大般若波羅蜜多經

30

Kausika! If good men and good women and others were to teach and transform all kinds of sentient beings throughout the trichiliocosm, causing them all to abide in the fruits of stream-enterer, once-returner, non-returner, and arhat, the merit they gained would not equal that of someone who taught and transformed a single sentient being, causing that being to abide in the fruit of a pratyekabuddha. Why is this? Kausika! Because the merit of the fruit of a pratyekabuddha surpasses that of stream-enterer and the other fruits by hundreds and thousands of times.

Kausika! If good men and good women and others were to teach and transform all kinds of sentient beings throughout the trichiliocosm, causing them all to abide in the fruit of a pratyekabuddha, the merit they gained would not equal that of someone who taught and transformed a single sentient being, causing that being to aspire to unsurpassed awakening. Why is this?

Kausika! Because teaching and transforming a sentient being so that the being aspires to unsurpassed awakening ensures that the Buddha-eye will not be extinguished in the world. Why is this?

Because great bodhisattvas exist, there come to be the fruits of stream-enterer, once-returner, non-returner, and arhat, as well as the fruit of a pratyekabuddha; because great bodhisattvas exist, there come to be Tathagatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Awakened Ones who attain unsurpassed awakening; and because great bodhisattvas exist, there come to be the Jewel of the Buddha, the Jewel of the Dharma, and the Jewel of the Sangha, in which all the world takes refuge and to which it makes offerings.

Therefore, Kausika, the entire world—whether devas, maras, brahmas, sramanas, brahmins, asuras, humans, nonhumans, and others—should respectfully make offerings to, honor, and praise great bodhisattvas with immeasurably exquisite flower garlands, anointing incense, powdered incense, and the like; garments, necklaces, banners, pennants, jeweled canopies, various precious gems, music, lamps, and all that they possess.

O Kausika! Therefore, you should know that if good men, good women, and others copy out such profound prajnaparamita and present it to others for recitation, or pass it among themselves to be copied and disseminated far and wide, the merit they gain will be immeasurably and boundlessly greater than the merit previously described. Why?

Because all the excellent wholesome dharmas, both worldly and supramundane, are taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita. Because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the great kshatriya clans, the great brahmin clans, the great householder clans, and the great lay clans; because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the gods of the Four Great Kings, the gods of the Thirty-Three, the Yama gods, the Tusita gods, the gods Who Delight in Creation, and the gods Who Exercise Mastery over the Creations of Others;

because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the gods of the Brahma Host, the Ministers of Brahma, the Assembly of Brahma, and Great Brahma; because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the gods of Light, the gods of Limited Light, the gods of Immeasurable Light, and the gods of Utmost Radiant Purity; because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the gods of Purity, the gods of Limited Purity, the gods of Immeasurable Purity, and the gods of Pervasive Purity;

because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the gods of Vastness, the gods of Limited Vastness, the gods of Immeasurable Vastness, and the gods of Abundant Fruit; because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the gods Free from Affliction, the gods Free from Heat, the gods of Excellent Manifestation, the gods of Excellent Vision, and the gods of the Ultimate Form Realm;

because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the gods of the Sphere of Infinite Space, the gods of the Sphere of Infinite Consciousness, the gods of the Sphere of Nothingness, and the gods of the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception; because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world 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;

because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the emptiness of the internal, the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of the internal and external, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of the unchanging, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the ungraspable, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence;

because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world suchness, the dhatu of Dharma, the nature of dharmas, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature separated from arising, the certainty of dharmas, the abiding of dharmas, the ultimate reality, the realm of empty space, and the inconceivable realm; because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world 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;

because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless attainments; because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive attainments, and the ten spheres of totality; because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold noble path;

because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the gateway to liberation through emptiness, the gateway to liberation through signlessness, and the gateway to liberation through wishlessness; because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges; because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the ten powers of a Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha;

because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the quality of never losing mindfulness and the nature of constant equanimity; because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and the knowledge of all aspects; because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world all dharani gateways and all samadhi gateways;

because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners, and arhats, as well as those practicing toward stream-entry, the fruit of stream-entry, those practicing toward once-returning, the fruit of once-returning, those practicing toward non-returning, the fruit of non-returning, those practicing toward arhatship, and the fruit of arhatship; because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world pratyekabuddhas and the realization of pratyekabuddhahood; because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world all great bodhisattvas and the practices of great bodhisattvas;

because of the dharmas taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly and Completely Awakened Ones, and the unsurpassed perfect awakening of the Buddhas.

Furthermore, Kausika! Apart from the sentient beings in this trichiliocosm, if good men, good women, and others were to teach and transform all kinds of sentient beings in ten worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, causing them all to cultivate and train in the ten wholesome courses of karma, what do you think? Would those good men, good women, and others gain much merit through these causes and conditions?

Sakra, Lord of the Gods, replied: “World-Honored One, very much indeed! Sugata, very much indeed!”

O Kausika! If good men, good women, and others copy out such profound prajnaparamita and present it to others for reading and recitation, or pass it among themselves to be copied and disseminated widely, the merit attained by those good men, good women, and others will far surpass that previously described. Why is this?

Kausika! It is because all uncontaminated dharmas are extensively taught within such a secret treasury of prajnaparamita. Individuals belonging to the lineage of the sravakas who study and practice this Dharma swiftly enter the sravakas’ certainty of transcending birth and attain the fruit of stream-entry, the fruit of once-returning, the fruit of non-returning, and the fruit of arhatship.

Individuals belonging to the lineage of the pratyekabuddhas who study and practice this Dharma swiftly enter the pratyekabuddhas’ certainty of transcending birth and gradually attain the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood. Individuals belonging to the lineage of bodhisattvas who study and practice this Dharma swiftly enter the bodhisattvas’ certainty of transcending birth, gradually cultivate the various bodhisattva practices, and attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

O Kausika! All the uncontaminated dharmas extensively taught within such a secret treasury of prajnaparamita are these: the paramita of giving, the paramita of pure morality, the paramita of patient endurance, the paramita of diligence, the paramita of meditative concentration, and the prajnaparamita;

inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, ultimate emptiness, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, absolute emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of the unchanging, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the unattainable, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence;

suchness, the dharma-dhatu, the nature of dharmas, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature transcending birth, the fixed order of Dharma, the abiding order of Dharma, the true limit, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; the four uncontaminated dhyanas, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations; the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive meditative attainments, and the ten totalities; the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the Noble Eightfold Path;

the liberation gateway of emptiness, the liberation gateway of signlessness, and the liberation gateway of wishlessness; the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges; the Buddha’s ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha; the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and the knowledge of all aspects; all dharani gateways, all samadhi gateways, and immeasurable, boundless other Buddha-dharmas—all are uncontaminated dharmas taught therein.

O Kausika! If good men, good women, and others teach and guide a single sentient being so that the being abides in the fruit of stream-entry, the merit they attain surpasses even that gained by teaching and guiding as many kinds of sentient beings as there are grains of sand in the Ganges throughout the worlds of the ten directions, causing them all to study and practice the ten wholesome courses of karma. Why is this?

Kausika! It is because sentient beings who practice the ten wholesome courses of karma are not thereby freed from the hells, the animal realm, and the realm of hungry ghosts; but sentient beings who abide in the fruit of stream-entry are forever freed from the three evil destinies. How much more, then, would the merit gained by teaching and guiding them to abide in the fruits of once-returning, non-returning, or arhatship surpass the former merit!

O Kausika! If good men, good women, and others teach and guide as many kinds of sentient beings as there are grains of sand in the Ganges throughout the worlds of the ten directions, causing them all to abide in the fruits of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, and arhatship, the merit they attain does not equal that of one who teaches and guides a single sentient being, causing that being to abide in the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood. Why is this? Kausika! It is because the merit of the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood surpasses that of stream-entry and the other fruits a hundredfold and a thousandfold.

O Kausika! If good men, good women, and others teach and guide as many kinds of sentient beings as there are grains of sand in the Ganges throughout the worlds of the ten directions, causing them all to abide in the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood, the merit they attain does not equal that of one who teaches and guides a single sentient being, causing that being to aspire toward unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. Why is this?

Kausika! It is because teaching and guiding a sentient being to aspire toward unsurpassed perfect enlightenment ensures that the Buddha-eye will never be extinguished in the world. Why is this?

Because great bodhisattvas exist, there come to be the fruits of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, and pratyekabuddhahood. Because great bodhisattvas exist, there come to be Tathagatas, Worthy Ones, Fully and Perfectly Enlightened Ones, who attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. Because great bodhisattvas exist, there come to be the Jewel of the Buddha, the Jewel of the Dharma, and the Jewel of the Sangha, in whom all the world takes refuge and to whom it makes offerings.

Therefore, Kausika, all beings in the world—whether devas, maras, brahmas, sramanas, brahmins, asuras, humans, nonhumans, and others—should respectfully make offerings to great bodhisattvas, honor and praise them, presenting immeasurable exquisite flower garlands, scented ointments, powdered incense, and the like, as well as garments, necklaces, banners, canopies adorned with precious jewels, all kinds of gems, music, lamps, and everything they possess.

O Kausika! Therefore, you should know that if good men, good women, and others copy out such profound prajnaparamita and give it to others to read and recite, or pass it from one to another to be copied and widely disseminated, the merit they acquire will immeasurably and boundlessly surpass the merit previously described. Why?

Because all the excellent wholesome dharmas, both worldly and supramundane, have been extensively taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita. Because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world great kshatriya families, great brahmin families, great merchant families, and great householder families; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the gods of the Four Great Kings, the Thirty-three Gods, the Yama Gods, the Tushita Gods, the Gods Who Delight in Transformations, and the Gods Who Exercise Mastery over the Transformations of Others;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the Gods of the Brahma Host, the Ministers of Brahma, the Assembly of Brahma, and Great Brahma; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the Gods of Light, the Gods of Lesser Light, the Gods of Immeasurable Light, and the Gods of Utmost Radiant Purity; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the Gods of Purity, the Gods of Lesser Purity, the Gods of Immeasurable Purity, and the Gods of Pervasive Purity;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the Gods of Vastness, the Gods of Lesser Vastness, the Gods of Immeasurable Vastness, and the Gods of Abundant Fruit; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the Gods Free from Affliction, the Gods Free from Heat, the Gods of Excellent Manifestation, the Gods of Excellent Vision, and the Gods of the Ultimate Form Realm; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the Gods of the Sphere of Infinite Space, the Gods of the Sphere of Infinite Consciousness, the Gods of the Sphere of Nothingness, and the Gods of the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-perception;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the perfection of generosity, the perfection of pure ethical discipline, the perfection of patient endurance, the perfection of diligence, the perfection of meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of non-change, the emptiness of fundamental nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the unobtainable, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, and the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of nonexistence;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world suchness, the dhatu of Dharma, 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 ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the Noble Truth of suffering, the Noble Truth of the origin of suffering, the Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering, and the Noble Truth of the path;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless attainments; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive attainments, and the ten totalities; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold Noble Path;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the liberation gateway of emptiness, the liberation gateway of signlessness, and the liberation gateway of wishlessness; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the ten powers of a Buddha, 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;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the Dharma of never losing mindfulness and the nature of constant equanimity; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the knowledge of all phenomena, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and the knowledge of all aspects; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world all dharani gateways and all samadhi gateways;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners, and arhats, as well as those practicing toward stream-entry and those who have attained the fruit of stream-entry, those practicing toward once-returning and those who have attained the fruit of once-returning, those practicing toward non-returning and those who have attained the fruit of non-returning, and those practicing toward arhatship and those who have attained the fruit of arhatship; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world pratyekabuddhas and the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world all great bodhisattvas and the practices of great bodhisattvas; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly and Completely Awakened Ones, and the fruit of unsurpassed awakening.

Furthermore, Kausika! Apart from the sentient beings in these worlds of the ten directions, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, suppose good men, good women, and others were to teach and transform every kind of sentient being throughout all the worlds of the ten directions, causing them all to cultivate and train in the ten courses of wholesome karma. What do you think? Would those good men, good women, and others acquire much merit through this cause and condition?

Shakra, Lord of the Gods, replied, “World-Honored One, it would be very great! Well-Gone One, it would be very great!”

The Buddha said: “Kausika, if good men and good women and others copy out this profound prajnaparamita and give it to others to read and recite, or pass it among themselves to be copied and widely disseminated, the merit gained by those good men and good women and others will be far greater than before. Why is this? Kausika, it is because all uncontaminated dharmas are extensively taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita.

Pudgalas of the sravaka lineage who cultivate and study this Dharma swiftly enter the sravaka’s certainty of rightness beyond birth, attain the fruit of stream-entry, attain the fruit of once-returning, attain the fruit of non-returning, and attain the fruit of arhatship. Pudgalas of the pratyekabuddha lineage who cultivate and study this Dharma swiftly enter the pratyekabuddha’s certainty of rightness beyond birth and gradually realize the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood.

Pudgalas of the bodhisattva lineage who cultivate and study this Dharma swiftly enter the bodhisattva’s certainty of rightness beyond birth, gradually cultivate the bodhisattva practices, and realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

“Kausika, all the uncontaminated dharmas extensively taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita are: the paramita of generosity, the paramita of pure morality, the paramita of patient acceptance, the paramita of diligence, the paramita of meditative concentration, and the paramita of wisdom;

the emptiness of the internal, the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of the internal and external, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, the emptiness of that which has no boundary, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of that which is immutable, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the unobtainable, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence;

suchness, the dharma realm, dharma-nature, the nature that is not false, the nature that is immutable, the nature of equality, the nature beyond birth, the fixed order of dharmas, the abiding order of dharmas, the limit of reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; the four uncontaminated dhyanas, the four immeasurables, and the four formless absorptions; the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive absorptions, and the ten totalities; the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path;

the liberation gateway of emptiness, the liberation gateway of signlessness, and the liberation gateway of wishlessness; the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges; 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; the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the path, and the knowledge of all aspects; all dharani gateways, all samadhi gateways, and immeasurable, boundless other Buddha-dharmas—all of these are uncontaminated dharmas taught therein.

“Kausika, if good men and good women and others guide a single sentient being to abide in the fruit of stream-entry, the merit they gain surpasses even that of guiding every kind of sentient being in all worlds throughout the ten directions to cultivate and study the ten wholesome courses of karma. Why is this? Kausika, it is because sentient beings who cultivate the ten wholesome courses of karma are not thereby freed from the hells or from the realms of animals and hungry ghosts; but sentient beings who abide in the fruit of stream-entry are forever freed from the three evil destinies. How much more, then, would the merit gained by guiding them to abide in the fruits of once-returning, non-returning, or arhatship surpass the former merit!

“Kausika, if good men and good women and others guide every kind of sentient being in all worlds throughout the ten directions to abide in the fruits of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, and arhatship, the merit they gain does not equal that of one who guides a single sentient being to become established in the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood. Why is this? Kausika, it is because the merit of the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood surpasses that of stream-entry and the other fruits by hundreds and thousands of times.

“Kausika, if good men and good women and others guide every kind of sentient being in all worlds throughout the ten directions to become established in the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood, the merit they gain does not equal that of one who guides a single sentient being to set forth toward unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. Why is this? Kausika, it is because guiding a sentient being to set forth toward unsurpassed perfect enlightenment ensures that the Buddha-eye will not be cut off in the world.

Why is this? Because great bodhisattvas exist, there are the fruits of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, and pratyekabuddhahood. Because great bodhisattvas exist, there are Tathagatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones who realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

Because great bodhisattvas exist, there are the Jewel of the Buddha, the Jewel of the Dharma, and the Jewel of the Sangha, in whom all the world takes refuge and to whom it makes offerings. Therefore, Kausika, all beings in the world—whether devas, maras, brahmas, sramanas, brahmins, asuras, humans, nonhumans, and others—should respectfully make offerings to, honor, and praise great bodhisattvas with immeasurable exquisite flower garlands, anointing perfumes, powdered incense, and the like; with garments, necklaces, banners, canopies of precious substances, all kinds of jewels, music, lamps, and every possession they have.”

Kausika! Therefore, you should know that if good men, good women, and others copy out such profound prajnaparamita and present it to others for reading and recitation, or pass it among themselves to be copied and widely disseminated, the merit they gain will be immeasurably and boundlessly greater than the merit described before. Why?

Because all the supreme wholesome dharmas, both worldly and supramundane, have been extensively taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita. Because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there comes to be in the world the great kshatriya class, the great brahmin class, the great householder class, and the great lay family class; because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the gods of the Four Great Kings, the gods of the Thirty-Three, the Yama gods, the Tushita gods, the gods Who Delight in Creation, and the gods Who Exercise Mastery over the Creations of Others;

because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the gods of the Brahma Host, the Ministers of Brahma, the Assembly of Brahma, and Great Brahma; because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the gods of Light, the gods of Limited Light, the gods of Measureless Light, and the gods of Utmost Light-Purity; because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the gods of Purity, the gods of Limited Purity, the gods of Measureless Purity, and the gods of Universal Purity;

because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the gods of Vastness, the gods of Limited Vastness, the gods of Measureless Vastness, and the gods of Abundant Fruit; because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the gods Free from Affliction, the gods Free from Heat, the Fair-Appearing gods, the Fair-Seeing gods, and the gods of the Ultimate Form Realm; because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the gods of the Sphere of Infinite Space, the gods of the Sphere of Infinite Consciousness, the gods of the Sphere of Nothingness, and the gods of the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception;

because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the perfection of generosity, the perfection of pure morality, the perfection of patient acceptance, the perfection of vigor, the perfection of meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom;

because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the emptiness of the internal, the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of the internal and external, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, the emptiness of that which has no boundaries, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of the unchanging, the emptiness of essential nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the ungraspable, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence;

because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world suchness, the dhatu of Dharma, 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 Dharma, the abiding of Dharma, the limit of reality, the realm of empty space, and the inconceivable realm; because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the Noble Truth of suffering, the Noble Truth of its origin, the Noble Truth of its cessation, and the Noble Truth of the path;

because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations; because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten spheres of totality; because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path;

because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the gateway to liberation through emptiness, the gateway to liberation through signlessness, and the gateway to liberation through wishlessness; because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges; because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the ten powers of a Buddha, 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;

because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the Dharma of never losing mindfulness and the nature of constant equanimity; because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and the knowledge of all aspects; because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world all dharani gateways and all samadhi gateways;

because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners, and arhats, as well as 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; because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world pratyekabuddhas and the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood; because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world all great bodhisattvas and the practices of great bodhisattvas;

because of the dharmas taught within this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there come to be in the world all Tathagatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Awakened Ones, and the supreme awakening of the Buddhas.

Furthermore, Kausika! If good men, good women, and others instruct all kinds of sentient beings throughout Jambudvipa, causing them all to cultivate and study the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, the four formless concentrations, and the five superknowledges, what do you think? Would those good men, good women, and others gain much merit through these causes and conditions?

Sakra, Lord of the Gods, replied: “World-Honored One! Very much indeed! Sugata! Very much indeed!”

The Buddha said: “Kausika, if good men and good women and others copy out such profound prajnaparamita and give it to others to read and recite, or pass it among themselves to be copied and disseminated widely, the merit gained by those good men and good women and others will far exceed that previously described. Why is this? Kausika, it is because all uncontaminated dharmas are extensively taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita.

Pudgalas of the shravaka lineage who study and practice this Dharma quickly enter the shravakas’ right determination transcending birth, attain the fruit of stream-entry, attain the fruit of once-returning, attain the fruit of non-returning, and attain the fruit of arhatship. Pudgalas of the pratyekabuddha lineage who study and practice this Dharma quickly enter the pratyekabuddhas’ right determination transcending birth and, in due sequence, realize the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood.

Pudgalas of the bodhisattva lineage who study and practice this Dharma quickly enter the bodhisattvas’ right determination transcending birth, progressively cultivate the bodhisattva practices, and attain unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

“Kausika, all the uncontaminated dharmas extensively taught in this treasury of the mysteries of prajnaparamita are these: the paramita of generosity, the paramita of pure morality, the paramita of patient acceptance, the paramita of diligence, the paramita of meditative concentration, and the paramita of prajna;

emptiness of the internal, emptiness of the external, emptiness of the internal and external, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of ultimate meaning, emptiness of the conditioned, emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without bounds, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of the unchanging, emptiness of intrinsic nature, emptiness of individual characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all dharmas, emptiness of the unapprehensible, emptiness of nonexistence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence;

suchness, the dharmadhatu, the nature of dharmas, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature transcending birth, the fixed order of dharmas, the abiding order of dharmas, the reality-limit, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; the four uncontaminated meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless attainments; the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive attainments, and the ten totalities; the four establishments of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eight factors of the Noble Path;

the liberation gateway of emptiness, the liberation gateway of signlessness, and the liberation gateway of wishlessness; the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges; the Buddha’s ten powers, four fearlessnesses, four unhindered understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha; the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and the knowledge of all aspects; all dharani gateways, all samadhi gateways, and immeasurable, boundless other Buddha-dharmas—all these are uncontaminated dharmas taught therein.

“Kausika, if good men and good women and others guide a single sentient being to abide in the fruit of stream-entry, the merit they gain surpasses even that gained by guiding all kinds of sentient beings in Jambudvipa to study and practice the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, the four formless attainments, and the five superknowledges. Why is this? Kausika, it is because sentient beings who practice the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, the four formless attainments, and the five superknowledges are not thereby liberated from the hells or the destinies of animals and hungry ghosts.

Yet sentient beings who abide in the fruit of stream-entry are forever liberated from the three evil destinies. How much more, then, when they guide them to abide in the fruits of once-returning, non-returning, or arhatship—would not the merit thereby gained be even greater?

“Kausika, if good men and good women and others guide all kinds of sentient beings in Jambudvipa to abide in the fruits of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, and arhatship, the merit they gain does not equal that of one who guides a single sentient being to abide in the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood. Why is this? Kausika, it is because the merit of the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood surpasses that of stream-entry and the other fruits a hundredfold and a thousandfold.

“Kausika, if good men and good women and others guide all kinds of sentient beings in Jambudvipa to abide in the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood, the merit they gain does not equal that of one who guides a single sentient being to aspire to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. Why is this? Kausika, it is because guiding a sentient being to aspire to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment ensures that the Buddha-eye will not be cut off in the world.

Why is this? Because there are great bodhisattvas, there come to be the fruits of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, and pratyekabuddhahood. Because there are great bodhisattvas, there come to be Tathagatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones who realize unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

Because there are great bodhisattvas, there come to be the Jewel of the Buddha, the Jewel of the Dharma, and the Jewel of the Sangha, in which the entire world takes refuge and to which it makes offerings. Therefore, Kausika, the entire world—whether devas, maras, brahmas, shramanas, brahmins, asuras, humans, nonhumans, and others—should respectfully make offerings to, honor, and praise great bodhisattvas with immeasurable exquisite garlands, fragrant ointments, powdered incense, and other offerings; garments, necklaces, banners, pennants, precious canopies, all kinds of precious jewels, music, lamps, and all that they possess.”

Kausika! Therefore, you should know that if good men, good women, and others copy out such profound prajnaparamita and present it to others to read and recite, or pass it among themselves to be copied and disseminated widely, the merit they gain surpasses the merit previously described by an immeasurable and boundless degree. Why?

Because all the supreme wholesome dharmas, mundane and supramundane, have been extensively taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita. Because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exists in the world the great kshatriya class, the great brahmin class, the great householder class, and the great lay-follower class; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the hosts of gods of the Four Great Kings, the Thirty-Three Gods, the Yama gods, the Tushita gods, the Delight in Creation gods, and the Mastery over Others’ Creations gods;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the Brahma Host gods, the Ministers of Brahma gods, the Assembly of Brahma gods, and the Great Brahma gods; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the Radiant gods, the Gods of Lesser Light, the Gods of Limitless Light, and the Gods of Utmost Radiant Purity; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the Pure gods, the Gods of Lesser Purity, the Gods of Limitless Purity, and the Gods of Pervasive Purity;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the Vast gods, the Gods of Lesser Vastness, the Gods of Limitless Vastness, and the Gods of Abundant Fruit; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the Gods Free from Affliction, the Gods Free from Heat, the Gods of Excellent Manifestation, the Gods of Excellent Vision, and the Akanishtha gods; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the gods of the Sphere of Infinite Space, the gods of the Sphere of Infinite Consciousness, the gods of the Sphere of Nothingness, and the gods of the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the perfection of generosity, the perfection of pure morality, the perfection of patient endurance, the perfection of diligence, the perfection of meditative concentration, and the perfection of wisdom;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world internal emptiness, external emptiness, internal-and-external emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of non-change, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the ungraspable, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world suchness, the dharma realm, dharma-nature, the nature free from falsity, the nature free from change, the nature of equality, the nature transcending arising, the certainty of dharmas, the abiding of dharmas, the limit of reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the Noble Truth of suffering, the Noble Truth of the origin of suffering, the Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering, and the Noble Truth of the path;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten spheres of totality; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold Noble Path;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the liberation gateway of emptiness, the liberation gateway of signlessness, and the liberation gateway of wishlessness; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the ten powers of a Buddha, 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;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the dharma of never losing mindfulness and the nature of constant equanimity; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and the knowledge of all aspects; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world all dharani gateways and all samadhi gateways;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners, and arhats, as well as those practicing toward stream-entry, the fruit of stream-entry, those practicing toward once-returning, the fruit of once-returning, those practicing toward non-returning, the fruit of non-returning, those practicing toward arhatship, and the fruit of arhatship; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world pratyekabuddhas and the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood; because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world all great bodhisattvas and the practices of great bodhisattvas;

because of the dharmas taught in this secret treasury of prajnaparamita, there exist in the world all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly and Completely Enlightened Ones, and the unsurpassed enlightenment of the Buddhas.

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