The Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-Five Thousand Lines
Chapter 67

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
Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
First published 2023
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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.
Chapter 67
Then the venerable Subhūti asked the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, are bodhisattva great beings certain to progress or is their progress uncertain?”
“Bodhisattva great beings are certain to progress, their progress is not uncertain,” replied the Blessed One.
“Are they certain to progress in the category of the śrāvakas, in the category of the pratyekabuddhas, in the category of the buddhas, or in what category?”
“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “bodhisattva great beings are not certain to progress in the category of the śrāvakas. They are not certain to progress in the category of the pratyekabuddhas. But, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings are certain to progress in the category of the buddhas.”
“Blessed Lord, are bodhisattva great beings who have first begun to set their mind on enlightenment certain to progress, {Ki.VIII: 131} or else are irreversible bodhisattvas certain to progress?”
“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “bodhisattva great beings who have initially set their minds on enlightenment are certain to progress. Irreversible bodhisattvas are also certain to progress. Those who are impeded by only a single rebirth are also certain to progress.”
“Blessed Lord, will bodhisattva great beings who are certain to progress be reborn in the inferior realms?”
“No, Subhūti!” replied the Blessed One. “Subhūti, [F.305.b] bodhisattva great beings who are certain to progress will not be reborn in the inferior realms! Subhūti, do you think that one who is on the eighth-lowest level, one who has entered the stream to nirvāṇa, one who is destined for only one more rebirth, one who is no longer subject to rebirth, an arhat, or a pratyekabuddha will be reborn in the inferior realms?”
No, Blessed Lord!”
“Similarly, Subhūti,” continued the Blessed One, “it is impossible that bodhisattva great beings who, from the time when they first begin to set their mind on enlightenment, dispense generosity, maintain ethical discipline, practice tolerance, undertake acts of perseverance, are absorbed in meditative stability, cultivate wisdom, and are settled on abandoning all nonvirtuous attributes should be reborn in the inferior realms. It is impossible that they should be reborn among long-lived gods! It is impossible that they should be reborn as mentally handicapped or dumb individuals. It is impossible that they should be reborn among barbarous frontier tribesmen who are unruly, living in places where the four assemblies [of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen] are unknown. It is impossible for them to be reborn in such places where even the word buddha is not heard, where even the word Dharma is not heard, and where even the word saṅgha is not heard. It is impossible for them to fall into the false view of inaction.561 Subhūti, it is impossible that bodhisattva great beings who, commencing from the time when they first begin to set their mind on enlightenment, entering upon unsurpassed, complete enlightenment with higher aspiration, should adopt the ways of the ten nonvirtuous actions!”
“Blessed Lord, if bodhisattva great beings are endowed with the roots of such virtuous actions and they are not reborn in incomparably inferior places, [F.306.a] why did the Tathāgata disclose his own past lives in the animal realm? Where did those roots of virtuous action go on such occasions?”
“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “bodhisattva great beings are not reborn in the animal realms due to nonvirtuous past actions, {Ki.VIII: 132} but for the sake of beings they voluntarily assume such corporeal forms by which they might be of benefit to beings. Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings are endowed in that manner with skill in means whereby they may take birth in the animal realms, sacrifice themselves through their unsurpassed tolerance, even when some [creatures] come to kill them, and avoid harming those beings. Do śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas have such skill in means? Therefore those, Subhūti, are the formulations explaining how bodhisattva great beings perfect great compassion for the sake of unsurpassed, complete enlightenment on behalf of beings, and, even though they are reborn in the animal realms, you should know that they are untainted by the defects of life in the animal realm.”
“Blessed Lord, maintaining which virtuous attributes do bodhisattva great beings acquire such corporeal forms?”
“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “there are no virtuous attributes at all that bodhisattva great beings should not perfect. Unsurpassed, complete enlightenment is the perfection of all virtuous attributes. Therefore, there is no virtuous attribute at all that should not be perfected by bodhisattva great beings, commencing from when they first begin to set their mind on enlightenment, [F.306.b] until they are seated at the site of enlightenment. They do not attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment while any virtuous attributes are unperfected. That would be impossible. So it is, Subhūti, that from the time when they first begin to set their mind on enlightenment, bodhisattva great beings should train in perfecting all virtuous attributes. When they have trained in it, they will attain all-aspect omniscience. They will also abandon all reincarnation through the continuity of propensities.”
“Blessed Lord, how are bodhisattva great beings who possess such positive attributes of sublime beings, free from contaminants, born in the inferior realms or in the animal realm?”
“Subhūti, are the tathāgatas sublime and without contaminants?” asked the Blessed One.
“Yes, Blessed Lord, it is so! Venerable Sugata, it is so! The tathāgatas are sublime and they are without contaminants.”
“Subhūti, can the tathāgatas conjure up a creature within the animal realm, and having conjured up that form, then engage in buddha activities?” asked the Blessed One.
“Yes, Blessed Lord, they may do so!”
“For that reason, Subhūti, do the tathāgatas become an animal?” asked the Blessed One. {Ki.VIII: 133}
“No, Blessed Lord!”
“Subhūti, do the tathāgatas [F.307.a] experience the suffering of the animal realm?” asked the Blessed One.
“No, Blessed Lord!”
“Similarly, Subhūti,” continued the Blessed One, “even bodhisattva great beings who possess the uncontaminated attributes of sublime beings may voluntarily assume such corporeal forms by which they might bring beings of whatever species to maturity in whatever way. Subhūti, do you think that if an arhat were to conjure up an emanation, could that emanation undertake the activities of an arhat, giving rise through those activities to the joy of others?”562
“Yes, Blessed Lord, it is so!”
“Similarly, Subhūti,” continued the Blessed One, “even bodhisattva great beings who possess the attributes of sublime beings, free from contaminants, may voluntarily assume such corporeal forms and bring beings of whatever species to maturity in whatever way, but through such corporeal forms they do not become subject to suffering and they do not experience even the sensation of suffering.
“Subhūti, do you think that if an illusionist through magic were to display the form of an elephant, the form of a horse, or the form of a bull—or were to display other diverse magical forms—would those really turn into the form of an elephant, the form of a horse, the form of an ox, or the form of another sort of living creature?”
“No, Blessed Lord!”
“Similarly, Subhūti,” continued the Blessed One, “even bodhisattva great beings who possess the attributes of sublime beings, free from contamination, [F.307.b] may voluntarily assume such corporeal forms, and through these corporeal forms act on behalf of beings, but they have no sensation of suffering at all.”
Subhūti then said, “O Blessed Lord, most wonderful is this skill in means through which bodhisattva great beings possessing the uncontaminated wisdom of sublime beings assume such corporeal forms, by which they act on behalf of beings! Blessed Lord, in which pure attributes do bodhisattva great beings dwell when they employ such skill in means, but act without being tainted by such actions?”
“Subhūti,” replied the Blessed One, “bodhisattva great beings dwell in the perfection of wisdom {Ki.VIII: 134} when they employ such skill in means. Through that skill in means, they may act on behalf of beings in the world systems in each of the ten directions, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, but they do not hanker after anything at all. If you ask why, it is because bodhisattva great beings do not apprehend anything in terms of the threefold interaction that would cause hankering, by which they would hanker, or after which they would hanker. If you ask why, it is because all aspects of this threefold interaction are empty of inherent existence, and so emptiness does not hanker after emptiness. Emptiness does not hanker after anything at all, nor indeed can emptiness be hankered after. If you ask why, it is because emptiness does not apprehend emptiness. This, Subhūti, is the emptiness of nonapprehensibility. Abiding in it, bodhisattva great beings will attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.” [F.308.a]
“Blessed Lord, why do bodhisattva great beings, without abiding in other attributes, dwell in the perfection of wisdom alone when they employ such skill in means?”
“Subhūti,” asked the Blessed One in return, “what attributes are there that are not included in the perfection of wisdom?”
“Blessed Lord, if the perfection of wisdom is empty of inherent existence, in what way are all phenomena gathered within the perfection of wisdom? Blessed Lord, there is nothing at all that is either included or not included in emptiness.”
“Yes, Blessed Lord, they are empty [of all phenomena].”
“Subhūti, if all phenomena are empty of all phenomena, are all phenomena not gathered within emptiness?” asked the Blessed One.
“Yes, they are, Blessed Lord.”
“For that reason, Subhūti,” continued the Blessed One, “you should know that bodhisattva great beings dwell in the perfection of wisdom in that manner and employ such skill in means.”
Then the venerable Subhūti asked the Blessed One, “Blessed Lord, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom and dwell in the emptiness of all phenomena, in what extrasensory powers are they certain to progress, and do they actualize the perfection of extrasensory powers through which they may travel to all world systems in each of the ten directions, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā; [F.308.b] venerate all those lord buddhas who are alive at present in those world systems, teaching the Dharma; listen to the Dharma; and develop the roots of virtuous actions in the presence of those lord buddhas?” {Ki.VIII: 135}
The Blessed One replied to the venerable Subhūti, “In this regard, Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they see that all those world systems in each of the ten directions, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, are empty of inherent existence. They see that all the lord buddhas who reside in those world systems are also empty of inherent existence. In addition, these are [merely] described through names and symbols that depend on concepts, and apart from that, all concepts are also empty of inherent existence. If those world systems were not empty of inherent existence, if all those lord buddhas, too, were not empty of inherent existence, and if those concepts and ideas, too, were not empty of inherent existence, there would be [only] a limited emptiness. Indeed, it is because emptiness is not limited that all phenomena are empty of all phenomena. For this very reason, bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom through skill in means and actualize the perfection of extrasensory powers. Stable in those extrasensory powers, they actualize divine clairvoyance, divine clairaudience, the aspects of miraculous ability, the knowledge of other minds, the recollection of past lives, and knowledge of death and transmigration. Without these extrasensory powers, great bodhisattva [F.309.a] beings cannot attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. If you ask why, it is because the enlightenment of bodhisattva great beings is gathered in the perfection of the extrasensory powers. That is to say, enlightenment should be sought through those extrasensory powers.
“When they seek that [enlightenment] through pure divine clairvoyance, surpassing that of human beings, they themselves see all virtuous attributes, and they also engage others in all virtuous attributes, but they do not become fixated on those virtuous attributes. If you ask why, all those virtuous attributes are empty of inherent existence. One cannot be fixated on emptiness, relishing that on which one is fixated. Emptiness is not relished. When bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner they actualize divine clairvoyance. That is to say, through divine clairvoyance they see all phenomena as emptiness. Based on these phenomena, they engage in action, and, having engaged in action, they teach the Dharma to beings, but do not apprehend either beings or the concept of beings. Without apprehending anything in that manner, bodhisattva great beings actualize the perfection of the extrasensory powers. Through those extrasensory powers they effect all that is to be achieved through extrasensory powers. That is to say, through this pure divine clairvoyance itself, surpassing that of human beings, they see all world systems of the eastern direction. {Ki.VIII: 136} Traversing all these through miraculous ability, they act for the benefit of beings by means of generosity, ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditative concentration, wisdom, [F.309.b] the factors conducive to enlightenment, the gateways of liberation—emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness—the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, the formless absorptions, the aspects of liberation, the meditative stabilities, the serial steps of meditative absorption, the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, the distinct qualities of the buddhas, the attributes of the śrāvakas, the attributes of the pratyekabuddhas, the attributes of the bodhisattvas, and the attributes of the buddhas. In that way they act on behalf of those beings.
“To all those beings who are miserly they teach the Dharma, saying, ‘You should give gifts! Deprivation is imbued with suffering. Through deprivation you cannot achieve your own welfare, let alone the welfare of others. So you should give gifts, and ensure that you yourself will be happy and that others too will be happy. Those oppressed by deprivation, consuming one another’s flesh, cannot be liberated from the three inferior realms.’
“To all those being beings who indulge in immorality, they teach the Dharma, saying, ‘O people, immorality is imbued with suffering. Through immorality you cannot achieve your own welfare, let alone the welfare of others. The ripening effect of immorality is [rebirth in] the hells, the animal realm, or the world of Yama. If you fall into the three inferior realms in that manner, you cannot extricate yourself, let alone others. So you should give no opportunity for any thoughts of immorality [F.310.a] [to arise] and later you will not be remorseful!’
“To all those being beings who have thoughts of malice for one another, they teach the Dharma, saying, ‘You should not have thoughts of malice for one another! No virtuous attributes at all will arise for those who resort to anger. If you resort to anger for one another in that manner, you will be reborn in the hells, you will be reborn in the animal realm, or you will be reborn in the world of Yama. So you should give no opportunity for any thoughts of anger [to arise] and later you will not be remorseful!’
“To all those being beings who are indolent, they teach the Dharma, saying, ‘O people, indolence is imbued with suffering. Through indolence you cannot achieve your own welfare, let alone the welfare of others. The ripening effect of indolence is [rebirth in] the hells, the animal realm, or the world of Yama. If you fall into the three inferior realms in that manner, you cannot extricate yourself, let alone others. So you should give no opportunity for any thoughts of indolence [to arise] and later you will not be remorseful!’
“To all those being beings who have thoughts of distraction, {Ki.VIII: 137} they teach the Dharma, saying, ‘O people, distraction is imbued with suffering. The ripening effect of distraction is [rebirth in] the hells, the animal realm, or the world of Yama. If you fall into the three inferior realms in that manner, you cannot extricate yourself, let alone others. So you should give no opportunity for any thoughts of distraction [to arise] [F.310.b] and later you will not be remorseful!’
“To all those being beings who have thoughts of stupidity, they teach the Dharma, saying, ‘O people, stupidity is imbued with suffering. Through stupidity you cannot achieve your own welfare, let alone the welfare of others. The ripening effect of stupidity is [rebirth in] the hells, the animal realm, or the world of Yama. So you should give no opportunity for any thoughts of stupidity [to arise] and later you will not be remorseful!’
“They engage all those who act from desire in [the meditation on] the repulsiveness of things.563 They engage all those who act from hatred in [the meditation on] loving kindness. They engage all those who act from delusion to engage in [the meditation on] dependent origination. They engage all those who have set out on negative paths to [engage in] the correct paths, engaging them in the path of the śrāvakas, the path of the pratyekabuddhas, or the path of the buddhas. To all of them, they teach the Dharma, saying, ‘These phenomena on which you are fixated are empty of inherent existence. You cannot be fixated on phenomena that are empty of inherent existence. There is no fixation in emptiness.’
“Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner, they are stable in the extrasensory powers and act for the benefit of beings.
“Through pure divine clairvoyance itself, surpassing that of human beings, they see all world systems of the southern, western, northern, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, and northwestern directions, as well as the nadir and the zenith. Traversing all these through miraculous ability, they act for the benefit of beings by means of generosity, [F.311.a] ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditative concentration, wisdom, the factors conducive to enlightenment, the gateways of liberation—emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness—the meditative concentrations, the immeasurable attitudes, the formless absorptions, the aspects of liberation, the meditative stabilities, the serial steps of meditative absorption, the powers of the tathāgatas, the fearlessnesses, the kinds of exact knowledge, the distinct qualities of the buddhas, the attributes of the śrāvakas, the attributes of the pratyekabuddhas, the attributes of the bodhisattvas, or the attributes of the buddhas. In that way they act on behalf of those beings.
“To all those beings who are miserly they teach the Dharma, saying, ‘You should give gifts! Deprivation is imbued with suffering. Through deprivation you cannot achieve your own welfare, let alone the welfare of others. So you should give gifts, and ensure that you yourself will be happy and that others too will be happy. Those who are oppressed by deprivation, consuming one another’s flesh, cannot be liberated from the three inferior realms.’
“To all those being beings who indulge in immorality, they teach the Dharma, saying, ‘O people, immorality is imbued with suffering. Through immorality you cannot achieve your own welfare, let alone the welfare of others. The ripening effect of immorality is [rebirth in] the hells, the animal realm, or the world of Yama. If you fall into the three inferior realms in that manner, you cannot extricate yourself, [F.311.b] let alone others. So you should give no opportunity for any thoughts of immorality [to arise] and later you will not be remorseful!’
“To all those being beings who have thoughts of malice for one another, they teach the Dharma, saying, ‘You should not have thoughts of malice for one another! No virtuous attributes at all will arise for those who resort to anger. If you resort to anger for one another in that manner, you will be reborn in the hells, you will be reborn in the animal realm, or you will be reborn in the world of Yama. So you should give no opportunity for any thoughts of anger [to arise] and later you will not be remorseful!’
“To all those being beings who are indolent, they teach the Dharma, saying, ‘O people, indolence is imbued with suffering. Through indolence you cannot achieve your own welfare, let alone the welfare of others. The ripening effect of indolence is [rebirth in] the hells, the animal realm, or the world of Yama. If you fall into the three inferior realms in that manner, you cannot extricate yourself, let alone others. So you should give no opportunity for any thoughts of indolence [to arise] and later you will not be remorseful!’
“To all those being beings who have thoughts of distraction, they teach the Dharma, saying, ‘O people, distraction is imbued with suffering. The ripening effect of distraction is [rebirth in] the hells, the animal realm, or the world of Yama. If you fall into the three inferior realms in that manner, you cannot extricate yourself, let alone others. [F.312.a] So you should give no opportunity for any thoughts of distraction [to arise] and later you will not be remorseful!’
“To all those being beings who have thoughts of stupidity, they teach the Dharma, saying, ‘O people, stupidity is imbued with suffering. Through stupidity you cannot achieve your own welfare, let alone the welfare of others. The ripening effect of stupidity is [rebirth in] the hells, the animal realm, or the world of Yama. So you should give no opportunity for any thoughts of stupidity [to arise] and later you will not be remorseful!’
“They engage all those who act through desire in [the meditation on] repulsive phenomena. They engage all those who act through hatred in [the meditation on] loving kindness. They engage all those who act through delusion to engage in [the meditation on] dependent origination. They engage all those who have set out on negative paths to [engage in] the correct paths, engaging them in the path of the śrāvakas, the path of the pratyekabuddhas, or the path of the buddhas. To all those, they teach the Dharma, saying, ‘These phenomena on which you are fixated are empty of inherent existence. You cannot be fixated on phenomena that are empty of inherent existence. There is no fixation in emptiness.’
“Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner, they are stable in the extrasensory powers and act for the benefit of beings.
“Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings cannot teach the Dharma to beings without being stable in the extrasensory powers. [F.312.b] They cannot induce beings who have set out on a mistaken path into [the correct] path.
“Subhūti, just as a bird without wings can never soar in the sky, in the same way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings cannot teach the Dharma to beings without relying on the extrasensory powers.
“Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner, they should actualize the extrasensory powers. Through those extrasensory powers that they have actualized they joyfully and happily undertake to perform any deeds of benefit to beings.
“Through divine clairvoyance they see all the world systems of the eastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, and they also see all the beings who are born in them. Having seen them in that manner, they travel there through miraculous abilities and, after comprehending the minds of those beings with their own minds, they will then teach the Dharma in conformity with them, through sermons on generosity; {Ki.VIII: 138} sermons on ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditative concentration, and wisdom; or through sermons on the truths of the noble ones, up to and including sermons on emancipation.
“Through divine clairvoyance they see all the world systems of the southern, western, northern, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, and northwestern directions, as well as the nadir and the zenith, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, and they also see all the beings who are born in them. Having seen them in that manner, they travel there through miraculous abilities and, after comprehending the minds of those beings with their own minds, they will teach the Dharma in conformity with them, through sermons on generosity; sermons on ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditative concentration, and wisdom; [F.313.a] or sermons on the truths of the noble ones, up to and including sermons on emancipation.
“Through divine clairaudience they indeed hear the words of gods and of human beings. That is to say, with divine clairaudience they listen to the Dharma from all the lord buddhas who teach the Dharma in the world systems of the eastern direction, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, and having heard them, they retain them just as they are. Having retained them just as they are, they will then teach the Dharma to beings, just as it is, through sermons on generosity; sermons on ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditative concentration, and wisdom; or sermons on the truths of the noble ones, up to and including sermons on emancipation.
“With divine clairaudience they listen to the Dharma from all those lord buddhas who teach the Dharma in the world systems of the southern, western, northern, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, and northwestern directions, as well as the nadir and the zenith, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, and having heard them, they retain them just as they are. Having retained them just as they are, they will then teach the Dharma to beings, just as it is, through sermons on generosity; sermons on ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditative concentration, and wisdom; or sermons on the truths of the noble ones, up to and including sermons on emancipation.
“They will have absolutely pure knowledge of the thought patterns [of others], and having known the minds of beings through that knowledge of their thought patterns, they will then teach them the Dharma, just as it is, through sermons on generosity; sermons on ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditative concentration, and wisdom; or sermons on the truths of the noble ones, up to and including sermons on emancipation. [F.313.b]
“They will recollect a multiplicity of past lives, of themselves and of others, and through the knowledge that recollects past lives, they will indeed know, ‘These were the names of the tathāgatas, arhats, completely awakened buddhas of the past. They appeared along with their saṅgha of śrāvakas.’ They will then teach the Dharma in an authentic manner to all those beings who are intent on the recollection of past lives, through sermons on generosity; sermons on ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditative concentration, and wisdom; or sermons on the truths of the noble ones, up to and including sermons on emancipation.
“They will travel through miraculous abilities to all world systems of the ten directions, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, and venerate the lord buddhas. And, having venerated them, through the wisdom of their extrasensory powers they will then teach the Dharma to beings, through sermons on generosity; sermons on ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditative concentration, and wisdom; or sermons on the truths of the noble ones, up to and including sermons on emancipation.
“They will have absolutely pure knowledge of the state free from contaminants that is to be brought into being, and through that absolute knowledge of the state free from contaminants that is to be brought into being, they will then teach the Dharma to beings, through sermons on generosity; sermons on ethical discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditative concentration; and wisdom; or sermons on the truths of the noble ones, {Ki.VIII: 139} up to and including sermons on emancipation.
“Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom in that manner, they should actualize the extrasensory powers. Those who are absolutely familiar with the extrasensory powers [F.314.a] may assume whatever corporeal form they wish to assume, and they then act according to their resolve for the benefit of beings. They will not be tainted by happiness or suffering. Subhūti, just as a man emanated by the tathāgatas carries out all objectives but will not be tainted by happiness or suffering, in the same way, Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings dwell in the perfection of wisdom, play with the extrasensory powers, and teach the Dharma in the world systems of the ten directions, numerous as the grains of sand of the river Gaṅgā, in accordance with their resolve, but they will not be captivated by happiness or suffering.
“Subhūti, when bodhisattva great beings practice the perfection of wisdom, they should play with the extrasensory powers in that manner, so as to refine the buddhafields and brings beings to maturation by all means. Subhūti, bodhisattva great beings cannot attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment without having refined the buddhafields and without having brought beings to maturation. If you ask why, Subhūti, there is no unsurpassed, complete enlightenment for bodhisattva great beings who lack the aspects of the path.”
Subhūti then asked, “Blessed Lord, what are those aspects of the path that bodhisattva great beings should perfect, and through which they will attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment?” [F.314.b]
“Subhūti, all virtuous attributes constitute the aspects of the path that bodhisattva great beings have,” replied the Blessed One.
“Blessed Lord, what then are those virtuous attributes, included among the aspects of the path, through which they will attain consummate buddhahood in unsurpassed, complete enlightenment?” [B74]
The Blessed One replied, “From the time when they first begin to set their minds on enlightenment, virtuous attributes include the perfection of generosity when it is practiced, but without false imagination. That is to say, when dispensing gifts, on account of the emptiness of inherent existence, they do not think in terms of the threefold interaction, ‘This is a gift. It should be given to this one. I should give it.’ This perfection of generosity, through which they liberate themselves from cyclic existence and also liberate others, is a virtuous attribute included among the aspects of the path. {Ki.VIII: 140}
“From the time when they first begin to set their minds on enlightenment, virtuous attributes include the perfection of ethical discipline, the perfection of tolerance, the perfection of perseverance, the perfection of meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom when they are practiced, but without false imagination. That is to say, when cultivating wisdom [and so forth], on account of the emptiness of inherent existence, they do not think in terms of the threefold interaction, ‘This is wisdom. I should cultivate wisdom. Wisdom should be cultivated with respect to that.’ This perfection of wisdom [and so forth], through which they liberate themselves from cyclic existence and also liberate others, is a virtuous attribute included among the aspects of the path.
“From the time when they first begin to set their minds on enlightenment, the virtuous attributes of bodhisattva great beings include all the aspects of emptiness, the factors conducive to enlightenment, [F.315.a] the four truths of the noble ones, the four meditative concentrations, the four immeasurable attitudes, the four formless absorptions, the eight aspects of liberation, the nine serial steps of meditative absorption, the gateways of liberation—emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness—the extrasensory powers, the meditative stabilities, the dhāraṇī gateways, the ten powers of the tathāgatas, the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of exact knowledge, great loving kindness, great compassion, and the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas when they are practiced, but without false imagination. That is to say, when cultivating the eighteen distinct qualities of the buddhas [and so forth], on account of the emptiness of inherent existence, they do not think in terms of the threefold interaction, ‘These are the distinct qualities of the buddhas. I should cultivate the distinct qualities of the buddhas. The distinct qualities of the buddhas should be cultivated with respect to that.’ These distinct qualities of the buddhas [and so forth], through which they liberate themselves from cyclic existence and also liberate others, are virtuous attributes included among the aspects of the path.
“Subhūti, these virtuous attributes constitute the path of unsurpassed, complete enlightenment that bodhisattva great beings have. Through that path, bodhisattva great beings of the past, the future, and the present, steering with them immeasurable beings, have crossed beyond, are crossing beyond, and will cross beyond the ocean of cyclic existence. Having perfected that path, bodhisattva great beings attain all-aspect omniscience. Having attained all-aspect omniscience, they turn the wheel of the Dharma [F.315.b] and will turn the wheel of the Dharma, acting for the benefit of beings.”
This completes the sixty-seventh 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.”