The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines
Chapter 29
Toh 9
Degé Kangyur, vol. 26 (shes phyin, nyi khri, ka), folios 1.b–382.a; vol. 27 (shes phyin, nyi khri, kha), folios 1.b–393.a; and vol. 28 (shes phyin, nyi khri, ga), folios 1.b–381.a
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Table of Contents
Summary
The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines is among the most important scriptures underlying both the “vast” and the “profound” approaches to Buddhist thought and practice. Known as the “middle-length” version, being the second longest of the three long Perfection of Wisdom sūtras, it fills three volumes of the Kangyur. Like the two other long sūtras, it records the major teaching on the perfection of wisdom given by the Buddha Śākyamuni on Vulture Peak, detailing all aspects of the path to enlightenment while at the same time emphasizing how bodhisattvas must put them into practice without taking them—or any aspects of enlightenment itself—as having even the slightest true existence.
Acknowledgements
Translation by the Padmakara Translation Group. A complete draft by Gyurme Dorje was first edited by Charles Hastings, then revised and further edited by John Canti. The introduction was written by John Canti. We are grateful for the advice and help received from Gareth Sparham, Greg Seton, and Nathaniel Rich.
This translation is dedicated to the memory of our late colleague, long-time friend, and vajra brother Gyurme Dorje (1950–2020), who worked assiduously on this translation in his final years and into the very last months of his life. We would also like to express our gratitude to his wife, Xiaohong, for the extraordinary support she gave him on so many levels.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The generous sponsorship of Kris Yao and Xiang-Jen Yao, which helped make the work on this translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.
Text Body
Chapter 29
{Ki.IV: 1} Then the venerable Subhūti said to the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that is nonexistent.”406
“This is owing to the nonexistence of space!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that is sameness.”
“This is owing to the sameness of all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that is void.”
“This is owing to emptiness, beyond limitations!” replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to namelessness and noncorporeality!” replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the nonexistence of the exhalation and inhalation of breath!” replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of ideation and scrutiny!” replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of feelings, perceptions, formative predispositions, and consciousness!” replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the nonmoving of all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that cannot be appropriated.”
“This is owing to the nongrasping of all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the absolute exhaustion of all phenomena!”407 replied the Blessed One. {Ki.IV: 2}
“This is owing to the nonarising and nonceasing of all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection without a creator.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of [any] creators!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection without a knower.”
“This is owing to the inanimate nature of all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that does not transmigrate.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of death and rebirth!”408 replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that does not disintegrate.”
“This is owing to the nondisintegration of all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One. [F.218.a]
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the perception of dreams!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection like an echo.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of a listener or a speaker!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection like an optical aberration.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of mirrors and reflections!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection like a mirage.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of flowing water!”409 replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection like a magical display.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of signs!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection without delusion.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the darkness of ignorance!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection without afflicted mental states.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of all afflicted mental states!” replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the nonexistence of afflicted mental states!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection without conceptual elaboration.”
“This is owing to the eradication of all conceptual elaborations!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection without conceits.”
“This is owing to the eradication of all conceits!” replied the Blessed One. {Ki.IV: 3}
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that is unshakeable.”
“This is owing to the stability of the realm of phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the incontrovertible, genuinely manifest buddhahood of all phenomena!”411 replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection without obsession.”412
“This is owing to the nonconceptuality of all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that is at peace.”
“This is owing to the signlessness and nonapprehension of all phenomena!”413 replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of desire!” replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the absence of hatred!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, [F.219.a] this perfection of wisdom is the perfection without delusion.”
“This is owing to the dispelling of all the darkness of ignorance!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection without afflicted mental states.”
“This is owing to the absence of imaginary thoughts!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that is not sentient.”
“This is owing to the absence of beings!” replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the nonarising of all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that does not resort to the two extremes.”
“This is owing to the abandonment of extremes!” replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the nonassociation of all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that is unblemished.”
“This is owing to the transcendence of the śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha levels!” replied the Blessed One. {Ki.IV: 4}
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that is nonconceptual.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of all concepts!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that is nameless.” [F.219.b]
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the dimensions of all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that is [unattached] like space.”
“This is owing to the absence of attachment with regard to all phenomena!”415 replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the nondisintegration of all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that is imbued with suffering.”
“This is owing to the absence of preoccupation with all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to nonfixation upon all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of all phenomena!”416 replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that is without defining characteristics.”
“This is owing to the nonestablishment of all phenomena!”417 replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of internal phenomena.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of internal phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of external phenomena.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of external phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of external and internal phenomena.” [F.220.a]
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of external and internal phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of emptiness.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the emptiness of emptiness!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of great extent.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the emptiness of great extent!” replied the Blessed One. {Ki.IV: 5}
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of ultimate reality.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the emptiness of ultimate reality!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of conditioned phenomena.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the emptiness of conditioned phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of the unlimited.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the emptiness of the unlimited!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the emptiness of that which has neither beginning nor end!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of nonexclusion.” [F.220.b]
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the emptiness of nonexclusion!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of inherent existence.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of conditioned and unconditioned phenomena!”418 replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of all phenomena.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of internal and external phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics.”
“This is owing to the voidness of the emptiness of intrinsic defining characteristics!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of nonapprehensibility.”
“This is owing to the voidness of the emptiness of nonapprehensibility!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of nonentities.”
“This is owing to reality, which is nonentity!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of the essential nature.”
“This is owing to the voidness of essential nature with respect to all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the emptiness of the essential nature of nonentities.” {Ki.IV: 6}
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the emptiness of the essential nature of nonentities!”419 replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the applications of mindfulness.” [F.221.a]
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the body, feelings, mind, and phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the correct exertions.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of virtuous and nonvirtuous attributes!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the supports for miraculous ability.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the four supports for miraculous ability!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the faculties.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the five faculties!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the powers.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the five powers!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the branches of enlightenment.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the seven branches of enlightenment!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the path.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the noble eightfold path!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes emptiness.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the aspects of emptiness and the aspect of voidness!”420 replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes signlessness.” [F.221.b]
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the aspects of peace!”421 replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes wishlessness.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of aspirations!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the aspects of liberation.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the eight aspects of liberation!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the serial steps of meditative absorption.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of the nine serial steps of meditative absorption!” replied the Blessed One. {Ki.IV: 7}
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of miserliness!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection of ethical discipline.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of degenerate morality!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection of tolerance.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of malice and tolerance!”422 replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection of perseverance.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of indolence and perseverance!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection of meditative concentration.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of meditative concentration and agitation!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, [F.222.a] this perfection of wisdom is the perfection of wisdom.”
“This is owing to the nonapprehension of wisdom and stupidity!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the ten powers.”
“This is owing to their uncrushability by all phenomena!”423 replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the four fearlessnesses.”
“This is owing to their undauntedness concerning knowledge of the path!”424 replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the four kinds of exact knowledge.”
“This is owing to the absence of attachment and absence of obstruction with respect to all-aspect omniscience!” replied the Blessed One. {Ki.IV: 8}
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection that constitutes the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas.”
“This is owing to the transcendence of all the doctrines of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas!” replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the real nature of all their expressions!”425 replied the Blessed One.
“This is owing to the sway that it holds over all phenomena!” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, this perfection of wisdom is the perfection of the buddhas.”
“This is owing to the attainment of consummate buddhahood with respect to all phenomena, in all their finest aspects!”426 replied the Blessed One. [F.222.b]
This completes the twenty-ninth chapter from “The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines.”
Colophon
It is said in the original Jangpa manuscript:
This [Tibetan translation of] The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines has been edited twice on the basis of the original “gold manuscript,” which had been [commissioned as] a commitment of the spiritual mentor Nyanggom Chobar, and it has also been edited on the basis of the manuscript kept at Yerpa. Since it is extant, scribes of posterity should copy [the text] according to this version alone.
In the [recast] version of The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines [Toh 3790] that was edited by master Haribhadra, and in some [other] manuscripts, the text ends with the seventy-first chapter entitled “Unchanging Reality.” In certain [other] manuscripts, including the original (phyi mo) [Toh 9], there are seventy-six chapters, with [F.380.b] the addition of the [seventy-second] chapter entitled “Distinctions in the Training of a Bodhisattva,” the [seventy-third] chapter entitled “The Attainment of the Manifold Gateways of Meditative Stability by the Bodhisattva Sadāprarudita,” the [seventy-fourth] chapter entitled “Sadāprarudita,” the [seventy-fifth] chapter entitled “Dharmodgata,” and the [seventy-sixth] chapter entitled “Entrustment.” This accords with earlier accounts and the authentic records of teachings received. Insofar as there are distinctions in the translation of these five later chapters, I have seen a few manuscripts where the terminology is slightly dissimilar, although there are no differences in meaning.
In general, throughout the present text there are all sorts of unique allusions and variations in the elaboration of the points that are expressed. In particular, in the chapter entitled “The Introductory Narrative,” there are some passages where the text corresponds to The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines.
At the time when the carving of the xylographs of this very text, along with those of the Multitude of the Buddhas (Buddhāvataṃsaka), was completed, in the presence of King Tenpa Tsering, the ruler of Degé, the beggar monk Tashi Wangchuk composed these verses at Sharkha Dzongsar Palace, where the wood-carving workshop was based. May they be victorious!
ye dharmā hetuprabhavā hetun teṣāṃ tathāgato bhavat āha teṣāṃ ca yo nirodho evaṃ vādī mahāśramaṇaḥ [ye svāhā]
“Whatever events arise from causes, the Tathāgata has told of their causes, and the great ascetic has also taught their cessation.”
Bibliography
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shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa stong phrag nyi shu lnga pa (Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā) [The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines, the “eight-chapter” (le’u brgyad ma) Tengyur version]. Toh 3790, Degé Tengyur vols. 82–84 (shes phyin, ga–ca), folios ga.1.b–ca.342.a.
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