The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines
Chapter 44: Made Up
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
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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 44: Made Up
Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, this perfection of wisdom is deep. Lord, this perfection of wisdom has been made available through tremendous work. This perfection of wisdom has been made available through incomparable work, immeasurable work, incalculable work, [F.144.a] work equal to the unequaled.”
Venerable Subhūti having said this, the Lord replied to him, “Exactly so, Subhūti, exactly so! Subhūti, this perfection of wisdom has been made available through tremendous work. This perfection of wisdom has been made available through incomparable work, immeasurable work, incalculable work, work equal to the unequaled. And why? Subhūti, it is because the six perfections make up this deep perfection of wisdom. Subhūti, it is because inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature make it up; and the four applications of mindfulness, four right efforts, four legs of miraculous power, five faculties, five powers, seven limbs of awakening, and eightfold noble path make up this deep perfection of wisdom. Subhūti, it is because the Tathāgata’s ten powers make up this deep perfection of wisdom; the four fearlessnesses, four detailed and thorough knowledges, and eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha make it up; and because, Subhūti, the buddha, up to the knowledge of all aspects make up this deep perfection of wisdom.
“To illustrate, Subhūti, all royal work and all civic work of a king from a royal family who has been crowned in a consecration ceremony, who is powerful and has become His Majesty to his people, is given to a minister to do, so the king is less concerned with it and is relieved of the burden. Similarly, all the dharmas of śrāvakas, or all the dharmas of pratyekabuddhas, or all the dharmas of bodhisattvas, or all the buddha dharmas, whatever they are, they all make up the perfection of wisdom; it is this perfection of wisdom that [F.144.b] does their work. Therefore, Subhūti, this perfection of wisdom has been made available through tremendous work. Subhūti, this perfection of wisdom has been made available through incomparable work, immeasurable work, incalculable work, work equal to the unequaled. And why? Because, Subhūti, this deep perfection of wisdom is made available so you do not hold on to and do not settle down on form; this deep perfection of wisdom is made available so you do not hold on to and do not settle down on feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness; this deep perfection of wisdom is made available so you do not hold on to and do not settle down on . . . up to the knowledge of all aspects; this deep perfection of wisdom is made available so you do not hold on to and do not settle down on the result of stream enterer; and similarly, this deep perfection of wisdom is made available so you do not hold on to and do not settle down on the result of once-returner, the result of non-returner, the state of a worthy one, a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, up to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.”
“Lord,” asked Subhūti, “how is this perfection of wisdom made available so you do not hold on to and do not settle down on form? Lord, how is this deep perfection of wisdom made available so you do not hold on to and do not settle down on feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness? How is this deep perfection of wisdom made available so you do not hold on to and do not settle down on . . . up to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening?”
“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “do you see that form which you might hold on to and might settle down on, or which itself holds on and settles down? Subhūti, do you see that [F.145.a] feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness which you might hold on to and might settle down on, or which itself holds on and settles down?”
“No, Lord,” he replied.
“Subhūti, do you see that unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening which you might hold on to and might settle down on, or which itself holds on and settles down?” he asked.
“No, Lord,” he replied.
“Excellent, excellent, Subhūti!” said the Lord. “Subhūti, I too do not see that form which you might hold on to and might settle down on, or which itself holds on and settles down. Subhūti, I too do not see . . . up to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. And because I do not see it, I do not hold on to it. Because I do not hold on to it, I do not settle down on it. Subhūti, I too do not see a buddha level, all-knowledge, knowledge of all aspects, or tathāgatahood. And because I do not see it, I do not hold on to it. Because I do not hold on to it, I do not settle down on it. Therefore, Subhūti, bodhisattvas should not hold on to and should not settle down on form. They should not hold on to and should not settle down on feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness. Similarly, connect this with they should not hold onto and should not settle down on a buddha level, all-knowledge, knowledge of all aspects, or tathāgatahood.”
Then the gods living in the desire realm and in the form realm said to the Lord, “Lord, this perfection of wisdom is deep, [F.145.b] hard to behold, hard to understand, not something about which you can speculate, not an object of speculative thought, calm, investigated as subtle, delicate, an object to be known by the brilliantly learned and wise. Lord, those bodhisattvas who believe in this perfection of wisdom served well the victors of the past and have been assisted by spiritual friends. Lord, those beings who believe in this deep perfection of wisdom keep on producing wholesome roots.
“Lord, even if all the beings who are in the great billionfold world system were faith followers, Dharma followers, the eighth,522 stream enterers, once-returners, non-returners, worthy ones, and pratyekabuddhas, still, far superior to their knowledge and effort in, and single day’s pleasure in, and forbearance for thinking about, weighing, testing, exploration, and examination of this deep perfection of wisdom would be a single day’s523 pleasure in and forbearance for this sort of perfection of wisdom.
“And why? Because that knowledge and effort of faith followers, Dharma followers, the eighth, and stream enterers, as well as the knowledge and effort of once-returners, non-returners, worthy ones, and pratyekabuddhas, is524 the forbearance of the bodhisattva great beings who have gained forbearance for the nonproduction of dharmas.”
Then the Lord said to the gods living in the desire realm and in the form realm, “Excellent, excellent, gods! Exactly so, gods, exactly so! The knowledge and effort of faith followers, Dharma followers, the eighth, [F.146.a] stream enterers, once-returners, non-returners, worthy ones, and pratyekabuddhas is the forbearance of the bodhisattva great beings who have gained forbearance for the nonproduction of dharmas. Gods, you should know that any sons of a good family or daughters of a good family who hear this perfection of wisdom and, having heard this perfection of wisdom, write it out, and having written it out, transmit, recite, and properly pay attention to it are sons of a good family or daughters of a good family who will quickly pass into complete nirvāṇa, while those in the Śrāvaka Vehicle and Pratyekabuddha Vehicle practicing other sūtras unconnected with this perfection of wisdom are not like that. And why? Because what faith followers and Dharma followers have to train in; what stream enterers, once-returners, non-returners, and worthy ones, and those who have set out in the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle have to train in; what bodhisattva great beings have to train in; and the most excellent dharmas that tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas who have fully awakened, will fully awaken, and are fully awakening to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening have trained in are taught in detail in this perfection of wisdom.”
Then the gods living in the desire realm and in the form realm said to the Lord, crying out cries of delight, “Lord, this—namely, this perfection of wisdom—is a tremendous perfection. Lord, this perfection of wisdom is an incomparable perfection, [F.146.b] immeasurable perfection, incalculable perfection, a perfection equal to the unequaled. Lord, even though faith followers, Dharma followers, the eighth, stream enterers, once-returners, non-returners, worthy ones, and pratyekabuddhas have gone forth by training in this perfection of wisdom, and bodhisattva great beings have fully awakened to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening by training in it, still there has not become less of this deep perfection and there has not become more.”
Then the gods living in the desire realm and in the form realm bowed their head to the Lord’s feet, circumambulated the Lord three times, withdrew from the presence of the Lord, and before they had gone very far disappeared—those gods who live in the desire realm to live in the desire realm, and those gods who live in the form realm to live in the form realm.
Venerable Subhūti then asked to the Lord, “Where did they die, Lord, the bodhisattva great beings who have taken birth here and believe in this deep perfection of wisdom the moment they hear it?”
“Subhūti,” replied the Lord, “bodhisattva great beings who believe in this deep perfection of wisdom the moment they hear it will not be cowed, will not tense up, will not go blank, will not be of two minds, will not doubt, will delight [F.147.a] in hearing this deep perfection of wisdom, and, having heard it, will not become separated from attention to this deep perfection of wisdom. Whether they go or come or stand or sit, constantly and always they will not give up that attention to this deep perfection of wisdom—constantly and always they will follow after those persons who are Dharma preachers. To illustrate, Subhūti, a cow with a baby calf does not let go of her calf. Similarly, Subhūti, those bodhisattva great beings newly set out in the vehicle do not give up a Dharma preacher until they have internalized this deep perfection of wisdom, taken it up, memorized and recited it, investigated it with their thinking mind, and seen and penetrated it. So, because of this deep perfection of wisdom, Subhūti, having died as humans, they have taken birth here. And why? Because those bodhisattva great beings newly set out in the vehicle have written out this deep perfection of wisdom, and, having written it out, have made it into a book, and have respected, revered, honored, and worshiped it with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners. Because of that wholesome root, Subhūti, they have died as humans and taken birth as humans who believe in this deep perfection of wisdom the moment they hear it.”
Subhūti asked, “Lord, is there one of those many bodhisattvas endowed with those good qualities who, having attended on other lord buddhas, died there, and having taken birth here believes in this [F.147.b] deep perfection of wisdom the moment they hear it, and believing in it also writes it out, and having written it out transmits, recites, and properly pays attention to it?”
“Exactly so, Subhūti, exactly so!” replied the Lord. “That bodhisattva great being who attends on other lord buddhas in other buddhafields and, having died there, takes birth here and believes in this deep perfection of wisdom the moment they hear it, and believing in it also writes it out, and having written it out clearly articulates, recites, and properly pays attention to it. And why? Because that bodhisattva great being heard this deep perfection of wisdom from those lord buddhas, and having heard it also took it up, bore it in mind, recited it, and properly paid attention to it. It is because of those wholesome roots and that proper attention that they have taken birth here.
“Furthermore, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who have died among the Tuṣita gods and, having taken birth here, share in the good fortune of humans—you should also be aware that they are indeed endowed with those good qualities as well. And why? Subhūti, it is because those bodhisattva great beings have thoroughly questioned the bodhisattva great being Maitreya about this perfection of wisdom. It is because of that wholesome root that they have taken birth here.
“Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings who have not heard or asked about the perfection of wisdom in the past have taken birth in the human world, they have doubt, go blank, and feel cowed. [F.148.a] Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings who have heard and asked about the perfection of wisdom in the past hear an explanation of this deep perfection of wisdom, they do not have doubt, do not go blank, and do not feel cowed. Connect this in the same way with Subhūti, . . . the perfection of concentration . . . the perfection of perseverance . . . the perfection of patience . . . and the perfection of morality as well. Furthermore, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings who have not heard and not asked about this perfection of giving in the past hear an explanation of this deep perfection of wisdom, they have doubt, go blank, and feel cowed.
“Furthermore, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings who have not heard and not asked about inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature in the past hear an explanation of this deep perfection of wisdom, they have doubt, go blank, and feel cowed.
“Furthermore, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings who have not heard and not asked about the four applications of mindfulness in the past hear an explanation of this deep perfection of wisdom, they have doubt, go blank, and feel cowed. Furthermore, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings who have not heard about the four right efforts, four legs of miraculous power, five faculties, five powers, seven limbs of awakening, and eightfold noble path in the past, or have heard but have not asked about them, hear an explanation of this deep perfection of wisdom, they have doubt, [F.148.b] go blank, and feel cowed.
“Furthermore, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings have heard and asked about this deep perfection of wisdom in the past, but even after hearing and asking about it still do not put it into practice and do not meditate on this deep perfection of wisdom for one day, or two days, or three days, or four days, or five days, or six days, or even ten days, they get robbed of it and they become separated from this deep perfection of wisdom. And why? Subhūti, it is because bodhisattva great beings who sometimes do and sometimes do not have the desire to practice the perfection of wisdom get robbed of it, because their minds are flighty like a wisp of cotton. Subhūti, you should know that, having set out in the vehicle, those bodhisattva great beings have not gone far, have not been looked after by spiritual friends, and have not attended on a perfectly complete buddha.
“Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings who have not clearly articulated this deep perfection of wisdom, have not recited, have not properly paid attention to, and have not trained in the perfection of wisdom; bodhisattva great beings who have not trained in the perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, or perfection of giving; who have not trained in inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature; [F.149.a] who have not trained in the applications of mindfulness; who have not trained in the right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, or path; and who have not trained in the five clairvoyances, the powers, the fearlessnesses, the detailed and thorough knowledges, the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, up to the knowledge of all aspects—Subhūti, you should know that they have newly set out in the vehicle. Subhūti, they just have faith, they just find pleasure in this deep perfection of wisdom, but they are not able to write out, read aloud, clearly articulate, recite from memory, or properly pay attention to this deep perfection of wisdom. Subhūti, sons of a good family or daughters of a good family in the Bodhisattva Vehicle who do not write out this deep perfection of wisdom, do not clearly articulate it, do not recite it, do not properly pay attention to it, and also do not take up this deep perfection of wisdom, up to do not take up the knowledge of all aspects, do not put this deep perfection of wisdom into practice, connect this in the same way with each, up to do not put this knowledge of all aspects into practice—you should know that they will come to be at one of these two levels—that is, the śrāvaka level or the pratyekabuddha level. Why? Because those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family did not write out this deep perfection of wisdom in the past, and did not clearly articulate it, did not recite it, and did not properly pay attention to it. This deep perfection of wisdom did not look after them, and those bodhisattva [F.149.b] great beings also did not put this deep perfection of wisdom into practice. Therefore, you should know that those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family will come to be at one of those two levels.”
This was the forty-fourth chapter, “Made Up,” of “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines.”