THE GREAT PRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ SŪTRA
VOLUME 530
Chapter 28: THE WONDERFUL MARKS (3)
Furthermore, Subhūti, when the great Bodhisattvas practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā, abiding in the five aggregates subject to grasping as being like a dream, like an echo, like a shadow, like an image in a mirror, like a mirage, like an illusion, like a magical transformation, like a city of Gandharvas, they perfect the Dhyāna-pāramitā.
The Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, what is meant by saying that when great Bodhisattvas practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā, they abide in the five aggregates subject to grasping as being like a dream…, up to being like a city of Gandharvas, and perfect the Dhyāna-pāramitā?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, when great Bodhisattvas practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā, they truly know that the five aggregates subject to grasping, from being like a dream… up to being like a city of Gandharvas, have no true characteristics. Then they enter the four dhyānas, the four immeasurables, the four formless concentrations, cultivate the samādhis of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, cultivate the samādhis of the lightning-like analogy and the vajra-like analogy of noble rightness, and abide in the vajra-like analogy samādhi. Apart from the meditative concentration of the Tathāgata, with regard to all concentrations—whether the concentrations of the two vehicles or other superior concentrations—they are all able to enter and completely abide in them. However, toward such samādhis they do not give rise to attachment, nor do they cling to the fruits of cultivation and realization. Why? Because such great Bodhisattvas truly know that all dhyānas… and all phenomena equally take the mark of emptiness and non-nature as their nature; one should not use the mark of emptiness to cling to the mark of emptiness; one should not use non-nature to cling to non-nature. Because they do not cling, they certainly do not follow the power of these concentrations and are reborn in the Form Realm or Formless Realm. Why? Because such great Bodhisattvas do not cling to any world, nor to the meditator, the objects of meditation, the causes and conditions by which meditation is entered, the place where meditation is entered, or the time of entering meditation. Because such great Bodhisattvas do not cling to any phenomena, they quickly perfect the signless Dhyāna-pāramitā. Because this Dhyāna-pāramitā is perfected, they transcend the stages of the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas.
The Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, why does that great Bodhisattva, because of perfecting this signless Dhyāna-pāramitā, transcend the stages of the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, that great Bodhisattva learns the emptiness of the inner completely, up to the emptiness of the non-nature of self-nature. Therefore, he perfects the signless Dhyāna-pāramitā and rises beyond the stages of the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas. That great Bodhisattva abides in the emptiness of all phenomena, does not cling to any phenomena, and therefore sees no phenomenon whatsoever and is far removed from all emptiness. Because that great Bodhisattva abides therein, he does not attain the fruit of Stream Entry up to Pratyekabuddha Bodhi; he also does not attain any practices of a great Bodhisattva, nor does he attain the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas. Why? Because within emptiness there is no phenomenon and there is not even emptiness itself. By abiding in this emptiness, that great Bodhisattva transcends the stages of the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas and enters the Bodhisattva’s right nature of freedom from arising.
The Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, what do great Bodhisattvas take as arising? What do they take as freedom from arising?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, great Bodhisattvas take everything that is attainable as arising, and take everything that is unattainable as freedom from arising.
The Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, what do great Bodhisattvas take as the attainable? What do they take as the unattainable?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, great Bodhisattvas take all phenomena as attainable. That is, great Bodhisattvas take the form aggregate as attainable; they take the feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness aggregates as attainable; broadly speaking, they even take all-knowledge wisdom as attainable. Great Bodhisattvas take such various Dharma-gates as attainable. That which is attainable itself is called arising, just as food and drink give rise to illness.
Furthermore, Subhūti, great Bodhisattvas take all phenomena that are inactive, unattainable, unteachable, and unshowable as impossible to grasp. That is, great Bodhisattvas take form up to all-knowledge wisdom, which are inactive, unattainable, unteachable, and unshowable, as impossible to grasp.
Why? Because the nature of form up to the nature of all-knowledge wisdom cannot act, cannot be grasped, cannot be taught, and cannot be pointed out. Great Bodhisattvas take such Dharma-gates that are inactive, unattainable, unteachable, and unshowable as the unattainable. That unattainable itself is freedom from arising. Having entered the position of the right nature of freedom from arising, great Bodhisattvas perfect all dhyānas, liberations, samādhis, and attainments. They do not receive rebirth according to the power of meditation; much less could they receive rebirth according to the powers of greed, hatred, and delusion.
That great Bodhisattva abiding here and creating various karmas, then wandering through realms due to the power of karma, is also impossible. Although that great Bodhisattva abides among formations that are like illusions and brings benefit and happiness to sentient beings, he does not cling to illusions or to sentient beings.
When that great Bodhisattva, with regard to matters that are unattainable, brings about the accomplishment of sentient beings and adorns and purifies Buddha realms, he never becomes weary or discontent.
Thus, Subhūti, great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā can quickly perfect the signless Dhyāna-pāramitā. Because this Dhyāna-pāramitā is perfected, they can perfect all Buddha-dharmas. Through this, they attain all-knowledge wisdom, and throughout the future age turn the wondrous Dharma wheel, benefiting and bringing happiness to all classes of sentient beings without interruption. Although there is the action of turning such an unsurpassed wondrous Dharma wheel, there is no attainment, because the Dharma speaker and those who hear the Dharma both lack self-nature.
Furthermore, Subhūti, when great Bodhisattvas practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā, abiding in the five aggregates subject to grasping as being like a dream, like an echo, like a shadow, like sunlight, like a mirage, like an illusion, like a magical transformation, like an illusory city, they perfect the Prajñāpāramitā. Such great Bodhisattvas truly know that the nature of all phenomena, from being like a dream… up to being like an illusory city, is not real, and thus attain the perfection of the signless Prajñāpāramitā.
The Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, how does a great Bodhisattva, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, truly know that the nature of all phenomena is like a dream… up to being like an illusory city?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, when great Bodhisattvas practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā, they do not see dreams, nor do they see a person who sees dreams; they do not hear echoes, nor do they see a person who hears echoes; they do not see shadows, nor do they see a person who sees shadows; they do not see mirages, nor do they see a person who sees mirages; they do not see waves of heat, nor do they see a person who sees waves of heat; they do not see illusions, nor do they see a person who sees illusions; they do not see transformations, nor do they see a person who sees transformations; they do not see illusory cities, nor do they see a person who sees illusory cities. Why? Because dreams and the person who sees dreams…, up to illusory cities and the person who sees illusory cities, are all attachments of ignorant and deluded ordinary beings.
Arhats, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Tathāgatas do not see dreams or the person who sees dreams…, broadly speaking, they do not see illusory cities or the person who sees illusory cities. Why? Because all phenomena take emptiness as their nature, are not formed, are not real, are signless, unconditioned, and do not truly possess a nature; even Nirvāṇa and so forth are the same. If all phenomena take emptiness as their nature, broadly speaking including Nirvāṇa, then how could great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā give rise toward all phenomena to notions of having nature, having formation, having reality, having existence, or conditioned things having true nature? If they gave rise to these notions, such a thing would not exist. Why? Because if all phenomena had even the slightest self-nature, had formation, reality, characteristics, conditioned existence, and true nature, then they could be grasped. In that case, the practice of profound Prajñāpāramitā would not be Prajñāpāramitā, because it would fail to attain the true nature and characteristics of phenomena.
Thus, Subhūti, when great Bodhisattvas practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā, they do not cling to the form aggregate; they do not cling to the feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness aggregates; up to not clinging to all-knowledge wisdom. Such great Bodhisattvas no longer cling to all such Dharma-gates and thus perfect the Bodhisattva’s First Ground up to the Tenth Ground, yet they do not give rise to attachment therein. Why? Because such great Bodhisattvas have perfected the five kinds of non-attainment from the First Ground to the Tenth Ground; how could they give rise to attachment within them? Although such great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not attain Prajñāpāramitā.
Because there is no attainment regarding Prajñāpāramitā, there is no attainment regarding all phenomena. Such great Bodhisattvas, although they contemplate that Prajñāpāramitā encompasses all phenomena, have no attainment regarding all phenomena. Why? Because all phenomena and this Prajñāpāramitā are neither two nor different. Why? Because the nature of all is beyond discrimination; it is called suchness, the Dharma realm, and ultimate reality, because phenomena are not mixed and are not different.
The Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, if the self-nature of all phenomena is not mixed and not different, then how can one say this is wholesome, this is not wholesome; this is contaminated, this is uncontaminated; this is worldly, this is supramundane; this is conditioned, this is unconditioned, and so forth with countless distinctions?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, what do you think? Can the true nature of phenomena be said to be wholesome? Can it also be said to be the fruit of Stream Entry…, up to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of the Buddha?
Subhūti said to the Buddha:
No, World-Honored One.
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, because of this cause and condition, know that the nature of phenomena is not mixed and is not different, without characteristics, without arising, without ceasing, without obstruction, not teachable, and not pointable out.
Subhūti, you should know that when I was still cultivating the Bodhisattva path, I did not grasp the nature of any phenomena. That is, I did not grasp form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; I did not grasp the eye-base up to the mind-base; I did not grasp the form-base up to the Dharma-base; I did not grasp the eye-element up to the mind-element; I did not grasp the form-element up to the Dharma-element; I did not grasp the eye-consciousness element up to the mind-consciousness element; I did not grasp eye-contact up to mind-contact; I did not grasp the feelings arising conditioned by eye-contact up to the feelings arising conditioned by mind-contact; I did not grasp the earth element up to the consciousness element; I did not grasp causes and conditions up to the dominant condition; I did not grasp phenomena arising through conditions; I did not grasp ignorance up to aging-and-death; I did not attain the Desire Realm, Form Realm, or Formless Realm; I did not grasp wholesome or unwholesome phenomena; I did not grasp contaminated or uncontaminated phenomena; I did not grasp worldly or supramundane phenomena; I did not grasp conditioned or unconditioned phenomena; broadly speaking, I did not grasp the fruit of Stream Entry up to Pratyekabuddha Bodhi; I did not grasp Bodhisattva practices; I did not attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
Thus, Subhūti, when great Bodhisattvas practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā, from the moment they first generate the aspiration until they attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, they should always diligently cultivate the self-nature of phenomena. If they always diligently cultivate the self-nature of phenomena, then they can completely purify the great Bodhi path, perfect all Bodhisattva practices, bring accomplishment to sentient beings, adorn and purify Buddha realms, abide in this Dharma, quickly attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, and use the Dharma of the three vehicles as skillful means to tame sentient beings, causing them to no longer revolve in the three realms and allowing them to enter ultimate peaceful Nirvāṇa.
Thus, Subhūti, great Bodhisattvas should use signlessness as a skillful means to cultivate Prajñāpāramitā and quickly perfect it. If they cultivate Prajñāpāramitā and quickly perfect it, then they can encompass all Buddha-dharmas; through this they attain all-knowledge wisdom and, until the end of the future age, bring benefit and happiness to sentient beings.
At that time, Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, if phenomena such as dreams… broadly speaking up to illusory cities are unreal, all take emptiness as their nature, and their own characteristics are empty, then how can one say this is wholesome, this is unwholesome, this is worldly, this is supramundane, this is contaminated, this is uncontaminated, this is conditioned, this is unconditioned? Broadly speaking, how can one say this is the fruit of Stream Entry and this is the Dharma capable of attaining the fruit of Stream Entry? Likewise, how can one say this is the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of the Buddha and this is the Dharma capable of attaining Buddhahood?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, ignorant ordinary beings in the world regard dreams as truly existing dreams and regard the person who sees dreams as truly existing; regarding illusory cities, they regard illusory cities as truly existing and also regard the person who sees illusory cities as truly existing. Having such notions of truly existing dreams, ignorant ordinary beings become deluded and attached. They create unwholesome karma through body, speech, and mind; they create wholesome karma through body, speech, and mind; they create neutral karma through body, speech, and mind; they create non-meritorious karma; they create meritorious karma; they create immovable karma… Because of these karmas, they must revolve through birth and death and experience endless suffering.
Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā abide in two kinds of emptiness to observe phenomena. These two kinds of emptiness are: ultimate emptiness and boundless emptiness. Great Bodhisattvas abiding in these two kinds of emptiness teach sentient beings the true Dharma as follows:
Form… up to consciousness are empty and without possession; the eye-base… up to the mind-base are empty and without possession; the form-base… up to the Dharma-base are empty and without possession; the eye-element… up to the mind-element are empty and without possession; the form-element… up to the Dharma-element are empty and without possession; the eye-consciousness element… up to the mind-consciousness element are empty and without possession; eye-contact… up to mind-contact are empty and without possession; feelings arising conditioned by eye-contact… up to feelings arising conditioned by mind-contact are empty and without possession; the earth element… up to the consciousness element are empty and without possession; causes and conditions… up to dominant conditions are empty and without possession. Phenomena arising from conditions are empty and without possession; ignorance… up to aging-and-death are empty and without possession.
They also say:
The aggregates of form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, like dreams… up to illusory cities, have no self-nature; the eye-base up to the mind-base, like dreams… up to cities, have no self-nature; the form-base up to the Dharma-base, like dreams… up to illusory cities, have no self-nature; the eye-element up to the mind-element, like dreams… up to illusory cities, have no self-nature; the form-element up to the Dharma-element, like dreams… up to illusory cities, have no self-nature; the eye-consciousness element up to the mind-consciousness element, like dreams… up to illusory cities, have no self-nature; eye-contact up to mind-contact, like dreams… up to illusory cities, have no self-nature; feelings arising conditioned by eye-contact up to feelings arising conditioned by mind-contact, like dreams… up to illusory cities, have no self-nature; the earth element up to the consciousness element, like dreams… up to illusory cities, have no self-nature; causes and conditions up to dominant conditions, like dreams… up to illusory cities, have no self-nature; phenomena arising through conditions, like dreams… up to illusory cities, have no self-nature; ignorance up to aging-and-death, like dreams… up to illusory cities, have no self-nature.
They also say:
Within this there is no form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness; there is no eye-base… up to mind-base; there is no form-base… up to Dharma-base; there is no eye-element… up to mind-element; there is no form-element… up to Dharma-element; there is no eye-consciousness element… up to mind-consciousness element; 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 phenomena arising through conditions; there is no ignorance… up to aging-and-death.
They also say:
Within this there is no dream and no person who sees dreams; broadly speaking, there is no illusory city and no person who sees illusory cities.
They also say:
All such phenomena have no reality; all take emptiness as their nature. Because of false conceptual discrimination, you perceive form aggregates… up to consciousness aggregates where there are no such aggregates. In what has no eye-base… up to mind-base, you perceive eye-base… up to mind-base. In what has no form-base… up to Dharma-base, you perceive form-base… up to Dharma-base. In what has no eye-element… up to mind-element, you perceive eye-element… up to mind-element. In what has no form-element… up to Dharma-element, you perceive form-element… up to Dharma-element. In what has no eye-consciousness element… up to mind-consciousness element, you perceive eye-consciousness element… up to mind-consciousness element. In what has no eye-contact… up to mind-contact, you perceive eye-contact… up to mind-contact. In what has no feelings arising conditioned by eye-contact… up to feelings arising conditioned by mind-contact, you perceive feelings arising conditioned by eye-contact… up to feelings arising conditioned by mind-contact. In what has no earth element… up to consciousness element, you perceive earth element… up to consciousness element. In what has no causes and conditions up to dominant conditions, you perceive causes and conditions up to dominant conditions. In what has no phenomena arising through conditions, you perceive phenomena arising through conditions. In what has no ignorance… up to aging-and-death, you perceive ignorance… up to aging-and-death.
They also say:
The nature of all phenomena of aggregates, bases, and elements is produced through the combination of various conditions; deluded appearances arise and are all included within karmic results. For what reason do you, regarding these false appearances without reality, give rise to the notion that they are real?
At that time, the Bodhisattva practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, using skillful means, if there are sentient beings who are stingy, rescues them through skillful means and causes them to abandon stinginess. Having abandoned stinginess, these sentient beings are encouraged to cultivate the Dāna-pāramitā. Through giving, these sentient beings attain positions of wealth and sovereignty. Then, in that place, he uses skillful means to rescue them and encourages them to cultivate the Śīla-pāramitā. Through pure discipline, these sentient beings are reborn in fortunate realms and attain wealth and sovereignty. Again, in that place, he uses skillful means to rescue them and encourages them to cultivate the Dhyāna-pāramitā. Through Dhyāna, these sentient beings are reborn in the Brahma world and abide freely in the first dhyāna. From the first dhyāna, he uses skillful means to rescue them and causes them to abide in the second dhyāna. In this way, he gradually uses skillful means to rescue them until they abide in the Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception Realm. These sentient beings, because of giving, discipline, and concentration, receive superior karmic results and thus give rise to much attachment. At that time, the Bodhisattva uses skillful means to rescue them from that inferior place and cause them to abide in ultimate Nirvāṇa.
That is, using means appropriate to their faculties, he causes them to rely upon the three vehicles and encourages them to cultivate the noble path; or causes them to abide in the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold noble path; or causes them to abide in the liberation Dharma-gates of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; or causes them to abide in the eight liberations up to the ten total attainments; or causes them to abide in the noble truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and path; or causes them to abide in the contemplation of the twelve links of dependent origination in forward and reverse order; or causes them to abide in the six pāramitās; or causes them to abide in the emptiness of the inner up to the emptiness of the non-nature of self-nature; or causes them to abide in suchness up to the inconceivable realm; or causes them to abide in the Bodhisattva grounds; or causes them to abide in all Dharma-gates of dhāraṇī and all Dharma-gates of samādhi; or causes them to abide in the five kinds of eyes and the six supernormal powers; or causes them to abide in the ten powers of the Tathāgata up to the eighteen unique Buddha qualities; or causes them to abide in great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity; or causes them to abide in the Dharma of never forgetting and the nature of constant equanimity; or causes them to abide in all-wisdom, path-wisdom, and omniscient wisdom.
That great Bodhisattva practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, using skillful means, accomplishes the formless, invisible, unobstructed, truly uncontaminated good Dharma and abides therein. For those sentient beings who are worthy of attaining the fruit of Stream Entry, he should manifest, advise, guide, praise, encourage, and rejoice with them, using skillful means to rescue them and enable them to attain the fruit of Stream Entry. Broadly speaking, for those sentient beings worthy of attaining unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, he should manifest, advise, guide, praise, encourage, and rejoice with them, using skillful means to rescue them and enable them to attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
Thus, Subhūti, great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, contemplating the two kinds of emptiness, although they know that phenomena from dreams… up to illusory cities are not truly existent, take emptiness as their nature, and have empty own-characteristics, nevertheless distinguish without confusion what is wholesome, what is unwholesome, what is contaminated, what is uncontaminated, what is worldly, what is supramundane, what is conditioned, and what is unconditioned. Broadly speaking, they distinguish without confusion the fruit of Stream Entry and the Dharma capable of attaining the fruit of Stream Entry, up to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of the Buddha and the Dharma capable of attaining Buddhahood.
At that time, Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā are extremely wondrous and rare. They contemplate the two kinds of emptiness, ultimate and boundless; they abide in the two kinds of emptiness, ultimate and boundless. Although they know that phenomena like dreams up to illusory cities are not truly existent, take emptiness as their nature, and their own-characteristics are originally empty, how can they distinguish countless Dharma-gates of wholesome and unwholesome without confusion?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, that is correct, that is correct! It is exactly as you have said. Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā are extremely wondrous and rare. Although they know that all phenomena lack self-nature, are ultimately without limits, are not truly existent, are like dreams… up to illusory cities, and their own-characteristics are originally empty and take emptiness as their nature, they nevertheless distinguish the various Dharma-gates of wholesome and unwholesome without confusion. If you know the extremely wondrous and rare Dharma of great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, which Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas do not accomplish and cannot measure, then you Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas cannot even engage in discussion with great Bodhisattvas, much less could other sentient beings engage in discussion!
The Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, what are called the extremely wondrous and rare Dharma practices of great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, which Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas do not accomplish and cannot measure?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, listen carefully and contemplate well. I shall distinguish and explain them for you. Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā possess extremely wondrous and rare Dharma practices that cause your mind to rejoice.
Subhūti, you should know that when great Bodhisattvas practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā, they abide in the attained result of immeasurable, countless, truly pure merits, such as the six pāramitās, the five wondrous supernatural powers, the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, dhāraṇī, unobstructed eloquence, and so forth. Using the power of supernatural abilities, they travel throughout the ten directions. For those sentient beings who should be liberated through giving… up to Prajñāpāramitā, they use giving… up to Prajñāpāramitā to liberate them. Those who should be liberated through the first dhyāna up to the fourth dhyāna, they use the first dhyāna up to the fourth dhyāna to liberate them. Those who should be liberated through immeasurable loving-kindness up to immeasurable equanimity, they use immeasurable loving-kindness… up to immeasurable equanimity to liberate them. Those who should be liberated through the concentration of Infinite Space up to the Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception Realm, they use the concentration of Infinite Space up to the Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception Realm to liberate them. Those who should be liberated through the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold noble path, they use the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold noble path to liberate them. Those who should be liberated through the liberation Dharma-gate of emptiness… up to the liberation Dharma-gate of wishlessness, they use the liberation Dharma-gate of emptiness up to the liberation Dharma-gate of wishlessness to liberate them. Those who should be liberated through other superior wholesome Dharmas, they use other superior wholesome Dharmas to liberate them.
The Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, how is it that great Bodhisattvas, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, abide in the attained result of pure merits such as the six pāramitās and the five supernatural powers, in order to give and liberate sentient beings?
The Buddha said:
Venerable Subhuti, when the Great Bodhisattvas practice the profound Perfection of Wisdom, they give away wealth and the necessities of life to sentient beings; that is, if sentient beings need food and drink, they provide food and drink; if they need vehicles, they provide vehicles; if they need clothing, they provide clothing; if they need perfumes and flowers, they provide perfumes and flowers; or whatever other wealth they need, they give it to them in full satisfaction. They may also make offerings of requisites to the Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the Blessed Buddhas. When giving in this way, they practice generosity with an equal mind, without notions of distinction. Whether giving to one who observes precepts or one who violates precepts, it is the same; whether giving to humans or non-humans, it is the same; whether giving to followers of the Way or outsiders, it is the same; whether giving to saints or ordinary beings, it is the same; whether giving to the noble or the humble, it is the same. From the Buddhas above to even animals below, they regard all equally without discrimination and do not see fields of merit as superior or inferior.
Why is this so? Because the Great Bodhisattvas clearly understand that the own-nature of all phenomena and all sentient beings is empty, completely without difference; therefore, they practice generosity without giving rise to different perceptions. Because that Great Bodhisattva practices generosity without arising in different perceptions, they will attain results that are without difference or discrimination, namely, the perfection of the wisdom of omniscience and immeasurable, boundless other Buddha qualities.
Subhuti, you should know that if a Great Bodhisattva sees someone who comes to ask for something and thinks: “If this person who comes is a Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, then because he is a field of merit I shall make offerings; but if he is not a Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, but rather an animal, then because he is not a field of merit I shall not give to him,” that Great Bodhisattva’s thinking is contrary to the Dharma of the Bodhisattvas.
Why is this so? Because Great Bodhisattvas must purify their own minds; only then will the fields of merit become pure. When seeing those who come to ask, they should not think: “Such a sentient being has come to ask, so I should give to them; or such a sentient being has come to ask, so I should not give to them.” If a Bodhisattva thinks in this way, it contradicts the great aspiration for Bodhi that they have generated. For Great Bodhisattvas originally arouse the mind seeking the unsurpassed enlightenment, thinking: “For the sake of sentient beings, I will become a place of refuge, an island, a shelter, a place of rescue…” When seeing someone who comes to ask, they should think: “This sentient being is now poor and without support; I should use generosity to save and help them.”
Through the condition of this act of generosity, they may be transformed, become content with few desires, know satisfaction, and abandon killing, and extensively speaking, abandon impure speech, as well as restrain greed, anger, and wrong views. Due to these causes and conditions, after death they may be born into great Kṣatriya families or great householders’ families, or be born anywhere wealthy and abundant, cultivating wholesome deeds; or through the beneficial causes and conditions of this generosity, they may gradually rely upon the three vehicles and attain liberation.
Furthermore, Subhuti, if Great Bodhisattvas are harmed by enemies, or if sentient beings come to injure them, or if others come to request help because of their poverty, those Great Bodhisattvas should not give rise to discriminating thoughts: “This person deserves to receive; this person does not deserve to receive.” They should only give rise to an equal mind, and whatever part of their body, wealth, kingdom, cities, wives, children, and so forth is requested, they should give it all.
Why is this so? Because that Great Bodhisattva seeks the unsurpassed enlightenment for the benefit and happiness of sentient beings. Whoever still gives rise to the discriminating thought “This person deserves to receive, but this person should not be given to” will be reproached by all Buddhas, Pratyekabuddhas, Śrāvakas, Bodhisattvas, gods, humans, asuras, and assemblies of noble beings: “Who asked you to generate the Bodhi mind and vow to liberate all sentient beings? If someone has no refuge, you should provide them with refuge; if someone has no home, you should provide them with a home; if someone receives no protection, you should protect them; if someone has no place of shelter, you should provide them with shelter; if someone has no happiness, you should make them happy… Yet now you choose whether you should give or not give!”
Furthermore, Subhuti, if there is any person or non-human being who comes to a Great Bodhisattva to request their hands, feet, or parts of their body, that Great Bodhisattva should not give rise to discriminating thoughts about whether to give or not to give. They should only think: “Whatever they request, I shall give completely.”
Why is this so? Because that Great Bodhisattva constantly reflects: “I have accepted this body for the benefit of sentient beings. If someone comes to request it, I must give it to them; I should not refuse.” If they see someone coming to ask, they should think: “This body of mine was originally received for the sake of others. If they did not come to take it, I would even bring it to them myself; how much more so when they come and request it—how could I not give it?”
Having thought in this way, they become joyful and delighted, cut off parts of their own body, and offer them to the requester. They rejoice again, thinking: “Now I have gained great benefit,” meaning that they have abandoned impurity and attained a pure body.
Subhuti, you should know that Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Perfection of Wisdom should learn in this way.
Furthermore, Subhuti, if a Great Bodhisattva sees someone coming to ask and immediately thinks: “Now, who is the giver? Who is the receiver? What thing is being given? Through what cause? For what purpose? Why is it given?” They understand that the self-nature of all phenomena cannot be grasped.
Why is this so? Because all such phenomena are completely empty; within emptiness there is no giving, no taking, no donor, and no recipient.
Subhuti, you should know that when Great Bodhisattvas practice the profound Perfection of Wisdom, they should learn in this way: All phenomena are empty. This means that whether due to inner emptiness they are empty, or up to the emptiness of the absence of the self-nature of emptiness itself, they are empty; therefore they are empty. That Great Bodhisattva abides in this emptiness and continuously practices generosity without interruption, perfecting the Perfection of Generosity. Because this Perfection of Generosity is perfected, when others cut, tear apart, or seize all external or internal possessions, their minds do not discriminate or give rise to anger at all. They only think: “All phenomena and sentient beings are empty; then who cuts me? Who seizes what belongs to me? Who receives that thing? Who here observes this emptiness of phenomena?”
Furthermore, Subhuti, with the Buddha eye I look throughout the countless worlds of Buddhas in the ten directions and see Great Bodhisattvas who, wishing to benefit sentient beings, make vows to enter the hell realms. Seeing sentient beings enduring many kinds of suffering, they then give rise to three methods for showing and guiding them. What are the three? First is supernatural power; second is prediction; third is instruction.
That Great Bodhisattva first uses the power of miraculous transformation to reveal and guide, eliminating instruments of suffering in the hells such as boiling water, fierce fires, swords, and knives. Next, they use the power of speech to reveal and guide, foresee and recognize the thoughts of sentient beings, and teach them the Dharma accordingly. After that, they use the power of instruction to reveal and guide, causing those sentient beings to give rise to great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity, and teach them the Dharma. This causes the sentient beings in those hell realms to develop pure faith toward the Bodhisattva. Through this cause and condition, they escape the hell realms, are born in the heavens or among humans, and gradually rely on the teachings of the three vehicles to attain liberation.
Furthermore, Subhuti, with the Buddha eye I look throughout the countless worlds of Buddhas in the ten directions and see Great Bodhisattvas who draw near to and make offerings to the Blessed Buddhas. When those Great Bodhisattvas approach and make offerings to the Blessed Buddhas, their bodies and minds rejoice, delighting in reverence and respect, never lacking joy, affection, or reverence. Those Great Bodhisattvas respectfully listen to the true Dharma taught by the Blessed Buddhas, receive, uphold, read, and recite it, and never forget it until they attain the unsurpassed enlightenment. According to the Dharma they have heard, they teach sentient beings without error, causing them to obtain supreme benefit and happiness, until they attain unsurpassed enlightenment, always without weariness or fatigue.
Furthermore, Subhuti, with the Buddha eye I look throughout the countless worlds of Buddhas in the ten directions and see Great Bodhisattvas who, wishing to benefit sentient beings among animals, think to themselves that they should sacrifice their own bodies and lives. Seeing animals afflicted by the fire of hunger and wishing to harm one another, they develop compassion, cut their own bodies into pieces, scatter them throughout the ten directions, and allow those animals to eat them freely. After eating the Bodhisattva’s body, those animals develop affection, respect, and shame toward the Bodhisattva. Through this cause and condition, they escape the animal realm, are born in the heavens or among humans, encounter a Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, hear the true Dharma, practice correctly according to it, and gradually rely upon the three vehicles to attain liberation.
Thus, Subhuti, Great Bodhisattvas should perform deeds difficult for the world to accomplish and bring great benefit; that is, for the benefit and happiness of sentient beings, they themselves arouse the unsurpassed great Bodhi mind, cause others to arouse it as well, practice the true practices in accordance with reality, and teach others to practice so that they may escape the suffering of birth and death and attain the bliss of Nirvāṇa.
Furthermore, Subhuti, with the Buddha eye I look throughout the countless worlds of Buddhas in the ten directions and see Great Bodhisattvas who, wishing to benefit sentient beings in the realm of hungry ghosts, think to themselves that they wish to enter that realm and use skillful means to put an end to their sufferings of hunger and thirst. Once those sufferings are ended, the hungry ghosts develop affection, respect, and shame toward the Bodhisattva. The Great Bodhisattva teaches them essential Dharma, helping them abandon stinginess and greed, causing them to give rise to generosity after hearing it. Through this wholesome root, they escape the hungry ghost realm, are born in the heavens or among humans, encounter a Tathāgata, draw near and make offerings, hear the true Dharma, gradually practice the true practices of the three vehicles, and finally enter absolute Nirvāṇa.
Thus, Subhuti, Great Bodhisattvas abide in great compassion toward sentient beings, give rise to boundless skillful means of rescuing them, and cause them to enter the Nirvāṇa of the three vehicles.
Furthermore, Subhuti, with the Buddha eye I look throughout the countless worlds of Buddhas in the ten directions and see Great Bodhisattvas who, through skillful means, teach the true Dharma either for the gods of the Four Great Heavenly Kings or for other heavenly beings, even up to the gods of Paranirmita-vaśavartin. After those gods hear the Bodhisattva’s teaching of the true Dharma, they gradually rely upon the three vehicles, diligently cultivate right practice, and accordingly realize ultimate Nirvāṇa.
Among those heavenly beings are some celestial sons who are attached to the five kinds of heavenly sensual pleasures and their jeweled palaces as residences. That Great Bodhisattva manifests flames burning those palaces, causing them to develop fear and aversion. Because of this, the Bodhisattva teaches them: “O celestial sons, carefully observe: all conditioned things are impermanent, suffering, empty, and without self; they cannot be relied upon. Who among those with wisdom would give rise to attachment toward such things?”
When those celestial sons hear this Dharma sound, they develop aversion and renunciation toward the five kinds of sensual pleasures. They contemplate their bodies and lives as false and impermanent, like banana trees, flashes of lightning, or mirages; they contemplate the palaces as prisons. Having contemplated in this way, they gradually rely upon the three vehicles, diligently cultivate right practice, and move toward complete tranquility.
Furthermore, Subhuti, with the Buddha eye I look throughout the countless worlds of Buddhas in the ten directions and see Great Bodhisattvas who, seeing Brahmā beings attached to various heavenly views, use skillful means to teach and transform them, causing them to become weary of such views, saying: “O heavenly sages, why do you, within conditioned things that are empty, signless, false, and unreal, give rise to such erroneous heavenly views? Quickly abandon them, trust and accept the true Dharma, and you will attain unsurpassed nectar.”
Thus, Subhuti, Great Bodhisattvas abiding in great compassion teach the true Dharma to sentient beings.
Venerable Subhūti, these are the exceedingly wondrous and rare dharmas of the Great Bodhisattvas who practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā.
Furthermore, Venerable Subhūti, with the pure and unobstructed Buddha-eye, I behold throughout the countless worlds of the Buddhas in the ten directions and see that there are Great Bodhisattvas who use the four methods of gathering to teach and transform sentient beings. What are the four? First, giving; second, loving speech; third, beneficial conduct; fourth, cooperation.
Venerable Subhūti, what does it mean that Great Bodhisattvas use giving to teach and transform sentient beings? It means that such Great Bodhisattvas use two kinds of giving to teach and transform sentient beings: first, the giving of material things; second, the giving of Dharma.
What does it mean that Great Bodhisattvas, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, can use the giving of material things to teach and transform sentient beings? It means that Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā constantly use various kinds of food and drink, clothing, dwellings, bedding, vehicles, oil lamps, music, incense and flowers, gold, silver, precious jewels, ornaments, and other things to give to sentient beings. They may give wives and concubines, sons and daughters, young and old, servants and attendants, elephants and horses, oxen and sheep, and various medicines to sentient beings. They may give their storehouses, cities, villages, and even their royal positions to sentient beings. They may even give portions of their own bodies, their hands and feet, heads and eyes, marrow and brains, and so forth, to sentient beings.
That Great Bodhisattva places these various things at crossroads, raises them upon high platforms, and loudly proclaims: “All sentient beings, whoever needs anything, may come and take it according to their wishes. Do not feel hesitation or embarrassment. Take it as if it were your own possession; do not think it belongs to someone else. Even this body of mine, including my hands, feet, head, eyes, marrow, brain, and so forth, may be taken and used according to your wishes. Toward all of you, I do not cherish or withhold anything.”
After that Great Bodhisattva gives sentient beings the things they need, they further encourage them to take refuge in the Three Jewels—the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha—or encourage them to uphold the five precepts of lay followers, or encourage them to receive and uphold the eight precepts of residence, or encourage them to uphold the ten paths of wholesome karma, or encourage them to cultivate the four meditative absorptions, or encourage them to cultivate the four immeasurable minds, or encourage them to cultivate the four formless concentrations, or encourage them to cultivate the six practices of recollection, or encourage them to cultivate contemplation of impurity and mindfulness of breathing, or encourage them to cultivate the ten wholesome perceptions, or encourage them to cultivate the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, or encourage them to cultivate the three liberation doors, or encourage them to cultivate the eight liberations up to the ten universal bases, or encourage them to cultivate the six pāramitās, or encourage them to abide in inner emptiness up to emptiness of the emptiness of inherent nature, or encourage them to abide in suchness up to the inconceivable realm, or encourage them to abide in the four noble truths, or encourage them to cultivate the stages from the Pure View stage up to the Tathāgata stage, or encourage them to cultivate the stages from the Stage of Supreme Joy up to the Dharma Cloud stage; or encourage them to cultivate all dhāraṇī gateways, all samādhi gateways, or encourage them to cultivate the five kinds of eyes, the six supernatural powers, the ten powers of the Tathāgata up to the eighteen uncommon Buddha qualities; or encourage them to cultivate great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity; or encourage them to cultivate the thirty-two marks of the Great Being and the eighty excellent characteristics; or encourage them to cultivate the quality of never forgetting and the nature of always being equanimous; or encourage them to cultivate omniscient wisdom, wisdom of the path-aspect, and wisdom of all aspects; or encourage them to cultivate the fruit of Stream Entry up to Pratyekabuddha enlightenment, or encourage them to cultivate all the practices of Great Bodhisattvas, or encourage them to cultivate the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas.
Thus, Venerable Subhūti, those Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, by means of skillful methods, first carry out the giving of material wealth to sentient beings, and then skillfully establish them so that they abide in the unsurpassed secure Dharma, until they attain omniscient wisdom.
Venerable Subhūti, this is an exceedingly wondrous and rare Dharma of Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā.
Furthermore, Venerable Subhūti, what does it mean that Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā should use the giving of Dharma to teach and transform sentient beings? It means that the Dharma-giving of Great Bodhisattvas has two kinds: first, worldly Dharma-giving; second, supramundane Dharma-giving.
What is the worldly Dharma-giving of Great Bodhisattvas? It means that Great Bodhisattvas, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, for the sake of sentient beings explain, reveal, distinguish, and clearly expound the wondrous worldly Dharma. These are: contemplation of impurity, mindfulness of breathing, the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurable minds, the four formless concentrations, the five supernatural powers, or the various worldly dharmas of ordinary beings. This is called worldly Dharma-giving. After that Great Bodhisattva practices the wondrous worldly Dharma-giving, they use various skillful means to teach and transform sentient beings, causing them to abide in the noble Dharma and the fruits of noble Dharma.
What are the noble Dharma and the fruits of noble Dharma?
Venerable Subhūti, you should know that what is called noble Dharma is the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment and the concentrations of Emptiness, Signlessness, Wishlessness, and so forth. What is called the fruits of noble Dharma is the fruit of Stream Entry, extending broadly up to Pratyekabuddha enlightenment.
Furthermore, Venerable Subhūti, the noble dharmas of Great Bodhisattvas are the wisdom of the fruit of Stream Entry up to the wisdom of Pratyekabuddha enlightenment, the wisdom of the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas; or the wisdom of the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment up to the wisdom of the ten powers of the Tathāgata; or the wisdom of great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity; or the wisdom of countless other Buddha-dharmas; or the wisdom of worldly and supramundane dharmas; or the wisdom of conditioned and unconditioned dharmas. Such wisdom of all aspects is called noble Dharma. The fruit of noble Dharma is the complete and permanent elimination of the continuous habitual tendencies of all afflictions.
Furthermore, Venerable Subhūti, the noble dharmas of Great Bodhisattvas are the undefiled dharmas such as the six pāramitās, extending broadly up to omniscient wisdom, wisdom of the path-aspect, and wisdom of all aspects. The fruit of noble Dharma is suchness, the Dharma realm, and ultimate Nirvāṇa that has been realized.
This is called the true fruit of noble Dharma.