大般若波羅蜜多經

03

– Subhuti! What are the four fearlessnesses?

Subhuti! All Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, declare, “I am a Perfectly Enlightened One.” Even if a shramana, a brahmin, a deva, Mara, Brahma, or anyone else in the world were to raise a challenge in accordance with the Dharma, or cause others to entertain the thought, “With regard to that Dharma, the Buddha is not perfectly enlightened,” I clearly perceive that such a challenge has no grounds. Because I clearly perceive that such a challenge has no grounds, I abide secure and steadfast, without fear or dread.

Thus I declare that I occupy the honored station of the Great Seer; amid the great assembly I rightly roar the lion’s roar and turn the great Brahma wheel, which no shramana, brahmin, deva, Mara, Brahma, or anyone else in the world can possibly turn in accordance with the Dharma. This is the first.

All Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, declare, “I have forever extinguished all outflows.” Even if a shramana, a brahmin, a deva, Mara, Brahma, or anyone else in the world were to raise a challenge in accordance with the Dharma, or cause others to entertain the thought, “The Buddha has not yet forever extinguished those outflows,” I clearly know that such a challenge has no grounds. Because I clearly know that such a challenge has no grounds, I abide secure and steadfast, without fear or dread.

I declare that I occupy the honored station of the Great Seer; amid the great assembly I rightly roar the lion’s roar and turn the great Brahma wheel, which no shramana, brahmin, deva, Mara, Brahma, or anyone else in the world can possibly turn in accordance with the Dharma. This is the second.

All Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, declare, “When I teach my assemblies of disciples that defiling dharmas create obstacles, they certainly do create obstacles.” Even if a shramana, a brahmin, a deva, Mara, Brahma, or anyone else in the world were to raise a challenge in accordance with the Dharma, or cause others to entertain the thought, “This defiling dharma cannot create an obstacle,” I clearly perceive that such a challenge has no grounds.

Because I clearly perceive that such a challenge has no grounds, I abide secure and steadfast, without fear or dread. Thus I declare that I occupy the honored station of the Great Seer; amid the great assembly I rightly roar the lion’s roar and turn the great Brahma wheel, which no shramana, brahmin, deva, Mara, Brahma, or anyone else in the world can possibly turn in accordance with the Dharma. This is the third.

All Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, declare, “When I teach my assemblies of disciples the path of deliverance, the Noble Ones who cultivate it will assuredly attain deliverance, assuredly attain complete penetration, completely end all suffering, and escape the cycle of anguish.” Even if a shramana, a brahmin, a deva, Mara, Brahma, or anyone else in the world were to raise a challenge in accordance with the Dharma, or cause others to entertain the thought, “Although this path is cultivated, it does not truly lead to deliverance, does not truly lead to complete penetration, does not truly bring suffering to an end, and does not truly bring escape from the cycle of anguish,” I clearly perceive that such a challenge has no grounds.

Because I clearly perceive that such a challenge has no grounds, I abide secure and steadfast, without fear or dread. I declare that I occupy the honored station of the Great Seer; amid the great assembly I rightly roar the lion’s roar and turn the great Brahma wheel, which no shramana, brahmin, deva, Mara, Brahma, or anyone else in the world can possibly turn in accordance with the Dharma. This is the fourth.

Subhuti! These are called the four fearlessnesses.

Subhuti! What are the four unobstructed knowledges?

Subhuti! They are unobstructed knowledge of meaning, unobstructed knowledge of Dharma, unobstructed knowledge of language, and unobstructed knowledge of eloquence.

Subhuti! These are called the four unobstructed knowledges.

Subhuti! What is unobstructed knowledge of Meaning? It is wisdom that takes meaning as its object without obstruction.

Subhuti! What is unobstructed knowledge of Dharma? It is wisdom that takes dharmas as its object without obstruction.

Subhuti! What is unobstructed knowledge of language? It is wisdom that takes language as its object without obstruction.

Subhuti! What is unobstructed knowledge of Eloquence? It is wisdom that takes eloquence as its object without obstruction.

Subhuti! What are the eighteen qualities unique to a Buddha?

Subhuti! All Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, are never mistaken; this is the first quality unique to a Buddha. All Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, never speak hastily or harshly; this is the second quality unique to a Buddha.

All Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, never lose mindfulness; this is the third quality unique to a Buddha. All Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, always abide with concentrated minds; this is the fourth quality unique to a Buddha. All Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, have no perception of distinctions; this is the fifth quality unique to a Buddha.

All Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, have no equanimity that is not grounded in discernment; this is the sixth quality unique to a Buddha. The aspiration of all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, never declines; this is the seventh quality unique to a Buddha. The diligence of all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, never regresses; this is the eighth quality unique to a Buddha.

The mindfulness of all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, never fails; this is the ninth quality unique to a Buddha. The prajna of all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, never regresses; this is the tenth quality unique to a Buddha. The liberation of all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, never regresses; this is called the eleventh quality unique to a Buddha.

The knowledge and vision of liberation of all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, never regress; this is the twelfth quality unique to a Buddha. Whatever all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, know or see of the past is without attachment and without obstruction; this is the thirteenth quality unique to a Buddha. Whatever all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, know or see of the present is without attachment and without obstruction; this is the fourteenth quality unique to a Buddha.

Whatever all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, know or see of the future is without attachment and without obstruction; this is the fifteenth quality unique to a Buddha. All bodily actions of all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, are guided by wisdom and proceed in accordance with wisdom; this is the sixteenth quality unique to a Buddha. All verbal actions of all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, are guided by wisdom and proceed in accordance with wisdom; this is the seventeenth quality unique to a Buddha.

All mental actions of all Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, are guided by wisdom and proceed in accordance with wisdom; this is the eighteenth quality unique to a Buddha.

Subhuti! These are the eighteen qualities unique to a Buddha.

Subhuti! What are the thirty-two marks of a Great Being possessed by the Tathagata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One?

O Subhuti! The soles of the Blessed One’s feet are level, full, beautiful, and firm, like the bottom of a casket. Although the ground may be high or low, wherever he places his feet it becomes level, with no part failing to make contact.

This is the first mark. On the soles of the Blessed One’s feet are circular designs resembling wheels with a thousand spokes, each perfectly complete. This is the second mark.

The Blessed One’s hands and feet are as soft as silk and finer than all others. This is the third mark. Between each of the Blessed One’s fingers and toes, as with the king of geese, there is a golden membrane joining them, patterned as though embroidered and painted.

This is the fourth mark. The Blessed One’s fingers and toes are full, rounded, slender, long, and exceedingly lovely. This is the fifth mark.

The Blessed One’s heels are long, broad, rounded, and full, proportionate to the insteps and surpassing those of other sentient beings. This is the sixth mark. The insteps of the Blessed One’s feet are high, thick, and full, soft and beautiful, and proportionate to his heels.

This is the seventh mark. The Blessed One’s two calves taper gradually and are rounded like those of the lord of Eṇeya antelopes. This is the eighth mark.

The Blessed One’s arms are long, straight, and evenly rounded like the trunk of a royal elephant; when he stands erect, they reach his knees. This is the ninth mark. His male organ is concealed within a sheath, like that of a dragon-horse or a royal elephant.

This is the tenth mark. From each pore of the Blessed One grows a single hair, soft and deep blue, curling to the right. This is the eleventh mark.

All the hairs on the Blessed One’s body grow straight upward, turning toward his face; they are soft, deep blue, and exceedingly pleasing. This is the twelfth mark. The skin of the Blessed One’s body is fine, smooth, and lustrous; neither dust nor water nor anything else can adhere to it.

This is the thirteenth mark. The skin of the Blessed One’s body is the color of pure gold, brilliantly radiant, like a beautiful golden terrace adorned with various precious jewels, delightful for all to behold. This is the fourteenth mark.

The seven places—the centers of the Blessed One’s two soles and two palms, his neck, and his two shoulders—are all full and rounded. This is the fifteenth mark. The Blessed One’s shoulders and the nape of his neck are rounded, full, and beautiful.

This is the sixteenth mark. The Blessed One’s two armpits are full. This is the seventeenth mark.

The Blessed One’s bearing is perfectly dignified and majestic. This is the eighteenth mark. The Blessed One’s bodily form is tall, imposing, and stately.

This is the nineteenth mark. The Blessed One’s physical form is well proportioned and rounded on every side like a nyagrodha tree. This is the twentieth mark.

The Blessed One’s chin, chest, and upper body are broad and majestic like those of a lion king. This is the twenty-first mark. The Blessed One’s constant radiance extends one fathom in every direction.

This is the twenty-second mark. The Blessed One has forty teeth, even, clean, closely set, and deeply rooted, white as du-kha snow. This is the twenty-third mark.

The Blessed One’s four canine teeth are pure white, sharp, and pointed. This is the twenty-fourth mark. The Blessed One always experiences the finest flavor among all flavors.

Because his throat channel is straight, it can convey the finest flavor present throughout all the subtle channels of his body. Disorders of wind, phlegm, and heat cannot intrude. Because these disorders do not intermingle, his vessels are free from such conditions as sinking or floating, slowness or haste, injury, deterioration, swelling, and crookedness.

Food can pass directly down his throat, and the digestive fluids circulate freely; therefore, his body and mind are refreshed and at ease, and he always experiences the finest flavor. This is the twenty-fifth mark. The Blessed One’s tongue is thin, clean, broad, and long; it can cover his entire face and reach his ears and hairline.

This is the twenty-sixth mark. When the Blessed One speaks, his Brahma voice is gentle, refined, and far-reaching. Whether the assembly is large or small, no one fails to hear it.

His voice resounds mightily like a celestial drum, while his words are melodious and concise like the song of the Kalaviṅka bird. This is the twenty-seventh mark. The Blessed One’s eyelashes resemble those of a royal bull; they are deep blue, even, and unentangled.

This is the twenty-eighth mark. The Blessed One’s eyes are deep blue and pure white, intermingled with reddish circles, clear, bright, and distinct. This is the twenty-ninth mark.

The Blessed One’s face resembles the perfectly full moon, and his eyebrows are bright and pure, like the bow of the Lord of the Devas. This is the thirtieth mark. Between the Blessed One’s eyebrows is a tuft of white hair, soft as silk and curling to the right, clear, white, and beautiful like du-kha snow.

This is the thirty-first mark. On the crown of the Blessed One’s head is a high, rounded protuberance resembling a celestial canopy. This is the thirty-second mark.

O Subhuti! These are the thirty-two marks of a Great Being.

O Subhuti! What are the eighty subsidiary characteristics of beauty possessed by the Tathagata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One?

Subhuti! The Blessed One’s fingernails and toenails are narrow, long, thin, soft, bright, pure, and beautiful, like red copper flowers; this is the first beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s fingers and toes are rounded, tapering, long, straight, and delicate, with no joints visibly protruding; this is the second beautiful characteristic.

The spaces between the Blessed One’s fingers and toes are all completely filled and are uniform, without difference; this is the third beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s hands and feet are perfectly rounded and full, soft, pure, bright, and smooth, with the color of lotus flowers; this is the fourth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s sinews and veins are firmly knit, deeply concealed, and not visible; this is the fifth beautiful characteristic.

Both of the Blessed One’s ankles are concealed and do not protrude; this is the sixth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One walks straight forward with the unhurried bearing of a naga or a lordly elephant; this is the seventh beautiful characteristic. When the Blessed One walks, his majestic bearing is dignified and stately, like that of a lion king; this is the eighth beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One walks calmly and peacefully, with steps neither too long nor too short, like a lordly bull; this is the ninth beautiful characteristic. When the Blessed One walks, advances, or stops, he does so in accordance with proper deportment, like a king of geese; this is the tenth beautiful characteristic. Whenever the Blessed One looks back, he always turns to the right, like a naga or lordly elephant, turning his entire body with him; this is the eleventh beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s joints are successively rounded and skillfully arranged; this is the twelfth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s bones are closely joined without gaps, like those of a coiled naga; this is the thirteenth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s kneecaps are skillfully formed, firm, and complete; this is the fourteenth beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s private parts have beautiful markings, possess full potency, and are perfectly pure; this is the fifteenth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s body is supple, soft, lustrous, pure, and beautiful, and dust does not adhere to it; this is the sixteenth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s countenance is gracious, dignified, and fearless, never timid or fainthearted; this is the seventeenth beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s body is firm, substantial, and weighty, with its auspicious characteristics harmoniously conjoined; this is the eighteenth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s body is stable and well proportioned, never wavering, perfect and indestructible; this is the nineteenth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s bodily form resembles that of the lord of seers; his entire body is upright, dignified, bright, and pure, without darkness; this is the twentieth beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s body is surrounded by a halo that naturally illuminates wherever he goes; this is the twenty-first beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s abdomen is square and complete, soft and unobtrusive, adorned with all the marks; this is the twenty-second beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s navel is deep, spirals toward the right, and is round, beautiful, pure, and lustrous; this is the twenty-third beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s navel is substantial, neither sunken nor protruding, and is beautiful all around; this is the twenty-fourth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s skin is free from itching sores, moles, tumors, and all other ailments; this is the twenty-fifth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s palms are full and soft, and the soles of his feet are even and level; this is the twenty-sixth beautiful characteristic.

The lines on the Blessed One’s palms are deep, long, distinct, straight, fresh, lustrous, and unbroken; this is the twenty-seventh beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s lips are bright, lustrous, and vivid red like the bimba fruit, with the upper and lower lips in perfect proportion; this is the twenty-eighth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s face is neither long nor short, neither large nor small, but well proportioned and dignified; this is the twenty-ninth beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s tongue is soft, broad, and long, and is the color of red copper; this is the thirtieth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s voice resounds with majestic power and profundity, like the trumpeting of a lordly elephant, distinct and clear; this is the thirty-first beautiful characteristic. The cadence of the Blessed One’s voice is gentle and full, like an echo in a deep cavern; this is the thirty-second beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s nose is high, long, and straight, and his nostrils are not exposed; this is the thirty-third beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s teeth are even, straight, white, and beautiful; this is the thirty-fourth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s incisors are rounded, white, bright, pure, and sharp; this is the thirty-fifth beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s eyes are pure, bright, and clear; this is the thirty-sixth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s eyes are long and broad like the petals of a blue lotus and are exceedingly lovely; this is the thirty-seventh beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s upper and lower eyelashes are straight, dense, and not white; this is the thirty-eighth beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s eyebrows are long, dark, fine, and soft; this is the thirty-ninth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s eyebrows are beautiful, smoothly aligned, deep blue, and the color of lapis lazuli; this is the fortieth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s eyebrows are high and distinct, bright and lustrous, and shaped like the crescent moon at the beginning of the month; this is the forty-first beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s ears are thick, broad, large, and long, with rounded earlobes; this is the forty-second beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s two ears are handsome and symmetrical, without any defect; this is the forty-third beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s dignified bearing causes all who see him to give rise to reverence and affection, without either being impaired or diminished; this is the forty-fourth beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s forehead is broad, rounded, full, and even, with a beautiful form; this is the forty-fifth beautiful characteristic. The upper half of the Blessed One’s body is fully developed like that of a lion king, with incomparable majesty; this is the forty-sixth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s hair is long, deep blue, and dense, without any gray; this is the forty-seventh beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s hair is fragrant, pure, fine, soft, glossy, and curled; this is the forty-eighth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s hair lies evenly, without disorder or tangled clumps; this is the forty-ninth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s hair is strong and does not break, and it never falls out; this is the fiftieth beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s hair is smooth, glossy, and beautiful, and dust does not cling to it; this is the fifty-first beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s body is more robust and full than that of Narayana; this is the fifty-second beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s body is tall, imposing, and upright; this is the fifty-third beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s bodily apertures are pure, rounded, and beautiful; this is the fifty-fourth beautiful characteristic. The limbs of the Blessed One’s body possess unsurpassed strength, unequaled by anyone; this is the fifty-fifth beautiful characteristic. Everyone delights in beholding the Blessed One’s bodily form and never grows weary of seeing it; this is the fifty-sixth beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s face has fitting length and breadth and is clear and radiant like the light of the full autumn moon; this is the fifty-seventh beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s countenance is serene and luminous; he smiles before speaking and looks directly ahead without turning backward; this is the fifty-eighth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s countenance is radiant and joyful, without such defects as wrinkles or blue or red discolorations; this is the fifty-ninth beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s skin is pure and undefiled and never emits an unpleasant odor; this is the sixtieth beautiful characteristic. The pores of the Blessed One’s body constantly emit a subtle and exquisite fragrance that accords with every wish; this is the sixty-first beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s face constantly emits the most supreme and excellent fragrance; this is the sixty-second beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One’s head is rounded and beautiful like a madana fruit and also resembles a celestial parasol; this is the sixty-third beautiful characteristic. The hair on the Blessed One’s body is deep blue, bright, and pure like a peacock’s neck, with a beautiful sheen like red copper; this is the sixty-fourth beautiful characteristic. The Blessed One’s voice of Dharma adapts to assemblies large and small, neither increasing nor diminishing, always conforming to principle without error; this is the sixty-fifth beautiful characteristic.

The crown of the Blessed One’s head cannot be seen; this is the sixty-sixth beautiful characteristic. The webbing between the Blessed One’s fingers and toes is clearly defined, dignified, beautiful, and the color of red copper; this is the sixty-seventh beautiful characteristic. When the Blessed One walks, his feet remain about four finger-widths above the ground, yet footprints appear upon it; this is the sixty-eighth beautiful characteristic.

The Blessed One maintains his own balance without needing anyone’s support; his body neither sways nor inclines or falls; this is the sixty-ninth beautiful characteristic.

The awe-inspiring majesty of the Blessed One moves all beings: those of evil intent rejoice upon seeing him, while the fearful find peace and security. This is the seventieth minor mark. The Blessed One’s voice is neither too loud nor too soft; adapting to sentient beings, he speaks to them harmoniously and joyfully.

This is the seventy-first minor mark. The Blessed One always accords with the various kinds of sentient beings and teaches them the Dharma in a voice pleasing to them. This is the seventy-second minor mark.

The Blessed One expounds the true Dharma in a single voice, yet causes every kind of sentient being to understand it clearly according to its kind. This is the seventy-third minor mark. Whenever the Blessed One teaches the Dharma, he proceeds in due order, his words are invariably grounded in causes and conditions, and all that he says is excellent.

This is the seventy-fourth minor mark. The Blessed One universally observes every kind of sentient being, praising what is wholesome and censuring what is evil, without affection or aversion. This is the seventy-fifth minor mark.

Whatever the Blessed One does, he first examines it and only then acts; everything fully accords with proper conduct and reveals purity and goodness. This is the seventy-sixth minor mark. No sentient being can behold all the Blessed One’s excellent marks in their entirety.

This is the seventy-seventh minor mark. The bone at the back of the Blessed One’s head is firm, rounded, and full. This is the seventy-eighth minor mark.

The Blessed One’s countenance remains forever youthful and never ages, and he delights in visiting places where he has dwelt before. This is the seventy-ninth minor mark. Upon the Blessed One’s hands, feet, and breast are auspicious marks that spiral gracefully; their patterns resemble embroidery and their color is like red stone.

This is the eightieth minor mark.

Subhuti, these are called the eighty minor marks.

Subhuti, because the Tathagata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One, has perfected such excellent marks, the light of his body can, at will, illuminate the entire trichiliocosm, reaching everywhere without exception. As soon as he forms the intention, it can illuminate immeasurable, innumerable, and boundless worlds. Yet, out of compassion for sentient beings, he draws in his radiance so that it ordinarily shines only one fathom in every direction.

Were he to release the radiance of his body, the light of the sun, moon, and the like would all be eclipsed. Sentient beings would be unable to distinguish day from night, the fortnights, days, hours, or the passing of years, and nothing they undertook could be accomplished. The Buddha’s voice can, at will, pervade the entire trichiliocosm.

When he directs his attention to it, his voice can immediately pervade immeasurable, boundless, and innumerable worlds. Yet, for the welfare and happiness of sentient beings, his voice accords with the number of listeners, neither increasing nor diminishing.

Subhuti, I was able to perfect such excellent qualities and benefits in the past, when I cultivated prajnaparamita on the bodhisattva stage. Therefore, my excellent marks are now perfectly complete and majestic. All sentient beings who see them rejoice and attain supreme welfare and happiness.

Subhuti, thus, when a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, that bodhisattva can attract and transform sentient beings through the two kinds of giving: the giving of material wealth and the giving of Dharma. This is an exceedingly rare quality.

Subhuti, how does a great bodhisattva attract and transform sentient beings through loving speech?

Subhuti, when a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, that bodhisattva uses gentle and harmonious words, first teaching sentient beings the paramita of generosity and the skillful means of embracing and guiding them; next teaching the paramita of pure ethical discipline and the skillful means of embracing and guiding them; then teaching the paramita of patient endurance and the skillful means of embracing and guiding them; thereafter teaching the paramita of diligence and the skillful means of embracing and guiding them; again teaching the paramita of meditative concentration and the skillful means of embracing and guiding them; and finally teaching prajnaparamita and the skillful means of embracing and guiding them.

Subhuti, when a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, that bodhisattva uses gentle and harmonious words to speak extensively about these six paramitas in order to embrace and guide sentient beings. Why? Because these six paramitas are capable of encompassing all wholesome dharmas.

Subhuti, how can a great bodhisattva embrace and guide sentient beings through beneficial conduct?

Subhuti, when a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, throughout endless time that bodhisattva employs every kind of skillful means to encourage sentient beings diligently to cultivate generosity, pure ethical discipline, patient endurance, diligence, meditative concentration, prajnaparamita, and other supreme wholesome dharmas, never becoming indolent or abandoning them.

Subhuti, how can a great bodhisattva embrace and guide sentient beings through cooperation?

Subhuti, when a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita, through supreme supernormal powers and the power of great vows, that bodhisattva manifests among beings in the hells, the animal realm, the realm of ghosts, the human realm, the heavenly realms, and so forth, participating in their activities and embracing and guiding them through skillful means so that they attain supreme welfare and happiness.

Subhuti, in this way a great bodhisattva can embrace and guide sentient beings through generosity, loving speech, beneficial conduct, and cooperation. This is an exceedingly rare quality.

Furthermore, Subhuti, with the Buddha-eye I universally behold worlds as numerous as the sands of immeasurable Ganges Rivers throughout the ten directions. I see great bodhisattvas practicing profound prajnaparamita and instructing and admonishing other bodhisattvas in this manner: “Good son, you should skillfully train in eliciting the letters of the dharani gateways. That is, you should skillfully train in one letter, two letters, three letters, four letters, five letters, six letters, seven letters, eight letters, nine letters, and ten letters, continuing thus through twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, and ninety letters, or a hundred, or a thousand, up to innumerable letters, eliciting them with mastery.

You should also skillfully train so that all forms of language enter into one letter, or enter into two letters, or enter into three letters, or enter into four letters, or enter into five letters, or enter into six letters, or enter into seven letters, or enter into eight letters, or enter into nine letters, or enter into ten letters, continuing thus until they enter into twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, or ninety letters, a hundred, a thousand, or up to innumerable letters, eliciting them with mastery.

You should also skillfully train to encompass all letters within one letter and to encompass one letter within all letters, eliciting them with mastery. You should also skillfully train so that one letter can encompass the forty-two letters and the forty-two letters can encompass one letter.”

Subhuti, that great bodhisattva should skillfully train in this manner: the forty-two letters enter into one letter, and one letter also enters into the forty-two letters. Having trained in this way, that bodhisattva develops skill in letters; after developing skill in letters, that bodhisattva further develops skill in the absence of letters. Just as the Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones are skilled in dharmas and skilled in letters, and skillfully employ all dharmas and all letters, so too do they attain skill in the absence of letters.

Because of this skill, they can teach sentient beings dharmas with letters and dharmas without letters; and for the sake of dharmas without letters, they teach dharmas with letters. Why? Subhuti, apart from letters and the absence of letters, there is no other Buddha-Dharma; that which transcends all letters is called the true Buddha-Dharma.

Why? Subhuti, because all dharmas and all sentient beings are ultimately empty and boundlessly empty.

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

– Blessed One! If all dharmas and all sentient beings are ultimately empty and beginninglessly empty, and therefore transcend all words, so that the intrinsic nature of all dharmas and all sentient beings is ultimately ungraspable, then why do great bodhisattvas cultivate prajnaparamita, and cultivate the perfections of meditative concentration, diligence, patience, pure morality, and generosity? Why do great bodhisattvas cultivate the four dhyanas, the four immeasurables, and the four formless concentrations? Why do great bodhisattvas cultivate 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? Why do great bodhisattvas cultivate the liberation gateway of emptiness, and cultivate the liberation gateways of signlessness and wishlessness? Why do great bodhisattvas abide in the emptiness of the internal, the emptiness of the external, the emptiness of the internal and external, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, the emptiness of ultimate meaning, the emptiness of the conditioned, the emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, the emptiness of dispersion, the emptiness of nonchange, the emptiness of intrinsic nature, the emptiness of individual characteristics, the emptiness of common characteristics, the emptiness of all dharmas, the emptiness of the ungraspable, the emptiness of nonexistence, the emptiness of self-nature, and the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence? Why do great bodhisattvas abide in suchness, and abide in the dharma-dhatu, Dharma-nature, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature of freedom from arising, the certainty of dharmas, the abiding of dharmas, the true limit, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm? Why do great bodhisattvas abide in the Noble Truth of suffering, and abide in the Noble Truths of the origin, cessation, and path? Why do great bodhisattvas cultivate the eight liberations, the eight spheres of mastery, the nine successive concentrations, and the ten totalities? Why do great bodhisattvas cultivate all dharani gateways and all samadhi gateways? Why do great bodhisattvas cultivate the Ground of Great Joy, the Ground of Stainlessness, the Ground of Luminousness, 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? Why do great bodhisattvas cultivate the five kinds of eyes and the six superknowledges? Why do great bodhisattvas cultivate the ten powers of a Buddha, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed understandings, and the eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha? Why do great bodhisattvas cultivate great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity? Why do great bodhisattvas cultivate the Dharma of never forgetting and the nature of constant equanimity? Why do great bodhisattvas cultivate the knowledge of all things, the knowledge of the aspects of the paths, and the knowledge of all aspects? Why do great bodhisattvas cultivate the thirty-two marks of a Great Being and the eighty secondary characteristics? Why do great bodhisattvas abide in the six superknowledges born of karmic maturation and then expound the True Dharma for sentient beings?

Blessed One! All sentient beings are ungraspable, and the designation of sentient beings is also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, form is ungraspable; feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are also ungraspable.

Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the eye ayatana is ungraspable; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind ayatanas are also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the form ayatana is ungraspable; the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, and dharma ayatanas are also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the eye dhatu is ungraspable; the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind dhatus are also ungraspable.

Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the form dhatu is ungraspable; the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, and dharma dhatus are also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the eye-consciousness dhatu is ungraspable; the ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-consciousness dhatus are also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, eye-contact is ungraspable; ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact are also ungraspable.

Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the feelings arising with eye-contact as condition are ungraspable; the feelings arising with ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, and mind-contact as condition are also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the earth dhatu is ungraspable; the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness dhatus are also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the causal condition is ungraspable; the immediately antecedent condition, objective condition, and predominant condition are also ungraspable.

Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, all dharmas arising from conditions are ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, ignorance is ungraspable; formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and distress are also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the perfection of generosity is ungraspable; the perfections of pure ethical discipline, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita are also ungraspable.

Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the four meditative absorptions are ungraspable; the four immeasurables and the four formless attainments are also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the four foundations of mindfulness are ungraspable; the four right efforts, four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of awakening, and eightfold noble path are also ungraspable.

Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the emptiness gateway to liberation is ungraspable; the signless and wishless gateways to liberation are also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, emptiness of the internal is ungraspable; emptiness of the external, emptiness of the internal and external, emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of ultimate meaning, emptiness of the conditioned, emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, emptiness without boundaries, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of the unchanging, emptiness of intrinsic nature, emptiness of individual characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all dharmas, and emptiness of the ungraspable are also ungraspable;

emptiness of nonexistence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence are also ungraspable.

Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, suchness is ungraspable; the dharma dhatu, the nature of dharmas, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature of separation from arising, the fixed order of dharmas, the abiding order of dharmas, the true limit, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm are also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the Noble Truth of suffering is ungraspable; the Noble Truths of origin, cessation, and the path are also ungraspable.

Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the eight liberations are ungraspable; the eight spheres of mastery, nine successive attainments, and ten totalities are also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, all dharani gateways are ungraspable; all samadhi gateways are also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the Ground of Utmost Joy is ungraspable; the Grounds of Stainlessness, Luminousness, Blazing Wisdom, Utterly Difficult to Conquer, Manifest Presence, Far-Reaching, Immovability, Excellent Wisdom, and Dharma Cloud are also ungraspable.

Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the five kinds of eyes are ungraspable; the six superknowledges are also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the Buddha’s ten powers are ungraspable; the four fearlessnesses, four unobstructed understandings, and eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha are also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, great loving-kindness is ungraspable; great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity are also ungraspable.

Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the quality of never losing mindfulness is ungraspable; the nature of perpetual equanimity is also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, knowledge of all things is ungraspable; knowledge of the aspects of the paths and knowledge of all aspects are also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the fruit of stream-entry is ungraspable; the fruits of once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, and the state of a pratyekabuddha are also ungraspable.

Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, all practices of great bodhisattvas are ungraspable; the supreme awakening of the Buddhas is also ungraspable. Because all sentient beings are ungraspable, the thirty-two marks of a Great Being are ungraspable; the eighty subsidiary characteristics are also ungraspable.

“Blessed One! Within that which is ungraspable, there are no sentient beings and no establishment of sentient beings; there is no form and no establishment of form; there are no feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness, and no establishment of feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness; there is no eye ayatana and no establishment of the eye ayatana; there are no ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind ayatanas, and no establishment of the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind ayatanas; there is no form ayatana and no establishment of the form ayatana; there are no sound, odor, taste, tangible object, or dharma ayatanas, and no establishment of the sound, odor, taste, tangible object, or dharma ayatanas; there is no eye dhatu and no establishment of the eye dhatu;

there are no ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind dhatus, and no establishment of the ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind dhatus; there is no form dhatu and no establishment of the form dhatu; there are no sound, odor, taste, tangible object, or dharma dhatus, and no establishment of the sound, odor, taste, tangible object, or dharma dhatus; there is no eye-consciousness dhatu and no establishment of the eye-consciousness dhatu; there are no ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-consciousness dhatus, and no establishment of the ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-consciousness dhatus; there is no eye-contact and no establishment of eye-contact; there are no ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-contact, and no establishment of ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-contact;

there are no feelings arising with eye-contact as condition and no establishment of feelings arising with eye-contact as condition; there are no feelings arising with ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-contact as condition, and no establishment of feelings arising with ear-, nose-, tongue-, body-, or mind-contact as condition; there is no earth dhatu and no establishment of the earth dhatu; there are no water, fire, wind, space, or consciousness dhatus, and no establishment of the water, fire, wind, space, or consciousness dhatus; there is no causal condition and no establishment of a causal condition;

there are no immediately antecedent condition, objective condition, or dominant condition, and no establishment of the immediately antecedent condition, objective condition, or dominant condition; there are no dharmas arising from conditions and no establishment of dharmas arising from conditions; there is no ignorance and no establishment of ignorance; there are no formations, consciousness, name-and-form, six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, existence, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, or distress, and no establishment of formations through aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and distress; there is no generosity paramita and no establishment of the generosity paramita;

there are no ethical discipline, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, or prajnaparamita, and no establishment of ethical discipline through prajnaparamita; there are no four dhyanas and no establishment of the four dhyanas; there are no four immeasurables or four formless absorptions, and no establishment of the four immeasurables or four formless absorptions; there are no four foundations of mindfulness and no establishment of the four foundations of mindfulness; there are no four right efforts, four bases of supernormal power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of awakening, or Noble Eightfold Path, and no establishment of the four right efforts through the Noble Eightfold Path;

there is no emptiness gateway to liberation and no establishment of the emptiness gateway to liberation; there are no signlessness or wishlessness gateways to liberation, and no establishment of the signlessness or wishlessness gateways to liberation; there is no emptiness of the internal and no establishment of the emptiness of the internal;

there are no 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, or emptiness of the ungraspable; there are no emptiness of nonexistence, emptiness of self-nature, or emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence, and no establishment of the emptiness of the external through the emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence; there is no suchness and no establishment of suchness;

there are no dharma realm, dharma nature, nature free from falsity, unchanging nature, nature of equality, nature of freedom from arising, fixed order of dharmas, abiding order of dharmas, ultimate reality, realm of space, or inconceivable realm, and no establishment of the dharma realm through the inconceivable realm; there is no Noble Truth of suffering and no establishment of the Noble Truth of suffering; there are no Noble Truths of origin, cessation, or the path, and no establishment of the Noble Truths of origin, cessation, or the path; there are no eight liberations and no establishment of the eight liberations;

there are no eight spheres of mastery, nine successive absorptions, or ten totalities, and no establishment of the eight spheres of mastery, nine successive absorptions, or ten totalities; there is no dharani gateway and no establishment of the dharani gateway; there is no samadhi gateway and no establishment of the samadhi gateway; there is no Ground of Great Joy and no establishment of the Ground of Great Joy; there are no Ground of Stainlessness, Ground of Radiance, Ground of Blazing Wisdom, Ground Difficult to Conquer, Ground of Manifest Presence, Far-Going Ground, Immovable Ground, Ground of Excellent Wisdom, or Ground of the Dharma Cloud, and no establishment of the Ground of Stainlessness through the Ground of the Dharma Cloud;

there are no five kinds of eyes and no establishment of the five kinds of eyes; there are no six superknowledges and no establishment of the six superknowledges; there are no ten powers of a Buddha and no establishment of the ten powers of a Buddha; there are no four fearlessnesses, four unobstructed understandings, or eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha, and no establishment of the four fearlessnesses, four unobstructed understandings, or eighteen distinctive qualities of a Buddha; there is no great loving-kindness and no establishment of great loving-kindness; there are no great compassion, great sympathetic joy, or great equanimity, and no establishment of great compassion, great sympathetic joy, or great equanimity;

there is no quality of never forgetting and no establishment of the quality of never forgetting; there is no nature of constant equanimity and no establishment of the nature of constant equanimity; there is no knowledge of all things and no establishment of the knowledge of all things; there are no knowledge of the aspects of the paths or knowledge of all aspects, and no establishment of the knowledge of the aspects of the paths or knowledge of all aspects; there is no fruit of stream-entry and no establishment of the fruit of stream-entry; there are no fruits of once-returning, non-returning, or arhatship, nor the fruit of a pratyekabuddha, and no establishment of the fruit of once-returning through the fruit of a pratyekabuddha;

there are no practices of great bodhisattvas and no establishment of any practice of great bodhisattvas; there is no supreme awakening of the Buddhas and no establishment of the supreme awakening of the Buddhas; there are no thirty-two marks of a Great Being and no establishment of the thirty-two marks of a Great Being; there are no eighty subsidiary characteristics and no establishment of the eighty subsidiary characteristics.

Blessed One! Since all sentient beings, dharmas, and establishments are ungraspable and utterly devoid of anything that can be possessed, how do great bodhisattvas, when practicing profound prajnaparamita, expound the dharmas for sentient beings?

Blessed One! Let it not be said that great bodhisattvas themselves abide in what is contrary to Dharma, teach sentient beings what is contrary to Dharma, exhort sentient beings to abide in what is contrary to Dharma, and establish sentient beings by means of inverted dharmas. Why? Blessed One! Because when great bodhisattvas practice profound prajnaparamita, they do not even apprehend bodhi, much less any factor conducive to bodhi that could be apprehended; they do not even apprehend a great bodhisattva, much less any dharma of a great bodhisattva that could be apprehended.”

The Buddha said:

– Subhuti! So it is! So it is! It is exactly as you have said. All sentient beings are ungraspable; the designation of all sentient beings is also ungraspable; all dharmas are ungraspable; and the designation of all dharmas is also ungraspable. Because they are utterly ungraspable and entirely without anything that can be possessed, one should know that inner emptiness is empty; one should know that outer emptiness, inner-and-outer emptiness, the emptiness of emptiness, great emptiness, emptiness of the ultimate meaning, emptiness of the conditioned, emptiness of the unconditioned, ultimate emptiness, boundless emptiness, emptiness of dispersion, emptiness of non-transformation, emptiness of intrinsic nature, emptiness of individual characteristics, emptiness of common characteristics, emptiness of all dharmas, emptiness of the ungraspable, emptiness of nonexistence, emptiness of self-nature, and emptiness of the self-nature of nonexistence are all empty.

One should know that true suchness is empty; one should know that the dharma-realm, dharma-nature, the nature free from falsity, the unchanging nature, the nature of equality, the nature detached from arising, the fixed order of Dharma, the abiding of Dharma, the limit of reality, the realm of space, and the inconceivable realm are all empty. One should know that the Noble Truth of suffering is empty; one should know that the Noble Truths of the origin, cessation, and path are empty.

One should know that form is empty; one should know that feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are empty. One should know that the eye ayatana is empty; one should know that the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind ayatanas are empty. One should know that the form ayatana is empty; one should know that the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, and dharma ayatanas are empty.

One should know that the eye dhatu is empty; one should know that the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind dhatus are empty. One should know that the form dhatu is empty; one should know that the sound, odor, taste, tangible-object, and dharma dhatus are empty. One should know that the eye-consciousness dhatu is empty; one should know that the ear-consciousness, nose-consciousness, tongue-consciousness, body-consciousness, and mind-consciousness dhatus are empty.

One should know that eye-contact is empty; one should know that ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact, and mind-contact are empty. One should know that the feelings arising with eye-contact as condition are empty; one should know that the feelings arising with ear-contact, nose-contact, tongue-contact, body-contact, and mind-contact as conditions are empty.

One should know that the earth dhatu is empty; one should know that the water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness dhatus are empty. One should know that the causal condition is empty; one should know that the immediately antecedent condition, the objective condition, and the dominant condition are empty. One should know that all dharmas arising from conditions are empty.

One should know that ignorance is empty; one should know that formations, consciousness, name-and-form, the six ayatanas, contact, feeling, craving, grasping, existence, birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and distress are empty. One should know that the self is empty; one should know that a sentient being, life-stream, one capable of being born, one who is nurtured, one who matures, one who transmigrates, a mind-born being, a youth, an agent, one who causes another to act, a maker of karma, one who causes another to make karma, an experiencer of karmic results, one who causes another to experience karmic results, a knower, and a seer are all empty.

One should know that the perfection of generosity is empty; one should know that the perfections of pure ethical discipline, patient endurance, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita are all empty. One should know that the four meditative absorptions are empty; one should know that the four immeasurables and the four formless concentrations are all empty. One should know that the four establishments of mindfulness are empty; one should know that the four right efforts, four bases of spiritual power, five faculties, five powers, seven factors of awakening, and eightfold noble path are all empty.

One should know that the liberation gateway of emptiness is empty; one should know that the liberation gateways of signlessness and wishlessness are both empty. One should know that the eight liberations are empty; one should know that the eight spheres of mastery, nine successive concentrations, and ten totality spheres are all empty. One should know that all dharani gateways are empty; one should know that all samadhi gateways are empty.

One should know that the Stage of Great Joy is empty; one should know that the Stage of Stainlessness, Stage of Luminousness, Stage of Blazing Wisdom, Stage Difficult to Conquer, Stage of Direct Presence, Stage of Far-Reaching, Stage of Immovability, Stage of Excellent Wisdom, and Stage of Dharma Cloud are all empty. One should know that the five kinds of eyes are empty; one should know that the six superknowledges are empty.

One should know that the Buddha’s ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the four unobstructed understandings, and the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha are all empty. One should know that great loving-kindness is empty; one should know that great compassion, great sympathetic joy, and great equanimity are all empty. One should know that the quality of never losing mindfulness is empty; one should know that the nature of perpetual equanimity is empty. One should know that the knowledge of all things is empty; one should know that the knowledge of the aspects of the path and the knowledge of all aspects are empty.

One should know that the fruit of stream-entry is empty; one should know that the fruits of once-returning, non-returning, arhatship, and the realization of a pratyekabuddha are all empty. One should know that a great bodhisattva’s entry into the certainty of perfection is empty. One should know that all practices of a great bodhisattva are empty. One should know that the supreme awakening of all Buddhas is empty.

One should know that all Buddha-fields are empty; one should know that the maturation of sentient beings is empty. One should know that the thirty-two marks of a Great Being are empty; one should know that the eighty subsidiary characteristics are empty.

Subhuti! When a great bodhisattva practices profound prajnaparamita and has seen that all dharmas are empty, the bodhisattva expounds the Dharma to sentient beings so that they may abandon their inverted views. Although the bodhisattva expounds the Dharma to sentient beings, the bodhisattva apprehends absolutely no sentient being and apprehends no dharma whatsoever. Regarding all characteristics, the bodhisattva neither increases nor decreases them, neither grasps nor rejects them. For this reason, although the bodhisattva expounds all dharmas, there is nothing that is expounded.

Subhuti! When that great bodhisattva contemplates all dharmas in this way, the bodhisattva attains unobstructed knowledge concerning all dharmas. By virtue of this knowledge, the bodhisattva neither destroys dharmas nor divides them into two, but expounds them to sentient beings in accordance with reality, enabling them to abandon attachment to deluded perceptions and inverted views and, according to their capacities, attain the fruits of the Three Vehicles.

Fascicle 381

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