SUTRA OF THE GREAT PRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ
VOLUME 14
Chapter 7: INSTRUCTING AND TRANSMITTING THE TEACHING (4)
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think regarding what is called a Great Bodhisattva? Is ignorance itself a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, and old age-and-death themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from ignorance a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from formations up to old age-and-death a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within ignorance? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within formations up to old age-and-death? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is ignorance within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are formations up to old age-and-death within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from ignorance? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from formations up to old age-and-death? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think regarding what is called a Great Bodhisattva? Is generosity pāramitā itself a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative absorption, and Prajñāpāramitā themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from generosity pāramitā a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative absorption, and Prajñāpāramitā a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within generosity pāramitā? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative absorption, and Prajñāpāramitā? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are generosity pāramitā within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative absorption, and Prajñāpāramitā within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from generosity pāramitā? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative absorption, and Prajñāpāramitā? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think regarding what is called a Great Bodhisattva? Is the emptiness of internal phenomena itself a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of both internal and external phenomena, the emptiness of emptiness, the great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, the emptiness of the ultimate, the emptiness of the absence of boundaries, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of non-transformation, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of own characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all phenomena, the emptiness of that which cannot be grasped, the emptiness of non-existence, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of non-existence themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the emptiness of internal phenomena a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the emptiness of external phenomena up to the emptiness of the self-nature of non-existence a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the emptiness of internal phenomena? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the emptiness of external phenomena up to the emptiness of the self-nature of non-existence? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is the emptiness of internal phenomena within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the emptiness of external phenomena up to the emptiness of the self-nature of non-existence within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the emptiness of internal phenomena? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the emptiness of external phenomena up to the emptiness of the self-nature of non-existence? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think regarding what is called a Great Bodhisattva? Is suchness itself a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the Dharma realm, the nature of phenomena, the nature of non-deception, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of separation from arising, the established nature of Dharma, the abiding nature of Dharma, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from suchness a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the Dharma realm up to the inconceivable realm a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within suchness? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the Dharma realm up to the inconceivable realm? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is suchness within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the Dharma realm up to the inconceivable realm within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from suchness? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the Dharma realm up to the inconceivable realm? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think regarding what is called a Great Bodhisattva? Are the four foundations of mindfulness themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the four right efforts, four bases of miraculous powers, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the four foundations of mindfulness a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the four right efforts up to the eightfold noble path a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the four foundations of mindfulness? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the four right efforts up to the eightfold noble path? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the four foundations of mindfulness within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the four right efforts up to the eightfold noble path within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the four foundations of mindfulness? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the four right efforts up to the eightfold noble path? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think regarding what is called a Great Bodhisattva? Is the noble truth of suffering itself a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the noble truths of origin, cessation, and the path themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the noble truth of suffering a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the noble truths of origin, cessation, and the path a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the noble truth of suffering? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the noble truths of origin, cessation, and the path? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the noble truth of suffering within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the noble truths of origin, cessation, and the path within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the noble truth of suffering? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the noble truths of origin, cessation, and the path? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think regarding what is called a Great Bodhisattva? Are the four meditative absorptions themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the four immeasurables and the four formless concentrations themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the four meditative absorptions a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the four immeasurables and the four formless concentrations a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the four meditative absorptions? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the four immeasurables and the four formless concentrations? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the four meditative absorptions within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the four immeasurables and the four formless concentrations within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the four meditative absorptions? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the four immeasurables and the four formless concentrations? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think regarding what is called a Great Bodhisattva? Are the eight liberations themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten universal bases themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the eight liberations a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten universal bases a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the eight liberations? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten universal bases? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the eight liberations within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten universal bases within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the eight liberations? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten universal bases? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think regarding what is called a Great Bodhisattva? Is the liberation-door of emptiness itself a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the liberation-doors of signlessness and wishlessness themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the liberation-door of emptiness a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the liberation-doors of signlessness and wishlessness a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the liberation-door of emptiness? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the liberation-doors of signlessness and wishlessness? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is the liberation-door of emptiness within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the liberation-doors of signlessness and wishlessness within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the liberation-door of emptiness? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the liberation-doors of signlessness and wishlessness? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think regarding what is called a Great Bodhisattva? Are the dhāraṇī methods themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the samādhi methods themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the dhāraṇī methods a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the samādhi methods a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the dhāraṇī methods? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the samādhi methods? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the dhāraṇī methods within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the samādhi methods within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the dhāraṇī methods? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the samādhi methods? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think regarding what is called a Great Bodhisattva? Is the stage of Joy itself a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the stages of Stainlessness, Radiance, Flaming Wisdom, Difficult to Overcome, Manifestation, Far-Going, Immovability, Good Wisdom, and Dharma Cloud themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the stage of Joy a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the stage of Stainlessness up to the stage of Dharma Cloud a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the stage of Joy? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the stage of Stainlessness up to the stage of Dharma Cloud? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is the stage of Joy within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the stages of Stainlessness up to Dharma Cloud within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the stage of Joy? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the stages of Stainlessness up to Dharma Cloud? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think regarding what is called a Great Bodhisattva? Are the five kinds of eyes themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the six supernatural powers themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the five kinds of eyes a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the six supernatural powers a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the five kinds of eyes? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the six supernatural powers? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the five kinds of eyes within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the six supernatural powers within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the five kinds of eyes? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the six supernatural powers? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think regarding what is called a Great Bodhisattva? Are the ten powers of the Buddha themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, and the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the ten powers of the Buddha a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, and the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the ten powers of the Buddha? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, and the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the ten powers of the Buddha within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, and the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the ten powers of the Buddha? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, and the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think regarding what is called a Great Bodhisattva? Is great loving-kindness itself a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity themselves Great Bodhisattvas? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from great loving-kindness a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is something different from great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within great loving-kindness? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is great loving-kindness within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Are great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity within a Great Bodhisattva? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from great loving-kindness? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One! Is there a Great Bodhisattva apart from great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity? Subhūti replied: No, World-Honored One!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think? That which is called a Great Bodhisattva, is it precisely the thirty-two marks of the Great Being that is the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Is it precisely the eighty accompanying excellent characteristics that is the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Is it something different from the thirty-two marks of the Great Being that is the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Is it something different from the eighty accompanying excellent characteristics that is the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the thirty-two marks of the Great Being? The World-Honored One, no! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the eighty accompanying excellent characteristics? The World-Honored One, no! Are the thirty-two marks of the Great Being within the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Are the eighty accompanying excellent characteristics within the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Apart from the thirty-two marks of the Great Being, is there a Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Apart from the eighty accompanying excellent characteristics, is there a Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think? That which is called a Great Bodhisattva, is the very dharma of never forgetting what is the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Is the very nature of always giving up what is the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Is something different from the dharma of never forgetting what is the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Is something different from the nature of always giving up what is the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the dharma of never forgetting? The World-Honored One, no! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the nature of always giving up? The World-Honored One, no! Is the dharma of never forgetting within the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Is the nature of always giving up within the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Apart from the dharma of never forgetting, is there a Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Apart from the nature of always giving up, is there a Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no!
Furthermore, Subhūti, what do you think? That which is called a Great Bodhisattva, is the wisdom of all-knowing what is the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Are the wisdom of the path-characteristics and the wisdom of all characteristics the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Is something different from the wisdom of all-knowing the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Is something different from the wisdom of the path-characteristics and the wisdom of all characteristics the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Is there a Great Bodhisattva within the wisdom of all-knowing? The World-Honored One, no! Are the wisdom of the path-characteristics and the wisdom of all characteristics within the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Is the wisdom of all-knowing within the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Are the wisdom of the path-characteristics and the wisdom of all characteristics within the Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Apart from the wisdom of all-knowing, is there a Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no! Apart from the wisdom of the path-characteristics and the wisdom of all characteristics, is there a Great Bodhisattva? The World-Honored One, no!
At that time, the Buddha said to the Venerable Subhūti:
“What meaning do you observe when you say that form itself is not the Great Bodhisattva; feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness themselves are not the Great Bodhisattva; something different from form is not the Great Bodhisattva; something different from feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness is not the Great Bodhisattva; there is no Great Bodhisattva within form; there is no Great Bodhisattva within feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; there is no form within the Great Bodhisattva; there is no feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness within the Great Bodhisattva; apart from form there is no Great Bodhisattva; apart from feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness there is no Great Bodhisattva?”
The Venerable Subhūti replied:
“World-Honored One, just as bodhi, or a being, or form, or feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness ultimately cannot be obtained, because their nature is nonexistent, how much more so the existence of a Great Bodhisattva! Since the Great Bodhisattva does not exist, how could one say that form itself is the Great Bodhisattva; feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness themselves are the Great Bodhisattva; something different from form is the Great Bodhisattva; something different from feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness is the Great Bodhisattva; within form there is a Great Bodhisattva; within feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness there is a Great Bodhisattva; within the Great Bodhisattva there is form; within the Great Bodhisattva there are feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; apart from form there is a Great Bodhisattva; apart from feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness there is a Great Bodhisattva.”
Furthermore, Subhūti, what meaning do you observe when you say that the eye faculty itself is not the Great Bodhisattva; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties themselves are not the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the eye faculty is not the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties is not the Great Bodhisattva; there is no Great Bodhisattva within the eye faculty; there is no Great Bodhisattva within the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties; there are no eye faculties within the Great Bodhisattva; there are no ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties within the Great Bodhisattva; apart from the eye faculty there is no Great Bodhisattva; apart from the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties there is no Great Bodhisattva?
The World-Honored One, just as bodhi, or a being, or the eye faculty, or the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties, ultimately cannot be obtained because their nature is nonexistent, how much more so the existence of a Great Bodhisattva! Since the Great Bodhisattva does not exist, how could one say that the eye faculty itself is the Great Bodhisattva; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties themselves are the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the eye faculty is the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties is the Great Bodhisattva; within the eye faculty there is a Great Bodhisattva; within the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties there is a Great Bodhisattva; within the Great Bodhisattva there are eye faculties; within the Great Bodhisattva there are ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties; apart from the eye faculty there is a Great Bodhisattva; apart from the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties there is a Great Bodhisattva.
Furthermore, Subhūti, what meaning do you observe when you say that the form sphere itself is not the Great Bodhisattva; the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma spheres themselves are not the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the form sphere is not the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma spheres is not the Great Bodhisattva; there is no Great Bodhisattva within the form sphere; there is no Great Bodhisattva within the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma spheres; there is no form sphere within the Great Bodhisattva; there are no sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma spheres within the Great Bodhisattva; apart from the form sphere there is no Great Bodhisattva; apart from the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma spheres there is no Great Bodhisattva?
The World-Honored One, just as bodhi, or a being, or the form sphere, or the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma spheres ultimately cannot be obtained because their nature is nonexistent, how much more so the existence of a Great Bodhisattva! Since the Great Bodhisattva does not exist, how could one say that the form sphere itself is the Great Bodhisattva; the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma spheres themselves are the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the form sphere is the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma spheres is the Great Bodhisattva; within the form sphere there is a Great Bodhisattva; within the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma spheres there is a Great Bodhisattva; within the Great Bodhisattva there is the form sphere; within the Great Bodhisattva there are the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma spheres; apart from the form sphere there is a Great Bodhisattva; apart from the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma spheres there is a Great Bodhisattva.
Furthermore, Subhūti, what meaning do you observe when you say that the eye element itself is not the Great Bodhisattva; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements themselves are not the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the eye element is not the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements is not the Great Bodhisattva; there is no Great Bodhisattva within the eye element; there is no Great Bodhisattva within the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements; there are no eye elements within the Great Bodhisattva; there are no ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements within the Great Bodhisattva; apart from the eye element there is no Great Bodhisattva; apart from the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements there is no Great Bodhisattva?
The World-Honored One, just as bodhi, or a being, or the eye element, or the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements ultimately cannot be obtained because their nature is nonexistent, how much more so the existence of a Great Bodhisattva! Since the Great Bodhisattva does not exist, how could one say that the eye element itself is the Great Bodhisattva; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements themselves are the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the eye element is the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements is the Great Bodhisattva; within the eye element there is a Great Bodhisattva; within the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements there is a Great Bodhisattva; within the Great Bodhisattva there are eye elements; within the Great Bodhisattva there are ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements; apart from the eye element there is a Great Bodhisattva; apart from the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements there is a Great Bodhisattva.
Furthermore, Subhūti, what meaning do you observe when you say that the form consciousness element itself is not the Great Bodhisattva; the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma consciousness elements themselves are not the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the form consciousness element is not the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma consciousness elements is not the Great Bodhisattva; there is no Great Bodhisattva within the form consciousness element; there is no Great Bodhisattva within the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma consciousness elements; there is no form consciousness element within the Great Bodhisattva; there are no sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma consciousness elements within the Great Bodhisattva; apart from the form consciousness element there is no Great Bodhisattva; apart from the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma consciousness elements there is no Great Bodhisattva?
The World-Honored One, just as bodhi, or a being, or the form consciousness element, or the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma consciousness elements ultimately cannot be obtained because their nature is nonexistent, how much more so the existence of a Great Bodhisattva! Since the Great Bodhisattva does not exist, how could one say that the form consciousness element itself is the Great Bodhisattva; the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma consciousness elements themselves are the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the form consciousness element is the Great Bodhisattva; something different from the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma consciousness elements is the Great Bodhisattva; within the form consciousness element there is a Great Bodhisattva; within the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma consciousness elements there is a Great Bodhisattva; within the Great Bodhisattva there is the form consciousness element; within the Great Bodhisattva there are the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma consciousness elements; apart from the form consciousness element there is a Great Bodhisattva; apart from the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma consciousness elements there is a Great Bodhisattva.
Again, Subhūti, upon what meaning do you contemplate and say that the very contact of the eye is not a Great Bodhisattva, that the very contact of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind is not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from eye-contact is not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact is not a Great Bodhisattva; that within eye-contact there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is no eye-contact; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is no ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact; that apart from eye-contact there is no Great Bodhisattva; that apart from ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact there is no Great Bodhisattva?
World-Honored One, just as Bodhi, or a being, or eye-contact, or ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact, ultimately cannot be obtained, because their nature is nonexistent, how much more so could there be a Great Bodhisattva! Since the Great Bodhisattva does not exist, how could one say that the very eye-contact is the Great Bodhisattva, that the very ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact is the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from eye-contact is the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact is the Great Bodhisattva; that within eye-contact there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is eye-contact; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact; that apart from eye-contact there is a Great Bodhisattva; that apart from ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact there is a Great Bodhisattva?
Again, Subhūti, upon what meaning do you contemplate and say that the very sensations arisen dependent on eye-contact are not a Great Bodhisattva, that the very sensations arisen dependent on ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact are not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from sensations arisen dependent on eye-contact is not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from sensations arisen dependent on ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact is not a Great Bodhisattva; that within sensations arisen dependent on eye-contact there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within sensations arisen dependent on ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are no sensations arisen dependent on eye-contact; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are no sensations arisen dependent on ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact; that apart from sensations arisen dependent on eye-contact there is no Great Bodhisattva; that apart from sensations arisen dependent on ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact there is no Great Bodhisattva?
World-Honored One, just as Bodhi, or a being, or sensations arisen dependent on eye-contact, or sensations arisen dependent on ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact, ultimately cannot be obtained, because their nature is nonexistent, how much more so could there be a Great Bodhisattva! Since the Great Bodhisattva does not exist, how could one say that the sensations arisen dependent on eye-contact are the Great Bodhisattva, that the sensations arisen dependent on ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact are the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from sensations arisen dependent on eye-contact is the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from sensations arisen dependent on ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact is the Great Bodhisattva; that within sensations arisen dependent on eye-contact there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within sensations arisen dependent on ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are sensations arisen dependent on eye-contact; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are sensations arisen dependent on ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact; that apart from sensations arisen dependent on eye-contact there is a Great Bodhisattva; that apart from sensations arisen dependent on ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact there is a Great Bodhisattva?
Again, Subhūti, upon what meaning do you contemplate and say that the very earth element is not a Great Bodhisattva, that the very water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements are not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from the earth element is not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements is not a Great Bodhisattva; that within the earth element there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is no earth element; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are no water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements; that apart from the earth element there is no Great Bodhisattva; that apart from the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements there is no Great Bodhisattva?
World-Honored One, just as Bodhi, or a being, or the earth element, or the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements, ultimately cannot be obtained, because their nature is nonexistent, how much more so could there be a Great Bodhisattva! Since the Great Bodhisattva does not exist, how could one say that the earth element is the Great Bodhisattva, that the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements are the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from the earth element is the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements is the Great Bodhisattva; that within the earth element there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is the earth element; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements; that apart from the earth element there is a Great Bodhisattva; that apart from the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements there is a Great Bodhisattva?
Again, Subhūti, upon what meaning do you contemplate and say that the very causal condition is not a Great Bodhisattva, that the very immediately preceding condition, object condition, and dominant condition are not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from the causal condition is not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from the immediately preceding condition, object condition, and dominant condition is not a Great Bodhisattva; that within the causal condition there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within the immediately preceding condition, object condition, and dominant condition there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is no causal condition; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is no immediately preceding condition, object condition, or dominant condition; that apart from the causal condition there is no Great Bodhisattva; that apart from the immediately preceding condition, object condition, and dominant condition there is no Great Bodhisattva?
World-Honored One, just as Bodhi, or a being, or a causal condition, or an immediately preceding condition, object condition, and dominant condition, ultimately cannot be obtained, because their nature is nonexistent, how much more so could there be a Great Bodhisattva! Since the Great Bodhisattva does not exist, how could one say that the causal condition is the Great Bodhisattva, that the immediately preceding condition, object condition, and dominant condition are the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from the causal condition is the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from the immediately preceding condition, object condition, and dominant condition is the Great Bodhisattva; that within the causal condition there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within the immediately preceding condition, object condition, and dominant condition there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is a causal condition; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are the immediately preceding condition, object condition, and dominant condition; that apart from the causal condition there is a Great Bodhisattva; that apart from the immediately preceding condition, object condition, and dominant condition there is a Great Bodhisattva?
Again, Subhūti, upon what meaning do you contemplate and say that the very conditioned phenomena arising through causes and conditions are not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from conditioned phenomena arising through causes and conditions is not a Great Bodhisattva; that within conditioned phenomena arising through causes and conditions there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are no conditioned phenomena arising through causes and conditions; that apart from conditioned phenomena arising through causes and conditions there is no Great Bodhisattva?
World-Honored One, just as Bodhi, or a being, or conditioned phenomena arising through causes and conditions, ultimately cannot be obtained, because their nature is nonexistent, how much more so could there be a Great Bodhisattva! Since the Great Bodhisattva does not exist, how could one say that conditioned phenomena arising through causes and conditions are the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from conditioned phenomena arising through causes and conditions is the Great Bodhisattva; that within conditioned phenomena arising through causes and conditions there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are conditioned phenomena arising through causes and conditions; that apart from conditioned phenomena arising through causes and conditions there is a Great Bodhisattva?
Again, Subhūti, upon what meaning do you contemplate and say that ignorance itself is not a Great Bodhisattva, that formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, and aging-and-death themselves are not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from ignorance is not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from formations through aging-and-death is not a Great Bodhisattva; that within ignorance there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within formations through aging-and-death there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is no ignorance; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are no formations through aging-and-death; that apart from ignorance there is no Great Bodhisattva; that apart from formations through aging-and-death there is no Great Bodhisattva?
World-Honored One, just as Bodhi, or a being, or ignorance, or formations through aging-and-death, ultimately cannot be obtained, because their nature is nonexistent, how much more so could there be a Great Bodhisattva! Since the Great Bodhisattva does not exist, how could one say that ignorance itself is the Great Bodhisattva, that formations through aging-and-death are the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from ignorance is the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from formations through aging-and-death is the Great Bodhisattva; that within ignorance there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within formations through aging-and-death there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is ignorance; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are formations through aging-and-death; that apart from ignorance there is a Great Bodhisattva; that apart from formations through aging-and-death there is a Great Bodhisattva?
Again, Subhūti, upon what meaning do you contemplate and say that generosity pāramitā itself is not a Great Bodhisattva, that morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom pāramitās themselves are not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from generosity pāramitā is not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom pāramitās is not a Great Bodhisattva; that within generosity pāramitā there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom pāramitās there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is no generosity pāramitā; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are no morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom pāramitās; that apart from generosity pāramitā there is no Great Bodhisattva; that apart from morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom pāramitās there is no Great Bodhisattva?
World-Honored One, just as Bodhi, or a being, or generosity pāramitā, or morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom pāramitās, ultimately cannot be obtained, because their nature is nonexistent, how much more so could there be a Great Bodhisattva! Since the Great Bodhisattva does not exist, how could one say that generosity pāramitā itself is the Great Bodhisattva, that morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom pāramitās are the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from generosity pāramitā is the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom pāramitās is the Great Bodhisattva; that within generosity pāramitā there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom pāramitās there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is generosity pāramitā; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom pāramitās; that apart from generosity pāramitā there is a Great Bodhisattva; that apart from morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom pāramitās there is a Great Bodhisattva?
Again, Subhūti, upon what meaning do you contemplate and say that the very emptiness of the internal is not a Great Bodhisattva, that the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of both internal and external, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of ultimate meaning, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without boundary, scattered emptiness, emptiness of non-transformation, emptiness of inherent nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of that which cannot be grasped, emptiness of nonexistence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence itself are not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from internal emptiness is not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from external emptiness through emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence itself is not a Great Bodhisattva; that within internal emptiness there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within external emptiness through emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence itself there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is no internal emptiness; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is no external emptiness through emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence itself; that apart from internal emptiness there is no Great Bodhisattva; that apart from external emptiness through emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence itself there is no Great Bodhisattva?
World-Honored One, just as Bodhi, or a being, or internal emptiness, or external emptiness through emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence itself, ultimately cannot be obtained, because their nature is nonexistent, how much more so could there be a Great Bodhisattva! Since the Great Bodhisattva does not exist, how could one say that internal emptiness itself is the Great Bodhisattva, that external emptiness through emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence itself is the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from internal emptiness is the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from external emptiness through emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence itself is the Great Bodhisattva; that within internal emptiness there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within external emptiness through emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence itself there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is internal emptiness; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is external emptiness through emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence itself; that apart from internal emptiness there is a Great Bodhisattva; that apart from external emptiness through emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence itself there is a Great Bodhisattva?
Again, Subhūti, upon what meaning do you contemplate and say that suchness itself is not a Great Bodhisattva, that the Dharma realm, Dharma nature, non-deceptive nature, unchanging nature, equal nature, nature of being free from arising, fixed Dharma, abiding Dharma, true reality, realm of space, and inconceivable realm are not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from suchness is not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from the Dharma realm through the inconceivable realm is not a Great Bodhisattva; that within suchness there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within the Dharma realm through the inconceivable realm there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is no suchness; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is no Dharma realm through the inconceivable realm; that apart from suchness there is no Great Bodhisattva; that apart from the Dharma realm through the inconceivable realm there is no Great Bodhisattva?
World-Honored One, just as Bodhi, or a being, or suchness, or the Dharma realm through the inconceivable realm, ultimately cannot be obtained, because their nature is nonexistent, how much more so could there be a Great Bodhisattva! Since the Great Bodhisattva does not exist, how could one say that suchness itself is the Great Bodhisattva, that the Dharma realm through the inconceivable realm is the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from suchness is the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from the Dharma realm through the inconceivable realm is the Great Bodhisattva; that within suchness there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within the Dharma realm through the inconceivable realm there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is suchness; that within the Great Bodhisattva there is the Dharma realm through the inconceivable realm; that apart from suchness there is a Great Bodhisattva; that apart from the Dharma realm through the inconceivable realm there is a Great Bodhisattva?
Again, Subhūti, upon what meaning do you contemplate and say that the four foundations of mindfulness themselves are not a Great Bodhisattva, that the four right efforts, four bases of miraculous powers, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of enlightenment, and eightfold noble path themselves are not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from the four foundations of mindfulness is not a Great Bodhisattva; that something different from the four right efforts through the eightfold noble path is not a Great Bodhisattva; that within the four foundations of mindfulness there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within the four right efforts through the eightfold noble path there is no Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are no four foundations of mindfulness; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are no four right efforts through the eightfold noble path; that apart from the four foundations of mindfulness there is no Great Bodhisattva; that apart from the four right efforts through the eightfold noble path there is no Great Bodhisattva?
World-Honored One, just as Bodhi, or a being, or the four foundations of mindfulness, or the four right efforts through the eightfold noble path, ultimately cannot be obtained, because their nature is nonexistent, how much more so could there be a Great Bodhisattva! Since the Great Bodhisattva does not exist, how could one say that the four foundations of mindfulness themselves are the Great Bodhisattva, that the four right efforts through the eightfold noble path are the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from the four foundations of mindfulness is the Great Bodhisattva; that something different from the four right efforts through the eightfold noble path is the Great Bodhisattva; that within the four foundations of mindfulness there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within the four right efforts through the eightfold noble path there is a Great Bodhisattva; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are the four foundations of mindfulness; that within the Great Bodhisattva there are the four right efforts through the eightfold noble path; that apart from the four foundations of mindfulness there is a Great Bodhisattva; that apart from the four right efforts through the eightfold noble path there is a Great Bodhisattva.