Mahaprajnaparamita_v323 – Shurangama Temple

THE GREAT PRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ SŪTRA
VOLUME 323
Chapter 47: SUCHNESS (6)

At that time, Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:

“World-Honored One, for what causes and conditions are there Bodhisattvas who cultivate the liberation method of Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness, yet do not embrace Prajñāpāramitā, lacking the wondrous power of skillful means, and therefore only realize the ultimate reality, attaining the fruit of the Śrāvaka, or the state of the Pratyekabuddha? And why are there Bodhisattvas who cultivate the liberation methods of Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness, who, by embracing Prajñāpāramitā and possessing the wondrous power of skillful means, do not realize the ultimate reality but instead proceed toward the supreme Enlightenment?”

The Buddha said:

“Śāriputra, if Bodhisattvas, while cultivating the liberation methods of Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness, are separated from the mind of the wisdom of Omniscience, then those Bodhisattvas, because they do not embrace Prajñāpāramitā and lack the wondrous power of skillful means, will only realize the ultimate reality and attain the fruit of the Śrāvaka or the state of the Pratyekabuddha.

“If Bodhisattvas, while cultivating the liberation methods of Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness, are not separated from the mind of the wisdom of Omniscience, then those Bodhisattvas, because they embrace Prajñāpāramitā and possess the wondrous power of skillful means, are able to enter the Bodhisattva stage of rightness separated from arising, and attain supreme Enlightenment.

“Śāriputra, it is like a bird whose body is enormous, extending one hundred yojanas, or two hundred, up to five hundred yojanas, but which has no wings. That bird, from the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, plunges down toward the continent of Jambudvīpa. While halfway there, it thinks: ‘I wish to return upward to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.’ Śāriputra, what do you think? Would that bird be able to return to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three?”

Śāriputra replied:

“No, World-Honored One, it would not be possible.”

The Buddha said:

“Śāriputra, if that bird, while halfway there, makes the following vow: ‘When I reach the continent of Jambudvīpa, my body will not be harmed,’ Śāriputra, what do you think? Could that bird’s wish be fulfilled?”

Śāriputra said:

“No, World-Honored One. When that bird reaches this continent of Jambudvīpa, its body will certainly be harmed; it may die, or it may have to endure suffering close to death. Why? World-Honored One, because that bird has a large body but no wings, and it falls from a very great height.”

The Buddha said:

“Subhūti, it is so, it is so, just as you have said! Śāriputra, there are Bodhisattvas who are likewise so. Although for countless great kalpas they diligently cultivate the practices of Giving, Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Absorption, and also cultivate the liberation methods of Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness, arouse the mind and undertake great deeds, and earnestly seek to realize the wondrous, immeasurable supreme Enlightenment that transcends all spheres of grasping, because they lack Prajñāpāramitā and are separated from the wondrous power of skillful means, they fall into the states of the Śrāvaka or Pratyekabuddha. Why?

“Śāriputra, because those Bodhisattvas are separated from the mind of the wisdom of Omniscience, although they pass through many kalpas, diligently cultivate Giving, Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, and Meditative Absorption, and earnestly cultivate the liberation methods of Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness, because they lack Prajñāpāramitā and also lack the wondrous power of skillful means, they fall into the states of the Śrāvaka or Pratyekabuddha.

“Śāriputra, those Bodhisattvas, although they constantly recollect the aggregates of discipline, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and liberated knowledge and vision of all Tathāgatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past, future, and present; respectfully make offerings and practice accordingly, yet because within those teachings they grasp at signs, they are unable to correctly understand the true merits of the aggregates of discipline, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and liberated knowledge and vision of the Tathāgatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones.

“Śāriputra, because those Bodhisattvas are unable to correctly understand the true merits of the Buddha, although they hear the sound of the Bodhisattva path and the liberation methods of Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness, they rely upon these sounds and grasp at their signs; having grasped at signs, they dedicate them toward supreme Enlightenment. These Bodhisattvas, although they dedicate in this way, do not attain supreme Enlightenment but only abide in the states of the Śrāvaka or Pratyekabuddha. Why? Why? Śāriputra, because those Bodhisattvas are separated from Prajñāpāramitā and the wondrous power of skillful means, although they use the various roots of virtue they have cultivated and dedicate them toward supreme Enlightenment, they still abide in the states of the Śrāvaka or Pratyekabuddha.

“Śāriputra, there are Bodhisattvas who, from the time they first arouse the mind, are never separated from the mind of the wisdom of Omniscience. They diligently cultivate Giving, Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, and Meditative Absorption; they are not separated from Prajñāpāramitā and skillful means. Although they recollect the aggregates of discipline, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and liberated knowledge and vision of all Tathāgatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past, future, and present, they do not grasp at signs. Although they cultivate all the liberation methods of Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness, they also do not grasp at signs. Although they recollect their own and others’ various roots of virtue and merits and dedicate them toward supreme Enlightenment, they also do not grasp at signs. Śāriputra, you should know that such a Great Bodhisattva does not abide in the state of the Śrāvaka or Pratyekabuddha but proceeds directly toward supreme Enlightenment. Why?

“Śāriputra, that Great Bodhisattva, from the time of first arousing the mind until attaining the ultimate consummation, is never separated from the mind of the wisdom of Omniscience. Although practicing Giving, they do not grasp at signs; although practicing Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Absorption, and Prajñāpāramitā, they also do not grasp at signs. Although recollecting the aggregates of discipline, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and liberated knowledge and vision of all Tathāgatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past, future, and present, they do not grasp at signs. Although cultivating the entire Bodhisattva path and the liberation methods of Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness, they also do not grasp at signs.

“Śāriputra, because that Great Bodhisattva possesses skillful means, they cultivate the perfection of Giving with a mind free from signs; they cultivate Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Absorption, and Prajñāpāramitā with a mind free from signs.

“Śāriputra, because that Great Bodhisattva possesses skillful means, with a mind free from signs they abide in inner emptiness, with a mind free from signs they abide in outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, supreme meaning emptiness, conditioned emptiness, unconditioned emptiness, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without boundaries, scattered emptiness, unchanging emptiness, intrinsic emptiness, self-characteristic emptiness, common-characteristic emptiness, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of the unobtainable, emptiness of nature, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the self-nature of emptiness.

“Śāriputra, because that Great Bodhisattva possesses skillful means, with a mind free from signs they abide in suchness; with a mind free from signs they abide in the Dharma realm, Dharma nature, the non-false nature, the unchanging nature, the equal nature, the nature free from arising, the established Dharma, the abiding Dharma, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm.

“Śāriputra, because that Great Bodhisattva possesses skillful means, with a mind free from signs they cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness; with a mind free from signs they cultivate the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path.

“Śāriputra, because that Great Bodhisattva possesses skillful means, with a mind free from signs they abide in the noble truth of suffering; with a mind free from signs they abide in the noble truths of origin, cessation, and path.

“Śāriputra, because that Great Bodhisattva possesses skillful means, with a mind free from signs they cultivate the four meditative absorptions; with a mind free from signs they cultivate the four immeasurables and the four formless absorptions.

“Śāriputra, because that Great Bodhisattva possesses skillful means, with a mind free from signs they cultivate the eight liberations; with a mind free from signs they cultivate the eight stages of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten universal bases.

“Śāriputra, because that Great Bodhisattva possesses skillful means, with a mind free from signs they cultivate the liberation method of Emptiness; with a mind free from signs they cultivate the liberation methods of Signlessness and Wishlessness.

“Śāriputra, because that Great Bodhisattva possesses skillful means, with a mind free from signs they cultivate the five types of eyes; with a mind free from signs they cultivate the six supernatural powers.

“Śāriputra, because that Great Bodhisattva possesses skillful means, with a mind free from signs they cultivate the samādhi methods; with a mind free from signs they cultivate the dhāraṇī methods.

“Śāriputra, because that Great Bodhisattva possesses skillful means, with a mind free from signs they cultivate the ten powers of the Buddha; with a mind free from signs they cultivate the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, great Loving-Kindness, great Compassion, great Joy, great Equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha.

“Śāriputra, because that Great Bodhisattva possesses skillful means, with a mind free from signs they cultivate the wisdom of Omniscience; with a mind free from signs they cultivate the wisdom of the knowledge of paths and the wisdom of the knowledge of all aspects.”

At that time, Śāriputra said to the Buddha:

Honored World-Honored One, according to my understanding of the meaning taught by the Buddha, if a Great Bodhisattva, from the time of first arousing the mind of enlightenment until attaining the ultimate consummation, embraces Prajñāpāramitā and does not depart from skillful means, then that Bodhisattva will certainly soon attain the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. Why, World-Honored One? Because that Great Bodhisattva, from the time of first arousing the mind of enlightenment until attaining the ultimate consummation, completely does not see even a single dharma that can be attained. That is, whether it is the subject who realizes, the object realized, the place of realization, the time of realization, or the dharma through which realization occurs, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the eye faculty, or the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the forms, or sounds, smells, tastes, tangible objects, and dharmas, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the eye realm, or the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind realms, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the form realm, or sound, smell, taste, tangible object, and dharma realms, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the eye consciousness realm, or the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind consciousness realms, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether eye contact, or ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the feelings arising dependent on eye contact as condition, or the feelings arising dependent on ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact as condition, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the earth element, or water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether ignorance, or formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the Perfection of Giving, or the Perfection of Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Concentration, and Prajñāpāramitā, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of ultimate meaning, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, emptiness of the ultimate, emptiness without boundaries, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of non-change, emptiness of intrinsic nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all dharmas, emptiness that cannot be grasped, emptiness of non-existence, emptiness of self-nature, or emptiness of the self-nature of emptiness, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether suchness, or the dharma realm, dharma nature, the nature of non-falsity, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of non-arising, the fixed nature of dharmas, the abiding nature of dharmas, ultimate reality, the realm of space, or the inconceivable realm, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, or the eightfold noble path, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the noble truth of suffering, or the noble truths of origin, cessation, and path, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, or the four formless concentrations, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, or the ten totalities, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the liberation door of emptiness, or the liberation doors of signlessness and wishlessness, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the five kinds of eyes, or the six supernormal powers, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the samādhi dharma doors, or the dhāraṇī dharma doors, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, great equanimity, or the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the fruit of Stream-entry, or the fruits of Once-returning, Non-returning, and Arhatship, all are completely impossible to grasp; whether the fruit of a Pratyekabuddha, all is completely impossible to grasp; whether all-knowing wisdom, path-knowing wisdom, or all-aspects-knowing wisdom, all are completely impossible to grasp.

World-Honored One, there are virtuous sons and virtuous daughters who abide in the Bodhisattva Vehicle, who, having departed from Prajñāpāramitā and skillful means, seek unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. They should know that regarding the object they seek to attain, namely unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, they may or may not realize it. Why, World-Honored One? Because those virtuous sons and virtuous daughters abiding in the Bodhisattva Vehicle, having departed from Prajñāpāramitā and skillful means, therefore, in practicing the Perfection of Giving, Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Concentration, and Prajñāpāramitā, all grasp at characteristics; in abiding in inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of ultimate meaning, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, emptiness of the ultimate, emptiness without boundaries, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of non-change, emptiness of intrinsic nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all dharmas, emptiness that cannot be grasped, emptiness of non-existence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the self-nature of emptiness, they all grasp at characteristics; in abiding in suchness, the dharma realm, dharma nature, the nature of non-falsity, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of non-arising, the fixed nature of dharmas, the abiding nature of dharmas, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm, they all grasp at characteristics; in practicing the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path, they all grasp at characteristics; in abiding in the noble truth of suffering, the noble truths of origin, cessation, and path, they all grasp at characteristics; in practicing the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations, they all grasp at characteristics; in practicing the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten totalities, they all grasp at characteristics; in practicing the liberation door of emptiness, and the liberation doors of signlessness and wishlessness, they all grasp at characteristics; in practicing the five kinds of eyes and the six supernormal powers, they all grasp at characteristics; in practicing the samādhi dharma doors and dhāraṇī dharma doors, they all grasp at characteristics; in practicing the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha, they all grasp at characteristics; in practicing all-knowing wisdom, path-knowing wisdom, and all-aspects-knowing wisdom, they all grasp at characteristics.

World-Honored One, due to this cause and condition, those virtuous sons and virtuous daughters abiding in the Bodhisattva Vehicle will, with regard to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, either attain it or not attain it.

World-Honored One, due to this cause and condition, if a Great Bodhisattva wishes to attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, they definitely should not depart from Prajñāpāramitā and skillful means.

World-Honored One, that Great Bodhisattva, abiding in Prajñāpāramitā and skillful means, using non-attainment as the means, and accompanied by a mind free from characteristics, should cultivate the Perfection of Giving, and should cultivate Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Concentration, and Prajñāpāramitā.

World-Honored One, that Great Bodhisattva, abiding in Prajñāpāramitā and skillful means, using non-attainment as the means, and accompanied by a mind free from characteristics, should abide in inner emptiness, should abide in outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of ultimate meaning, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, emptiness of the ultimate, emptiness without boundaries, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of non-change, emptiness of intrinsic nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all dharmas, emptiness that cannot be grasped, emptiness of non-existence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the self-nature of emptiness.

World-Honored One, that Great Bodhisattva, abiding in Prajñāpāramitā and skillful means, using non-attainment as the means, and accompanied by a mind free from characteristics, should abide in suchness, should abide in the dharma realm, dharma nature, the nature of non-falsity, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of non-arising, the fixed nature of dharmas, the abiding nature of dharmas, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm.

World-Honored One, that Great Bodhisattva, abiding in Prajñāpāramitā and skillful means, using non-attainment as the means, and accompanied by a mind free from characteristics, should cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness, should cultivate the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path.

World-Honored One, that Great Bodhisattva, abiding in Prajñāpāramitā and skillful means, using non-attainment as the means, and accompanied by a mind free from characteristics, should cultivate the eight liberations, should cultivate the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten totalities.

World-Honored One, that Great Bodhisattva, abiding in Prajñāpāramitā and skillful means, using non-attainment as the means, and accompanied by a mind free from characteristics, should cultivate the ten powers of the Buddha, should cultivate the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha.

At this time, the devas of the Desire Realm and Form Realm addressed the Buddha:

World-Honored One, the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas is very difficult to believe, difficult to understand, and extremely difficult to attain. Why? Because Great Bodhisattvas must comprehend and realize the own characteristics and common characteristics of all dharmas before they can attain the object they seek, namely unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. Yet the characteristics of dharmas that Bodhisattvas recognize and comprehend are completely without possession and cannot be grasped at all.

The Buddha said to the devas:

That is so, that is so, exactly as you have said! The unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas is very difficult to believe, difficult to understand, and extremely difficult to attain.

O devas, you should know that I too directly know all dharma characteristics and have attained unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, but I have never at all grasped the ultimate-meaning dharma characteristic that has been attained as something that can be expressed: “This is the subject who attains, this is the object attained, this is the place of attainment, this is the time of attainment, and it can be said that attainment occurs through this dharma.” Why? O devas, because all dharmas are ultimately pure; therefore conditioned and unconditioned dharmas are ultimately empty.

At that time, the Venerable Subhūti addressed the Buddha:

World-Honored One, as the Buddha has taught, the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas is very difficult to believe, difficult to understand, and extremely difficult to attain. But according to my reflection on the meaning taught by the Buddha regarding the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas being very difficult to believe, difficult to understand, and extremely difficult to attain, why is this so? Because if one is able to believe and understand that there is no dharma for the subject who realizes, no dharma for the object realized, no place where realization occurs, no time when realization occurs, and no attainment that occurs through this dharma, then one is able to believe and understand unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. If one realizes that there is no dharma for the subject who realizes, no dharma for the object realized, no place where realization occurs, no time when realization occurs, and no attainment that occurs through that dharma, then one is able to attain the object sought, namely unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. Why, World-Honored One? Because all dharmas are ultimately empty; within this ultimate emptiness, there is completely no dharma that can be called the subject who realizes, that can be called the object realized, that can be called the place of realization, that can be called the time of realization, or that can be called attainment through that dharma. Why? Because all dharmas are empty; whether increasing or decreasing, they completely possess nothing and cannot be grasped.

World-Honored One, the Perfection of Giving, Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Concentration, and Prajñāpāramitā cultivated by Great Bodhisattvas completely possess nothing and cannot be grasped.

World-Honored One, inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of ultimate meaning, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, emptiness of the ultimate, emptiness without boundaries, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of non-change, emptiness of intrinsic nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all dharmas, emptiness that cannot be grasped, emptiness of non-existence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the self-nature of emptiness, in which Great Bodhisattvas abide, completely possess nothing and cannot be grasped.

World-Honored One, suchness, the dharma realm, dharma nature, the nature of non-falsity, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of non-arising, the fixed nature of dharmas, the abiding nature of dharmas, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm, in which Great Bodhisattvas abide, completely possess nothing and cannot be grasped.

World-Honored One, the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path, which Great Bodhisattvas cultivate, completely possess nothing and cannot be grasped.

World-Honored One, the noble truth of suffering, the noble truths of origin, cessation, and path, in which Great Bodhisattvas abide, completely possess nothing and cannot be grasped.

World-Honored One, the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations, which Great Bodhisattvas cultivate, completely possess nothing and cannot be grasped.

World-Honored One, the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten totalities, which Great Bodhisattvas cultivate, completely possess nothing and cannot be grasped.

World-Honored One, the liberation door of emptiness, and the liberation doors of signlessness and wishlessness, which Great Bodhisattvas cultivate, completely possess nothing and cannot be grasped.

World-Honored One, the five kinds of eyes and the six supernormal powers, which Great Bodhisattvas cultivate, completely possess nothing and cannot be grasped.

World-Honored One, the samādhi dharma doors and the dhāraṇī dharma doors, which Great Bodhisattvas cultivate, completely possess nothing and cannot be grasped.

World-Honored One, the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha, which Great Bodhisattvas cultivate, completely possess nothing and cannot be grasped.

Honored World-Honored One, the All-Knowing Wisdom, the Wisdom of the Paths, and the Wisdom of All Aspects that the Great Bodhisattvas have cultivated are completely without anything to possess, and cannot be grasped.

Honored World-Honored One, all dharmas, whether having form or formless, whether visible or invisible, whether having resistance or without resistance, whether with outflows or without outflows, whether conditioned or unconditioned, which the Great Bodhisattvas have contemplated, are completely without anything to possess and cannot be grasped.

Honored World-Honored One, for this reason, I contemplate according to the profound meaning taught by the Buddha that the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas is very easy to believe, easy to understand, and very easy to attain. Great Bodhisattvas should not consider this matter difficult to believe, difficult to understand, or difficult to attain. Why is this so?

Honored World-Honored One, form and the self-nature of form are empty; feeling, perception, formations, consciousness and the self-natures of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the eye faculty and the self-nature of the eye faculty are empty; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties, and the self-natures of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the form sphere and the self-nature of the form sphere are empty; the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma spheres, and the self-natures of sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma spheres are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the eye element and the self-nature of the eye element are empty; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements, and the self-natures of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements are empty. Honored World-Honored One, the form element and the self-nature of the form element are empty; the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma elements, and the self-natures of the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma elements are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the eye-consciousness element and the self-nature of the eye-consciousness element are empty; the ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness elements, and the self-natures of the ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness elements are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, eye contact and the self-nature of eye contact are empty; ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact, and the self-natures of ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the feelings arising dependent on eye contact and the self-nature of the feelings arising dependent on eye contact are empty; the feelings arising dependent on ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact, and the self-natures of the feelings arising dependent on ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the earth element and the self-nature of the earth element are empty; the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements, and the self-natures of the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, ignorance and the self-nature of ignorance are empty; formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, distress, and the self-nature of formations up to aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the Perfection of Giving and the self-nature of the Perfection of Giving are empty; the Perfection of Pure Discipline, Patience, Effort, Meditation, and Prajñā-pāramitā, and the self-natures of Pure Discipline up to Prajñā-pāramitā are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, inner emptiness and the self-nature of inner emptiness are empty; outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate meaning emptiness, conditioned emptiness, unconditioned emptiness, emptiness of the ultimate, emptiness without boundaries, scattered emptiness, unchanging emptiness, emptiness of inherent nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all dharmas, emptiness of what cannot be grasped, emptiness of non-existence, emptiness of self-nature, emptiness of the emptiness of self-nature, and the self-natures of outer emptiness up to the emptiness of the emptiness of self-nature are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, suchness and the self-nature of suchness are empty; the Dharma realm, Dharma nature, the nature of non-delusion, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of being free from arising, the established Dharma, the abiding Dharma, ultimate reality, the realm of space, the inconceivable realm, and the self-natures of the Dharma realm up to the inconceivable realm are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the four Foundations of Mindfulness and the self-nature of the four Foundations of Mindfulness are empty; the four Right Efforts, four Bases of Spiritual Power, five Faculties, five Powers, seven Factors of Enlightenment, eightfold Noble Path, and the self-natures of the four Right Efforts up to the eightfold Noble Path are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the Noble Truth of Suffering and the self-nature of the Noble Truth of Suffering are empty; the Noble Truths of Origination, Cessation, and Path, and the self-natures of the Noble Truths of Origination, Cessation, and Path are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the four meditative absorptions and the self-natures of the four meditative absorptions are empty; the four immeasurables, the four formless concentrations, and the self-natures of the four immeasurables and the four formless concentrations are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the eight liberations and the self-nature of the eight liberations are empty; the eight spheres of mastery, nine successive concentrations, ten totalities, and the self-natures of the eight spheres of mastery, nine successive concentrations, and ten totalities are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the liberation method of Emptiness and the self-nature of the liberation method of Emptiness are empty; the liberation methods of Signlessness and Wishlessness, and the self-natures of the liberation methods of Signlessness and Wishlessness are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the five kinds of eyes and the self-natures of the five kinds of eyes are empty; the six supernatural powers and the self-natures of the six supernatural powers are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the samādhi methods and the self-nature of the samādhi methods are empty; the dhāraṇī methods and the self-nature of the dhāraṇī methods are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the ten powers of the Buddha and the self-nature of the ten powers of the Buddha are empty; the four kinds of fearlessness, four unobstructed knowledges, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, great equanimity, the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, and the self-natures of the four fearlessnesses up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the fruit of Stream-entry and the self-nature of the fruit of Stream-entry are empty; the fruits of Once-returning, Non-returning, and Arhatship, and the self-natures of the fruits of Once-returning, Non-returning, and Arhatship are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the state of a Solitary Buddha and the self-nature of the state of a Solitary Buddha are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, the All-Knowing Wisdom and the self-nature of the All-Knowing Wisdom are empty; the Wisdom of the Paths, the Wisdom of All Aspects, and the self-natures of the Wisdom of the Paths and the Wisdom of All Aspects are empty.

Honored World-Honored One, if a Great Bodhisattva, regarding such emptiness of self-nature, gives rise to faith, deeply understands it, and has no mistaken perceptions or distorted understanding, then he immediately attains the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. For this reason, I say that the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment is not difficult to believe, not difficult to understand, and not difficult to attain.

At that time, Śāriputra said to Subhūti:

“Venerable Subhūti, it is precisely because of this reason that the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas is very difficult to believe, difficult to understand, and very difficult to attain. Why is this so? Because Great Bodhisattvas contemplate all dharmas as completely without self-nature, all like emptiness, like space itself, and they do not think: ‘I will believe, understand, and quickly attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.’ Great Bodhisattvas should also be this way; they should not think: ‘I will believe, understand, and quickly attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.’ Why is this so? Venerable Subhūti, all dharmas are empty, equal to space, and only when one can fully penetrate this truth can one attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

Venerable Subhūti, if Great Bodhisattvas, having believed and understood that all dharmas are equal to space, could easily give rise to faith, understanding, and attainment regarding unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, then there would not be countless Great Bodhisattvas who put on the great armor of merit and set their minds toward unsurpassed perfect enlightenment but retreat along the way. Therefore, know that unsurpassed perfect enlightenment is very difficult to believe, difficult to understand, and very difficult to attain.”

Venerable Subhūti said to Venerable Śāriputra:

“Venerable Śāriputra, what do you think? Does form retreat from unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?”

Śāriputra replied:

“No, Subhūti.”

“Venerable Śāriputra, what do you think? Do feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness retreat from unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?”

Śāriputra replied:

“No, Subhūti.”

“Venerable Śāriputra, what do you think? Apart from form, is there any dharma that retreats from unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?”

Śāriputra replied:

“No, Subhūti.”

“Venerable Śāriputra, what do you think? Apart from feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, is there any dharma that retreats from unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?”

Śāriputra replied:

“No, Subhūti.”

“Venerable Śāriputra, what do you think? Does the suchness of form retreat from unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?”

Śāriputra replied:

“No, Subhūti.”

“Venerable Śāriputra, what do you think? Does the suchness of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness retreat from unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?”

Śāriputra replied:

“No, Subhūti.”

“Venerable Śāriputra, what do you think? Apart from the suchness of form, is there any dharma that retreats from unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?”

Śāriputra replied:

“No, Subhūti.”

“Venerable Śāriputra, what do you think? Apart from the suchness of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, is there any dharma that retreats from unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?”

Śāriputra replied:

“No, Subhūti.”

“Venerable Śāriputra, what do you think? Does the eye faculty retreat from unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?”

Śāriputra replied:

“No, Subhūti.”

“Venerable Śāriputra, what do you think? Do the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties retreat from unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?”

Śāriputra replied:

“No, Subhūti.”

Venerable Śāriputra, what do you think? Apart from the eye base, is there any dharma that can retreat from the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?