Toh 288The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net”

Summary

The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” is a discourse taught
by the Buddha Śākyamuni to an assembly of monks in Śrāvastī. The Buddha starts by
mentioning the three trainings, in discipline, contemplation, and wisdom, and
emphasizes the paramount importance of the training in wisdom, which brings to perfection the
other two trainings too. He goes on to describe how we
should train in wisdom by examining the futility and folly of our emotional reactions to
what we perceive. Discussing each of the five sense perceptions and mental perception in
succession, the Buddha describes how ordinary sensory and mental perceptions are deluded,
and how getting caught up in the bonds of that delusion traps us in pain and regret.
His systematic descriptions of the different perceptions
are supplemented by individual analogies, illustrating the “net of illusion” to which the title refers.

Acknowledgements

This text was translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the
guidance of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The translation was produced by Oriane Lavolé, who also
prepared the summary and the synopsis of the text in the introduction. The rest of the
introduction, on the history of the text in India and its transmission to Tibet, was
prepared by Adam Krug, who also compared the translation with the original Tibetan and
edited the text.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000:
Translating the Words of the Buddha. Nathaniel Rich and John Canti edited the translation
and the introduction, and Dawn Collins copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge
of the digital publication process.

Introduction

In The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” the Buddha
opens his discourse by emphasizing that among the three trainings—in discipline,
contemplation, and wisdom—the training in wisdom is of paramount importance.
Perfecting the training in wisdom, he tells his monks, brings the other two trainings
to perfection too.

What needs to do done to train in wisdom is the topic of the rest of the
sūtra. Essentially, it involves a continuing examination of the futility and folly of
one’s emotional reactions to what one perceives, namely objects of the five senses and
objects in the mind. The Buddha discusses successively these different kinds of
perception. He describes how ordinary sensory and mental perceptions are deluded, and
how getting caught up in them causes pain and regret. The passages on each of the six
kinds of object comprise almost identical phrasing, using key terms such as the four
psychophysical bonds that tie beings to cyclic existence, and the four misconceptions
through which they misinterpret the real nature of their experience. Within each of
these six similar passages, however, the Buddha adds two unique analogies, one
illustrating the sobering shift of mindset from folly to wisdom, and the other
depicting examples of perceptual illusion; the analogies are mostly not direct
references to the sensory mode being discussed.

The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” belongs to a
corpus of texts known as the Mahāsūtras or “Great Discourses,” extracted from the
Āgamas of the Sarvāstivādins and the Mūlasarvāstivādins. The Mahāsūtras’ long history
has been traced in a magisterial study by Peter Skilling, who concludes that the
Mahāsūtra collection, to which ten texts translated into Tibetan in the early ninth
century by Jinamitra, Prajñāvarman, and Bandé Yeshé Dé belong, probably originated
from a corpus of discourses important to the Kashmiri Mūlasarvāstivādin textual
community. The Mahāsūtras, in addition to their practical function as a compact canon
that represented the four Āgama collections in shortened form, were also employed as
protective texts (rakṣā).
Doctrinally, all the works in this corpus draw on an early and fundamental layer of
the Buddhist canon, and set out some of the key, essential perspectives that
characterize the Buddha’s teaching.

The present sūtra is no exception in that regard, explaining as it does how
what causes our suffering and keeps us circling in saṃsāra is our failure to perceive
the world as it really is, and our tendency instead to fall prey to the perceptual
distortions caused by assessing what our senses tell us in terms of our mistaken
belief in a self. These distorted perceptions form the “illusion’s net” to which the
title refers, trapping sentient beings in its bonds. It is noteworthy that in the
final summary with which the text concludes it is
the twelve analogies that are said to constitute the “illusion’s net,” although it is
not clear whether the wording here refers to the whole text (i.e. as a title), or to
the net itself. In either case, the summary suggests that the analogies were seen as
particularly significant features of the work.

More generally, the theme of a “net of illusion” (Skt. māyājāla, and here Tib. sgyu ma’i dra ba), figures widely in the Indian literature of many
traditions, not just Buddhist. In the Buddhist canon, there is also a father tantra
(pha rgyud) within the Unexcelled category
with the Sanskrit title Māyājāla-mahātantrarāja (Tib.
rgyud kyi rgyal po sgyu ’phrul dra ba, Toh 466)
and an extensive cycle of Nyingma tantras of the Mahāyoga class known collectively as
the Māyājāla (Tib. sgyu
’phrul dra ba or drwa ba) that includes
the Guhyagarbha tantras (rgyud gsang ba’i snying po, Toh 832–834). However, the content of these
tantric works has little in common with that of the Mahāsūtra presented here.

The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” is found in the
General Sūtra section of the Degé Kangyur as the first of the group of seven
Mahāsūtras that are classified as sūtras, placed immediately following the massive
Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma
(Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna, Toh 287),
which marks the beginning of the “Lesser Vehicle” subset of canonical sūtras, as
categorized by successive scholars from the time of Chomden Rikpai Raltri (1227–1305)
and Butön (1290–1364) onward.

Fragments from The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net”
have been identified among Sanskrit manuscript fragments belonging to the
Sarvāstivādin school recovered from Central Asia. The earliest of these fragments
is in “Turkestan Gupta” script, allowing it to be tentatively dated to the fifth or
sixth century ce. A complete Sanskrit version of the text was recently identified as part of an eighth-century
manuscript of the Dīrghāgama that was produced in Gligit, and preliminary studies suggest it
closely aligns with the Tibetan translation.
Peter Skilling notes that Asaṅga references or otherwise
paraphrases The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” nine times in
his Yogācārabhūmi
and includes a brief
passage from the text in his Śrāvakabhūmi, without
naming its source. These references indicate that the version of the text Asaṅga used
was close to the recension that was used for the Tibetan translation.
The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” is cited in the Tibetan
translations of Vasubandhu’s Vyākhyāyukti
and Guṇamati’s Vyākhyāyuktiṭīkā. Despite the fact that the text itself was not translated into
Chinese, references to the text occur across a handful of Tibetan and Chinese
translations. Along with a number of other factors, these references to The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” suggest that the text was
extant in some form no later than the third century ce;
however, the text may have existed in a recension approximating its current form as
early as the beginning of the Common Era. It appears, however, that with the
contraction of Buddhism in India and Central Asia, The Mahāsūtra
“Illusion’s Net” eventually fell into obscurity and the sole remaining
witness to the text preserved in Tibetan was rarely studied in Tibet.

This English translation is based on the Tibetan translation of The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net” preserved in the Degé Kangyur
in consultation with the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur
ma), the Stok Palace Kangyur, and Peter Skilling’s comparative edition.

The Translation

The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s Net”

Homage to the
Three Jewels.

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was staying in Śrāvastī, in
Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. He addressed the monks as follows:

“Monks, one may possess the training in superior discipline but lack superior
contemplation and superior wisdom, and one may possess the training in superior
discipline and superior contemplation but lack superior wisdom. However, when a noble
hearer is established in the practice of striving for superior wisdom, the cultivation
of superior discipline and superior contemplation will be perfected. Thus,
monks, noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by
wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed.

“Monks, how are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom
supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble hearers who
remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to conduct a
thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant forms
perceived by the eyes. I became and remained averse to unpleasant forms perceived by
the eyes. I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral forms perceived
by the eyes. I have trained
myself and behaved in this way for a long time, and so I have experienced old age and
death. The past is gone, so today I will no longer train myself as I did before regarding forms perceived by
the eyes. I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect
thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present forms I perceive
with the eyes, such as the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and
thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and then I must abandon
them.’

“Moreover, monks, the very same forms perceived by the eyes may be pleasant to
some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes they
will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been
obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived
and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no conception of
renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those forms that are perceived
by the eyes as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own
mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything
else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain
attached to pleasant forms perceived by the eyes. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are
completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They are entangled in attachment, and
so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those forms that are perceived
by the eyes as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own
mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything
else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to
unpleasant forms perceived by the eyes. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely
corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. They are entangled in aversion, and so
they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those forms that are perceived
by the eyes as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own
mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything
else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly
indifferent to neutral forms
perceived by the eyes. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the
psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. They
are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. An insane person who is mentally disturbed may
wander around naked, take great joy in doing so, and not see any fault in it. Then,
when they come back to their senses, the fact that they had previously conducted
themselves as an insane person, behaved like someone who is mentally disturbed, and
wandered around naked brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, for noble hearers who are learned and have obtained noble,
supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior brings
them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only
impermanence. I thought there was happiness
where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is
only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self.
In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering
as happiness. I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a
self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. A magician or a skilled magician’s apprentice sits
at a major crossroads and creates the following four magical illusions: an elephant
division, a cavalry division, a chariot division, and an infantry division. Once these
are displayed, beings who have a childish, deluded, and confused disposition think,
‘There is an elephant division, a cavalry division, a chariot division, and an
infantry division that are visible, real and present here.’

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think,
‘There is no elephant division, cavalry division, chariot division, or infantry
division that are visible, real and present here. That is only worked by magic, just
an optical illusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the
past, future, and present forms my eyes perceive lack permanence, stability, unchangeability, a true
nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature, genuine reality, truth,
suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and incontrovertibility. They are
hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are false. They are deceptive
phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are corpses. They are
corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in them, speak highly
of them, or become and remain excessively attached to them. The
noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they
conduct a thorough analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all the forms perceived by their
eyes in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a
cancer, a splinter, a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a
self.

“When they correctly see all the forms perceived by their eyes in the past,
future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a
splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self,
they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect
views regarding past, future, and present forms perceived by the eyes that are the
psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy,
and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented
and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and
his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle,
destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged
in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is
unsurpassed.

“Monks, how else are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior
wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble
hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to
conduct a thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant
sounds perceived by the ears. I became and remained averse to unpleasant sounds
perceived by the ears. I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral
sounds perceived by the ears. I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a long
time, and so I have experienced old age, sickness, and death. The past is
gone, so today I will no longer train myself as I did before regarding sounds
perceived by the ears. I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas,
incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present sounds I
perceive with the ears that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a
sense of moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging
to it as real—and then I must abandon them.’

“Moreover, monks, the very same sounds perceived by the ears may be pleasant
to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes
they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been
obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived
and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no conception of
renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those sounds that are perceived
by the ears as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own
mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything
else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain
attached to pleasant sounds perceived by the ears. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are
completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They are entangled in
attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those sounds that are perceived
by the ears as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own
mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything
else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to
unpleasant sounds perceived by the ears. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely
corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. They are entangled in aversion, and so they too are
forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those sounds that are perceived
by the ears as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own
mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything
else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly
indifferent to neutral sounds perceived by the ears. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are
completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and
clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do
whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. A person who is insane or drunk might sleep with
their mother, take great pleasure in doing so, and not see any fault in it. Yet, when
they recover from their madness or drunkenness, the fact that they previously slept
with their mother brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, after noble hearers who are learned have obtained
noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior
brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only
impermanence. I thought there was happiness
where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is
only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self.
In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering
as happiness. I
perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. When an echo resounds on the shores of a river or
a large canal, beings who have a childish, deluded, and confused disposition think,
‘There is a sentient being that is the source of that sound, real and present there.’

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think,
‘There is no sentient being that is the source of that sound, real and present there.
That was only an echo, just an auditory delusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the
past, future, and present sounds my ears perceive lack permanence, stability,
unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature,
genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and
incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are
false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are
corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in
them, speak highly of them, or become and remain excessively attached to them. The
noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they
conduct a thorough analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all the sounds perceived by their
ears in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a
cancer, a splinter, a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a
self.

“When they correctly see all the sounds perceived by their ears in the past,
future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a
splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self,
they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect
views regarding past, future, and present sounds perceived by the ears that are the
psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy,
and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented
and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and
his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle,
destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged
in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is
unsurpassed.

“Monks, how else are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior
wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble
hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to
conduct a thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant
smells perceived by the nose. I became and remained averse to unpleasant smells
perceived by the nose.
I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral smells perceived by the
nose. I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a long time, and so I have
experienced old age and death. The past is gone, so today I will no longer train
myself as I did before regarding smells perceived by the nose. I must train myself to
abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views
regarding past, future, and present smells I perceive with the nose that are the
psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy,
and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and then I must abandon
them.’

“Moreover, monks, the very same smells perceived by the nose may be pleasant
to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes
they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been
obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived
and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no conception of
renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those smells that are perceived
by the nose as they truly and really are, and so they stubbornly hold on to their own mistaken
beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything else is
false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain attached to
pleasant smells perceived by the nose. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely
corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They are entangled in
attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those smells that are perceived
by the nose as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own
mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything
else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to
unpleasant smells perceived by the nose. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely
corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. They are entangled in aversion, and so
they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those smells that are perceived
by the nose as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own
mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything
else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly
indifferent to neutral smells perceived by the nose. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are
completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and
clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do
whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. An executioner, adversary, and enemy might develop
a close relationship with a person, and that person might take pleasure in it and not
see any fault in it. However, once they examine them closely and realize, ‘This person
is my executioner, adversary, and enemy,’ it brings them distress, shame, remorse, and
disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, after noble hearers who are learned have obtained
noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior
brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only
impermanence. I thought there was happiness
where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is
only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self.
In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering
as happiness. I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a
self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. When someone who can see holds up a round mirror
that is extremely clear and closely examines their own facial features in it, beings
who have a childish, deluded, and confused disposition think, ‘There is a sentient
being that appears in this way, real and present there.’

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think,
‘There is no sentient being that appears in this way, real and present there. This is
only a reflection, just an optical illusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the past,
future, and present smells my nose perceives lack permanence, stability,
unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature,
genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and
incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are
false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are
corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in
them, speak highly of them, or become and remain excessively attached to them. The
noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they
conduct a thorough analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all the smells perceived by their
nose in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a
cancer, a splinter, a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a
self.

“When they correctly see all the smells perceived by their nose in the past,
future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a
splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self,
they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect
views regarding past, future, and present smells perceived by the nose that are the
psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy,
and thinking,
‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented
and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and
his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle,
destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged
in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is
unsurpassed.

“Monks, how else are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior
wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble
hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to
conduct a thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant
tastes perceived by the tongue. I became and remained averse to unpleasant tastes
perceived by the tongue. I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral
tastes perceived by the tongue. I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a
long time, and so I have experienced old age and death. The past is gone, so today I
will no longer train myself as I did before regarding tastes perceived by the tongue.
I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and
incorrect views regarding past, future, and present tastes perceived by the tongue
that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and
ascetic supremacy, and
thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and then I must abandon
them.’

“Moreover, monks, the very same tastes perceived by the tongue may be pleasant
to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes
they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been
obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived
and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no conception of
renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those tastes that are perceived
by the tongue as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own
mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything
else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and remain
attached to pleasant tastes perceived by the tongue. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are
completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They are entangled in
attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those tastes that are perceived
by the tongue as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own
mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and anything
else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to
unpleasant tastes perceived by the tongue. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely
corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. They are entangled in aversion, and so
they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those tastes that are perceived
by the tongue as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to their own
mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, they think,
‘This is true, and anything else is meaningless,’ and they conduct themselves
accordingly. They remain thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral tastes perceived by the
tongue. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical
bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. They are entangled
in pride, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. A student might say, ‘I will offer my teacher
food,’ and give them cow dung to eat. They might say, ‘I will quench their thirst,’
and give them urine to drink. They might take great pleasure in doing so and not see
any fault in it. Then, when they thoroughly examine their actions, they realize, ‘I
said, “I will offer my teacher food,” and then I gave them cow dung to eat, and I
said, “I will quench their thirst,” and then I gave them urine to drink,’ and it
brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, after noble hearers who are learned have obtained
noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior
brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only
impermanence. I thought there was happiness
where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is only
impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self. In
this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering as
happiness. I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a
self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. When the sun is at its zenith in a cloudless sky
in the last month of spring, undulating mirages may appear due to the heat, and beings
who have a childish, deluded, and confused disposition might think, ‘There is water
that appears in this way, real and present there.’

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think,
‘There is no water that appears in this way, real and present there. It is only a
mirage, just a visual illusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the
past, future, and present tastes my tongue perceives lack permanence, stability,
unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature,
genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and
incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are
false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are
corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in
them, speak highly of them, or become and remain excessively attached to them. The noble, supramundane
wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they conduct a thorough
analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all of the tastes perceived by
their tongue in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them
as a cancer, a splinter, a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and
lacking a self.

“When they correctly see all the tastes perceived by their tongue in the past,
future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a
splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self,
they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect
views regarding past, future, and present tastes perceived by the tongue that are the
psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy,
and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented
and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and
his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle,
destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged
in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is
unsurpassed.

“Monks, how else are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior
wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble
hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to
conduct a thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to
pleasant textures perceived by the body. I became and remained averse to unpleasant
textures perceived by the body. I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to
neutral textures perceived by the body. I have trained myself and behaved in this way
for a long time, and so I have experienced old age and death. The past is gone, so
today I will no longer train myself as I did before regarding textures perceived by
the body. I must train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect
thoughts, and incorrect views regarding past, future, and present textures perceived
by the body that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of
moral and ascetic supremacy, and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as
real—and then I must abandon them.’

“Moreover, monks, the very same textures perceived by the body may be pleasant
to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them, sometimes
they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings have been
obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have been deceived
and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no conception of
renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those textures that are
perceived by the body as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to
their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and
anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and
remain attached to pleasant textures perceived by the body. These śramaṇas and
brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They
are entangled in attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra
desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those textures that are
perceived by the body as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to
their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and
anything else is false,’ and they
conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse to unpleasant textures perceived by
the body. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical
bond of malice. They are entangled in aversion, and so they too are forced to do
whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those textures that are
perceived by the body as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to
their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and
anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain
thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral textures perceived by the body. These śramaṇas
and brāhmaṇas are
completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and
clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they too are forced to do
whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. When a person is attacked by robbers, they might
grab someone else’s child, thinking it is their own, and then leave town. At first,
they rejoice and see no fault in this, but once they thoroughly examine it, they
realize that the child is not their own but someone else’s, and it brings them
distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, after noble hearers who are learned have obtained
noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior
brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only
impermanence. I thought there was happiness
where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is
only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self.
In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering
as happiness. I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a
self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. A person who is asleep might revel in and enjoy
objects desirable to the five senses in a dream, yet when they wake up afterward there
is nothing there. At that point, beings with a childish, deluded, and confused
disposition think, ‘There were those objects desirable to the five senses that we
enjoyed in our dreams, real and present there.’

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think,
‘There were no objects desirable to the five senses that we enjoyed in our dreams,
real and present there. That was only a dream, just a mental delusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the
past, future, and present textures my body perceives lack permanence, stability,
unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature,
genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and
incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are
false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are
corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in
them, speak highly of them, or become and remain excessively attached to them. The
noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they
conduct a thorough analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all textures perceived by their
body in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a
cancer, a splinter, a scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a
self.

“When they correctly see all the textures perceived by their body in the past,
future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a splinter, as a
scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self, they then
abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect views
regarding past, future, and present textures perceived by the body that are the
psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy,
and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and disoriented
and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they destroy Māra and
his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are victorious in battle,
destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble hearers who remain engaged
in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom, which among all supports is
unsurpassed.

“Monks, how else are noble hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior
wisdom supported by wisdom, which among all supports is unsurpassed? Monks, noble
hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom consider the following to
conduct a thorough analysis: ‘Formerly, I became and remained attached to pleasant
phenomena perceived by the mind. I became and remained averse to unpleasant phenomena
perceived by the mind. I became and remained thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral
phenomena perceived by the mind. I have trained myself and behaved in this way for a
long time, and so I have experienced old age and death. The past is gone, so today I will no
longer train myself as I did before regarding phenomena perceived by the mind. I must
train myself to abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and
incorrect views regarding past, future, and present phenomena perceived by the mind
that are the psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and
ascetic supremacy, and thinking, “This is the truth,” and clinging to it as real—and
then I must abandon them.’

“Moreover, monks, the very same phenomena perceived by the mind may be
pleasant to some but unpleasant to others. Sometimes they will be pleasant to them,
sometimes they will be unpleasant, and sometimes they will be neutral. Monks, beings
have been obscured by their minds in this way for a long time, and since they have
been deceived and duped by their minds, they do not recognize the error. They have no
conception of renunciation, and evil Māra forces them to do whatever he desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those phenomena that are
perceived by the mind as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to
their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and
anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They become and
remain attached to pleasant phenomena perceived by the mind. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are
completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of covetousness. They are entangled in
attachment, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those phenomena that are
perceived by the mind as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to
their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and
anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain averse
to unpleasant phenomena perceived by the mind. These śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas are
completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of malice. They are entangled in
aversion, and so they too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Monks, some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas do not see those phenomena that are
perceived by the mind as they truly and really are, so they stubbornly hold on to
their own mistaken beliefs. They cling to them as real, thinking, ‘This is true, and
anything else is false,’ and they conduct themselves accordingly. They remain
thoughtlessly indifferent to neutral phenomena perceived by the mind. These śramaṇas
and brāhmaṇas are completely corrupted by the psychophysical bond of thinking, ‘This
is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real. They are entangled in pride, and so they
too are forced to do whatever evil Māra desires.

“Here is an analogy, monks. A person who picks up a chest containing snakes as
they flee from a fire in their village thinking that it is a chest of jewels might be
delighted in doing so and not see any fault in it. But when they thoroughly examine it
and realize it is not a chest of jewels but a chest containing snakes, it brings them
distress, shame, remorse, and disgust.

“Monks, in the same way, after noble hearers who are learned have obtained
noble, supramundane wisdom, their previous childish, deluded, and confused behavior
brings them distress, shame, remorse, and disgust. They think, ‘Formerly, I thought there was permanence where there is only
impermanence. I thought there was happiness
where there is only suffering. I thought there was purity where there is
only impurity. I thought there was a self where there is only the absence of a self.
In this way, formerly, I perceived impermanence as permanence. I perceived suffering
as happiness. I perceived impurity as purity. I perceived the absence of a self as a
self.’

“Here is an analogy, monks. A magician or a skilled magician’s apprentice sits
at a major crossroads and creates the following magical illusions: jewels, earrings,
necklaces, bracelets, armlets, hand ornaments, anklets, rings, and gold and silver
garlands. Once these are displayed, beings who have a childish, deluded, and confused
disposition think, ‘There are these jewels, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, armlets,
hand ornaments, anklets, rings, and gold and silver garlands that are visible in this
way, real and present there.’

“Beings whose disposition is insightful instead of childish or deluded think,
‘There are no jewels, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, armlets, hand ornaments,
anklets, rings, and gold and silver garlands that are visible in this way, real and
present there. They are only a magic trick, just a visual illusion.’

“Monks, in the same way, noble hearers who are learned think, ‘All of the
past, future, and present phenomena perceived by my mind lack permanence, stability,
unchangeability, a true nature, an unmistaken true nature, a unique true nature,
genuine reality, truth, suchness, a way things really are, infallibility, and
incontrovertibility. They are hollow. They are vain. They have no essence. They are
false. They are deceptive phenomena. They are Māra. They are Māra’s tools. They are
corpses. They are corpse-like forms. Therefore, it does not make sense to delight in
them, speak highly of them, and become and remain excessively attached to them. The
noble, supramundane wisdom taught by the Blessed One is true.’ That is how they
conduct a thorough analysis.

“Having understood that, they correctly see all phenomena perceived by their
mind in the past, future, and present as a sickness. They correctly see them as a
cancer, a splinter, a
scorpion’s sting, impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self.

“When they correctly see all of the phenomena perceived by their mind in the
past, future, and present as a sickness, and they correctly see them as a cancer, as a
splinter, as a scorpion’s sting, as impermanent, suffering, empty, and lacking a self,
they then abandon mistaken beliefs, wrong ideas, incorrect thoughts, and incorrect
views regarding past, future, and present phenomena perceived by the mind, the
psychophysical bonds of covetousness, malice, a sense of moral and ascetic supremacy,
and thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as real.

“By abandoning those bonds, they render Māra blind, depressed, and
disoriented and stand their ground. Since evil Māra can no longer see them, they
destroy Māra and his retinue and wage battle against his great army. They are
victorious in battle, destroy the army, and stand their ground. This is how noble
hearers who remain engaged in practicing superior wisdom are supported by wisdom,
which among all supports is unsurpassed.”

After the Blessed One had spoken, the monks rejoiced and praised the words of
the Blessed One.

An intervening summary:

The madman, the magical illusion,

The drunk, the echo,

The executioner, the mirror,

The food offering, the mirage,

Fleeing a robber’s attack,

Enjoyments in a dream, the chest,

And the jewels and necklaces—

Under these is illusion’s net subsumed.

This concludes The Mahāsūtra “Illusion’s
Net.”

Colophon

This was translated, edited, and finalized by the Indian preceptors Jinamitra
and Prajñāvarman, along with the chief editor and translator Bandé Yeshé Dé, and so
forth.

Notes

Abbreviations

D
Degé (sde dge bka’ ’gyur)

C
Choné (co ne)

H
Lhasa (lha sa / zhol)

J
Lithang (li thang)

K
Kanxi (kang shi)

N
Narthang (snar thang)

U
Urga (phyi sog khu re)

Y
Yongle (g.yung lo)

S
Stok Palace (stog pho ’brang)

Bibliography

Source Texts

mdo chen po sgyu ma’i dra ba. bka’ ’gyur
(dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug
ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the
China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe
skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 71, pp. 604–43.

mdo chen po sgyu ma’i dra ba. Stok Palace
Kangyur vol. 64 (mdo sde, pa), folios 369.a–391.a.

Other Sources

thinking, ‘This is the truth,’ and clinging to it as
real
di bden no snyam du mngon par zhen cing mchog tu
’dzin pa
དི་བདེན་ནོ་སྙམ་དུ་མངོན་པར་ཞེན་ཅིང་མཆོག་ཏུ་འཛིན་པ།