大般若波羅蜜多經

05

At that time, the venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha: “Blessed One! As the Blessed One has said, the sympathetic joy and dedication of merit of those good men and good women is supreme, honored, sublime, subtle, exalted, unsurpassed, unequaled, and unexcelled. Blessed One! Why do you say that such sympathetic joy and dedication of merit is supreme, honored, sublime, subtle, exalted, unsurpassed, unequaled, and unexcelled?”

The Buddha said: “Subhuti! With regard to all the roots of virtue of all Tathagatas, Worthy Ones, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, sravakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and all other sentient beings throughout the worlds of the ten directions in the past, future, and present, those good men and good women neither grasp nor reject them; they are neither arrogant nor contemptuous; they neither apprehend anything as attained nor as unattained.

Moreover, they know that all dharmas are unborn and unceasing, undefiled and unpurified, neither increasing nor diminishing, neither going nor coming, neither gathering nor dispersing, neither entering nor emerging. They think: ‘Just as the true suchness, dharma realm, dharma-nature, nature free from falsity, unchanging nature, nature of equality, nature transcending birth, fixed order of dharmas, abiding order of dharmas, ultimate reality, realm of space, and inconceivable realm of those dharmas in the past, future, and present are, so too do I rejoice in and dedicate merit.’ Subhuti!

A great bodhisattva’s arousal of sympathetic joy and dedication of merit to such an extent is what I call supreme, honored, sublime, subtle, exalted, unsurpassed, unequaled, and unexcelled. Subhuti! Such sympathetic joy and dedication of merit surpasses other forms of sympathetic joy and dedication of merit a hundredfold, a thousandfold, a hundred-thousandfold, a hundred millionfold, ten billionfold, a hundred billionfold, ten trillionfold, innumerable hundreds of thousands of millions of times—by multiples, calculations, reckonings, analogies, up to the utmost numerical measure.

Therefore, I say that such an arousal of sympathetic joy and dedication of merit is supreme, honored, sublime, subtle, exalted, unsurpassed, unequaled, and unexcelled.”

Furthermore, Subhuti! Good men and good women who abide in the bodhisattva vehicle should gather together, weigh, consider, and reflect upon all the roots of virtue possessed by all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past, future, and present throughout the worlds of the ten directions—roots of virtue associated with generosity, pure morality, patient endurance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita—from their initial generation of the aspiration for enlightenment until their attainment of unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment, their turning of the wondrous Dharma wheel, and, after their entry into nirvana without remainder, until the disappearance of the Dharma;

or their skandha of morality, skandha of concentration, skandha of wisdom, skandha of liberation, and skandha of the knowledge and vision of liberation; or their immeasurable and boundless Buddha-Dharmas; or the meritorious roots of virtue of shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas; or the three kinds of meritorious action—the nature of giving, the nature of morality, and the nature of cultivation—and the other wholesome dharmas of other sentient beings.

They should then immediately generate a mind of sympathetic joy and dedicate these merits without error. They should think thus: Just as form is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the eye ayatana is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind ayatanas are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the form ayatana is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, and dharma ayatanas are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the eye dhatu is liberated, so too is this dedication;

just as the form dhatu, the eye-consciousness dhatu, eye-contact, and the feelings arising with eye-contact as condition are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the ear dhatu is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the sound dhatu, the ear-consciousness dhatu, ear-contact, and the feelings arising with ear-contact as condition are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the nose dhatu is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the odor dhatu, the nose-consciousness dhatu, nose-contact, and the feelings arising with nose-contact as condition are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the tongue dhatu is liberated, so too is this dedication;

just as the taste dhatu, the tongue-consciousness dhatu, tongue-contact, and the feelings arising with tongue-contact as condition are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the body dhatu is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the tangible-object dhatu, the body-consciousness dhatu, body-contact, and the feelings arising with body-contact as condition are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the mind dhatu is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the dharma dhatu, the mind-consciousness dhatu, mental contact, and the feelings arising with mental contact as condition are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the earth dhatu is liberated, so too is this dedication;

just as the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness dhatus are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as ignorance is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, becoming, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and distress are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the perfection of generosity is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the perfections of pure morality, patient endurance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the emptiness of the internal is liberated, so too is this dedication;

just as 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 unobtainable, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as suchness is liberated, so too is this dedication;

just as the dharma dhatu, the nature of dharmas, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature transcending birth, the certainty of dharmas, the abiding of dharmas, the limit of reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the Noble Truth of suffering is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the Noble Truths of the origin, cessation, and path are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the four meditative absorptions are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the four immeasurables and the four formless concentrations are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the eight liberations are liberated, so too is this dedication;

just as the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten totalities are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the four foundations of mindfulness are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as 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 are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the gateway to liberation through emptiness is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the gateways to liberation through signlessness and wishlessness are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the five kinds of eyes are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the six superknowledges are liberated, so too is this dedication;

just as the ten powers of a Buddha are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as 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 are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the Dharma of never forgetting is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the nature of constant equanimity is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the knowledge of all things is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the knowledge of the aspects of the paths and the knowledge of all aspects are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as all dharani gateways are liberated, so too is this dedication;

just as all samadhi gateways are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the skandha of morality is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the skandha of concentration, the skandha of wisdom, the skandha of liberation, and the skandha of the knowledge and vision of liberation are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as all dharmas of the past, future, and present are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past, future, and present throughout the worlds of the ten directions are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the enlightenment and nirvana of all Buddhas are liberated, so too is this dedication;

just as the countless, immeasurable, and boundless Buddha-Dharmas are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as all disciples of the Buddhas are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as all the matured faculties of the disciples of the Buddhas are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the parinirvana of all disciples of the Buddhas is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as all dharmas of the disciples of the Buddhas are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as all pratyekabuddhas are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the matured faculties of the pratyekabuddhas are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the parinirvana of all pratyekabuddhas is liberated, so too is this dedication;

just as all dharmas of the pratyekabuddhas are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the nature of all dharmas of the Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, the disciples of the Buddhas, and the pratyekabuddhas is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as all sentient beings are liberated, so too is this dedication; just as the nature of all dharmas is liberated, so too is this dedication; just as every dedication made with sympathetic joy is liberated, so too is this dedication.

Just as the nature of all dharmas is neither bound nor released, neither defiled nor purified, without beginning or end, neither arising nor ceasing, neither grasping nor relinquishing, so do I immediately rejoice in and dedicate such meritorious roots of virtue toward unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment. Such sympathetic joy is neither an agent that rejoices nor an object in which one rejoices. Such dedication is neither an agent that dedicates nor an object that is dedicated.

Because sympathetic joy and dedication have been generated in this way, they neither turn nor cease, neither arise nor perish.

Subhuti! This dedication made with sympathetic joy by that great bodhisattva is supreme, venerable, exalted, subtle and wondrous, sublime, unsurpassed, unequaled, and unexcelled.

Subhuti! If a great bodhisattva accomplishes such dedication with sympathetic joy, that bodhisattva will swiftly realize unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.

Furthermore, Subhuti! If they aspire to the Great Vehicle, suppose good men and good women, and others, are able, throughout their lives, to revere, make offerings to, honor, and praise all the Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones and their assemblies of disciples presently dwelling in innumerable worlds throughout the ten directions, employing characteristics as a means and attainment as a means; and further provide them with various kinds of clothing, food and drink, bedding, medicines, other necessities of life, and excellent musical instruments.

After those Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones and their assemblies of disciples have entered nirvana, suppose they gather their relics and erect lofty and spacious stupas made of the seven precious substances, diligently revering and bowing to them day and night and circumambulating them clockwise; and further, with all they possess—garlands, ointments, powdered incense, clothing, necklaces, banners, canopies, various precious gems, exquisite music, and bright lamps—revere, make offerings to, honor, and praise them.

Suppose they also employ characteristics as a means and attainment as a means to cultivate roots of merit associated with generosity, pure ethical discipline, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, prajnaparamita, and so forth; and, employing characteristics as a means and attainment as a means, rejoice in the meritorious roots of the Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones and their disciples and dedicate them to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

Yet suppose there are good men and good women, and others, who arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed perfect enlightenment and, employing signlessness as a means and non-attainment as a means, cultivate roots of merit associated with generosity, pure ethical discipline, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, prajnaparamita, and so forth; and, employing signlessness as a means and non-attainment as a means, rejoice in the meritorious roots of the Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones and their disciples and dedicate them to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

Because these good men and good women, and others, rely upon prajnaparamita and skillful means in their rejoicing and dedication, their rejoicing and dedication surpass the previously engendered rejoicing and dedication a hundredfold, a thousandfold, a hundred-thousandfold, a kotifold, a hundred kotisfold, a thousand kotisfold, a hundred-thousand kotisfold, and innumerable hundreds of thousands of kotisfold; they surpass them beyond all multiplication, calculation, reckoning, analogy, and even the utmost numerical measure.

Therefore, such rejoicing and dedication are said to be supreme, noble, exalted, subtle and wondrous, lofty, unsurpassed, unequaled, and unexcelled. Thus, Subhuti, all great bodhisattvas who have aroused the aspiration for the Great Vehicle should employ signlessness as a means and non-attainment as a means to train in roots of merit associated with generosity, pure ethical discipline, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, prajnaparamita, and so forth.

Relying upon prajnaparamita and skillful means, they should rejoice in the meritorious roots of the Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones and their disciples and dedicate them to unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.

XXXII. CHAPTER IN PRAISE OF PRAJNAPARAMITA

01

At that time, the Venerable Sariputra addressed the Buddha: “Blessed One! Is what has thus been taught not prajnaparamita?”

The Buddha said: “Sariputra! What has thus been taught is indeed prajnaparamita.”

Then Sariputra again addressed the Buddha: “Blessed One! Such prajnaparamita is able to illuminate and is ultimately pure. Blessed One!

Such prajnaparamita should be venerated and revered; we humans and devas all honor and uphold it. Blessed One! Such prajnaparamita is free from attachment and therefore cannot be defiled by any worldly dharma.

Blessed One! Such prajnaparamita is far removed from all delusion within the three realms and is able to dispel the darkness of the afflictions. Blessed One!

Such prajnaparamita is exceedingly lofty, for among all classes of dharmas conducive to enlightenment, it is the most noble. Blessed One! Such prajnaparamita is able to bring peace and security, forever eliminating all fear, oppression, distress, and unforeseen calamities.

Blessed One! Such prajnaparamita is able to radiate light, embrace sentient beings, and enable them to attain the five kinds of eyes. Blessed One!

Such prajnaparamita is able to reveal the Middle Way, enabling those who have lost their way to escape the two extremes. Blessed One! Such prajnaparamita is able to engender the wisdom of omniscience and forever eradicate the continua and habitual tendencies of all afflictions.

Blessed One! Such prajnaparamita is the mother of the great bodhisattvas; all Buddha-dharmas cultivated by bodhisattvas arise from it. Blessed One!

Such prajnaparamita is unborn, unceasing, and empty in its intrinsic nature. Blessed One! Such prajnaparamita is far removed from birth and death; it is neither permanent nor subject to destruction.

Blessed One! Such prajnaparamita is able to serve as a refuge and bestow the treasures of the Dharma. Blessed One!

Such prajnaparamita is able to accomplish the Buddha’s ten powers and cannot be overcome. Blessed One! Such prajnaparamita is able to turn the unsurpassed Dharma wheel in three turnings and twelve aspects, reaching all dharmas and never turning back.

Blessed One! Such prajnaparamita is able to reveal clearly the undistorted nature of all dharmas and disclose that dharmas are empty and devoid of intrinsic nature.

“Blessed One! How should the various sentient beings who abide in the Bodhisattva Vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, or the Sravaka Vehicle abide in relation to this prajnaparamita?”

The Buddha said: “Sariputra! In relation to this prajnaparamita, those sentient beings should abide as they abide in relation to the Buddha. They should make offerings to, venerate, and contemplate prajnaparamita just as they make offerings to, venerate, and contemplate the Buddha, the Blessed One.

Why? Because prajnaparamita is not different from the Buddha, the Blessed One, and the Buddha, the Blessed One, is not different from prajnaparamita. Prajnaparamita is precisely the Buddha, the Blessed One, and the Buddha, the Blessed One, is precisely prajnaparamita.

Why? Sariputra! Because all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones appear by virtue of prajnaparamita.

Sariputra! All great bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, arhats, non-returners, once-returners, stream-enterers, and others appear by virtue of prajnaparamita. Sariputra!

All ten wholesome paths of karma, the four meditative concentrations, the four immeasurables, the four formless absorptions, and the five mundane superknowledges appear by virtue of prajnaparamita.”

Śāriputra! All generosity, pure morality, patient endurance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita arise through prajnaparamita. Śāriputra! All 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, boundless emptiness, 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 unattainable, emptiness of nonexistence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence arise through prajnaparamita. Śāriputra!

All 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 certainty of Dharma, the abiding of Dharma, the limit of reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm arise through prajnaparamita. Śāriputra! All 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 arise through prajnaparamita. Śāriputra!

All four meditative absorptions, four immeasurables, and four formless concentrations arise through prajnaparamita. Śāriputra! All eight liberations, eight spheres of mastery, nine successive concentrations, and ten spheres of totality arise through prajnaparamita. Śāriputra! All four foundations of mindfulness, four right efforts, four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of awakening, and eightfold Noble Path arise through prajnaparamita. Śāriputra!

All gateways to liberation through emptiness, gateways to liberation through signlessness, and gateways to liberation through wishlessness arise through prajnaparamita. Śāriputra! All five kinds of eyes and six superknowledges arise through prajnaparamita. Śāriputra! All 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 arise through prajnaparamita. Śāriputra!

All freedom from forgetfulness and the nature of constant equanimity arise through prajnaparamita. Śāriputra! All knowledge of all things, knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and knowledge of all aspects arise through prajnaparamita. Śāriputra! All dharani gateways and all samadhi gateways arise through prajnaparamita.

At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Devas, suddenly thought: For what reason has Śāriputra asked about this matter?

Śāriputra then knew his thought and said: Kauśika! Because great bodhisattvas are sustained by prajnaparamita and skillful means, they are able to gather, weigh, and consider all the roots of virtue and merit of all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly and Completely Awakened Ones throughout the worlds of the ten directions in the past, future, and present—from the interval beginning with their initial generation of the aspiration for awakening until their attainment of unsurpassed perfect awakening, their turning of the wondrous Dharma wheel, and the final disappearance of the Dharma—as well as the roots of virtue and merit of śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and other kinds of sentient beings, and thereupon rejoice in them and dedicate them to unsurpassed perfect awakening.

For this reason, he asked about this matter.

Furthermore, Kauśika! The prajnaparamita cultivated by great bodhisattvas surpasses the perfections of generosity, pure morality, patient endurance, diligence, and meditative concentration immeasurably many times over. Suppose that hundreds of thousands of people blind from birth had no sighted person skillfully guiding them. They would be unable even to approach the right road, much less travel far and reach a great city rich in peace and happiness. The perfections of generosity, pure morality, patient endurance, diligence, and meditative concentration are likewise. Like those born blind, without prajnaparamita as their sighted guide, they could not even proceed toward the bodhisattva's right path, much less enter the city of the knowledge of all things.

Furthermore, Kauśika! Because the perfections of generosity, pure morality, patient endurance, diligence, and meditative concentration are sustained by this prajnaparamita, they are called those possessing eyes. Moreover, because they are sustained by prajnaparamita, generosity and all the others are called perfections that have reached the other shore.

Śakra, Lord of the Devas, then addressed the Venerable Śāriputra: As the Venerable One has said, it is essentially because the five perfections beginning with generosity are sustained by prajnaparamita that they may be called perfections that have reached the other shore. Could it not also be said that it is essentially because the perfection of generosity sustains the other five that they may be called perfections that have reached the other shore; that it is essentially because the perfection of pure morality sustains the other five that they may be called perfections that have reached the other shore; that it is essentially because the perfection of patient endurance sustains the other five that they may be called perfections that have reached the other shore;

that it is essentially because the perfection of diligence sustains the other five that they may be called perfections that have reached the other shore; and that it is essentially because the perfection of meditative concentration sustains the other five that they may be called perfections that have reached the other shore?

Or is there some other reason that prajna alone is praised as surpassing the other five perfections?

Śāriputra replied: It is not so! It is not so! Why?

Kauśika! It is not because the perfection of generosity sustains the other five that they are called perfections that have reached the other shore; it is not because the perfection of pure morality sustains the other five that they are called perfections that have reached the other shore; it is not because the perfection of patient endurance sustains the other five that they are called perfections that have reached the other shore; it is not because the perfection of diligence sustains the other five that they are called perfections that have reached the other shore; and it is not because the perfection of meditative concentration sustains the other five that they are called perfections that have reached the other shore.

It is solely because prajnaparamita sustains the other five that they are called perfections that have reached the other shore. Why? Because great bodhisattvas must abide in prajnaparamita before they can perfect the perfections of generosity, pure morality, patient endurance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajna.

Abiding in the other five cannot accomplish this. Therefore, in relation to the preceding five, prajnaparamita is supreme, honored, exalted, subtle, sublime, unsurpassed, unequaled, and peerless.

At that time, Śāriputra addressed the Buddha: Blessed One! How should great bodhisattvas develop prajnaparamita?

The Buddha said: Śāriputra! Great bodhisattvas should not develop form, but should develop prajnaparamita. They should not develop feeling, perception, volitional formations, or consciousness, but should develop prajnaparamita.

Blessed One! Why should great bodhisattvas not develop form, but develop prajnaparamita? Why should they not develop feeling, perception, volitional formations, or consciousness, but develop prajnaparamita?

Śāriputra! Because form neither acts nor rests, neither arises nor ceases, neither comes into being nor is destroyed, is neither acquired nor relinquished, and has no self-nature, great bodhisattvas should not develop form, but should develop prajnaparamita. Because feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness neither act nor rest, neither arise nor cease, neither come into being nor are destroyed, are neither acquired nor relinquished, and have no self-nature, great bodhisattvas should not develop feeling, perception, volitional formations, or consciousness, but should develop prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Shariputra, a great bodhisattva should not develop the eye ayatana, but should develop prajnaparamita; a great bodhisattva should not develop the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind ayatana, but should develop prajnaparamita.

Blessed One, why should a great bodhisattva not develop the eye ayatana, but develop prajnaparamita; and why should a great bodhisattva not develop the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind ayatana, but develop prajnaparamita?

Shariputra, because the eye ayatana neither acts nor rests, neither arises nor ceases, is neither formed nor destroyed, is neither attained nor relinquished, and has no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not develop the eye ayatana, but should develop prajnaparamita. Because the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind ayatanas neither act nor rest, neither arise nor cease, are neither formed nor destroyed, are neither attained nor relinquished, and have no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not develop the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind ayatana, but should develop prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Shariputra, a great bodhisattva should not develop the form ayatana, but should develop prajnaparamita; a great bodhisattva should not develop the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, or dharma ayatana, but should develop prajnaparamita.

Blessed One, why should a great bodhisattva not develop the form ayatana, but develop prajnaparamita; and why should a great bodhisattva not develop the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, or dharma ayatana, but develop prajnaparamita?

Shariputra, because the form ayatana neither acts nor rests, neither arises nor ceases, is neither formed nor destroyed, is neither attained nor relinquished, and has no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not develop the form ayatana, but should develop prajnaparamita. Because the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, and dharma ayatanas neither act nor rest, neither arise nor cease, are neither formed nor destroyed, are neither attained nor relinquished, and have no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not develop the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, or dharma ayatana, but should develop prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Shariputra, a great bodhisattva should not develop the eye dhatu, but should develop prajnaparamita; a great bodhisattva should not develop the form dhatu, the eye-consciousness dhatu, eye-contact, or the feelings that arise conditioned by eye-contact, but should develop prajnaparamita.

Blessed One, why should a great bodhisattva not develop the eye dhatu, but develop prajnaparamita; and why should a great bodhisattva not develop the form dhatu, the eye-consciousness dhatu, eye-contact, or the feelings that arise conditioned by eye-contact, but develop prajnaparamita?

Shariputra, because the eye dhatu neither acts nor rests, neither arises nor ceases, is neither formed nor destroyed, is neither attained nor relinquished, and has no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not develop the eye dhatu, but should develop prajnaparamita. Because the form dhatu through to the feelings that arise conditioned by eye-contact neither act nor rest, neither arise nor cease, are neither formed nor destroyed, are neither attained nor relinquished, and have no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not develop the form dhatu through to the feelings that arise conditioned by eye-contact, but should develop prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Shariputra, a great bodhisattva should not develop the ear dhatu, but should develop prajnaparamita; a great bodhisattva should not develop the sound dhatu, the ear-consciousness dhatu, ear-contact, or the feelings that arise conditioned by ear-contact, but should develop prajnaparamita.

Blessed One, why should a great bodhisattva not develop the ear dhatu, but develop prajnaparamita; and why should a great bodhisattva not develop the sound dhatu, the ear-consciousness dhatu, ear-contact, or the feelings that arise conditioned by ear-contact, but develop prajnaparamita?

Shariputra, because the ear dhatu neither acts nor rests, neither arises nor ceases, is neither formed nor destroyed, is neither attained nor relinquished, and has no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not develop the ear dhatu, but should develop prajnaparamita. Because the sound dhatu through to the feelings that arise conditioned by ear-contact neither act nor rest, neither arise nor cease, are neither formed nor destroyed, are neither attained nor relinquished, and have no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not develop the sound dhatu through to the feelings that arise conditioned by ear-contact, but should develop prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Shariputra, a great bodhisattva should not develop the nose dhatu, but should develop prajnaparamita; a great bodhisattva should not develop the odor dhatu, the nose-consciousness dhatu, nose-contact, or the feelings that arise conditioned by nose-contact, but should develop prajnaparamita.

Blessed One, why should a great bodhisattva not develop the nose dhatu, but develop prajnaparamita; and why should a great bodhisattva not develop the odor dhatu, the nose-consciousness dhatu, nose-contact, or the feelings that arise conditioned by nose-contact, but develop prajnaparamita?

Shariputra, because the nose dhatu neither acts nor rests, neither arises nor ceases, is neither formed nor destroyed, is neither attained nor relinquished, and has no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not develop the nose dhatu, but should develop prajnaparamita. Because the odor dhatu through to the feelings that arise conditioned by nose-contact neither act nor rest, neither arise nor cease, are neither formed nor destroyed, are neither attained nor relinquished, and have no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not develop the odor dhatu through to the feelings that arise conditioned by nose-contact, but should develop prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Shariputra, a great bodhisattva should not develop the tongue dhatu, but should develop prajnaparamita; a great bodhisattva should not develop the taste dhatu, the tongue-consciousness dhatu, tongue-contact, or the feelings that arise conditioned by tongue-contact, but should develop prajnaparamita.

Blessed One, why should a great bodhisattva not develop the tongue dhatu, but develop prajnaparamita; and why should a great bodhisattva not develop the taste dhatu, the tongue-consciousness dhatu, tongue-contact, or the feelings that arise conditioned by tongue-contact, but develop prajnaparamita?

Shariputra, because the tongue dhatu neither acts nor rests, neither arises nor ceases, is neither formed nor destroyed, is neither attained nor relinquished, and has no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not develop the tongue dhatu, but should develop prajnaparamita. Because the taste dhatu through to the feelings that arise conditioned by tongue-contact neither act nor rest, neither arise nor cease, are neither formed nor destroyed, are neither attained nor relinquished, and have no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not develop the taste dhatu through to the feelings that arise conditioned by tongue-contact, but should develop prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Shariputra, a great bodhisattva should not develop the body dhatu, but should develop prajnaparamita; a great bodhisattva should not develop the tangible-object dhatu, the body-consciousness dhatu, body-contact, or the feelings that arise conditioned by body-contact, but should develop prajnaparamita.

Blessed One, why should a great bodhisattva not develop the body dhatu, but develop prajnaparamita; and why should a great bodhisattva not develop the tangible-object dhatu, the body-consciousness dhatu, body-contact, or the feelings that arise conditioned by body-contact, but develop prajnaparamita?

Śāriputra! Because the body-element is neither created nor ceased, neither arisen nor extinguished, neither accomplished nor destroyed, neither acquired nor relinquished, and is without intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not bring forth the body-element, but should bring forth prajnaparamita. Because the contact-element, up to and including the feelings that arise conditioned by bodily contact, are neither created nor ceased, neither arisen nor extinguished, neither accomplished nor destroyed, neither acquired nor relinquished, and are without intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not bring forth the contact-element, up to and including the feelings that arise conditioned by bodily contact, but should bring forth prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Śāriputra! A great bodhisattva should not bring forth the mind-element, but should bring forth prajnaparamita; should not bring forth the dharma-element, the mind-consciousness-element, mental contact, or the feelings that arise conditioned by mental contact, but should bring forth prajnaparamita.

World-Honored One! Why should a great bodhisattva not bring forth the mind-element, but instead bring forth prajnaparamita; and not bring forth the dharma-element, the mind-consciousness-element, mental contact, or the feelings that arise conditioned by mental contact, but instead bring forth prajnaparamita?

Śāriputra! Because the mind-element is neither created nor ceased, neither arisen nor extinguished, neither accomplished nor destroyed, neither acquired nor relinquished, and is without intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not bring forth the mind-element, but should bring forth prajnaparamita. Because the dharma-element, up to and including the feelings that arise conditioned by mental contact, are neither created nor ceased, neither arisen nor extinguished, neither accomplished nor destroyed, neither acquired nor relinquished, and are without intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not bring forth the dharma-element, up to and including the feelings that arise conditioned by mental contact, but should bring forth prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Śāriputra! A great bodhisattva should not bring forth the earth-element, but should bring forth prajnaparamita; should not bring forth the water-, fire-, wind-, space-, or consciousness-elements, but should bring forth prajnaparamita.

World-Honored One! Why should a great bodhisattva not bring forth the earth-element, but instead bring forth prajnaparamita; and not bring forth the water-, fire-, wind-, space-, or consciousness-elements, but instead bring forth prajnaparamita?

Śāriputra! Because the earth-element is neither created nor ceased, neither arisen nor extinguished, neither accomplished nor destroyed, neither acquired nor relinquished, and is without intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not bring forth the earth-element, but should bring forth prajnaparamita. Because the water-, fire-, wind-, space-, and consciousness-elements are neither created nor ceased, neither arisen nor extinguished, neither accomplished nor destroyed, neither acquired nor relinquished, and are without intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not bring forth the water-, fire-, wind-, space-, or consciousness-elements, but should bring forth prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Śāriputra! A great bodhisattva should not bring forth ignorance, but should bring forth prajnaparamita; should not bring forth volitional formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, becoming, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, or distress, but should bring forth prajnaparamita.

World-Honored One! Why should a great bodhisattva not bring forth ignorance, but instead bring forth prajnaparamita; and not bring forth volitional formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six sense bases, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, becoming, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, or distress, but instead bring forth prajnaparamita?

Śāriputra! Because ignorance is neither created nor ceased, neither arisen nor extinguished, neither accomplished nor destroyed, neither acquired nor relinquished, and is without intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not bring forth ignorance, but should bring forth prajnaparamita. Because volitional formations, up to and including aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress, are neither created nor ceased, neither arisen nor extinguished, neither accomplished nor destroyed, neither acquired nor relinquished, and are without intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not bring forth volitional formations, up to and including aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress, but should bring forth prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Śāriputra! A great bodhisattva should not bring forth the perfection of generosity, but should bring forth prajnaparamita; should not bring forth the perfections of pure ethical discipline, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, or prajnaparamita, but should bring forth prajnaparamita.

World-Honored One! Why should a great bodhisattva not bring forth the perfection of generosity, but instead bring forth prajnaparamita; and not bring forth the perfections of pure ethical discipline, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, or prajnaparamita, but instead bring forth prajnaparamita?

Śāriputra! Because the perfection of generosity is neither created nor ceased, neither arisen nor extinguished, neither accomplished nor destroyed, neither acquired nor relinquished, and is without intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not bring forth the perfection of generosity, but should bring forth prajnaparamita. Because the perfection of pure ethical discipline, up to and including prajnaparamita, are neither created nor ceased, neither arisen nor extinguished, neither accomplished nor destroyed, neither acquired nor relinquished, and are without intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not bring forth the perfection of pure ethical discipline, up to and including prajnaparamita, but should bring forth prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Śāriputra! A great bodhisattva should not bring forth the emptiness of internal phenomena, but should bring forth prajnaparamita; should not bring forth the emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of internal and external phenomena, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, 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 phenomena, the emptiness of the ungraspable, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of intrinsic nature,

or the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of nonexistence, but should bring forth prajnaparamita.

World-Honored One! Why should a great bodhisattva not bring forth the emptiness of internal phenomena, but instead bring forth prajnaparamita; and not bring forth the emptiness of external phenomena, the emptiness of internal and external phenomena, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of conditioned phenomena, the emptiness of unconditioned phenomena, 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 phenomena, the emptiness of the ungraspable, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of intrinsic nature,

or the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of nonexistence, but instead bring forth prajnaparamita?

Śāriputra! Because the emptiness of internal phenomena is neither created nor ceased, neither arisen nor extinguished, neither accomplished nor destroyed, neither acquired nor relinquished, and is without intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not bring forth the emptiness of internal phenomena, but should bring forth prajnaparamita. Because the emptiness of external phenomena, up to and including the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of nonexistence, are neither created nor ceased, neither arisen nor extinguished, neither accomplished nor destroyed, neither acquired nor relinquished, and are without intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva should not bring forth the emptiness of external phenomena, up to and including the emptiness of the intrinsic nature of nonexistence,

but should bring forth prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Śāriputra! A great bodhisattva should not bring forth suchness, but should bring forth prajnaparamita; should not bring forth the dharma-dhatu, the nature of phenomena, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature free from arising, the certainty of phenomena, the abiding of phenomena, the ultimate reality, the realm of space, or the inconceivable realm, but should bring forth prajnaparamita.

“Blessed One, why does a great bodhisattva not apprehend the bringing forth of suchness, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita; and why does a great bodhisattva not apprehend the bringing forth of the dharmadhatu, the nature of dharmas, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature free from arising, the fixed order of dharmas, the abiding order of dharmas, the ultimate reality, the realm of space, or the inconceivable realm, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita?”

“Shariputra, because suchness neither acts nor ceases, neither arises nor perishes, is neither formed nor destroyed, is neither attained nor relinquished, and has no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva does not apprehend the bringing forth of suchness, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita. Because the dharmadhatu, up to and including the inconceivable realm, neither acts nor ceases, neither arises nor perishes, is neither formed nor destroyed, is neither attained nor relinquished, and has no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva does not apprehend the bringing forth of the dharmadhatu, up to and including the inconceivable realm, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita.

“Furthermore, Shariputra, a great bodhisattva does not apprehend the bringing forth of the Noble Truth of suffering, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita; and does not apprehend the bringing forth of the Noble Truths of the origin of suffering, its cessation, and the path, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita.”

“Blessed One, why does a great bodhisattva not apprehend the bringing forth of the Noble Truth of suffering, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita; and why does a great bodhisattva not apprehend the bringing forth of the Noble Truths of the origin of suffering, its cessation, and the path, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita?”

“Shariputra, because the Noble Truth of suffering neither acts nor ceases, neither arises nor perishes, is neither formed nor destroyed, is neither attained nor relinquished, and has no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva does not apprehend the bringing forth of the Noble Truth of suffering, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita. Because the Noble Truths of the origin of suffering, its cessation, and the path neither act nor cease, neither arise nor perish, are neither formed nor destroyed, are neither attained nor relinquished, and have no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva does not apprehend the bringing forth of the Noble Truths of the origin of suffering, its cessation, and the path, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita.

“Furthermore, Shariputra, a great bodhisattva does not apprehend the bringing forth of the four dhyanas, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita; and does not apprehend the bringing forth of the four immeasurables or the four formless absorptions, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita.”

“Blessed One, why does a great bodhisattva not apprehend the bringing forth of the four dhyanas, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita; and why does a great bodhisattva not apprehend the bringing forth of the four immeasurables or the four formless absorptions, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita?”

“Shariputra, because the four dhyanas neither act nor cease, neither arise nor perish, are neither formed nor destroyed, are neither attained nor relinquished, and have no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva does not apprehend the bringing forth of the four dhyanas, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita. Because the four immeasurables and the four formless absorptions neither act nor cease, neither arise nor perish, are neither formed nor destroyed, are neither attained nor relinquished, and have no intrinsic nature, a great bodhisattva does not apprehend the bringing forth of the four immeasurables or the four formless absorptions, yet should bring forth prajnaparamita.

Fascicle 172

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