• The Collection
  • The Kangyur
  • Discourses
  • Perfection of Wisdom

This rendering does not include the entire published text

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https://read.84000.co/data/toh10_84000-the-perfection-of-wisdom-in-eighteen-thousand-lines.pdf

ཤེར་ཕྱིན་ཁྲི་བརྒྱད་སྟོང་པ།

The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines
Chapter 8: The Religious Mendicant Śreṇika

Aṣṭā­daśa­sāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā
འཕགས་པ་ཤེས་རབ་ཀྱི་ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ་ཁྲི་བརྒྱད་སྟོང་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ།
’phags pa shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa khri brgyad stong pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po’i mdo
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines”
Āryāṣṭā­daśa­sāhasrikā­prajñā­pāramitā­nāma­mahāyāna­sūtra
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Toh 10

Degé Kangyur, vol. 29 (shes phyin, ka), folios 1.a–300.a; vol. 30 (shes phyin, kha), folios 1.a–304.a; vol. 31 (shes phyin, ga), folios 1.a–206.a

Translated by Gareth Sparham
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

First published 2022
Current version v 1.0.13 (2022)
Generated by 84000 Reading Room v2.17.7

84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha is a global non-profit initiative to translate all the Buddha’s words into modern languages, and to make them available to everyone.

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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· The Translator’s Acknowledgments
· Acknowledgment of Sponsors
i. Introduction
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· About the Perfection of Wisdom Manuscripts
· The Title: Eighteen Thousand
· The Structure of the Eighteen Thousand
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· I. Introduction
· II. Brief Exegesis
· III. Intermediate Exegesis
· IV. Detailed Exegesis
· V. Summaries
· What Does the Eighteen Thousand Say?
· SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTERS
+ 62 sections- 62 sections
· Chapter 1
· Chapter 2
· Chapters 3–5
· Chapter 6
· Chapter 7
· Chapter 8
· Chapter 9
· Chapter 10
· Chapters 11–13
· Chapter 14
· Chapters 15–16
· Chapter 17
· Chapter 18
· Chapter 19
· Chapter 20
· Chapter 21
· Chapters 22–24
· Chapter 25
· Chapters 26–30
· Chapters 31–32
· Chapter 33
· Chapter 34
· Chapter 35
· Chapter 36
· Chapter 37
· Chapters 38–39
· Chapters 40–41
· Chapter 42
· Chapter 43
· Chapter 44
· Chapter 45
· Chapter 46
· Chapter 47
· Chapter 48
· Chapters 49–50
· Chapter 51
· Chapter 52
· Chapter 53
· Chapter 54
· Chapter 55
· Chapter 56
· Chapter 57
· Chapter 58
· Chapter 59
· Chapter 60
· Chapters 61–62
· Chapter 63
· Chapters 64–72
· Chapter 73
· Chapter 74
· Chapter 75
· Chapter 76
· Chapter 77
· Chapter 78
· Chapter 79
· Chapter 80
· Chapter 81
· Chapter 82
· Chapter 83
· Chapter 84
· Chapters 85–86
· Chapter 87
tr. The Translation
+ 87 chapters- 87 chapters
1. Chapter 1: Introduction
2. Chapter 2: Production of the Thought
3. Chapter 3: Designation
4. Chapter 4: Equal to the Unequaled
5. Chapter 5: Tongue
6. Chapter 6: Subhūti
7. Chapter 7: Entry into Flawlessness
8. Chapter 8: The Religious Mendicant Śreṇika
9. Chapter 9: Causal Signs
10. Chapter 10: Illusion-Like
11. Chapter 11: Embarrassment
12. Chapter 12: Elimination of Views
13. Chapter 13: The Six Perfections
14. Chapter 14: Neither Bound nor Freed
15. Chapter 15: Meditative Stabilization
16. Chapter 16: Dhāraṇī Gateway
17. Chapter 17: Level Purification
18. Chapter 18: The Exposition of Going Forth in the Great Vehicle
19. Chapter 19: Surpassing
20. Chapter 20: Not Two
21. Chapter 21: Subhūti
22. Chapter 22: Śatakratu
23. Chapter 23: Hard to Understand
24. Chapter 24: Unlimited
25. Chapter 25: Second Śatakratu
26. Chapter 26: Getting Hold
27. Chapter 27: Reliquary
28. Chapter 28: Declaration of the Good Qualities of the Thought of Awakening
29. Chapter 29: Different Tīrthika Religious Mendicants
30. Chapter 30: The Benefits of Taking Up and Adoration
31. Chapter 31: Physical Remains
32. Chapter 32: The Superiority of Merit
33. Chapter 33: Dedication
34. Chapter 34: Perfect Praise of the Quality of Accomplishment
35. Chapter 35: Hells
36. Chapter 36: Teaching the Purity of All Dharmas
37. Chapter 37: Nobody
38. Chapter 38: Cannot Be Apprehended
39. Chapter 39: The Northern Region
40. Chapter 40: The Work of Māra
41. Chapter 41: Not Complete Because of Māra
42. Chapter 42: Revealing the World
43. Chapter 43: Inconceivable
44. Chapter 44: Made Up
45. Chapter 45: A Boat
46. Chapter 46: Teaching the Intrinsic Nature of All Dharmas
47. Chapter 47: Taming Greed
48. Chapter 48: A Presentation of the Bodhisattvas’ Training
49. Chapter 49: Irreversibility
50. Chapter 50: Teaching the Signs of Irreversibility
51. Chapter 51: Skillful Means
52. Chapter 52: Completion of Means
53. Chapter 53: The Prophecy about Gaṅgadevī
54. Chapter 54: Teaching the Cultivation of Skillful Means
55. Chapter 55: Teaching the Stopping of Thought Construction
56. Chapter 56: Equal Training
57. Chapter 57: Practice
58. Chapter 58: Exposition of the Absence of Thought Construction
59. Chapter 59: Nonattachment
60. Chapter 60: Entrusting
61. Chapter 61: Inexhaustible
62. Chapter 62: Leaping Above Absorption
63. Chapter 63: Many Inquiries About the Two Dharmas
64. Chapter 64: Perfectly Displayed
65. Chapter 65: Worshiping, Serving, and Attending on Spiritual Friends as Skillful Means
66. Chapter 66: A Demonstration of Skillful Means
67. Chapter 67: Morality
68. Chapter 68: Growing and Flourishing
69. Chapter 69: An Explanation of Meditation on the Path
70. Chapter 70: An Explanation of Serial Action, Training, and Practice
71. Chapter 71: The True Nature of Dharmas That Cannot Be Apprehended
72. Chapter 72: Teaching the Absence of Marks
73. Chapter 73: Exposition of the Major Marks and Minor Signs and the Completion of Letters
74. Chapter 74: Exposition of the Sameness of Dharmas
75. Chapter 75: Exposition of Noncomplication
76. Chapter 76: The Armor for Bringing Beings to Maturity
77. Chapter 77: Teaching the Purification of a Buddhafield
78. Chapter 78: Teaching the Skillful Means for the Purification of a Buddhafield
79. Chapter 79: Teaching the Nonexistence of an Intrinsic Nature
80. Chapter 80: Teaching That There is No Defilement or Purification
81. Chapter 81: Yogic Practice of the Ultimate
82. Chapter 82: The Unchanging True Nature of Dharmas
83. Chapter 83: Categorization of a Bodhisattva’s Training
84. Chapter 84: Collection
85. Chapter 85: Sadāprarudita
86. Chapter 86: Dharmodgata
87. Chapter 87: Entrusting
c. Colophon
ab. Abbreviations
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· Primary Sources
· Secondary References
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Sūtras
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Indic Commentaries
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Indigenous Tibetan Works
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Secondary Literature
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines is one version of the Long Perfection of Wisdom sūtras that developed in South and South-Central Asia in tandem with the Eight Thousand version, probably during the first five hundred years of the Common Era. It contains many of the passages in the oldest extant Long Perfection of Wisdom text (the Gilgit manuscript in Sanskrit), and is similar in structure to the other versions of the Long Perfection of Wisdom sūtras (the One Hundred Thousand and Twenty-Five Thousand) in Tibetan in the Kangyur. While setting forth the sacred fundamental doctrines of Buddhist practice with veneration, it simultaneously exhorts the reader to reject them as an object of attachment, its recurring message being that all dharmas without exception lack any intrinsic nature.

s.­2

The sūtra can be divided loosely into three parts: an introductory section that sets the scene, a long central section, and three concluding chapters that consist of two important summaries of the long central section. The first of these (chapter 84) is in verse and also circulates as a separate work called The Verse Summary of the Jewel Qualities (Toh 13). The second summary is in the form of the story of Sadāprarudita and his guru Dharmodgata (chapters 85 and 86), after which the text concludes with the Buddha entrusting the work to his close companion Ānanda.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

This sūtra was translated by Gareth Sparham under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

The Translator’s Acknowledgments

ac.­2

This is a good occasion to remember and thank my friend Nicholas Ribush, who first gave me a copy of Edward Conze’s translation of The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines in 1973. I also thank the Tibetan teachers and students at the Riklam Lobdra in Dharamshala, India, where I began to study the Perfection of Wisdom, for their kindness and patience; Jeffrey Hopkins and Elizabeth Napper, who steered me in the direction of the Perfection of Wisdom and have been very kind to me over the years; and Ashok Aklujkar and others at the University of British Columbia in Canada, who taught me Sanskrit and Indian culture while I was writing my dissertation on Haribhadra’s Perfection of Wisdom commentary. I thank the hermits in the hills above Riklam Lobdra and the many Tibetan scholars and practitioners who encouraged me while I continued working on the Perfection of Wisdom after I graduated from the University of British Columbia. I thank all those who continued to support me as a monk and scholar after the violent death of my friend and mentor toward the end of the millennium. I thank those at the University of Michigan and then at the University of California (Berkeley), particularly Donald Lopez and Jacob Dalton, who enabled me to complete the set of four volumes of translations from Sanskrit of the Perfection of Wisdom commentaries by Haribhadra and Āryavimuktisena and four volumes of the fourteenth-century Tibetan commentary on the Perfection of Wisdom by Tsongkhapa. I thank Gene Smith, who introduced me to 84000. I thank everyone at 84000: Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and the sponsors; the scholars, translators, editors, and technicians; and all the other indispensable people whose work has made this translation of The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines and its accompanying commentary possible.

Around me everything I see would be part of a perfect road if I had better driving skills.
Where I was born, where everything is made of concrete, it too is a perfect place.
Everyone I have been with, everyone who is near me now, and even those I have forgotten‍—there is no one who has not helped me.
So, I bow to everyone and to the world and ask for patience, and, as a boon, a smile.

Acknowledgment of Sponsors

ac.­3

We gratefully acknowledge the generous sponsorship of Matthew Yizhen Kong, Steven Ye Kong and family; An Zhang, Hannah Zhang, Lucas Zhang, Aiden Zhang, Jinglan Chi, Jingcan Chi, Jinghui Chi and family, Hong Zhang and family; Mao Guirong, Zhang Yikun, Chi Linlin; and Joseph Tse, Patricia Tse and family. Their support has helped make the work on this translation possible.


i.

Introduction

i.­1

In the introduction to his translation of The Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom in Ten Thousand Lines,1 Gyurme Dorje has given a clear account of the Tibetan tradition’s explanation (1) of the origin of the Perfection of Wisdom in the words of the Buddha on Gṛdhrakūṭa Hill in Rājagṛha some 2,500 years ago, (2) of the way the Perfection of Wisdom became extant in our world through the efforts of Nāgārjuna, and (3) of the Perfection of Wisdom’s place in the vast corpus of the Buddha’s words as “the middle turning of the wheel of the Dharma.” He has also given a brief account of the conclusions arrived at by the Western research tradition, which suggest that the Perfection of Wisdom may have originated in the south of the Indian subcontinent, perhaps the Andhra region, but more likely first began circulating in the far northwest of the Indian subcontinent. A prophecy in the text translated into English here provides some support for this conclusion. In chapter 39 the Buddha says to Śāriputra, “with the passing away of the Tathāgata this perfection of wisdom will circulate in the southern region,” and “from the country Vartani [the east] this deep perfection of wisdom will circulate into the northern region.” A comparison of early fragments of a Perfection of Wisdom in the Gāndhārī language, written in Kharoṣṭhī script and dated ca. 75 ᴄᴇ, with an early translation of a Perfection of Wisdom text into Chinese by Lokakṣema in the middle of the second century ᴄᴇ has led the Western research tradition to the tentative conclusion that the Perfection of Wisdom first circulated in written form in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent some 2,000 years ago.

About the Perfection of Wisdom Manuscripts

The Title: Eighteen Thousand

The Structure of the Eighteen Thousand

I. Introduction

II. Brief Exegesis

III. Intermediate Exegesis

IV. Detailed Exegesis

V. Summaries

What Does the Eighteen Thousand Say?

SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTERS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapters 3–5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapters 11–13

Chapter 14

Chapters 15–16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapters 22–24

Chapter 25

Chapters 26–30

Chapters 31–32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapters 38–39

Chapters 40–41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapters 49–50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapters 61–62

Chapter 63

Chapters 64–72

Chapter 73

Chapter 74

Chapter 75

Chapter 76

Chapter 77

Chapter 78

Chapter 79

Chapter 80

Chapter 81

Chapter 82

Chapter 83

Chapter 84

Chapters 85–86

Chapter 87


The Translation
The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra
The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines

1.

Chapter 1: Introduction

[V29] [F.1.b] [B1]


1.­1

We prostrate to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.


1.­2

Thus did I hear at one time. The Lord dwelt at Rājagṛha on Gṛdhrakūṭa Hill together with a great community of monks, numbering14 five thousand monks, all worthy ones with the exception of one single person‍—that is, venerable Ānanda‍—with outflows dried up, without afflictions, fully controlled, with their minds well freed and their wisdom well freed, thoroughbreds, great bull elephants, with their work done, their task accomplished, with their burden laid down, with their own goal accomplished, with the fetters that bound them to existence broken, with their hearts well freed by perfect understanding, in perfect15 control of their whole mind; [F.2.a] with nuns numbering five hundred‍—Yaśodharā, Mahāprajāpatī, and so on‍—and with a great many laymen and laywomen, all of them with a vision of the Dharma; and with an unbounded, infinite number of bodhisattva great beings, all of whom had acquired the dhāraṇīs, were dwellers in emptiness, their range the signless, and who had not fashioned any wishes, had acquired forbearance for the sameness of all dharmas, had acquired the dhāraṇī of nonattachment, with imperishable clairvoyant knowledges, and with speech worth listening to; who were not hypocrites, not fawners, without thoughts of reputation and gain; who were Dharma teachers without thought of compensation, with perfect forbearance for the deep dharmas, who had obtained the fearlessnesses, and who had transcended all the works of Māra, who had cut the continuum of karmic obscuration, were skillful in expounding the analysis of investigations into phenomena, with the prayer that is a vow made during an asaṃkhyeya of eons really fully carried out, with smiling countenances, forward in addressing others, without a frown on their faces, skillful in communicating with others in chanted verse, without feelings of depression, without losing the confidence giving a readiness to speak, and endowed with fearlessness when surpassing endless assemblies; who were skilled in going forth during an ananta of one hundred million eons, understanding phenomena to be like an illusion, a mirage, a reflection of the moon in water, a dream, an echo, an apparition, a reflection in the mirror, and a magical creation; who were skillful in comprehending the thoughts, conduct, and beliefs of all beings and subtle knowledge, [F.2.b] with unobstructed thoughts, and endowed with extreme patience; who were skilled in causing entry into reality just as it is, having appropriated all the endless arrays of the buddhafields through prayer and setting out, with the meditative stabilization recollecting buddhas in an infinite number of world systems constantly and always activated; who were skillful in soliciting innumerable buddhas; who were skillful in eliminating the various views, propensities, obsessions, and defilements; and who were skillful in accomplishing a hundred thousand feats through meditative concentration. That is, he was together with the bodhisattva great beings Bhadrapāla, Ratnākara, Ratnagarbha,16 Ratnadatta, Susārthavaha, Varuṇadeva, Guhyagupta, Indradatta, Uttaramatin, Viśeṣamatin, Vardhamāna­matin, Anantamati, Amoghadarśin, Anāvaraṇamatin, Susaṃprasthita, Su­vikrānta­vikrāmin, Anantavīrya, Nityodyukta, Nityaprayukta, Anikṣiptadhura, Sūryagarbha, Anupamamatin, and Avalokiteśvara, Mahā­sthāma­prāpta, Mañjuśrī Kumārabhūta, Māra­bala­pramardin, Vajramatin, Ratna­mudrā­hasta, Nityotkṣipta­hasta, Mahā­karuṇā­cinta, Mahāvyūha, Vyūharāja, and Merukūṭa, the bodhisattva great being Maitreya, and many hundreds of thousands of one hundred million billion other bodhisattvas as well.

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2.

Chapter 2: Production of the Thought

2.­1

When the Lord understood that the world with its celestial beings, Māras and Brahmās, śramaṇas and brahmins, gods and humans, as well as bodhisattvas, most of them in youthful form, had assembled, he said to venerable Śāriputra, “Here, Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to all dharmas in all forms should make an effort at the perfection of wisdom.”

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2.­2

The Lord having spoken thus, venerable Śāriputra inquired of him, “How then, Lord, [F.11.b] should bodhisattva great beings who want to fully awaken to all dharmas in all forms make an effort at the perfection of wisdom?”

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3.

Chapter 3: Designation

3.­1

Then [F.23.a] venerable Śāriputra inquired of the Lord, “Lord, how then should bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom?”

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3.­2

Venerable Śāriputra having thus inquired, the Lord said to him, “Śāriputra, here bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom do not, even while they are bodhisattvas, see a bodhisattva. They do not see even the word bodhisattva. They do not see awakening either, and they do not see the perfection of wisdom. They do not see that ‘they practice,’ and they do not see that ‘they do not practice.’ They also do not see that ‘while practicing they practice and while not practicing do not practice,’ and they also do not see that ‘they do not practice, and do not not practice as well.’44 They do not see form. Similarly, they do not see feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness either. And why? Because, Śāriputra, the name bodhisattva is empty of the intrinsic nature of a name. The name bodhisattva is not empty because of emptiness. A bodhisattva is also empty of the intrinsic nature of a bodhisattva, but a bodhisattva is not empty because of emptiness. Awakening, too, is empty of the intrinsic nature of awakening, but awakening is not empty because of emptiness. The perfection of wisdom, too, is empty of the intrinsic nature of the perfection of wisdom, but the perfection of wisdom is not empty because of emptiness. Form, too, is empty of the intrinsic nature of form, but form is not empty because of emptiness. [F.23.b] And feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness is45 also empty of the intrinsic nature of consciousness, but consciousness is not empty because of emptiness. And why? Because the emptiness of the name bodhisattva is not the name bodhisattva, and there is no name bodhisattva apart from emptiness, because the name bodhisattva itself is emptiness and emptiness is the name bodhisattva as well. The emptiness of the bodhisattva is not the bodhisattva and there is no bodhisattva apart from emptiness, because the bodhisattva is emptiness and emptiness is the bodhisattva as well. The emptiness of the perfection of wisdom is not the perfection of wisdom and there is no perfection of wisdom apart from emptiness, because the perfection of wisdom itself is emptiness and emptiness is the perfection of wisdom as well. The emptiness of form is not form and there is no form apart from emptiness, because form itself is emptiness and emptiness is form as well. And the emptiness of feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness is not consciousness, and there is no consciousness apart from emptiness because consciousness itself is emptiness and emptiness is consciousness as well. And why? Because this‍—namely, bodhisattva‍—is just a name; because these‍—namely, the name bodhisattva, awakening, [F.24.a] the perfection of wisdom, form, feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness‍—are just names; and because this‍—namely, emptiness‍—is just a name. Why? Because where there is no intrinsic nature there is no production, stopping,46 decrease, increase, defilement, or purification. And why? Because form is like an illusion, feeling is like an illusion, perception is like an illusion, volitional factors are like an illusion, and consciousness is like an illusion. And an illusion is just a name that does not reside somewhere, does not reside in a particular place, so the sight of an illusion is mistaken and does not exist and is devoid of an intrinsic nature. Bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom like that do not see production, do not see stopping, do not see standing, do not see decrease, do not see increase, do not see defilement, and do not see purification in any dharma at all. They do not see ‘awakening,’ and they do not see a ‘bodhisattva’ anywhere. And why? Because names are made up. In the case of each of these different dharmas they are imagined,47 unreal, names plucked out of thin air working subsequently as conventional labels, and just as they are subsequently conventionally labeled, so too are they settled down on as real. Bodhisattva [F.24.b] great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom do not see any of those names as inherently existing, and because they do not see them, they do not settle down on them as real.

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4.

Chapter 4: Equal to the Unequaled

4.­1

Then venerable Śāriputra, venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, venerable Subhūti, venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra, and venerable Mahākāśyapa, as well as other monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen celebrated for the state of their clairvoyance, and very many bodhisattva great beings said to the Lord, “This, Lord‍—that is, the perfection of wisdom‍—is the great perfection of bodhisattva great beings. This perfection of wisdom, Lord, is the vast perfection of bodhisattva great beings. This perfection of wisdom, Lord, is the highest perfection of bodhisattva great beings. It is the special perfection, it is the best perfection, it is the superb perfection, it is the sublime [F.54.b] perfection, it is the unsurpassed perfection, it is the unrivaled perfection, it is the unequaled perfection, it is the perfection equal to the unequaled, it is the calm and gentle perfection, it is the matchless perfection, it is the perfection for which no example does justice, it is the space-like perfection, it is the perfection of the emptiness of particular defining marks, it is the perfection endowed with all good qualities. This, Lord‍—that is, the perfection of wisdom‍—is the uncrushable perfection of bodhisattva great beings.


5.

Chapter 5: Tongue

5.­1

Then at that time the Lord extended his tongue and with it covered the great billionfold world system. Then from his tongue light beams of many colors, various colors, issued forth. Having issued forth, a great illumination spread through as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River to the east. Similarly, a great illumination spread through as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River to the south, west, and north, in the intermediate directions to the northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest, below and above.


6.

Chapter 6: Subhūti

6.­1

The Lord then said to venerable Subhūti, “Subhūti, starting with the perfection of wisdom, be confident in your readiness to give a Dharma discourse to the bodhisattva great beings about how bodhisattva great beings go forth in the perfection of wisdom.”

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6.­2

Then it occurred to those bodhisattva great beings, those great śrāvakas, and those gods to think, “Will venerable Subhūti instruct the bodhisattva great beings in the perfection of wisdom on account of armor in which reposes the power of his own intellect and confident readiness, or will he instruct them through the power of the Buddha?”

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7.

Chapter 7: Entry into Flawlessness

7.­1

Venerable Subhūti then said to the Lord, “Lord, bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend131 form should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend eyes should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend a form should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and a dharma should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend eye consciousness should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend up to thinking-mind consciousness should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend eye contact up to who want to comprehend thinking-mind contact should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend the feeling that arises from the condition of eye contact, up to [F.69.b] who want to comprehend the feeling that arises from the condition of thinking-mind contact should train in the perfection of wisdom. Bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend ignorance should train in the perfection of wisdom. Similarly, bodhisattva great beings who want to comprehend volitional factors, consciousness, name and form, the six sense fields, contact, feeling, craving, appropriation, existence, birth, and old age and death should train in the perfection of wisdom.

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8.

Chapter 8: The Religious Mendicant Śreṇika

8.­1

Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, given that I do not find, do not apprehend, and do not see a bodhisattva or the perfection of wisdom, to which bodhisattva will I give advice and instruction in what perfection of wisdom? Lord, given that I do not find, do not apprehend, and do not see any real basis, this really is something I might be uneasy about‍—Lord, while not finding, not apprehending, and not seeing any real basis, which dharma will advise and instruct which dharma? Because, Lord, given that I do not find, do not apprehend, and do not see all dharmas, this really is something I might be uneasy about, how I might make just the name bodhisattva and just the name perfection of wisdom wax and wane.

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8.­2

“Lord, furthermore, that name does not stand alone and does not meet up with anything.151 And why? It is because that name does not exist that it does not stand alone and does not meet up with anything. Lord, given that I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of form, and, Lord, given that I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness either, what will I label [F.75.a] with the name bodhisattva?152 By the same token, Lord, that name does not stand alone and does not meet up with anything. And why? That name does not exist, therefore it does not stand alone and does not meet up with anything.

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“Lord, given that I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the eyes, and, Lord, given that I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the ears, nose, tongue, body, or thinking mind, and similarly, given that I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the constituents, sense fields, or dependent origination, how will I label anything with153 the name bodhisattva?

8.­4

“The name form, and the names feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness, as well as ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind, do not stand alone and do not meet up with anything. And why? Those names do not exist, therefore they do not stand alone and do not meet up with anything.

8.­5

“Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of eye consciousness. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, or thinking-mind consciousness, so how will I, while not apprehending and not seeing eye consciousness, or ear, nose, tongue, body, or thinking-mind consciousness, label anything with the name bodhisattva? Lord, also those names do not stand alone and do not meet up with anything. And why? Those names do not exist, therefore they do not stand alone and do not meet up with anything.

8.­6

“Lord, I [F.75.b] do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of eye contact, of ear, nose, tongue, body, and thinking-mind contact, or of feeling that arises from the condition of eye contact. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of feeling that arises from the condition of ear, nose, tongue, and body, or thinking-mind contact. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the earth element, and I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the water element, fire element, wind element, space element, or consciousness element. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of ignorance, and, Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of volitional factors, consciousness, name and form, the six sense fields, contact, feeling, craving, appropriation, existence, birth, or old age and death. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of greed, hatred, or confusion. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of obsessions, obscurations, proclivities, or fetters. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the sixty-two views. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of self, and, Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of a living being, a creature, one who lives, an individual, a person, one born of Manu, a child of Manu, one who does, [F.76.a] one who feels, one who knows, or one who sees. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the perfection of giving, and, Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the perfection of morality, patience, perseverance, concentration, or wisdom. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of any of the emptinesses. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the applications of mindfulness, Lord, and similarly I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the four right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, or path. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the gateways to liberation‍—emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the four concentrations, four immeasurables, or four formless absorptions. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of mindfulness of the Buddha, mindfulness of the Dharma, mindfulness of the Saṅgha, mindfulness of morality, mindfulness of giving away, mindfulness of the gods, mindfulness of what is included in the body, mindfulness of disgust, mindfulness of breathing in and out, or mindfulness of death.

8.­7

“And, Lord, given that I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the five eyes, six clairvoyances, ten powers, four fearlessnesses, four detailed and thorough knowledges, [F.76.b] or eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, what will I label with the name bodhisattva? That name, furthermore, does not stand alone and does not meet up with anything. And why? That name does not exist, therefore it does not stand alone and does not meet up with anything.

8.­8

“Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the five appropriating aggregates, which are like a dream, and, Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the five appropriating aggregates, which are like an illusion, a mirage, a city of the gandharvas, an echo, an apparition, a reflection in the mirror, and a magical creation. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of isolation, calm, nonproduction, nonstopping, nonappearing, not occasioning anything, nondefilement, or nonpurification. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of suchness, unmistaken suchness, unaltered suchness, the true nature of dharmas, the dharma-constituent, the establishment of dharmas, the certification of dharmas, the very limit of reality, or the inconceivable element.154

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8.­9

“Similarly, Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the dharmas that are wholesome and unwholesome, basic immorality and not basic immorality, with outflows and without outflows, with afflictions and without afflictions, ordinary and extraordinary, compounded and uncompounded, defiled and purified, [F.77.a] or saṃsāra and nirvāṇa. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of dharmas that are past, future, or present. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the Lord. Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of tathāgatas, worthy ones, unsurpassed, perfect, complete buddhas seated together with their śrāvaka saṅghas and bodhisattva communities in as many world systems in the eastern direction as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River. Lord, given that I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of tathāgatas, worthy ones, unsurpassed, perfect, complete buddhas seated together with their śrāvaka saṅghas and bodhisattva communities in as many world systems as there are sand particles in the Gaṅgā River in each of the southern, western, northern, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, or northwestern directions, below or above, which bodhisattva will I advise and instruct in what perfection of wisdom? Lord, that name, furthermore, does not stand alone and does not meet up with anything. And why? That name does not exist, therefore it does not stand alone and does not meet up with anything.

8.­10

“Thus, Lord, I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of the suchness of all phenomena. Given that I do not apprehend and do not see even the waxing and waning of the name of the suchness of all phenomena, which bodhisattva will I advise and instruct in what perfection of wisdom? Lord, that name suchness, furthermore, does not stand alone [F.77.b] and does not meet up with anything. And why? That name does not exist, therefore it does not stand alone and does not meet up with anything.

8.­11

“Lord, whatever this designation bodhisattva that is a conventional term for the true nature of dharmas is, it cannot be said to be aggregates, or constituents, or sense fields, up to the distinct attributes of a buddha‍—or anything at all, insofar as it is just a dharma designation. Lord, it is just as the name dream cannot be said to be anything at all, and the names illusion, echo, apparition, mirage, a reflection of the moon in water, and magical creation cannot be said to be anything at all. That which is the name space cannot be said to be anything at all, and similarly the names earth, water, fire, and wind cannot be said to be anything at all. That which is the name suchness cannot be said to be anything at all, and the names unmistaken suchness, unaltered suchness, true nature of dharmas, dharma-constituent, establishment of dharmas, certification of dharmas, and very limit of reality cannot be said to be anything at all; the names perfection of giving, morality, patience, perseverance, concentration, and perfection of wisdom cannot be said to be anything at all; and the names morality, meditative stabilization, wisdom, liberation, and knowledge and seeing of liberation cannot be said to be anything at all. That which is the name stream enterer cannot be said to be anything at all, and the name stream enterer dharmas and the names once-returner, non-returner, [F.78.a] worthy one, pratyekabuddha, bodhisattva, and bodhisattva dharmas cannot be said to be anything at all. That which is the name buddha and the name buddha dharmas cannot be said to be anything at all‍—to be wholesome or unwholesome or neutral, to be basic immorality or not basic immorality, to be permanent or impermanent, or to be happiness or suffering, self or no self, calm or not calm, isolated or not isolated, or a real thing or not a real thing. Having seen the reason for this, Lord, I said, ‘Given that I do not apprehend and do not see the waxing and waning of all dharmas, this really is something I might be uneasy about, namely, were I to label with the name bodhisattva or perfection of wisdom.’ Lord, that name, furthermore, does not stand alone and does not meet up with anything. And why? That name does not exist, therefore it does not stand alone and does not meet up with anything.

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8.­12

“Lord, if the minds of bodhisattva great beings are not cowed, do not tense up, and do not experience regret, and if they do not tremble, feel frightened, or become terrified when the perfection of wisdom is being spoken about, you should know that those bodhisattva great beings stand on the irreversible level by way of not taking their stand on it and will go forth to the knowledge of all aspects.155

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8.­13

“Furthermore, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in form; they should not stand in feeling, perception, volitional factors, [F.78.b] or consciousness; they should not stand in the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or thinking mind; and they should not stand in a form, a sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, or a dharma. They should not stand in the eye consciousness, and they should not stand in the ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, or thinking-mind consciousness. They should not stand in eye contact; they should not stand in feeling that arises from the condition of eye contact; they should not stand in ear, nose, tongue, body, or thinking-mind contact; and they should not stand in feeling that arises from the condition of ear, nose, tongue, body, or thinking-mind contact. They should not stand in the earth element, and they should not stand in the water element, fire element, wind element, space element, or consciousness element. They should not stand in ignorance, and they should not stand in volitional factors, consciousness, name and form, the six sense fields, contact, feeling, craving, appropriation, existence, birth, or old age and death.

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8.­14

“And why? Lord, it is because form is empty of form, and because feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness is empty of consciousness. Lord, that emptiness of form is not form, and emptiness is not other than form. Form itself is emptiness, and emptiness itself is form. Lord, that emptiness of feeling is not feeling, and emptiness is not other than feeling. Feeling itself is emptiness, and emptiness itself is feeling. Lord, that emptiness of perception is not perception, and emptiness is not other [F.79.a] than perception. Perception itself is emptiness, and emptiness itself is perception. Lord, that emptiness of volitional factors is not volitional factors, and emptiness is not other than volitional factors. Volitional factors themselves are emptiness, and emptiness itself is volitional factors. Lord, that emptiness of consciousness is not consciousness, and emptiness is not other than consciousness. Consciousness itself is emptiness, and emptiness itself is consciousness.

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8.­15

“Because of this one of many explanations, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in form, and they should not stand in feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness. Connect this in the same way with the constituents and sense fields.

8.­16

“The earth element is empty of the earth element. The emptiness of the earth element is not the earth element, and emptiness is not other than the earth element. The earth element itself is emptiness, and emptiness itself is the earth element. The water element . . . the fire element . . . the wind element . . . the space element . . . and the consciousness element is empty of the consciousness element. The emptiness of the consciousness element is not the consciousness element, and emptiness is not other than the consciousness element. The consciousness element itself is emptiness, and emptiness itself is the consciousness element.

8.­17

“Ignorance is empty of ignorance. The emptiness of ignorance is not ignorance, and emptiness is not other than ignorance. Ignorance itself is emptiness, and emptiness itself is ignorance. Volitional factors . . . consciousness . . . [F.79.b] name and form . . . the six sense fields . . . contact . . . feeling . . . craving . . . appropriation . . . existence . . . birth . . . and old age and death is empty of old age and death. The emptiness of old age and death is not old age and death, and emptiness is not other than old age and death. Old age and death themselves are emptiness, and emptiness itself is old age and death. Because of this one of many explanations, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in ignorance, up to old age and death.

8.­18

“Furthermore, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in the applications of mindfulness. And why? Because the applications of mindfulness are empty of the applications of mindfulness. That emptiness of the applications of mindfulness is not the applications of mindfulness, and emptiness is not other than the applications of mindfulness. The applications of mindfulness themselves are emptiness, and emptiness itself is the applications of mindfulness. Because of this one of many explanations, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in the applications of mindfulness.

8.­19

“Similarly, they should not stand in the right efforts . . . legs of miraculous power . . . faculties . . . powers . . . limbs of awakening . . . path . . . noble truths . . . concentrations . . . immeasurables . . . formless absorptions . . . eight deliverances . . . nine serial absorptions . . . emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness . . . clairvoyances . . . ten powers . . . fearlessnesses . . . detailed and thorough knowledges . . . great love . . . great [F.80.a] compassion . . . or the distinct attributes of a buddha.

8.­20

“And why? Because the distinct attributes of a buddha are empty of the distinct attributes of a buddha. That emptiness of the distinct attributes of a buddha is not the distinct attributes of a buddha, and emptiness is not other than the distinct attributes of a buddha. The distinct attributes of a buddha themselves are emptiness, and emptiness itself is the distinct attributes of a buddha. Because of this one of many explanations, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in the distinct attributes of a buddha.

8.­21

“Furthermore, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in the perfection of giving. And why? Because the perfection of giving is empty of the perfection of giving. Lord, that emptiness of the perfection of giving is not the perfection of giving, and emptiness is not other than the perfection of giving. The perfection of giving itself is emptiness, and emptiness itself is the perfection of giving. Similarly, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in the perfection of morality . . . the perfection of patience . . . the perfection of perseverance . . . the perfection of concentration . . . or the perfection of wisdom. And why? Because the perfection of wisdom is empty of the perfection of wisdom. Lord, that emptiness of the perfection of wisdom is not the perfection of wisdom, and emptiness is not other than the perfection of wisdom. The perfection of wisdom itself is emptiness, and [F.80.b] emptiness itself is the perfection of wisdom. Because of this one of many explanations, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in the perfection of wisdom.

8.­22

“Furthermore, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in syllables, in syllable accomplishment,156 in a single explanation, in two explanations, or in a number of different explanations. And why? Lord, it is because syllables are empty of syllables. Lord, that emptiness of syllables is not syllables, and emptiness is not other than syllables. The syllables themselves are emptiness, and emptiness itself is the syllables. Because of this one of many explanations, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in syllables.

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8.­23

“Furthermore, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in ‘form is impermanent,’ and they should not stand in ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is impermanent.’ And why? Lord, it is because form that is impermanent157 is empty of the intrinsic nature of form that is impermanent. That which is the emptiness of impermanence is not impermanence, and impermanence is not other than emptiness. Impermanence itself is emptiness, and emptiness itself is impermanence. Because of this one of many explanations, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in ‘form is impermanent.’

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8.­24

“Similarly, they should not stand in ‘feeling is impermanent’ . . . ‘perception is impermanent’ . . . [F.81.a] ‘volitional factors are impermanent’ . . . or ‘consciousness is impermanent.’ And why? Lord, it is because consciousness that is impermanent is empty of the intrinsic nature of consciousness that is impermanent. That which is the emptiness of impermanence is not impermanence, and impermanence is not other than emptiness. Impermanence itself is emptiness, and emptiness itself is impermanence. Because of this one of many explanations, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in consciousness.

8.­25

“Similarly, they should not stand in ‘form is suffering, selfless, calm, empty, signless, wishless, or isolated.’ Similarly, they should not stand in ‘feeling . . .’; ‘perception . . .’; ‘volitional factors . . .’; or consciousness is suffering, selfless, calm, empty, signless, wishless, or isolated.’ And why? Lord, it is because consciousness that is isolated is empty of consciousness that is isolated. Lord, the isolation of consciousness is not consciousness, and isolation is not other than consciousness. Consciousness itself is isolation, and isolation itself is consciousness. Because of this one of many explanations, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in ‘consciousness is isolated.’

8.­26

“Furthermore, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in suchness. And why? Lord, it is because suchness is empty of suchness. Lord, the emptiness of suchness is not suchness, [F.81.b] and suchness is not other than emptiness. Suchness itself is emptiness, and emptiness itself is suchness. Because of this one of many explanations, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in suchness. Similarly, they should not stand in the true nature of dharmas, the dharma-constituent, the certification of dharmas, or the very limit of reality.

8.­27

“Furthermore, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in all the dhāraṇī gateways. And why? Lord, it is because the dhāraṇī gateways are empty of the dhāraṇī gateways. Lord, the emptiness of the dhāraṇī gateways is not the dhāraṇī gateways, and the dhāraṇī gateways are not other than emptiness. The dhāraṇī gateways themselves are emptiness, and emptiness itself is the dhāraṇī gateways. Because of this one of many explanations, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should not stand in all the dhāraṇī gateways.

8.­28

“Furthermore, Lord, if bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom without skill in means stand in form with a mind that has descended158 into grasping at ‘I’ and grasping at ‘mine,’ they practice an enactment of form,159 and they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they stand in feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . or consciousness, they practice an enactment of consciousness, and they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. And why? Because bodhisattva great beings practicing an enactment do not cultivate the perfection of wisdom, do not fully grasp160 the perfection of wisdom, do not [F.82.a] become absorbed in the yoga of the perfection of wisdom, and therefore do not fulfill the perfection of wisdom and go forth to the knowledge of all aspects.

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8.­29

“Lord, if bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom without skill in means stand in the dhāraṇī gateways with minds that have descended into grasping at ‘I’ and grasping at ‘mine,’ they practice an enactment of them, and they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. And why? Because bodhisattva great beings practicing an enactment do not cultivate the perfection of wisdom, do not fully grasp the perfection of wisdom, do not become absorbed in the yoga of the perfection of wisdom, and therefore do not fulfill the perfection of wisdom and go forth to the knowledge of all aspects.

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8.­30

“Lord, if bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom without skill in means stand in suchness, unmistaken suchness, unaltered suchness, the true nature of dharmas, the dharma-constituent, the establishment of dharmas, the certification of dharmas, or the very limit of reality with minds that have descended into grasping at ‘I’ and grasping at ‘mine,’ they practice an enactment of those, and they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. And why? Because bodhisattva great beings practicing an enactment do not cultivate the perfection of wisdom, do not fully grasp the perfection of wisdom, do not become absorbed in the yoga of the perfection of wisdom, and therefore do not complete the perfection of wisdom and go forth to the knowledge of all aspects. [F.82.b]

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8.­31

“And why? It is because, Lord, form is not fully grasped, and feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are not fully grasped. And why? Because a form not fully grasped is not form because of the emptiness of a basic nature, and feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness not fully grasped is not consciousness, because of the emptiness of a basic nature, up to the very limit of reality is not fully grasped. And why? Because the very limit of reality not fully grasped is not the very limit of reality because of the emptiness of a basic nature. And also, the perfection of wisdom is not fully grasped . . . because of the emptiness of a basic nature.

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8.­32

“Lord, bodhisattva great beings thus practicing the perfection of wisdom should analyze how all dharmas are empty of a basic nature, and the investigation of them should be done in such a way that the thinking mind does not consider any dharma at all. Lord, this meditative stabilization sphere of bodhisattva great beings is called sarva­dharmāparigṛhīta; it is vast, prized, infinite, fixed,161 cannot be stolen, and is not shared in common with śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.

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8.­33

“Bodhisattva great beings abiding in that sphere of meditative stabilizations will go forth to the knowledge of all aspects. And that knowledge of all aspects is not fully grasped, 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, [F.83.a] 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. And why? Because it cannot be expressed as a causal sign, because a causal sign is an affliction.

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8.­34

“What is a causal sign? Form is a causal sign. Feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness are causal signs. Eyes are a causal sign. Ears, nose, tongue, body, and thinking mind are causal signs. A form is a causal sign. A sound, a smell, a taste, a feeling, and a dharma are causal signs. Eye consciousness is a causal sign. Ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, and thinking-mind consciousness are causal signs. Eye contact is a causal sign. Ear contact, nose contact, tongue contact, body contact, and thinking-mind contact are causal signs. Feeling that arises from the condition of eye contact is a causal sign. Feeling that arises from the condition of ear contact, feeling that arises from the condition of nose contact, feeling that arises from the condition of tongue contact, feeling that arises from the condition of body contact, and feeling that arises from the condition of thinking-mind contact are causal signs. The earth element is a causal sign. The water element, fire element, wind element, space element, and consciousness element are causal signs. Ignorance is a causal sign. [F.83.b] Volitional factors, consciousness, name and form, the six sense fields, contact, feeling, craving, appropriation, existence, birth, and old age and death are causal signs. The applications of mindfulness, the right efforts, the legs of miraculous power, the faculties, the powers, the limbs of awakening, the path, the perfections, the ten powers, the fearlessnesses, the detailed and thorough knowledges, the distinct attributes of a buddha, emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, not occasioning anything, the dharma-constituent, the true nature of dharmas, the certification of dharmas, the meditative stabilization gateways, and the dhāraṇī gateways are all causal signs. Syllables are causal signs. A single explanation, two explanations, and a number of different explanations are causal signs. Clairvoyance is a causal sign. All the meditative stabilization gateways and dhāraṇī gateways are causal signs. They are all called affliction.

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8.­35

“If the perfection of wisdom were something that could be taken up through a causal sign, then the religious mendicant Śreṇika162 would not have gained faith in the knowledge of a knower of all here in this teaching. Which faith? The trust, feeling of confidence, and belief in the perfection of wisdom, the feeling that it is reliable, and the thinking about, weighing, and testing of it‍—and this not by way of a causal sign and not by way of the absence of a causal sign. Thus, it should be taken up by way of no causal sign and no absence of causal sign, without taking it up.

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8.­36

“The religious mendicant Śreṇika also believed in this knowledge of a knower of all. As a faith follower he comprehended with partial knowledge, and having thus comprehended did not fully grasp form. Similarly, he did not fully grasp feeling, perception, volitional factors, [F.84.a] or consciousness. And why? Because he did not apprehend a grasper of all dharmas that are empty of their own mark. And again, why? Because he did not see that knowledge as an inner attainment and clear realization, and he did not see it as an outer one. He did not see that knowledge as an inner and outer attainment and clear realization, and he did not see that knowledge as some other attainment and clear realization either.

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8.­37

“And why? Because he did not apprehend and see any dharma with which he might know, or which might know, or which he might know, because he did not see that knowledge inside form, and he did not see that knowledge inside feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness; he did not see that knowledge outside form, and he did not see that knowledge outside feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness; he did not see that knowledge inside and outside of form, and he did not see that knowledge inside and outside of feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness; and he did not see that knowledge as other than form, and he did not see that knowledge as other than feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness, because of the emptiness of outer and inner. Similarly, up to he did not see that knowledge inside the very limit of reality, he did not see that knowledge outside the very limit of reality, he did not see that knowledge inside and outside the very limit of reality, and he did not see that knowledge as other than the very limit of reality, [F.84.b] because of the emptiness of outer and inner.

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“The religious mendicant Śreṇika believed in this one of many explanations, and, because he could not find all dharmas, as a faith follower believing in it he took the true nature of dharmas as his authority and entered into the knowledge of a knower of all. Believing like that, he did not fully grasp any dharma, because he did not pay attention to any causal signs. He did not apprehend any dharma to seize or release, because all dharmas are not seized and are not released; and he did not even falsely project nirvāṇa, because he did not falsely project all dharmas. Lord, this‍—namely, that he does not fully grasp form, that he does not fully grasp feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness because he has not fully grasped all dharmas, up to that he has not fully grasped even the very limit of reality because he has not fully grasped all dharmas‍—is the state in which the bodhisattva great beings have gone beyond the others;163 it is the perfection of wisdom.

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8.­39

“In the interim they do not pass into complete nirvāṇa until their prayers are completed, up to until the eighteen distinct attributes are completed. And why? Because those prayers are nonprayers, those powers are nonpowers, those fearlessnesses are nonfearlessnesses, those detailed and thorough knowledges are nondetailed and nonthorough knowledges, up to those eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha are nonbuddhadharmas‍—they are not dharmas and they are not nondharmas. Lord, this‍—namely, that they do not fully grasp form, up to that they do not fully grasp even the very limit of reality because they have not fully grasped all dharmas‍—is the state in which [F.85.a] bodhisattva great beings have gone beyond the others; it is the perfection of wisdom. [B7]

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8.­40

“Furthermore, Lord, bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom should make an investigation like this: ‘Just what is the perfection of wisdom? Of what is it a perfection of wisdom? Why is it the perfection of wisdom? And what is the perfection of wisdom for?’ If, when they investigate and ponder like that, they see that the dharma that does not exist and that they do not find is the perfection of wisdom, they see it well, because, Lord, all dharmas do not exist and are not found.”

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8.­41

Then venerable Śāriputra asked venerable Subhūti, “Venerable Subhūti, what dharmas do not exist and are not found?”

8.­42

“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “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, the perfection of wisdom, Venerable Śāriputra, does not exist and is not found. The perfection of concentration, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of patience, [F.85.b] the perfection of morality, and the perfection of giving do not exist and are not found. Venerable Śāriputra, inner emptiness does not exist and is not found. Venerable Śāriputra, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature also does not exist and is not found. Venerable Śāriputra, because of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, form does not exist and is not found. Venerable Śāriputra, feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness do not exist and are not found, up to the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening do not exist and are not found. The clairvoyances do not exist and are not found, up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha do not exist and are not found. Venerable Śāriputra, suchness does not exist and is not found. Venerable Śāriputra, the true nature of dharmas, the dharma-constituent, the establishment of dharmas, the certification of dharmas, up to the very limit of reality does not exist and is not found. Venerable Śāriputra, a stream enterer also does not exist and is not found, up to Venerable Śāriputra, a worthy one, pratyekabuddha, bodhisattva, and buddha do not exist and are not found. Venerable Śāriputra, because of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature, all-knowledge also does not exist and is not found. The knowledge of all path aspects does not exist and is not found. Venerable Śāriputra, the knowledge of all aspects also does not exist and is not found.

8.­43

“Venerable Śāriputra, if the minds of bodhisattva great beings thus practicing the perfection of wisdom are not cowed, do not tense up, and do not experience regret‍—if they do not tremble, feel frightened, or become terrified‍—you should know that those bodhisattva great beings are not separated from the knowledge of all aspects.”

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8.­44

Then venerable Śāriputra asked venerable Subhūti, “Venerable Subhūti, why should you know that bodhisattva great beings [F.86.a] are not separated from the knowledge of all aspects?”

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“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “form is separated from the intrinsic nature of form, and bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom know that as it really is. Venerable Śāriputra, feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness is separated from the intrinsic nature of consciousness. Venerable Śāriputra, the perfection of giving . . . the perfection of morality . . . the perfection of patience . . . the perfection of perseverance . . . the perfection of concentration . . . and the perfection of wisdom is separated from the intrinsic nature of the perfection of wisdom. Connect this in the same way with Venerable Śāriputra, the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha are separated from the intrinsic nature of the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha, and the very limit of reality is separated from the intrinsic nature of the very limit of reality.”

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8.­46

Śāriputra then asked, “Venerable Subhūti, what intrinsic nature does form have, and what intrinsic nature do feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness have?”

8.­47

“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “the intrinsic nature of form is not a real thing, and the intrinsic nature of feeling, perception, volitional factors, and consciousness is not a real thing. Venerable Śāriputra, the intrinsic nature of the very limit of reality is not a real thing, so, Venerable Śāriputra, because of this one of many explanations, form is separated from the intrinsic nature of form, feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness is separated from the intrinsic nature of consciousness. And similarly, up to the very limit of reality is separated from the intrinsic nature of the very limit of reality. [F.86.b]

8.­48

“Furthermore, Venerable Śāriputra, form is separated from the defining mark of form. Feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness is separated from the defining mark of consciousness. And similarly, up to the very limit of reality is separated from the defining mark of the very limit of reality.

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8.­49

“A defining mark too is separated from the intrinsic nature of a defining mark. The intrinsic nature of a defining mark is separated from the intrinsic nature of a defining mark.”

8.­50

Śāriputra then asked, “Venerable Subhūti, do bodhisattva great beings training in this training go forth to the knowledge of all aspects?”

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“Exactly so. Venerable Śāriputra, exactly so,” replied Subhūti. “Bodhisattva great beings who are training in this training go forth to the knowledge of all aspects. And why? Venerable Śāriputra, it is because all dharmas have not been produced and have not gone forth.”

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8.­52

“Venerable Subhūti, why have all dharmas not been produced and not gone forth?” asked Śāriputra.

8.­53

“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “form is empty of form. You cannot get at its production and going forth. Similarly, feeling . . . perception . . . volitional factors . . . and consciousness is empty of consciousness. You cannot get at its production and going forth. Similarly, up to the very limit of reality is empty of the very limit of reality. You cannot get at its production and going forth.

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8.­54

“Venerable Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings thus practicing the perfection of wisdom are near164 unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. And as they get ever nearer to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening they get ever closer to attaining a perfectly pure body, a perfectly pure voice, a perfectly pure mind, and perfectly pure marks. And as bodhisattva great beings attain an ever more perfectly pure [F.87.a] body, an ever more perfectly pure voice, an ever more perfectly pure mind, and ever more perfectly pure marks, they do not produce a greedy thought, and they do not produce any thought with hatred, confusion, pride, deviousness, envy, miserliness, attachment, or view, so they never are born in a mother’s womb, they constantly and always take birth apparitionally, and, except to bring beings to maturity, they are never born in the terrible forms of life. They will bring beings to maturity, purify a buddhafield, and pass on from buddhafield to buddhafield without ever being separated from the lord buddhas until awakening in unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening. Therefore, Venerable Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings who want to attain these good qualities and benefits should practice the perfection of wisdom without giving up perseverance. Venerable Śāriputra, bodhisattva great beings thus practicing the perfection of wisdom are near unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.”

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8.­55

This was the eighth chapter, “The Religious Mendicant Śreṇika,” of “The Perfection of Wisdom in Eighteen Thousand Lines.”165


9.

Chapter 9: Causal Signs

9.­1

Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, if bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom without skillful means [F.87.b] practice form166 they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice ‘form is permanent’ or ‘impermanent’ they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is permanent’ or ‘impermanent’ they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom. If they practice ‘form is happiness’ or ‘suffering’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is ‘happiness’ or ‘suffering’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘form is self’ or ‘no self’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is self’ or ‘no self’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘form is calm’ or ‘not calm’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is calm’ or ‘not calm’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘form is isolated’ or ‘not isolated’ they practice a causal sign. If they practice ‘feeling, perception, volitional factors, or consciousness is isolated’ or ‘not isolated’ they practice a causal sign; they do not practice the perfection of wisdom.

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10.

Chapter 10: Illusion-Like

10.­1

Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, suppose someone were to ask, ‘Does this illusory being, having trained in the perfection of wisdom, go forth to the knowledge of all aspects or reach the knowledge of all aspects?’ What, Lord, should be said to that questioner? And similarly, suppose someone were to ask, ‘Does this illusory being, having trained in the perfection of concentration, perfection of perseverance, perfection of patience, perfection of morality, and perfection of giving go forth to the knowledge of all aspects or reach the knowledge of all aspects?’ What, Lord, should be said to that questioner? And as to ‘Do they, having trained in, up to the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, [F.97.a] up to the knowledge of all aspects, go forth to the knowledge of all aspects or reach the knowledge of all aspects?’‍—what, Lord, should be said to that questioner?”

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11.

Chapter 11: Embarrassment

11.­1

Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, you say ‘bodhisattva’ again and again. What is its basis in reality?”201

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The Lord [F.110.b] replied to venerable Subhūti, “Subhūti, the basis in reality for bodhisattva is an absence of a basis in reality. And why? Subhūti, it is because bodhi and sattva are not produced. Awakening and a being do not have an arising or an existence. They cannot be apprehended. Subhūti, awakening has no basis in reality and a being has no basis in reality, therefore a bodhisattva’s basis in reality is an absence of a basis in reality.

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12.

Chapter 12: Elimination of Views

12.­1

Then venerable Śāriputra said to the Lord, “Lord, I too am confident in my readiness to speak the sense in which bodhisattvas are said to be ‘great beings.’ ”

12.­2

“Śāriputra,” replied the Lord, “be confident in your readiness to explain the sense in which bodhisattvas are said to be great beings.”

12.­3

Śāriputra then explained, “Lord, they reveal the Dharma to beings to eliminate the view of a self and, similarly, the view of a being, a living being, a person, one who lives, an individual, one born of Manu, a child of Manu, one who does, one who makes someone else do, a motivator, one who motivates, one who feels, one who makes someone else feel, one who knows, and one who sees. And by way of not apprehending anything they reveal the Dharma to beings to eliminate the view of annihilation, the view of permanence, the view of existence, and the view [F.119.b] of nonexistence; the view of aggregates, the view of constituents, the view of sense fields, the view of isolation, and the view of dependent origination; and the view of the perfections, the view of the dharmas on the side of awakening, the view of the powers and fearlessnesses, the view of the distinct attributes of a buddha, the view of bringing beings to maturity, the view of the purification of a buddhafield, the view of awakening, the view of the Buddha, the view of the Dharma, the view of the Saṅgha, the view of turning the wheel of the Dharma, and the view of complete nirvāṇa. It is in this sense bodhisattvas are said to be great beings.”

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13.

Chapter 13: The Six Perfections

13.­1

Then venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra said to the Lord, “Lord, I too am confident in my readiness to speak the sense in which bodhisattvas are said to be great beings.”

“Pūrṇa, be confident in your readiness to speak,” replied the Lord.

13.­2

Pūrṇa then said, “Lord, those beings are armed with great armor, [F.122.a] those beings have set out in a Great Vehicle, and those beings have mounted on a Great Vehicle. It is in this sense, Lord, that bodhisattvas are said to be great beings.”

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14.

Chapter 14: Neither Bound nor Freed

14.­1

Then venerable Subhūti inquired of the Lord, “Lord, you say ‘armed with great armor’ again and again. Lord, to what extent are bodhisattva great beings armed with great armor?”

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The Lord said, “Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings, having become armed with great armor‍—that is, armed with perfection of giving armor, and armed with perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom armor; armed with applications of mindfulness armor, and armed with right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and path armor; armed with inner emptiness armor, up to armed with emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature armor; and armed with powers armor, armed with fearlessnesses armor, armed with detailed and thorough knowledges armor, and armed with distinct attributes of a buddha armor‍—and having become armed with the armor of the knowledge of all aspects and the body of a buddha, they pervade world systems in the great billionfold world system with light and shake the earth. Having blown out all the fires in the hell dwellings, extinguished the sufferings of the beings in the hells, and caused them to know their suffering is extinguished, those bodhisattvas [F.132.b] say, ‘I bow to you, tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete Buddha!’ proclaiming the name out loud, and then those beings in the hells, having heard the sound buddha, find pleasure and mental happiness. They emerge from those hells just because of that pleasure and mental happiness, and wherever lord buddhas are standing and can be seen and can be pleased they take birth in those world systems, reborn as gods and humans.


15.

Chapter 15: Meditative Stabilization

15.­1

Then venerable Subhūti inquired of the Lord, “Lord, what is the Great Vehicle of bodhisattva great beings? Lord, to just what extent should bodhisattva great beings be known to have set out in the Great Vehicle?248 Where249 will the Great Vehicle have set out? Where will the Great Vehicle stand?250 Who will go forth in the Great Vehicle?”

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Subhūti having said asked this, the Lord said to him, “Subhūti, in regard to what you have asked‍—‘Lord, what is the Great Vehicle of bodhisattva great beings?‍—Subhūti, the Great Vehicle of bodhisattva great beings is this: the six perfections. And what are the six? They are the perfection of giving, perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, [F.142.b] perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom.


16.

Chapter 16: Dhāraṇī Gateway

16.­1

“Furthermore, Subhūti, the Great Vehicle of bodhisattva great beings is this: the four applications of mindfulness. What are the four? They are the application of mindfulness to the body, the application of mindfulness to feeling, the application of mindfulness to mind, and the application of mindfulness to dharmas.

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“What is the application of mindfulness to the body? Here enthusiastic, introspective, mindful bodhisattva great beings, having cleared away ordinary covetousness and depression, dwell while viewing in a body the inner body by way of not apprehending anything, and without indulging in speculations to do with the body. They dwell while viewing in a body the outer body, and they dwell while viewing in a body [F.155.b] the inner and outer body by way of not apprehending anything, and without indulging in speculations to do with the body.

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17.

Chapter 17: Level Purification

17.­1

“Subhūti, in regard to what you have asked‍—‘How have bodhisattva great beings come to set out in the Great Vehicle?’‍—Subhūti, here bodhisattva great beings practicing the six perfections change place, going from level to level. And how do bodhisattva great beings practicing the six perfections change place, going from level to level? Like this: by all dharmas not changing place. And why? Because no dharma comes, or goes, or changes place, or is close to changing places. But even though they do not falsely project the level of those dharmas,302 do not direct their thoughts toward them, they still do the purification303 for a level, and they do not view those levels.

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18.

Chapter 18: The Exposition of Going Forth in the Great Vehicle

18.­1

“Subhūti, in regard to what you have asked‍—‘From where321 will the Great Vehicle go forth?’‍—it will go forth from the three realms and will stand wherever there is knowledge of all aspects, and it will stand, furthermore, by way of nonduality. And why? Because, Subhūti, these two dharmas‍—the Great Vehicle and the knowledge of all aspects‍—are not conjoined and not disjoined, are formless, cannot be pointed out, do not obstruct, and have only one mark‍—that is, no mark. And why? Because, Subhūti, a dharma without a mark is not going forth, nor will it go forth, nor has it gone forth. [F.180.b] Subhūti, someone who would assert that dharmas without marks go forth322 might as well assert of suchness that it goes forth. Similarly, Subhūti, someone who would assert that dharmas without marks go forth might as well assert of the very limit of reality, the inconceivable element, the abandonment element, the detachment element, and the cessation element that they go forth. And why? Because, Subhūti, the intrinsic nature of suchness does not go forth from the three realms. And why? Because suchness is empty of the intrinsic nature of suchness.”

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19.

Chapter 19: Surpassing

19.­1

Then venerable Subhūti said to the Lord, “Lord, you say this‍—‘Great Vehicle’‍—again and again. It surpasses the world with its gods, humans, and asuras and goes forth. Is that why it is called a Great Vehicle?329

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19.­2

“Lord, that vehicle is equal to space. To illustrate, Lord, just as space has room for infinite, countless beings beyond measure, the Great Vehicle also, Lord, has room330 for infinite, countless beings beyond measure. Such, Lord, is the Great Vehicle of bodhisattva great beings. Lord, you cannot apprehend the Great Vehicle coming, going, or remaining, you cannot apprehend a prior limit, cannot apprehend a later limit, and cannot apprehend a middle either.

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20.

Chapter 20: Not Two

20.­1

Then venerable Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇī­putra said to the Lord, “Lord, tasked343 with the perfection of wisdom by the tathāgata, worthy one, perfectly complete Buddha, this elder Subhūti thinks he has to give instruction in the Great Vehicle.”

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20.­2

Venerable Subhūti then said to the Lord, “Let it not be the case, Lord, that I am giving instruction in the Great Vehicle, having violated the perfection of wisdom.”

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20.­3

“No, you have not,” replied the Lord. “You are giving instruction in the Great Vehicle in harmony with the perfection of wisdom. And why? Because, Subhūti, śrāvaka dharmas, pratyekabuddha dharmas, bodhisattva dharmas, or buddha dharmas‍—or any wholesome dharmas, whatever they are‍—they all come together and stream into the perfection of wisdom.”

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21.

Chapter 21: Subhūti

21.­1

Then venerable Śāriputra inquired of venerable Subhūti, “Venerable Subhūti, how do bodhisattva great beings practicing the perfection of wisdom investigate these dharmas? And, Venerable Subhūti, what is a bodhisattva? What is the perfection of wisdom? What is it to investigate?”

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21.­2

“Venerable Śāriputra,” replied Subhūti, “in regard to what you asked‍—‘What is a bodhisattva?’‍—they are called bodhisattvas because awakening is itself their state of being.357 And with that awakening they know the aspects of dharmas but they do not settle down on those dharmas.

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22.

Chapter 22: Śatakratu

22.­1

And indeed all the Four Mahārājas stationed in the great billionfold world system together with many hundreds of thousands of one hundred million billion gods were assembled in that very retinue, as were the Śatakratus,373 heads of the gods, and the Suyāmas, Saṃtuṣitas, Nirmāṇaratis, Para­nirmita­vaśa­vartins, and Brahmapurohitas, up to the Brahmās together with many hundreds of thousands of one hundred million billion gods also assembled, and as many Brahmās, up to Śuddhāvāsa classes of gods stationed in the great billionfold world system together with hundreds of thousands of one hundred million billion gods, also were assembled. The light originating from the maturation of earlier karma coming from the bodies of those Cāturmahā­rājika gods, and the light originating from the maturation of earlier karma coming from the bodies of those Trāyastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, and Para­nirmita­vaśa­vartin classes of gods, and Brahmakāyika gods, up to the Śuddhāvāsa class of gods, does not approach the natural light of the Tathāgata even by a hundredth part, or by a thousandth part, or by a hundred thousandth part, or by a hundred-thousand hundred-millionth part; it would not stand up to any number, or fraction, or counting, or example, or comparison. In the presence of374 the natural light of the Tathāgata all the lights originating from the maturation of earlier karma coming from the bodies of the gods do not gleam, do not radiate, and do not shine. [F.243.a] Among those the light of the Tathāgata reveals itself as the highest, reveals itself as special, and reveals itself as the best, superb, exemplary, unsurpassed, and unrivaled. As an analogy, just as a fired iron statue in the presence of the golden Jambū River does not gleam, does not radiate, and does not shine, similarly, in the presence of the natural light of the Tathāgata all the lights originating from the maturation of earlier karma coming from the bodies of the gods do not gleam, do not radiate, and do not shine. Among those the light of the Tathāgata reveals itself as the highest, reveals itself as special, and reveals itself as the best, superb, exemplary, unsurpassed, and unrivaled.

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23.

Chapter 23: Hard to Understand

23.­1

Then it occurred to those gods to think, “What would the elder Subhūti accept those listening to the Dharma to be like?”

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Then venerable Subhūti, understanding in his mind the thoughts occurring to those gods, said to those gods, “Gods, I would accept those listening to the doctrine to be like illusory beings. I would accept those listening to the doctrine to be like magically created beings. They will not listen to, master, or directly realize anything at all.”

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24.

Chapter 24: Unlimited

24.­1

Then it occurred to Śatakratu, head of the gods, to think, “I will magically create flowers in order to worship this rain of Dharma being expounded by the elder Subhūti, and we will strew those flowers near, strew them in front, and strew them around the lord buddhas, the community of bodhisattva great beings, the monks, the elder Subhūti, and the perfection of wisdom.” And it occurred to all the Cāturmahā­rājika gods, up to the Akaniṣṭha class, as many as are stationed in the great billionfold world system, to think, “We will magically create flowers in [F.259.b] order to worship this rain of Dharma being expounded by the elder Subhūti, and will strew those flowers near, strew them in front, and strew them around the lord buddhas, the community of bodhisattva great beings, the monks, the elder Subhūti, and the perfection of wisdom.” Then Śatakratu, head of the gods, and all the Cāturmahā­rājika gods, up to the Akaniṣṭha class, as many as are stationed in the great billionfold world system, did magically create coral tree flowers and strewed them near, strewed them in front, and strewed them around the lord buddhas, the community of bodhisattva great beings, the monks, the elder Subhūti, and the perfection of wisdom. Immediately after Śatakratu, head of the gods, and the gods up to the Akaniṣṭha class had strewed those flowers, they matted together and spread out over the great billionfold world system and stayed there suspended in the sky, a second story of flowers delightful and pleasing to the mind.


25.

Chapter 25: Second Śatakratu

25.­1

The women and men and masses of seers, together with the gods‍—those with the Indras,397 those with the Brahmās, and those with the Prajāpatis as their leaders‍—cried out three times cries of delight in the Dharma that the elder Subhūti, through the might of the Tathāgata, through the sustaining power of the Tathāgata, had pointed out, taught, thrown light on, and illuminated: “Ah! How well it has been explained. Ah! How well this Dharma has been explained. Ah! How well the true dharmic nature of this Dharma has been explained.” And they said, “Lord, we shall treat those bodhisattva great beings who do not become separated from the perfection of wisdom, who do not apprehend any dharma, be it form, or feeling, or perception, or volitional factors, or consciousness, up to or the knowledge of all aspects, but still make known the presentation of the three vehicles‍—the vehicle of the śrāvakas, the vehicle of the pratyekabuddhas, and the vehicle of the perfectly complete buddhas‍—exactly like tathāgatas.”


26.

Chapter 26: Getting Hold

26.­1

Then Śatakratu, head of the gods, said to the Lord, “It is amazing, Lord, how these bodhisattva great beings who have taken up or borne in mind or read aloud or mastered or properly paid attention to this perfection of wisdom in this very life get hold of good qualities; how they bring beings to maturity, purify a buddhafield, and pass on from buddhafield to buddhafield in order to attend on the lord buddhas; how, if they still want to revere, demonstrate reverence for, show honor to, and worship those lord buddhas on account of wholesome roots, those wholesome roots establish it accordingly; how they go into the presence of those lord buddhas and listen to the Dharma; how they never forget their Dharma right up until they fully awaken to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening; [F.275.b] how they take possession of a perfect family, perfect celebrity,399 a perfect life, a perfect retinue, perfect major marks, perfect radiance, perfect eyes, a perfect voice, perfect concentration, and perfect dhāraṇī; how they go from world system to world system where the lord buddhas have not appeared and with skillful means magically produce themselves in the shape a buddha assumes; how they speak in praise of the perfection of giving and speak in praise of the perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, perfection of concentration, and perfection of wisdom; how they speak in praise of inner emptiness, up to the emptiness that is the nonexistence of an intrinsic nature; how they speak in praise of the concentrations, speak in praise of the immeasurables and formless absorptions, speak in praise of the applications of mindfulness, and speak in praise of the right efforts, legs of miraculous power, faculties, powers, limbs of awakening, and eightfold noble path; how they speak in praise of the ten powers, fearlessnesses, detailed and thorough knowledges, up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha; and how with skillful means they tame beings in the three vehicles‍—the Śrāvaka Vehicle, Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and Great Vehicle‍—teaching them the Dharma.”

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27.

Chapter 27: Reliquary

27.­1

Then the Lord said to Śatakratu, head of the gods, “Kauśika, if some son of a good family or daughter of a good family takes up or bears in mind or reads out loud or recites or teaches or intones or harmonizes with or properly pays attention to this deep perfection of wisdom, and if they go up to the front line of battle and have engaged in or are engaging in, or are traversing, or are sitting down or standing up in a battle that is underway, Kauśika, even if an arrow or a club or a stick or a stone or a sword is flung at that son of a good family or daughter of a good family who takes up or bears in mind or reads out loud or recites or teaches or intones or harmonizes with or properly pays attention to this deep perfection of wisdom, it is impossible that those projectiles would land on their body; it is impossible that the attacks of others would interfere with their life. And why? Kauśika, it is because that son of a good family or daughter of a good family who has practiced the perfection of wisdom for a long time has vanquished their own greed arrows and greed swords; they have vanquished others’ greed arrows and greed swords; they have vanquished their own hatred arrows and confusion arrows and their hatred swords and confusion swords; they have vanquished others’ hatred arrows and confusion arrows and hatred swords and confusion swords; they have vanquished their own arrows of instances of views and swords of instances of views, and they have vanquished others’ arrows of instances of views and swords of instances of views; they have vanquished their own obsession [F.284.b] arrows and obsession swords, and they have vanquished others’ obsession arrows and obsession swords; and they have vanquished their own proclivity arrows and proclivity swords, and they have vanquished others’ proclivity arrows and proclivity swords. Kauśika, because of this one of many explanations, even if an arrow or a sword is flung at a son of a good family or daughter of a good family, it does not land on their body.


28.

Chapter 28: Declaration of the Good Qualities of the Thought of Awakening

28.­1

Śatakratu, head of the gods, having said this, the Lord then said to him, “Exactly so. Kauśika, exactly so. Those sons of a good family or daughters of a good family [F.294.a] who write out and make this perfection of wisdom into a book; take it up, bear it in mind, read it aloud, master it, and properly pay attention to it and on top of that respect, revere, honor, and worship it with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners would, based on that, make a lot of merit, an immeasurable, countless, inconceivable, infinite, incomparable amount. And why? Kauśika, it is because the knowledge of all aspects of tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas issues forth from the perfection of wisdom. Kauśika, the five perfections, all the emptinesses, the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, the ten powers, the fearlessnesses, the detailed and thorough knowledges, the distinct attributes of a buddha, the five eyes, the six clairvoyances, bringing beings to maturity, and the perfect purification of a buddhafield issue forth from the perfection of wisdom. Kauśika, all-knowledge, knowledge of path aspects, and knowledge of all aspects issue forth from the perfection of wisdom. Kauśika, the Śrāvaka Vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and the Great Vehicle issue forth from the perfection of wisdom, and unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening issues forth from the perfection of wisdom too.


29.

Chapter 29: Different Tīrthika Religious Mendicants

29.­1

Then, many different tīrthika religious mendicants intent on criticizing, a hundred of them, specifically approached the Lord to level criticism.

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Then it occurred to Śatakratu, head of the gods, to think, “These many different tīrthika religious mendicants intent on criticizing the doctrine, a hundred of them, have specifically approached the Lord to level criticism. I will certainly recite as much of the perfection of wisdom as I have taken up in order that these different tīrthika religious mendicants will not get at all close to the Lord to hinder the teaching of the perfection of wisdom.”


30.

Chapter 30: The Benefits of Taking Up and Adoration

30.­1

Then venerable Ānanda said to the Lord, “Lord, you do not praise422 the perfection of giving, and you do not praise the perfection of morality, perfection of patience, perfection of perseverance, or perfection of concentration. Similarly, up to you do not proclaim the names of the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha as you proclaim the name of the perfection of wisdom.”

30.­2

Venerable Ānanda having said this, the Lord then said to him, “Ānanda, these‍—that is, the [F.2.a] five perfections, connect this in the same way with each, up to the eighteen distinct attributes of a buddha‍—are preceded by the perfection of wisdom.

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31.

Chapter 31: Physical Remains

31.­1

Then the Lord asked Śatakratu, head of the gods, “Kauśika, which of these two options would you choose: to have this Jambudvīpa filled right to the top with the physical remains of tathāgatas and to respect, revere, honor, and worship them with flowers, perfumes, incense, garlands, creams, powders, robes, parasols, flags, and banners, or to be given this perfection of wisdom?”

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“Lord,” replied Śatakratu, “were I to be offered this Jambudvīpa filled right to the top with the physical remains of the tathāgatas and to be offered this perfection of wisdom written out in book form‍—were I to be presented with these two options‍—I would want the perfection of wisdom. And why? Lord, it is not that I do not venerate those physical remains of the tathāgatas. Lord, I do indeed venerate them. It is not that I do not respect those physical remains of the tathāgatas, or do not revere, do not honor, and do not worship them. But I respect, revere, honor, and worship those physical remains of the tathāgatas because they come about from the perfection of wisdom. The physical remains of the tathāgatas [F.10.a] are suffused by the perfection of wisdom. That is why the physical remains of the tathāgatas get to be worshiped.”

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32.

Chapter 32: The Superiority of Merit

32.­1

“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.

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33.

Chapter 33: Dedication

33.­1

Then the bodhisattva great being Maitreya said to the elder Subhūti, “Venerable monk Subhūti, when the basis of meritorious action arisen from a bodhisattva great being’s rejoicing that has been made into something shared in common by all beings has been dedicated to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening‍—and dedicated, furthermore, by way of not apprehending anything‍—that basis of meritorious action arisen from a bodhisattva great being’s rejoicing [F.36.a] that has been made into something shared in common by all beings and dedicated to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening is the highest, the most excellent, the foremost, the best, the most superb, sublime, unsurpassed, and unrivaled in comparison to the bases of meritorious action arisen from all beings’ rejoicing, and in comparison to the bases of meritorious action arisen from giving, the bases of meritorious action arisen from morality, and the bases of meritorious action arisen from meditation of those who have set out in the Śrāvaka Vehicle and those who have set out in the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle. And why? Because all the bases of meritorious action arisen from giving, arisen from morality, and arisen from meditation of those in the Śrāvaka Vehicle and those in the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle are made for personal disciplining, for personal calming, and for a personal complete nirvāṇa; the thirty-seven dharmas on the side of awakening, up to emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness are for personal disciplining, personal calming, and a personal complete nirvāṇa, but that basis of meritorious action arisen from a bodhisattva’s rejoicing is for disciplining all beings, for calming all beings, and for the complete nirvāṇa of all beings, because it has been dedicated to unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.”

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34.

Chapter 34: Perfect Praise of the Quality of Accomplishment

34.­1

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?”

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35.

Chapter 35: Hells

35.­1

Then venerable Śāriputra inquired of the Lord, “Where did they die, Lord, bodhisattva great beings who have come here and believe in this perfection of wisdom? How long has it been since a son of a good family or daughter of a good family believing in this perfection of wisdom as the meaning and method455 set out for unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening? On how many tathāgatas, worthy ones, perfectly complete buddhas have they attended? For how long have they been practitioners of the perfection of giving? For how long have they been practitioners of the perfection of morality, patience, perseverance, and concentration? For how long have they been practitioners of the perfection of wisdom?”


36.

Chapter 36: Teaching the Purity of All Dharmas

36.­1

Then venerable Śāriputra said to the Lord, “Lord, this purity is deep.”

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“It is deep, Śāriputra, because it is extremely pure,” said the Lord.

36.­2

“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