THE GREAT PRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ SŪTRA
Volume 421
Chapter 23: LIMITLESSNESS (2)
At that time, the Venerable Śāriputra asked Subhūti:
For what reason is it said that the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended? That the great Bodhisattvas of the future do not exist and cannot be apprehended? That the great Bodhisattvas of the present do not exist and cannot be apprehended?
For what reason is it said that since form is limitless, one should know that the great Bodhisattvas are also limitless; since feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are limitless, one should know that the great Bodhisattvas are also limitless; and even since the Śrāvaka Vehicle is limitless, one should know that the great Bodhisattvas are also limitless; since the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle and the Great Vehicle are limitless, one should know that the great Bodhisattvas are also limitless?
For what reason is it said that within form, the great Bodhisattvas do not exist and cannot be apprehended; apart from form, the great Bodhisattvas do not exist and cannot be apprehended; within feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, the great Bodhisattvas do not exist and cannot be apprehended; apart from feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, the great Bodhisattvas do not exist and cannot be apprehended; and even within the Śrāvaka Vehicle, the great Bodhisattvas do not exist and cannot be apprehended; apart from the Śrāvaka Vehicle, the great Bodhisattvas do not exist and cannot be apprehended; within the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle and the Great Vehicle, the great Bodhisattvas do not exist and cannot be apprehended; apart from the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle and the Great Vehicle, the great Bodhisattvas do not exist and cannot be apprehended?
For what reason is it said that, with respect to all such dharmas, if one were to seek the great Bodhisattvas in every possible way, in every place, and at every time, I could not see them at all, nor could I apprehend them; so how could anyone tell me to teach and transmit the Prajñāpāramitā to the great Bodhisattvas?
For what reason is it said that the great Bodhisattvas are called “great Bodhisattvas” only as a conventional designation, entirely without intrinsic nature?
For what reason is it said that the self, too, is ultimately unborn, merely a conventional designation, entirely without intrinsic nature?
For what reason is it said that all dharmas are likewise ultimately unborn, merely conventional designations, entirely without intrinsic nature?
For what reason is it said that whatever forms are ultimately unborn, whatever feelings, perceptions, volitional formations, and consciousnesses are ultimately unborn, and even whatever Śrāvaka Vehicles are ultimately unborn, whatever Pratyekabuddha Vehicles and Great Vehicles are ultimately unborn?
For what reason is it said that if they are ultimately unborn, then there is no name “form,” nor the names “feeling,” “perception,” “volitional formations,” or “consciousness”; and likewise, if they are ultimately unborn, then there is no name “Śrāvaka Vehicle,” nor the names “Pratyekabuddha Vehicle” or “Great Vehicle”?
For what reason is it said that how could I use the ultimately unborn Prajñāpāramitā to transmit and teach the ultimately unborn great Bodhisattvas?
For what reason is it said that apart from ultimate non-arising, there are no great Bodhisattvas who can practice toward the attainment of unsurpassed enlightenment?
For what reason is it said that if a great Bodhisattva hears such teachings and his mind is neither confused, distressed, nor regretful, and his mind is neither frightened nor fearful, then one should know that this great Bodhisattva is capable of practicing the Prajñāpāramitā? Venerable sir, please explain this clearly to me!
At that time, the Venerable Subhūti said to Śāriputra:
Venerable sir, you have asked: “For what reason is it said that the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended; that the great Bodhisattvas of the future do not exist and cannot be apprehended; that the great Bodhisattvas of the present do not exist and cannot be apprehended?”
Venerable Śāriputra, because sentient beings do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because sentient beings are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because sentient beings are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because sentient beings have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present: they do not exist and cannot be apprehended.
Venerable Śāriputra, because form does not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because form is empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because form is free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because form has no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present: they do not exist and cannot be apprehended.
Venerable Śāriputra, because the sphere of the eye does not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the spheres of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the sphere of the eye is empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the spheres of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the sphere of the eye is free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the spheres of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the sphere of the eye has no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the spheres of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present.
Venerable Śāriputra, because the sphere of visible forms does not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the spheres of sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the sphere of visible forms is empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the spheres of sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the sphere of visible forms is free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the spheres of sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the sphere of visible forms has no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the spheres of sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present.
Venerable Śāriputra, because the eye element does not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the eye element is empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the eye element is free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the eye element has no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present.
Venerable Śāriputra, because the form element does not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma elements do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the form element is empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma elements are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the form element is free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma elements are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the form element has no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma elements have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present.
Venerable Śāriputra, because the eye-consciousness element does not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness elements do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the eye-consciousness element is empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness elements are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the eye-consciousness element is free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness elements are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the eye-consciousness element has no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness elements have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present.
Venerable Śāriputra, because eye-contact does not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because eye-contact is empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because eye-contact is free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because eye-contact has no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present.
Venerable Śāriputra, because the feelings arising in dependence upon eye-contact do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the feelings arising in dependence upon ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the feelings arising in dependence upon eye-contact are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the feelings arising in dependence upon ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the feelings arising in dependence upon eye-contact are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the feelings arising in dependence upon ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the feelings arising in dependence upon eye-contact have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the feelings arising in dependence upon ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present.
Venerable Śāriputra, because the Perfection of Giving does not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Perfections of Morality, Patience, Diligence, Meditation, and Wisdom do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Perfection of Giving is empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Perfections of Morality, Patience, Diligence, Meditation, and Wisdom are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Perfection of Giving is free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Perfections of Morality, Patience, Diligence, Meditation, and Wisdom are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Perfection of Giving has no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Perfections of Morality, Patience, Diligence, Meditation, and Wisdom have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present.
Venerable Śāriputra, because the emptiness of internal phenomena does not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of both internal and external phenomena, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate emptiness, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, unchanging emptiness, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of common and individual characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the ungraspable, the emptiness of emptiness itself, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, and the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of emptiness do not exist; therefore, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the emptiness of internal phenomena is empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Likewise, from the emptiness of external phenomena to the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of emptiness being empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the emptiness of internal phenomena is free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Likewise, from the emptiness of external phenomena to the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of emptiness being free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the emptiness of internal phenomena has no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Likewise, from the emptiness of external phenomena to the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of emptiness having no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present.
Venerable Śāriputra, because the Four Foundations of Mindfulness do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Four Right Efforts, the Four Bases of Supernatural Power, the Five Faculties, the Five Powers, the Seven Factors of Enlightenment, and the Noble Eightfold Path do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Four Foundations of Mindfulness are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Likewise, from the Four Right Efforts to the Noble Eightfold Path being empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Four Foundations of Mindfulness are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Likewise, from the Four Right Efforts to the Noble Eightfold Path being free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Four Foundations of Mindfulness have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Likewise, from the Four Right Efforts to the Noble Eightfold Path having no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present.
Venerable Śāriputra, likewise, because the Ten Powers of a Buddha do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Four Fearlessnesses, the Four Unobstructed Knowledges, Great Loving-kindness, Great Compassion, Great Sympathetic Joy, Great Equanimity, and the Eighteen Exclusive Qualities of a Buddha do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Ten Powers of a Buddha are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Likewise, from the Four Fearlessnesses to the Eighteen Exclusive Qualities of a Buddha being empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Ten Powers of a Buddha are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Likewise, from the Four Fearlessnesses to the Eighteen Exclusive Qualities of a Buddha being free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Ten Powers of a Buddha have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Likewise, from the Four Fearlessnesses to the Eighteen Exclusive Qualities of a Buddha having no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present.
Venerable Śāriputra, because the dharmas of the Śrāvakas do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the dharmas of the Pratyekabuddhas and the dharmas of the Buddhas do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the dharmas of the Śrāvakas are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the dharmas of the Pratyekabuddhas and the dharmas of the Buddhas are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the dharmas of the Śrāvakas are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the dharmas of the Pratyekabuddhas and the dharmas of the Buddhas are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the dharmas of the Śrāvakas have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the dharmas of the Pratyekabuddhas and the dharmas of the Buddhas have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present.
Venerable Śāriputra, because all samādhi gateways do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because all dhāraṇī gateways do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because all samādhi gateways are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because all dhāraṇī gateways are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because all samādhi gateways are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because all dhāraṇī gateways are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because all samādhi gateways have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because all dhāraṇī gateways have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present.
Venerable Śāriputra, because the Dharma Realm does not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because Suchness, Ultimate Reality, the Inconceivable Realm, the Realm of Peace… do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Dharma Realm is empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because Suchness, Ultimate Reality, the Inconceivable Realm, the Realm of Peace… are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Dharma Realm is free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because Suchness, Ultimate Reality, the Inconceivable Realm, the Realm of Peace… are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Dharma Realm has no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because Suchness, Ultimate Reality, the Inconceivable Realm, the Realm of Peace… have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present.
Venerable Śāriputra, because the Śrāvaka Vehicle does not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle and the Great Vehicle do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Śrāvaka Vehicle is empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle and the Great Vehicle are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Śrāvaka Vehicle is free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle and the Great Vehicle are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Śrāvaka Vehicle has no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle and the Great Vehicle have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present.
Venerable Śāriputra, because Omniscient Knowledge does not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Knowledge of the Path and the Knowledge of All Aspects do not exist, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because Omniscient Knowledge is empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Knowledge of the Path and the Knowledge of All Aspects are empty, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because Omniscient Knowledge is free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Knowledge of the Path and the Knowledge of All Aspects are free from attachment, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because Omniscient Knowledge has no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. Because the Knowledge of the Path and the Knowledge of All Aspects have no intrinsic nature, the great Bodhisattvas of the past do not exist and cannot be apprehended. The same is true of the great Bodhisattvas of the future and the present. Why? Because, Śāriputra, within such emptiness, the past cannot be apprehended, the future cannot be apprehended, and the present cannot be apprehended.
Venerable Śāriputra, whether it be suchness or otherwise, whether past, future, or present, whether great Bodhisattvas or any dharmas whatsoever, all such dharmas are nondual, without a second or a second place.
Venerable Śāriputra, for this reason I say: The great Bodhisattvas of the past do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped; the great Bodhisattvas of the future do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped; the great Bodhisattvas of the present do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Furthermore, Venerable Śāriputra, regarding your question as to why it is said that form is without limit, you should know that the great Bodhisattvas are likewise without limit; feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are without limit, and you should know that the great Bodhisattvas are likewise without limit; up to and including the Śrāvaka Vehicle being without limit, you should know that the great Bodhisattvas are likewise without limit; the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle and the Great Vehicle are without limit, and you should know that the great Bodhisattvas are likewise without limit.
Venerable Śāriputra, form is like empty space; feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are like empty space. Why? Because in empty space the earlier part cannot be grasped, the later part cannot be grasped, and the middle part cannot be grasped. Since no boundary within it can be grasped, it is called empty space. Form up to consciousness is likewise: the earlier part, the later part, and the middle part cannot be grasped. Why? Because form up to consciousness are all empty in nature.
Venerable Śāriputra, within emptiness, the earlier part cannot be grasped, the later part cannot be grasped, and the middle part cannot be grasped. Since these parts likewise cannot be grasped, it is called emptiness.
Venerable Śāriputra, for this reason I say: Form is without limit, therefore you should know that the great Bodhisattvas are likewise without limit; feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are without limit, therefore you should know that the great Bodhisattvas are likewise without limit, and so too with the three vehicles.
Furthermore, Venerable Śāriputra, you asked why it is said that with respect to form itself, the great Bodhisattvas do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped; apart from form, the great Bodhisattvas do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped; with respect to feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness themselves, the great Bodhisattvas do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped; apart from feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, the great Bodhisattvas do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped; up to and including with respect to the Śrāvaka Vehicle itself, the great Bodhisattvas do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped; apart from the Śrāvaka Vehicle, the great Bodhisattvas do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped; with respect to the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle and the Great Vehicle themselves, the great Bodhisattvas do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped; apart from the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle and the Great Vehicle, the great Bodhisattvas do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Venerable Śāriputra, form—the nature of form—is emptiness; feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness—their nature—is emptiness. Why? Because within the emptiness of form, form does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The great Bodhisattvas likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within the emptiness of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The great Bodhisattvas likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Venerable Śāriputra, non-form is not the emptiness-nature of non-form; non-feeling, non-perception, non-volitional formations, and non-consciousness are not the emptiness-nature of non-feeling, non-perception, non-volitional formations, and non-consciousness. Why? Within the emptiness of non-form, non-form does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The great Bodhisattvas likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within the emptiness of non-feeling, non-perception, non-volitional formations, and non-consciousness, non-feeling, non-perception, non-volitional formations, and non-consciousness do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The great Bodhisattvas likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Venerable Śāriputra, for this reason I say: With respect to form itself, the great Bodhisattvas do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped; apart from form, the great Bodhisattvas do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. With respect to feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness themselves, the great Bodhisattvas do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped; apart from feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, the great Bodhisattvas do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped; and so too with the three vehicles.
Furthermore, Venerable Śāriputra, you asked why it is said that with regard to all these dharmas, I employ every skillful means, in every place and at every time, seeking the great Bodhisattvas, yet I am utterly unable to see or grasp them. If so, how could it be said that I teach or transmit the Prajñāpāramitā to the great Bodhisattvas?
Venerable Śāriputra, form—the nature of form—is emptiness. Form, in relation to form, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Form, in relation to feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Feeling—the nature of feeling—is emptiness. Feeling, in relation to feeling, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Feeling, in relation to form, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within feeling, form, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Perception—the nature of perception—is emptiness. Perception, in relation to perception, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Perception, in relation to form, feeling, volitional formations, and consciousness, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within perception, form, feeling, volitional formations, and consciousness likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Volitional formations—the nature of volitional formations—is emptiness. Volitional formations, in relation to volitional formations, do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Volitional formations, in relation to form, feeling, perception, and consciousness, do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within volitional formations, form, feeling, perception, and consciousness likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Consciousness—the nature of consciousness—is emptiness. Consciousness, in relation to consciousness, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Consciousness, in relation to form, feeling, perception, and volitional formations, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within consciousness, form, feeling, perception, and volitional formations likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Venerable Śāriputra, the eye-base—the nature of the eye-base—is emptiness. The eye-base, in relation to the eye-base, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The eye-base, in relation to the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind bases, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within the eye-base, the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind bases likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
The ear-base—the nature of the ear-base—is emptiness. The ear-base, in relation to the ear-base, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The ear-base, in relation to the eye, nose, tongue, body, and mind bases, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within the ear-base, the eye, nose, tongue, body, and mind bases likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
The nose-base—the nature of the nose-base—is emptiness. The nose-base, in relation to the nose-base, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The nose-base, in relation to the eye, ear, tongue, body, and mind bases, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within the nose-base, the eye, ear, tongue, body, and mind bases likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
The tongue-base—the nature of the tongue-base—is emptiness. The tongue-base, in relation to the tongue-base, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The tongue-base, in relation to the eye, ear, nose, body, and mind bases, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within the tongue-base, the eye, nose, body, and mind bases likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
The body-base—the nature of the body-base—is emptiness. The body-base, in relation to the body-base, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The body-base, in relation to the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and mind bases, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within the body-base, the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and mind bases likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
The mind-base—the nature of the mind-base—is emptiness. The mind-base, in relation to the mind-base, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The mind-base, in relation to the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body bases, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within the mind-base, the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body bases likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Venerable Śāriputra, the visible-form base—the nature of the visible-form base—is emptiness. The visible-form base, in relation to the visible-form base, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The visible-form base, in relation to the sound, odor, taste, tactile-object, and dharma bases, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within the visible-form base, the sound, odor, taste, tactile-object, and dharma bases likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
The sound base—the nature of the sound base—is emptiness. The sound base, in relation to the sound base, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The sound base, in relation to the visible-form, odor, taste, tactile-object, and dharma bases, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within the sound base, the visible-form, odor, taste, tactile-object, and dharma bases likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
The odor base—the nature of the odor base—is emptiness. The odor base, in relation to the odor base, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The odor base, in relation to the visible-form, sound, taste, tactile-object, and dharma bases, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within the odor base, the visible-form, sound, taste, tactile-object, and dharma bases likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
The taste base—the nature of the taste base—is emptiness. The taste base, in relation to the taste base, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The taste base, in relation to the visible-form, sound, odor, tactile-object, and dharma bases, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within the taste base, the visible-form, sound, odor, tactile-object, and dharma bases likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
The tactile-object base—the nature of the tactile-object base—is emptiness. The tactile-object base, in relation to the tactile-object base, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The tactile-object base, in relation to the visible-form, sound, odor, taste, and dharma bases, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within the tactile-object base, the visible-form, sound, odor, taste, and dharma bases likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
The dharma base—the nature of the dharma base—is emptiness. The dharma base, in relation to the dharma base, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The dharma base, in relation to the visible-form, sound, odor, taste, and tactile-object bases, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within the dharma base, the visible-form, sound, odor, taste, and tactile-object bases likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Venerable Śāriputra, the eye element—the nature of the eye element—is emptiness. The eye element, in relation to the eye element, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. The eye element, in relation to the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements, does not inherently exist and cannot be grasped. Within the eye element, the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind elements likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
The ear element… the nose element… the tongue element… the body element… and the mind element are likewise empty in nature; each does not inherently exist in relation to itself or the other five elements, nor can it be grasped; within each, the others likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Venerable Śāriputra, the visible-form element, sound element, odor element, taste element, tactile-object element, and dharma element are likewise empty in nature. Each does not inherently exist in relation to itself or the other five object-elements, cannot be grasped, and within each the others likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Venerable Śāriputra, the eye-consciousness element, ear-consciousness element, nose-consciousness element, tongue-consciousness element, body-consciousness element, and mind-consciousness element are likewise empty in nature. Each does not inherently exist in relation to itself or the other consciousness-elements, cannot be grasped, and within each the others likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Venerable Śāriputra, eye-contact, ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact, and mind-contact are likewise empty in nature. Each does not inherently exist in relation to itself or the other contacts, cannot be grasped, and within each the others likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Śāriputra, the feelings that arise dependent on eye-contact are empty in nature. Such feelings do not inherently exist in relation to themselves and cannot be grasped; nor do they inherently exist in relation to the feelings arising dependent on ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-contact, and cannot be grasped; within the feelings arising from eye-contact, the feelings arising from ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-contact likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.
Likewise, the feelings arising dependent on ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact, and mind-contact are each empty in nature. Each does not inherently exist in relation to itself or to the feelings arising from the other five kinds of contact, cannot be grasped, and within each, the others likewise do not inherently exist and cannot be grasped.