The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines
Chapter 36: Teaching the Purity of All Dharmas
- Jinamitra
- Surendrabodhi
- Yeshé Dé
Toh 10
Degé Kangyur, vol. 29 (shes phyin, khri brgyad, ka), folios 1.a–300.a; vol. 30 (shes phyin, khri brgyad, kha), folios 1.a–304.a; vol. 31 (shes phyin, khri brgyad, 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 1.0.21 (2023)
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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 36: Teaching the Purity of All Dharmas
“It is deep, Śāriputra, because it is extremely pure,” said the Lord.
“On account of what being extremely pure is it deep?” asked Śāriputra.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, [F.67.a] “it is deep because form is extremely pure. It is deep because feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are extremely pure. It is deep because the earth element, water element, fire element, wind element, space element, and consciousness element are extremely pure. It is deep because the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind are extremely pure. It is deep because a form, a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and dharmas are extremely pure. It is deep because the perfection of giving is extremely pure. It is deep because the perfections of morality, patience, perseverance, concentration, and wisdom are extremely pure. It is deep because inner emptiness is extremely pure, up to it is deep because the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature is extremely pure. It is deep because the applications of mindfulness are extremely pure. It is deep because the right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and path are extremely pure. It is deep because the ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, and distinct attributes of a buddha are extremely pure. It is deep because awakening is extremely pure, up to the knowledge of all aspects is extremely pure.”
“Purity is light, Śāriputra, because it is extremely pure,” said the Lord.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, [F.67.b] “purity is light because form is extremely pure. Purity is light because feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are extremely pure. Purity is light because the eyes are extremely pure. Purity is light because the ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind are extremely pure. Purity is light because a form, a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and dharmas are extremely pure. Purity is light because the earth element, water element, fire element, wind element, space element, and consciousness element are extremely pure. Purity is light because the perfection of giving is extremely pure. Purity is light because the perfections of morality, patience, perseverance, concentration, and wisdom are extremely pure. Purity is light because inner emptiness is extremely pure, up to purity is light because the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature is extremely pure. Purity is light because the applications of mindfulness are extremely pure. Purity is light because the right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and path are extremely pure. Purity is light because the ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, and eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha are extremely pure, up to purity is light because the knowledge of all aspects is extremely pure.”
“That is because it is extremely pure, Śāriputra,” said the Lord.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, [F.68.a] “form does not link up because it does not change places, so it is pure, up to the knowledge of all aspects does not link up because it does not change places, so it is pure.”
“Because it is extremely pure, Śāriputra,” said the Lord.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “because form is naturally without defilement it is pure, up to because the knowledge of all aspects is naturally without defilement it is pure.”
“Because it is extremely pure, Śāriputra,” said the Lord.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “because of not obtaining and not clearly realizing form it is pure, up to because of not obtaining and not clearly realizing the knowledge of all aspects it is pure.”
“Because it is extremely pure, Śāriputra,” said the Lord.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “because form does not come into being it is pure, up to because the knowledge of all aspects does not come into being it is pure.”
“Because it is extremely pure, Śāriputra,” said the Lord.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “purity does not arise because you cannot apprehend the desire realm’s intrinsic nature.”
“Lord, purity does not arise in the form realm,” said Śāriputra.
“Because it is extremely pure, Śāriputra,” said the Lord.
“Lord, why does purity not arise in the form realm?” asked Śāriputra.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “purity does not arise because you cannot apprehend the form realm’s intrinsic nature.”
“Lord, purity does not arise in the formless realm,” said Śāriputra.
“Because it is extremely pure, Śāriputra,” said the Lord.
“Lord, why does purity not arise in the formless realm?” asked Śāriputra.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “purity does not arise because you cannot apprehend the formless realm’s intrinsic nature.”
“Because it is extremely pure, Śāriputra,” said the Lord.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “purity does not know because dharmas are inanimate material.”
“Because it is extremely pure, Śāriputra,” said the Lord.
“Lord, purity does not know feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness,” said Śāriputra.
“Because it is extremely pure, Śāriputra,” said the Lord.
“Lord, why does purity not know feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness?” asked Śāriputra.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “purity does not know feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness because it is empty of its own mark.”
“Because they are extremely pure, Śāriputra,” said the Lord.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “purity does not know all dharmas because all dharmas cannot be found.”
“Lord, the perfection of wisdom does not help, nor does it hinder, the knowledge of all aspects,” said Śāriputra.
“Lord, why does the perfection of wisdom not help or hinder the knowledge of all aspects?” asked Śāriputra.
“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “the perfection of wisdom does not help or hinder the knowledge of all aspects because of the establishment of the dharma-constituent.”
“Lord, the purity that is the perfection of wisdom does not assist any dharma,” said Śāriputra.
“Because it is extremely pure, Śāriputra,” said the Lord.
“Lord, why does the perfection of wisdom not assist any dharma?” asked Śāriputra.
“Because the dharma-constituent is without movement,” said the Lord.
“Because it is extremely pure, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Lord, why is form extremely pure because self is pure?” asked Subhūti.
“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “because of the nonexistence of self the nonexistence of form is extremely pure.”
“Lord, feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are pure because self is pure,” said Subhūti.
“Because they are extremely pure, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Lord, why are feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness extremely pure because self is pure?” asked Subhūti. [F.70.a]
“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “because of the nonexistence of self the nonexistence of feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness is extremely pure.”
“Lord,” said Subhūti, “the perfection of giving is pure because self is pure. Similarly, the perfections of morality, patience, perseverance, concentration, and wisdom are pure because self is pure; the applications of mindfulness are pure because self is pure; the right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and path are pure because self is pure. Lord, because self is pure the ten tathāgata powers are pure, and similarly, Lord, the fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, and distinct attributes of a buddha are pure.”
“Because they are extremely pure, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Lord, why are all the buddhadharmas extremely pure because self is pure?” asked Subhūti.
“Subhūti, because of the nonexistence of self the nonexistence of all the buddhadharmas is extremely pure,” said the Lord.
“Lord, the result of stream enterer is pure because self is pure. Similarly, Lord, the result of once-returner, the result of non-returner, the state of a worthy one, and a pratyekabuddha’s awakening are pure because self is pure,” said Subhūti.
“Lord, why is the result of stream enterer pure because self is pure? Why are the result of once-returner, the result of non-returner, the state of a worthy one, and a pratyekabuddha’s awakening pure because self is pure?” asked Subhūti.
“Because they are extremely pure, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Because it is extremely pure, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Lord, the knowledge of all aspects is pure because self is pure,” said Subhūti.
“Because it is extremely pure, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Lord, there is no obtaining and no clear realization of nonduality and purity,” said Subhūti.
“Because they are extremely pure, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Lord, why is there is no obtaining and no clear realization of nonduality and purity?” asked Subhūti.
“Because there is no defilement and no purification, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Because it is extremely pure, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Because of the emptiness of what transcends limits and the emptiness of no beginning and no end, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Lord, feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are unlimited because self is unlimited,” said Subhūti.
“Because they are extremely pure, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Lord, why are feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness unlimited and pure because self is unlimited?” asked Subhūti.
“Because of the emptiness of what transcends limits and the emptiness of no beginning and no end, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Lord, such a realization as that is the perfection of wisdom of bodhisattva great beings,” said Subhūti.
“Because it is extremely pure, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Lord, why is such a realization as that the perfection of wisdom of bodhisattva great beings?” asked Subhūti.
“Because it is the knowledge of path aspects, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Lord, you cannot apprehend the perfection of wisdom of bodhisattva great beings [F.71.b] on this side, on the farther side, or on neither,” said Subhūti.
“Because it is extremely pure, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Lord, why can you not apprehend the perfection of wisdom of bodhisattva great beings on this side, on the farther side, or on neither?” asked Subhūti.
“Because of the sameness of the three time periods, Subhūti,” said the Lord.
“Lord,” said Subhūti, “if without skillful means a son of a good family or daughter of a good family in the Great Vehicle forms a notion of this perfection of wisdom by way of thus apprehending something, they will nullify the perfection of wisdom and distance themselves from the perfection of wisdom.”
“Excellent, Subhūti, excellent! Exactly so, Subhūti, exactly so!” said the Lord. “They are attached to a name and attached to a causal sign, Subhūti, even though all dharmas are without causal signs and without names.”
“Lord, how are they attached to a name and attached to a causal sign?” asked Subhūti.
“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “here a son of a good family or daughter of a good family in the Great Vehicle seizes on this perfection of wisdom as a name, seizes on this perfection of wisdom as a causal sign, and, having seized on a name and causal sign, falsely projects a perfection of wisdom. Because they falsely project a perfection of wisdom they forsake and distance themselves from the perfection of wisdom.”
“Lord, such an excellent exposition and excellent definitive teaching of this perfection of wisdom and those who are attached and not attached to bodhisattva great beings is amazing,” said Subhūti.
Then venerable Śāriputra asked venerable Subhūti, “Venerable Subhūti, who are those bodhisattva great beings who are attached, and who are those who are not attached to the perfection of wisdom?”
“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “here when sons of a good family or daughters of a good family in the Bodhisattva Vehicle [F.72.a] without skillful means perceive that form is ‘empty,’ they are attached; when they perceive that feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are ‘empty,’ they are attached, and similarly with the constituents, elements, and dependent origination too. When they perceive that the perfection of giving is ‘empty,’ they are attached, and similarly, when they perceive that the perfection of morality, patience, perseverance, concentration, and wisdom are ‘empty,’ they are attached. Similarly, when they perceive that the applications of mindfulness are ‘empty,’ they are attached, and similarly, when they perceive that the right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, path, ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, distinct attributes of a buddha, and knowledge of all aspects are ‘empty,’ they are attached.
“Furthermore, Venerable Śāriputra, when sons of a good family or daughters of a good family in the Bodhisattva Vehicle without skillful means perceive that past dharmas are ‘past dharmas,’ they are attached; when they perceive that future dharmas are ‘future,’ they are attached; and when they perceive present dharmas are ‘present,’ they are attached.
“Furthermore, Venerable Śāriputra, starting from the first production of the thought, when sons of a good family or daughters of a good family in the Bodhisattva Vehicle without skillful means practice the perfection of giving by way of apprehending something, they are attached; when they practice the perfections of morality, patience, perseverance, concentration, and wisdom, they are attached; when they practice the applications of mindfulness, right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and path, [F.72.b] they are attached; and when they practice the ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, distinct attributes of a buddha, and knowledge of all aspects, they are attached.
“Venerable Śāriputra, you have asked, ‘Who are those bodhisattva great beings not attached to practicing the perfection of wisdom?’ Venerable Śāriputra, it does not occur to bodhisattva great beings with skillful means practicing the perfection of wisdom to think like this: Form does not perceive form, feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness does not perceive consciousness; nor do past dharmas not perceive past dharmas, nor do future dharmas not perceive future dharmas, nor do present dharmas not perceive present dharmas. Venerable Śāriputra, because of inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner and outer emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate reality, the emptiness of the compounded, the emptiness of the uncompounded, the emptiness of what transcends limits, the emptiness of no beginning and no end, the emptiness of nonrepudiation, the emptiness of a basic nature, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of its own mark, the emptiness of not apprehending, the emptiness of a nonexistent thing, the emptiness of an intrinsic nature, and the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, it does not occur to bodhisattva great beings with skillful means practicing the perfection of wisdom to think, ‘I am giving a gift; I am giving to them; I am giving this,’ and similarly, ‘I am cultivating morality . . . patience . . . perseverance . . . concentration . . . and wisdom, I am cultivating this wisdom, [F.73.a] I am cultivating wisdom like this’; ‘I am increasing merit, I am increasing this merit, I am increasing merit like this’; and ‘I am entering into the secure state of a bodhisattva, I am purifying a buddhafield, I am bringing beings to maturity, I am accomplishing the knowledge of all aspects.’ Venerable Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings with skillful means practicing the perfection of wisdom do not have such ideas. Venerable Śāriputra, those are the bodhisattva great beings who are not attached to practicing the perfection of wisdom.”
Then Śatakratu, head of the gods, asked venerable Subhūti, “Venerable monk Subhūti, in what way do bodhisattva great beings become attached?”
“Kauśika,” replied Subhūti, “here all that bodhisattvas perceive as the thought of awakening; all they perceive as giving, morality, patience, perseverance, concentration, and wisdom; all they perceive as inner emptiness, up to perceive as the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature; all they perceive as the ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, and distinct attributes of a buddha; all they perceive as the lord buddhas; and all they perceive as the wholesome roots produced from the buddhas—all of that they compress together and collect into one, weigh, and dedicate to467 unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. That is the bodhisattva great beings’ attachment. On account of it they are not able to practice the perfection of wisdom that has no attachment. And why? Kauśika, [F.73.b] it is because the basic nature of form cannot be dedicated. Kauśika, it is because the basic nature of feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness cannot be dedicated, and similarly, up to it is because the basic nature of the knowledge of all aspects cannot be dedicated.
“Furthermore, Kauśika, bodhisattva great beings who want to teach and want to inspire others to take up unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening should teach them, inspire them to take it up, motivate them, and excite them with a thinking mind that understands things as they really are and one way or another should teach so that when practicing the perfection of giving they do not have the idea, ‘I am giving a gift, I am guarding morality, I am being patient, I am making a vigorous effort, I am becoming absorbed in concentration, I am cultivating wisdom; I am practicing inner emptiness, up to I am practicing the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature; I am cultivating the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening; or I am practicing for the sake of awakening.’ Bodhisattva great beings who teach, inspire to take up, motivate, and excite others in that way do not destroy themselves, and they inspire others with the inspiration to take it up endorsed by the buddhas. Kauśika, bodhisattva great beings should teach others, should inspire others to take up, should motive others, and should excite others. Those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family will eliminate all [F.74.a] the extremes of attachment like that.”
Then the Lord said to venerable Subhūti, “Excellent, excellent, Subhūti, that you teach those extremes of attachment that bodhisattva great beings have. Subhūti, I will teach you other sorts of attachment even more subtle than those. Listen well and hard and pay attention, and I will speak to you about them.”
The Lord said, “Venerable Subhūti, when those sons of a good family and daughters of a good family who have set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening pay attention to the tathāgatas as a causal sign, then, to the extent that they pay attention to a causal sign, to that extent they are attached. Furthermore, there are the wholesome roots of those tathāgatas starting from when they first produced the thought, up to their full awakening to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, passing into complete nirvāṇa in the element of nirvāṇa without any aggregates left behind, and the lasting of their good Dharma. When they pay attention to them, as many as there are, as a causal sign, and while paying attention dedicate them to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, then, Subhūti, to the extent that they pay attention to a causal sign, to that extent they are attached. There are those wholesome roots of tathāgatas free from all attachment and the wholesome roots of beings other than those. When they pay attention to them as a causal sign and dedicate them to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening, then, Subhūti, to the extent that they pay attention to a causal sign, to that extent they are attached.
“And why? Subhūti, it is because the tathāgatas are not something you should pay attention to as a causal sign, [F.74.b] and the wholesome roots of those other than them are not something you should pay attention to as a causal sign either.”
“Subhūti, it is because all dharmas are isolated in their basic nature,” said the Lord.
“Subhūti,” said the Lord, “nobody can fully awaken to the perfection of wisdom because it is unmade and has not caused anything to come into being.”
“Subhūti,” said the Lord, “this is because the basic nature of a dharma is not two; it is simply one. And that one basic nature of a dharma is not a basic nature. What is not a basic nature is not made, and what is not made has not caused anything to come into being. Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings know the one basic nature that is not a basic nature, that is unmade, and that has not caused anything to come into being, they eliminate all the extremes of attachment.”
“Subhūti,” said the Lord, “this is because nobody has seen, heard, thought about, been conscious of, or fully awakened to the perfection of wisdom.”
“Subhūti,” said the Lord, “this is because [F.75.a] nobody has known the perfection of wisdom. It is not known through form; it is not known through feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness; it is not known through the constituents, sense fields, dependent origination, perfections, all the emptinesses, or dharmas on the side of awakening; and it is not known through the powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, or distinct attributes of a buddha.”
This was the thirty-sixth chapter, “Teaching the Purity of All Dharmas,” of “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines.”