THE GREAT PRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ SUTRA
VOLUME 474
Chapter 78: TRUE REALITY (2)
O Subhūti, you should know that, for example, there is a Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One who transforms and manifests the four assemblies: Bhikṣus, Bhikṣuṇīs, Upāsakas, and Upāsikās. Then, for one kalpa or more than one kalpa, suppose that the transformed Buddha expounds the true Dharma for those four assemblies. What do you think? Can those transformed assemblies attain the fruit of Stream-enterer, the fruit of Once-returner, the fruit of Non-returner, the fruit of Arhatship, the Bodhi of a Pratyekabuddha, or receive a prediction of unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?
Subhūti replied:
World-Honored One, they cannot. Why? Because the assemblies that are transformed here do not truly exist. Without any real dharma, there cannot be attainment of fruits or receiving of predictions.
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, all dharmas are likewise. Their inherent nature is emptiness; they do not truly exist. Therefore, within those dharmas, who are the Great Bodhisattvas, what Dharma is spoken, and to which sentient beings is it spoken? Causing them to attain the fruit of Stream-enterer, the fruit of Once-returner, the fruit of Non-returner, the fruit of Arhatship, the Bodhi of a Pratyekabuddha, or receive a prediction of unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?
Subhūti, you should know that although the Great Bodhisattvas teach sentient beings the Dharma of emptiness, sentient beings themselves cannot truly be apprehended. The Great Bodhisattvas, out of compassion for those sentient beings who have fallen into inverted perceptions regarding dharmas, rescue them and lead them to abide in the non-inverted Dharma of emptiness. That non-inverted Dharma is without conceptual discrimination; because it is without discrimination, it is not inverted. If there is discrimination, there is inversion, and therefore sentient beings wander through the paths of saṃsāra.
O Subhūti, you should know that inversion is the Dharma of non-inversion; non-inversion, without self, without sentient beings, and broadly speaking, without anything that knows, without anything that sees. There is also no form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness; there is no eye-dhātu up to mind-dhātu; there is no form-dhātu up to dharma-dhātu; there is no eye-consciousness-dhātu up to mind-consciousness-dhātu; there is no eye-contact up to mind-contact; there are no feelings arising conditioned by eye-contact up to feelings arising conditioned by mind-contact; there is no earth-element up to consciousness-element; there are no causes and conditions up to dominant conditions; there are no conditioned dharmas; there is no ignorance up to aging-and-death; there is no Dāna-pāramitā up to Prajñā-pāramitā; there is no emptiness of the internal up to emptiness of the non-inherent nature of self-nature; there is no suchness up to the inconceivable realm; there are no noble truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and path; there are no four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold noble path; there are no four meditations, four immeasurables, or four formless absorptions; there are no eight liberations up to ten total spheres; there are no liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; there is no stage of pure contemplation up to the stage of Tathāgata; there is no stage of Extreme Joy up to the stage of Dharma Cloud; there are no five kinds of eyes or six supernormal powers; there are no ten powers of the Tathāgata up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha; there are no thirty-two marks of excellence or eighty secondary characteristics of a Great Being; there is no non-forgetfulness or constant equanimity; there is no all-knowing wisdom, wisdom of the modes of the path, or wisdom of all modes; there is no fruit of Stream-entry up to Pratyekabuddha Bodhi; there are no practices of all Great Bodhisattvas; there is no unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas.
O Subhūti, all of these are nonexistent, which means their inherent nature is emptiness. When practicing the profound Prajñā-pāramitā, the Great Bodhisattvas abide in this Dharma and see sentient beings fallen into inverted perceptions; through skillful means, they enable them to become liberated. That is, they liberate them from the perception of self and no-self, the perception of sentient beings and no sentient beings, and broadly speaking, up to the perception of knowing and not knowing, the perception of seeing and not seeing. They also liberate them from the perceptions of permanence and impermanence, happiness and non-happiness, purity and impurity. They also liberate them from perceptions of form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, and perceptions of the absence of form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. They liberate them from perceptions of the eye-place up to the mind-place and perceptions of the absence of the eye-place up to the mind-place; perceptions of the form-place up to the dharma-place and perceptions of the absence of the form-place up to the dharma-place; perceptions of the eye-dhātu up to the mind-dhātu and perceptions of the absence of the eye-dhātu up to the mind-dhātu; perceptions of the form-dhātu up to the dharma-dhātu and perceptions of the absence of the form-dhātu up to the dharma-dhātu; perceptions of the eye-consciousness-dhātu up to the mind-consciousness-dhātu and perceptions of the absence of the eye-consciousness-dhātu up to the mind-consciousness-dhātu; perceptions of eye-contact up to mind-contact and perceptions of the absence of eye-contact up to mind-contact; perceptions of feelings arising conditioned by eye-contact up to feelings arising conditioned by mind-contact and perceptions of the absence of feelings arising conditioned by eye-contact up to feelings arising conditioned by mind-contact; perceptions of the absence of the earth-element up to the consciousness-element and perceptions of the absence of the earth-element up to the consciousness-element; perceptions of causes and conditions up to dominant conditions and perceptions of the absence of causes and conditions up to dominant conditions; perceptions of conditioned dharmas and perceptions of the absence of conditioned dharmas; perceptions of ignorance up to aging-and-death and perceptions of the absence of ignorance up to aging-and-death; perceptions of Dāna-pāramitā up to Prajñā-pāramitā and perceptions of the absence of Dāna-pāramitā up to Prajñā-pāramitā; perceptions of emptiness of the internal up to emptiness of the non-inherent nature of self-nature and perceptions of the absence of emptiness of the internal up to emptiness of the non-inherent nature of self-nature; perceptions of suchness up to the inconceivable realm and perceptions of the absence of suchness up to the inconceivable realm; perceptions of the noble truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and path and perceptions of their absence; perceptions of the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold noble path and perceptions of their absence; perceptions of the four meditations, four immeasurables, and four formless absorptions and perceptions of their absence; perceptions of the eight liberations up to the ten total spheres and perceptions of their absence; perceptions of the liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness and perceptions of their absence; perceptions of the stage of pure contemplation up to the stage of Tathāgata and perceptions of their absence; perceptions of the stage of Extreme Joy up to the stage of Dharma Cloud and perceptions of their absence; perceptions of all dhāraṇī teachings and all samādhi teachings and perceptions of their absence; perceptions of the five kinds of eyes and six supernormal powers and perceptions of their absence; perceptions of the ten powers of the Tathāgata up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha and perceptions of their absence; perceptions of the thirty-two marks of excellence and eighty secondary characteristics of a Great Being and perceptions of their absence; perceptions of having non-forgetfulness and constant equanimity and perceptions of their absence; perceptions of all-knowing wisdom, wisdom of the modes of the path, and wisdom of all modes and perceptions of their absence; perceptions of the fruit of Stream-entry up to Pratyekabuddha Bodhi and perceptions of their absence; perceptions of all practices of Great Bodhisattvas and perceptions of their absence; perceptions of unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas and perceptions of its absence. They also liberate them from the five aggregates of grasping and all conditioned dharmas. They liberate them from the four foundations of mindfulness and all unconditioned dharmas. Why? All four foundations of mindfulness and unconditioned dharmas are not ultimately meaningful; they are unborn, undestroyed, without characteristics, not unconditioned, without conceptual elaboration, and without discrimination, therefore they too must be liberated. That true ultimate reality is precisely inherent nature emptiness. Inherent nature emptiness is precisely the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment attained by Buddhas.
Subhūti, you should know that within this Dharma there is no self up to anything that sees that can be attained; there is also no form up to consciousness that can be attained; there is no eye-place up to mind-place that can be attained; there is no form-place up to dharma-place that can be attained; there is no eye-dhātu up to mind-dhātu that can be attained; there is no form-dhātu up to dharma-dhātu that can be attained; there is no eye-consciousness-dhātu up to mind-consciousness-dhātu that can be attained; there is no eye-contact up to mind-contact that can be attained; there are no feelings arising conditioned by eye-contact up to feelings arising conditioned by mind-contact that can be attained; there is no earth-element up to consciousness-element that can be attained; there are no causes and conditions up to dominant conditions that can be attained; there are no conditioned dharmas that can be attained; there is no ignorance up to aging-and-death that can be attained; there is no Dāna-pāramitā up to Prajñā-pāramitā that can be attained; there is no emptiness of the internal up to emptiness of the non-inherent nature of self-nature that can be attained; there is no suchness up to the inconceivable realm that can be attained; there are no noble truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and path that can be attained; there are no four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold noble path that can be attained; there are no four meditations, four immeasurables, or four formless absorptions that can be attained; there are no eight liberations up to ten total spheres that can be attained; there are no liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; there is no stage of pure contemplation up to the stage of Tathāgata that can be attained; there is no stage of Extreme Joy up to the stage of Dharma Cloud that can be attained; there are no dhāraṇī teachings or samādhi teachings that can be attained; there are no five kinds of eyes or six supernormal powers that can be attained; there are no ten powers of the Tathāgata up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha that can be attained; there are no thirty-two marks of excellence or eighty secondary characteristics of a Great Being; there is no absence of non-forgetfulness or constant equanimity that can be attained; there is no all-knowing wisdom, wisdom of the modes of the path, or wisdom of all modes that can be attained; there is no fruit of Stream-entry up to Pratyekabuddha Bodhi that can be attained; there are no practices of all Great Bodhisattvas that can be attained; there is no unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas that can be attained.
Subhūti, you should know that Great Bodhisattvas do not seek unsurpassed perfect enlightenment because of the path of unsurpassed perfect enlightenment; they seek unsurpassed perfect enlightenment only because the inherent nature of all dharmas is emptiness. This inherent nature emptiness has always been empty in the past, present, and future limits; it has never been otherwise than empty. In order to liberate sentient beings who cling to the perceptions of sentient beings and the perceptions of dharmas, the Great Bodhisattvas abide in the Prajñā-pāramitā practice of wisdom of the modes of the path based on inherent nature emptiness. When practicing this wisdom of the modes of the path, the Great Bodhisattvas obtain all paths, whether those of Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, or Buddhas. Subhūti, you should know that when Great Bodhisattvas have perfected all paths, they then possess the ability to teach and mature all sentient beings, purify and adorn their aspiration to enter Buddha-fields, and continue practicing until they attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. Once they have attained unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, Great Bodhisattvas have the ability to cause the Buddha-eye to remain unharmed. What is called the Buddha-eye? The Buddha-eye is inherent nature emptiness. The Buddhas of the past, future, and present who abide in the worlds of the ten directions and teach true Dharma to sentient beings all take this inherent nature emptiness as the Buddha-eye.
Subhūti, you should know that there certainly are no Buddhas who appear in the world apart from inherent nature emptiness. When Buddhas appear in the world, they all explain the meaning of inherent nature emptiness. Sentient beings who are to be taught must hear the Buddha teach the truth of inherent nature emptiness before entering the noble path and attaining noble fruits. Apart from inherent nature emptiness, there is no other means. Subhūti, Great Bodhisattvas who wish to attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment should abide in the truth of inherent nature emptiness, cultivate the six pāramitās and other practices of Great Bodhisattvas. If Great Bodhisattvas abide correctly in the truth of inherent nature emptiness and cultivate the six pāramitās and the practices of Great Bodhisattvas, they will not regress from all-knowing wisdom and will always bring happiness to all sentient beings.
At that time, Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, Great Bodhisattvas are exceedingly rare. Although they practice all dharmas whose inherent nature is emptiness, they never destroy their relation to inherent nature emptiness. That is, they do not cling to form as different from inherent nature emptiness up to consciousness; they do not cling to the eye-place up to the mind-place as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the form-place up to the dharma-place as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the eye-dhātu up to the mind-dhātu as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the form-dhātu up to the dharma-dhātu as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the eye-consciousness-dhātu up to the mind-consciousness-dhātu as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to eye-contact up to mind-contact as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to feelings arising conditioned by eye-contact up to feelings arising conditioned by mind-contact as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the earth-element up to consciousness-element as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to causes and conditions up to dominant conditions as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to conditioned dharmas as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to ignorance up to aging-and-death as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to Dāna-pāramitā up to Prajñā-pāramitā as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to emptiness of the internal up to emptiness of the non-inherent nature of self-nature as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to suchness up to the inconceivable realm as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the noble truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and path as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold noble path as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the four meditations, four immeasurables, and four formless absorptions as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the eight liberations up to ten total spheres as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the stage of pure contemplation up to the stage of Tathāgata as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the stage of Extreme Joy up to the stage of Dharma Cloud as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to all dhāraṇī teachings and all samādhi teachings as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the five kinds of eyes and six supernormal powers as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the ten powers of the Tathāgata up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the thirty-two marks of excellence and eighty secondary characteristics of a Great Being as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to non-forgetfulness and constant equanimity as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to all-knowing wisdom, wisdom of the modes of the path, and wisdom of all modes as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to the fruit of Stream-entry up to Pratyekabuddha Bodhi as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to all practices of Great Bodhisattvas as different from inherent nature emptiness; they do not cling to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas as different from inherent nature emptiness.
World-Honored One, form is inherent nature emptiness, and inherent nature emptiness is form. Likewise, up to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas is inherent nature emptiness. Inherent nature emptiness is unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas.
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, it is so, it is so, just as you have said! Great Bodhisattvas are exceedingly rare. Although they practice all dharmas whose inherent nature is emptiness, they never regress from inherent nature emptiness.
Subhūti, you should know that form is not different from inherent nature emptiness, and inherent nature emptiness is not different from form. Form is inherent nature emptiness, and inherent nature emptiness is form. Likewise, up to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas is not different from inherent nature emptiness, and inherent nature emptiness is not different from unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas. Unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas is inherent nature emptiness, and inherent nature emptiness is unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas.
Subhūti, you should know that if form were different from inherent nature emptiness and inherent nature emptiness were different from form, then form would not be different from inherent nature emptiness and inherent nature emptiness would not be different from form. Likewise, up to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas being different from inherent nature emptiness and inherent nature emptiness being different from unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas. Unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas is not inherent nature emptiness, and inherent nature emptiness is not unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas; therefore Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñā-pāramitā should not contemplate that all dharmas have inherent nature emptiness and that all cannot attain all-knowing wisdom. Because form is not different from inherent nature emptiness; inherent nature emptiness is not different from form. Form is inherent nature emptiness, and inherent nature emptiness is form. Likewise, up to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas is not different from inherent nature emptiness, and inherent nature emptiness is not different from unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas. Unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas is inherent nature emptiness, and inherent nature emptiness is unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas.
When practicing the profound Prajñā-pāramitā, Great Bodhisattvas contemplate that all dharmas have inherent nature emptiness and therefore can attain all-knowing wisdom. Why? Because apart from inherent nature emptiness there is no dharma that is real, permanent, destructible, or severable. Only ordinary beings, deluded and inverted, give rise to different perceptions. That is, they discriminate that form is different from inherent nature emptiness, or discriminate that feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are different from inherent nature emptiness. Likewise, they discriminate that all practices of Great Bodhisattvas are different from inherent nature emptiness, or that unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas is different from inherent nature emptiness. Deluded ordinary beings discriminate that dharmas and inherent nature emptiness are different, and therefore do not know form as it truly is, nor feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness as they truly are. Because they do not know in this way, they cling to form, cling to feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. Because of clinging, they grasp self and what belongs to self in relation to form, and self and what belongs to self in relation to feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. Because of these false graspings, they become attached to internal and external objects and take up the form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness of a future body. Therefore they cannot become liberated from birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, distress, and affliction in various realms, and they continue wandering through the realms of saṃsāra.
For this reason, Great Bodhisattvas abiding in the Prajñā-pāramitā practice based on inherent nature emptiness do not accept form and the destruction of form as either empty or non-empty; they do not accept feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, nor the destruction of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, as empty or non-empty. Likewise, they do not accept all practices of Great Bodhisattvas, nor their destruction, as empty or non-empty; they do not accept unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas, nor its destruction, as empty or non-empty. Why? Form does not destroy emptiness, and emptiness does not destroy form. This means: this is form, this is emptiness. Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness do not destroy emptiness, and emptiness does not destroy feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. This means: this is feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; this is emptiness. Likewise, all practices of Great Bodhisattvas do not destroy emptiness, and emptiness does not destroy all practices of Great Bodhisattvas. This means: these are all practices of Great Bodhisattvas; this is emptiness. Unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas also does not destroy emptiness, and emptiness does not destroy unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas. This means: this is unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas; this is emptiness. It is like space: space does not destroy space. Inner space does not destroy outer space. The outer realm of the space-element does not destroy the inner realm of the space-element.
Thus, Subhūti, form does not destroy emptiness, and emptiness does not destroy form. Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness do not destroy emptiness, and emptiness does not destroy feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. Why? Such dharmas all have emptiness as their own nature and cannot be discriminated, meaning there is no saying: this is empty, this is non-empty. Likewise, all practices of Great Bodhisattvas do not destroy emptiness, and emptiness does not destroy all practices of Great Bodhisattvas. Unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas does not destroy emptiness, and emptiness does not destroy unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas. Why? Such dharmas have no self-nature that can be discriminated, meaning there is no saying: this is empty, this is non-empty.
At that time, Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, if all dharmas have inherent nature emptiness and are completely without difference, by abiding in what place do Great Bodhisattvas proceed toward unsurpassed perfect enlightenment? Unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas has no twofold mode of practice; because there is no twofold mode of practice, unsurpassed perfect enlightenment can be attained. I ask the World-Honored One to compassionately explain.
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, it is so, it is so, just as you have said! Unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas has no twofold mode of practice; because there is no twofold mode of practice, unsurpassed perfect enlightenment can be attained. Why? Because Bodhi is non-dual and without discrimination. If anyone discriminates completely regarding twofold modes of practice and the practice of Bodhi, then they cannot attain the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment they seek.
Subhūti, you should know that Great Bodhisattvas do not discriminate regarding the practice of Bodhi and twofold modes of practice, nor do they abide anywhere in proceeding toward unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. Great Bodhisattvas do not discriminate regarding all dharmas that are without twofold modes of practice, nor do they have any place of practice; therefore they can attain the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment they seek.
Subhūti, you should know that the Great Bodhisattva’s seeking of unsurpassed perfect enlightenment cannot be attained through twofold modes of practice. The Bodhi of Great Bodhisattvas has no place of practice, meaning they do not practice form, nor do they practice feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. Likewise, they do not practice all Bodhisattva practices, nor do they practice unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas. Why? Because the Bodhi of Great Bodhisattvas does not depend on names and fame to grasp self and what belongs to self; that is, they do not give rise to the thought: “I practice form, I practice feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness.” Likewise, they do not give rise to the thought: “I practice all practices of Great Bodhisattvas. I practice unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas.”
Furthermore, Subhūti, the Bodhi of Great Bodhisattvas does not practice because of grasping, nor does it practice because of abandoning.
Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, the Bodhi of Great Bodhisattvas does not practice because of grasping, nor does it practice because of abandoning. Where should the Bodhi of Great Bodhisattvas practice?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, what do you think? Where should the Bodhi of a transformed Tathāgata practice? Does it practice because of grasping, or does it practice because of abandoning?
Subhūti replied:
No, World-Honored One. The transformed body of the Tathāgata truly does not exist; how can one say there is Bodhi, a place of practice, or either taking or abandoning?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, what do you think? Where should the Bodhi in dreams of Arhats practice? Does it practice because of grasping, or because of abandoning?
Subhūti replied:
World-Honored One, no. Because Arhats have completely extinguished all afflictions, have completely ended hindrances such as dormant tendencies and dullness, and ultimately have no dreams, how could there be Bodhi in dreams, a place to practice, grasp, or abandon?
The Buddha said:
It is so, it is so, just as you have said! Because Arhats completely do not dream and no longer have dullness, dormant tendencies, or discrimination. The Bodhi of Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñā-pāramitā is likewise: it does not practice by holding on, does not practice by abandoning, does not practice by abandoning, has completely no place of practice, and therefore realizes the inherent nature emptiness of all dharmas.
Venerable Subhūti again said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, what Great Bodhisattva practicing the profound Prajñā-pāramitā has Bodhi that does not practice by grasping, does not practice by abandoning, and has completely no place of practice? That is, does not practice form, nor feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. Likewise, does not practice all practices of Great Bodhisattvas, nor unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas. How could there be a Great Bodhisattva who, for the benefit of sentient beings, does not practice Dāna-pāramitā up to Prajñā-pāramitā; does not practice emptiness of the internal up to emptiness of the non-inherent nature of self-nature; does not practice suchness up to the inconceivable realm; does not practice the noble truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and path; does not practice the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold noble path; does not practice the four meditations, four immeasurables, and four formless absorptions; does not practice the eight liberations up to the ten total spheres; does not practice the liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; does not practice the stage of Extreme Joy up to the stage of Dharma Cloud; does not practice all dhāraṇī teachings and all samādhi teachings; does not practice the five kinds of eyes and six supernormal powers; does not practice the ten powers of the Tathāgata up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha; does not practice the thirty-two marks of excellence and eighty secondary characteristics of a Great Being; does not practice non-forgetfulness and constant equanimity; does not practice all-knowing wisdom, wisdom of the modes of the path, and wisdom of all modes; and does not abide in the superior supernatural powers of Bodhisattvas, which bring about the accomplishment of sentient beings and the purification and adornment of Buddha-fields, and thereby attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, although the Bodhi of Great Bodhisattvas has no place of practice, Great Bodhisattvas, wishing to benefit sentient beings, must practice Dāna-pāramitā up to Prajñā-pāramitā. Likewise, they must practice all-knowing wisdom, wisdom of the modes of the path, and wisdom of all modes, and must abide in the superior supernatural powers of Bodhisattvas in order to bring about the accomplishment of sentient beings, purify and adorn Buddha-fields, and attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, if the Bodhi of Great Bodhisattvas has no place of practice, then there would be no Great Bodhisattvas who, wishing to benefit sentient beings, abide in Dāna-pāramitā up to Prajñā-pāramitā and cultivate them for a long time until they are perfected. Likewise, they would not abide in all-knowing wisdom, wisdom of the modes of the path, and wisdom of all modes, cultivating them for a long time until they are perfected; they would not abide in the superior supernatural powers of Bodhisattvas, bringing about the accomplishment of sentient beings and purifying and adorning Buddha-fields, cultivating them for a long time until they are perfected, and thereby attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, the Bodhi of the Great Bodhisattvas, although there is no place of practice, yet because the Great Bodhisattvas wish to benefit sentient beings, they must abide in and cultivate the Perfection of Giving through the Perfection of Wisdom for a long time, causing them to become complete. Thus, they must abide in and cultivate for a long time the All-Knowing Wisdom, the Wisdom of the Path Aspect, and the Wisdom of All Aspects until they become complete; they must abide in the supreme spiritual powers of the Bodhisattva, bring about the accomplishment of sentient beings, purify and adorn the Buddha-fields, cultivate for a long time until completion, and ultimately attain the unsurpassed Enlightenment.
Subhūti, you should know that any Great Bodhisattva who cultivates wholesome roots but has not yet perfected them all cannot attain the unsurpassed Enlightenment according to their aspiration. Subhūti, you should know that any Great Bodhisattva who wishes to attain the unsurpassed Enlightenment should abide in the emptiness of the inherent nature of form, should abide in the emptiness of the inherent nature of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. Likewise, they should abide in the emptiness of the inherent nature of all the practices of the Great Bodhisattva, should abide in the emptiness of the inherent nature of the unsurpassed Enlightenment of all Buddhas, should abide in the emptiness of the inherent nature of all phenomena, should abide in the emptiness of the inherent nature of all sentient beings, and cultivate the Perfection of Giving through the Perfection of Wisdom until they become complete. Thus, they cultivate the All-Knowing Wisdom, the Wisdom of the Path Aspect, and the Wisdom of All Aspects until they become complete; they cultivate the supreme spiritual powers of the Bodhisattva, bring about the accomplishment of sentient beings, purify and adorn the Buddha-fields, and only after making these complete do they attain the unsurpassed Enlightenment.
Subhūti, you should know that this is the principle of the path of the emptiness of the inherent nature of all phenomena and the principle of the path of the emptiness of the inherent nature of sentient beings, which are ultimately tranquil and utterly silent, without even the slightest phenomenon that can increase, decrease, arise, cease, be cut off, be eternal, be defiled, be purified, attain fruition, or directly realize.
Subhūti, you should know that the Great Bodhisattvas, relying on conventional truth, are said to practice the Perfection of Wisdom. Having truly understood the emptiness of inherent nature, they then attain the unsurpassed Enlightenment, but they do not rely on the supreme meaning. Why is this so? Because within ultimate truth there is no form that can be obtained, nor is there feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness that can be obtained. Likewise, there are no practices of the Great Bodhisattva that can be obtained, nor is there the unsurpassed Enlightenment of the Buddhas that can be obtained; there is also no practice of all the practices of the Great Bodhisattva that can be obtained, nor is there practice of the unsurpassed Enlightenment of the Buddhas that can be obtained.
Subhūti, such phenomena are all established through dependence, expressed through designation and conceptual fabrication; they do not rely on the supreme meaning. Subhūti, when Great Bodhisattvas first arouse the mind and practice the profound Perfection of Wisdom with great vigor, they practice the conduct of Bodhi for the sake of sentient beings, yet within this mind there is no object to be attained; regarding sentient beings there is nothing attained, regarding great Bodhi there is nothing attained, regarding Buddhas and Bodhisattvas there is nothing attained. This is because all phenomena and all sentient beings cannot be attained.
At that time, the Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, if all phenomena are without ownership and are completely impossible to grasp, how can Great Bodhisattvas practice the conduct of Bodhi? How can they attain the unsurpassed Enlightenment according to their aspiration? Who practices the conduct of Bodhi? Who is able to realize attainment?”
The Buddha said:
“Subhūti, what do you think? Previously, relying upon the realm of the virtue of cessation, you eliminated all afflictions, attained undefiled faculties, abided in uninterrupted concentration, attained the fruit of Stream-entry, then the fruit of Once-returning, the fruit of Non-returning, and finally the fruit of Arhatship. At that time, did you see any sentient beings, mind, path, or fruits of the path that could be attained?”
Subhūti replied:
“World-Honored One, no.”
The Buddha said:
“Subhūti, at that time you relied upon the realm of the virtue of cessation, cut off all afflictions, attained undefiled faculties, and regarding sentient beings, mind, path, and fruits of the path there was nothing attained. How then can it be said that you attained the fruit of Arhatship?”
Subhūti replied:
“World-Honored One, it is spoken according to conventional truth, not according to the supreme meaning.”
The Buddha said:
“Subhūti, it is so, it is so, just as you have said. The Great Bodhisattvas are also like this: relying on conventional truth, it is said that they practice the path of Bodhi and attain the unsurpassed Enlightenment; they do not rely on ultimate meaning. Subhūti, you should know that relying on conventional truth, form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are provisionally said to exist. Likewise, relying on conventional truth, all the practices of Great Bodhisattvas and the unsurpassed Enlightenment of the Buddhas are provisionally said to exist. Relying on conventional truth, sentient beings, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas are provisionally spoken of; they are not spoken of according to ultimate truth.
Subhūti, you should know that Great Bodhisattvas do not see any phenomenon that, in relation to the unsurpassed Enlightenment, can increase or decrease, benefit or harm, because the inherent nature of all phenomena is emptiness. Subhūti, you should know that Great Bodhisattvas, when contemplating the inherent nature of all phenomena as empty, cannot even attain that; how much less, when they have just first aroused the mind, could they attain it? If the initial arising of the mind cannot be attained, how could the cultivation of the Perfection of Giving through the Perfection of Wisdom be attained? How much less could abiding in the inner emptiness through emptiness of emptiness and emptiness of inherent self-nature be attained? How much less could abiding in suchness through the inconceivable realm be attained? How much less could abiding in the Noble Truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and path be attained? How much less could cultivating the four applications of mindfulness through the eightfold Noble Path be attained? How much less could cultivating the four meditations, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations be attained? How much less could cultivating the eight liberations through the ten totalities be attained? How much less could cultivating the liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness be attained? How much less could cultivating the stages from Joyful through Dharma Cloud be attained? How much less could cultivating all dharani methods and all samadhi methods be attained? How much less could cultivating the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges be attained? How much less could cultivating the ten powers of the Tathagata through the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha be attained? How much less could cultivating the thirty-two marks of excellence and the eighty minor characteristics of the Great Being be attained? How much less could cultivating the non-forgetfulness of phenomena and the nature of constant equanimity be attained? How much less could cultivating the All-Knowing Wisdom, the Wisdom of the Path Aspect, and the Wisdom of All Aspects be attained? How much less could cultivating all the practices of the Great Bodhisattva be attained? How much less could cultivating the unsurpassed Enlightenment of the Buddhas be attained?
Subhūti, if Great Bodhisattvas, in cultivating and abiding in all Buddha-dharmas, still had something to attain, such a thing would be impossible. Thus, Subhūti, Great Bodhisattvas practice the profound Perfection of Wisdom through skillful means, cultivate the great Bodhi practice, and attain the unsurpassed Enlightenment, always benefiting and bringing peace and happiness to sentient beings.”
**Chapter 79: NOT DEFICIENT (1)**
At that time, the Venerable Subhūti addressed the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, if Great Bodhisattvas, although diligently and vigorously cultivating the Perfection of Giving through the Perfection of Wisdom; abiding in the inner emptiness through the emptiness of emptiness and emptiness of inherent self-nature; abiding in suchness through the inconceivable realm; abiding in the Noble Truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and path; cultivating the four applications of mindfulness through the eightfold Noble Path; cultivating the four meditations, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations; cultivating the eight liberations through the ten totalities; cultivating the liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; cultivating the stages from Joyful through Dharma Cloud; cultivating all dharani methods and all samadhi methods; cultivating the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges; cultivating the ten powers of the Tathagata through the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha; cultivating the thirty-two marks of excellence and the eighty minor characteristics of the Great Being; cultivating non-forgetfulness of phenomena and the nature of constant equanimity; cultivating the All-Knowing Wisdom, the Wisdom of the Path Aspect, and the Wisdom of All Aspects; cultivating all the practices of Great Bodhisattvas; and cultivating the unsurpassed Enlightenment of the Buddhas—if they have not yet perfected the path of Bodhi, then they cannot attain the unsurpassed Enlightenment according to their aspiration. World-Honored One, how should Great Bodhisattvas cultivate the path of Bodhi so that it becomes complete and they can attain the unsurpassed Enlightenment?”
The Buddha said:
“Subhūti, if Great Bodhisattvas, when practicing the profound Perfection of Wisdom, are fully endowed with supreme skillful means, then by the power of these skillful means, when cultivating the Perfection of Giving they do not attain the giving, do not attain the giver, do not attain the receiver, yet they also do not abandon such phenomena and practice the Perfection of Giving. These Great Bodhisattvas, when giving in this way, can fully illuminate the three paths of Bodhi and quickly accomplish the path of Bodhi.
Thus, Subhūti, Great Bodhisattvas who practice the profound Perfection of Wisdom through skillful means, cultivating the path of Bodhi until it becomes complete, can attain the unsurpassed Enlightenment. Thus, Subhūti, if Great Bodhisattvas practice the profound Perfection of Wisdom through fully endowed supreme skillful means, then by the power of these skillful means they should cultivate the Perfection of Purity of Conduct, Patience, Diligence, Meditation, and Wisdom. Expanding further, they should cultivate all practices of Great Bodhisattvas and attain the Buddha fruit and the unsurpassed Enlightenment, explaining broadly according to their suitability.”
At that time, the Venerable Śāriputra said to the Buddha:
Venerable World-Honored One, how does a Great Bodhisattva, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, bravely and diligently cultivate the path of Bodhi?
The Buddha said:
Śāriputra, when a Great Bodhisattva practices the profound Prajñāpāramitā with skillful means, they do not unite with form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; they do not disperse from form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; they do not unite with the eye faculty up to the mental faculty; they do not disperse from the eye faculty up to the mental faculty; they do not unite with the objects of form up to the objects of dharmas; they do not disperse from the objects of form up to the objects of dharmas; they do not unite with the eye realm up to the mental realm; they do not disperse from the eye realm up to the mental realm; they do not unite with the realm of form up to the realm of dharmas; they do not disperse from the realm of form up to the realm of dharmas; they do not unite with the eye-consciousness realm up to the mental-consciousness realm; they do not disperse from the eye-consciousness realm up to the mental-consciousness realm; they do not unite with eye-contact up to mental-contact; they do not disperse from eye-contact up to mental-contact; they do not unite with the feelings arising conditioned by eye-contact up to the feelings arising conditioned by mental-contact; they do not disperse from the feelings arising conditioned by eye-contact up to the feelings arising conditioned by mental-contact; they do not unite with the earth element up to the consciousness element; they do not disperse from the earth element up to the consciousness element; they do not unite with the cause condition up to the dominant condition; they do not disperse from the cause condition up to the dominant condition; they do not unite with the phenomena arisen from causes and conditions; they do not disperse from the phenomena arisen from causes and conditions; they do not unite with ignorance up to old age and death; they do not disperse from ignorance up to old age and death. Why? Because such phenomena have no inherent nature by which they can be united or separated.
Śāriputra, if a Great Bodhisattva, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā with skillful means, does not unite with the Perfection of Giving up to the Perfection of Wisdom; does not disperse from the Perfection of Giving up to the Perfection of Wisdom; does not unite with emptiness of the internal up to emptiness of the absence of inherent self-nature; does not disperse from emptiness of the internal up to emptiness of the absence of inherent self-nature; does not unite with suchness up to the inconceivable realm; does not disperse from suchness up to the inconceivable realm; does not unite with the Noble Truths of suffering, origination, cessation, and the path; does not disperse from the Noble Truths of suffering, origination, cessation, and the path; does not unite with the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold Noble Path; does not disperse from the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold Noble Path; does not unite with the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless attainments; does not disperse from the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless attainments; does not unite with the eight liberations up to the ten total spheres; does not disperse from the eight liberations up to the ten total spheres; does not unite with the liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; does not disperse from the liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; does not unite with the stage of pure insight up to the stage of the Tathāgata; does not disperse from the stage of pure insight up to the stage of the Tathāgata; does not unite with the Joyous Stage up to the Dharma Cloud Stage; does not disperse from the Joyous Stage up to the Dharma Cloud Stage; does not unite with all dhāraṇī gateways and all samādhi gateways; does not disperse from all dhāraṇī gateways and all samādhi gateways; does not unite with the five kinds of eyes and the six supernatural powers; does not disperse from the five kinds of eyes and the six supernatural powers; does not unite with the ten powers of the Tathāgata up to the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha; does not disperse from the ten powers of the Tathāgata up to the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha; does not unite with the thirty-two marks of excellence and the eighty minor characteristics of a Great Being; does not disperse from the thirty-two marks of excellence and the eighty minor characteristics of a Great Being; does not unite with the qualities of not forgetting and the nature of always maintaining equanimity; does not disperse from the qualities of not forgetting and the nature of always maintaining equanimity; does not unite with all-knowing wisdom, wisdom of the modes of the path, and wisdom of all modes; does not disperse from all-knowing wisdom, wisdom of the modes of the path, and wisdom of all modes; does not unite with the fruit of Stream Entry up to Pratyekabuddha Bodhi; does not disperse from the fruit of Stream Entry up to Pratyekabuddha Bodhi; does not unite with all practices of Great Bodhisattvas; does not disperse from all practices of Great Bodhisattvas; does not unite with the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas; does not disperse from the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas. Why? Because such phenomena have no inherent nature by which they can be united or separated. Thus, Śāriputra, Great Bodhisattvas who practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā courageously and diligently cultivate the path of Bodhi.
At that time, Śāriputra said to the Buddha:
Venerable World-Honored One, if all phenomena have no inherent nature by which they can be united or separated, then how can Great Bodhisattvas proceed to cultivate and study the Prajñāpāramitā? Venerable World-Honored One, if Great Bodhisattvas do not study the Prajñāpāramitā, ultimately they will certainly be unable to attain the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment they seek, is that not so?
The Buddha said:
Śāriputra, it is so, it is so, just as you have said! If Great Bodhisattvas do not study the Prajñāpāramitā, ultimately they will not attain the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment they seek. Śāriputra, Great Bodhisattvas must study the Prajñāpāramitā in order to attain the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment they seek. Śāriputra, the aspiration of Great Bodhisattvas to attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment requires skillful means in order to be accomplished; if there are no skillful means, it cannot be accomplished.
Śāriputra, when Great Bodhisattvas practice the Prajñāpāramitā, if they perceive the inherent nature of these methods as something attainable, they should grasp it; but if they do not perceive any inherent nature of phenomena that can be attained, then what would they grasp? Not grasping here means not grasping the Prajñāpāramitā up to the Perfection of Giving; not grasping form up to consciousness; not grasping the eye faculty up to the mental faculty; not grasping the objects of form up to the objects of dharmas; not grasping the eye realm up to the mental realm; not grasping the realm of form up to the realm of dharmas; not grasping the eye-consciousness realm up to the mental-consciousness realm; not grasping eye-contact up to mental-contact; not grasping the feelings arising conditioned by eye-contact up to the feelings arising conditioned by mental-contact; not grasping the earth element up to the consciousness element; not grasping the cause condition up to the dominant condition; not grasping phenomena arisen from causes and conditions; not grasping ignorance up to old age and death; not grasping emptiness of the internal up to emptiness of the absence of inherent self-nature; not grasping suchness up to the inconceivable realm; not grasping the Noble Truths of suffering, origination, cessation, and the path; not grasping the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold Noble Path; not grasping the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless attainments; not grasping the eight liberations up to the ten total spheres; not grasping the liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; not grasping the stage of pure insight up to the stage of the Tathāgata; not grasping the Joyous Stage up to the Dharma Cloud Stage; not grasping all dhāraṇī gateways and all samādhi gateways; not grasping the five kinds of eyes and the six supernatural powers; not grasping the ten powers of the Tathāgata up to the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha; not grasping the thirty-two marks of excellence and the eighty minor characteristics; not grasping the qualities of not forgetting and the nature of always maintaining equanimity; not grasping all-knowing wisdom, wisdom of the modes of the path, and wisdom of all modes; not grasping the fruit of Stream Entry up to Pratyekabuddha Bodhi; not grasping all practices of Great Bodhisattvas; not grasping the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas; not grasping ordinary beings, Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, or Tathāgatas.