Radiant Praise Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra
VOLUME 2
Chapter 3: PRACTICE OF EMPTINESS (Part 2)
The Venerable Śāriputra addressed the Buddha:
“Great Bodhisattvas practicing the Perfection of Wisdom, from where did they pass away and come to be born here?”
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
“Those great Bodhisattvas practicing the Perfection of Wisdom passed away from other Buddha-fields and were born here; or they descended from the Tuṣita Heaven and were reborn in this human realm; or they were reborn among humans and quickly practiced that Perfection of Wisdom. Those who practice the Perfection of Wisdom and accomplish it in this very life will quickly approach the profound Dharma-gate. Afterwards, they will completely attain the Perfection of Wisdom, constantly encounter the Tathāgatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, and dwell in the lands of the Buddhas without being separated from them. Or there are great Bodhisattvas who are destined for one more birth before Buddhahood, who transform themselves from the Tuṣita Heaven and come here. Without losing the six pāramitās, wherever they are born they possess all dhāraṇī gates and quickly approach the Samādhi gates.”
The Buddha taught:
“O Śāriputra! There are Bodhisattvas who return from the human realm after the end of their lives and are reborn among humans. These Bodhisattvas are non-retrogressive Bodhisattvas. Those who see such a Bodhisattva will have their faculties calm and stable, but they cannot quickly attain the meditative practice of the Perfection of Wisdom, nor approach the dhāraṇī gates, nor possess the Samādhi gates.”
Śāriputra again asked:
“When the lives of those great Bodhisattvas practicing the Perfection of Wisdom come to an end, where will they be reborn?”
The Buddha taught:
“When such a one’s life ends here, they will travel from this Buddha-land to another Buddha-land, appearing in the presence of the World-Honored Buddhas, never having departed from those Supreme Ones among gods and humans. Or there are great Bodhisattvas who lack skillful means, who cultivate the first meditation through the fourth meditation and practice the six pāramitās. Because of these meditations, they are born in the Long-Life Heaven. Suppose that after passing away from there they are reborn as humans and encounter World-Honored Buddhas; their faculties will be calm and stable, but they will not be intelligent.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“There are great Bodhisattvas who practice the first meditation through the fourth meditation and practice the Perfection of Wisdom but lack skillful means. Therefore, after that they abandon wholesome practices and are reborn in the Desire Realm. Although the faculties of those great Bodhisattvas are calm and stable, they are not intelligent.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“There are Bodhisattvas who practice the first meditation through the fourth meditation, never departing from the Perfection of Wisdom, contemplate the wisdom of emptiness (the Sphere of Infinite Space) and enter concentration; contemplate the wisdom of consciousness (the Sphere of Infinite Consciousness) and enter concentration; contemplate the wisdom of nothingness (the Sphere of Nothingness) and enter concentration; and continue until contemplating neither perception nor non-perception (the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception) and enter concentration. Having surpassed those four heavens, they cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path; they practice great loving-kindness and compassion, possess skillful means, and wherever they are born they do not follow the teachings of meditation, nor follow loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, or equanimity; they do not conform to the meditations of the Form Realm. They are free and sovereign regarding the place of their birth, constantly encounter the present Tathāgatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, never leave the Perfection of Wisdom, and during the Bhadra-kalpa (Wise Eon) will attain unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“There are great Bodhisattvas who practice the first meditation through the fourth meditation, cultivate the four immeasurables, surpass those four heavens, cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path, practice great loving-kindness and compassion, and possess skillful means, but are not meditative and free regarding the place of their birth. They will be reborn in this Desire Realm among noble families, aristocrats, Brahmins, or wealthy householders, in order to teach sentient beings and bring them benefit.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“There are great Bodhisattvas who practice the first meditation through the fourth meditation, cultivate the four immeasurables, contemplate the wisdom of emptiness, the wisdom of consciousness, the wisdom of nothingness, and neither perception nor non-perception; surpass those four heavenly realms; cultivate the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment; practice great loving-kindness and compassion; possess skillful means; and do not follow the teachings of meditation. If they take birth somewhere, they immediately are born in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, the Yāma Heaven, the Tuṣita Heaven, the Nirmāṇarati Heaven, or the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven. They are born in these realms in order to teach sentient beings, purify and adorn Buddha-lands, encounter World-Honored Buddhas, and never depart from the path of Dharma.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“There are great Bodhisattvas who practice the Perfection of Wisdom, possess skillful means, cultivate the first meditation, practice the four immeasurables, and at the time of death are born in the Heaven of Brahma’s Retinue, the Heaven of Brahma’s Ministers, the Heaven of Great Brahma, or other Brahma heavens. In those Brahma and Great Brahma heavens, they travel from one Buddha-land to another, and in the realms of the Buddhas attain unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment and turn the Dharma wheel. Such great Bodhisattvas encourage and assist the Buddhas in turning the Dharma wheel.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“There are great leaders destined for one more birth before Buddhahood who practice the Perfection of Wisdom and, through skillful means, manifestly practice the first through fourth meditations, the Samādhis of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, up to the wisdom of emptiness, the wisdom of consciousness, the wisdom of nothingness, and neither perception nor non-perception; surpass those four heavenly realms; cultivate the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment; practice great sympathetic joy; and practice the Samādhi of Emptiness, the Samādhi of Signlessness, and the Samādhi of Wishlessness. Such great leaders travel freely and behold the World-Honored Buddhas in the places where they are born. There, in the presence of those Buddhas, they cultivate the pure conduct, are born in the Tuṣita Heaven, and there serve as teachers who open the way and guide others, carrying out the work of liberation like a boat. Their faculties are without defect, they constantly abide in peaceful and tranquil concentration, and are surrounded by countless hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of heavenly attendants. All descend here, attain the unsurpassed true path, and become supreme Perfect Enlightened Ones.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“Great leaders who have attained the six supernatural powers do not take birth in the Desire Heaven, Form Heavens, or Formless Heavens. From one Buddha-land they travel to another Buddha-land to pay homage to the Tathāgatas, the Truly Perfectly Enlightened Ones.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“Great leaders who have attained the six supernatural powers rejoice in themselves and travel from one Buddha-land to another. In the Buddha-land where they abide, they do not hear the voices of Śrāvakas or Pratyekabuddhas, nor do they hear their names.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“Great leaders who have attained the six supernatural powers rejoice in themselves and travel throughout the ten directions, from one Buddha-land to another. In the Buddha-land they have reached, their lifespan is extremely long, beyond what can be counted in the measure of eons.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“Great leaders who have attained the six supernatural powers rejoice in themselves and travel from one Buddha-land to another. In the Buddha-land they have reached, if there is no Buddha Dharma and no noble assembly, then for the sake of the sentient beings there they praise, distinguish, and explain the virtues of the Buddha Dharma and the noble assembly. When sentient beings hear the sounds of the Buddha Dharma and the noble assembly, their minds rejoice, and after their lives end, they are all born in lands where a World-Honored Buddha is presently dwelling.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“Great leaders, from the moment they first generate the aspiration, do not attain the first meditation through the fourth meditation, the four pure abodes, the four formless concentrations, the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, the eightfold noble path, the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of unobstructed eloquence, or the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha; they have never been born in the Desire Realm, Form Realm, or Formless Realm. Wherever they are born is a place where sentient beings seek honor and recognition.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“Great leaders practice the six perfections from the moment they first generate aspiration, attain cessation, become irreversible, abide in the Immovable Stage, and will reach the unsurpassed true path and become supreme Perfect Enlightened Ones.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“Great leaders, from the moment they first generate aspiration, attain the unsurpassed true path and become supreme Perfect Enlightened Ones. They immediately turn the Dharma wheel, opening the way and guiding countless kinds of sentient beings beyond calculation, increasing their benefit. Afterwards, they reach the state of Nirvāṇa without remainder and enter Nirvāṇa. After entering Nirvāṇa, their Dharma remains for one eon or more.”
Furthermore, Śāriputra, great leaders who, from the moment they first generate aspiration, practice the infinite Perfection of Wisdom, together with countless hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of other leaders, travel from this Buddha-land to another Buddha-land; wherever they are born, the Buddha-land is adorned and purified.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva who practices the supreme, infinite Prajñāpāramitā attains the four Dhyānas and the four Immeasurable Minds, the Formless Concentrations, and takes joy in them. He attains the first dhyāna, emerges from the first dhyāna, enters the tranquil concentration, then emerges from the tranquil concentration and proceeds to the fourth dhyāna; emerging from the fourth dhyāna, he enters the cessation concentration; emerging from the cessation concentration, he proceeds to the boundless space dhyāna; emerging from the boundless space dhyāna, he enters the cessation concentration; emerging from the cessation concentration, he proceeds to enter the neither-perception-nor-non-perception concentration; emerging from the neither-perception-nor-non-perception concentration, he enters the tranquil cessation concentration.
Śāriputra! This is the Great Bodhisattva practicing the supreme, infinite Prajñāpāramitā, using skillful means to manifest the practice of samādhi concentration.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva attains the four Foundations of Mindfulness, the four Right Efforts, the four Bases of Spiritual Powers, the five Faculties, the five Powers, the seven Factors of Enlightenment, the Noble Eightfold Path, the ten Powers, the four Fearlessnesses, the four Analytical Knowledges, and the eighteen Unique Qualities of a Buddha, yet does not attain the fruit of Stream-entry, the fruit of Once-returning, the fruit of Non-returning, the fruit of the Unattached One, or the fruit of the Pratyekabuddha.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
Compared with the wisdom of the Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha fruits, those who have attained the Dharma of patience know that the Bodhisattva is one who is irreversible and practices the supreme, infinite Prajñāpāramitā.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva practices the six supreme, infinite Pāramitās, abides in the six supreme, infinite Pāramitās, and while dwelling in Tuṣita Heaven, fully understands all the ultimate emptinesses. That Bodhisattva, among the Great Ones in this Fortunate Kalpa, will become a Buddha.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra: The Great Bodhisattva has attained the four Dhyānas and four Immeasurable Minds, the four Formless Concentrations, the four Foundations of Mindfulness, the four Right Efforts, the four Bases of Spiritual Powers, the five Faculties, the five Powers, the seven Factors of Enlightenment up to the Noble Eightfold Path, the ten Powers, the four Fearlessnesses, the four Analytical Knowledges, and the eighteen Unique Qualities of a Buddha. If there are people practicing the Buddha path who have not realized the four truths, that Great Bodhisattva appears for their sake in the position of the One-Life Remaining Bodhisattva.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva practices the six supreme, infinite Pāramitās, going from this Buddha realm to that Buddha realm, traveling throughout all realms, and wherever he goes he teaches and transforms sentient beings, causing them to abide in the Buddha path. That Great Bodhisattva, after passing through innumerable and incalculable kalpas, reaches the unsurpassed True and Perfect Way and becomes the supreme Perfect Enlightened One.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva abides in the six supreme, infinite Pāramitās, always cultivates diligent practice for the sake of sentient beings, and has never once given rise to an intention or spoken words that are useless.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva practices the six supreme, infinite Pāramitās, always diligently striving to save sentient beings. From this Buddha realm he travels to another Buddha realm, enlightening and transforming all living beings, causing them to transcend suffering and end the torments of the evil paths.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva abides in the six supreme, infinite Pāramitās and practices the supreme, infinite Perfection of Giving. Surrounded by retinues, he guides and subdues sentient beings, causing them to turn toward everlasting peace and happiness. For those who are hungry, he gives food; for those who are thirsty, he gives drink; for those without clothing, he gives clothing; for those without fragrance, he gives mixed incense and powdered incense; he gives beds, servants, vehicles, gold, silver, and the seven treasures. Whatever is requested for sustaining life, he never goes against the wishes of the person, but follows their needs.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva practicing the supreme, infinite Prajñāpāramitā transforms his own body to resemble the Tathāgata and enters the hells, where he explains the teachings of the sutras for those in hell. For animals and hungry ghosts as well, he distinguishes and explains the meaning of the Dharma.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva practicing the six supreme, infinite Pāramitās transforms his body and mind to resemble the form of a Buddha. Passing through Buddha realms in the eastern direction as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, he teaches the sutras to sentient beings and reverently honors the Tathāgatas, purifying Buddha realms. Those who hear the teachings all arouse the aspiration for the path. Throughout the Buddha worlds of the ten directions, the same occurs. The Bodhisattva observes the lands of the Buddhas, selects a realm according to his wishes, and then purifies it himself, causing that place to possess five marvelous qualities surpassing that Buddha realm. The Great Bodhisattva fully accomplishes the state of the One-Life Remaining.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva practicing the six supreme Pāramitās immediately fully possesses the thirty-two marks of a Great Person. His faculties are exceedingly beautiful and completely unobstructed. Because of these beautiful faculties, all who see him admire and respect him, causing countless kinds of sentient beings to give rise to joyful minds, gradually enabling those in the three realms to attain liberation.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva practicing the supreme, infinite Prajñāpāramitā will purify body, speech, and mind.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva practices the six supreme, infinite Pāramitās. His faculties are exceedingly beautiful, his form and appearance are upright and dignified. He does not praise himself and does not speak of the faults of others. He constantly examines his own faults and does not speak of the shortcomings of others.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
From the time the Great Bodhisattva first aroused the aspiration, he practiced the supreme, infinite Perfection of Giving and the supreme, infinite Perfection of Precepts. Having already established himself in these two supreme, infinite perfections, he has attained the most honored position of a Cakravartin, a Wheel-Turning Sage King, countless beyond measure. Wherever the Wheel-Turning Sage King resides, he encounters countless hundreds of thousands of Buddhas, respectfully bows to them, serves them, and makes offerings to the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva abides in the six pāramitās without limit, expounding the six practices for sentient beings so that they may illuminate and reflect upon them, and then uses this never-disappearing light until attaining the unsurpassed, perfectly true path, becoming the supreme Perfect Enlightened One.
O Śāriputra! In this way, the Great Bodhisattva has illuminated many teachings of all the Buddhas. Therefore, O Śāriputra! The Great Bodhisattva who practices the boundless Prajñāpāramitā should always diligently cultivate and maintain body, speech, and mind, causing body, speech, and mind to have no faults.
The worthy Śāriputra said:
Reverently, World-Honored One! Based on what does the Great Bodhisattva diligently cultivate the practices and maintain body, speech, and mind without any faults?
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva thinks within himself: “This is the action of the body; the arising and creation of the body has been established. This is speech; this is the six minds. Whenever the mind gives rise to a thought, something is established.” This is how the Great Bodhisattva maintains body, speech, and mind. The Great Bodhisattva practices the boundless wisdom and does not attain the body, does not attain speech, and does not attain mind. If the Great Bodhisattva, while practicing the boundless Prajñāpāramitā, were to attain body, speech, and mind, clinging firmly to body, speech, and mind, then the mind of greed and jealousy would arise, and likewise the mind of violating precepts, the mind of anger, the mind of laziness, the mind of distraction, and the mind of false wisdom would arise.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
In such a case, that practitioner is not worthy of being called a Bodhisattva. The Great Bodhisattva practices the six boundless pāramitās to purify the defilements of the body, to purify the defilements of the mouth, and to purify the defilements of the mind, causing them not to be diminished; only then is one called a Bodhisattva.
The worthy Śāriputra said to the Buddha:
How does the Great Bodhisattva purify the defilements of body, speech, and mind?
The World-Honored One replied:
O Śāriputra! If the Great Bodhisattva does not personally grasp the body, and likewise does not grasp speech or thoughts, then in this way that Great Bodhisattva has purified the defilements of body, speech, and mind. If body, speech, and mind are evil, it is because of seeking benefits and offerings. If one causes the Great Bodhisattva, from the time of first generating the aspiration, to turn toward practicing the ten wholesome deeds and their karmic results, without giving rise to the aspiration for the path of the Śrāvaka or Pratyekabuddha, then such a Great Bodhisattva eliminates the defilements of body, speech, and mind.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva practicing the boundless Prajñāpāramitā, wishing to seek the Buddha path, should practice the boundless Dāna pāramitā, the boundless Śīla pāramitā, the boundless Kṣānti pāramitā, the boundless Vīrya pāramitā, and the boundless single-mindedness pāramitā.
Venerable Śāriputra said to the Buddha:
How does the Great Bodhisattva seek the Buddha path?
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
If the Great Bodhisattva does not attain the actions of the body, the speech of the mouth, or the thoughts of the mind; does not attain the boundless Dāna pāramitā, the boundless Śīla pāramitā, the boundless Kṣānti pāramitā, the boundless Vīrya pāramitā, the boundless single-mindedness pāramitā, or the boundless Prajñāpāramitā; does not attain the Śrāvaka, Pratyekabuddha, or Bodhisattva; does not attain the Buddha path—then this is the Great Bodhisattva seeking the Buddha path, because with regard to all dharmas there is nothing to be attained.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
After the Great Bodhisattva practices the six boundless pāramitās, there is something attained and there is nothing attained; neither can any benefit be obtained.
Venerable Śāriputra said to the Buddha:
Why is it that after the Great Bodhisattva practices the six boundless pāramitās, there is something attained and there is nothing attained, and no benefit can be obtained?
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
When the Great Bodhisattva practices the six boundless pāramitās, he does not think of form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness; does not think of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind; does not think of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas; does not think of eye, does not think of form, does not think of eye-consciousness; does not think of ear, does not think of sound, does not think of ear-consciousness; does not think of nose, does not think of smell, does not think of nose-consciousness; does not think of tongue, does not think of taste, does not think of tongue-consciousness; does not think of body, does not think of tangible objects, does not think of body-consciousness; does not think of mind, does not think of dharmas, does not think of mind-consciousness; does not think of the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, or the Noble Eightfold Path; does not think of the boundless Dāna pāramitā, morality, patience, diligence, single-mindedness, or Prajñāpāramitā; does not think of the Ten Powers of the Tathāgata, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, or the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddhas; does not think of Stream-entry, Once-returning, Non-returning, Arhatship, Pratyekabuddha, or the unsurpassed true path that leads to becoming the supreme Perfect Enlightened One.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva who practices in this way can perfect the six boundless pāramitās, and for long-lasting benefit, whether there is a place of attainment or no place of attainment, no benefit can be obtained.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
There may be a Great Bodhisattva who abides in the boundless Prajñāpāramitā and possesses complete, penetrating wisdom. Through this wisdom, the meaning of his actions never deviates, until reaching the state of no remainder. Everyone who sees him neither dislikes him nor finds him lacking in poverty; he does not die, but instead receives a wholesome form. The reason he dies is that he himself destroys the body of gods, humans, and asuras.
Venerable Śāriputra said to the Buddha:
What is the wisdom of the Great Bodhisattva?
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva, through the wisdom vehicle, sees the countless Buddhas, the Tathāgatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, in the eastern direction; hears the sutra teachings they expound; sees the noble assemblies; sees the pure lands of the Buddhas and the pure Dharma. The reason the Great Bodhisattva follows that wisdom is that there is no thought of Buddha, no thought of Bodhisattva, no thought of Śrāvaka, no thought of Pratyekabuddha, and no thought of a Buddha land for his own body. Why is this? Because the Great Bodhisattva practices the boundless Dāna pāramitā but does not attain the boundless Dāna pāramitā; practices morality, patience, diligence, single-mindedness, and the boundless Prajñāpāramitā but does not attain morality, patience, diligence, single-mindedness, or the boundless Prajñāpāramitā. Therefore, the wisdom attained reaches the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Ten Powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, and the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddhas. This is the wisdom of the Great Bodhisattva. Through this wisdom, all the foundations of the Buddha Dharma are complete, yet with regard to all dharmas, there is also no recollection or thought.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The boundless Prajñā-pāramitā of the Great Bodhisattva purifies the five eyes. What are the five eyes? They are the Fleshly Eye, the Heavenly Eye, the Wisdom Eye, the Dharma Eye, and the Buddha Eye.
Śāriputra addressed the Buddha:
“Reverently, World-Honored One! How does the Great Bodhisattva purify the Fleshly Eye?”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“Some Great Bodhisattvas, using the Fleshly Eye, can see four thousand miles; some Great Bodhisattvas, using the Fleshly Eye, can see eight thousand miles; some Great Bodhisattvas, using the Fleshly Eye, can see the entire Jambudvīpa; some Great Bodhisattvas, using the Fleshly Eye, can see two entire Jambudvīpas; some Great Bodhisattvas, using the Fleshly Eye, can see the four continents; some Great Bodhisattvas, using the Fleshly Eye, can see a thousand great thousand-world systems; some Great Bodhisattvas, using the Fleshly Eye, can see two thousand great thousand-world systems; some Great Bodhisattvas, using the Fleshly Eye, can see three thousand great thousand-world systems.
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“These are Great Bodhisattvas who have attained the purified Fleshly Eye.”
Śāriputra again asked:
“How does a Great Bodhisattva attain the purified Heavenly Eye?”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“With the Heavenly Eye, the Great Bodhisattva completely knows the realm of the Four Great Heavenly Kings, the Heaven of Trāyastriṃśa, the Yāma Heaven, the Tuṣita Heaven, the Nirmāṇarati Heaven, the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven, and up to the Akaniṣṭha Heaven. The Heavenly Eye of this Great Bodhisattva, from the realm of the Four Heavenly Kings up to the Akaniṣṭha Heaven, knows all without exception. With this Heavenly Eye, the Great Bodhisattva sees sentient beings in countless Buddha lands in the eastern direction, knowing all their past and future, and can even see completely the birth and death of sentient beings throughout the Buddha worlds in the ten directions.
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“This is the purified Heavenly Eye of the Great Bodhisattva.”
Śāriputra again asked:
“Reverently, World-Honored One, how is the purified Wisdom Eye of the Great Bodhisattva attained?”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“The Wisdom Eye of the Great Bodhisattva does not conceive of phenomena as possessing existence, conditioned or unconditioned, formed or formless, worldly phenomena, transcending-worldly phenomena, defiled or undefiled. The Wisdom Eye of the Great Bodhisattva sees all phenomena, seeing and hearing immeasurably and innumerably. This is the purified Wisdom Eye of the Great Bodhisattva.”
Śāriputra asked:
“Reverently, World-Honored One! How is the purified Dharma Eye of the Great Bodhisattva attained?”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“The Great Bodhisattva uses the Dharma Eye to distinguish and know who practices faith, who practices Dharma, who practices emptiness, who practices signlessness, and who practices wishlessness. Through these liberation gates, one attains the five faculties and attains the Samādhi of Non-observation. Having attained the Samādhi of Non-observation, one gives rise to Prajñā-pāramitā. Having attained Prajñā-pāramitā, one cuts off the three bonds. What are the three? The first is attachment to the body, the second is doubt, and the third is violation of precepts. These are the three bonds.
“Being able to eliminate attachment to the body, having no doubt, and not violating the prohibitory precepts, one has no bonds. One without bonds is a Stream-enterer, and this person walks upon the Noble Path. Cutting off sensual desire, anger, and delusion, making them thin, is called the Once-returner. Through this Noble Path, increasing diligence, when sensual desire, anger, and delusion are completely extinguished, one is called the Non-returner.
“This person, progressing diligently on the Noble Path, with little desire for form, without desire for form, ignorance eliminated, and arrogance cut off, is called the Unattached One, and is one who practices emptiness. By practicing the liberation gate of emptiness and attaining the five faculties and the Samādhi of Non-observation, one uses the Samādhi of Non-observation to cultivate the perfection of wisdom and attain the state of a Pratyekabuddha. This person practices the liberation gate of signlessness and attains the five faculties. In summary, this person reaches the state of non-attachment. This is the purified Dharma Eye of the Great Bodhisattva.
“Suppose a Bodhisattva can distinguish and understand clearly that whatever phenomena arise through coming together will all ultimately return to emptiness. Having seen all phenomena as completely empty, one attains the five faculties. This is the purified Dharma Eye of the Bodhisattva.
“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the Great Bodhisattva distinguishes in this way: ‘This is a Bodhisattva who has newly aroused the intention, practicing the boundless perfection of giving, the boundless perfection of morality, the boundless perfection of patience, the boundless perfection of diligence, the boundless perfection of one-pointedness, the boundless perfection of Prajñā, and practicing the faculties of faith and diligence, with the faculties fully cultivated through skillful means. Such a Bodhisattva always dwells in the foundation of virtuous qualities.
“Such a Bodhisattva is born among noble families, aristocrats, Brahmins, or elders; is born in the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, the Yāma Heaven, the Tuṣita Heaven, the Nirmāṇarati Heaven, or the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven. Wherever this being is born, they manifest the work of enlightening sentient beings, causing all multitudes of beings to enter the conduct of peace and happiness, purifying Buddha lands, directly encountering the Thus Come One, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One, making offerings and serving, never falling into the paths of Śrāvakas or Pratyekabuddhas, until attaining the unsurpassed true path and becoming a Perfectly Enlightened One. This is the purified Dharma Eye of the Great Bodhisattva.
“Furthermore, Śāriputra, the Great Bodhisattva distinguishes in this way: ‘Which Bodhisattvas have received prediction of attaining the unsurpassed path and becoming Perfectly Enlightened Ones; which Bodhisattvas have not received prediction of the unsurpassed true path; which Bodhisattvas create nothing; which Bodhisattvas are irreversible; which Bodhisattvas are not irreversible; which Bodhisattvas possess complete spiritual powers; which Bodhisattvas do not yet possess complete spiritual powers; which Bodhisattvas, possessing complete spiritual powers, go to countless Buddha lands in the eastern direction to respectfully pay homage to Thus Come Ones, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, making offerings and serving them; which Bodhisattvas have not yet attained spiritual powers; which Bodhisattvas will attain spiritual powers; which Bodhisattvas can purify Buddha lands; which Bodhisattvas cannot purify Buddha lands; which Bodhisattvas will teach and transform sentient beings; which Bodhisattvas will not teach and transform sentient beings; which Bodhisattvas are praised by the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones; which Bodhisattvas will have Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, appear before them; which Bodhisattvas will not have Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, appear before them; which Bodhisattvas have limited lifespans; which Bodhisattvas have unlimited lifespans; which Bodhisattvas have a limited community of monks; which Bodhisattvas have an unlimited community of monks; which Bodhisattvas, upon attaining unsurpassed true enlightenment and becoming Perfectly Enlightened Ones, use assemblies of Bodhisattvas as their Sangha; which Bodhisattvas, when becoming Buddhas, have no assembly of Bodhisattvas; which Bodhisattvas will attain Buddhahood through difficult and arduous practices; which Bodhisattvas will ultimately reach the final completion; which Bodhisattvas will not ultimately reach the final completion; which Bodhisattvas will sit beneath the Bodhi tree; which Bodhisattvas will not sit beneath the Bodhi tree; which Bodhisattvas will be tested by Māra; which Bodhisattvas will not be tested by Māra.’
“Śāriputra, this is the purified Dharma Eye of the Great Bodhisattva.”
Śāriputra addressed the Buddha:
“How is the purified Buddha Eye of the Great Bodhisattva attained?”
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
“The cause and unsurpassed aspiration of the path that the Great Bodhisattva uses is the correct reception of the Vajra-like Samādhi. It fully contains all wisdoms of complete understanding: the Ten Powers of the Thus Come One, the Four Fearlessnesses, the Four Kinds of Unobstructed Eloquence, the Eighteen Unshared Qualities of the Buddhas, great loving-kindness, and great compassion. Thus the eye of the Great Bodhisattva completely penetrates all Buddha teachings. Regarding all Buddha teachings, there is no Dharma that is not seen, no Dharma that is not heard, nothing limited, and nothing that is not understood.
“Śāriputra, only when the Great Bodhisattva reaches the unsurpassed true path and becomes a Perfectly Enlightened One can the purified Buddha Eye be fully attained.”
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
Thus, the Great Bodhisattva who wishes to attain the five eyes must practice the six pāramitās. Why? Because the six pāramitās all enter into every virtuous Dharma, and all fully understand the Dharma of the Śrāvakas, the Dharma of the Pratyekabuddhas, and the Dharma of the Bodhisattvas. Therefore, Śāriputra, the practitioner who practices this Dharma, wishing to attain an equal mind, must gather together all Dharmas and contemplate the perfection of wisdom (Prajñā-pāramitā). The perfection of wisdom is the mother of the five eyes. The Great Bodhisattva studies these five eyes in order to reach the unsurpassed true path and accomplish Perfect Enlightenment.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
There may be a Great Bodhisattva who cultivates spiritual powers and attains the pāramitā, possessing countless karmic conditions and miraculous abilities, dwelling in this realm. Using one body, he transforms into countless forms, and then returns to being one body. At that time, he passes through walls, barriers, hills, and high mountains without obstruction, just as if moving through empty space; he walks through water as though walking through clouds. Like a bird flying in the sky, he enters and emerges from the earth without any opening, as if entering water; he walks upon water as if walking upon land. His body radiates light like a great fire, and the majesty of his spiritual power surpasses even the brilliance of the sun and moon. With his hands he can touch the sun and moon and grasp their light freely. Though his body reaches the Brahmā heavens through spiritual abilities, he does not become arrogant; his mind is neither contemptuous nor proud. He does not remember that he has attained spiritual powers, nor does he become conceited or careless. When these abilities arise, he does not form any notion, does not recollect them, and does not think that anything arises naturally. That which is called natural is silent and still. This non-natural nature also has no place where it arises. Therefore, he does not give rise to spiritual powers or the practice of spiritual powers, but only focuses his thoughts on the matters of wisdom and complete understanding. This is the reason the Great Bodhisattva attains the perfection of wisdom of spiritual abilities.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The pure heavenly ear of that Great Bodhisattva surpasses the ears of gods and humans. He hears all sounds of gods and humans, yet he does not form thoughts about such a heavenly ear. He does not think, “I hear sounds,” nor does he grasp attainment. The non-natural is naturally tranquil. This natural state has no place where it arises, no place where it is attained, and no place where it is thought of. He does not think, “I have attained the heavenly ear.” He only focuses his thoughts on complete understanding. This is the Great Bodhisattva practicing the perfection of wisdom and attaining the wisdom practice of the spiritual power of the heavenly ear.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
That Bodhisattva knows the false and the true direction of the thoughts of other sentient beings: whether they have a mind of desire or no mind of desire; whether they have thoughts of desire or no thoughts of desire; whether they have a mind of anger or are free from a mind of anger; whether they have thoughts of anger or are free from thoughts of anger; whether they have a mind of ignorance or are free from a mind of ignorance; whether they have thoughts of ignorance or are free from thoughts of ignorance; whether they have a mind of attachment or are free from a mind of attachment; whether there is feeling or no feeling; whether they are elevated or lowered; whether the mind is hurried or peaceful; whether the mind is broad or narrow; whether the mind is concentrated or unconcentrated; whether the mind is liberated or not liberated; whether the mind has already been defiled, is presently being defiled, or will become defiled; whether the mind has already been stained by perceptions, is presently being stained by perceptions, or will become stained by perceptions.
According to things as they truly are, he clearly examines and distinguishes the false and the true. If there is a mind of unsurpassed attainment, he thinks of unsurpassed attainment, yet there is also nothing contemplated and nothing imagined. Why? Because it is due to the arising of various minds that are without mind. The minds that do not think or imagine then recollect former lives. Through the illumination of wisdom, by means of spiritual powers he knows former existences, called recollection of past lives, the wisdom attained through spiritual powers (the spiritual power of realization of past-life knowledge). Through this kind of spiritual power, in a single thought he knows events of one hundred days, events of one hundred months, events of one hundred years, events of one kalpa, one hundred kalpas, countless kalpas, countless hundreds of kalpas, countless thousands of kalpas, countless billions of hundreds of thousands of kalpas. All are remembered and known down to their origins: where they were, what their names were, what clans they belonged to, what their lives were like, what they ate and drank, how long they lived, the length of their lifespans, their suffering and happiness, good and evil, from where they died and where they were reborn, what this sentient being and that sentient being had said. The Bodhisattva can remember and know countless past lives, yet he does not conceive thoughts about the spiritual powers he has attained.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The perfection of wisdom of the Great Bodhisattva has the ability to remember and know in this way. This is the spiritual power of realization through past-life wisdom. This is the practice of the wisdom of spiritual powers.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
That Great Bodhisattva uses the heavenly eye to see sentient beings’ births and deaths, before and after, their wholesome roots and unwholesome roots, misfortune and fortune, good and evil, their movement toward peace and toward suffering, their subtlety and impurity, and the causes and conditions of their actions. He knows all of these clearly.
He feels compassion for those whose bodies commit evil, whose mouths speak evil, whose minds think evil, who create all kinds of evil conduct, slander the sages, and follow wrong views. Because of these causes and conditions, when their bodies perish and their lives end, they proceed toward painful places and fall into the hell realms.
Sentient beings who are kind and virtuous have bodies that do good, mouths that speak good, minds that think good, create all kinds of wholesome conduct, do not slander the sages, and follow right views. Because of these wholesome conditions, when their bodies perish and their lives end, they proceed toward peaceful places and are reborn in the heavens.
Then he again observes the eight directions, above and below. It is truly pitiful to see those whose bodies commit evil, whose mouths speak evil, whose minds think evil, who create all kinds of evil conduct, slander the sages, and follow wrong views. Because of these causes and conditions, when their bodies perish and their lives end, they proceed toward painful places and fall into the hell realms. But kind and virtuous sentient beings have bodies that do good, mouths that speak good, minds that think good, create all kinds of wholesome actions, do not slander the noble sages, and follow right views. Because of these wholesome causes and conditions, when their bodies perish and their lives end, they proceed toward peaceful places, are reborn in the heavens, and see the eight directions, above and below. Having attained spiritual powers, they naturally see the ten directions without any obstruction.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
That Great Bodhisattva has attained the ability to know the thoughts of people for one day, one hundred days, one year, one hundred years, one kalpa, one hundred kalpas, one thousand kalpas, ten thousand kalpas, billions of kalpas, countless kalpas, countless billions of hundreds of thousands of kalpas, and even without limit. The countless and immeasurable thoughts in all Buddha realms throughout the ten directions are all known without obstruction. This is called the spiritual power of the Great Bodhisattva’s knowledge of others’ thoughts through the wisdom of past lives.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva himself knows from where his body has come: through one life, one hundred lives, one thousand lives, ten thousand billion lives, countless billions of lives; through one kalpa, one hundred kalpas, one thousand kalpas, ten thousand kalpas, billions of kalpas, countless billions of kalpas. He knows good and evil, misfortune and fortune, the destinations of good and evil, parents, brothers, relatives, spouses and children, power, nobility, wealth, happiness, poverty, low status, hardship, ignorance, wisdom, obstruction, understanding, names, and family lineage. This is the spiritual power of realization through past-life wisdom, knowing where the body of the Great Bodhisattva came from. Naturally, he sees the five paths throughout the ten directions without obstruction.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva who attains the wisdom of the exhaustion of outflows and realizes spiritual powers does not fall into the realms of the Śrāvaka or Pratyekabuddha vehicles, nor does he conceive of another Dharma. He does not think, “I shall attain the unsurpassed, true, and perfect path and become the Most Perfect Enlightened One,” nor does he rely on the wisdom of spiritual powers that exhaust the outflows to give rise to arrogance or negligence. If he understands the Ten Powers of the Tathāgata, the Four Fearlessnesses, the Four Types of Unimpeded Discrimination, the Eighteen Unshared Dharmas of the Buddhas, the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination without a root, and the Thirty-seven Factors of Enlightenment without traces, and teaches all beings, then, Śāriputra, this is the complete, limitless Prajñāpāramitā spiritual power of the Great Bodhisattva. Having fully perfected it, he gains long-lasting benefit and only then reaches the unsurpassed, true, and perfect path and becomes the Most Perfect Enlightened One.
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
There may be a Great Bodhisattva who practices the limitless Prajñāpāramitā, abides in the limitless perfection of giving, and sees that he can adorn and purify the paths of penetration into ultimate true emptiness. From this arising and acceptance, he practices benevolence and virtue.
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
There may be a Great Bodhisattva who practices the limitless Prajñāpāramitā, abides in the limitless perfection of morality, and completely adorns and purifies the path of penetration into ultimate true emptiness. What should not be believed is not believed; what should not arise does not arise. He establishes the meaning of eternity without any place of arising.
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
There may be a Great Bodhisattva who practices the limitless Prajñāpāramitā, abides in the limitless perfection of patience, and completely adorns and purifies the paths of penetration into ultimate true emptiness. He arouses patience, has no anger or hatred, and understands that originally there is emptiness, that all things are empty.
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
There may be a Great Bodhisattva who practices the limitless Prajñāpāramitā, abides in the limitless perfection of diligence, and completely adorns and purifies the paths of penetration into ultimate true emptiness. His body and mind are diligent, devoted to one meaning; his practice of diligence is without any outflows, and he establishes this diligence.
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
There may be a Great Bodhisattva who practices the limitless Prajñāpāramitā, abides in the limitless perfection of one-pointed concentration, and completely adorns and purifies the paths of penetration into ultimate true emptiness. His mind is not disturbed, neither elevated nor lowered, neither arising nor ceasing; he establishes this meditation.
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
There may be a Great Bodhisattva who practices the limitless Prajñāpāramitā, abides in the limitless perfection of wisdom, and completely adorns and purifies the paths of penetration into ultimate true emptiness. He eliminates the mind of wrong views, encourages the arising of non-wisdom, and establishes the giving of emptiness.
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
Thus, the Great Bodhisattva who practices the limitless Prajñāpāramitā and abides in the six limitless perfections completely adorns and purifies the paths of penetration into ultimate true emptiness. Whether arriving or not arriving is like not coming or going; giving has no receiver, no giving, no greed; no morality, no violation; no patience, no anger; no diligence, no laziness; no meditation, no distraction; no wisdom, no ignorance. After the objects of giving have been given, he does not think of them, nor does he remember them. He does not think of giving or greed; morality or violation; patience or anger; diligence or laziness; one-pointedness or distraction; wisdom or ignorance. He does not think of insults, nor does he remember praise. Whatever he does, he does not conceive of it, does not give rise to it, does not become angry, and does not insult others. He does not think of the words that have been spoken, does not think of existence, and does not think of non-existence.
The Buddha taught:
Śāriputra, that Great Bodhisattva is honored as one of great virtue who practices the limitless Prajñāpāramitā. Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas cannot compare with him. Having perfected these virtues, the Bodhisattva teaches sentient beings, adorns and purifies the Buddha realms, practices great loving-kindness and great compassion, and attains the various wisdoms that lead to the path.
The Buddha told Śāriputra:
The Great Bodhisattva who practices the limitless Prajñāpāramitā constantly gives rise to the equal mind directed toward sentient beings. Having been able to give rise to the equal mind directed toward sentient beings, he attains equality with all dharmas. Having attained equality with all dharmas, he can establish equality with all sentient beings. Immediately, all dharmas appear, and he is seen with affection by the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, while the Bodhisattvas, all Śrāvakas, and Pratyekabuddhas see him with admiration. Furthermore, wherever he is born, his eyes have never seen improper things, his ears have never heard evil sounds, his nose has never smelled foul odors, his mouth has never tasted unpleasant flavors, his body is not coarse or harsh, and his mind has no wrong dharmas. A Great Bodhisattva who practices the limitless Prajñāpāramitā and can be like this will never forget the unsurpassed, true, and perfect path.
When the Buddha spoke this chapter on the limitless Prajñāpāramitā, three hundred bhikshus practicing the path scattered jeweled necklaces as offerings to the Buddhas and aroused the aspiration for the unsurpassed, true, and perfect path.
At that time, the Buddha smiled. The wise Ānanda immediately left his seat, stood up, adjusted his robe, knelt with his right knee on the ground, joined his palms, and said to the Buddha:
For what cause and condition do you smile? Since you have smiled, there must certainly be a meaning!
The Buddha told Ānanda:
These three hundred bhikshus, after sixty-one kalpas, will attain Buddhahood, with the name Great Jeweled Garland Tathāgata, Worthy One, Truly and Perfectly Enlightened, Perfect in Wisdom and Conduct, Well Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Humans, Teacher of Gods and Humans, and Buddha, Honored by All. Here, when their lives end, they will always be reborn in the land of Akṣobhya Tathāgata, Worthy One, Truly and Perfectly Enlightened. Sixty thousand desire-realm gods will, during the time when Maitreya Buddha leaves home and becomes a śramaṇa, receive the sacred command of the Buddha. At that time, they will find a thousand Buddhas traveling among sentient beings in the eight directions, above and below as well, all seeing a thousand Buddhas and their Buddha lands. They will also see this Saha world adorned and purified, without defilement, like the worlds of the Tathāgatas, Worthy Ones, Truly and Perfectly Enlightened Ones.
At that time, tens of thousands of people all made their own vows:
“Now we arouse the wish to travel through the present Buddha lands.”
At that moment, the Buddha knew the thoughts of those virtuous sons, and he smiled again.
Venerable Ānanda again knelt down and asked the Buddha:
For what cause and condition do you smile? Your smile certainly has a meaning!
The Buddha told Ānanda:
Do you now see the ten thousand people making vows?
Answer:
Yes, I do!
The World-Honored One said:
These ten thousand people, when their lives come to an end, will be reborn in the Buddha’s land. They have never been separated from the Thus Come Ones, and later they will attain Buddhahood, with the title Pure Adornment Thus Come One, Truly Perfect Enlightened One.
Chapter 4: PRAISE OF EQUALITY
At that time, the Worthy Śāriputra, Great Maudgalyāyana, Great Kāśyapa, these three venerable ones, together with countless other wise and spiritually accomplished noble monks, as well as the great Bodhisattvas, virtuous men and faithful women, all addressed the Buddha:
Respectfully, World-Honored One! Such practice is the great, supreme, wondrous, unsurpassed perfection (pāramitā) of the Great Bodhisattva, the most excellent perfection that no one can surpass, the most honored perfection practiced by those who cultivate it, the perfection whose power and fame cannot be matched by anything, the unsurpassed perfection that nothing can exceed, the perfection whose deliverance is incomparable and reaches the infinite shore, the peerless perfection that is the infinite deliverance of the Great Bodhisattva.
Respectfully, World-Honored One! That Great Bodhisattva has used the markless nature of emptiness to arrive at enlightenment, used the perfection of non-conceptualization to attain non-thought, and used the perfection of non-vow to attain non-attachment. All phenomena are empty because all are naturally without any inherent existence. The perfection does not exist because of natural emptiness. All virtues are complete through the perfection that has crossed beyond the infinite.
Respectfully, World-Honored One! All virtues of the Great Bodhisattvas are complete through Prajñā-pāramitā, and no one can compare with them. The perfection of non-action is the perfection of the Great Bodhisattva. At that time, the Great Bodhisattva can be equal to the unequalled, and whatever is given is completely fulfilled. Thus, one has attained the equality of the unequalled perfection; having attained the unequalled equality, one attains Unsurpassed Right and Equal Enlightenment. The perfection of giving can lead to the unequalled equality; morality, patience, diligence, meditation, and Prajñā-pāramitā are matters that must be practiced just as the Bodhisattva practices the perfection of giving.
Respectfully, O Heavenly One Among Humans! It is not only Prajñā-pāramitā that can attain the unequalled equality; true Dharma such as form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, or turning the Dharma wheel of the unequalled equality, can also attain it. The Buddhas, Heavenly Ones Among Humans, of the past, future, and present all practice Prajñā-pāramitā and are those who turn the Dharma wheel of the unequalled equality. Therefore, World-Honored One, a Great Bodhisattva who wishes to transcend all appearances of phenomena should practice Prajñā-pāramitā. Great Bodhisattvas make offerings of respect to those who practice Prajñā-pāramitā. Devas, humans, and Asuras all bow their heads in reverence to those who practice Prajñā-pāramitā.
At that time, the Buddha immediately said to the countless Śrāvakas and Great Bodhisattvas:
That is right, that is right! Virtuous sons, you should pay homage to the Great Bodhisattva.
If anyone practices Prajñā-pāramitā, devas, humans, and Asuras will all come to take refuge and pay homage.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
A Great Bodhisattva may appear in the human world, appearing as an ordinary person, or dwell in the heavens; appear among the noble clans, Brahmins, or wealthy householders; or appear as a Wheel-Turning Sage King, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Yāma Heaven, the Tuṣita Heaven, the Nirmāṇarati Heaven, the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven, or the Akaniṣṭha Heaven; or appear in the world beyond the ordinary, such as a Stream-Enterer, Once-Returner, Non-Returner, Arhat, Pratyekabuddha, or a Thus Come One, Worthy of Offerings, Rightly and Fully Enlightened One appearing in the world.
The Buddha taught:
Therefore, Śāriputra! Wherever a Great Bodhisattva appears, if there are provisions such as food and drink, clothing, beds, bedding, dwellings, lamps, bright moon pearls, crystal jewels, lapis lazuli, jade, gold and silver, coral, amber, conch shells, and agate, all are used to provide for sentient beings.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra:
A Bodhisattva does not appear in the world only for this reason; they also use words to rescue and protect the world, causing it to become peaceful and secure. The assemblies of music and entertainment among devas and humans are all brought forth and manifested by the Great Bodhisattva. Why? Because the Great Bodhisattva’s practice consists of the six perfections and they abide in the six perfections. When wishing to encourage sentient beings to give, they themselves practice giving; morality, patience, diligence, single-mindedness, and wisdom are likewise practiced in the same way. Therefore, Śāriputra! In order to encourage all ordinary beings to cultivate Prajñā-pāramitā, the Great Bodhisattva creates peace and happiness for all kinds of sentient beings.
Chapter 5: PROPHECY OF ATTAINMENT
At that time, the World-Honored One extended his tongue and covered the entire three-thousand-great-thousand world system. From that tongue arose countless brilliant rays of light, illuminating the Buddha worlds in the eastern direction. At that very moment, in the countless Buddha lands in the eastern direction, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, there were innumerable Great Bodhisattvas beyond calculation who saw that light. Each, in their own Buddha land, went to ask the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, about the meaning of this:
Respectfully, Heavenly One Among Humans! What kind of majestic spiritual power is this that causes the light of this Buddha land to shine everywhere?
At that time, the Thus Come Ones in those lands all said to the Great Bodhisattvas:
O virtuous son! To know this manifestation, listen: In the west, as many worlds of Buddhas as there are grains of sand in the Ganges River away from here, there is a Buddha-land named Kham Nhẫn. The Buddha named Śākyamuni Văn Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One extended his tongue and emitted light that reached the Buddha lands of the World-Honored Ones in the east, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and illuminated all throughout the ten directions. The reason for this is that the Buddha was expounding the Perfection of Wisdom to the great Bodhisattvas.
At that time, all the great Bodhisattvas in that land addressed the Buddha:
“Most Honored Great Sage! We wish to go pay homage and take refuge in Śākyamuni Văn Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, and the great Bodhisattvas. We also wish to hear the Perfection of Wisdom.”
That Buddha said:
“Go! Virtuous sons, the time you desire has arrived.”
The great Bodhisattvas made their request and the Buddha consented. Each one carried canopies, banners and flags, incense and flowers, ornaments, mixed incense, powdered incense, golden flowers, and silver flowers. They went to the place of Śākyamuni Văn Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, bowed their heads to the Buddha’s feet, and then scattered upon the Buddha, the Bodhisattvas, and the Śrāvakas the canopies, banners and flags, incense and flowers, ornaments, mixed incense, powdered incense, golden flowers, and silver flowers they had brought.
In the eight directions, above and below, countless great Bodhisattvas beyond calculation, each within their own Buddha-land, all addressed their Buddhas:
“Where does this majestic radiance come from?”
The Buddhas replied:
“There is a Buddha named Śākyamuni Văn Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, who emits a virtuous light from his tongue, illuminating the Buddha lands in the ten directions, as many as the sands of the Ganges. This is His majestic radiance.”
At that time, the Bodhisattvas all said to their Buddhas that they wished to go pay respects to Śākyamuni Văn and meet the Bodhisattvas. Those Buddhas said:
“Virtuous sons, go! You have chosen the proper time according to your wishes!”
All the assemblies of Bodhisattvas brought offerings with them and went to the place of Śākyamuni Văn Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One. They bowed their heads in reverence, presented their offerings, and then withdrew to sit at the side and listen to the Buddha’s teachings.
At that time, the heavenly beings in the heavens of the Four Great Heavenly Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-three, the Yāma Heaven, the Tuṣita Heaven, the Nirmāṇarati Heaven, the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven, and up to the Akaniṣṭha Heaven all carried celestial flowers, celestial incense, celestial powdered incense, mixed incense, blue lotuses, red lotuses, golden lotuses, and white lotuses. Using all kinds of wondrous celestial fragrances and flowers, each holding them in their hands, they went to the place of the Buddha.
At that time, the gods and the Bodhisattvas all brought incense, flowers, mixed incense, and powdered incense, scattering them as offerings to the Tathāgata, the Truly Worthy, Perfectly Enlightened One. The incense and flowers scattered as offerings in the sky transformed into palaces in the four directions of the sky, facing all four sides, wondrous and clearly manifested, all made of various precious jewels beloved by everyone. The assembly of hundreds of thousands of millions of beings all joined their palms, took refuge in the Buddha, and then asked the World-Honored One:
“Most Honored One, Teacher of Gods and Humans! In the future, may our bodies obtain Dharma benefits in the same way. Just as the Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One has done, may the assemblies of Śrāvakas also be the same, teaching the assemblies the Dharma teachings of the sutras just as You have expounded today.”
At that time, the World-Honored One knew the thoughts of the virtuous sons, saw that all dharmas forever have no place where they arise and no place where they function, saw that all dharmas cannot be attained, and saw the patient endurance of the mind. He then smiled.
The Venerable Ānanda stepped forward and addressed the Buddha:
“Why does the Buddha smile? Surely this smile has a meaning!”
The Buddha said to Ānanda:
“Now, in this assembly, there are hundreds of thousands of millions of beings who have attained the Patience of Non-Arising Dharma. In the future, after more than sixty-eight billion kalpas, they will become Buddhas, named Giác Hoa Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Beings, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One. The kalpa will be named Flower Deeds, and the world will be named Adorned with Flowers.”
Chapter 6: Discerning Emptiness
At that time, the Buddha said to the Venerable Subhūti:
He can, for the sake of the Great Bodhisattvas, expound the Prajñā-pāramitā. Through this, the Great Bodhisattvas are brought forth.
At that time, the assemblies of Great Bodhisattvas, Śrāvakas, and devas all thought: “Does Subhūti, using his own eloquence, speak the Prajñā-pāramitā for the sake of the Great Bodhisattvas, or does he rely upon the sacred instruction of the Buddha to speak?”
The Venerable Subhūti knew the thoughts of the assemblies of Great Bodhisattvas, Śrāvakas, devas, and humans, and therefore said to the Venerable Śāriputra:
“Whatever the disciples of the Buddha say that clearly distinguishes and explains anything is all based upon the majestic virtue of the Tathāgata. All dharmas spoken by the Tathāgata are inherently without contention. Good sons should learn this Dharma. Those who attain this learning of the Dharma all follow the wisdom-realization realm of the Tathāgata. The Great Bodhisattvas’ speaking of the Prajñā-pāramitā is not the realm of Śrāvakas or Pratyekabuddhas. Why? Because when the Dharma is spoken at the proper time, there is no one who does not rejoice.”
Śāriputra said to Subhūti:
“That is what is called a Bodhisattva.”
At that time, Subhūti addressed the World-Honored One:
“Honored One among the Gods! Why is a Bodhisattva called a Bodhisattva? Within this Dharma, through what causes and conditions does the name ‘Bodhisattva’ arise? I also do not see any Bodhisattva-dharma; why then is it called a Bodhisattva? Honored One among the Gods, I have never seen the Prajñā-pāramitā or a Bodhisattva, so how can I speak of the Prajñā-pāramitā of the Great Bodhisattvas? By what meaning should the Great Bodhisattvas explain the Prajñā-pāramitā in order to open and guide others?”
The Buddha said to the Venerable Subhūti:
“The terms ‘Prajñā-pāramitā’ and ‘Bodhisattva’ are merely provisional designations. That name itself is without a name. That name is neither within, nor outside, nor in between, nor on either side. For example, the person whom Subhūti sees is merely a provisional designation temporarily borrowed. That person also has no true name; that dharma neither arises nor ceases. Through the combination of causes and conditions, according to worldly convention, it is given a name. But sounds, words, and language; self, person, lifespan, beings that crawl, fly, move, and breathe; actions performed; things created; things that arise; encouragement and assistance; seeing, viewing, knowing, and observing—all are provisional dharmas. All do not arise and do not cease. The words that can teach devas and humans are likewise so.
“Subhūti! Thus, even the names ‘Prajñā-pāramitā’ and ‘Bodhisattva’ are merely provisional designations. They neither arise nor cease. Even the designation ‘God among Gods’ is likewise no different.
“Subhūti! For example, even this inner existence together with my form-body is also a falsely designated dharma, because it is only temporarily borrowed and created as a name. This provisional designation neither arises nor ceases. In order to understand this harmonious combination of causes and conditions, there are spoken words. The dharmas of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are provisional designations; the names of these dharmas neither arise nor cease. Just as, through causes and conditions and the appearance of borrowed designations, there come to be sounds and words.
“Subhūti! Thus, calling something Prajñā-pāramitā and Bodhisattva—the name of that Bodhisattva-dharma also neither arises nor ceases. What is called the Bodhisattva’s Prajñā-pāramitā and the name Bodhisattva both depend upon causes and conditions and depend upon other designations for their names. The eye is deluded, empty, and tranquil; even the falsely designated dharma is merely a borrowed word. It also neither arises nor ceases. Through causes and conditions it is provisionally called and expressed through words and sounds; therefore, the eye is said to be empty. The eye is neither inside, nor outside, nor in between. The ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are likewise the same. Dharmas are borrowed designations; those dharmas neither arise nor cease. Through the combination of causes and conditions, there are spoken words and sounds. What is called mind is neither inside, nor outside, nor in between.
“As for what is called form, Subhūti, it is a provisional designation. It neither arises nor ceases, and it is neither inside, outside, nor in between. The eye-element is also a provisional designation, borrowing a name from dharmas. What are called the eye-element, form-element, eye-consciousness element, ear-element, sound-element, ear-consciousness element, nose-element, smell-element, nose-consciousness element, tongue-element, taste-element, tongue-consciousness element, body-element, tactile-element, body-consciousness element, mind-element, dharma-element, and mind-consciousness element—all are expressions of words and sounds that arise from provisional designations. Those dharmas are neither inside, nor outside, nor in between.
“Subhūti! Thus, what are called Bodhisattva and Prajñā-pāramitā are names borrowed from dharmas. Those names neither arise nor cease; through borrowed names there are words and sounds. The names Prajñā-pāramitā and Bodhisattva are neither inside, nor outside, nor in between.
“Subhūti! For example, calling my body by letters, that name is only a sound and verbal expression. There are also names such as neck, nape, five aggregates, two hands, back, navel, ribs, two knees, and two feet; all are merely borrowed names, relying upon the causes and conditions of dharmic sounds and words to establish names. The dharma that is spoken of neither arises nor ceases. All things that are listed are merely borrowed and established through words and sounds. The names that are listed neither arise nor cease; they are neither inside, nor outside, nor in between.
“Subhūti! Thus, the name Prajñā-pāramitā and the name Bodhisattva are all provisional designations. Those dharmas neither arise nor cease; they are neither inside, nor outside, nor in between.
“Subhūti! For example, outside there are grass, trees, branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits. All these things that are mentioned are merely provisional designations expressed through words and sounds. That name is without a name; that name neither arises nor ceases. Through borrowed designation as a name, there are words and sounds. The names mentioned are neither inside, nor outside, nor in between.
“Subhūti! Thus, the words Prajñā-pāramitā and Bodhisattva are all provisional dharmas. Those dharmas neither arise nor cease. Those names are neither inside, nor outside, nor in between.”
O Subhūti! It is like this: all the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, of the past have likewise only provisionally transmitted names; those of the future and the present are also the same.
O Subhūti! It is like the echo of a sound. It is also like an image in a mirror, like an illusion, an illusory appearance. The Tathāgata teaches that all dharmas are like transformations, merely having names temporarily assigned. That name neither arises nor ceases; relying on borrowed designation, there are sounds and words. That name is neither inside, nor outside, nor in between.
O Subhūti! Thus, what is called the Prajñāpāramitā of a Bodhisattva is merely a false designation. That designation neither arises nor ceases, is neither inside nor outside, and is not in between.
O Subhūti! Thus, what is called the Prajñāpāramitā of a Great Bodhisattva is a false name arising from the combination of causes and conditions. The designation of skillful means and the designation of Dharma are both borrowed names. When practicing Prajñāpāramitā, one should train in this way: Do not abide in name and form, nor see anything; do not abide in feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. Do not abide in names; do not see name and form as impermanent; do not see name and form as peaceful and joyful; do not see name and form as suffering and affliction; do not see any name and form within; do not see any name and form outside; do not see name and form as empty; do not see name and form as changing and without marks; do not see name and form as engaging in actions without aspirations; do not see name and form as still and silent; do not see name and form as dreamlike; do not see name and form as having objects of desire; do not see name and form as contentious; do not see name and form as arising; do not see name and form as perishing. Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are likewise so. The eye realm, form realm, eye-consciousness realm; ear realm, sound realm, ear-consciousness realm; nose realm, scent realm, nose-consciousness realm; tongue realm, taste realm, tongue-consciousness realm; body realm, tactile realm, body-consciousness realm; mind realm, Dharma realm, mind-consciousness realm—all are likewise so. Through the combination of causes and conditions, the five aggregates arise, and all are merely false designations. Why? Because the Great Bodhisattva practicing Prajñāpāramitā and the Bodhisattva practices are all names, existent yet not nonexistent; they do not abide in the realm of conditioned phenomena, nor in the realm of unconditioned phenomena, and nothing is seen.
Why? O Subhūti! Because when a Great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, regarding all dharmas there are no thoughts, no conceptual correspondence or non-correspondence, and no thought that one is practicing Prajñāpāramitā. Within the Dharma of no-thought, one carries out the intentions, cultivates Prajñāpāramitā, yet does not see Prajñāpāramitā; does not see the name Prajñāpāramitā; does not see the designation Bodhisattva; does not see the Ten Powers, the Four Fearlessnesses, the Four Forms of Unimpeded Discrimination, or the Eighteen Unshared Buddha Dharmas. When practicing Prajñāpāramitā, one does not see Prajñāpāramitā, does not see the name Prajñāpāramitā, does not see the Bodhisattva, and does not see the name Bodhisattva. Then who sees the Bodhisattva practicing Prajñāpāramitā?
The Great Bodhisattva clearly understands and distinguishes the roots of all dharmas and the characteristics of all dharmas. Examining the roots of all dharmas and the characteristics of all dharmas, one neither clings nor disputes.
O Subhūti! In this way, the Great Bodhisattva practicing Prajñāpāramitā does not rely upon names, because phenomena give rise to names. Those phenomena, in relation to the Buddha path, also rely upon names, yet one does not fail to completely understand because they are falsely borrowed. This is because one does not rely upon form, does not rely upon feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; does not rely upon eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind; does not rely upon eye-consciousness arising from form, does not rely upon ear-consciousness arising from sound, does not rely upon nose-consciousness arising from scent, does not rely upon tongue-consciousness arising from taste, does not rely upon body-consciousness arising from touch, does not rely upon mind-consciousness arising from Dharma. One does not rely upon the gathering of the five aggregates through the eye, relies upon nothing, and does not produce feelings that are neither suffering nor pleasure, nor feelings that are not neither suffering nor pleasure, up to the conditioned arising of habitual mind-consciousness whereby feelings of suffering, pleasure, neither suffering nor pleasure arise. The practitioner completely does not rely upon these, nor does one rely upon the realm of conditioned phenomena, nor the realm of unconditioned phenomena; nor does one rely upon the Perfection of Giving, nor the Perfection of Vigor, nor the Perfection of Meditation, nor the Perfection of Prajñā; nor does one rely upon marks, nor the body of a Bodhisattva; nor does one rely upon the Flesh Eye, nor the Heavenly Eye, nor the Wisdom Eye, nor the Dharma Eye, nor the Buddha Eye; nor does one rely upon the perfection of transcendent wisdom, nor the perfection of the spiritual power of intention; nor does one rely upon the inner, nor the outer, nor the middle; nor does one rely upon the Dharma of inner emptiness, nor the Dharma of outer emptiness, nor formless conditions, nor the natural emptiness of phenomena; nor does one rely upon the transformation and teaching of sentient beings, nor upon the adornment and purification of Buddha lands, nor upon skillful means. Why? Because all dharmas are without possession. That very reliance itself has no place of reliance and is also without possession. Therefore, one should receive and uphold it in this way.
O Subhūti! In this way, when the Great Bodhisattva does not cling to all dharmas, then the practice of Prajñāpāramitā, the Perfection of Giving, the Perfection of Morality, the Perfection of Patience, the Perfection of Vigor, the Perfection of Meditation, and the Perfection of Prajñā will increase and bring benefit, entering into tranquility, attaining the Bodhisattva path, entering non-retrogression, and fully possessing supernatural powers. Once the supernatural powers are complete, one travels throughout the Buddha realms and teaches sentient beings. Having taught sentient beings and made offerings to the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, one can adorn and purify the lands of the Buddhas. Having been able to adorn and purify the Buddha lands, all the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, behold them. At that time, the Bodhisattva also beholds the Great Sages, the Buddhas, from afar, and wishes to attain the roots of wholesome merit. Therefore, the Bodhisattva makes offerings to the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, bows his head and takes refuge, and naturally attains immeasurable virtues. Drawing close to the Buddhas, one hears the sutras they have taught. Having heard the Dharma without interruption, one reaches Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi (Unsurpassed Complete Perfect Enlightenment), attaining the various dhāraṇī gates and samādhi gates.
O Subhūti! Thus, the Great Bodhisattva practicing the conduct of Prajñāpāramitā distinguishes and understands that all dharmas are falsely designated through causes and conditions.
O Subhūti! What do you think? Is form the Bodhisattva? Are feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness the Bodhisattva?
The Venerable Subhūti replied:
O Bhagavān, Heavenly One among Heavenly Ones, no.
O Subhūti! What do you think? Is the eye the Bodhisattva? Are the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind the Bodhisattva?
The Venerable Subhūti replied:
O Bhagavān, Heavenly One among Heavenly Ones, no.
Are form, sound, scent, taste, touch, and Dharma the Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Subhūti! What do you think? Is the eye-consciousness of forms a Bodhisattva? Are ear-consciousness of sounds, nose-consciousness of scents, tongue-consciousness of tastes, body-consciousness of tactile sensations (contacts), and mind-consciousness of phenomena Bodhisattvas?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Subhūti! What do you think? Is the element of earth a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Are the elements of water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness Bodhisattvas?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Subhūti! What do you think? Is ignorance a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Are formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, craving, feeling, grasping, existence, birth, aging, illness, and death Bodhisattvas?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Subhūti! What do you think? Is there certainly some other form that is a Great Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Is there certainly some other feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness that is a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Is there certainly some other eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind that is a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Is there certainly some other form, sound, smell, taste, tactile sensation (contact), or phenomenon that is a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Is there certainly some other eye-form-consciousness, ear-sound-consciousness, nose-scent-consciousness, tongue-taste-consciousness, body-contact-consciousness, or mind-phenomenon-consciousness that is a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Is there certainly some other twelve links of dependent origination, from ignorance to aging, illness, and death, that is a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Subhūti! What do you think? Is the lack of origin of form a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Are the lack of origin of the five aggregates, the six sense faculties, the eighteen elements, the four great elements, and the twelve links of dependent origination Bodhisattvas?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Subhūti! What do you think? Is some other lack of origin certainly a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
Subhūti! What is your understanding of this meaning? Through what observations did you answer?
The Buddha taught:
Form is not a Bodhisattva; feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are not Bodhisattvas. The six sense faculties, the eighteen elements, the four great elements, and the twelve links of dependent origination from ignorance up to aging, illness, and death are not Bodhisattvas. That lack of origin is not a Bodhisattva. Any other lack of origin is also not a Bodhisattva.
Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
Venerable Deva Among Devas! The self, person, and recipient of experience cannot be grasped either, so how can it be called a Bodhisattva? How can what is commonly designated as the harm of the five aggregates, the six sense faculties, the eighteen elements, the four great elements, and the twelve links of dependent origination be called a Bodhisattva? How can another form, another feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness be called a Bodhisattva? How can the six sense faculties, the eighteen elements, the four great elements, and the twelve links of dependent origination be called a Bodhisattva? How can lack of origin be called a Bodhisattva? How can another lack of origin be called a Bodhisattva? There is no such thing here.
The Buddha said:
Excellent, excellent! Subhūti! A Great Bodhisattva who studies the Perfection of Wisdom should contemplate that beings and persons have nothing that can be possessed and cannot be grasped; the Perfection of Wisdom also has nothing that can be possessed and cannot be grasped. A Bodhisattva should learn in this way.
Subhūti! What do you think? Is merely speaking with the mouth of form being a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Is merely speaking with the mouth of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness being a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Is considering form to be permanent; considering feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness to be permanent, being a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Subhūti! What do you think? Is considering form to be impermanent, and considering feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness to be impermanent, being a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Subhūti! What do you think? Is merely speaking with the mouth that form is joyful, and feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness together are joyful, being a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Subhūti! What do you think? Is merely speaking with the mouth that form is suffering, and feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are all suffering, being a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Subhūti! What do you think? Is merely speaking with the mouth that form belongs to the self, and feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness belong to the self, being a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Subhūti! What do you think? Is merely speaking with the mouth that form does not belong to the self, and feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness do not belong to the self, being a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Subhūti! What do you think? Is merely speaking with the mouth that form is empty, and feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are empty, being a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Good Manifestation! What do you think? Is merely speaking with the mouth that form is signless, and feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are signless, being a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Subhūti! What do you think? Is merely speaking with the mouth that form is wishless, and feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are wishless, being a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Subhūti! What do you think? Is merely speaking with the mouth that form is neither empty, nor signless, nor wishless, and feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are neither empty, nor signless, nor wishless, being a Bodhisattva?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
Subhūti! What do you think? Are the five aggregates, the six sense faculties, the eighteen elements, the four great elements, and the twelve links of dependent origination without anything possessed, Bodhisattvas?
Venerable Deva Among Devas, no.
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
What meaning do you see that you reject the statement that the common designation of the five aggregates, the six sense faculties, the eighteen elements, the four great elements, and the twelve links of dependent origination, suffering and joy, good and evil, Emptiness, Signlessness, Wishlessness, existence and nonexistence, are all not Bodhisattvas?
Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
Venerable Bạch Đức Thiên Trung Thiên! Ultimately, when one seeks form, it cannot be grasped; how much more so when you say that form is a Bodhisattva? Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are likewise. Ultimately, when one seeks permanence, it cannot be grasped; how much more so can impermanence be grasped and considered a Bodhisattva? Ultimately, suffering and joy cannot be grasped; how much more so when one verbally says that suffering and joy are Bodhisattvas? Ultimately, when one seeks what belongs to the self, it cannot be grasped; how much more so when one verbally speaks of self and not-self as a Bodhisattva? Form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are likewise. Ultimately, the form that is possessed cannot be grasped; how much more so when one verbally says that the emptiness of form is a Bodhisattva? Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are also like this. Ultimately, when one seeks characteristics, they cannot be grasped; how much more so when one verbally says that the signlessness of form is a Bodhisattva? Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are all the same. Ultimately, when one seeks vows, they cannot be grasped; how much more so when one verbally says that the wishlessness of form is a Bodhisattva? Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are also like this.
The Buddha said:
Excellent, excellent! Subhuti, a great Bodhisattva who wishes to learn the Prajñāpāramitā should learn in this way: That which is verbally called form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness cannot be grasped; that emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness cannot be grasped—this is learning the Prajñāpāramitā. Earlier, Subhuti, you said that within the dharma of self, which is eternally unseen, there is no Bodhisattva.
Subhuti! You should know that dharmas cannot see dharmas, dharmas cannot see the Dharma realm, and the Dharma realm cannot see dharmas; form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are all likewise. The realm of form does not see the Dharma realm, and the Dharma realm does not see the realm of form. The eye realm does not see the Dharma realm, and the Dharma realm does not see the eye realm; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind realms are likewise. The mind realm does not see the Dharma realm, and the Dharma realm does not see the mind realm. The eighteen realms do not see the Dharma realm, and the Dharma realm does not see the eighteen realms. The conditioned realm does not see the unconditioned realm, and the unconditioned realm does not see the conditioned realm. The conditioned realm cannot be divided into two; the unconditioned realm also cannot be named. The unconditioned cannot be divided into two; the conditioned cannot be named.
Subhuti! Thus, if one practicing the Prajñāpāramitā can practice in this way, then toward all dharmas there will forever be no more discrimination. Having no more discrimination, one has no fear, no worry, no terror; the mind is not weak or timid, nor does it harbor hatred. Why? Subhuti, because one does not see form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness; one does not see the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind; one does not see form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas; one does not see the desire realm of form, nor even the desire for dharmas; one does not see greed, anger, or delusion; one does not see ignorance, and up to formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging, illness, and death, one does not see any of these either. One does not see non-self, one does not see a person, one does not see a lifespan, one does not see the Desire Realm, one does not see the Form Realm, one does not see the Formless Realm; one does not see the Śrāvaka, one does not see the Pratyekabuddha, one does not see the Bodhisattva, nor does one see dharmas or the assembly of Bodhisattvas. Having not seen all dharmas, one is not alarmed, not afraid, not troubled, not terrified; the mind is not weak or timid.
Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:
Honored World-Honored One! Why is it that the mind of a great Bodhisattva is not weak or timid and does not cling?
The Buddha said to Subhuti:
A great Bodhisattva does not firmly cling to dharmas while the mind remembers them, and also does not see them. Therefore, the mind of a great Bodhisattva is not weak or timid and does not cling.
Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:
Why is it that a great Bodhisattva is not frightened?
The Buddha said to Subhuti:
A Bodhisattva does not cling to the fearful mind, and also does not see it. Therefore, a great Bodhisattva is not frightened.
Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:
Why is it that a great Bodhisattva does not firmly cling to all dharmas while practicing the Prajñāpāramitā?
The Buddha said to Subhuti:
All the cultivation of the Prajñāpāramitā by a great Bodhisattva does not attain the Prajñāpāramitā, and likewise does not attain the Bodhisattva mind. This, here, is precisely the teaching given to those of the Bodhisattva path.