“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattvas skilled in discerning what pertains to the five aggregates? Bodhisattva great beings correctly understand the five aggregates for appropriation in the following way: [F.20.b] The aggregates for appropriation are heaps of ignorance. The aggregates for appropriation are heaps of suffering. The aggregates for appropriation are heaps of delusion. The aggregates for appropriation are heaps of sickness, boils, and thorns.

Bodhisattvas should contemplate the discernment of the aggregate for appropriation of form. How then should they contemplate the discernment of the aggregate for appropriation of form? The aggregate for appropriation of form arises from the four great elements, so the aggregate for appropriation of form is actually nothing more than a mere imputation. As the aggregate of form is without intrinsic nature and is simply a gathering of the four great elements, the aggregate of form is a mere imputation. The aggregate of form was not created, is not created, will not be created, and does not arise. The aggregate of form is nothing but a mere imputation, based upon the causes and conditions of past actions and the gathering of the four great elements. Apart from the mere imputation, it is not an aggregate. Such is the aggregate of form. To draw an analogy, it is like the aggregate of space, as it does not have any characteristic of true arising. In what is described as the aggregate of space, no phenomenon whatsoever has arisen. Still, because it has the mere label, it is called the aggregate of space. Childish ordinary beings hold what is false to be true, with their erroneous thoughts about the nonexistent aggregates and their characteristics, such that they cling to notions like ‘I am the five aggregates,’ ‘my five aggregates,’ ‘I am the aggregate of form,’ and ‘my aggregate of form.’ Thereby, in clinging to form, childish ordinary beings think of form as being themselves, something belonging to them, or something existent, perceptible, adoptable, or obtainable. They dwell on and depend upon form, and so they engage in and experience myriad nonvirtuous and evil actions.

“It is inappropriate for us to emulate childish ordinary beings, [F.21.a] for we should arouse diligence and earnestly cultivate the factors of awakening. It is appropriate for us to investigate the aggregate of form accurately. When bodhisattvas contemplate the aggregates accurately, they understand them to be like water bubbles. How do they understand them to be like water bubbles? A water bubble does not exist—for it simply occurs due to many conditions and cannot be grasped or held. It is without solidity or a core. For these reasons, water bubbles lack any characteristics of bubbles. Just as the absence of a real bubble can be called a water bubble, so it is with the aggregate of form, for the aggregate of form lacks the characteristics of an aggregate. When bodhisattvas contemplate this, they reflect as follows: ‘Childish ordinary beings fail to understand the unreal nature of form accurately; they do not understand the impermanence of form accurately; and they do not understand the characteristic of form accurately. However, we have entered the correct path, so we shall not cling to unreal forms. Why is this? Form does not have any characteristic to grasp at, for it is just a mere label, lacking any true characteristics. Thus, because form lacks a true characteristic and has no name, it is called form. Furthermore, form has the characteristic of being destructible, yet the wise understand it as lacking marks. We must become skilled in cultivating the practice that form has no marks—we should not cling to the marks of form. If a person clings to the marks of form, they are called one who clings to form. We should become highly skilled in understanding the marks of form. When bodhisattvas understand this accurately, they know how to discern form accurately. [F.21.b] At that point, they know that the aggregate of form arises from the imputations of childish ordinary beings. The fact that phenomena arise from imputation means that they are unborn. Since all imputations are rooted in and based on the mistaken and false understanding of childish ordinary beings, beings give rise to such forms and become bound by those forms. Tormented by form, they are pained by suffering and wander throughout saṃsāra. Blinded by ignorance and delusion, they cling to form and cannot let it go; thereby, they regard form as permanent, solid, and having a core. Through this, childish ordinary beings are bound by the fetters of form and wander constantly through the realms of hell beings, animals, anguished spirits, gods, and humans. They relish the experience of form, for they do not consider the many problems inherent in form. We should not emulate childish ordinary beings; rather, we should cultivate discernment regarding what pertains to form.’

“When cultivating discernment of form, one should view form’s nature as being like a dream. In a dream, the forms one sees arise from imputed perceptions, feelings, and concepts, which arouse sights, sounds, feelings, perceptions, and dependent origination. One then perceives these as self and other. One sees them as earth, water, fire, and wind. One sees them as mountains, lakes, forests, and so on. In this fashion, the marks of the forms in a dream do not truly exist; rather, they come about based on imputed perceptions. The marks of the aggregate of form are produced in the same way; they arise from the causes and conditions of previous actions and do not have a defined nature.10 If bodhisattvas contemplate in this fashion, they will not appropriate form as either I or mine. They will contemplate form accurately. [F.22.a] They will accurately understand its characteristic of impermanence and its false and mistaken nature. Beings, however, grasp and cling to this incorrectly observed form and perceive it as I, mine, other, or other’s. When bodhisattvas discern form in this way, they do not observe it as form; they do not see it as having the nature of form; and they do not become attached to impermanent forms. At that time, if they dispel and eliminate all attachment and grasping to form, they will become highly skilled concerning the true characteristics of form; they will understand form’s characteristic of sameness; they will understand form’s characteristic of cessation; they will become skilled concerning form’s characteristic of the path that leads to cessation; they will realize that the aggregate of form does not come from anywhere or go anywhere. When contemplating in this way, they understand that the body and the aggregate of form are born from the ripening of karmic results and imputations, and that they arise from the gathering of the four great elements. The aggregate of physical form is not the self, not another, ownerless, and does not come from anywhere. Having contemplated the aggregate of form in this fashion, they will not grasp or become attached to inner forms, outer forms, past forms, future forms, or present forms, as they understand all aggregates of form in terms of their characteristic of being unborn. These bodhisattvas then neither negate form nor seek a Dharma that negates form.11 Lokadhara, for these reasons, bodhisattva great beings are called those who engage in the discernment of form.”

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings engage in the discernment of the aggregate for appropriation of feeling? [F.22.b] Bodhisattvas think: ‘Pleasurable feelings, painful feelings, and feelings that are neither pleasurable nor painful arise through dependent origination and are based on causes and conditions. Therefore, if one has understood the characteristic of feeling, there is no feeling there, for it is simply clinging. Such clinging is false and arises from false imputations.’ When bodhisattvas think such, they will also think, ‘Childish ordinary beings, bound by falsely imputed feelings, are tormented by the three types of feeling: pleasurable feelings, painful feelings, and feelings that are neither pleasurable nor painful. When childish ordinary beings experience pleasurable feelings, they become bound by the affliction of desire. Because they are afflicted by desire’s secondary afflictions, they engage in various nonvirtuous actions. When they experience unpleasant feelings, they become bound by the affliction of aggression. Because they are afflicted by aggression’s secondary afflictions, they engage in various nonvirtuous actions. When they experience feelings that are neither pleasurable nor painful, they become bound by the affliction of ignorance. Because they are afflicted by ignorance’s secondary afflictions, they are not freed from misery, lamentation, and painful torment. We should not emulate childish ordinary beings. Rather we should investigate the true reality of phenomena. We should investigate feeling accurately.’

“Once bodhisattvas have investigated the aggregate of feelings accurately, they will think, ‘The aggregate of feelings is not an aggregate. Feelings arise from false imputation, and they are devoid of action. Feelings arise from the cause of past actions and are experienced based upon conditions in the present moment. [F.23.a] Because feelings are naturally empty, they lack the marks of feelings.’ When bodhisattvas contemplate the aggregate of feeling, they see that the aggregate of feelings is like water bubbles that appear and cease without ever truly existing. They arise from the connections between causes and conditions, and they depend on causes and conditions. Hence, they do not remain, even momentarily. As they are not real, they have arisen from the falsehood of imputation. At that time bodhisattvas will think, ‘Ordinary beings are the objects of our loving-kindness. Since they do not understand the aggregate of feelings accurately, they are afflicted by their feelings. They become attached to pleasurable feelings, painful feelings, and feelings that are neither pleasurable nor painful. Bound by such feelings, they wander throughout saṃsāra and pass from one body to another in an unbroken stream, because due to afflictive feelings, they do not understand the characteristics of the aggregate of feelings accurately. We should not emulate such childish ordinary beings. Rather, we should accurately investigate the discernment of the aggregate of feelings.’

“When they accurately contemplate the aggregate of feelings, they will realize the aggregate of feelings to be a nonexistent aggregate, a false aggregate, a mistaken aggregate, and a nonabiding aggregate. At that time, they will accurately see the characteristics of the aggregate of feelings to be uncreated and devoid of action. They will not view the aggregate of feelings as having any characteristics of the aggregate of feelings. When contemplating the aggregate of feelings in this fashion, they do not view the aggregate of feelings as existing within or without. They are not attached to feelings being I, and they are not attached to feelings being mine. [F.23.b] They thus understand that the aggregate of feelings does not come from anywhere, that it is ownerless, and that it is not brought into being by anything. They know that feelings are mistaken, and that what is labeled the category of the aggregate of feelings manifests as the ripened effect of past actions. They see the aggregate of feelings as the unbroken continuity of engagement in false causes and conditions. At that time, they do not grasp, desire, or cling to the aggregate of feelings of the past; they do not grasp, desire, or cling to the aggregate of feelings of the future; and they do not grasp, desire, or cling to the aggregate of feelings of the present.

“Such people exert themselves in removing the affliction of desire from pleasurable feelings, the affliction of aversion from painful feelings, and the affliction of ignorance from feelings that are neither pleasurable nor painful. Then, the mind of desire will not arise when the bodhisattva experiences pleasurable feelings, the mind of aversion will not arise when the bodhisattva experience painful feelings, and the mind of delusion will not arise when the bodhisattva experiences feelings that are neither pleasurable nor painful. Lokadhara, for the most part, the mind of desire arises when childish ordinary beings experience pleasurable feelings, the mind of aversion arises when they experience painful feelings, and the mind of delusion arises when they experience feelings that are neither pleasant nor painful. Thereby, childish ordinary beings are blinded by attachment, aversion, and delusion and fail to accurately understand the aggregate of feelings just as it is. Failing to understand the characteristics of attachment, aversion, and delusion, they become attached and cling to attachment, aversion, and delusion as being I, mine, and so forth.

“Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings who understand the aggregate of feelings accurately will not fall under the influence of attachment, aversion, and delusion. [F.24.a] Even if attachment, aversion, and delusion should arise, they will immediately dispel them, taking them earnestly onto the genuine path. They diligently practice in order to remove the affliction of attachment from the experience of pleasurable feelings. They diligently practice in order to remove the affliction of aversion from the experience of painful feelings. They diligently practice in order to remove the affliction of delusion from the experience of feelings that are neither pleasant nor painful. Thus, they gain accurate understanding of the three types of feeling. Then, to that extent, as they experience feelings, they do not cling to pleasurable feelings, painful feelings, or feelings that are neither pleasant nor painful. Distancing themselves from them, they become freed from the affliction of attachment, the affliction of aversion, and the affliction of delusion. Then, when feelings occur, they will understand and regard the aggregate of feelings accurately as impermanent. Having gained such understanding, they will disrupt attachment to the aggregate of feelings. Having understood the disrupted aggregate of feelings in this way, they will no longer be afflicted by feelings on the paths of desire and attachment. If bodhisattvas understand and realize the aggregate of feelings accurately, they will understand the origin of the aggregate of feelings, the cessation of the aggregate of feelings, and the path leading to cessation of the aggregate of feelings. Then they will understand the aggregate of feelings to be characterized as being unborn. Through this characteristic of being unborn, they will understand and realize the aggregate of feelings to be free of marks. Lokadhara, this has been a discussion of how bodhisattva great beings contemplate the discernment of the aggregate of feelings.” [F.24.b]

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings contemplate the discernment of the aggregate of perception? When bodhisattva great beings accurately contemplate the aggregate of perception, they see that the aggregate of perception arises from error, and that it is false, unreal, unreliable, and has the characteristic of never having being born to begin with. Being discontinuous, they see it as a gathering of causes and conditions, and as having arisen through the power of past actions. They think, ‘The aggregate of perception is a nonaggregate, for the aggregate of perception is a heap of falsehood. The aggregate of perception is a heap of error. The aggregate of perception lacks the marks of the aggregate of perception. It is just a label, like the mirages of summertime. The aggregate of perception is just like an aggregate of mirages. The label perception is imputed due to the perceptions of consciousness.’

“Childish ordinary beings are bound by such false perceptions, which they perceive as pleasure, pain, neither pleasure nor pain, heat, cold, male, female, cycling throughout the five classes of beings,12 gathering, dispersing, past, present, future, good, bad, existence, and nonexistence. As the perceptions of childish ordinary beings are under the sway of false delusion, and dependent upon causes and conditions, the aggregate of perception is a mere imputation. There are no so-called perceptions either internally or externally. Bound by their false perceptions, childish ordinary beings perceive in terms of attachment, aversion, and delusion. [F.25.a] They perceive children and wives. Childish ordinary beings rely on the aggregate of perception and are attached to their false paths. Therefore, they circle throughout saṃsāra due to the aggregate of perception. They fail to understand accurately that the aggregate of perception is false. Childish ordinary beings perceive in terms of self and other. Perceiving male and female, they are bound by the aggregate of perception and are thus not liberated. They grasp and cling to the aggregate of perception as being I or mine. We should not emulate childish ordinary beings.’

“When bodhisattva great beings accurately contemplate the aggregate of perception in this way, they will not apprehend the aggregate of perception as the aggregate of perception, just as one will not apprehend an aggregate of mirages as an aggregate of mirages. Bodhisattvas view the aggregate of perception as a mirage; thus, they do not desire, take up, or cling to past aggregates of perception; they do not desire, take up, or cling to future aggregates of perception; and they do not dwell on the present aggregates of perception. They do not conceptualize self and other. They exert themselves in the cessation of the aggregate of perception and understand the path of the aggregate of perception to be unborn. They do not view the aggregate of perception as having any basis for coming or any basis for going. Rather, they view it as something mistaken that arises from the cause of past actions, while being bound by current conditions. The aggregate of perception is a nonexistent aggregate. When they discern and contemplate that the aggregate of perception does not have any basis for coming or any basis for going, they realize the aggregate of perception to be unborn. They will also not conceptualize the cessation of the aggregate of perception; this is because they abide in accurate understanding and knowledge for all the feelings associated with perception to cease.13 [F.25.b] When bodhisattvas accurately contemplate the aggregate of perception, they are free from the aggregate of perception, such that, without dwelling on the path of perception, they adhere to an accurate knowledge and understanding of the aggregate of perception.14 Without being attached to the aggregate of perception, they accurately discern and contemplate the aggregate of perception. They also accurately understand the origination, cessation, and exhaustion of the aggregate of perception. Lokadhara, this is how bodhisattva great beings contemplate the discernment of the aggregate of perception. As they are free from attachment to the aggregate of perception, they apply themselves to the path, which disrupts attachment to the aggregate of perception.” [B2]

“Lokadhara, how then do bodhisattva great beings contemplate the discernment of the aggregate of formation? Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings realize that the aggregate of formation arises from error and is a mere imputation based on false imputations. At that time, bodhisattvas contemplate how all physical, verbal, and mental formations are unclean, impermanent, painful, empty, and selfless. When contemplating this, they think, ‘The aggregate of formation is a nonaggregate. The aggregate of formation is a heap of suffering. The aggregate of formation is a dependently originated aggregate. The aggregate of formation is a heap of reflections. The aggregate of formation does not increase or decrease; it is not gathered. Given that all physical, verbal, and mental formations are uncreated, the wise do not become attached to or grasp the aggregate of formation. Why is this? [F.26.a] Physical formations do not exist within the body, outside it, or in-between. Likewise, verbal and mental formations do not exist within, without, or in-between.

“ ‘The aggregate of formation lacks the characteristics of the aggregate of formation. Why is this? The aggregate of formation arises from many causes and conditions, mistaken perceptions, false perceptions, and the ripening of the effects of past actions. Formations are thus manifested due to the influence of causes and conditions. No physical, verbal, and mental formations are truly formed, and they form nothing at all. Formations come from what is false, and they are formed out of mistaken perception. Therefore, the aggregate of formation refers to nonformations. Why is this? The wise do not ascertain any characteristics of formations. Therefore, there are no physical, verbal, or mental formations to be ascertained anywhere—whether here or somewhere else, inside or outside. If physical, verbal, and mental formations cannot be ascertained, observed, or described as having the characteristics of formations, how could we talk about apprehending or describing an aggregate of formation? Thus, the aggregate of formation is a nonexistent aggregate.

“Having developed mistaken perceptions, childish ordinary beings grow attached to the formations of body, speech, and mind. As they conceptualize the aggregate of formation and are bound by it, they cycle in saṃsāra. Under the power of mistaken perception, childish ordinary beings generate physical, verbal, and mental formations. As they grasp and cling to them, they perceive nonphenomena to be phenomena and nonexistent aggregates to be aggregates. Attached to their mistaken formations, [F.26.b] they are bound by them and circle throughout the five classes of beings, continuously conforming to physical, verbal, and mental formations as they fail to accurately understand. By failing to accurately understand the aggregate of formation, they generate formations with body, speech, and mind. Because childish ordinary beings are attached to mistaken perceptions, because they are attached to phenomena that are not real, and because they are attached to what is false, these are called the aggregate of formation.’

“Lokadhara, when bodhisattvas accurately investigate this, they will realize that formations have no substance and are weak. They understand that the so-called aggregate of formation is simply designated as such based on a gathering of many causes and conditions, and so the aggregate of formation does not truly exist. The aggregate of formation is a nonexistent aggregate. The aggregate of formation is primordially unborn. The aggregate of formation lacks intrinsic existence. Since formations cannot be observed in the past, cannot be observed in the future, and cannot be observed in-between, they do not remain. Thus, formations arise and cease moment-by-moment.

“Lokadhara, in this fashion bodhisattvas accurately understand the aggregate of formation to be emptiness, inapprehensible, lacking a concrete nature, and not even remotely observable. Considering this, they will correctly reason in the following way with regard to the aggregate of formation: ‘Childish ordinary beings are bound by phenomena that have no essence, by the aggregate of formation, and by their attachment. They generate formations with their body, speech, and mind, and they generate the formations of self and possessions. By generating such action, they are bound by the aggregate of formation and fail to recognize the very aggregate of formation to be ignorance and delusion. Under the power of such mistaken perceptions, beings grasp and cling to formations. [F.27.a] Since such people become attached and cling to the aggregate of formation in this way, they sometimes generate pleasurable formations, sometimes generate painful formations, and sometimes generate formations that are neither pleasurable nor painful. When generating formations concerning pleasure, such people attain a body that is pleasurable. When generating formations concerning pain, such people attain a body that is painful. When generating formations concerning what is neither pleasurable nor painful, such people attain a body that is neither pleasurable nor painful. When they attain a body that is pleasurable, such people develop desire for it. When they attain a body that is painful, such people develop aversion for it. When they attain a body that is neither pleasurable or painful, such people develop delusion regarding it. Falling under the power of desire, aversion, and delusion, they fail to see the flaws of formations, and so they fail to purify physical, verbal, and mental formations. In failing to purify physical, verbal, and mental formations, they descend into impure paths: those of hell beings, animals, and anguished spirits. Even if they manage to briefly gain freedom from such states and are born as gods or humans, they remain very attached to physical, verbal, and mental formations; they are still quite attached to the aggregate of formation. Bodhisattva great beings accurately understand this. We too should not emulate childish ordinary beings. Rather, we should train to purify physical, verbal, and mental formations and not become attached to the aggregate of formation. Having thoroughly investigated the flaws of the aggregate of formation, we should seek the path, which brings emancipation from the aggregate of formation.’

“Those who think in this way are called those who accurately contemplate the aggregate of formation and those who accurately contemplate the impermanent nature of the aggregate of formation. At that time, they will act appropriately by not grasping at, being attached, or clinging to formations, the origination of formations, [F.27.b] the cessation of formations, or the path leading to the cessation of formations. They will not be attached or cling to formations. They will also not be attached to the aggregate of formation. When contemplating this, they will be free from the marks of formations and realize how even formations lack the nature of the aggregate of formation. By realizing all formations to be emptiness, they will become weary, apprehensive, and dismissive of all formations. They will only form pure physical, verbal, and mental formations. They will demolish the marks of formations and distance themselves from the marks of the aggregate of formation. Thus, any type of body such a person acquires will be pure. Why is this? Such people have purified their physical, verbal, and mental actions. They have purified their physical, verbal, and mental formations. They are free from the aggregate of formation, they are free from the marks of the aggregate of formation, and they destroy the marks of substantial existence of all phenomena. When accurately contemplating this matter, they realize that the aggregate of formation does not come from anywhere or go anywhere. They do not observe any formations that have the marks of truly arising or truly ceasing. They understand that formations lack the marks of arising and ceasing, for no formation has the marks of arising and ceasing. Once these people understand that formations lack the marks of arising and ceasing, they become weary and dismissive toward them. They will accurately understand and realize the marks of the origination and cessation of formations.

“Even though they see formations in terms of their characteristic of being unborn, they do not fully apprehend any characteristics of formations. Why is this? Lokadhara, it is because the aggregate of formation lacks true characteristics. [F.28.a] Just as a banana tree lacks both the characteristic of being solid and the characteristic of not being solid, so it is with the characteristics of formations—they lack both the characteristic of being solid and the characteristic of not being solid. Lokadhara, this is how bodhisattva great beings contemplate the discernment whereby one mentally engages the aggregate of formation.”

“Lokadhara, how then do bodhisattva great beings accurately contemplate the discernment of the aggregate of consciousness? Bodhisattva great beings contemplate the aggregate of consciousness as a nonaggregate. They contemplate the aggregate of consciousness as a heap of error. They contemplate how the aggregate of consciousness is a heap of falsehood. Why is this so? Lokadhara, the aggregate of consciousness arises from mistaken perception. Because beings have been bound by the condition of false perception, they have previously created actions, due to which the aggregate of consciousness now manifests. Because it also depends upon current conditions, it is based on many causes and conditions. Therefore, the aggregate of consciousness arises from consciousness that is based on nonexistent and false imputations. It is called consciousness because it is cognizant. It exists adventitiously, based upon a confused conceptual mind. Because it knows, it is called consciousness. It is called the aggregate of consciousness because it is conscious of myriad entities, because it initiates mental actions, because it thinks, because it generates marks from many conditions, and because it generates thinking in myriad forms. It is called the aggregate of consciousness because consciousness causes the forms perceived by consciousness to arise and it manifests the actions of mind, and because it is fond of thinking. It is called mind, mentality, and consciousness.15 By conceptualizing everything through its mental activity, [F.28.b] consciousness assembles phenomena and perceives them as characteristics, formations, and intrinsic natures. Thus, it is called the aggregate of consciousness. In this manner, the aggregate of consciousness is a nonaggregate. It is unborn, unarisen, and uncreated.

“It is called the aggregate of consciousness because it cognizes falsely, due to the condition of mistaken perception. Why is this? The aggregate of consciousness arises from many causes and conditions. It does not arise naturally, uninterruptedly, or continuously; rather it arises and ceases moment-by-moment, without generating the characteristics of the aggregate of consciousness. Why is this? Because no definitive manifestation of consciousness can be observed, and no characteristics of its manifestation can be observed. The wise reflect on it accurately, because they do not apprehend any such definitive manifestation or characteristics. Likewise, they understand that it lacks inherent nature, lacks its own characteristics, and possesses no solid nature. They understand the aggregate of consciousness to be a nonaggregate.

“Childish ordinary beings perceive what is not the aggregate of consciousness to be the aggregate of consciousness. They are bound by incorrect thinking and a false and mistaken outlook, which causes them to assiduously impute the aggregate of consciousness. Thereby they become attached to the aggregate of consciousness, dwell on the functions of consciousness, and rely upon the features of consciousness. By thus displaying a conceptual mindset, the aggregate of consciousness is generated. Such people conceptualize all sorts of things, which causes them to become attached to consciousness of the inner, consciousness of the outer, consciousness of the inner and outer, consciousness of the distant, and consciousness of the immediate. As consciousness imputes marks, beings generate the aggregate of consciousness. By means of their conceptual perception, such people impute it with the synonyms of mind, mentality, [F.29.a] and consciousness. They assiduously impute this is mind, this is mentality, and this is consciousness. In this fashion they perceive the arising of various characteristics of the mind. Childish ordinary beings are attached to the aggregate of consciousness—they are bound by the aggregate of consciousness. Through the coming together of mind, mentality, and consciousness, the aggregate of consciousness arises in various forms. Due to being false conceptual entities, having an identical characteristic, and having a fixed characteristic, beings acquire this mind, mentality, and consciousness, and they also acquire the false concept of attachment to them.16 Such people depend and rely upon the aggregate of consciousness. Attached to the aggregate of consciousness, they grasp and cling to the past aggregate of consciousness as existent, they grasp and cling to the future aggregate of consciousness as existent, and they grasp and cling to the present aggregate of consciousness as existent. Childish ordinary beings become attached to things they see, hear, feel, and cognize as the aggregate of consciousness and thus construe them as being existent. Such people grasp and cling to things they see, hear, feel, and cognize. Bound by the aggregate of consciousness, they highly cherish what they cognize. Under the collective power of mind, mentality, and consciousness, they wander throughout saṃsāra, from this world to the next, and from there to here. Bound by the aggregate of consciousness, they fail to accurately understand the aggregate of consciousness. Since the aggregate of consciousness is false, then all things heard, seen, felt, and cognized have arisen from a mistaken cause, such that there is no accurate consciousness of them. [F.29.b] In this way, as such people fail to accurately apprehend, at times a virtuous consciousness will arise, at times a nonvirtuous consciousness will arise, and at times a consciousness that is neither virtuous nor nonvirtuous will arise. Although such people always follow after consciousness, they do not recognize the origin of consciousness or the true characteristics of consciousness.

“Lokadhara, when bodhisattva great beings accurately realize this, they understand that the aggregate of consciousness arises from false consciousness. They understand that the things seen, heard, felt, and cognized arise from many causes and conditions. They think, ‘Ordinary beings perceive phenomena where there are none, and have thus become attached to the aggregate of consciousness. We should not emulate childish ordinary beings; rather, we should accurately analyze the discernment of consciousness and the discernment of the aggregate of consciousness.’

“When bodhisattvas accurately contemplate in this manner, they understand the aggregate of consciousness to be false and mistaken. They understand it as having the characteristic of being unborn17 from the very beginning. They understand that the aggregate of consciousness is a nonaggregate. The aggregate of consciousness is a heap of reflections. The aggregate of consciousness is a heap of illusion. For example, if an illusionist conjures up an illusory person, the consciousness of that person is not present within, without, or in-between. The nature of consciousness is analogous to that. It arises from many false conditions and conceptuality, and it is not a real entity. Consciousness is like a marionette,18 for it comes into being due to the gathering of many false and mistaken causes and conditions.

“When contemplating this, [F.30.a] bodhisattvas understand consciousness to be impermanent, painful, unclean, and without self. They understand the characteristic of consciousness to be illusory and realize the nature of consciousness to be illusory. At that time, bodhisattvas think: ‘Worldly beings are intoxicated and blinded by delusion. They all appear from consciousness that imputes—as a result of the gathering of mind, mentality, and consciousness, the three realms are nothing but consciousness. Mind, mentality, and consciousness are without form or location; they do not exist either inside or outside phenomena. Because childish ordinary beings are bound by their false perceptions, they grasp and cling to the aggregate of consciousness as I and mine. Such people cling to the aggregate of consciousness as existing internally, as existing externally, as existing both internally and externally, and as existing in self and other. Such people cling to the aggregate of consciousness as primary. Bound by consciousness, they are attached to the experience of the aggregate of consciousness and proclaim the characteristics of the aggregate of consciousness. Being attached to the experience of mind, mentality, and consciousness causes them to become attached and cling to the aggregate of consciousness. Such people are bound by consciousness. Because of their association with the aggregate of consciousness, they come under the power of mind, mentality, and consciousness. Due to the causes and conditions of mind, mentality, and consciousness, they are born as childish ordinary beings. If they generate lesser thoughts, they will acquire a lesser body. If they generate superior thoughts, they will acquire a superior body. If they generate middling thoughts, they will acquire a middling body. Due to following mind, mentality, and consciousness, [F.30.b] their dependence and reliance upon the sense sources arises. Because of their attachment to the aggregate of consciousness, they are not liberated from birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, and suffering.’

“Bodhisattvas accurately understand these things about the aggregate of consciousness. By accurately understanding the characteristic of impermanence of the aggregate of consciousness, they do not grasp or cling to the aggregate of consciousness of the past. They understand the aggregate of consciousness to be a nonaggregate. They do not grasp or cling to the aggregate of consciousness of the future. They understand the aggregate of consciousness to be a nonaggregate. They do not dwell upon the consciousness of the present either, for they accurately understand the characteristic of impermanence of the aggregate of consciousness. They accurately understand the characteristic of arising and ceasing of the aggregate of consciousness. Those who employ their minds in this fashion and accurately contemplate the aggregate of consciousness are said to enter the correct path. They accurately understand consciousness. They accurately understand the origination of consciousness. They accurately understand the cessation of consciousness. They accurately understand the path to the cessation of consciousness. Having accurately understood the characteristics of origination and cessation of the aggregate of consciousness, such people become skilled in destroying19 the aggregate of consciousness and eliminating all marks. They understand and realize the characteristics of the origination and cessation of the aggregate of consciousness. [F.31.a] At this point, bodhisattvas neither generate nor obstruct the aggregate of consciousness, for they realize the aggregate of consciousness to be primordially unborn. When realizing this, they do not realize consciousness in terms of its characteristic of ceasing; rather, they understand the aggregate of consciousness’s characteristic of being unborn. Why is this? Lokadhara, the aggregate of consciousness is without birth, marks, or existence. The aggregate of consciousness’s characteristic of being born is false; thus it is subsumed within the characteristic of being unborn. Lokadhara, the aggregate of consciousness lacks the characteristics of birth and existence. The characteristics of the aggregate of consciousness arise from many causes and conditions. Lokadhara, when bodhisattva great beings contemplate dependently originated phenomena in this manner, they realize the aggregate of consciousness to be a nonaggregate. Having carefully analyzed and investigated in this way, they will accurately understand and realize everything designated as consciousness. Once bodhisattvas understand how to disengage from the aggregate of consciousness, they will overcome all apprehensions and objects of knowledge. Lokadhara, this is how bodhisattva great beings understand the aggregate of consciousness. When they understand the aggregate of consciousness to be unborn, uncreated, unarisen, imperceptible, and ungraspable, they see that it arises from many conditions and appears due to the gathering of many conditions. Although it comes into existence due to the conditions of things seen, heard, felt, and cognized, it is primordially empty. When contemplating the aggregate of consciousness in this manner, they understand the aggregate of consciousness to be uncreated and unarisen. They do not cling to it or become attached to it as primary. Lokadhara, this is how bodhisattva great beings accurately contemplate the discernment of, and engagement with, the aggregate of consciousness.” [F.31.b]

“Such bodhisattvas, who skillfully engage with the five aggregates and skillfully contemplate the five aggregates for appropriation in the correct manner, are said to be skilled in engaging with the origination, cessation, and path with regard to the five aggregates. By eliminating all grasping at marks concerning the aggregates, they accurately understand the means related to the five aggregates. Through such means, they will not cling to, grasp at, crave for, or become bound by the five aggregates for appropriation. They accurately understand form and its characteristic of impermanence. Therefore, should attachment to form happen to arise for bodhisattvas, they will immediately dispel and eliminate it. Similarly, they accurately understand feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness, along with their characteristic of impermanence. Should attachment to feeling, perception, formation, or consciousness arise for bodhisattvas, they will immediately dispel it and disrupt it. By doing away with their desire for and attachment to the five aggregates for appropriation, bodhisattvas align themselves with a skillful understanding of the definitive nature of the five aggregates. When contemplating in this manner, they come to understand even the subtle marks of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation.

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings contemplate the discernment of the subtle marks of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation? Bodhisattva great beings understand the five aggregates’ characteristic of arising and ceasing by seeing how—when beings enter the womb and begin the embryonic stage—their previous set of five aggregates has ceased and a new set of five aggregates arises. They understand that while the previous consciousness has of course ceased, [F.32.a] the five aggregates are not characterized by disruption or cessation. While the consciousness indeed adheres to and abides in the embryo, they understand the five aggregates to be nonabiding and impermanent. Thereby they realize that the five aggregates for appropriation arise and cease moment-by-moment once they have entered the womb. Likewise, from the embryonic stage until the child is born, and from birth to death, the five aggregates for appropriation are characterized by arising and ceasing moment-by-moment. The five aggregates for appropriation arise and cease each and every moment. This is called contemplating the discernment of the subtle characteristics of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation.

“Lokadhara, the subtle characteristics of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation are as follows: Once the previous five aggregates for appropriation have ceased, beings enter the womb without any corporeality. Then, as they initially become conjoined with consciousness, the five aggregates for appropriation arise and cease. In terms of the embryonic stage, the five aggregates for appropriation are synonymously labeled a human being. Why is this? Lokadhara, without the support of consciousness, they would not remain, for it is said that the five aggregates for appropriation depend upon consciousness. Lokadhara, the subtle characteristics of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation pertaining to the gods20 in the formless realm should be understood in the same way. Lokadhara, if the insight of the solitary buddhas is unable to know the subtle characteristics of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation, then there’s no need to mention the insight of hearers. It is only the blessed buddhas who can properly understand the subtle characteristics of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation while in the womb, along with the momentary arising and ceasing of the aggregates of the gods in the formless realms. This is so because their omniscient insight transcends all worldly insight. [F.32.b] Bodhisattva great beings gain the acceptance that phenomena are unborn and enter the domain of the wisdom of the buddhas. Yet even they are unable to fully understand—as the buddhas do—the subtle characteristics of the five aggregates for appropriation while in the womb, nor that which pertains to the gods in the formless realms. Lokadhara, the insight of the blessed buddhas is not dependent on other factors. Having naturally discovered wisdom, insight, and skill, they fully awaken to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood. There is nothing that the wisdom of the blessed buddhas does not understand. With the unhindered wisdom of the blessed ones, they achieve insight that is certain with regard to all phenomena and has the power to control all phenomena. Why is this? Because they have practiced an incredibly profound Dharma for immeasurable, fathomless, and countless thousands of eons.”

“Lokadhara, if childish ordinary beings lack even the means to contemplate the five aggregates for appropriation, there’s no need to mention their ability to contemplate the subtle characteristics of arising and ceasing of the five aggregates for appropriation. Why is this? Childish ordinary beings do not understand the five aggregates for appropriation, or the truth of the five aggregates for appropriation. Childish ordinary beings do not understand appropriation, or the five aggregates for appropriation.

“Lokadhara, what then is appropriation? Appropriation is called appropriation because it appropriates self, others, views, discipline, the five aggregates, the eighteen elements, and the twelve causes and conditions. Any phenomena construed to be desired, whether outer or inner, is appropriated; existence is appropriated; as are things seen, heard, felt, cognized; as are self and possessions. [F.33.a] Lokadhara, childish ordinary beings fail to see and understand this false appropriation. They appropriate phenomena via mistaken causes and conditions. Because such people are bound by appropriation, they appropriate formations due to the condition of ignorance, they appropriate consciousness due to the condition of formations, and they appropriate name-and-form due to the condition of consciousness. Beings grasp and crave for the coarse marks of name-and-form, and appropriate them. They appropriate form, conjoin themselves with form, and are bound by form. Moreover, they appropriate the four remaining formless aggregates, conceptualizing and labeling feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. Lokadhara, if there were no buddhas, beings would fail to know and understand. They would remain incapable of accurately contemplating the five aggregates for appropriation. In order to destroy beings’ dependence and reliance on form; in order to destroy beings’ dependence and reliance on feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness; and in order to destroy the single characteristic that pertains to them all, the blessed buddhas analyzed and taught as follows:21

“ ‘That which all of you depend and rely upon is form. Form is a gathering of the four great elements. Feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness are mere labels. The five aggregates for appropriation are taught in order to present the marks of name-and-form. You ordinary beings should not depend upon or become attached to the five aggregates for appropriation, which are unstable and insubstantial.’

“Lokadhara, why have the thus-gone ones thus taught the aggregates for appropriation? Lokadhara, childish ordinary beings arise from mistaken perception, and they wander throughout saṃsāra because they are caught in the net of ignorance. Why do they wander? Because of grasping and attachment to the marks of the five aggregates for appropriation. [F.33.b] They think: ‘I will be happy if I depend on this.’ By observing pleasurable marks, such people become attached to the five aggregates for appropriation and rely upon them. By observing and becoming attached to painful marks and marks that are neither pleasurable nor painful, they rely upon the five aggregates for appropriation and become attached to them. The locus upon which childish ordinary beings rely is the five aggregates for appropriation.

“Lokadhara, childish ordinary beings are born blind: they fail to understand what the five aggregates are and where they come from. By not understanding the five aggregates accurately, they grasp and become attached to the aggregates. Therefore, they are called aggregates for appropriation. There is no appropriation there, and there is also nothing to appropriate that can be observed. So, they are bound by attachment to mistaken perception and incorrect conceptuality. Stupefied by ignorance and delusion, they appropriate in terms of I, mine, and self and other. Therefore, these are called aggregates for appropriation. The five aggregates have nothing that can be appropriated and no true characteristics. Therefore, the wise understand the five aggregates for appropriation as nonaggregates. They understand the five aggregates for appropriation as mistaken aggregates. They understand the five aggregates for appropriation as five aggregates of ignorance. Because childish ordinary beings are bound by this, they become attached to and dwell upon the five aggregates for appropriation. Because they become attached to and dwell on them, they do not understand what the aggregates for appropriation are like. Because they become attached to and dwell on the five aggregates, they take birth and circle. Because they become attached to and dwell on the five aggregates, they wander throughout all the destinies of sentient existence. On what do they dwell and to what do they become attached? They dwell on and become attached to sight. They dwell on and become attached to hearing. They dwell on and become attached to feeling. They dwell on and become attached to consciousness. They dwell on and become attached to craving.22 They dwell on and become attached to ignorance. [F.34.a] Because they are bound by the fetters of existence, childish ordinary beings are attached to the five aggregates for appropriation. Obscured by their obscurations, they are stupefied by ignorance and become ignorant and unaware. What is the source of their attachment? What are they bound by? It is due to ignorance that they circle in repeated births as hell beings, animals, anguished spirits, gods, and humans. Bound by saṃsāra, they dwell in and become attached to saṃsāra, and so they cannot give it up, discard it, or disrupt it. Thus, they fail to accurately understand the five aggregates for appropriation.”

“Because they fail to understand the true characteristics of the five aggregates for appropriation, they are harmed by all sorts of suffering. Having fallen into the pit of falsity, they fail to understand the path leading to the exit. In failing to understand the path of emancipation, such people have wandered continuously from beginningless time throughout saṃsāra. Thus, they are not liberated from birth, aging, sickness, death, lamentation, distress, or suffering. They are not liberated from the fathomless abyss of saṃsāra. They are not liberated from the great mass of suffering, and repeatedly they dwell in suffering and become attached to it. They are addicted to suffering. They are enslaved by suffering.

“What is meant by suffering? It is the five aggregates for appropriation. Suffering arises at the time of birth and ceases at the time of cessation. Lokadhara, due to that cause and that condition, I deliver this Dharma teaching to my disciples: Monks, you must accurately investigate the aggregate of form. You must accurately understand form’s characteristic of impermanence. Should you find yourself attached to form, immediately dispel and eliminate it. Likewise, you must accurately investigate feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. You must accurately understand the characteristic of impermanence with regard to feeling, perception, [F.34.b] formation, and consciousness. Should you find yourself attached to feeling, perception, formation, or consciousness, you must immediately dispel and eliminate that attachment. By dispelling and eliminating attachment, the mind will be truly liberated.

“Lokadhara, if people understand the meaning of the teachings I have given and earnestly employ what I have taught, they will be liberated from birth, aging, sickness, death, lamentation, distress, and suffering. If people do not practice or cultivate what I have taught, they will remain bound by the chains of form and craving. Blinded by their ignorance, they will remain attached to the five aggregates for appropriation. People who remain attached to the five aggregates for appropriation will not be liberated from the abyss of saṃsāra. Lokadhara, therefore, worldly beings argue with me, yet I do not argue with worldly beings.”

“What is meant by the world? The world is attachment to the five aggregates for appropriation. Attached to the five aggregates, people are bound by the five aggregates. Thereby they fail to understand the nature of the five aggregates, and they do not understand that emptiness is the characteristic of the five aggregates; and so they argue with me. Such people contradict the teachings of the Buddha. They argue with the Buddha and thus fall into great misery. Whether the Thus-Gone One abides in the world or has passed into parinirvāṇa, whoever realizes the five aggregates to be false, empty, and nonexistent; arisen from error, ignorance, and false imputations;23 and deceptive to childish ordinary beings will understand the five aggregates to be like nonaggregates. Such people will not argue with the Buddha. Since they will not contradict the teachings of the Buddha, they will be liberated from the suffering of hell beings, animals, and anguished spirits. [F.35.a] Lokadhara, the Blessed Buddha does not debate with others. Because he has ceased all debate, he is called Buddha, and he teaches to all beings the genuine Dharma, namely this: ‘All that you have previously appropriated was mistaken. Due to being mistaken, all beings cling to and depend upon the five aggregates, and thereby they repeatedly cycle throughout the world.’ In this way, people who cling to and depend upon the five aggregates will develop and cling to myriad wrong views. They cling to and depend upon various terms and words. They cling to and depend upon sorrow, lamentation, and suffering. Thus, people are afflicted with various wrong views and are thus harmed by many forms of suffering; but still, their views never become their protector, refuge, base, or support, for only the blessed buddhas can protect and offer refuge. Childish ordinary beings are small-minded and have limited understanding. They are attached to the five sense pleasures and cling to the five aggregates, which are rife with problems. Childish ordinary beings argue with those who protect, offer refuge, provide support, and deliver from all suffering. Lokadhara, I have raised my hand. I am not the teacher of those who view in terms of the five aggregates, view the five aggregates in terms of marks, or who become attached to the five aggregates. They are not my students. They are not my ordained. They are not my followers. They do not take refuge in me. Such people have set out on the path to the lower realms and entered the incorrect path. They do not follow the truth. They are mistaken. They fail to understand what the Buddha knows and teaches. They fail to understand what the Buddha knows and teaches about the five aggregates. [F.35.b] They fail to understand what the Buddha teaches concerning the ultimate. Thus, by not following the Buddha’s teachings, they should not receive veneration and offerings. I do not permit them to be ordained, much less to receive the honor of veneration and offerings from others. Why is this? Because such people are included in the ranks of the non-Buddhists. Such people, who produce marks concerning the five aggregates, are known as those who are attached and cling to the five aggregates.

“Lokadhara, when the Dharma is coming to ruin in the final five-hundred-year period, many who have taken ordination in my teachings will produce marks regarding the five aggregates. They will speak of the marks of the five aggregates as being real.24 They will be attached to the five aggregates. Those that have entered such a base and false path while taking ordination in my teachings will then drape Dharma robes around their necks as they enjoy spending their time going from household to household. You should know that even though such people are no different from non-Buddhists, many will be generous and venerate them due to the power of my Dharma. Lokadhara, I declare that those who have views of the five aggregates, who teach the five aggregates as being real,25 or who are attached to the five aggregates, are not allowed to accept so much as a cup of water from someone else. Why is this? Such people lack any acceptance whatsoever of the principles of my teaching. Thus, such people contradict my teachings and abandon the Dharma of the noble ones.

“Lokadhara, therefore, bodhisattva great beings should make a great aspiration, vowing that in such dire future times, they will uphold and protect my very profound discourses, and to disrupt beings’ views of the five aggregates, they will teach them the Dharma. Lokadhara, in all my discourses I explained how to eliminate all marks of the aggregates and how to abandon attachment to the aggregates. Much debate then arose among many householders and the ordained concerning this discourse; therefore, they did not perceive it as being true. Bodhisattva great beings [F.36.a] should thus make the following promise and great aspiration: ‘For the sake of the benefit and happiness of beings in the dire times of the future who will be attached to and have wrong views about the aggregates, and in order to dispel their attachment to the five aggregates, I will bring benefit and happiness to them with the Dharma, in whatever way will tame them.’ Therefore, Lokadhara, those bodhisattva great beings who wish to understand the truth of phenomena, who wish to become skilled in discerning the characteristics of phenomena, who wish to attain the power of mindfulness, who wish for the insight that skillfully discerns the categories of phenomena, and who wish to attain unbroken mindfulness from the time they abandon this body until they reach unsurpassed and perfect awakening should investigate the five aggregates for appropriation in terms of their characteristics of impermanence, suffering, selflessness, falsity, hollowness, final emptiness, and being primordially unborn. When they constantly contemplate this accurately, they will dispel their attachment and craving for the five aggregates for appropriation. Additionally, they will achieve a connection to this category of profound teaching.

“Lokadhara, countless immeasurable eons ago, the thus-gone one, the worthy one, the perfect buddha Royal Mountain of Great Intelligence appeared in the world. He was learned and virtuous, a blissful one, a knower of the world, an unsurpassed being, a charioteer who guides beings, a teacher of gods and humans, and a blessed buddha. Lokadhara, the blessed Royal Mountain of Great Intelligence had eight trillion hearers in his saṅgha, all of whom were worthy ones who had exhausted the defilements. Furthermore, he had 800 quadrillion followers who were irreversible on the level of training. [F.36.b] There were also one sextillion beings in his assembly of bodhisattva great beings. The lifespan of the blessed Royal Mountain of Great Intelligence was eighty thousand years. Lokadhara, at that time there was a king named Bringer of Benefit, who ruled over twenty thousand cities, each of which was filled with happy beings. Each city was encircled by seven concentric walls that were twelve leagues in circumference. They were fashioned from the four precious substances. There were seven layers of moats and fences that were covered with a net of various precious substances. The cities, moats, trees, walls, and covering nets were fashioned from the four precious substances: gold, beryl, crystal, and coral. There were five hundred parks in each city wherein the trees were made of the seven precious substances. Each and every tree was adorned with precious fabrics. In each park were five hundred jeweled ponds filled with water of the eight qualities. Lokadhara, King Bringer of Benefit had eighty thousand queens and members of his court. At that time, his highest queen had two sons: Limitless Intelligence and Limitless Power. Lokadhara, when the two boys had reached the age of sixteen, they beheld the Thus-Gone One in a dream. Since he was incomparably handsome, he appeared to them like a banner made of gold from the Jambū River. This delighted them to the point that they awoke and proclaimed the following verses.

“The elder brother said this:

“The younger brother said this:

“Lokadhara, the two princes Limitless Intelligence and Limitless Power then went before their father and mother to proclaim to their parents the story of what they saw in their dreams. They said, ‘We dreamt that we saw the Buddha. Please permit us to go see the Blessed One. It is extremely rare for a thus-gone one to appear in the world. In our heedlessness, we have senselessly and unwittingly fallen into the swamp of the five desires. We are bound by the fetter of form. We are bound by the fetters of feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness. We have not seen the Buddha before, because we have been heedless, living the household life.’

“Lokadhara, once the two princes announced this to their parents, they went before the blessed Royal Mountain of Great Intelligence. Arriving in the Blessed One’s presence, they bowed, touching the crowns of their heads to his feet and invited the Buddha and his saṅgha of monks with an offering of the four kinds of veneration for a duration of three months. They offered clothing, food, bedding, and medicine in the case of illness. In one of King Bringer of Benefit’s parks at the edge of the city, they hung banners, raised parasols, and arranged jeweled lotuses. Offering this to the Buddha and his saṅgha of monks, they requested them to stay. For three months, the two princes served the Buddha and his saṅgha of monks with offerings of supplies, and they went forth into the homeless life under the Blessed One’s teachings.

“Lokadhara, the blessed Royal Mountain of Great Intelligence understood the two princes’ pure motivation and aspiration26 [F.37.b] and extensively instructed them in the discourse called The Skillful Means of Bodhisattvas, in which the five aggregates, twelve sense sources, and eighteen elements are explained. For forty thousand years, they did not sleep, eat to fullness, or rest; they did not even sit down or walk around anywhere.27 Then, for forty thousand years, they thought of nothing other than the characteristics of falsity and emptiness of the five aggregates for appropriation. Having understood the five aggregates to arise from mistaken perception, they spent their lives practicing pure conduct, while understanding and realizing the characteristics of the five aggregates for appropriation. When they passed away, they were born in the Heaven of Joy. After the Blessed One passed into nirvāṇa, they were born into the family of an important householder here in Jambudvīpa, and once again, at the age of sixteen, saw the Thus-Gone One in a dream, where they dreamt that he taught them the discourse called The Skillful Means of Bodhisattvas, in which the five aggregates and the eighteen elements are explained. Having heard this teaching in the dream, they awoke with a start. They engaged in pure conduct for a full ten thousand years, following the teachings of the Blessed One, carefully investigating the discourse called The Skillful Means of Bodhisattva Conduct, in which the five aggregates, twelve sense sources, and eighteen elements are explained. Then, once they passed away, they were born in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. When their divine lifespan was spent, they were born once again here in Jambudvīpa into an important, high-caste Brahmin family. One thousand years after the Dharma of the blessed Royal Mountain of Great Intelligence had disappeared, the two princes received ordination based upon their previous causes and conditions. Their understanding grew vast, with insight as vast as the ocean. They became skilled in discerning and reflecting upon the characteristics of the aggregates, and came to understand them directly and accurately. Lokadhara, they established twenty thousand humans and two hundred thousand gods in unsurpassed and perfect awakening. [F.38.a]

“Lokadhara, these two bodhisattvas were close companions wherever they were born. They met and served a quadrillion buddhas. They then gained the acceptance that phenomena are primordially unborn. Once they gained the acceptance that phenomena are unborn, they once again met a quadrillion buddhas, and eventually went on to attain unsurpassed and perfect awakening. The two of them sequentially awakened to buddhahood during the same eon, where one became known as Limitless Voice, and the other, Limitless Light. Lokadhara, it must therefore be understood that bodhisattva great beings who wish swiftly to attain unsurpassed and perfect awakening should exert themselves in cultivating the pure and excellent Dharma. Additionally, they should become skilled in understanding the characteristics of the aggregates and skilled in the actual characteristics of conditioned phenomena.”

“Lokadhara, regarding the elements, how are bodhisattva great beings learned in the eighteen elements? When bodhisattva great beings practice correct contemplation of the eighteen elements, they think, ‘The eye element cannot be observed to be the eye element. There is also no I or mine in the eye element. It is impermanent, insubstantial, and empty of inherent nature. Therefore, what is imputed as the characteristic of the eye element cannot be observed in the eye element. The eye element is untrue and totally nonexistent, for it is born from false thinking. The eye element lacks true characteristics, as the space element is the eye element. For instance, just as the space element lacks true characteristics and is not an entity, the eye element also lacks true characteristics and is not an entity. Why is this? [F.38.b] Because no real entity can be found in the eye element, the eye element does not exist in any location or direction. It does not exist internally, externally, or somewhere in-between. The eye element lacks true characteristics and is not an entity. Thus, no entity of the eye element can be apprehended, for it arises from many causes and conditions. The eye element is neither past, nor present, nor future, and there is no intrinsic nature of the eye to observe in the eye element. The eye element depends upon the ripening of the results of past actions and current conditions, whereupon the eye element is imputed. The eye element is a nonelement. No eye element can be observed in the eye element. The so-called eye element refers to the domain of consciousness. The eye element manifests when three factors come together: a clear eye faculty, an apparent form, and the involvement of the mind faculty. The eye element lacks anything that can be called a real eye element, and the wise understand the eye element to be the absence of the eye element.’ ”

“Lokadhara, if bodhisattva great beings contemplate the discernment of the eye element in this manner, they will understand the form element to be a nonelement. Why is this? There is no element of form that can be observed28 in the form element, for the form element is uncompounded and uncreated.29 Because form is devoid of any true characteristics, it is called the form element. If form is insubstantial, lacking even concepts of it, what need is there to mention the so-called form element? Because the so-called form element is not an entity, the characteristic of form does not exist within form, outside of form, or somewhere in-between. Rather, it is imputed. Form appears due to the combination of a location where forms can appear, the presence of an uncorrupted eye faculty, [F.39.a] and the involvement of the mind consciousness. This is called the characteristic of form. It is similar to a reflection in a mirror. If the mirror is unblemished, the characteristic of form will appear in it. But form in fact has no true characteristics; the reflection of a form appears in the mirror even as there is no person there. Further, even if there is a mirror outside, the characteristic of form arises from within. Similarly, when an uncorrupted eye faculty is present in a location where forms are visible, much like the reflection in a mirror, the resulting apprehension can be labeled the characteristic of form. Form is devoid of elements, shapes, and true characteristics. These are the so-called characteristics of form. Because the characteristics of form are devoid of self, they are called the characteristics of form. Because they are perceived according to the individual in question, they are called the characteristics of form. Any person who understands the characteristics of form also understands the characteristics of the absence of form. If one understands the characteristics of form as an unborn element, one will also understand the characteristics of form to be an uncreated element. Why is this? The characteristics of form are neither past, nor present, nor future. The demonstrated lack of inherent characteristics, the demonstrated characteristic of falsity, and the demonstrated imputed characteristics are called the form element. In this way bodhisattvas discern the form element.”

“Bodhisattvas then discern the characteristics of the eye consciousness in the following manner: the eye consciousness has no eye consciousness, no eye-consciousness element, and no characteristic of being permanent. The eye-consciousness element has no entities or real phenomena. The eye-consciousness element is indemonstrable. [F.39.b] The eye-consciousness element cannot be gathered or separated, for it lacks a substantial basis. We call it the eye-consciousness element because it depends upon the causes and conditions of previous actions, concurrent conditions, and form. Childish ordinary beings call it the eye-consciousness element because they follow their mistaken minds. The noble ones, however, understand and realize it as a nonelement. Why is that? Because the eye-consciousness element is indefinite. They call it the eye-consciousness element because it is born from and depends upon conditions. The location of the domain of consciousness is the eye-consciousness element, because this consciousness lacks a definite nature. It is said to lack a definite characteristic because it is unborn, because it demonstrates falsehood, because it falsely imputes the characteristic of form, and because it demonstrates conditions.30

“The Thus-Gone One skillfully makes distinctions based upon beings’ understandings, and so he teaches such characteristics in order to destroy all characteristics of unity as well as difference. The eighteen elements are taught to demonstrate that31 consciousness lacks true characteristics, but the pure eye faculty still cognizes the characteristics of form; the eye-consciousness element is thus taught in order to integrate these two things, and in order to demonstrate the true nature of the eye consciousness. The eye-consciousness element is the locus of the visual experience. Even the eye-consciousness element, which is conscious of form, is described as a nonelement. Why is this? The wise do not observe the eye-consciousness element as the eye-consciousness element. Since the eye-consciousness element cannot be observed as the eye-consciousness element, [F.40.a] it cannot be found to be an entity. Why is this? The eye-consciousness element lacks true characteristics. The eye-consciousness element is nothing more than a mere imputation. The expression element is merely an expression that means non-appropriation. When there is something to be seen, the characteristic of the eye consciousness arises from the function of the eye consciousness and mind. This is called eye consciousness. Knowledge of conditional characteristics arises from the gathering of three things: the eye element, the form element, and the eye-consciousness element. Although they are devoid of the substance of an element, it is due to the categories of the eye element, the form element, and the eye-consciousness element that beings can enter the genuine path. Yet in this, there is not truly an eye element, a form element, or an eye-consciousness element. All the thus-gone ones skillfully explain how to understand, see, and discern characteristics. Those who understand and realize this teaching of characteristics will understand the three realms to be without elements. Why is this? Because the realms lack the characteristics of elements, and the elements cannot be observed as the characteristics of the realms. The ear element, sound element, and ear-consciousness element; the nose element, odor element, and nose-consciousness element; the tongue element, taste element, and tongue-consciousness element; and the body element, tactile element, and body-consciousness element should also be understood in this way.”

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings discern the mind element? Bodhisattvas think, ‘The mind element lacks true characteristics because it has no substance whatsoever. [F.40.b] The mind element lacks an actual element and anything called a mind element. As for the so-called mind element, for example, once one has placed a seed into the earth, and it has been moistened by the water in the soil, warmed by the sun, and stimulated by the wind, a sprout will gradually grow. The sprout has not arisen from the seed, and the seed is not the same as the sprout. Once the sprout arises, the seed perishes. Yet, the seed is not other than the sprout, and the sprout is not other than the seed. Just as the seed does not exist within the sprout, so it is with the mind element. Because it produces mental actions, it indirectly represents the mind consciousness, just as the seed indirectly represents the sprout; thus it is designated the mind element. There is no mind aside from the mind element, but the mind element cannot be known as mind; it is designated mind element as a label.32 This so-called mind element does not exist within the mind, outside the mind, or somewhere in-between. But it is called mind element because it is produced out of the causes and conditions of previous actions, because it knows mental actions, because it cognizes what can be perceived, because it combines labels with characteristics, and because it arouses observations in the present moment. It is characterized by indeterminate mental activity and a combination of many causes and conditions. Because the mind element arises from a combination of many factors, it conforms to how beings cognize. Ultimately, there is no mind element. Why is this? Because it is devoid of substance. The mind element is unborn, because it is devoid of birth. The so-called mind element is a label that is applied on the relative level. On the ultimate level, there is no real mind element. It cannot be observed as past, present, or future. The wise understand the mind element to be devoid of an element.’ ”

“In discerning and understanding the mental-object element, bodhisattvas understand the mental-object element to be a nonelement. Since a mental object lacks intrinsic nature, no intrinsic nature can be observed.33 [F.41.a] The mental-object element is an indeterminate element. Because the mental-object element cannot be observed as inherently existent, it also cannot be observed to be any definite thing. Still, the mental object element is described and taught in order to bring understanding to beings who see mistakenly and who are bound by falsity. The mental-object element is explained in order to establish ordinary beings with an understanding of the absence of elements. Why is this? The mental-object element has no mental-object element, for the so-called mental-object element arises from a gathering of many conditions. Phenomena that arise from a gathering of many conditions have no intrinsic nature. Because causes and conditions have no intrinsic nature, causes and conditions arise from a stream of mistaken perception that is itself a gathering of many factors. The Thus-Gone One thus teaches the mental-object element in order to ripen beings, using conventional language to illustrate the absence of elements. Even though the mental-object element does not exist internally, externally, or somewhere in-between, in order to cause beings to understand and see virtuous and nonvirtuous phenomena, he explains with recourse to the mental-object element the absence of all phenomenal characteristics.34 Since they ultimately have the characteristic of emptiness, the mental-object element is taught to ultimately be emptiness. Why is this? The mental-object element is totally nonexistent, because there are no actual marks of existence in the mental-object element. For instance, just as space has no true characteristics, but is still called space, the mental-object element likewise has no real marks. The mental-object element is taught in order to destroy the marks of mental objects, for the mental-object element is a nonelement. Why is this? The mental-object element does not exist in the past, present, or future. And yet, because of being formed in dependence on many conditions, the category of mental-object element is designated, in accordance with the mental-object element imputed by beings. The wise understand the mental-object element to be a nonelement, [F.41.b] for the mental-object element is not singular or multiple. The mental-object element does not have many marks of the mental-object element, nor does it have even a few. Through the skillful means of demonstrating elements, the mental-object element is described as an element. Those practitioners who understand and realize the mental-object element see and understand it to be a nonelement. There are no conceptual marks related to the mental-object element throughout the three realms. But because beings imagine there to be mental objects, due to a combination of many causes and conditions, the mental-object element is taught. The mental-object element is thus explained to show how mental objects are differentiated and have no definite characteristics.

“The wise do not see mental objects as arising, because they see the mental-object element in terms of its marks. For them, the mental objects that arise are unborn. Why is this? It is because the mental-object element is devoid of marks. The wise understand and realize the characteristic of mental phenomena to be free of marks. Therefore, concerning the absence of conceptual marks with regard to the mental-object element, it is called the mental-object element because it lacks both marks and concepts. The mental-object element has no basis for dwelling, no dwelling, no basis for arising, and no basis for dependence. The mental-object element has no birth, because the mental-object element is primordially unborn. Why is this? Because the mental-object element is devoid of elements. Moreover, because the mental-object element is formed, it does not exist. Moreover, because it is not formed, not dispersed, not assembled, and not fixed, it is the mental-object element. Thus do bodhisattva great beings discern and understand the lack of an element to be the mental-object element.”

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings discern the mind-consciousness element? Bodhisattva great beings think, ‘The mind-consciousness element is an unborn element; it is an unfixed element. [F.42.a] As the mind-consciousness element is devoid of substantial existence and actual qualities, the mind-consciousness element is used to demonstrate the characteristic of the absence of qualities. Why is this? The mind-consciousness element cannot be observed as the mind-consciousness element. The mind-consciousness element is called the mind-consciousness element because it is false, nonexistent, mistaken, and has mind as its forefront, whereby it perceives mental objects. It is called the mind-consciousness element because it conforms with childish ordinary beings.’

“Noble beings understand and realize the mind-consciousness element to be a nonelement; they understand and realize the mind-consciousness element to be false and nonexistent. However, since it demonstrates the phenomena of causes and conditions, and since it has mind as its forefront, and thus knows the coming together of many conditions, it is called the mind-consciousness element. Moreover, it is taught as such because it accords with beings’ perception. The wise understand the mind-consciousness element as a nonelement. It arises from the gathering of many causes and conditions as well as from imputation. When the elements are perceived to be devoid of marks, that is the ultimate, for elements have no characteristics on the ultimate level. The so-called mind-consciousness element is taught as a relative phenomenon in order to ripen beings, so that beings can understand the mind-consciousness element as a nonelement. Also, the so-called mind-consciousness element is taught so that the elements can be destroyed with just a few phenomena, and so that one can disengage from them. Why is this? Noble beings seek what cannot be perceived,35 for the mind-consciousness element does not exist within the mind-consciousness element, outside of the mind-consciousness element, or somewhere in-between.

“The wise realize the mind-consciousness element to be an unconjoined element. [F.42.b] They know that the mind consciousness does not perceive the mind element, and the mind element does not perceive the mind consciousness.36 They understand that it is born from a combination of many causes and conditions, which arise from mistaken perception; in other words, it arises from a combination of both causes and conditions, preceded by the mind. The mind-consciousness element is thus taught because it demonstrates to beings the marks of consciousness, which are attached to falsity and are born from imputation. The mind consciousness does not exist in the past, present, or future. The mind consciousness does not come from anywhere, go anywhere, or remain in any place. It has the characteristic of being primordially unborn. In the mind consciousness there is nothing with an inherent, fixed existence. Why is this? The mind-consciousness element has the mark of nonduality, which is to say, it is free of marks. That mark does not exist on account of dualistic marks; this indemonstrability is itself the mind-consciousness element. Once the wise realize and understand the mind-consciousness element in this way, they understand that the mind-consciousness element cannot be found in any phenomenon, object, or location; it is neither the same as nor different from any phenomenon.

“The noble ones realize that the mind-consciousness element is unborn, does not come, does not go, and cannot be observed. Why is this? Because on the ultimate level, the mind-consciousness element cannot be observed; it is imperceptible and indemonstrable. Because the wise do not observe the mind-consciousness element to have a function, they understand the mind-consciousness element to be uncreated. Because the mind-consciousness element lacks the mark of birth, [F.43.a] they understand and realize it to be unborn. Lokadhara, this is how bodhisattva great beings discern and understand the mind-consciousness element.”

“When bodhisattvas contemplate the three realms, they discern and understand the desire realm,37 the form realm, and the formless realm to be unborn and nonexistent. How do they contemplate them? They think as follows: ‘There is no desire realm in the desire realm. There is no form realm in the form realm. There is no formless realm in the formless realm. However, by using realms to demonstrate those phenomena that are devoid of a realm, the desire realm is shown to those who prefer to enter the desire realm, the form realm is shown to those who prefer to enter the form realm, and the formless realm is shown to those who prefer to enter the formless realm. The absence of realms is indicated and articulated by using realms. The wise understand the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm to be utterly nonexistent realms. The wise do not observe the desire realm, the form realm, or the formless realm. By understanding that the three realms are devoid of inherent existence and fixed qualities, but arise from many causes and conditions, the wise thus understand the three realms to be nonrealms. There are no realms, but the three realms manifest due to falsity and mistaken perception. Why is this? Since the wise do not observe the three realms, the three realms cannot be observed or described as belonging to the past, present, or future. The noble ones understand the three realms to be false, nonexistent, devoid of intrinsic nature, free of all phenomena, and arisen from mistaken perception. The Thus-Gone One distinguishes between and explains them in order to disrupt the mistaken perception of many beings [F.43.b] and enable them to see and understand the three realms. The teaching on the existence of the three realms, moreover, describes the three realms so that beings can understand the meaning of nonrealm; for in truth, they are not actual realms. The wise understand and realize the three realms to be nonrealms.’

“Lokadhara, when bodhisattva great beings contemplate in this way, they understand others’ elements and their own elements to be the element of space, for they understand them to be the nonexistent mental-object element, the element of nonexistence, and the unborn element. Why is this? Their own elements and others’ elements are not different or distinct from the element of space. All such elements emerge from space, but since they are born from many conditions, they are known as elements, as there is no fixed characteristic of elements among them. Why is this? It is because space has no definitive element. Given that all characteristics are included in the element of space, this is the meaning of the absence of realms. Just as space has no elements, phenomena too are ultimately without marks and have the characteristic of nonexistence. All elements are free from elements. Since there is no element in an element, elements do not exist internally, externally, or somewhere in-between. There is no element within an element. That absence is not included among characteristics and does not depend on an element. All elements are devoid of a locus. All elements are unborn. The wise do not observe elements arising, ceasing, or abiding in the elements. All elements are unborn, unarisen, nonabiding, and primordially unobservable. The wise do not become attached to elements, which are mere labels. They do not become attached to, grasp at, or conceptualize them. [F.44.a] Therefore, the wise see and understand all elements to be unborn elements. Since all elements are unborn, they are unceasing; thus, on the ultimate level, no element can be observed. Relatively, mental-object elements are distinguished and discussed, but on the ultimate level there is nothing at all that can be described as an element. Thus do the wise understand and realize the definitive meaning of all elements.

“Lokadhara, thus do bodhisattva great beings contemplate, analyze, and understand the eighteen elements, the three realms, others’ elements, their own elements, and the element of space. When bodhisattvas thus understand and realize them, they do not observe or view elements. They understand all their terminology and have confidence in an understanding of all elements as nonelements. Understanding the differentiation into elements and differentiating them on the relative level enables them to understand how all elements appear on the ultimate level. Understanding the application of the nonexistence of the elements, and thus teaching beings the elements, enables them to ground beings in the application of the elements. Even though, on the relative level, they use words and speech to teach beings about phenomena being devoid of elements, they do not teach that elements have dualistic marks. Even though all elements are nondual, they use skillful means to show that the elements are dependently originated. Even though on the relative level they use words and speech to ripen beings, they teach the ultimate to beings. Even though they are learned with regard to the distinct features of the elements, they trust and understand that all elements are nonexistent. Why is this? Lokadhara, on the ultimate level, the Thus-Gone One does not observe elements or any qualities of elements.

“Lokadhara, I fully awakened to unsurpassed and perfect buddhahood without rejecting or disrupting any elements. [F.44.b] Why is this? On the ultimate level, there are no elements. There are no elements, or any actuality, in any elements. All elements are the same as space; so since all elements are included in space, all elements are characterized as being unborn. The Thus-Gone One understands all the elements in this manner. Lokadhara, the Thus-Gone One did not speak of any elements or even the power of phenomena. Why is this? As no phenomenon whatsoever exists, he should not speak of nonexistent elements. Nonetheless, Lokadhara, although the Thus-Gone One has indeed spoken of nonexistent elements, in truth, there are no elements to speak of.

“Lokadhara, this is called skill in discerning the elements. Bodhisattva great beings are skilled in discerning the elements, understand all elements to be mere labels, understand them as mere relative elements, understand the ultimate element, understand the ascertainment of the elements, understand the relative truth, are skilled in discerning the elements, understand what their particular qualities are, understand the gathering of elements, understand the engagement with the elements, understand the engagement with the elements of truth, are skilled in the distinctions of the elements, understand all elements to be nonelements, understand all elements to be equivalent to the element of space, do not make distinctions among the elements, do not observe distinctions among elements, and do not express any such distinctions. They become skilled in teaching beings about the destruction of the elements. Lokadhara, a skilled magician can show beings various illusions, enabling them to experience various illusory entities. However, a relative or friend might tell them, ‘This is an illusion; these entities are magically created. This illusion is not real. [F.45.a] It only appears to beings as a mistaken perception.’ In that case, any wise person would understand them to be illusions.

“Lokadhara, the nature of the world is like an illusion. If bodhisattvas understand illusory phenomena, they understand the world’s illusory nature. The ways of the world are like an illusion, and through the power of magic, the world magically appears to beings. If someone clings to the world as truly real, bodhisattvas show them that the world is false and illusory. Once the wise who have profound intelligence and sharp faculties are shown just a facet of this, they understand all phenomena to be emptiness, illusory, unreal, and insubstantial; they understand that all phenomena deceive childish ordinary beings, and that they depend upon false conditions.

“Therefore, Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings who wish to understand the function of the elements should exert themselves in such extremely profound, indescribable, and unobservable discourses as these, which teach the understanding and knowledge of all elements, describe all elements to be beyond words and beyond formation, teach the means and insight related to all elements, teach how the elements are dependently originated, and, moreover, express the true reality of all phenomena. Such bodhisattvas should exert themselves, namely, in all the statements of the profound discourses that teach worldliness and transcendence, the conditioned and unconditioned, what it is to be fettered and not fettered, the aim of practice, and the meaning of the relative and the ultimate, along with discourses on the definitive meaning, discourses on the inferred meaning, and the liberating discourses on dependent origination.”

The Blessed One continued addressing Lokadhara: [F.45.b] “How are bodhisattva great beings knowledgeable about the twelve sense sources? When discerning the twelve sense sources, they think, ‘The eye sense source cannot be observed in the eye. In the eye, there is no definitive eye sense source. The eye sense source cannot be observed to be an entity.’ Why is this? The eye sense source is born from many causes and conditions and arises through mistaken perception. It depends upon form, because it observes form. When the two meet,38 the condition of form brings the condition of the eye sense source into existence. Because the form and eye sense sources are mutually dependent, they are collectively called the eye’s form. Regarding the so-called eye and form, form is the gateway through which the eye sense source is generated, and the eye also generates and illuminates the form sense source. Therefore, with regard to the sense sources, the eye sense source is so-called because it is labeled a sense source gateway via the condition of form and the form sense source is so-called because it is seen by the eye. While I teach that they do exist relatively, the eye does not exist in form, form does not exist in the eye, the eye does not exist in the eye, and form does not exist in form. The eye sense source is thus labeled because observation of form arises from many conditions. Additionally, the form sense source is thus labeled because the eye consciousness and the characteristic of sight arise through dependent origination.

“How is it that, contrary to what is mistakenly claimed on the relative level, ultimately, the eye sense source and the form sense source are both taught to be unobservable? When the wise seek the sense sources, they do not see them as truly existent. Childish ordinary beings with mistaken perception speak of the eye sense source and the form sense source as two entities. I have taught that the eye sense source and the form sense source [F.46.a] are false sense sources. In order to bring about an accurate understanding of the true characteristics of phenomena, I have said that the sense sources arise due to dependent origination, in association with delusion; and thus, the characteristic of sense sources cannot be truly observed therein. Why is this? The eye and form sense sources do not exist internally, externally, or somewhere in-between. The eye and form sense sources are not past, present, or future. However, since form is perceived due to a gathering of causes and conditions in the present moment, it is called the eye sense source; this accords with what is experienced by childish ordinary beings. By understanding that the sense sources are false, nonexistent, and arisen from mistaken imputation, the wise see and understand that the sense sources are not sense sources. They do not speak of the characteristics of the sense sources, and they understand that the sense sources have no fixed characteristics, yet the wise teach them to be dependently originated. The Thus-Gone One has said that these sense sources are known and understood; namely,39 that the sense sources are false, nonexistent, dependent upon causes and conditions, and arisen from mistaken formations. The sense sources are uncreated and devoid of agent. The eye sense source cannot be known or conceived in relation to the form sense source, nor can the form sense source be known or conceived in relation to the eye sense source; both are devoid of marks. By virtue of the characteristic of being void in reality, the sense sources are beyond investigation and description. Since the characteristic of the sense sources arises in dependence, childish beings mistakenly apprehend them, while the noble ones correctly understand and know them. They know that the eye and form sense sources are characterized as being unborn, unceasing, and without coming or going. [F.46.b] Thus, the eye does not perceive the eye, the eye does not conceptualize the eye, form does not perceive form, and form does not conceptualize form. Why is this? Because both are empty. Because both are void, the characteristic of the eye cannot be known via the eye, and the characteristic of form cannot be known via form. Both eye and form lack characteristics and qualities. Since they lack true characteristics, the eye is not created by the eye, the eye cannot be understood by the eye, form is not created by form, and form cannot be understood by form. Because both are nonexistent, the eye does not think, ‘I am the eye,’ and form does not think, ‘I am form.’ The identity of both eye and form is essentially an illusion, and so eye and form are also synonyms for falsity. Bodhisattvas likewise discern and contemplate ear and sound, nose and odor, tongue and taste, and body and texture in the same manner as the eye and form sense sources.”

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings discern and contemplate the mind sense source? When bodhisattva great beings discern and contemplate the mind sense source, they think, ‘The mind sense source is unobservable. There are no true characteristics of a sense source in the mind. The mind sense source is insubstantial.’ Why is this? The mind sense source arises from mistaken perception, through the process of dependent origination. Since it depends upon the mental-object sense source, it performs its function based on the meeting of the two.40 The mind sense source occurs because of the condition of the mental-object sense source. It is discerned through the condition of the mental-object sense source, and its characteristic is twofold. The mental-object sense source finds its locus in dependence upon the mind. Mind is the gateway of the arising and development of mental objects, and the mental-object sense source is likewise the gateway of the mind. Therefore, [F.47.a] it is termed the mental-object sense source. The mind sense source is named as such due to it being the gateway of the mental-object sense source. The mental-object sense source is taught in order to demonstrate and bring about knowledge of the gateway of the mind’s characteristics. Although the relative truth is expressed correctly, the mind does not rely upon mental objects, and mental objects do not rely upon the mind. Yet, the mind sense source is so-called because it dependently originates, and mental objects are its conditions; while the mental-object sense source is so-called because it demonstrates dependent origination and the characteristics of the mind. These are explained according to delusional perception on the relative level, whereas on the ultimate level, the mind sense source and mental-object sense source are said to be unobservable. Upon investigation, the wise do not find the sense sources to be truly existent. Childish ordinary beings, with their mistaken perception, talk about the mind sense source and the mental-object sense source as two kinds of marks. The mind and mental-object sense sources are false and nonexistent. Since the Thus-Gone One accurately understands this, he calls them sense sources.41 Since sense sources are dependently originated from mistaken formations, no mind or mental-object sense source can be truly observed there. The mind and mental-object sense sources do not exist internally, externally, or somewhere in-between.

“Moreover, the mind sense source is not past, future, or present. Yet, based upon the perception in present adventitious conditions, the mind sense source and mental-object sense source are taught in accord with childish ordinary beings’ thinking. The wise understand the mind sense source and mental-object sense source as sense sources that are not sense sources; they are false, nonexistent, and arisen from mistaken conceptuality. Why is this? Because sense sources definitively lack the characteristic of being sense sources. The wise thus realize the sense sources to be false and nonexistent, [F.47.b] in that the mind sense source and mental-object sense source are inherently unobservable, and any true characteristic that arises from the mind sense source and mental-object sense source is also unobservable.

“Since the mind sense source and mental-object sense source are thus dependently originated, the Thus-Gone One describes the characteristics of knowing and understanding the sense sources as follows: the sense sources are false, nonexistent, arisen from mistaken formations, and dependent upon causes and conditions; the mind sense source and mental-object sense source are uncreated, devoid of action, and devoid of agent; the mental-object sense source cannot be known or conceived by the mind sense source; and the mind sense source cannot be known or conceived in relation to the mental-object sense source. Why is this? It is due to the absence of them both. By virtue of thus being devoid of two characteristics, no divisions can be made between them. Even though these sense sources are dependently originated, they are taught according to the mistaken thinking of childish ordinary beings. According to the understanding and realization of noble beings, the mind sense source does not arise; it is unborn, does not cease, does not come, and does not go. The mind cannot be understood by the mind or conceptualized to be the mind. Mental objects cannot be understood by mental objects or conceptualized by mental objects. This is because both of them are empty. Because both are void, the mind cannot understand the characteristics of mind, and mental objects cannot understand the characteristics of mental objects. Since both of them have nonexistent characteristics, they have no actual qualities whatsoever. Mind cannot either create or destroy mind. Mental objects cannot either create or destroy mental objects. Because neither exists, the mind sense source does not think, ‘I am the mind sense source,’ and the mental object sense source does not think, ‘I am the mental object sense source.’ Both are empty and thus illusory; yet they are distinguished and labeled in name and term. This is how bodhisattva great beings [F.48.a] discern and contemplate the mind and mental-object sense sources.”

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings discern and contemplate the six inner and six outer sense sources? They do so in this way: The twelve sense sources all arise from falsity, many conditions, and mistaken perception. Because they are of two marks, they are both outer and inner. Because childish ordinary beings who have not heard the genuine Dharma do not understand the true reality of the twelve sense sources, they become attached to the eye sense source and think, ‘I am the eye sense source,’ or ‘this is my eye sense source.’ Likewise, they become attached to the form sense source and think, ‘I am the form sense source,’ or ‘this is my form sense source.’ It is the same with regard to the ear and sound, the nose and odor, the tongue and taste, the body and tactile objects, and the mind and mental objects, to which they become attached and think, ‘I am mind,’ or ‘this is my mind,’ and ‘I am mental objects,’ or ‘these are my mental objects.’ As they become attached in this way and are hurt and bound by the twelve sense sources, they cycle again and again among the five classes of beings, without knowing the way out.

“When they genuinely investigate the twelve sense sources in this fashion, bodhisattva great beings see them to be false, illusory, insubstantial, void, hollow, empty, and illusory. They will not become attached to the eye sense source as I or mine, and so forth, up to they will not become attached to the mental object sense source as I or mine. Without becoming attached, they do not falsely conceptualize. This is how bodhisattvas are skilled in the twelve sense sources.

“Lokadhara, thus skilled in the twelve sense sources, bodhisattva great beings do not become attached to or hindered by any of the twelve sense sources. They contemplate the sense sources as something to be known and understood. [F.48.b] Skilled in discerning the sense sources, they understand and realize that the twelve sense sources are born from many conditions. Because of the absence of marks, they know how to do away with the marks of the twelve sense sources, how to not follow the path that involves the sense sources, and how the sense sources are devoid of marks. They also know and understand the entirety of methods related to the practice of their characteristics. Lokadhara, it is like this: just as water can fall from the four sides of a device conjured by an illusionist, so can the twelve sense sources perform all sorts of functions through inner and outer dependent origination. Yet there is nothing in them that can be truly observed to substantially exist. Bound by the magic of previous actions, these twelve sense sources perform all sorts of functions.

“Lokadhara, it is like this: The sense sources are the gateways of the arising and multiplying of the afflictions of childish ordinary beings, who lack understanding. In this regard, the eye is the gateway of form, because it generates both desire and aversion. Form is also the gateway of the eye, because it also generates both desire and aversion. The same is true of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, as for example the mind is the gateway of mental objects and generates both desire and aversion. Mental objects are also the gateway of the mind and generate desire and aversion. In this way, the twelve sense sources comingle and combine with desire and aversion, thus leading to failed understanding of their true characteristics. Lokadhara, by clearly understanding the intrinsic nature of the sense sources and their characteristics, bodhisattva great beings avoid becoming bound by desire and aversion. Lokadhara, thus do bodhisattva great beings fully understand the sense sources.”

“Lokadhara, when bodhisattva great beings practice the contemplation of the body in relation to the body, they accurately contemplate the characteristics of the body. The body is characterized as impermanent, painful, like an ailment, like a blister, tormented by suffering, frail, fleeting, and destructible. This body is utterly unclean. It is filled with many ugly and foul elements. Foul things are constantly excreted from its nine orifices. The body reeks. It is like a living bag of vomit. If one investigates this body accurately, one cannot find even a single hair that is clean and pleasing. This body is bone and sinew wound together and wrapped with skin and flesh. It arises through the ripening of the causes, conditions, and results of past actions. It is understood to be bound by origination and appropriation. What are origination and appropriation in this context? That the body arises from past causes and conditions is designated appropriation. That we presently wash this body and then sustain it with food, clothing, seats, and medicine is called origination. In this fashion, the causes and conditions of the present moment are called origination, while all actions performed while bound by the power of the ripening of past results are termed appropriation. Furthermore, what we designate the body is formed of the four great elements, lacks definitive and true characteristics, and is included in the aggregate of form.

“Why is it called the body? It is called the body because it is able to performs functions. It is called the body because one clings and is attached to this supportive locus. It is called the body because its actions follow the instructions of the mind. It is called the body because it arises from false concepts. It is called the body because it is produced from an illusory conjunction. It is called the body because it is conjoined with karma.

“This body will meet its end before long. [F.55.a] It is fleeting, impermanent, and variable. It has no characteristics. The body does not exist inside the body, outside the body, or somewhere in-between. This body is not understood or seen as the body. This body does not act, move, or form hopes or aspirations. It has no mind, and is no different from stones and wood. The body has no characteristics of a body that can be ascertained. If one genuinely discerns and investigates the body in this manner, one will see that it is uncreated, has no agent, and has no past, no future, and no present. This body does not have a single feature of permanence, stability, or solidity. It is just like a water bubble that cannot withstand grabbing or grasping. This body is the home of eighty thousand worms. This body is harmed by all sorts of actions. This body suffers due to the three kinds of suffering. Given that it is without protector, it is vulnerable to the suffering of being conditioned, the suffering of change, and the suffering of suffering. Thus, all these miseries make it a container for much suffering.

“Having contemplated the body accurately in relation to the body, one will think, ‘The body is not the self. It is not something other. It is not independent or according to one’s own wishes. It is the production of a nonproduct.’50 One will also think, ‘This body is insubstantial and is unobservable as a definite thing. This body is naturally empty, lacking any true characteristics. This body arises from falsity, like something created by a machine. Because it occurs from the causes and conditions of past actions, it is inappropriate to generate the perception of the body as I or mine, for we should not cherish our bodies and lives.’ When bodhisattvas contemplate accurately in this fashion, they do not observe the body as coming together or separating. [F.55.b] They do not see the body as coming from somewhere, going somewhere, or abiding anywhere. They do not think that this body exists in the past, present, or future. Thus, they do not rely on the body or life-force, and they are not attached to the body as I or mine. They discard grasping to the body. Such bodhisattvas realize this body to be emptiness, selfless, and unowned. Because they do not observe this body as I or mine, they do not observe it as having physical characteristics. Because such bodhisattvas do not observe the characteristics of the body, they have no expectations of engaging the body, so there is no way for the body to be produced or arise. What does engagement mean in this case? It is that the body lacks creation or arising. Because this body has the characteristic of being uncreated and unarisen, it is born of many causes and conditions. The body comes into being through the gathering of causes and conditions, yet causes and conditions are false, nonexistent, mistaken, empty, and insubstantial. The body is born of such causes and conditions. Because such causes and conditions themselves are unborn and without marks, when one is contemplating the body in this way, one will understand that the body has the characteristic of being unborn. Having applied oneself in this manner, one will realize how the body has no characteristics. By correctly realizing how the body has no characteristics, one will understand this body to be without marks. Because there are no marks to observe, the body is understood to be unborn.

“This body cannot be observed as having any marks of the past, marks of the present, or marks of the future. Why is this? Because the body in essence has no definitive qualities to observe, and because the body cannot be observed as self or other. When contemplating this, one will understand how the body does not come from anywhere or go anywhere. One will comprehend the nature of the body’s unborn and unceasing character. [F.56.a]

“Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings who thus contemplate the body in relation to the body and comprehend its true characteristics will dispel and disrupt any clinging or attachment to the body, thus causing their mindfulness to immediately settle upon the body in the proper manner. They are then called practitioners who contemplate the body in relation to the body.”

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings practice the contemplation of feelings in relation to feelings? When bodhisattva great beings contemplate the three varieties of feelings—painful feelings, pleasurable feelings, and feelings that are neither painful nor pleasurable—they understand that they do not come from anywhere or go anywhere. They understand them to be propped up by false conditions and the ripened results of past actions, in conjunction with delusion. They understand that feelings arise from false and inaccurate conceptuality. When bodhisattvas contemplate feelings in this manner, they do not observe them as past feelings, present feelings, or future feelings. Bodhisattvas see past feelings as empty, selfless, unowned, impermanent, unstable, insubstantial, and without the characteristic of changelessness.51 They realize past feelings in terms of their characteristic of emptiness, characteristic of peace, and characteristic of being without marks. They also see future feelings as empty, selfless, unowned, impermanent, unstable, insubstantial, and without the characteristic of changelessness.52 They understand future feelings in terms of their characteristic of emptiness, characteristic of peace, and characteristic of being without marks.

“When bodhisattvas contemplate this, they think, ‘Feelings lack true characteristics, [F.56.b] are insubstantial, and lack any fixed attributes. Since they are variegated, they continuously arise and subside, without ever remaining still.’ This leads bodhisattvas to think further, ‘Feelings are uncreated and lack an agent. The three varieties of feeling are generated from the minds of childish ordinary beings with mistaken perception. These feelings owe their existence to the gathering of the causes of previous actions and concurrent conditions. Feelings are all empty, unstable, insubstantial, and false by nature. They are like empty houses.’53

“When contemplating in this way, the mind rests one-pointedly in the absence of feelings.54 At that moment, bodhisattvas understand and know all feelings in their characteristic of coalescing and subsiding, yet they also view feelings as neither coming together nor dispersing. Moreover, they do not see feelings within feelings, but think, ‘Feelings are emptiness, because feelings are naturally empty.’55 Thus they understand feelings as having the characteristic of being unborn. Because feelings are unborn and unceasing, they understand that they lack any characteristic of having come into being. Thus, considering them, when they experience feelings, they are never attached to them. They accurately see and understand the characteristics of feelings. Free from feelings, they do not dwell on feelings. Thus, their minds become equanimous concerning feelings, and thereby they attain the absorption of equanimity. Lokadhara, these bodhisattva great beings are called practitioners who contemplate feelings in relation to feelings.”

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings practice the contemplation of the mind in relation to the mind? Bodhisattva great beings contemplate the mind in terms of the characteristics of arising, ceasing, remaining, and transitioning. When they contemplate this, they think, [F.57.a] ‘It does not come from anywhere. It does not go anywhere. Since it is born from consciousness and conditions, it is insubstantial and unobservable as any fixed quality. This mind does not come or go. It cannot be observed to remain or transition. This mind is neither past, present, nor future. This mind is born from consciousness, conditions, and thinking. This mind does not exist internally, externally, or somewhere in-between. This mind lacks even a single mark of birth or arising. This mind lacks intrinsic nature, fixed identity, a creator, and anything created. We speak of something called the mind because of myriad actions. We speak of something called the mind based on myriad conditions of consciousness. We speak of something called the mind based on thoughts arising and ceasing, moment by moment, in an unbroken continuity.56 This description is given so that ordinary beings can understand and know the characteristic of the mind that cognizes objects. The mind lacks the characteristic of mind. This mind is primordially unborn, unarisen, and essentially pure. It has false concepts because of being defiled by adventitious afflictions.57 But the mind cannot understand or see itself. Why is this? This mind is emptiness. Because it is emptiness, it is insubstantial. This mind does not possess a fixed quality, because it is unobservable as any fixed quality, and because this mind lacks the quality of being single or multiple. This mind is unobservable in the past, present, or future. This mind is formless and invisible; thus, the mind cannot see itself or know its own nature. It occurs simply because childish ordinary beings with mistaken perception make observations via false conditions and consciousness. [F.57.b] This mind is emptiness; it is selfless, unowned, impermanent, unstable, insubstantial, and does not have the quality of changelessness.’ When one thinks and contemplates in this way, one will accomplish the application of mindfulness related to the mind.

“At such a time, one does not wonder whether something is the mind or not. Instead, one will understand that the mind has the characteristic of being unborn, thereby realizing the mind to be unborn. Why is this? Because the mind has no real nature or true characteristics. The wise understand and realize how the mind is unborn and lacks characteristics in this way. At that moment, they accurately understand the mind’s characteristics of forming and subsiding. When understanding this, no characteristics of origination or cessation can be found in the mind. They will attain the characteristic of the pure nature of mind that is free from considering the mind as ceasing or not ceasing. Because bodhisattvas’ minds are pure in this way, they are not defiled by adventitious afflictions. Why is this? Bodhisattvas who see and know their own minds to be pure, thereby know that other beings’ minds are pure too, and thus they think the following: ‘When the mind is stained, beings are stained. When the mind is pure, beings are pure.’58 As they consider this, they do not observe the mind to be characterized as stained or pure. They know that the mind as such perpetually has the characteristic of purity.”

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings practice the contemplation of mental phenomena in relation to mental phenomena? Bodhisattvas do not think that any mental phenomenon exists internally, externally, or somewhere in-between. Moreover, they do not observe mental phenomena to be past, present, or future. All mental phenomena arise from many conditions, are rooted in mistaken perception, and have no true characteristics. [F.58.a] That is to say, all mental phenomena are subject to the person. As for the basic nature of mental phenomena, all mental phenomena are devoid of mental phenomena.59 Mental phenomena do not exist inside mental phenomena, outside mental phenomena, or somewhere in-between. Mental phenomena neither conjoin with nor separate from mental phenomena. Mental phenomena are insubstantial and lack true characteristics. Because mental phenomena do not exist, they are unmoving and uncreated. All mental phenomena are like space in being nonexistent. All mental phenomena are deceptive and illusory, because the characteristic of illusion is unobservable. Mental phenomena are pure, because they are unstained by anything at all. Mental phenomena have the characteristic of being beyond appropriation, because there is no appropriation. Mental phenomena are dreamlike, because dreams are nonexistent. Mental phenomena are formless, because form is totally nonexistent. Mental phenomena are like reflections, because reflections themselves are nonexistent. Mental phenomena are nameless and without marks, because names and marks are nonexistent. Mental phenomena are like echoes, because they are nonexistent, arisen out of falsity. Mental phenomena are devoid of intrinsic nature, because their nature is unobservable. Mental phenomena are like mirages, because they are understood to be nonexistent.

“When bodhisattvas contemplate mental phenomena in this manner, they will not see mental phenomena as having the characteristics of being single or multiple. They will not see mental phenomena as conjoined or separate. They will not see mental phenomena as present in mental phenomena. When they contemplate this, they will not see mental phenomena as coming from elsewhere. They will not see any mental phenomenon with a foundational basis. Why is this? Mental phenomena lack any foundation, any basis, and any source. [F.58.b] Mental phenomena have no foundation, because they lack any basis or locus, and because they lack any observable locus.

“Lokadhara, mental phenomena are beyond distinction, for they lack any marks to distinguish them. Because they are born from many conditions, they function due to mistaken perception, yet mental phenomena do not exist in any location or direction. The wise observe mental phenomena as having neither a single characteristic, nor two characteristics, nor multifarious characteristics. Why is this? Lokadhara, mental phenomena are unborn, uncreated, unarisen, and unfabricated. Mental phenomena have no nature or essence, for they are beyond any nature. Mental phenomena are nonabiding, because they are beyond having a destination. When they contemplate mental phenomena in this manner, they understand and realize how mental phenomena are without self and without person. They will understand mental phenomena to be naturally empty. By understanding mental phenomena to be emptiness, they will understand mental phenomena to be without marks. By viewing them as having no marks, they will have no wishes regarding any mental phenomena. When they realize mental phenomena to be unborn, they will think, ‘There are certainly no mental phenomena here that arise or cease.’ When they contemplate this, their minds will rest one-pointedly. In this way, they will understand how mental phenomena are unborn. They will see and understand the exhaustion of the origination and cessation of all mental phenomena. They will understand how mental phenomena are without marks and without intrinsic nature. Why is this? Lokadhara, because mental phenomena lack true characteristics, they will understand how mental phenomena are without marks and free from marks.

“Lokadhara, this is how bodhisattva great beings practice the contemplation of mental phenomena in relation to mental phenomena. [F.59.a] As for this understanding, they do not observe or appropriate any mental phenomena. They exert themselves so as not to generate, dwell on, or stop mental phenomena. They see the characteristic of exhaustion and cessation of all mental phenomena, and their characteristic of pacification.”60

“Lokadhara, this is the bodhisattva great beings’ complete understanding of the four applications of mindfulness. Why are they called applications of mindfulness? The application of mindfulness understands all phenomena as lacking any basis for ceasing, any basis for occurring, and any basis for abiding. When this occurs, it is called unflagging mindfulness or the application of mindfulness with regard to all phenomena. Moreover, the application of mindfulness means understanding and seeing all phenomena accurately as being nonabiding, unborn, and unappropriated.”

“When bodhisattvas put the five powers into practice, they gain trust in how all phenomena are born from dependent origination, arise through mistaken perception, and are like a whirling firebrand or a dream, in owing their existence to a gathering of conditions of false perception. They trust that all phenomena have the characteristics of being impermanent, suffering, impure, selfless, like a thorn or blister, insubstantial, unstable, mutable, and destructible. [F.59.b] Moreover, they trust that all phenomena are false, and thus nonexistent; that just as a child is fooled by an empty fist or a rainbow, phenomena are merely arisen from imputation and dependent phenomena, and thus lack even a single true quality of being an entity. Moreover, they trust that all phenomena are neither past, present, nor future. They trust that all phenomena neither come from, nor go, anywhere. They trust that all phenomena are emptiness, without marks, and unconditioned. They trust that all phenomena are unborn, unconditioned, unarisen, without marks, and free from marks. They trust in pure discipline, pure absorption, pure insight, and the pure teaching of the wisdom of liberation.61 Bodhisattvas become irreversible by effortlessly accomplishing the power of faith; guided by faith, they can observe discipline, such that their faith will not decline or be lost. By effortlessly accomplishing the quality of irreversibility, they will have unwavering faith. They will ripen faith in accordance with the ripening of karmic results, and they will destroy all wrong views. They will not spurn the teachings or seek out any teachers other than the blessed buddhas. They will always follow the true nature of all phenomena. They will follow the genuine path practiced by the saṅgha. Through observing pure discipline and effortlessly accomplishing acceptance, they will attain faith that is unwavering, unchanging, and extraordinary. They are thus said to possess the power of faith.”

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings accurately contemplate the power of diligence? How do they effortlessly accomplish the power of diligence? How do they become highly skilled in the power of diligence? [F.60.a] Bodhisattva great beings practice diligence endlessly. They practice diligence without any interruption, in order to dispel the five obscurations. They practice diligence in order to hear the profound Dharma in this manner. Bodhisattvas are uninterrupted in their pursuit of the Dharma, never regressing from their diligent pursuits. They are dauntless in their practice of diligence in order to disrupt obscuring phenomena. Furthermore, they practice diligence in order to abandon myriad unwholesome and unvirtuous phenomena, as well as all perishable phenomena. Furthermore, they practice diligence in order to increase and generate myriad virtuous phenomena. Without a doubt, bodhisattvas effortlessly accomplish diligence. However, they do not become attached to it, but rather, engage in diligence with equanimity. By effortlessly accomplishing irreversible diligence, such people will understand and realize all the qualities of proper practice, thereby mastering diligence. By practicing diligence so well, they will not be dependent on others. Through their practice of diligence, they will achieve the light of insight and effortlessly accomplish the characteristic of irreversibility. As they become irreversible in their diligence and practice such extraordinary diligence, they are said to possess the power of diligence.”

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings attain the power of mindfulness, and how do they practice the power of mindfulness? Bodhisattva great beings focus one-pointedly on mindfulness, engage in generosity, are gentle, observe pure conduct perfectly, and guard the branch of pure discipline. They carefully guard the branch of absorption, the branch of insight, the branch of liberation, and the branch of teaching the wisdom of liberation.

“They constantly consider and bring to mind62 the actions of body, speech, and mind. They constantly consider and bring to mind the topics of perfection. [F.60.b] They consider and bring to mind the methods related to the characteristics of all phenomena as arising, ceasing, remaining, and transferring. They see the truths of suffering, origination, cessation, and the path. They consider and bring to mind what is to be understood. They consider and bring to mind the powers, strengths, factors of awakening, paths, absorptions, liberations, and the practices of the attainments. They consider and bring to mind the characteristics of all phenomena as being unborn, unceasing, unconditioned, unarisen, and inexpressible. They constantly consider and bring to mind the attainment of the insight into the unborn. They consider and bring to mind the wish to attain the perfect wisdoms of acceptance, abandonment, and cessation. They consider and bring to mind the wish to attain all the perfect qualities of buddhahood. They consider and bring to mind how to avoid letting the qualities of the hearers or solitary buddhas influence their minds. They constantly consider and bring to mind the mindfulness of unimpeded wisdom. Given such accurate considerations, they come to know the phenomena of the body. Thereby their mindfulness never declines or regresses from that. Due to these contemplations, they become independent from others. As this occurs, such people attain a superior mindfulness that is meaningful in these ways. Thus, they are said to possess the power of mindfulness.”

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings attain the power of absorption, and how do they attain the practices of absorption? When bodhisattva great beings dwell on the level of the noble ones, even though they practice absorption, they never dwell in absorption or become attached to absorption. By thoroughly engaging in the characteristics of absorption—and by thoroughly attaining the practices of absorption, thoroughly generating the absorptions, and practicing absorption that is without observation— [F.61.a] they become skilled in the gateways of all absorptions, skilled in entering absorption, skilled in abiding in absorption, skilled in leaving absorption, skilled in not resting in absorption, skilled in the characteristics of observation, and skilled in observing the characteristics of suchness. Because they are skilled in the experience of all absorptions and have power over absorption, they are not dependent on others, and they do not fall under the power of absorption. Rather, they gain power and strength from absorption. Among absorptions, there are none that are difficult or deficient; they are accomplished precisely according to their wishes.63 People with such extraordinary absorptions are said to have attained the power of absorption and the practice of the power of absorption.”

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings attain the power of insight, and how do they practice the power of insight? Bodhisattva great beings who understand and realize the power of insight will correctly quell all suffering. Since such people understand and realize the locus and activity of insight, they disengage from concepts and abandon concepts, whereby they will perfect the insight that leads to nirvāṇa. By effortlessly accomplishing the power of insight, they understand the three realms to be entirely ablaze. With insight into the fact that the three realms are all suffering, they do not abide in the three realms. By realizing the three realms to be emptiness, without marks, without wishes, unborn, unconditioned, unarisen, beyond the way of conditioned phenomena, and endowed with the perfect qualities of buddhahood—they will engage diligently as if their hair were on fire. [F.61.b] The insight of these bodhisattvas is indestructible. By mastering such insight, they transcend the three realms and do not abide in the existence of the three realms. They eliminate all conditioned phenomena and do not abide in any phenomena of attachment and bondage. They become weary of the five objects of desire and avoid both the form and formless realms. Thereby they possess extraordinary insight and immeasurable qualities like a vast ocean. Through such insight, they will be free of any impediment in their skillful use of all phenomena. While such beings use this insight to understand and comprehend the three realms in this way, their minds are not attached to the three realms. This extraordinary insight is the attainment of the power of insight and the practice of insight.”

“Lokadhara, why are these called powers? They are called powers64 because they are supreme. They are called powers because they are unwavering. They are called powers because they are indestructible. They are called powers because they are irreversible. They are called powers because they do not depend on others. They are called powers because they cannot be taken away. They are called powers because they pursue genuine qualities. They are called powers because they are unobstructed. They are called powers because they cannot be lost. Moreover, Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings know well the powers of65 beings and can therefore act skillfully66 when training in the various powers. Bodhisattvas understand the powers of beings who have attachment as well as the powers of beings without attachment. They understand the powers of beings with aversion as well as the powers of beings without aversion. They understand the powers of beings with ignorance as well as the powers of beings without ignorance. They understand the powers of beings who have fallen to the lower realms as well as the powers of beings who have been born in the god or human realms. [F.62.a] They understand the powers of beings who are gentle as well as the powers of beings of the sharpest, middling, and lowest powers. They understand beings with impaired powers as well as beings with unimpaired powers. They understand beings with diligent and lazy powers. They understand those beings who are skilled and those who are not skilled. They understand the powers of beings who have misdeeds, do not have misdeeds, have stains, are immaculate, have aversion, lack aversion, are compliant, are not compliant, and who are impeded, as well as those who are unimpeded. They understand the powers of beings with formations for the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm. They understand the powers of beings with thick roots of virtue and with thin roots of virtue. They understand beings’ powers that are determined, undetermined, and aberrantly determined. They understand the powers of beings who are stingy, not stingy, frivolous, serious, deceptive, not deceptive, exhilarated, not exhilarated, aggressive and impatient, gentle and patient, and miserly or generous. They understand beings’ powers of faith, skepticism, respect, disrespect, discipline, impure discipline, patience, laziness, diligence, distraction, settling into absorption, errancy of knowledge, insightfulness, stupidity, genius, pride, humility, [F.62.b] practice of the correct path, practice of the wrong path, carelessness, mindfulness, and intelligence. They understand beings’ powers that are disturbed, withdrawn, impaired, unimpaired, impure, pure, of the lesser vehicle, of the solitary buddhas, of buddhas, of bodhisattvas, and of unsurpassed awakening.

“Because these bodhisattvas transcend all such distinct features of the powers and their practices, they are said to be skilled in discerning the distinct features of the powers of beings. Due to their insight, they do not depend on others, and therefore they are said to attain the practices of the powers. Therefore, they are also called those who cannot be taken away by others, those who are indestructible, those who are irreversible, those who attain the strength of application, those who know the powers, those who attain the powers of gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans, those who attain the supreme faculty, those who attain the fearless and unwavering state, those who are perfected, and those who effortlessly accomplish immeasurable qualities. They will swiftly attain power and dominion over all phenomena.” [B4]

“Bodhisattva great beings with right view are steadfast in right view. In order to disrupt all views, they exert themselves on the path. In order to disrupt all views, they are steadfast on the path and eliminate even their views of nirvāṇa and buddhahood. Why is this? Lokadhara, any view, including even views of nirvāṇa and buddhahood, is a negative view. It is called right view because it destroys and defeats all attachment to views. Furthermore, right view refers to having no view, and not adopting, forming ideas about, becoming attached to, observing, partaking of, or conceptualizing any view.

“What is seen by right view? The fact that this entire world is bound by false and mistaken views is seen. When this is seen, it is called being steadfast in the disruption of all views. Within right view itself, one does not form ideas, view, become attached, or imagine. All views up to and including views of nirvāṇa and buddhahood are eliminated, because one exerts oneself in not generating any views. How is it right view? All phenomena are pacified, so conceptualizing characteristics is unborn, unceasing, and in harmony with nirvāṇa.67 One thus does not conceptualize or imagine any phenomenon; [F.63.b] one does not conceptualize, imagine, or manifest anything.68 The correct view is not high, not low, not adopting, and not rejecting. This is called right view that transcends the world.

“What is meant by right view that transcends the world? It is called right view that transcends the world because it does not observe the world and it does not observe the transcendence of the world; and in thus not observing even the transcendence of the world, it is nonconceptual. Furthermore, right view knows and understands the world to be just like the transcendence of the world. It is called right view that transcends the world because it does not conceptualize the world or the transcendence of the world, and because it disrupts all conceptual perceptions. It is called right view when one does not see anything in terms of right or wrong and has disrupted all mental concepts. Furthermore, right view makes no distinctions between any phenomena: this is right view. Moreover, right view accurately understands the meaning of wrong view. Also, right view understands all wrong views to be sameness. This is how bodhisattvas are steadfast in right view.”

“Lokadhara, once they are steadfast in right view, bodhisattva great beings accurately understand right thought. They think, ‘All thoughts are mistaken. So, even thoughts about nirvāṇa and buddhahood are wrong thoughts. Why is this? Right thought is the disruption of thought.’ Right thought is no thought.69 [F.64.a] Thinking is conceptual. Why is this? By seeing and understanding the characteristics of all thoughts, wrong thoughts are eliminated. They will not think about ‘this or that other thing.’ By abiding in right thought in this way, they will not have any thoughts about right thoughts or wrong thoughts. By being free from all thoughts, they transcend thought. This is right thought. Right thought is seeing and understanding that all thought arises from falsity, untruth, and mistaken perception; it is to not think of any thoughts. When they dwell in right thought in this way, they do not observe right or wrong thoughts; they are free from thoughts, have transcended thoughts, and have disrupted thoughts. This is right thought. At this point, they are no longer bound by any thoughts, and they understand and see that the nature of all thoughts is sameness. This is abiding in right thought.”

“Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings’ practice of right speech is to know that all spoken words are false, untrue, arisen from mistaken perception, incorrectly imputed, and arisen from many causes and conditions. With this understanding they think, ‘All words that are spoken are unobservable.’ This accurate understanding of all actions of speech, which occurs once all words have ceased, is right speech. When one sees that the speech of spoken words does not come from anywhere or go anywhere, this is right speech. At this point, by being steadfast in this manner in the correct characteristics of speech, all the words they utter are right speech. Therefore, when they are steadfast in right speech, [F.64.b] they are said to abide in the actions of the ultimate and pure speech. Abiding in right speech means to see and understand the characteristics of the acts of speech, to understand all spoken words, and to be unconfused about all spoken words.”

“Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings understand all actions as wrong and mistaken actions. They understand all actions to be false, nonexistent, unconditioned, and unarisen. Why is this? Because all action lacks true characteristics, and because all action has ceased, it is known as right action. Right action is not conceptualizing actions as right or wrong. By understanding the sameness of action, one does not think of it in terms of right or wrong. Therefore, it is right action. Right action means nonattachment to the three realms; it means accurate knowledge and understanding. Since actions are sameness within the true nature, they are not conceptualized as right or wrong. Because bodhisattvas know and understand all action accurately to be right action in this way, they do not perceive or see any phenomenon. Therefore, they are said to endeavor in the accomplishment of right action. In right action there is no wrong action. Accurately seeing and understanding, one is said to dwell in the accomplishment of right action.”

“Lokadhara, bodhisattva great beings understand all forms of livelihood to be wrong livelihood. Why is this? If one clings to the marks of livelihood, as well as to the marks of phenomena, the marks of appropriation, and so on, up to the marks of nirvāṇa and the marks of buddhahood—thinking that purity and buddhahood have marks—as pure livelihood,70 [F.65.a] then that is wrong livelihood. Right livelihood involves giving up all attachment to the articles of livelihood.71 Once profit-seeking is eliminated, the absence of thoughts, then the absence of concepts, and then the transcendence of all concepts is right livelihood. In not conceptualizing right livelihood as wrong or right livelihood, one gains pure and right livelihood in all respects. Therefore, this is the attainment of pure and right livelihood. Furthermore, since all forms of livelihood are unborn, there is no right or wrong. A person who knows this achieves pure livelihood, is steadfast on the right path, and is free of concepts. When abiding in such right livelihood, one does not take up right livelihood or abandon wrong livelihood. Therefore, one is abiding in right livelihood. At such time, one is not abiding in what is right or what is wrong. One has attained the livelihood of purity and sameness. Since one is free of any marks of livelihood, one is free of concepts, one does not conceive of anything, and one does not think in terms of livelihood or non-livelihood. This is seeing and understanding things accurately. One therefore is said to attain right livelihood.”

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings skilled in right effort? How do bodhisattva great beings observe right effort? Bodhisattvas observe right effort by giving up all forms of diligence. Why is this? All forms of effort are mistaken. All forms of creation, action, and practice are mistaken. Why is this? All phenomena are produced from wrong actions, and so they are all false. [F.65.b] That being so, right effort involves no creation, production, practice, or aspiration, for all phenomena are devoid of production. Since bodhisattvas give up action with regard to all phenomena, they do not generate any marks of action—not even any marks of nirvāṇa or any marks of buddhahood. By understanding all actions to be false, they practice in order to eliminate actions. Right effort involves no fabrication, for all phenomena are the same, undifferentiated, without fabrication, and completely beyond any marks of fabrication. Bodhisattvas understand diligence to be the lack of diligence, for observing right effort involves no appropriation or abandonment. Right effort means not apprehending diligence. It means seeing and understanding all phenomena accurately. When one understands right effort in this manner, one does not conceptualize either right effort or wrong effort. This therefore is right effort.”

“Lokadhara, how are bodhisattva great beings skilled in right mindfulness? Bodhisattva great beings understand all forms of mindfulness to be wrong mindfulness. The applications of mindfulness are wrong mindfulness. Why is this? All forms of mindfulness are wrong mindfulness. If one generates mindfulness based on observing an object, that is wrong mindfulness. Right mindfulness is the absence of thought and mindfulness. Why is this? Because all forms of mindfulness arise from the condition of mistakenly observing in a wrong manner. Therefore, any basis that engenders mindfulness is false. Right mindfulness does not generate or inhibit any object of observation. [F.66.a] When one observes no object with mindfulness, one is said to be steadfast in right mindfulness, in that there is no basis for wrong mindfulness to arise. In this way, since one knows and understands that all phenomena are false, there is no mindfulness of true phenomena. Therefore, this is known as observing right mindfulness. Right mindfulness does not discern phenomena in terms of wrong mindfulness and right mindfulness. By knowing and understanding that all forms of mindfulness lack the marks of mindfulness, bodhisattvas continuously practice the six mental states of equanimity. This, therefore, is abiding in right mindfulness. Because they are free from attachment and clinging, they are without mindfulness and thinking. All forms of mindfulness with regard to phenomena are understood to be sameness. By seeing and understanding all forms of mindfulness accurately, they do not appropriate or discard mindfulness or non-mindfulness. Therefore, they observe right mindfulness. With this mindfulness they do not discern in terms of sameness and difference. They neither perceive nor observe mindfulness nor non-mindfulness. Without such observations, bodhisattvas understand all forms of mindfulness to be non-mindfulness, and they do not distinguish between mindfulness and non-mindfulness. Because they abide in right mindfulness in this way, they are indescribable and inexpressible. They eliminate all means of verbal description and are free from all means of verbal description. By understanding all means of verbal description accurately, they do not draw distinctions between self and other. Therefore, this is abiding in right mindfulness.”

“Lokadhara, how do bodhisattva great beings abide in right absorption? Bodhisattva great beings understand all forms of absorption to be wrong absorption. Why is this? [F.66.b] When they do not observe any phenomenon as absorption—such as by perceiving absorption to have marks, or by entering the joy of absorption—they understand the falsity of all the marks of absorption. Falsity implies attachment, which is not present in absorption. Regarding the marks that result from engaging in observation, bodhisattvas are devoid of such false marks. They have no such expectations, do not form any such thoughts, and do not have any such concepts. This is absorption. If they have eliminated attachment and clinging, they will not conceptualize self or other. Having eliminated all attachment to joy, they do not appropriate the experience of absorption and prevent themselves from entering absorption. Right absorption is when the mind does not dwell on anything at all. Furthermore, right absorption entails not abiding in any states of absorption; it entails realizing the intrinsic nature of phenomena accurately, while being free from concepts. Thereby, one will become skilled in the characteristics of absorption, and one’s mind will not be attached to anything at all. It is called right absorption because it eliminates all concepts of self and other, because it does not conceptualize anything that is spoken, and because it disrupts all concepts. Furthermore, it is called right absorption because it does not entertain any notions of right or wrong absorption, because it overcomes all notions, because it disrupts all notions, and because it stops all notions. Furthermore, it is called right absorption because it does not generate concepts of right or wrong, and because it does not discern in terms of right or wrong. Why is this? By understanding all practices as absorption and by abiding in right absorption, bodhisattvas are not bound by absorption or the marks of absorption. Transcending the marks of absorption is abiding in right absorption. Furthermore, right absorption is free from concepts about any phenomenon, [F.67.a] and it is free from concepts of right or wrong with regard to phenomena, which are sameness. Right absorption is the sameness of all phenomena. Right absorption transcends all forms of absorption and all the conditioned phenomena of the three realms. Still, it accurately sees and understands all who cycle among the five classes of beings.”

“Lokadhara, in this manner bodhisattva great beings are skilled in the path of the noble ones and the practices of that path. By accurately seeing and understanding this, they will proceed to nirvāṇa.”