THE GREAT PRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ SŪTRA
VOLUME 532
Chapter 28: WONDERFUL CHARACTERISTICS (5)
At that time, Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, if, relying on the conventional truth to establish different stages of causes and results, and not relying on ultimate meaning, then all ordinary beings should also possess the fruits of Stream-entry, Once-returning, Non-returning, Arhatship, Pratyekabuddha, Bodhi, and the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of the Buddha?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, what do you think? Do ordinary beings truly understand the principles of the two truths, the conventional truth and the ultimate truth? If they truly understood the principles of these two truths, then they should also possess the fruits of Stream-entry and so forth. However, because all ordinary beings do not truly understand the principles of the two truths of the conventional and ultimate, they do not have the Noble Path and do not cultivate the Noble Path; therefore, different noble fruits cannot be established for them. Only noble practitioners can truly understand the conventional and ultimate truths, and thus they have the Noble Path and cultivate the Noble Path. Therefore, different noble fruits are established.
Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, does a person who cultivates the Noble Path definitely attain the noble fruit?
The Buddha said:
No, they do not attain it.
Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, does a person who does not cultivate the Noble Path attain the noble fruit?
The Buddha said:
No, they do not attain it.
Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, then it would seem that no one can attain any noble fruit at all?
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
Although, relying on the conventional truth, one can attain the noble fruit, this is not according to ultimate meaning. If relying on ultimate meaning, one does not cultivate the Noble Path, yet one can attain the noble fruit; it is also not that without cultivating the Noble Path one can attain the noble fruit; it is not that apart from the Noble Path one can attain the noble fruit; nor is it that by abiding in the Noble Path one can attain the noble fruit. Why? Because according to the Noble Path and noble fruits of the ultimate truth, whether cultivated or not cultivated, they cannot be grasped.
Thus, Subhūti, when great bodhisattvas practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā, although they establish various noble fruits for sentient beings, within the realm of the conditioned and unconditioned they do not conceptualize such noble fruits.
Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, if within the realm of the conditioned and unconditioned one cannot conceptualize the various noble fruits, then why does the World-Honored One teach that by eliminating the three fetters one attains the fruit of Stream-entry; by weakening sensual desire, greed, and anger one attains the fruit of Once-returning; by eliminating the five lower fetters one attains the fruit of Non-returning; by eliminating the five higher fetters one attains the fruit of Arhatship; by knowing clearly that all cultivated dharmas are subject to cessation one attains Pratyekabuddha Bodhi; and by permanently cutting off the continuous habitual tendencies of afflictions and knowable objects one attains the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of the Buddha?
World-Honored One, how should I understand the profound meaning of what you have taught, namely, that within the realm of the conditioned and unconditioned one does not distinguish the fruit of Stream-entry and so forth?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, what do you think? When I speak of the fruit of Stream-entry, Once-returning, Non-returning, Arhatship, Pratyekabuddha Bodhi, and the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of the Buddha, are such noble fruits conditioned or unconditioned?
Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, such noble fruits are all unconditioned, not conditioned.
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, what do you think? Is there conceptual discrimination within the realm of the unconditioned?
Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, there is none.
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, what do you think? Those virtuous men and virtuous women who thoroughly understand that all conditioned and unconditioned dharmas are of one single nature, called the characteristic of emptiness, at that very moment, do these virtuous men and virtuous women distinguish among dharmas, saying: “This is conditioned” or “This is unconditioned”?
Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, no, they do not.
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
Great bodhisattvas are likewise so. When practicing Prajñāpāramitā, although they teach various dharmas for sentient beings, they do not conceptualize the characteristics of the dharmas they have taught, including inner emptiness up to emptiness of the self-nature of emptiness. These great bodhisattvas themselves do not cling to any dharmas, and they are also able to teach others not to cling to dharmas.
That is, they do not cling to the Dharma of the Perfection of Giving up to the Perfection of Wisdom; they do not cling to the four meditations, the four immeasurables, or the four formless absorptions; they do not cling to the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold Noble Path; they do not cling to inner emptiness up to emptiness of the self-nature of emptiness; they do not cling to suchness up to the inconceivable realm; they do not cling to the Noble Truths of suffering, origination, cessation, and path; they do not cling to the liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; they do not cling to the eight liberations up to the ten universal bases; they do not cling to the stages from the Stage of Joy up to the Dharma Cloud Stage; they do not cling to all dhāraṇī methods and all samādhi methods; they do not cling to the five kinds of eyes and the six supernatural powers; they do not cling to the ten powers of the Tathāgata up to the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha; they do not cling to great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity; they do not cling to the thirty-two marks of a Great Being and the eighty excellent characteristics; they do not cling to the quality of not forgetting and the nature of always being equanimous; they do not cling to omniscient wisdom, the wisdom of the modes of the path, and the wisdom of all modes; they do not cling to all practices of great bodhisattvas; they do not cling to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas; they do not cling to omniscience.
Such great bodhisattvas, regarding all these taught dharmas, themselves do not cling, and they also teach others not to cling to such dharmas. Because these great bodhisattvas do not cling to these dharmas, they attain unobstructedness everywhere.
Like a person created by the World-Honored One through transformation, although practicing the Perfection of Giving up to the Perfection of Wisdom, does not cling to or become attached to those fruits, but only acts so that sentient beings may attain Nirvāṇa.
Likewise, although practicing omniscient wisdom, they do not cling to or become attached to that fruit, but only act so that sentient beings may attain Nirvāṇa. Great bodhisattvas are also like this: practicing Prajñāpāramitā, regarding all dharmas, whether defiled or undefiled, worldly or supramundane, conditioned or unconditioned, they neither cling nor become attached, remaining without abiding and without obstruction. Why? Because such great bodhisattvas have attained the wondrous characteristics of all dharmas.
Chapter 29: GIVING AND SO FORTH (1)
At that time, Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, how do great bodhisattvas attain the wondrous characteristics of all dharmas?
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
Great bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā are like a person created by the World-Honored One through transformation: they do not engage in greed, hatred, or delusion; they do not engage in the aggregate of form up to the aggregate of consciousness; they do not engage in omniscient wisdom; they do not engage in inner dharmas or outer dharmas; they do not engage in latent tendencies or the various hindrances; they do not engage in defiled or undefiled dharmas; they do not engage in worldly or supramundane dharmas; they do not engage in conditioned or unconditioned dharmas; they do not engage in the Noble Path or the fruits of the Noble Path.
Great bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā are also like this. Regarding all dharmas, they do not cling to the act of cultivation. Such great bodhisattvas attain the wondrous characteristics of all dharmas, meaning that they do not discriminate regarding the nature of Dharma.
Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, how does the person transformed by the Tathāgata appear to cultivate the Noble Path?
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
That transformed person cultivates the Noble Path without defilement or purity; they also do not wander through the five paths of samsaric birth and death, nor do they attain the Nirvāṇa of the three vehicles.
Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, how do great bodhisattvas, when practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, thoroughly understand that all dharmas have no reality?
The Buddha said:
Subhūti, what do you think? Is the person transformed by the Buddhas and World-Honored Ones truly existent, and based on that true existence do they become defiled or purified, wander in samsara through the five paths, and attain the Nirvāṇa of the three vehicles?
Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, no. The person transformed by the World-Honored One has not the slightest reality; they do not rely upon that reality to become defiled or purified, nor do they wander through samsara in the five paths, nor do they attain the Nirvāṇa of the three vehicles.
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
When great bodhisattvas practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā, their thorough understanding of the true nature of all dharmas is likewise so: they understand that all dharmas have no reality, and that their nature and characteristics are both empty.
Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, are all forms, feelings, perceptions, formations, and consciousness; broadly speaking, up to all conditioned and unconditioned dharmas, all like that which has been transformed?
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
That is so, that is so! The five aggregates, such as form, and broadly speaking up to conditioned and unconditioned dharmas, are all like that which has been transformed.
Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, if all dharmas are like transformations, then whatever is transformed is unreal; form, feeling, perception, formations, consciousness, and even conditioned and unconditioned dharmas are all unreal. Therefore, there is neither defilement nor purity, nor is there transmigration through birth and death in the five destinies, nor is liberation attained according to that meaning. In that case, how do the great Bodhisattvas, among sentient beings, have some receive and uphold the precepts?”
The Buddha said:
“Subhuti, what do you think? When the great Bodhisattvas were still practicing the Bodhisattva path, did they see sentient beings who could escape from the destinies of hell, animals, hungry ghosts, gods, and humans?”
Subhuti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, I do not see this.”
The Buddha said to Subhuti:
“Just so, just so! When the great Bodhisattvas are still practicing the Bodhisattva path, they do not see any sentient beings escaping from the five destinies and the three realms. Why? Because the great Bodhisattvas thoroughly understand that all dharmas are like illusions and transformations, and are not truly existent.”
Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, if a great Bodhisattva thoroughly understands that all dharmas are like illusions and transformations and are not truly existent, then for what purpose should they practice Giving Pāramitā up to Prajñā-pāramitā? More broadly, for what purpose should they bring sentient beings to accomplishment and adorn and purify Buddha lands?”
The Buddha said to Subhuti:
“If sentient beings themselves could thoroughly understand that all dharmas are like illusions and transformations and are not truly existent, then the great Bodhisattvas would not need to pass through countless great kalpas practicing the Bodhisattva path for the sake of sentient beings. Because sentient beings do not understand that all dharmas are like illusions and transformations and are not truly existent, therefore the great Bodhisattvas must pass through countless kalpas practicing the Bodhisattva path for their sake.
Furthermore, Subhuti, those great Bodhisattvas who cannot thoroughly understand that all dharmas are not truly existent should not pass through countless kalpas practicing Giving Pāramitā up to Prajñā-pāramitā for the sake of sentient beings, nor should they bring sentient beings to accomplishment or adorn and purify Buddha lands.
Because the great Bodhisattvas truly and thoroughly understand that all dharmas are like illusions and transformations and are not truly existent, they pass through countless kalpas practicing Giving Pāramitā up to Prajñā-pāramitā for the sake of sentient beings, broadly speaking, bringing sentient beings to accomplishment, adorning and purifying Buddha lands, attaining the supreme enlightenment, and throughout all future ages benefiting and bringing happiness to all.”
At that time, Subhuti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, if all dharmas are like dreams, like illusions, like echoes, like reflections, like mirages, like sunlight shimmering on waves, like transformations, and like cities of illusion, then where do the transformed sentient beings abide? When great Bodhisattvas practice profound Prajñā-pāramitā, by what skillful means do they rescue them and enable them to become liberated?”
The Buddha said to Subhuti:
“The transformed sentient beings abide in false discriminations of names and characteristics. The great Bodhisattvas practicing profound Prajñā-pāramitā use skillful means and, from those false discriminations of names and characteristics, rescue them and bring them to liberation.”
Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, what is a name? What is a characteristic?”
The Buddha said to Subhuti:
“A name is merely a guest; it is merely provisionally established in order to express meaning. That is to say: this is called form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; this is the eye faculty up to the mind faculty; this is the form realm up to the dharma realm; this is the eye element up to the mind element; this is the form element up to the dharma element; this is the eye-consciousness element up to the mind-consciousness element; this is male and female; this is large and small; this is hell up to gods and humans; this is contaminated; this is uncontaminated; this is worldly; this is supramundane; this is conditioned; this is unconditioned; this is the fruit of Stream-entry, gradually up to the supreme enlightenment; this is an ordinary being; this is a Śrāvaka; this is a Pratyekabuddha; this is a Bodhisattva; this is a Tathāgata.
Subhuti, all such names represent meanings and are merely provisionally established; therefore, all names are not truly existent. Conditioned dharmas exist only as names, and therefore the unconditioned is also not truly existent. Foolish ordinary beings ignorantly cling to these names, while great Bodhisattvas practicing profound Prajñā-pāramitā, united with compassionate vows, use skillful means to teach and transform them, causing them to depart from such attachments. They teach as follows:
‘Names arise from false conceptual discrimination and are also provisionally established through the combination of many causes and conditions. You should not cling to them. Names are not real; their own nature is empty. No wise person would grasp at empty dharmas.’
Thus, Subhuti, the great Bodhisattvas practicing profound Prajñā-pāramitā use skillful means and, for the sake of sentient beings, teach the Dharma that casts away names. This is called ‘name.’
What about characteristics?”
Subhuti, you should know that characteristics are of two kinds to which ordinary beings cling.
What are these two characteristics? They are the characteristic of form and the characteristic of the formless.
What is the characteristic of form? It means forms that may be coarse or subtle, ugly or beautiful. All such things are, by their own nature, empty. Ordinary beings, through discrimination and attachment, take them to be form. This is called the characteristic of form.
The characteristic of the formless means that, regarding all dharmas without form characteristics, ordinary beings discriminate and cling to characteristics, thereby giving rise to afflictions. This is called the characteristic of the formless.
The great Bodhisattvas practicing Prajñā-pāramitā use skillful means to teach and transform sentient beings, causing them to eliminate these two characteristics and further teaching them to abide in the realm of signlessness. Although they teach them to abide in the realm of signlessness, they do not cause them to fall into the grasping of two extremes, thinking, ‘This is a characteristic’ and ‘This is the absence of characteristics.’
Thus, Subhuti, the great Bodhisattvas practicing profound Prajñā-pāramitā use skillful means to teach sentient beings to be free from characteristics and abide in the realm of signlessness without further attachment.
At that time, Subhuti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, if all dharmas are only names and characteristics, and all names and characteristics are provisionally established, then when great Bodhisattvas practice profound Prajñā-pāramitā, how can they themselves progress in wholesome dharmas? How can they cause others to progress? And because their own wholesome dharmas gradually increase, how can they cause the stages to gradually become complete, and establish sentient beings according to their capacities so that they abide in the fruits of the Three Vehicles?”
The Buddha said to Subhuti:
“If within dharmas there were even the slightest thing truly existent, rather than merely provisionally established through names and characteristics, then when great Bodhisattvas practiced profound Prajñā-pāramitā they would not be able to progress in wholesome dharmas themselves, nor cause others to progress in wholesome dharmas. But because within dharmas there is not even the slightest thing truly existent, and there are only provisionally established names and characteristics, therefore great Bodhisattvas practicing profound Prajñā-pāramitā themselves progress in wholesome dharmas and can also cause others to progress in wholesome dharmas.
They can use signlessness as a means to perfect Prajñā-pāramitā up to Giving Pāramitā; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect the four meditations, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold noble path; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect inner emptiness up to the emptiness of the emptiness of inherent nature; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect suchness up to the inconceivable realm; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect the liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect the eight liberations up to the ten universal bases; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect the stages of great Bodhisattvas; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect all dhāraṇī gates and all samādhi gates; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect the five kinds of eyes and the six supernatural powers; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect the ten powers of the Tathāgata up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect the thirty-two marks of a great being and the eighty excellent characteristics; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect the quality of not forgetting and the nature of constant equanimity; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect the wisdom of all-knowingness, the wisdom of the path-aspect, and the wisdom of all aspects; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect the practices of great Bodhisattvas and the supreme enlightenment of Buddhas; they can use signlessness as a means to perfect the wisdom of omniscience; they can use signlessness as a means to bring sentient beings to accomplishment and adorn and purify Buddha lands.
Thus, Subhuti, because all dharmas do not have even the slightest thing truly existent and only have provisionally established names and characteristics, great Bodhisattvas do not give rise to confusion or attachment toward these dharmas. They can use signlessness as a means to progress in wholesome dharmas themselves and cause others to progress as well.
Furthermore, Subhuti, if within dharmas there were even a hair-tip’s worth of a true characteristic of dharma, then great Bodhisattvas practicing profound Prajñā-pāramitā would not be able to understand all dharmas as signless and thoughtless, nor could they apply the intention of the unconditioned, and then attain supreme enlightenment and establish sentient beings in unconditioned Dharma, because unconditioned dharmas are all signless, thoughtless, and without conceptual intention.
Therefore, Subhuti, great Bodhisattvas practicing profound Prajñā-pāramitā who use skillful means to establish sentient beings in unconditioned Dharma are truly said to benefit sentient beings in a selective and genuine manner.”
Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, if the nature of all dharmas is truly unconditioned, signless, thoughtless, without conceptual intention, and uncontaminated, then why is it that in the sutras the World-Honored One often teaches:
‘This is contaminated dharma, this is uncontaminated dharma; this is worldly dharma, this is supramundane dharma; this is conditioned dharma, this is unconditioned dharma; this is Śrāvaka dharma, this is Pratyekabuddha dharma, this is Bodhisattva dharma, this is Tathāgata dharma’?”
The Buddha said:
“Subhuti, what do you think? Are contaminated dharmas different from the unconditioned, signless, uncontaminated nature of Dharma?”
Subhuti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, they are not different.”
The Buddha said:
“Subhuti, what do you think? Are Śrāvaka dharmas different from the unconditioned, signless, uncontaminated nature of Dharma?”
Subhuti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, they are not different.”
The Buddha said to Subhuti:
“Are contaminated dharmas themselves the unconditioned, signless, thoughtless nature of Dharma, and also not without conceptual intention and uncontaminated?”
Subhuti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, it is so.”
The Buddha said to Subhuti:
“Are the fruits of Stream-entry up to supreme enlightenment themselves the unconditioned, signless, thoughtless nature of Dharma, and also not without conceptual intention and uncontaminated?”
Subhuti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, it is so.”
The Buddha said to Subhuti:
“Therefore, you should know that all dharmas are the unconditioned, signless, thoughtless nature of Dharma, and are also without conceptual intention and uncontaminated.
Subhuti, you should know that a great Bodhisattva who learns that all dharmas are unconditioned, signless, thoughtless, without conceptual intention, and uncontaminated will constantly increase wholesome dharmas. These are Giving up to Prajñā-pāramitā, broadly speaking, up to the wisdom of all aspects, bringing sentient beings to accomplishment, and adorning and purifying Buddha lands. All such Buddha dharmas increase through cultivating and learning the unconditioned, signless, thoughtless, without conceptual intention, uncontaminated nature of Dharma. Why? Because apart from the liberation doors of Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness, great Bodhisattvas have no other essential Dharma to learn.
Why? Because these three liberation doors encompass all subtle and excellent wholesome dharmas. Why? Because the liberation door of Emptiness contemplates that the self-nature of all dharmas is empty. The liberation door of Signlessness contemplates that all dharmas are free from characteristics. The liberation door of Wishlessness contemplates that all dharmas are free from objects of aspiration.
Relying on these three doors, great Bodhisattvas can encompass all supreme wholesome dharmas. But if they depart from these three doors, the cultivation and learning of supreme wholesome dharmas will not grow.
Furthermore, Subhuti, a great Bodhisattva who can learn these three liberation doors can learn the five aggregates; can learn the twelve sense fields; can learn the eighteen elements; can learn the four noble truths; can learn dependent origination; can learn inner emptiness up to the emptiness of the emptiness of inherent nature; can learn suchness up to the inconceivable realm; can learn Giving Pāramitā up to Prajñā-pāramitā; broadly speaking, can learn the wisdom of all-knowingness, the wisdom of the path-aspect, and the wisdom of all aspects; can learn to bring sentient beings to accomplishment and adorn and purify Buddha lands; and can learn the countless, boundless other Buddha dharmas.”
Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, how does a great Bodhisattva, when practicing profound Prajñā-pāramitā, learn the five aggregates?”
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
A great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, can truly know form up to consciousness, including their characteristics, arising and ceasing, and Suchness, is called a great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, can learn the five aggregates.
Subhūti, how does a great Bodhisattva truly know the characteristics of form? It means that a great Bodhisattva truly knows that form ultimately has hollowness, ultimately has gaps, is like foam, and its nature is not solid. This is called a great Bodhisattva who truly knows the characteristics of form.
Subhūti, how does a great Bodhisattva truly know the arising and ceasing of form? It means that a great Bodhisattva truly knows that when form arises, it does not come from anywhere, and when it ceases, it does not go anywhere. Although it neither comes nor goes, it accords with arising and ceasing; this is called a great Bodhisattva who truly knows the arising and ceasing of form.
Subhūti, how does a great Bodhisattva truly know the Suchness of form? It means that a great Bodhisattva truly knows that the Suchness of form neither arises nor ceases, neither comes nor goes, is neither defiled nor pure, neither increases nor decreases. Its nature is eternally thus, not false, and unchanging; therefore it is called Suchness. This is called a great Bodhisattva who truly knows the Suchness of form.
Subhūti, how does a great Bodhisattva truly know the characteristics of feeling? It means that a great Bodhisattva truly knows that feeling is ultimately like a boil, like an arrow, quickly arising and quickly ceasing, like foam, false and unable to remain, arising from the conjunction of three conditions. This is called a great Bodhisattva who truly knows the characteristics of feeling.
Subhūti, how does a great Bodhisattva truly know the arising and ceasing of feeling? It means that a great Bodhisattva truly knows that feeling, when it arises, does not come from anywhere, and when it ceases, does not go anywhere. Although it neither comes nor goes, it accords with arising and ceasing; this is called a great Bodhisattva who truly knows the arising and ceasing of feeling.
Subhūti, how does a great Bodhisattva truly know the Suchness of feeling? It means that a great Bodhisattva truly knows that the Suchness of feeling neither arises nor ceases, neither comes nor goes, is neither defiled nor pure, neither increases nor decreases. Its nature is eternally thus, not false, and unchanging; therefore it is called Suchness. This is called a great Bodhisattva who truly knows the Suchness of feeling.
Subhūti, how does a great Bodhisattva truly know the characteristics of perception? It means that a great Bodhisattva truly knows that perception is like a mirage upon water, not truly existing, arising falsely due to the causes and conditions of thirst and craving. The Buddha spoke of it as false words. This is called a great Bodhisattva who truly knows the characteristics of perception.
Subhūti, how does a great Bodhisattva truly know the arising and ceasing of perception? It means that a great Bodhisattva truly knows that perception, when it arises, does not come from anywhere, and when it ceases, does not go anywhere. Although it neither comes nor goes, it accords with arising and ceasing; this is called a great Bodhisattva who truly knows the arising and ceasing of perception.
Subhūti, how does a great Bodhisattva truly know the Suchness of perception? It means that a great Bodhisattva truly knows that the Suchness of perception neither arises nor ceases, neither comes nor goes, is neither defiled nor pure, neither increases nor decreases. Its nature is eternally thus, not false, and unchanging; therefore it is called Suchness. That is a great Bodhisattva who truly knows the Suchness of perception.
Subhūti, how does a great Bodhisattva truly know the characteristics of formations? It means that a great Bodhisattva truly knows that formations are like a banana tree: when each layer is peeled away, ultimately nothing real can be found. This is called a great Bodhisattva who truly knows the characteristics of formations.
Subhūti, how does a great Bodhisattva truly know the arising and ceasing of formations? It means that a great Bodhisattva truly knows that formations, when they arise, do not come from anywhere, and when they cease, do not go anywhere. Although they neither come nor go, they accord with arising and ceasing. This is called a great Bodhisattva who truly knows the arising and ceasing of formations.
Subhūti, how does a great Bodhisattva truly know the Suchness of formations? It means that a great Bodhisattva truly knows that the Suchness of formations neither arises nor ceases, neither comes nor goes, is neither defiled nor pure, neither increases nor decreases. Its nature is eternally thus, not false, and unchanging; therefore it is called Suchness. This is called a great Bodhisattva who truly knows the Suchness of formations.
Subhūti, how does a great Bodhisattva truly know the characteristics of consciousness? It means that a great Bodhisattva truly knows that consciousness is like a magical illusion, falsely established through the combination of many conditions, and in reality cannot be grasped. It is like a magician or the magician’s apprentice who, at a crossroads, conjures four armies: an elephant army, a horse army, a chariot army, and an infantry army; or manifests the appearances of various colors. Although they appear to exist, in reality they are nonexistent. Consciousness is also like this and truly cannot be grasped. This is called a great Bodhisattva who truly knows the characteristics of consciousness.
Subhūti, how does a great Bodhisattva truly know the arising and ceasing of consciousness? It means that a great Bodhisattva truly knows that consciousness, when it arises, does not come from anywhere, and when it ceases, does not go anywhere. Although it neither comes nor goes, it accords with arising and ceasing. Therefore it is called a great Bodhisattva who truly knows the arising and ceasing of consciousness.
Subhūti, how does a great Bodhisattva truly know the Suchness of consciousness? It means that a great Bodhisattva truly knows that the Suchness of consciousness neither arises nor ceases, neither comes nor goes, is neither defiled nor pure, neither increases nor decreases. Its nature is eternally thus, not false, and unchanging; therefore it is called Suchness. That is a great Bodhisattva who truly knows the Suchness of consciousness.
The venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, how does a great Bodhisattva, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, learn the twelve sense bases?”
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
A great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, truly knows that the internal sense bases and the own-nature of the internal sense bases are empty; and truly knows that the external sense bases and the own-nature of the external sense bases are empty, is called a great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, can learn the twelve sense bases.
The venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, how does a great Bodhisattva, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, learn the eighteen realms?”
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
A great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, truly knows the eye realm and the own-nature of the eye realm are empty, and so forth extensively until truly knowing the mental consciousness realm and the own-nature of the mental consciousness realm are empty, is called a great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, can learn the eighteen realms.
The venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, how does a great Bodhisattva, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, learn the Four Noble Truths?”
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
A great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, truly knows that the characteristic of suffering is oppression, truly knows that the characteristic of origination is arising, truly knows that the characteristic of cessation is quiescence, and truly knows that the characteristic of the path is separation; and further truly knows that the own-natures of suffering, origination, cessation, and path are originally empty, separated from the two extremes, is called a noble one. The Four Truths, such as the Truth of Suffering, are precisely Suchness; Suchness is precisely the Four Truths, such as the Truth of Suffering. They are not two and not different. Only the true noble ones can truly know this. Therefore, such a one is called a great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, can learn the Four Noble Truths.
The venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, how does a great Bodhisattva, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, learn dependent origination of the twelve links?”
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
A great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, truly knows that the own-nature of ignorance up to old age and death neither arises nor ceases, is neither defiled nor pure, is originally empty, and is separated from the two extremes, is called a great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, can learn dependent origination of the twelve links.
The venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, how does a great Bodhisattva, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, learn emptiness of internal phenomena up to emptiness of the emptiness of self-nature?”
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
A great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, truly knows that the emptiness of internal phenomena up to the emptiness of the emptiness of self-nature all lack own-nature, and that all cannot be grasped, yet is able to abide in them, is called a great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, can learn emptiness of internal phenomena up to emptiness of the emptiness of self-nature.
The venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, how does a great Bodhisattva, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, learn Suchness up to the inconceivable realm?”
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
Any Great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, truly knows that suchness up to the inconceivable realm are all without conceptual elaboration and without discrimination, yet is able to abide in them, is called a Great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, is able to learn suchness up to the inconceivable realm.
The Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, how does a Great Bodhisattva, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, learn the perfection of giving up to the infinite and boundless Buddha-dharmas?”
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
Any Great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, truly knows that the perfection of giving up to the infinite and boundless Buddha-dharmas neither increase nor decrease, are neither defiled nor purified, have no inherent nature, and cannot be grasped, yet can cultivate them, is called a Great Bodhisattva who, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, is able to learn the perfection of giving up to the infinite and boundless Buddha-dharmas.
At that time, Subhūti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, if a Great Bodhisattva, while practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, truly knows that all dharmas such as form and so forth are each distinct and not confused, then the World-Honored One should not say that dharmas such as form and so forth destroy the true dharma realm. Why? Because the dharma realm is non-dual and without difference.”
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
“If, apart from the dharma realm, there were another dharma that could be grasped, then one could say that such a dharma could destroy the dharma realm. But because apart from the dharma realm there is no other dharma that can be grasped, there is no other dharma that can destroy the dharma realm. Why? Because all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Śrāvakas know that apart from the dharma realm there are no other dharmas that can be grasped. Having known that there is no dharma apart from the dharma realm, they also cannot establish and explain it for others. Therefore, the dharma realm cannot be destroyed by anyone.
Thus, Subhūti, Great Bodhisattvas who practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā are able to learn the nature of the dharma realm as non-dual, without difference, and indestructible.”
The Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, if a Great Bodhisattva wishes to learn the dharma realm, what should they learn?”
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
“Any Great Bodhisattva who wishes to learn the dharma realm should learn all dharmas. Why? Because all dharmas enter into the dharma realm.”
The Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, for what reason is it said that all dharmas enter into the dharma realm?”
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
“Whether a Tathāgata appears in the world or does not appear in the world, all dharmas still enter into the dharma realm, without any marks of distinction and not because of being spoken by a Buddha. Why? Because wholesome dharmas or unwholesome dharmas, contaminated dharmas or uncontaminated dharmas, worldly dharmas or transcendent dharmas, conditioned dharmas or unconditioned dharmas, and all such dharmas have no dharma that does not enter into the nature of the dharma realm, which is empty, without characteristics, and unconditioned.
Therefore, Subhūti, Great Bodhisattvas who practice the profound Prajñāpāramitā and wish to learn the dharma realm should learn all dharmas. If they learn all dharmas, then they are learning the dharma realm.”
The Venerable Subhūti said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, if all dharmas enter into the dharma realm, without duality and without difference, then why must Great Bodhisattvas learn the six perfections? Why must they learn the four meditations, the four immeasurables, and the four formless absorptions? Why must they learn the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold noble path? Why must they learn emptiness of the internal up to emptiness of the emptiness of inherent nature? Why must they learn the noble truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and path? Why must they learn the liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness? Why must they learn the eight liberations up to the ten universal bases? Why must they learn the stage of Supreme Joy up to the Dharma Cloud stage? Why must they learn all dhāraṇī gateways and all samādhi gateways? Why must they learn the five kinds of eyes and the six supernatural powers? Why must they learn the ten powers of the Tathāgata up to the eighteen unique Buddha-dharmas? Why must they learn great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity? Why must they learn the dharma of not forgetting and the nature of always maintaining equanimity? Why must they learn omniscient wisdom, path-aspect wisdom, and all-aspect wisdom? Why must they learn the perfection of the thirty-two marks of a Great Being and the eighty excellent qualities? Why must they learn to be born among great clans, from the great Kṣatriya clan up to the great householder clan? Why must they learn to be born among the heavens from the Four Great Kings up to the Paranirmita-vaśavartin Heaven? Why must they learn to be born among the Brahmā hosts up to the Extensive Fruit Heaven? Why must they learn the method of being born among unconscious beings, yet not wish to be born there? Why must they learn the method of being born among the Pure Abode heavens, while wishing to be born there? Why must they learn the method of being born in the heavens from the Infinite Space Realm up to the Neither Perception nor Non-Perception Realm, yet not wish to be born there? Why must they learn to generate the first Bodhi-mind up to the tenth Bodhi-mind? Why must they learn to enter the right nature of separation from birth for Bodhisattvas? Why must they learn all the stages of Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas without realizing them? Why must they learn to bring about the accomplishment of sentient beings and to adorn and purify Buddha lands? Why must they learn all dhāraṇīs and unobstructed eloquence? Why must they learn the entire path of Great Bodhisattvas and the unsurpassed supreme enlightenment of all Buddhas?
Having learned in this way, they know all dharmas and all their aspects, and only then can they attain omniscient wisdom.
Furthermore, World-Honored One, if within the dharma realm there are no such differentiated dharmas, then the assembly of Great Bodhisattvas would, through such distinctions, engage in inverted practices, generating conceptual elaborations within what is free from conceptual elaboration. Why? Because within the true dharma realm there is no discrimination or conceptual elaboration.
Furthermore, World-Honored One, the dharma realm is not form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness, nor is it separate from form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness. Form up to consciousness are precisely the dharma realm; the dharma realm is precisely form up to consciousness. Expanding this, the dharma realm is not conditioned or unconditioned dharma, nor is it separate from conditioned or unconditioned dharma. Conditioned and unconditioned dharmas are precisely the dharma realm; the dharma realm is precisely conditioned and unconditioned dharmas.”
The Buddha said to Subhūti:
“Indeed, indeed! It is exactly as you have said. Within the true dharma realm there is no discrimination or conceptual elaboration. The dharma realm is not form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness; nor is it separate from form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness. The dharma realm is precisely form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are precisely the dharma realm. Expanding this, the dharma realm is not conditioned or unconditioned dharma. The dharma realm is precisely conditioned and unconditioned dharmas; conditioned and unconditioned dharmas are precisely the dharma realm.
Furthermore, Subhūti, if Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā see that there is any dharma separate from the dharma realm, then they are not correctly directed toward seeking unsurpassed supreme enlightenment.
Therefore, Subhūti, Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā do not see any dharma as separate from the true dharma realm.
Subhūti, you should know that Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā know that all dharmas are precisely the true dharma realm. Through skillful means, by the dharmas that are without names and characteristics, for the sake of sentient beings they borrow names and characteristics to explain their meaning, saying:
‘This is form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. This is the eye faculty, and so forth up to the mind faculty. This is the form realm, and so forth up to the dharma realm. This is the eye element, and so forth up to the mind element. This is the form element, and so forth up to the dharma element. This is the eye consciousness element, and so forth up to the mind consciousness element. This is eye contact, and so forth up to mind contact. This is the feelings arising dependent upon eye contact, and so forth up to the feelings arising dependent upon mind contact. This is the earth element, and so forth up to the consciousness element. This is cause and condition, and so forth up to dominant condition. These are the dharmas arisen from conditions. This is ignorance, and so forth up to aging and death. This is wholesome dharma and unwholesome dharma. This is contaminated dharma and uncontaminated dharma. This is worldly dharma and transcendent dharma. This is conditioned dharma and unconditioned dharma. This is the perfection of giving, and so forth up to the perfection of wisdom. Expanding this, this is unsurpassed supreme enlightenment.’”
Just as a magician or the magician’s apprentice takes some objects before an audience and transforms them into various strange appearances: sometimes manifesting the forms of men and women, large and small; sometimes appearing as various animals such as elephants, horses, oxen, goats, camels, donkeys, chickens, and so forth; sometimes manifesting cities, villages, gardens, forests, ponds, and beautiful things that everyone delights in; sometimes manifesting clothing, food and drink, houses, bedding, flowers, fragrances, jeweled necklaces, various rare treasures, wealth, and granaries full of grain; sometimes manifesting countless kinds of music and entertainment, causing many people to rejoice and delight; sometimes manifesting various forms that cause beings to practice giving, morality, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom; sometimes appearing to be born into great clans, from the great Kṣatriya clan up to the great householder clan; sometimes manifesting mountains, oceans, Mount Sumeru, the Cakravāḍa mountains, and so forth; sometimes appearing to be born in the heavens from the Four Great Kings up to the Neither Perception nor Non-Perception Realm; sometimes appearing to attain the fruits of Stream-entry, Once-returning, Non-returning, Arhatship, or Pratyekabuddhahood; sometimes appearing as a Great Bodhisattva from the initial generation of the mind for awakening, practicing the perfection of giving up to the perfection of wisdom, practicing the four meditations, the four immeasurables, and the four formless absorptions, practicing the four foundations of mindfulness up to the eightfold noble path, practicing the liberation doors of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, learning to abide in emptiness of the internal up to emptiness of the emptiness of inherent nature, learning to abide in suchness up to the inconceivable realm, learning and cultivating the noble truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and path, entering the right nature of separation from birth for Bodhisattvas, cultivating the stage of Supreme Joy up to the Dharma Cloud stage, producing various superior supernatural powers, emitting great light that illuminates all worlds, adorning and purifying Buddha lands, bringing about the accomplishment of sentient beings, freely entering meditation, liberation, concentration, and attainment, and cultivating the various virtues of the Buddha; or again manifesting the form of a Tathāgata complete with the thirty-two marks of a Great Man and the eighty excellent qualities, perfectly adorned, accomplished in the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four forms of unobstructed knowledge, the eighteen unique Buddha-dharmas, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and infinite and boundless virtues.
In this way, the magician and the magician’s apprentice, in order to deceive others, perform various magical transformations before an audience. Among those present, there are ignorant men and women, adults and children, who see this and praise: ‘How extraordinary this person is! They are skilled in learning various arts and techniques, able to perform rare and wondrous feats, even able to manifest the majestic and adorned body of the Tathāgata complete with all virtues! They display their own abilities!’
But among them there are also wise people who see this and reflect: ‘What an extraordinary supernatural display! How can this person transform such things? Although there is no real dharma within it that can be grasped, it causes people to become deluded and delighted; they regard unreal things as real! Only the wise understand that all of this is empty. Although they see and hear, they do not cling.’
Great Bodhisattvas are likewise. While practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā, although they do not see the dharma realm as existing apart from all dharmas, nor do they see all dharmas as existing apart from the dharma realm, they do not see sentient beings or their activities as truly existing, yet they are able to generate skillful means. They themselves cultivate the six perfections, encourage others to cultivate the six perfections, follow and praise the practice of the six perfections, and rejoice in and praise those who cultivate the six perfections.
Expanding this, they themselves perfect all-aspect wisdom, encourage others to perfect all-aspect wisdom, follow and praise the practice of perfecting all-aspect wisdom, and rejoice in and praise those who perfect all-aspect wisdom. They themselves perfect the thirty-two marks of a Great Being and the eighty excellent qualities; they encourage others to perfect the thirty-two marks of a Great Being and the eighty excellent qualities; they follow and praise the practice of perfecting the thirty-two marks of a Great Being and the eighty excellent qualities; and they rejoice in and praise those who perfect the thirty-two marks of a Great Being and the eighty excellent qualities.
Subhūti, you should know: if the true dharma realm had differences at the beginning, middle, and end, then Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā would be unable to establish skillful means, teach the true dharma realm to sentient beings, adorn and purify Buddha lands, bring about the accomplishment of sentient beings, cultivate the practices of Great Bodhisattvas, attain unsurpassed supreme enlightenment, and turn the wondrous Dharma wheel to liberate sentient beings.
Because the true dharma realm has no difference at the beginning, middle, or end, Great Bodhisattvas practicing the profound Prajñāpāramitā establish skillful means, teach the true dharma realm to sentient beings, adorn and purify Buddha lands, bring about the accomplishment of sentient beings, cultivate the practices of Great Bodhisattvas, attain unsurpassed supreme enlightenment, turn the wondrous Dharma wheel, and liberate sentient beings.