THE GREAT PRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ SUTRA
VOLUME 359
Chapter 61: NON-DUALITY OF EXTENSIVE LEARNING (9)
At that time, the Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, how should a Great Bodhisattva know the abbreviated and elaborated characteristics of all phenomena?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, if a Great Bodhisattva truly understands that all phenomena neither combine nor disperse, then that Great Bodhisattva will thereby know the abbreviated and elaborated characteristics of all phenomena.
The Venerable Subhūti again said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, what are the phenomena that neither combine nor disperse?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, form neither combines nor disperses; feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness also neither combine nor disperse. The eye faculty neither combines nor disperses; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties also neither combine nor disperse. The form realm neither combines nor disperses; the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma realms also neither combine nor disperse. The eye element neither combines nor disperses; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements also neither combine nor disperse. The form element neither combines nor disperses; the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma elements also neither combine nor disperse. The eye-consciousness element neither combines nor disperses; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind consciousness elements also neither combine nor disperse. Eye-contact neither combines nor disperses; ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact also neither combine nor disperse. The feelings arising dependent upon eye-contact neither combine nor disperse; the feelings arising dependent upon ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact also neither combine nor disperse. The earth element neither combines nor disperses; the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements also neither combine nor disperse. Ignorance neither combines nor disperses; formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress also neither combine nor disperse. The perfection of generosity neither combines nor disperses; morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom also neither combine nor disperse.
The emptiness of the internal neither combines nor disperses; the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of both internal and external, great emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, emptiness of the ultimate meaning, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without boundaries, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of non-transformation, emptiness of inherent nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of that which cannot be grasped, emptiness of non-existence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the non-existence of self-nature also neither combine nor disperse.
Suchness neither combines nor disperses; the dharma realm, dharma nature, the nature of non-falsity, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the fixed nature of dharma, the abiding nature of dharma, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm also neither combine nor disperse.
The Noble Truth of suffering neither combines nor disperses; the Noble Truths of origination, cessation, and the path also neither combine nor disperse. The four meditative absorptions neither combine nor disperse; the four immeasurables and the four formless concentrations also neither combine nor disperse. The eight liberations neither combine nor disperse; the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten universal bases also neither combine nor disperse.
The four applications of mindfulness neither combine nor disperse; 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 also neither combine nor disperse. The liberation door of emptiness neither combines nor disperses; the liberation doors of signlessness and wishlessness also neither combine nor disperse. The five types of eyes neither combine nor disperse; the six supernatural powers also neither combine nor disperse.
The ten powers of a Buddha neither combine nor disperse; the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of unobstructed knowledge, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha also neither combine nor disperse. The quality of never forgetting the Dharma neither combines nor disperses; the nature of constant equanimity also neither combines nor disperses. All-knowing wisdom neither combines nor disperses; path-aspect wisdom and all-aspect wisdom also neither combine nor disperse.
All dhāraṇī gateways neither combine nor disperse; all samādhi gateways also neither combine nor disperse. The fruit of stream-entry neither combines nor disperses; the fruits of once-returning, non-returning, and arhatship also neither combine nor disperse. The fruit of the Pratyekabuddha neither combines nor disperses. All practices of Great Bodhisattvas neither combine nor disperse. The unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas neither combines nor disperses. The realm of conditioned phenomena neither combines nor disperses; the realm of unconditioned phenomena also neither combines nor disperse.
Why is this? Subhūti, because all such phenomena have no self-nature. If there is no self-nature, then there is nothing that exists. If there is nothing that exists, then it cannot be said that there is combination or dispersal. When Great Bodhisattvas understand all phenomena in this way, they are able to know the abbreviated and elaborated characteristics of all phenomena.
The Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, this is what is called the gathering together of the six perfections. If Great Bodhisattvas cultivate and learn these teachings, they will be able to accomplish many deeds.
World-Honored One, regarding the perfections gathered together in this way, Great Bodhisattvas who have just begun cultivation should always train in them, and even Great Bodhisattvas abiding on the Ten Grounds should also train in them.
World-Honored One, if Great Bodhisattvas learn these gathered perfections, then regarding all phenomena they will recognize their abbreviated and elaborated characteristics.
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, it is so, it is so, just as you have said. Subhūti, such a Dharma door can be entered by Great Bodhisattvas of sharp faculties, and Great Bodhisattvas of moderate faculties can also enter it.
Subhūti, such a Dharma door can be entered by Great Bodhisattvas of determined faculties, and Great Bodhisattvas of indeterminate faculties can also enter it.
Subhūti, such a Dharma door is without obstruction and without hindrance. If a Great Bodhisattva diligently cultivates and learns it, they cannot fail to enter it.
Subhūti, such a Dharma door is not something that can be entered by lazy people, people lacking diligence, people who have lost mindfulness, people whose minds are scattered, or people accustomed to mistaken wisdom.
Subhūti, such a Dharma door can only be entered by those who are not lazy, those who exert themselves diligently, those who abide in mindfulness, those who skillfully collect their minds, and those who cultivate sublime wisdom.
Subhūti, if a Great Bodhisattva wishes to abide at the stage of non-retrogression, wishes to abide at the tenth stage, or wishes to abide in the wisdom of omniscience, they must diligently apply skillful means to enter this Dharma door.
Subhūti, if a Great Bodhisattva learns according to what has been explained in this Prajñāpāramitā, that Great Bodhisattva can, according to their wishes, attain the perfection of generosity, morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom; they can also, according to their wishes, attain the emptiness of the internal, the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of both internal and external, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of the ultimate meaning, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without boundaries, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of non-transformation, emptiness of inherent nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of that which cannot be grasped, emptiness of non-existence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the non-existence of self-nature; they can also, according to their wishes, attain suchness, the dharma realm, dharma nature, the nature of non-falsity, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the fixed nature of dharma, the abiding nature of dharma, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; they can also, according to their wishes, attain the Noble Truth of suffering and the Noble Truths of origination, cessation, and the path; they can also, according to their wishes, attain the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations; they can also, according to their wishes, attain the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten universal bases; they can also, according to their wishes, attain the four applications 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 can also, according to their wishes, attain the liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; they can also, according to their wishes, attain the five types of eyes and the six supernatural powers; they can also, according to their wishes, attain the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of unobstructed knowledge, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha; they can also, according to their wishes, attain the quality of never forgetting the Dharma and the nature of constant equanimity; they can also, according to their wishes, attain all-knowing wisdom, path-aspect wisdom, and all-aspect wisdom; they can also, according to their wishes, attain all dhāraṇī gateways and all samādhi gateways.
Subhūti, if a Great Bodhisattva relies upon what this profound Prajñāpāramitā teaches and cultivates accordingly, then that Great Bodhisattva will continually draw near to the object they aspire to attain, the wisdom of omniscience.
Subhūti, if a Great Bodhisattva cultivates according to what this Prajñāpāramitā teaches, then if any demonic activity arises, it will immediately be destroyed. Therefore, Subhūti, if a Great Bodhisattva wishes to quickly eliminate all karmic obstacles and wishes to gather and preserve skillful means, they should cultivate the Prajñāpāramitā.
Furthermore, Subhūti, when a Great Bodhisattva practices this Prajñāpāramitā, cultivates this Prajñāpāramitā, and trains in this Prajñāpāramitā, at that time the Great Bodhisattva will be protected and remembered by all Tathāgatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, who are currently abiding and teaching the true Dharma in countless, immeasurable, boundless worlds throughout the ten directions. Why is this? Because all Buddhas of the past, future, and present arise from such Prajñāpāramitā. Therefore, Subhūti, if a Great Bodhisattva diligently practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should reflect: “The Dharma realized by the Buddhas of the past, future, and present, I too shall realize.” Therefore, Subhūti, Great Bodhisattvas must diligently cultivate Prajñāpāramitā. If they diligently cultivate Prajñāpāramitā in this way, that Great Bodhisattva will quickly attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. Therefore, Subhūti, Great Bodhisattvas should never be separated from the mental activity corresponding to omniscient wisdom and the practice of Prajñāpāramitā.
Furthermore, Subhūti, if a Great Bodhisattva truly practices this Prajñāpāramitā, even for the briefest moment, the accumulation of merit attained by that Great Bodhisattva is extremely vast. Suppose there were a person who guided sentient beings throughout a three-thousandfold great world system and caused them all to abide in generosity, morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom, or caused them to abide in liberation and knowledge of liberation, or caused them to abide in the fruits of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, or caused them to abide in the fruit of the Pratyekabuddha. Although that person would accumulate immeasurable merit, it would still not equal the merit of that Great Bodhisattva who truly practices this Prajñāpāramitā even for a brief moment. Why is this? Subhūti, because such Prajñāpāramitā is capable of producing all generosity, morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom; it is capable of producing all liberation and knowledge of liberation; it is capable of producing the fruits of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, and arhatship; it is capable of producing the fruit of the Pratyekabuddha; it is capable of producing unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. All present Tathāgatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones in countless, immeasurable, boundless worlds throughout the ten directions have arisen through such Prajñāpāramitā. All Tathāgatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past arose through such Prajñāpāramitā. All Tathāgatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the future will arise through such Prajñāpāramitā.
Furthermore, Subhūti, if a Great Bodhisattva never separates from the mental activity corresponding to omniscient wisdom and practices Prajñāpāramitā for a moment, half a day, one day, one month, one year, one hundred years, one eon, one hundred eons, or even countless eons, then the merit attained by that Great Bodhisattva is extremely vast, surpassing the merit attained by one who guides sentient beings throughout as many worlds in the ten directions as the sands of the Ganges and causes them all to abide in generosity, morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom, or causes them to abide in liberation and knowledge of liberation, or causes them to abide in the fruits of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, or causes them to abide in the fruit of the Pratyekabuddha. Why is this? Subhūti, because this Prajñāpāramitā has produced all Tathāgatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past, future, and present; they always explain truthfully to sentient beings the Dharma of generosity, morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom; they explain truthfully to sentient beings the path of liberation and knowledge of liberation; they explain truthfully to sentient beings the fruits of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, and arhatship; they explain truthfully to sentient beings the fruit of the Pratyekabuddha; they explain truthfully to sentient beings the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas. Therefore, this amount of merit surpasses that other merit.
Furthermore, Subhūti, according to what this Prajñāpāramitā teaches, one should know that such a Great Bodhisattva is non-retrogressive, is always remembered and protected by Buddhas, has perfected the supreme skillful means, has previously drawn near to and made offerings to countless true spiritual friends who protect and assist them; has cultivated generosity, morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom for a long time; has long abided in the emptiness of the internal, the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of both internal and external, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of the ultimate meaning, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without boundaries, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of non-transformation, emptiness of inherent nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of that which cannot be grasped, emptiness of non-existence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the non-existence of self-nature; has long abided in suchness, the dharma realm, dharma nature, the nature of non-falsity, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the fixed nature of dharma, the abiding nature of dharma, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; has long abided in the Noble Truth of suffering and the Noble Truths of origination, cessation, and the path; has long cultivated the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations; has long cultivated the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten universal bases; has long cultivated the four applications 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; has long cultivated the liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; has long cultivated the five types of eyes and the six supernatural powers; has long cultivated the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of unobstructed knowledge, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha; has long cultivated the quality of never forgetting the Dharma and the nature of constant equanimity; has long cultivated all dhāraṇī gateways and all samādhi gateways; has long cultivated all-knowing wisdom, path-aspect wisdom, and all-aspect wisdom.
One should know that such a Great Bodhisattva abides in the stage of a youth, all aspirations are fulfilled, constantly encounters Buddhas; never separates from wholesome roots; always brings complete accomplishment to sentient beings; constantly adorns and purifies Buddha-fields, going from one Buddha-field to another, respectfully making offerings to Buddhas, listening to, receiving, maintaining, and practicing the unsurpassed vehicle Dharma. One should know that such a Great Bodhisattva has attained unobstructed and inexhaustible eloquence, has attained supreme dhāraṇī Dharma, has perfected the most wondrous and supreme physical form; has received complete prediction from Buddhas, and according to their wishes, takes various forms of bodies freely in order to transform and liberate sentient beings.
One should know that such a Great Bodhisattva fully understands the object-door, aspect-door, self-door, non-self-door; fully understands language and non-language; understands one language, two languages, many languages, male language, female language, language that is neither male nor female, past language, future language, present language, literary expression, and meaning. One should know that such a Great Bodhisattva fully understands form, feeling, perception, formations, consciousness; aggregates, elements, sense bases, dependent origination, the branches of dependent origination; the nature of the world, the nature of Nirvana; the characteristics of the dharma realm, the characteristics of action, knowing what is not the characteristic of action; the characteristics of conditioned phenomena, unconditioned phenomena, conditioned and unconditioned phenomena; characteristics and non-characteristics; existence and non-existence; self-nature and other-nature; understands combination, dispersal, combination-and-dispersal, correspondence and non-correspondence; suchness, the nature of non-falsity, the nature of non-change, dharma nature, dharma realm, fixed nature of dharma, abiding nature of dharma, conditioned nature, non-conditioned nature; all Noble Truths; meditative absorptions, immeasurable concentrations, formless concentrations; the six perfections, the four applications of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, the eightfold noble path, the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten universal bases; understands dhāraṇī gateways, samādhi gateways; the liberation door of emptiness, the liberation door of signlessness, the liberation door of wishlessness; all emptiness Dharma doors; the five types of eyes, the six supernatural powers; the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of unobstructed knowledge, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, great equanimity, the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha; the quality of never forgetting the Dharma, the nature of constant equanimity; all-knowing wisdom, path-aspect wisdom, and all-aspect wisdom; understands the conditioned realm, the unconditioned realm; realms and non-realms.
One should know that such a Great Bodhisattva fully understands the mental activity of form; the mental activity of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; the mental activity of the eye faculty, the mental activity of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties; the mental activity of the form realm, the mental activity of the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma realms; the mental activity of the eye element, the mental activity of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements; the mental activity of the form element, the mental activity of the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma elements; the mental activity of the eye-consciousness element, the mental activity of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind consciousness elements; the mental activity of eye-contact, the mental activity of ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact; the mental activity of feelings arising dependent upon eye-contact, the mental activity of feelings arising dependent upon ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact; the mental activity of the earth element, the mental activity of the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements; the mental activity of ignorance, formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress; the mental activity of the perfection of generosity, morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom; the mental activity of the emptiness of the internal, the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of both internal and external, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of the ultimate meaning, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without boundaries, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of non-transformation, emptiness of inherent nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of that which cannot be grasped, emptiness of non-existence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the non-existence of self-nature; the mental activity of suchness, the dharma realm, dharma nature, the nature of non-falsity, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the fixed nature of dharma, the abiding nature of dharma, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; the mental activity of the Noble Truth of suffering and the Noble Truths of origination, cessation, and the path; the mental activity of the four applications 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; the mental activity of the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations; the mental activity of the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten universal bases; the mental activity of all dhāraṇī gateways, all samādhi gateways; the mental activity of the liberation door of emptiness, the liberation doors of signlessness and wishlessness; the mental activity of the five types of eyes, the mental activity of the six supernatural powers; the mental activity of the ten powers of the Buddha, the mental activity of the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of unobstructed knowledge, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha; the mental activity of the quality of never forgetting the Dharma, the mental activity of the nature of constant equanimity; the mental activity of all-knowing wisdom, path-aspect wisdom, and all-aspect wisdom.
One should know that such a Great Bodhisattva has fully understood form and the emptiness-characteristic of form; feeling, perception, formations, consciousness and the emptiness-characteristic of feeling, perception, formations, consciousness; the eye faculty and the emptiness-characteristic of the eye faculty; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties and their emptiness-characteristics; the form realm and the emptiness-characteristic of the form realm; the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma realms and their emptiness-characteristics; the eye element and its emptiness-characteristic; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements and their emptiness-characteristics; the form element and its emptiness-characteristic; the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma elements and their emptiness-characteristics; the eye-consciousness element and its emptiness-characteristic; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind consciousness elements and their emptiness-characteristics; eye-contact and its emptiness-characteristic; ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact and their emptiness-characteristics; feelings arising dependent upon eye-contact and their emptiness-characteristic; feelings arising dependent upon ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact and their emptiness-characteristic; the earth element and its emptiness-characteristic; the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements and their emptiness-characteristics; ignorance and its emptiness-characteristic; formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress and their emptiness-characteristics; the perfection of generosity and its emptiness-characteristic; morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom and their emptiness-characteristics; the emptiness of the internal and its emptiness-characteristic; the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of both internal and external, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of the ultimate meaning, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without boundaries, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of non-transformation, emptiness of inherent nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of that which cannot be grasped, emptiness of non-existence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the non-existence of self-nature, and their emptiness-characteristics; suchness and its emptiness-characteristic; the dharma realm, dharma nature, the nature of non-falsity, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the fixed nature of dharma, the abiding nature of dharma, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm and their emptiness-characteristics; the Noble Truth of suffering and its emptiness-characteristic; the Noble Truths of origination, cessation, and the path and their emptiness-characteristics; the four applications of mindfulness and their emptiness-characteristics, 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 and their emptiness-characteristics; the four meditative absorptions and their emptiness-characteristics; the four immeasurables, the four formless concentrations and their emptiness-characteristics; the eight liberations and their emptiness-characteristics; the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, the ten universal bases and their emptiness-characteristics; all dhāraṇī gateways and their emptiness-characteristics; all samādhi gateways and their emptiness-characteristics; the liberation door of emptiness and its emptiness-characteristic; the liberation doors of signlessness and wishlessness and their emptiness-characteristics; the five types of eyes and their emptiness-characteristics; the six supernatural powers and their emptiness-characteristics; the ten powers of the Buddha and their emptiness-characteristics; the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of unobstructed knowledge, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, great equanimity, the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha and their emptiness-characteristics; the quality of never forgetting the Dharma and its emptiness-characteristic; the nature of constant equanimity and its emptiness-characteristic; all-knowing wisdom and its emptiness-characteristic; path-aspect wisdom, all-aspect wisdom and their emptiness-characteristics; the fruit of stream-entry and its emptiness-characteristic; the fruits of once-returning, non-returning, arhatship and their emptiness-characteristics; the fruit of the Pratyekabuddha and its emptiness-characteristic; all practices of Great Bodhisattvas and their emptiness-characteristics; the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of Buddhas and its emptiness-characteristic.
One should know that such a Great Bodhisattva has fully understood the path of cessation and the path of non-cessation; arising, abiding, change, and extinction; greed, anger, delusion, non-greed, non-anger, non-delusion; views, non-views, wrong views, non-wrong views, all view-entanglements, latent tendencies, bonds and fetters; the elimination of all view-entanglements, latent tendencies, bonds and fetters; name, form, name-and-form; causal conditions, immediately preceding conditions, objective conditions, dominant conditions; actions, explanations, characteristics, appearances; has fully understood suffering, origination, cessation, and the path; hell and the path of hell; animals and the path of animals; the realm of hungry ghosts and the path of hungry ghosts; humans and the path of humans; gods and the path of gods; stream-entry and the fruit of stream-entry; once-returning, the fruit of once-returning, and the path of once-returning; non-returning, the fruit of non-returning, and the path of non-returning; arhatship, the fruit of arhatship, and the path of arhatship; Pratyekabuddhas, the fruit of Pratyekabuddhas, and the path of Pratyekabuddhas; Great Bodhisattvas and the practices of Great Bodhisattvas; Tathāgatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones and unsurpassed perfect enlightenment; all-knowing wisdom and the path of all-knowing wisdom; path-aspect wisdom and the path of path-aspect wisdom; all-aspect wisdom and the path of all-aspect wisdom; has fully understood faculties, complete faculties, superior and inferior faculties; wisdom, swift wisdom; powerful wisdom, sharp wisdom, rapid wisdom, penetrating wisdom, pervasive wisdom, profound wisdom, great wisdom, incomparable wisdom, true wisdom, precious wisdom; has fully understood past lives, future lives, and present lives; skillful means, intentions, superior intentions, and care for sentient beings; the characteristics of words and meanings, the noble teachings, and the establishment of the three vehicles.
Subhūti, if a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, expounds Prajñāpāramitā, and cultivates Prajñāpāramitā, then they attain such supreme virtues and benefits.
At that time, the Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, why should a Great Bodhisattva practice Prajñāpāramitā? Why should they expound Prajñāpāramitā? Why should they cultivate Prajñāpāramitā?
The Buddha taught:
“Subhūti, because the Great Bodhisattva contemplates form as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, unreal and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā. Because he contemplates feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā.
“Subhūti, because the Great Bodhisattva contemplates the eye-base as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā. Because he contemplates the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind bases as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā.
“Subhūti, because the Great Bodhisattva contemplates the form-base as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā. Because he contemplates the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma bases as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā.
“Subhūti, because the Great Bodhisattva contemplates the eye-element as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā. Because he contemplates the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā.
“Subhūti, because the Great Bodhisattva contemplates the form-element as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā. Because he contemplates the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma elements as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā.
“Subhūti, because the Great Bodhisattva contemplates the eye-consciousness element as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā. Because he contemplates the ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness elements as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā.
“Subhūti, because the Great Bodhisattva contemplates eye-contact as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā. Because he contemplates ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact, and mind-contact as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā.
“Subhūti, because the Great Bodhisattva contemplates the feelings arising dependent upon eye-contact as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā. Because he contemplates the feelings arising dependent upon ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact, and mind-contact as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā.
“Subhūti, because the Great Bodhisattva contemplates the earth element as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā. Because he contemplates the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā.
“Subhūti, because the Great Bodhisattva contemplates ignorance as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā. Because he contemplates formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress as peaceful and quiescent, liable to destruction, not autonomous, empty in nature, illusory and not truly existent, therefore he practices Prajñāpāramitā.
“Subhūti, you asked why the Great Bodhisattva should bring forth Prajñāpāramitā. The Great Bodhisattva should bring forth Prajñāpāramitā just as one brings forth the emptiness of space.
“Subhūti, you asked why the Great Bodhisattva should cultivate Prajñāpāramitā. The Great Bodhisattva should cultivate Prajñāpāramitā just as one cultivates the emptiness of space.”
The venerable Subhūti again addressed the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, how long must the Great Bodhisattva practice Prajñāpāramitā, bring forth Prajñāpāramitā, and cultivate Prajñāpāramitā?”
The Buddha taught:
“Subhūti, from the time the Great Bodhisattva first arouses the mind of enlightenment until he sits upon the wondrous Bodhi seat, he should practice Prajñāpāramitā, bring forth Prajñāpāramitā, and cultivate Prajñāpāramitā.”
The venerable Subhūti again addressed the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, abiding in what kind of mind does the Great Bodhisattva continuously, without interruption, practice Prajñāpāramitā, bring forth Prajñāpāramitā, and cultivate Prajñāpāramitā?”
The Buddha taught:
“Subhūti, from the time the Great Bodhisattva first arouses the mind of enlightenment until he sits upon the wondrous Bodhi seat, he does not allow other kinds of mental activity to arise, but constantly abides in mental activity corresponding with the wisdom of omniscience, in order to practice Prajñāpāramitā, bring forth Prajñāpāramitā, and cultivate Prajñāpāramitā. Such a Great Bodhisattva should practice Prajñāpāramitā in this way, bring forth Prajñāpāramitā in this way, and cultivate Prajñāpāramitā in this way, until he can cause the mind and mental factors not to be turned by objects.
“World-Honored One, will the Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñāpāramitā, brings forth Prajñāpāramitā, and cultivates Prajñāpāramitā attain the wisdom of omniscience?”
“Subhūti, no!”
“World-Honored One, will the Great Bodhisattva who does not practice Prajñāpāramitā, does not bring forth Prajñāpāramitā, and does not cultivate Prajñāpāramitā attain the wisdom of omniscience?”
“Subhūti, no!”
“World-Honored One, will the Great Bodhisattva who both practices and does not practice Prajñāpāramitā, who both brings forth and does not bring forth Prajñāpāramitā, who both cultivates and does not cultivate Prajñāpāramitā attain the wisdom of omniscience?”
“Subhūti, no!”
“World-Honored One, will the Great Bodhisattva who is neither practicing nor not practicing Prajñāpāramitā, neither bringing forth nor not bringing forth Prajñāpāramitā, neither cultivating nor not cultivating Prajñāpāramitā attain the wisdom of omniscience?”
“Subhūti, no!”
“World-Honored One, if this is so, then how will the Great Bodhisattva attain the wisdom of omniscience?”
“Subhūti, the Great Bodhisattva will attain the wisdom of omniscience through suchness.”
“World-Honored One, what is suchness?”
“Subhūti, it is ultimate reality.”
“World-Honored One, what is ultimate reality?”
“Subhūti, it is the dharma realm.”
“World-Honored One, what is the dharma realm?”
“Subhūti, it is like the realm of self, the realm of sentient beings, the realm of the life continuum, the realm of that which can give rise, the realm of nourishment, the realm of growth and development, and the realm of the subject of transmigration.”
“World-Honored One, what are the realm of self, the realm of sentient beings, the realm of the life continuum, the realm of that which can give rise, the realm of nourishment, the realm of growth and development, and the realm of the subject of transmigration?”
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
“What do you think? Can the self, sentient beings, the life continuum, that which can give rise, nourishment, growth and development, or the subject of transmigration be apprehended?”
Subhūti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, no!”
The Buddha taught:
“O Subhūti, if the self, or sentient beings, the life continuum, the capacity for arising, the process of nurturing, the process of growth, or the subject of transmigration cannot be apprehended, then how can one set forth the realm of the self, the realm of sentient beings, the realm of the life continuum, the realm of the capacity for arising, the realm of nurturing, the realm of growth, or the realm of the subject of transmigration? Thus, O Subhūti, if a Great Bodhisattva does not set forth Prajñāpāramitā, and also does not set forth the wisdom of omniscience and all dharmas, that Great Bodhisattva will certainly attain the wisdom of omniscience.”
At that time, the venerable Subhūti again addressed the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, is it only Prajñāpāramitā that cannot be set forth, or also the perfections of Meditative Absorption, Vigor, Patience, Pure Discipline, and Giving that cannot be set forth?”
The Buddha taught:
“O Subhūti, not only can Prajñāpāramitā not be set forth, but also the perfections of Meditative Absorption, Vigor, Patience, Pure Discipline, and Giving cannot be set forth.
O Subhūti, whether the dharmas of the Śrāvakas, the dharmas of the Pratyekabuddhas, the dharmas of Bodhisattvas, the dharmas of the Buddhas, whether conditioned dharmas or unconditioned dharmas, all such dharmas cannot be set forth.”
The venerable Subhūti again addressed the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, if all dharmas cannot be set forth, then why can one speak of hell beings, animals, the realm of hungry ghosts, humans, gods, Stream Enterers, Once Returners, Non-Returners, Arhats, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, Buddhas, and all dharmas?”
The Buddha taught:
“O Subhūti, what do you think? Can the sentient beings who are designated and the dharmas that are designated truly be apprehended?”
Subhūti replied to the Buddha:
“No, World-Honored One!”
The Buddha taught:
“O Subhūti, if the sentient beings who are designated and the dharmas that are designated cannot be apprehended, then how can I set forth hell beings, animals, the realm of hungry ghosts, humans, gods, Stream Enterers, Once Returners, Non-Returners, Arhats, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, Buddhas, and all dharmas? Thus, O Subhūti, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the fact that all dharmas cannot be set forth.”
The venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in form, and should also train in feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the eye faculty, and should also train in the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the form domain, and should also train in the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma domains.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the eye element, and should also train in the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the form element, and should also train in the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma elements.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the eye-consciousness element, and should also train in the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind-consciousness elements.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in eye-contact, and should also train in ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the feelings that arise dependent upon eye-contact as a condition, and should also train in the feelings that arise dependent upon ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact as conditions.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the earth element, and should also train in the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in ignorance, and should also train in formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, becoming, birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the perfection of Giving, and should also train in Pure Discipline, Patience, Vigor, Meditative Absorption, and Prajñāpāramitā.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in emptiness of the internal, and should also train in emptiness of the external, emptiness of both internal and external, 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-transformation, emptiness of intrinsic nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness in all dharmas, emptiness of what cannot be apprehended, emptiness of non-existence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the self-nature of non-existence.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in suchness, and should also train in the Dharma Realm, the nature of dharmas, the nature of non-deception, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the fixed nature of dharmas, the abiding nature of dharmas, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the Noble Truth of suffering, and should also train in the Noble Truths of origin, cessation, and path.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the four foundations of mindfulness, and should also train in the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold Noble Path.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the four meditative absorptions, and should also train in the four immeasurables and the four formless concentrations.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the eight liberations, and should also train in the eight bases of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten total spheres.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in all methods of samādhi, and should also train in all methods of dhāraṇī.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the liberation method of Emptiness, and should also train in the liberation methods of Signlessness and Wishlessness.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the five types of eyes, and should also train in the six supernormal powers.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the ten powers of the Buddha, and should also train in the four kinds of fearlessness, the four forms of unobstructed understanding, great Loving-Kindness, great Compassion, great Joy, great Equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the quality of not forgetting, and should also train in the nature of always remaining in equanimity.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the wisdom of all, and should also train in the wisdom of the path aspect and the wisdom of all aspects.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the fruit of Stream Entry, and should also train in the fruits of Once Returner, Non-Returner, and Arhat.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the state of a Pratyekabuddha.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in all the practices of a Great Bodhisattva.
World-Honored One, when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they should train in the unsurpassed perfect awakening of all Buddhas.”