KING ŚRĪVIJAYA PRAJÑĀ PĀRAMITĀ SŪTRA
VOLUME 5
Chapter 8: NON-ATTAINMENT
At that time, among the assembly there was a great Bodhisattva named Tu Chân Chi, who said to Śrīvijaya:
“Has the Tathāgata given you a prediction of Buddhahood?”
Śrīvijaya replied:
“O Bodhisattva who skillfully contemplates.
O virtuous man! I have received a prediction like a dream-image.”
The Bodhisattva again asked:
“O great king! What Dharma will be attained through such a prediction?”
The king replied:
“O virtuous man! The Buddha’s prediction to me is completely without any attainment.”
The Bodhisattva again asked:
“What does the meaning of non-attainment refer to?”
The king replied:
“Not attaining sentient beings, lifespan, person, aggregates, elements, sense fields, or nourishment—all are without attainment; whether wholesome or unwholesome; pure or impure; conditioned by outflows or without outflows; worldly or supramundane; conditioned or unconditioned; birth and death or Nirvāṇa—all are without attainment.”
The Bodhisattva again asked:
“If nothing is attained, then why give a prediction?”
The king replied:
“O virtuous man! Because there is no attainment, therefore one receives the prediction.”
The Bodhisattva again asked:
“If what the great king says is so, does this mean there are two kinds of wisdom: one is non-attainment, and the other is receiving the prediction?”
The king replied:
“If there were two kinds of wisdom, then one would not receive the prediction. Why? Because the wisdom of the Buddha is not two. The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, because they have no dual wisdom, give predictions to Bodhisattvas.”
The Bodhisattva again asked:
“If wisdom is without duality, why are there the prediction and the one who receives the prediction?”
The king replied:
“The receiving of the prediction and the giving of the prediction, in truth, do not have two sides.”
The Bodhisattva again asked:
“If there are no two sides, why is there a prediction?”
The king replied:
“To fully understand that there are no two sides is itself the prediction.”
The Bodhisattva again asked:
“Where does the great king abide in order to receive the prediction?”
The king replied:
“I abide in the place of the self and receive the prediction; I abide in the place of sentient beings, lifespan, and person, and receive the prediction.”
The Bodhisattva again asked:
“Where should one seek the self?”
The king replied:
“One should seek it in the liberation of the Tathāgata.”
The Bodhisattva again asked:
“Where should the Tathāgata’s liberation be sought?”
The king replied:
“It should be sought in ignorance and attachment to existence.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“Where should ignorance and attachment to existence be sought?”
The king replied:
“They should be sought in the place of ultimate non-arising.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“Where should the place of ultimate non-arising be sought?”
The king replied:
“It should be sought in non-knowledge.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“Non-knowledge means not knowing; why seek in non-knowledge?”
The king replied:
“If there were a place of knowing, then seeking would be impossible. Because there is no knowledge, therefore one seeks there.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“That place cannot be spoken of; how can it be sought?”
The king replied:
“Because speech and language are completely cut off, therefore it can be sought.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“Why are speech and language cut off?”
The king replied:
“All phenomena depend on meaning, not on words.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“Why depend on meaning?”
The king replied:
“Because one does not see the characteristics of meaning.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“Why is it not seen?”
The king replied:
“Meaning does not arise as discrimination; therefore one can rely on the self as the subject of action. This matter is not two, and therefore it is called thorough understanding.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“If meaning is not seen, what is there to seek?”
The king replied:
“Not seeing and not grasping is called seeking.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“If there is a Dharma that can be sought, then does that mean there is seeking?”
The king replied:
“That is not correct. Whoever seeks Dharma has no place of seeking. Why? Because if there is seeking, then that is not Dharma.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“What is called Dharma?”
The king replied:
“Dharma is without written characters; it is far removed from speech and language.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“How can that which is apart from written characters and speech be called Dharma?”
The king replied:
“The nature of written characters and speech is itself separation, the complete cessation of mental activity; that is called Dharma. All phenomena cannot be spoken of, and that which cannot be spoken of also cannot be expressed.
O virtuous man! If there is speaking, then it is false; truly, it is a Dharma without reality.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“Are the words spoken by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas all false?”
The king replied:
“From beginningless time until now, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have not spoken a single word; how could there be falsehood?”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“If there is speaking, why is there fault?”
The king replied:
“Speaking is the fault of language.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“What fault does language have?”
The king replied:
“Its meaning is the fault of conceptual measurement.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“What Dharma has no fault?”
The king replied:
“Not speaking and having no place of speech; not seeing two characteristics—this is without fault.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“What is the root of fault?”
The king replied:
“The root of fault is the tendency to grasp.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“What is the root of the tendency to grasp?”
The king replied:
“The root of grasping is the grasping mind.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“What is the root of attachment?”
The king replied:
“It is false discrimination.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“What is the root of false discrimination?”
The king replied:
“It is seeking conditions.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“Where does seeking conditions occur?”
The king replied:
“Seeking conditions occurs with forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and phenomena.”
The Bodhisattva asked:
“What is non-conditioning?”
The king replied:
“If one is free from craving and grasping, there is no place of seeking conditions. For this reason, the Tathāgata constantly teaches that all phenomena are equal.”
When this Dharma teaching was spoken, among the assembly five thousand monks separated themselves from defilements and attained the pure Dharma eye. Twelve thousand Bodhisattvas attained the patient acceptance of the non-arising of phenomena. An immeasurable and boundless number of sentient beings generated the mind of Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi (Supreme Perfect Enlightenment).
At that time, Śrīvijaya rose from his seat, placed his robe over his left shoulder exposing his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee touching the ground, joined his palms toward the Buddha, bowed his head in reverence, and said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! There are virtuous men and women of faith who hear this Prajñāpāramitā, but why is it that some who have not yet generated the mind of Supreme Perfect Enlightenment are immediately able to generate that mind and all attain the irreversible stage, always progressing in practice without falling back?”
The Buddha said to Śrīvijaya:
“O great king! Listen carefully and contemplate well. I shall explain this for you.
There are virtuous men and women of faith who hear the Prajñāpāramitā and, through cultivation, advance without falling away.”
Śrīvijaya said:
“Excellent, World-Honored One, I wish to hear it!”
The Buddha said to Śrīvijaya:
O great king! Any virtuous man or faithful woman who hears the Perfection of Wisdom will have a pure mind, and therefore arouse the mind of Supreme Perfect Enlightenment, possess complete true faith, draw near to sages, delight in hearing the true Dharma, be free from envy and jealousy, have no greed, constantly cultivate tranquility, skillfully practice giving, have a mind without obstruction, constantly be free from defilements, have true faith in karmic cause and effect, have no doubts in mind, know the white and black results of karma, and not do what should not be done, even at the cost of abandoning their own life.
O great king! A virtuous man or faithful woman who practices the Perfection of Wisdom in this way will be free from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, frivolous speech, greed, anger, and wrong views. Their mind constantly reflects upon these ten wholesome dharmas.
O great king! A virtuous man or faithful woman who practices the Perfection of Wisdom, by means of skillful methods, if they see a Śramaṇa or Brāhmaṇa who practices correctly with diligence, whose precepts are pure, who has heard much and learned extensively, understands meanings and principles, is always mindful, has a disciplined mind and nature, is tranquil and free from distraction, always speaks gentle words, stays away from evil dharmas, cultivates wholesome dharmas, does not exalt themselves arrogantly or belittle others, does not speak harmful or meaningless words, does not abandon the foundations of mindfulness, has a straightforward mind, is capable of ending birth and death, skillfully pulls out the poisoned arrow, lays down the burden, and can cross over various difficulties before later liberating sentient beings—
O great king! Any virtuous man or faithful woman who practices the Perfection of Wisdom, if they see such a Great Bodhisattva, should draw near and rely upon them. Such a person is a Good Spiritual Friend, and the Great Bodhisattva, through skillful means, teaches the Dharma to them.
O virtuous one! If one practices giving, one gains wealth; if one upholds precepts, one is born in heaven; if one hears the Dharma, one gains great wisdom.
The Bodhisattva further said:
This is giving and the result of giving; this is envy and jealousy and the result of envy and jealousy; this is patience and the result of patience; this is diligence and the result of diligence; this is meditation and the result of meditation; this is wisdom and the result of wisdom; this is ignorance and the result of ignorance; this is wholesome bodily karma and the result of wholesome bodily karma; this is unwholesome bodily karma and the result of unwholesome bodily karma; this is wholesome verbal karma and the result of wholesome verbal karma; this is unwholesome verbal karma and the result of unwholesome verbal karma; this is wholesome mental karma and the result of wholesome mental karma; this is unwholesome mental karma and the result of unwholesome mental karma.
O virtuous man or faithful woman! This Dharma should be practiced; that Dharma should not be practiced. If one cultivates in this way, one will attain long-lasting peace and happiness; if one does not practice in this way, one will experience long-lasting suffering.
O great king! A virtuous man or faithful woman, by means of skillful methods and by drawing near Good Spiritual Friends, will hear teachings of the Dharma arranged in this gradual manner. If a Great Bodhisattva knows that such a person is a vessel for the Dharma, they should teach them the profound Perfection of Wisdom, namely Emptiness, Signlessness, Wishlessness, non-creation, non-arising, non-ceasing, no self, no sentient being, no life principle, and no person, while explaining the profound Dharma of dependent origination. Through this Dharma, that Dharma arises; when this Dharma ceases, that Dharma ceases. That is, ignorance conditions formations; formations condition consciousness; consciousness conditions name-and-form; name-and-form conditions the six sense bases; the six sense bases condition contact; contact conditions feeling; feeling conditions craving; craving conditions grasping; grasping conditions existence; existence conditions birth; birth conditions aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and distress. If ignorance ceases, formations cease; if formations cease, consciousness ceases; if consciousness ceases, name-and-form ceases; if name-and-form ceases, the six sense bases cease; if the six sense bases cease, contact ceases; if contact ceases, feeling ceases; if feeling ceases, craving ceases; if craving ceases, grasping ceases; if grasping ceases, existence ceases; if existence ceases, birth ceases; if birth ceases, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and distress cease.
O great king! The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom, using skillful means, teaches the Dharma in this way: Within true reality, there is not a single dharma that can arise or can cease. Why? Because all worldly dharmas arise from causes and conditions, without a creator, due to the harmony of causes and conditions; there is no truly real dharma that undergoes arising and ceasing. Within the three realms, there is only illusion, discrimination, and false designation, undergoing karmic results according to afflictive karma. If one uses the Perfection of Wisdom to observe all dharmas as they truly are—without arising, without ceasing, without creation, and without receiving. If a dharma is not created, then it is also not practiced; regarding all dharmas, the mind does not cling. This means not clinging to form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; not clinging to the eye, forms, and eye-consciousness; not clinging to mind-consciousness, and dharma-consciousness.
O great king! The Great Bodhisattva says: The intrinsic nature of all dharmas is empty, free, not grasped, and not attached. A virtuous man or faithful woman, because of such teachings, will not regress.
O great king! The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom, delights in seeing the Buddhas and delights in hearing the true Dharma, will not fall into low states. Wherever they are born, they will always see the Buddha, hear and receive the True Dharma, make offerings to the Sangha, encounter the Buddhas, and practice with courageous diligence. They firmly seek the true Dharma, do not cling to conditioned phenomena, and are not attached to wives, children, servants, or wealth. They are not stained by sensual desire, always rely upon the true Dharma, remember the Buddhas, abandon worldly life, leave home, and practice according to the Dharma. They constantly teach the Dharma to others with a mind free from seeking anything, seeing those who listen to the Dharma, they always give rise to great loving-kindness; toward all sentient beings, they give rise to great compassion. They learn extensively and hear much, do not spare their body or life, know contentment, have few desires, always delight in tranquility, seek only meaning and principle, do not become attached to words, and teach and practice the Dharma not for themselves, but only wishing to guide sentient beings to attain unsurpassed happiness. This is the wisdom of the Buddha.
O great king! The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom, cultivating in this way, will be able to stay away from heedlessness and guard the sense faculties. When the eyes see forms, they do not become attached to the characteristics of forms, but observe them as they truly are: this form is a danger that gives rise to faults. When the ears hear sounds, the nose smells fragrances, the tongue tastes flavors, the body touches sensations, and the mind arises with thoughts, all are the same. If the sense faculties are uncontrolled, this is called heedlessness; if one guards the sense faculties, this is called non-heedlessness.
The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom disciplines their own mind and helps others guard their minds; this is called non-heedlessness. They stay away from sensual desire, and their mind follows wholesome dharmas. One must see and understand that anger and delusion have unwholesome origins; bodily wrongdoing, harmful speech, and wrong thoughts are all unwholesome and therefore should be abandoned. This is called non-heedlessness.
The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom always maintains right mindfulness; this is called non-heedlessness.
O great king! The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom considers faith in all dharmas to be foremost. A person with right faith is not born in evil destinies; their mind does not engage in evil actions and is praised by noble beings.
O great king! The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom, practicing according to the Dharma, will be born everywhere and always encounter the Buddhas, stay away from the Two Vehicles, abide in the right path, attain great freedom, accomplish great works, and attain the right wisdom of the Tathāgata.
The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom, wishing to seek happiness and peace, must follow the path of All-Knowing Wisdom.
O great king! This great assembly today has heard the profound Perfection of Wisdom because, in the past hundreds of thousands of millions of kalpas, they have made offerings to the Buddhas and cultivated wholesome roots. Therefore, they should diligently practice and not allow themselves to regress.
O great king! If gods or humans can restrain their sense faculties, not cling to the five desires, stay away from worldly things, constantly cultivate transcendent teachings, purify the three karmic activities, and cultivate the practices that assist the path, this is called non-heedlessness.
O great king! The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom, with complete right faith, a mind free from heedlessness, and diligent effort in cultivation, attains supreme Dharma; this is called non-heedlessness.
O great king! The Great Bodhisattva who wishes to possess complete right faith, a mind free from heedlessness, diligence, and right mindfulness must study the Perfection of Wisdom. Through this mindfulness-wisdom, they can quickly accomplish the Dharma of Supreme Perfect Enlightenment.
O great king! The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom, possessing complete right wisdom and a mind free from heedlessness, must cultivate diligence, and then attain right mindfulness. Through that mindfulness-wisdom, they know existence and know non-existence.
Why are they called existence and non-existence?
If one practices right conduct and attains right liberation, that is called existence. If one practices wrong conduct and attains right liberation, that is called non-existence. The eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind, and worldly dharmas are called existence; in ultimate truth, they are called non-existence.
The Great Bodhisattva must cultivate diligence and can attain liberation; this is called existence.
A lazy Bodhisattva who attains enlightenment is called “emptiness.”
If one says that the five aggregates all arise from false and deluded thoughts, that is called “existence.” If one says that worldly phenomena do not arise from causes and conditions but arise naturally by themselves, that is called “emptiness.”
Form is a phenomenon that is impermanent, suffering, and subject to decay; this is called “existence.” If one says that eternal bliss is not a phenomenon subject to decay, that is called “emptiness.” Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are the same.
Ignorance conditions formations; this is called “existence.” If formations arise apart from ignorance, that is called “emptiness.” Formations condition consciousness, and continuing up to birth conditioning aging and death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and distress are all the same.
Giving brings wealth; this is called “existence.” Giving that results in poverty and low status is called “emptiness.” Diligence and precepts leading one to be born in fortunate realms are called “existence.” Being born in unfortunate realms is called “emptiness.” Likewise, Prajñā-pāramitā that enables one to attain Buddhahood is called “existence”; practicing Prajñā-pāramitā yet remaining an ordinary being is called “emptiness.”
If cultivating extensive learning brings great wisdom, that is called “existence”; if it results in ignorance, that is called “emptiness.” If cultivating right mindfulness brings liberation, that is called “existence”; if it does not, that is called “emptiness.” If practicing wrong mindfulness does not bring liberation, that is called “existence”; if it does, that is called “emptiness.”
The absence of self and what belongs to self leading to liberation is called “existence”; having self and what belongs to self yet attaining liberation is called “emptiness.” If one says that space exists everywhere, that is called “existence”; having a self within the five aggregates is called “emptiness.” Cultivating wisdom according to reality that leads to liberation is called “existence.” If clinging to wrong wisdom leads to liberation, that is called “emptiness.”
If abandoning the views of self, beings, life-principle, and person can attain the wisdom of emptiness, that is called “existence”; if clinging to the views of self, beings, life-principle, and person can attain the wisdom of emptiness, that is called “emptiness.”
O Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā knows worldly phenomena as both existing and non-existing in this way, and thus is able to cultivate equality. Clearly understanding that the phenomena of the world arise through causes and conditions, therefore, while there is existence, one does not give rise to the view of permanence. Knowing that the causes and conditions of the fundamental phenomena are inherently empty in their own nature, one does not give rise to the view of annihilation. Regarding the teachings spoken by all Buddhas, one understands them truly.
O Great King! The Thus-Come Buddhas briefly explain to Bodhisattvas these four matters: worldly beings, Śramaṇas, Brāhmaṇas, and long-lived heavenly beings. Their minds all cling to permanence; therefore, to break this attachment, the practice of impermanence is taught. There are many gods and humans who are deeply attached to desire and pleasure; therefore, to break this attachment, all suffering is taught. Outside practitioners with wrong views cling to the belief that there is a self within the body; therefore, to break this attachment, non-self is taught. Furthermore, in order to break people’s conceit of having attained a higher state, peaceful and silent Nirvāṇa is taught.
To speak of impermanence means to cause them to firmly aspire toward the ultimate Dharma. To speak of suffering means to cause them to abandon seeking after desires. To speak of non-self means to cause them to further reveal emptiness. To speak of tranquility means to cause them to penetrate non-form.
O Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā and learns in this way will never retreat from wholesome Dharma and will quickly attain Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.
At that time, Śrīvijaya addressed the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! What practices does a Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā cultivate in order to protect the True Dharma?”
The Buddha told Śrīvijaya:
“O Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā does not allow actions to contradict words, respects elders and teachers, follows the True Dharma, has an upright mind and conduct, keeps the faculties peaceful, abandons all evil deeds and evil dharmas, and cultivates wholesome roots. This is called protecting the True Dharma.
O Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā cultivates compassion in bodily actions, compassion in speech, and compassion in thoughts; does not seek fame or profit; maintains pure precepts; and abandons wrong views. This is called protecting the True Dharma.
O Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā does not act according to attachment, does not act according to anger, does not act according to delusion, and does not act according to fear. This is called protecting the True Dharma.
O Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā knows how to cultivate the practice of shame and conscience; this is called protecting the True Dharma. O Great King! The Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā teaches the Dharma and practices in accordance with the Buddha’s teachings; this is called protecting the True Dharma.
O Great King! The Buddhas of the three times, in order to protect the True Dharma, therefore support heavenly kings and human kings so that the True Dharma may endure for a long time. Thus they speak the great divine mantra:
“Ta-dya-tha a-hong la-hong la-ba-ti hou-la no-na sa-cuu-tra cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-ni phu-no su-da-xa-da-xa-dien-da-xa-da-sa-ma-xa-ma-ni kha-la au-lou au-lou ba-ti ki-la ba-ti kim a-bi-xa-ti-ni sa-la-ni xa-xa-xa-xa ma-de a-ba-tha-ni ba-tha bat-da bat-da nou-sa-li bau-da nou-tat-mat-li-de-ti de-ba-da nou-tat-mat-li-de.”
(̣Đat điệt tha a hống la hống la bà để hậu la nõa sa cửu trà chá chá chá chá chá nĩ phú nõa sứu đa xoa đa xoa diên đa xoa dã sa ma xà ma nĩ kha la âu lâu âu lâu bà để kỷ la bà để kim a-tỳ xá để nĩ sa la nĩ xã xà xã xã ma đễ a bà tha nĩ bà tha bạt đa bạt đa nâu sa lý bầu đa nâu tất mật lý đễ đề bà đa nâu tất mật lý đễ. )
May dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, kinnaras, mahoragas, and all sentient beings be peaceful and secure.
O Great King! The Buddhas of the three times speak this great divine mantra in order to protect the True Dharma and support heavenly kings and human kings, so they should recite and uphold it. All enemies, thieves, evil calamities, and demonic obstacles to the True Dharma will be destroyed. The Thus-Come Buddhas, in order to make the True Dharma remain in the world for a long time, support heavenly and human kings and cause them to protect the True Dharma.
When this Dharma gate of the divine mantra of Prajñā-pāramitā was spoken, all heavenly palaces, the great earth, mountains, and oceans trembled, and among the assembly there were eighty thousand sentient beings who generated the mind of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.
At that time, Śrīvijaya used a net woven of seven kinds of precious jewels to cover above the Buddha and said:
“World-Honored One! What Dharma does a Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā cultivate so that the mind of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi is not shaken?”
The Buddha told Śrīvijaya:
“O Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā cultivates great unobstructed compassion and does not become weary of great compassion; therefore, he accomplishes this great undertaking. Through diligent effort, he studies the samādhi of emptiness, cultivates equal wisdom, and uses the power of skillful means. Thus he can penetrate pure wisdom, understand truly the equality of the three times, and have no obstacles or coverings blocking the path traveled by the Buddhas of the three times.
O Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā and cultivates such Dharma will not be shaken in the mind of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.”
Śrīvijaya said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! How can a Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā hear the inconceivable deeds of the Buddha without fear or alarm?”
The Buddha told Śrīvijaya:
O Great King! A Bodhisattva must be endowed with complete wisdom and complete virtues, be close to Good Spiritual Friends, delight in hearing profound teachings; clearly understand that all phenomena are like illusions, realize the principle of impermanence in the world, have a mind that does not abide in attachment, like empty space, and know that all phenomena, having arisen, will have their cessation.
O Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā, cultivates the Dharma and hears such inconceivable matters of the Buddha, does not become afraid or frightened.
Śrīvijaya said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One! How does a Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā attain freedom everywhere?
The Buddha told Śrīvijaya:
O Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā cultivates the five supernatural powers. Having perfected unobstructed abilities and the doors of liberation, the four meditations, the four immeasurable minds, and skillful means; therefore, by practicing Prajñā-pāramitā, one attains freedom everywhere.
Śrīvijaya said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One! What Dharma-gates does a Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā attain?
The Buddha told Śrīvijaya:
O Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā attains the Dharma-gate of virtue, enabling them to guide sentient beings with sharp and dull faculties; attains the Dharma-gate of wisdom, distinguishing meanings and phrases; attains the Dharma-gate of Dhāraṇī, knowing all languages and sounds; attains the Dharma-gate of unobstructedness, teaching the Dharma without exhaustion.
O Great King! These are the Dharma-gates attained by the Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā.
Śrīvijaya said to the Buddha:
World-Honored One! What powers does a Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā attain?
The Buddha told Śrīvijaya:
O Great King! The Bodhisattva attains the power of tranquility: accomplishing great compassion; attains the power of diligence: accomplishing the irreversible stage; attains the power of learning: accomplishing great wisdom; attains the power of faith and joy: accomplishing liberation; attains the power of cultivation: accomplishing complete detachment; attains the power of patience: always helping sentient beings; attains the power of the Bodhisattva mind: eliminating the view of self; attains the power of great compassion: teaching and transforming sentient beings; attains the power of Anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti (the patience of non-arising): accomplishing the Ten Powers.
O Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā attains the accomplishment of such powers.
When this Dharma-gate was spoken, among the assembly there were five hundred Bodhisattvas who attained the patience of the non-arising Dharma; eight thousand gods attained the irreversible stage; twelve thousand gods attained freedom from dust and defilements and obtained the pure Dharma-eye; forty thousand heavenly beings and humans generated the aspiration for Supreme Perfect Enlightenment.
Chapter 9: EVIDENCE OF DILIGENCE
At that time, the Buddha told Śrīvijaya:
In a past life countless eons ago, impossible to calculate or measure, there was a Buddha named Merit Treasure King Tathāgata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well Gone, Knower of the World, Supreme One, Tamer and Guide of Men, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One. His land was named Precious Adornment and the eon was named Excellent View. Life was blissful and peaceful, without illness or suffering; gods and humans traveled back and forth without obstruction. The ground was flat like the palm of a hand, without mountains, hills, or mounds. Only small grasses grew there, about four cubits high, soft and emerald green like peacock feathers; when one stepped on them, the feet sank in, and when the feet were lifted, the grass rose back up. There were beautiful flowers such as Su-ma-na flowers and Đãn-lặc-già flowers; everywhere else there was soft grass, neither cold nor hot, with the four seasons harmonious and cool. The earth was entirely made of lapis lazuli. The sentient beings living in this world had gentle natures, skillfully subdued the three poisons, and did not allow them to control them. Merit Treasure King Buddha had thirteen thousand nayutas of Śrāvakas and sixty-two billion great Bodhisattvas. The lifespan of humans reached thirty-six billion nayutas of years; there were no premature deaths.
There was a country named Immaculate Adornment. The city of this country stretched one hundred and twenty-eight yojanas from south to north and eighty yojanas from east to west. There were ten thousand magnificent and beautifully adorned gardens of trees, surrounded by ten thousand smaller countries. A Wheel-Turning Sage King named Ruling the World possessed all seven treasures and ruled the four continents. He had previously made offerings to countless Buddhas and cultivated many wholesome roots, so his mind never retreated from the path of unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
The king had four gardens of trees with beautiful flowers; their meritorious adornments were majestic and pleasing. Throughout the four seasons, peacocks played and delighted themselves. The city walls were sixteen yojanas thick; the gates of the towers were all made of the seven treasures. There were four great ponds, each half a yojana wide; the banks of the ponds were made of the seven treasures. Jambu River gold was used for the pathways, and the bottoms of the ponds were lined with gold. The water in the ponds possessed the eight qualities of merit and gave rise to precious lotus flowers. Various birds and animals played and leapt joyfully in the ponds, such as ducks, geese, swans, cranes, mandarin ducks, and orangutans.
Along the banks were rows of white, red, and Śrīṣa sandalwood trees. On the trees were flocks of parrots and śārika birds singing, flying, and playing joyfully. In the king’s palace were seventy thousand women of beautiful and dignified appearance who attended to important matters. All of them had generated the aspiration toward unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. The king had one thousand sons, tall and strong, each capable of defeating enemies. Each possessed the twenty-eight excellent marks of a great man, had a majestic body, and had generated the aspiration toward unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
At that time, Merit Treasure King Tathāgata, together with countless gods, dragons, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, humans and non-humans, entered the great city of Immaculate Adornment in succession. Sage King Ruling the World, along with his one thousand sons and palace attendants, respectfully welcomed the World-Honored One, presenting beautiful offerings made of the seven treasures. At that time, after the World-Honored One and the great assembly accepted the offerings, they returned to their original dwelling. The king, together with his one thousand sons and palace attendants, left the city to escort them and then returned to the palace.
King Ruling the World lamented:
“Human life is impermanent. Wealth, honor, and nobility are like a dream. To possess complete faculties and right faith is extremely difficult; to encounter a Buddha and hear the Dharma is like seeing the udumbara flower.”
The one thousand sons, knowing that their father admired the World-Honored One and delighted in hearing the true Dharma, used sandalwood to make a platform resembling Mount Ngưu Đầu, adorned it with the seven treasures, and filled Jambudvīpa with its fragrance. The platform was ten yojanas wide from east to west and thirteen yojanas from south to north. Its four great pillars were decorated with jewels, and it had one thousand precious wheels. The sons brought it and presented it to the Sage King. The king accepted it and praised them:
“Excellent, my sons. Your father wishes to go to the Buddha’s place to hear the teaching of the true Dharma.”
At that time, the one thousand sons together created a lion throne within the platform.
The Sage King and the palace attendants sat upon that lion throne. On the four sides of the platform were hung banners, streamers, canopies, and nets made of the seven treasures. Golden bells were hung at each corner. Various flowers were scattered upon the platform, such as Campaka flowers, Su-ma-na flowers, Utpala flowers, Kumuda flowers, Puṇḍarīka flowers, and Kamala flowers. Then precious incense, scented paste, and powdered incense were burned and scattered. Each of the one thousand sons held a precious wheel and flew into the sky toward the Buddha’s place, like the king of geese, then gradually descended peacefully and gently until touching the ground. The one thousand sons then came before the Buddha, bowed with their heads at the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated the World-Honored One and the great assembly clockwise seven times, and then withdrew to stand to one side. At this time, the Sage King and the palace attendants descended from the precious platform. The king removed his jeweled crown, took off his shoes, came before the World-Honored One, bowed with his head at the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated the World-Honored One and the great assembly clockwise seven times, and then withdrew to sit to one side.
At that time, Precious Adornment King Buddha asked:
“Has the Sage King now come to hear the true Dharma?”
Sage King Ruling the World rose from his seat, adjusted his robes, bowed with his head at the Buddha’s feet, and said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, what is the true Dharma that you teach?”
The World-Honored One praised King Ruling the World:
“Excellent, excellent! For the benefit of countless realms of gods and humans, the great king has asked about this profound Dharma. The Tathāgata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One, will distinguish and explain it for the great king.”
Sage King Ruling the World said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, I wish to hear it!”
The Buddha said to Sage King Ruling the World:
“Great king! A great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom and comprehends all phenomena is said to possess the true Dharma. That true Dharma consists of: the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the Four Right Efforts, the Four Bases of Spiritual Power, the Five Faculties, the Five Powers, the Seven Factors of Enlightenment, the Eightfold Noble Path, Emptiness, Signlessness, and Wishlessness, all being equally and completely understood.”
Sage King Ruling the World said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One, in the Mahāyāna Dharma, how does a great Bodhisattva practice the Perfection of Wisdom in such a way as to attain superior progress without falling back?”
The Buddha taught:
“Great king! A great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom attains superior progress through right faith.
What is right faith? It means that the Bodhisattva knows the self-nature of all phenomena is unborn and undying, peaceful and silent; constantly draws near those who practice upright conduct; does not delight in creating phenomena that are completely fabricated; and keeps the mind pure. When hearing and receiving the true Dharma, one does not see a person who speaks the Dharma or oneself as the one who hears the Dharma. Through diligence and vigor in cultivation, one attains supernatural powers, lightness of body and mind, and teaches sentient beings. Yet one does not see oneself as possessing supernatural powers or teaching beings, nor does one see sentient beings who are to be taught. Why?
Great king! Because a great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom does not see oneself or sentient beings; both are equal. Therefore, one attains superior progress and does not fall back.
Great king! A great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom always guards the faculties and does not allow them to become attached or defiled. One contemplates that all wealth and even life itself are impermanent and temporary, because one knows that all phenomena are constantly peaceful and silent.”
Hey, Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom, abiding in the Dharma of the Mahayana, does not let the mind become negligent.
Hey, Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom, even in dreams does not forget the Bodhi mind; rather, he still teaches and transforms sentient beings, causing them to arouse the aspiration to cultivate the Buddha path. The Great Bodhisattva dedicates all roots of virtue toward the attainment of Supreme Perfect Enlightenment, and seeing the spiritual powers of the Buddha, rejoices and praises them.
Hey, Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom in this way will quickly attain Supreme Perfect Enlightenment. Therefore, Great King, you should diligently practice with vigor and not be negligent. If the Great Bodhisattva wishes to seek the Dharma teachings, he should not become attached to the five desires.
Hey, Great King! All ordinary beings, regarding the five desires, crave them without knowing satisfaction. Those who possess noble wisdom are able to abandon them, because they know that the human body is impermanent and that life is short. Therefore, Great King, you should leave worldly existence behind and seek the transcendent path. Now, by making offerings to the Tathagata, Great King, you have already obtained roots of virtue; if you dedicate them, you will attain the four kinds of inexhaustibility:
– Inexhaustible freedom.
– Inexhaustible Dharma.
– Inexhaustible wisdom.
– Inexhaustible eloquence.
These four kinds of dedication, together with the Perfection of Wisdom, are all inexhaustible.
Hey, Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom must guard body, speech, and mind so that they remain pure. Why? Because one will attain the three forms of learning: hearing, contemplation, and cultivation. Using skillful means, one teaches and transforms sentient beings; using the power of wisdom, one defeats the demons. When the power of vows is fulfilled, one’s actions and words accord with each other.
When hearing the Buddha speak the profound meaning of the Perfection of Wisdom, the Wheel-Turning Sage King Ruling the World gave rise to unprecedented joy. He then offered his precious crown and deep necklace of jewels to the Tathagata, vowed to abandon his royal position and follow the Buddha’s teachings, and made the vow: “I will always cultivate the pure conduct, study this profound Perfection of Wisdom, and with a determined mind direct myself toward Supreme Perfect Enlightenment.”
While listening to the Buddha’s Dharma, all the women of the royal palace rejoiced, aroused the Bodhi mind, and offered precious garments, jewels, and necklaces to the Tathagata. The Sage King Ruling the World presented a jeweled pavilion as an offering to the Buddha and requested to leave home and become ordained.
The Buddha King Adorned with Merit and Virtue praised:
“Excellent, excellent! Great King! What you have done today does not contradict your former vows. You have skillfully cultivated Giving, Moral Discipline, Patience, Diligence, Meditation, and Wisdom. The Buddhas of the past cultivated these practices and thus attained Buddhahood. The Buddhas of the future will also cultivate these practices in order to attain Buddhahood.”
The Sage King Ruling the World said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! Is the practice of giving by a Great Bodhisattva different from the Perfection of Wisdom?”
The Buddha taught:
“Great King! Regarding giving: if there is no Perfection of Wisdom, it is merely giving and is not a perfection. Only when there is the Perfection of Wisdom can it be called the Perfection of Giving. Moral discipline, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom are likewise the same. Why? Because the nature of the Perfection of Wisdom is equality, and therefore it adorns merit and virtue.”
When the Buddha spoke this Dharma, the Sage King Ruling the World attained the patient realization of the unborn Dharma.
The Buddha told Śrīvijaya:
“The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom should be like the Wheel-Turning Sage King Ruling the World. The Wheel-Turning Sage King Ruling the World is now the Buddha Dipankara, and the one thousand princes are now the one thousand Buddhas of the Auspicious Kalpa.”
Śrīvijaya said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! How should the Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom cultivate and learn in order to quickly attain Supreme Perfect Enlightenment?”
The Buddha taught:
“Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom must cultivate great loving-kindness, not giving rise to thoughts of resentment toward sentient beings; diligently practice and perfect all the perfections; and use the four methods of gathering beings and the four immeasurable minds to support the Bodhisattva’s cultivation of spiritual powers, realization of skillful means, and complete cultivation of wholesome Dharma. Through such practice, one will quickly attain Supreme Perfect Enlightenment.
Great King! The path of awakening is this: a truly faithful mind, a pure mind, a mind free from deceit, an equal-minded conduct, and a mind of fearless giving that brings all sentient beings close. By diligently practicing the conduct of giving, the resulting blessings are inexhaustible. By striving to maintain pure precepts, there are no obstacles. By cultivating patience, one abandons all anger and resentment. If one diligently practices with vigor, cultivation becomes easy. Through meditation, one does not give rise to a scattered mind. Through complete wisdom, one skillfully comprehends all phenomena. Complete non-retreat is due to great Compassion. Through great Joy, one constantly brings happiness to others’ minds. By cultivating great Equanimity, one does not give rise to discrimination. Without greed, anger, and ignorance, one abandons hostility. Without being defiled by form, sound, smell, taste, and touch, one eliminates conceptual fabrications. Without afflictions, one abandons enmity. One relinquishes the thoughts of the Two Vehicles so that the mind becomes vast; possessing All-Knowing Wisdom, one gives rise to all treasures.
Great King! The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom must learn in this way in order to quickly attain Supreme Perfect Enlightenment.”
Śrīvijaya said to the Buddha:
“World-Honored One! What forms and appearances does the Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom manifest in order to teach and transform sentient beings?”
The Buddha taught:
“The Great Bodhisattva who practices the Perfection of Wisdom manifests forms and appearances, yet there is no fixed appearance. According to the preferences of sentient beings, they see the Bodhisattva’s form and appearance in such ways. The Bodhisattva may appear golden in color, or silver in color, or crystal in color, or lapis lazuli in color, or agate in color, or mother-of-pearl in color, or pearl in color, or blue, yellow, red, or white in color; or the color of the sun, the moon, fire, shimmering heat waves, Indra, Brahma, dewdrops, pale gold, vermilion, campaka flowers, sumana flowers, balisika flowers, padma flowers, kuvalaya flowers, pundarika flowers, the Goddess of Merit, a goose, a peacock, coral, a wish-fulfilling jewel, or empty space; or devas see the Bodhisattva as a deva, and humans see the Bodhisattva as a human.
Great King! All forms, appearances, and images throughout the countless Ganges-sand worlds in the ten directions are all encompassed, without abandoning a single sentient being. Because the minds of sentient beings are not the same, the Bodhisattva must manifest all forms. Why? Because in the past, the Great Bodhisattva had made great vows: according to the minds of sentient beings, if they see something they delight in and are willing to be taught, then the Bodhisattva manifests accordingly for their sake.”
O great king! Just as a bright mirror originally has no form or appearance; external forms, whether beautiful or ugly, all appear within the mirror, and it does not discriminate. The pure and luminous nature of my mind is able to manifest the forms and appearances of sentient beings.
The great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā is also like this. The mind makes no effort; according to the wishes of sentient beings, it manifests all kinds of appearances in order to bring them joy, yet it does not discriminate or think that it is the one manifesting these bodies.
O great king! The great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā, while sitting in a single place, appears differently according to those who hear or see the Bodhisattva teaching the Dharma, or see the Buddha teaching the Dharma, or see a Pratyekabuddha teaching the Dharma, or see a Śrāvaka teaching the Dharma, or see Śakra, or see Brahmā, or see Maheśvara, or see Viṣṇu, or see the Four Heavenly Kings, or see a Wheel-turning Sage King, or see Śramaṇas, Brahmins, Kṣatriyas, or see Vaiśya-śūdras, or see householders and elders, or see [the Bodhisattva] seated in a jeweled pavilion, or seated upon a lotus flower, or walking upon the ground, or flying through the sky, or teaching the Dharma, or entering samādhi.
O great king! The great Bodhisattva who practices Prajñā-pāramitā does so in order to liberate sentient beings; therefore, there is no form or deportment that is not manifested.
O great king! Prajñā-pāramitā has no form, just as space encompasses all things. Just as space has no conceptual elaboration, Prajñā-pāramitā is likewise beyond all words and expressions; just as space is the place of enjoyment and use for the world, Prajñā-pāramitā is likewise the place of enjoyment and use for all ordinary beings and sages; just as space has no discrimination, Prajñā-pāramitā likewise has no discriminating mind; just as space accommodates all forms, Prajñā-pāramitā also accommodates all Buddha teachings; just as space manifests all forms, Prajñā-pāramitā also manifests all Buddha teachings; just as all grasses, trees, medicinal herbs, flowers, and fruits rely on space to grow and flourish, Prajñā-pāramitā is likewise where all roots of virtue rely and grow; just as space is a phenomenon that is neither permanent nor impermanent and is beyond words and speech, Prajñā-pāramitā is likewise neither permanent nor impermanent, and is beyond words and speech.
O great king! Among worldly beings, Śramaṇas, Brahmins, Śakra, or Brahmā, there is no one who can fully conceive of or measure Prajñā-pāramitā.
O great king! There is no single thing that can be used as an analogy for Prajñā-pāramitā. If any virtuous man or virtuous woman has faith in and accepts Prajñā-pāramitā, their merits are vast and immeasurable. If this merit had form and color, even the realm of space could not contain it all. Why? Because Prajñā-pāramitā gives rise to all wholesome dharmas, both worldly and transcendent, whether they are human beings, heavenly beings, kings of the heavens or kings among humans, or those on the path to Stream-entry, the fruit of Stream-entry, and continuing up to those on the path to Arhatship, the fruit of Arhatship, Pratyekabuddhas, the ten stages of Bodhisattvas, the ten pāramitās, Buddhas of Unsurpassed Complete and Perfect Enlightenment, omniscient wisdom, the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha—all arise from Prajñā-pāramitā.
When the Buddha expounded this Dharma teaching, within the assembly there were fifty thousand great Bodhisattvas who attained the irreversible stage; fifteen thousand celestial beings attained the patience with the Dharma of non-arising; twelve thousand devas and humans attained the pure Dharma eye and became free from defilements and dust; and beings as numerous as the sands of the Ganges generated the mind of Unsurpassed Complete and Perfect Enlightenment. The heavenly musical instruments naturally resounded, and the devas scattered flowers as offerings to the Tathāgata and Prajñā-pāramitā. Devas, Nāgas, Yakṣas, Gandharvas, Asuras, Garuḍas, Kinnaras, Mahoragas, and humans and non-humans all scattered flowers and precious objects as offerings to the World-Honored One and Prajñā-pāramitā, and together they praised in one voice:
“Excellent, excellent! World-Honored One, you have joyfully spoken of Prajñā-pāramitā!”