proclamation of this perfection of wisdom to be within their range of hearing too, so what need is there to say more about those who take up, bear in mind, read aloud, and master it, and about those who, having taken it up and borne it in mind, read it aloud, and mastered it, also practice it for suchness?476 Those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family who take up, bear in mind, read aloud, and master this perfection of wisdom, and who, having taken it up and borne it in mind, read it aloud and mastered it, also practice it for suchness, have attended on many buddhas. Those sons of a good family [F.93.a] or daughters of a good family who do not tremble, feel frightened, or become terrified even when they have listened to this deep perfection of wisdom have also made inquiries about it with earlier tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas. Those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family who do not tremble, feel frightened, or become terrified even when they have listened to this deep perfection of wisdom have also practiced the perfection of giving and practiced the perfection of morality, patience, perseverance, concentration, and wisdom for many hundred millions of eons.”


40.

Chapter 40: The Work of Māra

40.­1

Then venerable Subhūti inquired of the Lord,499 “Lord, in light of these pronouncements you have made about the good qualities that accrue to those sons of a good family and daughters of a good family who have set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, and who are practicing the six perfections, bringing beings to maturity, and taking possession of a buddhafield, what sorts of hindrances can those sons of a good family and daughters of a good family expect to face?”


41.

Chapter 41: Not Complete Because of Māra

41.­1

“Furthermore, Subhūti, when the Dharma listener wants to listen to the perfection of wisdom, to write it out, take it up, clearly articulate it, recite it, and read it out loud, and the Dharma preacher has become too lazy, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings should know that this too is the work of Māra.

41.­2

“Furthermore, Subhūti, when the Dharma preacher has not become too lazy to write out this deep perfection of wisdom, to take it up, clearly articulate it, and recite it, but the Dharma listener has gone off to some other place, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings should know that this too is the work of Māra.


42.

Chapter 42: Revealing the World

42.­1

“To illustrate, Subhūti, there might be [F.128.b] five, or ten, or twenty, or thirty, or forty, or fifty, or a hundred, or a thousand, or a hundred thousand sons of a certain woman and all of them would make an effort,507 thinking, ‘What can we do so that our mother who gave birth to us, gave us the bodies we have and gave us life, does not fall sick; what can we do so that our mother is not in danger; what can we do so that our mother lives for a long time; what can we do so that our mother is not physically uncomfortable?’ Serving their mother with the finest service, protecting her with the finest protection, those sons think, ‘She must not face danger to her life or grow physically weak; or be attacked by mosquitos, black flies, or poisonous crawling creatures; or suffer from cold or heat, hunger or thirst.’ Thus, those sons attend on their mother with all the requirements for happiness; thus they serve their mother, thinking, ‘She reveals this world to us.’


43.

Chapter 43: Inconceivable

43.­1

Then as many gods as there were stationed in the great billionfold world system, living in the desire realm, and living in the form realm took sandalwood powders and specifically approached the Lord, went up to him, bowed their heads to the feet of the Lord, and stood to one side. Even while standing to one side those gods living in the desire realm and living in the form realm said [F.136.b] to the Lord, “Lord, this revelation of the perfection of wisdom is deep. Why, Lord, is the perfection of wisdom deep?”


44.

Chapter 44: Made Up

44.­1

Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, this perfection of wisdom is deep. Lord, this perfection of wisdom has been made available through tremendous work. This perfection of wisdom has been made available through incomparable work, immeasurable work, incalculable work, [F.144.a] work equal to the unequaled.”

44.­2

Venerable Subhūti having said this, the Lord replied to him, “Exactly so, Subhūti, exactly so! Subhūti, this perfection of wisdom has been made available through tremendous work. This perfection of wisdom has been made available through incomparable work, immeasurable work, incalculable work, work equal to the unequaled. And why? Subhūti, it is because the six perfections make up this deep perfection of wisdom. Subhūti, it is because inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature make it up; and the four applications of mindfulness, four right efforts, four legs of miraculous power, five faculties, five powers, seven limbs of awakening, and eightfold noble path make up this deep perfection of wisdom. Subhūti, it is because the Tathāgata’s ten powers make up this deep perfection of wisdom; the four fearlessnesses, four detailed and thorough knowledges, and eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha make it up; and because, Subhūti, the buddha, up to the knowledge of all aspects make up this deep perfection of wisdom.

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45.

Chapter 45: A Boat

45.­1

“To illustrate, Subhūti, you should know that when a boat has broken up on the ocean, unless those people who are standing in it grab hold of a log, or an inflated skin, or a human corpse as a support, Subhūti, they will not reach the shore of the ocean and will die. Subhūti, when a boat has broken up on the ocean, those people who have it in mind to grab hold of a log, or an inflated skin, or a human corpse as a support, Subhūti, they will not die in the ocean; they will happily cross over the ocean and stand on dry land. Similarly, Subhūti, those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family in the Bodhisattva Vehicle endowed with just faith and just joy who do not write out, clearly articulate, recite, or properly pay attention to the sūtras connected with this deep perfection of wisdom, and similarly, connect this with do not write out, clearly articulate, recite, or hold as a support the perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, or perfection of giving, and similarly, connect this with each, up to do not write out, clearly articulate, recite, properly pay attention to, or hold as a support the knowledge of all aspects‍—you should know about these people in the Bodhisattva Vehicle who have set forth to the knowledge of all aspects that in the interim they will get into trouble on the path. They [F.150.a] will actualize the śrāvaka level or pratyekabuddha level. Subhūti, those people in the Bodhisattva Vehicle who have faith, have forbearance, have serene confidence, have a surpassing aspiration, have enjoyment, have belief, have renunciation, and have not given up the effort for full awakening to unsurpassed, complete awakening will write out, clearly articulate, recite, and properly pay attention to this perfection of wisdom. Look, Subhūti, those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family with faith, forbearance, serene confidence, a surpassing aspiration, belief, and renunciation, who have not given up the effort for unsurpassed, complete awakening, and those who assist525 the perfection of wisdom, up to assist the knowledge of all aspects will not get into trouble in the interim. They pass beyond the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha levels and, having brought beings to maturity and purified a buddhafield, fully awaken to unsurpassed, complete awakening.