大般若波羅蜜多經

06

He does not become attached to the Dharma of non-forgetfulness or to the nature of constant equanimity; he does not become attached to the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, or the knowledge of all aspects; he does not become attached to the fruit of stream-entry, the fruit of once-returning, non-returning, or arhatship, or the fruit of a pratyekabuddha; he does not become attached to any practices of great bodhisattvas; nor does he become attached to the supreme awakening of the Buddhas.

When that great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, taking the absence of intrinsic nature as his own nature, he can perfect the bodhisattva path; that is, he can perfect the paramitas of generosity, pure morality, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita. He can also perfect inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of the ultimate meaning, emptiness of the conditioned, emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without bounds, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of the unchanging, emptiness of intrinsic nature, emptiness of individual characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all dharmas, emptiness of the unapprehensible,

emptiness of nonexistence, emptiness of own-nature, and emptiness of the own-nature of nonexistence.

He can also perfect suchness, the dharmadhatu, Dharma-nature, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature free from arising, the certainty of Dharma, the abiding of Dharma, the true limit, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm. He can also perfect 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 Noble Eightfold Path.

He can also perfect the Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. He can also perfect the four dhyanas, the four immeasurables, and the four formless absorptions. He can also perfect the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive absorptions, and the ten totalities.

He can also perfect all samadhi gateways and dharani gateways. He can also perfect the gateways of liberation through emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. He can also perfect the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges.

He can also perfect the ten powers of a Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unhindered understandings, and the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha. He can also perfect great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity. He can also perfect the Dharma of non-forgetfulness and the nature of constant equanimity.

He can also perfect the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and the knowledge of all aspects. He can also perfect the thirty-two marks of a great being and the eighty subsidiary characteristics.

That great bodhisattva, abiding in the dharmas that mature into the path of awakening, can also perfect the paramitas of generosity, pure morality, patient acceptance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita. He can also perfect inner emptiness, outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of the ultimate meaning, emptiness of the conditioned, emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without bounds, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of the unchanging, emptiness of intrinsic nature, emptiness of individual characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all dharmas, emptiness of the unapprehensible, emptiness of nonexistence, emptiness of own-nature,

and emptiness of the own-nature of nonexistence.

He can also perfect suchness, the dharmadhatu, Dharma-nature, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature free from arising, the certainty of Dharma, the abiding of Dharma, the true limit, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm. He can also perfect 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 Noble Eightfold Path.

He can also perfect the Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. He can also perfect the four dhyanas, the four immeasurables, and the four formless absorptions. He can also perfect the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive absorptions, and the ten totalities.

He can also perfect all samadhi gateways and dharani gateways. He can also perfect the gateways of liberation through emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. He can also perfect the five kinds of eyes, the six superknowledges, and immeasurable other merits.

After that great bodhisattva has thus perfected the path of awakening, he departs from all obscuring hindrances and abides in the Buddha path. Through the power of superior superknowledges born of maturation, he skillfully benefits all kinds of sentient beings. Those who should be embraced through generosity, he embraces through generosity; those who should be embraced through pure morality, he embraces through pure morality; those who should be embraced through patient acceptance, he embraces through patient acceptance; those who should be embraced through diligence, he embraces through diligence; those who should be embraced through meditative concentration, he embraces through meditative concentration; those who should be embraced through prajna, he embraces through prajna;

those who should be embraced through liberation, he embraces through liberation; and those who should be embraced through the knowledge and vision of liberation, he embraces through the knowledge and vision of liberation.

Those who should be established in the fruit of stream-entry, he skillfully establishes in the fruit of stream-entry; those who should be established in the fruit of once-returning, he skillfully establishes in the fruit of once-returning; those who should be established in the fruit of non-returning, he skillfully establishes in the fruit of non-returning; those who should be established in the fruit of arhatship, he skillfully establishes in the fruit of arhatship; those who should be established in the fruit of a pratyekabuddha, he skillfully establishes in the fruit of a pratyekabuddha; and those who should be established in supreme awakening, he skillfully establishes in supreme awakening.

That great bodhisattva can display various kinds of miraculous transformations. If he wishes to abide in worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, he can abide there at will. If he wishes to manifest various precious treasures in those worlds, he can manifest them at will.

If he wishes the sentient beings in those worlds to enjoy those fine and precious treasures, he enables them all to obtain complete fulfillment according to their preferences. That great bodhisattva travels from one world to another, bringing benefit and happiness to immeasurable sentient beings. Upon seeing the pure and magnificent features of various worlds, he can adopt pure and magnificent Buddha-fields according to his preference.

Just as the devas of the Heaven of Mastery over Others’ Creations can manifest whatever wondrous musical instruments they require according to their thoughts, so that bodhisattva can freely adopt immeasurable Buddha-fields endowed with every kind of purity and magnificence. Through the karmically matured fruits of generosity, pure morality, patient endurance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita; through the karmically matured fruits of wondrous supernormal powers; and through the karmically matured fruits of the bodhisattva path, that great bodhisattva cultivates the knowledge of all aspects of the paths.

When the knowledge of all aspects of the paths has been brought to maturity, he can further realize the knowledge of all aspects. Having attained this knowledge, he apprehends nothing whatsoever among all dharmas. That is, he does not apprehend form, nor does he apprehend feeling, perception, volitional formations, or consciousness; he does not apprehend the eye ayatana, nor does he apprehend the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind ayatana; he does not apprehend the form ayatana, nor does he apprehend the sound, odor, taste, tangible object, or mental-object ayatana; he does not apprehend the eye dhatu, nor does he apprehend the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind dhatu; he does not apprehend the form dhatu, nor does he apprehend the sound, odor, taste, tangible object, or mental-object dhatu;

he does not apprehend the eye-consciousness dhatu, nor does he apprehend the ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-consciousness dhatu; he does not apprehend eye-contact, nor does he apprehend ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-contact; he does not apprehend feelings that arise conditioned by eye-contact, nor does he apprehend feelings that arise conditioned by ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-contact.

He does not apprehend any wholesome dharma, unwholesome dharma, mundane dharma, supramundane dharma, contaminated dharma, uncontaminated dharma, conditioned dharma, unconditioned dharma, blameworthy dharma, or blameless dharma. Nor does he apprehend the unsurpassed awakening that is to be realized. Nor does he apprehend the objects of enjoyment in any Buddha-field, and neither does he apprehend the sentient beings therein.

Why is this? Because that great bodhisattva has never previously apprehended any dharma, he attains nothing whatsoever in regard to all dharmas, and for the sake of sentient beings he clearly proclaims that the nature of all dharmas is not apprehended.

Subhuti! Thus, when a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, by the power of an uncontaminated mind free from all characteristics, he can perfect prajnaparamita amid all dharmas that are signless, unknowable, unattainable, imageless, and uncreated; and he can also perfect all other qualities.

LXVII. CHAPTER ON THE NON-MINGLING OF DHARMA AND MEANING

01

At that time, the Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! Since all dharmas are empty, signless, possessed of their own characteristics, and unmixed, how can one perfect the cultivation of generosity, pure morality, patient endurance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita? Since all dharmas are uncontaminated and undifferentiated, how can differentiated dharmas be established and clearly manifested as such?

How does prajnaparamita encompass all generosity, pure morality, patient endurance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita; encompass 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 unapprehensible, emptiness of nonexistence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence;

encompass all suchness, dhatu of Dharma, Dharma-nature, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the fixed order of Dharma, the abiding order of Dharma, the reality-limit, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; encompass all four establishments of mindfulness, four right efforts, four bases of supernormal power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of awakening, and eightfold noble path; encompass all gateways to liberation of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; encompass all noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path; encompass all four meditative concentrations, four immeasurables, and four formless attainments;

encompass all eight liberations, eight spheres of mastery, nine successive attainments, and ten totalities; encompass all gateways of samadhi and gateways of dharani; encompass all five kinds of eyes and six superknowledges; encompass all ten powers of a Buddha, four fearlessnesses, four unobstructed knowledges, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha; encompass all dharmas of never losing mindfulness and the nature of constant equanimity; encompass all knowledge of all things, knowledge of all aspects of the paths, and knowledge of all aspects; and encompass all mundane and supramundane dharmas?

How, among all dharmas with diverse characteristics, is a single characteristic established, called signlessness; and how, within the one characteristic of signlessness, are the various differentiated characteristics of dharmas established?”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, he abides in the five appropriated skandhas as being like dreams, echoes, reflected images, shadows, mirages, illusions, magical cities, and transformations, while cultivating generosity, pure morality, patient endurance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita. He knows in accordance with reality that the five appropriated skandhas are like dreams, echoes, reflected images, shadows, mirages, illusions, magical cities, and transformations, and that they are all signless.

Why is this? Because dreams, echoes, reflected images, shadows, mirages, illusions, magical cities, and transformations all lack self-nature. A dharma that lacks self-nature is a dharma without characteristics.

A dharma without characteristics has a single characteristic, called signlessness.”

Subhuti, for this reason, you should know that every act of giving is without characteristics: the giver is without characteristics, the recipient is without characteristics, and the gift is without characteristics. If one practices giving with such knowledge, one can perfect the practice of the perfection of giving. If one can perfect the practice of the perfection of giving, one does not become separated from the perfections of pure discipline, patient endurance, diligence, meditation, and prajnaparamita.

By thus abiding in the perfections of giving, pure discipline, patient endurance, diligence, meditation, and prajnaparamita, one can perfect the four meditative absorptions, the four immeasurables, and the four formless attainments; one can also perfect 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 Noble Eightfold Path; one can also perfect the gateways to liberation of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness;

one can also perfect 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 the unchanging, the emptiness of essential nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the unobtainable, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence;

one can also perfect suchness, 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 Dharma, the abiding of Dharma, the reality-limit, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; one can also perfect the Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path; one can also perfect the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive attainments, and the ten totalities; one can also perfect the five hundred samadhi gateways and the five hundred dharani gateways; one can also perfect the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges;

one can also perfect the Buddha’s ten powers, four fearlessnesses, four unobstructed knowledges, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha; one can also perfect the quality of never forgetting and the nature of perpetual equanimity; one can also perfect the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and the knowledge of all aspects.

Abiding in such noble, uncontaminated dharmas born of maturation, that great bodhisattva uses the power of superknowledge to travel throughout the ten directions to Buddha-worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. There, with various kinds of garments, food and drink, bedding, medicines, incense, flowers, banners, canopies, lamps, music, and other supremely excellent necessities, he reverently makes offerings to, honors, and praises the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, while benefiting and bringing peace and happiness to sentient beings.

Those who should be benefited through giving, he benefits through giving; those who should be benefited through pure discipline, he benefits through pure discipline; those who should be benefited through patient endurance, he benefits through patient endurance; those who should be benefited through diligence, he benefits through diligence; those who should be benefited through meditation, he benefits through meditation; those who should be benefited through prajna, he benefits through prajna; those who should be benefited through other kinds of wholesome dharmas, he benefits through those other kinds of wholesome dharmas; and those who should be benefited through all excellent wholesome dharmas, he benefits through all excellent wholesome dharmas.

Although that great bodhisattva, having accomplished immeasurable wholesome dharmas in this way, undergoes birth and death, he is not defiled by the faults of birth and death. Wishing to benefit and bring happiness to sentient beings, he assumes the wealth, honor, and sovereignty of humans and devas. Through the majestic power of such wealth, honor, and sovereignty, he can perform deeds that benefit and bring happiness to sentient beings, embracing and guiding them by means of the four methods of attraction.

Because that great bodhisattva knows that all dharmas are without characteristics, although he knows the fruit of stream-entry, he does not abide in the fruit of stream-entry; although he knows the fruit of once-returning, he does not abide in the fruit of once-returning; although he knows the fruit of non-returning, he does not abide in the fruit of non-returning; although he knows the fruit of arhatship, he does not abide in the fruit of arhatship; and although he knows the fruition of a pratyekabuddha, he does not abide in the fruition of a pratyekabuddha.

Why is this? Because after that great bodhisattva has realized all dharmas precisely as they are, he seeks to attain the knowledge of all aspects and therefore does not associate himself with any sravaka or pratyekabuddha.

Subhuti, in this way, because the great bodhisattva knows that all dharmas are without characteristics, he realizes precisely as they are that the perfections of giving, pure discipline, patient endurance, diligence, meditation, and prajnaparamita are also all without characteristics, and he realizes precisely as they are that all Buddha-dharmas are also without characteristics. For this reason, he can completely perfect all Buddha-dharmas.

Furthermore, Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva practices prajnaparamita, abiding in the five aggregates subject to clinging as being like a dream, an echo, an image, a reflection, a mirage, an illusion, a phantom city, and a magical transformation, the great bodhisattva perfects the perfection of pure ethical discipline. Having known in accordance with reality that the five aggregates subject to clinging are like a dream, an echo, an image, a reflection, a mirage, an illusion, a phantom city, and a magical transformation, that great bodhisattva is able to perfect the signless perfection of pure ethical discipline.

Such pure ethical discipline is unbroken, flawless, unblemished, undefiled, and free from attachment; it is worthy of receiving offerings, praised by the wise as perfectly undertaken and perfectly brought to consummation; it is noble and uncontaminated and belongs to the factors of the supramundane path. Abiding in this ethical discipline, the great bodhisattva is able skillfully to uphold prescribed precepts, naturally acquired precepts, disciplinary precepts, expressed precepts, unexpressed precepts, precepts presently being practiced, precepts not presently being practiced, precepts concerning proper deportment, and precepts not concerning proper deportment.

Although that great bodhisattva fully accomplishes all such forms of ethical discipline, the great bodhisattva does not become attached to them and does not think: ‘Through this ethical discipline, I shall be born into a great and powerful kshatriya family, wealthy and sovereign; or I shall be born into a great and powerful brahmin family, wealthy and sovereign; or I shall be born into a great and powerful household of elders, wealthy and sovereign;

or I shall be born into a great and powerful householder family, wealthy and sovereign.’ The great bodhisattva does not think: ‘Through this ethical discipline, I shall become a minor king, a great king, or a wheel-turning monarch, wealthy and sovereign.’ The great bodhisattva does not think: ‘Through this ethical discipline, I shall be born among the gods of the Four Great Kings; or in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three; or in the Yama Heaven; or in the Tushita Heaven; or in the Heaven of Delight in Creating; or among the gods who wield power over the creations of others, wealthy and sovereign.’ The great bodhisattva does not think: ‘Through this ethical discipline, I shall be born among the gods of the Brahma Host; or among the Ministers of Brahma; or in the Assembly of Brahma;

or among the Great Brahmas, wealthy and sovereign.’ The great bodhisattva does not think: ‘Through this ethical discipline, I shall be born among the gods of Light; or in the Heaven of Lesser Light; or in the Heaven of Immeasurable Light; or in the Heaven of Utmost Purity of Light, wealthy and sovereign.’ The great bodhisattva does not think: ‘Through this ethical discipline, I shall be born among the gods of Purity; or in the Heaven of Lesser Purity; or in the Heaven of Immeasurable Purity; or in the Heaven of Pervasive Purity, wealthy and sovereign.’ The great bodhisattva does not think: ‘Through this ethical discipline, I shall be born among the gods of Vastness; or in the Heaven of Lesser Vastness; or in the Heaven of Immeasurable Vastness;

or in the Heaven of Abundant Fruit, wealthy and sovereign.’ The great bodhisattva does not think: ‘Through this ethical discipline, I shall be born in the Heaven Free from Affliction; or in the Heaven Free from Heat; or in the Heaven of Excellent Manifestation; or in the Heaven of Excellent Vision; or in the Akanishtha Heaven, wealthy and sovereign.’ The great bodhisattva does not think: ‘Through this ethical discipline, I shall be born in the Sphere of Infinite Space; or in the Sphere of Infinite Consciousness; or in the Sphere of Nothingness; or in the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-perception, wealthy and sovereign.’ The great bodhisattva does not think: ‘Through this ethical discipline, I shall attain the fruit of stream-entry; or the fruit of once-returning;

or the fruit of non-returning; or the fruit of arhatship; or the realization of a pratyekabuddha; or I shall enter the bodhisattva’s certainty of perfect realization; or attain the bodhisattva’s patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas; or attain unsurpassed perfect awakening.’ Why is this?

Because all these dharmas are signless, or share a single characteristic called signlessness. A signless dharma cannot apprehend signlessness; a dharma possessing signs cannot apprehend signs; a signless dharma cannot apprehend signs; and a dharma possessing signs cannot apprehend signlessness. For this reason, they are utterly ungraspable.

Subhuti! In this way, a great bodhisattva who practices prajnaparamita can swiftly perfect the signless perfection of pure ethical discipline and realize entry into the bodhisattva’s certainty of perfect realization. Having entered the bodhisattva’s certainty of perfect realization, the great bodhisattva further attains the bodhisattva’s patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.

Having attained the bodhisattva’s patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, the great bodhisattva cultivates the wisdom of the aspects of the path and advances toward the wisdom of all aspects, attaining the five superknowledges born of maturation. The great bodhisattva also attains five hundred gateways of samadhi and five hundred gateways of dharani. Abiding therein, the great bodhisattva is further able to attain the four unobstructed understandings.

Journeying from one Buddha-land to another, the great bodhisattva reverently makes offerings to, honors, and praises the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, while bringing sentient beings to maturity and purifying Buddha-lands.

For the sake of liberating sentient beings, that great bodhisattva may manifest as wandering through birth and death in the various destinies, yet remains undefiled by the obstructions of afflictions, karma, and their results found therein. This is like a magically created person who, although manifesting the activities of walking, standing, lying down, and sitting, does not truly come or go. Although such a person manifests various deeds benefiting sentient beings, with regard to those sentient beings and their establishment in well-being, there is utterly nothing apprehended.

There was a Tathagata, Worthy One, Perfectly Awakened One named Sufanta who attained unsurpassed perfect awakening, turned the wondrous Dharma wheel, and liberated immeasurable beings, enabling them to escape birth and death and attain nirvana; yet there was no sentient being who could receive the prediction of being the next to attain unsurpassed perfect awakening. At that time, that Tathagata magically produced an emanated Buddha and caused him to remain in the world for a long time, while he relinquished his own lifespan and entered the realm of nirvana without remainder.

The body of that emanated Buddha remained for one kalpa, bestowed upon a bodhisattva the prediction of perfect awakening, and only then entered nirvana. Although that Buddha’s emanation body performed deeds benefiting sentient beings, there was nothing apprehended: it did not apprehend form; it did not apprehend feeling, perception, volitional formations, or consciousness; it did not apprehend the eye ayatana; it did not apprehend the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind ayatana; it did not apprehend the form ayatana; it did not apprehend the sound, odor, taste, tangible object, or dharma ayatana; it did not apprehend the eye dhatu; it did not apprehend the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind dhatu; it did not apprehend the form dhatu;

it did not apprehend the sound, odor, taste, tangible object, or dharma dhatu; it did not apprehend the eye-consciousness dhatu; it did not apprehend the ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, or mind-consciousness dhatu; it did not apprehend eye-contact; it did not apprehend ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact, or mind-contact; it did not apprehend feelings arising with eye-contact as their condition; it did not apprehend feelings arising with ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact, or mind-contact as their condition; and it did not apprehend any contaminated or uncontaminated dharma, or any sentient being.

That great bodhisattva is likewise so: although performing deeds, there is nothing apprehended.

Subhuti! In this way, a great bodhisattva who practices prajnaparamita perfects the perfection of pure ethical discipline. Because this perfection of pure ethical discipline is perfected, the great bodhisattva is able to encompass all Buddha-dharmas.

Furthermore, Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, abiding in the five aggregates subject to clinging as being like a dream, an echo, an image, a reflection, a mirage, an illusion, a phantom city, and a magical transformation, the great bodhisattva perfects the perfection of patient acceptance. Having known in accordance with reality that those five aggregates subject to clinging are like a dream, an echo, an image, a reflection, a mirage, an illusion, a phantom city, and a magical transformation, the great bodhisattva is able to perfect the signless perfection of patient acceptance.

Subhuti! How does a great bodhisattva who practices prajnaparamita, after knowing in accordance with reality that those five aggregates subject to clinging are like a dream, an echo, an image, a reflection, a mirage, an illusion, a phantom city, and a magical transformation, become able to perfect the signless perfection of patient acceptance?

Subhuti! Knowing as they truly are that these five aggregates of clinging have no real characteristic, that great bodhisattva cultivates two kinds of patience and is thereby able to perfect the signless perfection of patience. What are these two?

The first is the patience of enduring, and the second is the patience of contemplation. The patience of enduring means that, from the time great bodhisattvas first arouse the aspiration until they sit upon the wondrous seat of enlightenment, throughout the intervening period, even if all kinds of sentient beings were to contend with one another in coming to slander them, revile them with harsh words, and humiliate them, or were to harm them with tiles, stones, knives, and clubs, those great bodhisattvas, because they have perfected the perfection of patience, would not give rise to even a single thought of anger.

Nor would they conceive a wish to retaliate. They would think only: “These sentient beings are truly pitiable. Their afflictions are increasing, agitating their minds and rendering them powerless, and thus they produce such evil karma toward me.

I should not now become angry with them.” They would further think: “Because I have appropriated these aggregates, which are like hostile enemies, I have caused these sentient beings to produce such evil karma toward me. I should blame only myself and should not be angry with them.” When bodhisattvas carefully contemplate in this way, they give rise to profound compassion for those sentient beings. Such things are called the patience of enduring.

The patience of contemplation means that a great bodhisattva thinks: “All conditioned phenomena are like illusions, unreal and powerless, just like empty space. No self, sentient being, life-continuum, producer, nourisher, one who matures, transmigrating entity, mind-born being, youth, agent, experiencer of karmic results, knower, or seer can be apprehended. All arise solely from false discrimination.

Who, then, censures me? Who reviles me? Who humiliates me?

Who harms me with various tiles, stones, knives, and clubs? Who undergoes that reviling and harm? All these are but the false discriminations of one’s own mind.

I should not now give rise to attachment to such dharmas, for because they are empty of intrinsic nature and empty in the ultimate sense, they are utterly without anything that can be possessed.” When bodhisattvas carefully contemplate in this way, they know as they truly are that all conditioned phenomena are quiescent and form no notion of difference regarding any dharma. Such things are called the patience of contemplation.

Because that great bodhisattva cultivates these two kinds of patience, that bodhisattva is able to perfect the signless perfection of patience; and because the signless perfection of patience is perfected, that bodhisattva immediately attains the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.

At that time, the Venerable Subhuti addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! What is called the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas? What does this dharma eliminate? And what kind of wisdom is it?”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti! Through its power, not even the slightest portion of an evil, unwholesome dharma can arise; therefore, it is called the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas. This dharma brings the self and what belongs to the self, the afflictions, conceit, and so forth to ultimate quiescence and cessation. It accepts in accordance with reality that all dharmas are like dreams, echoes, images, shadows, mirages, illusions, magical cities, and transformations. This patient acceptance is called wisdom; because one attains this wisdom, one is said to have attained the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas.”

The Venerable Subhuti again addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One! What distinction is there between the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas attained by sravakas and pratyekabuddhas and that attained by great bodhisattvas?”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti! Whether the wisdom or the abandonment of stream-enterers, it is also called a great bodhisattva’s patient acceptance; whether the wisdom or the abandonment of once-returners, it is also called a great bodhisattva’s patient acceptance; whether the wisdom or the abandonment of non-returners, it is also called a great bodhisattva’s patient acceptance; whether the wisdom or the abandonment of arhats, it is also called a great bodhisattva’s patient acceptance; and whether the wisdom or the abandonment of pratyekabuddhas, it is also called a great bodhisattva’s patient acceptance. Yet there is, in addition, a patient acceptance belonging to great bodhisattvas, called the patient acceptance of dharmas, through which dharmas ultimately do not arise. Such is the distinction.

“Subhuti! Because great bodhisattvas accomplish such supreme patience, they utterly surpass all sravakas and pratyekabuddhas.

“Subhuti! Abiding in such a supreme maturation of the patient acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, that great bodhisattva practices the bodhisattva path and is able to perfect the knowledge of the aspects of the path. Because that bodhisattva is able to perfect the knowledge of the aspects of the path, that bodhisattva is never separated from the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path.

Nor is that bodhisattva separated from the Dharma gateways of liberation through emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness, or from matured superknowledges. Because that great bodhisattva is not separated from matured superknowledges, that bodhisattva travels from one Buddha realm to another, reverently making offerings to the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, bringing sentient beings to maturity, and purifying Buddha realms.

Because that great bodhisattva perfectly brings sentient beings to maturity and purifies Buddha realms, within only a single ksana conjoined with wondrous wisdom, that bodhisattva realizes the fruit of unsurpassed enlightenment.

“Subhuti! In this way, a great bodhisattva who practices the prajnaparamita is able swiftly to perfect the signless perfection of patience. Because the signless perfection of patience is perfected, that bodhisattva is able to realize the knowledge of all-knowing wisdom, and all Buddha-dharmas are brought to perfection.

“Furthermore, Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva practices the profound prajnaparamita, that bodhisattva abides in the five aggregates of clinging as being like dreams, echoes, images, shadows, mirages, illusions, magical cities, and transformations. Having known as they truly are that these five aggregates of clinging, like dreams, echoes, images, shadows, mirages, illusions, magical cities, and transformations, have no real characteristic, that bodhisattva arouses courageous physical and mental vigor.

Because that great bodhisattva arouses courageous physical vigor, that bodhisattva brings forth swift and supreme superknowledges. Through these superknowledges, that bodhisattva travels to worlds throughout the ten directions, reverently making offerings to, honoring, and praising the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones; in the presence of the Buddhas, that bodhisattva plants roots of virtue, benefits and brings peace and happiness to immeasurable sentient beings, and is also able to purify Buddha realms.

Through physical vigor, that great bodhisattva brings sentient beings to maturity and, in accordance with their capacities, skillfully establishes them in the Dharma of the Three Vehicles, causing them all to reach the ultimate end.

“Subhuti! In this way, through physical vigor, a great bodhisattva who practices the prajnaparamita is able swiftly to perfect the signless perfection of vigor.”

Subhuti! Because that great bodhisattva arouses courageous and vigorous diligence, he brings forth the undefiled factors of the path of the noble ones, embraces diligence, and perfects the perfection of diligence. Within it, he is able to fully embrace all wholesome dharmas, namely: 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 eight factors of the Noble Path; the gateways to liberation of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; the four dhyanas, the four immeasurables, and the four formless attainments; the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive attainments, and the ten totalities;

the Noble Truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path; the perfections of generosity, pure morality, patient acceptance, diligence, dhyana, and prajnaparamita; the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges; the gateways of samadhi and the gateways of dharani; the Ground of Utmost Joy, the Ground of Stainlessness, the Ground of Radiance, the Ground of Blazing Wisdom, the Ground Difficult to Conquer, the Ground of Manifest Presence, the Far-Going Ground, the Immovable Ground, the Ground of Excellent Wisdom, and the Dharma Cloud Ground;

internal emptiness, external emptiness, internal-and-external emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of nonchange, the emptiness of essential nature, the emptiness of own-characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of nonapprehensibility, the emptiness of nonbeing, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the nonbeing of self-nature;

suchness, the dharma realm, dharma-nature, the nature free from falsity, the nature free from change, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the fixed order of dharmas, the abiding of dharmas, the limit of reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm; the ten powers of a Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unhindered understandings, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha; the dharma of never forgetting and the nature of constant equanimity; the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and the knowledge of all aspects.

Abiding in these, that great bodhisattva is able to perfect the knowledge of all aspects. Because the knowledge of all aspects is perfected, he forever eliminates the entire continuum of habitual tendencies. Because the entire continuum of habitual tendencies is forever eliminated, the major marks and subsidiary characteristics are brought to complete perfection.

Because the major marks and subsidiary characteristics are brought to complete perfection, he attains unsurpassed perfect awakening, emits great radiance that universally illuminates the trichiliocosm, causes the worlds to quake in six ways, turns the wheel of the true Dharma, and is endowed with the thirty-two marks. Thereby, the various kinds of sentient beings throughout the trichiliocosm, illuminated by that radiance, witnessing these tremors, and hearing the sound of the true Dharma, attain nonretrogression with respect to the Three Vehicles.

Subhuti! Thus, a great bodhisattva who practices prajnaparamita, perfects the perfection of diligence, and abides in the perfection of diligence can accomplish many deeds benefiting both himself and others, can swiftly perfect all Buddha-dharmas, and can attain unsurpassed perfect awakening.

Furthermore, Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, he abides in the five appropriated skandhas as being like a dream, an echo, an image, a reflection, a mirage, an illusion, a city of gandharvas, or a magical transformation, and perfects the perfection of dhyana.

Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita and abides in the five appropriated skandhas as being like a dream, an echo, an image, a reflection, a mirage, an illusion, a city of gandharvas, or a magical transformation, how does he perfect the perfection of dhyana within the five appropriated skandhas?

Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva practices prajnaparamita, he knows in accordance with reality that the five appropriated skandhas are like a dream, an echo, an image, a reflection, a mirage, an illusion, a city of gandharvas, or a magical transformation, and that they possess no real characteristic. He then enters the first dhyana and abides fully in it; he enters the second, third, and fourth dhyanas and abides fully in them.

He enters the immeasurable state of loving-kindness and abides fully in it; he enters the immeasurable states of compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity and abides fully in them. He enters the attainment of the sphere of infinite space and abides fully in it; he enters the attainments of the sphere of infinite consciousness, the sphere of nothingness, and the sphere of neither perception nor nonperception and abides fully in them.

He cultivates the samadhi of emptiness and cultivates the samadhis of signlessness and wishlessness. He cultivates the lightning-like samadhi, the noble right samadhi, and the vajra-like samadhi, and abides in the vajra-like samadhi. Apart from the samadhi of the Tathagata, he is able to personally realize and abide fully in every other samadhi, whether it is a samadhi shared with shravakas, a samadhi shared with pratyekabuddhas, or any of the immeasurable other samadhis.

Yet he does not become attached to any samadhi, such as the dhyanas, immeasurables, or formless attainments, nor does he become attached to the fruits attained through them. Why? Because that great bodhisattva knows in accordance with reality that all samadhis, such as the dhyanas, immeasurables, and formless attainments, as well as all dharmas, possess no real characteristic and take absence of intrinsic nature as their own nature.

How could a signless dharma become attached to a signless dharma? Nor could that which takes absence of intrinsic nature as the own nature of dharmas become attached to absence of intrinsic nature as the own nature of dharmas. Because he is not attached to samadhi, that great bodhisattva never follows the force of samadhis such as the dhyanas, immeasurables, and formless attainments so as to be reborn in the Form Realm or the Formless Realm.

Why? Because that great bodhisattva apprehends nothing whatsoever in regard to any realm of experience; he apprehends neither one who enters samadhi, nor the samadhi entered, nor the causes and conditions for entering it. Because that great bodhisattva apprehends nothing whatsoever in any dharma, he is able swiftly to perfect the signless perfection of dhyana.

Through this perfection of dhyana, he surpasses the stages of the shravakas and pratyekabuddhas.

At that time, the Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One! How does that great bodhisattva perfect the signless perfection of dhyana and surpass the stages of the shravakas and pratyekabuddhas?”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti! Because that great bodhisattva has thoroughly trained in internal emptiness, external emptiness, internal-and-external emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of nonchange, the emptiness of essential nature, the emptiness of own-characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of nonapprehensibility, the emptiness of nonbeing, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the nonbeing of self-nature, he apprehends no dharma whatsoever within these emptinesses.

While abiding in them, he does not attain the fruit of stream-entry; he does not attain the fruit of once-returning, non-returning, or arhatship; he does not attain the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood; he does not attain any practice of a great bodhisattva; and he does not attain the unsurpassed perfect awakening of the Buddhas. Why? Because these emptinesses are themselves also empty.

Therefore, by abiding in these emptinesses, that great bodhisattva surpasses the stages of the shravakas and pratyekabuddhas and enters the bodhisattva’s certainty of freedom from arising.”

The Venerable Subhuti again said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One! What does a great bodhisattva regard as arising, and what does he regard as freedom from arising?”

The Buddha said:

“Subhuti! A great bodhisattva regards everything involving apprehension as arising, and everything involving nonapprehension as freedom from arising.”

The Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One! What does a great bodhisattva regard as involving apprehension, and what does he regard as involving nonapprehension?”

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! A great bodhisattva treats all dharmas as something attainable. That is, a great bodhisattva treats form as something attainable and treats feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the eye ayatana as something attainable and treats the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind ayatanas as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the form ayatana as something attainable and treats the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, and dharma ayatanas as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the eye dhatu as something attainable and treats the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind dhatus as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the form dhatu as something attainable and treats the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, and dharma dhatus as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the eye-consciousness dhatu as something attainable and treats the ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness dhatus as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats eye-contact as something attainable and treats ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the feelings arising with eye-contact as condition as something attainable and treats the feelings arising with ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact as condition as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the earth dhatu as something attainable and treats the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness dhatus as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the causal condition as something attainable and treats the immediately antecedent condition, the objective condition, and the predominant condition as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats ignorance as something attainable and treats formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the perfection of generosity as something attainable and treats the perfections of pure morality, patience, diligence, meditation, and prajnaparamita as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the emptiness of internal dharmas as something attainable and treats the emptiness of external dharmas, the emptiness of internal and external dharmas, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of conditioned dharmas, the emptiness of unconditioned dharmas, ultimate 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 unapprehensible, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the four foundations of mindfulness as something attainable and treats the four right efforts, four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of awakening, and eightfold noble path as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the liberation gateway of emptiness as something attainable and treats the liberation gateways of signlessness and wishlessness as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the Noble Truth of suffering as something attainable and treats the Noble Truths of its origin, cessation, and the path as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the four meditative absorptions as something attainable and treats the four immeasurables and four formless attainments as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the eight liberations as something attainable and treats the eight spheres of mastery, nine successive attainments, and ten totalities as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats all samadhi gateways as something attainable and treats all dharani gateways as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the Ground of Great Joy as something attainable and treats the Grounds of Stainlessness, Luminous Radiance, Blazing Wisdom, Utmost Difficulty to Conquer, Manifest Presence, Far-Going, Immovability, Excellent Wisdom, and Dharma Cloud as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the five kinds of eyes as something attainable and treats the six superknowledges as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the ten powers of a Buddha as something attainable and treats the four fearlessnesses, four unobstructed knowledges, great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the Dharma of never losing mindfulness as something attainable and treats the nature of constant equanimity as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the knowledge of all aspects as something attainable and treats the knowledge of path aspects and knowledge of all things as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats the fruit of stream-entry as something attainable and treats the fruits of once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, and the state of a pratyekabuddha as something attainable. A great bodhisattva treats all practices of a great bodhisattva as something attainable and treats the supreme awakening of the Buddhas as something attainable. A great bodhisattva arises through treating such things as attainable.

Subhuti! As for nonattainment, a great bodhisattva neither practices, attains, speaks of, nor indicates any of these dharmas. That is, a great bodhisattva neither practices, attains, speaks of, nor indicates form, and neither practices, attains, speaks of, nor indicates feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness.

Why? Because the intrinsic nature of form, through and including the intrinsic nature of consciousness, can neither be practiced, attained, spoken of, nor indicated. A great bodhisattva neither practices, attains, speaks of, nor indicates the eye ayatana, and neither practices, attains, speaks of, nor indicates the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind ayatana.

Why? Because the intrinsic nature of the eye ayatana, through and including the intrinsic nature of the mind ayatana, can neither be practiced, attained, spoken of, nor indicated. A great bodhisattva neither practices, attains, speaks of, nor indicates the form ayatana, and neither practices, attains, speaks of, nor indicates the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, or dharma ayatana.

Why? Because the intrinsic nature of the form ayatana, through and including the intrinsic nature of the dharma ayatana, can neither be practiced, attained, spoken of, nor indicated. A great bodhisattva neither practices, attains, speaks of, nor indicates the eye dhatu, and neither practices, attains, speaks of, nor indicates the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind dhatu.

Why? Because the intrinsic nature of the eye dhatu, through and including the intrinsic nature of the mind dhatu, can neither be practiced, attained, spoken of, nor indicated. A great bodhisattva neither practices, attains, speaks of, nor indicates the form dhatu, and neither practices, attains, speaks of, nor indicates the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, or dharma dhatu.

Why? Because the intrinsic nature of the form dhatu, through and including the intrinsic nature of the dharma dhatu, can neither be practiced, attained, spoken of, nor indicated. A great bodhisattva neither practices, attains, speaks of, nor indicates the eye-consciousness dhatu, and neither practices, attains, speaks of, nor indicates the ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-consciousness dhatu.

Why? Because the intrinsic nature of the eye-consciousness dhatu, through and including the intrinsic nature of the mind-consciousness dhatu, can neither be practiced, attained, spoken of, nor indicated. A great bodhisattva neither practices, attains, speaks of, nor indicates eye-contact, and neither practices, attains, speaks of, nor indicates ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-contact.

Why? Because the intrinsic nature of eye-contact, through and including the intrinsic nature of mind-contact, can neither be practiced, attained, spoken of, nor indicated.

Fascicle 378

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