大般若波羅蜜多經

02

At that time, the great bodhisattva Maitreya said to the Elder Subhuti: “Venerable sir! When that great bodhisattva takes such matters as objects and gives rise to a mind of sympathetic joy and dedication, in reality there are no such objective matters corresponding to the characteristics apprehended by that great bodhisattva.”

The Venerable Subhuti said: “Great Being! If there are no objective matters corresponding to the characteristics apprehended, then that great bodhisattva’s mind of sympathetic joy and dedication employs the apprehension of characteristics as a skillful means and takes as its objects the countless, immeasurable, and boundless worlds throughout the ten directions. In each world are the roots of virtue possessed by the countless, immeasurable, and boundless Buddhas who have entered nirvana, from their first arousal of the mind of awakening until the disappearance of their Dharma, as well as all the roots of virtue possessed by their assemblies of disciples.

Gathering all these together, the bodhisattva rejoices in them here and now and dedicates them to unsurpassed perfect awakening. Is not such an arousal of sympathetic joy and dedication a distortion? Just as regarding the impermanent as permanent is a distortion of perception, a distortion of mind, and a distortion of view; regarding suffering as happiness is a distortion of perception, a distortion of mind, and a distortion of view; regarding what is not self as self is a distortion of perception, a distortion of mind, and a distortion of view; and regarding the impure as pure is a distortion of perception, a distortion of mind, and a distortion of view—so too is the apprehension of characteristics in what is signless.

Great Being! Just as the objective matters do not truly exist, so too does the mind of sympathetic joy; so too do the roots of virtue and so forth; so too does unsurpassed perfect awakening; so too do form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; so too do the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind ayatanas; so too do the form, sound, odor, taste, tangible object, and mental-object ayatanas; so too do the eye dhatu, form dhatu, eye-consciousness dhatu, eye-contact, and the feelings arising with eye-contact as condition; so too do the ear dhatu, sound dhatu, ear-consciousness dhatu, ear-contact, and the feelings arising with ear-contact as condition;

so too do the nose dhatu, odor dhatu, nose-consciousness dhatu, nose-contact, and the feelings arising with nose-contact as condition; so too do the tongue dhatu, taste dhatu, tongue-consciousness dhatu, tongue-contact, and the feelings arising with tongue-contact as condition; so too do the body dhatu, tangible-object dhatu, body-consciousness dhatu, body-contact, and the feelings arising with body-contact as condition; so too do the mind dhatu, mental-object dhatu, mind-consciousness dhatu, mind-contact, and the feelings arising with mind-contact as condition; so too do the earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness dhatus;

so too do ignorance, formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, becoming, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and distress; so too do generosity, pure ethical discipline, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita;

so too do internal emptiness, external emptiness, internal-and-external 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 nonchange, 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;

so too do suchness, the dharma-dhatu, the nature of dharmas, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature free from arising, the certainty of dharmas, the abidingness of dharmas, the ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; so too do the Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path; so too do the four meditative concentrations, the four immeasurables, and the four formless absorptions; so too do the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive absorptions, and the ten spheres of totality;

so too do 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; so too do the Dharma gates of liberation through emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; so too do the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges; so too do 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; so too do the Dharma of nonforgetfulness and the nature of constant equanimity; so too do the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the path, and the knowledge of all aspects;

so too do all dharani Dharma gates and all samadhi Dharma gates; so too do the paths of the sravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and the Great Vehicle.

“Great Being! If the objective matters do not truly exist, then so too does the mind of sympathetic joy and dedication; so too do the roots of virtue and so forth; so too does unsurpassed perfect awakening; so too do form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness; so too do the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind ayatanas; so too do the form, sound, odor, taste, tangible object, and mental-object ayatanas; so too do the eye dhatu, form dhatu, eye-consciousness dhatu, eye-contact, and the feelings arising with eye-contact as condition; so too do the ear dhatu, sound dhatu, ear-consciousness dhatu, ear-contact, and the feelings arising with ear-contact as condition;

so too do the nose dhatu, odor dhatu, nose-consciousness dhatu, nose-contact, and the feelings arising with nose-contact as condition; so too do the tongue dhatu, taste dhatu, tongue-consciousness dhatu, tongue-contact, and the feelings arising with tongue-contact as condition; so too do the body dhatu, tangible-object dhatu, body-consciousness dhatu, body-contact, and the feelings arising with body-contact as condition; so too do the mind dhatu, mental-object dhatu, mind-consciousness dhatu, mind-contact, and the feelings arising with mind-contact as condition; so too do the earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness dhatus;

so too do ignorance, formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, becoming, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and distress; so too do generosity, pure ethical discipline, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita;

so too do internal emptiness, external emptiness, internal-and-external 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 nonchange, 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;

so too do suchness, the dharma-dhatu, the nature of dharmas, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature free from arising, the certainty of dharmas, the abidingness of dharmas, the ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; so too do the Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path; so too do the four meditative concentrations, the four immeasurables, and the four formless absorptions; so too do the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive absorptions, and the ten spheres of totality; so too do the four establishments of mindfulness, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold noble path;

so too do the gates of liberation through emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; so too do the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges; so too do 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; so too do the Dharma of nonforgetfulness and the nature of constant equanimity; so too do the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the path, and the knowledge of all aspects; so too do all dharani Dharma gates and all samadhi Dharma gates; so too do the paths of the sravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and the Great Vehicle.

What are the objects? What are the matters? What is the mind of sympathetic joy and dedication?

What are the roots of virtue and so forth? What is unsurpassed perfect awakening, to which the great bodhisattva, taking such things as objects, gives rise to a mind of sympathetic joy and dedicates it to unsurpassed perfect awakening?”

The bodhisattva Maitreya replied: “Venerable Sir! If a great bodhisattva has long cultivated the six paramitas, has made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, has planted roots of goodness in previous lives, has long since brought forth great vows, has been accepted and sustained by spiritual friends, and has thoroughly learned the emptiness of the intrinsic characteristics of all dharmas, then that great bodhisattva is able, with regard to the object contemplated, to give rise to sympathetic joy and dedicate roots of goodness and the like to unsurpassed awakening.

Without apprehending the characteristics of unsurpassed awakening or of any dharma, such a bodhisattva is nevertheless able to give rise to sympathetic joy and dedicate it to unsurpassed awakening. Such sympathetic joy and dedication employ neither duality nor nonduality as skillful means; neither characteristics nor the absence of characteristics as skillful means; neither attainment nor nonattainment as skillful means; neither defilement nor purity as skillful means; and neither arising nor cessation as skillful means.

With regard to the object contemplated, up to and including unsurpassed awakening, the bodhisattva is able to refrain from apprehending characteristics; because no characteristics are apprehended, this does not fall within the scope of cognitive inversion.

“If a bodhisattva has not long cultivated the six paramitas, has never made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, has not planted roots of goodness in previous lives, has not long since brought forth great vows, has not been accepted and sustained by spiritual friends, and has not thoroughly learned the emptiness of the intrinsic characteristics of all dharmas, then, when that bodhisattva gives rise to sympathetic joy regarding the object contemplated and dedicates roots of goodness and the like to unsurpassed awakening, the bodhisattva still apprehends the characteristics of unsurpassed awakening and of all dharmas. Having thus given rise to sympathetic joy and dedication, the bodhisattva, because of apprehending characteristics, remains within the sphere of cognitive inversion.

“Furthermore, Venerable Sir! Prajnaparamita should not be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like; nor should the paramitas of meditative concentration, vigor, patient acceptance, pure moral discipline, and generosity be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like. The emptiness of the internal should not be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like;

nor should 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 immutable, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of intrinsic characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the unapprehensible, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, or the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like.

Suchness should not be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like; nor should the dharma realm, the nature of dharmas, the nature free from falsity, the immutable nature, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the fixed order of dharmas, the abiding order of dharmas, reality’s limit, the realm of space, or the inconceivable realm be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like.

The noble truth of suffering should not be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like; nor should the noble truths of the origin, cessation, and path be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like. The four meditative absorptions should not be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like; nor should the four immeasurables or the four formless absorptions be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like.

The eight liberations should not be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like; nor should the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive absorptions, or the ten totalities be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like. The four foundations of mindfulness should not be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like; nor should 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 be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like.

The gateway to liberation through emptiness should not be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like; nor should the gateways to liberation through signlessness and wishlessness be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like. The five kinds of eyes should not be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like; nor should the six superknowledges be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like.

The ten powers of a Buddha should not be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like; nor should the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed knowledges, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, or the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like. The Dharma of never losing mindfulness should not be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like; nor should the nature of constant equanimity be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like.

The knowledge of all things should not be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like; nor should the knowledge of the aspects of the paths or the knowledge of all aspects be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like. All dharani gateways should not be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like; nor should all samadhi gateways be expounded before those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like.

The emptiness of the intrinsic characteristics of all dharmas should not be expounded before those great bodhisattvas who are newly training in the Mahayana and the like. Why is this? Venerable Sir!

Although those who are newly training as Mahayana bodhisattvas and the like possess a little reverence, faith, and aspiration toward such dharmas, after hearing them they are likely to forget them, become bewildered and afraid, and give rise to slander.”

Furthermore, Venerable Sir! If an irreversible great bodhisattva, or someone who has formerly made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted roots of goodness in previous lives, long ago made great vows, and has been embraced and sustained by good spiritual friends, is present, then one should extensively expound before them the prajnaparamita, meditative concentration, vigor, patience, moral discipline, and generosity paramitas.

If an irreversible great bodhisattva, or someone who has formerly made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted roots of goodness in previous lives, long ago made great vows, and has been embraced and sustained by good spiritual friends, is present, then one should extensively expound before them 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 the immutable, 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 self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence.

If an irreversible great bodhisattva, or someone who has formerly made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted roots of goodness in previous lives, long ago made great vows, and has been embraced and sustained by good spiritual friends, is present, then one should extensively expound before them suchness, the dharma-dhatu, the nature of dharmas, the nature free from falsity, the immutable nature, the nature of equality, the nature free from arising, the certainty of dharmas, the abiding of dharmas, the true limit, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm.

If an irreversible great bodhisattva, or someone who has formerly made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted roots of goodness in previous lives, long ago made great vows, and has been embraced and sustained by good spiritual friends, is present, then one should extensively expound before them 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.

If an irreversible great bodhisattva, or someone who has formerly made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted roots of goodness in previous lives, long ago made great vows, and has been embraced and sustained by good spiritual friends, is present, then one should extensively expound before them the four meditative concentrations and the four formless attainments. If an irreversible great bodhisattva, or someone who has formerly made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted roots of goodness in previous lives, long ago made great vows, and has been embraced and sustained by good spiritual friends, is present, then one should extensively expound before them the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive attainments, and the ten spheres of totality.

If an irreversible great bodhisattva, or someone who has formerly made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted roots of goodness in previous lives, long ago made great vows, and has been embraced and sustained by good spiritual friends, is present, then one should extensively expound before them 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.

If an irreversible great bodhisattva, or someone who has formerly made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted roots of goodness in previous lives, long ago made great vows, and has been embraced and sustained by good spiritual friends, is present, then one should extensively expound before them the gateway to liberation through emptiness, the gateway to liberation through signlessness, and the gateway to liberation through wishlessness.

If an irreversible great bodhisattva, or someone who has formerly made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted roots of goodness in previous lives, long ago made great vows, and has been embraced and sustained by good spiritual friends, is present, then one should extensively expound before them the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges. If an irreversible great bodhisattva, or someone who has formerly made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted roots of goodness in previous lives, long ago made great vows, and has been embraced and sustained by good spiritual friends, is present, then one should extensively expound before them 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.

If an irreversible great bodhisattva, or someone who has formerly made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted roots of goodness in previous lives, long ago made great vows, and has been embraced and sustained by good spiritual friends, is present, then one should extensively expound before them the quality of never losing mindfulness and the nature of constant equanimity. If an irreversible great bodhisattva, or someone who has formerly made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted roots of goodness in previous lives, long ago made great vows, and has been embraced and sustained by good spiritual friends, is present, then one should extensively expound before them the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the path, and the knowledge of all aspects.

If an irreversible great bodhisattva, or someone who has formerly made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted roots of goodness in previous lives, long ago made great vows, and has been embraced and sustained by good spiritual friends, is present, then one should extensively expound before them all dharani gateways and all samadhi gateways. If an irreversible great bodhisattva, or someone who has formerly made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted roots of goodness in previous lives, long ago made great vows, and has been embraced and sustained by good spiritual friends, is present, then one should extensively expound before them the meaning of the emptiness of the individual characteristics of all dharmas.

Why is this? Venerable Sir! It is because such irreversible great bodhisattvas, and those who have formerly made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, planted roots of goodness in previous lives, long ago made great vows, and have been embraced and sustained by good spiritual friends, are all able to receive and retain this Dharma when they hear it and will never forget it.

Therefore, their minds are not bewildered; they are neither startled nor afraid, and they do not disparage it.

At that time, the Venerable Subhuti said to the Bodhisattva Maitreya: When a great bodhisattva, by means of such sympathetic joy, creates meritorious deeds and dedicates them toward unsurpassed awakening, this is called the mental act of dedication through sympathetic joy. Yet this mental act has ceased, perished, departed, and changed; its object and the roots of goodness have likewise ceased, perished, departed, and changed, just as the mind has.

Among these, what is the mental act? Furthermore, what is taken as the object and the roots of goodness when one speaks of dedicating them through sympathetic joy toward unsurpassed awakening? That mind cannot rightly rejoice in and dedicate another mind, because two minds do not arise simultaneously.

Nor can a mind rejoice in and dedicate itself, because mind is its own nature.

Venerable Sir! If, while cultivating prajnaparamita, a great bodhisattva is able to know in accordance with reality: form has no existence of its own; feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness have no existence of their own; the eye ayatana has no existence of its own; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind ayatanas have no existence of their own; the form ayatana has no existence of its own; the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, and mental-object ayatanas have no existence of their own; the eye dhatu has no existence of its own; the form dhatu, the eye-consciousness dhatu, eye-contact, and the feelings arising with eye-contact as condition have no existence of their own; the ear dhatu has no existence of its own;

the sound dhatu, the ear-consciousness dhatu, ear-contact, and the feelings arising with ear-contact as condition have no existence of their own; the nose dhatu has no existence of its own; the odor dhatu, the nose-consciousness dhatu, nose-contact, and the feelings arising with nose-contact as condition have no existence of their own; the tongue dhatu has no existence of its own; the taste dhatu, the tongue-consciousness dhatu, tongue-contact, and the feelings arising with tongue-contact as condition have no existence of their own; the body dhatu has no existence of its own; the tangible-object dhatu, the body-consciousness dhatu, body-contact, and the feelings arising with body-contact as condition have no existence of their own; the mind dhatu has no existence of its own;

the mental-object dhatu, the mind-consciousness dhatu, mind-contact, and the feelings arising with mind-contact as condition have no existence of their own; the earth dhatu has no existence of its own; the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness dhatus have no existence of their own; ignorance has no existence of its own; formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and distress have no existence of their own; the perfection of generosity has no existence of its own; the perfections of pure morality, patient endurance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita have no existence of their own; internal emptiness has no existence of its own;

external emptiness, internal-and-external 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 nonchange, 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 nonbeing, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the nonbeing of self-nature have no existence of their own; suchness has no existence of its own;

the Dharma realm, 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 reality-limit, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm have no existence of their own; the Noble Truth of suffering has no existence of its own; the Noble Truths of the origin, cessation, and path have no existence of their own; the four meditative absorptions have no existence of their own; the four right efforts, four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of awakening, and eight factors of the Noble Path have no existence of their own; the eight liberations have no existence of their own;

the eight spheres of mastery, nine successive attainments, and ten spheres of totality have no existence of their own; the four foundations of mindfulness have no existence of their own; the four right efforts, four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of awakening, and eight factors of the Noble Path have no existence of their own; the emptiness gateway to liberation has no existence of its own; the signless and wishless gateways to liberation have no existence of their own; the five kinds of eyes have no existence of their own; the six superknowledges have no existence of their own; the ten powers of a Buddha have no existence of their own;

the four fearlessnesses, four kinds of unhindered understanding, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha have no existence of their own; the Dharma of nonforgetfulness has no existence of its own; the nature of constant equanimity has no existence of its own; the knowledge of all things has no existence of its own; the knowledge of the aspects of the paths and the knowledge of all aspects have no existence of their own; all dharani gateways have no existence of their own; all samadhi gateways have no existence of their own; the fruit of stream-entry has no existence of its own; the fruits of once-returning, non-returning, and arhatship have no existence of their own;

the awakening of a pratyekabuddha has no existence of its own; the practices of a great bodhisattva have no existence of their own; unsurpassed perfect awakening has no existence of its own.

Venerable Sir! Having thus known in accordance with reality that all dharmas have no existence of their own, that great bodhisattva employs the merit-producing deeds associated with sympathetic joy and dedicates them to unsurpassed perfect awakening. This is called an undistorted dedication, through sympathetic joy, to unsurpassed perfect awakening.

At that time, the god Shakra said to the Venerable Subhuti: Venerable Sir! When great bodhisattvas newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle hear such a Dharma, will their minds not become confused and frightened? Venerable Sir! How should great bodhisattvas newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle dedicate all the roots of goodness they have cultivated to unsurpassed perfect awakening? Venerable Sir! How should great bodhisattvas newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle embrace the merit-producing deeds associated with sympathetic joy and dedicate them to unsurpassed perfect awakening?

At that time, the Venerable Subhuti, relying upon the sustaining spiritual power of Bodhisattva Maitreya, said to Sakra, Lord of the Gods: “Kausika! If a great bodhisattva newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle cultivates prajnaparamita, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of prajnaparamita; if he cultivates the paramitas of meditative concentration, diligence, patience, pure morality, and generosity, employing non-attainment as a skillful means, this is the embracing of prajnaparamita;

if he cultivates the paramitas of meditative concentration, diligence, patience, pure morality, and generosity, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the paramitas of meditative concentration, diligence, patience, pure morality, and generosity; if he abides in the emptiness of the internal, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the emptiness of the internal;

if he abides in 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 non-change, 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 self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means,

this is the embracing of the emptiness of the external through the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence; if he abides in suchness, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of suchness; if he abides in 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, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the dharma realm through the inconceivable realm;

if he abides in the Noble Truth of suffering, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the Noble Truth of suffering; if he abides in the Noble Truths of the origin, cessation, and path, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the Noble Truths of the origin, cessation, and path; if he cultivates the four meditative concentrations, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the four meditative concentrations;

if he cultivates the four immeasurables and the four formless absorptions, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the four immeasurables and the four formless absorptions; if he cultivates the eight liberations, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the eight liberations; if he cultivates the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive absorptions, and the ten total spheres, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive absorptions, and the ten total spheres;

if he cultivates the four foundations of mindfulness, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the four foundations of mindfulness; if he cultivates 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, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the four right efforts through the eightfold noble path; if he cultivates the emptiness gateway to liberation, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the emptiness gateway to liberation;

if he cultivates the signless and wishless gateways to liberation, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the signless and wishless gateways to liberation; if he cultivates the five kinds of eyes, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the five kinds of eyes; if he cultivates the six superknowledges, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the six superknowledges; if he cultivates the ten powers of a Buddha, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the ten powers of a Buddha;

if he cultivates 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, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the four fearlessnesses through the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha; if he cultivates the quality of never losing mindfulness, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the quality of never losing mindfulness;

if he cultivates the nature of constant equanimity, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the nature of constant equanimity; if he cultivates the knowledge of all things, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the knowledge of all things; if he cultivates the knowledge of the aspects of the paths and the knowledge of all aspects, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the knowledge of the aspects of the paths and the knowledge of all aspects;

if he cultivates all dharani gateways, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of all dharani gateways; if he cultivates all samadhi gateways, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of all samadhi gateways; if he cultivates the practices of a great bodhisattva, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the practices of a great bodhisattva; if he cultivates the fruit of unsurpassed enlightenment, employing non-attainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, this is the embracing of the fruit of unsurpassed enlightenment.”

O Kausika! Through these causes and conditions, that great bodhisattva gains profound confidence and understanding in prajnaparamita; gains profound confidence and understanding in the perfections of meditative concentration, vigor, patient endurance, pure morality, and generosity; gains profound confidence and understanding in the emptiness of the internal;

gains profound confidence and understanding in 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 bounds, 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 unapprehensible, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence; gains profound confidence and understanding in suchness;

gains profound confidence and understanding in the dharma-dhatu, the nature of dharmas, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the fixed order of dharmas, the abiding order of dharmas, the ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm in which there is nothing to be possessed; gains profound confidence and understanding in the Noble Truth of suffering; gains profound confidence and understanding in the Noble Truths of the origin, cessation, and path; gains profound confidence and understanding in the four meditative concentrations;

gains profound confidence and understanding that the four right efforts, four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of awakening, and eightfold noble path are devoid of anything that can be possessed; gains profound confidence and understanding in the eight liberations; gains profound confidence and understanding that the eight spheres of mastery, nine successive meditative attainments, and ten totalities are devoid of anything that can be possessed; gains profound confidence and understanding in the four foundations of mindfulness; gains profound confidence and understanding that the four right efforts, four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of awakening, and eightfold noble path are devoid of anything that can be possessed;

gains profound confidence and understanding in the gateway to liberation through emptiness; gains profound confidence and understanding in the gateways to liberation through signlessness and wishlessness; gains profound confidence and understanding in the five kinds of eyes; gains profound confidence and understanding in the six superknowledges; gains profound confidence and understanding in the ten powers of a Buddha; gains profound confidence and understanding in the four fearlessnesses, four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha; gains profound confidence and understanding in the Dharma of never losing mindfulness;

gains profound confidence and understanding in the nature of constant equanimity; gains profound confidence and understanding in the knowledge of all things; gains profound confidence and understanding in the knowledge of the aspects of the path and the knowledge of all aspects; gains profound confidence and understanding in all dharani gateways; gains profound confidence and understanding in all samadhi gateways; gains profound confidence and understanding in the practices of a great bodhisattva; and gains profound confidence and understanding in unsurpassed perfect awakening.

O Kausika! Through these causes and conditions, that great bodhisattva is always embraced and supported by spiritual friends. With innumerable Dharma gateways and skillful explanations of their wording and meaning, those spiritual friends expound for that bodhisattva the Dharma corresponding to the perfections of prajnaparamita, meditative concentration, vigor, patient endurance, pure morality, and generosity.

By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from the perfections of prajnaparamita, meditative concentration, vigor, patient endurance, pure morality, and generosity. By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from 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 bounds, 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 unapprehensible, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence.

By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from suchness, the dharma-dhatu, the nature of dharmas, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the fixed order of dharmas, the abiding order of dharmas, the ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm.

By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from the Noble Truth of suffering, the Noble Truth of the origin, the Noble Truth of cessation, and the Noble Truth of the path. By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from the four meditative concentrations, four immeasurable states, and four formless absorptions.

By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from the eight liberations, eight spheres of mastery, nine successive meditative attainments, and ten totalities. By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from the four foundations of mindfulness, four right efforts, four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of awakening, and eightfold noble path.

By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from the gateways to liberation through emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from the five kinds of eyes and six superknowledges.

By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from the ten powers of a Buddha, four fearlessnesses, four unobstructed understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha. By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from the Dharma of never losing mindfulness and the nature of constant equanimity.

By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the path, and the knowledge of all aspects. By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from all dharani gateways and all samadhi gateways.

By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from the practices of a great bodhisattva. By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from unsurpassed perfect awakening.

They also explain the various works of Mara, so that after hearing about them, the bodhisattva's mind neither increases nor diminishes with regard to any of Mara's works. Why is this? Because the nature of all the works of Mara is devoid of anything that can be possessed and cannot be apprehended.

By instructing and guiding that bodhisattva with such teachings, they also enable the bodhisattva eventually to enter the bodhisattva's certainty of freedom from arising and never to depart from the Blessed Buddhas. Because the bodhisattva has planted roots of virtue in the presence of the Buddhas and is further embraced and supported by those roots of virtue, the bodhisattva is always born into the family of great bodhisattvas and, until attaining unsurpassed perfect awakening, never departs from those roots of virtue.

O Kausika! If a great bodhisattva newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle is able in this manner to employ nonattainment as a skillful means and signlessness as a skillful means, thereby gathering all virtues, to gain profound confidence and understanding in those virtues, and always to be embraced and supported by spiritual friends, then upon hearing such Dharma, that bodhisattva's mind will not become confused, startled, or afraid.

Furthermore, Kausika! A great bodhisattva newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle, in accordance with the cultivation of the perfections of generosity, pure ethical discipline, patient acceptance, vigor, meditation, and prajnaparamita, employs non-apprehension as the skillful means and signlessness as the skillful means, and together with all sentient beings dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening;

in accordance with abiding in 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 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,

employs non-apprehension as the skillful means and signlessness as the skillful means, and together with all sentient beings dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening; in accordance with abiding in suchness, the dharma-realm, the nature of dharmas, the nature that is not false, the nature that is unchanging, the nature of equality, the nature free from arising, the certainty of dharmas, the abiding of dharmas, the ultimate reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm, employs non-apprehension as the skillful means and signlessness as the skillful means, and together with all sentient beings dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening;

in accordance with abiding in the Noble Truth of suffering, the Noble Truth of its origin, the Noble Truth of its cessation, and the Noble Truth of the path, employs non-apprehension as the skillful means and signlessness as the skillful means, and together with all sentient beings dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening; in accordance with cultivating the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations, employs non-apprehension as the skillful means and signlessness as the skillful means, and together with all sentient beings dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening;

in accordance with cultivating the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten spheres of totality, employs non-apprehension as the skillful means and signlessness as the skillful means, and together with all sentient beings dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening; in accordance with cultivating 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, employs non-apprehension as the skillful means and signlessness as the skillful means, and together with all sentient beings dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening;

in accordance with cultivating the liberation gateway of emptiness and the liberation gateways of signlessness and wishlessness, employs non-apprehension as the skillful means and signlessness as the skillful means, and together with all sentient beings dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening; in accordance with abiding in the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges, employs non-apprehension as the skillful means and signlessness as the skillful means, and together with all sentient beings dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening;

in accordance with cultivating 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, employs non-apprehension as the skillful means and signlessness as the skillful means, and together with all sentient beings dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening; in accordance with cultivating the Dharma of never losing mindfulness and the nature of constant equanimity, employs non-apprehension as the skillful means and signlessness as the skillful means, and together with all sentient beings dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening;

in accordance with cultivating the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and the knowledge of all aspects, employs non-apprehension as the skillful means and signlessness as the skillful means, and together with all sentient beings dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening; in accordance with cultivating all dharani gateways and all samadhi gateways, employs non-apprehension as the skillful means and signlessness as the skillful means, and together with all sentient beings dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening;

in accordance with cultivating the practices of great bodhisattvas, employs non-apprehension as the skillful means and signlessness as the skillful means, and together with all sentient beings dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening; in accordance with cultivating unsurpassed perfect awakening, employs non-apprehension as the skillful means and signlessness as the skillful means, and together with all sentient beings dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening.

Furthermore, Kausika! A great bodhisattva newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle should contemplate the innumerable, immeasurable, and boundless worlds throughout the ten directions. In each world there are innumerable, immeasurable, and boundless Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Awakened Ones who have severed the paths leading to all forms of existence, utterly ended the paths of conceptual proliferation, laid down their burdens, removed the thorns of the villages, purified all fetters of existence, perfected right knowledge, completely liberated their minds, and skillfully taught the essential Dharma.

The aggregates of ethical discipline, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation perfected by all these Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Awakened Ones and their disciples, all the various merits they have accomplished, and all the roots of virtue planted in various places—such as the roots of virtue planted by the great kshatriya clans, the great brahmin clans, the great householder clans, the great lay clans, and so forth; or the roots of virtue planted by the gods of the Four Great Kings, the Thirty-Three Gods, the Yama Gods, the Tushita Gods, the Gods Who Delight in Emanations, and the Gods Who Exercise Mastery over Others’ Emanations;

or the roots of virtue planted by the Gods of Brahma’s Assembly, the Ministers of Brahma, Brahma’s Retinue, Great Brahma, the Gods of Light, the Gods of Lesser Light, the Gods of Immeasurable Light, the Gods of Utterly Pure Radiance, the Gods of Purity, the Gods of Lesser Purity, the Gods of Immeasurable Purity, the Gods of Pervasive Purity, the Gods of Vastness, the Gods of Lesser Vastness, the Gods of Immeasurable Vastness, and the Gods of Abundant Fruit; or the roots of virtue planted by the Gods Free from Affliction, the Gods Free from Heat, the Gods of Excellent Manifestation, the Gods of Excellent Vision, the Akanishtha Gods, and so forth.

Gathering together, weighing, considering, and comparing all such roots of virtue, the mind of sympathetic rejoicing in relation to other roots of virtue is supreme, noble, exalted, sublime, magnificent, unsurpassed, unequaled, and unexcelled. They should then use the roots of virtue produced through such sympathetic rejoicing to perform meritorious deeds and, together with all sentient beings, dedicate them toward unsurpassed perfect awakening.

At that time, the bodhisattva Maitreya asked the Venerable Subhuti: “Venerable Sir! If a great bodhisattva newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle recollects the merits of the Buddhas and their assemblies of disciples, as well as the roots of virtue planted by gods, humans, and others; gathers together, weighs, considers, and compares all such roots of virtue; and regards the mind of sympathetic rejoicing in relation to other roots of virtue as supreme, noble, exalted, sublime, magnificent, unsurpassed, unequaled, and unexcelled;

and then uses those roots of virtue arising from sympathetic rejoicing to dedicate the merit, together with all sentient beings, toward unsurpassed perfect awakening—how does that great bodhisattva avoid falling into distorted perception, distorted thought, and distorted view?”

The Venerable Subhuti replied: Great Being! If a great bodhisattva, regarding the merits obtained through recollection of the Buddhas and their disciples, does not give rise to the notion of the merits of the Buddhas and their disciples; regarding the wholesome roots planted by devas, humans, and others, does not give rise to the notion of the wholesome roots of devas, humans, and others; and regarding the mind that has arisen to rejoice and dedicate the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening, likewise does not give rise to the notion of a mind rejoicing and dedicating the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening, then the rejoicing and dedication of that great bodhisattva are free from inverted notions, an inverted mind, and inverted views.

If a great bodhisattva, regarding the merits obtained through recollection of the Buddhas and their disciples, apprehends the characteristics of the merits of the Buddhas and their disciples; regarding the wholesome roots planted by devas, humans, and others, apprehends the characteristics of those wholesome roots of devas, humans, and others; and regarding the mind that has arisen to rejoice and dedicate the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening, apprehends the characteristics of that mind which has arisen to rejoice and dedicate the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening, then the rejoicing and dedication of that great bodhisattva involve inverted notions, an inverted mind, and inverted views.

Furthermore, Great Being! If a great bodhisattva, with such a rejoicing mind, recollects the meritorious wholesome roots of all the Buddhas and their disciples, correctly knowing that this mind is subject to exhaustion, cessation, separation, and change and is not an agent that rejoices; correctly knowing that the nature of those dharmas is likewise so and that they are not objects in which one rejoices; also correctly comprehending that the nature of the dharma of the mind that dedicates is likewise so and is not an agent that dedicates;

and correctly comprehending that the nature of the dharma to which the dedication is directed is likewise so and is not an object of dedication—then, if anyone is able to rely upon what has been stated and thus rejoice and dedicate, this is right and not wrong.

That great bodhisattva should in every case rejoice and dedicate in this manner.

Furthermore, Great Being! A great bodhisattva considers all the merits obtained by all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Awakened Ones of the past, future, and present, from their first arising of the mind of awakening until their attainment of unsurpassed perfect awakening, and throughout the intervening period until the Dharma becomes extinct; the wholesome roots produced in reliance upon that Buddhadharma by disciples of the Buddhas and pratyekabuddhas; the wholesome roots planted by ordinary beings upon hearing that Dharma taught; the wholesome roots planted upon hearing that Dharma taught by nagas, spirits, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, humans, nonhumans, and others;

the wholesome roots planted upon hearing that Dharma taught by those of the great kshatriya clans, the great brahmin clans, the great householder clans, the great lay-devotee clans, and others; the wholesome roots planted upon hearing that Dharma taught by the hosts of devas in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Yama Heaven, the Tushita Heaven, the Heaven of Delighting in Emanations, and the Heaven of Mastery over Others’ Emanations;

the wholesome roots planted upon hearing that Dharma taught by the devas of the Brahma Hosts, the Ministers of Brahma, the Assembly of Brahma, Great Brahma, the Radiant Devas, the Devas of Lesser Light, the Devas of Limitless Light, the Devas of Utmost Purity of Light, the Pure Devas, the Devas of Lesser Purity, the Devas of Limitless Purity, the Devas of Universal Purity, the Vast Devas, the Devas of Lesser Vastness, the Devas of Limitless Vastness, and the Devas of Abundant Fruit; the wholesome roots planted upon hearing that Dharma taught by the Devas Free from Affliction, the Devas Free from Heat, the Devas of Excellent Manifestation, the Devas of Excellent Vision, and the Devas of the Ultimate Form Realm;

and the wholesome roots of good men, good women, and others who, upon hearing the Dharma taught, arouse the mind directed toward unsurpassed perfect awakening and diligently cultivate all the bodhisattva practices in full.

Gathering all these together, weighing and measuring them, and immediately making a comparison, the mind of rejoicing in relation to all other wholesome roots is supreme, honored, exalted, subtle and wondrous, lofty, unsurpassed, unequaled, and unexcelled. The bodhisattva then uses such wholesome roots of rejoicing, together with all sentient beings, to dedicate the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening. At that very time, the bodhisattva may correctly comprehend that all dharmas which rejoice and dedicate are subject to exhaustion, cessation, separation, and change, and that the intrinsic nature of all dharmas in which one rejoices and which one dedicates is emptiness.

Although comprehending this, the bodhisattva constantly rejoices and dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening. Again, at that very time, the bodhisattva may correctly comprehend that ultimately there is no dharma by means of which one can constantly rejoice in and dedicate merit with respect to any dharma. Why?

Because the intrinsic nature of all dharmas is emptiness, and within emptiness there are ultimately no dharmas that rejoice and dedicate, nor any dharmas in which one rejoices or to which one dedicates. Although knowing this, the bodhisattva constantly rejoices and dedicates the merit toward unsurpassed perfect awakening. If that great bodhisattva constantly rejoices and dedicates in this manner while practicing the prajnaparamita, the perfection of meditative concentration, the perfection of diligence, the perfection of patient acceptance, the perfection of pure ethical discipline, and the perfection of generosity, there are no inverted notions, no inverted mind, and no inverted views.

Why? Because that great bodhisattva does not develop attachment to the mind of rejoicing, nor to the meritorious wholesome roots in which one rejoices; does not develop attachment to the mind of dedication, nor to unsurpassed perfect awakening, toward which the dedication is directed; does not develop attachment to the mind of dedication, nor to unsurpassed perfect awakening, toward which the dedication is directed. Because there is no attachment, the bodhisattva does not fall into inversion.

The mind of rejoicing and dedication aroused by a great bodhisattva in this manner is called unsurpassed rejoicing and dedication.

Fascicle 169

End