The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines
Chapter 34: Perfect Praise of the Quality of Accomplishment
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 34: Perfect Praise of the Quality of Accomplishment
Then venerable Śāriputra said to the Lord, “Lord, the perfection of wisdom makes things clear because of absolute purity. Lord, the perfection of wisdom makes you want to bow. Lord, I bow to the perfection of wisdom. Lord, the perfection of wisdom is untainted by all three realms. Lord, the perfection of wisdom corrects visual distortions because of having eliminated all the darkness of afflictive emotion and views. Lord, the perfection of wisdom works as the highest of the dharmas on the side of awakening. Lord, the perfection of wisdom provides security because it has eliminated all hazards, terrors, and persecution. Lord, the perfection of wisdom gives light because then all beings easily appropriate [F.52.b] the five eyes. Lord, the perfection of wisdom shows the ruts449 because beings caught in the ruts avoid the two edges. Lord, the perfection of wisdom works as the knowledge of all aspects because of having eliminated all residual impressions, connections, and afflictions. Lord, the perfection of wisdom is the mother of great bodhisattvas because she gives birth to all the buddhadharmas. Lord, the perfection of wisdom is unproduced and unceasing because of being empty of its own mark. Lord, the perfection of wisdom counteracts saṃsāra because it is not unmoved and not destroyed. Lord, the perfection of wisdom works as the protector of all unprotected beings because it is the giver of all precious dharmas. Lord, the perfection of wisdom works as the ten powers because it deals with those who are untamed. Lord, the perfection of wisdom works as repeating and thus turning the wheel of the Dharma that has twelve aspects three times because it does not go forward and does not turn back.450 Lord, the perfection of wisdom works to show the intrinsic nature of all dharmas because of the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. Since this is the case, Lord, how does one stand in the perfection of wisdom?”
The Lord said, “Śāriputra, you should stand with the perfection of wisdom just as you stand with the Teacher. You should bow to the perfection of wisdom just as you bow to the Teacher. And why? Because this perfection of wisdom is not one thing and the Teacher another; the Teacher is not one thing and the perfection of wisdom another. The perfection of wisdom is itself the Teacher [F.53.a] and the Teacher is himself the perfection of wisdom, because even the tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas are a category because of the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, worthy ones, non-returners, once-returners, and stream enterers are also categories because of it. The ten wholesome actions are categories because of it. The four concentrations, four immeasurables, and four formless absorptions are categories because of it. The five clairvoyances, the five perfections, inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, the ten tathāgata powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four detailed and thorough knowledges, and the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha are categories because of it, up to the knowledge of all aspects is a category because of it.”
Then it occurred to Śatakratu, head of the gods to think, “What occasioned this inquiry by the venerable monk Śāriputra? What was the catalyst?”
Then venerable Śāriputra, understanding in his mind the thoughts occurring to Śatakratu, head of the gods, said to Śatakratu, head of the gods, “Kauśika, it occurred to you to think, ‘What occasioned this inquiry by the venerable monk Śāriputra? What was the catalyst?’ In regard to that, I made the inquiry with the thought that bodhisattva great beings assisted by the perfection of wisdom with skillful means dedicate those wholesome roots of the past, future, and present lord buddhas, as many as there are, starting from when they first produced the thought, up to for as long as their good Dharma lasts, to the knowledge of all aspects.
“Kauśika, [F.53.b] this perfection of wisdom of the bodhisattva great beings surpasses the perfection of giving, and similarly, it surpasses the perfections of morality, patience, perseverance, and concentration.
“To illustrate, without a guide a hundred, a thousand, or one hundred thousand with congenital blindness cannot even find the road, so how could they ever make it to the city? Similarly, Kauśika, without the perfection of wisdom as a guide these five perfections, like those with congenital blindness, cannot even find the path to awakening, so how could they ever make it to the city of the knowledge of all aspects? Kauśika, when the five perfections are assisted by the perfection of wisdom, then they too have eyes and get the name perfection.”
Śatakratu then inquired, “Venerable monk Śāriputra, you have said, ‘When the five perfections are assisted by the perfection of wisdom then they too have eyes and get the name perfection.’ So then, venerable monk Śāriputra, when the five perfections are assisted by the perfection of giving, do they not get the name perfection? Similarly, when the five perfections are assisted by the perfections of morality, patience, perseverance, and concentration, do those five perfections not get the name perfection either?”451
“It is not so, Kauśika, it is not so,” replied Śāriputra. “When the five perfections are assisted by the perfection of giving, they do not get the name perfection. Similarly, when the five perfections are assisted by the perfections of morality, patience, perseverance, and concentration, those five perfections do not get the name perfection either. Therefore, Kauśika, the perfection of wisdom [F.54.a] is the highest, the most excellent, foremost, the best, the most superb, sublime, and unsurpassed, and it is unrivaled by the five perfections.”
Then venerable Śāriputra asked the Lord, “Lord, how should bodhisattva great beings452 find and produce within themselves the perfection of wisdom?”
The Lord replied, “Śāriputra, they should find and produce within themselves the perfection of wisdom so they do not find and produce within themselves form; they should find and produce within themselves the perfection of wisdom so they do not find and produce within themselves feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness. Similarly, they should find and produce within themselves the perfection of wisdom so they do not find and produce within themselves constituents, sense fields, dependent originations, or the perfection of giving; they should find and produce within themselves the perfection of wisdom so they do not find and produce within themselves the perfections of morality, patience, perseverance, or concentration. They should find and produce within themselves the perfection of wisdom so they do not find and produce within themselves inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. They should find and produce within themselves the perfection of wisdom so they do not find and produce within themselves the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening. They should find and produce within themselves the perfection of wisdom so they do not find and produce within themselves the ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, or distinct attributes of a buddha. They should find and produce within themselves the perfection of wisdom so they do not find and produce within themselves the knowledge of all aspects. Thus, they should find and produce within themselves the perfection of wisdom so they do not find and produce within themselves any of those dharmas.”
Śāriputra then asked, [F.54.b] “Lord, how do they find and produce within themselves the perfection of wisdom so that they do not find and produce within themselves form? Lord, how do they find and produce within themselves the perfection of wisdom so they do not find and produce within themselves . . . up to all dharmas?”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “they should find and produce within themselves the perfection of wisdom as the nonenactment, the nonproduction, the noncessation, the nonappearance, the nondestruction, and the nonapprehension of form.”
“Lord, does finding and producing within themselves the perfection of wisdom like that cause any dharma to be gained?” asked Śāriputra.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “finding and producing within themselves the perfection of wisdom like that does not cause any dharma to be gained, and it is because it does not cause any dharma to be gained that it is counted the perfection of wisdom.”
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “it does not cause wholesome dharmas to be gained, it does not cause unwholesome dharmas to be gained, and similarly it does not cause dharmas that are basic immorality or what is not basic immorality, compounded or uncompounded, afflicted or unafflicted, ordinary or extraordinary, or defilement or purification to be gained. It does not cause the dharmas of saṃsāra to be gained, and it does not cause the dharmas of nirvāṇa to be gained. And why? [F.55.a] Because the perfection of wisdom does not make any dharma available by way of apprehending it. Therefore, it does not cause it to be gained.”
Then Śatakratu, head of the gods, asked the Lord, “Does this perfection of wisdom also not cause the knowledge of all aspects to be gained?”
The Lord said, “In regard to what you, Kauśika, have said—‘Does this perfection of wisdom also not cause the knowledge of all aspects to be gained?’—exactly so! Exactly so! The perfection of wisdom does not cause any dharma to be gained. It does not cause any to be apprehended and therefore does not cause even the knowledge of all aspects to be gained. It does not apprehend it.”
“Lord, why does this perfection of wisdom not cause the knowledge of all aspects to be gained? Why does it not apprehend it?” asked Śatakratu.
“Kauśika,” replied the Lord, “it is because the perfection of wisdom does not cause it to be gained as a name, as a causal sign, or as something to be enacted.”
“Well then, Lord, how does this perfection of wisdom cause it to be gained?” asked Śatakratu.
“Kauśika,” replied the Lord, “it is because the perfection of wisdom causes it to be gained without apprehending, without asserting, without being stationed on, without forsaking, without settling down on, without grasping, and without rejecting anything at all, but it does not cause any dharma to be gained.”
Śatakratu said, “It is amazing, Lord, how this perfection of wisdom has been made available in order to make the nonproduction, noncessation, nonenactment, nonapprehension, nonpurification, and nondestruction of all [F.55.b] dharmas easy.”
Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, if bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom have such ideas as ‘the perfection of wisdom causes all dharmas to be gained’ or ‘the perfection of wisdom does not cause all dharmas to be gained,’ then, Lord, the perfection of wisdom is forsaken, and this causes distance from the perfection of wisdom.”
The Lord replied, “There is a way in which bodhisattva great beings forsake the perfection of wisdom, a way that causes distance from the perfection of wisdom. When bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom have such ideas as ‘This perfection of wisdom rings hollow. This perfection of wisdom is in vain. This perfection of wisdom is pointless. This perfection of wisdom is a fraud,’ that makes those bodhisattva great beings forsake the perfection of wisdom. It causes those bodhisattva great beings to be distant from the perfection of wisdom.”
“The Lord is confident about the perfection of wisdom. In what dharmas do you not have confidence?”453 asked Subhūti.
“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “being confident about the perfection of wisdom, I do not have confidence in form, and I do not have confidence in feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness; I do not have confidence in eyes, and I do not have confidence in ears, nose, tongue, body, or thinking mind; I do not have confidence in a form, and I do not have confidence in a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, or dharmas; I do not have confidence in the perfection of giving, [F.56.a] and I do not have confidence in the perfections of morality, patience, perseverance, concentration, or wisdom;454 I do not have confidence in inner emptiness, up to and I do not have confidence in the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature. I do not have confidence in the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening. I do not have confidence in the ten powers, four fearlessnesses, four detailed and thorough knowledges, or eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha; I do not have confidence in the result of stream enterer, and I do not have confidence in the result of once-returneror the result of non-returner, the state of a worthy one, the state of a pratyekabuddha, or unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Being confident about the perfection of wisdom, I do not have confidence in the knowledge of all aspects.”
“Lord, why, being confident about the perfection of wisdom, do you not have confidence in form, and why do you not have confidence in . . . , up to the knowledge of all aspects?” asked Subhūti.
The Lord said, “Subhūti, the perfection of wisdom gives me confidence because form cannot be apprehended. The perfection of wisdom gives me confidence because . . . , up to the knowledge of all aspects cannot be apprehended. Therefore, Subhūti, being confident about the perfection of wisdom, I do not have confidence in form, and I do not have confidence in . . . , up to the knowledge of all aspects.”
“Lord, this—namely, the perfection of wisdom—is a huge perfection,” said Subhūti.
“What do you think, Subhūti?” asked the Lord. “In what way is this perfection of wisdom a huge perfection?”
Subhūti replied, “Lord, the perfection of wisdom does not make form bigger, nor does it make it smaller; [F.56.b] it does not make feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness bigger, nor does it make them smaller; similarly, it does not make the constituents, sense fields, or dependent originations bigger nor does it make them smaller. It does not make the perfection of giving bigger, nor does it make it smaller; similarly, it does not make the perfection of morality, patience, perseverance, or concentration bigger, nor does it make them smaller; it does not make inner emptiness bigger, nor does it make it smaller; it does not make . . . up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature bigger, nor does it make it smaller; it does not make the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening bigger, nor does it make them smaller; it does not make the powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, or distinct attributes of a buddha bigger, nor does it make them smaller; it does not make awakening bigger, nor does it make it smaller; and it does not make an awakened one bigger, nor does it make an awakened one smaller.
“It does not compress form, nor does it expand it; it does not compress feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness, nor does it expand them; up to it does not compress awakening or an awakened one, nor does it expand them.
“It does not make form measurable, nor does it make it immeasurable; it does not make feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness measurable, nor does it does not make them immeasurable; up to it does not make awakening or an awakened one measurable, nor does it make them immeasurable.
“It does not free up form, nor does it enclose it; it does not free up feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness, nor does it enclose them; up to it does not free up awakening or an awakened one, nor does it enclose them.
“It does not strengthen form, nor does it weaken it; [F.57.a] it does not strengthen feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness, nor does it weaken them; up to it does not strengthen awakening or an awakened one, nor does it weaken them.
“In this way, Lord, this perfection of wisdom of bodhisattva great beings is a huge perfection.
“Lord, when bodhisattva great beings newly set out in the vehicle, having resorted to the perfection of wisdom and resorted to the perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, and perfection of giving, have the notion, ‘It does not make form bigger nor, does it make it smaller,’ up to ‘It does not make an awakened one bigger, nor does it make an awakened one smaller,’ up to ‘It does not strengthen, nor does it weaken form,’ those bodhisattva great beings with such notions, Lord, are not practicing the perfection of wisdom. And why? Because making form bigger or smaller, up to making an awakened one bigger or smaller is not in harmony with the perfection of wisdom as cause; strengthening or weakening form, up to and strengthening or weakening an awakened one is not in harmony with the perfection of wisdom as cause.
“And why? Because there is no awakening for those with a notion that something is being apprehended.
“Thus, you should know that the nonproduction of the perfection of wisdom is because beings are not produced. Similarly, you should know that the nonproduction of the perfection of wisdom [F.57.b] is because form is not produced, up to you should know that the nonproduction of the perfection of wisdom is because a buddha is not produced.
“You should know that the perfection of wisdom has no intrinsic nature because beings have no intrinsic nature. You should know that the perfection of wisdom has no intrinsic nature because form has no intrinsic nature, up to you should know that the perfection of wisdom has no intrinsic nature because a buddha has no intrinsic nature.
“You should know that the perfection of wisdom is not an existing thing because a being is not an existing thing. Similarly, you should know that the perfection of wisdom is not an existing thing because form is not an existing thing. You should know that the perfection of wisdom is not an existing thing because feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are not existing things, up to you should know that the perfection of wisdom is not an existing thing because a buddha is not an existing thing.
“You should know that the perfection of wisdom is empty because beings are empty. Similarly, you should know that the perfection of wisdom is empty because form is empty. You should know that the perfection of wisdom is empty because feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are empty, up to you should know that the perfection of wisdom is empty because a buddha is empty.
“Similarly, you should know that the perfection of wisdom is signless and wishless because beings are signless and wishless. Similarly, you should know that the perfection of wisdom is signless and wishless because form is signless and wishless. You should know that the perfection of wisdom is signless and wishless because feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are signless and wishless, [F.58.a] up to you should know that the perfection of wisdom is signless and wishless because a buddha is signless and wishless.
“Similarly, you should know the isolation and nonexistence of the perfection of wisdom because of the isolation and nonexistence of beings.
“Similarly, you should know the inconceivability of the perfection of wisdom because of the inconceivability of beings.
“You should know the nondestruction of the perfection of wisdom because of the nondestruction of beings.
“You should know that there is no full awakening of the perfection of wisdom because there is no full awakening of beings. You should know that there is no full awakening of the perfection of wisdom because there is no full awakening of form. You should know that there is no full awakening of the perfection of wisdom because there is no full awakening of feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness, up to you should know that there is no full awakening of the perfection of wisdom because there is no full awakening of a buddha.
“You should know that the perfection of wisdom is not endowed with the powers because beings are not endowed with the powers. You should know that the perfection of wisdom is not endowed with the powers because form is not endowed with the powers. You should know that the perfection of wisdom is not endowed with the powers because feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are not endowed with the powers, [F.58.b] up to you should know that the perfection of wisdom is not endowed with the powers because a buddha is not endowed with the powers.
“In this way too, Lord, this perfection of wisdom of bodhisattva great beings is a huge perfection.”
This was the thirty-fourth chapter, “Perfect Praise of the Quality of Accomplishment,” of “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines.”