大般若波羅蜜多經

27

Furthermore, Blessed One! If good men, good women, and others wish always to behold the Dharma-body, form-body, wisdom-body, and so forth of all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, manifestly teaching the sublime Dharma in innumerable, boundless worlds throughout the ten directions, they should reverently make offerings to such profound prajnaparamita, honor and praise it, listen to it with utmost sincerity, receive and retain it, read and recite it, diligently cultivate and study it, reflect upon it in accordance with principle, expound it for sentient beings, and propagate it widely.

Blessed One! If good men, good women, and others wish always to behold the Dharma-body, form-body, wisdom-body, and so forth of the Tathagata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One presently abiding in this Buddha-land, they should reverently make offerings to such profound prajnaparamita, honor and praise it, listen to it with utmost sincerity, receive and retain it, read and recite it, diligently cultivate and study it, reflect upon it in accordance with principle, expound it for sentient beings, and propagate it widely.

Blessed One! If good men, good women, and others wish always to behold the Dharma-body, form-body, wisdom-body, and so forth of all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the three times throughout the ten directions, they should reverently make offerings to such profound prajnaparamita, honor and praise it, listen to it with utmost sincerity, receive and retain it, read and recite it, diligently cultivate and study it, reflect upon it in accordance with principle, expound it for sentient beings, and propagate it widely.

Blessed One! If good men, good women, and others cultivate prajnaparamita, they should, by means of the Dharma-nature, cultivate mindfulness of the Buddha in relation to the Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones.

Blessed One! The Dharma-nature is of two kinds: the first is conditioned, and the second is unconditioned. What is called the conditioned Dharma-nature?

It is the knowledge, in accordance with reality, of a self, a sentient being, a vital continuum, one who is born, one who is nurtured, one who matures, an agent who transmigrates, a person born of a person, a supreme self, one capable of acting, one who personally experiences karmic results, a knower, and a seer; or knowledge of form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; or knowledge of the eye ayatana, ear ayatana, nose ayatana, tongue ayatana, body ayatana, and mind ayatana; or knowledge of the form ayatana, sound ayatana, odor ayatana, taste ayatana, tangible-object ayatana, and dharma ayatana; or knowledge of the eye dhatu, form dhatu, eye-consciousness dhatu, eye-contact, and the feelings produced with eye-contact as condition;

or knowledge of the ear dhatu, sound dhatu, ear-consciousness dhatu, ear-contact, and the feelings produced with ear-contact as condition; or knowledge of the nose dhatu, odor dhatu, nose-consciousness dhatu, nose-contact, and the feelings produced with nose-contact as condition; or knowledge of the tongue dhatu, taste dhatu, tongue-consciousness dhatu, tongue-contact, and the feelings produced with tongue-contact as condition; or knowledge of the body dhatu, tangible-object dhatu, body-consciousness dhatu, body-contact, and the feelings produced with body-contact as condition; or knowledge of the mind dhatu, dharma dhatu, mind-consciousness dhatu, mind-contact, and the feelings produced with mind-contact as condition;

or knowledge of the earth dhatu, water dhatu, fire dhatu, wind dhatu, space dhatu, and consciousness dhatu; or knowledge of ignorance, formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, becoming, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and distress; or knowledge of the perfection of generosity, the perfection of pure morality, the perfection of patient acceptance, the perfection of diligence, the perfection of meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom;

or knowledge of inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of ultimate meaning, emptiness of the conditioned, emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of non-change, emptiness of intrinsic nature, emptiness of individual characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all dharmas, emptiness of the unapprehensible, emptiness of the nature of nonexistence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence;

or knowledge of suchness, the dharma dhatu, the Dharma-nature, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the certainty of dharmas, the abiding of dharmas, the limit of reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; or knowledge of the Noble Truth of suffering, the Noble Truth of the origin of suffering, the Noble Truth of cessation, and the Noble Truth of the path; or knowledge of the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations; or knowledge of the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten spheres of totality;

or knowledge of the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right abandonments, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path; or knowledge of the emptiness gateway to liberation, the signless gateway to liberation, and the wishless gateway to liberation; or knowledge of the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges; or knowledge of the Buddha’s ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four kinds of unobstructed understanding, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha; or knowledge of the Dharma of never forgetting and the nature of constant equanimity;

or knowledge of the wisdom of all things, the wisdom of the aspects of the paths, and the wisdom of all aspects; or knowledge of all dharani gateways and all samadhi gateways; or knowledge of stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners, and arhats; or knowledge of those progressing toward stream-entry and the fruit of stream-entry, those progressing toward once-returning and the fruit of once-returning, those progressing toward non-returning and the fruit of non-returning, and those progressing toward arhatship and the fruit of arhatship; or knowledge of pratyekabuddhas and the fruition of pratyekabuddhahood; or knowledge of great bodhisattvas and the practices of great bodhisattvas; or knowledge of samyaksambuddhas and the fruition of supreme enlightenment;

or knowledge of wholesome dharmas, unwholesome dharmas, and indeterminate dharmas; or knowledge of past dharmas, future dharmas, and present dharmas; or knowledge of dharmas belonging to the desire realm, dharmas belonging to the form realm, and dharmas belonging to the formless realm; or knowledge of the dharmas of those in training, the dharmas of those beyond training, and dharmas belonging neither to those in training nor to those beyond training; or knowledge of dharmas abandoned through seeing, dharmas abandoned through cultivation, and dharmas not subject to abandonment; or knowledge of dharmas possessing form and dharmas without form, or dharmas that are visible and dharmas that are invisible; or knowledge of dharmas that offer resistance and dharmas that offer no resistance;

or knowledge of contaminated dharmas and uncontaminated dharmas; or knowledge of conditioned dharmas and unconditioned dharmas; or knowledge of blameworthy dharmas and blameless dharmas; or knowledge of mundane dharmas and supramundane dharmas; or knowledge of defiled dharmas and purified dharmas.

Immeasurable kinds of knowledge such as these are all called the conditioned Dharma-nature.

What is called the unconditioned Dharma-nature? It is that all dharmas are neither born nor extinguished, neither abiding nor changing, neither defiled nor purified, neither increasing nor decreasing, without characteristics, without fabrication, and without the intrinsic nature of a self-nature. What is the naturelessness of intrinsic nature?

It is the absence of the nature of a self, the nature of a sentient being, the nature of a living being, the nature of one who is born, the nature of one who is nurtured, the nature of one who matures, the nature of one who transmigrates, the nature of a person born of a person, the nature of a supreme self, the nature of an agent, the nature of one who personally experiences karmic results, the nature of a knower, and the nature of a seer; or the absence of the nature of form, the nature of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; or the absence of the nature of the eye ayatana and the nature of the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind ayatanas; or the absence of the nature of the form ayatana and the nature of the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, and dharma ayatanas;

or the absence of the nature of the eye dhatu, the form dhatu, the eye-consciousness dhatu, and eye-contact, together with the feelings that arise conditioned by eye-contact; or the absence of the nature of the ear dhatu, the sound dhatu, the ear-consciousness dhatu, and ear-contact, together with the feelings that arise conditioned by ear-contact; or the absence of the nature of the nose dhatu, the odor dhatu, the nose-consciousness dhatu, and nose-contact, together with the feelings that arise conditioned by nose-contact; or the absence of the nature of the tongue dhatu, the taste dhatu, the tongue-consciousness dhatu, and tongue-contact, together with the feelings that arise conditioned by tongue-contact;

or the absence of the nature of the body dhatu, the tangible-object dhatu, the body-consciousness dhatu, and body-contact, together with the feelings that arise conditioned by body-contact; or the absence of the nature of the mind dhatu, the dharma dhatu, the mind-consciousness dhatu, and mind-contact, together with the feelings that arise conditioned by mind-contact; or the absence of the nature of the earth dhatu and the nature of the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness dhatus; or the absence of the nature of ignorance and the nature of formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, becoming, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress;

or the absence of the nature of the perfection of generosity and the nature of the perfections of pure morality, patience, vigor, meditation, and prajnaparamita; or the absence of the nature of inner emptiness and the nature of outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate emptiness, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, final emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of nonchange, the emptiness of original nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the unapprehensible, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of intrinsic nature,

and the emptiness of the naturelessness of intrinsic nature; or the absence of the nature of suchness and the nature of the dharma-dhatu, Dharma-nature, the nature free from falsity, the nature free from change, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the certainty of Dharma, the abiding of Dharma, the ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; or the absence of the nature of the Noble Truth of suffering and the nature of the Noble Truths of its origin, cessation, and the path; or the absence of the nature of the four meditative absorptions and the nature of the four immeasurables and the four formless attainments;

or the absence of the nature of the eight liberations and the nature of the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive attainments, and the ten spheres of totality; or the absence of the nature of the four establishments of mindfulness and the nature of the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the Noble Eightfold Path; or the absence of the nature of the liberation gateway of emptiness and the nature of the liberation gateways of signlessness and wishlessness; or the absence of the nature of the five kinds of eyes and the nature of the six superknowledges;

or the absence of the nature of the Buddha’s ten powers and the nature of the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha; or the absence of the nature of the Dharma of never losing mindfulness and the nature of constant equanimity; or the absence of the nature of the knowledge of all things and the nature of the knowledge of the aspects of the path and the knowledge of all aspects; or the absence of the nature of all dharani gateways and the nature of all samadhi gateways; or the absence of the nature of a Stream-enterer and the nature of a Once-returner, a Non-returner, and an arhat;

or the absence of the nature of one practicing toward Stream-entry and the fruit of Stream-entry, and the nature of one practicing toward Once-returning, the fruit of Once-returning, one practicing toward Non-returning, the fruit of Non-returning, one practicing toward arhatship, and the fruit of arhatship; or the absence of the nature of a pratyekabuddha and the nature of the attainment of a pratyekabuddha; or the absence of the nature of a great bodhisattva; or the absence of the nature of the practices of a great bodhisattva; or the absence of the nature of a Samyaksambuddha and the nature of unsurpassed perfect awakening; or the absence of the nature of wholesome dharmas and the nature of unwholesome and morally indeterminate dharmas;

or the absence of the nature of past dharmas and the nature of future and present dharmas; or the absence of the nature of dharmas belonging to the desire realm and the nature of dharmas belonging to the form realm and the formless realm; or the absence of the nature of the dharmas of those in training and the nature of the dharmas of those beyond training and of those who are neither in training nor beyond training; or the absence of the nature of dharmas to be abandoned through seeing and the nature of dharmas to be abandoned through cultivation and those not to be abandoned; or the absence of the nature of dharmas possessing form and the nature of formless dharmas; or the absence of the nature of visible dharmas and the nature of invisible dharmas;

or the absence of the nature of resistant dharmas and the nature of nonresistant dharmas; or the absence of the nature of contaminated dharmas and the nature of uncontaminated dharmas; or the absence of the nature of conditioned dharmas and the nature of unconditioned dharmas; or the absence of the nature of blameworthy dharmas and the nature of blameless dharmas; or the absence of the nature of worldly dharmas and the nature of supramundane dharmas; or the absence of the nature of defiled dharmas and the nature of purified dharmas.

The immeasurably many kinds of nature such as these do not exist; they possess neither emptiness, characteristic, form, word, expression, comprehension, nor cognition. This is called the naturelessness of intrinsic nature. The naturelessness of the intrinsic nature of dharmas such as these is collectively called the unconditioned Dharma-nature.

At that time, the Buddha said to Śakra, Lord of the Gods: “So it is! So it is! It is just as you have said. Kauśika! All Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly and Completely Awakened Ones of the past attained unsurpassed perfect awakening by means of such profound prajnaparamita. All Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly and Completely Awakened Ones of the future will attain unsurpassed perfect awakening by means of such profound prajnaparamita. All Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly and Completely Awakened Ones presently abiding throughout the immeasurable, countless, boundless worlds of the ten directions are attaining unsurpassed perfect awakening by means of such profound prajnaparamita.

“Kauśika! The śrāvaka disciples of the Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly and Completely Awakened Ones of the past also attained the fruit of Stream-entry, the fruit of Once-returning, the fruit of Non-returning, and arhatship by means of such profound prajnaparamita. The śrāvaka disciples of the Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly and Completely Awakened Ones of the future will also attain the fruit of Stream-entry, the fruit of Once-returning, the fruit of Non-returning, and arhatship by means of such profound prajnaparamita.

The śrāvaka disciples of all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly and Completely Awakened Ones presently abiding throughout the immeasurable, boundless worlds of the ten directions are also attaining the fruit of Stream-entry, the fruit of Once-returning, the fruit of Non-returning, and arhatship by means of such profound prajnaparamita.”

Kauśika! The pratyekabuddhas of the past also attained the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood through such profound prajnaparamita. The pratyekabuddhas of the future will also attain the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood through such profound prajnaparamita.

The pratyekabuddhas of the present are also attaining the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood through such profound prajnaparamita. Why is this? Kauśika!

It is because within its treasury of secrets, such prajnaparamita extensively teaches the Dharma corresponding to the Three Vehicles. Yet the Dharma thus taught takes non-attainment as an expedient means; the absence of intrinsic nature and the absence of characteristics as an expedient means; non-arising and non-ceasing as an expedient means; non-defilement and non-purification as an expedient means; non-creation and non-activity as an expedient means; non-entry and non-emergence as an expedient means; non-increase and non-decrease as an expedient means; and non-grasping and non-relinquishment as an expedient means.

Therefore, what is thus taught is taught according to conventional truth, not ultimate truth. Why is this? Such prajnaparamita is neither prajnaparamita nor not prajnaparamita; neither this shore nor the other shore; neither midstream nor dry land; neither water nor height nor depth; neither level nor uneven; neither characterized nor uncharacterized; neither mundane nor supramundane; neither contaminated nor uncontaminated; neither conditioned nor unconditioned; neither culpable nor blameless; neither material nor immaterial; neither visible nor invisible; neither resistant nor non-resistant; neither wholesome nor unwholesome nor indeterminate; neither past nor future nor present; neither belonging to the desire realm nor belonging to the form realm nor belonging to the formless realm;

neither one in training nor one beyond training; neither not one in training nor not one beyond training; neither to be abandoned through seeing nor to be abandoned through cultivation nor not to be abandoned; neither existent nor nonexistent; neither an object nor cognition.

Kauśika! Such prajnaparamita is not conjoined with the dharmas of the Buddhas, not conjoined with the dharmas of bodhisattvas, not conjoined with the dharmas of pratyekabuddhas, not conjoined with the dharmas of stream-enterers, not conjoined with the dharmas of once-returners, not conjoined with the dharmas of non-returners, and not conjoined with the dharmas of arhats; yet it does not abandon the dharmas of ordinary beings.

At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Gods, again addressed the Buddha: “Blessed One! Such prajnaparamita is the great paramita, the unsurpassed paramita, the peerless paramita.

“Blessed One! Although great bodhisattvas who cultivate such prajnaparamita know the distinctions among the mental activities and objective realms of all sentient beings, they do not apprehend a self, a sentient being, a vital principle, a living being, one who is nurtured, one who matures, one who transmigrates, a person born of a person, a supreme self, an agent, one who causes action, one who experiences karmic results, a knower, or a seer.

Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend form, nor do they apprehend feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the eye ayatana, nor do they apprehend the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind ayatana. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the form ayatana, nor do they apprehend the sound, odor, taste, tangible object, or dharma ayatana.

Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the eye dhatu, nor do they apprehend the form dhatu, the eye-consciousness dhatu, eye-contact, or the feelings arising with eye-contact as their condition. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the ear dhatu, nor do they apprehend the sound dhatu, the ear-consciousness dhatu, ear-contact, or the feelings arising with ear-contact as their condition. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the nose dhatu, nor do they apprehend the odor dhatu, the nose-consciousness dhatu, nose-contact, or the feelings arising with nose-contact as their condition.

Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the tongue dhatu, nor do they apprehend the taste dhatu, the tongue-consciousness dhatu, tongue-contact, or the feelings arising with tongue-contact as their condition. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the body dhatu, nor do they apprehend the tangible-object dhatu, the body-consciousness dhatu, body-contact, or the feelings arising with body-contact as their condition.

Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the mind dhatu, nor do they apprehend the dharma dhatu, the mind-consciousness dhatu, mind-contact, or the feelings arising with mind-contact as their condition. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the earth dhatu, nor do they apprehend the water, fire, wind, space, or consciousness dhatu. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend ignorance, nor do they apprehend formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, or distress.

Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the paramita of generosity, nor do they apprehend the paramitas of pure ethical discipline, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, or prajnaparamita. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the emptiness of the internal, nor do they apprehend the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of the internal and external, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate truth, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of non-transformation, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas,

the emptiness of the unapprehensible, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of intrinsic nonexistence, or the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of nonexistence.

Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend suchness, nor do they apprehend the dharma dhatu, the nature of dharmas, the nature free from falsity, the immutable nature, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the certainty of dharmas, the abiding of dharmas, the limit of reality, the realm of space, or the inconceivable realm. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the Noble Truth of suffering, nor do they apprehend the Noble Truths of its origin, cessation, or the path.

Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the four meditative concentrations, nor do they apprehend the four immeasurables or the four formless absorptions. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the eight liberations, nor do they apprehend the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive absorptions, or the ten spheres of totality. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the four establishments of mindfulness, nor do they apprehend the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, or the Noble Eightfold Path.

Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the Dharma gateway of liberation through emptiness, nor do they apprehend the Dharma gateways of liberation through signlessness or wishlessness. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the five kinds of eyes, nor do they apprehend the six superknowledges. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the ten powers of a Buddha, nor do they apprehend the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, or the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha.

Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend the Dharma of non-forgetfulness, nor do they apprehend the nature of perpetual equanimity. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend all-knowledge, nor do they apprehend knowledge of the aspects of the paths or knowledge of all aspects. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend any dharani Dharma gateway, nor do they apprehend any samadhi Dharma gateway.

Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend a stream-enterer, nor do they apprehend a once-returner, a non-returner, or an arhat. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend one practicing toward stream-entry or the fruit of stream-entry; nor do they apprehend one practicing toward once-returning or the fruit of once-returning, one practicing toward non-returning or the fruit of non-returning, or one practicing toward arhatship or the fruit of arhatship.

Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend a pratyekabuddha, nor do they apprehend the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend a great bodhisattva, nor do they apprehend the dharmas of great bodhisattvas. Those great bodhisattvas also do not apprehend a samyaksaṃbuddha, nor do they apprehend the dharmas of a samyaksaṃbuddha.

Why is this? It is because this prajnaparamita does not become manifest through any attainment. Why is this?

It is because profound prajnaparamita is entirely devoid of intrinsic nature and is also unapprehensible. The apprehender, the apprehended, and the two bases upon which they depend are all empty in both nature and characteristics and are unapprehensible.”

At that time, the Buddha said to Sakra, Lord of the Devas: “So it is! So it is! It is just as you have said. Why is this? Kausika, because a great bodhisattva, employing non-attainment as skillful means, practices the profound prajnaparamita for a long time, yet does not apprehend even Bodhi or sattva, much less a great bodhisattva. Since this great bodhisattva cannot be apprehended, how could the qualities of a great bodhisattva be attained? Since neither a bodhisattva nor the qualities of a bodhisattva can be apprehended, how much less could the Buddhas and the qualities of the Buddhas be attained!”

Then Sakra, Lord of the Devas, again addressed the Buddha: “World-Honored One! Does a great bodhisattva practice only prajnaparamita, or does a great bodhisattva also practice the other five paramitas?”

The Buddha said: “Kausika! A great bodhisattva, employing non-attainment as skillful means, fully practices the six paramitas. When practicing generosity, the bodhisattva apprehends neither a giver, nor a recipient, nor the act of giving, nor the gift.

When practicing pure morality, the bodhisattva apprehends neither pure morality, nor immoral conduct, nor one who observes pure morality. When practicing patient endurance, the bodhisattva apprehends neither patient endurance, nor anger, nor one who practices patient endurance. When practicing diligence, the bodhisattva apprehends neither diligence, nor indolence, nor one who practices diligence.

When practicing meditative concentration, the bodhisattva apprehends neither meditative concentration, nor distraction, nor one who practices meditative concentration. When practicing prajna, the bodhisattva apprehends neither prajna, nor wrong wisdom, nor one who practices prajna.

“Furthermore, Kausika! The profound prajnaparamita of a great bodhisattva is the foremost Dharma and the guiding Dharma; through its cultivation, all the paramitas are swiftly brought to perfection. When that great bodhisattva practices generosity, profound prajnaparamita is the foremost Dharma and the guiding Dharma; because the bodhisattva practices the paramita of generosity without attachment, it is swiftly brought to perfection.

When that great bodhisattva practices pure morality, profound prajnaparamita is the foremost Dharma and the guiding Dharma; because the bodhisattva practices the paramita of pure morality without attachment, it is swiftly brought to perfection. When that great bodhisattva practices patient endurance, profound prajnaparamita is the foremost Dharma and the guiding Dharma; because the bodhisattva practices the paramita of patient endurance without attachment, it is swiftly brought to perfection.

When that great bodhisattva practices diligence, profound prajnaparamita is the foremost Dharma and the guiding Dharma; because the bodhisattva practices the paramita of diligence without attachment, it is swiftly brought to perfection. When that great bodhisattva practices meditative concentration, profound prajnaparamita is the foremost Dharma and the guiding Dharma; because the bodhisattva practices the paramita of meditative concentration without attachment, it is swiftly brought to perfection.

When that great bodhisattva practices prajna, profound prajnaparamita is the foremost Dharma and the guiding Dharma; because the bodhisattva practices prajnaparamita without attachment, it is swiftly brought to perfection.”

Furthermore, Kausika! With regard to all dharmas, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita without attachment, thereby bringing this cultivation swiftly to perfection. With regard to form, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita.

Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to the eye ayatana, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind ayatanas, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita. Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection.

With regard to the form ayatana, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, and dharma ayatanas, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita. Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to the eye dhatu, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the form dhatu, the eye-consciousness dhatu, eye-contact, and the feelings arising with eye-contact as their condition, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita.

Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to the ear dhatu, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the sound dhatu, the ear-consciousness dhatu, ear-contact, and the feelings arising with ear-contact as their condition, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita. Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection.

With regard to the nose dhatu, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the odor dhatu, the nose-consciousness dhatu, nose-contact, and the feelings arising with nose-contact as their condition, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita. Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to the tongue dhatu, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the taste dhatu, the tongue-consciousness dhatu, tongue-contact, and the feelings arising with tongue-contact as their condition, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita.

Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to the body dhatu, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the tangible-object dhatu, the body-consciousness dhatu, body-contact, and the feelings arising with body-contact as their condition, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita.

Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to the mind dhatu, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the dharma dhatu, the mind-consciousness dhatu, mind-contact, and the feelings arising with mind-contact as their condition, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita.

Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to the earth dhatu, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness dhatus, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita. Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection.

With regard to ignorance, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, becoming, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and distress, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita. Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection.

With regard to inner emptiness, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of the ultimate meaning, emptiness of the conditioned, emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of non-change, emptiness of intrinsic nature, emptiness of individual characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all dharmas, emptiness of the ungraspable, emptiness of nonexistence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita.

Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to suchness, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the dharma realm, the nature of dharmas, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the certainty of dharmas, the abiding of dharmas, the limit of reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita.

Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to the Noble Truth of suffering, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the Noble Truths of the origin of suffering, cessation, and the path, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita. Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection.

With regard to the perfection of generosity, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the perfections of pure morality, patient acceptance, vigor, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita. Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to the four meditative absorptions, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the four immeasurables and the four formless concentrations, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita.

Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to the eight liberations, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten totality spheres, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita. Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection.

With regard to the four foundations of mindfulness, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the Noble Eightfold Path, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita. Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection.

With regard to the liberation gateway of emptiness, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the liberation gateways of signlessness and wishlessness, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita. Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to the five kinds of eyes, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita; with regard to the six superknowledges, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, he cultivates prajnaparamita.

Through this absence of attachment, his cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to the ten powers of a Buddha, that great bodhisattva, taking non-attainment as a skillful means, cultivates prajnaparamita;

with regard to the four fearlessnesses, the four unhindered understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha, cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means. Because of this non-attachment, the cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to the Dharma of never-failing mindfulness, that great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means; with regard to the nature of constant equanimity, the great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means.

Because of this non-attachment, the cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to the knowledge of all things, that great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means; with regard to the knowledge of the aspects of the path and the knowledge of all aspects, the great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means. Because of this non-attachment, the cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection.

With regard to all dharani gateways, that great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means; with regard to all samadhi gateways, the great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means. Because of this non-attachment, the cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to stream-enterers, that great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means; with regard to once-returners, non-returners, and arhats, the great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means.

Because of this non-attachment, the cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to those progressing toward stream-entry and the fruit of stream-entry, that great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means; with regard to those progressing toward once-returning and the fruit of once-returning, those progressing toward non-returning and the fruit of non-returning, and those progressing toward arhatship and the fruit of arhatship, the great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means.

Because of this non-attachment, the cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to pratyekabuddhas, that great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means; with regard to the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood, the great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means. Because of this non-attachment, the cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection.

With regard to great bodhisattvas, that great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means; with regard to the practices of great bodhisattvas, the great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means. Because of this non-attachment, the cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection. With regard to Samyaksambuddhas, that great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means; with regard to the fruit of supreme enlightenment, the great bodhisattva cultivates prajnaparamita by taking non-attainment as skillful means.

Because of this non-attachment, the cultivation is swiftly brought to perfection.

Kausika! It is like the various kinds of trees in Jambudvipa: although their boughs, branches, trunks, roots, flowers, leaves, fruits, and seeds have many different shapes and colors, their shadows are entirely without difference. In the same way, although generosity, pure ethical discipline, patient endurance, diligent effort, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita each differ from one another, because they are embraced by prajnaparamita, dedicated to the knowledge of all-knowing wisdom, and practiced by taking non-attainment as skillful means, there is likewise no difference among them.

At that time, Sakra, Lord of the Devas, addressed the Buddha: “World-Honored One! Such prajnaparamita accomplishes vast and supreme merit; such prajnaparamita accomplishes all supreme merits; such prajnaparamita accomplishes immeasurable supreme merit; such prajnaparamita accomplishes perfect supreme merit; such prajnaparamita accomplishes boundless supreme merit; such prajnaparamita accomplishes unequaled supreme merit; such prajnaparamita accomplishes inexhaustible supreme merit; such prajnaparamita accomplishes limitless supreme merit; such prajnaparamita accomplishes incomparable supreme merit; such prajnaparamita accomplishes inconceivable supreme merit; such prajnaparamita accomplishes supreme merit that cannot be fully expressed.

“World-Honored One! Suppose good men, good women, and others copy this exceedingly profound prajnaparamita, adorn it with precious substances, and, with innumerable kinds of exquisite flower garlands, ointments, powdered incense, and so forth, garments, necklaces, banners, canopies, precious gems, music, lamps, and all their possessions, reverently make offerings to it, honor and praise it, practice in accordance with what the sutra teaches, and contemplate it in accord with reality. Or suppose good men, good women, and others copy this exceedingly profound prajnaparamita and give it to others to uphold, causing it to circulate widely. Of these two kinds of merit, which is greater?”

The Buddha said: “Kausika! I shall ask you a question in return; answer according to your understanding. Suppose good men, good women, and others obtain relics of the Buddha, place them in a precious casket, and enshrine them in the highest place.

They then reverently make offerings to them, honor and praise them with innumerable kinds of exquisite flower garlands, ointments, powdered incense, and so forth, garments, necklaces, banners, canopies, precious gems, music, lamps, and all their possessions. Or suppose good men, good women, and others obtain relics of the Buddha and divide them into portions as small as mustard seeds to give to other people, causing them reverently to accept and enshrine them in accordance with the Dharma.

They then reverently make offerings to them, honor and praise them with innumerable kinds of exquisite flower garlands, ointments, powdered incense, and so forth, garments, necklaces, banners, canopies, precious gems, music, lamps, and all their possessions. What do you think? Of these former and latter kinds of merit, which is greater?”

Sakra, Lord of the Devas, addressed the Buddha: “World-Honored One! As I understand the meaning of the Dharma taught by the Buddha, suppose good men, good women, and others obtain relics of the Buddha, place them in a precious casket, and enshrine them in the highest place. They then reverently make offerings to them, honor and praise them with innumerable kinds of exquisite flower garlands, ointments, powdered incense, and so forth, garments, necklaces, banners, canopies, precious gems, music, lamps, and all their possessions.

Or suppose good men, good women, and others obtain relics of the Buddha and divide them into portions as small as mustard seeds to give to other people, causing them reverently to accept and enshrine them in accordance with the Dharma. They then reverently make offerings to them, honor and praise them with innumerable kinds of exquisite flower garlands, ointments, powdered incense, and so forth, garments, necklaces, banners, canopies, precious gems, music, lamps, and all their possessions.

Of these two kinds of merit, the latter is greater. Why? Because all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, originally observed the various kinds of sentient beings with great compassion, so that those who reverently honor and make offerings at the places where relics of the Buddha are enshrined might be delivered.

With the power of the vajra-like samadhi, the Tathagata crushed his vajra body into pieces as small as mustard seeds, and through his vast and profound great compassion and spiritual power blessed those relics of the Buddha, so that after the Tathagata’s entrance into nirvana, anyone who obtains even a single relic as small as a mustard seed and makes offerings to it with various gifts will gain boundless merit: among devas and humans, that person will enjoy sublime pleasures and ultimately be completely liberated from suffering.

Therefore, the merit of one who gives relics to others is exceedingly great.”

Fascicle 129

End