MAHA PRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ SŪTRA
VOLUME 12
Chapter 42: PRAISING PURITY
At that time, Śāriputra said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! Is this purity extremely profound?”
The Buddha said:
“Because it is ultimately pure.”
Śāriputra asked:
“Because of what phenomena being pure is this purity extremely profound?”
The Buddha said:
“Because form is pure, this purity is extremely profound. Because feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are pure; because the Four Foundations of Mindfulness are pure, up to and including the eighteen unshared qualities of a Buddha being pure; because the Bodhisattva is pure, because the Buddha is pure, because All-Wisdom and All-Mannered Wisdom are pure, therefore this purity is extremely profound.”
Śāriputra asked:
“World-Honored One! Is this purity extremely bright?”
The Buddha said:
“Because it is ultimately pure.”
Śāriputra asked:
“Because of what phenomena being pure is this purity extremely bright?”
The Buddha said:
“Because Prajñāpāramitā up to and including the Perfection of Giving are pure, this purity is extremely bright. Because the Four Foundations of Mindfulness up to and including All-Mannered Wisdom are pure, this purity is extremely bright.”
Śāriputra asked:
“World-Honored One! Is this purity non-continuous?”
The Buddha said:
“Because it is ultimately pure.”
Śāriputra asked:
“Because what phenomena are non-continuous, therefore this purity is non-continuous?”
The Buddha said:
“Because form does not go and is not continuous, this purity is non-continuous; up to and including All-Mannered Wisdom does not go and is not continuous, therefore this purity is non-continuous.”
Śāriputra asked:
“World-Honored One! Is this purity without defilement?”
The Buddha said:
“Because it is ultimately pure.”
Śāriputra asked:
“Because what phenomena are without defilement, therefore this purity is without defilement?”
The Buddha said:
“Because the nature of form is always pure, this purity is without defilement; up to and including the nature of All-Mannered Wisdom being always pure, this purity is without defilement.”
Śāriputra asked:
“World-Honored One! Is this purity without attainment and without attachment?”
The Buddha said:
“Because it is ultimately pure.”
Śāriputra asked:
“Because what phenomena are without attainment and without attachment, therefore this purity is without attainment and without attachment?”
The Buddha said:
“Because form is without attainment and without attachment, up to and including All-Mannered Wisdom being without attainment and without attachment, this purity is without attainment and without attachment.”
Śāriputra asked:
“World-Honored One! Is this purity unborn?”
The Buddha said:
“Because it is ultimately pure.”
Śāriputra asked:
“World-Honored One! Because what phenomena are unborn, therefore this purity is unborn?”
The Buddha said:
“Because form is unborn, up to and including All-Mannered Wisdom being unborn, this purity is unborn.”
Śāriputra asked:
“World-Honored One! Is this purity not born within the Desire Realm?”
The Buddha said:
“Because it is ultimately pure.”
Śāriputra asked:
“Why is this purity not born within the Desire Realm?”
The Buddha said:
“Because the nature of the Desire Realm does not truly exist, this purity is not born within the Desire Realm.”
Śāriputra asked:
“World-Honored One! Is this purity not born within the Form Realm?”
The Buddha said:
“Because it is ultimately pure.”
Śāriputra asked:
“Why is this purity not born within the Form Realm?”
The Buddha said:
“Because the nature of the Form Realm does not truly exist, this purity is not born within the Form Realm.”
Śāriputra asked:
“World-Honored One! Is this purity not born within the Formless Realm?”
The Buddha taught:
“Because it is ultimately pure.”
Śāriputra asked:
“Why is this purity not born within the Formless Realm?”
The Buddha taught:
“Because the nature of the Formless Realm does not truly exist, this purity is not born within the Formless Realm.”
Śāriputra asked:
“World-Honored One! Is this purity without knowledge?”
The Buddha said:
“Because it is ultimately pure.”
Śāriputra asked:
“Why is this purity without knowledge?”
The Buddha said:
“Because of the profound and hidden nature of all phenomena, this purity is without knowledge.”
Śāriputra asked:
“World-Honored One! Because form is without knowledge, is this purity pure?”
The Buddha said:
“Because it is ultimately pure.”
Śāriputra asked:
“Why, because form is without knowledge, is this purity pure?”
The Buddha taught:
“Because the self-nature of form is empty, form is without knowledge, and this purity is pure.”
Śāriputra asked:
“World-Honored One! Because feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are without knowledge, is this purity pure?”
The Buddha said:
“Because it is ultimately pure.”
Śāriputra asked:
“Why, because feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are without knowledge, is this purity pure?”
The Buddha replied:
“Because feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are empty in their own nature, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are without knowledge, and this purity is pure.”
Śāriputra asked:
“World-Honored One! Because all phenomena are pure, is this purity pure?”
The Buddha said:
Because of ultimate purity. Śāriputra asked:
Why is it that because all dharmas are pure, this purity is purified?
The Buddha taught:
Because all dharmas do not truly exist, all dharmas are pure, and this purity is purified.
Śāriputra said:
World-Honored One! With regard to Omniscience, does this Prajñāpāramitā neither increase nor decrease?
The Buddha said:
Because of ultimate purity.
Śāriputra asked:
World-Honored One! Why, with regard to Omniscience, does this Prajñāpāramitā neither increase nor decrease?
The Buddha taught:
Because dharmas are permanently abiding, therefore with regard to Omniscience, this Prajñāpāramitā neither increases nor decreases.
Śāriputra said:
World-Honored One! Does this pure Prajñāpāramitā have no place of receiving among all dharmas?
The Buddha said:
Because of ultimate purity.
Śāriputra asked:
Why does this pure Prajñāpāramitā have no reception with regard to all dharmas?
The Buddha taught:
Because the nature of dharmas is unmoving, therefore this pure Prajñāpāramitā has no reception with regard to all dharmas.
Subhūti said:
World-Honored One! Is it because the self is pure that form is pure?
The Buddha said:
Because of ultimate purity.
Subhūti asked:
Why is it that because the self is pure, form is ultimately pure?
The Buddha said:
Because the self does not truly exist, form does not truly exist, and thus there is ultimate purity.
Subhūti said:
World-Honored One! Is it because the self is pure that feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are pure?
The Buddha said:
Because of ultimate purity.
Subhūti asked:
Why is it that because the self is pure, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are ultimately pure?
The Buddha taught:
Because the self does not truly exist, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness do not truly exist, and thus there is ultimate purity.
Subhūti said:
World-Honored One! Is it because the self is pure that the six pāramitās, the four foundations of mindfulness, up to the eighteen kinds of uncommon qualities are pure?
The Buddha said:
Because of ultimate purity. Why? Because the self does not truly exist, the six pāramitās up to the eighteen uncommon qualities do not truly exist, and thus there is ultimate purity.
Subhūti said:
World-Honored One! Is it because the self is pure that the fruit of Stream-entry up to Buddhahood is pure?
The Buddha said:
Because of ultimate purity. Why? Because of the emptiness of own-character.
Subhūti said:
World-Honored One! Is it because the self is pure that Omniscience is pure?
The Buddha said:
Because of ultimate purity. Why? Because of the absence of marks and the absence of thoughts.
Subhūti said:
World-Honored One! Is it because of the two purities that non-attainment and non-attachment are pure?
The Buddha said:
Because of ultimate purity. Why? Because there is neither defilement nor purity.
Subhūti said:
World-Honored One! Is it because the self is boundless that form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are pure?
The Buddha said:
Because of ultimate purity. Why? Because of ultimate emptiness and beginningless emptiness.
Subhūti said:
World-Honored One! If a Great Bodhisattva knows this in such a way, is this called the Prajñāpāramitā of a Great Bodhisattva?
The Buddha said:
Because of ultimate purity. Why? Because it knows the seeds of the path.
Subhūti said:
World-Honored One! A Great Bodhisattva practicing Prajñāpāramitā, through the power of skillful means, thinks: Form does not know form; feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness do not know feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; past dharmas do not know past dharmas; future dharmas do not know future dharmas; present dharmas do not know present dharmas.
The Buddha taught:
A Great Bodhisattva practicing Prajñāpāramitā, through the power of skillful means, does not think: “I give to others,” nor does he think: “I uphold precepts, I uphold such precepts; I practice patience, I practice such patience; I exert diligence, I exert such diligence; I enter meditation, I enter such meditation; I cultivate wisdom, I cultivate such wisdom; I obtain merit and virtue, I obtain such merit and virtue.”
This Great Bodhisattva also does not think: “I will ascend the stages of the Bodhisattva; I will purify the Buddha-fields, accomplish sentient beings, and attain Omniscient Wisdom.”
O Subhūti! This Great Bodhisattva practicing Prajñāpāramitā, through the power of skillful means, has no conceptual memories or discriminating thoughts, because of inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate truth emptiness, conditioned emptiness, unconditioned emptiness, ultimate emptiness, beginningless emptiness, dispersed emptiness, nature emptiness, emptiness of all dharmas, and own-character emptiness.
O Subhūti! This is called a Great Bodhisattva practicing Prajñāpāramitā, who, through the power of skillful means, attains unobstructedness.
Śakra, Lord of the Devas, asked Subhūti:
What kind of good man seeking the Bodhisattva path is obstructed by dharmas?
Subhūti said:
O Kāśika! There are some good men and good women seeking the Bodhisattva path who grasp the marks of mind. They grasp the marks of Giving Pāramitā, grasp the marks of Precepts Pāramitā up to the marks of Prajñāpāramitā; grasp the marks of inner emptiness up to the marks of emptiness of what is and what is not a dharma; grasp the marks of the four foundations of mindfulness up to the marks of the eightfold noble path; grasp the marks of the ten powers up to the marks of the eighteen uncommon qualities; grasp the marks of the Buddhas; grasp the marks of the roots of virtue planted by the Buddhas. They take the marks by which all these accumulated merits and virtues are grasped and dedicate them toward Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. This is the dharmic obstruction of good men and good women seeking the Bodhisattva path.
By this method, one cannot practice Prajñāpāramitā unobstructedly. Why? Because the mark of form, the marks of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness cannot be dedicated, and even the mark of Omniscient Wisdom cannot be dedicated.
O Kāśika! If one teaches people so that they reach Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, a Great Bodhisattva must teach them through the true reality of all dharmas.
If good men and good women seeking the Bodhisattva path practice the Pāramitā of Giving, they should not discriminate: “I give,” “I uphold precepts,” “I practice patience,” “I exert diligence,” “I enter concentration,” “I cultivate wisdom.” They should not discriminate: “I cultivate inner emptiness up to the cultivation of emptiness of what is and what is not a dharma; I cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eighteen uncommon qualities, up to Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.”
If one teaches Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi in this way, then one oneself is without error, just like the Buddha’s teaching of the Dharma, and causes good men and good women to be free from all dharmic obstructions.
The Buddha praised Subhūti:
Good, good! Just as you have said regarding the obstructive phenomena of the Bodhisattvas.
Now you shall listen to the subtle characteristics of obstacles.
If there are any virtuous men or virtuous women who have generated the mind of Unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment and cling to characteristics while recollecting the Buddhas.
Subhuti! Whatever characteristics can be obtained are all characteristics of obstruction.
Furthermore, regarding all the roots of virtue accumulated by the Buddhas from the time they first generated the mind until the time when the Dharma abides, if these virtuous men and virtuous women cling to characteristics, conceive thoughts of them, and dedicate them toward Unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment.
Subhuti! Whatever characteristics are obtained are all characteristics of obstruction.
Furthermore, regarding the roots of virtue of the Buddhas, of the great disciples, and of other sentient beings, if one clings to characteristics and dedicates them toward Unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment.
Subhuti! Whatever characteristics are obtained are all characteristics of obstruction. Why? Because one should not cling to characteristics in remembering the Buddhas, nor should one cling to characteristics in remembering the roots of virtue of the Buddhas.
Subhuti said:
“World-Honored One! This Prajñāpāramitā is extremely profound!”
The Buddha said:
“Because all phenomena are always separate.”
Subhuti said:
“World-Honored One! I should respectfully pay homage to this Prajñāpāramitā.”
The Buddha said:
“Because this Prajñāpāramitā neither arises nor is created, therefore no one can attain it.”
Subhuti said:
“World-Honored One! All phenomena likewise cannot be known and cannot be attained.”
The Buddha said:
“All phenomena have a single nature, not two natures.
This single nature of phenomena is also without nature. This absence of nature itself is nature. This nature neither arises nor is created.
Indeed, if a Great Bodhisattva knows that all phenomena have a single nature, which is without nature, without arising, and without creation, then they are far removed from all obstacles.”
Subhuti said:
“World-Honored One! This Prajñāpāramitā is difficult to know, difficult to understand.”
The Buddha said:
“Just as you have said, this Prajñāpāramitā has no one who sees, no one who hears, no one who understands, no one who knows, and no one who attains.”
Subhuti said:
“World-Honored One! This Prajñāpāramitā cannot be contemplated or discussed.”
The Buddha taught:
“Just as you have said! This Prajñāpāramitā does not arise from the mind, does not arise from form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness, and does not arise from even the eighteen exclusive qualities of a Buddha.”
Chapter 43: NON-CREATION
Subhuti said:
O World-Honored One! Is this Prajñāpāramitā without any action being performed? The Buddha replied:
Because the doer does not truly exist. Because form does not truly exist, and all phenomena do not truly exist.
Subhūti asked:
If a Great Bodhisattva wishes to practice Prajñāpāramitā, how should they practice it?
The Buddha taught:
If one wishes to practice Prajñāpāramitā, a Great Bodhisattva does not practice form, does not practice feeling, perception, formations, consciousness, and up to does not practice All-Knowledge; this is practicing Prajñāpāramitā.
A Great Bodhisattva, with regard to form and up to All-Knowledge, does not practice them as permanent or impermanent; this is practicing Prajñāpāramitā.
A Great Bodhisattva, with regard to form and up to All-Knowledge, does not practice them as self or not-self; this is practicing Prajñāpāramitā.
A Great Bodhisattva, with regard to form and up to All-Knowledge, does not practice them as pure or impure; this is practicing Prajñāpāramitā.
Why? Because form, feeling, perception, formations, consciousness, and up to All-Knowledge originally have no inherent nature; how then could there be permanence, impermanence, suffering, happiness, self, non-self, purity, or impurity?
Furthermore, Subhūti, when practicing Prajñāpāramitā, if a Great Bodhisattva does not practice incomplete form, and up to does not practice incomplete All-Knowledge, this is practicing Prajñāpāramitā. Why? Because incomplete form is not called form; when one does not practice it in this way, that is called practicing Prajñāpāramitā. Up to incomplete All-Knowledge is not called All-Knowledge; when one does not practice it in this way, that is called practicing Prajñāpāramitā.
Subhūti said:
It is truly unprecedented, World-Honored One. You have skillfully explained the obstructed characteristics and unobstructed characteristics of the virtuous men and women who seek the Bodhisattva path.
The Buddha said:
That is so. The Buddha skillfully explains the obstructed characteristics and unobstructed characteristics of the virtuous men and women who seek the Bodhisattva path.
Furthermore, Subhūti, when practicing Prajñāpāramitā, if a Great Bodhisattva does not practice form and is without obstruction, this is practicing Prajñāpāramitā; up to if they do not practice All-Knowledge and are without obstruction, this is practicing Prajñāpāramitā.
Subhūti, when practicing Prajñāpāramitā in this way, a Great Bodhisattva knows that form is unobstructed, knows that feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are unobstructed, and up to knows that All-Knowledge is unobstructed. They know that the fruit of Stream-entry is unobstructed, and up to know that the path of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi (Supreme Perfect Enlightenment) is unobstructed.
Subhūti said:
It is truly unprecedented, World-Honored One!
This profound Dharma, whether it is explained or not explained, neither increases nor decreases.
The Buddha said:
That is so. This profound Dharma, whether spoken or not spoken, neither increases nor decreases.
It is like the Buddha: whether praised or criticized, even throughout the entire lifetime, He remains like empty space. Whether praised or criticized, there is neither increase nor decrease.
Subhūti, just like an illusory person, when praised or criticized, neither increases nor decreases. When praised, they do not rejoice; when criticized, they do not become sad.
Subhūti, the nature of all phenomena is also like this. When spoken of, it is the same and not different; when not spoken of, it is also the same and not different.
Subhūti said:
World-Honored One! What the Great Bodhisattvas do is extremely difficult. While cultivating this Prajñāpāramitā, they neither rejoice nor worry, yet they are able to practice Prajñāpāramitā and also do not retreat on the path toward Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
Why? Because, World-Honored One, cultivating Prajñāpāramitā is like cultivating empty space. Just as within empty space there is no Prajñāpāramitā, and up to no Dāna-pāramitā (Perfection of Giving); just as within empty space there is no form, feeling, perception, formations, consciousness, and up to no eighteen exclusive qualities of a Buddha; just as within empty space there is no fruit of Stream-entry, and up to the path of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, cultivating Prajñāpāramitā is also like this.
World-Honored One! Everyone should respectfully pay homage to those Great Bodhisattvas who are able to adorn themselves with such vast vows.
World-Honored One! These Great Bodhisattvas, for the sake of sentient beings, adorn themselves with vast vows and diligently cultivate vigor, just as empty space is adorned with vast vows and diligent vigor.
World-Honored One! These Great Bodhisattvas wish to liberate sentient beings just as one wishes to liberate empty space.
World-Honored One! These Great Bodhisattvas are adorned with vast vows like empty space, and they universally adorn all sentient beings with vast vows.
World-Honored One! These Great Bodhisattvas are adorned with vast vows in order to liberate sentient beings, just like the entirety of empty space.
World-Honored One! These Great Bodhisattvas possess the power of great diligence and vigor; because they wish to liberate sentient beings, they arouse the mind of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
World-Honored One! These Great Bodhisattvas are greatly powerful; because they wish to liberate sentient beings who are the same as empty space, they arouse the mind of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
Why? World-Honored One! Because if Buddhas filling the great trichiliocosm like bamboo, reeds, sugarcane, rice, sesame, bushes, and forests were all to continuously teach the Dharma throughout one kalpa, and each Buddha liberated immeasurable, boundless, innumerable sentient beings, helping them enter Nirvāṇa—
The nature of these sentient beings would still neither increase nor decrease.
Why? Because sentient beings originally do not truly exist; they are separated [from inherent existence].
Up to all the Buddhas in the lands of the ten directions liberating sentient beings, the nature of sentient beings would still neither increase nor decrease in the same way.
World-Honored One! Because of this cause and condition, I say that these Great Bodhisattvas arouse the mind of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi in order to liberate sentient beings, as if wishing to liberate empty space.
At that time, a bhikshu said:
I should bow in homage to Prajñāpāramitā. Although within Prajñāpāramitā there is no arising Dharma and no ceasing Dharma, there are the precepts, meditations, and wisdom; there are the assemblies of liberation and the assemblies of liberation-knowledge and vision. There are the stages of Stream-enterer, Once-returner, Non-returner, Arhat, Pratyekabuddha, and Buddhas. There are the Buddha Treasure, Dharma Treasure, Bhikshu Saṅgha Treasure, and the turning of the Dharma Wheel.
At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Devas, asked Venerable Subhūti:
If a Great Bodhisattva cultivates Prajñāpāramitā, what Dharma is being cultivated?
Subhūti said to Śakra:
O Kāśika! This Great Bodhisattva, in cultivating Prajñāpāramitā, is cultivating emptiness.
Śakra said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One! If virtuous men and women receive and uphold this Prajñāpāramitā, draw near to it, read and recite it, explain it, and contemplate it, what should we protect?
Subhūti asked Śakra:
O Kāśika! Do you see any Dharma that can be protected?
Śakra said:
No, Venerable Great One. I do not see any Dharma that can be protected.
Subhūti said:
If any virtuous man or woman practices according to the teachings in Prajñāpāramitā, then this itself is protection. That is, by constantly practicing according to the teachings in Prajñāpāramitā and not becoming separated from it, no person or non-human being can harm this virtuous man or woman.
It should be known that this good man or good woman does not separate from the Prajñāpāramitā.
O Kāśika! If someone wishes to maintain and protect the Bodhisattvas practicing Prajñāpāramitā, that person is wishing to maintain and protect empty space.
O Kāśika! What do you think? Can you maintain and protect dreams, mirages, shadows, echoes, illusions, and transformations?
The Lord of Heaven said:
I cannot maintain and protect them.
Subhūti said:
If someone wishes to maintain and protect the Bodhisattvas practicing Prajñāpāramitā, it is also like this; it is merely exhausting oneself in vain.
O Kāśika! Can you maintain and protect the Buddha’s transformations?
The Lord of Heaven said:
I cannot maintain and protect them.
Subhūti said:
If someone wishes to maintain and protect the Bodhisattvas practicing Prajñāpāramitā, it is also like this.
O Kāśika! Can one maintain and protect the nature of phenomena, ultimate reality, suchness, and the inconceivable nature?
The Lord of Heaven said:
They cannot be maintained and protected.
Subhūti said:
If someone wishes to maintain the Bodhisattvas practicing Prajñāpāramitā, it is also like this.
The Lord of Heaven asked:
Venerable Subhūti! How does a Great Bodhisattva practicing Prajñāpāramitā see and know all phenomena as like dreams, like mirages, like reflections, like echoes, like illusions, and like transformations? How is it that Great Bodhisattvas, according to their own seeing and knowing, do not conceive of dreams, do not conceive them as dreams, do not recollect using dreams, and do not think, “I am dreaming”?
Just as dreams are, so too are mirages, images, echoes, illusions, and transformations.
Subhūti said:
O Kāśika! If a Great Bodhisattva practicing Prajñāpāramitā does not think of form, does not conceive of it as form, does not conceive of using form, and does not conceive of form as belonging to me, then this Great Bodhisattva can likewise not think of dreams, not think of them as dreams, not think of using dreams, and not think, “I am dreaming”; up to illusions and transformations, it is the same.
If a Great Bodhisattva, up to All-Knowledge, does not regard All-Knowledge as such, does not conceive of it as All-Knowledge, does not conceive of using All-Knowledge, and does not conceive of All-Knowledge as belonging to me, then this Great Bodhisattva can likewise, up to transformations, not conceive of transformations, not conceive of them as transformations, not conceive of using transformations, and not conceive of transformations as belonging to me.
O Kāśika! Beings in the hell realms, hungry ghosts, and animals likewise know that all phenomena are like dreams, like mirages, like reflections, like echoes, like illusions, and like transformations.
At that time, through the Buddha’s spiritual power, throughout the great trichiliocosm, all the heavens—the Four Heavenly Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Yāma Heaven, the Tuṣita Heaven, the Nirmāṇarati Heaven, the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven, the Brahmā Heaven, the Brahmā Ministers Heaven, the Brahmā Assembly Heaven, the Great Brahmā Heaven, the Lesser Light Heaven, and up to the Pure Abode Heavens—all scattered heavenly sandalwood fragrance upon the body of the Buddha. Together they came to the Buddha’s presence, bowed with their heads and faces at the Buddha’s feet, and then stood to one side.
Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, these heavenly beings all saw a thousand Buddhas in the eastern direction teaching the Dharma, with the same appearance, the same characteristics, and the same names, explaining this chapter of Prajñāpāramitā. All the bhikṣus were named Subhūti, and those who questioned this chapter of Prajñāpāramitā were all named Śakra, Lord of the Devas.
Just as in the eastern direction, the other nine directions also each manifested a thousand Buddhas in the same way.
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
When the Great Bodhisattva Maitreya attains Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, he will also teach Prajñāpāramitā at this place. The Great Bodhisattvas of the Fortunate Eon, when they attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, will likewise teach Prajñāpāramitā at this place.
Subhūti said:
World-Honored One! When Bodhisattva Maitreya becomes a Buddha, by what characteristics, causes, and meanings will he explain the meaning of Prajñāpāramitā?
The Buddha said:
O Subhūti! When Bodhisattva Maitreya attains Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, he will teach the Dharma in this way:
Form is neither permanent nor impermanent. Form is neither suffering nor happiness.
Form is neither self nor non-self. Form is neither pure nor impure.
Form is neither bondage nor liberation.
Form is neither past, nor future, nor present.
The purity of form is ultimately complete.
Feeling, perception, formations, consciousness, up to All-knowing Wisdom, are also the same.
Subhūti said:
“World-Honored One! Is this Prajñāpāramitā pure?”
The Buddha said:
“Subhūti, because form is pure, Prajñāpāramitā is pure. Because feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are pure, Prajñāpāramitā is pure.”
Subhūti said:
“World-Honored One! How is it that because form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are pure, Prajñāpāramitā is pure?”
The Buddha said:
“Subhūti, if form neither arises nor ceases, neither becomes defiled nor purified, then it is called the purity of form. If feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness neither arise nor cease, neither become impure nor pure, then they are called the purity of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness.
Furthermore, Subhūti, because space is pure, Prajñāpāramitā is pure.”
Subhūti asked:
“World-Honored One! How is it that because space is pure, Prajñāpāramitā is pure?”
The Buddha taught:
“Subhūti, because space neither arises nor ceases, it is pure. Prajñāpāramitā is also like this.
Furthermore, Subhūti, because form is not defiled, Prajñāpāramitā is pure. Because feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are not defiled, Prajñāpāramitā is pure.
Why is this so? Subhūti, just as space is pure because it is not defiled.
Why is this so? Subhūti, because space does not truly exist, space is pure. Because space is pure, Prajñāpāramitā is pure.
Furthermore, Subhūti, because space can be spoken of, Prajñāpāramitā is pure.
Why is this so? Because from space two sounds can arise, therefore Prajñāpāramitā, like space, can be spoken of; therefore Prajñāpāramitā is pure.
Subhūti, because space cannot be explained, Prajñāpāramitā is pure.”
“World-Honored One, why is this so? Because space cannot be spoken of, Prajñāpāramitā is pure.”
The Buddha said:
“Subhūti, just as space cannot be spoken of, Prajñāpāramitā is pure. Also, just as space does not truly exist and therefore space is pure, Prajñāpāramitā also does not truly exist and therefore Prajñāpāramitā is pure.
Furthermore, Subhūti, because all phenomena neither arise nor cease, neither become defiled nor purified, Prajñāpāramitā is pure.
Why is this so? Because all phenomena are ultimately pure, therefore Prajñāpāramitā is pure.”
Subhūti said:
“World-Honored One! If any virtuous man or virtuous woman receives, upholds, approaches, and remembers this Prajñāpāramitā, they will never suffer illness. Their eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body will never become diseased. Their bodies will not be crippled, nor will they decline with old age, nor die unjustly. Countless heavenly beings, from the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings up to the Pure Abode Heavens, will all follow them to listen and learn.
On each of the six monthly observance days: the eighth, fourteenth, fifteenth, twenty-third, twenty-ninth, and thirtieth days, at the place where this virtuous man or virtuous woman acts as a Dharma teacher and expounds Prajñāpāramitā, all the heavenly assemblies will gather there.
Among the great assembly, the virtuous man or virtuous woman who expounds this Prajñāpāramitā will obtain immeasurable, boundless, countless, inconceivable, incomparable merit and virtue.”
The Buddha said:
“That is exactly as Subhūti has said. Why? Because Prajñāpāramitā is a great jewel.
What is this great jewel? It is this Prajñāpāramitā, which has the ability to remove the poverty of hell beings, animals, hungry ghosts, and humans. Prajñāpāramitā has the ability to bestow noble clans, great families, Kṣatriyas, Brahmins, householders; it can bestow the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings up to the Realm of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception; it can bestow the fruits of Stream-entry, Once-returning, Non-returning, Arhatship, Pratyekabuddhahood, and Unsurpassed Complete Perfect Enlightenment.
Why? Because within Prajñāpāramitā there is a broad explanation of the ten wholesome practices, the four meditations, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless concentrations, the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, the eightfold noble path, the Perfection of Giving, the Perfection of Precepts, the Perfection of Patience, the Perfection of Diligence, the Perfection of Meditation, the Perfection of Prajñā, the eighteen kinds of emptiness, the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, and up to All-varieties Wisdom.
By learning according to this, one is born into great Kṣatriya families, great Brahmin families, great householder families, the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods, the Yāma Heaven, the Tuṣita Heaven, the Heaven of Enjoying Emanations, the Heaven of Freely Enjoying Others’ Emanations, the Brahmā Assembly Heaven, the Brahmā Ministers Heaven, the Great Brahmā Heaven, the Lesser Light Heaven, the Infinite Light Heaven, the Light-Sound Heaven, the Lesser Purity Heaven, the Infinite Purity Heaven, the Universal Purity Heaven, the Cloudless Heaven, the Heaven of Merit Production, the Vast Fruit Heaven, the No-Thought Heaven, the No Affliction Heaven, the No Heat Heaven, the Good Seeing Heaven, the Good Appearance Heaven, the Highest Form Heaven, the Infinite Space Realm, the Infinite Consciousness Realm, the Nothingness Realm, and the Realm of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception.
By learning this Dharma, one attains the fruit of Stream-entry, the fruit of Once-returning, the fruit of Non-returning, the fruit of Arhatship, the path of Pratyekabuddhahood, and the path of Unsurpassed Complete Perfect Enlightenment.
Subhūti, therefore Prajñāpāramitā is called the great jewel.
Within the jewel of the Perfection, no phenomenon truly exists—whether arising, ceasing, defiled, purified, taken, or abandoned.
Within the jewel of the Perfection, there is also no phenomenon that is wholesome or unwholesome, worldly or transcendent, with outflows or without outflows, conditioned or unconditioned.
Therefore it is called the jewel of the Perfection without attainment.
Subhūti, this jewel of the Perfection cannot be defiled by any phenomenon.
Why? Because the defiling phenomenon that is used is not truly existent. Therefore it is called the undefiled jewel of the Perfection.
Subhūti, when a great Bodhisattva practices Prajñāpāramitā, they neither know in this way, nor distinguish in this way, nor cling to this way, nor engage in conceptual proliferation in this way. This is what enables them to practice Prajñāpāramitā. They can also pay homage to all Buddhas, travel from one Buddha land to another Buddha land to make offerings, respectfully honor and praise all Buddhas, go to Buddha lands to mature sentient beings, and purify Buddha lands.
Subhūti, regarding all phenomena, this Prajñāpāramitā has no ability, is not without ability, neither receives nor gives, neither arises nor ceases, neither becomes defiled nor purified, neither increases nor decreases.
This Prajñāpāramitā is neither past, nor future, nor present. It neither departs from the Desire Realm, Form Realm, or Formless Realm, nor does it abide in the Desire Realm, Form Realm, or Formless Realm.
This Prajñāpāramitā neither gives the Perfection of Giving through the Perfection of Meditation and the Perfection of Prajñā, nor abandons the Perfection of Giving through the Perfection of Meditation and the Perfection of Prajñā.
This Prajñāpāramitā neither gives inner emptiness up to the emptiness of the non-existent and existent Dharma, nor abandons them. It neither gives the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold noble path, nor abandons them. It neither gives the ten powers up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, nor abandons them. It neither gives the fruit of Stream-entry up to All-knowing Wisdom, nor abandons them.
This Prajñāpāramitā neither gives the Dharma of the Arhat, nor abandons the Dharma of ordinary beings. It neither gives the Dharma of the Pratyekabuddha, nor abandons the Dharma of the Arhat. It neither gives the Dharma of the Buddha, nor abandons the Dharma of the Pratyekabuddha.
This Prajñāpāramitā neither gives the unconditioned Dharma, nor abandons the conditioned Dharma.
Why? Because whether there is a Buddha or no Buddha, these characteristics of phenomena are always abiding and unchanging, because the characteristics of phenomena, the abiding of phenomena, and the nature of phenomena always remain constant, without error or loss.
At that time, the devas standing in the sky rejoiced and were delighted, uttering a great sound. They took the Utpala flowers, Padma flowers, Kumuda flowers, and Puṇḍarīka flowers and scattered them upon the body of the Buddha, saying that in Jambudvīpa we have seen the turning of the Dharma wheel for the second time.
Among them, there were countless hundreds of thousands of devas who attained the Patient Endurance of Non-arising.
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
This Dharma wheel that is turned is not turned for the first time, nor is it turned for the second time.
This Prajñāpāramitā does not appear through flowing or through cessation, because the emptiness of existent and nonexistent dharmas is empty.
Subhūti said:
World-Honored One, how is it that the emptiness of existent and nonexistent dharmas means that Prajñāpāramitā does not appear through flowing or through cessation?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, Prajñāpāramitā, the characteristic of Prajñāpāramitā, is empty; up to the Perfection of Giving, the characteristic of the Perfection of Giving is empty; inner emptiness, the characteristic of inner emptiness is empty; up to the emptiness of existent and nonexistent dharmas, the characteristic of the emptiness of existent and nonexistent dharmas is empty; the four foundations of mindfulness, the characteristic of the four foundations of mindfulness is empty; up to the eightfold Noble Path, the characteristic of the eightfold Noble Path is empty; the Buddha’s ten powers, the characteristic of the ten powers is empty; up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, the characteristic of the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha is empty; the fruit of Stream-entry, the characteristic of the fruit of Once-returning is empty; up to All-knowing Wisdom, the characteristic of All-knowing Wisdom is empty.
Subhūti said:
World-Honored One, the Prajñāpāramitā of the great Bodhisattvas is the Great Perfection. Why?
Although all dharmas by their own nature are empty, the great Bodhisattvas, through Prajñāpāramitā, attain Supreme Perfect Enlightenment. Yet there is no dharma that turns the Dharma wheel, no dharma that flows, and no dharma that ceases.
Within this Prajñāpāramitā there is also no dharma that can be seen.
Why? Because this dharma does not have anything that can be attained, whether through flowing or through cessation, because all dharmas ultimately do not arise.
Why? Because this mark of emptiness, this mark of signlessness, and this mark of wishlessness are neither flowing nor cessation.
If Prajñāpāramitā is explained in this way, and if one is able to teach, reveal, distinguish clearly, and explain in detail, then this is called a pure explanation of Prajñāpāramitā. There is also no speaker, no listener, and no one who realizes it.
If there is no speaking, no hearing, and no realization, then it also does not perish.
In this teaching of the Dharma, there is also no definite field of merit.
**Chapter 44: UNIVERSAL PRAISE**
Subhūti said:
World-Honored One, the Perfection without limits is Prajñāpāramitā.
The Buddha said:
Because it is like limitless space.
Subhūti said:
The equal Perfection is Prajñāpāramitā.
The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas are equal. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of being far removed is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because it is ultimately empty. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of indestructibility is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of having no other shore is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because there is no name and no body. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā without the great elements is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because inhalation and exhalation do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā that cannot be spoken of is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because thought and observation do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā without name is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of not going is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas do not come. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of not moving is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas cannot be subdued. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of exhaustion is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas are ultimately exhausted. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of non-arising is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas are imperishable. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of non-destruction is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas are unborn. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of non-action is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the doer does not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of non-knowing is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the knower does not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of non-arrival is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because birth and death do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of not losing is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas do not perish.
Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of dreams is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because even the things seen in dreams do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of echoes is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the hearer of sounds does not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of reflections is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because reflections in a mirror do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of mirages is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the flow of water does not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of illusions is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because magical illusions do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of being without defilement is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because afflictions do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of being without purity is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all afflictions are false and empty. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of being without impurity is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because places do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of being free from conceptual proliferation is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all conceptual proliferations are destroyed. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of being without thoughts is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all thoughts are destroyed. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of immovability is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the nature of dharma is permanently abiding. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of non-attachment is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because one knows that all dharmas are falsely understood. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of non-arising is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas are without differentiation. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of quiescence is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the characteristics of all dharmas do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of being without desire is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because desire does not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of being without anger is Prajñāpāramitā.
The Buddha said:
Because anger and hatred do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of being without ignorance is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the darkness of ignorance is extinguished. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā without afflictions is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because discriminating thoughts and recollections are false and empty. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā without sentient beings is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because sentient beings do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of non-discontinuation is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because dharmas do not arise. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā without two extremes is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because there are no two extremes. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of being indestructible is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas are not separate from one another. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of non-grasping is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because it surpasses the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of non-discrimination is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because deluded thoughts do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of immeasurability is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because limitations of dharmas do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of emptiness like space is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of impermanence is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas are destroyed. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of suffering is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas have the characteristic of suffering and affliction. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of non-self is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas are not grasped. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of emptiness is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas do not truly exist. Subhūti said:
The Pāramitā of signlessness is Prajñāpāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas are unborn.
Subhuti said:
The perfection of inner emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because inner dharmas do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of outer emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because outer dharmas do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of inner and outer emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because inner and outer dharmas do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of emptiness of emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the dharma of emptiness of emptiness does not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of great emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of ultimate truth emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because Nirvana does not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of conditioned emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because conditioned dharmas do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of unconditioned emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because unconditioned dharmas do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of ultimate emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas are ultimately empty and do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of beginningless emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because beginningless dharmas do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of dispersed emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because dispersed dharmas do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of nature emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the nature of conditioned and unconditioned dharmas does not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of all dharmas emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of emptiness of non-attainment is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because there is no true existence. Subhuti said:
The perfection of self-characteristic emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas, by their own characteristics, are far removed. Subhuti said:
The perfection of non-existence emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā.
The Buddha said:
Because non-existence does not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of existent dharma emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because existent dharmas do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of emptiness of both non-existent and existent dharmas is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because both non-existent and existent dharmas do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because body, feelings, mind, and dharmas do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of Right Effort is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because wholesome dharmas and unwholesome dharmas do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of the Bases of Supernatural Power is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the four Bases of Supernatural Power do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of the Faculties is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the five Faculties do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of the Powers is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the five Powers do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of Enlightenment is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the seven Factors of Enlightenment do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of the Path is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the eightfold Noble Path does not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of Non-action is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because non-action does not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of Emptiness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the characteristic of emptiness does not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of Signlessness is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the characteristic of quiescence does not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of Reversal is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the eight Liberations do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of Concentration is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the nine successive concentrations do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of Giving is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because stinginess does not truly exist.
Subhuti said:
The perfection of Śīla is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because breaking precepts does not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of Kṣānti is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because patience and lack of patience both do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of Vīrya is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because laziness and diligence both do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of Dhyāna is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because concentration and distraction both do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of Prajñā is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because ignorance and wisdom both do not truly exist. Subhuti said:
The perfection of the Ten Powers is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas cannot be overcome. Subhuti said:
The perfection of the Four Fearlessnesses is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because the Knowledge of the Nature of the Path is not lost. Subhuti said:
The perfection of Unobstructed Knowledge is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all dharmas are without obstruction and without hindrance. Subhuti said:
The perfection of Buddha-dharmas is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because it surpasses all dharmas. Subhuti said:
The perfection of True Explanation is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because all speech is true. Subhuti said:
The perfection of the Natural State is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because it is free and sovereign with regard to all dharmas. Subhuti said:
The perfection of Buddhahood is Prajñā-pāramitā. The Buddha said:
Because it knows the Omniscient Wisdom.