Mahāyāna — Northern Canon · Linh Sơn Vietnamese Mahāyāna Canon

大般若波羅蜜多經

Chinese title:大般若波羅蜜多經

📖7,338 words · ~29 min read

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Interpreted by Inti AI (English)

🪷 AI interpretation

– Furthermore, Kausika! Suppose a good man or good woman were to teach all sentient beings in Jambudvipa to arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi. What do you think? Would this good man or good woman gain much merit through this cause and condition?

Sakra, Lord of the Gods, replied:

– World-Honored One! It would be very great. Well-Gone One! It would be very great.

The Buddha said:

– Kausika! Suppose a good man or good woman, using immeasurable approaches of elegant words and meanings, expounded this prajnaparamita to others, revealing and elucidating it, explaining it clearly, and distinguishing its principles so that they might readily understand; and further said: “Come, good man! You should listen wholeheartedly to this profound prajnaparamita, receive and retain it, read and recite it, master and thoroughly comprehend it, reflect upon it in accordance with reason, and gain correct faith and understanding in accordance with what is taught in this Dharma gateway of prajnaparamita. If you gain correct faith and understanding, you will be able to cultivate and study prajnaparamita in this way. If you are able to cultivate and study prajnaparamita in this way, you will be able to realize the Dharma of all-knowledge. If you realize the Dharma of all-knowledge, your cultivation of prajnaparamita will increase and become perfect. If your cultivation of prajnaparamita increases and becomes perfect, you will attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.”

Kausika! This good man or good woman would gain far more merit than the former. Why is this? It is because all great bodhisattvas, from those who first arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete awakening to those who abide in the ten bhumis, all issue forth from prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Kausika! What need is there to speak only of the sentient beings of Jambudvipa? Suppose a good man or good woman were to teach all sentient beings of the four great continents, or all sentient beings of a small chiliocosm, or all sentient beings of a medium chiliocosm, or all sentient beings of this great trichiliocosm, or all sentient beings in worlds throughout the ten directions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, or all sentient beings in boundless worlds throughout the ten directions, to arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete awakening. What do you think? Would this good man or good woman gain much merit through this cause and condition?

Sakra, Lord of the Gods, replied:

– World-Honored One! It would be very great. Well-Gone One! It would be very great.

The Buddha said:

Furthermore, Kausika! Suppose a good man or good woman were to teach all sentient beings in Jambudvipa to abide on the irreversible bodhisattva stage. What do you think? Would this good man or good woman gain much merit through this cause and condition?

Sakra, Lord of the Gods, replied:

– World-Honored One! It would be very great. Well-Gone One! It would be very great.

The Buddha said:

Kausika! This good man or good woman would gain far more merit than the former. Why is this?

Kausika! It is because all great bodhisattvas who abide on the irreversible stage, until they attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment, all issue forth from prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Kausika! What need is there to speak only of the sentient beings of Jambudvipa? Suppose a good man or good woman were to teach all sentient beings of the four great continents, or all sentient beings of a small chiliocosm, or all sentient beings of a medium chiliocosm, or all sentient beings of this great trichiliocosm, or all sentient beings in worlds throughout the ten directions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, or all sentient beings in boundless worlds throughout the ten directions, to abide on the irreversible bodhisattva stage. What do you think? Would this good man or good woman gain much merit through this cause and condition?

Sakra, Lord of the Gods, replied:

– World-Honored One! It would be very great. Well-Gone One! It would be very great.

The Buddha said:

Kausika! This good man or good woman would gain far more merit than the former. Why is this?

Kausika! It is because all great bodhisattvas who abide on the irreversible stage, until they attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment, all issue forth from prajnaparamita.

Furthermore, Kausika! Suppose that all sentient beings in Jambudvipa were to set their minds upon unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. If a good man or good woman, for their sake, were to expound this prajnaparamita through innumerable excellent modes of expression and meaning, revealing and elucidating it, explaining it clearly, and distinguishing its principles so that they might easily understand, and were also to say: “Come, good man!

You should listen wholeheartedly to this profound prajnaparamita, receive and retain it, read and recite it, master and thoroughly comprehend it, and contemplate it in accordance with reason. You should gain correct faith and understanding in accordance with what is taught in this Dharma gateway of prajnaparamita. If you gain correct faith and understanding, you will be able to cultivate and study prajnaparamita in this way.

If you can cultivate and study prajnaparamita in this way, you will be able to realize the Dharma of all-knowledge. If you realize the Dharma of all-knowledge, your cultivation of prajnaparamita will increase and reach perfection. If your cultivation of prajnaparamita increases and reaches perfection, you will realize unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.”

Kausika! The merit gained by this good man or good woman would be far greater than before.

Furthermore, Kausika! How much more so when speaking not merely of the sentient beings in Jambudvipa. Suppose that all sentient beings in the four great continents, or all sentient beings in a small chiliocosm, or all sentient beings in a medium chiliocosm, or all sentient beings in this great trichiliocosm, or all sentient beings in worlds throughout the ten directions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, or all sentient beings in boundless worlds throughout the ten directions, were all to set their minds upon unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.

If a good man or good woman, for their sake, were to expound this prajnaparamita through innumerable excellent modes of expression and meaning, revealing and elucidating it, explaining it clearly, and distinguishing its principles so that they might easily understand, and were also to say: “Come, good man! You should listen wholeheartedly to this profound prajnaparamita, receive and retain it, read and recite it, master and thoroughly comprehend it, and contemplate it in accordance with reason.

You should gain correct faith and understanding in accordance with what is taught in this Dharma gateway of prajnaparamita. If you gain correct faith and understanding, you will be able to cultivate and study prajnaparamita in this way. If you can cultivate and study prajnaparamita in this way, you will be able to realize the Dharma of all-knowledge.

If you realize the Dharma of all-knowledge, your cultivation of prajnaparamita will increase and reach perfection. If your cultivation of prajnaparamita increases and reaches perfection, you will realize unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.”

Kausika! The merit gained by this good man or good woman would be far greater than before.

Furthermore, Kausika! Suppose that all sentient beings in Jambudvipa were to set their minds upon unsurpassed, complete enlightenment and attain irreversibility. If a good man or good woman, for their sake, were to expound this prajnaparamita through innumerable excellent modes of expression and meaning, revealing and elucidating it, explaining it clearly, and distinguishing its principles so that they might easily understand, and were also to say: “Come, good man!

Kausika! The merit gained by this good man or good woman would be far greater than before.

Furthermore, Kausika! Suppose a good man or good woman were to teach all sentient beings in Jambudvipa to set their minds upon unsurpassed, complete enlightenment and, for their sake, were to expound prajnaparamita through innumerable excellent modes of expression and meaning, revealing and elucidating it, explaining it clearly, and distinguishing its principles so that they might easily understand. Suppose, moreover, that another good man or good woman were to teach a single sentient being to attain irreversibility with respect to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment and, for that being’s sake, were to expound prajnaparamita through innumerable excellent modes of expression and meaning, revealing and elucidating it, explaining it clearly,

and distinguishing its principles so that the being might easily understand.

Kausika! The merit gained by this latter good man or good woman would be far greater than before.

Furthermore, Kausika! How much more so when speaking not merely of the sentient beings in Jambudvipa. Suppose a good man or good woman were to teach all sentient beings in the four great continents, or all sentient beings in a small chiliocosm, or all sentient beings in a medium chiliocosm, or all sentient beings in this great trichiliocosm, or all sentient beings in worlds throughout the ten directions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, or all sentient beings in boundless worlds throughout the ten directions, to set their minds upon unsurpassed, complete enlightenment and, for their sake, were to expound prajnaparamita through innumerable excellent modes of expression and meaning, revealing and elucidating it, explaining it clearly,

and distinguishing its principles so that they might easily understand.

Suppose, moreover, that another good man or good woman were to teach a single sentient being to attain irreversibility with respect to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment and, for that being’s sake, were to expound prajnaparamita through innumerable excellent modes of expression and meaning, revealing and elucidating it, explaining it clearly, and distinguishing its principles so that the being might easily understand.

Kausika! The merit gained by this latter good man or good woman would be far greater than before.

Furthermore, Kausika, suppose a good man or good woman causes all sentient beings in Jambudvipa to attain non-retrogression from unsurpassed, complete enlightenment and, concerning the prajnaparamita, expounds it to them through innumerable excellent modes of expression and meaning, revealing and elucidating it, explaining it clearly, and distinguishing its principles so that they may easily understand. Suppose then that a sentient being says: “I now wish swiftly to realize unsurpassed, complete enlightenment so that I may rescue sentient beings from suffering in the evil destinies.” Thereupon, to enable that sentient being to accomplish this, a good man or good woman expounds the teaching through innumerable excellent modes of expression and meaning, revealing and elucidating it,

explaining it clearly, and distinguishing its principles so that the being may easily understand.

Kausika, the merit attained by this good man or good woman is far greater than that attained previously. Why is this?

Kausika, a great bodhisattva abiding on the stage of non-retrogression does not expound the Dharma with such wholehearted urgency. One who is resolutely proceeding toward great enlightenment will certainly never again regress from unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. One who wishes swiftly to realize that great enlightenment must teach the Dharma with the utmost generosity. Wishing swiftly to realize unsurpassed awakening, such a one contemplates the sufferings of birth and death endured by all sentient beings with an exceedingly profound and poignant mind of great compassion.

Furthermore, Kausika, what need is there to speak only of the sentient beings of Jambudvipa? Suppose a good man or good woman causes all sentient beings of the four great continents, or all sentient beings of a small chiliocosm, or all sentient beings of a medium chiliocosm, or all sentient beings of this great trichiliocosm, or all sentient beings in worlds throughout the ten directions as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, or all sentient beings in boundless worlds throughout the ten directions, to attain non-retrogression from unsurpassed, complete enlightenment and, concerning the prajnaparamita, expounds it to them through innumerable excellent modes of expression and meaning, revealing and elucidating it, explaining it clearly,

and distinguishing its principles so that they may easily understand.

Suppose then that a sentient being says: “I now wish swiftly to realize unsurpassed, complete enlightenment so that I may rescue sentient beings from suffering in the evil destinies.” Thereupon, to enable that sentient being to accomplish this, a good man or good woman expounds the teaching through innumerable excellent modes of expression and meaning, revealing and elucidating it, explaining it clearly, and distinguishing its principles so that the being may easily understand.

Kausika, the merit attained by this good man or good woman is far greater than that attained previously. Why is this?

At that time, Sakra, Lord of the Devas, addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, is such a great bodhisattva close to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment?”

The Buddha said:

“So it is! So it is! One should impart to that bodhisattva the perfection of generosity through the prajnaparamita; one should impart inner emptiness through the emptiness of the nonexistence of intrinsic nature; one should impart the four foundations of mindfulness through the Noble Eightfold Path; and likewise, one should impart the ten powers of a Buddha through the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha. One should also support and embrace that bodhisattva by making offerings of all necessities, such as clothing, food and drink, bedding, and medicines.

“Blessed One, if a good man or good woman imparts gifts of material wealth and the Dharma in this way, and makes offerings to, supports, and embraces that great bodhisattva, the merit attained by this good man or good woman is far greater than that attained previously. Why is this?

“Blessed One, it is because only through being embraced and supported, receiving offerings, and being given material wealth and the Dharma in this way can that great bodhisattva swiftly realize unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.”

Thereupon, the Venerable Subhuti said to Sakra, Lord of the Devas:

“Excellent! Excellent, Kausika! You should encourage that great bodhisattva, embrace that great bodhisattva, and assist that great bodhisattva. Now, as a noble disciple of the Buddha, you have done what ought to be done. Why is this?

“Kausika, because the noble disciples of all the Tathagatas wish to benefit and bring happiness to sentient beings, they encourage that great bodhisattva swiftly to realize unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. Through gifts of material wealth and the Dharma, the Buddha’s noble disciples provide for, make offerings to, embrace, and assist that great bodhisattva so that the bodhisattva may swiftly realize unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. Why is this? It is because all Tathagatas, sravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and the supreme things of the world appear because of this great bodhisattva.

“Kausika, if no great bodhisattva were to arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, there would be no great bodhisattva who trains in the six paramitas through the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha. If no great bodhisattva trained in the six paramitas through the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, there would be no great bodhisattva who attained unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. If no great bodhisattva attained unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, there would be no Tathagatas, sravakas, pratyekabuddhas, or supreme things of the world.

“Kausika, because there are great bodhisattvas who arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, there are great bodhisattvas who train in the six paramitas through the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha. Because there are great bodhisattvas who train in the six paramitas through the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, there are great bodhisattvas who attain unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. Because there are great bodhisattvas who attain unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, the wondrous wheel of Dharma is turned, the hosts of asuras decline, and the assemblies of devas and humans increase.

The great kshatriya clans, the great brahmin clans, the great merchant clans, and the great householder clans appear in the world. The assemblies of devas, from those of the Four Great Kings through those of the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, also appear in the world. Moreover, the perfection of generosity through the prajnaparamita, inner emptiness through the emptiness of the nonexistence of intrinsic nature, and the four foundations of mindfulness through the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha appear in the world.

Furthermore, the Sravaka Vehicle, the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle, and the Vehicle of Complete Enlightenment appear in the world.

XXXVII. CHAPTER ON REJOICING AND DEDICATING MERIT

At that time, the great bodhisattva Maitreya said to the Venerable Subhuti:

“Venerable sir! Suppose a great bodhisattva, employing non-apprehension as skillful means, rejoices in and jointly performs meritorious deeds with virtuous sentient beings; or, employing non-apprehension as skillful means, dedicates the merit of this rejoicing and joint performance of meritorious deeds equally to all sentient beings for unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment. Suppose other sentient beings also rejoice in and dedicate meritorious deeds, or ordinary beings, shravakas, and pratyekabuddhas rejoice in and dedicate meritorious deeds, such as the three kinds of meritorious activity consisting of giving, morality, and cultivation, or other meritorious deeds, such as the four foundations of mindfulness through the Noble Eightfold Path, the three gateways to liberation,

the eight liberations, the nine successive absorptions, the four unobstructed knowledges, and the six superknowledges.

The merit of that great bodhisattva’s rejoicing and dedication, compared with the meritorious deeds of those ordinary beings, shravakas, and pratyekabuddhas, is supreme, exalted, sublime, unsurpassed, unequaled, and equal to the unequaled. Why is this?

“Venerable sir! Ordinary beings perform meritorious deeds for their own happiness. Shravakas perform meritorious deeds solely to discipline themselves, solely to bring themselves to tranquility, and solely for their own nirvana. Great bodhisattvas, however, rejoice in and dedicate merit extensively for the discipline, tranquility, and nirvana of all sentient beings.”

At that time, Venerable Subhuti asked the great bodhisattva Maitreya:

“Great Being! The mind with which that great bodhisattva rejoices and dedicates takes as its objects the innumerable, immeasurable, and boundless worlds throughout the ten directions. In each of those worlds, innumerable, immeasurable, and boundless Buddhas have entered nirvana.

From their initial generation of the aspiration until they attained unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment, then successively entered the realm of nirvana without remainder, and onward until their Dharma disappeared, throughout that period there were roots of virtue associated with the six paramitas, as well as those of shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings; roots of virtue associated, both jointly and individually, with immeasurable, innumerable, and boundless qualities of a Buddha; the three kinds of meritorious activity—giving, morality, and cultivation—performed by their disciples who were ordinary beings; the conditioned and unconditioned, uncontaminated roots of virtue of their shravaka disciples;

and the aggregates of morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and knowledge and vision of liberation perfected by the Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones.

There were also their benefiting and bringing happiness to sentient beings through great loving-kindness, great compassion, great sympathetic joy, great equanimity, and innumerable, immeasurable, and boundless qualities of a Buddha; the true Dharma taught by those Buddhas; and the attainment, through diligent cultivation and study based upon that Dharma, of the fruits of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, and arhatship, pratyekabuddha enlightenment, entry into the bodhisattva’s right determination that transcends birth, and the other practices of great bodhisattvas.

That great bodhisattva gathers together all such roots of virtue, as well as the roots of virtue planted by other sentient beings in relation to the Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, shravakas, bodhisattvas, and assemblies of disciples, whether they presently abide in the world or have entered nirvana. Bringing all these roots of virtue together, the bodhisattva rejoices in them directly. Having rejoiced, the bodhisattva then offers this rejoicing, together with those meritorious deeds, to all sentient beings and dedicates them equally to unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment, thinking: ‘May I give these roots of virtue to all sentient beings so that together they may proceed toward unsurpassed enlightenment.’ Compared with other people’s rejoicing in meritorious deeds,

that great bodhisattva’s rejoicing and dedication in this manner is supreme, exalted, sublime, unsurpassed, unequaled, and equal to the unequaled.

“Great Being Maitreya, what do you think? When that great bodhisattva takes such matters as objects and generates a mind of rejoicing and dedication, there are objects upon which it focuses. Does that great bodhisattva, therefore, apprehend signs?”

The great bodhisattva Maitreya replied:

“Venerable sir! Although that great bodhisattva takes such matters as objects and generates a mind of rejoicing and dedication, in reality no such objects exist. It merely appears as though that great bodhisattva apprehends signs.”

Venerable Subhuti asked the great bodhisattva Maitreya:

“Great Being! If no objects such as those apprehended signs exist, then when that great bodhisattva, employing the apprehension of signs as skillful means, generates a mind of rejoicing and dedication that takes as its objects the immeasurable and boundless worlds throughout the ten directions, and the innumerable, immeasurable, and boundless Buddhas in each of those worlds who have entered nirvana, and gathers together all the roots of virtue accumulated from their initial generation of the aspiration until the disappearance of their Dharma, together with the roots of virtue of all their disciples, rejoicing in them directly and dedicating them to unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment—would not generating such a mind of rejoicing and dedication be a distortion?

It would be like regarding the impermanent as permanent, suffering as happiness, non-self as self, and the impure as pure. Such are distortions of perception, distortions of mind, and distortions of view. Apprehending signs in what is signless is likewise so.

“Great Being! If the objects in reality have no existence, then the mind of rejoicing and dedication is likewise so; the roots of virtue and so forth are likewise so; unsurpassed enlightenment is likewise so; and the paramitas of giving, pure morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajnaparamita are likewise so. To speak more extensively, even the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha are likewise so.

“Great Being! If the objects in reality have no existence, then the mind of rejoicing and dedication is likewise so; the roots of virtue and so forth are likewise so; unsurpassed enlightenment is likewise so; the six paramitas are likewise so; and even the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha are likewise so. What, then, is the object? What is the matter? What is the mind of rejoicing and dedication? What are the roots of virtue and so forth? What is unsurpassed enlightenment? What are the six paramitas through the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, in relation to which that great bodhisattva takes such matters as objects and generates a mind of rejoicing and dedication toward unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment?”

The great bodhisattva Maitreya replied:

“Venerable sir! If a great bodhisattva has cultivated and studied the profound six paramitas, has made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, has long since made great vows, has planted roots of virtue over a long period, has been embraced and guided by spiritual friends, and has thoroughly learned the meaning of the emptiness of the intrinsic characteristics of all dharmas, that great bodhisattva is able, in relation to the objects, the mind of rejoicing and dedication, the roots of virtue and so forth, unsurpassed enlightenment, the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, and all dharmas, to apprehend no signs whatsoever, yet still generate a mind of rejoicing and dedicate it to unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.

In generating such a mind of rejoicing and dedication, the bodhisattva employs neither duality nor non-duality as skillful means; neither signs nor signlessness as skillful means; neither apprehension nor non-apprehension as skillful means; neither defilement nor purity as skillful means; and neither arising nor cessation as skillful means. From the objects up to unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment, the bodhisattva apprehends no signs at all.

Because no signs are apprehended, the bodhisattva is not seized by distorted apprehension.

“If a bodhisattva has not thoroughly cultivated and studied the six paramitas, has not made offerings to immeasurable Buddhas, has not deeply planted roots of virtue, has not sustained great vows for a long time, has not been embraced and guided by many spiritual friends, and has not thoroughly learned the emptiness of the intrinsic characteristics of all dharmas, then, in relation to the objects, the roots of virtue rejoiced in and dedicated, unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment, the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, and all dharmas, that bodhisattva still grasps the signs of the mind while generating rejoicing and dedicating it to unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.

In generating such a mind of rejoicing and dedication, because the bodhisattva grasps signs, the bodhisattva is seized by distortion; this is not genuine rejoicing and dedication toward unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.”

Moreover, Venerable One! One should not expound before those bodhisattvas newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle the prajnaparamita, up to the perfection of giving; inner emptiness, up to the emptiness of the absence of self-nature; the four establishments of mindfulness, extensively up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha; or the meaning of the emptiness of the intrinsic characteristics of all dharmas. Why is this?

Venerable One! Although those bodhisattvas newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle possess some measure of faith, reverence, and joyful aspiration toward such teachings, after hearing them they may forget them all, become frightened and doubtful, and give rise to slander.

Before non-retrogressing great bodhisattvas who have made offerings to innumerable Buddhas, planted profound roots of virtue, made steadfast great vows, and been sustained by many good spiritual friends, one should extensively expound, distinguish, and reveal all the teachings of the prajnaparamita, up to the perfection of giving; inner emptiness, up to the emptiness of the absence of self-nature; the four establishments of mindfulness, extensively up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha; and the meaning of the emptiness of the intrinsic characteristics of all dharmas. Why is this?

Venerable One! Because those non-retrogressing great bodhisattvas have made offerings to innumerable Buddhas, planted profound roots of virtue, made steadfast great vows, and already been sustained by many good spiritual friends. If they hear this teaching, they can all accept and retain it throughout their lives without forgetting it, nor will they become frightened, doubtful, or slanderous.

Venerable One! Great bodhisattvas should dedicate to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment the meritorious deeds produced by such sympathetic joy.

At that time, the Venerable Subhuti addressed the great bodhisattva Maitreya:

“Great Being! Great bodhisattvas should dedicate to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment the meritorious deeds produced by such sympathetic joy. This means that a mind is employed in sympathetic joy and dedication.

Yet the mind so employed has already come to an end, ceased, and passed away. The objects taken as its conditions and the roots of virtue have likewise come to an end, ceased, and passed away, just as that mind has. Among these, what is the mind employed?

What are the objects taken as conditions and the roots of virtue, such that one speaks of sympathetically rejoicing and dedicating them to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment? One mind need not sympathetically rejoice in and dedicate another mind, for two minds do not arise simultaneously. Nor can a mind sympathetically rejoice in and dedicate its own self-nature.

When a great bodhisattva practicing the prajnaparamita knows thus: ‘All prajnaparamita is nonexistent, up to the perfection of giving being nonexistent; form is nonexistent, and feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness are nonexistent; up to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment also being nonexistent,’ then this great bodhisattva knows that all dharmas are nonexistent, yet is still able to sympathetically rejoice in meritorious deeds and dedicate them to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.

Such a mind of sympathetic joy and dedication is not encompassed by cognitive distortion, because non-apprehension is employed as the skillful means.”

At that time, the god Shakra said to the Venerable Subhuti:

“Venerable One! When bodhisattvas newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle hear such a teaching, will their minds not become frightened and doubtful?

“Venerable One! How should bodhisattvas newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle cultivate roots of virtue and dedicate them to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment?

“Venerable One! How should bodhisattvas newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle embrace sympathetic joy, perform meritorious deeds, and dedicate them to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment?”

The Venerable Subhuti, further supported by the spiritual power of the great bodhisattva Maitreya, said to the god Shakra:

“Kausika! If bodhisattvas newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle cultivate the prajnaparamita, up to the perfection of giving, employing non-apprehension and signlessness as skillful means, and embrace the prajnaparamita, up to the perfection of giving, then through these causes and conditions those great bodhisattvas will develop profound faith and understanding regarding inner emptiness, up to the emptiness of the absence of self-nature, and profound faith and understanding regarding the four establishments of mindfulness, up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha.

They will always be sustained by good spiritual friends. Through innumerable approaches involving subtle and wondrous words and meanings, these good spiritual friends will extensively expound for those bodhisattvas the teachings corresponding to the perfections of prajna, meditative concentration, diligence, patient acceptance, pure discipline, and giving. They will transmit and instruct them in such teachings, enabling those bodhisattvas to enter the bodhisattvas’ certainty of freedom from arising.

If they have not yet entered the bodhisattvas’ certainty of freedom from arising, they will nevertheless not abandon the practices of the prajnaparamita, up to the perfection of giving; inner emptiness, up to the emptiness of the absence of self-nature; and the four establishments of mindfulness, up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha. Moreover, by hearing extensive explanations of the deeds of Mara, those bodhisattvas’ minds will neither increase nor diminish in relation to those deeds of Mara.

Why is this? Because the nature of all deeds and affairs of Mara is nonexistent and cannot be apprehended. Their good spiritual friends will also transmit and instruct them in this teaching, enabling those bodhisattvas to enter the bodhisattvas’ certainty of freedom from arising and never be separated from the Buddhas.

In the presence of the Buddhas, they will plant roots of virtue. Furthermore, because they are sustained by those roots of virtue, they will always be born into the families of great bodhisattvas and, until they attain unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, will never abandon those roots of virtue.

“Kausika! If bodhisattvas newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle are able to embrace all merits while employing non-apprehension and signlessness as skillful means, develop profound faith and understanding regarding those merits, and always receive the sustaining care of good spiritual friends, then when they hear such a teaching, their minds will not become alarmed or afraid, nor will they become doubtful.

“Moreover, Kausika! When bodhisattvas newly embarked upon the Great Vehicle cultivate in accord with the perfection of giving, up to the prajnaparamita; abide in accord with inner emptiness, up to the emptiness of the absence of self-nature; and cultivate in accord with the four establishments of mindfulness, up to the eighteen unique qualities of a Buddha, together with immeasurable and boundless other Buddha-dharmas, they should in every case employ non-apprehension and signlessness as skillful means and dedicate them equally, together with all sentient beings, to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.

“Moreover, Kausika! Throughout the innumerable, immeasurable, and boundless worlds of the ten directions are Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly and Completely Enlightened Ones, who have utterly eradicated every course of conceptual proliferation, laid down their burdens, broken the thorns of the settlements, completely severed all fetters, perfected right knowledge, attained liberation of mind, and skillfully taught the Dharma.

The assemblies of disciples of those Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly and Completely Enlightened Ones have perfected the aggregate of discipline, the aggregate of concentration, the aggregate of wisdom, the aggregate of liberation, and the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation, and have cultivated other merits. Some have planted roots of virtue in such stations as the great Kshatriya clans, the great Brahmin clans, the great householder clans, and the great clans of wealthy elders.

Some among the gods of the Four Great Kings, up to the gods who exercise mastery over others’ creations, have planted roots of virtue. Some among the gods of the Brahma assembly, up to the gods of Akanishtha, have planted roots of virtue. Gathering together the entire measure of all such roots of virtue, they bring them directly to mind and arouse a mind of sympathetic joy that, compared with other roots of virtue, is supreme, exalted, sublime, unsurpassed, unequaled, and equal only to the unequaled.

Then, with that mind of sympathetic joy, they sympathetically rejoice in such meritorious deeds and dedicate them equally, together with all kinds of sentient beings, to unsurpassed, complete enlightenment.”

At that time, the great bodhisattva Maitreya asked the Venerable Subhuti:

– Venerable sir! If great bodhisattvas newly training in the Great Vehicle recollect the merits of the assembly of disciples and of all Buddhas, together with the roots of virtue planted by devas, humans, and others; gather together the entire measure of such merits and bring them forth before the mind—regarding them as supreme, most honored, subtle and wondrous, unsurpassed, unequaled, and equal to the unequaled among all other roots of virtue—and then, with that mind of sympathetic joy, rejoice in such roots of virtue for the sake of all sentient beings and dedicate them equally to unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment, how can these great bodhisattvas avoid falling into inverted perception, inverted thought, and inverted view?

The Venerable Subhuti replied:

– Great being! If, when recollecting the merits of the assembly of disciples and of all Buddhas, a great bodhisattva does not conceive, “These are the merits of the assembly of disciples and of all Buddhas”; when recollecting the roots of virtue planted by devas, humans, and others, does not conceive of roots of virtue belonging to devas, humans, and others; and when generating a mind of sympathetic joy and dedication toward unsurpassed enlightenment, likewise does not conceive of a mind of sympathetic joy and dedication toward unsurpassed enlightenment, then this great bodhisattva’s generation of a mind of sympathetic joy and dedication does not fall into inverted perception, inverted thought, or inverted view.

If, when recollecting the merits of the assembly of disciples and of all Buddhas, a great bodhisattva conceives, “These are the merits of the assembly of disciples and of all Buddhas”; when recollecting the roots of virtue planted by devas, humans, and others, conceives of roots of virtue belonging to devas, humans, and others; and when generating a mind of sympathetic joy and dedication toward unsurpassed enlightenment, likewise conceives of a mind of sympathetic joy and dedication toward unsurpassed enlightenment, then this great bodhisattva’s generation of a mind of sympathetic joy and dedication will fall into inverted perception, inverted thought, and inverted view.

Furthermore, great being! If a great bodhisattva, with such a mind of sympathetic joy, recollects the merits and roots of virtue of the assembly of disciples and of all Buddhas, the bodhisattva clearly knows that this mind has ceased, vanished, and changed, and therefore cannot rejoice. The bodhisattva correctly knows that the nature of that Dharma is likewise such and therefore cannot be rejoiced in.

The bodhisattva also correctly comprehends that the nature of the mind of dedication is likewise such and therefore cannot dedicate. The bodhisattva further correctly realizes that the nature of the Dharma to which dedication is made is likewise such and therefore cannot be dedicated to. Sympathetic joy and dedication practiced in reliance upon teachings such as these are correct, not erroneous.

All great bodhisattvas should practice sympathetic joy and dedication in this way.

Furthermore, great being! Regarding all past, future, and present Tathagatas, Arhats, Perfectly Enlightened Ones, from the time they first generated the aspiration until the day they attained unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment, and continuing until their Dharma disappeared, throughout that interval there were such merits as these: roots of virtue generated by pratyekabuddhas and disciples of the Buddha in reliance upon that Buddha’s Dharma; roots of virtue planted by ordinary beings who heard that Dharma; roots of virtue planted upon hearing that Dharma by nagas, yakshas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, humans, nonhumans, and others;

roots of virtue planted upon hearing that Dharma by those of the great kshatriya clans, great brahmin clans, great merchant clans, and great householder clans; roots of virtue planted upon hearing that Dharma by the devas of the Four Great Kings up to the devas of Akanishtha Heaven; and the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment generated by good men, good women, and others who heard that Dharma and diligently cultivated the bodhisattva practices.

A great bodhisattva gathers together the entire measure of all such merits and brings them forth before the mind—regarding them as supreme, most honored, subtle and wondrous, unsurpassed, unequaled, and equal to the unequaled among all other roots of virtue—and then, with a mind of sympathetic joy, rejoices in such roots of virtue for the sake of all sentient beings and dedicates them equally to unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

At that time, if the bodhisattva correctly realizes that the dharmas capable of sympathetic joy and dedication have ceased, vanished, and changed, and that the intrinsic nature of all dharmas involved in sympathetic joy and dedication is empty, yet, while knowing this, still practices sympathetic joy and dedication toward unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment; and if at that time the bodhisattva correctly knows that all dharmas are empty, only then can the bodhisattva practice sympathetic joy and dedication with respect to dharmas.

Why is this? Because the intrinsic nature of all dharmas is empty. Within emptiness, there is no dharma in which one can rejoice or which one can dedicate.

Although knowing this, the bodhisattva can nevertheless practice sympathetic joy and dedication toward unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

If that great bodhisattva can practice sympathetic joy and dedication in this way, then, when cultivating prajnaparamita through generosity-paramita, the bodhisattva does not fall into inverted perception, inverted thought, or inverted view. Why is this? Because that great bodhisattva does not grasp the mind of sympathetic joy, nor does the bodhisattva grasp the merits and roots of virtue in which sympathetic joy is taken; does not generate grasping toward the mind of dedication, nor does the bodhisattva grasp the unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment to which the dedication is made.

Because there is no grasping, the bodhisattva does not fall into inversion. A bodhisattva’s generation of a mind of sympathetic joy and dedication in this way is called the unsurpassed transcendence of all delusive conceptual discriminations.

Fascicle 432

End

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Translation source: Linh Sơn Pháp Bảo Đại Tạng KinhLicense: Linh Sơn Pháp Bảo Đại Tạng Kinh (Việt dịch) · nguồn: rongmotamhon.net (Liên Phật Hội) · EN: AI translation from Vietnamese source, awaiting source English

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