THE GREAT PRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ SUTRA
VOLUME 600
Chapter: PRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ (8)
Furthermore, O Valiant Good One, if the Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice form as manifest or unmanifest; they do not practice feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness as manifest or unmanifest.
They do not practice the eye as manifest or unmanifest; they do not practice the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind as manifest or unmanifest.
They do not practice form as manifest or unmanifest; they do not practice sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena as manifest or unmanifest.
They do not practice eye-consciousness as manifest or unmanifest; they do not practice ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness as manifest or unmanifest.
They do not practice form as peaceful or not peaceful; they do not practice feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness as peaceful or not peaceful.
They do not practice the eye as peaceful or not peaceful; they do not practice the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind as peaceful or not peaceful.
They do not practice form as peaceful or not peaceful; they do not practice sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena as peaceful or not peaceful.
They do not practice eye-consciousness as peaceful or not peaceful; they do not practice ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness as peaceful or not peaceful.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of form as pure or impure; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness as pure or impure.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of the eye as pure or impure; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind as pure or impure.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of form as pure or impure; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena as pure or impure.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of eye-consciousness as pure or impure.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness as pure or impure.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of form as manifest or unmanifest; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness as manifest or unmanifest.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of the eye as manifest or unmanifest; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind as manifest or unmanifest.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of form as manifest or unmanifest; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena as manifest or unmanifest.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of eye-consciousness as manifest or unmanifest; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness as manifest or unmanifest.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of form as peaceful or not peaceful; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness as peaceful or not peaceful.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of the eye as peaceful or not peaceful; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind as peaceful or not peaceful.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of form as peaceful or not peaceful; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena as peaceful or not peaceful.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of eye-consciousness as peaceful or not peaceful; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness as peaceful or not peaceful.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of form as detached or not detached; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness as detached or not detached.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of the eye as detached or not detached; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind as detached or not detached.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of form as detached or not detached; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena as detached or not detached.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of eye-consciousness as detached or not detached; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness as detached or not detached.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of form belonging to the past, future, and present as pure or impure, manifest or unmanifest, peaceful or not peaceful, detached or not detached; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness belonging to the past, future, and present as pure or impure, manifest or unmanifest, peaceful or not peaceful, detached or not detached.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of the eye belonging to the past, future, and present as pure or impure, manifest or unmanifest, peaceful or not peaceful, detached or not detached; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind belonging to the past, future, and present as pure or impure, manifest or unmanifest, peaceful or not peaceful, detached or not detached.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of form belonging to the past, future, and present as pure or impure, manifest or unmanifest, peaceful or not peaceful, detached or not detached; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena belonging to the past, future, and present as pure or impure, manifest or unmanifest, peaceful or not peaceful, detached or not detached.
They do not practice the intrinsic nature of eye-consciousness belonging to the past, future, and present as pure or impure, manifest or unmanifest, peaceful or not peaceful, detached or not detached; they do not practice the intrinsic nature of ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness belonging to the past, future, and present as pure or impure, manifest or unmanifest, peaceful or not peaceful, detached or not detached.
O Valiant Good One, if the Bodhisattvas practice in this way, they will quickly perfect the Omniscient Wisdom.
Furthermore, O Valiant Good One, when Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not rely upon form; they do not rely upon feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness. They do not rely upon the eye; they do not rely upon the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
They do not rely upon form; they do not rely upon sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena.
They do not rely upon eye-consciousness; they do not rely upon ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness.
They also do not rely upon the purity of form; they do not rely upon the purity of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness.
They do not rely upon the purity of the eye; they also do not rely upon the purity of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
They do not rely upon the purity of form; they also do not rely upon the purity of sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena.
They do not rely upon the purity of eye-consciousness; they also do not rely upon the purity of ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness.
They do not rely upon the purified object of form; they also do not rely upon the purified object of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness.
They do not rely upon the purified object of the eye; they do not rely upon the purified object of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
They do not rely upon the purified object of form; they do not rely upon the purified object of sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena.
They do not rely upon the purified object of eye-consciousness; they do not rely upon the purified object of ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness.
Furthermore, O Valiant Good One, if Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not cling to form; they do not cling to feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness.
They do not cling to the eye; they do not cling to the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. They do not cling to form; they do not cling to sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena.
They do not cling to eye-consciousness; they do not cling to ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness.
They also do not cling to the purity of form; they do not cling to the purity of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness.
They do not cling to the purity of the eye; they do not cling to the purity of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
They do not cling to the purity of form; they do not cling to the purity of sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena.
They do not cling to the purity of eye-consciousness; they do not cling to the purity of ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness.
They also do not cling to the purified object of form; they do not cling to the purified object of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness.
They do not cling to the purified object of the eye; they do not cling to the purified object of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.
They do not cling to the purified object of form; they do not cling to the purified object of sound, smell, taste, and touch.
They do not cling to the purified object of eye-consciousness; they do not cling to the purified object of ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness.
O Valiant Good One, if the Bodhisattvas practice in this way, they will quickly perfect the Omniscient Wisdom.
O Valiant Good One, if the Bodhisattvas practice in this way, they will come close to attaining the ten powers of the Tathāgata, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unshared Buddha qualities.
O Valiant Good One, if the Bodhisattvas practice in this way, they will come close to possessing the thirty-two excellent marks and the eighty beautiful characteristics of a Great Being, with a body of golden color and boundless light, like the king of elephants, whose crown cannot be seen.
O Valiant Good One, if the Bodhisattvas practice in this way, they will come close to attaining unobstructed knowledge and vision of the past, future, and present; they will also come close to receiving the Tathāgata’s instruction, transmission, and guidance. They will also attain unobstructed knowledge and vision without attachment regarding the past, future, and present, and they will certainly receive a prediction of Buddhahood.
O Valiant Good One, if the Bodhisattvas practice in this way, they will quickly realize all the purity of Buddha and Dharma; they will quickly realize the purity of Buddha-fields; they will quickly receive the perfection of the Śrāvaka; they will quickly receive the perfection of the Bodhisattva.
O Valiant Good One, if the Bodhisattvas practice in this way, they do not abide in form; they do not abide in feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; they do not abide in the eye; they do not abide in the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind; they do not abide in form; they do not abide in sound, smell, taste, touch, and phenomena; they do not abide in eye-consciousness; they do not abide in ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness.
They do not abide in name-and-form; they do not abide in distortions, views, hindrances, or craving activities; they do not abide in the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, or the Formless Realm; they do not abide in the realm of sentient beings or the Dharma realm; they do not abide in the earth, water, fire, wind, space, or consciousness realms.
They do not abide in sentient beings, living beings, beings born, beings sustained, creators, the self, mind-made bodies, youth, doers, receivers, knowers, perceivers, or other characteristics; they do not abide in annihilationist or eternalist views; they do not abide in defilement or purity.
They do not abide in dependent origination; they do not abide in giving or stinginess; keeping precepts or violating precepts; patience or anger; diligence or laziness; meditative absorption or distraction; wisdom or faulty wisdom.
They do not abide in the foundations of mindfulness, right efforts, bases of miraculous powers, faculties, powers, factors of enlightenment, or the Noble Path; they do not abide in the cutting off of distortions and so forth; they do not abide in meditative absorptions, liberations, concentrations, or attainments.
Do not abide in Enlightenment and Liberation.
Do not abide in the knowledge of Exhaustion, the knowledge of No Arising, the knowledge of Non-Creation, and the knowledge of Non-Attachment. Do not abide in calm meditation or contemplative meditation.
Do not abide in the Immeasurables or supernatural powers. Do not abide in Suffering, Origination, Cessation, and Path.
Do not abide in the stages of ordinary beings, Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas.
Do not abide in the dharmas of ordinary beings, Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas. Do not abide in saṃsāra or Nirvāṇa.
Do not abide in the wisdom, powers, fearlessnesses, and so forth of the Buddha.
Do not abide in the knowledge and views of the past, future, and present.
Do not abide in the perfection of Buddha-fields, do not abide in the perfection of the Śrāvaka assembly, and do not abide in the perfection of Bodhisattvas. Why? O Good and Valiant One, because all dharmas cannot abide.
O Good and Valiant One, because all dharmas have no characteristic of abiding. Why? Because all dharmas cannot be grasped; what cannot be grasped cannot abide.
O Good and Valiant One, if all dharmas could remain abiding, then one could declare: “This is a dharma that can be grasped; this is a dharma that eternally abides.” The Tathāgata would also be able to abide in these dharmas and declare the dharmas: “This is a dharma that can be grasped; this is a dharma that can be accumulated.”
O Good and Valiant One, because all dharmas cannot abide, cannot be grasped, and cannot be accumulated, therefore there is no dharma that eternally abides. For this reason, the Tathāgata does not abide in any dharma, nor does He declare: “This is a dharma that can be grasped” or “This is a dharma that can be accumulated.”
O Good and Valiant One, there is not even the slightest dharma that can truly arise. Because there is not even the slightest dharma that truly arises, it completely has no place of abiding; therefore it is said that dharmas have no characteristic of abiding.
O Good and Valiant One, by using non-abiding and non-non-abiding as skillful means, it is said that all dharmas completely have no abiding.
O Good and Valiant One, there is not even the slightest dharma that can be said to abide. Just as the four great rivers all originate from the Anavatapta Pond and flow forth, before entering the great ocean they completely have no characteristic of abiding. Dharmas are likewise so; up to the beginningless and until conditioned activities are exhausted, they completely have no characteristic of abiding.
O Good and Valiant One, beginningless activities mean that within this there is no abiding, no non-abiding, and no obstruction. All are spoken of according to worldly convention, but in truth there is no abiding, no obstruction, no ultimate end, and also no non-abiding.
O Good and Valiant One, beginningless activities are spoken of only according to worldly convention. Just as whatever sentient beings perceive in the world does not truly possess abiding, obstruction, or ultimate end, nor does it possess non-abiding. Beginningless activities do not truly have abiding; therefore they can be explained through conventional expressions. For this reason, all dharmas have no characteristic of abiding.
O Good and Valiant One, such assemblies of Bodhisattvas rely only on all dharmas’ non-abiding as a skillful means to cultivate Prajñāpāramitā.
O Good and Valiant One, if these Bodhisattvas practice in this way, they will quickly perfect the knowledge of all dharmas, approach the unsurpassed Enlightenment, quickly sit upon the Bodhi seat, quickly attain the knowledge of omniscience, quickly perfect the knowledge and vision of the three times, and quickly perfect the complete knowledge of the different mental activities of all sentient beings.
O Good and Valiant One, if the Great Bodhisattvas wish to benefit all sentient beings, wish to use material wealth to give to all sentient beings so that they may be fulfilled, wish to use the gift of Dharma to satisfy the wishes of all sentient beings, wish to break open the shell of ignorance for all sentient beings, wish to grant great wisdom and Buddha-wisdom to all sentient beings, wish to love and cherish all sentient beings universally, wish to bring benefit and happiness to all sentient beings, wish to enable all sentient beings to be complete in the giving of material wealth and Dharma, wish to enable all sentient beings to be complete in pure morality, wish to enable all sentient beings to be complete in peaceful patience and gentleness, wish to enable sentient beings to be complete in diligence and courage, wish to enable sentient beings to be complete in clear meditative concentration, wish to enable all sentient beings to be complete in wondrous wisdom, wish to enable all sentient beings to be complete in ultimate liberation, wish to enable all sentient beings to be complete in the knowledge and vision of liberation, wish to enable all sentient beings to attain birth in fortunate realms, wish to enable all sentient beings to be complete in clarity and liberation, wish to enable all sentient beings to be complete in ultimate Nirvāṇa, wish to enable all sentient beings to be complete in the wondrous Dharma of the Buddhas, wish to enable all sentient beings to be complete in the perfection of all virtues; wish to turn the unsurpassed wondrous Dharma wheel for all Śramaṇas, Brahmins, devas, Māras, and non-Buddhist practitioners in the world, a Dharma wheel that no one in the world has the ability to turn; wish to expound the wondrous Dharma in the world; wish to truly predict the attainment of Buddhahood; wish to truly predict the Bodhisattva stage; wish to truly predict the stage of Pratyekabuddha; wish to truly predict the stage of Śrāvaka; and wish to know the original vows and roots of virtue of sentient beings—then they should learn this profound Prajñāpāramitā, should courageously and diligently practice without ever allowing interruption, and should rely on profound Prajñāpāramitā with diligent effort to cultivate and learn so as not to be bound by attachment or regret.
O Good and Valiant One, I completely do not see any dharma that enables Bodhisattvas to quickly perfect the wondrous, unsurpassed Dharma of the Buddhas like the profound Prajñāpāramitā spoken of here. If Bodhisattvas abide in such profound Prajñāpāramitā and diligently cultivate and learn without allowing themselves to abandon it, they will quickly perfect the knowledge of all dharmas.
O Good and Valiant One, those Great Bodhisattvas who cultivate Prajñāpāramitā and can reach its ultimate completion will approach the unsurpassed Enlightenment, and there is certainly no further doubt.
O Good and Valiant One, those virtuous men and faithful women who hear this Prajñāpāramitā and rejoice in it with sincere faith and acceptance—I say that such people can attain the unsurpassed Enlightenment because their roots of virtue are extremely superior and will quickly reach completion. By preserving their roots of virtue, these virtuous men and faithful women will certainly accumulate the provisions of great wisdom.
O Good and Valiant One, if Bodhisattvas hold teachings corresponding to the skillful means of such profound Prajñāpāramitā in their hands, then even if at present they have not received a Buddha’s prediction, know that they are also close to receiving the Buddha’s prediction, or before long will receive the Buddha’s prediction from a Buddha who is present.
O Good and Valiant One, just as a person diligently studies and practices the ten wholesome paths of action and has reached their completion, one should know that this person’s roots of virtue have matured and they are close to being born in Uttarakuru. Likewise, any Bodhisattva who holds this profound Prajñāpāramitā in their hands should know that they have approached the unsurpassed Enlightenment according to their aspiration and there is certainly no doubt.
O Good and Valiant One, just as a person delights in practicing generosity, has no attachment or regret toward treasures, and toward sentient beings constantly uses giving, loving speech, beneficial conduct, and cooperation to help them. They maintain precepts and cultivate patience to overcome arrogance. When they cultivate such practices and reach completion, they quickly obtain abundant wealth and are born into a noble family. Likewise, a Bodhisattva who is able to hold this profound Prajñāpāramitā in their hands should know that they are close to the irreversible stage.
O Good and Valiant One, just as a person delights in practicing generosity, maintaining precepts, and peaceful patience, possesses complete compassion and loving-kindness toward sentient beings, encourages them to maintain precepts, and is able to create conditions for them to receive superior karmic results, one should know that this person will quickly attain the position of a Wheel-Turning King. Likewise, a Bodhisattva who can hold this profound Prajñāpāramitā in their hands should know that they will quickly sit upon the wondrous Bodhi seat.
O Good and Valiant One, just as a Wheel-Turning King who is about to ascend to the supreme position, on the fifteenth day of the waxing moon, after bathing and observing the fast, ascends the great hall, sits upon the lion throne, and faces the eastern direction. If from the sky the great wheel treasure flies toward him, then one should know that this king has received the position of a Wheel-Turning King and before long will possess the seven treasures completely. Likewise, a Bodhisattva who can hold this profound Prajñāpāramitā in their hands should know that they will quickly attain the wisdom of omniscience.
O Good and Valiant One, just as sentient beings who possess superior roots of virtue, delight in cultivating the holy life, deeply understand the body and become weary of the suffering and faults of the human body; possess pure morality, delight in serving the Sangha, and whose minds constantly think of being born in the heavens in order to continually protect the people of the four continents—one should know that such beings will before long become the Four Heavenly Kings who protect the four continents. Likewise, Bodhisattvas who give teachings corresponding to Prajñāpāramitā to all sentient beings without any attachment or regret should know that they will before long become Dharma Kings and attain mastery over all dharmas.
O Good and Valiant One, just as sentient beings who possess superior and pure roots of virtue surpassing those of the person described earlier, with regard to the treasures they have obtained, first give them to others and only afterward use them for themselves; whatever they do, they do for sentient beings first and themselves afterward; they are not defiled by greed to engage in improper or unequal actions. Their minds always wish to become the Lord of Heaven, and therefore their minds are firm and unwavering in cultivating goodness. One should know that such people will certainly be born in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three before long and become Śakra, the Lord of the Devas. Likewise, if Bodhisattvas use the essential Dharma corresponding to Prajñāpāramitā to give to all sentient beings without attachment or regret, one should know that they will certainly become Dharma Kings before long and attain mastery over all dharmas.
O Good and Valiant One, just as a person who attains the four Brahma abodes should be known to be someone who will before long be born in the Brahma heavens. Likewise, Bodhisattvas who give essential teachings corresponding to Prajñāpāramitā to all sentient beings without attachment or regret should know that before long they will turn the wondrous Dharma wheel and give teachings to sentient beings for their benefit and happiness.
O Valiant Good Dũng, it is like a rainstorm: when the rain is about to fall upon the earth, one sees in the sky thick clouds gathering densely, the heavens gradually becoming dark, and then a great rain pours down, causing the waters of ponds, lakes, and rivers to surge and spread everywhere. The high and low lands are all moistened thoroughly. The dense clouds pour down sweet rain that permeates everywhere, causing medicinal plants, grasses, trees, branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits all to flourish abundantly. The fragrances in the water, earth, mountains, and rivers become wonderfully fragrant; even in the high streams, everywhere there are flowers and fruits. At that time, the earth becomes extremely delightful. Humans and non-humans who see it all rejoice, and they all gather flowers and fruits to smell their fragrance and taste their flavors. In the same way, if a Bodhisattva holds Prajñāpāramitā in hand and diligently practices and studies it with effort, one should know that before long this person will become moistened by the wisdom of Omniscience, will be able to enter into the wisdom of Omniscience, and will reveal the wisdom of Omniscience. Therefore, this will moisten all sentient beings and clearly reveal the unsurpassed Dharma treasure.
O Valiant Good Dũng, it is like in the palace of the dragon king Anavatapta, where water arises and flows into the four great rivers, all moving in the same direction until they fill the great ocean. Likewise, any Bodhisattva who has this profound Prajñāpāramitā in hand and diligently practices and studies within it can bring forth great streams of Dharma and use that great Dharma to fully give to sentient beings.
O Valiant Good Dũng, it is like the flock of birds on Mount Sumeru: although the forms of each kind are different, they all share the same color. Likewise, if a Bodhisattva has this profound Prajñāpāramitā in hand and faithfully accepts and practices it, they all have the same direction. That is, they all proceed toward the wisdom of the Tathāgata’s Omniscience.
O Valiant Good Dũng, it is like the great ocean, upon which all rivers depend for their existence and which is always the place where all streams of water return. Likewise, if a Bodhisattva has this profound Prajñāpāramitā in hand and diligently practices and studies it, they will become exceedingly knowledgeable and beneficial. One should know that before long this person will become an ocean that contains all Dharma, will quickly accomplish the Dharma vessel, will always serve as the refuge for all Dharma, and will not be disturbed by worldly phenomena.
O Valiant Good Dũng, it is like when the sun rises, causing other lights to disappear. Likewise, when the study of this profound Prajñāpāramitā by Bodhisattvas appears in the world, all non-Buddhist teachings disappear.
O Valiant Good Dũng, when the study of Prajñāpāramitā by Bodhisattvas appears in the world, it will become a Dharma light illuminating all sentient beings.
O Valiant Good Dũng, when Bodhisattvas appear in the world, becoming the illumination of wholesome roots for sentient beings and becoming pure fields of merit for sentient beings, then all sentient beings should make offerings to them, all sentient beings should turn toward them, and all sentient beings should praise them.
Furthermore, O Valiant Good Dũng, Bodhisattvas studying Prajñāpāramitā are engaging in the supreme among all fields of study. Likewise, one who studies Prajñāpāramitā becomes the pure path to Nirvāṇa for all sentient beings. Why? O Valiant Good Dũng, because among all fields of study, studying Prajñāpāramitā is supreme and foremost; it is wonderful, most wonderful, higher, unsurpassed, incomparable, and beyond anything that can be matched.
O Valiant Good Dũng, if Bodhisattvas study Prajñāpāramitā, causing all such studies to reach their ultimate completion, and uphold all that has been learned, then through all those studies they can teach and instruct others and can refute all studies belonging to other false doctrines.
O Valiant Good Dũng, if Bodhisattvas study Prajñāpāramitā in this way, they can practice the Bodhisattva conduct of the Buddhas of the three times.
O Valiant Good Dũng, regarding this profound study of Prajñāpāramitā, the World-Honored Buddhas have studied it firmly and perfectly in the past, are studying it now, and will study it in the future; they have taught, are teaching, and will teach such unsurpassed pure Dharma to sentient beings.
O Valiant Good Dũng, because of such study of the profound Prajñāpāramitā, one will surpass the supreme and most honored studies of the world.
O Valiant Good Dũng, studying Prajñāpāramitā in this way is natural study; therefore, no one in all the world can equal it.
O Valiant Good Dũng, if anyone studies Prajñāpāramitā, then regarding all phenomena there is completely nothing further to learn. This means that whether worldly or supramundane, conditioned or unconditioned, tainted or untainted, with faults or without faults, with all such Dharma teachings, one is not bound or dependent upon them. Regarding all Dharma, one may still appear to be dependent because sentient beings are deluded and therefore one must reveal and explain the unsurpassed pure Dharma that one has learned. Why? O Valiant Good Dũng, because all phenomena have no grasping and no bondage, therefore there is not even the slightest phenomenon that exists as something grasped or bound. Because of this, there is no nature that can be called liberation.
O Valiant Good Dũng, form has no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation; feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness likewise have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. The eye has no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind likewise have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. Forms have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation; sounds, smells, tastes, tangible objects, and phenomena likewise have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. Eye-consciousness has no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. Ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness likewise have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. Name-and-form has no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation; distortions, views, hindrances, and craving activities have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. Greed, hatred, and delusion have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. The desire realm, form realm, and formless realm have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. The realm of sentient beings and the Dharma realm have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. Sentient beings, living beings, beings who are born, beings who are sustained, makers, the self, mind-born bodies, youths, doers, recipients, knowers, perceivers, and all characteristics have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. The earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness realms have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. Dependent origination and defilement and purity have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. Giving and stinginess; keeping precepts and breaking precepts; patience and anger; diligence and laziness; meditation and distraction; wisdom and wrong wisdom have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. Suffering, origin, cessation, and path have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. The foundations of mindfulness, right efforts, bases of miraculous power, faculties, powers, factors of enlightenment, and noble path have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. The ending of distortions has no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. Meditative absorptions, liberations, concentrations, and attainments have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. Immeasurables and supernatural powers have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. The wisdom of exhaustion, the wisdom of non-arising, the wisdom of non-creation, and the wisdom of non-attachment have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. Clear knowing and liberation, liberation and the knowledge and vision of liberation have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. The states of ordinary beings, Hearers, Solitary Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. The Dharma of ordinary beings, Hearers, Solitary Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas has no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. Saṃsāra and Nirvāṇa have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. The Buddha’s wisdom, powers, fearlessnesses, and so forth have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation.
The knowledge and vision of the past, future, and present have no grasping, no bondage, and no liberation. Why? O Valiant Good Dũng, because all phenomena that are grasped cannot be obtained, and bondage also cannot be obtained. Since grasping and bondage do not exist, liberation also cannot be obtained.
O Valiant Good Dũng, to speak of grasping and bondage means grasping and being bound to the nature of phenomena. But since the nature of phenomena does not exist, one cannot say that there is grasping or that there is no bondage. To speak of liberation means liberation from grasping and bondage; since grasping and bondage do not exist, liberation also does not exist.
O Valiant Good Dũng, non-liberation means that, regarding all phenomena, one completely attains the nature of liberation through having nothing to obtain. If one can see phenomena in this way, it is called knowledge and vision without grasping.
O Valiant Good Dũng, non-grasping means that within this, grasping cannot be apprehended; grasping has no nature of grasping; grasping has no true nature. Therefore it is called non-grasping. Because within this, the grasper, the object grasped, that by which, that for which, the cause of, and what belongs to this cannot be apprehended, it is therefore called non-grasping.
O Valiant Good Dũng, to speak of non-bondage means that within this, bondage cannot be apprehended; bondage has no nature of bondage; because the nature of bondage is not real, it is called non-bondage. Because within this, the one who binds, the thing bound, that by which, that for which, the cause of, and what belongs to this cannot be apprehended, it is therefore called non-bondage.
O Valiant Good Dũng, if there is no grasping and no bondage regarding all phenomena, then why is it said that there is liberation regarding all phenomena?
O Valiant Good Dũng, non-grasping, non-bondage, and non-liberation are themselves not liberation, but freedom from attachment and cool tranquility are called true liberation.
O Valiant Good One, with regard to all phenomena, whoever does not cling does not become bound; if, with regard to all phenomena, someone is not bound, clinging and attachment, then there is no liberation. By being separated from these three things and attaining the cool serenity of freedom from bondage, this is called true liberation.
O Valiant Good One, whatever Bodhisattva enters into the nature of all phenomena without attachment, without bondage, and without liberation, that one attains true knowledge and vision and practices the Perfection of Wisdom.
O Valiant Good One, if any Bodhisattva is able to practice in this way, that one is close to the supreme stage of Enlightenment and will quickly attain the wisdom of Omniscience.
O Valiant Good One, I shall use the wondrous Dharma seal of this profound Perfection of Wisdom to seal and certify all the assemblies of Great Bodhisattvas, causing them to cut off the net of doubt, then diligently cultivate and learn this profound Perfection of Wisdom and quickly reach its ultimate completion.
O Valiant Good One, I shall preserve this Dharma seal so that it remains in the world for a long time, bringing benefit and happiness to sentient beings. Why is this so? Because my Śrāvaka disciples do not possess the supreme supernatural powers needed to preserve this wondrous Dharma seal of the profound Perfection of Wisdom until approximately five hundred years after my passing into nirvāṇa, in order to benefit sentient beings.
At that time, the World-Honored One taught the five hundred foremost Bodhisattvas, such as Bodhisattva Worthy Virtue, Bodhisattva Guide, and others, as well as the Great Bodhisattva Valiant Good One:
Good sons, you should study this profound Perfection of Wisdom which the Tathāgata Himself cultivated as the foremost practice throughout immeasurable, countless hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of kalpas. Because the unsurpassed Dharma treasury of all Tathāgatas arises from the profound Perfection of Wisdom, and the unsurpassed Dharma treasury is also established from the profound Perfection of Wisdom, therefore you should preserve this Dharma treasury. Thus, at the time approximately five hundred years after I enter nirvāṇa, when this unsurpassed True Dharma is about to decline and perish, during that transitional period, you should, for the sake of sentient beings, widely expound and reveal it so that those who hear it will attain great benefit.
Upon hearing the Buddha’s teaching, all the Bodhisattvas rose from their seats, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, joined their palms respectfully, and said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One, we shall study the profound Perfection of Wisdom which the Tathāgata Himself studied as the foremost practice throughout immeasurable, countless hundreds of thousands of nayutas of kalpas. Because the unsurpassed Dharma treasury arises from the profound Perfection of Wisdom and is also established from the profound Perfection of Wisdom, we shall preserve this treasury of Dharma until the time after your passing, approximately five hundred years later, when the unsurpassed True Dharma is about to decline; then, during the transitional period, we shall widely expound and reveal it for all sentient beings so that, after hearing it, they will attain great benefit.
World-Honored One, at that time there will be many fears, many dangers, and much violence. During that period, most sentient beings will create karma leading to results devoid of Dharma. Their minds will be filled with desire, defiled by greed, unjust craving, and unlawful attachment; they will be miserly, jealous, and bound by these afflictions of mind. They will have much anger, delight in speaking harsh words, flattery, deceit, and enjoy engaging in unrighteous actions. They will frequently despise others, engage in disputes, lawsuits, opposition, and conflicts. They will live without dignity or moral discipline, be obscured by attachment, become increasingly lazy while lacking diligence, forget right mindfulness and abide in wrong understanding. Their mouths will boast, they will be arrogant and conceited, enjoy committing evil actions and conceal them in their hearts. Greed, hatred, and delusion will continually increase, while their roots of virtue will become thin and scarce. Covered by the veil of ignorance, all their actions will accord with the factions of Māra. They will often become enemies who harm the profound Dharma, and they will often become great thieves within the treasure of the Dharma. Because of their evil natures, it will be difficult for anyone to associate closely with them.
World-Honored One, from this day onward we resolve to preserve the unsurpassed Dharma treasury that the Tathāgata cultivated throughout countless, boundless hundreds of thousands of nayutas of kalpas, so that great benefit may be brought to all sentient beings.
World-Honored One, at that time there will be very few sentient beings who diligently seek and wish to learn this Dharma treasury. The nature of these sentient beings will be sincere, without flattery or deceit. They would rather abandon their own lives than violate the Dharma; they will neither slander nor become weary of or oppose the Dharma. We shall benefit them by diligently teaching them this profound Dharma and praising and encouraging them so that they diligently cultivate and study it.
At that time, the World-Honored One used his miraculous power to protect the unsurpassed Dharma treasury of the profound Perfection of Wisdom, causing the evil Māras to be unable to destroy it. He also used his majestic power to protect those who can preserve and diligently practice this Dharma treasury, cutting through the net of Māra and attaining liberation; their practice will quickly reach completion.
At that time, the Buddha smiled and emitted a great light that illuminated the three-thousand-great-thousand worlds. All sentient beings in the human and heavenly realms, through the Buddha’s light, were able to see one another’s faces.
Then, in this assembly, the devas, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, mahoragas, and other divine beings all brought beautiful heavenly fragrances and flowers and scattered them as offerings to the World-Honored One. Then they loudly chanted:
The great majestic spiritual power of the Tathāgata is truly rare and wondrous. He protects the Dharma treasury and those who practice it, causing the armies of evil Māras to be unable to destroy it. He cuts the nets of the Māras, making beings attain freedom, and enables their practice to quickly reach completion. If any virtuous man or faithful woman upholds, reads, and recites this Dharma teaching and widely explains it to others, they will not fear the armies of evil Māras. Any Bodhisattva who upholds, reads, and recites this Dharma teaching and widely explains it to others will be able to defeat the armies of evil Māras, and all evil Māras will be unable to obstruct them.
At that time, the Buddha said to Valiant Good One:
That is right, that is right, just as the devas have said! O Valiant Good One, regarding this unsurpassed Dharma teaching, the Tathāgata has established boundaries and restraints against the evil Māras, so that all their nets will no longer create obstacles to this Dharma teaching.
O Valiant Good One, today the Tathāgata relies upon this Dharma teaching to defeat all the forces of the evil Māras.
O Valiant Good One, today the Tathāgata will protect this Dharma teaching to prevent the evil Māras from causing further harm.
O Valiant Good One, if any virtuous man or faithful woman upholds, reads, and recites this Dharma teaching and widely expounds it to others, all evil Māras will be unable to disturb them. Instead, they will be able to conquer the enemy Māras. Or if any Bodhisattva upholds, reads, and recites this Dharma teaching and widely expounds it to others, that one will be able to subdue all the armies of Māra and give sentient beings benefits and happiness.
O Valiant Good One, such a Dharma teaching cannot be received by the hands of defiled sentient beings.
O Valiant Good One, such a Dharma teaching is not the realm of practice of those who are bound and captured by the nets of Māra.
O Valiant Good One, such a Dharma teaching is the realm of practice of those who are extremely intelligent and whose nature is completely virtuous.
O Valiant Good One, it is like a very wise and well-trained horse: it is not meant for lesser kings to ride, nor does it appear in times of degeneration; it is only accepted and used by a Wheel-Turning King, and therefore it appears in such an age. Likewise, only those who are intelligent, wise, and gentle can receive and make use of this profound Dharma teaching, and this Dharma can only come into the hands of such a person.
O Virtuous Courage, it is like the Dragon King Upavāsa, the Dragon King Sāgara, and the Dragon King Elāpatra: they do not appear because ordinary people use them or wish to see them, nor do they appear because other heavenly beings use them. They appear only when used by intelligent, wise, talented heavenly beings. For example, when Śakra, the Lord of Heaven, thinks of preparing a place to go wandering and enjoying himself together with the heavenly beings, those dragons manifest such forms before Śakra, the Lord of Heaven, and thus are used by him. Likewise, only Good Practitioners can make use of this profound Dharma gateway. They listen to it, receive and uphold it, read and recite it, and explain and distinguish it for sentient beings. Regarding this Dharma, they are great adorners, causing it to circulate, illuminating the great Dharma, accomplishing great Dharma joy, and receiving great Dharma bliss.
O Virtuous Courage, if anyone receives and upholds even a single sentence of this profound Prajñāpāramitā, they will attain immeasurable and boundless merit; how much more so if they obtain this Great Prajñāpāramitā Sutra, uphold it, recite it, transcribe it completely, and make offerings to it while widely spreading and transmitting it to others—the merit and virtue attained by such a person are inconceivable.
O Virtuous Courage, only those who are intelligent, wise, compassionate, and gentle can protect and uphold this Dharma gateway. For those who lack intelligence, wisdom, harmony, and gentleness, this Dharma gateway is not their realm.
O Virtuous Courage, wishing to cut off all doubts for all kinds of sentient beings, I have spoken this Great Prajñāpāramitā Sutra in such a way.
When the Buddha spoke this Dharma, immeasurable and countless Great Bodhisattvas attained the Patience of Non-arising of Dharmas, and limitless sentient beings all aroused the aspiration to seek the highest supreme Enlightenment.
At that time, the Tathāgata bestowed predictions upon them that they would certainly realize the highest supreme Enlightenment.
When the World-Honored One finished speaking this sutra, the Great Bodhisattvas such as Virtuous Courage, along with the four assemblies and other beings such as Devas, Dragons, Yakṣas, Gandharvas, Asuras, Mahoragas, humans and non-humans, having heard the Buddha’s teaching, were greatly joyful, accepted it with faith, and respectfully practiced it.