The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines
Chapter 32: The Superiority of Merit
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)
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Table of Contents
Summary
The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines is one version of the Long Perfection of Wisdom sūtras that developed in South and South-Central Asia in tandem with the Eight Thousand version, probably during the first five hundred years of the Common Era. It contains many of the passages in the oldest extant Long Perfection of Wisdom text (the Gilgit manuscript in Sanskrit), and is similar in structure to the other versions of the Long Perfection of Wisdom sūtras (the One Hundred Thousand and Twenty-Five Thousand) in Tibetan in the Kangyur. While setting forth the sacred fundamental doctrines of Buddhist practice with veneration, it simultaneously exhorts the reader to reject them as an object of attachment, its recurring message being that all dharmas without exception lack any intrinsic nature.
The sūtra can be divided loosely into three parts: an introductory section that sets the scene, a long central section, and three concluding chapters that consist of two important summaries of the long central section. The first of these (chapter 84) is in verse and also circulates as a separate work called The Verse Summary of the Jewel Qualities (Toh 13). The second summary is in the form of the story of Sadāprarudita and his guru Dharmodgata (chapters 85 and 86), after which the text concludes with the Buddha entrusting the work to his close companion Ānanda.
Acknowledgements
This sūtra was translated by Gareth Sparham under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The Translator’s Acknowledgments
This is a good occasion to remember and thank my friend Nicholas Ribush, who first gave me a copy of Edward Conze’s translation of The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines in 1973. I also thank the Tibetan teachers and students at the Riklam Lobdra in Dharamshala, India, where I began to study the Perfection of Wisdom, for their kindness and patience; Jeffrey Hopkins and Elizabeth Napper, who steered me in the direction of the Perfection of Wisdom and have been very kind to me over the years; and Ashok Aklujkar and others at the University of British Columbia in Canada, who taught me Sanskrit and Indian culture while I was writing my dissertation on Haribhadra’s Perfection of Wisdom commentary. I thank the hermits in the hills above Riklam Lobdra and the many Tibetan scholars and practitioners who encouraged me while I continued working on the Perfection of Wisdom after I graduated from the University of British Columbia. I thank all those who continued to support me as a monk and scholar after the violent death of my friend and mentor toward the end of the millennium. I thank those at the University of Michigan and then at the University of California (Berkeley), particularly Donald Lopez and Jacob Dalton, who enabled me to complete the set of four volumes of translations from Sanskrit of the Perfection of Wisdom commentaries by Haribhadra and Āryavimuktisena and four volumes of the fourteenth-century Tibetan commentary on the Perfection of Wisdom by Tsongkhapa. I thank Gene Smith, who introduced me to 84000. I thank everyone at 84000: Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and the sponsors; the scholars, translators, editors, and technicians; and all the other indispensable people whose work has made this translation of The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines and its accompanying commentary possible.
Around me everything I see would be part of a perfect road if I had better driving skills.Where I was born, where everything is made of concrete, it too is a perfect place.Everyone I have been with, everyone who is near me now, and even those I have forgotten—there is no one who has not helped me.So, I bow to everyone and to the world and ask for patience, and, as a boon, a smile.
Acknowledgment of Sponsors
We gratefully acknowledge the generous sponsorship of Matthew Yizhen Kong, Steven Ye Kong and family; An Zhang, Hannah Zhang, Lucas Zhang, Aiden Zhang, Jinglan Chi, Jingcan Chi, Jinghui Chi and family, Hong Zhang and family; Mao Guirong, Zhang Yikun, Chi Linlin; and Joseph Tse, Patricia Tse and family. Their support has helped make the work on this translation possible.
Chapter 32: The Superiority of Merit
“Kauśika, [F.22.b] there is infinitely great merit from establishing one being in the result of stream enterer, but not so much from establishing the beings in Jambudvīpa in the ten wholesome actions. And why? Kauśika, those who have been established in the ten wholesome actions have not totally got out from the forms of life in the hells, in the animal realms, in the worlds of Yama, or as asuras. A being established in the result of stream enterer is freed from all the terrible forms of life. Similarly, there is infinitely great merit from establishing one being in a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, but not so much from establishing the beings in Jambudvīpa in the ten wholesome actions. Kauśika, a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who establishes one being in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening creates infinitely greater merit than that. And why? Because it is established specifically so the way of buddhas is not brought to an end.
“Kauśika, to establish a son of a good family or daughter of a good family in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening creates a lot of merit. And why? Because the Three Jewels have come about from a bodhisattva, and the Three Jewels are for the whole world to worship. Therefore, Kauśika, the creatures in this whole world with its celestial beings, Māras, śramaṇas, and brahmins should respect, revere, honor, and worship this bodhisattva with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, clothes, parasols, flags, and banners.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, were a son of a good family or daughter of a good family to establish [F.23.a] the beings in Jambudvīpa in the ten wholesome actions, what do you think, Kauśika? Based on that, would that son of a good family or daughter of a good family create a lot of merit?”
“So then, Kauśika,” the Lord continued, “a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who has written out this perfection of wisdom in book form and bestowed it on others for nothing but copying out and reading aloud creates even more merit than that. And why? Because in this perfection of wisdom are taught in detail those dharmas without outflows that a son of a good family or daughter of a good family has trained in when they have entered into, enter into, and will enter into the flawlessness that is a perfect state, up to when they have reached, will reach, and are reaching the state of a worthy one, and when they have entered into the secure state of a bodhisattva great being, and when they have fully awakened, awaken, and will awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.
“And what are those dharmas without outflows, Kauśika? They are these: the perfections, the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, the four noble truths, inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, the ten tathāgata powers, up to the immeasurable buddhadharmas that tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas have taught in detail in this perfection of wisdom.
“Therefore, Kauśika, you should also understand from this one of many explanations that those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family who write out this perfection of wisdom in book form and bestow it on others for nothing but copying out and reading aloud [F.23.b] create a lot more merit.
“And why? Because in this perfection of wisdom are taught in detail all those dharmas, dharmas on account of which there are great sāla tree–like royal families, great sāla tree–like brahmin families, and great sāla tree–like business families; there are the Cāturmahārājika gods and there are the Trāyastriṃśa, up to the Naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñāyatana gods; there are the perfections, up to there are the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, up to there is the knowledge of all aspects; and there are stream enterers, once-returners, non-returners, worthy ones, and pratyekabuddhas.
“Kauśika, let alone having established beings in Jambudvīpa in . . . up to a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family, Kauśika, to establish as many beings as there are in this four-continent world system, all of them, in the ten wholesome actions, what do you think, Kauśika? Based on that, would that son of a good family or daughter of a good family create a lot of merit?”
“So then, Kauśika,” said the Lord, “a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who has written out this perfection of wisdom in book form and bestowed it on others for nothing but copying out and reading aloud creates a lot more merit. And why? Because all the dharmas of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, the dharmas of bodhisattvas, and the buddhadharmas have come about from the perfection of wisdom.
Connect this in the same way with Kauśika, let alone having established beings that are in this four-continent world system in the ten wholesome actions, [F.24.a] up to in the state of a worthy one and a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family, Kauśika, to establish beings that are in a thousandfold world system, all of them, in the ten wholesome actions, up to in the state of a worthy one and a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, still a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who has written out this perfection of wisdom in book form and bestowed it on others for nothing but copying out and reading aloud creates even more merit than that.
Connect this in the same way with Kauśika, let alone having established beings that are in a thousandfold world system, even were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family, Kauśika, to establish beings that are in a millionfold world system, all of them, in the ten wholesome actions, up to in the state of a worthy one and a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, still a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who has written out this perfection of wisdom in book form and bestowed it on others for nothing but copying out and reading aloud creates even more merit than that.
Connect this in the same way with Kauśika, let alone having established beings that are in a millionfold world system in the ten wholesome actions, up to in a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, even were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family, Kauśika, to establish beings dwelling in the great billionfold world system, as many as there are, in the ten wholesome actions, up to a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, still, if a son of a good family or daughter of a good family has written out this perfection of wisdom in book form and bestowed it on others for nothing but copying out and reading aloud, that son of a good family or daughter of a good family creates even more merit than that.
Connect this in the same way with Kauśika, let alone the beings that are in the great billionfold world system, [F.24.b] even were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family, Kauśika, to have established as many beings dwelling in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River, all of them, in the ten wholesome actions, up to established them in the state of a worthy one and a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, still, if a son of a good family or daughter of a good family has written out this perfection of wisdom in book form and bestowed it on others for nothing but copying out and reading aloud, Kauśika, that son of a good family or daughter of a good family creates even more merit than that.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, if a son of a good family or daughter of a good family has established those beings who are in Jambudvīpa in the four concentrations, and has established them in the four immeasurables, the four formless absorptions, and the five clairvoyances, what do you think, Kauśika? Based on that, would that son of a good family or daughter of a good family create a lot of merit?”
“So then, Kauśika,” said the Lord, “a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who has written out this perfection of wisdom in book form and bestowed it on others for nothing but copying out and reading aloud creates even more merit than that. And why? Because in this perfection of wisdom all dharmas are taught in detail.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who takes up, bears in mind, reads aloud, masters, and properly pays attention to this perfection of wisdom creates a lot more merit, but there is not so much from a son of a good family or daughter of a good family establishing the beings in Jambudvīpa in the ten wholesome actions, the concentrations, the immeasurables, the formless absorptions, and [F.25.a] the clairvoyances.
“There, properly paying attention is this: taking up, bearing in mind, reading aloud, mastering, and properly paying attention to this perfection of wisdom with an understanding that operates without duality; taking up, bearing in mind, reading aloud, mastering, and properly paying attention to the perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, and perfection of giving with an understanding that operates without duality; properly paying attention to inner emptiness with an understanding that operates without duality, up to properly paying attention to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature with an understanding that operates without duality; properly paying attention to the applications of mindfulness, right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and paths with an understanding that operates without duality; up to properly paying attention to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha and knowledge of all aspects with an understanding that operates without duality.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, some son of a good family or daughter of a good family may teach the perfection of wisdom to others in detail, explicate it, sort it out for them and give a commentary on it, or make it clear and give instruction in its meaning with this one of many explanations. There the meaning of the perfection of wisdom is this: not viewing the perfection of wisdom as two and not viewing it as not two, not viewing it as a causal sign or as not a causal sign, and not viewing it as brought in or as sent out, as taken away or as added on, as defilement or as purification, as a production or as a cessation, as grasped or as rejected, as stationed or as not stationed, [F.25.b] as true or as mistaken, as right or as wrong, as tiny or as not tiny, as a part or as not a part, as a dharma or as not a dharma, as suchness or as not suchness, or as the very limit of reality or as not the very limit of reality—this is the meaning of nondual. That son of a good family or daughter of a good family who teaches the perfection of wisdom to others in detail, explicates it, sorts it out for them and gives a commentary on it, and makes it clear and gives instruction in its meaning creates a lot of merit based on that, but not so much someone who just personally takes it up, bears it in mind, reads it aloud, masters it, and properly pays attention to it.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who teaches the perfection of wisdom to others in detail, gives advice about it, establishes it, sorts it out, makes it clear, and gives instruction in its meaning creates a lot more merit than someone who personally takes up, bears in mind, reads aloud, masters, and properly pays attention to this perfection of wisdom.”
“Thus, Kauśika,” continued the Lord, “a son of a good family or daughter of a good family should give instructions in the perfection of wisdom, in both the meaning and the letter. If a son of a good family or daughter of a good family gives such instructions they will be endowed with infinite, countless, immeasurable masses of merit.
“Even if a son of a good family or daughter of a good family respects, reveres, honors, and worships with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners, with all the requirements for happiness, infinite, countless tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas in each of the ten directions [F.26.a] for as long as they live, Kauśika, a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who teaches the perfection of wisdom to others in detail with many different explanations, who makes it intelligible, sorts it out, gives a commentary on it, and makes it clear will create a lot more merit than that. And why? Because past, future, and present tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas have fully awakened, will fully awaken, and are fully awakening to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening because they have trained in this perfection of wisdom.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, compared with a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who practices the perfection of giving for infinite, incalculable eons by way of apprehending something, a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who teaches and explains the perfection of wisdom in detail, up to worships it,433 if it is done without apprehending anything, creates a lot more merit than that.
“Kauśika, there, what is it to apprehend something? If bodhisattvas who give a gift by way of apprehending something think, ‘I am giving a gift; this is a gift; it has been given to somebody else,’ they stand right in giving, and that is not the perfection of giving. If they think, ‘This is morality; I am being moral; I am guarding it for the sake of these beings,’ that is not the perfection of morality. If they think, ‘I am patient; this is patience; [F.26.b] I should be patient with others,’ that is not the perfection of patience. If they think, ‘I am making a vigorous effort; this is perseverance; I will continue persevering for their sake,’ that is not the perfection of perseverance. If they think, ‘I am becoming absorbed in concentration; this is concentration; I have become absorbed for their sake,’ that is not the perfection of concentration. If they think, ‘I am cultivating wisdom, this is wisdom, I will stay wise for their sake,’ that is not the perfection of wisdom. Kauśika, a son of a good family or daughter of a good family’s perfection of giving by way of apprehending something like that is not complete, and the perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom is not complete either.” [B25]
Śatakratu then asked, “Lord, what are bodhisattva great beings doing when the practice of the perfection of giving is complete, and when the perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom are complete?”
“Kauśika,” said the Lord, “here when bodhisattva great beings give a gift by way of not apprehending a gift, giver, or recipient that is their perfection of giving; when not apprehending morality, being moral, [F.27.a] or a being that is their perfection of morality; when not apprehending patience, an object of patience, or having patience that is their perfection of patience; when not apprehending perseverance, something that has to be done, or a being that is their perfection of perseverance; when not apprehending concentration, somebody concentrating, or something that has to be concentrated on that is their perfection of concentration; and when not apprehending wisdom, being wise, or a topic to be wise about that is their perfection of wisdom. Kauśika, when bodhisattva great beings practice like that the perfection of giving becomes complete, and the perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom become complete.”
“Kauśika, those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family should give instructions in both the meaning and the letter of the perfection of wisdom like that, and they should give such instructions in the perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, and perfection of giving as well.
“And why? Because at a time in the future, Kauśika, there will be sons of a good family and daughters of a good family who will teach a counterfeit perfection of wisdom. There, having caused sons of a good family and daughters of a good family who have set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening to listen to the counterfeit perfection of wisdom they will destroy them, because of not giving instructions in both the meaning and the letter of this perfection of wisdom.” [F.27.b]
“Kauśika,” replied the Lord, “here, in regard to a counterfeit perfection of wisdom, sons of a good family and daughters of a good family teach something like it. A counterfeit perfection of wisdom is this:434 They teach ‘form is impermanent’ and that those who make such a practice are practicing the perfection of wisdom. Further, those sons of a good family and daughters of a good family who have been taught that explore whether ‘form is impermanent,’ and they explore whether ‘feeling . . . ,’ ‘perception . . . ,’ ‘volitional factors . . . ,’ and ‘consciousness is impermanent.’
“And those who teach that counterfeit perfection of wisdom also practice a counterfeit perfection of wisdom. They teach ‘the eyes are impermanent,’ and they teach ‘the ears . . . ,’ ‘the nose . . . ,’ ‘the tongue . . . ,’ ‘the body . . . ,’ and ‘the thinking mind is impermanent.’ They teach ‘a form is impermanent,’ and they teach ‘a sound . . . ,’ ‘a smell . . . ,’ ‘a taste . . . ,’ ‘a feeling . . . ,’ and ‘dharmas are impermanent.’ They teach ‘the earth element is impermanent,’ and they teach ‘the water element . . . ,’ ‘the fire element . . . ,’ ‘the wind element . . . ,’ ‘the space element . . . ,’ and ‘the consciousness element is impermanent.’ They teach ‘the eye constituent is impermanent,’ and they teach ‘the ear constituent . . . ,’ ‘the nose constituent . . . ,’ ‘the taste constituent . . . ,’ ‘the body constituent . . . ,’ and ‘the thinking-mind constituent is impermanent.’ They teach ‘the form constituent is impermanent,’ and they teach ‘the sound constituent . . . ,’ ‘the smell constituent . . . ,’ ‘the taste constituent . . . ,’ ‘the touch constituent . . . ,’ and ‘the dharma constituent is impermanent.’ They teach ‘the eye consciousness constituent is impermanent,’ and they teach ‘the ear . . . ,’ ‘the nose . . . ,’ ‘the tongue . . . ,’ ‘the body . . .’ and ‘the thinking-mind consciousness constituent is impermanent.’ They teach ‘eye contact is impermanent,’ and they teach ‘ear . . . ,’ ‘nose . . . ,’ ‘tongue . . . ,’ ‘body . . . ,’ [F.28.a] and ‘thinking-mind contact is impermanent.’
“They teach ‘form is suffering,’ ‘is selfless,’ and ‘is unpleasant,’ and they teach ‘feeling . . . ,’ ‘perception . . . ,’ ‘volitional factors . . . ,’ and ‘consciousness is suffering,’ ‘is selfless,’ and ‘is unpleasant.’
Similarly, they teach ‘the eye, form, and eye consciousness constituents are suffering, selfless, and unpleasant,’ and they teach ‘the ear, nose, tongue, body, thinking mind, dharma, and thinking-mind constituents are suffering, selfless, and unpleasant.’
Similarly, connect this with they teach a counterfeit perfection of concentration, and they teach a counterfeit perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, and perfection of giving. They teach ‘form is impermanent, suffering, selfless, and unpleasant,’ and they teach ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are impermanent, suffering, selfless, and unpleasant.’
Similarly, they teach ‘the eye, form, and eye consciousness constituents are impermanent, suffering, selfless, and unpleasant.’
Similarly, they teach ‘the ear . . . , nose . . . , tongue . . . , body . . . , and thinking mind, dharma, and thinking-mind constituents are impermanent, suffering, selfless, and unpleasant.’
Similarly, they teach ‘the perfection of giving, perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom are impermanent, suffering, selfless, and unpleasant.’ [F.28.b] Similarly, they teach ‘the immeasurables and formless absorptions are impermanent, suffering, selfless, and unpleasant.’ They teach ‘the applications of mindfulness are impermanent, suffering, selfless, and unpleasant.’ They teach ‘the right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and path are impermanent, suffering, selfless, and unpleasant,’ up to they teach ‘the knowledge of all aspects is impermanent, suffering, selfless, and unpleasant.’
“They say those who practice like that are practicing the perfection of wisdom. Kauśika, this is a counterfeit perfection of wisdom.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, those sons of a good family and daughters of a good family who teach the perfection of wisdom teach, ‘Sons of a good family and daughters of a good family, you should cultivate the perfection of wisdom. When you have cultivated the perfection of wisdom you will stand on the first level,’ up to ‘the tenth level.’
Similarly, they teach, ‘When you have cultivated the perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, and perfection of giving you will stand on the first level,’ up to ‘you will stand on the tenth level.’
“Still they cultivate that as the perfection of wisdom by way of a causal sign, by way of apprehending something, with a notion of time. Kauśika, this is a counterfeit perfection of wisdom.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family teach, ‘Come here, you son of a good family! You should cultivate the perfection of wisdom. When you have cultivated the perfection of wisdom [F.29.a] you will transcend the śrāvaka level and you will transcend the pratyekabuddha level.’ Kauśika, this is a counterfeit perfection of wisdom.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, when those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family teach those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family in the Bodhisattva Vehicle, they teach them, ‘Come here, you son of a good family! You should cultivate the perfection of wisdom. When you have cultivated the perfection of wisdom you will enter into the secure state of a bodhisattva.’ Kauśika, this is a counterfeit perfection of wisdom.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, when those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family teach those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family in the Great Vehicle, they teach them, ‘Come here, you son of a good family! You should cultivate the perfection of wisdom. When you have cultivated the perfection of wisdom you will gain forbearance for the nonproduction of dharmas. When you have gained forbearance for the nonproduction of dharmas, you will stand in the clairvoyance of a bodhisattva. When you stand in the clairvoyance of a bodhisattva, you will pass on from buddhafield to buddhafield in order to respect, revere, honor, worship, and venerate the lord buddhas.’ In that way those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family, Kauśika, teach a counterfeit perfection of wisdom.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, when those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family teach those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family in the Great Vehicle, ‘A son of a good family who takes up, bears in mind, reads aloud, masters, and properly pays attention to this perfection of wisdom becomes endowed with a countless, infinite, immeasurable [F.29.b] mass of merit,’ Kauśika, those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family teach a counterfeit perfection of wisdom.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, when those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family teach those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family in the Great Vehicle, ‘Come here, you son of a good family! Having rejoiced in the entire wholesome root, all of it, of past, future, and present tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas from their first production of the thought of awakening up to fully awakening to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening and compressed it into one, you should dedicate it to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening,’ Kauśika, those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family teach a counterfeit perfection of wisdom.”
Śatakratu then asked, “Lord, when they do not teach a counterfeit perfection of wisdom to those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family who have set out in the Great Vehicle, what do those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family teach?”
“Kauśika,” replied the Lord, “here, those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family do not teach a counterfeit perfection of wisdom to those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family who have set out in the Great Vehicle when they teach thus: ‘Come here, you son of a good family! When you cultivate the perfection of wisdom, do not even look at form as impermanent. And why? Because form is empty of the intrinsic nature of form. That intrinsic nature of form is nonexistent, and that which is nonexistent is the perfection of wisdom. So, in that perfection of wisdom you cannot say “form is permanent” or “form is impermanent.” [F.30.a] And why? Because form does not exist there, and given that, how could you ever view it as either permanent or impermanent?’
Similarly, Kauśika, those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family do not teach a counterfeit perfection of wisdom when they teach, ‘Do not even look at feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . or consciousness as impermanent. And why? Because consciousness is empty of the intrinsic nature of consciousness. That intrinsic nature of consciousness is nonexistent, and that which is nonexistent is the perfection of wisdom. So, in that perfection of wisdom you cannot say “consciousness is permanent” or “consciousness is impermanent.” And why? Because consciousness does not exist there, and given that, how could you ever view it as either permanent or impermanent?’
“Furthermore, Kauśika, sons of a good family or daughters of a good family cultivating the perfection of wisdom do not teach a counterfeit perfection of wisdom when they teach, ‘Come here, you son of a good family! When you cultivate the perfection of wisdom, son of a good family, you should not look at any dharma at all. You should not stand on any dharma at all. And why? Because in the perfection of wisdom there is no dharma you have to go beyond and there is no dharma you have to stand on. And why? Because all dharmas are empty of an intrinsic nature. That dharma empty of an intrinsic nature is nonexistent, and that which is nonexistent is the perfection of wisdom. So, in that perfection of wisdom no dharma has been brought in or sent out, [F.30.b] no dharma arises or ceases.’
Similarly, connect this with the aggregates, the constituents, the sense fields, dependent origination, all the perfections, the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, all the emptinesses, the powers, the fearlessnesses, the detailed and thorough knowledges, and the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha as well.
“Kauśika, those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family do not teach a counterfeit perfection of wisdom when they teach, ‘Son of a good family, you thus should not even look at the knowledge of all aspects as impermanent. And why? Because the knowledge of all aspects is empty of the intrinsic nature of the knowledge of all aspects. That intrinsic nature of the knowledge of all aspects is nonexistent, and that which is nonexistent is the perfection of wisdom. So, in that perfection of wisdom you cannot say “the knowledge of all aspects is permanent” or “the knowledge of all aspects is impermanent.” And why? Because the knowledge of all aspects does not exist there, and given that, how could you ever view it as either permanent or impermanent?’
“Therefore, Kauśika, a son of a good family or daughter of a good family should teach the meaning of the perfection of wisdom like that. When a son of a good family or daughter of a good family teaches like that, they create a lot more merit.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family to establish the beings in Jambudvīpa, as many as there are, in the result of stream enterer, what do you think, Kauśika? Based on that, would that son of a good family or daughter of a good family create a lot of merit?”
“So then, Kauśika,” the Lord continued, “when a son of a good family or daughter of a good family gives a discourse to others and explains, reveals, makes clear, and illuminates both the meaning and the letter of the perfection of wisdom with many explanations, saying, ‘Come here, you son of a good family! Take up, bear in mind, read aloud, master, and properly pay attention to this perfection of wisdom, and focus in your practice on this perfection of wisdom as it has been expounded,’ they create a lot more merit. And why? Kauśika, it is because a stream enterer and the result of stream enterer have come about from this perfection of wisdom.
“Kauśika, let alone having led the beings in Jambudvīpa to the result of stream enterer, and let alone having led all the beings in a thousandfold world435 system to the result of stream enterer, and let alone having led all the beings in a millionfold world system to the result of stream enterer, and let alone having led all the beings in the great billionfold world system to the result of stream enterer, Kauśika, were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family to have established in the result of stream enterer as many beings standing in as many world systems in the eastern direction as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River, and similarly, were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family to have established in the result of stream enterer as many beings standing in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River in the southern, western, and northern directions, the intermediate directions, below and above, what do you think? Based on that, would that son of a good family or daughter of a good family create a lot of merit?”
“So then, Kauśika,” the Lord continued, “when a son of a good family or daughter of a good family teaches both the meaning and the letter of the perfection of wisdom to others in detail and explains, illuminates, reveals, gives a commentary on, and makes them clear, saying, ‘Come here, you son of a good family! Take up, bear in mind, read aloud, master, and properly pay attention to this perfection of wisdom, and focus in your practice on this perfection of wisdom as it has been expounded,’ they create a lot more merit. And why? Kauśika, it is because a stream enterer has come about from this perfection of wisdom.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family to establish all the beings in Jambudvīpa, as many as there are, in the result of once-returner, were to establish them in the result of non-returner, up to the state of a worthy one, what do you think, Kauśika? Based on that, would that son of a good family or daughter of a good family create a lot of merit?”
“So then, Kauśika,” the Lord continued, “a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who explains in detail to others, up to illuminates both the meaning and the letter of the perfection of wisdom with many explanations, saying, ‘Come here, you son of a good family! Take up, bear in mind, read aloud, master, and properly pay attention to this perfection of wisdom, and focus in your practice on this perfection of wisdom as it has been expounded,’ they create a lot more merit. And why? Kauśika, it is because . . . up to the state of a worthy one has come about from [F.32.a] this perfection of wisdom.
“Kauśika, let alone having led the beings in Jambudvīpa to . . . up to the state of a worthy one, were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family to have established all the beings in the four continents in . . . up to the state of a worthy one, to have established the beings in a thousandfold world system, the beings in a millionfold world system, the beings in a great billionfold world system in . . . up to the state of a worthy one, Kauśika, or were they even to have established as many beings standing in as many world systems in the eastern direction as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River, all of them, in . . . up to the state of a worthy one, what do you think? Based on that, would that son of a good family or daughter of a good family create a lot of merit?”
“So then, Kauśika,” the Lord continued, “a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who illuminates and explains this perfection of wisdom to others, saying, ‘Come here, you son of a good family! Take up, up to master this perfection of wisdom, focus in your practice on this perfection of wisdom as it has been expounded,’ they create a lot more merit. And why? Kauśika, it is because once-returners, non-returners, and worthy ones have come about from this perfection of wisdom.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family to establish all the beings, as many as there are, standing in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River in each of the ten directions, in the state of a pratyekabuddha, what do you think, Kauśika? Based on that, would that son of a good family or daughter of a good family create a lot of merit?” [F.32.b]
“So then, Kauśika,” the Lord continued, “a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who teaches, up to illuminates both the meaning and the words to those who want this perfection of wisdom, saying, ‘Come here, you son of a good family! Take up this perfection of wisdom. Master it. Focus in your practice on this perfection of wisdom as it has been expounded,’ they create a lot more merit. And why? Kauśika, it is because a pratyekabuddha has come about from this perfection of wisdom.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, compared with some son of a good family or daughter of a good family who has established the beings in Jambudvīpa in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening,436 a son of a good family or daughter of a good family creates a lot more merit when explaining in detail, up to illuminating both the meaning and the words to those who want this perfection of wisdom, saying, ‘To the extent that you, son of a good family, train in this perfection of wisdom, to that extent you will gain the dharmas of the knowledge of all aspects; to the extent you gain the dharmas of the knowledge of all aspects, to that extent your vast cultivation of the perfection of wisdom will become completed; to the extent your vast cultivation of the perfection of wisdom becomes completed, to that extent you will be closer and closer to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening’; connect this in the same way with each, up to ‘you will fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.’ And why? Kauśika, it is because bodhisattvas who have produced the first thought of awakening have come about from this perfection of wisdom, and as many bodhisattvas as there are, all of them, standing in as many world systems in each direction of the ten directions as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River have come about from it [F.33.a] and have fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, were some son of a good family or daughter of a good family to establish all the beings, as many as there are, standing in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River in each direction of the ten directions, in the irreversible state, what do you think, Kauśika? Based on that, would that son of a good family or daughter of a good family create a lot of merit?”
“So then, Kauśika,” the Lord continued, “a son of a good family or daughter of a good family who explains, up to illuminates both the meaning and the words of this perfection of wisdom to others, saying, ‘Come here, you son of a good family! Take up, up to focus in your practice on this perfection of wisdom as it has been expounded. To the extent that you, son of a good family, focus in your practice on this perfection of wisdom as it has been expounded, to that extent you will gain the dharmas of the knowledge of all aspects’; connect this in the same way with each, up to ‘you will fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening,’ they, Kauśika, will create a lot more merit. And why? Kauśika, it is because irreversible bodhisattvas have come about from this perfection of wisdom.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, compared with all the beings in Jambudvīpa, as many as there are, having set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, a son of a good family or daughter of a good family, Kauśika, creates a lot more merit when explaining, up to illuminating both the meaning and the words of this perfection of wisdom for them, saying, [F.33.b] ‘Come here, you son of a good family! Take up this perfection of wisdom, up to focus in your practice on this perfection of wisdom as it has been expounded. To the extent that you, son of a good family, focus in your practice on this perfection of wisdom as it has been expounded, to that extent you will have trained in this perfection of wisdom and will stand in the irreversible state and gradually fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.’
“Furthermore, Kauśika, compared with some son of a good family or daughter of a good family who has established the beings standing in the four continents; or the beings standing in a thousandfold world system, in a millionfold world system, or in the great billionfold world system; or the beings, as many as there are, in as many world systems in each of the ten directions as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River, all of them, in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, a son of a good family or daughter of a good family creates a lot more merit when explaining and illuminating both the meaning and the words of the perfection of wisdom for those beings, saying, ‘Come here, you son of a good family! Take up this perfection of wisdom, up to focus in your practice on this perfection of wisdom as it has been expounded. By focusing on it you will stand in the irreversible state and gradually fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.’
“Furthermore, Kauśika, compared with some son of a good family or daughter of a good family who establishes all the beings, as many as there are, in Jambudvīpa in the state irreversible from unsurpassed, perfect, [F.34.a] complete awakening and explains, up to illuminates both the meaning and the words of this perfection of wisdom to them, some son of a good family or daughter of a good family creates a lot more merit from teaching both the meaning and the words of this perfection of wisdom to a single one among them who says, ‘I want quickly to awaken fully to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.’
“Compared with someone who establishes as many being as there are standing in as many world systems in each of the ten directions as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River, all of them, in the irreversible state, and explains this perfection of wisdom to them, someone creates a lot more merit from teaching both the meaning and the words of this perfection of wisdom to one among them who says, ‘I want quickly to awaken fully to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.’ ”
“Lord,” said Śatakratu, “to the extent that bodhisattva great beings are closer and closer to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, to that very extent bodhisattva great beings have to be advised and instructed in this perfection of wisdom, have to be advised and instructed in the perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, and perfection of giving; have to be advised and instructed in all the emptinesses; have to be advised and instructed in the applications of mindfulness, right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and paths; [F.34.b] and have to be advised and instructed in the ten tathāgata powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, and eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha.
“They have to be taken care of with requirements—robes, alms, beds and seats, and medicines for sicknesses.
“Those bodhisattva great beings have to be taken care of with a combination of both the dharmas beginning with the perfections and the required material things.
“Taking care of them with both instruction in the dharmas and with the required material things creates more merit than the earlier two done separately.
“And why? Because it thus happens that bodhisattva great beings taken care of with the requirements are advised and instructed in the perfections, are advised and instructed in all the emptinesses, are advised and instructed in the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, and are advised and instructed in the ten powers, the fearlessnesses, the detailed and thorough knowledges, and the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha.”
Then venerable Subhūti said to Śatakratu, head of the gods, “Excellent, Kauśika, excellent that you have produced enthusiasm in sons of a good family or daughters of a good family, those bodhisattva great beings in the Great Vehicle. It is your work. Noble śrāvakas who want to look after beings should produce an enthusiasm for bodhisattva great beings fully awakening to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. They should take care of and protect bodhisattva great beings with a combination of doctrine and material things. And why? Lord, it is because the śrāvaka saṅgha comes about from them, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle comes about from them, and the Great Vehicle also comes about from them. Were bodhisattva great beings not to have produced the thought of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, [F.35.a] and were bodhisattva great beings not to have trained in the six perfections, and not to have trained in the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, the ten powers, the fearlessnesses, the detailed and thorough knowledges, and the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, they would not fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Having fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, they abolish the hells of all world systems, abolish the birthplaces of the animal world, and abolish all the regions of ghosts. Great sāla tree–like royal families appear, great sāla tree–like brahmin families appear, and great sāla tree–like business families appear. The Cāturmahārājika gods appear, there are the Trāyastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, Paranirmitavaśavartin, Brahmakāyika, Brahmapurohita, Brahmapārṣadya, Parīttābha, Apramāṇābha, Ābhāsvara, Parīttaśubha, Apramāṇaśubha, Śubhakṛtsna, Bṛhatphala, and Śuddhāvāsa—Avṛha, Sudṛśa, Sudarśana, Atapa, and Akaniṣṭha—gods, and there are the Ākāśānantyāyatana, [F.35.b] the Vijñānānantyāyatana, Ākiṃcityāyatana, and Naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñāyatana gods. The perfection of giving appears in the world, and the perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom appear in the world. Inner emptiness, up to and the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature appears in the world; and the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening appear in the world, up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha appear in the world. The Śrāvaka Vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and the Great Vehicle appear in the world.”
This was the thirty-second chapter, “The Superiority of Merit,” of “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines.”