THE MAHĀPRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ SŪTRA
VOLUME 100
Chapter 29: APPROPRIATION (2)
At that time, the World-Honored One, knowing clearly that the four assemblies — namely, the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās — and the Great Bodhisattvas, together with the four great heavenly kings and the hosts of the gods of the Thirty-Three, the gods of Yāma, the gods of Tuṣita, the gods of Nirmāṇarati, the gods of Paranirmitavaśavartin, the gods of Brahma’s Retinue, the gods of Brahma’s Ministers, the gods of Brahma’s Assembly, the Great Brahma gods, the gods of Light, the gods of Minor Light, the gods of Immeasurable Light, the gods of Extreme Pure Light, the gods of Pure, the gods of Minor Pure, the gods of Immeasurable Pure, the gods of Pervading Pure, the gods of Vast, the gods of Minor Vast, the gods of Immeasurable Vast, the gods of Great Fruit, the gods of Without Vexation, the gods of Without Heat, the gods of Excellent Manifestation, the gods of Excellent Vision, and the Akaniṣṭha gods, had all assembled and come together as witnesses, thereupon addressed Indra Śakra:
“Kauśika, if Great Bodhisattvas, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, or heavenly sons, heavenly daughters, or good men and good women — not departing from the mind of all-knowing-wisdom, taking non-attainment as the means — regarding this perfection of wisdom: uphold, recite, diligently cultivate, contemplate according to the wondrous principle, expound for others, and spread it widely — they should know that those people will never be harassed and destroyed by evil māras and their retinues. Why? Kauśika, because those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of form; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because form aggregates… — their self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the eye base; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind bases — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the eye base… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the form base; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma bases — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the form base… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the eye element; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the form element, eye consciousness element, eye contact, and the feelings arising from eye contact as condition — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the eye element… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the ear element; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the sound element, ear consciousness element, ear contact, and the feelings arising from ear contact as condition — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the ear element… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the nose element; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the smell element, nose consciousness element, nose contact, and the feelings arising from nose contact as condition — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the nose element… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the tongue element; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the taste element, tongue consciousness element, tongue contact, and the feelings arising from tongue contact as condition — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the tongue element… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the body element; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the touch element, body consciousness element, body contact, and the feelings arising from body contact as condition — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the body element… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the mind element; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the dharma element, mind consciousness element, mind contact, and the feelings arising from mind contact as condition — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the mind element… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the earth element; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the earth element… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the noble truth of suffering; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the noble truths of origination, cessation, and the path — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the noble truth of suffering… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of ignorance; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six bases, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, becoming, birth, and aging-and-death with sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because ignorance… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of inner emptiness; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate emptiness, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, absolute emptiness, boundless emptiness, scattered emptiness, emptiness without change, emptiness of inherent nature, emptiness of individual characteristics, emptiness of shared characteristics, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of the ungraspable, emptiness of non-nature, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of non-nature-self-nature — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because inner emptiness… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of suchness; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the dharma realm, dharma nature, nature of non-falsity, nature of non-alteration, nature of equality, nature of separation from birth, dharma-fixed, dharma-abiding, ultimate reality, realm of empty space, and the inconceivable realm — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because suchness… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the perfection of generosity; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the perfections of pure precepts, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the perfection of generosity… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the four dhyānas; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the four immeasurables and four formless concentrations — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the four dhyānas… — their self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the eight liberations; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the eight spheres of mastery, nine successive concentrations, and ten totalities — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the eight liberations… — their self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the four foundations of mindfulness; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the four right efforts, four bases of supernatural power, five spiritual faculties, five powers, seven factors of enlightenment, and noble eightfold path — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the four foundations of mindfulness… — their self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the dharma gate of liberation through emptiness; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the dharma gates of liberation through signlessness and wishlessness — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the dharma gate of liberation through emptiness… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the five kinds of eyes; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the six supernatural powers — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the five kinds of eyes… — their self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness pertaining to the ten powers of the Buddha; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the four fearlessnesses, four unobstructed knowledges, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great empathetic joy, great equanimity, and eighteen unshared qualities of the Buddha — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the ten powers of the Buddha… — their self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness pertaining to the dharma of non-forgetfulness; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the nature of constant equanimity — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the dharma of non-forgetfulness… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the wisdom of all-knowing; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the wisdom of the aspects of the path and wisdom of all aspects — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the wisdom of all-knowing… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of all the dhāraṇī dharma gates; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of all the samādhi dharma gates — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because all the dhāraṇī dharma gates… — their self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of stream-enterers; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of once-returners, non-returners, and arahants — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because stream-enterers… — their self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the stream-entry path and stream-entry fruit; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the once-return path, once-return fruit, non-return path, non-return fruit, arahant path, and arahant fruit — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the stream-entry path and stream-entry fruit… — their self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of pratyekabuddhas; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the pratyekabuddha path and pratyekabuddha fruit — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because pratyekabuddhas… — their self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of Great Bodhisattvas; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the Samyaksaṃbuddha — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because Great Bodhisattvas… — their self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the dharmas of Great Bodhisattvas; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the fruit of Supreme Enlightenment — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the dharmas of Great Bodhisattvas… — their self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… have skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the Śrāvaka vehicle; skillfully abided in the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness of the Pratyekabuddha vehicle and the Supreme Vehicle — they cannot use emptiness to attain penetration of emptiness, cannot use signlessness to attain penetration of signlessness, cannot use wishlessness to attain penetration of wishlessness. Why? Because the Śrāvaka vehicle… — its self-nature is all empty, so the harmer, the harmed, and the harm cannot be grasped.
Furthermore, Kauśika, those good men and good women… are people whom humans and non-humans cannot easily harm. Why? Because those good men and good women, taking non-attainment as the means, have skillfully cultivated loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity toward all sentient beings.
Kauśika, those good men and good women… will never be harmed by sudden and unexpected dangerous incidents, nor will they die suddenly. Why? Because those good men and good women practice the perfection of generosity, always bringing true peace to sentient beings.
Furthermore, Kauśika, in this trichiliocosm there are hosts of the gods of the Four Great Kings, the Thirty-Three, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, Paranirmitavaśavartin, Brahma’s Retinue, Extreme Pure Light, Pervading Pure, and Great Fruit… who have given rise to the mind seeking Supreme Enlightenment. If any of them has not yet heard, upheld, recited, diligently studied, or rightly contemplated this perfection of wisdom, now they should — not departing from the mind of all-knowing-wisdom, taking non-attainment as the means — attentively listen to, uphold, recite, diligently study, and rightly contemplate this perfection of wisdom.
Kauśika, if those good men and good women… not departing from the mind of all-knowing-wisdom, taking non-attainment as the means, attentively listen to, uphold, recite, diligently study, and rightly contemplate this perfection of wisdom, then those good men and good women — whether in an empty dwelling, in a wasteland, on a dangerous road, or in a place of disasters — will never feel fear, terror, or dread. Why? Because those good men and good women, not departing from the mind of all-knowing-wisdom, taking non-attainment as the means, have skillfully cultivated inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate emptiness, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, absolute emptiness, boundless emptiness, scattered emptiness, emptiness without change, emptiness of inherent nature, emptiness of individual characteristics, emptiness of shared characteristics, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of the ungraspable, emptiness of non-nature, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of non-nature-self-nature.”
At that time, in this trichiliocosm, the hosts of the gods of the Four Great Kings, the Thirty-Three, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, Paranirmitavaśavartin, Brahma’s Retinue, Brahma’s Ministers, Brahma’s Assembly, Great Brahma, Light, Minor Light, Immeasurable Light, Extreme Pure Light, Pure, Minor Pure, Immeasurable Pure, Pervading Pure, Vast, Minor Vast, Immeasurable Vast, Great Fruit, Without Vexation, Without Heat, Excellent Manifestation, Excellent Vision, and Akaniṣṭha… together addressed the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, if good men and good women… not departing from the mind of all-knowing-wisdom, taking non-attainment as the means, regarding this supremely profound perfection of wisdom: always uphold, recite, diligently study, rightly contemplate, copy out and explain, and spread it widely — we will always reverently protect them and not allow any disasters to suddenly harm them. Why? Because those good men and good women are Great Bodhisattvas.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, sentient beings are forever freed from falling into the evil destinies of hells, animal realms, the realm of hungry ghosts, and the realm of asuras.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, gods and humans are forever freed from all suffering due to disasters, illness, poverty, hunger and thirst, heat and cold, and so forth.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the ten paths of virtuous karma.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the four dhyānas, four immeasurables, and four formless concentrations.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the eight liberations, eight spheres of mastery, nine successive concentrations, and ten totalities.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the dharmas of the perfection of generosity, pure precepts, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate emptiness, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, absolute emptiness, boundless emptiness, scattered emptiness, emptiness without change, emptiness of inherent nature, emptiness of individual characteristics, emptiness of shared characteristics, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of the ungraspable, emptiness of non-nature, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of non-nature-self-nature.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has suchness, the dharma realm, dharma nature, nature of non-falsity, nature of non-alteration, nature of equality, nature of separation from birth, dharma-fixed, dharma-abiding, ultimate reality, realm of empty space, and the inconceivable realm.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the noble truth of suffering and the noble truths of origination, cessation, and the path.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the four foundations of mindfulness, four right efforts, four bases of supernatural power, five spiritual faculties, five powers, seven factors of enlightenment, and noble eightfold path.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the dharma gate of liberation through emptiness and the dharma gates of liberation through signlessness and wishlessness.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the five kinds of eyes and the six supernatural powers.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the ten powers of the Buddha, four fearlessnesses, four unobstructed knowledges, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great empathetic joy, great equanimity, and eighteen unshared qualities of the Buddha.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the dharma of non-forgetfulness and the nature of constant equanimity.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the wisdom of all-knowing, the wisdom of the aspects of the path, and the wisdom of all aspects.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has all the dhāraṇī dharma gates and all the samādhi dharma gates.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the great Kṣatriya lineages, the great Brahmin lineages, the great Elder lineages, the great Householder lineages, minor kings, Cakravarti wheel-turning sage kings, and great ministers who assist in governance.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the hosts of the gods of the Four Great Kings, the Thirty-Three, Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, and Paranirmitavaśavartin.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the gods of Brahma’s Retinue, Brahma’s Ministers, Brahma’s Assembly, Great Brahma, Light, Minor Light, Immeasurable Light, Extreme Pure Light, Pure, Minor Pure, Immeasurable Pure, Pervading Pure, Vast, Minor Vast, Immeasurable Vast, and Great Fruit.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the gods of Without Vexation, Without Heat, Excellent Manifestation, Excellent Vision, and Akaniṣṭha.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the gods of the Realm of Infinite Space, the Realm of Infinite Consciousness, the Realm of Nothingness, and the Realm of Neither-Perception-nor-Non-Perception.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners, arahants, and the stream-entry path, stream-entry fruit, once-return path, once-return fruit, non-return path, non-return fruit, arahant path, and arahant fruit.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has pratyekabuddhas and the pratyekabuddha path and pratyekabuddha fruit.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has Great Bodhisattvas who bring complete fulfillment to sentient beings and purify Buddha lands.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has Tathāgatas, Arhats, Samyaksaṃbuddhas who attain the fruit of Supreme Enlightenment, turn the wondrous dharma wheel, and liberate immeasurable sentient beings.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the Buddha jewel, the Dharma jewel, and the Bhikṣu Saṃgha jewel.
World-Honored One, because of that Great Bodhisattva, we — gods, nāgas, asuras, gandharvas, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, yakṣas, rākṣasas, mahoragas, humans and non-humans — always reverently guard and protect that Great Bodhisattva and not allow any disasters to suddenly harm them.”
At that time, the World-Honored One said to Indra Śakra and to the gods, nāgas, asuras, and others:
“Just so, just so, as you have said! Kauśika, if good men and good women… not departing from the mind of all-knowing-wisdom, taking non-attainment as the means, regarding this supremely profound perfection of wisdom: always uphold, recite, diligently study, rightly contemplate, copy out and explain, and spread it widely — they should know that those good men and good women are Great Bodhisattvas.
Kauśika, because of that Great Bodhisattva, sentient beings are forever freed from every fall into hells, animal realms, the realm of hungry ghosts, and the realm of asuras. Kauśika, because of that Great Bodhisattva, gods and humans are forever freed from all suffering due to disasters, illness, poverty, hunger and thirst, heat and cold, and so forth.
Kauśika, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the ten paths of virtuous karma appearing.
Kauśika, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the four dhyānas, four immeasurables, and four formless concentrations appearing.
Kauśika, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the eight liberations, eight spheres of mastery, nine successive concentrations, and ten totalities appearing.
Kauśika, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the perfection of generosity, pure precepts, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom appearing.
Kauśika, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate emptiness, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, absolute emptiness, boundless emptiness, scattered emptiness, emptiness without change, emptiness of inherent nature, emptiness of individual characteristics, emptiness of shared characteristics, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of the ungraspable, emptiness of non-nature, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of non-nature-self-nature appearing.
Kauśika, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has suchness, the dharma realm, dharma nature, nature of non-falsity, nature of non-alteration, nature of equality, nature of separation from birth, dharma-fixed, dharma-abiding, ultimate reality, realm of empty space, and the inconceivable realm appearing.
Kauśika, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the noble truth of suffering and the noble truths of origination, cessation, and the path appearing.
Kauśika, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the four foundations of mindfulness, four right efforts, four bases of supernatural power, five spiritual faculties, five powers, seven factors of enlightenment, and noble eightfold path appearing.
Kauśika, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the dharma gate of liberation through emptiness and the dharma gates of liberation through signlessness and wishlessness appearing.
Kauśika, because of that Great Bodhisattva, the world has the five kinds of eyes and the six supernatural powers appearing.