• 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 20: Not Two

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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“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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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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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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Subhūti then asked, “Lord, what are the wholesome dharmas on the side of awakening in the perfection of wisdom in which śrāvaka dharmas, pratyekabuddha dharmas, bodhisattva dharmas, and buddha dharmas all come together, and into which they stream?”344

20.­5

The Lord replied, “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; emptiness meditative stabilization, signless meditative stabilization, and wishless meditative stabilization; the four concentrations, four immeasurables, and four formless absorptions; [F.210.a] the perfection of giving, perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom; the ten tathāgata powers, four fearlessnesses, four detailed and thorough knowledges, great love, great compassion, and the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha; and constant dwelling in the natural state not robbed of mindfulness and in equanimity‍—these, Subhūti, are the wholesome dharmas on the side of awakening in the perfection of wisdom in which śrāvaka dharmas, pratyekabuddha dharmas, bodhisattva dharmas, and buddha dharmas all come together, and into which they stream.

20.­6

“Subhūti, whatever the dharma‍—the Great Vehicle, perfection of wisdom, perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, and perfection of giving; form, feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness; eyes, a form, eye consciousness, eye contact, feeling from the condition of eye contact; ears . . . nose . . . tongue . . . body . . . and thinking mind, a dharma, thinking-mind consciousness, thinking-mind contact, and the feeling from the condition of thinking-mind contact; the applications of mindfulness, right efforts, legs of miraculous power, [F.210.b] faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, path, tathāgata powers, fearlessnesses, and detailed and thorough knowledges; emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; compounded dharmas and uncompounded dharmas; suffering, origination, cessation, and path; the desire realm, form realm, and formless realm; from inner emptiness up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature; the meditative stabilizations, dhāraṇī gateways, up to the distinct attributes of a buddha, the tathāgata, the Dharma and Vinaya spoken by the tathāgata, the dharma-constituent, suchness, very limit of reality, the inconceivable element, and nirvāṇa‍—all these dharmas are not conjoined, are not disjoined, are formless, cannot be pointed out, do not obstruct, and have only one mark‍—that is, no mark. In this way, Subhūti, you give instruction in the Great Vehicle in accord with the perfection of wisdom.

20.­7

“And why? Because, Subhūti, it is not that the Great Vehicle is one thing and the perfection of wisdom another, or the perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, and perfection of giving one thing and the Great Vehicle another, or the applications of mindfulness one thing and the Great Vehicle another; so the Great Vehicle and those applications [F.211.a] of mindfulness are not two, nor are they divided, up to it is not that the Great Vehicle is one thing and the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha another; so the Great Vehicle and those distinct attributes of a buddha are not two, nor are they divided. It is because of this, Subhūti, that by giving instruction in the Great Vehicle you have given instruction in the perfection of wisdom, and by giving instruction in the perfection of wisdom you have given instruction in the Great Vehicle.”

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Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “But still, Lord, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the later limit, and one does not assert a bodhisattva in the middle. One has to know the limitlessness of a bodhisattva through the limitlessness of form, and one has to know the limitlessness of a bodhisattva through the limitlessness of feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness. Lord, even such an idea as ‘form is a bodhisattva’ does not exist345 and is not found; even such ideas as ‘feeling . . . ,’ ‘perception . . . ,’ ‘volitional factors . . . ,’ and ‘consciousness is a bodhisattva’ do not exist and are not found. So, Lord, I, who thus do not see and do not find a bodhisattva great being as anyone at all in any way at all‍—to which bodhisattva great being will I give advice and instruction in which perfection of wisdom?

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20.­9

“You say this, Lord, that is, ‘bodhisattva.’ It is just a word. To illustrate, Lord, you say ‘self’ again and again, but it absolutely has not come into being. [F.211.b] Similarly, Lord, you say ‘bodhisattva’ again and again, but a bodhisattva absolutely has not come into being. Lord, given that all phenomena thus have no intrinsic nature, what is that form that has come into being? What is that feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness that has come into being? Lord, what has not come into being is not form, and what has not come into being is not feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness. Lord, you cannot apprehend those bodhisattva great beings who would practice for awakening other than those who have not come into being, so does what has not come into being give advice and instruction in a perfection of wisdom that has not come into being?

20.­10

“Lord, one should know that when the mind of a bodhisattva given such instruction is not cowed, does not tense up, does not experience regret, and does not tremble, feel frightened, or become terrified, then that bodhisattva great being is practicing the perfection of wisdom.”

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Śāriputra then asked venerable Subhūti, “Why, Venerable Subhūti, does one not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, does one not assert a bodhisattva at the later limit, and does one not assert a bodhisattva in the middle? Why, Venerable Subhūti, should one know the limitlessness of a bodhisattva through the limitlessness of form, and why should one know the limitlessness of a bodhisattva through the limitlessness of feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness? Why, Venerable Subhūti, does even such an idea as ‘a bodhisattva is form’ not exist and why is it not found, [F.212.a] and why do even such ideas as ‘feeling . . . ,’ ‘perception . . . ,’ ‘volitional factors . . . ,’ and ‘consciousness is a bodhisattva’ not exist and why are they not found? Why, Venerable Subhūti, do you say, ‘So Lord, I, who thus do not see and do not find a bodhisattva great being as anyone at all in any way at all‍—to which bodhisattva great being will I give advice and instruction in which perfection of wisdom?’ Why, Venerable Subhūti, do you go so far as to say,346 ‘You say this, Lord, that is, “bodhisattva.” It is just a word’? Why, Venerable Subhūti, do you say, ‘For example, Lord, you say “self” again and again, but it absolutely has not come into being. Similarly, Lord, you say “bodhisattva” again and again, but a bodhisattva absolutely has not come into being’? Why, Venerable Subhūti, do you say, ‘Lord, given that all dharmas thus are the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, what is that form that has come into being?347 What is that feeling . . . , perception . . . , volitional factors . . . , and consciousness that has come into being? Lord, what has not come into being is not form, and what has not come into being is not feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness’? Why, Venerable Subhūti, do you say, ‘Lord, does what has not come into being give advice and instruction in a perfection of wisdom that has not come into being?’ Why, Venerable Subhūti, do you say, ‘Lord, you cannot apprehend bodhisattva great beings [F.212.b] who would practice for awakening other than those who have not come into being’? And why, Venerable Subhūti, do you say, ‘Lord, one should know that when the mind of a bodhisattva given such instruction is not cowed, does not tense up, does not experience regret, and does not tremble, feel frightened, or become terrified, then that bodhisattva great being is practicing the perfection of wisdom’?”

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20.­12

Subhūti then replied, “Venerable Śāriputra, because beings348 are nonexistent, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit. Venerable Śāriputra, because beings are empty one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit. Venerable Śāriputra, because beings are isolated one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit. Venerable Śāriputra, because beings are nonexistent things one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit.

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20.­13

“Venerable Śāriputra, because form is nonexistent one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit. Venerable Śāriputra, because form is empty, form is isolated, and form has no intrinsic nature, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit. Similarly, because feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and because consciousness is nonexistent, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit. Because consciousness is empty, consciousness is isolated, and consciousness has no intrinsic nature, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit.

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20.­14

“Venerable Śāriputra, because the perfection of giving is nonexistent, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit. Venerable Śāriputra, because the perfection of giving is empty, the perfection of giving is isolated, and the perfection of giving has no intrinsic nature, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit. Similarly, because the perfection of morality . . . [F.213.a] the perfection of patience . . . the perfection of perseverance . . . the perfection of concentration . . . and because the perfection of wisdom is nonexistent, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit. Because the perfection of wisdom is empty, the perfection of wisdom is isolated, and the perfection of wisdom has no intrinsic nature, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit.

20.­15

“And why? Venerable Śāriputra, it is because you cannot apprehend a prior limit, a later limit, or a middle in emptiness; emptiness is not one thing, a bodhisattva another, and a prior limit, a later limit, and a middle another, so, Venerable Śāriputra, therefore, all these‍—emptiness, a bodhisattva, a prior limit, a later limit, and a middle‍—are not two, nor are they divided.

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20.­16

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, at the later limit, or in the middle.

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20.­17

“Venerable Śāriputra, nonexistence is not one thing, emptiness another, isolation another, having no intrinsic nature another, a bodhisattva another, the perfection of giving another, the perfection of morality another, the perfection of patience another, the perfection of perseverance another, the perfection of concentration another, the perfection of wisdom another, and a prior limit, a later limit, and a middle another, so, Venerable Śāriputra, therefore, all these‍—nonexistence, emptiness, isolation, having no intrinsic nature, the six perfections, a bodhisattva, [F.213.b] a prior limit, a later limit, and a middle‍—are not two, nor are they divided.

20.­18

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, at the later limit, or in the middle.

20.­19

“And why? Venerable Śāriputra because inner emptiness is nonexistent, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, up to because emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature is nonexistent, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, at the later limit, or in the middle.

20.­20

“And why? Venerable Śāriputra, it is because one does apprehend a prior limit, a later limit, or a middle in the nonexistence of inner emptiness, the emptiness of inner emptiness, or the isolation of inner emptiness, or any intrinsic nature of inner emptiness, up to it is because they cannot apprehend a prior limit, a later limit, or a middle in the nonexistence of emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, the emptiness of emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, or the isolation of emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, or any intrinsic nature of emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. The nonexistence, emptiness, isolation, and no intrinsic nature of inner emptiness is not one thing, up to the nonexistence, emptiness, isolation, and no intrinsic nature of emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature is not another, a bodhisattva another, and a prior limit, a later limit, and a middle another, so, Venerable Śāriputra, therefore, all these‍—the nonexistence, emptiness, isolation, and no intrinsic nature of inner emptiness, up to the nonexistence, emptiness, isolation, and no intrinsic nature of emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, a bodhisattva, a prior limit, a later limit, and a middle‍—are not two, nor are they divided. [F.214.a]

20.­21

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, at the later limit, or in the middle.

20.­22

“Furthermore, Venerable Śāriputra, because the applications of mindfulness are nonexistent, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, at the later limit, or in the middle; because the applications of mindfulness are empty, the applications of mindfulness are isolated, and the applications of mindfulness have no intrinsic nature, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, at the later limit, or in the middle either.

20.­23

“Similarly, because the right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and path, powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, and distinct attributes of a buddha are nonexistent one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, at the later limit, or in the middle. Similarly, connect this with because the distinct attributes of a buddha are empty, the distinct attributes of a buddha are isolated, and the distinct attributes of a buddha have no intrinsic nature, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, at the later limit, or in the middle.

20.­24

“And why? Venerable Śāriputra, it is because one cannot apprehend a prior limit, a later limit, or a middle in nonexistence, in emptiness, in isolation, or in no intrinsic nature. Nonexistence is not one thing, emptiness another, isolation another, not having an intrinsic nature another, the applications of mindfulness another, up to the distinct attributes of a buddha another, and a prior limit, a later limit, and a middle another, so, Venerable Śāriputra, therefore, all these‍—the nonexistence, [F.214.b] emptiness, isolation, and no intrinsic nature of the applications of mindfulness, up to the distinct attributes of a buddha, a prior limit, a later limit, and a middle‍—are not two, nor are they divided.

20.­25

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, at the later limit, or in the middle.

20.­26

“Furthermore, Venerable Śāriputra, because all the meditative stabilizations are nonexistent . . . because all the dhāraṇī gateways are nonexistent . . . because the dharma-constituent is nonexistent . . . because suchness is nonexistent . . . and because the very limit of reality is nonexistent, the very limit of reality is empty, the very limit of reality is isolated, and the very limit of reality has no intrinsic nature, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, at the later limit, or in the middle.

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20.­27

“And why? Venerable Śāriputra, it is because one does apprehend a prior limit, a later limit, or a middle in the nonexistence of the meditative stabilizations, in the nonexistence of the very limit of reality, up to in the nonexistence of the absence of an intrinsic nature of the very limit of reality. Venerable Śāriputra, nonexistence is not one thing, emptiness another, isolation another, not having an intrinsic nature another, a bodhisattva another, up to the very limit of reality another, and a prior limit, a later limit, and a middle another, so, Venerable Śāriputra, therefore, as anything at all in any way at all, these‍—nonexistence, emptiness, isolation, and no intrinsic nature, meditative stabilization, up to the very limit of reality, a bodhisattva, a prior limit, a later limit, and a middle‍—are not two, nor are they divided.

20.­28

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, at the later limit, or in the middle.

20.­29

“Furthermore, Venerable Śāriputra, [F.215.a] because śrāvakas are nonexistent, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, at the later limit, or in the middle; because śrāvakas are empty, isolated, and have no intrinsic nature, one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, at the later limit, or in the middle; and because pratyekabuddhas are nonexistent, bodhisattvas are nonexistent, the knowledge of all aspects is nonexistent, the knowledge of all aspects is empty, the knowledge of all aspects is isolated, and the knowledge of all aspects has no intrinsic nature, they do not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, at the later limit, or in the middle.

20.­30

“And why? Venerable Śāriputra, it is because one cannot apprehend a prior limit, a later limit, or a middle in nonexistence, emptiness, isolation, and no intrinsic nature. Nonexistence, emptiness, isolation, and not having an intrinsic nature are not one thing, and bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, and pratyekabuddhas another, the knowledge of all aspects another, and a prior limit, a later limit, and a middle another, so, Venerable Śāriputra, therefore, all these‍—the nonexistence, emptiness, isolation, and no intrinsic nature, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and buddhas‍—they are not two, nor are they divided.

20.­31

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations one does not assert a bodhisattva at the prior limit, at the later limit, or in the middle.

20.­32

“Venerable Śāriputra, in regard to what you asked‍—‘Why, Venerable Subhūti, should one know the limitlessness of a bodhisattva through the limitlessness of form, and why should one know the limitlessness of a bodhisattva through the limitlessness of feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness?’‍—Venerable Śāriputra, [F.215.b] form is equal to space, and feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are equal to space. And why? To illustrate, Venerable Śāriputra, one cannot apprehend a limit, a middle, or an end in space, but still space works as a conventional label. Similarly, Venerable Śāriputra, because form is empty, one cannot apprehend the prior limit, one cannot apprehend the later limit, and one cannot apprehend the middle of form, because one cannot apprehend the end or the middle of emptiness. Similarly, Venerable Śāriputra, because feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are empty one cannot apprehend the prior limit, one cannot apprehend the later limit, and one cannot apprehend the middle of feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness, because one cannot apprehend the end or the middle of emptiness.

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20.­33

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations one should know the limitlessness of a bodhisattva through the limitlessness of form, and should know the limitlessness of a bodhisattva through the limitlessness of feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness.

20.­34

“Similarly, Venerable Śāriputra, the constituents, sense fields, applications of mindfulness, right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and path, and the ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, and distinct attributes of a buddha, are equal to space.

20.­35

“And why? To illustrate, Venerable Śāriputra, because the limitless is boundless349 one cannot apprehend an end or a middle of space, but still space works as a conventional label. Similarly, Venerable Śāriputra, because of the emptiness of . . . up to the buddhadharmas, [F.216.a] one cannot apprehend the end or the middle of the buddhadharmas, because one cannot apprehend the end or the middle of emptiness.

20.­36

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations one should know the limitlessness of a bodhisattva through the limitlessness of the buddhadharmas.

20.­37

“Venerable Śāriputra, in regard to what you asked‍—‘Why, Venerable Subhūti, does even such an idea as “a bodhisattva is form” not exist and why is it not found, and why does even such an idea as “feeling . . . ,” “perception . . . ,” “volitional factors . . . ,” and “consciousness is a bodhisattva” not exist and why is it not found?’‍—Venerable Śāriputra, form is empty of form. Venerable Śāriputra, feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness is empty of consciousness.

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20.­38

“And why? Because, Venerable Śāriputra, in emptiness form does not exist and is not found; in emptiness a bodhisattva does not exist and is not found. Similarly, in emptiness feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness do not exist and are not found. In emptiness a bodhisattva does not exist and is not found.

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20.­39

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, even such an idea as ‘a bodhisattva is form’ does not exist and is not found, and even such an idea as ‘a bodhisattva is feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness’ does not exist and is not found.

20.­40

“Furthermore, Venerable Śāriputra, the perfection of giving is empty of the perfection of giving. Venerable Śāriputra, the perfection of morality . . . the perfection of patience . . . the perfection of perseverance . . . the perfection of concentration . . . and the perfection of wisdom is empty of the perfection of wisdom.

20.­41

“And why? Because, Venerable Śāriputra, in emptiness the perfection of wisdom [F.216.b] does not exist and is not found; in emptiness a bodhisattva does not exist and is not found.

20.­42

“Venerable Śāriputra, inner emptiness is empty of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature is empty of the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. The applications of mindfulness are empty of the applications of mindfulness. The right efforts . . . the legs of miraculous power . . . the faculties . . . the powers . . . the limbs of awakening . . . and the path; . . . and the ten powers . . . the fearlessnesses . . . the detailed and thorough knowledges . . . and the distinct attributes of a buddha are empty of the distinct attributes of a buddha. The dharma-constituent is empty of the dharma-constituent, suchness is empty of suchness, the very limit of reality is empty of the very limit of reality, and the inconceivable element is empty of the inconceivable element. Meditative stabilization is empty of meditative stabilization, the dhāraṇī gateways are empty of the dhāraṇī gateways, all-knowledge is empty of all-knowledge, the knowledge of path aspects is empty of the knowledge of path aspects, and the knowledge of all aspects is empty of the knowledge of all aspects. The Śrāvaka Vehicle is empty of the Śrāvaka Vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle is empty of the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and the Buddha Vehicle is empty of the Buddha Vehicle. Śrāvakas are empty of śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas are empty of pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas are empty of bodhisattvas, and tathāgatas are empty of tathāgatas. Venerable Śāriputra, in the emptiness of the tathāgata, form does not exist and is not found, and in the emptiness of the tathāgata, feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness do not exist and are not found.

20.­43

“Venerable [F.217.a] Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations even such an idea as ‘a bodhisattva is form’ does not exist and is not found, and even such an idea as ‘a bodhisattva is feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness’ does not exist and is not found.

20.­44

“Venerable Śāriputra, in regard to what you asked‍—‘Why, Venerable Subhūti, do you say, “So Lord, I, who thus do not see and do not find a bodhisattva great being as anyone at all in any way at all‍—to which bodhisattva great being will I give advice and instruction in which perfection of wisdom?” ’‍—Venerable Śāriputra, form is not found in form, form is not found in feeling; feeling is not found in feeling, feeling is not found in form. Form and feeling are not found in perception, perception is not found in perception, and perception is not found in form or feeling. Volitional factors do not exist and are not found in perception. Volitional factors do not exist and are not found in volitional factors. Perception does not exist and is not found in volitional factors. Consciousness does not exist and is not found in volitional factors; volitional factors do not exist and are not found in consciousness. Form, feeling, perception, and volitional factors do not exist and are not found in consciousness. Consciousness does not exist and is not found in form, feeling, perception, or volitional factors.

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20.­45

“Venerable Śāriputra, the eyes do not exist and are not found in the eyes; the eyes do not exist and are not found in the ears. The ears do not exist [F.217.b] and are not found in the eyes; the ears do not exist and are not found in the ears. The ears do not exist and are not found in the nose. The nose does not exist and is not found in the nose. The nose does not exist and is not found in the eyes or ears. The nose does not exist and is not found in the tongue. The tongue does not exist and is not found in the tongue. The tongue does not exist and is not found in the eyes, ears, or nose. The tongue does not exist and is not found in the body. The body does not exist and is not found in the body. The body does not exist and is not found in the eyes, ears, nose, or tongue. The body does not exist and is not found in the thinking mind. The thinking mind does not exist and is not found in the thinking mind. The thinking mind does not exist and is not found in the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, or body.

20.­46

“A form does not exist and is not found in a form. A form does not exist and is not found in a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, or a dharma. A sound does not exist and is not found in a sound; a sound does not exist and is not found in the others. Similarly, a smell does not exist and is not found in a smell or in the others, a taste does not exist and is not found in a taste or in the others, a feeling does not exist and is not found in a feeling or in the others, and a dharma does not exist and is not found in a dharma or in the others.

20.­47

“Eye consciousness does not exist and is not found in eye consciousness, the others also do not exist and are not found in it, and it also does not exist and is not found in the others. Ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, and thinking-mind consciousness are similar: thinking-mind consciousness does not exist and is not found in thinking-mind consciousness, the others also do not exist and are not found in it, and it also does not exist and is not found in the others.

20.­48

“Eye contact does not exist and is not found in eye contact, it [F.218.a] also does not exist and is not found in the others, and the others also do not exist and are not found in it. Ear contact, nose contact, tongue contact, body contact, and thinking-mind contact are similar: thinking-mind contact does not exist and is not found in thinking-mind contact, and the other contacts also do not exist and are not found in thinking-mind contact.

20.­49

“Feeling from the condition of eye contact does not exist and is not found in feeling from the condition of eye contact, and the others also do not exist and are not found in it, nor the others in the others. Feeling from the condition of ear contact . . . nose contact . . . tongue contact . . . body contact . . . and feeling from the condition of thinking-mind contact does not exist and is not found in feeling from the condition of thinking-mind contact, and the others also do not exist and are not found in it, nor the others in the others.

20.­50

“The applications of mindfulness do not exist and are not found in the applications of mindfulness, and similarly the right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and eightfold noble path, and the ten powers, four fearlessnesses, four detailed and thorough knowledges, and eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha do not exist and are not found in the buddhadharmas. The four detailed and thorough knowledges do not exist and are not found in the four detailed and thorough knowledges. The buddhadharmas do not exist and are not found in the four detailed and thorough knowledges. The four detailed and thorough knowledges do not exist and are not found in the buddhadharmas. All dharmas do not exist and are not found in all dharmas. All dharmas do not exist and are not found in the buddhadharmas.

20.­51

“Inner emptiness does not exist and is not found in inner emptiness. [F.218.b] Inner emptiness does not exist and is not found in . . . up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. The emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature does not exist and is not found in the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. The emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature does not exist and is not found in . . . up to inner emptiness.

20.­52

“Meditative stabilization does not exist and is not found in meditative stabilization. Meditative stabilization does not exist and is not found in the dhāraṇīs. Dhāraṇī does not exist and is not found in dhāraṇī. Dhāraṇī does not exist and is not found in meditative stabilization.

20.­53

“The level of an ordinary person does not exist and is not found in the level of an ordinary person, and the Gotra level . . . the Aṣṭamaka level . . . the Darśana level . . . the Vītarāga level . . . the Tanū level . . . the Kṛtāvin level . . . the Pratyekabuddha level . . . the Bodhisattva level . . . the Tathāgata level . . . and the level of the knowledge of all aspects does not exist and is not found in the level of the knowledge of all aspects. Similarly, a stream enterer does not exist and is not found in a stream enterer; a once-returner . . . a non-returner . . . a worthy one . . . and a pratyekabuddha does not exist and is not found in a pratyekabuddha; a bodhisattva . . . ; and a perfectly complete buddha does not exist and is not found in a perfectly complete buddha.

20.­54

“A bodhisattva does not exist and is not found in the perfection of wisdom. The perfection of wisdom also does not exist and is not found in the perfection of wisdom. Advice and instruction do not exist and are not found in the perfection of wisdom. Advice and instruction do not exist and are not found in advice and instruction. A bodhisattva does not exist and is not found in advice and instruction. Therefore, Venerable Śāriputra, given that all dharmas do not exist and are not found, a bodhisattva also [F.219.a] does not exist and is not found, that is, cannot be pointed out.

20.­55

“Venerable Śāriputra, in regard to what you asked‍—‘Why, Venerable Subhūti, do you say, “You say this, Lord, that is, ‘bodhisattva.’ It is just a word”?’‍—Venerable Śāriputra, this‍—that is, ‘bodhisattva’‍—is designated by a name plucked out of thin air, so, Venerable Śāriputra, one says ‘this, that is, “bodhisattva,” is just a word.’ Because, Venerable Śāriputra, the words for all dharmas do not come from anywhere in the ten directions and do not go anywhere, so too the word for a bodhisattva does not come from anywhere and does not go anywhere, because these‍—that is, ‘form,’ ‘feeling,’ ‘perception,’ ‘volitional factors,’ and ‘consciousness’‍—are designated by names plucked out of thin air. That name is not form, nor is it feeling, or perception, or volitional factors, or consciousness. And why? Because a name is empty of the intrinsic nature of a name. That which is empty is not the name, so, Venerable Śāriputra, one says ‘this, that is, “bodhisattva,” is just a word.’

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20.­56

“Furthermore, Venerable Śāriputra, this ‘perfection of giving’ is just words, and in those words there is no perfection of giving, and in that perfection of giving also there are no words. And why? Because, Venerable Śāriputra, both those words and that perfection of giving do not exist and cannot be found. Therefore this ‘bodhisattva’ is simply just a word.

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20.­57

“Similarly, this ‘perfection of morality’ . . . ‘perfection of patience’ . . . ‘perfection of perseverance’ . . . ‘perfection of concentration’ . . . and ‘perfection of wisdom,’ is just [F.219.b] words, and in those words there is no perfection of wisdom and in that perfection of wisdom there is also no word. And why? Because, Venerable Śāriputra, both those words and that perfection of wisdom do not exist and cannot be found. Therefore, Venerable Śāriputra, this ‘bodhisattva’ is a name plucked out of thin air, so this ‘bodhisattva’ is simply just a word.

20.­58

“Venerable Śāriputra, ‘inner emptiness’ up to ‘emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature’ is just words. Other than inner emptiness there are no words, and in those words there is no inner emptiness, up to other than the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature there are no words, and in those words there is no emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. And why? Because, Venerable Śāriputra, both those words and that inner emptiness, up to that emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature do not exist and cannot be found. Therefore, Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, this ‘bodhisattva’ is simply just a word.

20.­59

“Venerable Śāriputra, this ‘applications of mindfulness’ is a name plucked out of thin air. Other than applications of mindfulness there are no words, and in those words there are no applications of mindfulness. And why? Because, Venerable Śāriputra, both those words and those applications of mindfulness do not exist and cannot be found. Similarly, these ‘right efforts,’ ‘legs of miraculous power,’ ‘faculties,’ ‘powers,’ ‘limbs of awakening,’ ‘eightfold noble path,’ ‘ten powers,’ ‘four fearlessnesses,’ ‘four detailed and thorough knowledges,’ and ‘eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha’ [F.220.a] are names plucked out of thin air. Other than buddhadharmas there are no words, and in those words there are no buddhadharmas. And why? Because, Venerable Śāriputra, both those words and those buddhadharmas do not exist and cannot be found.

20.­60

“Similarly, Venerable Śāriputra, these‍—‘meditative stabilization,’ ‘dhāraṇī gateways,’ up to ‘knowledge of all aspects’‍—are names plucked out of thin air. Other than knowledge of all aspects there are no words, and in those words there is also no knowledge of all aspects. And why? Because, Venerable Śāriputra, both those words and up to that knowledge of all aspects do not exist and cannot be found.

20.­61

“Venerable Śāriputra, in regard to what you asked‍—‘Why, Venerable Subhūti, do you say, “For example, Lord, you say ‘self’ again and again, but it has absolutely not come into being”?’‍—Venerable Śāriputra, given that a self absolutely does not exist and is not found, how could it have ever come into being? Venerable Śāriputra, given that a being, a living being, a creature, one who lives, an individual, a person, one born of Manu, a child of Manu, one who does, one who feels, one who knows, and one who sees absolutely does not exist and is not found, how could someone like that have ever come into being?

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20.­62

“Venerable Śāriputra, given that form absolutely does not exist and is not found, how could it have ever come into being? And given that feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness absolutely do not exist and are not found, how could they have ever come into being?

20.­63

“Venerable Śāriputra, given that the eyes absolutely do not exist and are not found, how could they have ever come into being? Similarly, [F.220.b] given that the ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind absolutely do not exist and are not found, how could they have ever come into being?

20.­64

“Venerable Śāriputra, given that a form absolutely does not exist and is not found, how could it have ever come into being? Similarly, given that a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and a dharma do not exist and are not found, how could they have ever come into being?

20.­65

“Venerable Śāriputra, given that eye consciousness absolutely does not exist and is not found, how could it have ever come into being? And given that ear, nose, tongue, body, and thinking-mind consciousness do not exist and are not found, how could they have ever come into being?

20.­66

“Venerable Śāriputra, given that eye contact absolutely does not exist and is not found, how could it have ever come into being? And given that ear, nose, tongue, body, and thinking-mind contact do not exist and are not found, how could they have ever come into being?

20.­67

“Venerable Śāriputra, given that feeling from the condition of eye contact absolutely does not exist and is not found, how could it have ever come into being? And given that feelings from the condition of ear, nose, tongue, body, and thinking-mind contact do not exist and are not found, how could they have ever come into being?

20.­68

“Venerable Śāriputra, given that the perfection of giving absolutely does not exist and is not found, how could it have ever come into being? And given that the perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom do not exist and are not found, how could they have ever come into being?

20.­69

“Venerable Śāriputra, given that inner emptiness absolutely does not exist and is not found, how could it have ever come into being? And given that up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature do not exist [F.221.a] and are not found, how could they have ever come into being?

20.­70

“Venerable Śāriputra, given that the applications of mindfulness absolutely do not exist and are not found, how could they have ever come into being? And given that the right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, eightfold noble path, ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, and eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha do not exist and are not found, how could they have ever come into being?

20.­71

“Venerable Śāriputra, given that the meditative stabilizations and dhāraṇī gateways absolutely do not exist and are not found, how could they have ever come into being? And given that a śrāvaka absolutely does not exist and is not found, how could someone like that have ever come into being? And given that a pratyekabuddha absolutely does not exist and is not found, how could someone like that have ever come into being? And given that a bodhisattva absolutely does not exist and is not found, how could someone like that have ever come into being? And given that a tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete buddha absolutely does not exist and is not found, how could someone like that have ever come into being?

20.­72

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, even though one says ‘self’ again and again, a self has absolutely not come into being.

20.­73

“Venerable Śāriputra, in regard to what you asked‍—‘Why do you say, “Given that all dharmas thus are the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature”?’350‍—Venerable Śāriputra, exactly so! And why? Because, Venerable Śāriputra, an intrinsic nature arisen from a union351 does not exist.”

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20.­74

Śāriputra then asked, “Venerable Subhūti, what does not have an intrinsic nature arisen from a union?”

20.­75

“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “form has no intrinsic nature arisen [F.221.b] from a union; feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness have no intrinsic nature arisen from a union. Venerable Śāriputra, the eyes have no intrinsic nature arisen from a union; similarly, the ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind have no intrinsic nature arisen from a union. Similarly, Venerable Śāriputra, a form, a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and a dharma; eye consciousness, and ear, nose, tongue, body, and thinking-mind consciousness; eye contact, and ear, nose, tongue, body, and thinking-mind contact; feeling from the condition of eye contact; and feeling from the condition of ear, nose, tongue, body, and thinking-mind contact have no intrinsic nature arisen from a union. Venerable Śāriputra, the perfection of giving has no intrinsic nature arisen from a union. The perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom have no intrinsic nature arisen from a union.

20.­76

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, all dharmas are the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature.

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20.­77

“Furthermore, Venerable Śāriputra, all dharmas are impermanent, but not because anything disappears.”352

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20.­78

“What are those dharmas that are impermanent even though nothing disappears?” asked Śāriputra.

20.­79

Subhūti replied, “Venerable Śāriputra, form is impermanent, but not because anything disappears. Venerable Śāriputra, feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are impermanent, but not because anything disappears. And why? Venerable Śāriputra, it is because that which is impermanent has come to an end, is a nonexistent thing.353 Similarly, all dharmas [F.222.a] are suffering, selfless, calm, empty, signless, and wishless, but not because anything disappears. And why? Venerable Śāriputra, it is because that which is wishless has come to an end, is a nonexistent thing. Similarly, all dharmas are wholesome, not a basic immorality, without outflows, without afflictions, extraordinary, purified, and uncompounded, but not because anything disappears. And why? Venerable Śāriputra, it is because that which is uncompounded has come to an end, is a nonexistent thing.

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20.­80

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, all dharmas have no intrinsic nature, but not because anything disappears.

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20.­81

“Furthermore, Venerable Śāriputra, all dharmas are neither unmoved354 nor destroyed.”

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20.­82

“Why are dharmas neither unmoved nor destroyed?” asked Śāriputra.

Subhūti replied, “Venerable Śāriputra, form is neither unmoved nor destroyed. And why? Because that is its basic nature. Venerable Śāriputra, feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are neither unmoved nor destroyed. And why? Because that is their basic nature. Similarly, wholesome and unwholesome, basic immorality and not basic immorality, with outflows and without outflows, with afflictions and without afflictions, ordinary and extraordinary, compounded and uncompounded, defiled and purified, and saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are neither unmoved nor [F.222.b] destroyed. And why? Because that is their basic nature.

20.­83

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, all dharmas are the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, even though nothing disappears.

20.­84

“Venerable Śāriputra, in regard to what you asked‍—‘Why do you say, “What is that form that has come into being? What is that feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness that has come into being?” ’‍—Venerable Śāriputra, it is because form has not occasioned anything, because feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness have not occasioned anything. And why? Venerable Śāriputra, it is because there is nothing that occasions them. Venerable Śāriputra, the eyes do not occasion anything. And why? Venerable Śāriputra, it is because there is nothing that occasions them. Venerable Śāriputra, similarly, the ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind have not occasioned anything. And why? Venerable Śāriputra, it is because there is nothing that occasions them. Furthermore, Venerable Śāriputra, a form, a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and a dharma have not occasioned anything. And why? Venerable Śāriputra, it is because someone to enact them does not exist. Up to, all dharmas have not occasioned anything. And why? Venerable Śāriputra, it is because nothing that occasions them is apprehended.

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20.­85

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, ‘form, feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness have not come into being.’355

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20.­86

“Venerable Śāriputra, in regard to what you asked‍—‘Why do you say, “What has not come into being is not form, and what has not come into being is not feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness?” ’‍—Venerable [F.223.a] Śāriputra, exactly so, exactly so! Because, Venerable Śāriputra, form is empty of a basic nature, and what is empty of a basic nature does not arise and does not pass away, and in what does not arise and does not pass away there is no transformation. Similarly, feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are empty of a basic nature, and what is empty of a basic nature does not arise and does not pass away, and in what does not arise and does not pass away there is no transformation, up to all dharmas are empty of a basic nature, and what are empty of a basic nature do not arise and do not pass away, and in what do not arise and do not pass away there is no transformation.

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20.­87

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, what has not come into being is not form, and what has not come into being is not feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness.

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20.­88

“Venerable Śāriputra, in regard to what you asked‍—‘Why do you say, “Does what has not come into being give advice and instruction in a perfection of wisdom that has not come into being?” ’‍—Venerable Śāriputra, because what has not come into being is the perfection of wisdom, and the perfection of wisdom is what has not come into being, therefore, what has not come into being and the perfection of wisdom are not two, nor are they divided. Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, I said, ‘Does what has not come into being give advice and instruction in a perfection of wisdom that has not come into being?’

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20.­89

“Venerable Śāriputra, in regard to what you asked‍—‘Why do you say, “They cannot apprehend a bodhisattva great being who would practice for awakening other than one who has not come into being”?’‍—Venerable Śāriputra, [F.223.b] because bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom do not see ‘what has not come into being as one thing and a bodhisattva as another,’356 what has not come into being and the bodhisattva are not two, nor are they divided. They do not see form other than what has not come into being, and they do not see feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness other than what has not come into being; therefore, what has not come into being and form are not two, nor are they divided, and therefore, what has not come into being and feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are not two, nor are they divided. Similarly, up to they do not see all dharmas other than what has not come into being, and therefore, what has not come into being and all dharmas are not two, nor are they divided.

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20.­90

“Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, one cannot apprehend a bodhisattva great being who would practice for awakening other than one who has not come into being. [B17]

20.­91

“Venerable Śāriputra, in regard to what you asked‍—‘And why do you say, “One should know that when the mind of a bodhisattva great being given such instruction is not cowed, does not tense up, does not experience regret, and does not tremble, feel frightened, or become terrified, then that bodhisattva great being is practicing the perfection of wisdom”?’‍—Venerable Śāriputra, it is because bodhisattva great beings see all dharmas not stirring, and they see them like a dream, [F.224.a] like an illusion, like a mirage, like an echo, like an apparition, like a reflection in the mirror, and like a magical creation. Because of this one of many explanations, Venerable Śāriputra, when bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom hear this they do not tremble, feel frightened, or become terrified.”

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20.­92

Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “When bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom investigate those dharmas like that they do not then assert, do not accept, do not base themselves on, and do not settle down on form, and neither do they label anything ‘this is form’; they also do not assert, do not accept, do not base themselves on, and do not settle down on feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . or consciousness, and neither do they label anything ‘this is consciousness.’ Similarly, they do not then assert, do not accept, do not base themselves on, and do not settle down on the eyes, and neither do they label anything ‘these are the eyes’; and similarly, they do not then assert, do not accept, do not base themselves on, and do not settle down on the ears . . . the nose . . . the tongue . . . the body . . . or the thinking mind, and neither do they label anything ‘this is the thinking mind.’ Similarly, they do not then assert, do not accept, do not base themselves on, and do not settle down on the perfection of giving, and neither do they label anything ‘this is the perfection of giving’; and similarly, they do not then assert, do not accept, do not base themselves on, and do not settle down on the perfection of morality . . . the perfection of patience . . . the perfection of perseverance . . . the perfection of concentration . . . or the perfection of wisdom, [F.224.b] and neither do they label anything ‘this is the perfection of wisdom.’ They do not then assert, do not accept, do not base themselves on, and do not settle down on inner emptiness, and neither do they label anything ‘this is inner emptiness’; and similarly they do not then assert, do not accept, do not base themselves on, and do not settle down on . . . up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, and neither do they label anything ‘this is the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature.’

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20.­93

“Furthermore, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom do not assert, do not accept, do not base themselves on, and do not settle down on the applications of mindfulness, and neither do they label anything ‘these are the applications of mindfulness.’ Similarly, bodhisattvas do not then assert, do not accept, do not base themselves on, and do not settle down on the right efforts . . . , the legs of miraculous power . . . , the faculties . . . , the powers . . . , the limbs of awakening . . . , the eightfold noble path . . . , the ten powers . . . , the fearlessnesses . . . , the detailed and thorough knowledges . . . , or eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, and neither do they label anything ‘these are the buddhadharmas.’

20.­94

“Furthermore, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom do not assert, do not accept, do not base themselves on, and do not settle down on all the meditative stabilization gateways and all the dhāraṇī gateways, and neither do they label anything ‘these are the meditative stabilization and dhāraṇī gateways.’

20.­95

“And why? Lord, it is because bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom do not see form; similarly, because they do not see the aggregates, constituents, or sense fields, [F.225.a] they do not see the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, they do not see the perfections, up to and they do not see the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha or the knowledge of all aspects.

20.­96

“And why? Lord, it is because form is not produced, and the nonproduction of form is not form. Therefore, form and the nonproduction of form are not two, nor are they divided. And why? Lord, it is because that nonproduction is not one, nor is it many.

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20.­97

“The nonproduction of feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness is not consciousness; the nonproduction of the eyes is not the eyes; the nonproduction of the ears . . . the nose . . . the tongue . . . the body . . . and the thinking mind is not the thinking mind; the nonproduction of the perfection of giving is not the perfection of giving; and the nonproduction of the perfection of morality . . . the perfection of patience . . . the perfection of perseverance . . . the perfection of concentration . . . and the perfection of wisdom is not the perfection of wisdom. Therefore, the perfection of wisdom and nonproduction are not two, nor are they divided.

20.­98

“The nonproduction of inner emptiness is not inner emptiness, up to the nonproduction of the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature is not the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. Therefore, [F.225.b] the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature and nonproduction are not two, nor are they divided.

20.­99

“Lord, the nonproduction of the applications of mindfulness is not the applications of mindfulness. Therefore, the applications of mindfulness and nonproduction are not two, nor are they divided. Similarly, the nonproduction of the right efforts . . . the legs of miraculous power . . . the faculties . . . the powers . . . the limbs of awakening . . . the path . . . the fearlessnesses . . . the clairvoyances . . . the ten powers . . . the detailed and thorough knowledges . . . and the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha is not the buddhadharmas. Therefore, the buddhadharmas and nonproduction are not two, nor are they divided. And why? Because those nonproductions of the buddhadharmas are not the buddhadharmas.

20.­100

“Lord, it is because suchness is not produced, and the nonproduction of suchness is not suchness. Therefore, suchness and nonproduction are not two, nor are they divided. And why? Lord, it is because nonproduction is not one, nor is it many. For that reason, the nonproduction of suchness is not suchness. The nonproduction of unmistaken suchness . . . unaltered suchness . . . the true nature of dharmas . . . the dharma-constituent . . . the establishment of dharmas . . . the certification of dharmas . . . the very limit of reality . . . and [F.226.a] the inconceivable element is not the inconceivable element. And why? Because the inconceivable element and nonproduction are not two, nor are they divided.

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20.­101

“Lord, the nonproduction of awakening . . . and the knowledge of all aspects is not the knowledge of all aspects. Therefore, the knowledge of all aspects and nonproduction are not two, nor are they divided. And why? Lord, it is because nonproduction is not one, nor is it many. For that reason, the knowledge of all aspects and nonproduction are not two, nor are they divided.

20.­102

“Lord, it is because form is impermanent, so a decrease in form is not form. A decrease in feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness is not consciousness. Therefore, the aggregates and a decrease are not two, nor are they divided. And why? Lord, it is because a decrease is not one, nor is it many. A decrease in the constituents and sense fields is not the constituents and sense fields. Therefore, the constituents and sense fields and a decrease are not two, nor are they divided.

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20.­103

“Lord, a decrease in the perfection of giving is not the perfection of giving, so the perfection of giving and a decrease are not two, nor are they divided. [F.226.b] Similarly, a decrease in the perfection of morality . . . the perfection of patience . . . the perfection of perseverance . . . the perfection of concentration . . . and the perfection of wisdom is not the perfection of wisdom, so the perfection of wisdom and a decrease are not two, nor are they divided. And why? Because a decrease is not one, nor is it many. Therefore, a decrease in the perfection of wisdom is not the perfection of wisdom.

20.­104

“Lord, a decrease in inner emptiness is not inner emptiness, so inner emptiness and a decrease are not two, nor are they divided. And why? Lord, it is because a decrease is not one, nor is it many. Therefore, a decrease in inner emptiness is not inner emptiness. Similarly, up to a decrease in the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature is not the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, so the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature and a decrease are not two, nor are they divided. And why? Lord, it is because a decrease is not one, nor is it many. Therefore, a decrease in the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature is not the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature.

20.­105

“Lord, a decrease in the applications of mindfulness is not the applications of mindfulness, so the applications of mindfulness and a decrease are not two, nor are they divided. And why? Lord, it is because [F.227.a] a decrease is not one, nor is it many. Therefore, a decrease in the applications of mindfulness is not the applications of mindfulness. A decrease in the right efforts . . . the legs of miraculous power . . . the faculties . . . the powers . . . the limbs of awakening . . . and the eightfold noble path is not the path, so the path and a decrease are not two, nor are they divided. And why? Lord, it is because a decrease is not one, nor is it many. Therefore, a decrease in the path is not the path. Similarly, up to a decrease in the clairvoyances . . . the fearlessnesses . . . the detailed and thorough knowledges . . . the ten powers . . . and the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha is not the distinct attributes of a buddha, so the distinct attributes of a buddha and a decrease are not two, nor are they divided. And why? Lord, it is because a decrease is not one, nor is it many. Therefore, a decrease in the distinct attributes of a buddha is not the distinct attributes of a buddha.

20.­106

“Lord, anything called form is counted as not two. Similarly, anything called feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is counted as not two, up to anything called the knowledge of all aspects is counted as not two.”

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This was the twentieth chapter, “Not Two,” [F.227.b] of “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines.”


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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“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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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