THE GREAT PRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ SŪTRA
VOLUME 331
Chapter 51: THE PRACTICES AND VOWS (2)
Furthermore, Subhūti, there are Great Bodhisattvas who cultivate fully the six perfections and see that sentient beings are constantly bound to masters, and whatever they do, they are unable to act freely.
Subhūti, after seeing such circumstances, that Great Bodhisattva reflects: “By what skillful means should I help those kinds of sentient beings, causing them to attain freedom?” Having reflected in this way, they then make the vow: “I must diligently cultivate the six perfections, without concern for my body or life, bringing about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorning and purifying the Buddha land, so that it may quickly become perfected and I may swiftly realize the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. In my Buddha land, there will be no sentient being who is a ruler or master. All activities will be carried out freely. They will not even see the form of a master, nor hear the name of a master. There will only be the Tathāgata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who subdues all through the true Dharma and is called the Dharma King.”
Subhūti, through these six perfections, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation quickly becomes perfected and they draw near to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhūti, there are Great Bodhisattvas who cultivate fully the six perfections and observe that sentient beings, in receiving karmic results, have various differences.
Subhūti, after seeing such circumstances, that Great Bodhisattva reflects: “By what skillful means should I help those kinds of sentient beings, so that there will no longer be such differences between various wholesome and unwholesome realms?” Having reflected in this way, they make the great vow: “I must diligently cultivate the six perfections, without concern for my body or life, bringing about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorning and purifying the Buddha land, so that it may quickly become perfected and I may swiftly realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. In my Buddha land, there will be no differences between wholesome and unwholesome realms, and there will not even be names such as hell, animals, hungry ghosts, asuras, humans, or devas. All sentient beings there will belong to the same kind and cultivate the same Dharma. That is, they will harmoniously cultivate the perfection of giving, cultivate pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom; abide in inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, supreme meaning emptiness, conditioned emptiness, unconditioned emptiness, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, dispersed emptiness, immutable emptiness, inherent emptiness, characteristic emptiness, common characteristic emptiness, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness that cannot be grasped, emptiness of non-existence, emptiness of self-nature, emptiness of emptiness and self-nature; abide in suchness, abide in the Dharma realm, Dharma nature, the nature of non-deception, the nature of non-transformation, the nature of equality, the nature free from arising, the fixed Dharma, the abiding Dharma, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness, cultivate the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path; abide in the noble truth of suffering, abide in the noble truth of origin, cessation, and path; cultivate the four meditations, cultivate the four immeasurables, and the four formless absorptions; cultivate the eight liberations, cultivate the eight stages of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten universal bases; cultivate the liberation door of emptiness, cultivate the liberation doors of signlessness and wishlessness; cultivate the five kinds of eyes, cultivate the six supernatural powers; cultivate the samādhi gateways, cultivate the dhāraṇī gateways; cultivate the ten powers of the Buddha, cultivate the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unshared Buddha qualities; cultivate the Dharma of not forgetting, cultivate the nature of constant equanimity; cultivate omniscient wisdom, cultivate path-characteristic wisdom, and all-characteristic wisdom; cultivate the practices of Great Bodhisattvas, and cultivate unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.”
Subhūti, through these six perfections, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation quickly becomes perfected and they draw near to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhūti, there are Great Bodhisattvas who cultivate fully the six perfections and observe that sentient beings have four different types of birth: first, birth from eggs; second, birth from wombs; third, birth from moisture; fourth, birth through transformation.
They reflect: “What skillful means should I use to help those kinds of sentient beings, so that they will no longer undergo birth according to these four different types?” Having reflected in this way, they make the vow: “I must diligently cultivate the six perfections, without concern for my body or life, bringing about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorning and purifying the Buddha land, so that it may quickly become perfected and I may swiftly realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. In my Buddha land, there will be no sentient beings with these four different kinds of birth. All sentient beings there will arise through transformation.”
Subhūti, through these six perfections, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation quickly becomes perfected and they draw near to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhūti, there are Great Bodhisattvas who cultivate fully the six perfections and observe that sentient beings do not possess the five supernatural powers and are not free in their activities.
Subhūti, after seeing such circumstances, that Great Bodhisattva reflects: “By what skillful means should I help those kinds of sentient beings, causing them all to attain the five clear supernatural powers?” Having reflected in this way, they make the vow: “I must diligently cultivate the six perfections, without concern for my body or life, bringing about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorning and purifying the Buddha land, so that it may quickly become perfected and I may swiftly realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. In my Buddha land, all sentient beings will possess the five clear supernatural powers and see with freedom.”
Subhūti, through these six perfections, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation quickly becomes perfected and they draw near to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhūti, there are Great Bodhisattvas who cultivate fully the six perfections and observe that sentient beings consume solid food, and their bodies have large and small excretory passages, filled with foul-smelling blood and pus, truly worthy of being rejected.
Subhūti, after seeing such circumstances, that Great Bodhisattva reflects: “How should I help those kinds of sentient beings so that although they consume solid food in this way, their bodies will not contain such impurities?” Having reflected in this way, they make the vow: “I must diligently cultivate the six perfections, without concern for my body or life, bringing about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorning and purifying the Buddha land, so that it may quickly become perfected and I may swiftly realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. In my Buddha land, all sentient beings will partake only of the supreme wondrous food of Dharma joy; their bodies will always be fragrant and pure, without any impurities or defilements.”
Subhūti, through these six perfections, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation quickly becomes perfected and they draw near to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhūti, there are Great Bodhisattvas who cultivate fully the six perfections and observe that sentient beings’ bodies do not emit light, and all their activities depend upon external sources of light.
Subhūti, after seeing such circumstances, that Great Bodhisattva reflects: “By what skillful means should I help those kinds of sentient beings, causing them to abandon such bodies that do not emit light?” Having reflected in this way, they make the vow: “I must diligently cultivate the six perfections, without concern for my body or life, bringing about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorning and purifying the Buddha land, so that it may quickly become perfected and I may swiftly realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. In my Buddha land, the bodies of all sentient beings will possess complete radiance, without relying on external light.”
Subhūti, through these six perfections, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation quickly becomes perfected and they draw near to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhūti, there are Great Bodhisattvas who cultivate fully the six perfections and observe that the dwelling places of sentient beings have day and night, months, half-months, seasons, and years that change and are impermanent.
Subhūti, after seeing such circumstances, that Great Bodhisattva reflects: “By what skillful means should I help those kinds of sentient beings, so that their dwelling places will no longer have the phenomena of day and night and other things that constantly change?” Having reflected in this way, they make the vow: “I must diligently cultivate the six perfections, without concern for my body or life, bringing about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorning and purifying the Buddha land, so that it may quickly become perfected and I may swiftly realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. In my Buddha land, there will be no day or night, month, half-month, season, or year, and there will not even be names for such phenomena.”
Subhūti, through these six perfections, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation quickly becomes perfected and they draw near to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhūti, there are Great Bodhisattvas who cultivate fully the six perfections and observe that sentient beings have short lifespans.
They reflect: “By what skillful means should I help those kinds of sentient beings, causing them to be free from such short lifespans?” Having reflected in this way, they make the vow: “I must diligently cultivate the six perfections, without concern for my body or life, bringing about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorning and purifying the Buddha land, so that it may quickly become perfected and I may swiftly realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. In my Buddha land, the lifespans of all sentient beings will always be long and difficult to know the number of their kalpas.”
Subhūti, through these six perfections, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation quickly becomes perfected and they draw near to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhūti, there are Great Bodhisattvas who cultivate fully the six perfections and observe that sentient beings do not possess excellent marks.
Subhūti, after seeing such circumstances, that Great Bodhisattva reflects: “By what skillful means should I help those kinds of sentient beings, causing them to possess excellent marks?” Having reflected in this way, they make the vow: “I must diligently cultivate the six perfections, without concern for my body or life, bringing about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorning and purifying the Buddha land, so that it may quickly become perfected and I may swiftly realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. In my Buddha land, all sentient beings will possess the thirty-two marks of a great person and the eighty secondary excellent characteristics, always perfectly adorned, and those who see them will always give rise to pure joy.”
Subhūti, through these six perfections, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation quickly becomes perfected and they draw near to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhūti, there are Great Bodhisattvas who cultivate fully the six perfections and observe that sentient beings often become separated from wholesome roots.
O Subhuti, that Great Bodhisattva, having seen those things, immediately reflected: What methods should I use to rescue those kinds of sentient beings, causing them all to attain the five kinds of clear supernormal powers? Having reflected in this way, he then made the vow: I must diligently practice, without begrudging my body or life, cultivate the six perfections, bring about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorn and purify the Buddha-field, causing it to be quickly perfected, and swiftly realize the unsurpassed supreme Enlightenment. In my Buddha-field, all sentient beings will fully accomplish wondrous and excellent roots of virtue; because of those roots of virtue, they will constantly prepare all superior and sublime offerings to make offerings to the Buddhas. Relying on this power of merit, wherever they are reborn, they will again constantly make offerings to the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones.
O Subhuti, because of these six perfections, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation will quickly become complete and he will draw near to the unsurpassed supreme Enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhuti, there are Great Bodhisattvas who fully cultivate the six perfections and observe that sentient beings are constantly afflicted by various bodily and mental illnesses. Bodily illnesses are of four kinds: first, illnesses caused by wind, second, illnesses caused by heat, third, illnesses of the respiratory system, and fourth, all kinds of complex illnesses arising from the first three types. Mental illnesses are also of four kinds: first, the illness of greed, second, the illness of anger, third, the illness of delusion, and fourth, the illness of conceit… and all other kinds of afflictions.
O Subhuti, that Great Bodhisattva, having seen these things, immediately reflected: How should I act in order to rescue those sentient beings from the suffering of bodily and mental illnesses? Having reflected in this way, he then made the vow: I must diligently practice, without begrudging my body or life, cultivate the six perfections, bring about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorn and purify the Buddha-field, causing it to be quickly perfected, and swiftly realize the unsurpassed supreme Enlightenment. In my Buddha-field, all sentient beings will always have pure bodies and minds, without the sufferings of illness; they will not even hear the names of those bodily illnesses, nor hear the names of those mental illnesses.
O Subhuti, because of these six perfections, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation will quickly become complete and he will draw near to the unsurpassed supreme Enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhuti, there are Great Bodhisattvas who fully cultivate the six perfections and observe that sentient beings have various inclinations: some incline toward the Śrāvaka Vehicle, some incline toward the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and some incline toward the Unsurpassed Vehicle.
O Subhuti, that Great Bodhisattva, having seen these things, immediately reflected: What methods should I use to rescue those sentient beings, causing them to abandon their inclinations toward the Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha Vehicles and only delight in wholeheartedly turning toward the unsurpassed Great Vehicle? Having reflected in this way, he then made the vow: I must diligently practice, without begrudging my body or life, cultivate the six perfections, bring about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorn and purify the Buddha-field, causing it to be quickly perfected, and swiftly realize the unsurpassed supreme Enlightenment. In my Buddha-field, all sentient beings will only seek the unsurpassed supreme Enlightenment; they will not delight in the fruits of the Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha Vehicles. The names of those two vehicles will not even exist; they will only hear of the various virtues of the Great Vehicle.
O Subhuti, because of these six perfections, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation will quickly become complete and he will draw near to the unsurpassed supreme Enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhuti, there are Great Bodhisattvas who fully cultivate the six perfections and observe that sentient beings often give rise to excessive conceit: they have not actually abandoned killing living beings, yet think, “I have truly abandoned killing living beings”; they have not actually abandoned taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, and improper conduct, yet think, “I have truly abandoned taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, and improper conduct”; they have not actually abandoned false speech, yet think, “I have truly abandoned false speech”; they have not actually abandoned harsh speech, divisive speech, and frivolous or confused speech, yet think, “I have truly abandoned harsh speech, divisive speech, and frivolous or confused speech”; they have not actually abandoned sensual desire, yet think, “I have truly abandoned sensual desire”; they have not actually abandoned anger and wrong views, yet think, “I have truly abandoned anger and wrong views.”
They have not attained the First Dhyāna, yet think, “I have attained the First Dhyāna”; they have not attained the Second, Third, or Fourth Dhyānas, yet think, “I have attained the Second, Third, or Fourth Dhyānas”; they have not attained the meditative attainments of Infinite Consciousness, Nothingness, or Neither Perception nor Non-Perception, yet think, “I have attained the meditative attainments of Infinite Consciousness, Nothingness, or Neither Perception nor Non-Perception”; they have not attained the meditative attainment of Infinite Space, yet think, “I have attained the meditative attainment of Infinite Space”; they have not attained the immeasurables of Loving-kindness, yet think, “I have attained Loving-kindness”; they have not attained the immeasurables of Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity, yet think, “I have attained Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity.”
They have not attained the supernormal power of miraculous manifestation, yet think, “I have attained the supernormal power of miraculous manifestation”; they have not attained the supernormal powers of the divine eye, divine ear, knowing others’ minds, recollection of former lives, and following-thought knowledge, yet think, “I have attained the supernormal powers of the divine eye, divine ear, knowing others’ minds, recollection of former lives, and following-thought knowledge”; they have not attained contemplation of impurity, yet think, “I have attained contemplation of impurity”; they have not attained contemplation of the differentiated sphere of loving-kindness and compassion, which is based on dependent origination, yet think, “I have attained contemplation of the differentiated sphere of loving-kindness and compassion, which is based on dependent origination.”
They have not attained the stage of calm abiding and insight, yet think, “I have attained the stage of calm abiding and insight”; they have not attained the stages of lineage, the eighth stage, seeing, thinness, freedom from desire, and what has been done, yet think, “I have attained the stages of lineage, the eighth stage, seeing, thinness, freedom from desire, and what has been done”; they have not attained the fruit of the Pratyekabuddha, yet think, “I have attained the fruit of the Pratyekabuddha.”
They have not attained the perfection of generosity, yet think, “I have attained the perfection of generosity”; they have not attained the perfections of pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom, yet think, “I have attained the perfections of pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and wisdom.”
They have not realized inner emptiness, yet think, “I have realized inner emptiness”; they have not realized outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate meaning emptiness, conditioned emptiness, unconditioned emptiness, emptiness of the ultimate, emptiness without boundary, scattered emptiness, emptiness of non-change, emptiness of intrinsic nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of what cannot be grasped, emptiness of non-existence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the self-nature of non-existence, yet think that they have realized outer emptiness and so forth up to the emptiness of the self-nature of non-existence.
They have not realized suchness, yet think, “I have realized suchness”; they have not realized the Dharma realm, the nature of phenomena, the nature of non-deception, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature free from arising, the fixed nature of phenomena, the abiding nature of phenomena, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm, yet think that they have realized the Dharma realm and so forth up to the inconceivable realm.
They have not realized the Noble Truth of suffering, yet think, “I have realized the Noble Truth of suffering”; they have not realized the Noble Truths of origin, cessation, and path, yet think, “I have realized the Noble Truths of origin, cessation, and path.”
They have not attained the four foundations of mindfulness, yet think, “I have attained the four foundations of mindfulness”; they have not attained the four right efforts, four bases of miraculous power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path, yet think that they have attained the four right efforts and so forth up to the eightfold noble path.
They have not attained the four dhyānas, yet think, “I have attained the four dhyānas”; they have not attained the four immeasurables and four formless concentrations, yet think, “I have attained the four immeasurables and four formless concentrations”; they have not attained the eight liberations, yet think, “I have attained the eight liberations”; they have not attained the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten total spheres, yet think, “I have attained the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten total spheres.”
They have not attained the liberation-door of emptiness, yet think, “I have attained the liberation-door of emptiness”; they have not attained the liberation-doors of signlessness and wishlessness, yet think, “I have attained the liberation-doors of signlessness and wishlessness.”
They have not attained the stage of Great Joy, yet think, “I have attained the stage of Great Joy”; they have not attained the stages of Stainlessness, Radiance, Blazing Wisdom, Difficult to Overcome, Manifestation, Far-Going, Immovability, Excellent Wisdom, and Dharma Cloud, yet think, “I have attained the stage of Stainlessness” and so forth up to the stage of Dharma Cloud.
They have not attained the five kinds of eyes, yet think, “I have attained the five kinds of eyes”; they have not attained the six supernormal powers, yet think, “I have attained the six supernormal powers.”
They have not attained the samādhi dhāraṇī gateways, yet think, “I have attained the samādhi dhāraṇī gateways”; they have not attained the dhāraṇī gateways, yet think, “I have attained the dhāraṇī gateways.”
They have not attained the ten powers of a Buddha, yet think, “I have attained the ten powers of a Buddha”; they have not attained the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, great Loving-kindness, great Compassion, great Joy, great Equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, yet think that they have attained the four fearlessnesses and so forth up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha.
They have not attained the quality of not forgetting, yet think, “I have attained the quality of not forgetting”; they have not attained the constant equanimity of nature, yet think, “I have attained the constant equanimity of nature.”
They have not attained the knowledge of all aspects, yet think, “I have attained the knowledge of all aspects”; they have not attained knowledge of the modes of the path and knowledge of all aspects, yet think, “I have attained knowledge of the modes of the path and knowledge of all aspects.”
They have not adorned and purified the Buddha-field, yet think, “I have adorned and purified the Buddha-field”; they have not brought about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, yet think, “I have brought about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings.”
They have not understood the skillful arts and crafts of the world, yet think, “I have understood the skillful arts and crafts of the world”; they have not cultivated the practices of a Great Bodhisattva, yet think, “I have cultivated the practices of a Great Bodhisattva”; they have not attained the unsurpassed supreme Enlightenment, yet think, “I have attained the unsurpassed supreme Enlightenment.”
Venerable Subhūti, that Great Bodhisattva, having perceived those matters, immediately reflected: “What should I do in order to save those kinds of sentient beings, causing them to be far removed from the bondage of excessive pride?” Having reflected in this way, he then made the vow: “I must diligently cultivate, without cherishing my body or life, the six pāramitās, bring about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorn and purify the Buddha-field, quickly perfect them, and swiftly attain the supreme enlightenment. In my Buddha-field there will be no such beings possessed of excessive pride; all sentient beings there will be free from excessive pride.”
Venerable Subhūti, because of these six pāramitās, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation will quickly become perfected and he will draw near to the supreme enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhūti, there is a Great Bodhisattva who fully cultivates the six pāramitās and observes that sentient beings are always attached to phenomena: attached to form, attached to feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; attached to the eye sphere, attached to the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind spheres; attached to the form sphere, attached to sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma spheres; attached to the eye element, attached to the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements; attached to the form element, attached to sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma elements; attached to the eye-consciousness element, attached to the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind-consciousness elements; attached to eye contact, attached to ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact; attached to the feelings arising conditioned by eye contact, attached to the feelings arising conditioned by ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact; attached to the earth element, attached to the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements; attached to the nature of causal conditions, attached to the nature of immediate sequential conditions, object conditions, and dominant conditions; attached to ignorance, attached to formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress; attached to self, attached to sentient beings, the life-continuum, that which can arise, that which nourishes, that which grows, the agent of transmigration, mind-born, childlike being, the capacity to act, the capacity to experience, understanding, and cognition; attached to the perfection of giving, attached to pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom; attached to internal emptiness, attached to external emptiness, emptiness of both internal and external phenomena, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate emptiness, emptiness of conditioned phenomena, emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, emptiness of the ultimate, emptiness without boundaries, scattered emptiness, emptiness without alteration, emptiness of inherent nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all phenomena, emptiness of what cannot be apprehended, emptiness of nonexistence, emptiness of self-nature, emptiness of the emptiness of self-nature; attached to suchness, attached to the dharma realm, the nature of phenomena, the nature of non-deception, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the certainty of phenomena, the abiding of phenomena, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; attached to the noble truth of suffering, attached to the noble truth of origination, cessation, and the path; attached to the four foundations of mindfulness, attached to the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path; attached to the four meditative absorptions, attached to the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations; attached to the eight liberations, attached to the eight bases of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten totalities; attached to the liberation door of emptiness, attached to the liberation doors of signlessness and wishlessness; attached to the stage of Joy, attached to the stage of Stainlessness, the stage of Radiance, the stage of Blazing Wisdom, the stage of Difficult to Overcome, the stage of Manifestation, the stage of Far-Reaching, the stage of Immovability, the stage of Good Wisdom, and the stage of Dharma Cloud; attached to the five kinds of eyes, attached to the six supernatural powers; attached to the samādhi dharma doors, attached to the dhāraṇī dharma doors; attached to the ten powers of the Buddha, attached to the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha; attached to the dharma of never forgetting, attached to the nature of always equanimity; attached to all-knowing wisdom, attached to path-knowing wisdom, and wisdom knowing all aspects; attached to the fruit of stream-entry, attached to the fruits of once-returning, non-returning, and arhatship; attached to the state of a solitary buddha; attached to the conduct of a Great Bodhisattva; attached to the supreme enlightenment.
Venerable Subhūti, that Great Bodhisattva, having perceived those matters, immediately reflected: “What should I do in order to save those kinds of sentient beings, causing them to be free from all forms of attachment?” Having reflected in this way, he then made the vow: “I must diligently cultivate, without cherishing my body or life, the six pāramitās, bring about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorn and purify the Buddha-field, quickly perfect them, and swiftly attain the supreme enlightenment. In my Buddha-field, all sentient beings will be free from such attachments.”
Venerable Subhūti, because of these six pāramitās, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation will quickly become perfected and he will draw near to the supreme enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhūti, there is a Great Bodhisattva who fully cultivates the six pāramitās and observes that there are Thus Come Ones, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones whose radiance is limited, whose lifespan is limited, and whose assembly of disciples is also limited in number.
Venerable Subhūti, that Great Bodhisattva, having perceived those matters, immediately reflected: “How should I attain immeasurable radiance, immeasurable lifespan, and a limitless number of disciples?” Having reflected in this way, he then made the vow: “I must diligently cultivate, without cherishing my body or life, the six pāramitās, bring about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorn and purify the Buddha-field, quickly perfect them, and swiftly attain the supreme enlightenment. At that time, my body’s radiance will be immeasurable, my lifespan will be immeasurable, and the number of my disciples will also be limitless.”
Venerable Subhūti, because of these six pāramitās, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation will quickly become perfected and he will draw near to the supreme enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhūti, there is a Great Bodhisattva who fully cultivates the six pāramitās and observes that there are Thus Come Ones, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones whose Buddha-fields for teaching and transforming sentient beings are still limited in extent.
Venerable Subhūti, that Great Bodhisattva, having perceived those matters, immediately reflected: “How should I attain an immeasurable Buddha-field?” Having reflected in this way, he then made the vow: “I must diligently cultivate, without cherishing my body or life, the six pāramitās, bring about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorn and purify the Buddha-field, quickly perfect them, and swiftly attain the supreme enlightenment. Just as the great trichiliocosms of the ten directions, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, are combined into one Buddha-field, I will abide there and teach and transform immeasurable, innumerable, boundless sentient beings.”
Venerable Subhūti, because of these six pāramitās, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation will quickly become perfected and he will draw near to the supreme enlightenment.
Furthermore, Subhūti, there is a Great Bodhisattva who fully cultivates the six pāramitās and observes that sentient beings have wandered for an extremely long time along the paths of birth and death, and that the number of worlds of sentient beings is also boundless.
Venerable Subhūti, that Great Bodhisattva, having perceived those matters, then reflected in this way: “The boundary of the realm of birth and death is like empty space, and the worlds of sentient beings are likewise. Although the sentient beings who flow along the paths of birth and death or attain nirvāṇa are not truly existent, sentient beings falsely cling to the existence of transmigration and must undergo immeasurable suffering in birth and death. What methods should I use in order to save them?” Having reflected in this way, he then made the vow: “I must diligently cultivate, without cherishing my body or life, the six pāramitās, bring about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, adorn and purify the Buddha-field, quickly perfect them, and swiftly attain the supreme enlightenment. For the sake of sentient beings, I will explain the unsurpassed Dharma, causing them all to be liberated from the great suffering of birth and death, and also causing them to realize that the wondrous principle of birth and death and liberation is completely without anything possessed, and is ultimately empty.”
Venerable Subhūti, because of these six pāramitās, that Great Bodhisattva’s cultivation will quickly become perfected and he will draw near to the supreme enlightenment.
Chapter 52: GAṄGĀ DEVATĀ
At that time, in the Dharma assembly, there was a goddess named Gaṅgā Devatā. She rose from her seat, uncovered her left shoulder, knelt on the ground with her right knee, joined her palms toward the Buddha, and said:
O World-Honored One, I will cultivate the practices of Giving, Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Concentration, and Prajñā-pāramitā, bringing about the complete accomplishment for sentient beings and adorning the Buddha-land with purity—the Buddha-land that I aspire to, exactly as the Thus Come One, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One, has now fully explained to the great assembly all the characteristics of that realm in this profound Prajñā-pāramitā Sūtra.
After Gangā Deva had expressed this, she immediately took various golden flowers, silver flowers, and various fresh flowers that grew on land or in water, together with various adornments and offerings. She also took a heavenly robe of pure gold and, with utmost reverence, scattered it over the place of the Buddha. Due to the spiritual power of the World-Honored One, the heavenly robe suddenly rose into the sky, revolved to the right, and above the Buddha’s head transformed into a jeweled pavilion with four pillars and four corners, beautifully decorated and magnificently adorned, pleasing for all to behold.
At that time, the heavenly maiden holding this jeweled pavilion made the vow that it would be bestowed equally upon all sentient beings, and she also dedicated it toward the unsurpassed enlightenment.
At that moment, the Tathāgata, knowing the heavenly maiden’s vast and profound aspiration, smiled. According to the Dharma of all Buddhas, whenever they smile, various rays of light always emerge from their golden mouths; the Buddha was likewise. From His countenance, various rays of light—blue, yellow, red, white, pink, emerald, and purple-green—shone forth, illuminating countless, boundless, innumerable worlds throughout the ten directions. Then they returned to this realm, manifested great miraculous transformations, circled the Buddha three times, and entered into the crown of the Buddha.
At that time, Venerable Ānanda saw this event and immediately rose from his seat, knelt with his right knee on the ground, joined his palms toward the Buddha, and said:
World-Honored One, for what cause and condition did You smile? For whenever Buddhas smile, there is always a reason.
The Buddha told Ānanda:
This heavenly maiden, in the future, will become a Buddha. That kalpa will be called “Star Metaphor,” and her Buddha-name will be Golden Flower Tathāgata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer and Trainer of Beings, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, Blessed One.
Ānanda, you should know that this virtuous woman’s present body as a woman is the final one she will receive. After abandoning this body, she will receive a male body and, until the end of future time, will never again receive a female body. After dying in this world, she will be reborn in the extremely excellent world of the Buddha Akṣobhya Tathāgata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One, in the eastern direction. In that Buddha-land, this woman will always diligently cultivate the pure conduct and will also be known as Golden Flower, practicing the deeds of a Great Bodhisattva.
Ānanda, this Great Bodhisattva Golden Flower, after dying in that realm, will again be born in other directions, going from one Buddha-land to another. No matter where she is born, she will always remain close to a Buddha. Just as a wheel-turning king goes from one palace pavilion to another, happily enjoying all kinds of pleasures, until the end of his life his feet never touch the ground; the Bodhisattva Golden Flower is likewise. From one Buddha-land to another, until attaining unsurpassed enlightenment, in every lifetime she will always remain close to a Buddha, constantly receive the true Dharma, and cultivate the Bodhisattva practices.
At that time, Venerable Ānanda thought silently: When Bodhisattva Golden Flower becomes a Buddha, she will surely also teach the profound Prajñā-pāramitā. The assembly of Great Bodhisattvas at that Dharma assembly, whether many or few, will be the same as the Bodhisattva assembly of the present Buddha.
The Buddha, knowing this thought, said to Ānanda:
That is right, that is right! It is exactly as you have thought. When Bodhisattva Golden Flower becomes a Buddha, she will also proclaim the profound Prajñā-pāramitā to the assembly. The assembly of Great Bodhisattvas at that Dharma assembly, whether many or few, will be the same as the Bodhisattva assembly of the present Buddha.
Ānanda, you should know that this Great Bodhisattva Golden Flower, when she becomes a Buddha, will have in that Buddha-world an immeasurably countless number of ordained disciples: some hundreds, some thousands, some hundreds of thousands, some hundreds of millions, some hundreds of millions of hundreds of millions, some thousands of millions of hundreds of millions, some hundreds of thousands of millions of hundreds of millions, some trillions, some hundreds of trillions, some thousands of trillions, some hundreds of thousands of trillions of great Bhikṣu assemblies. It can only be summarized as countless, immeasurable, boundless hundreds of thousands of millions of trillions of great Bhikṣu assemblies.
Ānanda, you should know that this Great Bodhisattva Golden Flower, when she becomes a Buddha, will have in that Buddha-land none of the many kinds of faults and evils that have been described in this Prajñā-pāramitā Sūtra.
At that time, Venerable Ānanda again said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, before this, in the presence of which Buddha did this heavenly maiden first arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed enlightenment, cultivate wholesome roots, and make vows of dedication, so that she now meets You and respectfully makes offerings in order to receive the prediction of non-retrogression?
Ānanda, you should know that in the past, I was in the presence of Buddha Dīpaṅkara. I used five lotus flowers to offer and scatter before the Buddha as a gift, making vows of dedication. Dīpaṅkara Tathāgata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One, knew that my faculties had matured and therefore bestowed upon me the prediction.
At that time, the heavenly maiden heard that Buddha Dīpaṅkara had given me, the Great Bodhisattva, the prediction. She became extremely joyful, and immediately used golden flowers to scatter over the Buddha as an offering. She then aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed enlightenment, planted wholesome roots, and made the vow of dedication:
“In the future, when this Great Bodhisattva becomes a Buddha, may I also receive from that Buddha the prediction, just as Buddha Dīpaṅkara has now bestowed the prediction of Great Bodhi upon that Bodhisattva (namely, me).”
Therefore, I now bestow the prediction upon that heavenly maiden.
Venerable Ānanda, having heard the Buddha’s words, was greatly delighted and again said to the Buddha:
This heavenly maiden has long devoted herself to unsurpassed enlightenment, cultivated the roots of merit and virtue, and now that they have matured, she has received the Buddha’s prediction.
The Buddha told Ānanda:
That is right, that is right! This heavenly maiden has long devoted herself to unsurpassed enlightenment, cultivated the roots of merit and virtue, and now that they have matured, she has received My prediction.
Chapter 53: Skillfully Cultivating Learning (1)
At that time, Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
Venerable World-Honored One, how do the Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā approach the Samādhi of Emptiness, and how do they enter the Samādhi of Emptiness? How do they approach the Samādhi of Signlessness, and how do they enter the Samādhi of Signlessness? How do they approach the Samādhi of Wishlessness, and how do they enter the Samādhi of Wishlessness? How do they approach the four Foundations of Mindfulness, and how do they cultivate the four Foundations of Mindfulness? How do they approach the four Right Efforts, the four Bases of Supernatural Power, the five Faculties, the five Powers, the seven Factors of Enlightenment, and the eightfold Noble Path? How do they cultivate the four Right Efforts up to the eightfold Noble Path? How do they approach the ten powers of the Buddha, and how do they cultivate the ten powers of the Buddha? How do they approach the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of unhindered knowledge, great Loving-kindness, great Compassion, great Joy, great Equanimity, and the eighteen exclusive qualities of a Buddha? How do they cultivate the four fearlessnesses up to the eighteen exclusive qualities of a Buddha?
The Buddha taught:
“Subhūti, the Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā should contemplate form as empty; they should contemplate feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness as empty; they should contemplate the eye faculty as empty, and contemplate the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties as empty; they should contemplate the form sphere as empty, and contemplate the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma spheres as empty; they should contemplate the eye element as empty, and contemplate the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements as empty; they should contemplate the form element as empty, and contemplate the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma elements as empty; they should contemplate the eye-consciousness element as empty, and contemplate the ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness elements as empty; they should contemplate eye-contact as empty, and contemplate ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact as empty; they should contemplate the feelings arising dependent upon eye-contact as empty, and contemplate the feelings arising dependent upon ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact as empty; they should contemplate the earth element as empty, and contemplate the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements as empty; they should contemplate ignorance as empty, and contemplate formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress as empty; they should contemplate Giving pāramitā as empty, and contemplate Purity of Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Concentration, and Prajñāpāramitā as empty; they should contemplate the emptiness of internal phenomena as empty, and contemplate the emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of both internal and external phenomena, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, the emptiness of the ultimate, the emptiness without boundaries, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of non-alteration, the emptiness of inherent nature, the emptiness of own characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness in all phenomena, the emptiness of what cannot be grasped, the emptiness of no nature, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the emptiness of self-nature as empty; they should contemplate suchness as empty, and contemplate the Dharma Realm, the nature of phenomena, the nature of non-deception, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of being free from arising, the fixed nature of phenomena, the abiding nature of phenomena, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm as empty; they should contemplate the Noble Truth of suffering as empty, and contemplate the Noble Truths of origin, cessation, and the path as empty; they should contemplate the four meditative absorptions as empty, and contemplate the four immeasurables and the four formless absorptions as empty; they should contemplate the eight liberations as empty, and contemplate the eight stages of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten universal bases as empty; they should contemplate the four Foundations of Mindfulness as empty, and contemplate the four Right Efforts, the four Bases of Supernatural Power, the five Faculties, the five Powers, the seven Factors of Enlightenment, and the eightfold Noble Path as empty; they should contemplate the liberation door of Emptiness as empty, and contemplate the liberation doors of Signlessness and Wishlessness as empty; they should contemplate the ten Bodhisattva stages of the three vehicles as empty; they should contemplate the five kinds of eyes as empty, and contemplate the six supernatural powers as empty; they should contemplate the ten powers of the Buddha as empty, and contemplate the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of unhindered knowledge, great Loving-kindness, great Compassion, great Joy, great Equanimity, and the eighteen exclusive qualities of a Buddha as empty; they should contemplate the quality of not forgetting as empty, and contemplate the nature of always maintaining equanimity as empty; they should contemplate omniscient wisdom as empty, and contemplate wisdom of the modes of the path and wisdom of all aspects as empty; they should contemplate all dhāraṇī teachings as empty, and contemplate all samādhi teachings as empty; they should contemplate the fruit of Stream-entry as empty, and contemplate the fruits of Once-returning, Non-returning, and Arhatship as empty; they should contemplate the state of a Pratyekabuddha as empty; they should contemplate all practices of Great Bodhisattvas as empty; they should contemplate the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas as empty; they should contemplate defiled phenomena as empty, and contemplate undefiled phenomena as empty; they should contemplate worldly phenomena as empty, and contemplate supramundane phenomena as empty; they should contemplate conditioned phenomena as empty, and contemplate unconditioned phenomena as empty; they should contemplate past phenomena as empty, and contemplate future and present phenomena as empty; they should contemplate wholesome phenomena as empty, and contemplate unwholesome and indeterminate phenomena as empty; they should contemplate phenomena of the Desire Realm as empty, and contemplate phenomena of the Form Realm and Formless Realm as empty.
Subhūti, when that Great Bodhisattva contemplates in this way, he causes the mind not to become scattered. If the mind does not become scattered, then he does not see any phenomenon at all; if he does not see any phenomenon at all, then there is no attainment. Why?
Subhūti, because that Great Bodhisattva has skillfully cultivated and learned that the own characteristics of all phenomena are empty; no phenomenon can increase, and no phenomenon can decrease. Therefore, regarding phenomena, he neither sees nor attains. Why? Subhūti, because within the ultimate truth of all phenomena, the one who attains, the object attained, the place of attainment, the time of attainment, and the phenomenon through which attainment occurs—whether combined or separate—cannot be grasped and cannot be seen.”
At that time, Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, as the Buddha has taught, Great Bodhisattvas should not attain the emptiness of phenomena. World-Honored One, why is it that Great Bodhisattvas abide in the emptiness of phenomena but do not attain it?”
The Buddha taught:
“Subhūti, when Great Bodhisattvas contemplate the emptiness of phenomena, they first think: ‘I should contemplate all characteristics of phenomena as empty and should not attain them. I contemplate the emptiness of phenomena in order to learn, not in order to attain. Now is the time for learning, not the time for attainment.’
Subhūti, that Great Bodhisattva, before entering meditative absorption, maintains the mind firmly on the object of contemplation; after entering meditative absorption, he does not attach the mind to the object.
Subhūti, at this time, that Great Bodhisattva does not abandon Giving pāramitā and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon Purity of Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Concentration, and Prajñāpāramitā, and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the emptiness of internal phenomena and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of both internal and external phenomena, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, the emptiness of the ultimate, the emptiness without boundaries, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of non-alteration, the emptiness of inherent nature, the emptiness of own characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness in all phenomena, the emptiness of what cannot be grasped, the emptiness of no nature, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the emptiness of self-nature, and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon suchness and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the Dharma Realm, the nature of phenomena, the nature of non-deception, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of being free from arising, the fixed nature of phenomena, the abiding nature of phenomena, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm, and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the Noble Truth of suffering and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the Noble Truths of origin, cessation, and path, and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the four meditative absorptions and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the four immeasurables and the four formless absorptions, and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the eight liberations and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the eight stages of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten universal bases, and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the four Foundations of Mindfulness and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the four Right Efforts, the four Bases of Supernatural Power, the five Faculties, the five Powers, the seven Factors of Enlightenment, and the eightfold Noble Path, and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the liberation door of Emptiness and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the liberation doors of Signlessness and Wishlessness and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the five kinds of eyes and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the six supernatural powers and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the ten powers of the Buddha and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of unhindered knowledge, great Loving-kindness, great Compassion, great Joy, great Equanimity, and the eighteen exclusive qualities of a Buddha, and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the quality of not forgetting and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the nature of always maintaining equanimity and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon omniscient wisdom and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon wisdom of the modes of the path and wisdom of all aspects, and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon all dhāraṇī teachings and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon all samādhi teachings and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the practices of Great Bodhisattvas and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows; he does not abandon the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment and does not realize the exhaustion of outflows. Why?”
Now, Subhuti, because that Great Bodhisattva practices the profound Prajñāpāramitā, he reflects: “Regarding the perfection of Giving, I should now learn it and should not realize it; regarding the perfections of Pure Precepts, Patience, Vigor, Meditation, and Prajñāpāramitā, I should now learn them and should not realize them.
Regarding emptiness of internal phenomena, I should now learn it and should not realize it; regarding emptiness of external phenomena, emptiness of both internal and external phenomena, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, supreme meaning emptiness, conditioned emptiness, unconditioned emptiness, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without boundaries, scattered emptiness, unchanging emptiness, emptiness of inherent nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness in all phenomena, emptiness that cannot be grasped, emptiness of no nature, emptiness of self-nature, emptiness of the self-nature of emptiness, I should now learn them and should not realize them.
Regarding Suchness, I should now learn it and should not realize it; regarding the Dharma Realm, the nature of Dharma, the non-deluded nature, the unchanging nature, the equal nature, the nature free from arising, the fixed Dharma, the abiding Dharma, ultimate reality, the realm of space, the inconceivable realm, I should now learn them and should not realize them.
Regarding the Noble Truth of suffering, I should now learn it and should not realize it; regarding the Noble Truths of origin, cessation, and path, I should now learn them and should not realize them.
Regarding the four Meditative Absorptions, I should now learn them and should not realize them; regarding the four Immeasurables and the four Formless Concentrations, I should now learn them and should not realize them.
Regarding the eight Liberations, I should now learn them and should not realize them; regarding the eight Bases of Mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten All-Perceptions, I should now learn them and should not realize them.
Regarding the four Foundations of Mindfulness, I should now learn them and should not realize them; regarding the four Right Efforts, the four Bases of Spiritual Power, the five Faculties, the five Powers, the seven factors of Enlightenment, and the eightfold Noble Path, I should now learn them and should not realize them.
Regarding the liberation-door of Emptiness, I should now learn it and should not realize it; regarding the liberation-doors of Signlessness and Wishlessness, I should now learn them and should not realize them.
Regarding the five kinds of eyes, I should now learn them and should not realize them; regarding the six supernormal powers, I should now learn them and should not realize them.
Regarding the ten powers of a Buddha, I should now learn them and should not realize them; regarding the four kinds of fearlessness, the four unobstructed knowledges, great Loving-kindness, great Compassion, great Joy, great Equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, I should now learn them and should not realize them.
Regarding the Dharma of never forgetting, I should now learn it and should not realize it; regarding the nature of always remaining in equanimity, I should now learn it and should not realize it.
Regarding all-knowing wisdom, I should now learn it and should not realize it; regarding wisdom of the aspects of the Path and wisdom of the aspects of all phenomena, I should now learn them and should not realize them.
Regarding all dhāraṇī gateways of Dharma, I should now learn them and should not realize them; regarding all samādhi gateways of Dharma, I should now learn them and should not realize them.
Regarding all practices of a Great Bodhisattva, I should now learn them and should not realize them.
Regarding the unsurpassed supreme enlightenment, I should now learn it and should not realize it.
Now I should learn the wisdom of all-knowing, and should not realize the fruit of Stream-entry. Now I should learn the wisdom of all-knowing, and should not realize the fruits of Once-returning, Non-returning, or Arhatship. Now I should learn the wisdom of all-knowing, and should not realize the state of a Solitary Buddha.”