THE RADIANT LIGHT PRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ SUTRA
VOLUME 7
Chapter 33: PRACTICING THE CONDUCT
The Buddha said to Śakra, Lord of the Devas:
“Good sons and good daughters who receive, uphold, recite, and deeply cultivate the Prajñāpāramitā, when such good sons and good daughters enter into battle formations, will certainly not be harmed; whether by swords, spears, bows, or arrows, none will strike their bodies. This is because those good sons and good daughters practice the six pāramitās day and night; they have subdued the sword of sensual desire and the sharp points of anger and ignorance within themselves, and they have subdued anger and ignorance in others. They have broken the sword of wrong views for themselves and broken the sword of wrong views for others; they have severed the bonds of afflictive attachment and love for themselves, and they are able to sever the afflictive attachment and love of others.
O Kauśika! Because the function of this Dharma is such, those good sons and good daughters will not be struck by weapons, swords, bows, or arrows.
Furthermore, O Kauśika! Good sons and good daughters who receive, uphold, recite, and practice the Prajñāpāramitā, without being separated from the wisdom of Omniscience, will certainly not be poisoned, will not be deluded, will not be harmed by weapons; their bodies will not be harmed by water or fire. Such evil occurrences will certainly not come to them.
O Kauśika! This is because the Prajñāpāramitā is the supreme among all magical arts.
Good sons and good daughters who learn according to this magical art do not themselves think evil thoughts, nor do they think evil thoughts concerning others, nor do they have evil thoughts regarding both sides. Because they do not perceive a self and do not perceive others, there is no perception or knowledge, no five aggregates, and even Omniscience itself is not perceived; there is neither existence nor attainment. Because there is no existence, there are no evil thoughts, no evil thoughts concerning oneself, and no evil thoughts concerning others. Until the time when they attain unsurpassed complete enlightenment, they know all the thoughts of sentient beings.
Because they learn this Dharma gateway, they know that the Tathāgatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past, present, and future all attain perfect enlightenment from this very source.
Furthermore, O Kauśika! Good sons and good daughters who have learned the Prajñāpāramitā and then write it down and uphold it will certainly not allow humans or non-humans to find an opening to harm them. Why is this? Because in the trichiliocosm and countless worlds throughout the ten directions, from the realm of the Four Heavenly Kings up to the Heaven of Neither Thought nor Non-Thought, all devas wholeheartedly respect, honor, protect, and pay homage to those good sons and good daughters who uphold the Prajñāpāramitā. Those who uphold the Prajñāpāramitā receive such blessings.
Even if someone only writes down and preserves the Prajñāpāramitā without reciting or practicing it, that person is like being at the Bodhi tree site; if there are animals surrounding them on all sides, or if humans or non-humans outside wish to come and harm them, they cannot find a place to harm them. This is because all Tathāgatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past attained Buddhahood from this very source. The Tathāgatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the future and present will also attain Buddhahood from this very source. After attaining Buddhahood, they will again save all sentient beings from fear; those who have already become free from fear will receive blessings and virtues in the human and heavenly realms, and will be established in the three vehicles and liberated. Why is this?
O Kauśika! Because the Prajñāpāramitā is like the ground at the Bodhi tree site that protects all sentient beings, one should make offerings and pay homage with fragrant flowers, powdered incense, banners, canopies, and music.
Śakra, Lord of the Devas, said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! If there are good sons and good daughters who write down the Prajñāpāramitā, then uphold it, and make offerings of fragrant flowers, powdered incense, banners, canopies, music, and so forth; or after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa, if they make offerings to the relics with fragrant flowers, banners, canopies, and music—of these two kinds of offerings, which produces greater merit?”
The Buddha said to Śakra:
“O Kauśika! I will ask you. According to my question, tell me what you think. The Tathāgata, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One attained the wisdom of Omniscience and such excellent marks—through learning what did he attain them?”
Śakra, Lord of the Devas, said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! I have heard that the Tathāgata, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One attained the wisdom of Omniscience and all the excellent marks through learning the Prajñāpāramitā.”
The Buddha said:
“Indeed, it is so! O Kauśika! It is not because of this physical body that one is called a Tathāgata. The wisdom of Omniscience arises from the Prajñāpāramitā.
O Kauśika! The body of the Tathāgata is the abode of the wisdom of Omniscience. The Tathāgata obtains the wisdom of Omniscience from this house of wisdom; therefore it is called the house of the wisdom of Omniscience.
After my parinirvāṇa, offerings to relics should be made in this way: If there are good sons and good daughters who write down, uphold, recite, and cultivate the Prajñāpāramitā, and then make offerings to the scriptures with fragrant flowers, banners, canopies, music, and so forth, such offerings are offerings to the wisdom of Omniscience.
Therefore, good sons and good daughters who cultivate the Prajñāpāramitā and then make offerings to the scriptures with fragrant flowers, banners, canopies, and music should be respectfully honored and paid homage.
After my nirvāṇa, if one builds a solid stūpa and uses fragrant flowers, banners, canopies, and music to make offerings to the relics; or if there are good sons and good daughters who write down, uphold, recite, and cultivate the Prajñāpāramitā and then make offerings with fragrant flowers, banners, canopies, and music—the merit of the latter is greater than that of making offerings to the relics.
Why is this? Because the Prajñāpāramitā gives rise to the relics, the emptiness within and without, the emptiness of existence and non-existence, the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, and the eighteen exclusive qualities of a Buddha; all arise from this. The various samādhi gateways and dhāraṇī gateways that teach sentient beings and purify Buddha lands arise from this. Bodhisattvas, householders who accomplish virtue, those who accomplish form, those who accomplish wealth, those who accomplish retinues, great loving-kindness, great compassion…; the Kṣatriya, Brāhmaṇa, and elder classes; the Four Heavenly Kings up to the Heaven of Neither Thought nor Non-Thought; from the fruition of stream-entry up to Arhats, Pratyekabuddhas, Perfect Enlightenment, and the wisdom of Omniscience—all arise from this.”
At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Devas, said to the Buddha:
“The people of Jambudvīpa do not understand the Prajñāpāramitā, so they do not respectfully honor, worship, serve, or make offerings to the Prajñāpāramitā.”
The Buddha said to Śakra:
“O Kauśika! What do you think? Do you know how many people in Jambudvīpa believe in the Three Jewels? How many slander the Three Jewels? How many respectfully honor the Three Jewels?”
Śakra, Lord of the Devas, said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! The number of people who believe in and follow the Three Jewels is very small.”
The Buddha said:
“O Kauśika! What do you think? In Jambudvīpa, how many sentient beings accomplish the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, the three liberations, the eight liberations, the nine successive meditations, the six supernormal powers, the four immeasurables, the four formless absorptions, and the four unobstructed wisdoms? How many sentient beings eliminate the three doubts and attain the fruition of stream-entry? How many sentient beings gradually reduce the three defilements and attain the fruition of once-returning? How many sentient beings cut off the five lower fetters and attain the fruition of non-returning? How many sentient beings completely eliminate the five higher fetters and attain Arhatship? How many sentient beings approach the path of Pratyekabuddhahood? How many sentient beings attain Perfect Enlightenment?”
Śakra, Lord of the Devas, said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! There are very few sentient beings who accomplish the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment… and even fewer who attain Perfect Enlightenment.”
The Buddha said to Śakra, Lord of the Devas:
That is exactly so, Kauśika! There are many sentient beings, but very few who give rise to the Bodhi mind. Why is this? Because in their previous lives they did not see the Buddha, did not hear the Dharma, did not encounter the Bhikshu Sangha, did not practice Giving, did not practice Patience, did not practice Diligence, did not hear about Meditation, did not hear the Prajñā-pāramitā, did not hear about inner and outer emptiness, emptiness of existence and non-existence, nor did they hear about the thirty-seven factors assisting the Path, the eighteen uncommon qualities, and they neither heard nor remembered; they neither heard of Samadhi, the Wisdom of All-Knowing, nor remembered such matters. Therefore, Kauśika, you should know that very few sentient beings have faith in the Three Jewels. Among them, very few sentient beings give rise to the aspiration toward Pratyekabuddhahood. Among these, even fewer sentient beings practice the Bodhisattva path, and very few sentient beings practice the Bodhisattva path directed toward Perfect Enlightenment.
Kauśika! With the Buddha eye, I see in this world countless sentient beings throughout the ten directions, beyond calculation, who practice Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi without being separated from the Prajñā-pāramitā and skillful means; perhaps one or two dwell at the stage of non-retrogression, while the majority are at the positions of Arhats and Pratyekabuddhas, not separated from the Prajñā-pāramitā and skillful means. Therefore, virtuous sons and virtuous daughters who aspire toward Perfect Enlightenment should uphold, recite, cultivate, transcribe, and practice the Prajñā-pāramitā, and then use various fragrant flowers, banners, streamers, jeweled canopies, and music to make offerings to all Buddhas. All other merits are contained within the Prajñā-pāramitā; it must be upheld, recited, and cultivated.
What merits enter into the Prajñā-pāramitā? They are Giving, Moral Precepts, Patience, Diligence, Meditation, inner and outer emptiness, the emptiness of possessions, the emptiness of non-possession, the various Samadhis and Dharanis, the thirty-seven factors assisting the Path, the eighteen uncommon qualities, great Loving-kindness, and great Compassion. In addition, the immeasurable other Buddha-dharmas are also contained within the Prajñā-pāramitā and should likewise be upheld, recited, and cultivated. Why is this? Kauśika! Virtuous sons and virtuous daughters should know to show reverence in this way. When the Tathāgatas first practiced the Bodhisattva path, they also studied the Prajñā-pāramitā, and also practiced Meditation-pāramitā, Diligence-pāramitā, Patience-pāramitā, Moral Precepts-pāramitā, and Giving-pāramitā; from inner and outer emptiness up to emptiness of existence and non-existence, from the various Samadhi and Dharani practices up to the eighteen uncommon qualities, great Loving-kindness, and great Compassion. In addition, countless Buddha-dharmas—we should study and honor them. The Prajñā-pāramitā together with the Buddha-dharmas are all teachings of the Tathāgata; the teachings leading to Pratyekabuddhas, Arhats, Anāgāmins, Sakṛdāgāmins, Srotāpannas, and even the Wisdom of All-Knowing are all accomplished within the Prajñā-pāramitā, carrying beings across to the shore of liberation.
Kauśika! Whether the Tathāgata is still in the world or after entering Nirvana, virtuous sons and virtuous daughters should all respectfully bow to and pay homage to the six pāramitās, and should also respectfully bow to and pay homage to the Wisdom of All-Knowing. Why is this? Because the Prajñā-pāramitā in the world supports all Bodhisattvas, Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, humans, and devas; all rely upon the Prajñā-pāramitā and attain peace and security.
Kauśika! After the Buddha’s passing, if there are virtuous sons and virtuous daughters who build a stupa made of the seven treasures, forty miles high, make offerings to the relics, and throughout their entire lives respectfully make offerings with heavenly flowers, powdered incense, silk canopies, and jeweled canopies, would that merit be great?
Śakra, Lord of the Devas, said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, it would be extremely great.
The Buddha said:
Not so. If there are virtuous sons and virtuous daughters who uphold, recite, transcribe, and preserve the Prajñā-pāramitā, remain inseparable from the Wisdom of All-Knowing, and make offerings with incense, flowers, banners, streamers, and jeweled canopies, their merits would increase many times over beyond calculation.
Furthermore, Kauśika! If virtuous sons and virtuous daughters build stupas made of the seven treasures, forty miles high, throughout the entire continent of Jambudvīpa, and make offerings to the relics with heavenly flowers, garments, banners, streamers, and jeweled canopies, would that merit be great?
Śakra, Lord of the Devas, replied:
World-Honored One, it would be extremely great.
The Buddha said:
Not so! If virtuous sons and virtuous daughters make offerings to the Prajñā-pāramitā, their merits would increase many times over.
Furthermore, Kauśika! If virtuous sons and virtuous daughters build stupas made of the seven treasures throughout the four continents of the world and make offerings as before, it would not equal the merits of virtuous sons and virtuous daughters who make offerings to the Prajñā-pāramitā; those merits would increase many times over.
Kauśika! If virtuous sons and virtuous daughters build stupas made of the seven treasures throughout a small thousand-world system, make offerings to the relics, and perform offerings as before; or build stupas made of the seven treasures throughout a middle thousand-world system, make offerings to the relics, and perform offerings as before; or build stupas made of the seven treasures throughout a great trichiliocosm, make offerings to the relics, and perform offerings as above—these would still not equal the merits of virtuous sons and virtuous daughters who make offerings to the Prajñā-pāramitā; their merits would increase many times over. Even if all the beings throughout a great trichiliocosm each built a stupa made of the seven treasures and made offerings as above, it still would not equal the merits of virtuous sons and virtuous daughters who make offerings to the Prajñā-pāramitā; those merits would increase many times over.
Śakra, Lord of the Devas, said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, indeed so! Making offerings to the Prajñā-pāramitā is already making offerings to the Tathāgatas of the three times.
The Buddha said:
After the Buddha enters Nirvana, in the eastern direction, throughout as many lands as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River, if every sentient being there builds a stupa made of the seven treasures and makes offerings as above, continuing from one life to another until the time of death, would that person’s merits be great?
Śakra, Lord of the Devas, replied:
World-Honored One, they would be extremely great.
The Buddha said:
Those merits would not equal the merits of virtuous sons and virtuous daughters who transcribe, uphold, and recite the Prajñā-pāramitā, and then make offerings with various incense, flowers, banners, streamers, jeweled canopies, and music. Why is this? Because all virtuous dharmas are contained within the Prajñā-pāramitā.
What are the virtuous dharmas?
They are the five precepts, the ten wholesome practices, the four meditations, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless concentrations, the thirty-seven factors assisting the Path, the three liberation gates, the four truths, the eight liberations, the nine successive stages of meditation, the six pāramitās, from inner and outer emptiness up to emptiness of existence and non-existence, the various Samadhis and Dharanis, the ten powers, the eighteen uncommon qualities, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed wisdoms, great Loving-kindness, great Compassion, the Teacher of the Path, and the Wisdom of All-Knowing. These are the teachings of the Thus Come Ones who are Unsurpassed, Perfectly Enlightened. The Arhats, Pratyekabuddhas, and the Tathāgatas of the three times all study within the Prajñā-pāramitā and thereby accomplish crossing to the shore of liberation.
Chapter 34: OFFERINGS
The Buddha said to Śakra, Lord of the Devas:
Hey Kau-dực! Any virtuous man or virtuous woman who transcribes, reads, recites, practices, and makes offerings to the Prajñā-pāramitā, or who wholeheartedly brings various kinds of flowers, incense, banners, flags, and jeweled canopies to make offerings, will have merit that cannot be calculated, cannot be measured, and has no limit. Why do virtuous men and virtuous women obtain such merit?
Because all Tathāgatas, Unsurpassed Perfectly Enlightened Ones, are born from the Prajñā-pāramitā: the wisdom of knowing all things, the five Pāramitās, from inner and outer emptiness to emptiness of existence and non-existence, the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, the eighteen uncommon qualities of the Buddha, the five kinds of eyes that guide sentient beings, the purification of Buddha lands, omniscient wisdom, Śrāvakas, and Pratyekabuddhas all arise from the Prajñā-pāramitā.
Thus, Kau-dực, any virtuous man or virtuous woman who transcribes, reads, recites, practices the Prajñā-pāramitā, and makes offerings to the scriptures with flowers, incense, banners, flags, and jeweled canopies will have merit multiplied a hundred thousand myriad billions of times greater than the merit of building seven-jeweled stupas and making offerings to relics; it cannot be calculated or compared. Because as long as the Prajñā-pāramitā remains in the world, the Three Jewels continue to exist. When the Prajñā-pāramitā no longer remains in the world, the Three Jewels will decline and disappear. Only while the Prajñā-pāramitā remains in the world can one know the merits of the ten precepts, the four immeasurable minds, the four meditations, the four formless concentrations, the six Pāramitās, the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, the eighteen uncommon qualities, omniscient wisdom, the lineages of Kṣatriyas, Brāhmaṇas, and householders, the Four Heavenly Kings, the Heaven of Ultimate Form, Stream-enterers up to Arhats, Pratyekabuddhas; only then can one know the path of the Great Bodhisattva, Unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment, the turning of the Dharma wheel, and the teaching of sentient beings to purify Buddha lands.
Chapter 35: PRESERVING
At that time, in the trichiliocosm, the Deva sons from the realms of the Four Heavenly Kings and the Heaven of Ultimate Form asked Śakra, Lord of the Gods:
“Honored one! A person who upholds, reads, recites, and practices the Prajñā-pāramitā will have all evil deeds completely extinguished; all wholesome deeds and merits will arise and become fully perfected. If a person upholds the Prajñā-pāramitā, the gods will flourish, the Asuras will decline, and the Three Jewels will continue to exist. Therefore, the Buddha’s Dharma will not be extinguished; the six Pāramitās, the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, the eighteen uncommon qualities, those who practice the Bodhisattva path, and the teachings and meanings of the three vehicles will all appear clearly in the world.”
The Buddha said:
“Venerable Kauśika! You should uphold, skillfully recite, recollect, and cultivate the Perfection of Wisdom. Why is this so? If the Asuras gather together and give rise to evil intentions, wishing to fight with the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, then you should recite the Perfection of Wisdom. The Asuras will immediately give rise to wholesome thoughts; their unwholesome thoughts will disappear and they will no longer remember them.
Venerable Kauśika! If the sons of gods and daughters of gods in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, when their merits are exhausted and they are about to die or fall into a lower existence, you should recite the Perfection of Wisdom for them. Then these celestial beings will not be born in another realm, but will immediately be reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, because they rely upon the merit of the sound of the Perfection of Wisdom. Those who were in the heavenly realm will return to their former realm and will not fall into a lower existence. Why is this so? Because the merit of the sound of the Perfection of Wisdom is immense.
Venerable Kauśika! If good men, good women, or sons and daughters of gods merely hear the Perfection of Wisdom once, they obtain the merit of that single hearing. After hearing it in this way over a period of time, such a person will attain Unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment; this is certain, without any doubt. Why is this so?
Venerable Kauśika! In the past, the Buddhas of the ten directions and their assemblies of disciples all entered into Extinction without Residue, into Nirvana, through the Perfection of Wisdom. In the future and in the present, all Buddhas of the ten directions attain Unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment through the Perfection of Wisdom, because the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment all arise from the Perfection of Wisdom. The teachings of the Śrāvakas, the teachings of the Pratyekabuddhas, the teachings of Bodhisattvas, and the teachings of Buddhas all arise from the Perfection of Wisdom.
Śakra, Lord of the Gods, said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! The Perfection of Wisdom is a great magical teaching, an unsurpassed magical teaching, the highest of all magical teachings. This is because the Perfection of Wisdom destroys all evil phenomena and preserves the foundation of all wholesome phenomena.”
The Buddha taught:
“Venerable Kauśika! The Perfection of Wisdom is a great magical teaching, an unsurpassed magical teaching, the highest of all magical teachings.
The Buddhas of the three times all attain Unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment through this magical teaching. In the world, through this magical teaching, one knows the merits of the ten wholesome actions, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless concentrations, the six perfections, the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, the nature of Dharma, the position of Dharma, the ultimate, suchness, the five kinds of eyes, the Stream-enterer, the Arhat, the Pratyekabuddha, the Bodhisattva, the Buddha path, and omniscient wisdom.
The merits of the ten wholesome actions and so forth, the Tathāgata, and omniscient wisdom appearing in the world are all manifested by Bodhisattvas who come and go as causes and conditions.
Venerable Kauśika! It is like this: through its revolving movement, the moon dispels darkness in the world and illuminates the stars.
In the same way, Venerable Kauśika, Bodhisattvas generate countless practices from wholesome deeds; from the ten wholesome actions arise merits; from omniscient wisdom arises the Perfection of Wisdom; from emptiness arise phenomena.
Venerable Kauśika! You should know that all great Bodhisattvas arise from the Perfection of Wisdom. The Bodhisattvas practice the five perfections, internal and external emptiness, emptiness of existence and non-existence, the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha. They do not abide in the state of Śrāvakas or Pratyekabuddhas, yet they continue to teach sentient beings, purify Buddha lands, accomplish Buddhahood, accomplish the Bodhisattva path, and attain omniscient wisdom—all arise from the Perfection of Wisdom.
Furthermore, Venerable Kauśika! If good men and good women uphold the Perfection of Wisdom, or recite, cultivate, and practice it, they obtain present merits and also obtain merits that benefit and aid others.”
Śakra, Lord of the Gods, said to the Buddha:
“How should it be understood that good men and good women obtain present merits?”
The Buddha taught:
“Those who uphold the Perfection of Wisdom will certainly not die from poison, will not die unjustly in water, will not die by being burned by fire; only when their lifespan is exhausted will they pass away. If they are questioned by officials, the officials will certainly not be able to find any wrongdoing in them, because of the majestic power of reciting and upholding the Perfection of Wisdom. If good men and good women come before kings, officials, or princes and speak with them, the kings, officials, and princes will all rejoice, because these good men and good women practice great Loving-kindness, great Compassion, great Joy, and great Equanimity; they pity and care for sentient beings, and therefore receive present merits.
How should it be understood that they possess complete merit for aiding all people?
The Buddha taught:
Because they have never been separated from the merits of the ten wholesome actions, nor from the four meditations, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless concentrations, the six perfections, the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha. Bodhisattvas never abandon these teachings. They certainly will not be born in the three evil destinies; they will obtain human bodies with complete faculties; they certainly will not be born into poor families, artisan families, or lowly lineages. They will always possess the thirty-two marks of a Great Being; they will be born in places where Buddhas teach; they will not be separated from the practices and vows of Bodhisattvas; they will travel among Buddha lands, respectfully bowing and paying homage to the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones. They will always delight in listening to and receiving the supreme teachings of the Buddha; they will delight in teaching sentient beings and purifying Buddha lands.
Therefore, good men and good women who recite, cultivate, and practice the Perfection of Wisdom, without being separated from omniscient wisdom, until the time they attain Unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment, never depart from it and thus obtain merits in this life and in future lives.”
Chapter 36: DISPATCHING HERETICAL ASCETICS
At that time, some people from non-Buddhist traditions came to the place of the Buddha, intending to challenge him. Śakra, Lord of the Gods, immediately thought:
“Today these non-Buddhists wish to slander the Buddha and destroy the Perfection of Wisdom. I shall recite and contemplate the Perfection of Wisdom that I have heard from the Buddha.”
Śakra, Lord of the Gods, then recited the Perfection of Wisdom. The heretical ascetics who wished to destroy the Perfection of Wisdom, while still far away, circled around the Buddha once and then departed.
At that time, Śāriputra thought: Why did the non-Buddhist ascetics in the distance circumambulate the Buddha once and then turn away??
Knowing Śāriputra’s thought, the Buddha said:
Śakra, Lord of the Devas, reciting the Prajñāpāramitā has such power that the non-Buddhist ascetics in the distance circumambulated the Buddha once and then returned.
The Buddha taught:
Those non-Buddhist ascetics came to meet the Buddha without even the slightest good intention; they only brought narrow-minded thoughts, seeking the faults and virtues of the Buddha.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
When a person reads, recites, and upholds the Prajñāpāramitā, if gods, humans, Śramaṇas, Brahmins, or non-Buddhist practitioners in the world bring narrow-minded thoughts to seek that person’s faults, they will not be able to find them.
Why is this so? Because in this trichiliocosm, from the devas, the Four Heavenly Kings, all the way to the devas of the Highest Form Realm; the disciples and Bodhisattvas all uphold the Prajñāpāramitā. Why? Because they all arise from the Prajñāpāramitā.
Furthermore, Śāriputra! In countless worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River in the eastern direction, the disciples, all Tathāgatas, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, gods, dragons, ghosts, and spirits all uphold the Prajñāpāramitā. Because they all arise within the Prajñāpāramitā.
At that time, Māra Pāpīyas thought: At this time, the Buddha is gathering together with the four assemblies of disciples and the devas of the Desire Realm and Form Realm; all those in the assembly uphold the Prajñāpāramitā and will certainly attain Perfect Enlightenment. Therefore, I should go there and interrupt their teachings.
Having thought this, the Māra king immediately transformed four kinds of armies and went to the Buddha’s place.
Śakra, Lord of the Devas, thought: Today Māra is leading four kinds of armies to come to the Buddha. The four mighty armies transformed by Māra are refined and formidable; the armies of King Bimbisāra do not possess such qualities; the armies of the kings of Śrāvastī, the Śākya clan, and the elders of Vaiśālī also do not possess such qualities. Thus, the four armies manifested by Māra are those of Māra Pāpīyas, who day and night always seeks the faults of the Buddha and disturbs the minds of sentient beings. Now I should silently recite the Prajñāpāramitā.
Śakra, Lord of the Devas, composed his mind and slowly recited the Prajñāpāramitā. Māra Pāpīyas also gradually departed. At that time, the devas of the Four Heavenly Kings and the devas of the Highest Form Realm scattered heavenly flowers in the sky as offerings to the Buddha and together praised him. They prayed that the Prajñāpāramitā would remain in Jambudvīpa for a long time, so that the people of Jambudvīpa would always be able to recite the Prajñāpāramitā. The Prajñāpāramitā remaining for a long time is just like the Buddha still being present in the world and not yet having entered Nirvāṇa. When the Buddha remains in the world, the Dharma remains. When the Dharma remains, the Bhikṣu Saṅgha exists in the world. At that time, the Three Jewels will certainly not be destroyed. The Prajñāpāramitā will also remain throughout the trichiliocosm; the countless worlds in the ten directions will likewise be so. The Prajñāpāramitā is the supreme perfection of all practices of the Great Bodhisattvas.
Good men and good women who uphold the Prajñāpāramitā and transcribe that scripture, wherever they place it in the most honored location and illuminate that place, should know that place will no longer be dark. Among all places, that place is the foremost.
The Buddha said to Śakra, Lord of the Devas:
O Kauśika! You should know that this is the most honored place among all places.
Furthermore, Kauśika! It is not only in the human realm that the Prajñāpāramitā is the honored place; in the heavenly realms as well, it is also the honored place.
At that time, the devas scattered heavenly flowers as offerings to the Buddha and together praised him.
Any good man or good woman who upholds and recites the Prajñāpāramitā will certainly not allow Māra and the Māra devas to find any weakness or opening in them. Our World-Honored One will also protect that person. Why? Because we see that good man or good woman as if we were beholding the World-Honored One himself.
Śakra, Lord of the Devas, said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One! Good men and good women who have already performed countless wholesome deeds, and who read, recite, and uphold the Prajñāpāramitā, are able to do so because in their past lives they have performed immeasurable merits before the Buddhas and have drawn near to good spiritual friends. Therefore, in order to attain the wisdom of All-Knowing, one must study the Prajñāpāramitā; and in order to attain the Prajñāpāramitā, one must also study the wisdom of All-Knowing. Because the Prajñāpāramitā itself is the wisdom of All-Knowing, and the wisdom of All-Knowing itself is the Prajñāpāramitā; they are the same, without distinction or difference.
The Buddha said to Śakra, Lord of the Devas:
O Kauśika! The wisdom of All-Knowing and all Tathāgatas, the Unsurpassed Perfectly Enlightened Ones, all arise from the Prajñāpāramitā. Why is this so? O Kauśika! The wisdom of All-Knowing and the Prajñāpāramitā are one single Dharma, not two.
Chapter 37: NOT TWO
At that time, the Venerable Ānanda said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One! At the beginning, the World-Honored One said that he did not praise the five Perfections, nor did he praise the eighteen Uncommon Dharmas; he only praised the Prajñāpāramitā. Why is this so?
The Buddha said to Ānanda:
Among the five Pāramitās and the eighteen kinds of unique qualities, Prajñā-pāramitā is foremost. Why is this so? Ānanda, if one performs the act of giving without the wisdom of Omniscience, can it be called Dāna-pāramitā?
Ānanda replied:
World-Honored One! It is not so.
The Buddha asked:
If one practices morality, patience, diligence, and meditation without the wisdom of Omniscience, can these be praised as Śīla-pāramitā, Kṣānti-pāramitā, Vīrya-pāramitā, and Dhyāna-pāramitā?
Ānanda replied:
World-Honored One! It is not so.
Ānanda said to the Buddha:
How should giving performed with the wisdom of Omniscience be called Dāna-pāramitā… Prajñā-pāramitā?
The Buddha said to Ānanda:
Giving is non-dual. Because giving with the wisdom of Omniscience is Dāna-pāramitā, it has no place where it arises and no place upon which it relies. Giving with the wisdom of Omniscience is Dāna-pāramitā; no thought arises, and no thought depends upon anything. Omniscient wisdom is non-dual, therefore it is called Prajñā-pāramitā.
Ānanda said to the Buddha:
Why is the thought of giving with the wisdom of Omniscience non-dual?
The Buddha taught:
The five aggregates are non-dual; the supreme path is non-dual.
The Buddha taught:
Why are the five aggregates called non-dual, and the supreme path non-dual? Because the five aggregates themselves are empty. Therefore, the five aggregates and the Pāramitās are one Dharma, without duality; the supreme path is also one Dharma, without duality.
Ānanda! Among the five Pāramitās, Prajñā-pāramitā is foremost; even Omniscient wisdom is likewise. It is like planting five kinds of grain upon the earth, which grow according to conditions: Prajñā-pāramitā is the earth; all the other Pāramitās, the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment… and Omniscient wisdom all arise from Prajñā-pāramitā. Omniscient wisdom arises from Prajñā-pāramitā, and the five Pāramitās arise from Omniscient wisdom.
Ānanda! Prajñā-pāramitā is the foundation of the five Pāramitās; even the eighteen unique qualities all follow and depend upon it.
Śakra, Lord of the Gods, said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One! The World-Honored One has previously taught the Dharma and praised the limitless merits of Prajñā-pāramitā. Any virtuous man or virtuous woman who receives, upholds, recites, copies, practices, and respectfully makes offerings to Prajñā-pāramitā will have merits that cannot be exhausted. Because they uphold Prajñā-pāramitā, the ten wholesome karmic deeds appear in the world; the four meditations, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless concentrations, and the eighteen unique qualities all appear in the world. Because they uphold Prajñā-pāramitā, they know of the lineages of Kṣatriyas, Brahmins, householders, the Four Heavenly Kings… and the Heaven of Neither Thought nor Non-Thought; they come to know the path and fruits from Stream-entry up to Arhatship, Pratyekabuddhahood, Bodhisattvahood, and Buddhahood.
The Buddha said to Kauśika:
I have said that virtuous men and virtuous women who receive, uphold, recite, copy, practice, and make offerings to Prajñā-pāramitā possess merits that are inexhaustible, immeasurable, and beyond calculation. Therefore, virtuous men and virtuous women who practice Prajñā-pāramitā will attain limitless moral nature, limitless samādhi nature, wisdom nature, liberation nature, and the nature of liberation through insight. They will certainly not be separated from Omniscient wisdom. Such virtuous men and virtuous women will obtain merits that cannot be calculated.
Kauśika! You should know that virtuous men and virtuous women who practice Prajñā-pāramitā, follow the Buddha, and are not separated from Omniscient wisdom possess merits hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of times greater than the merits of Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas who maintain the natures of morality, samādhi, wisdom, liberation, and liberation through insight. Their merits are supreme and cannot be compared by any analogy. This is because their minds have already departed from the paths of Arhatship and Pratyekabuddhahood. From the beginning, they do not have thoughts concerning the paths of Arhatship and Pratyekabuddhahood, because they constantly receive, uphold, recite, practice, and offer incense and flowers to Prajñā-pāramitā. I always praise such people: in this life and in future lives they will obtain merits that are without end.
Śakra, Lord of the Gods, said to the Buddha:
I also constantly protect virtuous men and virtuous women who practice Prajñā-pāramitā, causing them not to be separated from Omniscient wisdom.
The Buddha said to Śakra:
When virtuous men and virtuous women recite Prajñā-pāramitā, countless hundreds of thousands of devas come to that place, respectfully join their palms, and listen to Prajñā-pāramitā. The devas also use their spiritual power to protect those virtuous men and women, causing their minds to become open and their understanding to become complete. This is the blessing received by virtuous men and virtuous women in the present life.
Furthermore, Kauśika! Among the four assemblies of the Buddha’s disciples, when such virtuous men and women speak of Prajñā-pāramitā without weariness, certainly no one can merely listen passively, much less slander it. Why is this so?
Because of the protection of Prajñā-pāramitā; because Prajñā-pāramitā distinguishes all phenomena, distinguishing between the supramundane and the worldly, between wholesome and unwholesome, between contaminated and uncontaminated, distinguishing monks from those who are not monks, and distinguishing Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Buddhas. This is called discrimination. Why?
Because virtuous men and virtuous women abide within inner and outer emptiness, existence and non-existence emptiness, and constantly follow Prajñā-pāramitā. Therefore, they cannot be slandered, and no one can see faults in them. Therefore, those who uphold Prajñā-pāramitā cannot have any weakness found in them.
Furthermore, Kauśika! Virtuous men and virtuous women who preserve and practice Prajñā-pāramitā will never allow their minds to become lazy or fearful. Therefore, such virtuous men and women will certainly not experience fear or exhaustion. This is a blessing received in the present life.
Furthermore, Kauśika! If there are virtuous men and virtuous women who receive and uphold Prajñā-pāramitā and make offerings with incense, flowers, banners, and jeweled canopies, those virtuous men and women will be loved by their parents; their brothers, relatives, and friends will all respect them; and throughout the ten directions, all Arhats, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas will be mindful of them with compassion. Such virtuous men and women will be loved and respected by humans, devas, and asuras.
When such people practice the six Pāramitās without interruption, without being separated from inner and outer emptiness, existence and non-existence emptiness, the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, the eighteen unique qualities, the various samādhi gates, and dhāraṇī gates; when they do not depart from the Bodhisattva’s spiritual powers of teaching and transforming beings and purifying Buddha-fields, they will certainly not be interrupted. Through the majestic power of Prajñā, the slander of non-Buddhist paths can be subdued.
Kauśika! This is called the blessing obtained by virtuous men and virtuous women who practice Prajñā-pāramitā in this life and in future lives.
Kauśika! If virtuous men and virtuous women copy, uphold, and recite Prajñā-pāramitā, then in the three-thousand-great-thousand worlds, the Four Heavenly Kings will all listen to Prajñā-pāramitā, then respectfully bow and make offerings before taking their leave. From the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods up to the Heaven of Neither Thought nor Non-Thought, devas and humans who practice the Bodhisattva path will all come to listen to Prajñā-pāramitā, then respectfully bow before taking their leave. In the ten directions, from the Four Heavenly Kings up to the Heaven of Neither Thought nor Non-Thought, as well as dragons, ghosts, spirits, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, all come to listen to Prajñā-pāramitā, respectfully bow, and make offerings. Such virtuous men and virtuous women should know that this is the giving of Dharma.
Throughout the three-thousand worlds and even throughout the worlds of the ten directions, the devas of the realms of the Four Heavenly Kings and the Heaven of Neither Thought nor Non-Thought who practice the Bodhisattva path also protect virtuous men and virtuous women who practice Prajñā-pāramitā. Evil and harmful actions, dangers, and disasters cannot invade them, and they eliminate the karmic consequences of previous lives so that they no longer need to repay them. Thus, Kauśika, this is the blessing received by virtuous men and virtuous women in the present life. They come to such virtuous men and women because the devas wish to realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, wish to save and protect sentient beings, and wish to bring peace and happiness to sentient beings.
At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Gods, said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One! How can virtuous men and virtuous women know that, throughout the ten directions, devas of the Four Heavenly Kings and the Heaven of Neither Thought nor Non-Thought come respectfully to uphold and make offerings to Prajñā-pāramitā? How can virtuous men and virtuous women know this?
The Buddha said to Śakra, Lord of the Gods:
If virtuous men and virtuous women see unusual and brilliantly radiant colors, they should know that at that time devas and humans have come to listen to Prajñā-pāramitā and make offerings with reverence.
O Kauśika! A good man or good woman in that place who has never before smelled such a fragrance, if they smell an exceedingly wonderful and extraordinary fragrance, should know that at that time the gods and those of noble lineage have come to listen to the Prajñāpāramitā and respectfully make offerings.
O Kauśika! Good men and good women who delight in living a pure and undefiled life, because they delight in living a pure and undefiled life, will cause the gods to rejoice and come to the place of the good men and good women to listen to the Prajñāpāramitā, then practice it and make offerings.
When the noble gods arrive, among them those gods, spirits, and demons who possess only a small amount of spiritual power must withdraw, because they cannot withstand the spiritual power of these noble gods. Those good men and good women will be completely free from dangers and calamities.
The dwelling place of those good men and good women is always clean and pure, always adorned with offerings of lamps, incense, and various kinds of flowers. Those good men and good women will never become discouraged or weary; their bodies will be light and they will always be peaceful and secure; whether walking, standing, lying down, or sitting, it is all the same. They do not dream of evil things; they only dream of seeing the Buddha, hearing the Dharma, and meeting the Bhikshu Sangha; they only dream of the thirty-two excellent marks and the eighty admirable characteristics; they only dream of disciples and retinues surrounding them and listening to the Dharma teachings; they only hear about the six pāramitās, the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, and the eighteen unique qualities; they only hear the complete explanation of the six pāramitās; they only see the Buddha beneath the tree; they only see the Bodhisattvas going to the Bodhi tree when they attain Perfect Complete Enlightenment; they only see the Buddha, after attaining the Way, turning the Dharma wheel; they only see countless Bodhisattvas who will attain the wisdom of Omniscience teaching sentient beings to purify the Buddha realms; they only hear the countless sounds of Buddhas throughout the ten directions; they only hear of that direction, that Buddha, that land, and that Buddha’s disciples, with hundreds of thousands of Bodhisattvas and retinues surrounding them listening to the Dharma; they only see the Buddhas of the ten directions entering Nirvāṇa; they only see, after the Buddha enters Nirvāṇa, the relics being collected, stupas being built, and incense and flowers being used for offerings.
O Kauśika! Good men and good women only dream of such supremely excellent and wondrous forms; therefore, when awake or asleep, good men and good women are joyful and peaceful. Their bodies are stable, pure, and light; they do not crave food and drink or clothing, nor do they seek offerings.
O Kauśika! It is like a Bhikshu who practices cultivation, whose mind is absorbed in meditation, who does not crave material food, but is content through meditation. Why is this so? Because the gods, ghosts, and spirits all use pure air as food. The Buddhas of the ten directions, the gods, ghosts, and spirits all use pure air as food.
The Buddha said to Kauśika:
Any good man or good woman who wishes to obtain merit in the present life should receive, learn, copy, read, and recite the Prajñāpāramitā, without being separated from the wisdom of Omniscience.
A good man or good woman who does not uphold the Prajñāpāramitā but merely copies it, and uses incense, flowers, banners, and jeweled canopies to make offerings to the Prajñāpāramitā, will obtain merit that cannot be calculated. If they further study, read, recite, and preserve the Prajñāpāramitā, never separating from the wisdom of Omniscience, their merit will be greater than the merit of making offerings to countless Buddhas of the ten directions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. There may be someone who makes offerings to the present Buddhas of the ten directions, throughout their entire life using incense, flowers, banners, and jeweled canopies as offerings; or after the Buddha’s Nirvāṇa, collects the relics, builds seven-jeweled stupas, and makes offerings. Yet this is still not equal to the merit gained by a good man or good woman who upholds, reads, recites, and cultivates the Prajñāpāramitā; their merit will be hundreds of thousands of times greater than that of the person who previously performed those acts of offering.
Chapter 38: RELICS
The Buddha said to Śakra, Lord of the Gods:
O Kausika! In the realm of Jambudvīpa, there are two offerings: one is an offering to the Buddha’s bodily relics, and the other is the transcription and preservation of the Prajñāpāramitā. Which of these two would you choose?
Śakra Devānām Indra said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! I choose the Prajñāpāramitā. Why? Because toward the relics I do not have a mind of arrogance; it is not that I lack reverence or do not make offerings. Rather, because the bodies of all Buddhas are born from the Prajñāpāramitā, the relics of all Tathāgatas are obtained through the Prajñāpāramitā as their causes and conditions, and therefore are worthy of offerings.
Śāriputra asked Śakra Devānām Indra:
“O Kausika! The Prajñāpāramitā is the foremost Dharma of non-form, not requiring protection, not able to be seen, without obstruction and of a single mark. The single mark is itself no-mark. Why then do you wish to preserve it? Preserving the Prajñāpāramitā does not abide in the place of arising, nor does it abide in increase or decrease; it does not abide in hope, nor does it abide in the absence of hope. It neither abandons the dharmas of ordinary beings, nor preserves the dharmas of Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas. It neither abandons worldly dharmas, nor preserves unconditioned dharmas. It neither preserves inner and outer emptiness or emptiness of existence and nonexistence, nor preserves the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, the eighteen uncommon dharmas, or omniscient wisdom as something having assistance. Why then do you wish to preserve it?”
Śakra Devānām Indra replied:
“Just so, Venerable Śāriputra! You should know that with regard to the Buddha Dharma, the Prajñāpāramitā has no assistance. Within the dharmas of ordinary beings, it also does not abandon them. One who understands this is called one who practices the Prajñāpāramitā, and is called one who abides within the six pāramitās, without difference.
At that time, the World-Honored One praised Śakra Devānām Indra:
“Excellent, excellent! It is exactly as you have said. The Prajñāpāramitā and the six pāramitās have no two places of entry. Why? Because the Prajñāpāramitā and the six pāramitās are not two separate things.
O Kausika! The Prajñāpāramitā and the nature of Dharma are also not two. The six pāramitās and ultimate reality are also not two; they are inconceivable.”
Śakra Devānām Indra said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! The devas and humans should pay homage to the Prajñāpāramitā. Why? Because great bodhisattvas become Buddhas through the Prajñāpāramitā.
World-Honored One! It is like when I gather various celestial beings in my principal palace for joyful assembly. The celestial beings who come there all pay homage to me. If I am not present there, they still pay homage at my seat, then circumambulate it once and depart from the former place. Why? Because that is the place where teachings and instructions are received. If virtuous men and virtuous women transcribe the Prajñāpāramitā, uphold it, and explain its meaning to others, then throughout the ten directions, devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas all pay homage to the Prajñāpāramitā, circumambulate it, and then depart. Why? Because all Tathāgatas are born from this. The happiness and peace experienced by human beings in the world are born from this. The relics of all Buddhas and the practices and vows of bodhisattvas are all within omniscient wisdom, and through this they draw near and receive the teachings.
Because of such functions, among the two treasures I choose the Prajñāpāramitā to receive and uphold, read, and recite. If I uphold the Prajñāpāramitā, even if the Buddha Dharma were about to disappear, I would not be afraid. Why? Because there is never a time when I do not recollect it, because the Prajñāpāramitā is without marks, without form, and cannot be attained. The six pāramitās up to omniscient wisdom are all without marks, without activity, without form, and cannot be seen. Therefore, the Prajñāpāramitā is called the Dharma of no-mark. The Tathāgatas, the Worthy Ones, the Perfectly Awakened Ones, abide in non-action, non-attainment, and no-mark, and within that attain Perfect Enlightenment.
World-Honored One! Because the Prajñāpāramitā is without marks, the disciples who expound the Dharma also are without marks, without attainment, and without action, and attain Perfect Enlightenment. Therefore devas, humans, nāgas, yakṣas, and spirits all respectfully practice and uphold it, using various fragrances, flowers, banners, and jeweled canopies to make offerings to the Prajñāpāramitā.
World-Honored One! If there are people who uphold, read, recite, cultivate, and practice the Prajñāpāramitā, or who use fragrances and flowers to make offerings, those people will certainly not fall into the three evil destinies, nor enter the paths of Arhat or Pratyekabuddha, but will only attain Perfect Enlightenment. They will be born in places free from calamities, always see Buddhas, never be separated from Buddha realms, and in the Buddha lands offer precious fragrances and flowers to the Buddhas.
Even if the relics of the Buddha’s body filled the entire trichiliocosm, among these two treasures I would still choose the Prajñāpāramitā. Why? World-Honored One, because the relics are born from the Prajñāpāramitā and therefore receive such offerings.
Virtuous men and virtuous women, through making offerings, escape the three evil destinies and receive the blessings of birth among devas and humans; regarding the teachings of the three vehicles, according to their wishes, they are liberated.
World-Honored One! A person who transcribes the Prajñāpāramitā and then sees that scripture is as if seeing the Buddha himself, with no difference. Why? World-Honored One, because the Tathāgata and the Prajñāpāramitā are identical and without difference. Just as the World-Honored One teaches through the three methods of instruction contained in the twelve divisions of scripture, so virtuous men and virtuous women who transcribe, uphold, and preserve the Prajñāpāramitā and then teach others are equal and without difference.
World-Honored One! The Buddha’s three methods of teaching through the twelve divisions of scripture all arise from the Prajñāpāramitā.
Furthermore, World-Honored One, the World-Honored One and all Buddhas in the ten directions use the three methods of teaching through the twelve divisions of scripture; compared with virtuous men and virtuous women who use the Prajñāpāramitā to teach others, the merit and virtue of these two are equal and without difference. Why? Because the three methods of teaching through the twelve divisions of scripture among all Buddhas arise from the Prajñāpāramitā.
Furthermore, World-Honored One! Virtuous men and virtuous women who make offerings of various garments, fragrances, and flowers to Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the ten directions, compared with those who make offerings to the Prajñāpāramitā, have equal merit and virtue, without difference. Why? Because all Buddhas in the ten directions arise from the Prajñāpāramitā.
Furthermore, World-Honored One! Any virtuous man or virtuous woman who studies, reads, recites, cultivates, and practices the Prajñāpāramitā will certainly not fall into the three evil destinies, nor enter the positions of the Arhat path or the Pratyekabuddha path, but will abide only in non-retrogression. Why? World-Honored One, because those who study the Prajñāpāramitā will be far removed from all illnesses.
Furthermore, World-Honored One! Any virtuous man or virtuous woman who transcribes, preserves, reads, and recites the Prajñāpāramitā, and uses fragrances, flowers, banners, and jeweled canopies to make offerings, should know that such a person is freed from all fears.
World-Honored One! It is like a debtor who constantly holds fear in his heart. If he becomes acquainted with the king, he no longer fears, because he relies upon a place of honor and power. Likewise, the relics of the Tathāgata are all born from the Prajñāpāramitā and therefore receive offerings. Thus one should know that the Prajñāpāramitā is the king, while the relics of the Tathāgata are like the debtor, relying on the Prajñāpāramitā and thereby becoming secure.
World-Honored One! One should know that all modes of wisdom arise from the Prajñāpāramitā. Therefore, among the two treasures, I choose the Prajñāpāramitā. Why? Because the body of the Tathāgata arises from the Prajñāpāramitā; the thirty-two excellent marks of the Great Being, the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the eighteen uncommon dharmas, great loving-kindness, and great compassion all arise from the Prajñāpāramitā. The other five pāramitās also all arise from the Prajñāpāramitā, and the attainment of the name ‘omniscient wisdom’ of the Tathāgata also arises from the Prajñāpāramitā.
World-Honored One! In the trichiliocosm, if there are people who read, recite, uphold, cultivate, respectfully bow to, and use fragrances and flowers to make offerings to the Prajñāpāramitā, then whether human or non-human beings, none will be able to find an opportunity to harm them. All such sentient beings attain the Dharma of liberation.
World-Honored One! The Prajñāpāramitā possesses great majestic power, causing all sentient beings throughout the trichiliocosm to perform the works of the Buddha.
World-Honored One! Wherever the Prajñāpāramitā exists, one should know that a Buddha is already there. It is like in the world where there is a priceless mani jewel; humans and non-humans cannot find an opportunity to harm its possessor. If virtuous men and virtuous women are captured and they hold a mani jewel, when humans or non-humans see the mani jewel, they cannot withstand its power and immediately leave.
If virtuous men and virtuous women suffer from fever and chills, and they hold a mani jewel, their illness immediately subsides. In a dark place, holding a mani jewel brings brightness. During heat, holding a mani jewel brings coolness. During cold, holding a mani jewel brings warmth. Wherever a mani jewel exists, all harmful poisons are eliminated. If virtuous men and virtuous women are bitten by poisonous snakes and touch a mani jewel, the poison immediately disappears and they recover.
World-Honored One, the mani jewel has such powers.
If virtuous men and virtuous women are blind, suffer pain in their faculties, or have swollen bodies with sores and ulcers, upon seeing a mani jewel, all illnesses are completely cured.
Venerable World-Honored One! This mani jewel possesses such abilities. If it is placed into water, the water immediately becomes perfectly clear according to the color of the mani jewel.
Venerable World-Honored One! If many kinds of silk of various colors are placed into the water, and the mani jewel is also placed into the water, the water still remains pure and bright like the color of the jewel.
At that time, Venerable Ānanda asked Śakra, Lord of the Devas:
“O Kauśika! According to what you have said, is the mani jewel a treasure belonging to the heavenly realm or to the human world?”
Śakra, Lord of the Devas, replied:
“I have spoken of the mani jewel as a treasure belonging to the heavenly realm. In the human world there are also mani jewels; they are not only treasures of the heavenly realm. However, their abilities are not equal to those in the heavenly realm, and their abilities cannot be compared by analogy. I have spoken of that treasure: if it is placed inside a box or a chest, its light shines through to the outside. Therefore, the radiance of the mani jewel shines brilliantly everywhere.
If there is a person who writes down and upholds the Prajñāpāramitā, the place where that person dwells will not be subject to calamities. The place where that person stays is like a place where a mani jewel exists, possessing immeasurable merits compared with the merits of the five pāramitās, All-knowing Wisdom, internal and external emptiness, emptiness of existence and nonexistence, the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, the eighteen unshared Buddha qualities, the nature of phenomena, ultimate reality, Suchness, and inconceivable All-knowing Wisdom.
After the Buddha enters Nirvāṇa, his relics are worshiped and offered to. The wisdom of omniscience that has exhausted all habitual afflictions must always be preserved and protected, never forgetting the Dharma. All-knowing Wisdom is the instrument of all Dharmas; therefore, the relics of the Thus Come Ones, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Awakened Ones, are honored and worshiped. The relics are treasures of the Prajñāpāramitā. The pāramitā does not cease, does not cling; the pāramitā does not cease, does not cling; the pāramitā is unborn and undying; the pāramitā neither clings nor is it non-clinging; the pāramitā is unborn and undying; the pāramitā is neither suitable nor unsuitable; the pāramitā neither rises nor falls; the pāramitā neither comes, goes, nor remains. Therefore, the relics of the Thus Come Ones, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Awakened Ones, are worshiped. The relics are the instruments of all pāramitā Dharmas; because they are formed through the pāramitā Dharmas, the relics are worshiped.
Venerable World-Honored One! Not only if the relics of the Thus Come One filled the entire trichiliocosm, but even if they filled countless worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, I would still choose the Prajñāpāramitā. Because the relics of the Thus Come Ones all arise from within this, they are worshiped.
If good men and good women respectfully make offerings to the relics, they will be born in the heavens, receive blessings in the human realm, be born into noble families, into the families of kṣatriyas, brahmins, and householders; they will be born in the first heavenly level and receive merit and blessings in the sixth heavenly level. Such blessings and merits arise through wholesome actions, freeing them from all suffering and difficulties. If they further uphold and make offerings to the Prajñāpāramitā, they will perfect the five pāramitās, the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, and the eighteen unshared Buddha qualities; they will gain the power to surpass the stages of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas and abide in the stage of the Bodhisattva. They will attain sovereign supernatural powers, going from one Buddha-land to another, and according to karmic conditions they will teach and transform beings; or they may be born into noble families, into the families of kṣatriyas, brahmins, and householders, and according to customs and traditions they will teach and transform beings.
Venerable World-Honored One! I do not say this out of arrogance, nor because I fail to respectfully serve, nor because I do not wish to preserve the relics.
Venerable World-Honored One! Any good man or good woman who respectfully serves and upholds the Prajñāpāramitā has already made offerings to the relics of the Thus Come Ones, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Awakened Ones.
Venerable World-Honored One! Those who wish to see countless present Buddhas in the ten directions must uphold, recite, and cultivate the Prajñāpāramitā, and then teach others to practice in the same way. Such good men and good women will see countless present Buddhas in the ten directions. Because good men and good women make offerings to the Prajñāpāramitā, they attain the Dharma of the Buddhas.
Venerable World-Honored One! If one wishes to meet the Thus Come Ones, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Awakened Ones, good men and good women must uphold the Prajñāpāramitā.
Venerable World-Honored One! There are also two kinds of Dharma: conditioned Dharma and unconditioned Dharma.
What is called conditioned Dharma? It is the wisdom that understands internal and external emptiness, emptiness of existence and nonexistence, the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, the four unobstructed wisdoms, the four fearlessnesses, the ten powers, and the eighteen unshared Buddha qualities; the wisdom that understands evil dharmas and wholesome dharmas; the wisdom that understands defiled and undefiled dharmas; the wisdom that understands ultimate truth and conventional truth.
What is called unconditioned Dharma? It is the Dharma that is neither born nor destroyed, the Dharma of abiding and non-abiding, without difference; it neither clings nor is destroyed, neither increases nor decreases. These are the True Dharmas.
What are the True Dharmas? That which is not truly existent is the True Dharma, also called the unconditioned Dharma.
The Buddha said to Śakra, Lord of the Devas:
“Indeed, it is as you have said! The past Thus Come Ones, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Awakened Ones, all relied upon the Prajñāpāramitā to attain Buddhahood. Their disciples also attained realization through this, from the fruit of Stream-entry up to Arhatship and pratyekabuddhahood. The present and future Thus Come Ones, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Awakened Ones, will also rely upon the Prajñāpāramitā to attain Buddhahood. Their disciples will also attain realization through this, from the fruit of Stream-entry up to Arhatship and pratyekabuddhahood. This is because the three vehicles all arise from the Prajñāpāramitā.
Although it gives rise to the Three Vehicles, it neither gives rise nor creates thoughts, neither clings nor ceases, and it does not exist; it is neither appropriate nor inappropriate; it is neither moving nor not moving; it neither grasps nor abandons; it merely follows conventional Dharma and does not grasp the essential principle. Because the Prajñāpāramitā is neither in this place nor that place; neither in the middle of the stream nor on the riverbank; neither paired nor solitary; neither characterized nor without characteristics; neither ultimate truth nor conventional truth; neither conditioned nor unconditioned; neither wholesome nor unwholesome; neither past, present, nor future.
Why is this so? O Kauśika! The Prajñāpāramitā does not hold onto the Dharma of the Buddha, does not hold onto the Dharma of śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas, and does not abandon the Dharma of ordinary beings.”
Śakra, Lord of the Devas, said to the Buddha:
“The Prajñāpāramitā is the greatest and most extensive Dharma of liberation. Because a Great Bodhisattva practicing the Prajñāpāramitā clearly knows all the thoughts and intentions of sentient beings, yet there are no sentient beings, no place of seeing or knowing, and no seeing of the five aggregates or six sense faculties; there are no six sense objects, nor dependent origination; there are no thirty-seven aids to enlightenment or eighteen unshared Buddha qualities; there is no seeing of the path, nor are there path Dharmas; there is no seeing of the Buddha, nor is there seeing of Buddha-Dharma… because the Prajñāpāramitā does not depend upon any place whatsoever.
Why is this so? Because the Prajñāpāramitā has no form and cannot be seen; how much less could it have a place upon which it depends?”
The Buddha said to Śakra, Lord of the Devas:
“As you have said, the Great Bodhisattva who practices the Prajñāpāramitā day and night does not even see the path, much less attain the practice of the Bodhisattva.”
Śakra Devānām Indra addressed the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! Why is it that the great Bodhisattva only practices and upholds the Prajñāpāramitā and does not practice or uphold anything apart from the pāramitās?”
The Buddha said to Śakra Devānām Indra:
“Bodhisattvas practice the six pāramitās to perfection, yet they do not rely on anything, nor is there anything given, no one who receives, and no one who gives; there is no keeping of precepts, no violation of precepts; there is no patience, no anger; there is no diligence, no laziness; there is no meditative concentration, no distraction; there is no wisdom, no ignorance. Prajñāpāramitā is the foremost practice of the Bodhisattva. Within Prajñāpāramitā are generosity, moral discipline, patience, diligence, and meditative concentration. In order to fully accomplish the five pāramitās, the Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā and sees that all phenomena have no place upon which to rely. From the five aggregates up to omniscient wisdom, all phenomena are without a place of reliance.
It is like in the continent of Jambudvīpa, where there are various excellent kinds of trees, with many colors, many branches and leaves, and many different kinds of flowers and fruits with various colors; yet the shadows of the trunks, joints, branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits of these trees do not differ.
O Kauśika! The five pāramitās up to omniscient wisdom all exist within Prajñāpāramitā, yet this does not mean that there are no distinctions or that they do not depend on any particular aspect.”
Śakra Devānām Indra addressed the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! Prajñāpāramitā possesses all virtues and merits.
World-Honored One! Prajñāpāramitā possesses immeasurable and innumerable virtues and merits.
World-Honored One! Prajñāpāramitā possesses all the virtues and merits of all phenomena.
World-Honored One! If a good man or good woman receives and upholds Prajñāpāramitā, then copies the scriptures, and uses incense, flowers, banners, streamers, and precious canopies to make offerings; or if someone copies Prajñāpāramitā into a scripture volume and then transmits it to another person, would the merit and virtue be great?”
The Buddha said to Śakra Devānām Indra:
“Now I will ask you; answer according to your understanding. If there is a good man or good woman who makes offerings to the relics of the Buddha’s entire body, or takes a small portion of relics as tiny as a mustard seed and gives them to another person, telling them to make offerings, how much merit and virtue would there be?”
Śakra Devānām Indra said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! As I have heard the World-Honored One teach before: A good man or good woman who makes offerings to the relics of the Buddha’s entire body, or gives a small portion of bodily relics as tiny as a mustard seed to another person and instructs them to make offerings, will gain extremely great merit and virtue.
World-Honored One! As I have repeatedly seen this truth clearly, the Tathāgata, abiding in the Vajra Samādhi, harmed His own body and transformed it into relics as small as mustard seeds. If anyone makes offerings to them, that person will certainly receive immeasurable merit and virtue and bring all suffering to an end.”
The Buddha said to Śakra Devānām Indra:
“O Kauśika! A person who makes offerings to Prajñāpāramitā by copying, receiving, upholding the scriptures, and transmitting them to others will gain extremely great merit and virtue.
O Kauśika! If one receives and upholds Prajñāpāramitā and furthermore teaches others to understand its meaning and clearly distinguish each part, then that good man or good woman will obtain even greater merit and virtue than the person making the offerings described above. Know that among the noble sages, Prajñāpāramitā is the most exalted; therefore, one should regard such a person as the World-Honored Buddha. Why? Because seeing Prajñāpāramitā is seeing the World-Honored One. The World-Honored One is Prajñāpāramitā; Prajñāpāramitā is the World-Honored One. Therefore, the Tathāgatas, the Worthy Ones, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the three times, all arise from Prajñāpāramitā and attain Buddhahood. The wisdom of the noble sages and irreversible Bodhisattvas arises from Prajñāpāramitā and enables them to attain Buddhahood. The Śrāvakas also arise from Prajñāpāramitā and attain the fruits of Arhatship and Pratyekabuddhahood. Those who generate the mind of Bodhi also obtain the merit and virtue of Bodhisattvas from within Prajñāpāramitā.
O Kauśika! A good man or good woman who wishes to serve and make offerings to the Buddhas of the present should make offerings to Prajñāpāramitā.”
The Buddha taught:
“I have upheld, served, and made offerings to Prajñāpāramitā, and carried out all the practices described above until I attained Buddhahood, occupying the most exalted position. Who is there that is most exalted and worthy of being served and offered to? From the heavens down to the human realm, beyond the Three Realms, is there anyone whose position is more exalted?
I again reflected: I originally attained the Buddha’s fruit through Prajñāpāramitā. Prajñāpāramitā is what is most exalted for me; therefore, I must respectfully honor and make offerings to Prajñāpāramitā.
O Kauśika! I make offerings to Prajñāpāramitā and never separate from it. All of my actions are practiced through Prajñāpāramitā. Any good man or good woman who wishes to attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment should make offerings to, receive and uphold, and practice Prajñāpāramitā. This is because all great Bodhisattvas arise from Prajñāpāramitā.
O Kauśika! Any good man or good woman who practices the teachings of the three vehicles should all receive and uphold, read and recite, and copy Prajñāpāramitā.”