THE GREAT PRAJÑĀPĀRAMITĀ SŪTRA
VOLUME 7
Chapter 3: CORRESPONDENCE (4)
Furthermore, Śāriputra, when the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the perfection of giving; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the perfections of pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, or wisdom.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the emptiness of internal phenomena; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of both internal and external phenomena, the emptiness of emptiness, the great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, the emptiness of the ultimate, the emptiness of the absence of boundaries, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of non-transformation, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of own characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all phenomena, the emptiness of what cannot be grasped, the emptiness of non-existence, the emptiness of self-nature, or the emptiness of the self-nature of emptiness.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of suchness; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the Dharma realm, the nature of phenomena, the non-deluded nature, the unchanging nature, the equal nature, the nature of being free from arising, the fixed Dharma, the abiding Dharma, ultimate reality, the realm of space, or the inconceivable realm.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of entering into the right nature and being free from birth and death; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of attaining the irreversible stage; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of bringing about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of purifying and adorning the Buddha realms.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the four applications of mindfulness; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, or the eightfold noble path; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the noble truth of suffering; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the noble truths of origination, cessation, and the path.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the four meditative absorptions; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the four immeasurables or the four formless concentrations.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the eight liberations; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, or the ten totalities.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the liberation door of emptiness; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the liberation doors of signlessness and wishlessness.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of all dhāraṇī gateways; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of all samādhi gateways.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the stage of Supreme Joy; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the stages of Stainlessness, Radiance, Blazing Wisdom, Difficult to Overcome, Manifestation, Far-Going, Immovability, Excellent Wisdom, or Dharma Cloud.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the physical eye; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the divine eye, wisdom eye, Dharma eye, or Buddha eye.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the Buddha’s ten powers; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the four qualities of great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity, or the eighteen unique qualities of the Buddha.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the thirty-two marks of the Great Being; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the eighty secondary characteristics.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the Dharma of not forgetting; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the nature of always remaining in equanimity.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of omniscient wisdom; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of path-knowing wisdom, all-aspect wisdom, or wondrous all-aspect wisdom.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of surpassing the fruition of Stream-Entry; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of surpassing the fruits of Once-Returner, Non-Returner, Arhat, or Pratyekabuddha.
When the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of all the practices of Great Bodhisattvas; they do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of the supreme enlightenment of all Buddhas. Why is this? Śāriputra, because when the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not perceive distinctions among the natures of phenomena.
Śāriputra, because the Great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā in accordance with such phenomena, they are said to be in correspondence with Prajñāpāramitā.
Again, Śāriputra, the great Bodhisattvas who practice Prajñāpāramitā do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of attaining the wisdom that realizes the divine eye. They do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of attaining the wisdom that realizes the divine ear. They do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of attaining the wisdom that realizes the knowledge of others’ minds. They do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of attaining the wisdom that realizes the power of recollecting past lives. They do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of attaining the wisdom that realizes the miraculous abilities. They do not practice Prajñāpāramitā for the sake of attaining the wisdom that realizes the exhaustion of the outflows. Why? Śāriputra, because when the great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not even perceive that there is the practice of Prajñāpāramitā itself; how much less do they perceive that there is the practice of the six supernatural powers of the Bodhisattvas and the Tathāgatas.
Śāriputra, because the great Bodhisattvas who practice Prajñāpāramitā are in accord with such dharmas, they are said to be in accord with Prajñāpāramitā.
Again, Śāriputra, when the great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not give rise to the thought: “I will use the wisdom that realizes the divine eye to see the death here and rebirth there of all sentient beings throughout the innumerable Buddha worlds in the ten directions.”
They do not give rise to the thought: “I will use the wisdom that realizes the divine ear to hear the Dharma teachings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout the innumerable Buddha worlds in the ten directions.”
They do not give rise to the thought: “I will use the wisdom that realizes the knowledge of others’ minds to know the minds and mental factors of all sentient beings throughout the innumerable Buddha worlds in the ten directions.”
They do not give rise to the thought: “I will use the wisdom that realizes the power of recollecting past lives to remember the events of previous lives of all sentient beings throughout the innumerable Buddha worlds in the ten directions.”
They do not give rise to the thought: “I will use the wisdom that realizes the miraculous abilities to go to the places of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout the innumerable Buddha worlds in the ten directions, in order to respectfully make offerings, honor, and praise them.”
They do not give rise to the thought: “I will use the wisdom that realizes the exhaustion of the outflows to contemplate and know whether the outflows of all sentient beings throughout the innumerable Buddha worlds in the ten directions have been exhausted or not exhausted.”
Śāriputra, because the great Bodhisattvas who practice Prajñāpāramitā are in accord with such dharmas, they are said to be in accord with Prajñāpāramitā.
Again, Śāriputra, because the great Bodhisattvas who practice Prajñāpāramitā are in such accord with Prajñāpāramitā, they are able to skillfully establish countless, immeasurable, boundless sentient beings in the realm of non-residual Nirvāṇa. All Māras are unable to act recklessly against them; all afflictions are subdued and extinguished; worldly matters proceed according to their wishes.
All the Tathāgatas, Worthy of True and Complete Enlightenment, and the assemblies of great Bodhisattvas, in the countless worlds throughout the ten directions, together protect and sustain such Bodhisattvas with mindfulness, causing them not to regress into the ranks of Śrāvakas or Pratyekabuddhas.
The devas in the realms of the Four Great Heavenly Kings, the Thirty-three Heavens, the Yāma Heaven, the Tuṣita Heaven, the Heaven of Enjoying Transformations, the Heaven of Freely Enjoying Others’ Transformations, the Brahmā Assembly Heaven, the Brahmā Retinue Heaven, the Brahmā Council Heaven, the Great Brahmā Heaven, the Light Heaven, the Lesser Light Heaven, the Immeasurable Light Heaven, the Radiant Pure Heaven, the Pure Heaven, the Lesser Pure Heaven, the Immeasurable Pure Heaven, the Universal Pure Heaven, the Vast Heaven, the Lesser Vast Heaven, the Immeasurable Vast Heaven, the Vast Fruit Heaven, the Heaven of No Affliction, the Heaven of No Heat, the Heaven of Good Manifestation, the Heaven of Good Seeing, the Highest Form Heaven, as well as all Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas throughout the innumerable worlds in the ten directions, all together support and protect such Bodhisattvas, causing all their activities to encounter no obstacles. Illnesses and worries of body and mind are reduced and eliminated; even karmic offenses that would have resulted in suffering in future lives are transformed into lighter consequences. Why? Śāriputra, because that great Bodhisattva has always manifested a mind of loving-kindness and compassion toward all sentient beings.
Śāriputra, that great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñāpāramitā, through the power of majestic spiritual might, uses little effort and yet is able to bring forth, in the most supreme and自在 manner, the Dharma-gate of Dhāraṇī and the Dharma-gate of Samādhi, causing them to quickly manifest. Wherever they are reborn, they constantly serve all Tathāgatas, Worthy of True and Complete Enlightenment, until they attain the supreme unsurpassed state of Awakening that they seek. Throughout that period, they are never far from the Buddhas.
Śrāriputra, that great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñāpāramitā, because of being in such accord with Prajñāpāramitā, attains immeasurable, countless, inconceivable wondrous merits and virtues such as these.
Again, Śāriputra, when the great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not give rise to the thought: “There is accord or non-accord, equality or inequality, between dharmas and dharmas.” Why? Śāriputra, because that great Bodhisattva does not perceive there to be accord or non-accord, equality or inequality, between dharmas and dharmas.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not give rise to the thought: “Regarding the Dharma-realm, I will quickly attain Equal and Complete Enlightenment, or I will not quickly attain Equal and Complete Enlightenment.” Why? Śāriputra, because regarding the Dharma-realm, that great Bodhisattva does not perceive even the slightest subtle dharma that can attain Equal and Complete Enlightenment.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not perceive any dharma that is separate from the Dharma-realm; they do not perceive the Dharma-realm as existing apart from all dharmas; they do not perceive that all dharmas are themselves the Dharma-realm, nor do they perceive that the Dharma-realm is itself all dharmas.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not give rise to the thought: “The Dharma-realm can serve as the condition for all dharmas.” They do not give rise to the thought: “All dharmas can serve as the condition for the Dharma-realm.”
When the great Bodhisattvas practice Prajñāpāramitā, they do not give rise to the thought: “This dharma can realize the Dharma-realm; this dharma cannot realize the Dharma-realm.” Why? Śāriputra, because for that great Bodhisattva, even dharma itself is not perceived; how much less would they perceive a dharma that can realize the Dharma-realm or one that cannot realize it.
Śāriputra, because the great Bodhisattvas who practice Prajñāpāramitā are in accord with such dharmas, they are said to be in accord with Prajñāpāramitā.
Again, Śāriputra, when the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between form and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and form; they do not see any correspondence between feeling, perception, formations, consciousness and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and feeling, perception, formations, consciousness.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the eye faculty and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the eye faculty; they do not see any correspondence between the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the form realm and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the form realm; they do not see any correspondence between the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma realms and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma realms.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the eye consciousness realm and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the eye consciousness realm; they do not see any correspondence between the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind consciousness realms and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind consciousness realms.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between eye contact and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and eye contact; they do not see any correspondence between ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the feelings arising from eye contact as condition and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the feelings arising from eye contact as condition; they do not see any correspondence between the feelings arising from ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact as condition and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the feelings arising from ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind contact as condition.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the earth element and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the earth element; they do not see any correspondence between the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness elements.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between causal conditions and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and causal conditions; they do not see any correspondence between phenomena arising from equal and uninterrupted conditions, object conditions, dominant conditions, and other conditions, and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and phenomena arising from equal and uninterrupted conditions, object conditions, dominant conditions, and other conditions.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between ignorance and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and ignorance; they do not see any correspondence between formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and formations up to aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the perfection of giving and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the perfection of giving; they do not see any correspondence between pure morality, patience, vigor, meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and pure morality, patience, vigor, meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the emptiness of inner phenomena and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the emptiness of inner phenomena; they do not see any correspondence between the emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of both inner and external phenomena, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate meaning emptiness, conditioned emptiness, unconditioned emptiness, final emptiness, emptiness without boundaries, scattered emptiness, unchanging emptiness, intrinsic nature emptiness, self-character emptiness, common-character emptiness, emptiness of all phenomena, unattainable emptiness, naturelessness emptiness, self-nature emptiness, and emptiness of the self-nature of naturelessness and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the emptiness of external phenomena up to the emptiness of the self-nature of naturelessness.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between suchness and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and suchness; they do not see any correspondence between the dharma realm, dharma nature, the non-delusive nature, the unchanging nature, the equal nature, the nature free from arising, the established nature of phenomena, the abiding nature of phenomena, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the dharma realm up to the inconceivable realm.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the four foundations of mindfulness and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the four foundations of mindfulness; they do not see any correspondence between the four right efforts, four bases of miraculous powers, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the four right efforts up to the eightfold noble path.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the noble truth of suffering and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the noble truth of suffering; they do not see any correspondence between the noble truths of origin, cessation, and path and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the noble truths of origin, cessation, and path.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the four meditative absorptions and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the four meditative absorptions; they do not see any correspondence between the four immeasurables and the four formless concentrations and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the four immeasurables and the four formless concentrations.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the eight liberations and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the eight liberations; they do not see any correspondence between the eight bases of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, the ten total attainments and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the eight bases of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten total attainments.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the liberation door of emptiness and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the liberation door of emptiness; they do not see any correspondence between the liberation doors of signlessness and wishlessness and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the liberation doors of signlessness and wishlessness.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between all dhāraṇī gateways and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and all dhāraṇī gateways; they do not see any correspondence between all samādhi gateways and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and all samādhi gateways.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the stage of Extreme Joy and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the stage of Extreme Joy; they do not see any correspondence between the stages of Stainlessness, Radiance, Blazing Wisdom, Difficult to Overcome, Manifestation, Far-Going, Immovability, Good Wisdom, and Dharma Cloud and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the stages from Stainlessness up to Dharma Cloud.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the five kinds of eyes and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the five kinds of eyes; they do not see any correspondence between the six superknowledges and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the six superknowledges.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the ten powers of the Buddha and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the ten powers of the Buddha; they do not see any correspondence between the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of unobstructed knowledge, the four qualities of great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity, the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the four fearlessnesses up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the thirty-two marks of the Great Being and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the thirty-two marks of the Great Being; they do not see any correspondence between the eighty secondary marks and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the eighty secondary marks.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the quality of never forgetting and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the quality of never forgetting; they do not see any correspondence between the nature of constant equanimity and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the nature of constant equanimity.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between omniscient wisdom and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and omniscient wisdom; they do not see any correspondence between path-knowing wisdom, all-aspects-knowing wisdom and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and path-knowing wisdom and all-aspects-knowing wisdom.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between the fruit of stream-entry and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the fruit of stream-entry; they do not see any correspondence between the fruits of once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, and the fruit of solitary awakening and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the fruits of once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, and solitary awakening.
When the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not see any correspondence between all Bodhisattva practices and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and all Bodhisattva practices; they do not see any correspondence between the supreme perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas and emptiness, nor do they see any correspondence between emptiness and the supreme perfect enlightenment of all Buddhas.
Śāriputra, if the great Bodhisattvas practicing the perfection of wisdom can attain such correspondences, then this is the foremost correspondence with emptiness.
Śāriputra, the great Bodhisattvas practicing the perfection of wisdom, because they correspond with emptiness in this way, never fall into the states of the Śrāvakas or solitary Buddhas; they always strive to purify the Buddha-fields and bring about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, swiftly attaining the supreme perfect enlightenment.
Śāriputra, among all correspondences of the great Bodhisattvas practicing the perfection of wisdom, the correspondence with the perfection of wisdom is the highest, most honored, most excellent, supreme, most wondrous, most exalted, most ultimate, unsurpassed, above the unsurpassed, incomparable, and equal to none. Why? Śāriputra, because the correspondence with the perfection of wisdom is the highest, namely correspondence with emptiness, namely correspondence with signlessness, namely correspondence with wishlessness. For this reason, it attains the highest.
Śāriputra, when the great Bodhisattvas practicing the perfection of wisdom correspond with the perfection of wisdom in this way, they immediately know that they have received a prediction, or are close to receiving a prediction of Buddhahood. Śāriputra, through this correspondence, such a Bodhisattva can bring great benefit to immeasurable, countless, boundless sentient beings.
Śāriputra, such a Bodhisattva does not give rise to the thought: “I correspond with the perfection of wisdom”; does not give rise to the thought: “I have received a definite prediction that I will become a Buddha, or I am close to receiving such a prediction”; does not give rise to the thought: “I can purify the Buddha-field”; does not give rise to the thought: “I can bring about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings”; and does not give rise to the thought: “I will attain the desired supreme perfect enlightenment, turn the wondrous Dharma wheel, and liberate immeasurable beings.” Why? Śāriputra, because such a Bodhisattva does not see phenomena as separate from the dharma realm, nor does he see the dharma realm as separate from phenomena; he does not see phenomena as identical with the dharma realm, nor does he see the dharma realm as identical with phenomena; he does not see any phenomenon that practices the perfection of wisdom, does not see any phenomenon that receives the Buddha’s prediction, does not see any phenomenon that will attain supreme perfect enlightenment, does not see any phenomenon that purifies the Buddha-field, and does not see any phenomenon that brings about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings. Why? Śāriputra, because when the great Bodhisattvas practice the perfection of wisdom, they do not give rise to the notions of self, sentient being, living being, being born, nurtured being, creator, selfhood, mind-born body, youth, doer, one who causes others to act, initiator, one who causes initiation, receiver, one who causes receiving, knower, or seer. Why? Because self, sentient being, and so forth ultimately neither arise nor cease. Since these are ultimately unborn and unceasing, why should one still practice the perfection of wisdom and obtain the various excellent merits and benefits? Śāriputra, such a Bodhisattva practices the perfection of wisdom because he does not see the arising of sentient beings; practices the perfection of wisdom because he does not see the cessation of sentient beings; practices the perfection of wisdom because he knows the emptiness of sentient beings; practices the perfection of wisdom because he knows the absence of self in sentient beings; practices the perfection of wisdom because he knows the unattainable emptiness of sentient beings; practices the perfection of wisdom because he knows the separation of sentient beings; practices the perfection of wisdom because he knows that the intrinsic nature of sentient beings is not truly sentient beings.
Śāriputra, among all correspondences of the great Bodhisattvas practicing the perfection of wisdom, correspondence with emptiness is the highest, because it is correspondence with the perfection of wisdom, which is most honored, most excellent, and incomparable.
Śāriputra, because of such correspondence, the great Bodhisattvas greatly develop the ability to bring forth the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of unobstructed knowledge, the qualities of great loving-kindness, great compassion, great joy, and great equanimity, the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, the thirty-two marks of the Great Being, the eighty secondary marks, the quality of never forgetting, the nature of constant equanimity, omniscient wisdom, path-knowing wisdom, all-aspects-knowing wisdom, and the immeasurable and boundless other Buddha-dharmas.
Śāriputra, because the great Bodhisattvas practicing the perfection of wisdom correspond with the perfection of wisdom in this way, they ultimately never give rise to the obstructing minds of greed and stinginess, violation of precepts, anger, laziness, distraction, or harmful wisdom. At the same time, the practices of giving, pure morality, patience, vigor, meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom naturally manifest before them without interruption.
Chapter 4: TRANSFORMATION OF BIRTH (1)
At that time, Śāriputra addressed the Buddha: “World-Honored One, the great Bodhisattvas abiding in Prajñāpāramitā, from which realm do they relinquish their bodies and come to be born in this realm? Having relinquished their bodies from this realm, in which realm will they be born?”
The Buddha told Elder Śāriputra: “The great Bodhisattvas abiding in Prajñāpāramitā include those who relinquish their bodies from other Buddha realms and are born in this realm; those who relinquish their bodies from the Tuṣita Heaven and are born in this realm; and those who relinquish their bodies from the human realm and are reborn in the human realm.
Śāriputra, if a great Bodhisattva abiding in Prajñāpāramitā relinquishes their body from another Buddha realm and is born in this realm, then that great Bodhisattva will be in accord with Prajñāpāramitā. Because of being in accord with Prajñāpāramitā, at the time of transformation of birth, the profound and wondrous Dharma gateway will immediately manifest. From then onward, they will constantly and swiftly be in accord with Prajñāpāramitā; wherever they are born, they will constantly encounter Buddhas, respectfully make offerings, honor, and praise them; and they will be able to gradually perfect Prajñāpāramitā.
Śāriputra, if a great Bodhisattva abiding in Prajñāpāramitā relinquishes their body from the Tuṣita Heaven and is born in this realm, then that great Bodhisattva, for the most part throughout their entire life, will have the Dharma practices of Giving, Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Concentration, and Prajñāpāramitā directly present and freely accessible, never forgetting them. Regarding all dhāraṇī gateways and all samādhi gateways, they will likewise have them directly present and freely accessible, never forgetting them.
Śāriputra, if a great Bodhisattva abiding in Prajñāpāramitā relinquishes their body from the human realm and is reborn in the human realm, then that great Bodhisattva, except for those who are irreversible, has dull faculties and slow wisdom. Although diligently cultivating Prajñāpāramitā, they are unable to quickly become in accord with Prajñāpāramitā; regarding all dhāraṇī gateways and all samādhi gateways, they have not yet attained mastery.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, your next question was: when great Bodhisattvas abiding in Prajñāpāramitā relinquish their bodies from this realm, into which realm will they be born? Śāriputra, because that great Bodhisattva is always in accord with Prajñāpāramitā, after relinquishing their body from this realm they will be born in another Buddha realm, and then from that Buddha realm they will be born in yet another Buddha realm. In every place where they are born, they will constantly encounter the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, respectfully make offerings, honor, and praise them; until they attain the unsurpassed state of Enlightenment, they will never be far from the Buddhas.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, there are great Bodhisattvas who, because they have not developed skillful means, enter the First Dhyāna, Second Dhyāna, Third Dhyāna, and Fourth Dhyāna, and are also able to practice Giving, Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Concentration, and Prajñāpāramitā. Because this great Bodhisattva has attained these dhyānas, they are born in the Long-Life Heaven. When their lifespan there is exhausted, they are born in the human realm, encounter Buddhas, respectfully make offerings, honor, and praise them. Although they practice Giving, Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Concentration, and Prajñāpāramitā, their faculties are dull and not sharp, and their actions are not especially skillful.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, there are great Bodhisattvas who enter the First Dhyāna, Second Dhyāna, Third Dhyāna, and Fourth Dhyāna, and are also able to practice Giving, Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Concentration, and Prajñāpāramitā. Because this great Bodhisattva lacks skillful means, when they abandon these dhyānas and are born in the Desire Realm, it should be known that this great Bodhisattva has dull faculties, is not sharp, and their actions are not especially skillful.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, there are great Bodhisattvas who enter the First Dhyāna, Second Dhyāna, Third Dhyāna, and Fourth Dhyāna; enter the immeasurable Loving-kindness, the immeasurable Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity; enter the meditation of the Infinite Space Realm, the meditation of the Infinite Consciousness Realm, the Nothingness Realm, and the Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception Realm; cultivate the Perfection of Giving, cultivate Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Concentration, and Prajñāpāramitā; abide in inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, supreme meaning emptiness, conditioned emptiness, unconditioned emptiness, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without boundaries, scattered emptiness, emptiness of non-change, emptiness of original nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of shared characteristics, emptiness in all phenomena, emptiness of what cannot be grasped, emptiness of non-inherent nature, emptiness of self-nature, emptiness of the self-nature of non-emptiness; abide in suchness, abide in the Dharma realm, Dharma nature, the nature of non-delusion, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, definitive Dharma, abiding Dharma, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold noble path; abide in the Noble Truth of suffering, abide in the Noble Truths of origin, cessation, and path; cultivate the eight liberations, cultivate the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive meditations, and the ten universal bases; cultivate the liberation gateway of emptiness, cultivate the liberation gateways of signlessness and wishlessness; cultivate all dhāraṇī gateways, cultivate all samādhi gateways; cultivate the five kinds of eyes, cultivate the six supernatural powers; cultivate the ten powers of the Buddha, cultivate the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the great Loving-kindness, great Compassion, great Joy, great Equanimity, and the eighteen unique Buddha qualities; cultivate the quality of never forgetting, cultivate the nature of constant equanimity; cultivate all-knowing wisdom, cultivate path-knowing wisdom, and cultivate omniscient wisdom.
Because this great Bodhisattva possesses skillful means, they do not take birth according to the power of the immeasurable dhyānas or formless attainments. Wherever they are born, they constantly encounter the Tathāgata, Arhat, Fully Enlightened Ones, respectfully make offerings, honor, and praise them, and never abandon profound Prajñāpāramitā. It should be known that this great Bodhisattva will certainly attain the unsurpassed state of Enlightenment during this Fortunate Eon.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, there are great Bodhisattvas who enter the First Dhyāna, Second Dhyāna, Third Dhyāna, and Fourth Dhyāna; enter the immeasurable Loving-kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity; enter the meditation of the Infinite Space Realm, the meditation of the Infinite Consciousness Realm, the Nothingness Realm, and the Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception Realm. Because this great Bodhisattva possesses skillful means, they do not take birth according to the power of the immeasurable dhyānas and formless attainments, but instead are reborn in the Desire Realm, either in the great Kṣatriya lineage, the great Brāhmaṇa lineage, the great elder lineage, or the great householder lineage, wishing to bring about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, and not because of attachment to future worldly existence.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, there are great Bodhisattvas who enter the First Dhyāna, Second Dhyāna, Third Dhyāna, and Fourth Dhyāna; enter the immeasurable Loving-kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity; enter the meditation of the Infinite Space Realm, the meditation of the Infinite Consciousness Realm, the Nothingness Realm, and the Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception Realm. Because this great Bodhisattva possesses skillful means, they do not take birth according to the power of the immeasurable dhyānas and formless attainments. They may be born in the heavenly realms of the Four Great Heavenly Kings, the Thirty-Three Heavens, the Yāma Heaven, the Tuṣita Heaven, the Heaven of Enjoying Emanations, or the Heaven of Mastery over Others’ Transformations, because they wish to bring about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings and to purify and adorn Buddha realms. They constantly encounter Buddhas, respectfully make offerings, honor, and praise them, without leaving out any.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, there are great Bodhisattvas who enter the First Dhyāna, Second Dhyāna, Third Dhyāna, and Fourth Dhyāna; enter the immeasurable Loving-kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity; enter the meditation of the Infinite Space Realm, the meditation of the Infinite Consciousness Realm, the Nothingness Realm, and the Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception Realm. These great Bodhisattvas cultivate Prajñāpāramitā. Because they possess skillful means, after relinquishing their bodies in this realm, they are born in the Brahmā World and become Great Brahmā Kings, with majestic virtue surpassing all other Brahmā beings, multiplied hundreds of thousands of times. From the heaven where they reside, they travel through various Buddha realms, going from this Buddha realm to another Buddha realm. Among them, those great Bodhisattvas who have not yet attained unsurpassed Enlightenment are encouraged to diligently attain it; those who have attained unsurpassed Enlightenment but have not yet turned the Dharma wheel are requested to turn the wondrous Dharma wheel, for the benefit and welfare of sentient beings.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, there are great Bodhisattvas who are Once-More-to-Be-Born Bodhisattvas, who possess skillful means, enter the First Dhyāna, Second Dhyāna, Third Dhyāna, and Fourth Dhyāna; enter the immeasurable Loving-kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity; enter the meditations of the Infinite Space Realm, Infinite Consciousness Realm, Nothingness Realm, and Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception Realm; cultivate the Perfection of Giving, cultivate Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Concentration, and Prajñāpāramitā; abide in inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, supreme meaning emptiness, conditioned emptiness, unconditioned emptiness, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without boundaries, scattered emptiness, emptiness of non-change, emptiness of original nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of shared characteristics, emptiness in all phenomena, emptiness of what cannot be grasped, emptiness of non-inherent nature, emptiness of self-nature, emptiness of the self-nature of non-emptiness; abide in suchness, Dharma realm, Dharma nature, the nature of non-delusion, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, definitive Dharma, abiding Dharma, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold noble path; abide in the Noble Truth of suffering, abide in the Noble Truths of origin, cessation, and path; cultivate the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive meditations, and the ten universal bases; cultivate the liberation gateway of emptiness, the liberation gateways of signlessness and wishlessness; cultivate all dhāraṇī gateways, all samādhi gateways; cultivate the five kinds of eyes, the six supernatural powers; cultivate the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the great Loving-kindness, great Compassion, great Joy, great Equanimity, and the eighteen unique Buddha qualities; cultivate the quality of never forgetting, cultivate the nature of constant equanimity; cultivate all-knowing wisdom, path-knowing wisdom, and omniscient wisdom.
That great Bodhisattva does not take birth according to the power of immeasurable dhyānas or formless attainments, but directly serves, approaches, and makes offerings to the present Tathāgata, Arhat, Fully Enlightened One. In that Buddha realm, they diligently cultivate the pure conduct. After relinquishing their body from that Buddha realm, they are born in the Tuṣita Heaven. When their lifespan ends, their faculties are complete, their memory is clear and vast, surrounded and accompanied by countless, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of billions of heavenly beings. Through wondrous miraculous powers, they again take birth in the human realm, manifest ascetic practices, attain unsurpassed Enlightenment, turn the wondrous Dharma wheel, and liberate immeasurable beings.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, there are great Bodhisattvas who have attained the six supernatural powers. They are not born in the Desire Realm, not born in the Form Realm, and not born in the Formless Realm. They go to various Buddha realms, from this Buddha realm to another Buddha realm, respectfully make offerings, honor, and praise immeasurable Tathāgatas, Arhats, Fully Enlightened Ones, cultivate the practices of great Bodhisattvas, and gradually attain their aspiration, the unsurpassed state of Enlightenment.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, there are great Bodhisattvas who have attained the six supernatural powers and freely travel and transform, going from one Buddha realm to another. In the Buddha realms they have visited, there are no names of Śrāvakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and so forth; there is only the true pure conduct of the One Vehicle. These great Bodhisattvas, in those Buddha realms, respectfully make offerings, honor, and praise immeasurable Tathāgatas, Arhats, Fully Enlightened Ones, cultivate Prajñāpāramitā, gradually perfect it, adorn and purify Buddha realms, bring about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, and are never lazy or negligent.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, there are great Bodhisattvas who have attained the six supernatural powers and freely travel and transform, going from one Buddha realm to another. In the Buddha realms they have visited, the lifespans of sentient beings cannot be calculated. These great Bodhisattvas, in those Buddha realms, respectfully make offerings, honor, and praise immeasurable Tathāgatas, Arhats, Fully Enlightened Ones, cultivate Prajñāpāramitā, gradually perfect it, adorn and purify Buddha realms, bring about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings, and are never lazy or weary.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, there are great Bodhisattvas who have attained the six supernatural powers and freely travel and transform, going from one world to another. There are worlds where the names of Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha are not heard. These great Bodhisattvas go to those worlds, proclaim and praise the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, causing sentient beings to give rise to pure and profound faith. Therefore, even while remaining in the long night of saṃsāra, they always attain benefit and peace. These great Bodhisattvas relinquish their bodies in this realm, are born in realms where Buddhas exist, cultivate the practices of great Bodhisattvas, gradually attain their aspiration, the unsurpassed state of Enlightenment, and bring benefit and peace to all kinds of sentient beings.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, there are great Bodhisattvas who, from the moment they first generate the aspiration for Enlightenment, are courageous and diligent, attain the First Dhyāna, the Second, Third, and Fourth Dhyānas; attain immeasurable Loving-kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity; attain the meditations of the Infinite Space Realm, Infinite Consciousness Realm, Nothingness Realm, and Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception Realm; cultivate the Perfection of Giving, cultivate Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Concentration, and Prajñāpāramitā; abide in inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, supreme meaning emptiness, conditioned emptiness, unconditioned emptiness, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without boundaries, scattered emptiness, emptiness of non-change, emptiness of original nature, emptiness of own characteristics, emptiness of shared characteristics, emptiness in all phenomena, emptiness of what cannot be grasped, emptiness of non-inherent nature, emptiness of self-nature, emptiness of the self-nature of non-emptiness; abide in suchness, Dharma realm, Dharma nature, the nature of non-delusion, the nature of non-change, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, definitive Dharma, abiding Dharma, ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of miraculous powers, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold noble path; abide in the Noble Truth of suffering, abide in the Noble Truths of origin, cessation, and path; cultivate the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive meditations, and the ten universal bases; cultivate the liberation gateway of emptiness, the liberation gateways of signlessness and wishlessness; cultivate all dhāraṇī gateways, all samādhi gateways; cultivate the stage of Great Joy, the stage of Freedom from Defilement, the stage of Radiance, the stage of Flaming Wisdom, the stage of Difficult to Conquer, the stage of Manifestation, the stage of Far-Going, the stage of Immovability, the stage of Excellent Wisdom, and the stage of Dharma Cloud; cultivate the five kinds of eyes, cultivate the six supernatural powers; cultivate the ten powers of the Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, the great Loving-kindness, great Compassion, great Joy, great Equanimity, and the eighteen unique Buddha qualities; cultivate the quality of never forgetting, cultivate the nature of constant equanimity; cultivate all-knowing wisdom, path-knowing wisdom, and omniscient wisdom.
That great Bodhisattva is not born in the Desire Realm, not born in the Form Realm, and not born in the Formless Realm, but always takes birth in places where they can benefit sentient beings, in order to bring all kinds of peace and happiness to all sentient beings.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, there are great Bodhisattvas who previously cultivated Giving, Pure Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditative Concentration, and Prajñāpāramitā. At the moment they first generate the aspiration for Enlightenment, they immediately enter the Bodhisattva’s Right Nature of Freedom from Arising, until they attain the irreversible stage.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, there are great Bodhisattvas who previously cultivated the six Perfections and immeasurable, boundless other Buddha-dharmas. At the moment they first generate the aspiration for Enlightenment, they are able, successively, to attain unsurpassed Enlightenment, turn the wondrous Dharma wheel, liberate immeasurable sentient beings, and enter Nirvāṇa within the realm of Great Nirvāṇa Without Remaining Basis. After entering Nirvāṇa, the true Dharma they have taught remains in the world for one kalpa or more than one kalpa, bringing immeasurable benefit and welfare to sentient beings.
Furthermore, Śāriputra, there are great Bodhisattvas who previously cultivated the six Perfections and other practices of great Bodhisattvas. At the moment they first generate the aspiration for Enlightenment, they become in accord with Prajñāpāramitā. Together with immeasurable, countless hundreds of thousands of billions of great Bodhisattvas surrounding them before and behind, they travel through Buddha realms, going from this Buddha realm to another Buddha realm, respectfully making offerings, honoring, and praising the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, bringing about the complete accomplishment of sentient beings and adorning and purifying Buddha realms.